Dream Catcher

Is there anything more powerful we can do with our life than follow our dreams, our heart’s deepest wishes?

Is there anything more wonderful than creating good in this world from the very act of being happy?

In my humble opinion, the greatest gifts we can give to this world are those of a beaming smile and being truly, soul happy. Where does that happiness come from? I believe it comes from being the unique person that each of us is, from following a path in life that is true to who we are and from walking away from the expectations and demands placed upon us by others if they are damaging and limiting in intent. We are told from early childhood to conform, to behave, to sit down and be quiet and to follow the same life path as everyone else.

We have our magic, unique beauty and dreams educated right out of our hearts as we grow up in a world that places much importance on wealth, success and following the norm as opposed to following our dreams. It is depressing to think that so many potential dreamers, poets, storytellers, healers and weavers of incredible magical lives have their potential crushed as they are encouraged to stop dreaming and ‘get a real job’ when they grow up. As adults we are laughed at if we so much as mention the idea of one day resuming our heartfelt dreams, no matter how small or big those dreams are.

It seems to me that if each of us were allowed to grow into who we truly are from a young age, without constraints, and given the encouragement to follow our heart’s true desires this world would be a healthier, more beautiful place to be. Can you imagine how we would all co-exist if each of us were given the encouragement to be happy? Imagine if happiness was actually a priority in our societies and we were given the support to create, cherish and grow into our true potential.

The beauty of this life is that we CAN, as adults, choose to make a change and actively decide to follow our dreams. It is never too late and in one way or another each of us can follow our heart’s deepest dreams whether it is a complete life upheaval or something as simple as finally pursuing that hobby we adore. We can be who we truly wish to be if we create enough self awareness to let go of fear, quieten our judgmental mind and just do it. That alone is life changing in the peace and mental freedom it brings.

When you mention following your dreams to most people, they laugh and push it aside saying it is pointless, there is no value or gain in pursuing dreams and it is impossible because of….insert a million and one reasons. It doesn’t pay the bills, it doesn’t contribute to a pension and dreaming is a childish habit that should be forgotten. I utterly disagree. I wholeheartedly believe that if each of us commits to what truly ignites our soul and keeps practising, it will eventually all come to good. There is no instant reward or success with giving up a routine life to follow dreams but there is the journey of a lifetime and, with persistence and effort, there is reward in the long-term.

When I was about to take my leap away from a routine lifestyle, I asked myself one simple question over and over again. It never failed to help me understand my true purpose in life and if I was on the right path for me.

If money were no object, if you knew you couldn’t fail and if you had no fear….What would you do?

That simple question has taken me both within myself and across the globe. I am still in the early days of following my dreams, I am working incredibly hard to make it work but I can tell you this. I have never been so happy and that alone is worth everything to me and to those I touch with my genuine, beaming smile.
Take a moment today to consider what truly lifts and inspires you forwards in life and follow that thought. Lift your head to the sky, close your weary eyes after a week of work and fall back to your dreams. If money were no object, if you knew you couldn’t fail and if you had no fear….What would you do? May you have the courage to begin to follow those dreams.

What’s your elevator pitch?

Isn’t it strange how we feel fear when someone asks us to define our hopes, desires and dreams? As if it is somehow selfish and unrealistic to have them? In this day and age the world desperately needs more dreamers, more creators and people who are willing to step up to the mark and create a better future for mankind. Nonetheless this question fills me with fear. So….what is my elevator pitch?

I am excited about inspiring others that feet lost and unsure about their path in life to step outside of the conventions of society, outside of their fears, dream big and lead a life that is true to the person they are. I am excited about reconnecting people with the natural world around us, specifically the oceans and those magnificent, awe inspiring creatures called sharks.

 

I am also excited, deeply excited, about writing. More than anything else in this world I want to use my words and create new worlds.

I am excited about this because I know how inspiring words can change a life. I have been incredibly lost at times, an outsider full of fear, and it is an incredible gift to now be able to pass on my knowledge, experiences and passion to inspire others to step up and make a change for their future. I am so crazy excited about the possibility of inspiring others to make a positive change within this world.

It ties into my story because I turned my life around against the odds and I know how it feels to be in need of support. I have such passion to inspire others, to speak up on behalf of those that can’t and I have plenty of experience of life’s pitfalls and getting up time and again to keep creating. I can relate to people, I care about them and I can  create bonds that I believe lift people and make their day that much brighter just by reading my words.

My elevator pitch isn’t very refined yet, it isn’t as short as it ought to be (1-2 sentences max) but I can hear the passion inside me trying to overcome my limiting beliefs, I can feel that I care and it is giving me an idea of how to define and act up on my passions. Take a moment yourself and have a go at creating your elevator pitchThe Live Your Legend guidance to do so is here. Go for it!

Inspire Me

The Other Side of Ugly – You are not a tree

Totally Inspired Mind – Yesterday I was clever

Mastering Today – Change your life

Princess of the light – Be the little engine and believe

Positive Outlooks – Regret is not an ideal way of life

Being thankful and a little bit proud

I am really enjoying the blog challenge I signed up for with Live Your Legend. I receive a daily writing prompt each day and here are the latest two and my thoughts on them. Perhaps you’d like to think about and use those prompts yourself? It is a fascinating exercise. Here are the latest two:

What do people thank you for?

