Inspiration Archives - Page 3 of 4 - My Saltwater Skyline

Category: Inspiration

October 9, 2020

Finding Your Why

Life Altering Change starts with Finding your Why

Let me start with the process of soul searching that I found myself going on as I started the process of finding my why. You would think your why would be obvious, and in some ways it is, but it requires a deeper level of questioning. A ‘big picture’ kind of thinking. On the surface my why is easy, it is my family! Family time, as much as I can get of it! When you think about the shortness of this life experience and the way we spend our time, the percentage of it that is spent with the one’s we love is a sad statistic indeed! So, yes, a big chunk of my why is family. After all, they are the ones we do it all for! They are the ones that matter at the end of the day. They absolutely should be our why!

But, my why also goes deeper than this. It goes to the core of who I am and what matters to me as a spiritual being. One of the main reasons that I started this blog, was because I believe that many of us feel misunderstood and alone. We have a message in our hearts that we want heard. Or, we don’t quite know what our message is but we know it’s there waiting to be uncovered. We feel like we are walking this path alone.

We are here to guide each other through this life

I wanted to share my personal experiences and lessons on personal growth, to be there to let you know you are not alone. To walk you through the questions and struggles and help you realize that every step forward, no matter how small, is growth!

I believe that when we have a nagging inside us, a voice that needs to be heard, that we need to sit up and pay attention, that it’s time for a change. It’s time to reassess our priorities and where our heart is at. One of the greatest tragedies in this life is the masses of us that are not honest with ourselves and our true identities. That haven’t learnt to understand their Why.

October 1, 2020

Exploring your Creativity

Do you struggle to see yourself as creative? Is it time to start exploring your creativity?

This is something I have struggled with most of my life. With a super creative family I have often seen myself as the one that got the ‘raw deal’ in the creativity department. I have agonized over the beautiful paintings, sculptures, hand-made clothes or woodwork that my family seemed so proficient at. Nothing I ever did could meet the standards they had set. In MY eyes! They always recognized my creative side, it was me that didn’t see my own value! A sure sign that I needed to start exploring my creative side.

We are all different and we express our creativity in different ways.

While I could get away with a half decent pencil sketch, I was terrible at painting and useless at molding anything into a recognizable shape. Lol. What I’ve come to understand now is that there are different types of creatives. My parents and sister are the hands-on kind of creative. They are the ‘artists’ in the family. They are good at painting, woodwork, pottery, you name it! I was never good at these things and it bothered me! I wanted to be able to create things with my hands like they did. But, my creativity is just different to theirs. My mind works differently, and I see the world in a different way. I don’t have creative hands, I have a creative mind. A storyteller’s mind.

September 22, 2020

The Value of Connections

In the world as we know it, do we even recognize the value of connections?

The internet is overflowing with useful and useless information. We are faced with split second choices on what offers us value. Constantly. I mean constantly! I cannot tell you how many times I have started reading a blog or watching a video only to click away with a heavy sigh realizing I have wasted precious moments of my life. Now this might sound mean and that is not my intention. We all have different motivations and what works for some might not work for others. That is one of the beautiful things about life, there is a place for everybody.

But, we can also get stuck searching for ‘our tribe’ and get lost along the way. My very long-winded point here is I don’t want you to feel like my ramblings are a waste of your time. I want you to feel like you have landed on the page of someone as real as you are, who understands that your time is precious. Don’t get me wrong, I’m gonna ramble! That’s what I’m here for! But I hope my ramblings will include words that make you feel at ease, understood and hopefully inspired to live your best life.

So often we look at what separates us instead of what connects us.

I want us to see those similarities and remember we are part of one big family. The world would be a different place if we all learned to see each other more as ‘the same’ rather than as ‘different’. We all love, we all hurt, we all dream and we all hope. If we could recognize this in each other what a difference it could make! Imagine if we didn’t hide our emotions. We would immediately know if it was time to back off or time for a cuddle. But, we have been suppressing our emotions for so long we don’t even know how to read each other anymore.

Having emotions at all is almost unacceptable. In the work place we act like robots, our shields well in-tact. By the time we get home to our families we are so tired of the façade we literally break down and our emotions are released like a flood. But, the truth of the matter is, if we showed them more we would more easily accept them. And, accepting our emotions is the starting point for being able to express them.

September 13, 2020

Manage Your Emotions in 5 Easy Ways

I’ve been thinking a lot about our emotions lately.

Our emotions are there in every waking moment. But, they are so much a part of you, do you ever stop to consider how you manage your emotions? Or, do you tend to shrug them off if they don’t suit you?

Our emotions, or our feelings, are our ‘guiding light’ through this life. They warn us when we might be about to get hurt and they excite us when something major is happening for the positive. Although they are super reliable, they are not always convenient. They force us to sit up and pay attention. In a world full of ups and downs this is often not welcome and we tend to close ourselves off from our emotions.

Do you hide from your emotions?

