Tag Archives: inspire

The Doorman.

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Image via Sunshine in the Fog, Pinterest.

Image via Sunshine in the Fog, Pinterest.

As much as it might appear that I’m this little pocket rocket whose on fire, never stopping to breathe, sleep properly, take a look outside or step my bare-feet on the grass: truth be known it’s those darn little things that keep me sane.

But, like most of this generation of beautifully spoilt, young, wild and free things: I have been forever seeking to postpone the day when my crazy youth is no longer only as close as a crawl through the Narnia cupboard away.

I think for me, it was this idea that adulthood implies a sense of being ‘done and dusted’– forever to be held in the stuffy under-the-stairs crevice of Harry Potter fame, living in the denial of a better and bright yesterday.

What I never considered though, was that inside the man-hole, could exist yet another door, one I never knew about. A door to some new, magical world I would have never found, had I maintained my defiance of never setting foot in Harry’s place.

I know you’ve heard it before, ‘when one door closes, another opens’, but do you believe it, or just nod ignorantly to the elder that claims to share their wisdom?

Have you ever even really considered its truthfulness?

Because yesterday, on a walk along a beach I never once thought was really ‘that’ nice, I found an incredible sunset, some rocks to sit on and a jelly fish to touch.

In that instant, I finally acknowledged that in every second there’s an opportunity for discovery, an ‘aha’ moment or just a simple appreciation that what you never thought you wanted, might actually be the best outcome.

It’s so easy for us to rest on laurels, stop sprinting when it hurts rather than push for an extra 15 seconds until we’re truly out of breath, and to get complacent in the comfort and happiness of what we know we can handle with ease.

It’s so easy to get comfortable and forget about the big dreams and ambitions we hold.

But haven’t you realized that once children can walk they want to run, and once they learn how to clap or talk they do it endlessly, and faster, and more often, urging anyone around them to teach them more.

When did we get so self-righteous, so doom-oriented, boring, and eager to remain the same old place? Where did that hunger for novelty, and excitement for the unknown go?

That, I don’t know, but I do know it’s creeping back.

Because the truth is kid, enough will never be enough, and you are growing, changing and evolving with every passing second.

Are you hungry yet?

Love, S.

Life Lessons from Biggie Smalls.

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Notorious B.I.G.

Notorious B.I.G.

Minimalism. I could start and end this entire post with that one word. Now I know exam-time is the usual antithesis for uncovering many of life’s mysteries, I mean, let’s not be ashamed of mastering choux pastry all in the name of procrasti-baking. But honestly, on my hunt to find ways of distracting myself from memorising all of Spanish’s three past tenses, I am learning a whole lot more than the difference between singular and plural conjugations.

I am realising how badly I want to uncomplicate my life.

Call it a cull, call it a quarter life crisis, call it me being totally warped and mildly insane, or take it from me, and call it nothing but a change.

I can’t blame these epiphanies merely on pending exams, because I think a lot of my musing is borne from the fast approaching departure date of my latest, trip of a lifetime. It seems that in every lead up to this type of adventure, I really begin to question well, everything.

What am I going to learn?

Who am I going to meet?

What am I going to see?

Where am I going to be?

How am I going to feel?

What song will be the soundtrack to this journey?

Will I change? Will I be different?

Will home be different when I get back?

Do I even want anything to be different?

Am I even ready to do this, to bail all over again on comfort in order for something so totally foreign that I can’t really even pronounce it with my lips let alone my feelings?

I soon get pretty caught up in all these questions, trying to answer them with yet another three issues, which have become illuminated by the initial query.

But as I try to take it slow, attempt to calm myself and focus on the present – because that’s all we really have, I realize that again, I have supremely complicated everything.

And so this minimalist thing pops up once more. It could be a phase, or it could be a turning point: a pre-emptive change into the person I will be when I begin to legitimately grow-up. I’m not sure who she is, what she looks like, or if she will have ultimately experienced that growth spurt I am currently still waiting on, but right now, I know she wants simplicity.

As I look back now on the past 6 months  – which from my mum’s standards has seen me be ‘way too busy’ for my own good, and from my grandmother’s perspective, has inspired her to tell me to ‘slow down and take care of myself’ each time we converse over green teas – it seems that their wishes for me to tone it down a notch have officially rubbed off.

So beloved matriarchs, here it is. I’m toning it down.

I won’t take on 5 projects at once all because the opportunities exist, and I won’t say yes to being in three places at once simply because I drive a fast Jag with iPod connectivity to get me through the distance. I won’t sleep only 5 hours a night because there’s too much to do, and I won’t need to use an excel spreadsheet to organize my professional and social life. What I will do however is follow my heart over my head. If it excites, scares, intimidates and challenges me then YES! But I’m over wasting my time.

So in the name of Europe, South America and whichever other continent I decide to ambush in the next year, I’m ready to step up.

I am ready to focus, to work smarter not harder, to laugh louder, and smile wider than ever before. But there’s a catch. A little sentence that will lead me through it all, one offered by none other than Biggie himself:

“Stay far from timid. Only make moves when your heart’s in it and live the phrase: the sky’s the limit.”

If your heart is in ‘it’, it’s worth mentioning, and if it’s worth mentioning, capturing and writing down it’s important. Because honestly, what is important, is very important.

So bay-bee, what’s important to you? I’d love to know what gives you excited shivers. Get in touch!

