The reclining Buddha at Wat Phro in Bangkok.
Happy 2013! I just spent two weeks with my family in Thailand… an amazing place! We try to take trips to stay close, educate ourselves and explore the world. During our time there we took a break from the digital world.
I really needed this one. I was exhausted by the time we left, after having several very fun family and friend holiday get-togethers, a launch party for ZEN TIPS, my new book, and finishing up the first part of the school year.
While I was there, I realized what I already know: I need to work on balance in my life! Sometimes it takes a struggle and being too busy to make you realize that you need to make a change. The balance wouldn’t be as sweet if you didn’t have the struggles to start with.
“Your hand opens and closes, opens and closes. If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralysed. Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as birds’ wings.”
~ Rumi
Balance is extremely important for a healthy mind and body. A balance between work, play and learning. It’s a simple idea that is really hard to accomplish at times. As we traveled around Thailand, I found myself walking more, reading and learning, and interacting with my family without electronics and other things on my mind.
In 2013 I’m going to try to keep a balance everyday. I know that won’t always happen but I’m going to try! Here’s what I found out in Thailand with pictures to reinforce it. This year, everyday, I AM:
1. Doing Something Physical: It’s important to be physical and not just to lose weight or be in shape. When you move you get endorphins going and it helps your brain as much as your body. Moving helps you to sleep better at night and clears your head of all that chatter. Included in the physical is eating mindfully, too.
We climbed the 160 stairs to the top of Doi Suthep. The steps are guarded by the Naga snakes.
2. Doing Something Mentally Stimulating: I want to continue to get outside my comfort zone and keep The Beginnenr’s Mind. Keep learning! I love to research a place before we travel there. We learned a lot about food, culture, Buddhism and elephants.
We spent time learning about elephants before riding them through the forest and washing them in the river.
3. Enjoying My Work: I love both my jobs as a preschool teacher and a writer. Work is good for the soul especially if you do what you love. But don’t let your work/passion become your obsession. After working, take breaks! You’ll actually refresh yourself and work better, more efficiently. I loved working on my new book, ZEN TIPS, before we left but was ready to leave it behind for a few weeks!
4. Doing A Little Bit of Nothing: I used to know this and have forgotten! Stare at the stars, watch a sunset or sunrise. Everthing does not have to have a purpose. Clear out the chatter with nothingness.
Beautiful Railay Beach is the perfect place to do nothing!
5. Connect Spiritually to Start My Day: It doesn’t have to be much, even a simple quote can be the perfect way to start your day. Try to connect to the inner you. Or a higher power if you like.
Our guesthouse had a little alter to Ganesh, whom they consider very lucky. The Thais have a special relationship with elephants.
An added bonus when we take a trip together is the time I spend with my family. We put away those devices, do some active listening and laugh a lot! There’s no distractions and the time together will last a lifetime.
We all squeezed into this Tuk Tuk after our Christmas Dinner.
The Zen Papa and me at Doi Suthep, unbelievablely beautiful. Many Thais make a pilgrimage to see this at least once.
Happy 2013! I hope you’re able to find balance this year, be positive and stop worrying so that you can be closer to your family.
I have three courses to recommend to start your year:
Jodi Chapman offers this 6 week course to reconnect with your soul.
Paige Burkes has written an amazing course to eat mindfully rather than start off with a diet that doesn’t work.
Click here to visit Simple Mindfulness.
Tess from the Bold Life has a new course to help you fight your fears and find your passion.
Click here to visit 30 Days to Bold.
(These are affiliate links and if you purchase this course, you will be supporting Zen Mama! I would never recommend a course unless I believed in it 100%.)
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Wow, looks like a wonderful time. I have several friends in Thailand and plan on visiting some day.
You’re right about balance. My life is so much more functional and fulfilling when I keep it balance. It makes you wonder why we let it get out of balance. Some lessons we have to learn over and over.
Dan @ ZenPresence
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Betsy Reply:
January 12th, 2013 at 9:05 am
Thanks Dan! Glad you enjoyed! I was just thinking the same thing about lessons. Why do some lessons always come up for us?
Thanks for your comment!
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Wonderful indeed!
I am so glad and happy that you had such a nice get-away trip with your family – and Thailand IS an awesome place. My Dad’s been there so we saw the snaps of the place.
I loved the way your chalked out ways to find balance through this year, which I’m sure you are going to with ease. Thanks for sharing more about yourself with all of us, and reminding us about finding balance in our lives too.
Wishing you and your family a very Happy New Year as well
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Betsy Reply:
January 12th, 2013 at 9:07 am
Harleena,
So glad you enjoyed the post! It is an awesome place. I’m already thinking about what I missed and what I’d do if I went back again! If you ever have a chance to go I’d highly recommend it!! We’ll see about the balance. I am on the computer too much then I don’t exercise during my free time. So those will be the difficult ones.
