BALI - the gratitude island.

This was my second time visiting this stunning island. I call it gratitude island, simply because this is where I truly understood the meaning of gratitude. The genuine smiles from the locals will always stay with me, as they are so rich within. They prioritise the human spirit and its needs, rather than simply material or physical things.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”  

- Melody Beattie -

It is so inspiring to watch hotels, shops, restaurants and homes present their offerings to the gods, they start each day with a blessing and with gratitude. This alone showed me that we should follow their example, and understand that we must find balance between the physical and nonphysical. Showing gratitude daily as we press on with our modern lives will help our deep emotional and physical imbalance. Too many people in developed countries have been conditioned to focus on problems rather than solving them; they’re drowning in depression and addiction instead of keeping the faith. They also chase money over wellbeing and a balanced life, and sadly, only believe in what they can see instead of believing, in order to create. Thoughts are the beginning of all things in our world.

Bali has so much to offer starting with the goodness of the locals, then all of its wonders: the secret sanctuaries; the peaceful temples, the hidden magical forests, and so much more. 

"Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit."  - Frank Borman -

My favourite place is the sacred Monkey Forest, what an experience that was! The monkeys are truly at peace. They’ll chase you around if you have bananas, and believe me, they won’t stop until they have them. These monkeys are such great entertainers. They can play for hours, trying to open your bags, bite your water bottles, and occasionally stealing anything you've left unprotected. They will also jump on you when you least expect it! My advice is to enjoy their presence, but don’t provoke them or try to touch them, they are animals with primitive instincts after all. It’s an amazing experience you will never forget!

The temples across Bali are majestic, they’re all as breath taking as each other, but many tourists miss out on the energy of these stunning temples.  For them its more about selfies than being in the moment and soaking up the vibes of thousands of years of history. You will have to wear a sarong to enter most temples as appropriate clothing is a must. Of all the temples that we visited Tanah Lot was my favorite. You can be blessed at the holy spring, emerging with grains of rice stuck to your forehead, which seem to remain stuck for a really long time.  You can also touch the head of a lucky snake in a cave opposite the holy spring, and both are said to bring peace and goodness into your life. The local guides will often recommend you to watch the sunset from Tanah Lot, and I can promise a spectacular view. If you hang around for a few minutes after sunset, you will also see the thousands of bats flying from their cave to hunt for food, but don't worry they won't come near you. Just imagine thousands of bats filling the sky, something you’ll only see once in a lifetime! Dracula would have been proud!

The beautiful waterfalls are not to be missed. Northern Bali has a stunning hidden heaven off the main tourist trail, with several shining waterfalls all in one spot. When the sun hits at a certain angle, it's like a shower of million diamonds falling from the sky and melting into the water. In the pool at the bottom there was a group of young local boys splashing in the water and enjoying their natural playground. If we could replace all the time that humans spent playing video games, watching TV or transfixed on their phone, by enjoying the wonders of Mother Nature, I believe our lives would be much more relaxed and fulfilled. 

“Travel brings power and love back into your life.” 

- Jalaluddin Rumi - 

Bali doesn't disappoint. It will enrich your soul, remind you of what’s important in life, show you the magnificence of mother nature, share its rich traditions, and feed you with its stunning and exotic fruits. It is simply a wonderful destination.

Travel the world, and bring some of their beautiful traditions and culture home! 
We have so much to learn from each other.

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OUR TRAUMATIC CHILDHOODS

So many of our fears and limitations were passed onto us by our parents and the life path they set us on. We all have those moments from our past that are very vivid, moments where our first fears were born and marked us forever. Unfortunately, these fears are still influencing our lives today and limiting us from achieving our full potential.

“Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different.” 
- Oprah Winfrey - 

It doesn't matter what type of life you were born with, or how you were brought up. The key is to keep only the positive from your upbringing such as love, a keen sense of self-worth and anything else that makes your life better and happier. Remove any limitations and negativities from your mind, you can rewrite your approach to life - It is what I did!

I have encountered so many people who were filled with fear and limitations from their childhood. They were unable to assess their situation and treat the source of their anxiety; they hadn’t realised their fear is derived from a past event or conflict. When a parent leaves home it is common to develop a fear of abandonment and guilt; if you were continuously told that you were not good enough you could have easily developed low-self-esteem; or if you were bullied at school for being different, you can easily develop a fear of rejection. Where you lack love from your parents it can be difficult to love and respect yourself. I had so many fears from my childhood and my parents, but I knew that one day I would overcome them all and succeed.

“The conflict between the will to deny horrible events and 
the will to proclaim them aloud is the central dialectic 
of psychological trauma.” 
- Judith Lewis Herman, Trauma and Recovery -

Whatever your upbringing, nurture your inner-child and accept the traumatic experiences from your childhood. If there were many negative experiences, try to cast your mind back and assure your younger-self that you are capable of so much. If you lacked care and love, go back and give yourself the love, it is so important for your survival. If you were told that you were not good enough to succeed, go back and tell yourself anything is possible, you are as worthy of success as anyone else. Go back to your traumatic experiences and heal your wounds, once you've healed your inner child you will unleash an incredible power within you. You'll have the confidence and love you need to move forward. You'll understand your fears and where they came from so you can stand up to them or let them go.

I come from a limited family; both of my parents were immigrants from North Africa who were born into farming families and unfortunately both illiterate. Their childhoods were characterised by poverty and religion.

My siblings and I were raised in France on social benefits and sadly my father left home in my early teens. Being poor and uneducated is a big handicap to enjoyment of life, but if your home becomes an unhappy place then your childhood can really become traumatic. Thankfully, I had amazing friends that I spend most of my time with, they and their families showed me the value of respect and love.

“If your body is screaming in pain, whether the pain is muscular contractions, anxiety, depression, asthma or arthritis, a first step in releasing the pain may be making the connection between your body pain and the cause. “Beliefs are physical. A thought held long enough and repeated enough becomes a belief. The belief then becomes biology.” - Marilyn Van Derbur -

My parents did have an opportunity to learn how to read and write, so they could have chosen a better life for themselves and their children. However, they decided otherwise, so I ended up assiting them a lot as I was the oldest. I didn’t know that by helping them with their inability to read and write, I would keep them limited and in the process limit myself.

I have been rebelling against my fears and limitations for a long time now, and I have come a long way. The life I have built for myself is amazing, I’m endlessly growing and I have let go of so much negativity with the remaining still a work in progress. Most of the limited thinking imposed on me when I was a child has gone and I have no doubt the rest will go in time.

Years of mental confinement, the absence of love and emotional support can be damaging to your self-esteem. It is important to bounce back and kiss goodbye to your negative past and open your mind to the possibilities of a blissful future. I used to wish for a different upbringing but not anymore because without this limited start I wouldn’t have become the person I am today - a free thinker with irrepressible ambition to succeed.

SOOTH YOUR WOUNDS AND UNLOCK YOUR FUTURE!

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