Releasing the Taskmaster While on Holiday

A big part of holiday fun for me is spending significant and rejuvenating time enjoying nature and being active. Eleven days ago, I jumped in my Prius and drove 12 hours to visit my dear friend Gwyneth at her summer home in Le Bic, Quebec. Located on the Gaspe Peninsula, this is a nature lover’s retreat on stunning and private point of land on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. It is also heaven for those who like to take it easy and read, do puzzles, card games or soak in an old fashioned tub in naturally mineral rich and alkaline water. For folks like me who like to be active, the options are endless including hiking, bouldering, biking and kayaking.

I came to this beautiful spot with plans of doing all of the above along with spending time with my life-long and ever so interesting friend. Well, my body had a different plan. The Day 1 plan was to take it easy and recover from the long drive before I started my outdoor adventures. So, after a  blissful sleep-in I had a leisurely breakfast on the front porch and gentle walk on the beach. But, by the afternoon, I had a sore throat and aches and pains that refused to go away over the course of my holiday. My plans changed.

This was just a summer bug but “why”, I asked myself, “did it have to come now”?

Why NOT come now? When we change our life pace and slow down the body sometimes uses it as an opportunity to stop us in our tracks and heal. Resting and nurturing myself has been the day to day routine here for me instead of kayaking and rock climbing. The challenge is, though for an active Aries gal like me, to listen to the body and cultivate the conditions for healing INSTEAD of going out and “doing”.

The even bigger challenge has been Mr. Bossy Boots aka the Taskmaster. During my stay here, he had been a constant irritant on my shoulder telling me “you should be doing this” and “you should be blah, blah, blah…..”. I got really annoyed by this inner voice. I wanted to flick him off my shoulder and tell him to “buzz off”. But, as satisfying as this might have been, I realized Mr. BB has helped me many times in my life. After all, he IS an aspect of me. After years of recovering from self disdain, lack of self acceptance and self hatred through inner work and counselling, I no longer want to be at war with myself. So, lovingly but firmly I said, “Mr. Bossy Boots akaTaskmaster, you are no longer welcome. You have helped me much over the years and I thank you. I love you but I no longer want to listen to you. I’m not feeling well and my body is using this time to heal. I want and need to take it easy. So off you go and take your “shoulding” with you!”
So, Mr. Bossy Boots has been in hiding. Once he emerged to recommend I work on emails, etc. since I was “not doing anything anyway” b
ut I shut him down promptly. He’s been quiet since then. I’ve managed to rest and listen to my body. To accept this summer bug as a time for healing. I have even welcomed it and been grateful for the opportunity to not “do” but just “be”, just rest. It has been an exercise in acceptance. Today, I do my best to honour my body and really listen to its cues. Today I do my best to accept all parts of me.

And besides, the view of spectacular sunsets been just as stunning from the Adirondack chair on the front porch!