The Space Between | Where Honesty Lives

IT HAS TO BE MAD AND IT HAS TO BE BEAUTIFUL

–LOULOU VAN DAMME

I never would have thought that while wading through a perpetual sea of potential website designs I would come across a phrase that would so accurately describe my thirst for life. I had to know more. Abandoning the search for virtual perfection, I sought out the author to those words. What I found is a woman who blazed her own trail through life. From Brussels to India, LouLou was sure of her intuition on designing and business and self-doubt cannot be found in her vocabulary.

Stories like LouLou’s inspire me. They fill my heart with a fiery passion that makes me want to throw my passport in the backpack that has proven to be my most loyal travel companion and go out and blaze my own trail. And several times I have.

But then I sometimes face a dilemma. And I don’t think I’m the only one.

We pack our bags, double-check we have our favorite sunglasses, walk out into the sunshine and confidently stroll in the direction of………………. Of where?? North? South? East? West? Where do we go? We have the desire, the passion, the NEED to GO. But to where? The world presents us with so many choices and travel apps that our options are limitless. Soon our eyes glaze over and we start to rationalize our behavior as self-doubt creeps in. Before we even know what we are doing, we slowly walk back inside, unpack our bags and let the fire inside burn out.

I’M CALLING A TIME OUT

Life is meant to be experienced. To be tasted, seen, loved, grieved, laughed at, cried over, and wrestled with.

Life was not meant to be lived trying to rationalize every decision. It was not meant to be lived clutching a safety blanket. And it was certainly not meant to be lived for an audience of thumbnail profile pictures.

There is a time to be rational and there is a time to be anything but rational. Because in those moments when you stop trying to convince yourself of what you should do, you will discover who it is you are. And my darling, there is NO ONE you should live this life as except yourself. This world needs you, with all your quirks, all your imperfections, and all your battle scars. We need you to blaze your own trail. We need you to create the mad and beautiful masterpiece that can only be YOUR life.

Pack your bags. Pick your direction. And GO.

And when our paths cross, tell me your story. Tell me the highs and lows and adventures you couldn’t have dreamed of. Tell me about the time you became hopelessly lost and about the time you stood alone and found your own strength. Spare no detail, I can’t wait to hear it all….