The Cruise Texts, Volume 11. A holiday isn’t what you need.

Last year I was asked to write a series of blogs for publication. As ever, they disappeared down a rabbit hole, having just uncovered them, they are I feel ripe for release so here they are. Written whilst on a cruise around the North Sea and the North Atlantic on the P&O Cruises cruise ship Aurora organised by Laura Childs of Pure Travel. Hence Cruise Texts.

The problem with ‘I need a holiday’ or ‘I need a fresh start’, is that you take the same problems with you that you always had. If you change the location, that is all you change.

Everything else stays the same.

A walk in the countryside, a walk in nature, a walk in the woods, a walk in the park, even a walk down the street and around the corner gives you space.

What you really need is space. Space to think, space to reflect, and ultimately space to begin, maybe begin again.

Wiser.

A walk outside, slowly will allow you to let go, to let all those things that weigh you down lighten. The minute you realise that, you have made the first step.

Do it, do it NOW.

The hardest step is the first flap into flight, the first stroke in a swim, the first stride in a different direction. Its far easier to keep going than to get started.

If you’re out there you’ve done that.

Awareness precedes change.  Actions Cure Things, ACT!

You have begun a journey of change, if that’s what you want, need or desire.

Once you’ve taken that first step, it’s likely you might work out the second step you need to take, which pain point you need to address next.

You might decide to spend less time attached to social media, or your smart phone and the ear pods that cut you of from the sounds of the world around you. It maybe that you want to get out of bed earlier. It may be that you want to eat fewer crisps, or stop smoking?

What one thing could you change?  That you could set, and actually achieve?  It might be to complete a 15 minute walk every day.

What time of day would work every day? Maybe you have to get up fifteen minutes earlier to fit the walk in. The mornings are good, no one else has claim on your time then.

Or do you struggle to get to sleep at night.  Writing down the things that you dwell upon before going to sleep can help to offload them and let you get to sleep.

It might be making your own pack lunch rather than spending a fortune on a meal deal will help you to save money.

If you set one small target and achieve it, then you’ll begin to believe you can make a bigger change, and achieve it.

You will need a little discipline. Ask someone supportive around you, if they exist, to help you. That can be a massive help.

You’ll likely find that success with your first target will lead to the next one.

What will your reward be for completing each target?

It helps if you have an incentive as well as satisfaction to drive you forward.

Complete as many targets as you can, one step at a time, with the help of nature as far as you can, the woods, the park, maybe even your garden.

Breathe, feel a leaf or a petal, take off your shoes and feel the grass, or the earth beneath your feet. Is it warm, damp, cold. Listen, what can you hear? Insects, cars, school children?

Breath again.

Now, you will probably enjoy the holiday far more than you would have done before, and at that, point a holiday is what you need. 

Maybe it is an incentive for success.

You won’t be taking problems with you, you’ll be taking solutions.

Simon Pollard July 2024