Happy New Year to you and thanks so much for the comment.
xoxo
Betsy
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Welcome back, Betsy! Great pictures! So glad you enjoyed your break. Loving the photo of you on the elephant! Looking forward to a great 2013! We have a date! Love and hugs, Vidya
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Betsy Reply:
January 12th, 2013 at 9:08 am
Thanks Vidya! Glad you enjoyed the photos. 2013 is going to be a great year!! And I look forward to our project!
xoxo
Betsy
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Betsy,
Pure Awesomeness! xo
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Betsy Reply:
January 12th, 2013 at 9:09 am
Perfectly put Tess! It was just awesome!! And a great start to 2013.
Thanks for the comment!
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You’ve just ignited my travel bug! What a wonderful trip, so fully of insights!
Of the five, my favourite is #5 but my challenge is #1!
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Betsy Reply:
January 12th, 2013 at 9:10 am
My challenge is #1, too! And I agree that #5 is one that comes to me easily, too. It was a wonderful trip and you will be hearing more about it through the rest of winter and 2013!!
Thanks for the comment!
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Hi Betsy,
Great stuff, excellent points, lovely photos. Hope you are now refreshed and looking forward to a tremendous year ahead.
be good to yourself
David
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Betsy Reply:
January 12th, 2013 at 9:12 am
Hi David,
Yes, I’m now refreshed and hopefully I can hold on the wonderful feeling I have to start out 2013! Glad you enjoyed the posts.
Thanks for the comment!
xoxo
Betsy
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I’d love to goto Thailand one day.
Thankyou Betsy for the photos, looks like an awesome and fun adventure!
-Ben
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Betsy Reply:
January 12th, 2013 at 9:13 am
Hi Ben,
You’d love it!
So glad you enjoyed the post.
And thanks for the comment!
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Betsy what a wonderful trip, great pics, made every more lovely by the great insights you had. Isn’t it amazing that when we clear the space of our hearts and souls, leaving the ever present chatter of our daily life behind, all manner of new and lovely spaces rush in to fill the gap.
I’ve been focused a lot on balance lately, so this post was totally written for me!
Love Elle
xoxo
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Betsy Reply:
January 12th, 2013 at 9:16 am
Elle,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post. Balance is such an important thing! And hopefully being able to bring home the feeling you had while you were there.
Thanks so much for the comment!
xoxo
Betsy
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ahh balance…wherefore art thou.
though the wonderful vidya and elle are always encouraging me to work less and relax more (and breathe) i still tend to overwork. i recently disconnected my mobile phone. since i wok from home, closing up shop for the day is hard enough without my mobile desk pushing me to answer emails and respond to tweets – when i should be enjoying family time with my husband and 4 kids. so i turned it off and have been finding it easier to shut of work and be there for the family. speaking of family, gorgeous crew you have there girl!
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Betsy Reply:
January 12th, 2013 at 9:18 am
Vanita,
I thought about getting rid of my phone while I was in Thailand. Who calls me anyway? And the phone bills are so high!! Breathing is a big thing, too!! So glad you are doing this and hopefully finding more family balance. Thanks for compliment, too; they are a great bunch of boys!!
Thanks so much for the comment!
xoxo
Betsy
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Glad you had such a great trip! Looks awesome. I love the pic of you with all the boys and you’re so much tinier than them! So cute.
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Betsy Reply:
January 12th, 2013 at 9:21 am
Thanks Missy!
I do look tiny, don’t I? They’re usually all standing on their toes to be even taller (but not in this picture). It was an awesome trip!! I noticed that you were somewhere warm for the holidays, too.
Thanks for the comment!!
xoxo
Betsy
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Sounds like a wonderful trip, Betsy. Always so nice to spend time with your family and what a beautiful way to do that. I love your takeaways from your time there. Balance is so important in our lives and we can easily get lost in our passion if we are not careful. Welcome back and so glad that you enjoyed your time in Thailand.
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Betsy Reply:
January 13th, 2013 at 2:27 pm
Thanks Cathy,
It was amazing and I need to re-read each day to remind myself about the balance I want in my life.
Thanks for the comment!!
xoxo
Betsy
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Oh was this a wonderful trip down memory lane. I loved living in Thailand for three years. Every day was an adventure. And an opportunity to view the world in a different way. I loved how faith permeates every aspect of life there, from the ubiquitous spirit houses to the monks collecting alms in the early morning, to the beautiful temples to the smell of incense that seeps into everything. You covered a lot of ground in two weeks. I’m so glad you had a wonderful time. Thanks for sharing some photos. Welcome home and Happy New Year!
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Betsy Reply:
January 13th, 2013 at 2:29 pm
Galen,
I thought about you when I was there because I remember that you had lived there. I was wondering where in Bangkok you lived and what work you were doing there. I, too, loved the temples and the monks and the spiritual presence that we saw there daily. I plan to put that into a post one of these days!
Happy New Year to you and thanks for the comment!
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Thank you Betsy for sharing your amazing trip and so glad you had such a wonderful time. I agree with your ideas about balance. We all need to find the right work/relax balance in our lives. Easier said than done sometimes, I know!
