If you search Google for a definition for the word relaxation, here are two options that you will find: 

1.  The act of relaxing or the state of being relaxed.

2.  Refreshment of body or mind; recreation.

Good definitions; here is mine:

We all have different forms of relaxation, but the older I become (insert age joke here), the more I realize the importance of relaxation.

My wife can attest to the fact that when we get away or take time off for vacation, I relax more than I did years ago.  There was a time, when I was in sales, that I was a slave to my cell phone and computer while on vacation.  Not so much anymore.  That doesn't mean I do not keep up with reading or working for my clients if necessary while I'm away; I do, but I take the time to make sure I disconnect and relax.

A friend of mine will not leave his business behind and go away. He literally feels like it won't survive without him.  To me, that is sad on several different levels.  He hasn't built a trust level with anyone that can run his business in his absence and he believes that he is the business. Due to these factors, he rarely takes any time off. 

Our minds, our bodies, our spirits need to disconect. We need to stop thinking and just be at times. For me, as the photo indicates, that includes staring at the water, or listening to the waves.  I've always believed that the sounds of nature are better than any electronic sound manufactured by man.

So, my advice to one and all is to relax.  Whatever that means to you. Read a book, take a walk, get on a cruise ship with no Internet connectivity or just unplug for a day.  You may be amazed at how refereshed you become after relaxing.

How do you prefer to relax?

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For several years now, I have followed and consumed most of the writings of Chris Brogan. Working in marketing and social media, Chris is a wealth of information.  However, to me,  the nuggets of wisdom on life, work and other topics are just as valuable.

Each January Chris publishes via his blog his three words for the year.  Chris does this to encourage himself and others to use these words to focus on defining goals for the year instead of making New Years Resolutions. If your curious about his post for this year, check out My 3 Words for 2012.

I also read a story from a more spiritual perspective by Debbie Macomber, Choosing Words to Live By.  She choses one word per year to focus on for the entire year.  Her story is powerful and her words are ones that have helped her over the years.

I have chosen to do this in years past and it helps me focus on goals for the year, so I encourage you to give it a try.  Let me know how it goes for you!

Here are my 3 Focused Words for 2012:

Listening

We have all heard the phrase "we were given two ears and one mouth for a reason." Sometimes that is lost during the moment, especially with me. So my first focused word of the year is Listening. My committment to those around me is to spend more time listening and less time talking. Anyone that knows me knows I can talk; but doing so instead of listening is not the best use of time for myself or the other person.  Listening is paramount for me this year.

Friendship

My second focused word for this year is Friendship. I am blessed with an abundance of connnections, followers and friends online as well as offline.  However I have not always been the best friend I can be to those people. That is changing. Focusing on Friendship is vital to maintaining the friendship as well as just overall relationships. Luckily I have shinning expamples of how friendships should function. Friendships come first for me this year.

Challenging

My third Focused word for 2012 is Challenging. I am challenging myself with being a better Listener, with developing and valuing all Friendships. I will challenge myself to be the best friend, husband, brother, son and business owner I can be.  I will challenge myself to improve my health this year. 2010 was a good year for getting in shape for me, but ended with a triple play that sidelined me; bulging disc, rotar cuff injury and the need for a cortizone injection just to walk. Yes, I overdid it, but then I let that be an excuse for 2011.  No more. Challenging myself is key this year.

Those are my words; what about yours?  Do you focus on specific words for the year?

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