Steering the wheel of our own lives.

Sailing the Mediterranean offers time for reflection. It moves thoughts around or blows them away completely. It slips one’s mind into the gap, between here and there.

Sandra, a Medievalist who lives in Paris and trades in Illuminated Manuscripts, has traveled with me a few times. Out on the open sea, we fell into conversation about the extraordinary way life presents itself. It’s full of surprises, joyfully ripe, raw and challenging.

We spoke of what happens when life takes over and we are affected by outer circumstances. How hard it is to find balance in this demanding world and if you don’t, how seemingly the greater forces that be, do it for you. We decided that getting away is practically a health prescription for the mind. Not only does it give the mind time to unwind, it fills it up with nourishing fresh air, good food, and an opportunity to open to limitless perception. We suddenly see through to the essence of goodness in ourselves and others.

What happens around the edges of life, is what makes life. Kind of like the negative space you see around a line drawing. The line defines, but what happens on the inside affects the outside and visa versa. Instead of waiting for the cookie to crumble, we decided, it would be more choiceful to crumble it oneself.

What does this mean? It means, taking stock of where you are in relationship to your life, paying attention to what you need and not putting it off. Perhaps it’s spending time away from your computer. Perhaps writing that memoir, doing yoga or spending more time with family. Or perhaps it’s coming along on a week long adventure to tend to your soul.

Whether it be sailing, cooking, exploring or just simply getting away from it all to have some fun.

It will be worth it. For all the hard work you put into your life, you should be able to enjoy it and crumble your cookie how you like. Or at least have your cookie and eat it too!

How do you crumble yours?