Well it is coming to the end of another complete rotation around the sun (end of the year basically) and this blog marks the completion of my 21st post since starting back in August.
The purpose of creating this blog was to to share my journey and the choices I have made which have been fundamental to who I am and how I came to be playing squash around the world. The consistent theme of this ultimately comes down to refining my coaching skills, finding new ways to train and trying to figure out how to win. However, one of the main reasons for starting this blog was to help turn myself into a brand that I could approach sponsors with to show them something more then my great personality and my dashing good looks. Being able to tell potential sponsors that I have a an average of 250 people per week connecting with me about what I have done is pretty amazing and I have thoroughly enjoyed the last 4.5 months of blogging and connecting with all of you.
Unfortunately the plan isn't exactly going as well as I hoped, so I regret to inform you all that I will not be continuing with my blog in order to allow me to concentrate on using my time and energy into being able to progress with plans of travelling for tournaments more. Which involves me figuring out different ways of achieving that. So it is rather fitting that it is the final blog of 2013 and it will not be returning until I obtained my goals, or die trying.
However don’t be so sad because I will leave you with some handy tips that I have learnt along the way, some are specific to squash and some are much more general life lessons.
Firstly a name is not a defining point when meeting someone. Over the past 18 months I have met a lot of new people around the world, which means a lot more names one has to try and remember. I can safely say if you remember where you met the person they will be happy with that and then tell you what their name is again. You should never feel ashamed about forgetting someones name because for example when travelling through Greece everyone is named Nikos, George, Dimitri, or George. Sure probability says you are bound to get one right when you just pick a name and say it, but when everyone calls people by their last name which normally sounds like Christodoulopoulos… well my brain power could be used more efficiently in trying to teach them squash then remembering a last name 6 billion syllables long. Try and find something that is defining such as their height, amazing looking calf muscles or their retarded back hand swing. Something you can physically remember seeing.
Secondly you have to understand the meaning of down time. Learn the ability to say it is nap time and no matter what happens you will take that 20min to 2 hour sleep that will leave you feeling amazing and the envy of all your friends when you tell them. It doesn't matter if you have a mountain of work to do or you worry about what everyone else thinks. Have a rest and everything just seems easier. I have learnt while coaching then even when some people say they don't need a drink or no I am not tired lets keep going you have to get them off the court for just a couple of seconds just so that they can relax and regroup and get their thoughts.
Thirdly don't worry about money, it is everywhere and there is more then enough to go around for everyone to survive. You will be amazed at how little the human body actually needs to function properly. I have set my life up so that I don't need money I barter almost everything, yes I understand one day I will have to leave Peter Pan's crew and be normal at some point, but I can delay that as long as I like (never growing up!). Food, water and some form of shelter, and I use the word shelter loosely, is all you need to actually be alive. Yes living off rice, soy-sauce and water is never ideal - and can say I am talking from experience - but just because it is not the life we are brought up in thinking we want it doesn’t mean you can’t do it and be happy. The mentality that you have to go to school, have to go to university and then have to have a good job to get security… blah blah blah does not mean you are living, do what you want! Your life will pass you quickly and the 4 weeks of paid leave you get off work each year will never seem like enough if you constantly do what other people say you should be doing.
Fourthly dare to be different. A school friend of mine once wrote on a letter giving her 2 weeks notice before leaving her job that she was leaving her well paid position to “chasing dreams”. Dreams aren't usually supported in todays society probably because everyone else is either going to be jealous of you being so happy and jealous because you are passionate about something or because everyone has a single idea of what's right that should be forced on everyone. All I can say is use that jealousness or envy to fuel what you are chasing. Use the boredom, anger, hatred that other people have in their lives to push you, do what you want and challenge societies expectations of you. Be something more then everyone else because I can assure you the girl who wrote “chasing dreams” has reached out and inspired more people then she ever thought she could. It is the responsibility you have to yourself to make sure you are happy.
So a big thank you to all the people that read my jibberish each week, obviously I would not have continued writing this long if no one was reading it. Yes I have plenty more to share about how I got to where I am, so you will all know that when I start this blog again the plan is back on track and I was able to devote more time to all of you. A special huge thanks has to go to Shaun Moxham my coach in Belgium who spent a lot of time and effort helping me progress to the to the player I am at the moment and who I some how stupidly forgot to thank personally after winning the Nationals Championships which is pretty much 100% as a result of his hard work and effort… hopefully no hard feelings there.
This is me signing off for 2013 and hope to start back up in 2014 if all goes to plan. So to all my readers see you when I am looking at you ;)
