My Best Holiday Ever for 2 Completely Opposite Reasons

How pleasure and pain collided into one

My wife and I were pushed back into our seats as the plane hit full throttle and left the tarmac on our yearly adventure to Europe. France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Venice, and Rome, were waiting for us.

Little did I know in just a few short hours there would be a collision of pleasure and pain and I would be the recipient.

Dinner was served once we were up in the air and en route. As always, we love to be looked after, served, and doted upon. Holiday mode was switched on and turned up to maximum. We were so alert, conscious, focusing on all the small details we don’t always get a chance to observe when we were playing on the treadmill of life.

Reflecting, while sinking down in my seat, after I polished off the last glass of wine, why do people love to holiday? I truly believe that our body and mind are awakened. We observe the smallest details, we experience the most wonderful feelings and sensations in our bodies. We feel alive again. A feeling most of us have lost or suppressed every other day of the year.

The plane shuttered, I quickly awoke, I was startled. With eyes wide open I could see we were preparing to land, France had arrived.

Pleasure and Pain Collide

We shuffled, with our baggage and tour group, Viet travel, through several ques and checkpoints, and found ourselves climbing the stairs of our tour bus, at the airport terminal. It was winter, it was snowing, out came the jackets on came the gloves, beanies pulled down over our ears, and up went the zippers.

The Eiffel Tower was our first stop followed by the Arch of Triumph. Then we had 2 hours where we wandered throughout the local streets exploring high and low. Through our five senses, we were fully conscious and alert, as wonderful feelings bubbled up inside of us.

Boarding the bus after our shopping spree and en route to our hotel for the evening. I stood up to place a small bag in the overhead luggage compartment when suddenly, the bus accelerated, I grabbed the handrail, to brace myself, I twisted, got my balance, and sat back down again. Feeling a small niggle in my lower back, I ignored it.

Well…

The next morning, I was in excruciating pain, I found it almost impossible to move, how was I ever going to get up, how was I ever going to get through the next 12 days? My low back felt like it had collapsed and the muscles around it contracted, how the hell will I get through this predicament?

Pleasure and pain had just collided.

Decision Time

I made my way to the bathroom, thank goodness there was a bathtub. I showered, I bathed, I did everything I could to relax my body, soothe my body, get my body going again. Some temporary relief but very little. It was going to take time. If I was at home, I would have remained in the house for at least a couple of weeks. It was the worst back pain I have ever experienced.

How was I going to carry my own body, not to mention 25+ kilos of luggage on and off the bus and trains for the next 11 days?

I stopped my thoughts in their tracks. Shut up, shut up, I said, get behind me!

A saying that I always share with my clients, reverberating in the back of my head. Suddenly, it came to the forefront of my mind.

“Where the focus goes the energy flows & grows that experience”.

What do I want? Then focus on that!

I set an intention; I decided, I was 100% committed.

I will not give this pain any energy, I will not talk about it, and I will not mention it to anyone. I will take care of myself, I will breathe through the pain, and I will take medication, but I will not give it any more attention other than to heal and move on.

It’s easier to be 100% committed than 98% committed. Because if 98% committed, we are always thinking, is this a 2% time that I should indulge in this pain and tell someone?

I was 100% committed.

I got dressed and went downstairs to enjoy breakfast. I was one of the first to arrive. I love having breakfast while on holiday, enjoying the varied, local delights of each town and country. My wife joined me and I continued to move as best I could, only focusing on what I wanted to expand in my life. I focused on pleasure, fun, good times, great conversation, and enjoyment.

It was one of the best holidays I have ever enjoyed because of the pleasure and the pain. I got to put a principle that I teach (preach), into practice. I was able to experience firsthand, that “Where the focus goes the energy flows & grows that experience”.

We visited all 4 countries and participated in everything that was on offer. I was 100% committed to enjoying this holiday with my wife.

Takeaways

Now when I reflect on this holiday, back in 2018, I only have fond memories of it. I see in my mind, happy times, fun times, eating, drinking, and socializing. I see the white snow slopes in Switzerland, the floating Condola in Venice, and climbing the Eiffel Tower.

If I attempt to pull up a memory of pain from this holiday, all I get is a very low-resolution picture that has no pain or negative emotion attached to it. I chose not to memorize the pain at the moment, so now it doesn’t exist in my memory.

This was my best holiday ever because of the collision of pleasure and pain. This experience has impressed upon me the power of our mind and how we can use it to create the life we want to live.

Paul Simos is an accomplished Executive Life Coach, Health Coach & Certified Trainer.
He has a fundamental belief about his clients which frames how they work together i.e. they already have everything they need to achieve success. His role as a coach is to stimulate and challenge his clients to unlock their successful beliefs, skills, and behavior patterns.

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