Back to Work!

I just came back from the Dominican Republic this past weekend after a much needed and (I'd like to think) well deserved vacation.

I must admit that I have often undermined the true value in a getaway vacation. I do spend a lot of weekends traveling to see my wife and family, but rarely do I vacation. Sadly this vacation was too short, as most are. I spent a week in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. We stayed on a beautiful resort, The Bahia Principe, with gorgeous beaches and unbelievable weather!

My wife and I enjoyed the much needed rest and relaxation, combined with a worry free environment. There was plenty of healthy food to eat with an abundant selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. We both spent plenty of time in the ocean and enjoyed the sun (in moderation). We had the privilege of going speed boating and a treatment at the spa. It was the perfect week :)

It was very refreshing to say the least, and for those contemplating going away, it is worth every penny!

This now leads me to my post. I feel very fortunate to be able to go away on such a trip and thanks to years of hard work I appreciated the time off even more. I sometimes ask myself what the meaning of life is to me and observe the actions of other and try to figure out what the meaning of life is to them based on their behaviors.

Life is about balance, sometimes a very fine balance. Growing up in the Western world I see that there is a heavy emphasis on going to a job you hate, amassing large amounts of money and material assets(that you may never spend because you died twenty years early stressing out about it) and complaining. There is a complete disregard for exercise, eating healthy and thinking healthy. Remember as I always say, "Your health will cost you your wealth"

Imagine removing these stressors from your life. What would be left? Most people would have nothing to talk about and nothing to do! What did our hunter and gatherer ancestors do with all this free time? They certainly were not "surfing the net" or writing blogs.

I think that we (myself included) as westerners lack balance. We live beyond our means then complain we have no money, we eat shitty diets and complain we are gaining weight, we try fad diets to try to lose weight and when they don't work we complain about that. We are extremely wasteful and have a complete disregard for the planet's resources.

Many of us are not grateful for the basic necessities (water, sewage, electricity)that a large portion of the world does not even have. Next time you find yourself complaining about a meal or you suddenly realize your house is not big enough, realize that there are other humans on this planet that would love to be in your shoes, eating that meal in your house...I remind myself of this very fact on a daily basis.

This trip made me realize how lucky we truly are and how grateful we should be for the things that we have. If we spent more time being grateful for the things we have and less time complaining about the things we don't, I guarantee it will change our lives.

During our stay we were able to see the local city and the amount of poverty outside of the resort was quite startling. I wonder how the locals feel when Americans and Canadians come to their country and spend more in a week then they earn in a year? It breaks my heart to think of it. What it made me realize is how lucky we really are and that each day should be greeted with thanks and a purpose.

My purpose in life is to live congruently with my body, planet and spirit. In doing so, I hope to set an example for my friends, family and patients. May we all be grateful for the things we have and content with our fortunes no matter their size.

What is your purpose?