Bravely Stepping Into the Unknown

Life can often feel as daunting and uncertain as exploring the depths of an ocean. Sometimes we find ourselves in parts where light barely seeps through, where we feel alone, lost, and unsure about what we might experience in the next moments. 

Zion National Park, Utah // October 2020

While not quite the same, and far from the frightening dark with its incredible colors, the Narrows in Zion National Park require that one willingly enters into the unknown. There are so many uncontrollable factors – varying temperatures, water depth, strength of the currents, the uneven terrain - that remind hikers of their humanity and how nature cannot be tamed.  Wading through the Narrows means committing to trekking ahead, even in the moments when you aren’t certain where your foot will land or how high the water will meet you. If you hone in on the rapid current, or look ahead and realize you’ve lost sight of the ground, it can be easy to feel distressed. To get through moments of uncertainty, it can help to look up, take in the surrounding beauty, and remind yourself of all the elements you’ve already successfully overcome.  

It’s important to remember that sometimes you’ll have someone there to cheer you on, lend a supporting hand that you can literally lean on, and dust you off when you need some extra strength. Other times you’ll be forced to look around and find ways to work with what you have. And, the reality is, there will even be days when you’ll just have yourself to rely on – whether it’s a celebratory event or a low period. In these moments, we become strongest as we exercise our skills of surviving on our own, and it makes us more appreciative when we do have support around us. 

Personally, I know it can be extremely hard to muster up the courage to move forward. Sometimes recognizing all the support and love around you can actually make it harder, adding on a layer of “Why do I feel this way when there is so much positivity around me?” Guilt can seep in, compounding the negative feelings of not knowing what lie ahead. The effect that you are only sinking deeper and deeper may wash over. The key word is “effect;” the truth is that there have been challenges before and, often times, the worst outcomes of our daily stresses aren’t actually all that bad. Truly, it hurts us more to limit ourselves and remain stuck; It’s important to continue to make progress by bravely taking that bold step into the unknown. 

While hiking waist-deep through the cool, crisp water in Zion, I realized that it was easiest to trek when I went with the flow of the current and intuitively harnessed my momentum to leap from rock to rock. In this way, change is similar to a current. Resisting change and being frozen by fear, only makes it harder to navigate. Without surrendering to what might be and continuing our journey, we miss out on new possibilities and the potential to see an unthinkably beautiful sight around the corner. It’s about focusing on the fact that opportunity awaits, as opposed to the fact that you are halfway under water. 

“It’s about focusing on the fact that opportunity awaits, as opposed to the fact that you are halfway under water. ”

Without the power to predict the future, it is normal to get anxious about the unknown or feel overwhelmed. However, if we pause and log all that we’ve conquered in life, it’s easy to see that the magic in life is in all the crevices that we dare to explore. Cheers to being more fearless in this new year! xoxo

An Ode to “Eat, Pray, Love”

For those of you who have never read Liz Gilbert’s “Eat, Pray, Love,” I highly suggest that you add it to your reading list (along with her book “Big Magic”!). When people ask me who my celebrity idols are, and mind you, I’ve never really been the fan-girl-type, I have three people I might suggest depending on my mood: comedian Ellen DeGeneres, chef Gordon Ramsay, and yes, author Elizabeth Gilbert. My wanderlust, spontaneous soul has always admired Gilbert’s story of leaving her conventional life in search of a deeper meaning, all while trusting in the universe’s divine guidance. My personal Instagram plays homage to the novel with categories dedicated to “Eat,” “P(l)ay,” and “Love.” Long story left un-shortened…. I revere Gilbert and her journey with all my heart.

Québec, Canada // March 2018

One March night, after I had recently arrived back from my trip to Canada, I caught my mind spiraling with all the possibilities of where I could travel to next, and of course I couldn’t help but tease the possibility of getting up and just moving to a foreign country for a month without a plan, much like Gilbert. I jokingly said in my head, “Well at least I got the eating part out of the way,” as I reminisced on all the cheese platters and other rich foods I had consumed in Québec. It wasn’t until the next month that my trips to Israel and Hawaii were solidified. And once again, as I fell asleep I realized: my trip to Israel was going to be for soul searching and praying, while my trip to Hawaii was going to be spent in the company of my family, the people I love most. I had found the “Pray” and the “Love” pieces to my very own “Eat, Pray, Love” quest! 

