Nike's Slogan Applied to Life

Ok, so while I don't really like that I'm unwillingly advertising for Nike, I also have to do it, because really, what's about to be thrown down is definitely a "just do it" kind of thing.

Yesterday I went to the beach with some friends, and it turned out to be such a major and deep healing day for me. I slipped in two meditation sessions, lots of playing, lots of loving, some yoga, and just let myself be free. I wandered, I read, I wrote, and I talked with God so much. I released all into the waters and sand, and meshed my body with the Earth as much as humanly possible. It was magical. And then in the car on the way back, the conversation slipped into things we'd like to do in the future.

All of us in the car are kinda at a crossroad in life where we want to do something different, try something new, start something, or are in a position where it's time to decide on something and perhaps take up a direction. I ended up talking about how there are so many things I want to try and begin to learn about and do, but that by working two jobs, when I'm not working, the last thing I want to do is read educational articles, research, and add more to my plate. I just want to read, chill, and not think about things that are too major, serious, or directional. And it was after I said this that my friend said something so powerful...

She said that people think she's crazy because on top of working full-time, she's also working on her masters. So she has class on Saturdays, and is usually insanely busy. But what she said was that she's really motivated about it, and really likes it, so she doesn't share other people's sentiments that she's doing too much and working herself too hard. She then went on to say that if there's something that interests us, something we want to do, something in which we have passion, then it doesn't matter if we're already busy, we've just gotta do it, because in the end, it'll be good for us. We've gotta make time, give time, to the things that we care about.

There are so many things I've been wanting to take up, but I just haven't wanted to add more to my schedule. But after hearing her say it, I don't know what chord it struck in me, but I've been left feeling so motivated to start some of the studies that I find interesting, and take up learning some new things (instruments, languages, etc). I feel full of new motivation, and have actually spent sufficient time today researching different things, and reaching out to people about where to begin.

It's so true... no matter how busy we are, we have to make time for the things that interest us. If not, why spend time on anything else? There's no point wasting life on something you don't really care about, just dreaming about the things you do. That's no way to live, and it's no way to be successful in anything that you do. If you have a passion, pursue it, because I truly believe we cannot fail at anything if there is passion involved. Our passion provides us our purpose. Our intuition provides us our instruction. Follow the tugs at your heart, it's only meant to guide you right!

So what do you really want to do in life? What is your passion? Do you know "your purpose"? Whatever it is, if it makes you feel good and right, go with it. But please, be sure it's not affecting others in a negative way. ;-)

Blessings, Love & Light darlings! 

<3

Why It Pays to Stay Open

I think that many of us come from cultures where being naturally open to people and situations isn't something we learn, practice, or even ever really, truly apply. We are brought up to be polite to people, but not necessarily open ourselves up to them. Why is that? What is so bad and scary about being open to people?

These are some of the things that I question and examine as I become a more open person. I wonder what and where I would be if I hadn't closed myself off for some period of years, simply because I thought that the real me wasn't good enough, wasn't similar enough to what the media and society expected, wanted and projected, and was trying so hard to fit in, that I didn't end up belonging anywhere. I wonder if what and where I am would be any different, if I'd been more trusting of others from the start. But not anymore do I need to wonder these things!

Now, I've come to a point where I love myself, I am proud of the fact that I'm not a manufactured clone, and even prouder that I am an insanely wacky and semi-societal outcast. I love the freaks in the world, and have long since thrown out the thought and word "weird." And one of the things that has helped me accomplish this sense of self declaration and love is without a doubt, t r a v e l.

When you're traveling, especially alone, it will not do you any good to be closed off to anything. If you're closed off to the people around you, you're going to feel so uncomfortable and alone, you won't have a good time. And if you're not open to the experiences and moments that come your way, you're not affecting anyone else other than yourself, and will actually miss out on life.

A perfectly good example of why staying open is such a beautiful thing can be seen in my current situation...