Initially I found that difficult to answer but then I realised that people thank me for inspiring them to follow their dreams, for encouraging them to keep going when they feel like all hope is lost. I have been thanked for reminding others that we all have difficult times and for helping them fell less alone by sharing my own fears, vulnerability and life stories with them. I think it is the comfort that come from emotional connectivity and support that helps. People also thank me for helping them find their courage and resilience to keep going and keep fighting for what they believe their life could be.

Oh an finally…they also thank me for my optimism, enthusiasm and belief that anything is possible if we just give it a try!

What’s one thing you’re proud of?

One thing I am very proud of is simply surviving. I know that may sound bizarre, we all survive on a day to day basis and there is nothing exceptional in that word, but it means everything to me. It may turn you off to read that I am proud of surviving but really, truly I am.

I went through what was, for me, an incredibly tough time in 2008 and it lasted for four long and painful years. Every time I got back up and tried to rebuild my life, the world dealt me another blow and I fell to my knees again. But every single time it happened, I refused to give up. I cried many hot, angry tears and felt a good deal of grief, shame and hopelessness but I got up and survived it all. Plus I built a life afterwards that I adore. I was stubborn and refused to give up on optimism and smiling and that pulled me through every day in which I never wanted to see the sun rise again.

I am incredibly proud that, on the back of those four years, I had the courage to move overseas and carve a life for me that contained no guarantees but it did (and still does) contain a chance at fulfilling my dreams of working with sharks and of becoming a writer. It is not yet two years down the line and I have finished my first ever book, which tells my story of those difficult yet inspiring years beforehand. The first two unedited chapters are here if you would like to read them. It is not yet two years down the line and I have just begun to create a charitable cause for sharks and marine conservation with my awesome and incredible partner in crime Nicholas. Out of interest, that cause came about because a serious back injury meant I had to give up my job and career plans for the future this August and find a new way forward whilst I recover. It is not an easy time but again I am surviving, smiling and making something new out of it. As I sit here typing I have an ice pack strapped to my back! So yes, perhaps you can see why I am so proud of myself right now.

Please check out our fun and interesting charitable cause Friends for Sharks Facebook page and our website if you have a moment. I can’t believe we almost have 500 likes already (I am so excited about that) and the website has a fun 3 min promo about our World Tour 2015, which had me in stitches when we were filming and I kept forgetting my lines.

We are busy working full time and unpaid on this cause so that we can give educational talks about our work with sharks and marine conservation to people around the world throughout 2015. I have no idea how successful or not it will be for us, it has many unknowns, but I feel inspired and happy. My hope is that feeling that way and showing others what we are doing will inspire them to also reconnect with nature and follow their dreams in life. Plus we will also be raising money for our two nominated charities along the way. That alone has been worth surviving for!

Inspire Me

The Dingo was Here – Makings of a Hero

EA Squad – Tom’s Story

It’s Holly Bea – It’s all about your attitude

ToeMail – Each day is a gift

Endless Light and Love – There is wisdom in everyone

Never (Ever) Give Up

Today has been awesome, so full of bright sunshine – and that is just from the people out there that have connected with me! What a perfect day to smile! You have all inspired me so much with your views and comments on here.

This post goes out to all the Free Rangers that read my story on the Friday Love Letter, the Free Rangers that I know are busy flapping their wings towards their dreams of freedom. Each and every one of you is incredible and I am so excited for you…who knows where today’s dream will take you tomorrow.

All I have ever wanted to do is inspire people to achieve their dreams and help them along the way with words of encouragement and a supportive arm around the shoulders that says ‘you can do this’. To know that I have inspired one or two of you to just go for it in life is simply wonderful. Thank you for making my day so special and for inspiring me to never (ever) give up.

And for those of you that don’t know about Free Range Humans, you really need to check this tribe out. They are incredible people. Go find them, join us and be inspired…

Free Range Humans

I think today is also the perfect day to share with you that, you know what, I know how it feels to be on the journey of going free range and I know how utterly terrifying it can be to make the decision to stand up and say

 ‘Hey, this isn’t working for me. I want to change my life and I’m going to do this’

 It is terrifying reaching that moment and I remember so many sleepless nights as I wondered if I could actually admit that let alone do something about it. The pressure and expectation placed upon all of us by society is huge and I couldn’t begin to imagine standing up to that and saying

‘Actually, I believe in another way. I’m sorry but I don’t buy into this for me’

That moment for me came this time last year at a family reunion – which was also going to be my wedding day as it happened. As you know from my previous posts and the Friday Love Letter, the groom had departed prior to then and rather than be sad we turned it into a family reunion day. My brother and family flew over from Australia especially to be there as a surprise. I remember standing in the kitchen thanking everyone for their support after my groom had left me and toasting to a brighter future. I then broke down in tears and confessed all…that I couldn’t go on like this, all I wanted to do was follow my dreams of working with sharks and being creative. I felt ashamed that I had such a dream, ashamed that I was admitting it and terrified that my family would reject me. This feeling had been within me for years and I embarrassed yet felt free to be admitting it – even if it did mean I had tears in my pink champagne damn it.

