It Only Takes A Smile

Sometimes I am so inspired I don’t have words immediately about an experience. I need time for it to settle into my bones. This is the case for Tony Robbins’ Unleash The Power Within. With a crowd of 10,500 people from 60 plus countries, we walked on fire! 

This was going to be a huge obstacle to overcome, because I have a fear of putting myself in dangerous situations where there is even a slim potential to get hurt. My mother warned me she saw on the news, people going to the hospital after these Robbins events due to burns. 

During the conference, I listened with a cautious ear and  what I learned that it is those who do not follow instructions and focus on getting selfies are the ones that get burned. You must completely submerge yourself in the moment to surpass it. 
This was a four day event , but we walked on flames the first night. The 12 hours leading up to the fiery moment was preparation to get in the proper mental and physical state. Throughout storytelling, meditations, dancing , and chanting we were able to embed courage within. There was repetition, solidarity, and comfort knowing thousands if not millions of people have done this.


And so with 10,499 other people, we chanted “yes” as we marched barefoot to the site of the fires. 

What surprised me during the walk is how we collectively as a group were all able to conquer an innate fear together! I knew if I could do this, I was unstoppable. 


Ever since that weekend that occurred one month ago, I feel this inner fiery strength brewing within. For for the past four years, I have already started each morning with gratitude . But now I start the days with a fueled up magnetic gratitude. It’s as if I am living in the center of an orgasm that lasts the entirety of weeks versus seconds. Life has the potential to be orgasmic, but are we receptive to feel and reside in it? Can we make it longer as we do a beautiful lover? 

I visited a childhood friend recently and she informed me I have this sexual energy about me that people are attracted to. On the exterior it may appear as I am exuding this sensuality , but on dissecting it, another layer is unraveled .  The heightened energy is actually this feeling of loving life and wanting to abide in the fullness of it.  She informed me that people are lacking this in their own lives , see it in me, and want that love for life. What a powerful statement to make, but there is truth to it. 

Tony Robbins exudes this sexuality as well.  His charisma, charm, and power is magnetic. You don’t mind paying thousands of dollars for his programs or doing crazy stuff such as walking on fire . You believe in him, and it makes you believe in yourself.  I know as I write this it sounds very cult like, and for some people it may be. They follow Tony and select others through the ends of the world. As we watched Tony people ran towards the stage simply wanting to touch his hand, as if he was a rock star. My husband said “they just want to touch something Great.”

But the true magic doesn’t occur when we see people like Tony, it’s when we realise we have the power within. Just as kindness is contagious, so is strength and the ability to be intoxicated with life. ​

Take time to search and find the inner power within .  Take time to feed the fire daily, and you will find this inner fire is contagious . You will draw others to you for the beauty that you see and love in your life.

Today on an international flight from the US to the UK, I did something a bit out of character. I was rude to this stranger, not outright rude but not outright nice. She therefore mistook this as rudenesss. I made it to my flight with 30 minutes to spare, as my connecting flight was delayed. I arrived at my seat,Sweating from running throughout the airport only to find someone at my seat.  The seat stealer wanted a whole row to herself. As soon as I entered, she looked for another seat. 

I escaped to the bathroom and found a family of four surrounded my space. They asked me to move so I wouldn’t have to be by a big family who kept passing things over me. The husband to the right of me, next aisle kept saying to his wife “are you going to ask?” After several minutes of this, I moved to the row behind me without saying a word or looking at any of them in the face. She asked if I was moving, I said “yes,” and then proceeded to say to my husband and children how unkind I was. She knew I could hear her. I truly wanted to verbally lash some offensive phrases to her. But I held my tongue, and put on my headphones . I drowned them out, I didn’t want to make it a more miserable long flight than necessary.

I began to think, how unlike me this is. For someone who tries to relay the message of kindness being contagious, what was I expressing now? I never apologised but I was able to try to continue to convey kindness to others thought it the rest of the flight. 
Despite our constant work in trying to “be good,” we aren’t perfect. We have off days. Who knows what contributed to this ? The delayed connecting flight , running throughout an unfamiliar airport, someone already being in my seat, fear of missing my flight. Perhaps it was a combo of everything .

When we have these days, it’s a time to reflect what’s going on internally . Hopefully we can pause before responding , and carry on. That moment doesn’t have to define us.

