I just sent out my 'Dr Jody's life update' blog and forgot to mention something...my business idea is great but the little issue I'm having presently is that no income will start until my first workshop....which is still 3 months away. So...
Its flu season! And there's all this propaganda about 'protecting' yourself by getting an injection filled with a bunch of dead viruses and toxins to keep you healthy. Anyone else furrow their brow and scrunch up their nose like I did about this? Well, let Dr. Jody tell you that there are lots of HEALTHY ways to stay healthy! (Crazy idea, I know but just take a listen...
*Eat lots of vegetables and some fruit everyday; stay away from sugar, processed foods, etc
*Get regular movement/exercise
*Get adequate sleep
*Laugh a lot; take deep breaths; smile; do something you love often; look up at the sky and fill yourself with gratitude for all the wonderful things in your life (even if and especially when you are having a bad day!)
*And take physician grade, high quality supplements....and order them from Dr. Jody!!!
I've got them all:
Immune boosters
mulitvitamins
Antioxidants
detox/liver support
stress reducers/adrenal gland support
cardio/heart support
digestive support
brain/memory support
joint support
blood sugar balancer
mood support
calcium/magnesium
.....Just say 'NO!' to cheap brands you buy at the drug store and get the highest quality stuff from me!
Just send an email to: drjodystanislaw@gmail.com
I'd like to make a single order with what everyone wants by October 15th so please email me asap if you would like to order anything! (But feel free to contact me anytime year round as well.)
Myself and my start up business (ie empty bank account) would like to thank you for your support,
Stay healthy,
Dr. Jody
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Dawning of a New World
Feeling frustrated with sales for 5 years in my 20's...ugh. Med school for 5 long years....argh. An adventurous year working in Thailand...with enthralling blogs capturing my every up and down throughout the year... Off to Bali for 5 months to write my book (which I still intend on definitely finishing!!) .....and now I've been back home in Seattle for over 3 months. So now what?!
Well, I must say, I'm LOVING this Indian summer, thank goodness! And I'm also loving living with my mom and Chris. After being on my own for 18 months in Asia, waking up everyday to my smiling mom's face is a true delight.
So what's next for Dr. Jody? I'm creating my DREAM! That's what's next! Here are the ingredients = helping other people improve their health + being an entrepreneur (ie, forever being my own boss!) + leading groups/ speaking/teaching + having a flexible work schedule + travel.......Ta dah! In a nut shell, although nothing is on the website yet, I now own the domain, 'TakeAHealthyVacation.com"
Phase One: I have put together a workshop entitled, "Make 2010 Your Healthiest Year Ever!" (and the toned down title for the yoga groups I market it to is, "Living in Optimal Health: A workshop for creating balance in your life.") Regardless of the title, its all about helping people live healthier lives. I've already sold a popular Seattle yoga studio on it and they want a 3-hour version. An elite gym in downtown Seattle wants a 2-day version. The fitness club I'm meeting with tomorrow wants a 1-day version. Barnes & Nobel is so excited about it, they've already told me they want to hook me up with a speakers circuit they are organizing. The best quote from my 'work day' today (while sitting on the couch in the sun at my mom's house) was when I was talking to Barnes & Nobel and they asked, "Are you prepared to work with us? Because we could have your schedule booked."
Phase Two: After doing who knows how many titillating workshops around Seattle and collecting volumes of contacts, start holding my 3-10 day health vacations anywhere around the world.....and voila! Jody's dream career is born.
Phase 1.5 - 2.5: Publish my book (which the main intention is to inspire people to follow their dreams) and see what kind of wings it has and what kind of doors it will open for me to expand my name and my career.
After spending my life since I was 7 years old wanting to be in a profession where I could make a positive difference in people's lives, I feel that this time to create my very own vision of that reality has finally arrived. There are not words to express my gratitude and excitement...so I'll use symbols instead: ***!$$#%&!!!***
(Now, if I could only find a husband and start making my own insulin, my life would be my wildest dreams come true.) :-)
I believe in it! I hope we all experience our wildest dreams come true!
Happy Autumn to all,
Jody
Well, I must say, I'm LOVING this Indian summer, thank goodness! And I'm also loving living with my mom and Chris. After being on my own for 18 months in Asia, waking up everyday to my smiling mom's face is a true delight.
So what's next for Dr. Jody? I'm creating my DREAM! That's what's next! Here are the ingredients = helping other people improve their health + being an entrepreneur (ie, forever being my own boss!) + leading groups/ speaking/teaching + having a flexible work schedule + travel.......Ta dah! In a nut shell, although nothing is on the website yet, I now own the domain, 'TakeAHealthyVacation.com"
Phase One: I have put together a workshop entitled, "Make 2010 Your Healthiest Year Ever!" (and the toned down title for the yoga groups I market it to is, "Living in Optimal Health: A workshop for creating balance in your life.") Regardless of the title, its all about helping people live healthier lives. I've already sold a popular Seattle yoga studio on it and they want a 3-hour version. An elite gym in downtown Seattle wants a 2-day version. The fitness club I'm meeting with tomorrow wants a 1-day version. Barnes & Nobel is so excited about it, they've already told me they want to hook me up with a speakers circuit they are organizing. The best quote from my 'work day' today (while sitting on the couch in the sun at my mom's house) was when I was talking to Barnes & Nobel and they asked, "Are you prepared to work with us? Because we could have your schedule booked."
Phase Two: After doing who knows how many titillating workshops around Seattle and collecting volumes of contacts, start holding my 3-10 day health vacations anywhere around the world.....and voila! Jody's dream career is born.
Phase 1.5 - 2.5: Publish my book (which the main intention is to inspire people to follow their dreams) and see what kind of wings it has and what kind of doors it will open for me to expand my name and my career.
After spending my life since I was 7 years old wanting to be in a profession where I could make a positive difference in people's lives, I feel that this time to create my very own vision of that reality has finally arrived. There are not words to express my gratitude and excitement...so I'll use symbols instead: ***!$$#%&!!!***
(Now, if I could only find a husband and start making my own insulin, my life would be my wildest dreams come true.) :-)
I believe in it! I hope we all experience our wildest dreams come true!
Happy Autumn to all,
Jody
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
It's Always Better to Let Go
Yes! I am home! And it feels fantastic!!! I am sitting at my mom's kitchen table, looking out at the glorious Olympic mountains as we speak. It is surreal. I have dreamed about this moment for ages. :-)
My week in London visiting Martin and meeting his family was fantastic. Visiting Emily in Massachusetts and meeting her little baby Gus was wonderful...and in a nut shell, that's it for now, because this blog is about something that happened two weeks ago. It's more of a short story so I hope you find time to enjoy it!
When I fly, I am eternally mesmerized by being able to look at the tops of clouds thus my preference is always to sit in a window seat. At this very moment, I happen to be sitting in one, on Jet Airways flight 333 headed to London. This is my second flight today; my first was from Bangkok to Mumbai. The alarm in my Bangkok hotel room went off at 5am this morning and after living on this side of the world for the past 513 days, today marked my very last morning waking up in Asia. It is time for me to come home…this life-changing chapter of my life has now come to an end.
After a week of them, I said my last emotional good-bye in Bali yesterday to my local friend who drove me to the airport. I then arrived in Thailand two flights later, for the first time in over five months, and the memories of my year there came rushing back and danced around in my head for the next, and my last, 18 hours in Thailand. I stayed in the center of town and walked the streets of Bangkok for a few hours last night to soak up my last tastes of Thai culture (literally and figuratively).
In the past hour, I have been in Mumbai, the city of that horrific terrorist attack just six months ago. Flying in, I experienced my first ever glimpse of India. The only color evident was brown. Rows and rows of basic box-like apartment buildings stretched in every direction. The buildings, a dirty white, looked brown. The hills were brown. Even the ocean was brown. Something like 16 million people live in Mumbai and the poverty was blatantly obvious. Shantytowns dotted the landscape and even jetted up against the barbed wire fence of the airport boundary. With my camera pressed against the double-paned, plastic window of the airplane, I attempted to capture the juxtaposition of the rows of sleek, jet airplanes with the rows of dilapidated shacks in the background.
My layover in Mumbai was only about an hour. I am now back in the air at this moment, with nothing but the glorious tops of fluffy white clouds in my view out the window. This marks my fourth flight in the past two days, and in nine hours, I will be arriving in London for a long awaited, almost Hollywood-esque reunion with my good friend, Martin. We met 13 years ago while we were both backpacking through New Zealand. The last time I saw him was in 2000 when we spent 10 days traveling together in Costa Rica. A lot has changed since then…I am excited to finally be able to meet his wife, Sharon, and their three young children.
But the picture I just painted is actually not the impetus behind my desire to write today. What I feel compelled to share is actually the experience I just had at the Mumbai airport…
A little background story I must recount first…I believe in God, or in a Higher Power, or in Spirit, or the effects of Karma…whatever you want to call it. And one of the key lessons that I feel this Power has been presenting to me during my life over the past year or so is that of Letting Go…Wow! Quick tangent! I just looked out the window and saw this sea of coral red color. At first glance, given the wave like appearance of its flat and expansive surface, I had the fleeting thought of, “I never knew the minerals in water could turn it into such fiery red!” But then I realized it wasn’t water. It was desert. I am presently flying over the Middle East. Maybe its Iraq, or Afghanistan. I can’t even imagine the turmoil going on in the lands below me right now…so I will do what we all do in today’s world to be able to continue on and not feel paralyzed by thoughts of this atrocious situation…I will divert my attention back to what I was doing…funny though isn’t it, that I was just talking about God?
Anyway…Letting Go. That’s been the lesson that has been appearing before me on numerous occasions for the past year or so. One of my many stories demonstrating this was when I needed to make my checked baggage lighter when headed to Cambodia with Dad and Jean back in November. My dear friend, Manana, had just sent me a care-package of all of my favorite bathroom products from home…organic jojoba oil, my favorite natural body lotion, Tom’s toothpaste, Aveda shampoo and conditioner…. I was in heaven to be reunited with these treats from home. They were the most prized possessions in my bag so, since they were quite heavy, I put them in my carry-on bag and felt safer with them near me anyway… BAD IDEA!
Silly me. I had forgotten about the endless list of forbidden items that are permitted in one’s carry on baggage…. liquid bottles above 100g being the most pertinent in my case. As I entered security, I heard the dreaded statement, “Maam, can you open your bag please. Do you have any liquid or creams in your bag?” I froze. I acted dumb. I acted innocent. I acted like I didn’t understand. “Maam, come over here please. Open your bag.”
I don’t have any enemies in my life but this woman was quickly becoming one. One by one, she took out each prized bottle and swiftly announced, “Maam, you must leave all of these with me.”
“I don’t understand, “ I pathetically pleaded, “I only thought this rule applied to pure liquids? These are just creams.”
“Maam, you cannot take any of this with you.”
“How about if I only take 100g of each with me. Here I can put some in this little plastic container that I have and this empty bottle.”
“Maam, you cannot take any of this with you.”
“How about this one.? Its small.”
“Maam, its over 100g. You cannot take it with you.”
“I don’t understand. Why can’t I take this with me?”…My maturity level reverted to that of a five year old about to have a temper tantrum. I stood there in disbelief, trying to grasp the reality that I was going to have to part from my most prized possessions. The drill sergeant in front of me just stood their staring at me with her firm stare. I just stood there, unable to walk away.
“Maam, I need to get back to work. You must go to your plane.”
I looked around, as if in search for someone who would allow me to break the rules…but to no avail. Thoughts of rebellion entered my mind. ‘Maybe if I stand here long enough, I could sneak a few of them into my bag when she happened to glance away for a moment… But what if she figured it out once I walked away and then walkie-talkied someone at my gate who would then arrest me for bringing explosive body lotion on board? Do I really have to walk away from all of this?’ My mature voice finally peeped in, ‘Yes, you do Jody. Its time to walk away. Let go.’
With the level of excitement I had experienced from being reunited with these material items, representative of home, after living in this foreign land for the past year, this unexpected departure from them literally made me start to cry. I trudged along to the gate and tried to flood my mind with what a great opportunity this was for practicing the Buddhist ideal of non-attachment, as tears of powerless frustration ran down my eyes. That was last October.
Fast forward, back to today… So there I was in the Bangkok airport at the EXACT same security check point as I was in the above scenario over six months ago, when I heard that dreadfully familiar statement. “Maam, can you open your bag please. Do you have any liquid or creams in your bag?”
One thing I don’t like about flying is how dry my skin becomes. I had been annoyed by this fact yesterday on my flights from Bali to Bangkok, so I was proud of myself for remembering to put some lotion in my bag this morning to avoid the same annoyance today. And, not to mention that once again, it was one of my most prized possessions that Manana had recently sent me….this amazingly heavenly mango body butter…and the container it was in was 180g.
“Maam, you cannot take this with you.”
“Well how about if I only take 100g of it with me? Here I can put some in this little plastic container that I have and this empty jar.”
“Maam, that jar is too big. It must be in a container that is smaller than 100g. You must leave it here.”
“Well, I’ll just use this little plastic container. And how about in this plastic bag?”
“Maam.”
With the audacity that even I am amazed by which periodically boils up from inside of me, I found myself defiantly putting some of the lotion into my little plastic container. Luckily (or not, for the sake of my karma) this woman wasn’t half the drill sergeant of the woman in my previous encounter. She not only looked around, but she walked away. With only the stubbornness of someone seemingly born to dismiss obeying rules they deem as trivial, I then quickly transferred the lotion not only into the little plastic container but also into the oversized jar, quickly shoved them into my bag, and then calmly but swiftly walked away, successfully, or so I thought...
I arrive at the gate with my heart pounding. No walkie-talkies. No one calling my name. I show the smiley woman at the entrance to the fairway my boarding pass and proceed to my seat. I must admit, I sat there in disbelief of my own defiance. ‘Jody, is this meek feeling of joy that you have from keeping your lotion coupled with this heavy guilt you’re now experiencing really worth it? Didn’t you just blog the other day about how life consists of endless opportunities to polish one’s character? Wouldn’t a more character building choice had been to just let go of your silly lotion (that you instead chose to risk serious punishment for by keeping) and obeyed the rules, regardless of how trivial you deem them to be?’ The only way I can explain my behavior in a way that I believe every human can relate to is that experience of feeling compelled to do something that mentally you know is not in your best interest, yet you find yourself doing it anyway.
