What happened when I said "yes" to LIVING (and not just to having a life)

Life is a funny thing. If you're reading this article then you have life. But it's not so certain that you are truly Living that life (at least not with a capital L!). It can be so easy to simply exist; to bob through life being swept along by a current that has been created by convention and expectation according to others. You're born, you're educated, you work a 9-to-5 or another conventional job, you get married, you have kids, you retire, you die. I'm not saying that these conventions are all bad (and some cannot be escaped, particularly the death part!), but it can be SO easy to follow this set-out life without even asking our true selves what we really want. But what if, WHAT IF, you did honestly ask yourself what you wanted from life? What would you say? What would you do?

I promise that this isn't about to become preachy, each and every person must live their life how they choose to, but this is a post for those of you out there who may have been thinking about actually Living life how you want to but haven't yet had that moment of "F*ck it. Let's do it". So to give you the extra little nudge I thought I'd share my experience with you...

Without going into too much detail for the sake of respect and what's fair, this time two years ago I was in a very different place to where I am now. For years I had allowed myself to stay in a situation that was making me deeply unhappy. I felt stuck, I wasn't seeing friends very often, I was unsure as to which career path to go down, I hated life, and most of all I was very hard on myself.

But almost two years ago exactly I went on a yoga retreat with my Mum. For at least four years previous to this yoga had already begun to weave it's way into my being - bit by bit I was peeling back the layers and coming closer to connecting with my true self - but on this yoga retreat I gained an even deeper understanding of the harsh reality that I was simply not Living life. I was alive in body but that was about it. My heart, mind and soul were simply existing. I had shut them down over years of disappointment, bitterness and self-hatred. Realising this was the first step to truly Living.

Yoga helped me to realise that I wasn't truly Living life...

A very abridged version of what followed is that I left my relationship, I moved back home with my family, I tried changing my job (to another conventional 9-to-5 city job), I left that job after 6-months, I went to India to do my yoga teacher training, I fell in love with the most incredible man, I worked on friendships, for the last 16-months I've been working on my very own business teaching yoga, and everything is finally in a place where I feel this whole thing might actually work out in reality as well as in my dreams! But it hasn't been easy. I've really had to embrace Living life in a way that is true to me and everything that comes with that - the ups and downs, the emotions, the challenges, the uncertainty, the euphoria...it's already been quite a ride.

Now there isn't a magic cure or formula for Living life, but I think there are a few categories that must be considered: relationships, work, attitude, health, and location.

RELATIONSHIPS

Relationships is a biggie. I truly believe that the quality of your relationships can heavily impact the quality of your life. No man is an island (as the saying goes); as human beings we crave connection and intimacy, and the people we surround ourselves with can really affect our lives. The most important relationships we have are with ourselves, with our family, with our other half (if this is how we choose to live - monogamy is not for everyone), and with our friends. Surround yourself with people who make you happy, who support you, and who genuinely want the best for you. If you treat others well then this is how you should be treated. If you have a toxic friend or family member then either cut them loose or try to learn ways of disconnecting your quality of life from the way they behave.

Connect with people who elevate you

WORK

As I touched on earlier many of us get stuck in jobs that don't set us on fire. We tolerate them, and often do them because it's what is expected of us. I got straight As at school and a first class degree at Uni, it was expected that I'd do something related to my English skills. But this didn't make me happy. Teaching yoga made me happy, and the moment I began to teach I felt like my true self. I had found my satya (my truth). Don't just be a doctor because it's what your Mum wants. Don't just stay in an admin job because no one else believes you can be an interior designer. Don't just be a lawyer if you want to be an entrepreneur. Follow your heart and the rest will come. Starting a yoga teaching business from scratch at the age of 24 was not easy - I had to go back to working in the pub to make ends meet, I am still living in my parental home, I am 100% responsible for creating my own workload - BUT I feel as though I am really Living my life exactly as I want to. The money will come. Happiness will continue.

ATTITUDE

Living life to the full requires the right attitude. If you believe that you're stuck (like I once did) and you believe that nothing can be done to change your circumstances, then you will never live life like you want to. But if you take on the attitude that something can always be done, and that you CAN change your life, then you will. It sounds simple but this mental shift can be really tough, and unfortunately for me only came with time, but keep chipping away at things that make you feel alive and one day a path will become clear. (And if it doesn't take the leap of faith anyway - the universe has got your back!). Truly Living requires a lot of saying "yes" even when the outcome is unclear (but also knowing when to say "no" to protect your energy).

