*Take deep breath here*
Hello all my mind meets soul friends!
I have been sharing my Gratitude Journey for about 5 months now and if you’ve been with me the whole way I thank YOU! When I first started i always wanted Mind Meets Soul to turn into a personal blog platform. This year I re-discovered an old love of mine- writing! I have always enjoyed writing in diaries and journals espescially over my high school years but I would NEVER pass it to anyone to read, in fact I’m pretty sure I had hiding spots and always changed them in case someone came across them. I found an old diary when I was unpacking into a new place and sat for hours on the floor reading through moments of my past. Moments of my 15,16,17 all the way through to 21 year old self. Reading parts about things I thought were major issues I had to read back on and laugh, things I thought I wouldn’t ever get through but I did, things that I feared or hoped for and then now realise they were perhaps the same thing.
This is where this my Mind Meets Soul journey arises and connects with my past. I remember reading a diary entry I had of wanting to be a journalist and people reacting like I had just said I wanted to become an astronaut (which would be incredible by the way). “It doesn’t pay very good money.. But what else would you actually want to do..”. Very quickly I became quite guarded with my truths and my dreams and to be honest for a long time only ever kept them to myself or wrote about them. Until a few years ago I lost someone in my family and only a few days after I was on a plane landing in Kenya for a volunteering trip that I had booked and saved and mentally prepared for (or so I thought) months in advance.
When I got off the plane I was still grieving, I was raw, I was so emotional. How was I suppose to help these kids when I didn’t know how to help myself? This whole moment of my life changed everything for me. The end of year 2012- I will NEVER forget it. Oprah says there are “aha” moments in life when something just clicks and this for me, was mine. No I don’t mean aha I became mother Theresa, or Oprah or turned completely zen. It was “aha” this is what I want out of my life. This Kenya trip taught me everything I valued and had forgotten about or even more so that I didn’t know I valued so much- gratitude, family, love, helping those in need, wanting the best for your life, yourself and those around you. I say it was this one moment but it was every event before that led me there. I described my Kenya trip earlier as something I always wanted to do, but no- it is where I needed to be. I began to read books about motivation, business, people living not just their dreams but their truest form of self, giving back, happiness, peace of mind. I was never that big on books and it may sound cliche but these books gave me back my voice to express my dreams and hopes again of what I really want out of life.
To think I am now openly sharing my raw real self, visions, hopes, fears, dreams- is kind of daunting for me. I’m not writing and then hiding my diary anymore, in fact it’s not the complete opposite- it’s out and open for anyone to read and although scary I find comfort in knowing I’m doing what makes me happy. I have been meaning to write this first blog for a few months (obviously more than a few.. 5 to be exact), I always put it off to not having time but the truth is it was fear that delayed this blog. Fear of unknown, or judgement or even of failure. This blog isn’t really just a post but breaking through a fear. What got me to finally write? It was more WHO got me to finally write. I recently said my final goodbye again to someone very close to me and incredibly special in my life and through the sadness and grief it was another “aha” moment for me that has led me here. Reminding me again that life is truly a gift and to go after what you want in life and in love.
So here’s to my first blog and going after what I want in life- gratitude, family, love, happiness, health, helping those in need, living my truth and creating my dream.
“Go after what you want or you’ll never have it”.
Hope this read meets your soul wherever you are in this crazy place called- life!
Stay grateful,
Florence xxx