I relaxed and enjoyed the next 9 hours to Mumbai, somewhat happy that I still had my lotion. Now, a little important side note I need to mention…somewhere around year two or three of med school, I became a nighttime teeth grinder. My dentist mentioned this to me as she saw the erosion on the tops of my back teeth and suggested I get a night guard, at a price tag of $500. Given my status of only living on loans at the time, I couldn’t justify spending the money. Luckily one day I found this do-it-yourself version at the drug store for the fantastically cheap price of only $20! I heated up some water on the stove to warm up the little rubber arch thing, bit down on it when it was still warm, put it into cold water, and then voila! I had my very own custom-fit night guard, albeit a super cheap one. The issue with it was that I felt like a hockey player every night when I put it in my mouth. It was basically an oversized piece of rubber that didn’t even allow me to close my mouth so I often used to wake up with drool all over my pillow.
But, I love my beautiful teeth, so I wore that glob of rubber in my mouth religiously for the next several years, albeit not the exact same piece; I bought a new one every few months or so once it started to look so frighteningly dilapidated I didn’t dare put it in my mouth. Once I was employed and living in Thailand, I discovered a fabulous hospital in Bangkok. Bumrungrad International Hospital employs only top-notch physicians and yet services there cost a mere fraction of what it would cost for the same thing in the states. So what service did I take advantage of there?! A professional, slim, and comfortable mouth guard of course! After years of sleeping with that huge glob of rubber in my mouth, I absolutely LOVE my new slim and sleek mouth guard!
So why did I tell you this story? Well, because the little plastic container for my mouth guard is the container I put some of my precious lotion in. My mouth guard I then casually threw into my bag…which I then put into a plastic bag once I got to my seat and tucked away into the seat pocket in front of me for easy access once I was ready for a nap…fell asleep without it…woke up in a daze being told to bring my seat forward to prepare for landing…exited the plane…walked for fifteen minutes along the airport corridors passing armed security guards…through another security check-point…to the gate of my next plane which was soon going to start boarding…when it hit me and I started to freak out. ‘Oh shit! I forgot my mouth guard!’
I sprinted back to the security check-point and pleaded with them to let me back through and run back to the plane I had just departed from. I suddenly recognized one of the flight attendants on the other side of the gate and waved her over to me in hopes of having her assistance.
“Hi! I was just on your flight and I left something on the plane that I really need to get! Can you please help me get back to the plane to retrieve it?!”
“Maam, the plane has already left.”
“What?! I just got off it a few minutes ago. How can it already be gone?!”
Sitting on a table swinging her feet, with her arms crossed and a look of ‘hey-lady-I’m-off-duty-now,’ she replied, “Maam, you’re too late. It’s already gone.” My heart dropped as I quickly realized the fact that this woman had absolutely zero interest in ever being nominated for the ‘most-helpful-flight-attendant-in-the-world’ award. But I was determined to be reunited with my precious, sleek, and slim mouth guard.
“Can’t you walkie-talkie someone on the plane to see if they could have someone bring it to my next flight?’
Feet still swinging; arms still crossed, “I don’t have a walkie-talkie.”
Feeling the need to bring in a little charm and perhaps a slight white lie to get her to help me, I beseeched, “Thank you so much for helping me understand this but I’m a bit confused as to how the plane can be ‘gone.’ Doesn’t it take a while to unload all the bags? It’s a medical device that I left on board and it is very important that I get it back. Could we please just walk down to the gate to see if the plane by chance is still there?”
My ploy worked. “Come with me maam.” She begrudgingly slid herself off the table and at a rate which would make that of a snail seem high-speed, she walked me toward the gate. The adrenaline pumping through me made ‘keeping up’ with her an incredibly painful task.
Although her feet were walking with me, her mind was clearly resisting. In an obvious attempt to let out her frustration by making me fear and regret my perseverance, she declared, “Maam, by doing this you’re going to miss your connecting flight. The next plane to London isn’t until tomorrow, so that means you’re going to have to get a hotel in town. That will cost you a lot of money.”
With only the determination of Jody Stanislaw, I confidently replied, “I still have 45 minutes before my next flight leaves. I thank you immensely for walking back with me but shouldn’t we go a little faster to not miss it, in case it’s still there?”
In an obvious display that this lady really didn’t give a damn, she replied, “We’re fine. Just calm down. The plane is already going to be gone.”
Both sets of footsteps continued forward, mine with determination, and hers with ironic willingness. We were just about there when she victoriously declared, “See, it’s not there.” I kept walking forward because the gate hadn’t actually come into view yet…but a few seconds later, it did…and I was right.
“It’s still there!” I didn’t dare make eye contact with her in lieu of my victory and her defeat and since my mission was still not complete, I knew my next move had to be to express my sincere gratitude. “Thank you so much for walking me back here! I really appreciate your help!” This was a good strategy because when we arrived at the gate, the big metal door was closed and the walkway to the plane had been retracted.
In yet another one of her acts of ironic willingness, she picked up the phone by the gate to presumably call one of the many employees who were working on the tarmac to unload the baggage, as she concurrently mumbled to me, “Its too late. You’re not going to be able to get it.” I totally ignored this statement and confidently informed her of where it was. “It’s in a little plastic bag in the seat pocket in front of seat 15C. Thank you again for your help!” I just stood there with my steadfast determination in anxious anticipation of her response once she spoke with hopefully someone much more willing to help than she, on the other end of the phone. After a short discussion in her native tongue thus of no comprehension to me, she said, “They already looked. Its not there.”
Given her pattern of replying to me with falsehoods, I didn’t let this extinguish my determination. “It’s very small and is clear plastic. I am sure it is there. Would it be possible if I could please board the plane to check for myself?”
As something no less than a minor miracle, the big metal door suddenly clicked open. We proceeded down the walkway and since it had already retracted from the plane, she then picked up another phone at the end of the walkway and had another short discussion of unknown meaning to me…as I anxiously stood there with a victorious feeling comparable to that of an Olympic sprinter just seconds away from being the first to cross the finish line.
Once again, I heard that glorious click sound which opened the door to the stairs leading down to the tarmac. As she motioned down the stairs, she mumbled, “Hurry up maam.” I ran down the stairs and then, in her now habitual comical irony, she yelled to me, “Slow down!”
I was now standing where I have never seen a passenger ever standing alone before, down on the tarmac amongst the team of baggage unloaders and plane cleaner-upers. One of the men let me up the stairs to the plane, I pass by a swarming team of men vehemently cleaning up the plane, finally arrive at seat 15C…and then, drum roll please, I successfully retrieved my precious, sleek, slim, custom-fit, beloved mouth guard. VICTORY!
I smile at the swarms of employees around me as I run back down the stairs of the plane, across the tarmac, back up the stairs to the retractable walkway, smile at my new best friend and thank her profusely, as I prepare to sprint back to the gate of my next plane. “Hey maam. Slow down. I need to escort you back to the plane.” I took a deep breath in anticipation of having to once again endure the painful task of ‘keeping-up’ with her.
“Oh, okay. But shouldn’t we walk a little faster since my next plane is likely already boarding. I don’t want to miss my plane.”
“Don’t be ridiculously. They’ll wait for you.” This lady was killing me; her irony and contradictions were becoming more and more humorous by the minute. After realizing I still had at least 30 minutes to spare, I surrendered to her snail like pace, now at ease with the fact that my beloved mouth guard and I would both make the plane to London. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I owed this woman an immense amount of gratitude for her ‘willingness’ to help me. Acknowledging that any frustration I had with her was now in the past, and reminding myself that in every moment of life we always have the opportunity to operate from a clean slate, I felt compelled to now be as kind to this woman as possible and thought I’d engage in some chit chat, expressing my interest in her, which I always authentically have with every person I meet.
“So do you live here in Mumbai? How long have you worked for the airlines? Do you enjoy it?” I guess this wasn’t a good strategy because she replied with, “What do you do?”
“I’m a doctor.” This seemed to suddenly get her interest. “Oh, what kind? Look at this! (as she pointed to her face) I have this horrible acne! Do you know anything about how to get rid of acne?!” Suddenly our interaction alchemized into a doctor-patient relationship. The strange bed-fellows that we were, we continued to walk together through the Mumbai airport, passing by armed security guards…as I proceeded to give my new happy and smiling comrade advice on how to treat acne. When we reached my gate, we both expressed our genuine appreciation to one another and then said a wonderfully ironically warm and smiley good-bye. I boarded the plane and couldn’t help but shake my head in humorous disbelief of the situation I had just found myself in, all due to my tenacious spirit.
So what is the true meaning and purpose of this story? As I see it, this was clearly a demonstration of karma in immediate action; of the Universe making its laws of cause and effect perfectly lucid to me. I had taken my mouth guard out of its protective, plastic container in order to defiantly keep a few drops of my lotion, which clearly was not the mature decision I should have made. Had I not done this, I would never have casually put my mouth guard in a plastic bag in the seat pocket in front of me. I was being asked to let go of my lotion and I didn’t listen….and immediately paid the price.
“Jody, let go, let go, let go!”
My week in London visiting Martin and meeting his family was fantastic. Visiting Emily in Massachusetts and meeting her little baby Gus was wonderful...and in a nut shell, that's it for now, because this blog is about something that happened two weeks ago. It's more of a short story so I hope you find time to enjoy it!
When I fly, I am eternally mesmerized by being able to look at the tops of clouds thus my preference is always to sit in a window seat. At this very moment, I happen to be sitting in one, on Jet Airways flight 333 headed to London. This is my second flight today; my first was from Bangkok to Mumbai. The alarm in my Bangkok hotel room went off at 5am this morning and after living on this side of the world for the past 513 days, today marked my very last morning waking up in Asia. It is time for me to come home…this life-changing chapter of my life has now come to an end.
After a week of them, I said my last emotional good-bye in Bali yesterday to my local friend who drove me to the airport. I then arrived in Thailand two flights later, for the first time in over five months, and the memories of my year there came rushing back and danced around in my head for the next, and my last, 18 hours in Thailand. I stayed in the center of town and walked the streets of Bangkok for a few hours last night to soak up my last tastes of Thai culture (literally and figuratively).
In the past hour, I have been in Mumbai, the city of that horrific terrorist attack just six months ago. Flying in, I experienced my first ever glimpse of India. The only color evident was brown. Rows and rows of basic box-like apartment buildings stretched in every direction. The buildings, a dirty white, looked brown. The hills were brown. Even the ocean was brown. Something like 16 million people live in Mumbai and the poverty was blatantly obvious. Shantytowns dotted the landscape and even jetted up against the barbed wire fence of the airport boundary. With my camera pressed against the double-paned, plastic window of the airplane, I attempted to capture the juxtaposition of the rows of sleek, jet airplanes with the rows of dilapidated shacks in the background.
My layover in Mumbai was only about an hour. I am now back in the air at this moment, with nothing but the glorious tops of fluffy white clouds in my view out the window. This marks my fourth flight in the past two days, and in nine hours, I will be arriving in London for a long awaited, almost Hollywood-esque reunion with my good friend, Martin. We met 13 years ago while we were both backpacking through New Zealand. The last time I saw him was in 2000 when we spent 10 days traveling together in Costa Rica. A lot has changed since then…I am excited to finally be able to meet his wife, Sharon, and their three young children.
But the picture I just painted is actually not the impetus behind my desire to write today. What I feel compelled to share is actually the experience I just had at the Mumbai airport…
A little background story I must recount first…I believe in God, or in a Higher Power, or in Spirit, or the effects of Karma…whatever you want to call it. And one of the key lessons that I feel this Power has been presenting to me during my life over the past year or so is that of Letting Go…Wow! Quick tangent! I just looked out the window and saw this sea of coral red color. At first glance, given the wave like appearance of its flat and expansive surface, I had the fleeting thought of, “I never knew the minerals in water could turn it into such fiery red!” But then I realized it wasn’t water. It was desert. I am presently flying over the Middle East. Maybe its Iraq, or Afghanistan. I can’t even imagine the turmoil going on in the lands below me right now…so I will do what we all do in today’s world to be able to continue on and not feel paralyzed by thoughts of this atrocious situation…I will divert my attention back to what I was doing…funny though isn’t it, that I was just talking about God?
Anyway…Letting Go. That’s been the lesson that has been appearing before me on numerous occasions for the past year or so. One of my many stories demonstrating this was when I needed to make my checked baggage lighter when headed to Cambodia with Dad and Jean back in November. My dear friend, Manana, had just sent me a care-package of all of my favorite bathroom products from home…organic jojoba oil, my favorite natural body lotion, Tom’s toothpaste, Aveda shampoo and conditioner…. I was in heaven to be reunited with these treats from home. They were the most prized possessions in my bag so, since they were quite heavy, I put them in my carry-on bag and felt safer with them near me anyway… BAD IDEA!
Silly me. I had forgotten about the endless list of forbidden items that are permitted in one’s carry on baggage…. liquid bottles above 100g being the most pertinent in my case. As I entered security, I heard the dreaded statement, “Maam, can you open your bag please. Do you have any liquid or creams in your bag?” I froze. I acted dumb. I acted innocent. I acted like I didn’t understand. “Maam, come over here please. Open your bag.”
I don’t have any enemies in my life but this woman was quickly becoming one. One by one, she took out each prized bottle and swiftly announced, “Maam, you must leave all of these with me.”
“I don’t understand, “ I pathetically pleaded, “I only thought this rule applied to pure liquids? These are just creams.”
“Maam, you cannot take any of this with you.”
“How about if I only take 100g of each with me. Here I can put some in this little plastic container that I have and this empty bottle.”
“Maam, you cannot take any of this with you.”
“How about this one.? Its small.”
“Maam, its over 100g. You cannot take it with you.”
“I don’t understand. Why can’t I take this with me?”…My maturity level reverted to that of a five year old about to have a temper tantrum. I stood there in disbelief, trying to grasp the reality that I was going to have to part from my most prized possessions. The drill sergeant in front of me just stood their staring at me with her firm stare. I just stood there, unable to walk away.
“Maam, I need to get back to work. You must go to your plane.”
I looked around, as if in search for someone who would allow me to break the rules…but to no avail. Thoughts of rebellion entered my mind. ‘Maybe if I stand here long enough, I could sneak a few of them into my bag when she happened to glance away for a moment… But what if she figured it out once I walked away and then walkie-talkied someone at my gate who would then arrest me for bringing explosive body lotion on board? Do I really have to walk away from all of this?’ My mature voice finally peeped in, ‘Yes, you do Jody. Its time to walk away. Let go.’