HEALTH

To me looking after my health is such an important part of truly Living life. If you have health you have life, and if you have life you can be alive. Eating healthy food and doing regular physical activity gives you energy (and most people even grow to love it!). I feel most alive when I'm running in the park, practicing yoga in the sun, being swallowed by a wave when surfing, walking in the forest with my boyfriend, whizzing down a ski slope...you get the picture! For me I love the combination of exercise and the outdoors. These examples aren't for everyone, but find what makes you happy and helps keep you healthy and make sure that you include it in your life as often as you can.

LOCATION

Some people are fascinated by cities, others need greenery, others need a daily boost of vitamin sea (sorry, terrible pun!), others need to see their family regularly, others prefer having no fixed abode. We are all different in where makes us feel most connected to life, but what's amazing is that your location never has to be permanent. It may feel that way, but if you truly want something then where there is a will there's a way. If you're a free spirit run with the wind, if you're a home-bird make your nest. Place yourself where you most feel happy. (I fully understand that this point is easier said than done, but hopefully it's food for thought...).

So I really hope I haven't offended with this article - I fully understand that for many people a conventional life may be truly what they want - but for those of us who feel there is another way, know that you CAN do it and the life you want can be achieved. It won't be easy. There will be blood, sweat, tears and more sweat - but boy will you feel alive along the way!

I know there are so many things I've missed out, so if you have any further comments or suggestions please do write them in the comments section below - I really love hearing your tips and feedback.

I'd like to finish this post with one of my favourite quotes:

"Don't worry about what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive" ~ Howard Thurman

Love & light, Lucy x

The Street Child Games 2016: the volunteer experience

To anyone who is friends with me or who follows me on any kind of social media, it will come as no surprise that I have spent the last few weeks in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It will also come as no surprise that my purpose for the trip was to volunteer at the inaugural Street Child Games with Street Child United (which so many of you kindly sponsored me for - thank you so much!). Judging by my Instagram feed it was a jolly ol' trip and I had a great time. However in reality - as is so often the case with social media - there is a much deeper tale to tell. Yes, I had a really great time - it was hard not to working with such a wonderful bunch of young people, SCU staff members, and my amazing fellow volunteers. But it was also rather hard work and a very eye-opening experience.

Before I launch into sharing my experience, you may be wondering: "but why is a wellbeing blog talking about volunteering?". To which I would answer that volunteering your time and love to others is not only a very worthwhile use of our skills, resources and time, but it is also good for you (not that we should need this excuse!). And don't just take my word for it, according ICM research in 2004 nearly half of all volunteers (47%) they asked said volunteering improved their physical health and fitness. The research also show that volunteers felt less depressed (48%) and less stressed (63%) by taking part in their chosen volunteer role. Find out more here.

In terms of yoga, volunteering fits nicely into the karma yoga ideology: yoga of selfless service. And this definition leads me nicely on to introducing my fellow SCU volunteers. Each of them relentlessly, passionately, and selflessly carried out their volunteer duties throughout the whole ten day period. These are not people who volunteered to get something back - they quite clearly volunteered out of love and a sincere hope that we were doing everything we could to ensure that the former street children were the stars of show. We carried tonnes of water to and from various locations, we played volleyball in the pouring rain, we were the enthusiastic welcome committee, we cheered until our throats were coarse, we did our best to coach beach football, we got sunburn, we sweated (a lot!), we put up banners, we created flags, we served food, we clapped our hardest, we sung Shosholoza as loud as we could, we were high-five machines, we laid out hurdles, we timed races, we marched to samba rhythms, and we smiled the entire time. We had an amazing time, but my goodness was it tiring!

Some of my amazing fellow volunteers at Sugar Loaf, Rio de Janeiro

But did the tiredness matter? Of course not. We were there to support the amazing project leaders and SCU staff to create a platform for the voices of street child ambassadors to be heard. We were joined by 31 former street-connected children from 9 different countries. This event was theirs, and quite rightly so. For too long street-connected children have been routinely ignored and denied their basic rights. The amazing young people who joined us spoke eloquently and passionately about their rights, took part in some wonderful arts activities, and strongly competed in the inaugural Street Child Games at the stunning Urca athletics track (where we even got to see Fluminense FC train one day!). Most importantly they created the Rio Resolution  - a document in which the young people discuss the issues they face and the rights they demand, with particular attention to legal identity, protection from violence and access to fair education. On Friday 18th March, the young people presented this document to city officials, national governments and the United Nations. Please find out more about the Rio Resolution here. 

