How do you honestly live day to day – Do you live within a basic framework of trust …..or fear as you go about life?
Perhaps it’s a little mix of the two – like most of us, I’m sure? Perhaps it’s more about which way it’s weighted for us, edging towards trust or more towards the fear?
I have strived to live with the former in my life. I attempt to see the positive or funny side of things if I can – but I am not a comedienne by any stretch of the imagination. Make no mistake though – I have also had both short and long bouts of falling into the dark well, staring at the black dog and flailing around like a rabid soul. That sense of feeling like I am drowning in that deep well water of anxiety, sadness, bulimia as a teenager, asking questions around ‘wtf’ is it all about. I have known depression, very dark patches in life, been bedridden twice in my life, and even wanted to give up at times. Really give up. I think many people have been in that spot at some point – have you too?
In the last 18 months, we have all witnessed or experienced the pain of grief, exhaustion, loss, financial ruin, and lack of hope around the world. No-one has escaped unscathed.
Yet at the same time, we can also hold the opposite energy of love, trust, possibility and an enthusiastic positive life force. So even while the proverbial sh#t hits the global fan, we have also seen the very best of people come to the fore. In my experience.
Sacred kindness, compassion and caring beyond duty for family, community and country. It doesn’t have to be one or the other- but perhaps it’s about us living with the whole messy lot showing up all at once.
I do my best to try and stay in the 80 /20 realm of trust versus fear. In my #LocationFree lifestyle for the past 5.5 years I have been forced to lean into trust more and more. It’s inevitable. Travelling and working around the world with no fixed home base requires you to dig deep and leap. Im my book I do share what I feel are all the lessons to embrace – and one of them is around trusting yourself and trusting other people. Connecting into communities and allowing the magic of life to show up en route. It’s about not needing to know ALL the bits before you decide to go. Leap and develop wings along the way.
So I somehow managed to “pull off” getting to my favorite Greek island this summer – while still not sure if my business partner could get here from South Africa (we co-host retreats around the world). We also had a smattering of interested and dedicated writers who were willing to take the risk to travel in these oddest of times- safely, tested and masked to within an inch of our lives. But here I am, on Lesvos with a small group of 4 writers and I have been constantly reminded of how sweet life is when you relax and trust!
The power of Trust Part 1
My respect for the Greeks and this very special island got a double dose of #LocationFree love this week. It’s important to “plug into“ your local community when living nomadically to help create a sense of “home and belonging.” So there’s nothing quite like walking out of a restaurant for 2 days in a row and not paying. Tomorrow, tomorrow, she says. I was keeping a handwritten bill of what’s owed by me 🇬🇷.
I was about to pay my ‘account’ two days after the fact. I had started racking up my bill while sitting in my “office by the sea” watching Tsitsipo in the final at Roland Garros. How exciting to watch the first Greek in history make it to one of the Grand Slam Finals. I had just forgotten to take my purse with me in the rush to get to the platea! The next day I went up to the top winter village to work, and only returned to my “seaside office” again on Tuesday – and added another 2 coffees to my bill. I had plenty of money in my purse this time when I suddenly remember to pop to the Pharmacia to collect a treat for our writers and pick up some much-needed electrolytes. I was thinking I had my debit card to pay the pharmacy but alas, suddenly had to use the cash in my purse and… the dear “office by the sea” @_gialos_eresos only got half paid. Oh well – next day a couple more cafes were added to my piece of paper and I’m finally all square again. Until today when we all went to eat breakfast there to soak up the Sunday morning Platea buzz ……. and now my bill starts again. I love it.
#trust is alive and well in the world of #greece #eresos_lesvos
The power of Trust Part 2
I believe that approaching life in general, and especially Living #LocationFree is an easier ride when you trust in both self and others … unless you want a miserable experience! Earlier this week (the same day I finally paid my account) I heard the loudspeaker bark its Greek voice into the warm air, announcing loudly to the entire village what it was selling. I ran outside to see the gorgeous fruit truck ladened with yummy edibles. As per part one of the “trust” story – I had just used all my cash at the pharmacia and to pay half my “account” at my office by the sea …. So as I dash out to see all this lovely produce, I remember I literally have 50 euro cents or some Scottish pounds in my purse.
Ochi ochi – No problem he says, I come back 17th. I skip back to my room with my stash – yes literally – as I have never met this particular vendor and he leaves me with two bags of goodies (see pic) and a promise to pay when he returns in two days! I leave some cash plus an extra 2 euros for MORE cherries on the day he is meant to come back – yet have not seen him now in 5 days. I know he will appear and come and find me. What a delightful reminder of the currency of trust and that it still exists.
***** UPDATE – He arrived back a week later, all Greek smiles and collected his money 🙂
Power of Trust Part 3
This morning was proof of trusting that inner voice again – the trusting of self. I often write about how you have to learn to trust the quiet voice that whispers “go right” when you usually go left. Here in Skala Eressos, every morning I turn left out of my “hotel by the sea” to go to my gorgeous “office by the sea.” When I was sitting on the verandah soon after waking up, I was struck by just how calm the sea was – even more than usual. The dawn was super pink and soft grey with silky water and I had thought …. this would be a good day to see the elusive dolphins. A couple of days ago, a friend who lives here had told me how she OFTEN sees dolphins!
What -here?
Yes, Kate all the time!
Ochi ochi (no NO!) I say in disbelief
All the time!!!
I have been coming here for six years and not once seen a dolphin on this side of the island. One year, I saw one lonely dolphin at 5 am from the deck of the ferry, but that was on the Mytilene side of the island. So of course now dolphins are in my “space after she has mentioned this little morsel of info. When the voice whispered go right, I turned my handlebars and trundled off towards the little port. I saw a fishing boat coming home, and stopped to video it, delaying my cycle a few minutes. Then, you know what’s coming right ………. lo and behold……….. three minutes later I was rewarded with the well-known shape of the curved body and dorsal fin, and a leap. A little squeal from me, and then suddenly and even bigger leap – clear out of the water. I tried to keep focused on the area and had my video on, but that was it, two leaps for me
I took that as a perfect sign from the world of nature as it was the start day of my writing retreat…. #stayhopeful #trust #signsfromnature
I wish you some element of living with trust as you go about your day
Love Kate