I’m sitting in a café in Canton Ohio, awaiting for a road trip later today headed to Nashville. I’m just getting over my jetlag from the United Kingdom. Somehow I will squeeze in New York City and Philly before I head back to London next week. I am not a musician, but I am embarking on my annual North American leg tour of visiting family and friends. I am proud to say that home is not one city, state, or country. The world is my home, and I feel it.
            Last year I visited Paris three times, and am yearning to return to this little patisserie St. Michael Boulangerie close to The Shakespeare Bookstore. I want to simply roam and linger in these familiar haunts with the same drive as visiting my best friend in our hometown as we cruise the streets of the Midwest. Both bring a sense of wonder, beauty, and joy. Both are blissful, exciting, and memorable. Both internally are stored and replayed in my head as moments I’m deeply grateful for.

            This should be of no surprise that I view myself as a citizen of the world, and perhaps you could explore that title too.

            Upon completing a recent 23 & Me DNA test, I found that my genetic makeup for the past 500 years places my roots to almost every corner of the world. It’s amazing and makes perfect sense that my sense of adventure is ingrained in my blood. My ancestors pushed out of their boundaries to see new lands, interacted with people who were “other”, and even mated with them. One after another, after another. Although, I know of the history of an incrementally small percentage of my people. There’s universality in their stories….in all of our stories. 

            Explore. Learn. Love. 
“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien

“Work like a captain, play like a pirate.”

Everywhere I turn, I am reminded of the prospect of summer that’s looming over our heads. I’m visiting my family in Ohio, the weather is warm but has a side of sprinkle to cool us down. Grass is plentiful and full, some freshly mowed, and I simply want to sit in it and feel summer. I laid in the grass yesterday the weather was 24 degrees Celsius (mid 70s Farenheit). I closed my eyes and tried to breathe in the bliss.

Living in England, I don’t have that same sense of summer at all. Few would be the days that existed like yesterday, and if so much of the time I am in the office. Summers are different in the Midwest. In Los Angeles and Hawaii, I somehow took it for granted, because beautiful sunny weather was always readily available. But in Ohio, I counted down to my summer days. Officially it’s less than one month away, but for me it’s already here.

Stores display bright vibrant colors of items for sale displaying pineapples, flamingos, ships, with phrases such as “adventure starts here.” Kids gasp in wonder at bubbles being blown with a wand. Dogs linger with smiles under the sun. Windows down while driving, blasting rhythmic tunes. I want to inhale it all in and bottle the feeling of summer.

I admit that sometimes, I can be internally judgmental. I have lived in so many amazing places throughout the world and have an inner wanderluster that is always spinning. At times, I question how can people stay in one spot, settling for their homeland versus bursting at the seams to see what is out there. But yesterday, as I lay in the grass watching my cousin’s children play in their backyard playground, I thought this could be enough. Moments with family, friends, and laughter in the summer sun can be sustaining and addictive. We live for the summer.

I purchased a tiny tea towel to flavor our British kitchen for the next several months. I am going to try to capture this colorful flavor.

Summer is not just a season or location. It’s a state of mind. 

 
How can you get there?

Without planning,  I took a bold move in engaging in an activity I have avoided for 22 years…jumping on a trampoline. The amount of times I have jumped on a trampoline are less than one can count on your right hand. And it’s all because of a war wound I encountered at the age of 16, when I double bounced in a backyard. More than four of us were on a massive trampoline on a summer’s day, living like king kids, and then the land occurred. I completely broke my left ankle the day before my driver’s test. Not only did I fail the maneuverability portion of the test, but I had to wear a cast for the rest of the summer.
I quickly learned to associate pain with trampolines. I vowed never to do it again. The opportunity never arose. And I never had to face the fear, until yesterday.

At my dream job that I’ve held for the past four years, we take groups of workers on fun events to bond and de-stress. These have included such things as a ropes courses, race car driving, golfing, swimming, and white water rafting. I haven’t attended all, but somehow yesterday the stars aligned for me to be there.

I warned the leader of the group of my PTSD about trampolining. Nobody pushed me to jump or even asked me to, but as everyone was sitting for their safety video. I said to myself “why not?”. I wasn’t dressed for the occasion, I had a blazer on with jeans, but I didn’t care.
 

One of my goals this year is to do something every month I’m afraid of. It was May 19th and I had no activity planned. Why the heck not? And so I did.

I bounced on my own solo trampoline at a trampoline park. And after sometime, I added some leg kicks, attempted to bounce to the trampoline next to me, and at one time even tried to bounce on my butt.

