Thursday, May 19, 2011

Mexico - A break is always so refreshing!


MEXICO - A BREAK IS ALWAYS SO REFRESHING!

Kristin and I (with awesome visits from a few of our closest friends) just spent the past 2.5 weeks in Mexico. We wanted to get away and have some space to create. I wanted to create new goals, implement balance back into life and to manifest some really awesome possibilities.
Good friends taking a break to enjoy life in the streets of Mexico
I believe it's uber critical to take time to be away from every day life - to put down the blackberry, log out of facebook, get off of twitter and to just start listening to your inner voice. This voice is often muted in life because we are so busy being busy.
One thing I realized in Mexico is that my transition out of sport is not fully complete. I am still a bit stuck. I still sometimes feel like life will never compare to the way it was when I was chasing a dream that meant the world to me. Dreaming is a lot different when you've accomplished your ultimate goal. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the whirlwind of always feeling like life is less than what it was.
I have really struggled with defining my professional career since I retired. I have tried on so many hats - I've done television work, writing projects, started my yoga teacher training, my real estate licence, my life coach training, I went back to University and many many more interesting options. All of this was in the pursuit of finding what comes next.
What I came to accept while away was that I have been trying to do so much. And success just doesn't work that way. In order to be successful in one thing, you must fully commit yourself to being successful in that one thing. I often suffer from "next thing" syndrome - always searching for something better while I am immersed in something that I thought would be "the" better.
One of the main reasons why I achieved success in sport was because I was able to apply single minded focus to my goals. My goals were clear. I knew what I wanted and the possibility of achieving that goal was inspiring enough to cut out all other options. When I was a gymnast, I never once thought that I should be a trampolinist, a diver, a golfer or a basketball player. I was a gymnast and I knew that deep inside my heart. Now in my life I often find myself on the path to finding a new passion and then bailing out to try the next thing. Committing to excellence and staying present with ONE thing has been a real challenge.
If I want to make an impact in this life moving forward, I am going to have to start being more courageous towards single minded focus. It's OK to do a few different projects - it's just really important to stay on task and only focus on one at a time.
The word that is really resonating with me as of late is: ELEVATE.
It's about becoming the highest version of yourself and about reaching your potential.
I believe that my next phase is figuring out ways to elevate those around me.
There have been a lot of syncronistic occurences in my life over the past few days - great people and opportunities have been appearing. I strongly believe that life shows you signs and I am totally aware and paying attention.
Many updates to come (including a new twist on the website). Thanks for being a part of this journey.
Kyle