Hundred and two days passed since the earthquake. It’s pretty scary to know how quickly time flies. I stumbled upon this quote a few weeks ago: Wherever you go, there you are. So simple. So profound. It means that no matter where you wander, no matter what’s on your mind, no matter the place or time or circumstance—you are in the present moment. Nothing more, nothing less. Yes, you can look back to what happened. Yes, you can reach ahead and dream for the future. But where you are is here. Right now.
A lot of people have been asking us if we already started building the new Villa Nangka. The answer is: unfortunately not. Before we can start building we first need to demolish all the buildings. And it turns out that taking a building down takes almost the same time as building one. To give you an idea about what we’ve been up to in the last weeks, here is a little time lapse of taking down the headquarters of the Gili Shark Conservation Project.
Celebrate now
Every day I try not to look back at what I lost, and instead dance with excitement about where my feet are planted. I try not to worry over what hasn’t happened yet or what’s to come next. I tell myself: “What if instead of always looking at what you’re doing next, busying your mind with activity after activity, goal after goal, you took a minute to feel proud about the ground you’re standing on?”
Life is about slowing down. Being still. Finding your place in the universe and being okay with that place, even when it’s frustrating or exhausting or beautiful or confusing or somewhere in-between. Life is about being present. About being right here. Try to not look back or look ahead. And just celebrate now.