Reaction

Written 11-25-2014:

I was thinking about how life works and the reoccurring theme that kept appearing is reaction. The way we react to life is the outcome.

If you think of life as an adventure, whatever happens happens, but you have to get through it to go to the next level. No day will ever go without a challenge, or two, but the way we react defines the situation. Make people feel how you would want to feel, given the reverse situation. Be open minded to everyone's feeling in all situations, don't just react to the ones you feel. Reaction is the key to it all. You choose how you react, you can react in a way that will pull others into it or you can react in a positive manner that accepts it or solves it. The choice is solely yours in all situations.   

During the Oprah Live Your Best Life Weekend, I was surrounded by so many amazing women and got to listen to some incredible key note speakers. The individuals who spoke shared their struggles and the key advice was to live your best life possible, to do that you must acknowledge who you are, on the outside looking in. Are you the person you want to be at all times? Do you lift people up instead of put them down? Do you love more than you hate?

My goal is to stay positive, mindful, and true.

Namaste,
Meg

Be a Go Getter

I read a quote once that made my decision to quit my job and travel the world easy. Isn't it funny how certain words can speak to us in a way that resonate so deeply to the core of who we are?

The quote I keep coming back to is from Steve Jobs, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I'm about to do today? And whenever the answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something."

So change something I will. Goodbye Corporate World, Hello Adventure!

Namaste,
Meg

Let yours dreams guide your life

I've always wanted to live abroad. I love to travel more than anything else. I've always wanted to teach yoga and find a way to make money helping others. I love to volunteer. These are facts about me that you would easily pick up on when you first meet me.

So what am I doing about it?

I have broken into the yoga space and created a site to promote myself and my passion. Check out my new site here!

I've always wanted to lead wellness retreats so with the help of a friend we have finally lead our first one. The retreat itself could not have been more perfect. I am so inspired by our weekend and look forward to leading more retreats in the future. My friend, Maggie, took the lead on putting together our first retreat, check out the video and details here!

And the best of all.. I am quitting my corporate job at the end of October and taking a year off to travel the world. It is my goal to update this blog and my other site with the adventure. Be sure to check back in to see the checks I add on my bucket list and the new countries I visit.

Don't let your dreams be only dreams, go after them and live the life of your dreams! 

Namaste,
Meg

5 Best Moments

My mom never wants gifts for Christmas, instead she always asks my brothers and I to share our good deeds of the year and favorite moments. This year she asked us to share our five greatest moments in life. I love this game because its a fun story telling time for each of us to go around and share. I've put a lot of thought into my five best moments thus far and its hard to just pick 5 but here goes..

These are not ranked in order because narrowing it to only five was hard enough.

1. Completing my goal of 25 by 25. My love of traveling has grown with every trip and new experience. I hunger for the urge to break away every so often and escape the day to day grind of American life. To wake up in a foreign place and be the minority. To explore new territory and meet new people.

2. Going to U.C. Davis and graduating. This experience shaped me because it was the first time I was off on my own in a new town. It was exactly what I needed to feel like I was growing up. I got to be independent and manage on my own. I found out more about who I was from Davis and the hippy in me was really released. I connected with the earth, nature, people, clubs, all while gaining a valuable education. Camp Kesem will forever be my most cherished moments in life. I learned a different kind of strength, from so many young children who have suffered great loses. All the children were so brave and bundles of joy to be around. The camp connected each and every one of us in a deep bond that will never be forgotten.  I can forever think back on Davis, California as my early 20's stomping grounds and all the wonderful memories. I feel blessed to have graduated from such a great school.

3. Backpacking in Central America for 7 weeks with my Dad. I learned a lot about my Dad and our travel styles. I will also cherish these memories long after he is gone and reflect back on how lucky I am to have taken such a trip with their father. You grow from every trip in life and this one tested our patience to trust that not everything goes as planned but it always works out. That is my life motto and never stops ringing true.

4. Going to Thailand to volunteer. Those two weeks were so humbling and life changing. The perspective I gained from others realities in the outskirts of Thailand were eye opening, humbling, envious, grateful. Each travel teaches us more and more and our perspective of the world and this life is shaped.

5. Going to Indonesia with Cisco. This trip was the doorway to my career at Cisco. It was another volunteer trip, centered around teaching students of the future in technology.

6. My upcoming trip to India to fulfill a few bucket items will be a life changing adventure. I can't wait to see the doors it opens and the places I reach in my mind.

I have to follow this up with the five things I'm grateful for:

1. My health. So often people take for granite the simple fact that they are alive and breathing and that right there is something to celebrate. Anytime I get sick, I am reminded just how lucky it is to be healthy and have that in your favor. I am extremely grateful and admire everyone who goes through health problems. They are the real super heroes in human form. Their strength to live life fully with a health complication deserves a bravo.