You might have seen a post I put up recently on Instagram asking this question. I think that too often we just ‘don’t want to go there’. We don’t want to discuss the suggestion to move to another city. We avoid making that appointment with the Doctor to check out a niggle. Or, we would rather walk away than have another argument with the kids over who gets to sit in the front seat! Emotions can be overwhelming and exhausting and sometimes we’d rather just walk away.

Is walking away the best way to manage the situation?

In some situations it might be the best thing to do, to walk away. It could be the difference between letting something blow over and having things go so far that there’s no coming back. Sometimes walking away is the right thing to do. But, what you need to avoid is letting your emotions stew inside you. That is unhealthy. That turns to bitterness, resentment and anger and can start to work like a poison on your heart and soul. There is a fine line that we need to learn to recognize. We need to learn to assess our emotional state and reel ourselves in when necessary. Let’s look at some ways to manage our emotions.

September 3, 2020

The Power Of Words to Shape Us

I love words. The way they captivate us, work their magic on us.

We all love words in one form or another. We love books, poems and quotes. They inspire us, make us laugh, put life into perspective and so much more. But, do words have the power to shape us into the person we grow up to be? I want to share some of the words that have influenced me in my life. I have chosen some thought provoking quotes, poems and a special blessing that I absolutely love. I’ll start with some quotes.

I believe that quotes can have a major impact on us.

Some of them are so profound they stay with us throughout our lives. People search the internet for those wise words that will either shift their perspective or give them that plain old kick up the butt they were looking for. We turn to those we deem wiser than ourselves to help us find clarity through their words. I marvel at the impact these quotes have on people every day around the world. It is something that I find really inspiring. The power of words is fascinating and exhilarating! Wars and hearts have been won by words.

So, what are the quotes and poems that have made the greatest impact on me? I’d love to share them with you!

August 25, 2020

What does Personal Growth mean anyway?

Personal growth seems to be one of the popular catch phrases people are throwing around lately.

So, what does personal growth mean anyway? I’ve personally learnt a lot about myself over the last year. For me it has been a metamorphosis, a slow process of change. Personal growth (it’s right there in the title) is personal. It is different for everyone. For me it is like going full circle. It is realizing that I had wandered away from my true self and finding a way to wander back to it. Finding a way to not only get back to myself but to work on getting better.

My personal growth has covered a range of areas in my life from realizing ‘I’m Worth It’ to caring more for my body to spending time on my spiritual growth. I didn’t make a conscious choice to grow in these areas, it kind of crept up on me, and before I realized it I was learning to see the world in a different way.

My personal growth does not come from a place of lack or need to escape who I ‘was’.

I have been blessed with a wonderful life. A good family, good health, beautiful children and a loving husband. Does this mean I should be grateful for where I am? Yes. Does it make it wrong to want to grow? No. Growth is always the right thing to do. Growth keeps you alive inside and therefore happy inside as well. If you’ve read my post on Gratitude you will know how important I think it is in a happy lifestyle, but I do think that there is something we need to be aware of.

That is, we can be so conscious of our blessings, and be so grateful for them, that we feel a sense of guilt about wanting more. For example, you are so grateful for the blessing of being a mother that you convince yourself it is selfish and ‘ungrateful’ to want to do something for yourself. This is a flawed premise indeed! Ultimately life is about balance and when we do not look after one aspect of our lives the others suffer. We cannot be well rounded and happy if we don’t look after EVERY aspect of our being. In other words, being a mother should not stop you being an artist, writer, acrobat or tv presenter! (insert anything that pulls at your soul).

August 16, 2020

An Attitude of Gratitude Can Change Your Life

It’s quite a big statement, that an attitude of gratitude can change your life, don’t you think?

I want us to start taking gratitude seriously. Stop seeing it as a token of appreciation and start seeing it as a powerful mindset for change. We look at the world around us and life feels heavy on our shoulders. We worry for things that have not yet happened, fear for what ‘may’ come to pass. Why do we focus on all the things that make knots in our stomachs? Why do we stew in our own fears? What if we looked at life from a different, more positive, perspective? What if we saw all the blessings and the good in our lives? Do you think this would make a difference in your quality of life?

As I sit here, in gratitude, life’s troubles fade away.

Sit with me for a moment with the sun, bright behind your closed eyelids. Breathe deep, life giving breaths. Realize that you are here, a whole and perfect human being, blessed with life. Don’t overthink it, just be in the moment. I firmly believe that we are often our worst enemies. Why? Because we are just too hard on ourselves! I don’t know where it comes from, maybe our mortality gnaws at us, but it makes us anxious and unhappy. We are always chasing the dream, pushing towards a goal. We seldom stop to firstly be grateful, and secondly, take stock of where we have come from and what we’ve achieved.

August 6, 2020

Random Acts of Kindness: How to Make a Difference

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Do you believe that a random act of kindness can make a difference?

How would you feel if a stranger walked up to you and gave you a bunch of flowers? Or, someone tapped you on the shoulder just to let you know how incredible you look in that dress? How would this random act of kindness make you feel, and how can you make a difference through small acts of kindness?

