Take a 4:8 Vacation... from Yourself
 From time to time, it’s a wise idea to schedule some special rejuvenation time just for yourself. While it’s certainly smart to take some regularly scheduled vacations and trips with your family and friends, have you ever considered getting away from yourself? You can’t get out of your body, of course, but you can hit the “refresh” button on your mind.
You can accomplish this by changing some of your habits, especially your thinking, for a week or so. During this time, make an extra effort to dissolve (if they exist) all variations of negativity, including criticizing, complaining, condemning, gossip, and worry. At the minimum, just postpone these self-defeating habits. Think of it as healthy procrastination. :)
If you normally read a lot in the evenings, try watching a little TV instead. And if you typically watch TV each night, give it up for a week and just read. If you hardly ever read fiction, then find a classic novel and dig into it. In the morning, read a different newspaper. Or maybe take a week off from the news altogether. Pick up a magazine you’ve been interested in, but haven’t gotten around to reading.
Enjoy some food that’s unusual for you, and shop for it at a different grocery store. Take an alternative route to your office in the morning and pay attention to the new sites along the way, as well as the humorous facial expressions on your fellow commuters. Avoid the usual exercise routine. If you typically run, then try walking or vice versa. Or maybe try exercising during lunch, or for a longer period of time, or with a partner if you normally do it solo.
Visit some friends that you haven’t seen much of lately and make an effort to initiate one new friendship. Shake up your spiritual life as well. Worship at a new church or try praying in a different way. Mix in some fresh disciplines or simply substitute some new rituals in lieu of your normal routine. Consider rereading your favorite inspirational classic or maybe just practicing solitude or meditation... if you don’t do that already. These are just a few ways to “stir up the pot” and create a vacation from yourself. You can devise many more.
You can always return home from this brief vacation, but you might just find you like it too much to come back.
Think 4:8
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