I couchsurfed for the first time when I studied abroad in 2009/10, and instantly wished I'd been doing it the whole time I was abroad. I met cool people, was taken to more local places, and saw things I wouldn't have been able to discover otherwise. And since I prefer to travel as a local than a tourist, it really was the perfect way for me. So when I returned abroad, I knew it would be the main way I'd find a place to stay during my travels. Since I moved into my new flat, we've had at least 15 different surfers, from at least 10 counties, and four continents. And on the weekend that I went crazy and took in four different people at once, I became really addicted to it. (Read about it here:)

I had already booked my flight to spend Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Greece, which, I'll admit, was part of the reason I accepted the Greek to surf our place, even though I'd already said yes to two others. We all passed the time so well together, and I was glad we'd meet up again in some months. And then it happened to work out even better, than the Aussie we had, was going to be in Egypt just before I came to Greece, and decided to come too, meaning that three people, who before had been strangers, all came together again under one roof, in a different country.

If I hadn't been open to couchsurfing and instead just followed my "that seems creepy, weird, and kind of scary" thoughts, I would have never discovered this amazing world of staying in the homes of strangers, and I'd never have ended up where I am right now! I'd be in a hostel, with a bunch of other visitors, having a blast, but also missing this deeper level of life that can happen when you travel. And I would never have found myself in an international group of friends. All of the life I live now, the things I see, the dreams I turn into reality, it's all possible because I've stayed open.

Give it a try, you really never know what will happen!

Blessings, Love & Light to all, especially my fellow wanderers! 

*Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible for any "negative" situation that you may find yourself in. Always follow your instincts, and if something doesn't seem right, bail. Go with God.

My Big Four For Balance

My beloved, budding page has gone untouched for a solid amount of time now, and it's time to get back to it! Things picked up around here, and the rainstorms started, causing internal laziness and more blanket-and-bed-prone aspirations, while work was telling me, "Hahahah!! Yeahhh...right. Get up, girl! You've got meetings with the parents on Friday, and progress reports due next week. You don't have time to just hang out by the heater and snuggle with yourself." So I didn't. ....for the most part.

The thing about working two jobs, is that you kind of have no choice but to become somewhat of a workaholic. Your weekdays generally consist of little other than your morning routine, (which for me is a HUGE part of my life -- devotional, prayer, meditation, yoga, breakfast. I actually only need about 10 minutes to get my appearance together, it's all the getting ready I do within that takes the time), getting yourself to and from work (shout-out to all my people in LA who have got that morning commute grind to suffer!), working, and eating, usually while simultaneously working, or at least thinking/planning for one of the jobs.

When a new friend was asking me about my hobbies, I was so blocked by work, that it was the only thing I could think of to bring up! I said, "Well, I work a lot... and I usually eat lunch in between my two jobs. . ." And then he said, "So eating is your hobby." It was perfectly acceptable, because he is Roman, and food is just about the best hobby you could ever have, but still, the fact I didn't even think about the weekends just goes to show you how engrossed I have become in the worklifeflow.

And last week, I finally realized (/admitted to myself) I am actually a workaholic. Which is ironic, because I "fled" the US so I could avoid going down the path I saw most everyone else following -- work/status[aholic], engaged, married, children, and big dreams of traveling the world. But I guess that's kind of the way it works out, isn't it? The thing you try to escape, is usually what catches up to you. "What you resist, persists."

And so, here I find myself, in one of the most desirable places in the world (Spain has been selected as the fifth best country to live in, and Andalucia the best part of the country, especially, Sevilla), and I am constantly thinking about, planning for, or doing work.

Luckily, I have developed passion for my job as a teacher, and I really do enjoy it. And, if anyone were to look at my life from the outside, they would say I'm pretty dang lucky. Heck, I look at my life from the inside AND outside, and tell myself I'm pretty stinkin' lucky. But teaching is taxing, and man, let me tell you, it's been an amazing practice in... wait for it... yep, yep, one of the things I've ALWAYS said I have a hard time with applying in my life......

BALANCE!

(Big surprise there, huh?)

Who'd have thought that not only would I be trying to ditch out on a life based mostly around work, just to end up in one like that!? Especially in another country as an English-teaching-expat! And also, not only would I end up with a brain full of lesson plans, vocabulary games, grammar techniques, verb tenses, and explanations, but I'd be learning one of the most necessary lessons I needed to learn in my life: how to balance it all. (Can I perhaps suggest this was part of God's plan for me, and why He kept calling me back here?) And I've gotta say, I think I have become pretty good at this!

