Blogspiration is a Brand Spankin' New weekly meme hosted by both GrowingUp YA and Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers and writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author's choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation and just a little SOMETHING.
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http://saz101.blogspot.com.au/http://growingupya.blogspot.com/
I missed last week so I forced myself to make time for this. I feel better now :)
Have you guys ever read a memoir or story about someone who has had a life way more screwed up than your own? Been moved by the hardships and triumphs of others? Is there one person in your life, or whom you have read about that just made you stop and think that maybe this world isn't completely miserable after all?
I flew down to Melbourne for a random visit on Friday and whilst on the plane, I got to thinking (as per usual) about the various places I've been. It's always weird, the stuff I remember and the stuff I don't. There's no system or pattern to what my brain responds to or focuses on. So even though I wasn't actually leaving the country, I got to thinking about Fiji and my visit there last year.
Now, it's no secret around here that I'm constantly friggen busy. I whinge and whine about how hectic things are and WOE IS ME, I go to uni and work full time. I get an education and make decent money. What a horrible life I have!
In Fiji, it was like a whole other world. The villages are small and only some of them have electricity. Owning a car is a luxury that only a few have and the people there who actually have a job, put their heart and soul into it. Everyone is relaxed, there's no stress (which to me is a foreign concept), and everyone works on 'Fiji-time'.
It's so refreshing to be surrounded by a bunch of people who love life. Who value every single thing they do and actually LIVE LIFE without all the worry and concerns that smother the rest of us. They don't get to travel and see the things the rest of us take for granted. They are lucky to have one day off a week and they love it.
These couple of months I've found it so hard to focus on anything other than sleep/work/uni. It loops through my brain and I'm lucky to remember to eat. It was nice, to just have an hour to myself to remember these people that made me forget all the worries I had. Who welcomed me into their homes and shared their culture with me without even needing to ask. Who were SO FRIGGEN HAPPY every moment of the day. It reminded me that this craziness will come to an end and I should try to enjoy it while I can.
One of the friends I had there, was a scuba teacher at our resort and his day off, he came down to hang out with us. We all took to the pool and after about five minutes he turned to me and said, "This is the first time I've ever swum in a pool without working. I keep expecting someone to yell at me for slacking off." That one sentence right there, really put my shiz into perspective.
This week, the Fijians reminded me of true inspiration.
Oh Heather. I think that for us in our first-world countries this is SUCH an important thing to be reminded of from time-to-time. It reminds me so much of this song I've been listening to lately that has the lines, "In the middle of my little mess/I forget how big I'm blessed" which it's so true. It's so easy to lose perspective and exclaim, "Oh, I hate my life!" when things go wrong that in the wider scheme of things really don't matter.
ReplyDeleteBut it's hard to know exactly where to draw the line, because at the same time, balancing uni and work and a social life IS stressful, and I don't want to totally downplay that. And sometimes the people who seem to have it all are the most miserable in the world. I feel so often it's the people with nothing who understand what's most important in life.
Travelling teaches you just as much about yourself as it does about the world, I think. I grew up in Africa as a missionary kid, and spent four months in Uganda last year volunteering, and I wouldn't swap those experiences for anything. When/if I have children, I really want to take them to some places that are off the 'tourist track' so that they can get that perspective too.
I don't know if this all makes sense - I probably should have stopped and formulated my ideas before I started typing, but this post is exactly what I needed to be reminded of today and I guess I wanted to say that and be involved :-)
Thank you!
I have always wanted to go to Africa for volunteer work but I keep bogging myself down with more and more responsibilities :(
ReplyDeleteAnd your comment totally makes sense! I think it's probably written better than the actual post which I wrote during a class I was falling half asleep in! I can tell it's something you feel passionately about and I'm so glad you commented. Everything you said made me smile :)
Hello, Heather! Your Blogspiration post is the deepest I've seen this week, and I love it. (: I live in a third world country and while I've lived a very privileged life, I've seen poverty. Many outlying towns are... Well, people lack many things. Those confined in hospitals, like the psychologically ill, have the worst quarters I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteLearning about your visit to Fiji reminds me of that... well, not completely, since you're focusing on the positive side. Your mentioning lack of stress and working on Fiji time makes me smile, too. That does sound refreshing and inspiring. I really should learn to... well, not really take it easy all the time, but at least to really live life and take the time to enjoy it.
Thank you for this post, and have an amazing week! (:
You too Kathe! I think perspective is a really important thing that a lot of people can lose track of sometimes!
ReplyDeleteOh man, now I want to go to Fiji!! I would love to live a life like that. I do tend to think a little too much "woe is me," and I can undeerstand being being. At least you are making the time to write, the time to think and imagine. That is so important.
ReplyDeleteAndrea
I highly recommend Fiji to everyone! It's just amazing. And the problem is, I haven't had much time to write or be creative. It's doing my head in just a little bit.
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