Let go of fear

“The key to change... is to let go of fear.” ~Rosanne Cash

Adventurous Excursions - Orvis.com

Raja Ampat and the Whale Sharks of Cenderawasih Bay Cruise
Photo Credit: Orvis.com

Looking for adventure travels and excursions? Check out Orvis.com and their sporting adventures!

http://www.orvis.com/store/shop.aspx?dir_id=22592&group_id=3030&shop_id=22060

Keep living fearlessly!

Live Out Loud!

Quote: Daring adventures

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” 
― Helen Keller, The Open Door

Quote: Enjoy life

Photo credit

Mindset: Adventure

Photo credit: EmpowerNetwork.com

If you're reading this blog, you might be asking, "Do I have to go on a big adventure to live fearlessly?" The answer is a resounding "NO"! Living fearlessly is a mindset, not a destination.

For me, I changed my mindset about how I was looking at turning 40...that was the POINT where my mindset changed. I made a conscience effort to change my mindset and perceptions about being 40 and beyond. It wasn't the end of my life, it was a new beginning. When I flew to San Francisco and celebrated my 40th birthday, I used that point in my life as a mindset change going forward for all of the adventures to come. It was me telling myself..."Hey, your life isn't over! You've got so many things you can do! Big and little things. Friends to reconnect with. Books to read. Adventures to experience!"

And remember, living fearlessly doesn't mean living without fear, it means understanding the fear exists but blowing a big 'ole fat raspberry in its face and charging ahead anyways, feeling empowered. Changing the mindset!

It also doesn't matter what age you are...living fearlessly at 40 is where my adventures and new beginning began, but yours can begin at any age...20, 30, 60, 80!

Go out and make things happen...live fearlessly whatever age!

~Fearlessly40

Hug a Tree

Craigdarroch Castle

Am on my next adventure...this time, joining my best friend in a celebration of her 40th! We're taking a 6-day quest to Vancouver and Victoria, Canada! Craigdarroch Castle, Butchart Gardens, migrating orca whales, Stanley Park, Shannon Falls, 1,000 year-old rainforest, and explore Whistler - home of the 2010 Olympics...and SO MUCH MORE!

Live fearlessly!

Quote: Eleanor Roosevelt

Photo: blog.modcloth.com

Just do it!

Photo: Lifeof24Hours.com

Quote: Diane Ackerman

Good Times

Photo: thefashiondirectory.com/
 

Continuing with "40 MY way" mantra, my goals were simple - get out with friends more (I tend to work more then I play) and seek out new experiences and adventures.

With that said, I wanted a way to reflect at the end of 2013 over what I had accomplished and celebrate all of the new things I experienced, so I needed a way to easily keep track of these adventurous outings.

To accomplish this, I've employed an oversized chianti glass vase and cut up slips of paper to write down my jaunts, the date, and who I did them with, if anyone. For example, playing with a tiger cub at Dade City Wild Things went down on a slip of paper and into my chianti glass. The Painting with a Twist Lonely Palms evening with my mom, learning how to paint a picture of "Lonely Palms" on canvas with acrylics was recorded and placed celebratorily into my vase.

My vase is quickly rising to the top with all the fantastical events, outings, and cool stuff I'm doing. If you're looking for the vase, you can find them at Michael's or generally at your local arts and crafts stores.

Let me know what ideas you have for keeping track of your adventures and successes throughout this year!

Live it your way!

Quote

"Life is short, so enjoy it to the fullest." ~Simone Weil

Adventures at 40!

I launched my 2011 New Year with the sinking knowledge that I was turning 40 that October. I knew I had a choice. How did I want to handle turning 40? The milestone in life itself would be monumental. Would I be a trooper and accept it as a badge of honor? Nope, probably not! Knowing myself, I would probably crumble, lamenting at how old I felt and how much of my life I've wasted, dreams yet unfulfilled, journeys still untrekked, and passions waiting to be realized.

Damnit! I'd have none of that! I was determined that I would make my 40th a celebration! Take the bull by the horns and make it MY day, MY way! A new beginning starting at that very moment and culminating with my 40th birthday onward. Suddenly the thought of this new adventure had me feeling like a butterfly sloughing off my cocoon and seeing myself in a new vibrant, fulfilling life. How exhilarating! I welcomed the blossoming changes not only in my life, but in my mindset, throwing off the chains of age and fear and creating for myself a fabulous year to remember.

And so with an invite from my best friend and her husband to join them in San Francisco in September, I planned a week long vacation for me and my daughter. I had long wanted to venture to San Fran and see the sites. For some reason, the artsy, accepting, and welcoming call of the city and surrounding area appealed to me.