May and June rolled around, and I couldn’t have been more overjoyed at the idea of having traveled to three different unique destinations, all with their own purpose, in the span of under four months. First, in Canada, I indulged in heaps of cured meats with fruit preserves and buttery chocolate chip croissants, washed down with sweet wines and floral gins. Next, in Israel, I meditated, I pushed myself to overcome things I couldn’t have imagined before, and I wept when I came in the presence of the Western Wall. Then came time to dedicate life to love and those closest to me in Maui, a destination very dear to my heart. I modified my “Love” phase to be symbolic of paying homage to my roots and soaking up my favorite sceneries with my wonderful parents and sister. After all, I couldn’t expect to be swept off my feet by some guy while in Hawaii like Gilbert experiences in Bali, right?? 

Israel // May 2018

So now, it’s been two months since I’ve arrived back home after my travels, and I am now in a relationship – with a guy that I connected with while I was in Hawaii. Although he himself wasn’t physically on the island, the universe has a funny way of working out, and I couldn’t be happier, not only with the direction life is going in, but also that I got to live out my own little “Eat, Pray, Love” that I had always dreamed of. Life is spontaneous, and these past months have been full of surprising changes and opportunities that I couldn’t be more grateful for. Sometimes things happen quickly and unexpectedly, but always remember to trust in the universe and let life flow! Open up your heart to the potential of what your heart and soul are seeking, enjoy the moment, and the universe will provide you with more than expected! We all are going through our own journeys, so you must enjoy your own for what it is! Don’t be afraid to share you stories, reach out to others, and always live life in the moment! 

Dissolving Differences

One of the biggest things I like to emphasis on this blog (and in life in general!) is the oneness that connects us all. Society often likes to make the differences in life more obvious than the similarities. While reading Only Love is Real, the sequel to Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss, I realized that some of his words correlated with a woman’s story I had learned while traveling in Israel. The overall message is that we all go through the same hardships; deep down we are all scared, we all want to find love and happiness. Weiss discusses how the soul is not attached to superficial differences (like race, ethnicity, gender, etc.) that often pose as barriers in everyday life. The woman I met in Israel discussed what it is like to live in a country where the majority of people she is spiritually connected to are fighting against the people she is ethnically connected to. 

Haifa, Israel // May 2018

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Brain Weiss, he is a therapist who specializes in past life regression therapy, in which patients are able to recall their past lives and identify life patterns and familiar souls. (Read my post about his first book here.) Through his innumerous sessions with clients, he has seen how diverse one soul’s lives can be – from a British woman of royalty in one life to an Egyptian male healer in another. Weiss writes that in “the course of our lifetimes, we change sexes, religions, and races in order to learn from all sides” (Only Love is Real 98). He illustrates that we cannot have fear, anger, greed, hatred, etc., because we have probably at one point in our soul’s journey, embodied whatever it is now that we view as “different.” The point of life he says is to learn how to love, forgive, be aware, and eliminate violence. Regardless of your religion or if you believe in reincarnation or not, it is hard to argue with Weiss’ points that simply suggest that we place ourselves in others’ shoes and treat people in a manner in which we would hope to be treated if we were in their situation.

Israel has long been in war with Palestine, and while I was visiting, I was fortunate enough to get to go to a village that was inhabited by both Israelis and non-Israelis. A woman shared her story of being a Christian who lived in a non-Israeli village that was destroyed by Israelis, and how she found forgiveness and love in their people when she moved into a main Israeli port for university. She was young, divorced, and her rejection of her somewhat forced marriage through her culture caused her to be abandoned by her own blood. That’s when she was left with nothing, only to find that so many Israelis welcomed her with open arms and offered her a roof, food, education, and companionship. She shared that through her experiences she realized that love conquers all – that no matter your side in a situation, both parties are afraid, both parties have a right to their beliefs, and both parties are just trying to protect their own happiness and health, which she believes doesn’t have to be at the expense of others. 

Rosh HaNikra, Israel // May 2018

Lately, I have been quite observant of how often we rely on the differences between ourselves and others to characterize, when we should be focusing more on similarities or attributes such as one’s humor, kindness, generosity, etc. If we empathize with the feelings and familiarities of those around us, not only do we broaden our repertoire of experienced emotions, but we open up our heart to allow others to also enter and understand our lives better. Weiss’ discussion of patterns across multiple lives and how we can break destructive cycles through the recognition of such patterns, inspired me to want to focus on the breaking of cycles within this life that we currently know, regardless of whether or not we have insight into any of our soul’s past encounters. It is time that we break the pattern of guarding our hearts against others, ignoring what we all share as a human race, and being blind to the wonderful connections we have the potential to make with people, no matter how diverse their lives are compared to our own! 

