GRATITUDE + CONSCIOUS LIVING Page 20 of 22

Roadtrip #4: A fairytale wedding

Wedding US

It was actually a wedding invitation that took us out to the US in the first place.

Roadtrip #4: A fairytale wedding IMG 1542.JPG

One of my man’s old school friends fell in love with a lovely girl from Bow, New Hampshire, when she came to England to help develop the game of lacrosse.  They decided to get married at the bride’s family home – a beautiful house set in gardens the size of a field, overlooking nothing but mountains in the far distance.  The wedding was simply stunning, like something out of a film – and a very happy time was had by all.

Roadtrip #4: A fairytale wedding IMG 1569.JPG

Although the wedding was huge, it was really personal and so full of loving touches.  The bride’s family even built a bar in their roof garden in the style of an English pub in honour of the groom, and put up framed vintage photos of the groom’s hometown in Manchester to make him feel part of the family.

Roadtrip #4: A fairytale wedding IMG 1555.JPG

It was interesting to see the similarities and differences between US and English weddings. One of my favourite parts was travelling from the church to the reception in an old school bus!

Roadtrip #4: A fairytale wedding IMG 1518.JPG

And the bit where the wedding party (including best man, bridesmaids etc) made a big entrance doing a funny dance.  I cannot imagine that happening at most traditional weddings in England!  I also loved the favours – we each found a glass jar waiting at our tables, and could fill it with as many sweets as we wanted from a table overflowing with old fashioned sweets. Perfect for the road trip ahead!

Roadtrip #4: A fairytale wedding IMG 1577.JPG

Around 50 people had flown out from England, so it was fun to have a few days enjoying the area with old and new friends. This was our second overseas wedding this year, following a gorgeous one in Greece just a couple of months ago. It is quite odd to have your holiday destination determined for you, but it is a fantastic new way of experience a place – and so much fun to party on such a special occasion in different corners of the world!

Roadtrip #4: A fairytale wedding IMG 1579.JPG

***

More roadtrip adventures all next week!

***

DWYL_ECOURSE_BLOG_V2_550X250PX_LR

Life-changing”, “Revolutionary”, “Awe-inspiring”, “Transformative – just a few of the ways former participants have described the Do What You Love e-course.

Do you fancy some of that in your life? Do you want to get closer to identifying your true passion and finding a way to do what you love, for life? Then this is for you!

The Do What You Love e-course is open for registration now. The adventure begins on September 26 but places are limited so book now to secure your place. This is the last time it will run this year.

This is your chance to join a global tribe of like-minded people who will support and encourage you to find your way.

It could be the most influential six weeks of your life… Join now!

Life-changing events led us to do what we love: Hillary Rubin and Cathy Bueti share their stories

 

DWYL_BLOG_SHAREDSTORIES_650X250PX_LR

Today’s shared stories come from Hillary Rubin and Cathy Bueti who have overcome huge life-changing events – including the loss of a loved one and a serious illness – to discover their life’s purpose and passion. 

Hillary Rubin

 Hillary Rubin profile

For me doing what you love is being in alignment with your desire. I’m not a believer of purpose even though it’s in my tag line and women come to me to discover what their purpose is. Most of it really is work to go back to what they love, tune into what they desire or rediscover what they love now.

I have seen from my personal experience when I’m not doing what I love my soul aches. When I’m not doing what I love my body cries. When I’m not doing what I love the best part of me dies.

In 2010 my husband had a crisis – or what I call a course-changer. He was not doing what he loved and like a good man was providing for our family. His soul suffered so much that he ended up in the hospital.

It was scary to see the man I loved suffer. He had a foot of his colon removed and made a promise to himself never to do it again. Today he is healthy in mind, body and spirit.

Now we have a contract that we do not take on projects, jobs, or clients unless it is for something we love to do. I cannot think of a better commitment to have to yourself and with your partner.

Being a Gemini, I love to do so many things and always like to have a healthy learning curve. At the beginning of my life most of my choices were from survival of what I had to do. I chose to move to NYC to study at Fashion Institute of Technology. I loved it. I felt alive and free.

I went from doing windows at ABC Carpet and Home to being a fashion editor at a menswear magazine, and then to styling, to producing fashion shows, to having my own PR company and then at the top of my career landed a plum job at Prada.

