I had this thought recently: “I wish I did more travelling.” I was feeling stagnant and stuck in a routine, and then all of a sudden I had three trips scheduled in just a little over a month. Suddenly, I found myself flying all over the place. I’ve had more adventures in the span of four weeks than I’ve had all year.
In the last month I have done yoga on top of a mountain in Squaw Valley (California), zip-lined across Grand Falls in New Brunswick, went on a helicopter ride over Woodstock (New Brunswick), went on a 16k hike in Cape Split in Nova Scotia, and ran the trails (and a ridiculous hill… 3 times!) with my little brother in First Lake (Nova Scotia). Now I find myself in Boulder, Colorado where I will be training my replacement with My Yoga Online.
While here in Colorado I will be exploring the used book shops (obviously), trying my best to run in this crazy altitude (Boulder sits 5,430 feet above sea level), doing some yoga, and trying out some of the fantastic cuisine. Pictures will abound, so make sure you follow me on Instagram (I just started using this awesome social media site, and I’m loving it!)
BACKTRACKING!!
That’s right, my journey with My Yoga Online has come to an end. Starting on Monday I will be working for an incredible magazine (Cella) that was started by John Lewis in Victoria, BC. I have been working as a writer for them since September (and had the chance to interview the incredible Lindsey Stirling – if you haven’t heard of her, watch this: Crystallize), but have since been offered a leadership role in their Vancouver edition. I am incredibly excited/nervous/ pinch me am I sleeping? right now. Best of all, they completely support my goals as an actor. I am free to attend auditions when I need to, and to book time off work when I book a role. (Acting update: I am going to be filming a new short (with a car chase!) at the end of the month. I am SUPER excited.)
On another note, I don’t think it’s hit me yet that when I fly back to Vancouver I will not be returning to the beautiful My Yoga Online office with the bright green walls and open atmosphere. I’m really going to miss the people I’ve worked with since September, and yet I’m excited for what’s to come.
Then and Now: Looking Back Over the Last 3 Years
Okay… I need to step back for a second. Three years ago I moved to Vancouver with my incredible boyfriend without a plan and with enough money in my bank account to last me two months (and a thrifty two months at that). The first year was a struggle… Okay, the first two years were a struggle, but I pulled through. There were specific moments (that I’ve been able to document thanks to this blog — see bottom of this post) where I made some pretty big shifts in consciousness. Although it’s sometimes hard to recognize flaws in thinking when you’re the one thinking that way, one thing I’ve learned over the last few years is that the only way to change your external reality is to change yourself.
One of my biggest shifts this year happened when I asked myself this question: Am I happy?
The answer was no. Then I asked myself this question: What would make me happy? There started a huge block of journalling where I realized that a lot of what I wanted, I already had. So, what makes me happy? Spending time with the people I love, writing, acting, cooking, running, yoga, learning, reading, travel and spending time in nature. I realized that I already had many of the things that I wanted, and the only thing that needed to change was my attitude. I also had to get out of my own way. I’ve realized that “being happy” is a lot easier than the media makes it seem. Plus, the moment that I started changing my attitude and making the decision to be happy, more opportunities started coming my way. I am floored by how far I’ve come since day one of this blog.
Here are some of the most notable mindset shifts that I’ve documented over the last three years.
- Be Small and You Will Fall
- Excuse me, I Think My Heart is in My Throat
- Famous Last Words: “I Think I’m Just Going to Wing it” – this one marked a huge shift in how I treated my dreams
- Making a Promise to Myself for 2014
- A Game Of Subtraction and Addition (turns out you need to make room for what you want)
- When I First Got my Job at My Yoga Online
- My Very First Post on This Blog
These shifts have brought me from hostess at a restaurant to managing editor of a magazine. Best of all, the adventure is FAR from over. I will continue to have ups and downs (and you will see many of them spoken about on this blog), but I will also continue to dream big and to create a life I can feel proud of. I think many of us allow our minds (and our thoughts about what we can and can’t do) to hold us back. I refuse to let that be my story. You shouldn’t let it be yours either.