I couldn’t believe it when my family turned to me one by one and, with a smile in their eyes, said ‘We always knew you were a free spirit and wondered why you hadn’t done that many years ago’.

And so my journey began

With my sisters by my side the following day, I wrote down exactly what it was I wanted to do. They did the same and it was a powerful moment as we committed to realising our dreams. I signed and dated it and promised myself that a year later I would be making it happen. Don’t for a minute think I actually believed I could make it happen though. I was convinced it was impossible but by writing it down I had at least made my dream real on paper. Not once did I think a year later that dream would have come true.

You see I am not naturally confident in my abilities; I have to work on my confidence and anxieties daily as look in the mirror and dislike the reflection I see. I know how it feels to sit down in tears on the edge of my bed (many many times) and feel my heart break into pieces as I realise I am just not good enough to achieve my dreams. That there is no value in who I am, no value in what I want to do and I will never make a change and fly free. But the thing I have learnt lately is this…Those feelings, those fears are NOT real. They are tricks of the mind, tricks of our primitive emotional brain yet they consume and break all of us at some point. They are the moments that have made me give up in the past and convince myself that I should just do what everyone else does and throw my dreams away. I am sure you have had those moments too, we all do. So if you take one thing from me, please take this.

 Your fears are NOT real. They are NOT real. They make no sense, serve no purpose and will NEVER help you. Do not listen to them and NEVER GIVE UP

If you are reading this as someone about to make the decision to fly or your confidence and courage are wavering, remember we all have days like that. It is okay to feel that way, just don’t listen too closely to the fears and don’t believe the voice that tells you to give up.

NEVER (EVER) GIVE UP

Instead, go find someone inspiring to lift your spirits or maybe even remember my little story. I am not superhuman, I don’t have a long list of talents and skills. I am just ME but finally I am realising that every ME and, of course, every YOU has gifts and heart to share with this world. If you just keep on dreaming big, keep on believing in yourself you CAN do it.

I know you can do it because I am doing it right now and if I can make it happen then you definitely can too.

May you all keep chasing your dreams, keep flapping those wings and fly free. And make sure you tell me how you get on as you leap to your freedom xx

Life Zipped

As I packed each item into my suitcase, I thought about the past year and how my life has turned around. In went my socks and I reminisced about the steps I have taken, both literal and metaphorical, towards realising my dreams. How I arrived in Cornwall just over a year ago, a tired shadow of my former self, due to events that no longer matter. In that year I walked forwards and believed I could create a life that sets my heart and soul on fire. In that year I learned how to believe in me as I walked with my head held high to the sunshine, to believe in who I am and to dream.  In went my scuba diving equipment and, as I felt the flex of my fins, I was reminded of how I have pushed myself hard to overcome my fears. I never imagined I could become a scuba diver, I cried my way through my first diving course. Now I am on my way to becoming a professional instructor. Yes I still have my fears but they don’t own me. They join me on the journey and teach me compassion and empathy with others.

In went my five t-shirts and oh how I laughed…I realised each one has a picture of a shark on it. I was reminded of how privileged I am to be going to work with my beloved sharks. I have dreamed of this moment since I was a little girl aged four taking a shark book to ‘show and tell’ at school.

Hat went in next. ‘Hat’ is a wonderful creation of wool and fleece and he has kept my head warm across the world for the past eleven years. I am reminded of the laughter and love that Hat has brought into my life. On more than one occasion he has been loaned to people in need of warming up and started friendships and conversations I treasure.  I am reminded of the love I confessed as I looked up with Hat on my head. Who knew that moment was on the way, that I would be so lucky as to find, feel and express something so beautiful.

My Ipod, my laptop, my journal and my creativity are all tucked deep into my bag. Last year I didn’t even know I had a voice to share. I hadn’t the courage to write a blog, to sing for others or to consider painting or playing the piano as things I could do. I look back over the year and smile as I see I have found and expressed myself within each one. Through the artist inside me I have discovered my voice. I have set myself free.

I gently placed my small collection of crystals; my rhodochrosite, my quartz and fluorite in their place. I added my two miniature woolly Airedales and other personal treasures. These are my reminders of the goodbyes I have said, the tough times and the reasons of why I am doing this. How through my own losses I will burn more brightly, I will set the sky on fire with my passion and I will give it my all to make a difference to other peoples’ lives.

As I zipped my case closed, I stepped back. I took a deep breath and I dusted off my wings. I flexed them ready for flight. As I looked at my world, condensed into a suitcase, I realised that none of this would have been possible were it not for the people that have believed in me, inspired and supported me, shown me what I am capable of. There is so much goodness in this world that we don’t appreciate or even notice. Do you realise the difference each of you makes through your words, your kind gestures and actions? It is through a thousand small actions of yours that I am here today, ready to fly free. It is thanks to you that I can step forwards and smile. Thank you. This is for you.