With the level of excitement I had experienced from being reunited with these material items, representative of home, after living in this foreign land for the past year, this unexpected departure from them literally made me start to cry. I trudged along to the gate and tried to flood my mind with what a great opportunity this was for practicing the Buddhist ideal of non-attachment, as tears of powerless frustration ran down my eyes. That was last October.
Fast forward, back to today… So there I was in the Bangkok airport at the EXACT same security check point as I was in the above scenario over six months ago, when I heard that dreadfully familiar statement. “Maam, can you open your bag please. Do you have any liquid or creams in your bag?”
One thing I don’t like about flying is how dry my skin becomes. I had been annoyed by this fact yesterday on my flights from Bali to Bangkok, so I was proud of myself for remembering to put some lotion in my bag this morning to avoid the same annoyance today. And, not to mention that once again, it was one of my most prized possessions that Manana had recently sent me….this amazingly heavenly mango body butter…and the container it was in was 180g.
“Maam, you cannot take this with you.”
“Well how about if I only take 100g of it with me? Here I can put some in this little plastic container that I have and this empty jar.”
“Maam, that jar is too big. It must be in a container that is smaller than 100g. You must leave it here.”
“Well, I’ll just use this little plastic container. And how about in this plastic bag?”
“Maam.”
With the audacity that even I am amazed by which periodically boils up from inside of me, I found myself defiantly putting some of the lotion into my little plastic container. Luckily (or not, for the sake of my karma) this woman wasn’t half the drill sergeant of the woman in my previous encounter. She not only looked around, but she walked away. With only the stubbornness of someone seemingly born to dismiss obeying rules they deem as trivial, I then quickly transferred the lotion not only into the little plastic container but also into the oversized jar, quickly shoved them into my bag, and then calmly but swiftly walked away, successfully, or so I thought...
I arrive at the gate with my heart pounding. No walkie-talkies. No one calling my name. I show the smiley woman at the entrance to the fairway my boarding pass and proceed to my seat. I must admit, I sat there in disbelief of my own defiance. ‘Jody, is this meek feeling of joy that you have from keeping your lotion coupled with this heavy guilt you’re now experiencing really worth it? Didn’t you just blog the other day about how life consists of endless opportunities to polish one’s character? Wouldn’t a more character building choice had been to just let go of your silly lotion (that you instead chose to risk serious punishment for by keeping) and obeyed the rules, regardless of how trivial you deem them to be?’ The only way I can explain my behavior in a way that I believe every human can relate to is that experience of feeling compelled to do something that mentally you know is not in your best interest, yet you find yourself doing it anyway.
I relaxed and enjoyed the next 9 hours to Mumbai, somewhat happy that I still had my lotion. Now, a little important side note I need to mention…somewhere around year two or three of med school, I became a nighttime teeth grinder. My dentist mentioned this to me as she saw the erosion on the tops of my back teeth and suggested I get a night guard, at a price tag of $500. Given my status of only living on loans at the time, I couldn’t justify spending the money. Luckily one day I found this do-it-yourself version at the drug store for the fantastically cheap price of only $20! I heated up some water on the stove to warm up the little rubber arch thing, bit down on it when it was still warm, put it into cold water, and then voila! I had my very own custom-fit night guard, albeit a super cheap one. The issue with it was that I felt like a hockey player every night when I put it in my mouth. It was basically an oversized piece of rubber that didn’t even allow me to close my mouth so I often used to wake up with drool all over my pillow.
But, I love my beautiful teeth, so I wore that glob of rubber in my mouth religiously for the next several years, albeit not the exact same piece; I bought a new one every few months or so once it started to look so frighteningly dilapidated I didn’t dare put it in my mouth. Once I was employed and living in Thailand, I discovered a fabulous hospital in Bangkok. Bumrungrad International Hospital employs only top-notch physicians and yet services there cost a mere fraction of what it would cost for the same thing in the states. So what service did I take advantage of there?! A professional, slim, and comfortable mouth guard of course! After years of sleeping with that huge glob of rubber in my mouth, I absolutely LOVE my new slim and sleek mouth guard!
So why did I tell you this story? Well, because the little plastic container for my mouth guard is the container I put some of my precious lotion in. My mouth guard I then casually threw into my bag…which I then put into a plastic bag once I got to my seat and tucked away into the seat pocket in front of me for easy access once I was ready for a nap…fell asleep without it…woke up in a daze being told to bring my seat forward to prepare for landing…exited the plane…walked for fifteen minutes along the airport corridors passing armed security guards…through another security check-point…to the gate of my next plane which was soon going to start boarding…when it hit me and I started to freak out. ‘Oh shit! I forgot my mouth guard!’
I sprinted back to the security check-point and pleaded with them to let me back through and run back to the plane I had just departed from. I suddenly recognized one of the flight attendants on the other side of the gate and waved her over to me in hopes of having her assistance.
“Hi! I was just on your flight and I left something on the plane that I really need to get! Can you please help me get back to the plane to retrieve it?!”
“Maam, the plane has already left.”
“What?! I just got off it a few minutes ago. How can it already be gone?!”
Sitting on a table swinging her feet, with her arms crossed and a look of ‘hey-lady-I’m-off-duty-now,’ she replied, “Maam, you’re too late. It’s already gone.” My heart dropped as I quickly realized the fact that this woman had absolutely zero interest in ever being nominated for the ‘most-helpful-flight-attendant-in-the-world’ award. But I was determined to be reunited with my precious, sleek, and slim mouth guard.
“Can’t you walkie-talkie someone on the plane to see if they could have someone bring it to my next flight?’
Feet still swinging; arms still crossed, “I don’t have a walkie-talkie.”
Feeling the need to bring in a little charm and perhaps a slight white lie to get her to help me, I beseeched, “Thank you so much for helping me understand this but I’m a bit confused as to how the plane can be ‘gone.’ Doesn’t it take a while to unload all the bags? It’s a medical device that I left on board and it is very important that I get it back. Could we please just walk down to the gate to see if the plane by chance is still there?”
My ploy worked. “Come with me maam.” She begrudgingly slid herself off the table and at a rate which would make that of a snail seem high-speed, she walked me toward the gate. The adrenaline pumping through me made ‘keeping up’ with her an incredibly painful task.
Although her feet were walking with me, her mind was clearly resisting. In an obvious attempt to let out her frustration by making me fear and regret my perseverance, she declared, “Maam, by doing this you’re going to miss your connecting flight. The next plane to London isn’t until tomorrow, so that means you’re going to have to get a hotel in town. That will cost you a lot of money.”
With only the determination of Jody Stanislaw, I confidently replied, “I still have 45 minutes before my next flight leaves. I thank you immensely for walking back with me but shouldn’t we go a little faster to not miss it, in case it’s still there?”
In an obvious display that this lady really didn’t give a damn, she replied, “We’re fine. Just calm down. The plane is already going to be gone.”
Both sets of footsteps continued forward, mine with determination, and hers with ironic willingness. We were just about there when she victoriously declared, “See, it’s not there.” I kept walking forward because the gate hadn’t actually come into view yet…but a few seconds later, it did…and I was right.
“It’s still there!” I didn’t dare make eye contact with her in lieu of my victory and her defeat and since my mission was still not complete, I knew my next move had to be to express my sincere gratitude. “Thank you so much for walking me back here! I really appreciate your help!” This was a good strategy because when we arrived at the gate, the big metal door was closed and the walkway to the plane had been retracted.
In yet another one of her acts of ironic willingness, she picked up the phone by the gate to presumably call one of the many employees who were working on the tarmac to unload the baggage, as she concurrently mumbled to me, “Its too late. You’re not going to be able to get it.” I totally ignored this statement and confidently informed her of where it was. “It’s in a little plastic bag in the seat pocket in front of seat 15C. Thank you again for your help!” I just stood there with my steadfast determination in anxious anticipation of her response once she spoke with hopefully someone much more willing to help than she, on the other end of the phone. After a short discussion in her native tongue thus of no comprehension to me, she said, “They already looked. Its not there.”
Given her pattern of replying to me with falsehoods, I didn’t let this extinguish my determination. “It’s very small and is clear plastic. I am sure it is there. Would it be possible if I could please board the plane to check for myself?”
As something no less than a minor miracle, the big metal door suddenly clicked open. We proceeded down the walkway and since it had already retracted from the plane, she then picked up another phone at the end of the walkway and had another short discussion of unknown meaning to me…as I anxiously stood there with a victorious feeling comparable to that of an Olympic sprinter just seconds away from being the first to cross the finish line.
Once again, I heard that glorious click sound which opened the door to the stairs leading down to the tarmac. As she motioned down the stairs, she mumbled, “Hurry up maam.” I ran down the stairs and then, in her now habitual comical irony, she yelled to me, “Slow down!”
I was now standing where I have never seen a passenger ever standing alone before, down on the tarmac amongst the team of baggage unloaders and plane cleaner-upers. One of the men let me up the stairs to the plane, I pass by a swarming team of men vehemently cleaning up the plane, finally arrive at seat 15C…and then, drum roll please, I successfully retrieved my precious, sleek, slim, custom-fit, beloved mouth guard. VICTORY!
I smile at the swarms of employees around me as I run back down the stairs of the plane, across the tarmac, back up the stairs to the retractable walkway, smile at my new best friend and thank her profusely, as I prepare to sprint back to the gate of my next plane. “Hey maam. Slow down. I need to escort you back to the plane.” I took a deep breath in anticipation of having to once again endure the painful task of ‘keeping-up’ with her.
“Oh, okay. But shouldn’t we walk a little faster since my next plane is likely already boarding. I don’t want to miss my plane.”
“Don’t be ridiculously. They’ll wait for you.” This lady was killing me; her irony and contradictions were becoming more and more humorous by the minute. After realizing I still had at least 30 minutes to spare, I surrendered to her snail like pace, now at ease with the fact that my beloved mouth guard and I would both make the plane to London. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I owed this woman an immense amount of gratitude for her ‘willingness’ to help me. Acknowledging that any frustration I had with her was now in the past, and reminding myself that in every moment of life we always have the opportunity to operate from a clean slate, I felt compelled to now be as kind to this woman as possible and thought I’d engage in some chit chat, expressing my interest in her, which I always authentically have with every person I meet.
“So do you live here in Mumbai? How long have you worked for the airlines? Do you enjoy it?” I guess this wasn’t a good strategy because she replied with, “What do you do?”
“I’m a doctor.” This seemed to suddenly get her interest. “Oh, what kind? Look at this! (as she pointed to her face) I have this horrible acne! Do you know anything about how to get rid of acne?!” Suddenly our interaction alchemized into a doctor-patient relationship. The strange bed-fellows that we were, we continued to walk together through the Mumbai airport, passing by armed security guards…as I proceeded to give my new happy and smiling comrade advice on how to treat acne. When we reached my gate, we both expressed our genuine appreciation to one another and then said a wonderfully ironically warm and smiley good-bye. I boarded the plane and couldn’t help but shake my head in humorous disbelief of the situation I had just found myself in, all due to my tenacious spirit.
So what is the true meaning and purpose of this story? As I see it, this was clearly a demonstration of karma in immediate action; of the Universe making its laws of cause and effect perfectly lucid to me. I had taken my mouth guard out of its protective, plastic container in order to defiantly keep a few drops of my lotion, which clearly was not the mature decision I should have made. Had I not done this, I would never have casually put my mouth guard in a plastic bag in the seat pocket in front of me. I was being asked to let go of my lotion and I didn’t listen….and immediately paid the price.
“Jody, let go, let go, let go!”
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The Meaning of Life
Hi All! This is a long one...hope you find time to enjoy it... :-)
The sun is setting behind the palm trees. The very thin elderly man who has been raking the rice paddy in front of me all day long is heading home. I just finished a plate of steam veggies that I bought from the market, and now my feet are resting on the side of my balcony, as I ponder the reality that I will be flying away from here in 8 days…and as I am deep in reflection on my five months of life here in Bali.
Lets go back in time for a moment…when I was seven and spent a week in the hospital after being diagnosed with diabetes, I fell in love with the idea of being someone who’s career was dedicated to helping others feel better. Resultantly, my desire to become a doctor was born. For the next thirty years, this seed of desire never stopped growing, albeit often only lurking in the back of my mind. Although I followed a wavering path…graduating from college with a business degree after attending four different colleges, then backpacking around Australia and New Zealand for six months, selling pizza in Italy for three months, selling Prozac for three years, and then selling insulin pumps for 2 years…I never let my childhood dream drift very far from my mind. Once I discovered the existence of a holistic minded med school, my wavering path ended. I committed myself to the 5-year program, and at the age of 35, I became Dr. Jody Stanislaw.
As you all well know, I was then drawn to move to Thailand…where I worked for eleven months…then left in December to come to Bali…and have been here writing a book ever since. (And doing a lot of other wonderful things here too ☺ ) As I sit here on my balcony, enjoying the bright pink and orange paint strokes in the sky left by the setting sun, I am acutely aware of the uniqueness of my path. Almost every girlfriend I can think of is likely in this moment, finishing work and/or making dinner for her husband and children. I can’t think of anyone else I know from high school or college who is likely sitting by themselves, in a tropical environment, unemployed but doing fine living on $20/day, relaxing on their balcony, surrounded by rice paddies and palm trees…and thus, I’ve been pondering, “How the hell did I end up here?” and, “I wonder what’s in store for me next?”
For the past thirty years, my focus and drive was always to some degree focused on becoming a physician. Being someone who always sets their sights high, I had decided becoming a doctor was the only answer to having a career dedicated to helping others. My focus was single pointed…I was going to achieve the highest-ranking career within the field of healthcare; anything else I deemed would be a copout. Then I did it for a year…sat in an office for 8 hours a day, handing out advice on supplements and herbs and nutrition…and I realized this is not what I want to do. I had never actually thought about the actual day to day practice of being a physician…sitting inside all day long, rather sedentarily…I had only focused on my idea of wanting to be someone who helped others improve their health and enjoy their life.
So I did it for a year and quit. And now I’ve been here in Bali, with more free time in a week than most of my friends have in a year...which has allowed me more time than I’ve ever spent in my life to think about how I can be a doctor outside of the box; to be someone dedicated to helping others feel better, and at the same time loving what I do. So here is what I know I love to do: I love facilitating groups. I love leading movement classes…dance, yoga, exercise. I love leading meditation. I love having discussions on spirituality. I love teaching others about the body and the importance of good nutrition. I love giving lectures on health. I love to meet and interact with people. I love to inspire others to improve their health. I love a dynamic work environment. I love travel….
"Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil"....James Allen
I believe each one of us have unique gifts we are meant to share with the world. I believe that what life is asking each one of us is to become clear on what our respective gifts are, and then dedicate ourselves to giving them to the world the best we can, no matter the doubts and fears we may have about pursuing our deepest desires. Living life like this is a win-win: when we are living out our greatest gifts is when we are most satisfied, happy, peaceful, and joyful; when we are living out our greatest gifts, the world around us is optimally benefiting as well…everyone wins! And everyone is happy!
"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that things are difficult."...by Imnot Sure
With this realization, I am dedicated to living out my greatest gifts. The vision I have for this thus far is to be a guest lecture at various health events, lead group discussions on health, lead movement classes….with my goal being to lead my own health retreats around the world. How am I going to carry this out? The same way all big visionaries carry out their dreams…one step at a time.
"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours. " ...Henry David Thoreau
Speaking of having an abundance of time to ponder life, I’ve also made another realization…I’ve realized the purpose of life. I’m serious. Growing up in the high success driven city of ritzy Bellevue, it was clear to me that the most important things in life were to have a professional job, make lots of money, look beautiful and stylish always, have a gorgeous home, be accepted by and acceptable to society…and basically make sure I had my shit together at all times. After my thirty-six years here on earth, I’ve realized this is all…bull shit.
I think I would’ve loved pursuing a career as a fulltime yoga instructor. I haven’t made much money in the past few years but I think I’m getting along pretty fabulously given the fact that I’ve been chillin’ here in Bali for months. I can’t remember the last time I put makeup on or bought a new outfit but you know what, I don’t really care. I have a gorgeous home…I just happen to have a renter living in it, which is cool because she is paying for my mortgage, as well as a nice chunk of my monthly student loan payment, thank you very much. I certainly haven’t always had my shit together at all times, but that’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard…no one I know has….nor are we supposed to.
"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements in life, when all we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about."...Charles Kingsley
So what is the purpose of life as I see it now? For all of us to be the best person we can be. Life is never really about whatever event is going on at any particular moment….be it if we achieve a goal or not, become ‘successful’ or not (whatever that means), experience a divorce, a health challenge, get laid off, … Whatever is going on is simply an opportunity to strengthen being the best version of ourselves. As I look at my life…diabetes has taught me the importance of making health a priority, perseverance, diligence, discipline. Having divorced parents has taught me independence, flexibility, the importance of healthy communication. Being single has given me time to discover who I am without the influence of another, patience, and a level of appreciation for my future significant other that will make him the luckiest husband in the world. That’s it. Nothing on the outside really matters. Its all about being the best version of myself, no matter what life brings me.
But I'm humble..."The person who thinks he has found the ultimate truth is wrong."...Joseph Campbell
Yet, with this purpose in life, one can never lose. Lost your job? Cool! Its great practice for strengthening one’s faith, patience, and diligence. Car get wrecked? Cool! Great practice for letting go of material things and being happy anyway. Everything in life is just a teacher…endless opportunities for us to polish our characters.
Now, having said all of this, it might sound like I’m all blissed out, skipping around like a peace child from the 70’s. Well, that’s not exactly the case. My old goals…the desire for money, the success, the good looks…die hard. I often feel like a referee, making sure the opposing voices of the old and the new inside my head stay well behaved and don’t get too out of control and make me go crazy. For example, one day I can hear, “Oh my! More wrinkles! I must do something to stop this!” So then my wise voice chips in and says, “Hey Jode. You don’t look 25 anymore because you’re 36. Its okay if you have a few wrinkles. Let go of the past. You are a beautiful person, inside and out!”
So as I sit here by myself on my balcony…now in the pitch dark and with my ears filled by all the sounds of the nighttime creatures singing their songs…I am being given the opportunity to fill myself with gratitude…gratitude for this time to reflect, for the warm fresh air, for the food in my belly, for safety, for my ability to type and write and think, for my comfy bed calling my name... How about you? What opportunity is life presenting to you right now? I’d love to hear about it…IN PERSON! when I’m back in Seattle in 23 days!
Love to you all,
Dr. J
The sun is setting behind the palm trees. The very thin elderly man who has been raking the rice paddy in front of me all day long is heading home. I just finished a plate of steam veggies that I bought from the market, and now my feet are resting on the side of my balcony, as I ponder the reality that I will be flying away from here in 8 days…and as I am deep in reflection on my five months of life here in Bali.
Lets go back in time for a moment…when I was seven and spent a week in the hospital after being diagnosed with diabetes, I fell in love with the idea of being someone who’s career was dedicated to helping others feel better. Resultantly, my desire to become a doctor was born. For the next thirty years, this seed of desire never stopped growing, albeit often only lurking in the back of my mind. Although I followed a wavering path…graduating from college with a business degree after attending four different colleges, then backpacking around Australia and New Zealand for six months, selling pizza in Italy for three months, selling Prozac for three years, and then selling insulin pumps for 2 years…I never let my childhood dream drift very far from my mind. Once I discovered the existence of a holistic minded med school, my wavering path ended. I committed myself to the 5-year program, and at the age of 35, I became Dr. Jody Stanislaw.
As you all well know, I was then drawn to move to Thailand…where I worked for eleven months…then left in December to come to Bali…and have been here writing a book ever since. (And doing a lot of other wonderful things here too ☺ ) As I sit here on my balcony, enjoying the bright pink and orange paint strokes in the sky left by the setting sun, I am acutely aware of the uniqueness of my path. Almost every girlfriend I can think of is likely in this moment, finishing work and/or making dinner for her husband and children. I can’t think of anyone else I know from high school or college who is likely sitting by themselves, in a tropical environment, unemployed but doing fine living on $20/day, relaxing on their balcony, surrounded by rice paddies and palm trees…and thus, I’ve been pondering, “How the hell did I end up here?” and, “I wonder what’s in store for me next?”
For the past thirty years, my focus and drive was always to some degree focused on becoming a physician. Being someone who always sets their sights high, I had decided becoming a doctor was the only answer to having a career dedicated to helping others. My focus was single pointed…I was going to achieve the highest-ranking career within the field of healthcare; anything else I deemed would be a copout. Then I did it for a year…sat in an office for 8 hours a day, handing out advice on supplements and herbs and nutrition…and I realized this is not what I want to do. I had never actually thought about the actual day to day practice of being a physician…sitting inside all day long, rather sedentarily…I had only focused on my idea of wanting to be someone who helped others improve their health and enjoy their life.
So I did it for a year and quit. And now I’ve been here in Bali, with more free time in a week than most of my friends have in a year...which has allowed me more time than I’ve ever spent in my life to think about how I can be a doctor outside of the box; to be someone dedicated to helping others feel better, and at the same time loving what I do. So here is what I know I love to do: I love facilitating groups. I love leading movement classes…dance, yoga, exercise. I love leading meditation. I love having discussions on spirituality. I love teaching others about the body and the importance of good nutrition. I love giving lectures on health. I love to meet and interact with people. I love to inspire others to improve their health. I love a dynamic work environment. I love travel….
"Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil"....James Allen
I believe each one of us have unique gifts we are meant to share with the world. I believe that what life is asking each one of us is to become clear on what our respective gifts are, and then dedicate ourselves to giving them to the world the best we can, no matter the doubts and fears we may have about pursuing our deepest desires. Living life like this is a win-win: when we are living out our greatest gifts is when we are most satisfied, happy, peaceful, and joyful; when we are living out our greatest gifts, the world around us is optimally benefiting as well…everyone wins! And everyone is happy!
"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that things are difficult."...by Imnot Sure
With this realization, I am dedicated to living out my greatest gifts. The vision I have for this thus far is to be a guest lecture at various health events, lead group discussions on health, lead movement classes….with my goal being to lead my own health retreats around the world. How am I going to carry this out? The same way all big visionaries carry out their dreams…one step at a time.
"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours. " ...Henry David Thoreau
Speaking of having an abundance of time to ponder life, I’ve also made another realization…I’ve realized the purpose of life. I’m serious. Growing up in the high success driven city of ritzy Bellevue, it was clear to me that the most important things in life were to have a professional job, make lots of money, look beautiful and stylish always, have a gorgeous home, be accepted by and acceptable to society…and basically make sure I had my shit together at all times. After my thirty-six years here on earth, I’ve realized this is all…bull shit.
I think I would’ve loved pursuing a career as a fulltime yoga instructor. I haven’t made much money in the past few years but I think I’m getting along pretty fabulously given the fact that I’ve been chillin’ here in Bali for months. I can’t remember the last time I put makeup on or bought a new outfit but you know what, I don’t really care. I have a gorgeous home…I just happen to have a renter living in it, which is cool because she is paying for my mortgage, as well as a nice chunk of my monthly student loan payment, thank you very much. I certainly haven’t always had my shit together at all times, but that’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard…no one I know has….nor are we supposed to.
"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements in life, when all we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about."...Charles Kingsley
So what is the purpose of life as I see it now? For all of us to be the best person we can be. Life is never really about whatever event is going on at any particular moment….be it if we achieve a goal or not, become ‘successful’ or not (whatever that means), experience a divorce, a health challenge, get laid off, … Whatever is going on is simply an opportunity to strengthen being the best version of ourselves. As I look at my life…diabetes has taught me the importance of making health a priority, perseverance, diligence, discipline. Having divorced parents has taught me independence, flexibility, the importance of healthy communication. Being single has given me time to discover who I am without the influence of another, patience, and a level of appreciation for my future significant other that will make him the luckiest husband in the world. That’s it. Nothing on the outside really matters. Its all about being the best version of myself, no matter what life brings me.
But I'm humble..."The person who thinks he has found the ultimate truth is wrong."...Joseph Campbell
Yet, with this purpose in life, one can never lose. Lost your job? Cool! Its great practice for strengthening one’s faith, patience, and diligence. Car get wrecked? Cool! Great practice for letting go of material things and being happy anyway. Everything in life is just a teacher…endless opportunities for us to polish our characters.
Now, having said all of this, it might sound like I’m all blissed out, skipping around like a peace child from the 70’s. Well, that’s not exactly the case. My old goals…the desire for money, the success, the good looks…die hard. I often feel like a referee, making sure the opposing voices of the old and the new inside my head stay well behaved and don’t get too out of control and make me go crazy. For example, one day I can hear, “Oh my! More wrinkles! I must do something to stop this!” So then my wise voice chips in and says, “Hey Jode. You don’t look 25 anymore because you’re 36. Its okay if you have a few wrinkles. Let go of the past. You are a beautiful person, inside and out!”
So as I sit here by myself on my balcony…now in the pitch dark and with my ears filled by all the sounds of the nighttime creatures singing their songs…I am being given the opportunity to fill myself with gratitude…gratitude for this time to reflect, for the warm fresh air, for the food in my belly, for safety, for my ability to type and write and think, for my comfy bed calling my name... How about you? What opportunity is life presenting to you right now? I’d love to hear about it…IN PERSON! when I’m back in Seattle in 23 days!
Love to you all,
Dr. J
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Jody's Top Ten!....take 2!
I had so much fun with the last one...and so much more to share...that I had to do it again. Enjoy!
What I Will Miss about Living in Bali:
#10 -Sharing my room with all my four legged gecko friends as they scatter about on the ceiling and walls...and also having totally become accustomed to other little nature creatures coming and going as they please. (Given how we as humans on this planet are out numbered, by I'm sure something like a trillion of them to one of us, I have come to realize how normal and natural it is for them to be present absolutely anywhere....makes me laugh at the thought of how our mentality in the States is to freak out if a single ant or spider is in 'our' home.)
#9 -Using my bicycle as my sole transportation source, easily riding my bicycle everywhere I need to go in town.
#8-Tabloids? Celebrity gossip? What do those words mean? I don't recall.
#7 -Spending my morning sitting on my balcony and eating the fresh papaya that is brought to me every morning by the family whom I rent my room from while enjoying my sweeping view of bright green rice paddies, swaying palm trees, and three towering volcanoes in the distance....and spending my evenings watching all the glowing green fire flies dance around in the sky...now this is truly a slice of paradise.
#6-Being reminded on a daily basis of the inherent abundance of nature and of the universe...the amount of green foliage that grows in this town is astounding. I bet if humans were to abandon this town for just a few weeks, it would become completely overgrown and overtaken by Nature's abundance.
#5 -Observing the daily diligence and devotion of the locals working the rice fields...and being awed at at the joyful simplicity with which they live.
#4.5 - (I had so much on my list...had to just fit a few extras in. :-) Having my teeth cleaned at a perfectly clean and respectable place for $30; Seeing a very respectably trained doctor for under $50. No insurance needed.
#4 - Being able to enjoy the tropical rain storms while wearing my shorts and a tank top, confident that the sun will soon be shining again in an hour or two.
#3.5 - (yep, had to fit this one in too :-) Listening to the local boys who live next door to me play their guitars and sing with all their hearts LaBamba, and the exact same Rolling Stones, and Led Zepplin tunes in perfect English (although they don't speak English) at least 2-3 nights a week. (The first night I heard this, I wondered to myself if there was a concert going on somewhere.) (Well, to be fair, there have been many a nights in which this one would fit in the other top ten list...:-)
#3 - Walking by and saying hello on a daily basis to the countless local woman who make a habit of carrying all of their shopping, food, bags, sticks, plants, gigantic jugs of water, baskets of crafts or local snacks for sale....gracefully on top of their head. (I have yet to see a single elderly woman who walks hunched over. No matter if they are 80 or 90, they have beautifully straight spines.)
#2 - Paying a local $1 to chop the top off of a freshly fallen coconut as I proceed to stick a straw in it, savor the tasty juice, and then scoop out and eat the yummy coconut flesh....and having this be the norm over buying a latte at Starbucks.... I'm totally serious.
#1-Being able to ponder on a DAiLY basis if I am in the mood for yet another fantastic hour long massage...for $8! Yes, $8! After having this be my reality for the past 18 months, this is going to be a tough one to live without!
Why I am Excited to Come Home!
#10 - To no longer have to pick up the tiny gecko poops so lovingly left on my floor. To be able to hear myself think at night as I fall asleep since I will no longer be sleeping in a room located next to the thousands of frogs who love to croak and croak all night long.
