I was out walking yesterday and I overheard two guys having a conversation about working from home during the pandemic. One said, “They think that working from home is a vacation; it’s no vacation.” The other guy succinctly said, “Life is a vacation.”

Their conversation continued as I walked out of earshot, but the words “Life is a vacation” stuck in my mind.

To me, life is a vacation between where we came from and where we are going. I don’t know what vacation season of life you are in – spring, summer, fall, or winter, but you are in one of them. The question I have is similar to the one my fourth grade teacher Miss Wagner asked us on the first day of class: “What did you do on your summer vacation?”

My question is: What are we doing on our vacation?

One of my favorite quotes is an old Chinese aphorism: “Talk doesn’t cook rice.” To me, it signifies all talk and no action. “Doing” is the operative word in my question.

The bigger question is: “What is your purpose?” I’m pretty sure it’s not sitting around thinking about what you want to do, or whiling away the day seeking diversions that keep you from taking action. But, sadly, I think that’s what many folks are doing during this vacation season.

Perhaps it’s time to make this a working vacation by committing to doing something – something with purpose.

Only you can determine what your purpose is, but you won’t find it among your diversions.

Here’s a suggestion: Ask yourself, “What is my purpose?” Then find a quiet space, quiet your activity, and quiet your mind. Once the diversions are out of the way, you make room for the inspiration you are asking for.

So what will you do on your vacation? Perhaps a Grasshopper quote from long ago will give you a nudge. “You came from nothing; you’re returning to nothing; so while you’re here, do something.”

All the best,

John