Category: Nature + Moon + Tea

A Writer’s Inspiration

“Writing is like making love. Don’t worry about the orgasm, just concentrate on the process.”
~ Isabel Allende

In recent months, I’ve been in the beautiful and messy process of writing a book. I’m not sure if I’ve always dreamt of author, but writing has always been a big part of who I am and how I express myself. I remember secretly crafting little stories and poems on piece of paper from as young as 8 years old. I’d tuck them away safely under my bed and only share them with friends who I trusted.

The experience of writing a book has been interesting. I am discovering that it requires a great deal of patience, confidence and dedication. It isn’t a clear cut process. Ideas constantly evolve, new perspectives creep in and the urge to go back and rewrite different sections is constant. I hate loose ends. I like knowing that I’ve completed what I started and that it can be scratched of my list. Writing short pieces gave me this satisfaction because it is a concise process in which the path was clear and the end was in sight. So book writing has been quiet an adjustment for me.

At the moment, I am happy see things finally taking shape. The exercise has stretched me. It has called on me to trust myself more and to allow the Universe to guide me. It has forced me to connect more to my heart space and to flow with Divine Spirit.

Finding inspiration is important in helping me stay motivated.  When I am stuck in my ego or give power to my fears, things stagnate. When I surrender and go with the flow of creation, then inspiration and guidance always shows up. Nature has been an incredible source of inspiration. I begin most days by meditating under the pale blue sky in my garden. Those moments of stillness always trigger incredible insights and a clear focus.

Another source of inspiration showed up in a book that I discovered a while ago. A few years ago, when I worked as an Environmental Research I began collecting out of print South African books, life histories and memoirs from the 1800s. I’m fascinated with the historical stories that they told. I also wanted to understand what the natural environment looked like when the European settlers arrived before natural habitats were destroyed for development or cleared away for farmland.

One of the books I ordered was called The Hippo Poacher. According to the bookshop information, it was authored by Oliver Walker. Imagine my surprise when the book arrived and I discovered my great-great-grandfather’s name –Domenic Dunn – also appeared on the spine of the book right next to Oliver Walker’s. It was so exciting to discover that he co-authored the book and also assisted with the research for a novel that Oliver Walker wrote about his father.

writing inspiration

The unexpected discovery inspired me. Each time I see his name on the spine of the book, I feel motivated by his example. Somehow it makes me feel that if did it then I can too. It always reminds me that I want touch people’s hearts with the words that I share. I want to leave a mark that inspires others, and my future children especially, in the same way that he’s achievement inspired me.

Each one of us has so much to offer the world. I love being reminded of my purpose and of my potential to impact on others with love and inspiration. I am hopeful that I will be able to do this with my book when I eventually complete and publish it. The possibility of it excites me and in my heart it feels that it was meant to be.

Where there’s a Will there’s a Way

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
~ Albert Einstein

Crises happen upon you when least expect them to. Like tremors, they shake things up. They turn your world upside down, shatter your heart and bring you to your knees.

Two weeks ago my dad suffered a major heart attack. As one would expect, this sent me on an emotional rollercoaster ride, experiencing everything from shock, to fear, panic, to sadness and helplessness. It is difficult to see people whom you love go through trauma. Sometimes no matter how much you remind yourself to accept what is and to trust in the power of the Universe, you never feel prepared for the soul crushing experiences that you are faced with, especially when it involves your parents. It didn’t help that I live in a different place to my parents and could not get there right away. Fortunately, my dad was lucky to survive the heart attack and the surgery that followed.

Throughout this gruelling experience, I have witnessed the work of Divine intervention. If there was ever any doubt that Spirit and angelic helpers were at work in our lives, this experience was enough to convince most people completely.

My father works 2 hours away from home, he commutes to work every day. At the time that his heart attack occurred, he was driving home from work. When he realised what was happening, he managed to drive himself to the nearest town and get to a hospital. The fact that he was able to do this is quite miraculous in my eyes. He could have had an accident on the road. He could have pulled over and given up on getting help because of the debilitating pain. But he didn’t. Instead, he got himself to a rural hospital with only two nurses and one doctor. With minimal supplies, they managed to assist him until an ambulance arrived 45 minutes later to transport him to a bigger hospital another an hour and 15 minutes away, where he underwent heart surgery.

Three days later, he walked out of hospital. He looked frail and thin. It was a scary to see him that way. But for the most part he was pretty much his usual self – driving my mother crazy. The doctors were amazed. Firstly, that he had the ability to drive himself while in the process of having a heart attack. Most people pass out because the pain is so excruciating. Secondly, that he survived the wait for the ambulance as well as being transported. Patients are usually airlifted to bigger hospitals ASAP. The helicopter was not available on that day. They were also amazed at how fast he recovered from the surgery. They said that they’d never seen a case like his. Miracle? You decide. It is in my eyes.