#9 -To be able to entertain the possibility of attending my 3rd Burning Man Festival in Nevada this August!?!
#8 - Fresh wild Alaskan King Salmon! On the grill!
#7 - Going to the movies! and seeing a movie in English!
#6 - Being able to rendezvous in Vancouver BC with two of the coolest people I met while living in Bali who happen to live in Calgary!
#5 - Flying Apron Bakery in Fremont! ...gluten and sugar free, whole food and natural ingredients, and still the best damn tasting treats around!
#4 - Summertime in Seattle....the best and only time to be in Seattle!
#3 - Hiking along the glorious trails and the breathtaking scenery afforded by the spectacular mountains of the Pacific NW.
#2 - To no longer have to play the explain-yourself game... "I'm from Seattle. Worked in Thailand last year. Here since Christmas time. Writing a book. And you?" To be in the company of friends and family whom have known me for so long that without even having to speak, they know exactly what I'm saying.
#1 - To not just sleep in a bed, but in a home. To relax on my mom's couch and have my heart filled with her company as much as I know her heart will be filled with mine.
...Sending my love to you all, here from my desk that I am sitting at, at my 3 week health resort gig! (...Doing exactly what I did in Thailand, to fill in for a woman who wanted to take 3 weeks off to go to Europe, that I serendipitously landed after just happening to meet and chat with her in town!... a nice bit of extra cash before I leave town!)
Touch down in Seattle is June 14!
Love and hugs from Bali!
Jody :-)
What I Will Miss about Living in Bali:
#10 -Sharing my room with all my four legged gecko friends as they scatter about on the ceiling and walls...and also having totally become accustomed to other little nature creatures coming and going as they please. (Given how we as humans on this planet are out numbered, by I'm sure something like a trillion of them to one of us, I have come to realize how normal and natural it is for them to be present absolutely anywhere....makes me laugh at the thought of how our mentality in the States is to freak out if a single ant or spider is in 'our' home.)
#9 -Using my bicycle as my sole transportation source, easily riding my bicycle everywhere I need to go in town.
#8-Tabloids? Celebrity gossip? What do those words mean? I don't recall.
#7 -Spending my morning sitting on my balcony and eating the fresh papaya that is brought to me every morning by the family whom I rent my room from while enjoying my sweeping view of bright green rice paddies, swaying palm trees, and three towering volcanoes in the distance....and spending my evenings watching all the glowing green fire flies dance around in the sky...now this is truly a slice of paradise.
#6-Being reminded on a daily basis of the inherent abundance of nature and of the universe...the amount of green foliage that grows in this town is astounding. I bet if humans were to abandon this town for just a few weeks, it would become completely overgrown and overtaken by Nature's abundance.
#5 -Observing the daily diligence and devotion of the locals working the rice fields...and being awed at at the joyful simplicity with which they live.
#4.5 - (I had so much on my list...had to just fit a few extras in. :-) Having my teeth cleaned at a perfectly clean and respectable place for $30; Seeing a very respectably trained doctor for under $50. No insurance needed.
#4 - Being able to enjoy the tropical rain storms while wearing my shorts and a tank top, confident that the sun will soon be shining again in an hour or two.
#3.5 - (yep, had to fit this one in too :-) Listening to the local boys who live next door to me play their guitars and sing with all their hearts LaBamba, and the exact same Rolling Stones, and Led Zepplin tunes in perfect English (although they don't speak English) at least 2-3 nights a week. (The first night I heard this, I wondered to myself if there was a concert going on somewhere.) (Well, to be fair, there have been many a nights in which this one would fit in the other top ten list...:-)
#3 - Walking by and saying hello on a daily basis to the countless local woman who make a habit of carrying all of their shopping, food, bags, sticks, plants, gigantic jugs of water, baskets of crafts or local snacks for sale....gracefully on top of their head. (I have yet to see a single elderly woman who walks hunched over. No matter if they are 80 or 90, they have beautifully straight spines.)
#2 - Paying a local $1 to chop the top off of a freshly fallen coconut as I proceed to stick a straw in it, savor the tasty juice, and then scoop out and eat the yummy coconut flesh....and having this be the norm over buying a latte at Starbucks.... I'm totally serious.
#1-Being able to ponder on a DAiLY basis if I am in the mood for yet another fantastic hour long massage...for $8! Yes, $8! After having this be my reality for the past 18 months, this is going to be a tough one to live without!
Why I am Excited to Come Home!
#10 - To no longer have to pick up the tiny gecko poops so lovingly left on my floor. To be able to hear myself think at night as I fall asleep since I will no longer be sleeping in a room located next to the thousands of frogs who love to croak and croak all night long.
#9 -To be able to entertain the possibility of attending my 3rd Burning Man Festival in Nevada this August!?!
#8 - Fresh wild Alaskan King Salmon! On the grill!
#7 - Going to the movies! and seeing a movie in English!
#6 - Being able to rendezvous in Vancouver BC with two of the coolest people I met while living in Bali who happen to live in Calgary!
#5 - Flying Apron Bakery in Fremont! ...gluten and sugar free, whole food and natural ingredients, and still the best damn tasting treats around!
#4 - Summertime in Seattle....the best and only time to be in Seattle!
#3 - Hiking along the glorious trails and the breathtaking scenery afforded by the spectacular mountains of the Pacific NW.
#2 - To no longer have to play the explain-yourself game... "I'm from Seattle. Worked in Thailand last year. Here since Christmas time. Writing a book. And you?" To be in the company of friends and family whom have known me for so long that without even having to speak, they know exactly what I'm saying.
#1 - To not just sleep in a bed, but in a home. To relax on my mom's couch and have my heart filled with her company as much as I know her heart will be filled with mine.
...Sending my love to you all, here from my desk that I am sitting at, at my 3 week health resort gig! (...Doing exactly what I did in Thailand, to fill in for a woman who wanted to take 3 weeks off to go to Europe, that I serendipitously landed after just happening to meet and chat with her in town!... a nice bit of extra cash before I leave town!)
Touch down in Seattle is June 14!
Love and hugs from Bali!
Jody :-)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Jody's Top Ten!
What I will Miss About Living in Bali
#10 - Mystery food that is so yummy but since I have absolutely no idea what's in it, I'll never be able to recreate it again.
#9 - Being mesmerized and fascinated by the devotion of the Balinese as I watch them carry out their prayer rituals on a daily basis.
#8 - Meeting fellow fascinating travelers from all around the world, around every corner I go.
#7 - Being part of a culture that is so in touch with living in tune with nature, who go to the market every morning to get their fresh food.
#6 - Seeing a dad with a huge grin on his face as he drives his three young kids also with beaming grins in their school uniforms to school...as all 4 of them are hugging each other's back as they ride on a single motorbike.
#5 - Having freshly blended papaya juice every morning for 90 cents. Buying avocados for 20 cents. (I bought one for 25 cents once and my local friend replied, "Wow, that one was expensive.") Having extraordinary meals for $1-3.
#4 - To do yoga in an open air studio surrounded by palm trees and bright green rice fields.
#3 - To be on such a sacred island that seems to attract some of the most positive minded, environmentally conscious, big hearted people from all over the world that I've ever met.
#2 - To have a glorious ocean beach to play on all day just an hour away from where I live.
#1 - The endless growth that comes from living alone in a foreign culture.
Why Its Time for Me to Come Home
#10 - To be hugged by my friends and family!! (and especially, Manana! my Queen Anne neighbor who at this point has been a friend only via email!)
#9 - My weekly phone calls to Granddad over the past 18 months have been a fabulous way for us to stay connected... but we are long overdue for a face to face date with lots of big hugs!
#8 - I am so excited to be able to ask for directions, or the time, or where this or that place is...and to not even be bothered by the concern of wondering if they understand english!
#7 - and on that note, I'm just excited to be understood by anyone I talk to for that matter! (well, at least my words will be understood....as for if what I'm really trying to communicate is grasped, that seems to be a universal challenge, regardless of any language barriers :-)
#6 - I have been without access to a kitchen for over a year and am sooo excited to buy my own food! and to know exactly what I am eating! and prepare my favorite super healthy meals! (which is really funny because when I moved to Thailand, I couldn't wait to have all my meals made for me and not have to cook. :-)
#5 - To not have to put SPF 50 on my face everyday and yet still feel that my beautiful skin is being over run with sun spots.
#4- To stomp around all my favorite familiar stomping grounds and to know exactly where I'm going with no need to ask for directions. And to not be endlessly asked as I walk around town if I am in need of a taxi.
#3 - To not be told how much something costs until I am looked at up and down and had a financial assessment done based on by appearance. To be charged the same price as everyone else. To not have to haggle for absolutely everything I buy..and then feel ripped off anyway.
#2- I woke up yesterday to bright beaming sunshine and thought, "Oh great, another day I'll be drenched in sweat."
#1- I woke up this morning to a cloudy sky and thought, "YES!"
See you all soon! Touch down in Seattle is June 14th!
#10 - Mystery food that is so yummy but since I have absolutely no idea what's in it, I'll never be able to recreate it again.
#9 - Being mesmerized and fascinated by the devotion of the Balinese as I watch them carry out their prayer rituals on a daily basis.
#8 - Meeting fellow fascinating travelers from all around the world, around every corner I go.
#7 - Being part of a culture that is so in touch with living in tune with nature, who go to the market every morning to get their fresh food.
#6 - Seeing a dad with a huge grin on his face as he drives his three young kids also with beaming grins in their school uniforms to school...as all 4 of them are hugging each other's back as they ride on a single motorbike.
#5 - Having freshly blended papaya juice every morning for 90 cents. Buying avocados for 20 cents. (I bought one for 25 cents once and my local friend replied, "Wow, that one was expensive.") Having extraordinary meals for $1-3.
#4 - To do yoga in an open air studio surrounded by palm trees and bright green rice fields.
#3 - To be on such a sacred island that seems to attract some of the most positive minded, environmentally conscious, big hearted people from all over the world that I've ever met.
#2 - To have a glorious ocean beach to play on all day just an hour away from where I live.
#1 - The endless growth that comes from living alone in a foreign culture.
Why Its Time for Me to Come Home
#10 - To be hugged by my friends and family!! (and especially, Manana! my Queen Anne neighbor who at this point has been a friend only via email!)
#9 - My weekly phone calls to Granddad over the past 18 months have been a fabulous way for us to stay connected... but we are long overdue for a face to face date with lots of big hugs!
#8 - I am so excited to be able to ask for directions, or the time, or where this or that place is...and to not even be bothered by the concern of wondering if they understand english!
#7 - and on that note, I'm just excited to be understood by anyone I talk to for that matter! (well, at least my words will be understood....as for if what I'm really trying to communicate is grasped, that seems to be a universal challenge, regardless of any language barriers :-)
#6 - I have been without access to a kitchen for over a year and am sooo excited to buy my own food! and to know exactly what I am eating! and prepare my favorite super healthy meals! (which is really funny because when I moved to Thailand, I couldn't wait to have all my meals made for me and not have to cook. :-)
#5 - To not have to put SPF 50 on my face everyday and yet still feel that my beautiful skin is being over run with sun spots.
#4- To stomp around all my favorite familiar stomping grounds and to know exactly where I'm going with no need to ask for directions. And to not be endlessly asked as I walk around town if I am in need of a taxi.
#3 - To not be told how much something costs until I am looked at up and down and had a financial assessment done based on by appearance. To be charged the same price as everyone else. To not have to haggle for absolutely everything I buy..and then feel ripped off anyway.
#2- I woke up yesterday to bright beaming sunshine and thought, "Oh great, another day I'll be drenched in sweat."
#1- I woke up this morning to a cloudy sky and thought, "YES!"
See you all soon! Touch down in Seattle is June 14th!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Its Official!!!
Hello to all of you on the other side of the globe!
"What a long, strange trip its been!" Almost one year and a half ago, I embarked on this Asian journey of mine. Can you believe it? I left on January 3, 2008....and on June 14, 2009, my feet will be on the ground in Seattle! Yep, you read that correctly...I'm headed home!.....Not without a bit of a journey beforehand though of course! (I mean, were talking about Jody here....she couldn't just fly straight home without a few stops on the way!?!? right?!)
On May 31st, I'll be arriving in London to visit the main character from my infamous story of lost-and-almost-never-found-if-not-for-my-determination, (which originates way back from my days traveling through Australia and New Zealand in 1996) Martin! and his wife Sharon and their 3 kids! This story could be its own movie....ask me about it sometime...
Then onward to Massachusetts to visit my dear friend from Bastyr, Emily, and her divine little baby boy, Gus to have a fabulous week of chillin' in the actual physical presence of one of my closest friends....this will feel like heaven.
And then, home to Seattle! I hit a wall a few weeks ago and am sooo ready for a visit home! (Yes, I said 'visit.') So what does 'visit' mean? Well, I'm pretty clear that I never want to live full time in Seattle again. The weather. The traffic. Need I say more? Will I come back to Bali? Maybe. Its a good possibility. (This town is amazing in many ways.) But it would be cool to stay in at least the same time zone! So maybe I'll just head south...but, I'm going to figure that all out once I get home! Thank you mom! I'll be moving in with mom and will be staying for what I presume will be at least through the summer. And then, who knows!
So Jody, What's your Plan?! Well folks, my love for living outside of the box continues....I am quite clear that I never want to be at a desk from 9-5. My feet just can't handle sitting still for that long day after day. So, I have a few plans....
#1 - I am now the Director of Sales for the best naturopathic website on the web, created by one of my med school colleagues, Dr. Nicole Sundene. Check out her brilliance at www.kitchentablemedicine.com Any natural health question you have, she's answered it. Its going to be big. Our goal is to surpass Dr. Mercola in popularity...and she has spent so much time packing the site with content that the advertising has yet to be fully addressed. So that's my job! And its going to be good!
#2 - Finish my book, of course! Yes, I still have months to go. No, I dont have a publisher as of yet (but working on a submission letter this weekend to send to a key person I just met a few days ago who works for a huge publisher in London who said she'd hand deliver it to the perfect person so email it to her!)
