Beautiful Life

Life is beautiful. That’s the thought I had the other day as I ran along the MD seashore.

This week I’m at the beach with my family and it’s been amazing. My kids are a wonder to watch as they build imaginative landscapes in the sand and lose themselves in laughter as the cool (my wife would say cold) ocean water washes over their feet. Over the last few days we’ve settled into a relaxing daily routine that makes our lives back at home feel like a distant memory. I get up early and run barefoot in the surf for an hour, prepare and serve breakfast, pack lunch, head to the beach, dig a huge hole in the sand (this is mandatory my kids tell me), pop in and out of the water to cool off, break-up a few Tom and Jerry episodes, make sculptures in the sand (mermaids, dragons, and dolphins), watch people come by and see my creations, head back to the condo for dinner and nightly activities (miniature golf is the new favorite), negotiate with my kids to go to sleep (I’m relaxed and patient remember), and finally float off into dreamland.

The one thing that’s challenging is the temptation to eat all the tasty stuff they sell at the beach. You know, ice-cream, juicy steak and cheese subs with extra pickles, pizza, boardwalk fries, fresh squeezed lemonade, cotton candy, caramel apples with nuts (hmm hmm), deep fried shrimp with lots of cocktail sauce, etc… Most of these things I’ve resisted because I need to be in optimal condition for October’s race. Oddly enough, I don’t miss them. Temptations are just thoughts you haven’t challenged yet. In the past I thought these foods brought me happiness. Now I know that’s just a thought. I am happiness. I don’t need anything external to make me happy (except those boardwalk fries and fresh squeezed lemonade).

In actuality, being with my wife and kids and watching them have so much fun has brought the happiness out of me. I think it’s because I’m living in the moment. Kids have a way of helping you do this if you just go with it.

Vacations are great. They help us break out of the monotony of our daily patterns and realize much joy can be found in doing things out of the norm. However, you can experience this joy without having to go on vacation. Just try to do something different and new everyday. You’ll see what I mean. This is tonight’s lesson.

Here's a song to capture the spirit of this lesson.