Planning my dream life ...

Breathe, eat, sleep, sunscreen, dream, repeat.

That currently sums up the past week in 6 simple words. We have been living a dream in beautiful Santorini and I don't think we could have fallen in love with this place any harder if we tried. The best part for me though is that I have gotten to devour the book that I packed and was determined to read when we got here - "Fire Starter Sessions" by Danielle LaPorte - if I could just make you stop what you were doing right now and go and buy it my job would be done. But alas, I have it on my heart to share my lessons learnt from this incredible book... and share them I will.

I have always had a steely determination in thinking I know exactly what I want, when I want, how I want and my quest in life was just to find the perfect balance. Odd though, as in my quest to find perfect balances I found them harder and harder to attain. My career would take over from the passion of wanting to pursue business ideas, I struggled with being 'there' for nights out and catch ups with friends but but never really totally 'present' and would die a little inside when I felt like I would have to 'set time aside' to have romantic nights or quality time with Morgs and not just always have time for them when we wanted spur of the moment sparks. Putting it simply, finding this balance was in fact (up until the day I went away for this trip) exhausting me, it was taking me further away from happiness, not towards it.

Before I go on, don't get me wrong either. I'm happy, really happy, and was happy with how things were going pre trip - but its the "god I can't wait to jump out of bed", hot damn fireworks, soul inspiring  ""how lucky am I that I get to live my dream" happiness I chase - & I'm not prepared to settle for anything less.

So where does the book come in to all of this? Well it comes in ... everywhere.

It was the book my little inner goddess was waiting for - the permission slip to truly admit what she wanted, how to go and get it and to admit that failures, not being sure & figuring it out along the way are all ok. It made me realise that all my goals and dreams & aims for achievement are great, fantastic even, but I'm doing them to acheive a certain feeling - and I need to work out what that is exactly. How I want to feel when I get the bucks, the goals, the house, the dreams - that is what matters.

My biggest lesson I took from the book was right at the end though - the part which made me have tears fall down my face as I resonated so hard with it. The myth of balance. There it was, in plain black and white for me to read - and I have never felt so free. The pursuit of balance, as Danielle so perfectly puts it, is stressing us out -that balance doesn't necessarily exist but harmony & proportion do. Passion is the new aim of my game & I just need to be ok that my crazy life that is sometimes as polar opposite as it can get (tweeting after a meditation session, blogging when I should be tending to house work and eating dessert for dinner because that is exactly what I feel like) is MY life & I can be proud of that. The fact that I'm not balanced, in fact so far from balanced with all that I have going on - is totally ok. It was like I finally gave myself permission to admit that all of my lifes imperfections are what makes it so perfect.

I don't know a hell of a lot - in fact, truly, I know very little. But what I'm learning I do know is things about myself, my 'soul speciality' that I'm willing to now admit are my strengths and what I want to pursue when I'm home (p.s this was session number 1 in the book "declare your super powers".) The book explains how you can use what you've got to advance your career & stand out by simply doing the following: leverage what you already know with what turns you on. Your insight + passion project = hell yes!!

"Being your true self is the most effective formula for success there is" - Danielle LaPorte

• I get excited, at everything. I'm an excitable, passionate person who loves to love, to laugh, to cry (my god do I cry a lot) - to get excited by life, and I mean exciteddddd. Nothing, NO-THING makes me more excited than life. Than waking up & knowing I get one more day to pursue a dream, and I feel sometimes, I successfully take people along with me in that excitement (don't ever underestimate the power of excitement).
• I love to inspire - nothing would get me out of bed more happy in the morning if I could live to make people inspired, to chase a dream, write a goal, start a budget & stick to it, to start a blog, to build a bridge & walk over it (metaphorically), go on their holiday they've always dreamed about, to laugh till they cry .. whatever. I just want to be part of inspiring others. 
• I'm good at setting goals & sticking to them. In fact goals are my living, breathing 'thing' - I love them and they love me right back. Sidenote; I'm also pretty killer at budgeting (thank my mama for that one!) which helps with living the life I desire & having a passion income while I plan on living my dreams.
• I'm organised to the point of OCD - in a healthy way of course. I love organising - literally, love it. I could walk in to a hoarders house & have that place de-cluttered, organised, filed and spotless in a few days - & LOVE doing it whilst I go. In fact, planning a 4.5 month holiday to Europe with every hotel/apartment/internal flight/train etc booked & paid for before departure solidified for me that hey maybe I am ok at this organising thing.
• Planning Events - there is no one of these points that I am more passionate about than the other - they're all what get my heart & passion going, but planning events - refer to the above point - really really excites me. I planned a Ball with 2 other people last year for 300 people that raised $50,000+ (did I mention I had $0 budget?) and have never had more fun in my professional life!

So there it is Universe. My declaration. My soul fire. My declaration of super powers. My passion, my strengths......me. 

The craziest thing about it, is now that I have finally written it down, admitted it, I am feeling stronger about what I want to do and what I can do about it and how I can . It's like the spark has been flamed and the fire in my belly is ablaze - more stronger & ... excited - there is that word again - than ever. 

WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US? Well readers, I want to hear YOUR soul speciality, what are YOU good at, what do YOU love doing? I want to hear your strengths and what gets your fire going....Lay them on me. I see huge amounts of visitors to the blog daily now so if you have the courage - leave me a comment telling me if you could live your dream life doing what you are really good at....what it would look like. 

You will surprise yourself just how empowering it is....