Where The Streets Have No Name

The Sanity of Insanity

Although this may sound like some “new age” meditation article, it is not that. It’s about taking a moment and being human, detached from society’s rules and the rat-race in general. It’s about remembering that you’re a living being and have a life of your own.

Taking a moment to step out of time, out of a moment in your life is never easy but it is so critical for self-reflection and the health of your mind. The one thing that so many people do not think about, and I mean truly think about; is themselves.

Most of us go about our daily routine, getting up, going to school or going to work and don’t really think twice about our own internal workings. I believe that a lot of people are probably scared of their mind, what it might think about or where it might go if it lacks the normal daily stimulus or worse yet, where it won’t go. The truth is though, there is nothing wrong with it not going anywhere. The human mind is always trying to find a way to stimulate itself or relax itself. It’s the whole reason we dream at night or space out during the day.

Find Your Peace

It’s not easy and it may very well go against every ounce of your values, but play hookie for half a day. If you’re married, have kids, etc. Send the kids to school and take half the day off or if you can, take the whole day off. Find yourself a book to lose yourself in. And I mean a real book with pages you have to physically turn. Disconnect yourself from all electronics and leave your phone at home. Go and sit at the park or at the beach or even in your own back yard, but make sure you can’t hear phones ring or sirens blare or children laughing and screaming. The idea is solitude without interruption.

Some of us are blessed enough to have that space outside of our back yard and others might have to drive forty miles to find it. Whatever the case, find it.

As strange as it sounds, even if you’re not an avid reader, the book part is an important part of this equation. It will allow you to not only have a distraction in your solitude (because, yes, we still need that) but it will also allow you to escape to a world completely disconnected from yours. You find your mind drifting from time to time off the book and maybe you’ll have to re-read the same page three times… but your mind will be relaxing and within no time at all, you will have covered thirty pages without even realizing it.

Breathe, Drink and Live

Have plenty of water on hand and dress comfortably for your day off. Be sure that you don’t have a day planner with you, a computer, an iPod or anything else that is electronic. Remember what life was like before it all, what we are without that, that we have created. Every once in a while take a moment and look around you at the trees, the grass or simply your own bedroom if that is where you needed to find solitude. Breathe deeply and think about things that are going on in your life and how you have been (or not been) dealing with them. It is not important that you find solutions in this day off. All that is important is that you focus on yourself and be selfish, for a day. It will help you to care for others and help you cope with your days so much easier.

Now, if I could only follow my own advice. 🙂