At what point did life get so full? One moment, everything is simple. The next moment, you are everything. A student, a daughter, a girlfriend, a best friend, a housemate, a foodie, a blogger: the list goes on. The internet tells you to be even more. Eat this, stretch this, run here, drink that, be perfect. The quest for perfection is an endless and fruitless one based on a simple principle; perfection does not exist. You can keep trying, keep reaching for the unattainable, but it is human nature to find the flaws in our own pursuits. To that very truth is the impossibility of perfection.
Oh, but how easy it is to fall into the trap only to fall in a sticky heap. For myself, that plight for perfection revolved around the exam period and the sticky heap a bad case of writer’s block. I took that as a sign to take a break, regroup, re-centre myself and find inspiration in the world around me. You may have noticed that the blog was down for the past week; an opportunity to motivate myself into being the best I can be without being perfect.
Now, I hope to share those little inspirations with you. These are five little things in my everyday life that keep me going and keep my passions alive.
1. Travel
It’s no accident that this beautiful canvas landed on my wall. At the age of twenty two, I have visited twenty eight countries over every continent except South America and Antarctica (don’t worry, they’re next). Nothing gives you life experience like landing on foreign ground without understanding the customs or the language but still sharing so much with those around you. For the whole world to be so different yet so similar is astonishing. I can’t not mention the thrill of eating different cuisines: I have tasted ox testicles in Kenya, goulash in Hungary and poutine in Quebec. The love and joy that goes into food across the globe inspires me as does it motivate to continue traveling until the day I die. You can read about my adventures across Europe here.
2. Dreams
I’m not necessarily talking about the ones you have while you’re asleep. I’m more talking about those that seem so utterly ridiculous, unbelievable yet incredible when you have them. Those are the ones you should grab hold of and aim for. If someone had told me five years ago that I would maybe be a doctor one day, I would have shook them silly then told them to go see a doctor. Now, here I am six months into a medical degree with every possibility of being that doctor. In essence, anything is possible. It may sound cliche but if you don’t believe it, it won’t be.
3. Meditation
In our busy lives, we constantly ponder the past and fret over the future. How often do you really sit down and be in the present? I never fully understood the importance of living in the now until I started meditating. For myself, it’s a great way to wind down at the end of the day and acknowledge and release any stresses before I go to sleep. Even five minutes every night can significantly improve your mental health and wellbeing. A great way to start is the Smiling Mind app. Free for your iPhone, they provide simple mindfulness tapes aimed at the general population without trying to take you on a mystical journey into your mind’s eye. You can check them out here. Bring yourself back to the now.
4. A Touch of Nature
If you have ever studied human development, or even if you haven’t, you would be aware of the incredible transformation that grows a human being from a mass of cells. Being such a complicated, involved and miraculous process, there is no way it could just be an accident. You can watch a video here (please excuse the hectic music). Each and every life form is made up of such a deliberate set of cells with such deliberate purpose. You are here for a reason. It’s not always appropriate to be constantly watching or thinking about developing embryos, however, so I love to have a touch of nature indoors with me and marvel at the miracle that is life.
5. Smile
No matter what part of the world you were born, raised or hail from a smile is the universal indicator of happiness. Have you ever sat and smiled just because you can? Doesn’t it make you feel so much better, just that simple act? They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I say a smile is worth a million.
So I promise I’m back, ready again to tackle Melbourne’s eat, drink and play culture. Sometimes, you just need to step back and look at the big picture.
