You're So Brave

Written Oct. 2012 (*Since leaving my job with DoDEA, I have gotten at least 3 letters from 3 other overseas DoDEA teachers who said that my ability to leave the cushy life of DoDDs to follow my dreams, gave them the courage to do the same. You never know who you're going to effect by just authentically living your life and being true to yourself.)

In September 2012, I resigned from my comfortable, secure, well paying, high stress, overseas curriculum specialist job with DoDEA in the Japan District.  I had new hopes and dreams of teaching yoga, working with non-profit and/or wellness organizations, continuing to traveling, and visiting family I'd not spent much time with over the past decade. 

Upon leaving my job in Japan, I had no new job lined up, no home of my own to move into, no car to drive, and healthcare that would end in a month. Provided with this information, most people (friends, family, acquaintances, strangers) delivered mountains of unsolicited, albeit well intentioned, wisdom, guidance, and suggestions as to what I should do. The lack of uncertainty in my future left people a bit freaked out and feeling the need to ask me a million questions about my retirement money, my healthcare, where I will live, how I will get around, and explanations about why I should just transfer to another teaching or curriculum specialist job in the US. Or, the advice I love best, “You ONLY have 8 – 10 more years until you can retire early, just hang in there!” Wow, really!?? 

I know that most of these comments are typically coming from a place of caring and concern...and fear. A few comments were shared because people were truly worried about my sanity. Fair enough. But if you truly know me, you know I will do what I have set my mind to do, and I will be successful at it as well.  

Interestingly enough, I talked to another traveler on my final flight from Japan to the US. While we waited on our flight, I gave him a brief synopsis of my current status. He was supportive of and quite interested in my story. He asked if I’d ever just up and walked away from a job before, and if so, had it worked out in my favor. I thought about it and remembered that, yes, I’d walked away from my inner-city teaching job back in 2000, too. I left with nothing lined up and no safety net. I was feeling ill, bored, restless, having panic attacks and felt completely unfulfilled in that job. I desperately wanted to travel and see the world, but I kept asking myself, "How on earth can I do that on a teacher’s salary while paying a mortgage and a car payment?" I spent the upcoming summer by myself in Gulf Breeze, FL (the boyfriend and the dog stayed in Atlanta via my request) contemplating, reading, journaling and meditating on this issue. What resolution did I come up with? Walking away from it all! As scary as it sounds, I did just that...and everything worked out better than I could have planned. I didn't go back to teaching after winter break in December 2000. In early January 2001, I was asked to work at one of the district offices for a few hours each day, for very good pay. The perfect temporary job. In the spring of 2001, I moved up north to live with my amazing aunt for 4 months (something I now truly cherish as she has since passed away), while waiting to hear if I got hired on with Department of Defense Schools Overseas. I sold my house in Atlanta for a huge profit, easily sold my car, paid off over $30K in debt, and wound up with a high paying, multi-benefits teaching job on a US Army Post in Japan in August 2001. During this overseas chapter, I was very successful, made great friends, felt fulfilled and traveled all over Asia and Europe. I also achieved more, personally and professionally, than I could have ever imagined! So, I’ve walked away from it all before…and the Universe/God held my hand and walked by my side down the yellow brick road of the unknown. That transition in my life happened easily and with abundance. Why would I think that this time would be any different?

I’ve walked away from it all before…and the Universe/God held my hand and walked by my side down the yellow brick road of the unknown. That transition in my life happened easily and with abundance. Why would I think that 

this time would be any different?

