Wednesday, 20 March 2019

Fitness: How to stay on track on your vacation

Hey back you amazing person!

This article is a very requested one for such a long time and I got several questions during my vacation in regards to how i keep up with my training and nutrition while travelling. Thus, i decided to gather up all the holiday challenges that make you fall out of track and share how you can deal with them while still enjoying your moments on the maximum.

Let's take things from the start. Vacation don't last eternally (unless you are a millionaire or something - in this case I envy you a bit) and most likely they fluctuate from a couple of days to some weeks. Therefore, if you are on point 300+ days of the year, just a few days of vacation won't really have a very significant impact on your health and progress.

However, if you're having long ones or you are really serious on your improvement then days off can be a challenge and finding a formula to fight back is required.




STRUGGLE: TRAVEL HOURS


Regardless the nature of your trip, a good amount of time will be spent on transportation which means limited selection of food and physical movement. Packing some solid healthy snacks for your travel hours or go fasting, drinking A LOT of water and frequent stretch will certainly help to keep your body in balance inside out.


STRUGGLE: NUTRITION


Probably the most debatable one. It is very miserable to count calories and macros when you are travelling to relax but on the other hand it is extremely easy to lose complete control both due to food and alcohol consumption. The best advice I can give here, is intermittent fasting so that you can reserve your calories for BIG dense meals and still feel the joy of eating much within a certain eating window. Furthermore, aim for as higher protein intake as you can, try to avoid carbs (eat for example double portion of protein and veggies) and reserve those carbs for a couple of drinks later. As for alcohol, try to keep it in moderation and make sure to drink A LOT of water between the drinks in order to avoid dyhydration and also slower the pace of alcohol consumption in hope that you will save the last drinks. Last but not least try to avoid additional sugar and salt as much as you can to prevent bloating. I have found that for me it works best to have one BIG meal to open my feeding window which includes a lot of protein, veggies and some healthy fats and then get my total carbs (slightly reduced) in two small snacks, preferably with some protein inhold too. If you still feel hungry, choose biiiiiiig salads with lots of vegetables and minimal sauce or other sneaky carbs/fats.

STRUGGLE: SLEEP 


Source: Singularity Hub
Another big one, especially if your type of travelling is under the 'party hard' concept. Alcohol makes it even worse as it usually leads to oversleep and then affects your entire body's functionality. The only advice I can give here is to REALLY prioritize a consistent sleeping pattern during these days
otherwise you will really end up exhausted and you will not be able to enjoy the maximum of your days. If you find it hard, set alarm on your phone not only for your wake up time but also for the time you have to sleep. Set an additional alarm for having a shower and also switch off the 'blue light filter' on your phone an hour before bedtime.

STRUGGLE: EXERCISE


Here things twist a lot but are in fact way more flexible. If your trip includes sports (skiing, kayaking, cycling, scuba diving, hiking, swimming, whatever) or you have access to the gym (for instance on your hotel) then, problem solved. However, in case you don't or you really want to take some time off and invest this time on your co-traveller(s) and the whole experience, you can still be active and remain in shape. Here is a relevant story I posted, answering to the question "How do you keep up with your training while on vacation?"





That's all folks! That was my personal routine tips to keep my self on track while being away from home and still enjoy my holidays. 
Did you find this helpful😎? Help it spread around. 
Are there any other tips you personally use? Feel free to mention them below! 
Stay healthy and come back soon 😁


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Motivation: Give it all and don't regret

Welcome back sunshine beams!

Barcelona, Spain. March 2019
I have been thinking of composing this article for a good amount of time but had to delay it for a very specific reason. I have been processing my thoughts a lot and some of them have been constantly changing from time to time, hence I felt the need to wait for them to mature and stabilize before I invest the time to write them down.

