Be Brave. Show Up at the Beach. Be Seen.

Did I ever think that the young girl who didn’t like public speaking nor being seen on stage would grow up to be brave and write a blog to share her random thoughts with the world? Truth is, I didn’t.

Becoming an author and blogger was never something I planned. Rather, the idea for this platform to express my thoughts came to me “randomly” in 2010 while taking a coffee, talk, and a walk on the beach in Hawaii with my family.

Relaxing on the beach that day, I looked around: everyone was smiling, having fun, enjoying the surroundings, and at peace. Hawaii was working its magic – it was allowing people to feel free to be themselves. There were men and women from around the globe, all of so many shapes and sizes. But they had one thing in common; they were happy at the beach. As was I. So at the beach that day, I had a life-changing thought: everybody is beautiful.

On the sand that day, my thoughts switched from self-criticism to self-acceptance. I had learned that I was okay just the way I was. I had also learned to be more accepting and tolerant towards others.

Instead of keeping these thoughts inside my head after coming home from Hawaii, I wanted to share them with others, to do my part in creating a global culture of kindness and acceptance. My sisters encouraged me to take action. From their support, I came up with the idea for a digital platform where I could voice my story and nurture a supportive online community. The site started as everybody’s beautiful, which then became Arianna’s Random Thoughts.  I created the blog from the ground up, without any blogging experience or readers.  To this day, I see the site is an amazing souvenir of the lessons I learned on the beach five years ago in Hawaii.  My hope is that this online beach retreat – The Self-Discovery Retreat – will inspire others to learn life lessons that will encourage them to think new thoughts about themselves and others – thoughts of encouragement, growth, and strength.

So, let’s all show up at the beach – to feel the sand in our feet, the wind in our hair, and the sun on our skin; to hear the waves lapping at the shore; and to ‘get in the water’ to swim in the currents of life with new-found strength and self-knowledge.

Since starting my blog five years ago, I have talked to many people who are fearful of showing up and being seen. Due to this fear, they either don’t put themselves out there or if they do, they do it in a way that doesn’t showcase their strengths. It takes courage to put yourself out there and be seen on a global stage.

Maybe for you, similar fears and insecurities are preventing you from showing up and being seen in areas of your life. For example, do silencing your voice, downplaying your talents, and not embracing your awesome self sound familiar to you?

Trust me, as an entrepreneur and blogger, I know how difficult it can be to constantly be in the spotlight. People are critiquing your every move. That is what stops many people from even starting on their journey to shine.

You need to develop confidence in yourself. You need to learn how to be open to constructive criticism. I have been through this too, and I have learned simple strategies that work. Now I want to teach them to you and help you apply them in your life.

What started as a blog where I share my story has turned into an online beach retreat where passionate people from all over the world meet, exchange ideas, and inspire each other. The lessons we learn online are then applied in our lives and are changing our local communities. Together, we are creating a global culture of kindness and acceptance towards ourselves and others. 

By sharing our thoughts we can encourage each other to embrace our beautiful selves and show up at the beach. So come on down to the shore, where you can have fun getting sand in your toes, wind in your face, and soothing water sounds in your ears. Just like the world needs the sun, we need you to shine your light and be you! You have such a beautiful purpose. Go Be Seen!

Let’s sea where the journey leads. See you at the beach!