So, what's really the point of this particular blog post? How other's reacted to my leaving. As my impending departure crept closer, I found myself in private conversations with most of the worry-warts and naysayers. They told me about their personal dreams and desires that had been deferred or hidden away completely. Once friends, family and co-workers realized that I wasn’t changing my mind, they would approach me off to the side and tell me how brave and courageous I was, and what an inspiration I was to them. Then came the story about how he or she had wanted to break free from his/her current situation, but due to his wife/partner/family/dog /finances/career path it just wasn’t going to be able to happen (or so he, she and others had conditioned themselves to believe). The other story I heard was usually about how this person was now checking his or her retirement benefits daily and crunching numbers to see if it was at all possible (in her mind) to go ahead and retire right now (nope…have to wait 2 more years). I heard stories of when someone was on the verge of quitting and walking towards something completely new, but there was one thing they allowed to hold them back and they now regretted it. And, finally, I heard the success stories of others who had successful jobs and a good salary after walking away from what looked amazing on paper and in their bank accounts. They had realized their job was making them so unhealthy in either body, mind, spirit or all three that they HAD to make a change! They admitted that at the moment of follow through, they questioned themselves and wondered what on earth they’d done. But, it turned out that each of these people found themselves in something even better, and they were incredibly happy and inspired now.

The Universe will not leave you standing alone, exposed and unsafe, when you are choosing to lead with your soul & not your mind. 

by Brooke Nisbet

RYT200

Yoga Teacher | Wellness Coach

http://peaceloveyogahealth.wix.com/brookenisbet

A Little Culture, a Long Drive...& Then Yoga

How fun it was to spend time in my own backyard (the USA backyard that I've not seen much of in over a decade)! I spent a few hours last Sunday morning in New Orleans, LA. Wow! The culture, sights, sounds, smells, energy and amazing weather had me feeling like I was traveling far away from "home" and experiencing a new world! Ironically, I was experiencing a new world. I seem to forget how much culture there is to experience right here in America. I mean, it's not like I don't know on an intellectual level that we are a "melting pot" in America. Then,  add the fact that I grew up with many cultures all around me. But, it's hard to not take that for granted because this is my own country...and I can't see the forest for the trees. I love to travel to new lands and experience new people and new cultures. This was just a friendly reminder that the "new" culture and people are sometimes just a car ride away! What a great revelation! I drove through beautiful countrysides and saw expansive farmlands on my trip to New Orleans. I would actually love to just rent an RV and spend a month or two traveling all over the US. Stopping in big cities and small towns...getting a feel for the landscapes, people, cultures and all that is the United States of America. 

So, like I said, it's all just a car ride away. Wherever you are in the US, you can hop in the car and land in a big city in maybe an hour or two. On the flip side, you can head out of the city and arrive at the beach, the mountains, a lake within an hour a two. Just the drive alone is eye-opening and often breath taking. I don't even think I'd be able to appreciate all that I'm seeing now, had I not left for over ten years and spent time seeing numerous countries, some more intimately than others. I hope to see even more over the next year! 

I must add that after the long ride home from New Orleans, my hips and neck were quite stiff. So, was nice to come home and do some yoga! I always felt the same way after having sat on an airplane from Tokyo for 12 hours. Sometimes, after a long weekend of traveling, it's a bit tough to get motivated to do yoga. Usually, I don't have time to practice yoga until the next day, when I'd rather be sleeping. But, once I land on my mat, it's on. Those first moments of reaching to the sky and then diving down into forward fold awaken my sluggish muscles. Each stretch, asana, and twist makes me feel like I'm waking from a long, stiff sleep. And, for me, the ultimate pose after too much sitting is...drum roll...fire hydrant dog into half pigeon....the juiciest of poses after a long car ride or flight. That deep hip stretch that you can get from half pigeon is simply delicious.  I forget how good it feels until I place my hip on the floor and put my legs into a number 7 shape, sit up tall, and finally lower my head to the mat......and then......exxxxhhhaaaaaalllee! Feels so good! It's like half pigeon pose is a kind of "cure-all" for me! I have never settled into that pose and not be grateful for it's existence! Sounds crazy...but it's true! 

by Brooke Nisbet

RYT200

Yoga Teacher | Wellness Guide

http://peaceloveyogahealth.wix.com/brookenisbet