As you probably assumed from the title already, my point of view (nowdays) is that we really need to give it all on something we want or believe to, with no regrets. However, this is not always an easy case, especially when you invest effort, time, emotions, hope towards a receptor ( a person, a goal, a situation etc) that means a lot to you. The reduction or total lack of expectations regarding any investment can protect you from being hurt or disappointed by the receptor itself in case you do not receive a feedback in return, which more or less describes the state of unconditional effort. The case of regreting your investment afterwards is a whole different story and can be present even upon unconditional occasions. It can hurt, devastate, shake everything around and make an individual doubt; BUT nothing hurts as much as the regret of NOT doing something you deeply wanted to.

I clearly remember a random day, many years ago, when I spotted a quote while scrolling on Google.
"Dead people receive more flowers that alive ones because the power of regret is greater than the power of appreciation". The more you sit down and process this sentence, the more you realize the enormous truth in it. That is exactly how it kicked in, right in the feels and made me question the times I regreted not doing what my heart commanded. I came to the conclusion that even though I consider myself spontaneous and expressive, there have been significantly many times when I compressed my self-expression, my feelings, needs, thoughts and dreams, mainly because of fear.
Fear of getting hurt, fear of investing too much on something that will not work out, fear of  getting disappointed, fear of demystifying an occasion/person, fear of mistreatment and so on. People are so diverse and every single individual can hold himself back in terms of expression and/or actions for different reasons such as fear, selfishness, insecurity, sadism, etc. It didn't get long before I figured out that I have lost nearly the same amount of memories, experiences, shared emotions as a person who misses them because of a bad reason, selfisness for example. That was the slap I needed to understand that fear is equally harmful and restrictive for this journey we call Life.

The hardest thing for me was not to realize that fear steals the most intense part of our experiences. The REAL struggle was to alter my attitude and actions while still being afraid. There will always be risk, uncertainty, loss, mistreatment, injustice and pain, that's a part of the game. However, so are the happiness, glory, magic, surprise, affection, success, greatness and mutuality that might occur if we decide to be brave and authentic each and every moment. Everything we have missed already because we held it behind, is stored within a chest, deep inside our hearts. The more we compress, the heavier the weight and thus the lower we flow. That weight is the power of regret, which hurts more than anything else. It blocks our airways, it doesn't let us perform our best, it prevents us from having the full experience and it always stains even the best possible outcome.

This exact pain can be the ultimate motivation to cut down on this habit, even though the fear is still present in its entirety or partially (in case we are working on it). From that point, there are more to win that to lose when you set yourself free and give it all. Best case scenario, you get a positive outcome. Worst case scenario, you go through some unpleasant situation but still you have inner peace, zero weight to cumber your soul and a bunch of lessons and chances to evolve and become stronger in order to support yourself properly through uncertainty.

As all great things are difficult, it becomes obvious that time is a basic compound of this transitional procedure, for a reason. The more we build up our strength, the more we learn to trust ourselves even when nothing makes sense. The more we trust ourselves, the faster we recover in case things turn bad. The faster we recover, the more willing we are to dare again and take risks and consequently risks are gateways to greatness.

From time to time, we learn to enjoy the journey, we understand that risk is correlated to the importance and value of an outcome.

What do you choose to settle for? All in or all out? Mediocrity? Are you really happy with your choices?

Question yourself and trust your inner voice. You are the only one who has nothing to lose.

I hope this article influenced or guided you to search deeper in your heart and understand how much courage it took for you to give it all even when your effort was mistreated or disrespected. I hope you realize that your empathy, sensitivity and emotional side are all gifts for you and you should never let any bad situation change this awesome sunlight that you are. You might be afraid to start over, you might be scared to open up, share and invest but no failure, no dissapointment should hold you back from the potential to experience a life full of pearls. Shoot for the moon and you will land among the stars. Keep shining, keep loving, keep on kindness and take care till the next update.

Feel free to reach me about your thoughts, requests or questions. 
Much love,
Irinä

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Monday, 20 August 2018

Fitness: Meal prep

Hello my beloved health hunters!