I figured out pretty early on that with teaching, planning ahead is everything. Really, it is. If you are trying to plan your lessons in the minutes available before you have the class, it's probably not going to work so well. Unless you're a seasoned vet, it's best to plan ahead. When you're a first-time teacher, using the materials and books for the first time, and refreshing your own English language knowledge yourself, planning ahead, namely looking at the material beforehand, is a crucial part of your survival.

Another huge part of finding, and maintaining, balance when work is the largest component of your life, is to really let yourself take a break. When you go on vacation, hit the weekend, or have a little break between jobs, it is so important that you really let yourself take your mind off work. Don't even let yourself stray to it! If it starts to happen, stop yourself, you can always return to it when it's not your personal time.

When I went home for two weeks, I was sitting in church on Sunday morning, having arrived in California less than 12 hours before, circling words in the bulletin that I wanted to teach my First Certificate students, because I thought if they could work it into the speaking part of the exam, it would raise their scores. I was thinking about ways the pastor could simplify his sermon so that everyone could understand it (not remembering that everyone around me had grown up with English), and freaking out that he was speaking in "such a complicated way." (Really, it was just a native way of speaking English. Nothing too advanced or fancy, but in my mind, knowing how an ESL student learns, I was like, "Ohhh noooo, they aren't going to get any of this!! Wait! Stoppp!!")

It was then that I decided I wasn't going to let myself think about work for the rest of the time I was home. I would talk about it with people, since I was home, and they would ask, and that's part of it, but I wasn't going to allow myself to think, "Have I got all my lesson plans made for the week we get back?" Or, "What games should we play/activities should we do?" I let myself have those two weeks without thinking about it. And if work started to creep in my mind, and I started to wonder if I had everything ready for when we returned, I'd stop myself mid-thought and say, "You are on vacation. TAKE THE VACATION!! Everything is fine. You have time when you get back to Sevilla to check it out. Right now, you NEED to vacate your mind. Enjoy where you're at, and especially what's going on." And I did!

And since I've been back, I've been implementing this same method. If I am at the weekend, and I start to think too much about work, I just remind myself that I've got it all planned ahead, at least one or two weeks, and that right now, it is essential to take this time off to enjoy life, and enjoy other things than the classroom.

So my bottom-line is this:

1. Wake up early. No, a little earlier than that. It's likelyway earlier than you want to, but just do it. And do your morning devotional, journaling, prayer, meditation, yoga, and movements. Make a big breakfast, and eat it as fast as you need to to make it out the door on time (apologizing to your body the whole time for shoveling food into it and then immediately proceeding to exercise by biking to the metro), but make sure you eat it. The day requires energy, and you can't give it your all if you're starting empty.
2. Plan ahead. For me, I work two jobs, Monday-Thursday, and I have some spare time between the jobs. So I dedicate myself to focusing on work, and almost only work, on those four days of the week. I get my lesson plans done, papers graded, games planned, and photo copies made, and then I reward myself with three days to vacate my mind and not think about it.
3. Eat right. You cannot feel good about yourself if you're treating yourself like a trash dump. And as a teacher, or any other job where you are constantly in contact with other people, and the pace is quick, you have got to love yourself, or you can't love those eager or bored faces in front of you.
4. Allow yourself not to think about it. Really, don't do it. I can't stress this enough! It's so important to make yourself take a mental break from thinking about work. If you don't, you're consumed by it. And for a lot of people these days, that means being consumed by something you don't necessarily love. 

So those are my Big Four For Balance! All our lives, habits, and needs are different, so find what works for you. But I promise you, the "vacate your mind" one, applies to us all! And in reality, all of this post is written in such irony, as I currently have a "puente" (long weekend, from Thursday to Sunday), and one of the first things I did this morning was start writing about work and being obsessed with it. Whoops.

But now, it's time for me to take my own advice! I know I've got all my lessons planned for at least the next week coming up, and with four different couchsurfers, from four different countries, all coming to our place for varying nights from tomorrow to Monday, I could do myself a great service by spending an hour or so doing some yoga before a tapas-filled and touristy weekend commences!

Work your tail off when you're working, but relax your face off when you're not. Life is all about finding that sweet balance between give and take, and for many of you, you're approaching the weekend, which means it is time to take -- a break, a rest, a jog, a shot, a pint, a nap, a ride, a-whatever, just take it easy and get your mind off your work for at least a couple days!

Sweet, sweet Blessings to you all, and endless amounts of Love & Light!

Love to everyone, from the core of my being <3