Dolce far niente.

Pura vida.

No worries.

Hakuna matata.

These four adages are from 4 different continents and yet they mean the same thing. And that is, to live a life without troubles.

In this fast pace modern world, that is far from happening. Everyday is a hustle. And probably, the only time we get to do that is when we are on vacation. Usually, that lasts a few weeks in a year. However, even then, things don’t go as planned. As Murphy’s law stated, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. So, that’s life in a nutshell.

Not worrying may sound so simple and easy to do but trust me, it is far from it. There is a whole process you have to go through in order to completely clear your head and focus on the moment. You might think, oh that’s easy, I’ll just sit there and stay still. Yes, sure, you can do that. But then, your mind wanders… You can’t avoid thinking about your boring job, your failed relationships, your neglected diet, your feud with your brother and so on.

That’s the thing, you can’t just turn off your brain like a switch. Even when you are asleep, your brain is at work. You could have 8 hours of sleep and wake up feeling like sh*t. The emotional and psychological ramifications of a dream lingers as you are waking up and go about your day. Eventually, you get tired of the routine. Your mental health is affected and it has gotten so much worse that it manifests physically.

I should know. I’ve lived it. I used to be in the rat race. I used to be tied to a desk from 9-5 thinking my dreams are way beyond my reach. Sadly, I did not even try to change my situation back then. I was raised to live in the mainstream. What do I know, I had nobody in my circle who had left the 9-5 and now ‘living the dream’, whatever it means for them. But, that should not be an excuse. If you can’t find an example, be the example.

If you have been following my blog for a while, you would know how and why I left a stable job for a life of uncertainties. It sounds daunting and it is! But it’s all I could ever ask for. Besides, life is already full uncertainties, what’s another one, right?

Everyone wants stability, a routine, a sense of security… Until 2020 arrived. The whole world suddenly did a 180 and shook the stability that many people were ‘enjoying’. Tons of people lost their income, their houses and their minds. It’s been a though year and it’s still not over.

I’m not here to scare you or anything but I’m here to let you know that you are not alone. We are all overwhelmed and drained. But hey, that’s normal. It’s perfectly normal to feel down in these difficult times. But you know what we can do? Pick ourselves up. You don’t have to do it in a snap. Take your time. Find what inspires you and fixate on that. The path you used to take may not be there anymore but make a new one. The world is full of possibilities. If there isn’t one, make it. This year, taught us to be resilient and creative. Chin up and keep moving forward.

Pura vida from Costa Rica! ❤