I am so glad I found some time to post on this super busy period of my life and today's topic is one of the best allies to make it through it while still progressing. Meal Prep.

Image source: Pinterest
Meal prep stands from Meal Preparation which is the process of both scheduling and preparing your meals in advance on a daily or weekly basis. That might sound fancy as many people tend to perceive it as a trend but it is in fact, a powerful tool to get the best possible results while saving time AND MONEY. Yes, Money.  Let's dive into this.

What happens when people do NOT meal prep? The groceries shopping becomes chaotic since they don't have a clear image of what they NEED to purchase in order to prepare their meals, they skip a lot of key-ingredients [which makes the cooking not so pleasant experience], they tend to buy a bunch of stuff which do not fit into their nutrition plan, mainly influenced by their current cravings or temptational offers. Furthermore, when someone does not meal prep he doesn't have consistency on his shopping cart, he can not estimate his usual nutrition expenses and thus he is not able to track and spot the best offers in order to supply smart and save up. Does it sound familiar? Well, it comes paired with the direct consequence of food waste. If there is no single clue of the meal flow across the day/week then, many products will stay on the back side of the fridge, unseen, forgotten, unconsumed, until they rot and eventually end up in the trash bin. Not alone. With all that wasted money.


People who do not think in advance of their meals, tend to forget supplying some crucial basic ingredients (ex. onions, vegetables, olive oil, etc). Thus, when the cooking time comes they realize that they need to get a second run to the store to make up for them. Chances are that those 1-2 products won't be the only ones which will make it to the second-round cart. Yes, you guessed right. More waste of money.

Now that you got what happens when one does NOT meal prep, let's examine what happens when someone DOES. Someone who meal prep(are)s, is aware of what comes into his mouth. That means that he knows and tracks his food, which comes pretty handy both to avoid cheating and being able to detect how his organism responds to certain foods. A meal prepper can also track his progress (aka the level of persistence around his nutrition plan) and as a consequence he can acknowledge and reward himself for that. Acknowledgement, self awareness and reward are pretty important factors of success as a person can use these tools to keep himself motivated, excited and persistent throughout the process. Now that you got an insight of how meal prep saves money and promotes an individual to a more productive and efficient state, it's time to delve into the ultimate excuse people usually present: TIME. Aye, that lad.



The most widespread hoax I come across the internet (and real life conversations) is that meal preparation is a time consuming process and people are too busy to spend hours in the kitchen every day. To begin with, one will either way spend time in the kitchen in order to prepare a meal and eat it right away. During meal prep, a person will spend exactly the same amount of time to cook the meals (in larger proportions) ONE TIME (instead of 6-7 in case of cooking each meal in a separate day) and save them. Having the meals already prepared means that one can take his lunch/dinner with him on the go/at work/wherever, saving up all that time he would spend to go home, cook, eat and go back to the rest of his daily responsibilities. That will also contribute to less crappy binge eating since healthy meals will be accessible at all occasions. Take a moment to imagine the amount of money spent on delivery/take away meals or snacks just because people do not have some food available. Additionally, weekly groceries shopping instead of every other day will save a good amount of time which could be used for any other purpose such us personal goals, relaxation, leisure activities, family/friends/spouse, exploration and so on. MYTH - BUSTED.
Extra BENEFIT: You don't have to clean cooking pots, pans etc on a daily basis. 😏



What a remarkable thing is that changing such an individual part of your daily routine can have such an impact across your whole life, isn't it?

Up to now everything sounds ideal and I am pretty sure that many people have perceived meal prep as a great idea at some point but most of them did not proceed to the actual execution of the plan just because they didn't know where to begin from. Let's try to shed some light on this.