Golden Gate Bridge Photo: Fanpop.com 

As soon as we stepped out into the fresh 65-degree California air that September, I knew that this was what my soul craved and I was right to celebrate my 40th with gusto and aplomb!  It was nothing short of AMAZING! The invigorating smell of sweet eucalyptus hung in the cool Californian air. Plump ruby-throated hummingbirds flitted between vibrant succulent flowers. I never knew hummingbirds could get that pudgy and still fly! Boy, those little wings had to work hard!

As we drove from the airport across the Golden Gate bridge into Larkspur where we were staying, a thick eerie fog rolled across the bridge engulfing the tresses where you could no longer see the arches. An incredibly humbling and freaky movie-like experience.

We soaked in everything we could while we were there....we trolleyed the downtown streets of San Francisco, dove into the bowels of Chinatown, snaked our way through the performer-filled streets of Fisherman's Wharf, and ferried our way over to the haunting Alcatraz prison - all incredibly exhilarating.

We wound our way up the nerve-wracking roads white-knuckled and breathless peering into the bottomless gorges below before making it to the breathtaking Muir Woods. There we communed with the giant redwoods, chattered with the chipmunks, were entertained by a mama river otter and her babies, and then just listened to the silence. Yes, we really did that! 

We soaked in the awe-inspiring beauty and tranquility of the gardens at the Golden Gate Park Japanese Tea Gardens while sipping on hot Sencha green tea, dipped our toes in the chilly Pacific Ocean, hiked along mountainous rocky trails and gazed reverently upon bubbling brooks, trickling streams and languid waterfalls. 

In San Jose, we were spooked, bewildered and disoriented as we toured 110 out of the 160-room Winchester estate of the late Sarah Winchester, wife of the rifle mogul, William Winchester. The "Winchester Mystery House", as it has been called, is quite an oddity indeed and walking through the house left you feeling extremely claustrophobic, not to mention plain unsettled!

Our legs wobbled down the 300+ stairs while bracing the 40 mph chilly winds to view the Point Reyes Lighthouse and trudged painstakingly back up those same 300 plus stairs. We teetered precariously on the narrow roadways as our car meandered through mountain roads in Mill Valley and explored the nooks, crannies, stores, and coffee shops of their charming town. Twice.



By the end of our week-long adventure, my soul was sated and my lust for life renewed. "Bring on 40", I said to myself. "This is going to be an adventure!"

Quote: Fearless Person I Have Dreamt of Becoming

"I feel myself becoming the fearless person I have dreamt of being. Have I arrived? No. But I'm constantly evolving and challenging myself to be unafraid to make mistakes." ~ Janelle Monae

Quick Quote

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” ~Elbert Hubbard

Authentic Self

"Be your authentic self. Your authentic self is who you are when you have no fear of judgment, or before the world starts pushing you around and telling you who you're supposed to be. Your fictional self is who you are when you have a social mask on to please everyone else. Give yourself permission to be your authentic self." ~ Dr. Phil

Lately, I've been on a journey to find my authentic self, answering the questions "Who am I really?" and "Am I being all that I'm meant to be?" Living who I was created to be not who the outside world thinks I should be. Am I living my life using my true gifts and talents? Or am I doing and acting how others expect me to act?

Part of this quest stems from this burning feeling inside of me that I'm not all that I want to be. That somewhere along the line something changed. A light switch went on, or bells went off, or something clicked in my head. The career that once held so much fulfillment, no longer held the same sweetness. Those things that once stirred me and motivated me have changed because I realized I've changed. Since opening up myself to new experiences as well as letting go of fears that have held me back, reconnecting myself to passions once lost and forgotten.

I've been reading articles and books on identifying what my authentic self is, which have definitely helped direct me. I have to say....I'm frustrated. Partly because I want it NOW! LOL But partly because I feel like I'm going through this whole metamorphosis and my wings are struggling to burst through the cocoon!

On the flip side, I must be discovering more of my authentic self if I'm realizing what I am now doesn't feel right. That what I'm doing now just isn't working for me anymore. That it doesn't feel "authentic" or true to myself. So, am getting there...just slowly. I guess I'm learning how to be patient too.



When it comes to authenticity, Nathaniel Hawthorne eloquently summed it up when he said, "No one man can, for any considerable time, wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which is the true one."

Becoming your authentic self can lead to peace and greater fulfillment in your life, not to mention less confusion on what you are and what you truly want from life, career, passions, etc.

Good luck finding and living your authentic selves!

~Fearlessly40


Here are a few resources that I found helpful:
"Defining Your Authentic Self". Dr. Phil. http://drphil.com/articles/article/73
"Will the Real Authentic Voices Please Stand Up and Be Heard". Psychology Today. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/when-food-is-family/201112/will-the-real-authentic-voices-please-stand-and-be-heard

Who Moved My "Hunny" Pot?

