Reflections and Lessons: Two Years of Living in Paradise
February 22, 2024 marked two years since taking a big leap and creating a life in Costa Rica. In reflection, I’ve lived a lot during that time, with many powerful lessons — ones I feel compelled to share.Here are some of my learnings from my time spent here thus far:
Paradise is a place within.
The beauty, energy and vibration of a place can be very alluring. Life can seem so much simpler. After some time, we can start to see that no place is perfect every positive aspect comes with tradeoffs, payments and sacrifices. The duality offered here is a powerful teacher, offering lessons of attachment, acceptance, gratitude and patience. As I continually unravel the haste in my psyche, I consistently learn (often with discomfort), that my freedom comes with learning to let go.Peace is a state of being.
To continue on with the previous point, the cultivation of peace within is what allows us to truly sink into the abundance of beauty surrounding us. It is very possible to be miserable, frustrated, stressed, anxious and unhappy while living in a place that is supposed to “fix” all of that. Connecting with peace is a practice that asks for consistency and discipline. This is above and beyond having some sort of a Self-care routine that you don’t deviate from. This kind of discipline and consistency is cultivated in each present moment by choosing to stay open, in the here and now, with a student’s mind. Through recognizing and understanding the ways in which we give our peace away, we can choose thoughts, words, behaviours and actions that align us with the practice of cultivating peace within. With consistency, this Peace can become our baseline state of Being. However, as we live in a world that challenges that Peace, and in many cases condemns it, we will loose it from time to time. This offers us a chance to learn new lessons on the journey back to remembering, and choosing, our Peace.Whatever you leave behind — Emotionally, Mentally, Energetically — will greet you where you are going.
There is no escaping the lessons which we are here to learn. No matter where we run to, or what we run from, we will inevitably arrive face-to-face with our truth. Being in a place like this can help one to slow down and lean into that process, especially when surrounded by a community that is dedicated to doing the same. It will not, however, be an escape from the work that’s calling to you.We are, in many ways, a product of our environment.
While a place can’t fix our life, it can surely enhance it. The abundance of life, beauty, sunshine and community have impacted me greatly. While the jungles of Central America may not be everyone’s ideal environment, or even their path, we can all take a moment to tune in and really ask ourselves if we resonate with the place and people we surround ourselves with. Does it make us feel alive and inspired? Do we feel held and supported? Do we feel at home?
While packing up and leaving may not be the answer (see number 3), you can make adjustments that change the energy of your surroundings. When in doubt, surround yourself with more nature. We are not apart from it, we are of it and our bodies remember that. There is great healing and grounding in the simple act of being outside, barefoot in the dirt or grass and surrounded by plants. Incorporate nature into your home with plants, art, colours, natural light and soundscapes, as best as you can.
Have stronger boundaries as the people you allow into your ecosystem will have a large effect on your energy and sanctity of your life. Kindly, with patience and compassion, be real with yourself about who is worth gifting your precious time and energy to. You are worth taking care of yourself by surrounding yourself with people that uplift you.We need each other.
While some of our most important moments in our life need to be done alone, it is in Community that our Healing and Growth is most nourished. For time immemorial, people have been gathering in council to share with one another — to be heard, held and supported through listening and receiving one another in collectively finding solutions for life’s challenges. It is in our DNA, our Soul’s Memory, to connect with this Sacred Collective Experience and offer love and compassion to one another. Science is corroborating the power that gathering in these ways has for us to heal as a collective.
Take responsibility for your own healing. Look in the mirror. Put in the effort. Open up space for healthy relationships and watch as your life brings them forward. You call in your tribe through the way that you vibe.
That feels like a good place to pause. The more I dive into these Journey and Integrate the lessons, the more I reflect on how connected we all are in our lived experiences as Human Kin on this planet. The vast space within us holds far more of the answers than the physical material world, which acts as our school, our learning ground, for this incredibly beautiful Journey of Evolution.