Some main course and snacks I prepped. Taken from my personal Instagram  Account.
View more details about this particular set of meals here



Meal prep is flexible and can be adjusted to the individual's needs, that is basically the main reason of its efficiency. Meal scheduling can be weekly whereas the physical preparation of the meals can be daily (like cooking the night before), every 2-3 days, weekly or even monthly (if there is a close friendship with the freezer). Furthermore, one can invest time to meal prep only the main-large meals of the day such as lunch/post workout meals/ dinner/ which is impossible to cook everyday. Other people, prepare also their snacks both because it comes handy and also because it is more likely to consume them in order to avoid throwing them away (ex. you might not really turn to a fruit or veggie when you have mid-day cravings but it is way more possible to do it if there are pre-cut fruits, salads, etc available). All the patterns can potentially work because the power of meal prep relies on its adjustment to every person's unique needs.

 Prepped snack. Taken from my personal Instagram  Account.
View more details about this particular meal here

For instance, I am a person that usually meal preps the most complex meals of the day (usually lunch/dinner and sometimes post workout meal) and in some occasions I also prepare snacks which I take with me on the go if I spend a lot of hours outdoors.

Preparing snacks doesn't mean always processing them, it can be just a Tupperware with a green apple and some nuts.

I usually prefer my breakfast or evening snacks to be made right before consumption due to texture, temperature and composition matters.




For more details, ingredients etc click here
For more details, ingredients etc click here



















Some breakfast prep for the days I was sleeping over. Taken from my personal Instagram  Account.



From planning to execution, it is a long road ahead. Once you have your meals scheduled regarding the frequency, quantity, proportions and consistency, you are ready to start the great the real thing.



MEAL PREP EXECUTION AND PACKING GUIDE


Salmon, veggies and cottage cheese prepped lunch.
Taken from my personal 
Instagram  Account.
View more details about this meal here



  • Cut/Chop all the ingredients (ex, veggies) that you will use either for raw consumption or as a part of your cooking process either the same or the following day (ex. mushrooms, peppers etc).
  • Wash your salads in advance
  • Boil your veggies/eggs/whatever in large quantity
  • Marinate your meat/fish/mushrooms/hummus in advance
  • Cook all (or most) of the foods like grilled or baked stuff
  • Use airtight containers to store your spare fresh cut ingredients for future cooking purposes
  • Divide and combine your food accordingly to form containers with your meals
  • If you are into packing some snacks, now it is a good time to proceed 
  • Be very careful with the hygiene and quality of your containers to maximize the food quality and preservation 
  • Smoothies prep.
    Taken from my personal Instagram  Account.
    View more details about it here
    Smoothies preparation in advance can also be a practical option for your snacks but it is not super duper advisable since they will lose a lot of vitamin load until consumption
  • Arrange your containers in the fridge in such a way to both see the content and have a clear image of which meals will be consumed first.
  • For better preservation, avoid putting your containers too close to the back side of the refridgator, there is a lot of moisture going on there and especially fruits and veggies get frozen.

  • ALWAYS have a bag/box/whatever works for you - to carry your containers PLACED READY on a kitchen table from the night before, to remember getting your food with you in the morning (or whenever you are about to leave the house)
  • Remember your water and liquid intake. You might need to take coffee/tea/water with you if you are spending a good amount of time away from home.


Easy, don't you think? All you need is to be organized and invest around 1 hour of your time. Then, you are ready to benefit of the entire process and outcome as well.

Dinner side-dish prep.
Taken from my personal Instagram Account.
View more details about this meal here

 During the process of meal prep, one will improve his cooking skills, he will learn to be more creative and even experiment to give a different taste to the same basic ingredients and he will get better at organizing his time and further aspects of his life. 

In the long-term, meal prep will help with fitness goals and health improvement due to nutrition control, track and persistence, it will make a lot of time for other activities and personal-space and it will also provide a financial boost out of savings that would otherwise be unnecessarily wasted. 

Last but not least, all these will contribute to the emotion of accomplishment which in turn will provide a lot of motivation, self confidence and positivity.






