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The Teresa Diehl Experience | Sea Kayaking | SeaKayaks | Tourism WA

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The Teresa Diehl Experience | Sea Kayaking | Sea Kayaks | Tourism WA



Hey there it’s Sal! Welcome back ! Hope you enjoyed the video above! Boy do I have a story for you!

Here’s a story about a Teresa Diehl from PLATYPUSYANK.COM who will REFRAME YOUR THINKING, CIRCUMNAVIGATING AUSTRALIA IN A KAYAK with the intention of INSPIRING TENTH GRADE STUDENTS TO ATTEND UNIVERSITY.

About Teresa

I was born in California and many people ask me why I would leave such a beautiful place for

Australia. Ever since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I have always wanted to be in Oz. I had a stuffed koala collection, posters on my wall (along with Tom Selleck), and I have been fascinated in particular with marsupials and The Great Barrier Reef. I had the good fortune of growing up near 4 fishing lakes and 9 miles of horseback riding trails. An outdoor person all my life, as a child I would catch and bring home a multitude of wildlife species including frogs, snakes, lizards, fish, squirrels, birds, insects, and arachnids. I have cared for and released injured wildlife and rescued turtles and snakes that had the poor idea of crossing busy streets.

My background is working with at-risk children and it is a passion of mine to encourage and motivate these children to look at alternative futures as opposed to their almost certain future of crime, government assistance, teenage pregnancy, and drugs. This is what my current project of Circumnavigating Australia in a Kayak is all about.

How you were before you started Platypus Yank?

PLATYPUSYANK.COM has caused me to focus and set daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. I have a five year plan and a ten year plan. So far NONE of the long term plans have gone the
way they were designed. Part of my success has been my ability to be flexible. I always say “Yes!” and figure out how it will happen later. My lifestyle has allowed me to meet fascinating
people along my journey and I look at how we can create a synergistic relationship. It has to be a win-win for both parties or there is no reason to proceed. My preference and comfort is to have someone owe me rather than me owing someone else. Sometimes it is inevitable that a person will go truly above and beyond in generosity. In this case, I may never be able to repay the kindness, but I Pay It Forward to as many people as I can.

What made you decide on Platypus Yank?

A good friend of mine and I were sitting down at coffee brainstorming about a memorable name.

I wanted to tie in Australia, but retain an aspect of my Americanism. Platypus are one of my favorite animals and although they are not marine, they are aquatic. I think they bring to mind a happiness and a bit of comedy with their antics and anatomy. I am all about fun and originality which I think the Platypus adequately represents. Yank is just a humorous way of referring to Americans and sometimes I get eyebrows raised when I tell people my website name. Yank can have a negative connotation, but I’m pretty secure in my American-ness and have the ability to laugh at myself. People usually remember the name and go to the website to follow me which, of course, is the goal.

What steps did you take to do it?

First, I surrounded myself with people who are positive. It’s hard to keep going at a difficult pursuit such as starting a business or organization on a shoestring when you have negative people pulling you down. If you have that in your life, stop spending time with them! It is quite difficult if they happen to be your partner or family. If it is your partner, it is time for some serious communication. If this pursuit is your passion and what gets you out of bed every morning, you must persevere. Most people regret what they did not do more than the mistakes we inevitably make. What do you need from your partner? How can they support you? How will this be worthwhile for them? If they are willing to shift to a positive mindset, give it a trial with specific written measureable results. Be clear on the expectations for both of you and by when this will be accomplished. If the time elapses and the goals are not met, it is time to evaluate if the partnership should continue.

Family are simply the people to whom we are related. We love them and we want the best for them. Sometimes they say they want happiness in their lives, but the choices they make for themselves do not support what they say. If this is your case, it is again time for some serious communication. Let them know how much you love them and if they need support in their stated goals of happiness, you are available. Here’s the catch, if they are not doing what they need to do to be happy, there is nothing you can do, but honour their decision. You may need to manage the time you spend around them. If all they do is complain, but take no action to improve their circumstances, it can suck the life right out of you. Make sure you are in the space to listen, but not judge when you visit them. When you have had enough, leave.

Dealing with problems

Problems and downtime are inevitable. Have measures already in place in preparation for those times. Give yourself a break and be kind. Some days we get our task list accomplished plus ten other things. Not every day is like that. Acknowledge this and ask for support when you need it.

Associate with other entrepreneurs who understand what it takes to be successful. Find mentors.

Mentors are invaluable for advice and perspective. However, always be sensitive to their time and needs. What are you providing to them?

Where are you now?

Currently, I am pursuing a research degree in education at Murdoch University in Perth, Western

Australia. My kayaking mentor trains with me every week. Training trips are planned to build my skills, endurance, and mental tenacity. My paperwork should be completed soon for my nonprofit organization PlatypusYank.com, Inc. It will be possible for people to make tax deductible donations to my cause. If they are interested in donating right now through my website, receipts will be issued when the NGO creation is finalized.

Tips/Advice for potential entrepreneurs managing a cause

Create a team. You have your strength and passions, but acknowledge your weaknesses. Find people who have strengths that you do not have. What are their interests and passions? How can you support each other?

Have fun. It is easy to get so wrapped up in our project that we neglect a balanced life. Exercise and eat right. Spend time with friends and go for walks on the beach or in nature.

Go with the flow. If you are having a down day, do the minimum that absolutely needs to get done and let yourself take a break. If this keeps happening, get help and support. Maybe you need to re-evaluate your goals and tasks. Here is a great exercise when you really get stuck.

Unfortunately, I cannot remember where I found it to credit the author.

Take the entire day off. Get down to the beach no later than 9:00am. You are not allowed to read, write, listen to the radio, or talk to anyone. Turn your cell phone off. You may bring a blanket and jacket. Dress so you are comfortable for the whole day at the beach and bring a lunch. You may walk around, stand, or sit while you complete the exercises.

At 9:00am, Listen Carefully. When we listen our mind quiets. You will have thoughts, just notice them and let them go.

At 12:00pm, Reach Back into the Past. When were you the happiest? If you can think of a happy time, where was it? Who was there? How did you feel? What did it smell like? Was

there good food? How did it taste? Explore all your senses recalling the happy times in your past.

At 3:00pm, Re-examine Your Motives. Why are you doing what you are doing? What makes you passionate about your project? Do you want recognition, appreciation, or to look good

doing it? Be brutally honest with yourself. If you are running out of passion for your project, it is usually because you have lost sight of your original goal and are doing it for selfish reasons.

Focus outward. What can you provide to others? How can you make a difference in your community with your project? What services and value does your project provide for others?

At 6:00pm, Write Your Troubles on the Sand. Everything that is bothering you from your partner leaving the toothpaste cap off, to financial failure gets written in the sand. Write down

EVERYTHING. Watch the waves wash over your troubles and make them disappear.

After this exercise, I am usually filled with ideas. You can bring a pen and paper with you and start scribbling away or simply watch the sunset.

Never settle, never stop dreaming, and TAKE ACTION!

Thanks for reading my blog and look forward to your comments below. SUBSCRIBE to the blog if you wanna hear more posts like this one.\m/
Sal Jumat

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