Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Bungee!

I recently watched a video that stirred up a lot of emotion inside of me.

It was a video of a close friend who is on the adventure of a lifetime.

She was strapped in by her ankles and standing on top of a bridge. You could tell that she was facing fear head on and you knew, you just knew, that she was determined to conquer it. The way she stepped towards the edge was something that I have never seen in her before. She had courage and excitement. They counted down: 5...4...3...2...1...and she leapt off the bridge and took the plunge (or bunge!). Bungee jumping in New Zealand. OMFG!

While I watched I was proud, scared and I found myself feeling a little bit envious. She is pushing her boundaries and I can honestly say that I would have never imagined it to be possible...until I saw it with my own 2 eyes.

I think that that moment is very symbolic and it will be a transcendent one in her life. It's like she told the world, "Screw you! I am brave. I am sick of always making the "right" decisions. I am sick of standing on the edge of this bridge, contemplating what comes next. I am ready to start living"!!! And with that strength behind her decision, she dove into a new realm of herself; full of confidence, awareness and ready to stop settling with just standing on the edge.

It got me to thinking; my life is seriously lacking adventure. My life is wonderful, but I am still sitting perched in the middle of comfort. I am not pushing myself as far as I should be.

This quote comes to mind:

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away" - Anonymous

I have had quite a few moments in my life that have been beyond the point of thrilling, adrenaline pumping and dream like. My breath has been taken away on numerous occasions. But at the moment, I feel a little trapped in comfort.

Removing ourselves from our comfort zones is the only way that we can learn, grow and evolve. I continually encourage others to push themselves, disregard judgment and to start living the life that they want. But am I preaching something that I am actually internally afraid of committing to myself?

I tried to make a list of everything that I want to experience in my lifetime...I was sadly disappointed. There was nothing that I felt like I needed or wanted to do. Of course I have goals and dreams, but there was nothing that I could write down with full confidence that got me excited about adventure. It was an epiphany moment for me actually...how can someone have nothing on their bucket list?

This needs to change.

Another friend and I were out for a coffee the other day and he mentioned that he wants to live experiences and not read about them. I thought that was pretty profound and poetic. Reading and dreaming about something is always a great way to get ideas, but you can never be changed by an experience until you have lived it.

I almost feel as if I need to take a giant risk of some sort. I don't know what that risk needs to be though. Should I go on a trip, all on my lonesome? Should I move to somewhere entirely new? Should I go bungee jumping??!

The good thing is that I have a plan for my future. But it is a safe plan. It is a plan that I know will bring me lots of joy and excitement, but it is a plan that just might have me feeling like I am wrapped in comfort. My plan revolves a lot around what I know. And this is scaring me a bit. I don't want to look back on my life and wish that I had 'lived' and 'learned' more.

What is on your adventurous 'things to do' list?

For the time being, while I contemplate mine, I guess I will just tie up my feet with a bungee cord and pretend that I am diving into a new realm of myself...

Kyle

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Let Your Life Shine

Let Your Life Shine


"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

- Nelson Mandela


Although I am not a believer in God, I really like this quote. I just skim past the "God" parts...it still works.

I believe that we all have the potential to do amazing things for this world.

Don't be afraid! Live with all the passion and greatness that is inside of you. Let it radiate. Be the absolute best version of yourself. Don't let judgment, fear or insecurity control the amount of awesomeness that you will show the world. Be all that you are and be damn proud of it. Our world is pretty beautiful, but imagine how much it would glow if everyone lived and embraced their gifts. If this was to be reality, I can picture happy faces popping up everywhere. How cool would that be? (And no, I've never done and will never do LSD so I can actually see this! haha.)

Today, try to outwardly project the light that you have within. Smile, laugh...don't be so serious. Dance in your car if you feel like it. In all reality, nobody cares. In fact, you acting goofy might silently give permission to the person next to you to do the same.

I hope that your day today is groovy, goofy and very satisfying. Be that amazing version of yourself that you know is within.

Kyle

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Happiness Now

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."

- Mahatma Gandhi

This quote stood out to me. I believe it is very true.