If you are reading this sentence then it means you made it through this entire long article for a reason. I hope that the information provided above have been useful and inspiring for you to try meal-prep yourself and seize the benefits.
 If there is any question on the topic or anything you would like to ask/suggest/share don't be shy and contact me right away using the info below. 
Have an exceptional day and till our next catch up, take care, work hard and smile!
Love,
Irina


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Sunday, 24 June 2018

Fitness: Workouts: Arm explosion

Hey back my epic gym rats!

Source: Fine Art America
It's been some time since the last workout post so I thought I should follow up with a nice Arm explosive session.❤

This routine incorporates body weight, lightweight and heavy weight exercises to target as many muscle groups as possible (even the secondary etc) and provide a multiple stimulation which can be used accordingly to your personal goal.

 In other words, you can adjust the weight and rep range, the time in between sets etc to make it spot on your own needs wither it is strength training, muscle hypertrophy, fat burn or simply toning/maintenance. 💪😁 

You can also start with the muscle group which you want to target the most. If you are a beginner/intermediate aim for less sets than mentioned, you can either a circle (1 set of each exercise/per side) and figure out if you can complete one more OR you can pick half of the exercises and perform full sets, adjusting the weight range on your own level :)



Bicep curls (4 sets)

Heavy weight: 2 sets x 8-12 reps
Medium weight: 2 sets x 12-15 reps

Source: Stock Above

Twisting Bicep curls  (3 sets)

Heavy weight: 1 set x 8-12 reps
Medium weight: 2 sets x 12-15 reps

Source: Men's Health UK


Dumbbell or Barbel triceps extension (5 sets)

Heavy weight: 2 sets x 5-8 reps
Medium weight: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Light weight finisher: 1 set - until failure


Dumbbell Version


Source: Weighttraining Guide

Barbell Version
Source: BTF Inner Circle / Google




Dumbbell hammer curl (2 sets)

Heavy weight: 1 set x 5-8 reps
Light weight: 1 set x 15 reps

Source: GYM VISUAL

(Deltoid work)

  • Dumbbell armpit row (4 sets)
Heavy weight: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Medium weight: 2 sets x 12-15 reps

Source: Google


  • Plate or dumbbell front raise (3 sets)

Heavy weight: 1 set x 8-10 reps
Medium weight: 1 set x 10-12 reps
Light weight: 1 set x 15 reps

Source: Weighttraining Guide


  • Cable external shoulder rotation (3 sets)
Medium weight: 3 sets x 12-15 reps

Source: GYM VISUAL



Barbell wrist curls (4 sets, 2 front and 2 behind the back)
[Forearm work]

Per variation:
Heavy weight: 1 sets x 8-10 reps
Medium weight: 2 sets x 12-15 reps

Behind the back version
Source: Fitness Stars



Front version
Source: WL - Workout Labs


Chair/Bench dips (3 sets)

Tip: You can make single-arm dips (using only one arm) to make it more challenging if you don't perform all the exercises mentioned. I use it as a finisher but it can easily be in the middle of your session in the more challenging version.

Bodyweight: 3 sets x 12 reps

Source: Exercise Goals





Plank (2 sets)

Tip: Same as mentioned above, you can experiment with different variations of plank-type of exercises, like a single-arm plank, single leg plank, side plank, side plank + rotation (and even a dumbbell one). If you wish to incorporate it in your basic plan, aim for all of these variations, perform at least 2-3 sets and work your way up to the duration. Extra bonus: it helps a lot with core strength and posture  👀

2 sets x 30 sec/each

Source: Diet of Life





That's it guys! I hope  you got inspired to hit the gym and progress either following this workout or your own plan. Make sure to alter your workouts here and then to prevent your body from adapting. Incorporate different exercises, change the order, experiment with weight and rep range, try variations of the usual exercises you perform or try a completely different session once a while. 
Have a happy and productive week full of health, happiness and gainz!
Take care sweet hearts.
Hugs, 
Irina

Bicep flex at the gym, June 2018


P.S. You can always leave me your feedback, questions, requests and thoughts using the contact information below.


