Why Wait Until Tomorrow When You Can Start Today?

Last weekend I spent four days in a small community in the Catskills called Fleischmanns. The town is less than a mile long with roughly 300+ in population.

When I drove down the main street, searching for my B & B, I thought to myself, what the heck did I get myself into. The town looked almost abandoned with old buildings that had been vacated. Yet the sidewalks were filled with people, I could not figure it out.

After checking into my room, I went for a stroll down the main street. I could sense in my body, there was something more than meets the eye here. I spotted a small café and headed over, but the owners were closing for the day. They didn’t rush off as I expected them to do but stopped and conversed with me about their homemade breads and various types of tea that they sell and said, to stop by tomorrow. I went over to one of the two markets in town, one was Kosher and the other your typical market you would find in a small town. The cashier was very friendly and talkative. In my town, you are lucky if the cashier says hello or thank you.

There were beautiful grand homes that needed a little TLC. One home was being restored to its original grandeur. My friend and I were staring at the home as we walked by, a woman noticed our interest and invited us in for a first-floor view. We both were stunned at the invitation but took her up on the offer. She told us her son and daughter in-law owned the home and had moved from Manhattan. What a shock to their system or a breath of fresh air moving to Fleischmanns. I couldn’t help staring at the intricate details in the woodwork, it was indescribable. There was furniture that had been left behind from the previous owners, which I could tell were antiques. The kitchen with the tiny staircase almost hidden in the corner for the servants, I could almost picture the bustling household as it once was. The home was large, we were told it had eight bedrooms and seven bathrooms, not to mention the grand dining and living room.

The town of Fleischmanns was growing on me. There isn’t much to it, but perhaps that is what I liked, quaint and simple, not to mention the kindness of the locals.

Sitting on the porch of my B & B, I met some of the other patrons and learned a little bit history about Fleischmanns, I was fascinated. Waking up early the next day, I grabbed a tea and headed to the porch to relax. I started conversing with another woman, Eileen while we both drank our tea. She asked what I did for work, and I told her that I was a health coach, focusing on nature as a healing tool. Eileen started telling me her life story. She met her husband when they both were ski instructors. He was adventurous for life and Eileen followed his journey, enjoying every moment. She said, she has had a great life and still does. I could see by the endless smile on her face how much she enjoys life.

Sitting on the porch those four days and watching people walk by reminded me of simpler times when people intentionally slowed down and enjoyed life. Now we are all rushing around, our eyes glued to screens. We cannot even walk down the street without looking at our phones. Always worrying about not having enough time. Yet, we don’t make time for ourselves a priority.

We can make a conscious choice to slow down and take time for ourselves on a regular basis. When we slow down, we realize what we are missing in our lives, joy, and happiness. Take the time and invest in your self-care and rediscover who you are. Life isn’t a race; it’s meant to be enjoyed.