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Betsy Reply:
January 13th, 2013 at 2:30 pm
Carolyn,
But I have done a bit of nothing!!
It certainly is easier said than done! We’ve had a weekend cold spell here and I haven’t done anything physical for two days, and here I am only a few days into my balance resolution!
Thanks for the comment!
xoxo
Betsy
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Betsy,
Balance is an ongoing challenge for me although I’m greatly improved. I love the idea of enjoying one’s work and doing nothing These tips really cover all the essential bases.
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Betsy Reply:
January 19th, 2013 at 9:26 am
I agree, Sanda, that balance is an ongoing challenge that we fall out of and then back into.
Thanks for the comment!
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Balance is the tough one – there are never enough hours in the day to accomplish everything I’d like to do.
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Betsy Reply:
January 19th, 2013 at 9:27 am
It is tough Maggie! And I agree, there are never enough moments. I’ve never been bored a day that I can remember. Being bored might be nice for a change!!
Thanks for the comment!
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Dear Betsy,
I sure needed to read your post. I had the flu for a week and I realize that I got sick because my life is so out of balance.
I love your resolution to create more balance in your life in 2013. I need to that too!
I love all your tips. They are really sound!
I also loved the photos of your family. I looks like you had a marvelous time.
xoxo
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Betsy Reply:
January 19th, 2013 at 9:28 am
Thanks Angela! Glad you like the photos! We had the best possible time we could have had. Having a digital break was truly what I needed. I’mg lad you’re working on the balance part, too. I hope it keeps you well over the year.
Thanks for the comment!
xoxo
Betsy
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Hi Betsy,
It looks like you had a great time in Thailand, learnt lots and spent some quality time with your family!
I loved the way you turned off all electronic devices. I do this when I go on meditation retreats. It’s really weird because at the time I think I’m not going to be able to cope without access to e-mails etc. However, it’s also amazing how quickly I forget about such things.
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Betsy Reply:
January 19th, 2013 at 9:33 am
Hi Hiten,
We had the best time possible while in Thailand! And it was quality time for sure. Especially without the electronic devices. I agree about not missing it at all. In fact, I sat there thinking that maybe I didn’t need a phone at all, esp. for the cost! But here I am at home, back with them. But I am following my resolution of Balance…. so far so good!
Thanks for the comment!
xoxo
Betsy
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Betsy, those are gorgeous photos! You just reinforced the fact that Thailand is on my must-visit list.
Looks like you had a wonderful time with your family! Those times of connection are so important, aren’t they – especially as the kids get older and have many of their own interests. Great that you made a point of unplugging during the holiday.
Ah… balance. So glad you found it in Thailand. I’ve been feeling really out of balance lately, and it’s made me uneasy. Thanks for the great tips!
Christine
xoxo
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Betsy Reply:
January 19th, 2013 at 9:34 am
Christine,
I know you like to travel so definitely add it on your list. I’m already thinking about the next trip back.
Don’t you think we all get out of balance during the holiday times? Maybe we need to get out of balance so we can restore it.
Thanks for the comment!
xoxo
Betsy
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Dear Betsy,
Your pictures look great! Thailand is my favorite Asian country, a land filled with smiling people. The food is also yummy too!! I would love to visit Thailand again sometime soon.
Balance is a great goal to achieve!!
Have a wonderful 2013! May you experience much love, joy and peace in the new year.
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Betsy Reply:
January 19th, 2013 at 9:37 am
Hi Evelyn,
I think you may have mentioned that to me before. You don’t live too far away, do you? We’d love to come to Singapore someday, too. And then maybe come up to Thailand again from there. I’ll let you know if we ever do…
Happy New Year to you, too!!
xoxox
Betsy
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I lived off of Sukhumvit Road. I was working as a consultant at an international law firm. Interesting work and lots of fun living there! I was the only American in my office, so I was immersed in Thai culture all the time. Priceless experience.
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Betsy Reply:
January 19th, 2013 at 9:36 am
Hi Galen,
I think we were right near Sukhumvit Road when we visited the Jim Thompson house. What a wonderful place to live. I’d love to give it a try esp. if I could be immersed in the culture.
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Betsy-
I know how excited you were about this trip – am so glad that you had a chance to get away – be surrounded by family, stimulated…and in a funny way, relax.
Both of my children have been to Thailand and adore it. It is a place where I would love to spend time. As always, thanks for sharing and inspiring.
Fran
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Betsy Reply:
January 19th, 2013 at 9:39 am
Fran,
We absolutely loved our trip. Especially because we were together as a family where I definitely relaxed. I can really sleep well on vacation. Try to make it to Thailand if you can. Now on the top of my list of places to go.
xoxo
Betsy
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Hello Betsy,
After reading this story I want to go to Thailand
I think taking trips can have (it has, actually!) a very healing effect. It lets you escape your current environment (even if you like it), slow down pace and take a look at your life from the outside.
I also like the idea of turning off the electronic devices. I think using less internet and mobile services is one of the key points in order to have a great time with your family and friends as nothing compares to face-to-face communication.
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