The winter of my retreat

Winter has seen me take a step back from this space.  I was feeling a little overwhelmed.  A little uncertain about the direction, my conviction and what it was I was wanting to achieve.... not just here but everywhere.  Things were spinning by so quickly I was barley catching my breath before posting and as a result I felt I was blogging up and down in a sea of uncertainty.  Part of me cringing at writing personal reflections and another part of me totally compelled.  I felt torn and totally exposed.... FOMO had it's grasp on me.

With a little time on my side... and a clear desk, I see that I want this space to be as much about the people who come here as it is about me.  I want to inspire others to see the joyful in the everyday.  To seek out the relationships around that support and nourish and to invest in the things that make you happy.  All things I'm learning to implement in my own life.  Sometimes it's one step forward, two steps back but the important thing is to keep saying yes to the things that really matter and watching the world evolve to support these choices.

Oh, what a feeling.

We completed our Hike! 91.5km's of incredible coastline along the Great Ocean Road Walk, from Apollo Bay all the way to the 12 Apostles. Let me say we didn't hike the distance in one go. It's no mean feat organising 5 mums and a socially intrepid midwife to be in the same spot for 9 days of rigorous hiking.... if it were 9 days of primping and pampering on a deserted island, cocktail in hand then, yes, I'm guessing we may have managed it a little sooner.....it did, however, take 3 stints and over a year and a half to complete.

There's so much about this (combined) trip that I loved. The solidarity of friendship, the laughter, the space to be totally oneself, the open air and the challenge. The challenge of walking long undulating distances in sometimes less than ideal weather, carrying our packs laden with tents, clothing, food and cooking equipment, spending long freezing nights out in the bush, braving tiger snakes and scorpians. We did all of this, in good humor and totally in the moment. We all wanted to be there, walking, sharing the experience together.
It was an amazing feeling.

I am so grateful to my friends for helping to make this happen, for loving the journey as much as I did and for creating such a success of it.

If you're contemplating something like this, I'd like to say, 'Just do it!'
You'll be greatly rewarded. xx

Time out

Reflection, hibernation, time out.....it's winter and I feel like it's the perfect time to take a step back,  collect my thoughts and reemerge energised for Spring.

You can follow the Gratitude project here and  Project Life here and I'll work on a few interviews over July so there will be plenty to occupy my time .... However, I'll take a whole month off from daily posts.  It will feel rather strange...... and decadent.

Thanks to all of you who contribute here and make it a lovely space to share my photos, occasional ramblings and the small things that make a difference to each day. This little blogging community has bought some amazing people my way.  I feel very grateful for this.  You'll definitely find me nosing around on your blogs during my sabbatical....I couldn't go completely cold turkey now........could I?

Each week I will pop by to post my photos, no words. 

Keep toasty and enjoy the silence.  
xx

Looking up

Some days I feel a little overwhelmed. Today is one of those days.

Thankfully as overwhelming as the sky is.... I find great solace in looking up, taking a breath and remembering my place in this world.

This song struck a cord today, music tends to do that.... on days like these.

Happy weekend. xx

PS. Due to a very underwhelming response I drew the giveaway early..... and handed the loot onto the only entrant. The lovely Miss Nynke. Enjoy. xx

Compassionate listening

Thich Nhat Hanh on Compassionate Listening

Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh says listening can help end the suffering of an individual, put an end to war and change the world for the better.

I came across this clip yesterday over at Oprah's Super Soul Sunday series. I've just finished reading Thich Nhat Hanh's book Touching Peace and compassionate listening is one of the things that really resonated with me........ I can be a little too quick to give my opinion, at times.

Here's to more compassionate listening. xx

FOMO....fear of missing out

I stumbled across this FOMO article over at Zen habits yesterday and it really struck a cord. 'Fear of missing out'. It seems to be a syndrome rife in out current culture. Have you noticed, or is it just me?
I know I'm often driven to check my email, phone and Facebook way more than necessary...... for what?....FOMO.... in what? I don't feel any more fulfilled once I have checked, in fact checking seems to breed a compulsion to check again, oh and again.... and just one last time.
Step away from the phone. There really is absolutely nothing going on that is more important than being, well, real.... here & now. That's one big note to self BTW.(Just thought I'd throw another acronym in for fun).

I certainly didn't miss out on this great find yesterday! $5 from the op shop.
It totally transports a dreary autumn outfit into something, dare I say, quite noticeable.
There was absolutely no fear of missing out on this little beauty.

I love it. x

Interview # 4....with Sarah Napthali, author of Buddhism for Mothers.