#3 - I am going to facilitate "A Night of Inspiration." What is that, you ask? It is exactly as it sounds. I will be going around to gyms and yoga studios in Seattle until I find maybe two that are a good fit...and advertising for an evening of inspiration with catch phrases such as....Are you run down by negativity and complaining? Is the economy making you feel blue? Do you desire to be a part of an inspiring, positive minded discussion about how to rise above the gloom and feel excited about life today?.....or something like that...the polished version of my marketing has yet to be created. But this is the same message of my book so of course, all my ideas have the same underlying theme of me being Dr. Inspiration. A key quote that sums up the vision of my future career is...."What the world today needs is not more information, but INSPIRATION!" And I've realized that I LOVE leading groups...that is a must in my future ideal career.
#4 - Lead my own health retreats! I'll start small...weekend ones around the northwest and my long term vision is 7-10 day ones at tropical locations around the world! I have a million ideas about how to market myself for getting clients ....
Now, having said all of that, I'd like to reserve my right to change my mind and do none of the above and yet something completely different as well....because, that's just the way I operate! (I like to compare myself to an inventor who constantly has a million ideas in their mind, forever playing with all of them until something big takes hold. :-) So the above are what is floating around in my head for the moment!
Last question...How long will I stay in Seattle? Answer = I dont know. At least for the summer, yes...but I am committed to living a life where I get to smile in the sunshine on a regular basis. So will that be California? central America? Back here to Bali?....Who knows! All I know for now is, my feet will be on the ground in Seattle on June 14th! And I cant wait to see and hug all of you whom I love and have been missing so much.
See you soon!
Jody, aka Dr. Inspiration :-)
"What a long, strange trip its been!" Almost one year and a half ago, I embarked on this Asian journey of mine. Can you believe it? I left on January 3, 2008....and on June 14, 2009, my feet will be on the ground in Seattle! Yep, you read that correctly...I'm headed home!.....Not without a bit of a journey beforehand though of course! (I mean, were talking about Jody here....she couldn't just fly straight home without a few stops on the way!?!? right?!)
On May 31st, I'll be arriving in London to visit the main character from my infamous story of lost-and-almost-never-found-if-not-for-my-determination, (which originates way back from my days traveling through Australia and New Zealand in 1996) Martin! and his wife Sharon and their 3 kids! This story could be its own movie....ask me about it sometime...
Then onward to Massachusetts to visit my dear friend from Bastyr, Emily, and her divine little baby boy, Gus to have a fabulous week of chillin' in the actual physical presence of one of my closest friends....this will feel like heaven.
And then, home to Seattle! I hit a wall a few weeks ago and am sooo ready for a visit home! (Yes, I said 'visit.') So what does 'visit' mean? Well, I'm pretty clear that I never want to live full time in Seattle again. The weather. The traffic. Need I say more? Will I come back to Bali? Maybe. Its a good possibility. (This town is amazing in many ways.) But it would be cool to stay in at least the same time zone! So maybe I'll just head south...but, I'm going to figure that all out once I get home! Thank you mom! I'll be moving in with mom and will be staying for what I presume will be at least through the summer. And then, who knows!
So Jody, What's your Plan?! Well folks, my love for living outside of the box continues....I am quite clear that I never want to be at a desk from 9-5. My feet just can't handle sitting still for that long day after day. So, I have a few plans....
#1 - I am now the Director of Sales for the best naturopathic website on the web, created by one of my med school colleagues, Dr. Nicole Sundene. Check out her brilliance at www.kitchentablemedicine.com Any natural health question you have, she's answered it. Its going to be big. Our goal is to surpass Dr. Mercola in popularity...and she has spent so much time packing the site with content that the advertising has yet to be fully addressed. So that's my job! And its going to be good!
#2 - Finish my book, of course! Yes, I still have months to go. No, I dont have a publisher as of yet (but working on a submission letter this weekend to send to a key person I just met a few days ago who works for a huge publisher in London who said she'd hand deliver it to the perfect person so email it to her!)
#3 - I am going to facilitate "A Night of Inspiration." What is that, you ask? It is exactly as it sounds. I will be going around to gyms and yoga studios in Seattle until I find maybe two that are a good fit...and advertising for an evening of inspiration with catch phrases such as....Are you run down by negativity and complaining? Is the economy making you feel blue? Do you desire to be a part of an inspiring, positive minded discussion about how to rise above the gloom and feel excited about life today?.....or something like that...the polished version of my marketing has yet to be created. But this is the same message of my book so of course, all my ideas have the same underlying theme of me being Dr. Inspiration. A key quote that sums up the vision of my future career is...."What the world today needs is not more information, but INSPIRATION!" And I've realized that I LOVE leading groups...that is a must in my future ideal career.
#4 - Lead my own health retreats! I'll start small...weekend ones around the northwest and my long term vision is 7-10 day ones at tropical locations around the world! I have a million ideas about how to market myself for getting clients ....
Now, having said all of that, I'd like to reserve my right to change my mind and do none of the above and yet something completely different as well....because, that's just the way I operate! (I like to compare myself to an inventor who constantly has a million ideas in their mind, forever playing with all of them until something big takes hold. :-) So the above are what is floating around in my head for the moment!
Last question...How long will I stay in Seattle? Answer = I dont know. At least for the summer, yes...but I am committed to living a life where I get to smile in the sunshine on a regular basis. So will that be California? central America? Back here to Bali?....Who knows! All I know for now is, my feet will be on the ground in Seattle on June 14th! And I cant wait to see and hug all of you whom I love and have been missing so much.
See you soon!
Jody, aka Dr. Inspiration :-)
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Are You Hungry?
Are you hungry? Is your body hungry? Is your mind hungry? Is your spirit hungry? Is your heart hungry? Yes? No? Or perhaps you don't consciously feel hungry, yet there is just a slight sense of unsettledness within your bones trying to get your attention to the fact that you are hungry...for something....for something that you just might not be clear about. Maybe time on the internet clouds the answer. Maybe staying eternally busy clouds the answer. Maybe shopping. Maybe eating or drinking more than your body needs. Maybe (fill in the blank!).
Welcome to the world of the real life story presented in the book, Are You Hungry? by Dr. Jody Stanislaw, the Great. :-)
This is what my life has become all about. Its my full time job. If I dont spend the majority of my day writing, I even feel unsettled. It is what I am meant to be doing in my life right now. I have turned my 'practice' of being a doctor into that of a writing practice. I have never been fully intrigued by sitting in a clinic, handing out supplements and herbs to my patients. The conversation I gravitated toward the most during my year working with patients in Thailand surrounded around the questions, "What do you love about life? Do you even know? Are those elements present in your life?"....I knew that all the supplements, herbs, exercise, and green veggies in the world really wouldn't make much of a difference if their answers were nothing but cloudy and negative (and most responses were exactly that...even amongst the 'rich and famous.')
So my intention with this book, in this time of widespread layoffs and everyone freaking out about what the heck they are going to do next in their lives, is to INSPIRE my readers via stories of my own life, to ask themselves: What is my heart truly hungry for?!... And then empower them to have the courage to set their focus on creating a life that includes exactly that!
A great quote that sums up my present drive to be a doctor of a writing nature, rather than a doctor sitting in a clinic handing out supplements is, "What the worlds need today is not more information, but individuals willing to boldly share their INSPIRATION!" So, that is what I'm up to over here in sunny Bali! and I hope not to leave until I finish my masterpiece! (at least another 3 months I'd say...thank God for my ability to save so much when I lived in Thailand and my ability to live modestly here in Bali!)
Love and hugs to you all!
Jody
Welcome to the world of the real life story presented in the book, Are You Hungry? by Dr. Jody Stanislaw, the Great. :-)
This is what my life has become all about. Its my full time job. If I dont spend the majority of my day writing, I even feel unsettled. It is what I am meant to be doing in my life right now. I have turned my 'practice' of being a doctor into that of a writing practice. I have never been fully intrigued by sitting in a clinic, handing out supplements and herbs to my patients. The conversation I gravitated toward the most during my year working with patients in Thailand surrounded around the questions, "What do you love about life? Do you even know? Are those elements present in your life?"....I knew that all the supplements, herbs, exercise, and green veggies in the world really wouldn't make much of a difference if their answers were nothing but cloudy and negative (and most responses were exactly that...even amongst the 'rich and famous.')
So my intention with this book, in this time of widespread layoffs and everyone freaking out about what the heck they are going to do next in their lives, is to INSPIRE my readers via stories of my own life, to ask themselves: What is my heart truly hungry for?!... And then empower them to have the courage to set their focus on creating a life that includes exactly that!
A great quote that sums up my present drive to be a doctor of a writing nature, rather than a doctor sitting in a clinic handing out supplements is, "What the worlds need today is not more information, but individuals willing to boldly share their INSPIRATION!" So, that is what I'm up to over here in sunny Bali! and I hope not to leave until I finish my masterpiece! (at least another 3 months I'd say...thank God for my ability to save so much when I lived in Thailand and my ability to live modestly here in Bali!)
Love and hugs to you all!
Jody
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Bali Update!
Hello from hot but very rainy Bali!
Yep, its rainy season and man, does it rain! The main road turned into a rushing river yesterday. And one of the funniest sights is to see everyone on their motorbikes pull out their umbrellas and just keep driving!
So, I've been doing a lot of thinking and thought I'd take a moment to update you all....Life here in this town of Ubud, on this island of Bali, in this country of Indonesia (just for a little geography lesson for you all, in case you were unsure) is really quite wonderful! The Balinese are such genuinely kind and loving people. Riding my bicycle through the streets, I pass groups of them hanging out together with their big, glowing smiles and contagious laughter everyday. (Juxtapose that with the frustrations of a daily commute on a congested freeway.)
But what makes life really liveable for me here is that there is a very full and alive culture of English speaking westerners as well. Everyday I keep meeting fantastic people from all over the world who are becoming friends of mine. Last night I went out with a woman from Portland who has been a yoga instructor here for 2 years, another woman from England who just moved here 2 weeks ago also as a yoga instructor, and another American who does almost my exact same job that I had in Thailand at one of the many ritzy resorts here. Cool people everywhere! That's #1.
Not to mention, that I have had contact with three different health resorts where I could potentially work. I just spent today putting flyers together regarding the services I can offer as an ND to their guests, which I am also going to post up on the many message boards around town to target the many disposable-income-full retirees who live here. Job Opportunities... potentially more than what I would find at home! That's #2.
Its sunny! And warm! That's #3.
Its sooo affordable! My rent is less than $10/day for my little place, which has the most extraordinary view over the bright green valley that stretches out in front of me and a massive volcano in the distance (great setting for writing my book!...which is going to be fabulous, by the way...I am so excited to share it with the world!). I dont have to pay car insurance for my bicycle that I rent for $1/day, nor do I need to pay for gas, nor a gym membership (since my commuting is my workout...love it). I bought an avocado the size of a football today for 25 cents, and a papaya that could barely fit in my fridge for 35 cents. Huge organic salads at one of the five hip and healthy organic restaruants in town cost me $3 and a super antioxidant fresh veggie juice made to order costs $1.50. That's #4.
Cool people. Job opportunities. Sunshine. No commute. No bills. Affordable living. Fantastic healthy food....So my point is, I think I'm going to stay here for at least the next 4 months! (which is when my visa will force me to leave the country, for at least a day anyway....many just fly to Singapore and back). So to be honest, if I were to come home, I don't really know where I'd go. Seattle is my 'home' but I truly can't take how down I get with all the rain and clouds. And the traffic is not something I miss.
But speaking of things I miss... my LOVING FAMILY! AND WONDERFUL FRIENDS! Of course I miss you all!!! You guys are the entire reason why I would come home!! But then I'd see you all, I'd be so full of smiles and love and hugs, it would be absolutely extraordinary...and then I'd have to find a job... and life would get busy... and expensive... and cloudy and rainy...and then I'd probably wish I were back over here.
So, that's what's going on!! I'm writing my fantastic book, living on my savings from my job in Thailand, having job opportunities keep appearing, working with feeling all of your love even though I'm so far away (translated to mean that I'm thinking, "do I really want to be so far away?!") , and just going to see what unfolds over these next four months.
But in the meantime, if any of you are in need of a vacation...COME TO BALI!! I'm serious. Its cheap and BEAUTIFUL! And I'd get to see you and give you endless hugs!
SENDING LOTS OF LOVE TO YOU ALL!!
LOVE, JODY :-)
Yep, its rainy season and man, does it rain! The main road turned into a rushing river yesterday. And one of the funniest sights is to see everyone on their motorbikes pull out their umbrellas and just keep driving!
So, I've been doing a lot of thinking and thought I'd take a moment to update you all....Life here in this town of Ubud, on this island of Bali, in this country of Indonesia (just for a little geography lesson for you all, in case you were unsure) is really quite wonderful! The Balinese are such genuinely kind and loving people. Riding my bicycle through the streets, I pass groups of them hanging out together with their big, glowing smiles and contagious laughter everyday. (Juxtapose that with the frustrations of a daily commute on a congested freeway.)
But what makes life really liveable for me here is that there is a very full and alive culture of English speaking westerners as well. Everyday I keep meeting fantastic people from all over the world who are becoming friends of mine. Last night I went out with a woman from Portland who has been a yoga instructor here for 2 years, another woman from England who just moved here 2 weeks ago also as a yoga instructor, and another American who does almost my exact same job that I had in Thailand at one of the many ritzy resorts here. Cool people everywhere! That's #1.
Not to mention, that I have had contact with three different health resorts where I could potentially work. I just spent today putting flyers together regarding the services I can offer as an ND to their guests, which I am also going to post up on the many message boards around town to target the many disposable-income-full retirees who live here. Job Opportunities... potentially more than what I would find at home! That's #2.
Its sunny! And warm! That's #3.
Its sooo affordable! My rent is less than $10/day for my little place, which has the most extraordinary view over the bright green valley that stretches out in front of me and a massive volcano in the distance (great setting for writing my book!...which is going to be fabulous, by the way...I am so excited to share it with the world!). I dont have to pay car insurance for my bicycle that I rent for $1/day, nor do I need to pay for gas, nor a gym membership (since my commuting is my workout...love it). I bought an avocado the size of a football today for 25 cents, and a papaya that could barely fit in my fridge for 35 cents. Huge organic salads at one of the five hip and healthy organic restaruants in town cost me $3 and a super antioxidant fresh veggie juice made to order costs $1.50. That's #4.
Cool people. Job opportunities. Sunshine. No commute. No bills. Affordable living. Fantastic healthy food....So my point is, I think I'm going to stay here for at least the next 4 months! (which is when my visa will force me to leave the country, for at least a day anyway....many just fly to Singapore and back). So to be honest, if I were to come home, I don't really know where I'd go. Seattle is my 'home' but I truly can't take how down I get with all the rain and clouds. And the traffic is not something I miss.
