Don't stand in my sunshine!!

Don’t stand in your own
sunshine ....

Without challenges in life, I stagnate.   I continue to do the familiar,  the comfortable, with no thought that there could be something more to life than what I already know.  Challenges force me out of my rut.  They force me to look at who I am and what I’m capable of.  They make me stand alone and survive when I don’t think I’m able to.
There’s definitely a Tui moment in there somewhere .. I’m sure of it!

Indy!

There’s nothing missing from the person I am. I don’t have to search for the requisite skills that I need to face whatever is thrown at me. It’s all already there. I’m a complete and perfect package .... 100% equipped with the tools I need to make my life what I want it to be.  
We all are. 
Until we’re faced with a momentous upheaval in our lives though, few of us realise that we already have all the bits and bobs necessary to survive.  We don’t have to search for anything ... it’s all there ... right within us.

The rather oddly shaped stick she found this morning!

Moving to NZ two years ago forced me to face my fears.  I was comfortable in SA.  I had a thriving business that bought me so much pleasure,  a loving and growing family, a marvellous circle of friends who uplifted and supported me.  Everywhere I went was familiar and had a comfortable feel to it. I didn’t need to move elsewhere in the world to appreciate all that I had.

But move I did and despite the initial home-sickness and the still ever-present nostalgia for the known and familiar ... I’m enjoying it here.  Yes I’ve missed, and still miss, my friends in SA tremendously but, this morning for the very first time, I realised just how very much I’m enjoying making new friends here and how much each of those new friends adds to the person I’ve become.  As with my friends in SA each of them adds their own special brand of uniqueness to my sunshine.  They bring out the best bits in me and I hope I bring out the best bits in them.

Starting my business here hasn’t been plain sailing either. I suppose in SA it took several years to build up and I had a network of friends and family who supported me.  I never had to advertise.  The work came ‘word of mouth’ as friends of friends and friends’ businesses commissioned me for various projects. Here, it’s just me .... all on my lonesome .... trying to make an impact on my new world.  It’s scary!  Suddenly all those doubts and insecurities flood my mind.  I know what I create is unique and beautiful but will anybody else!

Fortunately I have the best canine model in the world for much of my work!  I never intended for my hound to become the focal point of my work .... but once again, you grab what you’re presented with and run with it.  The photo opportunities I get on the beach every morning with her are superb. She is so photogenic as are many of the hounds we meet. 

This morning we met Julia’s Indy, another Chocolate Labrador.  He’s huge, much taller than her and he doesn’t get to come to the beach as frequently as she does as his favourite human works several days a week!  He had such fun though ..... hoovered the beach a lot .... and found the smallest of balls to chase!!!  It looked so incongruous .... this large lean chocolate Labrador chasing this tiny green ball!!

He also re-arranged the log that the gulls perch on in the bay.  My hound, as is usual, had the requisite stick in the mouth .. not a log this morning .... and Indy decided to fetch the one he could see in the water.  The only problem was it was huge!!!  But Indy’s not a big dog for nothing.  He pulled and pulled as hard as he could and it moved!!  I think the gulls will be pleased. There are so many more perches for them to sit on now!

All these characters I meet on the beach every day .... both human and hound ..... are filling my world with new thoughts and ideas.  They make me so aware of how much goodness is out there and I love that they do. 
That sunshine ..... it’s just going to keep on shining ... there IS no other way!