Project Happiness Articles — challenge

Regardless of my ‘over-achiever’ personality and how proud I should be, I would doubt everything constantly. Travelling taught me that I would still doubt life choices and push myself more than I could handle at times. Travelling solo taught me how to deal with these situations, take a step back, breath, smile and appreciate all the little things, which are essentially the bigger things.

Along the way one teenage girl who was taking a break from snowboarding asked me if I was “crazy” for doing it, so I informed her that I was healthy for doing it. One guy who was sitting with his friend trying to encourage him to continue boarding on down the mountain said to him at least he wasn’t hiking like this gal!

I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve looked back at decisions I’ve made, often the frightening or difficult ones, and had an incredible amount of gratitude wash over me. Gratefulness for that one person who had the guts to take a leap; my past self.

A Poem by Keroli Somaiya.The shadows of the stars,The stories of the scars,The light of your soulThe person who makes your life whole

Through the pain and utter despair, I was shedding skin like a reborn snake. I was forming new rules to live by and leaving my painful past behind.

Even with extensive training in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, for over 30 years I wondered why I, and most people I know, struggle to be consistently happy.