The thumb print ink is bright red as it sinks into the paper, sealing the deal for the next 5 years. After we have both submitted our blood red thumbprints the contract is sealed and sent off to the Commune Chief for his approval that two English hippies can move into the International Village in Kampot, lease a building and grow some roots. Larry and I stand looking at each other in sheer delight, excitement, and a little bit of, ‘What the hell have we just done?’ As we hug, I whisper, ‘We’ve finally done it,’ and we have.
The word, ‘finally,’ almost seems out of place, because it has happened quickly. Larry exclaimed last night that it was only three weeks ago that we said goodbye to our New Year retreaters. It feels like forever has passed. In twenty one days, we rehomed our beloved cats, departed Indonesia which was home for the last 5 years, moved to Cambodia – a country neither one of us has explored before, spent six days looking at properties that online seemed perfect but in reality were not, found a place that’s perfect for us and on day 7 signed a 5yr lease on it. Day 14 we have the contract in our hands and our Company, Yoga Barn - Kampot, is in the process of being set up.
I wake up on a lazy Saturday and realise that this hasn’t been quick to come to fruition because we have been dreaming about this moment for over a year. In fact, even on our fifth day in Cambodia, I awoke, and everything felt a little bit like we’d made a mistake and we were disheartened and all over the place and rethinking our plans, so I wrote down exactly what our original dream had been. Later that day we went for a walk, turning right rather than the usual left, and about 500 metres down the road we saw an amazing building and said to each other that it would make the perfect retreat centre. The next day we looked at more properties, but all were too expensive or unsuitable, randomly popped into an estate-agents on the way back to our guesthouse and asked if he knew of anything. He said he didn’t really, but just that afternoon his friend had given him permission to advertise her place. As he started to draw it, I asked if it was blue? He said yes. It was the place we had found by ourselves a day ago! We went and saw it immediately and the next day signed our deal.
Leaps of faith become far less terrifying when you know that life is working with you and wants you to succeed. It wasn’t our original plan to move to Cambodia to set up a home for our How Are You Really? Yoga Retreats. We wanted to stay in Bali. We pushed on every door to make that happen and every door closed, until there were no more doors to push and we had to accept that this wasn’t the best path for our adventure. Life had different plans and they were going to be more amazing than the dreams we had humanly dreamed for our lives. The best plans are the ones where we cannot see every step in front of us and we choose to trust that if it is for us, it will not pass us. The universe wants us in Cambodia, of that I am 100% certain because every door we push has opened, and Yoga Barn Kampot, is opening soon. We could have stayed in Bali doing what we’ve been doing, but the easy path is not what we are called to, any of us, it is time for the next big adventure.
Indonesia, yoga, and meditation taught me that I don’t need to have control all the time. All I need to do is have enough faith to keep showing up to life and expecting that the thing I want is already waiting for me to grow into. This sounds easy, and in truth Larry is far better at having the patience to wait than I. That’s the balance that makes us such a great team, while I push and send us sailing way out of our comfort zones then freak out, he lovingly comes with me and holds me until I stop fighting the universes timing! When I exhaust myself and surrender, the outcome appears in perfect timing and all I can do is laugh and say, ‘Thank you.’
So, plan your dreams but do it in pencil! Be open to the universe giving you opportunities that you haven’t thought of, visualise your goal every day, vividly, as though it’s already happening, it’s not enough to want. Expect that the universe has it all taken care of for you and when the timing is perfect, you and your dream will unite. When we stay open and flexible to our dreams then we don’t get so mad or disappointed when things don’t go our way, because we know that something better is coming. It’s okay to be afraid, just don’t let your fear keep you standing still. When you make that leap, you may wonder why you stayed where you were for so long.
To end, I’ll quote Lemony Snicket...
"If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives."
So, begin, today! Grow into your goals!
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