Leap Away.

Day Five since I fell running (and leaping) in the woods. I'm just starting to feel a bit better today and I think I've concluded that I should keep my feet firmly on the ground. Until next time. 

Seriously, I know that I'm clumsy and I know that I will probably fall again but when I get the urge to leap....most of the time, I do it. I'm a girl of the heart, of the emotions with a good amount of sense that was hammered into me throughout my youth by my father. Thank God he was a strong willed man because I am definitely a strong willed girl. 

Fear is healthy for us, it makes us question if what we are doing is right for us, is right right now, etc... But when something larger than your sense of fear pushes you forward, you should at least give it a good listen. "Do one thing every day that scares you."~ Eleanor Roosevelt said. Great quote, but how many of us can actually say we do this everyday? It's almost impossible in a normal life. I wonder if Eleanor Roosevelt could claim this to be true of her own life. But I like the idea. Pushing past our own boundaries, leaving the door open a little bit to a new idea so that at least that new scary idea is a consideration. 

In The Artist's Way, he talks about this room of our mind and asks us to "gently set aside our skepticism - for later use, if we need it - and when a weird idea or coincidence whizzes by, we gently nudge the door a little further open. Setting skepticism [or fear] aside, even briefly, can make for very interesting explorations. [...] it is not necessary that we change any of our beliefs. It is necessary only that we examine them." (pg. 51, The Artist's Way, 1992)

Examine them so that you know they are actually your beliefs, your desires. Maybe we can all use a little leaping in our lives. To not be so sure of ourselves, to not be so close minded that everyone must surely but wrong except for us. What fun is that? Knowing everything is soooo borrinnng. Sure, we may tumble if we leap...and we may have to heal a bit after... but that's being human, isn't it? 

I want to end with a quote by a beautiful leaper through life and on stage, Martha Graham, who said, "There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost." Leap away, lovelies, leap away...

Settling In...

So, I am in Bali, lovelies...
It is 2:30 in the morning, the crickets are peacefully chirping, the mosquito net is placed romantically around the bed (I don't know why but I always think of the movie Out of Africa when I see a mosquito net, when I should really be thinking, 'don't get malaria') and I just woke up out of a strange dream to the sound of a kind of tapping on my window. I think it might have been a monkey because I staked out the window for a good amount of time and saw nothing. First night here. It is amazingly beautiful but completely different from what I know or expected so it will take a couple of days I think to settle into the rhythm of it.

Today doesn't really count although I have already experienced a few things that I will place in my memory pocket. But I am still very much out of sorts from traveling, feel dead in the head, which is understandable from 35 hours of travel and layovers. It will be worth the effort of the trip, I can feel it in my bones.

I am staying right now at a place called Alam Shanti which is down the street from Monkey Forest so it's only a matter of time before I see some of them and their shenanigans! I guess they are just constantly taking whatever they can off of you if you're not careful. Backpack only, nothing hanging out of bags and no food, unless you want to give it to them. :) Tomorrow, I hope to go walk to the forest first thing after breakfast...

My room is surrounded by these water gardens to the front and back. The toilet is located outside of my room (enclosed within a stone wall) and looking at one of these water gardens, which is so lovely, but at the same time...I just keep envisioning a monkey coming and staring at me nervously while I pee, so yes...I am holding it until the morning. :) It is a lovely view from the toilet though. Lol.

Just felt like checking in. I will do more of it about my trip including pictures, maybe during...maybe after. We'll see how it goes. Good night, morning, or afternoon! Whatever time zone you may be!