Sheona xo.

[contact-form] .

Why you shouldn’t date someone who does anything.

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Image via We Heart It.

It seems that articles describing  “Why you should date a girl/guy who does this/that,” movement is taking over the world – or maybe just my news feed, but that’s essentially the same thing, right?. Without fail, the dawn of each … Continue reading →

Forever Young.

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Rolling down hills in Sintra, Portugal. Image by Sheona Bello.

My dad keeps telling me that my “20’s are for learning” and every time he says it, I think I love him a little bit more. To me, learning implies a sprinkle of recklessness, a touch of experimentation, a hint … Continue reading →

Stay stoked.

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Excitement, the elixir of life.

Excitement, the elixir of life.

Preface

It is currently 4.30 am, I fell asleep at 12 am, and my alarm is set for 6am. I have a huge day at work, and I certainly plan on channeling some Disco Fever later in the evening.

Actual-face
So many things are running through my head, here’s an almost, exhaustive list.
a) Why am I up?
b) Why is the rooster (yes, I have Zoo animals) crowing now? It is certainly not an appropriate time by my watch, to be rudely awakening all persons in a 20 km radius with that harsh tone.
c) I should be tired.
d) I should go back to bed.
e) Or, I should at least be scanning the night antics of my beloved Facebook friends,
f) Maybe, I should just start watching Letterman, or E! News.
g) I should try count sheep.
h) Or pigs, flying pigs, that’ll be fun.

But what is most on my mind, is writing this post. It’s taking dominance over my two-fist-sized brain (that’s a fact you know! Read here) is that I just NEED to write this post.

I need to write about this thing that so obviously is running my whole, well, life right now. And the circumstances couldn’t be more fitting.

It’s about boundless energy, something I 100% believe, is fuelled by excitement.

Most people talk about being “happy”, “optimistic”, “inspired” and “hopeful” as a means of attaining fulfillment, but I really think that at the core of what we want, is to be excited.

Think about the common “Nanna nap”, now I know we are ALL capable and guilty of these bad boys, even the most pro-active and energetic people I know, are prone to take some sneaky 3pm shut-eye. And why are they called “Nanna naps” anyway?

It is my assumption that they are called so, because they are typically endorsed, and enjoyed by our “Nanna” aged fellow citizens. Unfortunately, however, it seems the epidemic is spreading to a more youthful cohort, and infecting the lives of many of us, well before we reach their “Nanna” term.

(Wow, that sounded like I was a medical researcher or something! It 4.30 am, roll with it k.)

But seriously, how and why, on earth do we think it is ok to have a “Nanna nap” at 21? But more importantly, WHY do we even need one? Surely, if you’re waking up at 4.30 am for no apparent reason, you have access to some boundless energy source, one which will give you immunity from 3.30-itis.

And this is precisely my point (I will point out however, that this is an unusually early start, and may or may not catch up with me, I’ll let you know how the next 14 hours go!), most of us must be missing something, something that, without it, we feel obligated and tired enough, to take another precious time slot of a 24 hour day, to spend, idly, on our comfy, comfy double bed, with 1000 thread count sheets and the soft throw rug you got for Christmas. (Too much?)

You know what I think it is? I’ll tell you mate, it’s excitement!

I’ll explain.

Apart from when you were in pre-school and your teacher made you have an afternoon nap, when at all in your adolescent years did you need a “Nanna nap”?

Never!

I for one, was way too busy getting blisters from the monkey bars, crashing into trees on my motorbike, pretending I was Baby Spice, rewinding the Lion King on VHS, and tormenting my little sister. There was no time to have a nap! Especially between 3.30pm and 5pm, these were prime times on ABC! Can I get an amen for Hey Arnold, Arthur and Daria!

You see, I, and you (I assume) were way too excited by EVERYTHING to be bored, or tired enough to take a nap.

But somehow, amongst weekly homework, essay due dates, the axing of essential children shows on ABC, and “growing up”, we started getting less excited: started finding faults in the things that used to make us so easily entertained.

I’m not saying you take up your old monkey-bar prowess, or re-assume your rightful role as one of the Spice Girls (but hey, if your interested, I do a mean Baby Spice, and am open to girl band ideas!). I’m just encouraging you to find a way to GET EXCITED!

It comes back to that famed adage, “Do what you love, and do it often”, because darling, my dear, that is the ONLY way you are going to get excited!

If I told you:

  • We are getting Yo-Chi,
  • We just scored free tickets to Groovin’,
  • I am throwing a bush-doof and you’re invited, and there will be sausage rolls made by my mum and even lolly-bags when you leave,
  • YOU JUST GOT YOUR DREAM JOB!,
  • Grill’d is giving out free burgers,
  • A large package just arrived for you,
  • It’s your birthday tomorrow,
  • Santa came,
  • The new “Game of Thrones” season just dropped, or
  • Harry Styles is officially single again.

You would 100% be excited (right?). If you were halfway through your “Nanna nap” you would awaken fully refreshed and keen for all of the above (especially the Harry Styles one;), you minx!).

In effect, you would be energized, boundlessly energized.

Kapish?

So basically the moral of the story is, GET EXCITED! However, whenever, why-ever you can. Find fun things to do, go out, drive there, pack a bag, make a playlist, find a friend. Do whatever you need to, to

Stay stoked.

The end.