“If you can suffer an acute heart attack, drive 50km to the nearest hospital yourself, wait for the only doctor in a small rural hospital to arrive to provide some treatment, wait another 45 minutes for an ambulance to come from another town, and then travel 1 hour 15 minutes to the nearest city, and then undergo heart surgery, and walk 2 days later, you can pretty much survive anything!” ~ Brian Williams

Each crisis has its lessons. This whole experience has reminded me of how powerful the will of a human spirit can be. The will to survive and to live can give you the strength to overcome and rise above all kinds of circumstances.  The conscious mind may not always know the answers. We may not know how you are going to get through something, or how you are going to achieve your dreams. But your Spirit always knows. As the age old adage goes – Where there is a will there is a way. Sometimes when you don’t know how, you just need to be willing. A Course in Miracles teaches about the need for willingness, for it is through being willing that we open a channel to our hearts and allow space for change, transformation and guidance to enter.

willingness

I am also humbled by the grace of God. Everything panned out according to Divine timing, leading him to the right people in the right places at the right time. I am grateful that my family is safe and that my dad was given a second chance. I’ve been reminded that life is so precious and that miracles happen every day. We are always blessed with opportunities to make the best of what we have, to start over at any moment, to reach for the stars with our dreams and to make an impact with your life by spreading love, inspiration, joy, peace, hope and the Divine light within you.

You just have to be willing. Are you willing to live? Are you willing to breathe, to experience life’s joys, to dream and to live your life’s purpose? Let your willingness carry you forward to where your destiny flows. 

Like a Fish out of Water: Step out of your comfort zone

Stepping out of your comfort zone can be scary at times. While staying in touch with the familiar feels safe, facing fears and challenging yourself to try new things always has beautiful rewards that make it worthwhile.

I recently read a book called – The Day the Whale Came (also published under the name Grayson) – written by open water swimmer and endurance athlete, Lynne Cox. The book tells the story of how at the age of 17, while training to swim off the California mainland, Lynne Cox encountered a lost baby grey whale. The baby whale, who she named Grayson, had somehow separated from his mother. In an effort to keep the whale at sea, Lynne ends up spending hours in the ocean and swimming a couple of miles to an oil rig in the deep rough waters, staying with Grayson until he was reunited with his mother.

I loved this sweet story and the picture that she painted of ocean life. I enjoyed the little nuggets of inspiration included in the book as well, as it touches on lessons in endurance, having faith, personal strength and challenging your own limits.

What do fish have to do with stepping out of your comfort zone?

One of the interesting things that Lynne Cox mentions at the start of the book is the grunion run. As a nature loving soul, I was fascinated by it so I did a little research. Grunions are fish with a very unique spawning behaviour. Each year, during Spring and Summer, they swim ashore the South coast of California, during New and Full moons when the tides are high to lay their eggs in the beach sand. They then wiggle their way back to the ocean waters. It is an incredible sight! (See youtube clip here:Grunion Run) This makes for an interesting take on the saying “Like a fish out of water”. I was blown away by the fact that these brave little critters courageously leave the safety of the waters to fulfil their role in sustaining the future of their species. It’s an inspiring demonstration of the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone.

Life constantly challenges you to help you grow. However, since routine and familiarity gives us a sense of emotional security, the fear of change makes us resist it. This puts you at risk of becoming too complacent. But when you push the boundaries and take a few risks from time to time, you gain valuable experiences and inevitably expand your horizons. Stepping out of your safe space sets you life’s journey in motion life and attracts exciting experiences. It invites adventure. And while those adventures may turn into misadventures sometimes, the lessons you learn and the growth spurts that your soul goes through are invaluable.

Lynne Cox’s life story in itself is a one of a truly inspirational trailblazer who has built her legacy around constantly moving beyond the boundaries of comfort and pushing herself to new limits. She was breaking world records from the age of 12, when she did her first long distance open water swim across Catalina Channel with a group of other teenage swimmers. She went on to swim the English Channel, Cook Strait, Bering Strait and Antarctica among many other swimming expeditions. I am so inspired by her determination and achievements as an individual and as a woman as well.

“Sometimes we have to step out of our comfort zones. We have to break the rules. And we have to discover the sensuality of fear. We need to face it, challenge it, dance with it.”
~ Kyra Davis

What is waiting for you beyond the boundaries of your comfort zone? How can you take one step outside of your safe space today? Start now. Try new things. Do everyday things differently. Take a risk. Break free from restrictions that you have placed on yourself. Allow yourself to expand and become more of who you are. Enjoy the adventures. Learn from the misadventures. The important thing is to live your life, populated it with rich experiences, stretch to your ultimate limits and blaze your own trail in the process.

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