2.My family. My backbone is my everything. Knowing I can turn to my family for anything is the most honoring feeling. I am beyond grateful to have such a loving family.

3.My drive. I know that this is my life and in order to accomplish the goals I want to accomplish, I have to make it happen. If there's a way there's a will. Everything is possible. Get to the point of sacrificing all that you know to get what you want. Everything works out.

4. My friends. I am beyond blessed with the friends I can turn to in any situation. They are the family I picked. I've been granted so many wonderful souls to have deep connections with and am forever grateful for these individuals.

5. My life. Every bump, everyday, everything that has been thrown my way because it has taken me to this point of where I am now and it is where I've always dreamed to be. I am content at 26 and I am happy. I am going places and I have been places. I know that the best part of it all is that some of my greatest days in life have yet to happen. I can't wait! :)

Judgement

I always find it funny when I hear comments from my friends that I over share on instagram or do something that does not align with this invisible guide of how life should be lived or instagram should be used. Well the things is.. I do it for me, to know how many weeks its been since I did something, for my love of numbers, to reference my life, to see my map populate with pictures of place I've been, for the filters, for the things that make me happy; I do it because I want to and because I like it. Shouldn't that be reason enough? Who controls this mindset of what we can and can't do? Shouldn't we be the controller of it? Is there a rule book somewhere that states: you should only post a picture if this criteria is met? Sure likes are an added bonus and make you feel better about your post but can't we just live with the mindset of being content with what we want to do at the time? No one is obligated to follow you. We are empowered with countless options to take control of situations we don't want to be in but do we always do that? It seems as if we fall into this pattern of complaining or using judgement as a way to deal with our frustrations instead of just connecting with our inner selves and being our own source of happiness.

Why does life have to be filled with so much judgement and concern of what others are doing around us? Why is that social media is only fueling this and still we find ourselves addicted? Why is this behavior okay?

Do we judge because we are jealous? To make ourselves feel better? Why does judging someone else empower us to feel better? Why can't we just be happy to be alive and allow others to find that same comfort in being alive and being who they are meant to be.

I want to live in a world where everyone can just be themselves. A world where judgement doesn't exist. There is no contemplating what we want to do just because we wonder how others will see us? You live by your own rules. You do the things that make you happiest and not have to worry about the talk of others. I would want the only rule shared worldwide to be no harm to others.

I want everyone to do what they do because it gives them their ultimate happiness and fulfillment. You are in charge of one person in life: yourself. Imagine what it would be like if our focus was only on one's self? Would it be a better world? Would jealousy exist? Would everyone just be and life just work?

Every person on this planet is unique. Every person experiences different thoughts and feelings which stem from how different life is for any given human. "You should never judge a man until you've walked in his shoes." This quote is true in so many ways. Our experiences in life shape us to be who we are. A negative experience might shape someone in a negative way but another person should never judge that person because they don't have the entire story to judge. We don't know the reason someone is the way they are because we haven't lived as that person. Our struggles and experiences are not written on us for the world to see. They are within us and are only accessed when we share them. Our only judgement should come from within. We are the controller of our lives.

The best thing anyone could do for themselves is to be who you were always meant to be regardless of what anyone thinks. Be you. You is enough.

Tug a war for one?

**This was written back in November time frame but again was never posted because it was never finished? Am I striving for a perfect post on a blog I created just for me? Does the fact that its public make me think there is certain criteria that should be met before its okay to publish? Well I say enough of this behavior: it's time to just be me. Its time to post these drafts. I'm enjoying reading my thoughts and don't believe I need an entire purpose for a post. Maybe one day someone will stumble across this and something will click for them? Maybe no one ever will. Either way, I am my source of fulfillment.

When we bare it all we don't have much to lose?

Do you ever feel like your thoughts are playing tug a war? That your whole life is one giant rope with a line in the middle and your divided on two sides? And surrounding the rope is emotions, feelings, goals, dreams, expectations, moral compass, ideals, commentary both good & bad, and all of it plays a part in pulling little by little on the rope inching it to one side and then the other but never fully giving up? Sure, there are times when the everyone is tired or distracted and the game is paused or there's other times where I'll find the perfect relaxation which automatically puts my thoughts on time out but those times are at night and usually aided by something green. But then the game starts again and it seems to get more and more intense.

