Breaking Free by Chett Vosloo Book Review

Blurb:

“During Jed Matthew’s final year of university he was diagnosed with a rare skin disorder that the doctors told him was incurable. Rather than face  up to the disorder, Jed tried to ignore it, hoping that it would go away by itself, but it didn’t, it only got worse.

After graduating from university Jed packed a bag and set off on a gap year trip, not realising that he had just begun a journey that would completely change his life. Jed’s gap year opened his eyes to the world of adventure. A 25’000 kilometre bicycle trip around the world and a 1’300 kilometre solo trip by foot through the south of India, were among the adventures he would go on. Yet, no matter where Jed went or how much of the world he saw, the anxiety and fear that he felt over his skin condition shadowed him wherever he went.
Eventually, after years of travelling, Jed happened to come in contact with a spiritual teacher in India who would forever change the direction of his life. This teacher would help Jed to realise that real peace and happiness come from within, and that he would only be able to find true freedom in his life once he had faced his problems head-on. This was the start of Jed’s inner journey.

Breaking Free is the inspiring true story of one man’s desire to transform his life, and to search for what it means to be truly happy and free.”

I cannot commend this book enough!

Breaking Free came into my life exactly when I needed it to - I like to believe that it ‘found’ me.
I was in the yoga studio in the building I work in when I was handed this book by one of the yogi instructors. At first I was mainly drawn to it for the title, ‘Breaking Free,’ because for those of you who I know follow my posts fairly often, you’ll know I’m always on the hunt for new travels and adventures in life.
The second thing that drew me to the book was the yellow italic writing under the title reading, ‘A Journey of Self Discovery.’ Self-discovery is a big part of my life and it always will be. I will never stop growing and finding out new and exciting things out about myself that make me who I am.
Thirdly, the photograph on the cover is of a man with a rucksack slung across his shoulders and he is walking away from the camera, down a path into the unknown.
I know they say you should never judge a book by its cover but I was already sold.

If I wasn’t sold enough by the front cover - when I flipped the book over the read through the little blurb on the back (found above) I was hooked!

The book is by far THE best, most enlightening book that I have ever had the privilege to read. The writing itself isn’t exactly AMAZING. It’s as though the author is having a conversation with you, yet to me that really only adds to the beauty of it.
Regardless of whether the writing is fantastic or not, it is the messages within the pages and between the words, nestled in each chapter that make this incredible true story what it really is – and what it really is, is an absolute masterpiece.

I found that I had to put the book down fairly often because I was getting so many messages and lessons from the author’s words that I completely overwhelmed with the growth within myself as I read it. I had to take the time to just sit there and take the words in, go for a walk and breathe in the new awakening each and every time it happened.

The eerie thing about it is that I related to it almost too much – to the extent that I started to believe, in a really strange way, that this book was actually written for me! Some people say that about certain movies that the main character is going through exactly what they are in their life and they feel the movie is based on their life. I always thought it was just a silly comment people made the second they could relate to something – that was until I read this book and entirely understood where these people had been coming from.

In the book, Jed Matthews (the main character / author) suffers from panic attacks – which I do as well. It was amazing to have it described and explained in such a way that I totally related to that I literally got tears in my eyes and a little bit shaky.
He also has certain issues about himself that he was finding hard to deal with, as am I. He was diagnosed with a skin-disorder that the doctors’ told him was incurable and I also have one or two things that plague and bother me about myself. It’s not incurable skin-conditions but they are things that for years made me miserable and self-conscious about myself. I guess everyone has them right?

He goes on a spiritual journey for years, which I have been doing myself as much as I can. I’ve explored and learnt in the temples in Thailand and hopefully next year at some stage I’ll be going to China where a few of my friends are already meditating down the road from their apartment in a temple.

His travels and spiritual journey inspired me beyond belief but throughout the entire book, there was one paragraph in one specific chapter that took my breath away and changed my life. That might sound dramatic… but it’s meant to.
Chapter fifteen, page 106, the first paragraph… in just over 100 words the author summed up absolutely everything that I have been feeling for so long.
He writes about how to transform into who you can and want to be and to have true inner awakening, you need to be away from all of those people that know you the best. This is because when you are around the people who know you so well you automatically act a certain way around them. You develop masks that you wear around certain people and for inner awakening and to blossom into what your body and soul wants to become you need to break free from all attachments and familiarities.