I landed in 'Motherhood' four years ago, almost to the day. I say landed as though those nine months I was totally oblivious to the fact that I was having a baby.... and in some ways I was. For nine months the focus was on pregnancy, the 'romantic' notion of motherhood and....da da da dahhh, the birth.
I knew there would be a baby but there was little talk of what it would 'really' be like, how bombed I'd feel from lack of sleep, where we would find our support once our baby was born, the second guessing or the incredibly overwhelming realisation that we were responsible for this mind blowingly beautiful little lad 24/7.
From the very beginning it has been one amazing ride. One that has brought more love and the most incredibly tender, melt-your-heart moments. One where I've been called to step up constantly because gauranteed straight after one of those melt-your-heart moments.... the shi@ could invariably (and quite literally) hit the fan. Just when I thought I'd 'got it', came the consistent changes and challenges, met with self doubt and motherly guilt (why did it look so darn easy for everyone else?)...... There was no guide book, G.P., paediatrician or maternal health nurse who could ease my anxieties over motherhood or Z's inconsolable colic. My mum had passed away the year prior leaving a huge deficit and a bout of challenges, all it's own. I itched for a maternal figure to say "You're doing a great job. It's all ok."..... actually, people were probably saying that....I just itched for my mum to say "You're doing a great job. It's all ok."

Fortunately I came across a book by Sarah Napthali, 'Buddhism for Mothers'. Her writing was like sitting down with the most honest, dearest friend. It's a book that I'll cherish forever. Sarah's practical, humorous portrayal of motherhood was like being thrown a life line. I devoured her book. As a mother of two rambunctious boys Sarah made it 'ok'...the self doubt, the questioning, the sheer frustration and moments of escalating joy. My dog eared and well worn copy has been a source of solace and I often return to the book, open at a page and read. It's always the perfect place. It reminds me to slow down and enjoy the ride. Sarah's wisdom and humor offer me relief and a chance not to take motherhood so seriously. To let go, laugh, play and be here, now. As a humble show of gratitude, I asked to interview Sarah.

Along the track

We arrived back yesterday from the hike. It certainly was way more challenging than any of us had anticipated and at times we wondered why on earth we'd decided to put ourselves through this..... were we really having fun?
The hills were relentless. There were tiger snakes and scorpions, not to mention the countless other bugs and scratchy animals outside our tents at night.
Sleeping conditions were tight and self inflating mattresses.... well after a day of hiking, they offer very little relief to aching joints.
If you've even had the pleasure of dehydrated meals cooked on the trangia you'll know cuisine wasn't a draw card either.
Despite all of this we had an incredible time. We conquered our minds to triumph over some of the most challenging hills and tested our steely resolve when we came face to face with a couple of tiger snakes along the track. We forged greater bonds through our experiences and appreciated the completely unique qualities everyone bought to the group.
We all had our roles to play in getting us through and looking for the humor to make it a truly memorable and exhilarating experience.
We did it!

I came across a quote today which really seemed to capture it (thanks Tracey!):
'An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backwards, so when life (or your pack!) is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it is going to launch you into something great, so just focus and keep aiming.'

xox

Interview # 3... with Paula Constant

Walking is so damn accessible. It's something we all , pretty much, do everyday. We walk to the shops, for a coffee, to work, around the supermarket, to the pub and around the block for a bit of exercise. We walk without thinking about it, all day.

Yet, what Paula Constant achieved is almost unfathomable. In 2004 Paula and her husband, Gary, walked out of Trafalgar Square, London, carrying packs that exceeded recommended hiking maximums by about 20 kilos, to commence their dream adventure. They were to walk, ....with very little training, from London & finish in the Sahara Desert.

From London they walked through France to Spain...across the Pyrenees and along the Camino de Santiago.....down through Portugal and back into Spain. Exhausted yet? It's starting to sound a little like the Demtel commercial...'But wait there's more'....(no steak knives, sorry)...but Paula then walked to Algeciras, across to Morocco and down through the Western Sahara.
Just thinking about it tuckers me out. Over 12,000km's. One foot in front of the other, day after day.

(Photo courtesy of constanttrek).

I first came across Paula's journey when my brother handed me a book back in 2010 and said 'I think you'll like this.' It was a copy of Slow Journey South, Paula's first book about her adventure. I was hooked and slightly encouraged by the fact that this seemingly 'normal' person has achieved something so incredible by a means that were completely available to me. I have two feet!! .... & I love an adventure.

