Those of you who have followed the blog for a long time know it has always been as much about the inner journey as the outer. This post is all about the inner journey.
Recently I had the good fortune and honour to be interviewed by the amazing Britt Skrabanek on her podcast Love Your Enthusiasm. She asked that we not focus on travel since we can’t right now, and suggested I choose something else that I’m enthusiastic about. My response was clear and immediate – living your best life.
I know this phrase has become wildly popular. I also know that it’s mostly associated with a glamorized idea of beauty and success which frankly makes me cringe, though for the purposes of full disclosure I too bought into it in my 20’s and 30’s. Even in my 40’s I felt like a failure because I had not achieved any marker of conventional success.
But I wanted to address something much more meaningful than that. With the luxury of hindsight I understand that my best life has had nothing to do with what society teaches us about success; it has to do with learning to listen to the yearnings of my soul, doing an enormous amount of inner healing, and coming to understand the value of life itself.
Happiness is almost always the motivator for what we do. We just want to be happy, and understandably think that the right relationships, and things, will make us happy. But ultimately life’s journey is not about happiness. Finally understanding that was a hard one to swallow, but I came to see that the truth is far more valuable.
This is a part of Britt’s introduction to our wide-ranging conversation:
The phrase “Live your best life” gets thrown around so much that it has become devoid of any true meaning. However, today’s guest, travel writer and photographer, Alison Armstrong, is the absolute embodiment of this adage.
Every day we get bombarded by hyper-curated lifestyle aspirations on social media. Alison understands our best life is not about external markers of success, but about following our inner calling. And it takes serious work to tune into the voice within.
I hope you’ll enjoy our conversation about how step by step, often painfully, I arrived at a place that I call home – in myself.
Thanks for listening.
https://loveyourenthusiasm.com/live-your-best-life-authentically-alison-armstrong/
PS: Britt and I talk briefly about my love of fashion. During lockdown I got sick of wearing sweats and a t-shirt all the time so I went through my entire spring and summer wardrobe and posted a different outfit each day on Facebook. In case you’re interested you’ll find it all here. I’m planning on doing the same with my fall and winter clothes in the new year. 
All words and images by Alison Louise Armstrong unless otherwise noted
© Alison Louise Armstrong and Adventures in Wonderland – a pilgrimage of the heart, 2010-2020.
Adventures in Wonderland 
how cool
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Thanks Beth, it *was* pretty cool. I was a bit nervous but that’s ok.
Alison
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Happy reading❤️😊.
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Thanks Olivia.
Alison
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You GO girl!
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Thanks so much Cindy
Alison xo
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One foot in front of the other is good enough for me. And a smile whenever I can manage it 🙂 🙂
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It’s really just about all we can do isn’t it. Step by step life unfolds itself, smiling when we can.
Alison xo
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Hugs and love your way Alison ☺️🤗❣️
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Thanks Hedy. Back at you.
Alison xo
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I like this [re: Enlightenment]
“I sent out a very clear message to the Universe: I want THAT! But here’s the funny thing. I didn’t tell mySelf.”
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It was such an unconscious decision. Thanks for listening Kate. Much appreciated!
Alison xo
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Alison, I adore and admire you so incredibly much that it makes me utterly sad I can’t meet you yet in person. You are such an inspiration to me and always have been! I can’t wait to listen to this podcast tomorrow when I’m on my walk. This has been such a challenging year. Someday…I will meet you in person! 🙂
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Awww thanks Nicole. I too am sad that we can’t yet meet in person! 😦 It’s overdue!
Yes, it’s been an incredibly challenging year – much more so for you than me – and you’ve been a total legend in the way you handled it all.
I hope you enjoyed the podcast. It was a good thing for me to talk about all this stuff even though I was a bit nervous.
Maybe now the vaccines are coming out 2021 will be the year we get to meet. I hope so!
Alison
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Thanks for the update Alison. Yes I am hopeful for the vaccines. I wish they were coming sooner but at least there is light at the end fo the tunnel!
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The podcast what a perfect way to begin my Saturday. I listened while watching the snow fall outside my window. So much wisdom, and so much that I could relate to and/or really needed to hear right now. “I learned how to love and be loved.” I have come to believe that this is what life is truly about, along with following our hearts/souls. I’m not there yet, but almost. The way you and Don came together made me cry.
