April’s word is venture. Venture can be defined as a risky expedition or undertaking. It is taking on something that’s potentially dangerous with an uncertain outcome. I took a risk coming to Australia. It had the potential to be dangerous (minor dangers) and most definitely had an uncertain outcome. I had no idea what awaited me and that excited me. What awaited me was a journey that isn’t over yet. I had this expectation that I would find the answers to life through travelling, or at least have better understanding of people’s behaviours and my own behaviour. Admittedly, I have learned some valuable lessons; ones that I truly believe can only be learned from leaving your comfort zone. But in a way, travelling has just made me even more confused than I was before I left. I wanted to leave the people I know and love to see who I was without them. I didn’t want to be defined by anybody. But what I am starting to see if that I actually identify myself with those relationships as they reflect who I am as person. You might be thinking this might not be the best realization for me considering I have settled in Australia with a new house, a job that I enjoy and a boyfriend that I love dearly. But I don’t see this lesson as a bad thing. What a truly amazing lesson it is to learn the importance of the people which we surround ourselves with. Who you surround yourself around will ultimately influence who you are, whether you’re consciously aware of it or not. So my advice would be, hang around people that are good people. Spend time with those you admire. Be with people that have a positive insight that you can learn and grow from. Be with people that bring your authentic self to life and bring you up to the point that you could explode with love for yourself and for others. Most importantly, be with people that make you laugh and bring smile to your face. Some of you might be thinking, “ya obviously Cat, be around positive people, that’s a no brainer.” But I think a lot of people get caught up with negativity more than they would like to admit. It’s not something to be shameful of, just something to be aware of.
Travelling has opened my eyes some of the cruelties of the world. I’ve been reminded that there are toxic people out there who can be critical, negative and not very enjoyable to be around. The people that seek to judge others. These are the people that don’t accept different. Those that I cannot relate to and certainly do not want to become. I read a quote today that said “sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes, in the middle of nowhere you find yourself.” I think this is one of those moments where for no particular reason, I’ve become aware of the potential dangers that this venture to another country could do and not only in this country, but any country. Which is, being pulled away from my authentic self, and becoming more like someone else (a downfall of not always having control over the people you meet/are influenced by while travelling). If I could name one thing that is extremely contagious to me, it’s negatively. So I need to stay clear of it.
In saying that, I have also met some truly great people who I do admire, who I respect and who I am proud to have as friends. That’s the beauty of travelling, you find people of different colours with different backgrounds, different experiences and totally different histories. It’s such an extraordinary feeling when you can connect with someone you know nothing about. I love that!
Everyone has a place in this world and I know that. Everyone is different and that’s a beautiful thing. This blog may sound a bit like complaining, and maybe it is, but that is not my intention. It’s meant to be me more about exploring yourself and understanding where about you fit into this crazy world of ours. Maybe that means sitting back and recognizing what influences you and who influences you? Are you happy with your answers? Our time is valuable, so spend it wisely. As Shira Tehrani says, “you can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.” Thanks for reading!
