Sweden
I just returned from my first trip to Stockholm. (Sorry for not letting you know but thanks for all the “Are you okay? Where’s my Sundrops?” questions.)
In all my worldly travels I have never met a people who were more balanced, positive and healthy. There is a word in Swedish called Lagom. It has many meanings but overall it is translated as “balance” and “just the right amount”. It is indeed a beautiful way of life there.
The food in Sweden is a delicious experience. Swedes are very, very conscious of their food. Organic, unprocessed, and additive free is the norm. Parents have an amazing 480 days per child maternity leave receiving 80% of their salary. They can share these days any way they like until the child is 8 years old.
If you promote healthy foods, grown with “Lagom” practices and you have free health, dental and eye care and you can assure moms and dads that they can properly focus on and care for raising their newborn without rushing back to work, you add to the health and stability of each and every family and ultimately the country. Oh yeah, five weeks paid vacation every year for everyone and not having been involved in a war in four hundred and eleven years helps too!
Sweden has given me a many things to think about and I’ll be discussing them with you along with our regular Sundrops over the next few weeks. After this trip I have started to ask myself about how I live my life. Do I have “Lagom” in my day to day living? Do I accept silence in a conversation or do I try to fill each moment with words? Does my posture, like all the swedes I met, reflect a balance of mindfulness and appreciation? Am I as close to nature as I could be? Can I be without judgement of others?
Thank you Sweden and the Swedish people for a great vacation and for an eye opening look at how good life can be.
We must never settle for just okay if great is within reach and I believe it always is. We just have to regularly ask our selves “Am I living the best life I am capable of living?”. If the answer is yes, gratitude should flow from you in abundance. If the answer is I don’t know, it is time for some introspection. If the answer is no, it’s time for a new plan and action.
Thank you for being in the Sundrops community. I think there are some big changes coming and I’m glad to be with you.
Sundrops On Life -Better Thoughts. Better Days.
Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com
Facebook – Sundrops On Life
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