Driving I-5 to San Onofre for an afternoon surf session with a friend stuck in the midst of some marital challenges. Heck. Marital meltdown.
I asked him, “So, before you try to re-connect with your wife, how about if you re-connect with yourself? When do you simply enjoy being you?”
Silence. (Very common. Guys typically don’t have a clue with this one). And then, “You know, I used to love to paint.”
Ah Ha! “Get off the freeway at the next exit!”
Just off the I-5 at Pico in San Clemente is a cool Art Center that sells good quality watercolor materials. We spent under $30 and set him up with a paint board, some nice paper, decent paints, and a selection of brushes. And once again, he was a painter.
A few days later, I got a call. “I just spent a couple hours painting and can’t tell you how good it feels. I know it seems simple, but it feels like… like… somehow taking the few minutes to do something for me opened up some room for me to serve my wife. Thanks.”
Well said.
What would guide your steps in a gap year?
In March of this year I decided to end all of my current work and take a gap year in 2024. It’s been a process of letting go, handing off, ...
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A million years ago I took on re-developing an outdoor leadership camp in the High Sierras of California. What we started with was rustic, ... -
In March of this year I decided to end all of my current work and take a gap year in 2024. It’s been a process of letting go, handing off, ... -
This week was exhausting. I feel depleted. Last minute additional travel with venue changes. Challenging group. Very little down time. ...