My apologies for missing a week of head space. Last week I worked over 80 hours between my two teaching jobs and my coaching job and I came down with a nasty cold mid-week. I haven’t been sick since I moved to Australia and I honestly can’t really remember the last time even before that. I am extremely conscious of my health; what food I  put into my body, getting enough sleep, and exercising at least 6 times per week most weeks so getting sick is not something that happens to me very often. I also live according to the law of attraction. I believe I won’t get sick and I am very healthy; so I am. But unfortunately and fortunately, sometimes we all fall victim to a creeping bug that is going around.

My headspace this week is reflecting on the serious juxtaposition  between my week last week and my week this week. Last week forced me to slow down. I know, I know, 80 hour work weeks surely don’t sound like slowing down. But- I took 3 days off from exercise and also spent 2 days with strictly yoga. That is the longest break I have taken  from intense exercise since my backpacking trip last July when I first moved to Australia. Since then I have conquered the difficult task of training my free spirit to have and enjoy  consistency. The easiest way for me to give my day structure and consistency is to control my mind and body with exercise early in the morning. This puts me in a great mood, lets go of my nervous energy and sets me up for a productive day. I have been full fledge chasing my dreams for the past 6 months and I rarely take time for myself but I am also learning slowly the power of consistency in RELAXING & SHUTTING OFF.  Only you understand your own mind and body and so often we listen to what society thinks, our boss thinks, or what our inner circles think that we stop thinking at all.

When I woke up and was struggling to stand up to go to the bathroom, had the chills, a pounding pressure headache and I STILL had the mental conversation, “Does this mean I’m too sick to workout?” I realized that I needed to take a step back and listen to my own advice. I always tell my clients to listen to their bodies, their guts, their hearts; whatever you want to call it. My body was telling me no, but my well disciplined mind was being very stubborn. Once I came to terms with the fact that I had to take it easy, I started to reflect on how grateful I am for how wonderful my health has been for almost my entire life. I started to feel grateful for the fact that usually I wake up pain free, squinty eyed but bushy tailed and excited to exercise. The pain reminds us of how powerful our goodness is. I fought through the week, rested and took a break from adventures on the weekend, and started Monday feeling good. This week has been pretty much the opposite of last. I have been on an extreme high. Feeling energized physically, mentally and emotionally. My 26th birthday was Thursday and I started my celebrations on Wednesday by taking my class out for a meal and drinks. My students showered me with cards, cakes, gifts and most importantly their presence. My celebrations continued Thursday with a blur of exercise, presents, donuts, facetimes, messages and love from people all over the world, Mexican food and a cruise around Sydney Harbor. I woke up this morning for the highlight of my week every week, Fluro Friday! As usual this included a powerful group talk,  beach yoga, and  surfing.  This week we were dressed as pirates and got to support a local surfer with the viewing of his documentary, The Friendly Pirate, which shared his inspiring story about how he was willing to lose his eye to be able to surf again. I enjoyed an amazing brunch with my One Wave mates and had the intense feeling of happiness, gratitude and “Is this really my life?”

The past two weeks are a prime example of why you have to take the highs and lows in life in stride. Every single person has ups and downs and not just the ups and the downs they share about. I pride myself on my ability to share my journey through life to help others but even bloggers, activist, writers, etc. do not share it all. Being vulnerable is so important in life. It doesn’t matter how successful, beautiful or perfect your life seems no one will connect to you if you don’t share your weaknesses as well. As a Gemini, I am constantly searching to understand both myself and others. I am fascinated by people and the way they think, what they feel, and why they do the things they do. The more I learn about people the more I learn about myself. The more I realize how important it is to be vocal about things that hurt us. I genuinely believe on focusing on the positive aspects of every situation but not in a manner that discounts the pain. Pain and hard times are real and important. They teach us a lot about life and about others. Pain, like joy, goes away quickly. Last week was extremely hard for me, I felt overwhelmed, stressed, annoyed and frustrated. But this week I feel inspired, celebratory, compassionate and joyful. In the blink of an eye- it all can change. Cherish your successes and ride out your pain. Ask for help. Cry. Be honest. The world needs more people who just tell it like it is. Sometimes it’s intimidating to share so much of my heart with the world, but the amount of people it positively impacts is well worth it. So whether you are having a shit week or an awesome one, the moments are fleeting and the impermanence of your circumstance is what makes life the unique, fragile and beautiful experience that it is. Carry love with you and spread it around whenever you can and I promise if you do that, when you need love, it will be there for you. Now I’m off for day 3 of birthday celebrations, because remember ladies and gents, life is a special occasion. Make sure you treat it that way. ❤