Paula was the inspiration for the Great Ocean Road walk I organised with 5 friends last year (this years adventure is in exactly 2 weeks time! Yippee). The GOR walk is a far cry from the Sahara but with little training and little space in our lives, I was encouraged by her philosophy to just get out and get walking. Paula's story has stayed with me since and I often draw on her determination to keep me focused on taking each and every step, no matter how seemingly small, in the direction of my desired destination.

:::

Hello Paula & thanks for agreeing to do this interview. I appreciate you taking the time between hiking & writing to be here at Stupendous Joy. You have carved an incredible life for yourself through walking. Where on earth did the desire to traverse countries on foot come from?
I'd traveled a lot with a pack on, in trains and buses or cars. I was tired of seeing places pass me by - it always seemed that the most interesting parts were those in between stops, that I could never find my way back to. I wanted to walk through these places so that I could be a part of daily life, see a country as did those who inhabited it.

Most of us have tripped up short of our goals after one mere set back.....but you, wow! How did you stay so motivated through blisters, foul weather, a marriage breakdown and financial strain to keep on putting one foot in front of the other in order to persue your dream?
Sometimes I think it was the walking that actually got me through those things. It was easier to physically put one foot in front of the other than to stop and think about it. Somehow walking allows you to walk through things almost subconsciously, so it passes, and you stamp it out. You don't have to sit in the middle of the pain and think of nothing else. Walking, in my opinion is the greatest cure of them all.

You talk about the journey of life interesting you more than the giddy highs of intrepid adventure. No doubt you gained many insights into yourself and life through the intensity of your walking. What changes or revelations did you experience through the walk?
I think the changes wrought in me by the walk only became apparent years later. In some ways it is only now that I realise what walking did for me - how it matured me, made me more patient, made me more humorous. Perhaps the best thing about being out there for so long was the realisation that the human experience really is universal - just at the moment you feel the loneliest, you discover that the nomadic Muslim 60 year old guy next to you is thinking the same thing and you both laugh. This is the secret to happiness for me.

What were the small unexpected joys experienced on your walk?
Dawn every day. Walking in the middle of the night beneath wheeling stars so bright they couldn't help but make me smile, right before I rolled over and died in deep, deep sleep again, with the desert breeze on my face. My camels, who cracked me up and kept me company. The many small kindnesses I was shown and the humility of many of the people I met. The sheer joy of cresting a dune to find Tomboctou lying in front of me. The miracle of good food in an arid part of the desert. The sight of the dunes changing colour in the middle of a dune sea. So many joys to be honest. No matter how hard the day was, I never wished myself somewhere else.

I imagine the adventurous spirit is a hard one to quell once ignited. What's next?
A 'very' mini adventure. I'm setting off this weekend from the Costa tropical in Spain to walk 1300kms to Santiago de Compostela along the very well resourced Via de la Plata. It is a little walk that will give me time to think and write, and I' can't wait. It feels like a luxury. Walking never ends. It is a passion that once ignited can't be quelled, a wonderful meditation that you can find anywhere, anytime. I Love it, and feel very grateful that I've had the chance and support to walk as far as I have.


Thanks for the lovely insight into your walking Paula. For your inspiration in getting me and my friends out there hiking... with little training..... and igniting a sense of adventure in us. There's nothing quite like being out in the elements and savoring every step, right here, right now. All the best with your current adventure in Spain. The Camino de Santiago is on my to-do list . I look forward to reading your third book. Much appreciation xx

Paula Constant Links:
::: website
::: Books: Slow Journey South & Sahara
::: diary
::: motivational presentations

My Previous Intervies:
Clare Bowditch
Susannah Conway

Slow down & pretend..... like nature.

(Photo taken on our recent Easter break, at Lorne.)

I love a slow day hanging around our neighbourhood with little to do. It generally starts with a stop in at our local Cafe, where we happen across so many familiar and friendly faces. Frenetic exchanges and general enthusiasm & interest in one another's day ahead always ensues.... until I glide, coffee induced, back into the rhythm of the day.

Today we took a stroll to the St Kilda Library and I magically found 2 books (while down on the ground consoling Z after he hit his anklebone on a book stand...ouch) I've been meaning to track down for some time now. A copy of Amanda Soule's 'the creative family' and 'Small Fry Outdoors' written by Caroline Webster. They were sitting there on the bottom shelf of the 'Parenting' section, a shelf I rarely peruse.

Too early for Story Time we took the back exit out of the library onto Duke Street and discovered a new playground between Duke & Pakington Streets. Ahh, the joy of a new playground to discover and best of all...master.

Home for Z's nap & some quiet time for me. I'm going to try my hand at making my own Sourdough Bread.

'Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
St. Francis of Assisi

Patience

After 5 years.....I'm pleased to announce..... my very first olive is growing.