Who Moved My "HUNNY" Pot?

Photo: PartyTimesRUs.com

When I was younger, I adored craft projects....drawing, painting, creating masterpieces of childhood imagination. I penned poetry and avidly wrote fictional stories. Then gradually, the arts projects, poetry, and writing stopped. Where did the creativity go? Who moved my HUNNY pot?

It's true that over the years, we become so involved in the daily hum-drum of life, that we oftentimes don't eke out or have the energy for our creative exploits. Which is very much true in my life too, but in my case, there was a fear that accompanied picking it back up.

What was this dampening fear? I scanned my psyche to figure out what was hindering the unleashing of my creative creature? And so began my quest.

Three "AHA" Moments

Photo: MomLogic

Ironically, since I was a wee one, my mom's nickname for me has been "Pooh", so it seemed rather fitting that I was now in search of my "HUNNY" pot.


AHA #1: I soon realized that my number one fear, was the fear of FAILING. Failing to produce something worthy. But what didn't dawn on me is that it didn't have to be worthy of anyone else but me. AHA! First realization! Don't fear failing...failures lead to successes.

AHA #2: Second light bulb, and something that I still struggle with, is that I'm a perfectionist to my very core. For those of you that are artists, you realize that oftentimes some of the most remarkable pieces of artwork or creative pursuits result from the mistakes or imperfections. AHA number 2! I was getting upset because whatever I did wasn't "perfect". Not necessary! Especially if I'm doing it for ME! It doesn't have to be perfect.

AHA #3: The third realization had me digging back deep into my childhood as to why I felt the fear and perfectionism. Who was I comparing myself to? It was then I realized I was comparing myself and feeling overshadowed by my highly creative and accomplished mother. She is a very talented writer, artist, illustrator, and overall an incredibly imaginative being. In my mind I felt and often questioned the pursuit with, "Why bother?" There's no way in hell I can compete with that. I mean, SERIOUSLY!

Now trust me, this was through no fault of my mom's. She was being who she was meant to be. This was truly my own perception. Granted, she liked to tweak work that I had done which also created a subset of issues, but overall it was my feeling of inadequacy compared to her greatness. AHA number 3! It was then I realized that the only person that I needed to compare myself with was myself, not my mother, Ansel Adams, Degas....anyone! Truly, it didn't matter if my mom, or any of the greats, were better at it, I wasn't doing it for her, I was doing it for me...to feed MY soul. Avoid comparing yourself to others.

Photo: Richard Heeks

Once I burst through these AHA bubbles, the juices began flowing. I felt a release. Then just like Pooh in the  pursuit to quench the rumbly in his tumbly by searching for an overflowing "HUNNY" pot, my creative soul ached for sweet nourishment.

So, in the past year and a half, I began painting on wine glasses and creating my own little art, which has been thoroughly satisfying, but also very addicting. Once I caught the bug, I wanted to do more and burst out of this shell I had created around myself. I began experimenting with other mediums and arenas and haven't had the FEAR hold me back from experimenting.

Now let me just say, there are times when I begin to get upset if something fails, or if it's not "perfect"...but then I correct my thoughts and tell myself, it truly wasn't a failure because I learned a new way of not doing it and making it better the next time.

Remember when pushing through some of your fears:

• Don't be afraid to fail. 
• It doesn't have to be perfect, just try!
• Don't compete or compare your accomplishments with anyone else, but yourself.

Be fearless in finding your "HUNNY" pot!

~Fearless@40

Endless Seashore

"Hope is an endless seashore awaiting your footprints." ~Annie Roberts

There's a lot to be said about hope. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines hope as "to desire with expectation of obtainment; to expect with confidence."

Lately, I've been feeling both hopeful and hopefully-challenged. Hopeful in my future - in my career, in balancing my work/life, and hope that other issues will resolve themselves. But then there's that annoying niggling in the back of my mind that puts the fear of God into me..."what if it doesn't work out"? I've been absorbing a lot of material through reading and audio books lately, which has been a tremendous help for me. I feel like I'm in some sort of transition, but somehow the knowledge that I have options and I'm exploring all my options has given me hope for the future and clears the seashore for my footprints.

Here's to your hopeful day and future and encouraging you to live fearlessly in all things.

~Fearless@40



References:
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hope

Today's Quote

"Discipline yourself to do the things you need to do the things you need to do when you need to them,and the day will come when you will be able to do the things you want to do them!" ~Zig Ziglar

Wanted to pass along this insightful article by Dr. Nancy Wall, Tampa Bay MatchMakers (Nov 15, 2010) titled "What's holding you back from accomplishing your goals?"
http://tampabaymatchmakers.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/whats-holding-you-back-from-accomplishing-your-goals/

Keep moving forward and LiveFearlessly!