Soul Searching.

Remember the lines of that old song by ‘Blue’ called ‘One Love’? ‘It’s kind of funny… how life can change, can flip 180- in a matter of daaaays…’

That song currently feels like the soundtrack to my life. Because in a matter of days, there has been a huge shift in my life, a crazy turn of events and a slap in the face of my own perception of everything. And that change has forced me to do some real reflectin’. To look deep within myself and find some answers when seemingly…there are none.

And what have I got from this Soul Search? Some real juicy life lessons that I’ll pour right onto here so  y’all can sip at them too. To really reinforce this message and also to break up the text in my usual style (yes, I have a style now) and also to be the quirky, edgy, highly metaphorical individual I am, here’s a picture of some juice:

Life Lesson 1: You can take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
The simple truth is this. It is perfectly impossible to control another person’s thoughts and actions. You can’t change people’s attitudes or ways. And I LOVE control. I love certainty. And things slotted nicely into little compartments of life. But no matter how much you wish you could control everything around you, to a large degree you can’t. What you can do is respond in a way that brings you the greatest relief. And that could well be by simply meditating on the following thought… “I will no longer resist this situation. I will accept that I have no control over this”. It’s like an instant peace smoothie for soul cleansing (which is additionally in keeping with this fabulous juice theme I’ve got going).

Life Lesson 2: A person is defined by the principles they keep.
What may be right for another person, may not be right for you… because everyone has their own unique set of principles and values. If you are to be respected in any way, it’s your responsibility to stay true to the principles that are right for you, even when you’re pushed, stretched, tried and tested. And it’s not gaining other people’s respect that matters; it’s the respect you  gain from yourself. Maintain that integrity for the sake of your own happiness. I’m not a rigid thinker… I understand that principles and values are fluid and may change throughout your life. But there are some which I believe are ultimately fundamental: honesty, loyalty, trust and duty to those around you. Stay true to both the fundamental principles and the fluid principles and seek to gain the greatest self respect.

Life Lesson 3: Not every day is good, but there is something good in every day.
Not everything necessarily happens for a reason… but there is always something to gain from the situations that may appear negative at first glance. Mistakes and hard times mould us. With a little perspective and insight, we may well look back on pivotal moments in the past where we, or others have made mistakes and thanked ourselves wholly for it. With the right attitude, all setbacks are only temporary.

Life Lesson 4: I know you say you don’t care what people think about you… but you really shouldn’t care what people think about you.
People are always going to have opinions of you and your situation. Shit will hit the fan and people will talk. It is so easy to get sucked into that and to find yourself stuck in this quicksand of worry about what others might think and how others might perceive you. But going back to Life Lesson 3- as long as you know that you have stuck to the principles that are right for you, does it even matter what the world thinks? Not caring is a gift. Raise your glass and make a toast to adopting a true ‘F you’ attitude- because you alone know what you’re going through. The important people in your life are the ones who stick it out with you through thick and thin, free of judgement. Parents, siblings, soul friends… and you yourself. Let others speculate, while you get on with your life.

Life Lesson 5: Listen to the voice inside you that doesn’t use words.
Intuition is a beautiful thing. It’s raw feeling that comes from a place of acceptance, and it can guide you and tell you what you really need to know… when you really need to know it. And the wonderful thing about it is that it comes from you… straight from you. Your gut instinct has all the right answers and you should put yourself in a place where you listen to the voice without words. It’s a quiet voice, but it’s powerful. It whispers things that can sometimes throw you off into a scary place. But that voice has you in mind. It will preserve and protect you.

You all must be wondering what the hell led me to write this to myself. Or you might know. Or, most likely, you might not really care. Well guys, basically what happened was… 

Oh hold the damn phone.

A good blogger never tells (Yes, that is me, the ‘good blogger’). The answers are always inside us, folks. It’s just about taking a step back, breathing deeply and letting them come to us in their own time.

Wishing you all happiness and wisdom through the lighter and darker days,
And don’t forget to keep drinking plenty.
Gowri xxxxxxxxxxx