Amanda Lamb: #EatPrayLove

Even today, as advanced as we have become, the fix for all technical problems is to turn off whatever device is going haywire and restart it again. Surprisingly, more often than not, this works.

This got me thinking about how we as human beings sometimes need to hit the “reset button” on our brains. We go, and go and go, and, in the midst of the fire drill that many of our lives have become, we can’t seem to do anything right because we never stop for a moment and take the time to hit the reset button.

From a crack in your windshield to an unpaid parking ticket to a flat bike tire or an empty refrigerator, things in life seem to compound to the point where nothing gets done because we are so overwhelmed. You can operate a cell phone with a tiny crack in the screen, but if the crack starts to spread like the arms of a starfish and your battery won’t hold a charge and you’re not getting a good signal, you might as well give up.

That’s why I am entering into a tradition this week that my family used to enjoy up until a few years ago - the two-week vacation. It’s an opportunity to hit the reset button and leave the phone off for a long enough period of time that it truly makes a difference in my outlook on life. I truly believe that good health, happiness, creativity and general well-being stem from the occasional opportunity to step back and reflect upon our lives.

A dear friend of mine recently took a solo trip from the Southwest to the East Coast to visit old friends and relatives after experiencing some momentous changes in her life. We dubbed her soul-searching journey the #EatPrayLove tour after the 2010 movie and 2007 book of the same name. And, while my journey won’t take me quite as far in distance or as far back in time, it has the potential for real growth and renewal.

So, if you don’t hear from me for awhile, don’t worry, I’m just giving my battery an extra-long time to recharge …