As I sat in my hotel room in the Croatian capital city of Zagreb, through the open window I heard the sounds of children at play. Looking out at the city spread out below the nearby mountain, the sounds of the children and the picturesque view provide a sense of calmness with its numerous red tiled roofs, diverse historic architectural buildings, and occasional church towers, intermingled with several green spaces adding a touch of autumnal colors from the changing tree leaves. All combined, these sights and sounds prompt a release of the stresses of daily life and the thought, “just breathe”, a reminder to slow down and take a breath, especially in today’s stressful times. The previous evening, we strolled through the lower town, Donji grad, admiring the numerous al Fresca cafes, bars, and restaurants. The coffee culture here is as strong as the coffee itself. We stopped at an outdoor cafe for a coffee and people watching in the bustling Cvjetni Trg (public plaza) by an Orthodox Church, embracing the mantra, “just breathe.” It was refreshing.
On the following day we met four other friends and began our private guided tour in Croatia and Slovenia, starting in the capital city of Zagreb. It was the first time for all six of us in the region. I had anticipated writing a lot for this blog while traveling, bringing my laptop along with me. I started writing the first paragraph above the first morning in Zagreb, initially settling on a title “Sound of Children at Play.” However, I quickly put everything away and just allowed myself to breathe and experience the destinations with all my senses, uninterrupted. The bones of this article were swirling in my head and heart throughout the 10-day trip. But the new title came quickly to me on that second day in Zagreb as our private local guide toured us through the old medieval upper city’s cobblestoned narrow and winding streets lined with unique shops and outdoor cafes. The shop was called “Your Soul Time”, advertising “incense, crystals & good vibes inside.” I wasn’t so much taken by the shop itself as the shop name. It reminded me that this trip was about making space for my soul time, which required me to put down the book, paper and pen, and enjoy the holiday.
Which is exactly what I did. And in each destination, by making space for what I call soul time, I found bits of inspiration for not only my current writing projects, but also a whole new book idea, which by the time we ended the trip, I had mentally mapped out almost the entire plot and timeline. Giddy with excitement, I wanted to start writing it, but I intentionally held off to let the ideas marinate in my mind and soul, making a few written notes in my personal notebook, but otherwise, leaving the writing until we got back home.
Every destination along our journey provided inspiration and new insights not only for my writing, but also my coaching practice, work/life balance, and so much more. The pace of life, even for those who are struggling to get by with their work in the cities and rural areas we visited, appears so much more balanced. As described by several different local guides across multiple cities in Croatia and Slovenia, they don’t live to work, but instead work to live, embracing the simplicity of things in life and taking time to pause, spend quality time with friends and family, breathe, and as I describe it now, allow space for soul time. This results in much happier people, even amid challenging times or in the best of times. Now, for me, the concept of work to live, while prioritizing enjoyment of life outside of work doesn’t have to mean that you don’t still have a focus on achieving your professional success and achieving career goals. To me, it just means that you don’t let the focus of career/work become the sole priority to the detriment of enjoying life outside of work/career. We often hear work/life balance, but as I’ve mentioned in other posts, a dear friend and mentor once shared with me the alternative concept of work/life harmony, which I like better. There will be times when work/career takes center stage and more attention, but to maintain the harmony, one must also allow space and time for enjoying life outside of work, or allowing space for soul time, which to me is a major part of work/life harmony.
So, for this journey, I set aside writing and allowed space for soul time, and I am now back home more refreshed, inspired, and encouraged in all of my different endeavors. Life is precious and time bound, and we have the opportunity to make the most of each moment given. And sometimes, allowing space for soul time provides us with all we need to embrace life, living it to the fullest, striving for and achieving our goals and dreams, and thriving. So, as always, I encourage you to think about how you make space for soul time for yourself, in whatever form that may mean for you. It doesn’t have to be a long faraway journey either. It could be a simple trip to a garden, or your own front porch, or anywhere that provides you with space to breathe and just be present for a moment. Consider ways you can make space for soul time and what benefits you find for yourself there. You’ve worked hard and deserve the soul time because as always, Your Story Matters.
