Spending Anzac Dawn in Istanbul, on our way to Paris brought me to focus upon the meaning and significance of that day, marked in remembrance, to honour the sacrifices and lives lost in battle. It brought me to wonder, what it is that we ourselves can give in order to change the face of our future…in fighting for a cause. Simply being there at such a significant time, brought me to contemplate the importance of knowing what we stand for, so that we can transform what is perceived as sacrifice, with our awareness and understanding, that these are the gifts that allow us to contribute towards that which we value and believe in. I came to wonder if such a shift took place in our thinking… could we then see the purpose of our once perceived sacrifices, more as simply what we give in exchange for the opportunity to stand for something meaningful.
Often we hear people speaking from the belief that their efforts are wasted or without reward, forgetting the reasons why they dedicate themselves so tirelessly in the name of a greater purpose. I believe people often let the cost of something (a sacrifice) get in the way of their vision of what it is they are giving in the name of. I myself have recently given up a strong sense of duty and service that I know provides great integrity and pride, for the experience of surrender to a higher calling above the safety nest of predictability that many find hard to abandon in the pursuit of their dreams. What I have been able to find through this process of transformation, like the challenging time of the butterfly breaking out of it’s cocoon, is a freedom from the confines of my previous existence, into another realm.
In the last two months, I have given up strong aspects of my own identity in the name of being true to the magnetic compass within. I have felt called to follow the direction of wild adventure, in letting go of all that was once so deeply embedded in in my life. I have found that in doing so, I have relinquished the boundaries that were set within my own habitual life, that included a sense of security that I now look upon as an adult looks back over their youth, in seeing how free I now am from the familiarity that I confused with “knowing it all”. Letting go of these confines, I have been released from the Avery of my own outgrown life, into the openness of the great wide world.
What has this sacrifice given me? Giving up the old sense of “self” that felt secure in it’s own predictability and concrete form, has been one of the greatest choices that I have made in following my heart out of an intense curiosity and magnetic force in the direction of the unknown. Do I see this as sacrifice? Not at all. What do I see this as? I see it as the biggest learning journey of my life, where I have been not only able to challenge my mind in opening far wider than ever before, but as a choice that has allowed me to be graced with the blessing of being able to share an amazing journey with incredible people.
In the last two months, I have had the most amazing adventures, traveling from Melbourne to Bali where for the first time, I had the experience of feeding Monkeys, riding Elephants, taking a Cuban dancing lesson, being saturated in the pouring rain on the back of a scooter and visiting the most beautiful ocean side rock carved bar and restaurant off the side of a cliff face, watching the sun set. From Bali I made the biggest move of my life to the LA and have since been taken on adventure after adventure, taking road trips to Las Vegas, spending a weekend at Disneyland and a trip through San Diego to Mexico for Easter.
Today I am in Paris, after spending a night in Turkey to wake up on Anzac Day in Istanbul, on our way here. Last night we all went out in Paris, where we visited many of the attractions of this beautiful city, from the Eifell Tower and Arch de Triumph to the 56th floor of a tower from which we stood on the roof and gazed out over the whole of Paris. As far out as we could see, there was Paris, outstretched into the horizon. From here, we enjoyed a lovely dinner together before heading back to the Loft, where we are staying for the week. The Loft is the most incredibly beautiful 4 story Parisian home, with a tree growing right in the middle of the main living area.
So from this beautiful place in Paris, I sit here now and contemplate what I have gained in being able to “let go” of a sense of certainty. As something I consider far from a sacrifice, I feel it to be a wise following of intuition and faith, that I wish to encourage you, to have…in the pursuit of personal discovery. I wonder if there was one thing you “gave up” in your life for the purpose of finding something even greater… how different your life could be, once surrendering to a higher learning, cause and calling. I wonder if you took a moment now, to define how your life could be, if you were to realign yourself to another way of living. How incredibly grateful would you then be for the gift of having let go, of that which you once held so tightly within your grasp. As you let go of what once defined you…I wonder what possibilities you create…in becoming free to chase anything you choose.
What could you be making possible in letting go? I wonder if you could find the courage to step out and over the edge of what you could see…how much more you could be…Maybe take a moment to consider what beautiful things could be waiting for you, to just let go and maybe relinquish a little control. I know this very act has given me an incredible amount of fulfillment that I never knew existed, let alone possible and within my reach.
