In Greek mythology, Procrustes the son on Poseidon, invited travelers to spend the night. “However, as soon as the travelers were in his house, Procrustes would tie them to an iron bed. If they were shorter than the bed, he would stretch them on a rack until they were as long as the bed. If the guests were taller than the bed, Procrustes would cut off their legs until they fit. In either case, his victims died.” (Myth Encyclopedia, www.mythencyclopedia.com).

Like many things, planning ahead to stay healthy on vacation is key to having a great time that you don’t need to recover from upon your return. In fact, being deliberate about physical and mental health structures while on vacation can help spark new habits which may be integrated in the long term.

For example, on vacation while eating out at restaurants one may take advantage of the fact that their meals are readily available and decide to eat only fresh and natural foods while declining simple carbohydrates and desserts.

The other day I bumped into a quote by John Fitzgerald Kennedy that stopped me in my tracks. With my mouth agape, I read, “Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth." For some reason, this quote by JFK had eluded me until now. Perhaps only now, in my own personal development would I be impacted in such a direct way by the honesty and succinct nature of this quote. I began to wonder, when we conform, how much of our freedom and our personal growth do we forgo? What is the price that we pay by consciously or unconsciously conforming, if any?

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(c) Jeanine Austin
http://www.SimplyDivineSolutions.com
Life Coaching and Hypnosis Worldwide

Years ago, I was working late at my office in social services when two young prostitutes who had just been released from jail knocked on the front door of the building. They were in need or food and clothing. Despite their inquiry, they were somewhat sarcastic and rude. My intuitive feeling was that neither of them was long for this world. They both appeared to be drug addicted and seriously ill.