An Annual Honeymoon

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once and a while, you could miss it."
- Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller

Patients to see. Reports to write. Billing issues to address. E-mails to reply to. Voicemails to listen to. Staff to oversee. The list is endless - and that's just the checklist of life at your office! No doubt you also have checklists (mental or actual) of daily or near-daily responsibilities involving family, friends, and everything in between. Wouldn't you love to just "get away from it all" for a little while?

I just got back from a week away with my wife. No kids, no friends; just the two of us. The computer I brought along just in case I needed to do some work failed to work. (I'm convinced that was by the grace of God.) I even went so far as to ask people not to call or contact us unless it was very important and couldn't wait.

The first day was a bit surreal. I actually felt what Dorothy must have felt when she woke up in Oz. Here's a little bit of what happened:

Instead of incoming calls, I saw the sun rise over the ocean.
Demanding e-mails were replaced with a sense of quiet serenity.
No one wanted me to solve or address any impending challenges.
My toughest decisions were what to order for breakfast and how to spend the day.
My wife an I actually had a chance to talk ... without the use of cell phones.
We shared time instead of problems.

As the week went on, I found myself looking toward the future and thinking about what I wanted for the next 10 years of my life. At the same time, my wife and I shared our hearts in a way that hadn't happened for years. We talked about what was really important to us and made plans together. It was, to some degree, a time of excess.

We had all day to spend together, every day for a week. We could do whatever we wanted. We ate whatever we wanted (and didn't feel guilty). We did things we hadn't done for too many years. This freedom became the foundation for reviving forgotten dreams and considering new adventures. Our future together seemed to hold much more promise than it did only a week earlier.

As we look at our nation and the economy, things look crazy and unpredictable right now. At times like these, most people have a tendency to focus on the bad news and neglect everything but the most immediate needs. And while this is OK for the short term, it will continue to have its consequences, much like an unaddressed subluxation. It just isn't healthy in the long run. Take it from someone who knows firsthand.

And so in this, my first article after my return from seven days of renewal, I (a person who is not licensed in any healing profession) am going to recommend, suggest and even (dare I use the word?) prescribe something for your health: Go on a honeymoon!

Get away from the office for a week by yourself, with your spouse or in a way that gives you time and opportunity to renew and revive. This is not a luxury; it is a necessity in order to keep a healthy perspective on what is really important. Time is much more valuable than money. The older you get, the more you appreciate its value.

So spend some money and invest some time. Your energy and ultimately your future will benefit greatly. In fact, I'm convinced that, like me, you will want to make it an annual event.