Finding Belonging Without Overbearing

Growing up, my family’s go-to vacation spot was Hawaii, and since my very first trip when I was just over a year old, I have always felt a sense of deep belonging to the island state. My name even has Hawaiian roots, meaning “awakening.” No matter how many times I have been fortunate to visit, Maui in particular, seems to ceaselessly call to me. There have been times that I have honestly cried because I longed to smell the fresh, fragrant air and feel the warm ocean mist again. As I prepared for this past trip to Maui, I eagerly anticipated the sensation of peace, oneness, and clarity that I usually experienced while there. Much to my dismay, when I finally arrived I felt frustrated and lost; it felt as though something I loved so much was rejecting me in a sense. The days seemed a little gloomier and rainier than I remembered, and the energy a little less uplifting. 

Kapalua, HI // June 2018

I began to get upset with myself for feeling as though I was not harnessing as much of the vacation as I could have. As my remaining days on the island began to dwindle, the anxiety and unsettledness intensified, making it even harder for me to reach the level of zen I had been hoping to reach in the first place. One morning I decided to go on a run along the beach, followed by a cool down under a palm tree facing the ocean. I closed my eyes and tried to understand why I had felt so separate from “my” sacred space. That’s when I realized that up until that moment, I had felt some sort of elite ownership of the island, a feeling that no one can truly earn because this earth is a shared space amongst all human beings and living things. I had arrived with an expectation that the beautiful land I was entering was going to just give me everything I needed, when in actuality, it had the potential of fulfilling everything if only I had respected the space and put in a little effort to seek out what I desired. 

Napili Bay, HI // June 2018

In that moment, I had a revelation that anywhere we are, no matter how familiar or foreign, we belong. We belong because we exist and the universe has placed us in that space at that moment. However, if we feel as though we are the only ones entitled to a given space, we actually bring about a strong sense of loneliness and bitterness onto ourselves. When we shift our perspectives to realize that places and instants are shared, we can then begin to decipher and appreciate our own individual experiences, basking in how wonderful it is that so many different people can benefit from a singular place, person, or idea in various ways. Life truly is what you make of it, and I had been blind to all the beauty that was still surrounding me, even if I did feel like it was a bit alien to me. 

Moral of the story: when we enter spaces, regardless if they are old or new, we must be open-minded and acknowledge that we are not alone in whatever we are about to experience. We all have an individual right to feel and react in our own ways, and therefore we need to respect that this world also provides others with their own rights. Like I have said before, the universe is plentiful in its resources for us, but we must be willing to put in a little elbow grease to reap these means so as to reach what we are journeying for. Spread you’re light and love, and light and love will flow back to you!!

Living a Life of Loving-Kindness

My recent travels to Israel imparted a lot to me, and I plan on doing my best to convey some of the lessons I learned or feelings I experienced throughout the next few weeks, but right now I want to focus on the idea of loving-kindness. Love and care is important in many forms, and in today’s world there is a large movement supporting self-love, promoting individuals to take time out of their routines to honor themselves. While in Israel, I was introduced to the term loving-kindness, and being the word nerd that I am, I just couldn’t let go of how perfectly I feel that this concept bottles up and describes an aspect to life that I think plays a critical role to our well being. In fact, parts of it are reminiscent to my past post on “The Art of Releasing Contempt + Opening the Heart,” and I loved this new spin. 

Safed, Israel // May 2018

During the trip, I had the opportunity to partake in several guided meditations, one of which was a loving-kindness meditation. The goal of the meditation was to focus on an individual that you feel overwhelming admiration for, send them positive thoughts and energy, and then reciprocate that pure love to yourself via the person you envisioned. Essentially, the practice allows you to send love to others, as well as to yourself, serving as a platform for indirect self-love (something that can be hard to do for ourselves, but is easier when we can utilize a loved one to be the messenger of the love we send ourselves!). Towards the end of the session, we were encouraged to expand our vision beyond our original individual, to more people in our lives, even those who we might usually have a tough time feeling affectionate towards. The lesson was that the more love we send out and the more walls we try to overcome, the more space we open up in our hearts to receive love. Loving-kindness is essentially the open flow of love for everyone, recognizing that as human beings we all fundamentally share the desire to love and be loved.

