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It's OK to take a break

#PresentOverPerfect2019


“Stop. Breathe. Start again.”


Life moves so fast. Hence, most of us often get caught up in our regular daily routines and we forget to really consciously think about what’s happening. We rarely take the time to truly appreciate, never mind make sense of our past, present and future, which unfortunately may lead some of us to lose track of what makes us happy.


 Lots of happy moments when mom and dad came to visit me in the UAE in 2016.


Over the last 12 years, my life has mostly consisted of working, exercising, spending time (eating) with family and friends and of course travelling around the World. Sounds absolutely wonderful, doesn’t it? Believe me, for the most part, it has been magical. In fact, teaching, coaching, exercising, traveling and spending time (eating) with loved ones are all things I undoubtedly love doing; but oddly enough, some of the magic recently faded away.

My trip to Mexico in 2012 was a dream come true full of magic.

In our busy lives, it can be challenging to take a break; we may feel guilt or fear that we’re letting people down, that we’ll be missing out and/or that we’ll have some catching up to do. Let’s be honest though; every now and then, we can physically be somewhere, but because we’re so exhausted and/or distracted by the millions of thoughts running through our minds, we’re not "all" there. 

Balancing training for competitions along with work and having any kind of social life, has proven to be very challenging for me over the last year and sacrifices have had to be made along the way.
The whole process has been incredibly rewarding however and I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to go through it.
A few months ago, I noticed how exhausted and distracted I had become, so I decided it was time to slow things down. Lately, I have been doing a lot less and I have been spending more time alone with my thoughts, which I’ll be honest, can be taunting at times. Occasionally, I have felt a little lazy, bored, sad and even a tad bit crazy, but as I sat by the pool in Bali reading a book and as I walked on the beach in Maui listening to Ted Talks just a few weeks ago, I learned that this break, this reflective process I’m currently going through, is very likely to lead me to many more magical experiences.

Special thanks to Rola and John in Bali as well as Paul and Bailey in Maui for welcoming me into their homes.
I will forever be grateful.

If we truly want to get the most out of life, we should all take a break every once in a while, even if it’s just for a few minutes a day. 

Disconnect and enjoy your own company; try meditating, reading a book, listening to a podcast, going for a walk, journaling... 

Our diverse experiences can only be made magical if we can see them with the right pair of (fresh and attentive) eyes.

Trying to spend 20 minutes a day outdoors in Canada.


"An empty tank will take you exactly nowhere. Take time to refuel."

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