Marche

Photo by Tommy Ton

Step (Eng.)/Marcher (Fr.) verb: The single complete movement of raising one foot and putting it down in another spot.

I am revisiting a concept that I was turned onto while in Rome a couple of months ago. The concept of "stepping out".

Rome is notorious for its insane driving. My chauffeur  who picked me up from the airport gave me some very useful advice for my stay, "To cross the street, you must step out into the traffic. Otherwise, if you wait for the traffic to stop, you will be waiting for ever. I am not kidding."

I found this advice especially poignant, considering that I knew only one word in Italian-- attraversiamo, which means "to cross".

He was right. Yet stepping out into crazy traffic is easier said than done. I discovered that it was a good idea to draft off of the "stepping out" of the locals. The older Italian woman were usually the best to draft off of, the tourists on the other hand, not so much. This drafting allowed me the opportunity to recognize the best "stepping out" opportunities and to gain the confidence to do it more effortlessly and independently.

I pondered this metaphor for life throughout the duration of my trip. And I continue to revisit this concept during my return in Paris.

Réduire

(photo by Tommy Ton)

Réduire (Fr.)/Reduce (Eng) verb:
to lessen in any way, as in size, weight, amount, value, price; diminish; to put into a simpler or more concentrated form.

"In order to seek one's own direction, one must simplify the mechanics of ordinary, everyday life."
- Plato

"Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life, and the labors of life reduce themselves."
- Edwin Way Teale

It's springtime in Paris and the temperatures are beginning to warm, which means that the layers begin to be shed. To many, it signals spring cleaning, a clearing out of closets and removal of dust and debris from homes. Perhaps it is because I live in a teeny tiny Parisian apartment, with only what fits inside of two duffels, a carry on, and a briefcase, but to me it is prompting a different type of clearing.

I have a tendency to have a lot on my plate at all times. I tend to thrive when I am busy. But being in Paris has caused an awareness around my busyness and perhaps even changed my relationship with it. I find myself longing for periods of nothingness, where I can just be, focus on the things that I truly enjoy, reflect, play, and God forbid, do nothing.

I have been advised that it is time to remove things from my plate in order to make space for my life to unfold. This is really uncomfortable for me. I suppose it is similar to that feeling you have before you take that bag of clothes, clothes that you once adored, to Goodwill. Yet, afterwards you realize that you really don't miss them at all and even feel lighter and more buoyant.

The key is in trusting that your life will continue to be abundant and full even if your closet, and schedule are not.

la vulnérabilité

(Anna Dello Russo, photo by TommyTon)

la vulnérabilité (Fr.)/ vulnerability (Eng.); noun

• Capable or susceptible to being wounded or hurt

I have been thinking a lot about vulnerability and its benefits. This subject comes up for me about 8 out of 10 times when I walk out my door. Especially when I go to the theatre, the small and intimate type of theatre, not the grande sized theatre, where you can actually hide in the crowd. I find myself going to the smaller venues quite a bit as the majority of my Parisian friends are involved in theatre to some extent.

The thing about a smaller sized theatre is that the actors actually involve the audience in their performances. And while this would not normally be an intimidating factor in an English speaking environment, it causes me a great deal of anxiety in a French speaking environment as my French comprehension is quite poor. I find myself praying that they will not call me out. And I even make silent declarations to myself as I sit in the audience avoiding eye contact with the actors, that I will not put myself in this situation ever again. Yet, I know that you must expand yourself outside of your comfort zone if you want to experience life at its fullest, which is why, I suppose, I will go to yet another intimate theatre performance tonight.

It occurred to me that I could transform my anxiety into a sensation that is a tad bit more enjoyable. For example,  focusing my energy on channeling my sense of humor about my lack of comprehension rather than my embarrassment of it. Or, perhaps I could simply embrace my vulnerability, lean into it, and even shine a light on it. 

There is a very wise researcher/story-teller (yes, that is her real-life profession), Brene Brown who claims that people who have the courage to be imperfect and show the world who they are with their whole heart, experience a connection of authenticity that leads to (and enhances) a happy existence.

To have the courage to be imperfect and show the world who they are, letting go of who they think they should be in order to be who they are. And to fully embrace vulnerability and believe that which makes them vulnerable, makes them beautiful. 


If you have 20 minutes, you can check out the full TEDtalk on this subject, which raises the point that when you feel vulnerable means that you are alive:

Stand

It's nice to know that no matter what, someone's right behind you, backing you up all the way. Sometimes, however, you must stand on your own two feet and do it yourself, just to know that you can.

Liberté

Liberté (Noun, Fr.): Freedom

"The desire of gold is nor for gold. It is for the means of freedom and benefit."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Jolie

Jolie (adj., Fr.): Pretty

"Happy girls are the prettiest girls."
- Audrey Hepburn

Attraversiamo

This is the only Italian word that I know, and for good reason I suppose.

attraversare (Italian) verb
to cross, to go through, to run through

"I crossed the street to walk in the sunshine."
— Elizabeth Gilbert

Traversée

Traversée
(voyage: noun): Crossing, passage, voyage, traverse

"I thought about one of my favorite Sufi poems, which says that God long ago drew a circle in the sand exactly around the spot where you are standing right now. I was never not coming here. This was never not going to happen."

"...people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate enough. But that's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don't you will eat away your innate contentment. It's easy enough to pray when you're in distress but continuing to pray even when your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping your soul hold tight to its good attainments."


"...to travel is worth any cost or sacrifice."

— Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

Underneath

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet.
- James Openheim

Heighten

Being in a heightened state of gratitude is a sure fire way to shift your energy to be in tune with the universe.

Can you spend the next five minutes thinking of 25 reasons to be grateful? Sure you can.

Blessing

What I’m looking for is a blessing that’s not in disguise.
- Kitty O’Neill Collins

Surround

If you want to live your best life in a world where you are celebrated everyday, then make sure you surround yourself with people who are in synch with you. That support you in your pursuit of living your best life and who celebrate you. Spend less time with people who don't. Pretty simple.

Vulnerable

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.
- C.S.Lewis

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that crushes it.
- Mark Twain

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
- Mahatma Gandi

Endings

Endings seems to be a common theme for the majority of my friends right now. I don't know if it is related to the ending of one year, and the beginning of another, or if there is some other force at work. No one seems to be very saddened by these endings, but rather they seem to be curious about the energy that these endings are producing. It doesn't seem to be an exclusive topic to my little circle either, as today's Daily OM was focused on this exact thing, and it was a nice reminder:

Comfort can be found in the fact that all beginnings are preceded by endings.

Viewing an ending or loss as an opportunity for new beginnings can make moving into a new phase of life a more enjoyable experience. Though leaving a valued part of your life behind can sting, the fact that the future is not yet written means that there are infinite possibilities waiting for you. A period where you are encountering obstacles can be the best time to consider altering your course to create the life you desire. The pain that loss can cause can be the motivation that drives you to discover unknown worlds or immerse yourself in new knowledge. Endings are simply transitional periods that prepare us for the unknown. The ending that affects you today will become the starting point for the next amazing phase of your journey.