Chasing Stars

Have you ever been confused or overwhelmed because you want so many different things in life? Each day I feel more sure and unsure at the same time. My mind often races late at night with all of the things I want to do and how I will get there. I may not have all the answers I want right now but I know a few things.

• I want to change the world for the better, leave my mark. 
• I want to live by the sea. Wake up to the smell of ocean air. 
• I want to photograph people, places, things. 
• I want to see every corner of the world, taste the culture of another land, submerge myself in the unfamiliar. 
• I want to learn to play the ukulele and strum by a fire surrounded by friends. 
• I want to read as many books as I can and sip on exotic teas. 
• I want to drive across the country and learn about all walks of life. Hear their stories, their triumphs, their passion. 
• I want to learn to surf and ride across all of the oceans. 
• I want to have my own dark room and get lost in making prints. 
• I want to write poetry. Release my thoughts through paper and a pen.  
• I want to make art and create things with my two hands. 
• I want to skate on a longboard, hula hoop, and paddle-board with the warmth of the sun on my back. 
• I want to snowboard in my bathing suit, go to the biggest tomato fight in the world, crowd surf off a stage, swim with dolphins. 
• I want to dance to music, new and old. Feel the sounds come alive. 
• I want to master meditation, connect to my soul in silence. 
• I want to walk across mountains, watch the sunrise and set, swim in crystal clear water. 
• I want to own a dog, love it, take it for walks, snuggle it on a rainy day. 
• I want to fall in love. "The can't eat, can't sleep, reach for the stars, over the fence, World Series, kind of stuff."  I want to find someone to see the world with. 
• I want to help children. I want to make them feel invincible and confident. Help them escape from any doubts or pain. 
• I want to make a difference in someone's life. 
• I want to let go of fear, let go of insecurities, let go of regret. 
• I want to spend my time with the doers, the go getters, the people who will lift me higher. 
• I want to spread peace and positivity. 
• I want to change the way we see things. Add light to the world. 
• I want to make every moment count.

We're all going to die. That is inevitable. But I don't think we all live.

• I want to leave this earth feeling fulfilled. 

Find Your Inner Child

I recently started a new job as a gymnastics coach. I am mostly with younger kids coaching classes as young as 18 months to 7 years old. I have always enjoyed the presence of a child, their energy, their creativity, their silliness. Spending so much time with kids has made me think about how much we have to learn from them. Here are a few reasons why I feel we should reconnect with our inner child.

• They are completely free. They don't care about what others think. If they were allowed they would wear zebra pants, with a tutu, and a cowgirl hat. They act how they want, say what they want, and aren't concerned with how others will view them.

• They dance as if no one is watching. When I see children at a show, I admire their courage to throw their body to the music which ever way they please. They don't care if they are the only ones dancing. They are up front having a great time connecting to the music, jumping, clapping, flailing their arms and legs, stomping, swinging, whatever they feel, they do. 

• They love and believe in themselves.  Watch the way a child carries themselves. They are confident individuals. In my class I constantly hear kids complimenting themselves. I hear them proclaim,"I can do it", "Look at me!" I have little girls in my class tell me how pretty they look. Kids don't focus on insecurities or weaknesses. They think highly about themselves and believe they can do anything. 

• They are creative.  Listen to a child tell a story. It can be quite amazing what they come up with. They are a little ball of exploding creativity. As we grow older our creativity is forced to be suppressed. When I was in college I took a visual merchandising class. In the class she had us color a picture. Then she had us color the picture again, this time how we wanted to, not the way we felt it was supposed look. A purple sky, an orange ocean, colors were all over the place. It was refreshing to have creativity encouraged rather than suppressed. I never shut down a child's imagination. In class we do a straddle stretch. To get them to stay in their stretch we pretend we are making something such as pizza. We go around the circle saying what we are putting on our pizza. The options for a child are limitless, yogurt, Oreos, pink chocolate chips, pudding, moon cheese. I embrace their out of the box answers and hope they hold on to it forever.

• They do not judge. They do not judge people by their race, or their size, religion, hair color, or anything else. They are accepting and live an unbiased life. 

• They aren't afraid to love. Children are naturally very loving individuals. They say  I love you when they want to, they give hugs, they love without fear, and love unconditionally.

• They are forgiving. Yes their reasons for getting upset with someone are minor compared to what we may face as adults. But they are forgiving individuals. They don't hold grudges and move past things much easier than we do as we grow up. (Forgiving also includes forgiving themselves. They don't dwell on a mistake they've made. They move on.)

• They live in the moment. They aren't worried about what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow. They are in the present moment only. 

• They are fearless. They aren't afraid to try new things. They explore and take risks. They don't think about the what if's or the consequences. They are bold and courageous.

• They laugh a lot and are truly happy. There's nothing more genuine than the happiness of child. They smile and embrace life. They find beauty and amazement in the simplest things.