Gratefulness

The other day I began to feel frustrated because I had done something for someone and they didn’t say thank you. Usually I wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but for some reason I had some negative energy and began to dwell on it and think negative thoughts.

Once I realized what was happening, I paused and took a few cleansing breathes in and out. Mindful breathing is always a good way to calm myself, ground myself, and refresh or restart my outlook on things.

As I breathed, I started to think about things that the other person has done for me that I am grateful for and that I may not have said thank you for. There are so many things that others do for us, big and small, and sometimes we forget to appreciate the little things and say thank you.

As I did this, my frustration disappeared, and I instead made a mental note to say thank you to that person next time I saw them.

Flipping my way of thinking is a great way to keep myself in check and make sure I don’t get trapped in negative feelings, especially if they are unwarranted. There are so many reasons to be grateful and happy, and sometimes all it takes is a few breathes and a flip of perspective to see the positive.

Getting upside-down is a great way to flip your perspective!

Refocusing My Energy

I’ve been in Greece three and a half weeks now, and most of that time I have been practicing yoga on my own. There aren’t any group yoga classes here, so I’ve had to learn to develop my own home practice and use youtube videos.

As I practice, lately I’ve been frustrated that I haven’t seen progress in my practice. I also rarely feel satisfied after I finish a session. Even if I sweat and feel that I push myself, it’s just not the same as having a teacher there to challenge me to try new poses and push myself in new ways.

Although I may not see visible indications that I am improving, I'm trying to remind myself that I am indeed progressing. I am getting stronger, I am developing more muscle memory, and I am also developing in new ways.

Today I taught my second yoga class! My first was a one on one session, and today I had two students. Instead of focusing only on my own development, I now have the incredible opportunity to help others develop their skills.

The reason I went to Bali was not only to deepen my own practice, but because I truly want to teach yoga. I have been very excited to write out different sequences and to teach yoga to someone that has never tried it before. Teaching yoga to a beginner is an incredible opportunity to go back to the basics and focus on form and breathing.

Although I’m hard on myself in my self practice, I’m trying to refocus my energy to appreciate the time I have now to develop my teaching skills and to help others with their practice. It’s much more rewarding to lift each other up and help others grow!

I’m incredibly lucky to have such a beautiful place to practice outside when the weather is nice.

Changing Expectations

The other day I was in one of my favorite coffee shops and started chatting with a couple of guys next to me. One was from the US, and the other from Sweden.

After a few minutes of talking about life in the US versus other countries, the American asked me how I deal with the slow service in Greece. He said he’s been going crazy with how slow the service is here.

I laughed, paused for a minute, and then told him that I’ve dealt with it by changing my mindset. To me, there’s no other way.

In the US I got very used to the fast service culture and the idea of instant gratification. Amazon Prime allowed me to get practically anything sent to my door by the next day, or even sooner, and at restaurants it’s common to get service, or at least an acknowledgement of your presence, as soon as you sit down.

Things are different in Greece, and definitely different on an island. I’m not going to lie, I had to go through an adjustment period. I was very frustrated when I first arrived because I wasn’t able to find things I needed.

You can’t just google and find where to buy what you need, and it’s very difficult to ship things here (there’s a story there that I don’t even want to get into, but the main takeaway is that I had to pay 40 Euros to pick up a package that only had $70 worth of items in it because of the high taxes and customs process here). Also, the speed of service here is different. People aren’t in a hurry to serve you, and so you may sit for a while before you get that coffee, or even a menu.

At first I kept looking around and wondering if people didn’t see me, but then I realized that it’s just the way it is here.

Instead of getting frustrated, I chose to change my expectations and outlook. When I go to a coffee shop or restaurant I’m rarely in a hurry. I expect that a meal may take a couple of hours, and I’ve embraced it.

I went to lunch today and we were at the restaurant for two hours. The waitress didn’t take our order for at least 10 or 15 minutes, but instead of getting angry, I appreciated the time I had to catch up with friends.

Sometimes the best way to avoid frustration is to pause, breathe, let go of your expectations, and take the time to enjoy what’s around you - whether it’s nature, the company of your friends, or just your own time to reflect.

Another change in perspective - instead of being sad about rain, think about the beauty after the storm passes!

Solo Adventures

One of my absolute favorite things to do in the world is to travel. I love experiencing new cultures, meeting new people, and trying new foods. I especially love traveling alone; there’s no better way to fully immerse yourself in a culture and meet new people than to travel solo.

One important aspect of traveling alone is making sure that you have an open mind. Many of the incredible experiences I’ve had while traveling have largely been in part to being open to new adventures. As I meet new people, I try to seek out people that are local to the area I’m visiting. I always ask for their advice on what they would do if they had a few days off, and where their favorite places are to visit that aren’t so touristy. This way you find the true gems in a place rather than fall into the tourist traps.

While traveling alone I definitely pay attention to my surroundings and make sure I’m safe, but I also make sure that I arrive at every place with an open heart, open mind, and openness to spontaneous adventures. You never know who you might meet that will have great ideas for new things to experience. Many times the people I meet like to join me on my adventures, so even when I travel solo, I end up spending a lot of time with people.

In addition to meeting people and exploring new places, traveling solo also provides a great opportunity to look within, reflect, and take time to be grateful. Traveling not only opens my mind to many different cultures and ideas, but there’s no better way to get new life perspectives which help me appreciate what I have and who I am.

A few of my favorite views in Mykonos

Don’t Forget to Go Outside

I’ve been in Colorado all week visiting my siblings, and yesterday I had the opportunity to spend the day alone exploring. At first I wasn’t sure what to do with my day, but I knew I wanted to be outside.

I started off with a hike up the Flatirons, and I ended up meeting some amazing people along the way, including Mumford the dog and a Greek couple from the midwest. We had an amazing conversation about life and being open to adventures and trying new things - something that I am very passionate about.

After the morning hike I had lunch with my brother and then continued the solo adventure. I did the peak to peak drive and got to see the amazing leaves as they are changing color for fall. I rarely see the turning of the season, and I was blown away by the incredible colors.

I continued on to a more secluded area in the mountains and went for another hike. This trail had hardly anyone on it, so I had a lot more time to reflect, think, and just enjoy being outside.

Sometimes I get caught up with technology and stress and to-do lists, but yesterday was an incredible day. It was a great reminder for how important it is to slow down and take time to reflect, recharge, and enjoy the great outdoors.

Flatirons with Mumford the dog

Leaf peeping