Anyway… I am not going to repeat him – his words are perfect and you just need to get your hands on a copy of it!

I have a friend in Canada called Adrian and I told him about the book as soon as I got it and he downloaded it and is starting to read it this weekend.

The reason I say this book came into my life right when I needed it to is because although having read the blurb on the back, I had no idea what sort of things Jed would do with his life while traveling. Just before finding this book I met someone and we gelled straight away. He told me about this TEFL online course you can take and go overseas to teach children English and he went on to say that the places he is interested in going to is China, Vietnam, Beijing, India, South America, Bali… all in the rural areas to get a real slice of what the real country is like – away from all of the touristy attraction places.
Within moments I knew this was my calling and exactly what I was supposed to do – so when I started reading this amazing book my dreams to travel and teach English overseas was only fueled by the author’s words as it turned out he was teaching English to children in Korea!

That being said, you may have seen my first ever ‘Vlog’ I posted up just the other day… if not, here’s the link to it… try not to laugh – blush:

http://bohemianmuses.blogspot.com/2013/11/my-first-vlog-sideways-movie.html

I mentioned there that now I would love to work on the ski slopes. At first I thought Austria or Switzerland would be amazing but seeing as I’ve been to both of those places already, my hearts fairly set on Canada now. As I have a few friends in Canada that would be pretty perfect too! 

I’m getting off-track now so it’s time to wrap this post up with one more quick thing…

One of the nice things about Breaking Free (from a woman’s perspective) is that it goes in depth into the male psyche. I’d often wondered where the line is drawn between how females think VS males and in this book it definitely clarified that men’s minds are a lot more sexually driven. I’m not saying that woman’s minds don’t think about sex on a regular basis, we do.. we are sexual beings by nature! But men could look at a woman walking down the street and get a mindful of sexual fantasies about how his evening’s sexual endeavours would play out with this random woman that crossed his path. Whereas, in my mind, I see a good looking man and think, ‘Hmm, wow.. he’s gorgeous!’ and then I get on with the day or maybe have a sneaky little fantasy about nothing more than getting to know him… the male would go a step further in a fantasy…therefore crossing the line on which males and females thinking-trains function. 

Please get your hands on a copy of this book guys.

It awakened me. 

Inspired me. 

Taught me. 

Gave me growth. 

Showered me with understanding and peace. 

Enjoy it – it’s a one in a million. 

Playing Catch-Up

Sorry that I have been so quiet... to be honest I needed some alone time. I've been back in touch with my creative side - and exploring nature, the beach and new musical instruments with the start of Summer looming close.

I've decided to learn the didgeridoo... it is such a unique and beautiful instrument and I'm having so much fun with it!

I have been back in touch with good friends that I hadn't seen for a while - having proper girls days.. something I haven't had in a very long time. It has been wonderful to get away from technology and just embrace friendships and fun days out in the sun filled with laughter, ocean, wine and sand.

I have pretty big plans and ideas coming up for 2014...

I plan on taking the online TEFL course so that I can go to China and teach English to children for a year! It will only start in China... from a few months residing in a flat there with some friends, I plan to hop across to Beijing, Vietnam, Bali, India and South America. This new journey will be the life I lead for the next year or two... the course is 120 hours and can be completed in your own time.

If anyone is keen to know more please inbox me because this is going to be the journey of an absolute lifetime!!!

Someone asked me what it is that I am seeking... and my answer was this: Travel, culture, adventure, experience, friendships, spirituality, freedom, love... my list could go on. You earn GREAT bucks doing teaching over there but it isn't about that for me... it is about so much more than money.

I also have been reading the most incredible book called Breaking Free by Chett Vosloo... its a South African book but please for my overseas readers that have a yearning to travel... try and get your hands on a copy. It has changed my life!!

Life is undergoing a major transformation for me. For this inner awakening to take place, I need to be away from home. I need to be away from all familiarity, in a place where nobody knows me. Both my friends and family know me so well by now that the personality I am around them I so deeply ingrained that I automatically behave in a certain way whenever I am with them. What I need now is to take off all these masks That I have worn for so long and to find out who I really am when I don't have to play the Jade Wright that everyone know me to be.......... Wow. Thank you Jed Matthews (Chett Vosloo) for those awe-inspiring words. Your novel just summed up everything I feel inside. Wherever you are in South Korea, I hope you are touching the lives of many others as you are with mine. Namaste.