{Insightful Sunday} Take Courage.

Even when you're as unattached and flighty as me, it can be surprising how easy it is to get caught up in the daily grind of things and lose focus.  I for one, had certainly seen myself fall off track over the past few months and had unfortunately ended up sucked into the chaotic vortex of routine in Berlin.  All of the passion I'd inherited during the start of my travels, had slowly petered out over time to such an extent, that I almost found myself climbing back into the same cage I'd courageously managed to escape from, when I left England fourteen months ago!

Being back in the temporary bosom of Kent, whilst not initially something I craved, has ended up being a real eye opener for me.  Being able to catch up with some of my wonderful friends and witnessing how many of them are finally starting to break out of their own shells and start following their real passions and their hearts, it's really made me smile and acted to re-inspire me.  Sometimes, when we shake off the shackles and run free into the woods, we can't help but get a little lost along the way, distracted by creatures that appear and paths that open up.  Sometimes, we need a little reminder of where we're going.  This has certainly been that.

I've always said that being yourself is the most important thing.  Living authentically.  Doing what's right for you as an individual.  Doing things for the right reasons and out of love, not fear or hate.  Putting good energy out there, for yourself and for others, is important when you consider that what goes around comes back around.  Although, I know only too well that at times this can be hard, especially when not everyone knows who they are and in some cases, not everyone is ready to even be who they are.  They can sometimes be the folks who have a tendency to project their fear and negativity onto you, in an attempt to bring you down, because they're not quite ready to get up yet.

Sometimes, in the end, it's those people that you realise you're fighting for.  If you've got the courage to let your freak flag fly and be proud of it, no matter what, it helps to show them that they can too.  They need to be encouraged to dream big, outrageously big and shown that dreams really can come true, if you believe enough.  Yes, okay, life isn't always easy, but if it was, well, damn, we'd probably all be done right now and what would be left to learn.  It can be a hard slog and sometimes it feels overwhelming, but if you can keep strong and get through the tough times, I truly believe you'll find it's worth it.

Think of all the times your heart sang out.  All the times you cried with joy.  All the times you laughed so hard your stomach hurt.  Ultimately, weren't they worth the salty tears and the sleepless nights and in fairness, how could you ever truly know how great those moments really were, if you didn't have the dark times to compare them against.  It's in those brutal, broken states, that we come to appreciate the good and recognise how getting through them, made us see just how capable we are and how much we're able to achieve, when we only have the courage to persevere.

I for one don't want to blend in.  I don't want a routine.  I don't want my life to be beige.  To be bland.  My wardrobe may be monochrome, but my heart is technicolor!  I openly and actively allow myself to dream big, because I genuinely believe in my ability to make those crazy ideas come true, regardless of how unrealistic they may seem.  There's a little individual sparkle in each and every one of us, we just need to learn to let that fleck of light shine out and not allow it to be dimmed by other people's opposing opinions, beliefs or views and most importantly, not by our own doubts and insecurities!  If ever there was a time to let your freak flag fly, now would be it!  So please, take courage, 'cause where you're going, you're gonna need it!

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{Insightful Sunday} Change

Change. Just as we must accept the seasons which come to pass, so too must we accept, that the only thing we can rely upon is that everything in our life will at some point change. Every sad moment will see a happy one, every success a failure. This is the great evolutionary impermanence, that we all must come to recognise and accept. For once we accept it, we can learn to let go of our attachment and begin to move with it, rather than continue to force our will upon it, in a naïve attempt at keeping things as they were.

At times, we are unhappy, or unsatisfied, but we lack the courage to make a change, because to do so, would surely incur upheaval, chaos, a break in our foundations. Sometimes we choose to do nothing, simply because, whilst we accept that things could be better, we do not wish to suffer the tension of getting there. Pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones, breaking free from that which we have come to know, to step out into the great and terrifying unknown. All risk. No guarantees. A lot of people would rather stay in the comfort of their own misery, than risk the challenge of being happy.

However, this is a great time of change for everyone. The next few months will see great transformations in all our lives. However, whilst these will be positive changes, we must accept that with every change comes a period of adjustment and a knee jerk reaction to resist. Growing, changing, evolving, it is not without its discomfort, but it is necessary. Sometimes, the most drastic of changes, can be horrendously shocking, but downright necessary. Sometimes it's a choice, sometimes it's thrust upon us. In either case, it is what pushes us towards our true selves. Away from the bullshit we so fiercely cling to.

As you start to recognise the fluidity of life, the constant evolvement, you start to let go of your attachment and begin to focus on the here and the now. What was once before is gone and what you are feeling, expressing and witnessing right at this present moment, will be all but a memory by tomorrow. It's time to shake things up. Time to do whatever the hell feels right, right now, because tomorrow...well, that's going to be a whole different story. You might have made plans, but be prepared for the fact that life has a set of its own and they might not be what you had in mind.

By the time we step into 2015, I can guarantee that the majority of you, if not all, will have gone through a transformation of sorts, whether it's a subtle one, or entirely life changing. We're shedding our old ideals. We're finally becoming ourselves. We'll start doing what feels right, not what we're constantly being told we should be doing. Yes, sadly this means things are about to get rocky. The road won't necessarily be smooth, but once we're on the other side, well, we'll be grateful we carried on, especially when at times, we most likely felt as though we wanted to step off the path altogether.

