Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Yesterday Is Gone, But Not Forgotten

Technology never ceases to amaze me. Within the past few days I've discovered so much, like how to share pdf files on social media without converting the file... 

I've learnt how my first book, Thinking out Loud sky-rocketed from 7,186,481th place (yes that's MILLION!) to 119, 950th place on the Amazon Best Sellers ranking in literally ONE day with minimal effort, NO additional reviews or WITHOUT spending a dime! 

I'm humbled and forever grateful! Let the blessings FLOW! (If any authors out there want to know how, please feel free to send me a message via the contact form on your right!) 

Tonight I continue my storytelling about my second book. I promise to keep it short! 

photo credit - Canoe Bay, Tobago
C. K.Correia 2013. All rights reserved
In my last blog, I spoke about my discovery of the COLD HARSH TRUTHS (still discovering) along this journey called life and how I learnt to cope with it. 

That's something I will never fully understand, but must accept in order to move forward positively and heal my heart and soul.

Although this memoir began in 2009, a lot of my book is about what I learnt on the sister-isle of Tobago when I worked there for a year and how it assisted my growth. 

I describe the feeling of liberation living totally on my own, waking up to cool fresh air, the sweet song (yes I said song!) of birds and being surrounded by beautiful eco-tourism and all the fruits and vegetables you can think of right in my own backyard. I also relived memories of my landlords and neighbours who made me feel like I never left home.

It was the perfect writer's paradise, yet I was out quite a lot and mostly wrote in the wee morning hours (like I do now). (That's me at the beach with my brother, the wind was pretty strong and I was having a bad hair day).

I talk about weekends of making (and figuring out how to make) roasted breadfruit, five finger (tropical fruit) sangria, barbadine (another divine island fruit) punch, fish broth and oil down (yummy local dishes) with friends, co-workers and strangers alike. I describe how those feelings awakened my spirit and renewed my peace that I craved for so long. The experience also strengthened my faith and made me a more resilient person. 

Most of all, I talk about the wonderful people I connected with almost instantly and how most of those friendships have endured to this day...2 years later. The events I attended gave me a greater appreciation for the culture of our twin-island republic and my sense of adventure was at full throttle as I learnt the new land and discovered new things.

Professionally, the experiences I had and the people I met both at work and in my personal life provided the impetus and courage to chart my destiny and hone my talents to rediscover my deeper purpose which led me to entrepreneurship (that I postponed for so long). 

My friends back home always remarked that I was having too much fun! And upon returning home they cannot get over how much I've grown :) My experience was that amazing...although fraught with minor, sporadic challenges, they pale in comparison to the overall journey.

The relationship with some of these friends also became deeper as they came to visit and we kept in touch via technology though waters separated us. Last night I turned on my wifi on the old BlackBerry and stumbled upon some old bbm chats that somehow survived! I was transported thru time to those days and months of bliss! 

I revelled in those moments and tucked away the memories until I need them again! Call me nostalgic, but I'm a sucker for that sorta thing. Despite this tough exterior, I am really a hopeless romantic (in a non-romantic writer way) lol

Today's lesson: Time is golden! Cherish it. Soak it in. LIVE FULLY IN THE MOMENT, because when it's gone, it cannot be recaptured #ThinkingOutLoud

Until next episode,

Peace & Love xo

Stay tuned to this space...