Safed, Israel // May 2018

I came out of the meditation quite overwhelmed, choking up with tears of joy at the rush of emotions I had experienced. During my session, I had faced some negative feelings I had towards myself (that I didn’t realize were still buried deep down inside me!) through my visions of my loved one sending me love. I also had a ton of people, who I hadn’t thought of in a long time, pop up into my head to send love to – even someone who often pains me, but regardless I mustered up all the positive energy I could, and sent it to them. The entire meditation did not take very long, yet the effects afterwards were so incredibly blissful. It helped me to further activate my compassion for others, along with giving me the space to dedicate time to fully recognize my connections with various people in my life. 

There are lots of studies on the short and long term impacts of meditation in general, but I also think there is something specifically special about taking the time to acknowledge love for others, no matter how close of a relationship we share with them on an average day. As we teach our hearts how to expand our love across distances, boundaries, and differences, radiating love becomes the norm and we work towards focusing on what we can emotionally share with each other. 

I hope everyone had a beautiful summer solstice and is enjoying this beautiful season! xoxo

Being a Warrior Within

Moving into this fairly new year, there seems to be a worldly trend of reaching out and speaking up. The momentum is building up for a major breakthrough in standing up for our values and correcting injustices on various scales. Today’s media is loaded with news in regards to people coming out and speaking up in an effort to make the world a more honest environment. And while we might not all be making the headlines, I think it is important to recognize that we all have the strength to rise up and confront situations and issues that our souls do not approve of. 

Nassau, Bahamas // April 2015

As we journey through life, we continue to grow and uncover more of life’s truths each and every day. Therefore, we must allow our values to evolve with us, recognizing that what we stand for can change (and hopefully this is for the better as we begin to appreciate what truly matters in life). I know from personal experience that as I have transitioned into adulthood, it has been harder for me to un-see or not acknowledge some ugly realities within our society. Small comments, jokes, and even the lack of compassionate actions no longer go over my head, and I often feel the urge to do my part and call people out in an effort to end the perpetual cycle of injustice that seems to be ingrained in our society. This isn’t always easy though, as the people near and dear to us are not immune from having different viewpoints that we might not be able to wholeheartedly support. Sometimes, instead of confrontation, we have to leave the situation at knowing in our own hearts we wouldn’t say the same thing or act in the same way (I am still trying to teach and remind myself of this, as I tend to make my feelings known…we are all human!). 

St. Maarten, Caribbean // April 2015

Along these lines of being a warrior within, we must traverse the obstacles of life with our health and happiness in perspective. Although at times it might feel like we are helpless or weaker than someone else, we all have strength within us that increases with every action we take to better ourselves. For instance, in my own life, I was dealing with a situation in which I was scared of being alone and was compromising my own happiness out of fear. I make the analogy that there is one of those ancient balance scales in my head where eventually my strength slightly edged above my current situation, and I finally stood up for what I believed to be fairer. Showing myself that I was strong and could speak up (and survive it!), invigorated and empowered me, allowing my vigor to carry into other areas of my life. I suppose the essence of what I am trying to convey, is that we all deserve a life that offers us maximum happiness, a life where we do not even have to consider if “the grass is greener on the other side” so to speak. That’s why we must guide our lives from a place of assertion, firmly rooted in our beliefs and playing our role in making the world as just as possible. 

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands // April 2015

Make 2018 the year of you and the change you want to see in the world around you. At times we might have to tread lightly, but if our soul seems discontent with something, we should not ignore that feeling. We must act from our hearts and know that we all have a warrior within. We all have a strong pillar of light that runs through us, not only connecting us to the universe and shielding us from negativity, but that can also guide us through our life decisions and clarify our next steps.

Have a stellar weekend everyone! Listen to your heart and soul, and let them direct you in ways that illuminate the truth! 

European Enlightenment

Last month I was fortunate enough to get to travel to Switzerland and Italy. The trip was definitely needed and it not only added another stamp to my passport (much to my joy), but it also left me with a better impression of myself, the world, and how I as an individual can benefit from other cultures abroad.

Mt. Pilatus, Switzerland // June 2017

Lucerne, Switzerland // June 2017

I admit that in the past I used to concern myself too much with how I looked, how I dressed, and how people perceived my appearance. I would buy clothes with a picture-perfect vision of me wearing specific outfits for specific destinations or activities. However, spending 18 days in Europe with multiple hotels and various transportations that would become a hassle with a large suitcase, I was forced to pack with function rather than fashion as my focus. Leading up to the trip I was pretty nervous, was I really going to be able to live out of a small luggage with limited supplies?

