Many of you have asked me recently how The Self-Discovery Retreat was created. Let me share with you how opening up, standing tall, and speaking from the heart led me to where I am today.

About Arianna’s Random Thoughts:

I’m a beachcomber. To me, the water is a source of inspiration and a gathering place.  It is a space where I come to connect with nature; workout through walking, running, swimming, or paddling; and collect my thoughts, reflect, and listen. Hence why the background of the blog is the beach as these moments lay the root to help me grow.

A random coffee, talk, and a walk on the beach in Hawaii three years ago with my sisters inspired me to turn my thoughts into action and share my stories with a larger audience by starting a blog.

In that moment, I looked at the mighty rocks on the shore that stand firm despite the waves which persistently crash against them. The water cannot be controlled, but the strength of the rocks can.  The rocks don’t give up, knowing that soon the tide will give way and the crashing will stop for awhile.

Sometimes in my life I have felt like the rocks, with the constant crashing of the waves against me. During my teenage years, I was bullied and struggled with body image issues. I hid my talent, slouched my 6-foot-tall body, and silenced my voice because I didn’t want to stand out and be judged.

With time, I came to realize that this wasn’t a healthy technique. I couldn’t wait for the tide to go out permanently; the ebb and flow of the tides is universal and will never stop. However, I would not let the crashing stop me from following my journey. I chose to stand strong against the persistent waves.

In life, there will constantly be waves crashing at you and trying to get you to be something that you are not.  You cannot control the behaviours of others; but, you can control yours and how you react to the situation.  Learning this and expressing my thoughts either through writing or speaking helped me stand tall.

That is how this blog resulted - to empower individuals in their daily lives, through my sharing personal stories, photographs, interviews with others, and writing prompts in travel-journal-style posts that are from the heart. The posts aren’t set to focus on the details of everyday events, but on the bigger picture: the lessons learned from daily random happenings. I don’t share the specifics; the focus is on the lesson learned.

In all the work I do, I provide individuals with a safe and respectful environment to express their thoughts, feelings, and emotions and feel heard and valued. I encourage you to come and gather your thoughts!

This is how my blog started, because I acted on an idea. Fellow Bloggers, how did you start your blog? I continually get questions from readers asking for advice and suggestions. Feel free to share your story in the comment section below. 

To my readers, how has expressing yourself helped you stand tall? What do you need to help you stand up for yourself?

**Also just found out I was awarded a Blog with Heart Award from Jodi Chapman. Thanks so much! Truly honoured. I'm so blessed of the connections I have built through the creation of this blog. Thank you all for your wonderful presence in my life.

Thank you for reading and your presence at this beach retreat. You Rock! I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment section below.

See you at the beach!