My kitchen is my man cave. No wonder men have to create one -- we've always had ours. By default, we were handed the keys to our little sanctuary at the beginning of time. We don't have to build one; every home comes with one. They come in all shapes and sizes but no matter what, if we have a place to go to prepare our daily bread, we're so lucky. It's a refuge of sorts where we can quietly meditate while creating some food concoction. It's for soul searching with no gadgets, just creativity, good tastes and smells, maybe a glass of wine and usually there's no one in there with us so it's quite a treat. Yes, lucky us.
Men have it a little harder and they need to create their Man Cave... and so they should. Goodness knows we've seen enough men go through what is commonly known as a "mid-life crisis," which is really just a cry for reinvention. They need a place to retreat to. They need a place to figure out ways to evolve, they don't necessarily need Porsches and girlfriends. It's ok to take trips with their buddies, develop new hobbies and work out -- keeping it fresh keeps it exciting. It's all part of the process. So we have to give them the space, wherever they chose to take it.
Whatever we choose as our sanctuary, we should retreat into it often enough to do a little soul-searching and make sure that we're checking in with ourselves and our happiness. We deserve to stop and take stock of what we are doing, who is in our life and where our happiness is coming from. And if we find that it's not all there, we deserve to take a close look and figure out what needs some adjusting.
When was the last time you made time for yourself to do some deep thinking without your electronic gadgets beckoning you every few minutes? It's amazing how much of our life is lived "reactively" rather than "proactively." How disruptive to our own process it is when every call, text, email and nagging curiosity draws us back to our phones, PDA's and computers? Can you allow yourself distance from your gadgets long enough to spend time with yourself?
Just spend long enough to allow yourself to think of what's possible -- what you'd like to pursue, change, learn, experience -- something that could make your life richer and your soul sing.
Give yourself that gift -- and appreciate your kitchen or your man cave for what it can mean to you... a great escape with the precious gift of time, space, planning, dreaming.
What are you going to do with your one and only life? I'll leave you with these quotes on which to meditate:
"Here comes 40. I'm feeling my age and I've ordered the Ferrari. I'm going to get the whole mid-life crisis package." -Keanu Reeves
"Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present." -Jim Rohn
"Change your thoughts and you change your world." -Norman Vincent Peale
"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!" -Audrey Hepburn
Enjoy and #HappyReinventing!
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