Like you, I’ve lived a very unconventional life. Moving all over the world, taking “risks” that didn’t seem like risks. It was just the path that unfurled before me, and I took it. When I moved back to the US almost 3 years ago now, I had 2 suitcases of possessions, but felt like the wealthiest person in the world. But, like you, I came back to a place where success is judged by how closely you did what society told you to do. I’m older than you were when you returned to Australia, so I give a lot less of a shit about how people see me(one of the best things about middle age!), but it is a challenge to integrate. Not a lot to talk about with people. Luckily, I’m pretty much a contented recluse. 🙂
Thank you so very much for sharing your light, dear Alison. You are truly an inspiration about how to live, and you give me hope that so much good is yet to come. ❤
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Thank you so much Julie for all your kind words. Yes, loving and being loved, and following our inner wisdom/intuition seems to be what it’s all about. I’ve always done whatever was there to be done next no matter how far fetched it seemed. It was as if I had no choice. Like you say – just the path that unfurled before me. And I know what you mean about owning little but feeling wealthy.
I also now give a lot less of a shit about how others see me though suspect came to it later in life than you did. I do or say something and still have to inwardly remind myself that it doesn’t matter what others think. Really it’s all about overcoming our conditioning isn’t it.
Don’s and my story made Britt cry too, and to this day, in fact almost to the day, 22 years later, we are still both completely blown away by how it happened. The Universe played a trick on us. Thank goodness. What a priceless blessing.
Finally, you’re welcome, and thank you too for sharing your light. And I have no doubt there is much good yet to come.
Alison ❤
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Hi Alison, I look forward to listening when I bury myself out from under a bunch of work and holiday prep. Best to you and Don this holiday season. Caroline
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I know what you mean about holiday prep! Best to you two too.
Happy holidays.
Alison
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Alison I fondly remember those summer posts and thought you had quite the extensive and beautiful collection of clothes. I would have been out of choices very quickly.
I do think that we, who have more decades under our belt, are able to see more clearly what a best life foundation comes from. Not always easy to block out the noise of what others may see as success but listening to that inner voice, gut instinct, whatever it is , becomes the key.
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Oh I do agree that more decades definitely helps. And freely admit I was hopeless at blocking out the noise. Hopeless! I wanted to be happy and absolutely believed that stuff, and the right relationship, would do it. Little did I know. Ha!
But I had one thing in my favour, and I consider it a blessing not something I can claim, and it’s that the Universe was always very loud in letting me know about the really important things – like moving to Canada, and again after I’d escaped one of my seriously disfunctional relationships by high-tailing it back to Australia that I needed to return to Canada. I’ve been so lucky that intuition was very loud and clear in these kinds of circumstances.
I had so much fun going through my wardrobe, and it prompted me to do a whole pile of mending and altering that had been sitting around for ages. I’ll start again with winter clothes in the new year.
Wishing you and your family a very merry holiday season.
Alison xo
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The luxury of growing older does give a much better perspective. The world does have expectations of conventional success. It can really play on a person’s happiness when he or she does not achieve it.
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I agree with everything you’ve said. My lack of conventional success certainly played on my happiness when I was younger. I wish someone had told me when I was young, and in a way that I could hear it, that success is something quite different from what I thought it was. Still in retrospect I wouldn’t change anything about my life. I guess we all just have to go through what we go through and hopefully get a little insight along the way.
Alison
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As always, your post is refreshing and uplifting. I followed the link but could not find a way to download and listen to this off line. I keep the computer on mute when online in a public area, and all of my sessions are in public areas! Whenever I’m in transit, I’ll enjoy it from the privacy of the hotel room.
May we all move forward in 2021!
Love,
Lisa
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Thank you so much Lisa. I’m sorry there’s no way to download it, but thank you for trying.
Yes indeed, may we move forward in 2021!
Wishing you all the best for the holiday season and the new year.
Alison xo
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Lovely to hear your voice and to hear more about your amazing journies–inward and out–Alison! It was lovely to hear how you and Don fell in love, and to hear the stories of your early travels and challenges. You make it sound effortless almost, those early decades of tromping around and wondering what came of it! But I think there was courage and listening to yourself throughout. It’s truly not about how the world perceives us, and if we can achieve intimacy and easy terms with our own heart’s, it is the greatest treasure!
Happy Holidays to you and Don both!
Michael
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Thank you so much Michael. Don and I are even now amazed at how we got together – it’s as if God suddenly flipped a switch. We weren’t remotely attracted to each other until that singular moment. Still blows us away.
