So my recent blog has ruffled a few feathers. I honestly didn’t mean to make anyone worry about me. But I have had mixed comments so far, all by the way over the phone. One person knows the feeling and is in a similar place. Someone else reckons that once your bed is made you must sleep in it, regardless of your own feelings. Do the right thing oke he says, well we had an awesome discussion for half an hour, he gave me a good belly laugh when he said ” I will pray for you Dyl.” I know he will and I know his prayer will be answered, prayer is like that, and I value his input and friendship.

It just got me thinking about how many of us are actually willing to follow our hearts and live our dreams. How many of us even know what we want out of life. And I am not talking about the good job, settle down raise a family grow sweetpotatoes type of life (unless that is what you really want) I am talking about actually knowing yourself well enough to know exactly what it is you want. What legacy you are going to leave behind. Nearly everyone I spoke to is grappeling with this internal battle. Do I really choose this career for myself, do I really like the town I live in, do I honestly like my life the way it is. More often than not we accept what is just because it is familiar and feels safe.

Today I had an interesting chat to a man on the beach after my surf. He is in the process of learning to surf at 51. He finds it fustratingly hard, giving that he can’t surf everyday and spend enough time in the water. After chatting for a while he realised that just been in the water learning was fun, that he could enjoy the process as much as the end result. He was so converned about the goal thathe had forgotten to enjoy just being in the water doing what he wanted to do. We spoke about life, kids, choices and the fact that being in a comfort zone is really uncorfortable, however most people are too afraid to look out that comfort box. My problem with a comfort zone is that it doesn’t grow and it is not exciting. Sure every now and again I step into my comfort zone and rest and enjoy where I am, but I do not live there. I know that in order for my body to survive it must grow, it must make new cells constantly, it must get rid of the waste and take in fresh supplies. It must starve off dying cells to provide energy to create new cells. So to must I continually grow, step out onto the ledge and face my fears. Living outside my comfort zone has helped me become who I am. In fact I am so comfortable outside my comfort zone that I get worried when I spend too much time in the comfort zone.
We both had a good laugh when we spoke about age and he recalled an old tv advert, it showed these grey haired people with their sweaters drapped around their shoulders going about life with enegry and vigour, Salusa 45. Come on since when  is 45 old? We are too accepting of our age and the limits society imposes on us in light of age. Oooh you can’t learn to ride a mtb now you too old, or at your age you shouldnt do xyz. Thank you to the elders in our society who give that the double finger salute. Go on climb that tree in your garden, build a sand castle o the beach do whatever the hell you feel like regardless of your age.
I had to step outside my comfort zone and walk up to someone I barely knew and make conversation, but I was rewarded with beautiful insights to his view of life and we shared a few laughs together. I learnt that no one is a complete stranger, we are all in this together.
Another person I spoke to recalled a person who we met asking for money, turns out that in some way this guy was a messenger of the universe who had come to deliver a message to us. He showered us with blessings after we gave him some change and did not think about it again. But he blessed us and told us we would be successful and we both are.

So to the believers out there, the sceptics, critics, dreamers, the ones who take life by the balls and those of you who hide in their comfort zones. We all in this together, each of us has a journey to undertake, for some of us our lives are intimately entwined, others our paths may head in opposite directions. Many of our friends have moved out of Port Alfred over the past few years, they have their own journey, their own destiny. We have touched each others lives and left a mark, some of us will keep in contact, some won’t. Some of us might live in the same town again. We may change careers, move to other countries far away. We will however carry with us the imprint we left on each others lives and we will continue imprinting on those we touch.

As for me, I am at peace. Thank you for all your concerns, worries etc etc. I am traveling the path I choose, I am happy, I love my family and my job. I am not about to jump off a bridge or do anything silly. I am living my destiny. I thank you all for helping me get here, every single person has in some way helped ensure I am on the right path heading in the right direction. At times I have looked and felt lost only to come through it realizing I had taken a short cut. I knew that 2012 was going to be a great year. I did not however forsee how great. Things are lining up just the way they were always meant to be and as Bronwyn wrote to me yesterday, we are heading to the end of a chapter and about to start writing a new one. This is where the story starts to get exciting……