Friday, October 29, 2010

"Hold the excuses. Stand by your heart."

I just read an article from Danielle Laporte's blog White Hot Truth that couldn't have reached me at a more appropriate time. The post is called "The Perils of Justifying Yourself".... something I know I have been doing since returning early from Australia. For despite my reasons that told me coming home was right, I can't help but feel like I need more than that- that without some concrete evidence I have simply given up. But what her article assures me of, is that when it's right, it's right... and what I know is that following my heart has always trumped listening to my head. So I stand here, home, in Vancouver- content in my decision.
I will let you read the article for yourself, because at the end of the day, we all do this...

The Perils of Justifying Yourself
Me, you, or someone you know:“I don’t want to do it anymore. I’m going to …”Fill in the blank: Quit, sell it, leave, cancel, give it away, walk, resign.
That practical voice inside your head, well-intentioned friends, your granny: “Now, why would you do that?! It’s … (fill in the blank) good money, a great opportunity, you’ve worked so hard, what will you do without it? Can’t you work it out?"
And you bite the hook. In fact, your psyche’s been hanging on it for quite sometime, gnawing on 101 good, practical, and perfectly reasonable reasons why you have the right to make the decision that you’re making. You know, rationalizing.

Well how about this rationale:
It doesn’t feel right.
Stay there for a few seconds. It’s a very powerful place to be. It’s elegant. It’s clear.
Declared feelings have sonic reach.
And... it can be very uncomfortable. Like the truth can often be before it sets you free.
I recently left a gig because it just didn’t feel right. I struggled with all of the yes, no, make adjustments, suck it up, expand your perspective, get more creative kind of options. A few people thought I was nuts to walk away. Great exposure, cachet, extra money… All true. The “facts” usually are.
I made the tastiest Excuse Sandwich about why it didn’t work for me. I need to find a baby sitter, it interrupts my week, it’s not what I signed up for, I need a haircut, I don’t like so and so or such and such, I need to focus on … All absolutely true. And in the grand scheme, in the greater gestalt of what I'm capable of, totally lame and absolutely surmountable.
If something felt right, I’d drive all night in a push-up bra to get there. When it really feels right, you go out of your way. When something feels right, you put inconveniences in their place.

THE CORROSIVE EFFECTS OF OVER-JUSTIFYING YOUR FEELINGS

-automatically puts you on the defense. When you’re on the defense, you burn more energy. Rationalization can be incredibly inefficient.
- over-complicates things.
- perpetuates cleverness. Clever is not a good word in my personal dictionary. It rhymes with slick, manipulative, covert. When you’re trying to rationalize something that is very often amorphous and insular you’ll reach for smooth answers that you think people - or your subconscious - want to hear. And that makes you a salesman.
- depresses your essential self. The more you load rationale onto your feelings, the more padding you create between you and your most powerful, unlimited resource. If you make a habit of keeping your instincts at bay, that tend to stay at bay.
- makes you look and feel like a victim. In an effort to prove and protect, you make up reasons that appear to be more important than your refutable instinct. You whine. You nit pick the situation. You start sounding like the whimp you don’t want to be - instead of the hero that you essentially are. When the passion is there, so is the solution. No problem looks insurmountable when you’re turned on.

Of course, sometimes your greatness demands that you explain your reasons in no uncertain terms. Taking the time to explain yourself can be a fantastically creative act. If that’s what’s called for, then explain how you feel. Hold the excuses. Stand by your heart. Make it matter."

Monday, October 25, 2010

SYDNEY

When we first arrived in Sydney I was surprised by how great it felt to be back in a city. Our next hostel is basically at the train station, but really nice with tons of cool people from all over, including Barcelona, Germany, and Canada. A couple of nights ago we went to the backpacker bar down the street, Scubar… As per usual Troy and I were ready to party and so rounded up a group from our hostel and headed over the bar (we even got Ash to come!). Troy was the man of the hour when he started handing out shots and jugs of beer to all these young travelers… many of them were not in great shape the next day, but everyone had a great time.

We have also been responsible tourists and took the “Hop on Hop Off” bus all over the city to see the obligatory sights… Opera House, Bridge, Museum etc. A few of MANY pictures below.






YHA Railway











We really wanted to climb the bridge, but found out it was $200/person to do it... we did the $10 option instead and still got an amazing view.







Saturday, October 23, 2010

Life in Byron Bay

Our last days in Byron Bay were filled with lots of sunshine, lazy beach days, and dinners at our new favourite restaurant, Mokhas. With the torrential downpour behind us the “Dark Days of Byron” were officially over and we took full advantage by getting outside as often as possible. Troy and I had a run route that we did everyday around sunset from our hostel up to the lighthouse and back. Keeping up with the Ironman was a challenge, but nothing I couldn’t handle, and given that the view was so incredible at the top, it was well worth the sweat to get up there.
We met two guys at our hostel, Joel and Yann, during an afternoon of cards at the YHA picnic tables and went out to some of the Byron hotspots at night: The Beachside Hotel for live music and Coco Mangas for Jam Jars as well as a dangerously sticky dance floor.


Troy's favourite accessory ;) Cheeky Dalts...

Me and Yann at YHA

Joel, June, and Yann

Mokha (we ate here a lot)

Troy and the guys at the Beachside Hotel

Although Byron Bay wasn’t actually what I expected the water and beach definitely made up for the overpricing of… well, everything. My idea of a friendly hippie town and lazy living was way off, and I think we were all ready to leave by the time that day came.
That said lazing around for 8 days with the June Bug and Troy was pretty “awesome”… so I definitely can’t complain.


Soaking it up at Cozy Corner on Tallow Beach


Lots of surfers and HUGE waves


Run route...

View from halfway







At the Lighthouse


...Next stop Sydney!













Thursday, October 14, 2010

In the Shire of Byron lies a town called Nimbin

The weather continues to be cool here in Byron so yesterday we decided to rent a car and drive to Nimbin, a town eternally trapped in the 70's about an hour away. Their claim to fame is essentially a Woodtock type music festival that was held in 1973 and serioulsy, it seems to have just never really ended. Self-proclaimed hippies hang out along the street, and I don't think I was out of the car for two minutes before being asked if I needed any weed... haha, I panicked and said I was good. Basically we checked out the museum there which appears to be a shrine to Christianity, free love, Buddhism, and of course marijuana....



Our rental car... Driving on the wrong side of the road was scarrrrrry!

Some pics from inside the Museum
Troy and Joel

I can't figure out if this is profound or not...





This old man had a shirt on that says, "I may not be totally perfect, but parts of me are excellent." He was the best part of Nimbin.




Our new friends Joel and Yan.