But speaking of things I miss... my LOVING FAMILY! AND WONDERFUL FRIENDS! Of course I miss you all!!! You guys are the entire reason why I would come home!! But then I'd see you all, I'd be so full of smiles and love and hugs, it would be absolutely extraordinary...and then I'd have to find a job... and life would get busy... and expensive... and cloudy and rainy...and then I'd probably wish I were back over here.
So, that's what's going on!! I'm writing my fantastic book, living on my savings from my job in Thailand, having job opportunities keep appearing, working with feeling all of your love even though I'm so far away (translated to mean that I'm thinking, "do I really want to be so far away?!") , and just going to see what unfolds over these next four months.
But in the meantime, if any of you are in need of a vacation...COME TO BALI!! I'm serious. Its cheap and BEAUTIFUL! And I'd get to see you and give you endless hugs!
SENDING LOTS OF LOVE TO YOU ALL!!
LOVE, JODY :-)
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
And for those of you 'Eat, Pray, Love' fans...
Remember Ketut Liyer, the medicine man she spent so much time with? I ride my bike past his porch everyday...I live next door to him. Apparently, he is so busy now after all the publicity around the book that he is pretty tired. He had just awoken from a nap when I stopped by to say 'hi,' so I kept my stay short and haven't been back since. (But noticed a brand new Mini parked in his garage.)
But Wayan and I are friends now. I stop by her herbal medicine clinic regularly just to give her a warm 'hello.' I told her I was writing a book, just like Elizabeth was, and so she's been reading up on my sign of scorpio to see what tips are out there in the stars for me to ensure a successful book. She also is tired a lot these days with how busy she has become, but seems to be pretty happy with the new constant inflow of money...She just bought her first ever car, but has never learned to drive. So she has hired a driver in the meantime until she goes to driving school and gets her license. She is so excited and nervous about having her first ever (brand new, to boot) car though, that when she (well, the driver, with her in the passenger seat) gave me a ride to see her family's temple, I was sitting on the plastic that she has yet to remove from the seats.
And what about the money Elizabeth raised for her to build a brand new clinic? That seems to be a bit of a mystery. She still lives in her family village (as all Balinese do) and still works in her same little clinic...But last week she (well, her driver) took me out to a brand new house she just finished building to see if I wanted to rent it out. To live in the house that was (likely) built from the money of the famous author of Eat, Pray, Love as I myself am writing my book seemed like too cool of an opportunity to pass up. Unfortunately, it just wasnt what I was looking for....Oh, well. Just to be in it was cool enough, I thought.
As for her daughter Tutti, she is now a thirteen year old in full bloom. As all three of us took part in a sacred temple festival (Wayan invited me along so that I could witness the Balinese culture first hand), and as the priest was bestowing blessings upon us, Tutti was busy text messaging her friends on a cell phone ten times more fancy than my own....Apparentley the success of Eat, Pray, Love is spreading to her entire family...
But Wayan and I are friends now. I stop by her herbal medicine clinic regularly just to give her a warm 'hello.' I told her I was writing a book, just like Elizabeth was, and so she's been reading up on my sign of scorpio to see what tips are out there in the stars for me to ensure a successful book. She also is tired a lot these days with how busy she has become, but seems to be pretty happy with the new constant inflow of money...She just bought her first ever car, but has never learned to drive. So she has hired a driver in the meantime until she goes to driving school and gets her license. She is so excited and nervous about having her first ever (brand new, to boot) car though, that when she (well, the driver, with her in the passenger seat) gave me a ride to see her family's temple, I was sitting on the plastic that she has yet to remove from the seats.
And what about the money Elizabeth raised for her to build a brand new clinic? That seems to be a bit of a mystery. She still lives in her family village (as all Balinese do) and still works in her same little clinic...But last week she (well, her driver) took me out to a brand new house she just finished building to see if I wanted to rent it out. To live in the house that was (likely) built from the money of the famous author of Eat, Pray, Love as I myself am writing my book seemed like too cool of an opportunity to pass up. Unfortunately, it just wasnt what I was looking for....Oh, well. Just to be in it was cool enough, I thought.
As for her daughter Tutti, she is now a thirteen year old in full bloom. As all three of us took part in a sacred temple festival (Wayan invited me along so that I could witness the Balinese culture first hand), and as the priest was bestowing blessings upon us, Tutti was busy text messaging her friends on a cell phone ten times more fancy than my own....Apparentley the success of Eat, Pray, Love is spreading to her entire family...
This is ME!
Where to start?! So many amazing things seem to keep happening in my life over here, I truly could sit here for hours and write about all the wonderful things from just this past week! But, I've been getting serious about spending time writing my book (which to be honest, I have been so filled with other things that it's been taking the back burner for a while) that I am going to keep this entry short...so I can get back to writing my book!
But here it is in a nut shell....spent a week driving around this island of Bali on a moped I rented for $3/day and witnessed the most amazing scenery I think I've ever witnessed in my life. (Think lush green nature in every direction decorating the slopes of multiple, massive volcanoes...completely unspoilt from any development except humble thatched roof homes, quaint towns, and very narrow and winding, yet luckily paved roads.) Doing an Ashtanga yoga course for the next 5 weeks from 7:30- 9:30 am, six days a week with two of the most vibrant and alive yoga instructors I've ever met in my life (and apparently very famous in the yoga world). Met a woman who works for a book publisher and offered any help I might need. Then met a man who told me all about how he self-published his book. Met a woman who spends her life traveling the world holding health retreats...which planted the seed for the very likely new direction in my life (once I publish my book, of course). Was wondering how I was going to make my money last long enough for me to finish my book while still living in this amazing place...and then met a woman who works here at a ritzy spa (similar to the one I worked at in Thailand) who told me they were looking for someone to do health consultations with their guests and if I knew of anyone who would be interested...I have a job interview with the manager tomorrow at 10am...
This island of Bali is amazing. It attracts the most vibrant and conscious living group of people I've ever met...and I keep meeting more of them around every corner I turn. It attracts writers. (There is an international writers conference here every October.) It attracts people who want to delve into themselves and follow the path of what their heart truly desires. It attracts organic farmers and raw foodies who open restaurants here that allow other like-minded people to fill their bodies with super healthy, toxic free foods, as nature intended us to eat. It attracts people who live outside the box, and think big...
And on that note, I will end with the following quote, which you can simply read below, or enjoy as it is matched with an inspiring YouTube video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUfH-BEBMoY
“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
~ Apple Computers
I love you all,
Jody
But here it is in a nut shell....spent a week driving around this island of Bali on a moped I rented for $3/day and witnessed the most amazing scenery I think I've ever witnessed in my life. (Think lush green nature in every direction decorating the slopes of multiple, massive volcanoes...completely unspoilt from any development except humble thatched roof homes, quaint towns, and very narrow and winding, yet luckily paved roads.) Doing an Ashtanga yoga course for the next 5 weeks from 7:30- 9:30 am, six days a week with two of the most vibrant and alive yoga instructors I've ever met in my life (and apparently very famous in the yoga world). Met a woman who works for a book publisher and offered any help I might need. Then met a man who told me all about how he self-published his book. Met a woman who spends her life traveling the world holding health retreats...which planted the seed for the very likely new direction in my life (once I publish my book, of course). Was wondering how I was going to make my money last long enough for me to finish my book while still living in this amazing place...and then met a woman who works here at a ritzy spa (similar to the one I worked at in Thailand) who told me they were looking for someone to do health consultations with their guests and if I knew of anyone who would be interested...I have a job interview with the manager tomorrow at 10am...
This island of Bali is amazing. It attracts the most vibrant and conscious living group of people I've ever met...and I keep meeting more of them around every corner I turn. It attracts writers. (There is an international writers conference here every October.) It attracts people who want to delve into themselves and follow the path of what their heart truly desires. It attracts organic farmers and raw foodies who open restaurants here that allow other like-minded people to fill their bodies with super healthy, toxic free foods, as nature intended us to eat. It attracts people who live outside the box, and think big...
And on that note, I will end with the following quote, which you can simply read below, or enjoy as it is matched with an inspiring YouTube video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUfH-BEBMoY
“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
~ Apple Computers
I love you all,
Jody
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Life in Bali…Over the hump and Loving it
In the entry I sent out just a few days ago, I shared my feelings of having one foot kind of enjoying my life here, while the other already had its running shoe on and was headed home. Same thing happened to me I think it was around month three of living in Thailand. Well, my indecision seems to have passed and I have fallen in love with my life here!
Amongst the colorful Balinese culture of super smiley people, devoted to their families, their Hindu rituals, and to a beautifully, simple way of life, there also exists this well represented sub-culture of westerners who have left the grind of the ‘normal’ way of life back home…a 9-5 job, a house, kids, errands, traffic, bills, being inundated with advertising that tends to make one always feel that we are not enough or okay as is, etc…and have arrived here in Bali to ask ourselves the question, “What kind of life do I truly want? What will truly make me happy?”
Enter the Yoga Barn. The Yoga Barn is a stunning beautiful, open air yoga studio where all of us seem to congregate throughout the day…perhaps for a 7am breath class, or a 11am get-your-sweat-on core strengthening class, or a 6pm unwind-from-the-day gentle yoga class…and then throughout the rest of the day, it is inevitable that we bump into each other either at the super healthy ‘Kafe’ Café, or the all-organic ‘Bali Buddha’ restaurant.
I’ve met tons of great people…Brian and Alexandra are an extraordinarily energetic and upbeat couple from LA. Brian sold his very successful health conscious social networking internet business a few years back, and now spends his time reading the works of the greatest philosophers of all time and leads group discussions on them 3 times a week….and Alexandra teaches “Goddess Training.” Mia and Kathy are two cool chics from London who are starting their own yoga clothing line. Michael is a great guy from a little island in Scotland who sold his soul to BP oil for 23 years and now is just enjoying his relaxing life here in Bali. And I’m Jody, the cool woman who worked in Thailand for a year at some ritzy resort and is now here writing a book about it.
So I’m loving it! People ask me everyday, “So how long are you going to stay?” And I answer, “Don’t know…just seeing what shows up each day and how long the money will last!” So what has shown up in the last few days? Well, let me tell you… Three days ago, I got an email from my ex-boss who is now starting a health magazine, asking me if I wanted to contribute an article on health. Yesterday, the man that runs the place where I’m living asked me if I wanted to help him with how to make his business more profitable. Today, a local guy sitting next to me at the internet shop when I was talking on the phone, commented on how clear my English was and asked me if I wanted to become an English teacher on the island...So, how long will the money last? Maybe longer than I think. Only time will tell.
So in the meantime, I have fallen in love with my life here. Everywhere I turn, I get more inspired with new ideas, new energy, new people... You may ask,” JODY! But what is your PLAN? Well my answer is, I’m not going to worry about it. I am going to keep loving my life and watching my story unfold, literally and figuratively, and just trust that whatever is meant to show up, will show up! Now, back to my book….bye for now!
Amongst the colorful Balinese culture of super smiley people, devoted to their families, their Hindu rituals, and to a beautifully, simple way of life, there also exists this well represented sub-culture of westerners who have left the grind of the ‘normal’ way of life back home…a 9-5 job, a house, kids, errands, traffic, bills, being inundated with advertising that tends to make one always feel that we are not enough or okay as is, etc…and have arrived here in Bali to ask ourselves the question, “What kind of life do I truly want? What will truly make me happy?”
Enter the Yoga Barn. The Yoga Barn is a stunning beautiful, open air yoga studio where all of us seem to congregate throughout the day…perhaps for a 7am breath class, or a 11am get-your-sweat-on core strengthening class, or a 6pm unwind-from-the-day gentle yoga class…and then throughout the rest of the day, it is inevitable that we bump into each other either at the super healthy ‘Kafe’ Café, or the all-organic ‘Bali Buddha’ restaurant.
I’ve met tons of great people…Brian and Alexandra are an extraordinarily energetic and upbeat couple from LA. Brian sold his very successful health conscious social networking internet business a few years back, and now spends his time reading the works of the greatest philosophers of all time and leads group discussions on them 3 times a week….and Alexandra teaches “Goddess Training.” Mia and Kathy are two cool chics from London who are starting their own yoga clothing line. Michael is a great guy from a little island in Scotland who sold his soul to BP oil for 23 years and now is just enjoying his relaxing life here in Bali. And I’m Jody, the cool woman who worked in Thailand for a year at some ritzy resort and is now here writing a book about it.
So I’m loving it! People ask me everyday, “So how long are you going to stay?” And I answer, “Don’t know…just seeing what shows up each day and how long the money will last!” So what has shown up in the last few days? Well, let me tell you… Three days ago, I got an email from my ex-boss who is now starting a health magazine, asking me if I wanted to contribute an article on health. Yesterday, the man that runs the place where I’m living asked me if I wanted to help him with how to make his business more profitable. Today, a local guy sitting next to me at the internet shop when I was talking on the phone, commented on how clear my English was and asked me if I wanted to become an English teacher on the island...So, how long will the money last? Maybe longer than I think. Only time will tell.
So in the meantime, I have fallen in love with my life here. Everywhere I turn, I get more inspired with new ideas, new energy, new people... You may ask,” JODY! But what is your PLAN? Well my answer is, I’m not going to worry about it. I am going to keep loving my life and watching my story unfold, literally and figuratively, and just trust that whatever is meant to show up, will show up! Now, back to my book….bye for now!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Life in Bali
Thailand is behind me...already seems like a distant memory actually. I arrived here in Bali almost a month ago, and I truly don't know where the time has gone. I am in my own little house...great bedroom, nice bathroom with a comfy tub, little kitchen...and a fantastic veranda with a view over bright green rice fields and swaying palm trees....and its $10/night. I wake up every morning, open my doors, and the sun comes bursting in. I sleep in, meditate, then jump on my bicycle and head to yoga, or to a little cafe to eat something yummy for usually around $3, or I just stay 'home' and sit on the veranda and read. But the two things that take up most of my time are actually, checking in with the world on email or composing my year in Thailand into a fantastic book, which I plan on publishing. Writing this book has become my new passion.
