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What would you do if you had six months of free-flowing, no-commitment, everyday-is-open kind of time?

This is an inspiring message a friend shared with me from her Unitarian Universalist's Minister. It is charming, funny and delightfully insightful. His three insights are worth the read. May it help you gain perspective for wherever you are on life's journey!

A message of the morning delivered by the Rev. Dr. James Kubal-Komoto at Saltwater Church, a Unitarian Universalist congregation in Des Moines, Washington, on August 14, 2011.

"It is truly good to be back among you this morning.

            I was away for six months. In some ways, it doesn't seem like I was away for very long at all, and in some ways, it seems like I was away for a very long time. Babies have been born. People have died. Other changes have happened in your lives, in the congregation, and in my life.

            During the past two weeks, I've been trying to catch up on all that happened while I was away, and this morning, I'd like to tell you about how I spent my sabbatical. So here it is. How I Spent My Six-Month Sabbatical" by James Kubal-Komoto..."   

I did some traveling.

           In February, Hiromi, Kai, and I spent a week with my father in the Florida Keys. We snorkeled. Kai ate clam chowder and Key lime pie at least once a day for a week. Kayaking through the Everglades, I found out my father kayaks the same way he drives. "Dad," I yelled, "Watch where you're going. You just ran over an alligator. Kai keep your hands out of the water."

            In May, Hiromi, Kai, and I took a two-week camping trip through Utah and Arizona, visiting six national parks and spending time on the Navajo and Hopi reservations. I got to confront my fear of heights while walking along miles of trails with steep drop offs.

            In June, I made a quick trip to Chicago to meet the baby boy my brother and sister-and-law recently adopted.

            I did lots of things I had always wanted to do but had told myself I never had time to do.

            I took guitar lessons - - first from an aging, former rock star who once opened for Van Halen and then from a folkie in Seattle, who was a better fit.

            I took sea kayaking lessons, and learned how to crawl back into a kayak from Lake Union, which was about 40 degrees in April.

            I did fun things and silly things. I went bowling more often than I have in the past 25 years. I went roller skating. I played skeet ball and NBA hoops at Chuck E. Cheese. I went to an RV show. Kai ran into each RV ahead of Hiromi and Me, looked around, and said, "There's toilet in this one too."

            I did things that I had been on my "to do" list for years. I fixed clogged sinks, put up shelves, and worked on my yard. I went to the dentist and had fillings replaced. I got a long-overdue physical. I went to the optometrist and said, "I've worn glasses for 30 years. I'm ready to try contacts."

            I spent lots of time with Hiromi and Kai. With Hiromi's help, I taught Kai how to ride a bicycle without training wheels. Hiromi and I started going out for coffee once a week, just the two of us, which doesn't sound like a big deal, but it was. After being dogless for nearly a year, about three weeks ago, we got a puppy. She's a Labrador retriever/Australian cattle dog mix, and her name is Hana. She's delightful, and she'll be here next week for the Blessing of the Animals.

            Perhaps most importantly, I started taking better care of myself...."

 

Keep reading to learn about his three incredible life insights. Really good stuff!