Prada was not as cool as I thought. I hated it but wanted to be on the in-crowd so I stuck it out as much as I could.

Until my time in fashion came to a painful end with a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. After I let myself out of a prison of victimhood,  I was on a new quest to heal myself and to my surprise found what I loved.

Hillary Rubin - journey

It was through my pain that I found what was next on my what-I-love-to-do path as an artist, healer and cultural creative. I devoured all I could in the alternative realm to defy my prison sentence of ending up in a wheel chair. In 2002 I moved to LA to take a yoga teacher training course and worked as a PR director for a fashion company. It was worth giving up a six year relationship, a fabulous apartment in the west village and the fast hip lifestyle for my healing cocoon.

But I really did not give anything up… I got so much more.

Right after my yoga teacher training ended, I started teaching and never stopped. Something came alive in me. Not only was I healing but I was stimulated like never before. It was love at first sight. I was on my path. I travelled the world teaching yoga, connected to amazing people and ended up getting certified in Anusara Yoga(TM).

Not only did I love teaching classes, I went on to create a yoga podcast called Hillary’s Yoga Practice + produced my own bestselling DVD called Yoga Foundations with Hillary Rubin.

I loved it and never looked back.

With hindsight, I know now that whatever I do creatively is my body of work. It will always evolve and I cannot do it wrong. I listen to myself and let my intuition guide me. When the fun stops that is my red flag to shift my attitude or let it go so the next wave of creativity can come in.

If you are feeling challenged to do what you love then I suggest you release the following:

  • Release the need to care what others think – live your life for you.
  • Release the need to have it ‘perfect’ and take small baby steps.
  • Release the need to believe your fears – you don’t know if you’ll fail or succeed unless you go for it

Once I released this for myself I was able to flow and evolve. I have a foundation in yoga, am a spiritual life design coach and a multi-passionate entrepreneur. I help women stop licking their wounds and create a life filled with passion, purpose and unshakable self-confidence. I love creating valuable content that breeds transformation and freedom to live the life you desire.

What’s next for me is launching a group program for women to get back to prosperity without shame, be healthy without guilt, find purpose without overwhelm and be happy without excuses, publishing my first book and hosting my television show called Get Real with Hillary.

[All images courtesy of Hillary Rubin]

Find out more about Hillary on her website or connect on Twitter.

***

Cathy Bueti

Cathy Bueti profile

I remember loving art when I was a child.  I was always doodling something or spending hours with my coloring books. My most vivid art memory was when I created a pastel butterfly in the fourth grade.  As I grew older art seemed to disappear as life got in the way. A crazy childhood with an alcoholic father, my parents divorce, becoming a widow at 25, and then a diagnosis of breast cancer at 31 halted any thoughts of creativity. I graduated college with a degree in occupational therapy and worked for almost 20 years in the healthcare field. After my husband was killed I began keeping a journal. I discovered I enjoyed writing. I continued journaling during my cancer experience and began writing a book hoping to one day share my experience and help others. It was during this time I also discovered a love of photography and most recently painting.

I remarried eight years ago and am now a 10 year cancer survivor.  During the first few years after I finished my treatments I realised that something was missing.  It was getting more and more difficult to work with patients after having been one myself. With my husband’s support I left my day job as an Occupational Therapist a couple of years ago and have the opportunity to create everyday.  My life has been tough but what I have found is that creativity helps me deal with the fear that comes in a life after cancer.  Being creative gets me to a nice place in my head and quiets my mind.  I get lost in those moments with my art.  I am discovering myself and seeing all that I am capable of which is more than I ever imagined.

Life-changing events led us to do what we love: Hillary Rubin and Cathy Bueti share their stories artcathybueti1

In May 2009 my memoir “Breastless in the City” was published and I was able to fulfill my dream of being a writer.  Last August I started my blog Artsy Butterfly where I share my creative life, pieces of my art, and pieces of myself.  I also opened an etsy shop which allowed me to achieve another goal and put my art out there into the world to hopefully inspire others.