I saw all these adults around me who had no fear and had amazing skills with balance, flipping, handstands. It was insane, but such a release of joy.. The simple act of bouncing with 80 people, all on their own trampolines was bliss. People released who they were and momentarily acted as kids again.

There was this one top of higher area that many people jumped up to and were perching on. I told a friend that it reminded me of the 8th grade steps I had in grade school. Only 8th graders could sit there, and it wasn’t until 8th grade that you earned the right to get to the steps. That’s where we would spend recess. At one point she and another co-worker made it to there. She said to me, “come on Tricia, 8th grade steps.”. 

It was such a blessing to have a friend reflect back to me a memory and a goal to attain, with such ease. And yes I did bounce to the 8th grade steps.

What have you been avoiding? What have you been keeping from your life due to fear or a bad experience? Is it still a valid fear? What’s stopping you? They are only 8th grade steps.
 
 

All the suffering, stress, and addiction comes from not realizing you already are what you are looking for.

Jon Kabat-Zinn

I have the luxury to work this weekend at centreparcs, a little escape in the woods, filled with a waterpark, zip lining, archery, a sauna and more. It’s quite costly , but booked up throughout the year. A coworker and I marvelled at the cost and thought of so many other places we could be in nature for free.
Yet as I woke Up I realised people are not paying for just the wave pool.. they are paying for safety, ease of mind , and being in the throes of nature. 

Unplugging from the world and technology is refreshing. It enlivens us! Refuels our energy. 

There is a concept called earthing. We are to walk barefoot on grass, dirt , sand, any type of real earth. What is said to have occurs is the healing power of nature that tends to not happen with our rubber souls.

Be in nature, perhaps walk barefoot. Feel the breeze of the winds, witness the beauty of animals in the wild. And sink in what is available to you right now at this moment, which perhaps you have forgotten .

If we are too busy looking at our phones and tablets , we miss the beauty in front of us.

​

Last week I attended a Racheal Yamagata performance, which was spectacular. I have been listening to her music for over a dozen years. It’s so refreshing to be in the midst of a musician in a country that is not your homeland. I live in England and as an American , I have seen her in London three times. She has brought me comfort at times during awful breakups or joy to share with my friends over the years. Rachael has transformed her pain into art which in turn assists eases our pain. We know we are not alone in our solitary melancholy moments. She gives a voice to our sadness , stating what we may have difficulty verbalising. 

I was able to introduce her to my husband, who also has fallen in love with her passionate voice .

I had the honour of meeting her last fall and this last week, I voiced this all to her. What a gracious and kind woman, probably one of the sweetest musicians I had ever met. Thanks for all you do Rachael and every other artist out there :). 

Prior to us meeting her, there was a late 40 something British woman and her friend chatting up Yamagata. This woman joked to her that she was one of her biggest fans even a stalker. Rachael filmed a video for her saying “you stalked me, now I’m going to stalk you.” The woman was gushing , and her friend had to tear her away. She just didn’t want to leave .

If you ever have the opportunity of meeting someone to admire, express your gratitude. I am sure they keep those kind words and moments close to their heart, just as you do.

So often we forget how beautiful life can be. We take for granted the Colors we see. How amazing this is!

Yesterday my friend gave me the most amazing gift … a card holder which happens to be Louis Vuitton . The reason why I love it isn’t because of the designer nature of it (always a plus), but it’s because of the thought behind the card. She remembered the last time I saw her two years ago that I gave out the gratitude cards to bartenders, baristas, or waiters.

I rarely have a card holder for them in my purse . It’s just randomly mixed in my purse along with makeup, receipts, and random pens. 

Now I have a special card holder bought just for this purpose of gratitude sharing . And it was purchased by someone else who recognised and remembered the act of kindness. In turn She offered back an act of kindness. 

In my everyday life , I frequently get off track with giving away these cards . I find  I give them generally just for travelling, but this holder now  further reminds me of the Intention I set. these Small little cards serve a purpose.

Sometimes we need this in life, little reminders or nudges to get us back on on our path. Is how we live the day being demonstrated in how we act or intended to act towards others ? Our path is never far and can always be returned to.

What can you nudge yourself to return to? 

PS thanks jennie , you don’t know how much this means to me:)

Anything can be turned into a piece of art, even leftover caps of insulin shots. How beautiful it is that each piece of colour in this piece reminds the nurse artist of specific patients . All special , al complex , and all part of a bigger whole .