Despair….
If I think to where my mind was this time last year, it was in despair. Despair at the possibility of a Donald Trump Whitehouse. Despair at the direction our world was heading in. Despair at division, hatred, and the impossible chasm that seemed to open between opposing ideas. How could we be in a place where hate speech and separation was acceptable? Where disregard for another’s suffering was the norm?
The start of this year was a nightmare for me, and I couldn’t shake it off for months.
But I’m a really positive and hopeful person, so I eventually got sick of feeling that way and decided to say fuck it – let’s go and make the most out of this life, regardless of the bullshit.
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| The boys on our UAE adventure, right before I got slammed |
I detached from world affairs as much as I could (and trust me, I’m never detached from world affairs) and I tried to see the beauty in life. It was hard though. I remember going to bed – after putting the Easter eggs out on Easter Saturday night for the boys – saying to Steve: we could wake to nuclear war tomorrow; do you know that?
And that was only the first time I felt that possibility. It’s happened a couple of times since. How did we get here? Ugh!
Then I look around the world at other countries, where other dickless politicians rage at the world, pushing us all closer to war and hatred of each other. I want to scream at those assholes: we’re all human. We’re all in this together. We have bigger issues to deal with and you need to fuck off.
Hope…
But we have political shining lights in Canada, New Zealand, across Europe and elsewhere. We have business leaders doing extraordinary things. We have amazing organizations fighting the fights we need to fight. There are good people doing extraordinary things. Change is happening, even if the media is only focused on the bad, because bad sells right?
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| Gorgeous Sri Lanka |
We have to look beyond the messages of the mainstream, and because I try to do that, hope lives in my heart and I continue to believe humankind will move forward into a more compassionate, accepting, and peaceful time. It would just really suck if we had to experience massive destruction before we agree it’s time to elevate humanity into the next dimension of consciousness. Because that is coming, no matter what, and we need to get ready for it.
The path through this time is rocky though, which I see as the challenge of our time….
Let’s face it, we all know we have massive issues to deal with and that’s where our focus must be. I also believe it’s time for all of us to take individual responsibility for our impact on the environment and the societies around us. We, the people, have more power than we’ve ever had before and it’s time to embrace that power and do what needs to be done.
2018 is definitely looking like the year #TheResistance will rise. That’s exciting and I’m in.
In the meantime, life ticks along and it’s been an interesting year for our family – lots of adventures, amazing experiences, successes and tears. Oh yes, the emotions have been high too.
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| Riding the waves in Phuket |
Steve
Starting with Steve, he has had an awesome year. He’s achieving kick-ass results, and is loving his work – just the lovin part is worth everything. I’m super proud of Steve, because when it comes to his real talent – building relationships across cultures and securing impossible business deals – he’s a master at it. He’s also incredibly supportive of what I’m doing, which makes me a very lucky girl in the husband I chose.
Jax
Jax has had an interesting year too. Almost 10, he was happy at AIS in Singapore, but we always felt he was a little lost there. The move to Phuket was massive for him – he was least enthusiastic – but today, being in a smaller school, with friends from every part of the world, as well as a gentler, mindfulness-focused environment, well it seems to be having a great impact on him. He hasn’t fully settled yet, but I think this move has been awesome for him. He’ll continue to grow up that one, and boy is he a natural charmer… Just like his dad.
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| Catching up with Poppy and Nan in Australia |
Lex
Lex has had the most interesting year of all of us. We started him in full time therapy for auditory processing challenges, but within six months, we saw little progress and he was deeply unhappy being away from friends. After another school rejected him, we moved everyone to Phuket, so he could join the Arrowsmith program at UWC Thailand, and already, we are seeing an impact.
He’s more focused, reading and writing more, and ultimately, we’re heading towards a calmer Lexy. Again, the kids at this school are beautiful, which matters so much for our sensitive Lex, and he’s making new friends. Just that is gorgeous.
At school, it’s exhausting what he has to do every day (his brain works so hard) but we are watching him mature, although that includes physical maturity, and with testosterone bursts kicking in, the first few months in Phuket have been tumultuous to say the least. Bloody kids I tell ya.
No matter what, we absolutely believe, deep in our hearts, we are where we need to be for him. After the years of bullshit we’ve had to endure (and all of the emotions that went with it), with no one offering any fresh insight or answers to understand what was going on or what we needed to do to help him, it’s a little bit of a relief to finally found the answer. Now it’s up to him.
Me
And for me, what a year. The Digital Conversationalist took off, I’ve been flying all over Asia, running my training program with thousands of business professionals, and it’s been amazing. I am also privileged to work with some really special clients – gorgeous people – so just that makes everything worthwhile.
If you know me, you’ll know I’ve been talking about the same thing for a very long time, so to know that the world is finally ready to listen, well it’s rather nice. Thank you to those who’ve supported me. It’s an amazing journey to share with you.
Looking back, it’s been a long, hard and often frustrating journey, building what I’ve been building, so it has felt amazing knowing it’s been worth it, but there is still so far to go. I’m enjoying the ride though, that’s for sure.
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| Magnificent friends in Marrakech |
The move
The move to Phuket kicked our arse. It is probably the most exhausting chapter of my life to date, and it didn’t stop when we got here. Getting the boys settled, paperwork done, animals here, buying furniture, and adapting to the Thai way of life, well it’s been intense. We are starting to relax into life here now though. Even in that, we know we have a long way to go.
Experiences
Amongst all of the personal and professional experiences, we’ve also had some amazing holidays – Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sri Lanka and more, plus incredible opportunities to catch up with family and friends around the world, first in Marrakech and back in Australia for my high school reunion and my big brother’s 50th. Definitely a busy and exciting year.
Incidentally, we’re planning a US road trip in 2018, so America, we are coming for you – if the immigration folk let me in of course….
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| Happy New Year from Phuket |
Happy New Year
Great things are going to happen in 2018 and I still believe every year I’ve ever had is better than the last, a mindset I continue to embrace. I hope you do too and want to wish you so much love and happiness this coming year, as well as hope there are exciting adventures and new experiences aplenty for you. The world continues to be precarious, so it’s never been more important to embrace our magnificent world with love and acceptance in our hearts. That’s what I reckon anyway.
With that, Happy New Year and Happy New Holden (teenage gag).
Yours, without the bollocks
Andrea
Thank you for reading my ramblings. My brain and heart are a work in progress, always. I’d love a comment if it stirred any thoughts or feelings and of course, please feel free to share it with anyone you know who might be interested or entertained. I sure do appreciate it when you do. If you want to connect, I’m on Twitter here, Google+ here, Instagram here, YouTube here, and Facebook too. I share loads of stuff, not just my own xxxxx