Did I mention this game ties closely to two beings you identify closely with.. The first, is the side that most would consider the brain, to be in control, maybe even safe to say the side where less newborn emotions squirm there way in. The side that has driven you to success and accomplishment in meeting all the expectations you know have been built up around you and are part of the over populated trail that is meant to be walked. The side that your success defines what will be your future and the unknown is less of a visitor. The side that is supported by everyone around you because its what they have done too and navigation is simple because the expected outcome is a neon sign flashing in the far distance so you never fully get lost. The side that happiness is innate but reaching ecstasy is aided with thrills you go out of your way to achieve for a temporary reminder of what ultimate pleasure should be.

But the other side of the rope you've got your heart in control and the maximizing of ones personal pleasure seems to be the driving force. This is the side where your ambitions and passions tug on the rope. The person you feel in your heart you want to be all while tip toeing carefully around the game of life.

The person you know your meant to be without the influence of everything around you that makes you question your risk.. The person that has always been there trying to escape and show themselves every so often. So tightly linked to the goals you set and driver of your wild adventures. The side you know in your heart that will be fun but also the side where you're vulnerable and heartbreak is possible. The side that can crush you.

One day someone walks in and makes you want to drop everything and change your life for them... The person that makes you feel like true love exists and makes your heart bounce by your there name appearing..

Every temptation of the person you have wanted to be is there in front of you. Do you take it? Do you jump? How do you let go everyone on the other side gripping tighter, making tugs when you least expect it..Pulling it closer to one side...

Get Naked

**This post was written back in January but never actually posted which seems to be the case with a lot of my posts. I never publish them. I write out my thoughts and keep them as drafts but today when I reflected back I realized that my mindset on how I see life is always the same. So now its time to get these drafts posted because like the title and like my previous post, I have nothing to lose and would rather just put it all out there.

Just start going. Do you ever feel like you just need to let so much out but not? Does that even make sense? Okay lets start again..

I have always said I want to blog, I want to leave a trail for myself to reflect back on one day and with that mindet, writing is so easy. However, I am looking back on some of my posts for the first time and noticed so many errors in my previous post that I thought about editing them but then realized it doesn't matter. Whats done is done. You can take back a moment after it happens, so why do we as humans make the simple mistakes we do? Temporary Satisfaction, fun, influence, expected?

Okay that's off topic. Life these days... I have said this so many times but it keeps ringing to be so true in life... Nothing ever goes as planned but everything always works out perfectly. The reason this is worth writing about is because it was such a life lesson learned. I'm not going into details but my mind, heart, emotions, and life were taken for a 360 degree spin all in a span on 4 months! Imagine having a different mindset that was influenced by what seemed to be the perfect fairy tale. I'm not trying to say anything bad here but trying to give depth or context to the situation on how every thing that happens in life, happens a reason. If the universe does not see it fit, it will not let it happen. Its a little funny because while going through any hard situation sometimes its hard to find out what that reason can be. Sometimes its obvious and for me now the reality is I was taken on a fairytale that was always to good to be true. It was a temporary offset on my journey through life. Anyways..

My plans have been constantly changing and I've realized trying to fight for how its suppose to be is not a battle worth fighting. Every person you meet teaches you something. Every person you meet does not need to stay in your life forever because every lesson is a lesson learned. My mentality has been to go with whats thrown my way and keep a smile.

Okay enough rambling.. I could ramble forever but hey, just imagine being in my mind.. I feel like I have a thousand thoughts a minute.

Anyways for 2014 I've decided to finally go after another item on my bucket list.. One thing I have always wanted to do and when the opportunity presented itself, I took it. I'm taking the SF Loft Yoga Teacher Training Certification in March - July and I could not be more excited for whats to come. One of my best friends and favorite yogi, Setahrae, is taking it as well. We are a great duo in accomplishing our goals, exploring the world and wanting to one day lead yoga retreats and spread the joy we get from doing yoga.

Yoga is a practice that is never fully perfected. Something you will always be a student and always have room for growth. Its a never ending hobby with so much potential. Its my passion. It uses all of your muscles in such a precise way, its beautiful. It's invigorating and challenging. Its a feeling you can always feel empowered for chasing.

Anyway my title, get naked? I thought it was appropriate because I want to join a nudist colony as well this year. Any other takers? Living in the nude with no judgement doesn't sound fun to you?

I'm kidding. I'm not going to do that this year but right on to the people that do it. I support everyone who does what makes them happy.

Okay post ramble.. I mean it in the sense of pushing one out of their comfort zone. Get bare. Make sure to try new things, challenge yourself in new ways, grow and never let it get boring.

I've always been an open book. I have always been a bit hard headed when I get the mindset of doing something and I can be quite stubborn but thats me getting naked and admitting what I know to be true about myself.