“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.”
– Deepak Chopra
We all need to get off sometimes; I mean off the island. If you live in San Pedro you will know what I mean. It’s time to take a break because you’re tired of the same old, faces, food, talk, etc. You drive through town hoping no one will see you. You refuse to wave back, you nearly hit a bicyclist, you see him, but didn’t register him. “Get out of my way,” you mumble under your breath, there’s no windshield on golf carts to avoid retaliation, so you clam up. Island fever is setting in and you need to get out, out!
Travelling off the island is always a pleasure, even if it’s to visit so, so relatives, because after being on an island everything seems better somewhere else. You pack, do the details, close up, drop of the key, and set yourself free. Plane: plane; taxi. Plane; taxi, friends, family, strangers, whatever. Shop, shop, eat, see something new, shop, drink, race in highway traffic, visit, laugh, talk, drink, and brag about La Isla Bonita. Weeks go by now you can’t stand the traffic, lines in stores, stuff you can’t use, the mall. Family issues, etc., the real world starts to close in and San Pedro becomes paradise again. “I can’t wait to get back to San Pedro!”
It’s good to go and good to come back. Airports are not fun anymore but we still travel. Movement is what we do. If you are not present everything is a chore. Life has to shake us up now and then, it seems, for us to stay on track and find true value. Travelling expands us. We get a clearer picture when we can compare. Suddenly things snap into focus, stillness returns. The confusion dissipates and the next steps are revealed. Finding a purpose is one thing, staying on course and living means changing directions at times. Even going backwards is still a new direction because you now have a different inner vision to view from.
Here are some tips to deal with island fever:
* Be clear on your values, visions, and reasons why you live where you do. Take time to see the vision of your life and evaluate your choices.
* Ask yourself regularly what you can let go of, and what you don’t need anymore.
* Understand you will have situations you can’t change or control, people you can’t help, end results you can’t achieve. Focus on the areas you know you can accomplish.
Four rules for life: Show up. Pay attention. Tell the truth. Don’t be attached to the results.
–Angeles, Arriens
By Chris Emmanuel