Do you believe you have it in you to make a complete stranger happier? Have you considered this before? We encounter hundreds of people in our lives, pass them by on the street. Sadly we seldom take the time to reflect on who they are and what they are going through in this life. I’d like to have a conversation about how we can affect the world around us and the way we live our lives by being more tuned in to the people around us. Those people are Mothers, Fathers, Sons and Daughters and they are loved by someone.

I would like to set a challenge to you (and to myself) to go out and study the faces of the people you see walking passed you in the mall. Be subtle, lol! We don’t want to freak anyone out! Just look at the lines on their faces. Do they seem happy? Do they seem troubled? Try to picture them sitting in their favourite chair. Maybe someone brings them a cup of tea. Here comes a grandchild to sit up on a knee for story time. Or, a teenage boy has just gotten a phone call and he’s heading off to meet up with his friends.

We ALL have people we love. We ALL have a story. And, we ALL want to be accepted in this life. I want you to see these people as the same as you. Recognize that they need the same things that you do. Now, how can we make a difference to these people?

July 26, 2020

Top 10 Meditation Tips for Beginners

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For just over 2 years now I have been practicing a daily meditation.

This is something that I considered many, and I mean MANY, years ago but always had a crazy busy mind that just refused to be still. I wish that someone had handed me a list of top 10 meditation tips for beginners back then! But then something clicked in me. I started down this path of self-discovery and self-development which led me very organically to meditation. After practising meditation for over a year I do not consider myself an expert on the subject however I do believe wholeheartedly in the benefits. It has become so important to me that I feel cheated if I go a day without it. The sense of calm and clarity that I get from meditation cannot be achieved through any other methods that I have tried.

Being a Mum, my methods would include holding my breath and counting to 10!

Disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

If you’ve never tried meditation before I can 100% guarantee you are in the “that’s kinda woo hoo” corner, and I totally understand! I’ve been there.

But, it’s only because we have been convinced by this crazy world we live in that it’s all go, go, go and stopping is for losers. Sound about right? Well, when you get to that point where you realize that stopping is essential, and you’ve had your brakes off for so long you just don’t know how anymore, it’s time to try it out.

Mastering it is not easy, but trying it is. Start, just start. Just sit, close your eyes for 10 minutes and listen to the sound of the birds outside your window or the waves crashing. Even the sound of the fridge running or the pump in the fish tank can do the trick. Breathe. That’s all. For now. Just enjoy the complete surrender of giving yourself a break. Eventually you will start to feel like you are connecting with yourself on a whole new level that you never have before, but for now all you need to do is take that precious moment and breathe.

July 16, 2020

12 Self-Care Tips on a Budget

Tips on how can we achieve an impactful level of self-care on a budget

I don’t know about you but when I hear self-care I think of a) time I do not have and b) overpriced ‘spa days’. 12 self-care tips on a budget does not come to mind.

So, I’m here today to give you a few tips on how you can give back to yourself without having to organize a babysitter or take out a loan.

Let’s start with what self-care really means. In this busy life we all live, it quite simply comes down to taking time for yourself. Time away from EVERYTHING. It means having a moment where you acknowledge your own feelings and give yourself permission to breathe. Really, it’s about shaking off the rest of the world for a moment and allowing yourself to just be you.

So, how do we make self-care more achievable?

We have to take a closer look at ourselves for this one! Why do we tell ourselves there isn’t enough time and that self-care can wait? We look at the lists we have prepared of ‘things to do’ and cannot see a way to fit in time for ourselves. The reality is, it’s up to us. Taking time for yourself can be anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 hours. Yes, if you have been denying yourself for too long you will probably need more time, but you can start small. When you see that the act of completely switching off from your stressors relaxes your shoulders and lightens your load, you will want to add 5 more minutes!

How about we start by being completely honest with ourselves? Take a moment to think about how much time you spend scrolling on your phone. We fall into a trap and before you know it you’ve lost 2hrs of your life (or more). There are different reasons we go on the internet but mainly we are either looking for information or inspiration. The problem is once we are in the mindset of finding inspiration we kinda don’t want to give up until we find it. So, we scroll and we scroll. In the end we toss the phone into a corner feeling frustrated. We don’t feel inspired and we have lost precious time that could have been focused on our self-care. Am I right? So, instead of getting lost in the scroll, let’s have a look at our self-care tips on a budget to get us started.

Disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

What small steps can I take today?

Quick and easy:

Make a hot cup of tea or coffee and sit quietly by yourself with your thoughts. No distractions. Walk out into the garden if you need to but make sure you have those few quiet moments alone. This is self-care tip no.1 because it’s an easy, no-excuses start to taking time for yourself.
Paint your nails. Again, the self-care comes in the time spent alone. Painting your nails can be a great exercise in mindfulness and gets your head out of the craziness of daily life.
Learn how to breathe deep, clear breathes. When we are stressed we tend to breathe shallow, anxious breaths. Try to focus on taking deep breaths, this is a quick and very effective way to calm yourself almost immediately and self-care is not possible without being calm.
Eat well. We all enjoy our treats but try to get into the habit of eating food that energizes your body – read my blog on Smoothies for inspiration on self-care for your body in a healthy and super speedy way.