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Thursday, 31 May 2018

Motivation: Wind of Change

Hello sun rays!☀

Chilling on a rock in Telegrafbukta, Tromsø, Norway
This article welcomes you back in a very different energy field, formed upon a lot of different
circumstances which led to significant changes in the way I am and I perceive things around. Thus, the most suitable title should be " Wind of Change". If this sounds familiar in any way, keep reading.

Life is an unpredictable ocean of experiences itself. It can be calm for really long time but in order to remain functional and sustain any presence there, it needs to be shaken, stirred and redistributed. On the other hand, it can survive through extreme occasions and still make it back to the peaceful calm state again. As a Norse proverb says " It is the still and calm sea which drowns a man" which in my opinion is absolutely correct.

Comfort zones have always been a pleasant environment as they offer the illusion of control just because their limits are within our range of abilities/management, they require minimal effort and uncertainty compared to the world out there. Having a comfort zone can be a very beneficial fortress if you run there through rough times just to recharge your batteries and come back stronger. It can also be a quicksand if you just rely on it without some safety measurements. When you step back into your comfort zone you need to set a specific deadline for your presence there, you need to be completely conscious that this is a healing period to gain back your energy and motivation, rest yourself and return back even more fierce and strong. If any of these terms is not met, your comfort zone gradually becomes a jail and separates you from the life of your dreams. You get so comfortable there, you have everything under control and thus your ability to handle challenges, be creative and explore, sinks in atrophy as the time goes by. Comfort zones are nice but nothing great ever grows there. A downside here is that in most cases, it takes a long time to realize how stuck you are there. However, the feeling your get after your initial step out is of course backed with fear, risk and uncertainty but has also a ton of freedom, independence, courage and confidence in it.

Whither you consciously step out of your comfort zone or circumstances around you cause you to change from the inside (altering your emotions and thoughts too along with your actions), it is certainly a remarkable point in your life. While crossing this path in the present, I recalled a moment from 2017, when I definitely earned some Life Lessons. ( You can find more about it on the link ).
I tried to compare the sense of discomfort, frustration, realization and post-relief between these two periods of my life and I believe that nothing is nearly as big as the intensity of these emotions when situations force you to change without even realizing it.

It comes in waves which catch your eye, you sometimes feel confused but you don't think it's any kind of big deal. Day after day, you keep doing your thing, you have your routine, your goals and social circle but one particular day something feels really different. You can't look at the same people in the same way. Your thought orientation is not the usual one. Your physical and mental response towards the same stimuli is uncommon. That's when you take a step back trying to figure out who you are and where did these observations come from. You feel an inexplicable sense of mental clarity, physical serenity and a cool breeze spreading across your head and body. That's the wind of change. And that's the first time you are not frustrated about all these differences but you can't really understand why.

Let's dive into this a bit further: Usually, this transformation happens under harsh conditions where you have been compressing your own wants, needs, dreams, self expression for so so long. This can either happen in your own will or it can be a long-term situation established by uncontrollable factors that you have to deal with at a certain time. No matter the cause, the outcome follows the same pattern leaving you unrecognizable and some times even surprised by your own self.

Very accurate.
You stand in front of the mirror, you start spotting changes and some of them are not even close to what you cope with. The most significant one is the emotional frost towards things that used to mean a lot to you but do not seem to upset/have any control over you anymore. You do not come in that state within a day because that's a build-up of compressed moments, discomfort and lack of freedom to be your pure, spontaneous self.

