Sports Alive

5th August, 2008Blog time!

Hi everyone!

I have finally returned from a surf filled week in Mexico feeling relaxed, surfed out and sun tanned. It was a spontaneous trip south of the border to catch up with a few girl friends, surf some perfect waves, rid myself of the flu and shoot photo's . It was quite the mission but worth every minute of it because I did something that made me happy.

Last weekend in my local paper The Manly Daily (sometimes referred to as the Layne Daily) was a column written by the regular life advice counsellor Martin Hunter Jones that talks about the importance of happiness and all that we attach to it.

It states that "The only way you can have a good life is to reach for happiness. This is not to say that the various trappings of wealth and power you may find along the way are worthless, rather that happiness is the holy grail.

Happiness is a state of mind. It exists inside you like an enormous perfect diamond sitting at your centre beneath the dirt of your distress. It has been there forever and will always remain. You need not fear for it's destruction or damage. As long as you live this indomitable diamond will shine divine.

Regardless of your situation, happiness will largely seem smaller or shallower than it is in reality. It takes a constant , easy effort to release the tide of distractions. As you allow this release of distress you will find a calm and endless depth.

One key to the realisation of happiness is identifying addiction. Addiction is not just about the overuse of substances such as drugs; it can include almost any experience. Addiction is any behaviour you persist with that appears to work but in fact doesn't.

An extremely common example of addiction is anxiety. Worrying is about being prepared for problems in order to be safe or successful. Unfortunately, this vigilance focuses your vision on the barbed wire instead of the gate. Worry is a purposeful behaviour that actually becomes your cage.

Happiness isn't a habit. It's a playful, spontaneous dance. Let go of your cracking concrete conceptions, heavily filled with granite and reinforced with rusting steel. Trust that what is left will be clear crystal, illuminating the night with wonderment like a luminous infinity of stars in a cloudless sky."

Easier said than done I hear you say?

Would love to but I can't!

One of the greatest challenges we all encounter is trust. Trusting yourself, trusting others, trust in the universe. Unless we make it happen nothing will work out right!

I believe the universe has it all mapped out for us and we are here to learn how to trust that, enjoy it and share the experience with others. I admit to challenging that trust constantly until I reconnect with the understanding of a master plan.

Happiness is indeed a state of mind, a state of choice and we all have a choice.

I was feeling sick, tired, stressed and fed up so I made the choice to clear my diary and make some time for me, without guilt or expectation. At first it was a tough decision to make because there is always so much to do but I realised my ability to give unconditionally was beginning to diminish as I was failing to give to myself.

Mexico was amazing. Perfect waves, great friends and quality Layne time. One day I'm going to learn how to give myself quality Layne time without having to fly to the other side of the world!

In the meantime it's back to work with a renewed sense of confidence, happiness and gratitude.

My advice to you? Do something that makes you happy every day!

Layne xx