We spend so much of our lives thinking about what we "should" be doing. We spend countless hours focusing on everything that we would like to be. Often, we wish we were somewhere else and doing something else.

I challenge you to to think, speak and act in a way that are all supportive of each other.

As the New Year quickly progresses, try to take a moment to reflect on the past 17 days and ask yourself this question: "Have I been living each day experiencing and projecting happiness"?

Many believe that happiness is something that you can 'achieve'. A common thought is: "If I can just get ________, then I will be happy".

I beg to differ. Happiness is a choice. It's a state of mind. It's acceptance of yourself, your thoughts and your actions.

In this New Year, I have been making a conscious effort to look around and observe my surroundings. Fact is, I have seen a lot of unhappiness.

One example: I was driving the other day and I saw a man in his BMW going mach 10 and risking his life (and the lives of others!) just to get past a slower truck. He was in the merging lane, sped past 3 cars and narrowly slipped into traffic with only meters to spare before he would have slammed into a median.

My question is, "Was it worth it"?

Later, that same BM dub was one car in front of me at the next set of lights. I admit, I chuckled. Sucka! But I also felt sorry for the poor dude. Risk vs Reward. I don't think the risk paid off.

This got me thinking...this gentleman either had an endowment issue (teenie weenie) or he was chasing happiness in the same way that he was chasing a position in the line of traffic.

When one is happy, they can let the little things brush past them. Arriving at your destination 2 minutes later because you are behind a slow moving truck, in the grand scheme of things, is not worth risking a potential car accident.

Many in this life are always trying to get ahead. The desperation and insecurity in their being is so evident by their actions.

Another example: I was speaking with a close family member whom I adore. They are struggling slightly to find a balance. They are overwhelmed and feel sometimes as if they are spinning out of control. In fact, they are letting themselves believe that they are losing control of their actions.

In reality, unless experiencing chemical issues in the brain, we are always always always in control of our actions. Actions are choices.

We can always have an excuse. Being too tired, having too much to do, not feeling "up to it"...these are common excuses that we give ourselves as to why we are not in a place in our life where we are truly happy. But the thing is, we usually know within ourselves what we need to do in order to feel happy. Why do we avoid these things? I do it. You probably do it. We all do it! But seriously, it sounds so simple...stop thinking about doing it and just friggin do it! Geez.

We tend to let ourselves reach a breaking point. We get fed up with our actions and we start taking action. One of my goals for 2009 is to not let myself get to the point of guilt and stress based on all of the things that I think I should be doing. I want to continually be taking action and also accept that sometimes not everything works out...ultimately, my happiness is up to me.

We can not rely on others to make us happy. Yes, people can contribute to us having a good time, smiling and laughing, but that is just happiness on the surface. Inner happiness, that calm, peaceful and accepting happiness is a state of mind that can only be found within.

We can not control anything in this world besides our own thoughts, our own words and our own actions.

Have you ever met someone who just beamed an incredibly beautiful light? I think we have all encountered someone of this nature. Why don't all of us project this energy?

I believe it's because everyone feels like they are not good enough. They are judging themselves and they are judging everyone around them. I am trying very hard not to judge. I am making an effort to be more accepting. I am genuinely trying to show love and interest to everyone I meet. I have seen the direct effects of this action. I feel a deeper connection with the world, a stronger connection with myself and a new, very refreshing view on life.

Maybe it's been all the yoga I've been practicing that is helping me on this journey of acceptance. It does have a profound effect on the way you see the universe. Looking through your own eyes at the world and at yourself, without judgement, makes you feel so at ease. It's almost as if you want to let that poor jerk cut in front of you in traffic. Please. Go Ahead. It's all good. Whoops, almost hit me there. But that's OK because I think life is grand! Euphoria is so fun.



Happiness is within. Happiness radiates. I encourage you to start thinking, speaking and living like you're immersed in your ultimate life of happiness!

KS

Thursday, January 01, 2009

2009 is all about Attitude

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our Attitudes."

- Charles Swindoll


I'm choosing to enter this new year with an optimistic, energetic and open minded attitude.

What attitude will you choose?

Happy New Year! I wonder what crazy things 2009 has in store??

Kyle