The Street Child Games at Urca. Image by Kylie Milne

Another huge part of this experience was staying in the community of Babilônia favela in the Leme part of the city. From the outset of the event it was clear that the community supported the SCG being based in their community - SCU t-shirts could be seen on taxi drivers, restaurant waiters, children, shop keepers and hostel workers - they wore our logo with pride and very quickly became part of the SCU family. We were split between 3 hostels - the young people and project leaders in the one at the entrance of the favela, and the volunteers in two nearer the top. We were made to feel incredibly at home. 

Babilônia is one of the safest favelas in Rio - along with Vidigal - very little trouble occurs there. The police and the community seem to coexist with little trouble. However whilst we were there we were faced with the unnerving uncertainty of the reality of living in Rio. For 3 consecutive days there were spurts of gunfire near the top two hostels. This is unheard of for Babilônia and it was clear that the community was shaken. No volunteers or anyone related to SCU were hurt, but there were sad reports of a few local deaths. According to one of our local sources, there are two well-established drug gangs in the city of Rio (each with their set territory), but recently a third has started to rear up and this is causing trouble in some of the most peaceful parts of town. Sadly it seems that Babilônia was their next effort. Despite everyone we knew of being safe and well, this was still a hugely eye-opening experience. I've never heard uncontrolled gunfire in real life. It was rather scary, but equally enabled us to see a glimpse of what it could be like living in some of the more dangerous favelas in Rio, helping us to understand just a tiny bit more as to what some of the young people may experience. 

Another eye-opening moment for me came at the famous Lapa arches. They are a Rio landmark, and are often visited by tourists. However it's also a prime spot for being smacked in the face with the reality of Rio's drug and homeless problems. Living under the arches are some of Rio's crack addicts. It is a heart-wrenching sight to see. We were there to support a local children's shelter, and they provided an amazing display of capoeira and samba for the SCG young people to experience and to join in with. Part way through the event a female crack addict joined the dancing. SCU is all about arms-wide-open, but it was such a sad thing to see. Her dress had ridden up and her backside was completely on show; she quite obviously wanted to dance with us, but her rhythms and movements were so disconnected and distant from the beat of the drums that she stood out for all the wrong reasons. Crack is a terrifying and nasty drug. 

To lighten the mood a little before I sign off, another of my duties at the SCG was to teach yoga to the volunteers who wanted to take part at the start of each day. It meant getting up rather early (sessions were 6-7am!), but it was the perfect way to start the day. As you may have noticed, there was a lot to take in each and every day, and yoga was the perfect way to start the day to ensure we had the focus and energy to do our best. And the sunrise was just incredible! Definitely worth the early starts!

Sunrise yoga overlooking Babilônia favela

I apologise for my whistle-stop account of the last few weeks, but there is so much to say and I don't want to bore you with an essay. If you are interested in learning more please do comment below or email me at lucyvicjackson@gmail.com. If you would like to support me further I still have a little bit of fundraising to achieve and I would be grateful for a donation of any size! This is my JustGiving page. 

The most important messages I would like to share with you are as follows: You are Somebody. You are important. Everybody is Somebody. Your words and actions are important. You deserve love and respect, and you should give love and respect. We are not in this world just to live separately from others, we are here to connect and to help one another grow. Show kindness and compassion. I'm not telling you to go and live in a favela, but what I would like to urge is that you show love each and every day in your own way, in your own community. Only then will the world be a better place. Love wins!

Love & light. Namaste y'all! Lucy x

The First Post!

Hello and welcome to my blog!

My name is Lucy and I have a passion for fashion & an English degree, so I thought why not combine the two and start my very own blog? And I have! I'll blog about all sorts of lifestyle aspects from fashion ideas to beauty tips, from travel experiences to music choices, from delicious food to exercise routines!

As I am a newbie I would thoroughly appreciate any constructive feedback and comments! I'm always looking to improve :)

Love Lucy x