It was scary to leave a career I had done for so long.  I thought, “who am I to even dream of anything else?” Then I thought about how much I have lost and how short life is.  I started to realize that I couldn’t let the chance pass me by.  I longed to live in the moment and do what would make me happy every day.  I believe that everything I have been through has led me to this moment.  I wouldn’t be who I am without surviving those difficult experiences.

I can’t help but smile when I think about the man who has shared a few pieces of my art with his little girls. One of them wants to be an artist too.  It makes my heart happy to know they enjoy my work.  It connects me with the little girl I was so long ago… the one who drew that pastel butterfly.

[All images courtesy of Cathy Bueti]

 Cathy is a  self taught photographer and mixed-media artist living in Brewster, New York.  Visit her at Artsy Butterfly.

Morning rituals

Morning ritual

When I woke up this morning I had this really strong flashback of my time as a student in Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan (and my favourite city in the world).  I was sat in my homestay family’s kitchen some 15 years ago making cheese on toast in their strange grilling machine, using the delicious squidgy doorstop bread I have only ever found over there.  I had this incredible sense of joy in the moment, as I went through my breakfast ritual in this foreign land, before heading off to school past rice fields and bamboo forests, a whole day of adventures stretching ahead of me.

I keep feeling a very strong pull to Kyoto these days.  It comes in waves and my mind keeps wandering East.  And when I woke up this morning it struck me what an incredible sense of freedom I had at that point.  I was virtually alone the other side of the world, with very limited money but a whole year to savour all for myself.  I was picking up the new language piece by piece, with mini triumphs every day as I managed to converse with the old man selling sweet potatoes, or read a new roadsign or sing along with a festival chorus.  I went to school in the mornings, and spent the afternoons exploring.  My time was my own, to spend how I chose.

And then I realised it is not that dissimilar now.  I have a business to run and bills to pay, but one of the reasons I made the leap away from the corporate world was to have that freedom to choose how I spend my time.  Sometimes you find yourself working so hard that you forget that it is completely up to you whether you start your day on the computer, or in the park, or in the studio…  So I’ve started a new routine for my mornings – tea in the garden and half an hour with a book about Japan before the day begins, and a moment of thanks for this freedom.

What about you? What is your morning ritual?

Cafe life

Cafe life IMG 1189

I spend far too much time in cafes.

When I go travelling I tend to gravitate towards cosy, welcoming places and love sitting with a steaming coffee watching the world go by.

This picture is of one my latest discoveries, in Oia on the Greek island of Santorini.

***

What about you?  Where is your favourite cafe and why do you like it so much?  Recommendations are always very welcome…

***

Scottish island life

lighthouse(View of Bressay lighthouse through the crooked stone window of an abandoned croft house)

Staying in a lighthouse has always been a bit of a dream for me, so when I found out about a book making workshop taking place in a lighthouse on the remote Scottish island of Bressay, I knew I had to go.

Beth in Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands

It is so exposed to the elements that there wasn’t a tree to be seen.  There were just seven of us, with the sound of the sea, and sheep for company.

Scottish Highlands sheep

These lovely seals flopped on the rocks and kept a curious eye on me as I scrambled over the rocks looking for pebbles

Scottish island life seals2

Scottish island life seals1

Each morning I took a walk through the fields, along the shoreline and past abandoned crofts, hiding tales of lives lived long ago.

Scottish island life croft3

… and past cosy-looking crofts still home to islanders, who wake up each day to such a beautiful view.

Scottish island life croft1

Scottish island life walk2

Scottish island life walk3

Scottish island life walk4

It was a little wild, and quite eerie with the light swooping over the cliffs at night, but I loved it.

Scottish island life Bressay4

More posts from this trip:

***

Thinking of Japan


Candle

Taking a moment to think about everyone in Japan affected by the overwhelming destruction

It is heartbreaking to see this country I love so dearly suffer so much

There are dark days ahead as the extent of the damage to lives, hearts and minds begins to reveal itself

I have managed to make contact with many friends, but not all of them

Hoping beyond hope that they are all safe and well

My heart goes out to everyone affected

***

Kundalini yoga to be offered at Do What You Love retreat

Remember this gorgeous place? Imagine waking up early to this view, birds singing, breathing fresh air, morning sun on your face. And then indulging in an hour of kundalini yoga before a delicious breakfast, prepared on site by a professional chef, and then off to art class?  That is how the days will begin at the Do What You Love retreat.  Morning yoga will be offered as an optional activity for anyone on the retreat. What a way to start the day…

