Have you ever sat down, written “What are my options?” at the top of the page and then just sat there?
Then distracted yourself with this task, and then that task, before closing the journal and making yourself something to eat, just to avoid looking at what’s possible?
Yeah me too.
In fact, I did it again this morning.
Here I am, supposed to be on a global book tour, sailing around the world, and I am quarantined in a country where the restriction of movement is far stricter than government control restrictions in Egypt during the Uprising ten years ago.
Now that might sound a bit extreme, but trust me, not being able to travel more than 5 blocks in any direction, without permission papers, is a bit of a head fuck to be honest with you.
And yes, I know everyone is going through their own challenges in their own country, but to face arrest and a minimum of 6 months in jail for being more than 5 blocks from your quarantine home, not even my Mum is that strict!
I am itching to get going again, and I have had to re-frame this whole situation on a regular basis.
“I am waiting for the trade winds” is something I have reminded myself many times, and at this rate, it will more than likely be the case.
“I’ve got lots of work to be doing” and I have, new courses being launched, new clients coming on board, and a new book being written.
“It’s all Divine Timing, so what can I learn from this?” is a great journaling questions I have been diving deep into.
“This is happening for a reason, so what can I be grateful for during this time?” is another great journaling question and reveals to us just how lucky we are to have a place to stay, family to miss and the internet to connect with them all.
And you know what, this is all happening for a reason, and the reasons are as vast as the open oceans I wish I was on right now.
Each and every single one of us will have become aware of what, and who, is really important to us, and if we’ve been smart, we will have used this quarantine time to grow and evolve in each area of our lives.
The ladies and I at the House of Preeminence Magazine have launched the magazine, and released three breathtaking issues. We have held our first event and have another one coming up on the 16th June: The Ultimate Alignment makeover
The magazine has been hailed as the new ‘O’ magazine and leaves magazines such as ‘Entrepreneur’ flat and lifeless. Editor in Chief Jenni P Parker Brown has done an incredible job leading us all and creating such a luxurious experience for all you ambitious female entrepreneurs out there.
The One Tribe Magazine has also had a makeover both in terms of branding and design, as well as new guest writers. Subscribers to the magazine are getting ‘more bang for their buck’ than ever before and loving the personal and professional growth that goes with it.
I’ve almost finished my next book, a biography about an incredible woman, which will be published and launched in the next 6 weeks.
The Phoenix Rising 21 Day Challenge is creating some incredible results in the lives of the ladies who are taking part, not to mention providing daily accountability as well as insights and inspiration by the ocean load.
The ladies are using the challenge to dive deep into a new projects, side hustles, career and lifestyle goals, community projects and using it as the kick up the backside they were needing.
All the delays provided the Divine Timing needed to release it now, not to mention a gift of a great deal of learning for all involved in bringing it to fruition along the way.
Knowing my work is supporting more women achieve their goals, put a spring back in their step, a smile on their face and radiate with joy from deep within makes me incredibly happy.
As I ask myself ‘What are my options?’ right now, I am revisiting all the knowledge I have poured into the Phoenix Rising Challenge. It’s not enough for me to create it and sell it, I too have to live by the principles I am encouraging others to invest in.
Checking out the relevant embassy websites, the latest quarantine guidelines, and finding nothing new has been updated since March, April or May is a tad frustrating.
The British Embassy website is about as useful as a chocolate fireguard and the Argentinian one is even worse, if that’s at all possible!
I check news sites, ask the locals what the news is reporting. I check out international news websites and see more and more fear mongering and inconsistency in the information shared around the world.
When you consider the new findings on how this whole COVID-19 is impacting other countries, how they are treating and dealing with the situation, I find myself wishing I was already in Madagascar.
Madagascar is one of the destinations on my ocean circumnavigation, and my arrival there means I am almost at the finish line.
I say almost because there will still be the rest of the Indian Ocean to sail, and then up into Asia, Indonesia and Australia to do before I cross the Tasman Sea back into New Zealand.
I have a list of activities I want to achieve before I leave Argentina, but until quarantine rules are lifted, then like everyone else here, I just have to be patient and crack on with my work.
Speaking with my children via Zoom and Skype is the highlight of my day. I last hugged my eldest in July last year and my youngest in August, breathing in their very essence is something I long for.
Not being with them for this long was not part of the original plan I can tell you, and I cannot even begin to tell you how much I look forward to the day I get to see them in person, hugging the life out of them.
Being away from everyone I know, not having friends or family to hug, is incredibly difficult at times.
I’d only just arrived in South America for the next leg of the trip just 8 weeks before quarantine went into full on beast mode.
My trip into Central America has been delayed quite considerably, but the plus side is, all these delays have gifted me the time to prepare for the North American part of the book tour.
So, although I am quarantined in Argentina, restricted more than ever before, there are still plenty of options for me to create positive and powerful change in the world from my laptop and beautiful apartment.
It may not have an ocean view, but the marina is just down the road, and the locals are already calling me ‘mi amor’ in the shops, knowing what I like and making me feel very welcome.
I have the best landlords, and ‘tia’ aka ‘Aunty’ is taking great care of me. The fact that I am just like one of the family, and she is also a sailor girl and has lived on a boat for 9 years, also adds to the unexpected bonuses of being quarantined.
Asking myself ‘What are my options?’ always leads me to a full on dose of gratitude, and allows me to see the unexpected bonuses.
In that space we get to appreciate the challenges we face and get present to just how wonderful our lives really are… and that can only be a great thing, wouldn’t you agree?