Things will come up. We'll spot signs. Synchronicity. We'll know things, yet be unable to know quite how or why. Situations will arise, whereby previously we would have failed to react and now, suddenly, we're sensing a strong internal gut reaction and acting upon it. People will be shocked. They won't understand. We're not acting the same. We've changed and yes, we will have changed. We are who we are and it's time to start expressing that. Time to stop being afraid of our own shadow. Time to walk out into the dark, in search of the light.

We'll crap our pants in fear of what's out there, but trust me, as daunting as it is, the only thing nestled in the crevices are what we choose to put there. Spread the seed of positivity and only weeds of happiness will grow. Change is inevitable. Change is coming. A new era is dawning and whatever you had in mind, let me tell you, it's time to let it go and learn to simply embrace what arises. Adapt, work with what you're given, because ultimately, you're only given what you need. If you were looking for a good time to do something, I can tell you that now is the time.

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{Insightful Sunday} Self Love

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Yesterday, I mentioned how I feel as though a wave of love has washed over me recently, making everything, including myself of course, feel good again!  I don't know why, nothing in particular has occurred, but I for one am not complaining!  An especially nice part about this current vibe, is that I have started to finally feel happy and content within my body.  The past few weeks I'd been feeling very critical of my form again, but over these past few days, I've thankfully made peace with my physicality and found the beauty in its imperfections.

It's safe to say I've had an ongoing battle with my body, which has raged on for over a decade now.  I was always pin thin as a youngster, despite my overtly large appetite, but when, at the age of eleven, I left the Government based education system and the exercise program that went with it, I suddenly piled on the pounds.  I turned vegetarian a few years later, at age fourteen and rather unexpectedly, all the excess weight just fell straight off me and I soon became a bag of bones.  However, a year later, when I switched to a strict vegan diet, I spectacularly bloated out, due to a soy intolerance I wasn't quite aware of and in fairness, sheer gluttony.

Four years of soy later, at age nineteen, I had fully begun to loathe my body and so began to stop eating and started to excessively exercise.  I quickly dropped the extra weight I was carrying, but sadly became chronically obsessed with counting every morsel I let slip pass my lips and after a year, I was fully in the grips of anorexia.  It was actually entering into my relationship with The Ex at that time, which helped me to start eating again, although, unfortunately, I then went from one extreme to the other and started to binge eat, which made me gain back any scrap of weight I'd lost and then some.  Cue further self loathing.

It's certainly been a battle over the past seven years since then, trying to find the balance between letting go enough to enjoy what I'm eating and keeping enough control, so as not to fall down the rabbit's hole of extreme overindulging.  Italy and my travels in general, have made keeping control of what I eat especially difficult at times.  Thankfully though, being in Berlin, whilst I am not entirely settled in the sense of permanent accommodation, has helped me tremendously in finding a good balance, when it comes to food.

What I like about this city firstly, is that it's very vegan centred.  It would be harder to find somewhere that didn't cater to a vegan diet, than one that did.  Equally so, the Berliners' love of organic!  The fact that I can go do my grocery shopping in a supermarket where everything is organic, still puts a smile upon my face, even after four months of living here.  In fact, eating and living healthily and naturally is extremely easy and actively encouraged.  Cycling, yoga, juices, this is definitely a very zen environment.

Although, admittedly and for a couple of reasons, I haven't been to yoga for a few weeks and having had my bicycle stolen last month, in terms of exercise, I haven't done much more than walking across town, so I'm pretty sure that I've put on a few pounds and my muscle factor has somewhat diminished.  However, I made the decision at the beginning of September, to simply give myself the month off from worrying about it.  Absolutely no obsessing allowed.  Just eating a balanced diet.  Lots of good, healthy, vibrant food and a decent amount of chocolate, because, I don't know about you but personally, I don't think a day without chocolate would be a day worth experiencing.

Being able to let go and embrace the body I'm in has been difficult and I expect it will probably be a lifelong challenge to some extent, but the past few days, having been filled up with all this new loving energy, I have genuinely been able to look at my body, squidgy parts and all and say, 'hey, you're beautiful, I like you!'  Yes, I'd like certain bits to be smaller, or other bits to be more toned, but when I stop obsessing about the things I'd like to change, I start to realise that it's a pretty good body just as it is and really, I should appreciate that!

Loving yourself can be damn hard at times.  There is always that critic in our heads, silently judging ourselves and comparing ourselves to others, feeding our insecurities, of which there can sometimes be many.  Sometimes though, it's good to take a step back and treat yourself in the same manner that you would treat a child.  I mean, you'd never tell a small person that they're fat, that they need to lose weight, or that they're not good enough!  Well, not unless you're pretty mean, anyway.

You'd want to nurture them, to love them, to encourage them.  You'd want to feed them and feed them well.  You'd want to tell them that they're beautiful, because they are, no matter what shape or size.  You'd want them to know that they are perfect, just the way they are and that all they should ever want, is to be happy and healthy.  No more, no less.  It is all of those things that we would not think twice about saying to others, that we need to start saying to ourselves.  Because we have our own inner child and it's one that needs looking after and keeping happy, not suffocating with toxic, negative, abusive thinking!

Come Wednesday/Thursday, there will be a new moon in Libra and the Equinox, which means we're facing a huge shift and a complete new beginning!  So perhaps it's a good time to make some positive changes in our lives.  Time to take a look in the mirror and begin to accept, embrace and love, truly love, what we see.  Because, when you love yourself, you radiate that love outwards and in turn, the world becomes a little lighter and brighter and ultimately, happier and I for one want to live in a happier world, don't you?

“The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.”

— C.G. Jung

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