After zipping up what would be my life for the next nearly 3 weeks and flying 6,000 miles across the world, I landed in my first stop, Switzerland. As soon as I stepped foot off the plane, a rush of relaxation, happiness, and peace overwhelmed me. The crisp Swiss air and rolling green countryside with the misty Alps in the background instilled a sense of surrealism from the start. As my trip progressed and I moved on to my next destination, Italy, I continued to loosen up and it finally hit me that the art of minimalism truly is beautiful. I was not only surviving, but thriving. Not once did I stress out about what I was going to wear, how I looked, or any imperfections on my skin. I was just living and embracing my journey and the world around me. Letting go and becoming minimalistic is not easy, but once you find yourself in the midst of simplicity, you realize it is much easier and relieves so much anxiety. Now that I am back in the States, I hope that I can continue to maintain my newfound perspective on life and keep myself in check when it comes to materialism. Sometimes there is beauty in few options.

Cinque Terre, Italy // June 2017

Capri, Italy // June 2017

Another European concept that really stuck with me is something that the Italian’s call “Slow Food,” a movement started by Carlo Petrini. The idea is to eat locally, traditionally, and seasonally, along with have a relationship with food in the sense that you know the story of where it was grown or who played a role in the production. I have always believed that it is important to eat fresh and as close to home as possible, so I was impressed that the entire country of Italy has taken to the idea and come together to really enforce such ideas. Something else that resonated with me, is that Italians have long dinners where they enjoy the company of those around them, detaching themselves from technology, and coming together over multiple courses of food. During my stay, I had the opportunity to go to a family’s home in Rome, where they cooked us a homemade meal and we talked until late hours of the night. It was one of the highlights of my trip, and with minimalism, I hope to also incorporate into my life more locally sourced, homemade meals that are shared with family and friends.

Rome, Italy // June 2017

Capri, Italy // June 2017

Overall, my trip to Europe really opened my eyes to the benefits of living in the present, giving yourself up to the tides of life, and fully embracing whatever is currently at hand. I learned how Italians get so many paid holidays; they even get weeks off in the summer, which are meant to be spent with family and traveling. The value they place on their health and happiness through the food that they eat, time dedicated to family and mental rejuvenation, along with other lifestyle aspects, really inspired me to make changes in my own life despite living under different conditions. My intentions are to gratefully enjoy my time with those I love as much as possible, place my mental health high on my list of priorities, fuel my body with sustainable products, and wean myself away from materialistic distractions. I think its time we all take a few Italian lessons and “vivi la vita.”

Chartering into the Unknown

We all know the feeling: that flit of nerves mixed with the periodic wave of excitement. It comes as a natural reaction whenever we cannot mentally prepare for what lies ahead in our life paths. This post is inspired by my last summer’s unforgettable trip to the wilds of Alaska, a land with much to still be discovered.

Skagway, Alaska // June 2016

The White Pass train chugged deep into the forests of Skagway, Alaska. I was a long way from home and I wasn’t sure what I was expecting to see during this over three-hour-long excursion. The fact that I was on a train was a miracle, because I have always had an inherent, yet unjustifiable, fear of trains. As the picturesque scenery sailed by, I tuned into the tour guide informing us of the pioneers who first trekked the land that was now before us. And that’s when I started drifting off into a new series of thoughts. The fact that people willingly decided to travel so far into the unknown amazed me. I realized that if someone could embrace the mystery of the future on such a grand scale, I could embrace the change that is to come in my own life.

I go through periods where I am super excited about what is to come and I realize it won’t be as bad as I previously thought, and then before you know it I have again fallen into a self-created tremor. Why is it that embracing the future can come in such a drastic range of emotions? I think sometimes the present is so good that we want to hold on to it forever, which can create resistance towards the potential of losing what we currently have. However, I have found that in being so upset over “what ifs,” we miss out on fully enjoying things when we do have them. Sometimes it isn’t even an external change that causes us to spoil the good things in life, but rather our own fear of ruining them that leads to exactly what we wanted to prevent.

Skagway, Alaska // June 2016

Juneau, Alaska // June 2016

I have grown to love the mantra, “Everything happens for a reason,” because it is so true. We all have somewhere we are supposed to be, we are all divinely guided if we allow ourselves to be. We need to shed the worry, fear, and paranoia, and let the faith, joy, and love flood through. We need to savor every second and trust that the unknown is only unknown to us, but that it has been scoped out for us.

All of us have the potential to be courageous when it comes to embracing change.