What you do not understand until you reach that state is this:

All the burden you felt trapped inside, cumbering and blocking you each and every day can act as an enormous force to launch the arrow farther than you could ever imagine.
Specifically, the arrow will land in a new world, free of all the negative compounds that suffocated you in the past because you will not let any of these grow on the new fertile and virgin soil. You simply take no shit anymore. Even if this is your general moto, this does not represent strength unless you get imposed on yourself and practice accordingly towards situations that have high emotional value for you. Being solid and strong while feeling vulnerable and fragile is the true expression of self-strength. It will not be easy, it will not be pleasant at that particular moment but nothing compares to the upcoming liberation you will experience. Embrace yourself, understand your emotions and give yourself space and time to adapt. Time itself won't heal anything unless you take charge of it.

Wind of Change doesn't come peacefully, it comes after the storm and leaves you renewed with tons of lessons, thoughts and challenges to process and turn into wisdom. 

That's how it goes. You can not jump to the next step if you are not completely done with the previous one. You need to accept the responsibility of your choices and support them, you need to alter some of your default reactions to overcome obstacles and finally LEARN. You need to test your limits, your wants, your values and prove to yourself that you are stronger and more capable of achieving things than you thought (or others wanted you to think). You must get through the storm to build your confidence and trust yourself and your abilities. You may not be able to determine an outcome entirely but at least make sure to have the absolute control of your own contribution. You are allowed to make mistakes, you are entitled to start over and take your time to figure things out. Embrace the journey, let things flow and OBSERVE. The truth is hidden between small or significant things, you only need to pay attention.

Now close your eyes and picture the following: 

Moment of self reorientation
You are on strong ship, fully comfortable and secure but through the journey there is a crash and waters get in quickly. The panic gets over and you feel helpless, frightened and overwhelmed. There are a lot of thoughts to deal with and you are basically blocked and completely clueless where to start from or what to do next. The choice of remaining still and stuck into an unavoidable sinking means certain suffocation and death of your dreams, goals and whole existence. The other choice is to jump off and claim a chance to survive or "a better tomorrow" than letting yourself inactive, to suffer. No matter how scary it feels when you jump into the tide, once you take a deep breath and dive deeper you realize it is far more calm and manageable than the surface (aka first contact). You start adapting and handling it, you believe in yourself and you feel less frightened or uncertain. Then, you get out to breathe again and you are not drowning anymore, you can actually think of the shore since you sorted out the most vital thing first. Things do not really seem that bad and you are actually enjoying yourself swimming and getting more skilled. You are now completely free to dream and choose your own direction and it feels damn nice! You take your time to decide, you set the goal and act upon it.

You focus on that while processing all the facts and progress and after some time you spot other brave warriors swimming in the same sea, either familiar ones from your own "ship" who followed your example or even new ones who are saving themselves from their own "wreckage". What matters is that you are not alone anymore, you are surrounded with people who share the same traces as you do, they have mutual values, experiences, mindset and vibrate around your wave length naturally. You may feel bitter of those who were left behind but after all you realize that everything is a matter of conscious choices, they make us who we are, they stayed back because it was their own choice and you have to respect that. Even if they were present in the form they existed back then, they wouldn't be compatible anymore. That bitterness though is getting smoother and smoother after the appreciation and gratitude you feel for these people around you, they exist without absorbing/spoiling your energy so you can keep going and interacting with them at the same time. While cheering, smiling and enjoying this energy, what a surprise... you can now see the shore! You are actually pretty close without even noticing before! 

Congratulations! You just saved yourself and you arrived in a new, virgin land to build the life of  your dreams, as a brand new person. Welcome to the first day of you Free Life.


Hope that this text had quite an impact on you, as it had on me. More content is on the way so don't forget to follow me on social media to stay updated. In the meantime, you can always reach me for your feedback/questions/recommendations through the contact information provided below. Have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Irina

Very recent picture of myself taken in Ekebergparken, Oslo, Norway
Feeling Free.

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lifestyle, courage, relax, relaxing, relaxation, support, positive, thoughts, positivism, positive energy, healing, quotes, strength, inspiration, motivation, philosophy
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