I don’t know about courage. I suppose there must have been. I guess I always followed what excited me most regardless of any red flags, and for the most part was not consciously afraid. But listening to myself – yes definitely, at least from my early 30’s onwards. Before that I think spirit had a big hand in guiding me even though didn’t know it, but once I started breath therapy and reading Seth listening became a lifelong gift. Even to this day. I’ve pretty much fine tuned it now. At least 95% of the mind’s chatter can safely be ignored, often after it has gifted me with a good chuckle at its antics.
I love the way you put it – achieving intimacy and easy terms with our own hearts. I finally feel as if I have.
Happy Holidays to you and yours too.
Alison
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Excellent, Alison. How great to share what you have learned. All the best for 2021!
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Thank you so much Darlene. I was totally chuffed to be invited.
All the best to you too. May 2021 be better!
Alison
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There is one thing I have taken from your writings and adventures, Alison, and that is you do things you believe and love ~ always putting one foot in front of the other on adventures I think many would balk at 🙂 You simply have a wonderful outlook on life, and wishing you more of the same in 2021.
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Thank you so much Dalo. It’s true, I have always just gone ahead and done things, sometimes pretty wild things (I still wonder how I ever survived rock climbing in my 30’s) because they were what was wanted next. Who knows why? Not me. I’ve always been excited by adventure and change even as I was shy (and trying desperately to hide it) and pretty dysfunctional. And despite a lot of hardships along the way I’ve always been innately positive. Just lucky I guess. More and more I realize, in a way that I didn’t when I was younger, is that life is really about gratitude and love. The only prayer we need is thank you.
Wishing you a wonderful new year too. May 2021 be better!
Alison
PS do you go by Randall or Dalo? I’m either Ali or Alison – both work.
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It is a testament to your spirit that you keep finding adventures (or adventures keep finding you…) ~ I think it is all linked to your positivity 🙂 Wish you a great ’21 ahead, Ali. For me, I go by Randall or Randy mainly, and Dalo a family nickname 🙂 Cheers to the adventures ahead!
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You have always had a very positive outlook on life.
2020 has depressed me, that’s for sure! My favorite hobby (actually was a profession for a while) is singing. Never in my life did I ever think that singing would be considered a ‘super-spreader.’ Never did I think that people would ever think singing is dangerous. Sad. Soon every day felt like the next. Feeling stuck. And tired. No foot in front of the other.
I even forgot to turn the computer on for long periods of time. I forgot that reading your stories and writing always made me smile. Nice to virtually ‘run into’ you again.
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Thank you so much Mary. I’m so happy to hear that my stories bring a smile to your face. That’s such a lovely thing to know. ❤
I'm so sorry it's been such a tough time for you. I can't imagine how hard it must be not being able to sing when that's what you want to do most. Hopefully things will improve as we all get vaccinated, even if it's going to take a while.
I wish you much joyous singing in 2021!
Alison xo
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We had supper – as we do each year for Christmas Eve – with long-time friends. Under German lockdown rules currently, two households were allowed to meet, so we were okay to head to their house. My first comment once we sat down was to thank them for giving me a reason to wear something other than tights and a baggy shirt. Now I’m heading over to FB to see your outfits! Happy New Year Alison and Don, and as the Germans say, I wish you a good slide into 2021!
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I so totally understand the desire to be wearing something other than tights and a baggy shirt. And how lovely that you were able to be with friends at Christmas. We were also. It made it so much better than expected given how the year was going.
Happy New Year to you and Uwe. Wishing you also a good slide into 2021. What a great expression that is.
Alison
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I’ve been spending the early hour of my New Years listening to your podcast. The way you embrace life is so beautiful ♥️
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Thank you so much Ka. Thank you for listening as you bring in the new year. I feel so honoured. Wishing you all good things for 2021! It has to be better right?!
Alison xo
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Alison, you never cease to amaze me! I LOVE your Facebook post of all your fabulous outfits. I knew you were stylish, but WOW! You knocked it out of the park. Happy New Year to you and Don. Wishing you a fabulous 2021. 🙂 Terri & James
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Thanks so much Terri. I guess it’s pretty obvious I love clothes and fashion. I have a lot of fun with it. I blame my mother lol – she taught me everything I know – a love of fashion and how to sew.
Happy New Year to you both. May it be fabulous!
Alison
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You have an outstanding positive outlook! Great post!
Best wishes to you both in the New Year!
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Thank you so much. I think I have such a deep faith in the unfolding of Life that I feel that all is well even when it really doesn’t look like it. It keeps me feeling positive. At the same I freely admit that I’m not sure how well I’d do if my faith were to be tested.
Wishing you both all the best for 2021 too!
Alison
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