Your Fellow Human Lianna Marie

What if you stopped and truly smelled the flowers?

Today I want introduce you to Alex, a self proclaimed optimist, a girl that will make you feel like who you are is exactly who you should be, and a human that embraces life for all it was meant to be

We chat about her time as an elite rower, the dedication and commitment to what it meant to be a part of that team, and how her time in Australia in competition impacted so much of her defining success and failure as an individual

She shares how she is an ideas girl, and how that part of her creative brain works and thrives in the early morning, how she loves looking at her work and creating a  way to make something different and unique, and how her work at times can be hard to explain to others for the way she spends her time

We chat about our lack of impressibility for those that are famous, the reality of financial struggle in the creative industry in the current market, and how brand success will decline if marketing is not seen as the necessary investment that it is

I have an immense admiration for Alex in so many ways, for her dedication to what it meant to be on her rowing team, to the joy she so infectiously shares with anyone around her, to her ability, or inability to hide her emotions on her face 

So tune in today and meet Alex, a human full of intentional optimism, a willingness to put in the work, and one that will always stop and smell the flowers 

And to you Alex thank you, thank you for sharing your joy, your wisdom, a bit of your journey in this chat, you have been absolutely fantastic to get to know and I can’t imagine our Madeira team without your joy. You are a truly lovely human.

We all start out unable to succeed, but we all start out able to succeed

But what does that mean for how you live your life?

Today I wanted to share just a few thoughts on what and how failure has played a role in my life lately and why taking on tasks that initially make us feel inadequate, is something I believe we all need to do more of..

So tune in today for a short episode and a little look into what goes on in my head from time to time

Have you ever felt like being an introvert was a weakness?

Today I want to introduce you to Laura, the center to our Oreo on my recent time in Scotland, and more importantly someone that loves to say yes to the adventure of life

This is possibly one of the most raw and fun chats I’ve ever had as we recorded this on a late night drive through Scotland, a drive with near fatal moments, hunger, and a whole lotta laughter

Laura is someone that will make you laugh, listen to you, encourage you, make you feel like you can do whatever you set your mind to, and remind you it’s ok to ask, to learn, and to belong

We chat about how a near death experience didn’t raise her heart rate but what elevated her heart and made her anxious

She shares how fear used to impact where she went and what she did, but how she now has had some of her most impactful experiences and moments because she has chosen to press into that and see what’s on the other side

We chat about how lack of confidence can feel like second guessing ourselves, how she wishes others would know and see their potential, and how deeply she values her friends and getting to motivate them to pursue adventure 

Laura is one that made me feel like it was ok to be a kid again, she is one that reminds you how important it is to observe, one that is so her and one that I so value and am so grateful to know the talented and beautiful human that she is

So tune in today and meet Laura, one that I promise will remind you just how important it is to be you, to let life be fun, and to be a friend

And to you Laura thank you, thank you for being you, for freezing close to death in a van with me, for giving me the motivation to someday not need to pee on the side of the road, for being a constant reminder during our trip to make space to laugh, to not overthink, for the way you so easily made me feel comfortable around you, for the way you encouraged me, and all the absolute insanity in between. I’m so grateful get to know you and for every memory you are forever a part of

What would it look like to hold space for someone without judgment, without expectation, and with a genuine desire to remind them of their value?

Today I want to introduce you to Charyse, Charyse is one that beautifully shows up with love and light, one that gives so genuinely of her space to others, and one that I believe is impossible to not fall in love with

We chat about what it means to be vulnerable and how speaking in honesty and openness has allowed others to do the same, how our past is something we can accept and that there cannot be light in us without an acceptance of the dark times as well

She shares why her younger self would be so stoked at what she gets to do now, how a lesson she learned during a 12 hour seal training gave her a lesson she still holds on to today, and the peace she feels under the water

We chat about how community is so important but how it isn’t limited to one definition or location even

I have the gift of having friends that I can be so fully myself with, friends that I feel so understood by, and so treasured by, and this human right here instantly was one of those. She is one I admire and treasure, and one that treasures others from a place of sincerity

So tune in today and meet this sweet friend of mine, one that has many talents, many impressive abilities, yet will without fail make you feel like you’re the one who can conquer the world

And to you Charyse thank you, thank you for the spontaneous reason to come to Scotland, for your long list of skills from swerving deer to making a four leaf clover, thank you for being you and the way you hold space for me to be me, thank you for showing up in this world and using everything life has placed in your path to become the incredible human that you are. I truly love you so much and I know you know that, but seriously could not be more honored to call you a friend and for every bit of you that I get to be encouraged, hyped up by, and love.

Should you pursue happiness or success; or are they the same thing?

Today I want to introduce you to Esther, Esther is a truly special human, one I got to meet a few years ago diving in Mexico. There are some people that you meet that make you feel as though you are enough, like you are seen, and that you are wanted; Esther is one such soul

I’ve had the pleasure of camping and diving with her and other friends in Mexico, exploring the underwater caves of Minorca, and now working together for two weeks in Bolivia

There is something that happens to relationships when you spend 24 hours a day together, when you are hungry, tired, and have a to do list… well, with Esther I found her heart to be more visible, her gentleness, and kindness to be more genuine, and my appreciation for her friendship to only grow

Esther is a human that is full of joy, life, passion, and an ability to see beauty and adventure in every moment

We chat about what it means to preserver, to allow yourself space to always change, and why pursuing happiness is where success is truly found

She shares why travel is one of the most important things you can do in life and how it allows you to see yourself and others with more appreciation and care, why pursuing life matters, but never at the expense of another

We chat about her love for her culture and the Spanish lifestyle, and the parts of her country that are a little less known, including what her father does

Esther is a human that I respect, admire, and treasure, and one that I know you will benefit from getting to know

So tune in and meet Esther, someone who will make you smile, and remind you just how much joy there is in this world

And to you Esther thank you, thank you for how you have always treated me, even more how you have made me feel, for your sweet caring soul, for your genuine heart, for your passion and the way you have inspired me and encouraged me to push outside of my own fear. You are a friend I am grateful to know and one I look forward to seeing again soon

Is your first thought usually your most authentic?

Today I want to introduce you to Andres, Andres is a passionate soul, one that focuses his time and presence on authentically experiencing not just those around him or where he is, but also life itself

Andres and I met a few years back on a project in Mexico and I knew him back then to be someone who was gentle and kind, someone who was conscious of his impact on those around him, and one that poured his heart into what he did

As luck would have it we were finally in his home country at the same time and got to explore together, it is an honor to get to share a bit of this human with you and a it of the beauty he chooses to put back into the world

We chat about why curiosity is something to press into, how reminding yourself what you are experiencing in the moment can change you, and how being a photographer has trained him well in becoming an uncle

He shares of a time when learning to paint a picture in words changed him, how he is excited and also how it scared him beginning his current project, and how it’s important to understand that what you do has value but it might not change the world

We talk about the power of travel, the value in appreciating simplicity and when things feel easy, and that truth exists but the way we see it can be different from one individual to another 

Andres is one that I have known to be quick to share knowledge, support, joy, and presence, he is one that I have seen value an individual over his time and one that I’ve seen act on what it means to show another they are seen.

So tune in today and meet Andres, a human that reminds us all what it is to slow down, to see, to experience, to live and to dream

And to you Andres thank you, thank you for being the human that you are, for your intentionality to stay in touch, for your heart to share your country and your time, for your joy, your support, and your friendship, you are a truly beautiful soul and it is an honor to know you and experience life with you @theboliviantraveler