But as I sit here, at one of the many hip, open air cafes here in this town of Ubud, on the island of Bali, in the country of Indonesia, in my t-shirt and shorts, (and in the shade of course, because the direct sun would be too hot...) I feel a bit torn. I have been away from home for over a year now, and although life here is warm, slow, relaxed, amazingly affordable, culturally rich, tropically beautiful...I am missing home. I have met some very nice people here, so its not as if I wander around by myself with no one to talk to all the day long...but there really isn't a comparison to hanging out with people that have known me for a few days, versus friends and family that have known me for a lifetime.
My visa allows me to stay here until February 20th, but I have recently learned that money can buy an extension. (Imagine that, what a shocker, right?) But I'll run out of blood testing strips if I stay until then (which they may have in the main city an hour away from here...but I have not confirmed that yet). What I do know is that before I go, I want to travel around this island and check out all the sights, which I hear are fantastic. Since I've arrived, except for one day visiting the surf punk beach town of Kuta with my cousins the day before they headed home, I haven't left this cute town, nestled here in this jungle landscape, interspersed with glowing, bright green rice fields. So I think I'll take off for my around the island journey in the next day or two. But after that, is it ready to head back home? I seem to change my mind daily...well actually, more like hourly.
My return ticket will take me back to Bangkok and has flexible dates for the next 6 months. Once I do leave here, I might stay there for a few days just to say some final good-byes. Then I figured I'd make a trip out of heading home (you know me...are you surprised?)...so I'm thinking about visiting friends in London for a week....and then since I'm flying over the east coast anyway, visit Emily, one of my dearest friends from Bastyr and who lives outside of Boston, for a week....AND THEN, drum roll please, fly HOME!
Now, having said that, I still haven't started my journey around this island...I may fall in love with some amazing little beach side town and not want to leave for weeks.....or perhaps I'll have seen it all and be done with the traveling thing in a mere 2 or 3 days. Who knows, really?
But I must say, the tug at my heart to be around the loving faces and arms of my family and friends seems to be growing stronger everyday. I find myself talking with travelers and having them tell me, "Oh, you MUST go see this! And that! And you'll love this other thing too!" And I think to myself, 'Thanks, but I'd rather just be at home relaxing and laughing with my friends and family...maybe even wearing a big sweater... instead.' But really, I'm sorry for those that may want a firm decision (I don't seem to operate that way naturally) I'm just watching my mind right now and am taking each day as it comes. One thing that I am aware of is that I have felt lonely while being IN Seattle in the past. Everyone has such busy lives today. Although I envision coming home and being surrounded by everyone I know, is that really a reality in today's world? Perhaps I should work with that part of me that can feel lonely even when I'm at home...and see what it is that I'm truly hungry for...Hmm.
A cool side note...for those of you who have read, Eat, Pray, Love...I live on the same street as Ketut Liyer (I ride my bike past his porch everyday) and I met Wayan at her Traditional Balinese Healing shop last week (but Tutti was outside somewhere, playing with friends). Funny thing is that both of them were extremely tired so I didn't really chat much with either one. I felt like I was imposing if had stayed any longer than a few minutes. To them, I was just another foreigner wanting to meet them. They have hoards of travelers coming to meet them everyday now, since the success of the book. When they kept mentioning to Elizabeth Gilbert how in need of money they were, I guess they should've been careful for what they asked for!
So that is my update. Its 5pm on Saturday, January 17th....which means all of you in Seattle are likely sleeping (only 1 am Saturday for you). I will probably continue to sit here at this little open air cafe for a while longer; continue to watch the Balinese woman walk down the street with baskets on their heads and all the other locals cruise by on their motor bikes; continue to watch foreigners turn right, then left, then turn their map up, and then down, and then perhaps figure out where they are going...or not; and then maybe in an hour or so after I write a bit more of my fabulous book, jump on my bike and pedal home.
Then I'll wake up tomorrow, open my front door to let the sun burst in... maybe go to yoga, or not...maybe work on my book, or not...or maybe head out for my around the island tour and spend the day contemplating about what amazing beauty surrounds me and yet at the same time, how I long to be surrounded by the familiar, albeit gray and cold, sights and sounds of home.
I love you all,
Jody
But as I sit here, at one of the many hip, open air cafes here in this town of Ubud, on the island of Bali, in the country of Indonesia, in my t-shirt and shorts, (and in the shade of course, because the direct sun would be too hot...) I feel a bit torn. I have been away from home for over a year now, and although life here is warm, slow, relaxed, amazingly affordable, culturally rich, tropically beautiful...I am missing home. I have met some very nice people here, so its not as if I wander around by myself with no one to talk to all the day long...but there really isn't a comparison to hanging out with people that have known me for a few days, versus friends and family that have known me for a lifetime.
My visa allows me to stay here until February 20th, but I have recently learned that money can buy an extension. (Imagine that, what a shocker, right?) But I'll run out of blood testing strips if I stay until then (which they may have in the main city an hour away from here...but I have not confirmed that yet). What I do know is that before I go, I want to travel around this island and check out all the sights, which I hear are fantastic. Since I've arrived, except for one day visiting the surf punk beach town of Kuta with my cousins the day before they headed home, I haven't left this cute town, nestled here in this jungle landscape, interspersed with glowing, bright green rice fields. So I think I'll take off for my around the island journey in the next day or two. But after that, is it ready to head back home? I seem to change my mind daily...well actually, more like hourly.
My return ticket will take me back to Bangkok and has flexible dates for the next 6 months. Once I do leave here, I might stay there for a few days just to say some final good-byes. Then I figured I'd make a trip out of heading home (you know me...are you surprised?)...so I'm thinking about visiting friends in London for a week....and then since I'm flying over the east coast anyway, visit Emily, one of my dearest friends from Bastyr and who lives outside of Boston, for a week....AND THEN, drum roll please, fly HOME!
Now, having said that, I still haven't started my journey around this island...I may fall in love with some amazing little beach side town and not want to leave for weeks.....or perhaps I'll have seen it all and be done with the traveling thing in a mere 2 or 3 days. Who knows, really?
But I must say, the tug at my heart to be around the loving faces and arms of my family and friends seems to be growing stronger everyday. I find myself talking with travelers and having them tell me, "Oh, you MUST go see this! And that! And you'll love this other thing too!" And I think to myself, 'Thanks, but I'd rather just be at home relaxing and laughing with my friends and family...maybe even wearing a big sweater... instead.' But really, I'm sorry for those that may want a firm decision (I don't seem to operate that way naturally) I'm just watching my mind right now and am taking each day as it comes. One thing that I am aware of is that I have felt lonely while being IN Seattle in the past. Everyone has such busy lives today. Although I envision coming home and being surrounded by everyone I know, is that really a reality in today's world? Perhaps I should work with that part of me that can feel lonely even when I'm at home...and see what it is that I'm truly hungry for...Hmm.
A cool side note...for those of you who have read, Eat, Pray, Love...I live on the same street as Ketut Liyer (I ride my bike past his porch everyday) and I met Wayan at her Traditional Balinese Healing shop last week (but Tutti was outside somewhere, playing with friends). Funny thing is that both of them were extremely tired so I didn't really chat much with either one. I felt like I was imposing if had stayed any longer than a few minutes. To them, I was just another foreigner wanting to meet them. They have hoards of travelers coming to meet them everyday now, since the success of the book. When they kept mentioning to Elizabeth Gilbert how in need of money they were, I guess they should've been careful for what they asked for!
So that is my update. Its 5pm on Saturday, January 17th....which means all of you in Seattle are likely sleeping (only 1 am Saturday for you). I will probably continue to sit here at this little open air cafe for a while longer; continue to watch the Balinese woman walk down the street with baskets on their heads and all the other locals cruise by on their motor bikes; continue to watch foreigners turn right, then left, then turn their map up, and then down, and then perhaps figure out where they are going...or not; and then maybe in an hour or so after I write a bit more of my fabulous book, jump on my bike and pedal home.
Then I'll wake up tomorrow, open my front door to let the sun burst in... maybe go to yoga, or not...maybe work on my book, or not...or maybe head out for my around the island tour and spend the day contemplating about what amazing beauty surrounds me and yet at the same time, how I long to be surrounded by the familiar, albeit gray and cold, sights and sounds of home.
I love you all,
Jody
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year!
31 December 2008
… “I hope everyone’s holiday festivities have been decorated with love and time with friends and family. I have felt blessed to still be here in Seattle because my original departure date was supposed to be back in November….but now its scheduled for Jan 3rd. So as I sit here today, December 31st, 2007, at my mom’s kitchen table, I am admiring the gorgeous blue sky shining in Seattle, taking in these last few glimpses of the city I have called home for over 30 years. Some of you might be asking, you’re doing what?! You’re moving to Thailand?! How did that happen?! Well, here is the story…”
Can you believe it?! Yep, that was the first day I started to sit down and write about my adventures. My year of writing started EXACTLY a year ago with that entry. Today is December 31st, two thousand and EIGHT.
Since that entry, I have flown across the globe to Thailand, moved from my home on Queen Anne into a room with a bed in a staff apartment building, worked as a holistic physician at a health resort on the beach, have met amazing people from literally all around the world, learned to speak a bit of Thai, eaten more Thai food in a week than I ever had before in my entire life, ate dinner on the roof of a 65-story building in Bangkok, rode an elephant around ancient temple ruins, explored deep into caves in the north of Thailand, snorkeled in clear blue waters off islands in the south of Thailand…and have said good-bye to everyone I met in Thailand…
…Have flown to Indonesia, arrived exhausted from having flown all night, asking myself, “Why the heck did I think adjusting to yet again another new culture would be a good idea?!”…Yet, I found an amazingly cute little place for $10/night where my hot breakfast is delivered to my patio every morning, spent Christmas dinner with my aunt and uncle and cousins who were vacationing here for the holidays, spent today exploring town and met more friendly people that speak English than I did during my entire year living in Hua Hin….and right now, am writing to you from a funky little café, here in this town called Ubud, on this tropical island of Bali.
It has just become dark…must be a bit after 7pm. Living near the equator, it pretty much gets light at 7am and dark at 7pm, everyday, all year round. It’s new year’s eve, so I guess I’ll stay up late and walk around town. But to me right now, its just another day, as have all the other holidays been to me this season. I’ve enjoyed it, really. No pressure to go shopping and buy a bunch of stuff that I’m not sure if anyone will like. No parties where I leave with a belly over-stuffed with holiday cuisine and of course, chocolate of all sorts. No worries like, “Oh gosh, what dress should I wear to the party?” Its just been simple. No stress…no holiday stress that is.
Adjusting to yet again a new culture isn’t exactly easy. Then, on top of that, who knows what hit me… but on about my 5th day here, I was horribly sick. My throat was so raw it hurt to swallow. My ears hurt. Sneezing. More sneezing. Nose running like a faucet. My chest ached. I went out and got a massage and then slept for 14 hours… I woke up the next morning amazingly okay! Thank goodness.
Anyway, back to my cute little café where I am sitting right now. So what am I doing here in Bali? Well, resting, relaxing, healing….and turning all of my writings into a book. My visa allows me to be here for 60 days. And that is all the plans I have…for now anyway.
I only have 8% left on my laptop battery and I really need to go pee. So I just wanted to take this moment to capture the fact that I started writing exactly a year ago to the day…and to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. May the wonderful journeys of life, mine and yours, continue into this next year to come…and may 2009 be a beautiful year for all of us! Jody ☺
… “I hope everyone’s holiday festivities have been decorated with love and time with friends and family. I have felt blessed to still be here in Seattle because my original departure date was supposed to be back in November….but now its scheduled for Jan 3rd. So as I sit here today, December 31st, 2007, at my mom’s kitchen table, I am admiring the gorgeous blue sky shining in Seattle, taking in these last few glimpses of the city I have called home for over 30 years. Some of you might be asking, you’re doing what?! You’re moving to Thailand?! How did that happen?! Well, here is the story…”
Can you believe it?! Yep, that was the first day I started to sit down and write about my adventures. My year of writing started EXACTLY a year ago with that entry. Today is December 31st, two thousand and EIGHT.
Since that entry, I have flown across the globe to Thailand, moved from my home on Queen Anne into a room with a bed in a staff apartment building, worked as a holistic physician at a health resort on the beach, have met amazing people from literally all around the world, learned to speak a bit of Thai, eaten more Thai food in a week than I ever had before in my entire life, ate dinner on the roof of a 65-story building in Bangkok, rode an elephant around ancient temple ruins, explored deep into caves in the north of Thailand, snorkeled in clear blue waters off islands in the south of Thailand…and have said good-bye to everyone I met in Thailand…
…Have flown to Indonesia, arrived exhausted from having flown all night, asking myself, “Why the heck did I think adjusting to yet again another new culture would be a good idea?!”…Yet, I found an amazingly cute little place for $10/night where my hot breakfast is delivered to my patio every morning, spent Christmas dinner with my aunt and uncle and cousins who were vacationing here for the holidays, spent today exploring town and met more friendly people that speak English than I did during my entire year living in Hua Hin….and right now, am writing to you from a funky little café, here in this town called Ubud, on this tropical island of Bali.
It has just become dark…must be a bit after 7pm. Living near the equator, it pretty much gets light at 7am and dark at 7pm, everyday, all year round. It’s new year’s eve, so I guess I’ll stay up late and walk around town. But to me right now, its just another day, as have all the other holidays been to me this season. I’ve enjoyed it, really. No pressure to go shopping and buy a bunch of stuff that I’m not sure if anyone will like. No parties where I leave with a belly over-stuffed with holiday cuisine and of course, chocolate of all sorts. No worries like, “Oh gosh, what dress should I wear to the party?” Its just been simple. No stress…no holiday stress that is.
Adjusting to yet again a new culture isn’t exactly easy. Then, on top of that, who knows what hit me… but on about my 5th day here, I was horribly sick. My throat was so raw it hurt to swallow. My ears hurt. Sneezing. More sneezing. Nose running like a faucet. My chest ached. I went out and got a massage and then slept for 14 hours… I woke up the next morning amazingly okay! Thank goodness.
Anyway, back to my cute little café where I am sitting right now. So what am I doing here in Bali? Well, resting, relaxing, healing….and turning all of my writings into a book. My visa allows me to be here for 60 days. And that is all the plans I have…for now anyway.
I only have 8% left on my laptop battery and I really need to go pee. So I just wanted to take this moment to capture the fact that I started writing exactly a year ago to the day…and to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. May the wonderful journeys of life, mine and yours, continue into this next year to come…and may 2009 be a beautiful year for all of us! Jody ☺
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