Kundalini yoga to be offered at Do What You Love retreat venue photo credit Natual Retreats

(Image: Natural Retreats)

More about the sessions:

The Kundalini yoga sessions (as taught by Yogi Bhajan) will be led by Devi Kirin Kaur, a level 1 and 2 qualified teacher (trained with Amrit Nam Sarovar over the course of three years).  She teaches Kundalini yoga classes and workshops in East Sussex and Gloucestershire, and is a member of (and fully insured by) KYTA.  Four early morning classes will be offered (6.45-7.45am), suitable for all levels. Please note these will be outside, and therefore weather dependent.

In Devi Kirin Kaur’s words… “Over the course of the retreat there is an opportunity to dive deep into the centre of being.  Together we will unleash potential and connect to the true source of wisdom and truth, letting go of limitations to allow the spirit to soar. Kundalini yoga is the yoga of awareness. We will be working with the energy potential, removing any blocks within the body that create limitation. Through the sacred technology of Kundalini yoga, we will be working to move energy through the chakras. Opening profound joy through the heart, as well as working on creativity, communication and intuition through breath (pranayam), postures (asanas), meditation, chanting and relaxation.

***

Testimonials from Devi Kirin Kaur’s students:

“It is like no Yoga I’ve tried before and was a totally new concept to me. The environment (was) friendly and totally relaxing. Devi Kirin is kind, patient, informative and a pleasure to spend time with. The sessions are spiritually, mentally and physically uplifting!” – Fiona Muir

“Devi Kirin Kaur’s style of teaching is gentle but firm, supportive, encouraging, nurturing yet challenging us to stretch to new horizons.”  – Sara Lawlor

“I find Devi Kirin Kaur to be an intuitive teacher, combining her extensive knowledge of Kundalini Yoga with a sympathetic teaching style.  She creates a great learning space and takes care that her students are supported in their journey through Kundalini Yoga.” – Jenifer Corker

***

Find out more about the Do What You Love retreat here.

***

The mystery of the toilet roll and the Nebraskan newspaper

Do you remember I told you about the Campaign for Real Mail?

It’s where my brothers and I send each other silly things in the post, no envelopes allowed, just for fun.

Well it looks like someone else randomly decided to join in…

I received this toilet roll in the post(!)

It came from my little brother, but all he posted was this little piece of cardboard.

The mystery of the toilet roll and the Nebraskan newspaper mail1

However when it arrived, it had a newspaper rolled up inside it.

And not just any old newspaper.

‘The Arnold Sentinel’ serving Custer County, Arnold, Nebraska, USA.

It might make sense if I lived in Nebraska… but I live in England!

We have absolutely no idea how it got inside the toilet roll.

I wonder if someone at the Post Office had a little chuckle to themselves?

I love it that someone else had some fun with this too.

The mystery of the toilet roll and the Nebraskan newspaper paper

I got to read a lovely story about deer in a Nebraskan snowstorm, the local Arnold Public School receiving an art grant, and that the ‘Good News Club’ will resume meetings soon.

I like the sound of the ‘Good News Club’.

Might be worth a trip to Nebraska…

 

Share your story on Do What You Love

share

Are you doing what you love?

Whether the answer (right now) is yes or no, we all have a story to tell.

In celebration of the Do What You Love e-course launch, I am putting out a call for guest posts for this blog.  It attracts four-figure weekly traffic, and I want to open up that platform to share your stories with the world.

I am starting a new series shortly, capturing the essence of what it means to do what you love, warts and all, and I’d love it if you would be part of that.

What’s your story? Are you doing what you love?  If so, what changes or sacrifices have you had to make along the way to get there?

If you aren’t (yet) doing what you love but want to, what obstacles are standing in your way, and how are you tackling them?

Please contact me if you are interested in having your story highlighted, and sending more readers to your part of the blog world.

You never know, your story may end up in the book proposal I am secretly working on…

(PS If you have no idea what you love, it might be an idea to sign up for the Do What You Love e-course!)