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Category: Taking time

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).

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.

June 21, 2020

Simplify your Healthy Living with Smoothies

Do you love sweet things but really want to live a healthy lifestyle?

If you’re someone who dreams of donuts and slabs of fudge, your go-to healthy choice has to be the good old smoothie! I have always had a serious sweet tooth. I love fudge and cake and anything in between so finding a healthy alternative that I can enjoy is a major win for me. Luckily for me I discovered smoothies! I swear I could hear the angels singing from up high! A natural and easy choice to keep me on track, while still enjoying that glorious guilty pleasure that is sweetness, smoothies are a no-brainer. So, it’s time to simplify your healthy living with smoothies!

Many of us are keen on living a healthier lifestyle but the daily grind just doesn’t allow it for us. We rush off to school drop off and onwards to the rest of our day without taking a moment to nourish our bodies. I am here to tell you that it only takes a few minutes out of your day to start a new, healthy habit. Smoothies have to be the best way to start your day off on the right foot. And, when you start your day off well it will put you one step ahead of the game. Healthy body, healthy mind, healthy outlook. So, let’s look at why I think smoothies are the way forward for busy Mum’s (and women in general) and how we can simplify your healthy living with smoothies.

The beauty of the smoothie is in the endless options.

Like bananas? Chuck them in! Like kiwi fruit? Super high in vitamin C, chuck it in! Then there’s the extras, the chia seeds or spirulina powders. And….. news flash! Spinach goodness does not need to ruin the taste! How can you not love smoothies?! If you are looking for a great start to the day, and an energy boost that doesn’t make you feel like you swallowed a lead balloon, then join me on the smoothie journey.

I like to keep a variety of choices available. That way every morning I can pick and choose depending on my flavour mood of the day. I usually have a big bowl of fresh fruit on my kitchen counter but I also have a variety of frozen fruit ready to grab and mix up with the fresh goodness. So, wishing you were on a Caribbean Island? Go for the pineapple, almond milk and bananas! Or just missing summer? Go for a lip-smacking blend of berries with a strawberry yoghurt and maybe some cranberry juice. I love using a home made ice tea, my favourite flavour being blood orange. Yum!

June 19, 2020

Thrive by Arianna Huffington: The Power of a Book to Help us Thrive

How often do you read a book that REALLY makes you think?

Thrive by Arianna Huffington is a beautifully written reminder to return to our inner wisdom. To reconnect with ourselves and each other. A reminder of what really matters. Through her retelling of life’s ups and downs the author helps us to rethink our priorities. She shares touching personal stories and practical advice that we can apply to our lives. Thrive by Arianna Huffington reminded me of the power of a book to help us thrive. This book leaves you feeling motivated and inspired! Having it with me during lockdown was such a win!

In Thrive, Arianna Huffington talks about the concept of success and how we need to redefine what success means to us.

The core message: money and power are no longer enough. Give me a hell yeah! She introduces us to the 3^rd metric of success, measuring our wisdom, well-being and wonder. Essentially, success should be more about balance and finding joy than financial reward. This is something we all know, but have pushed aside for the sake of ‘fitting in’. I cannot express how much I want to push the message in her book out into the world! The way she writes, in a conversational way, clearly lays her ideas out on the table so that they really sink in. The concepts are not new or difficult to understand but so well presented that they ring true on a deeper level. Quite possibly it is a message we just really want to hear.

It is time to find balance in order to thrive.

It is becoming the norm to take on more than we can physically and emotionally manage for the sake of approval and success. One of the subjects discussed in the book is meditation. How it helps us to remain calm in stressful situations and its benefits for our general well-being. Having practiced meditation myself I know that this is not the woo woo, out there craziness it was once seen as. Meditation is undoubtedly the most effective stress release tool available to us all. And, it is 100% free, easy to use and accessible. All it requires is a simple mindset shift. If you have never tried it before I seriously encourage you to give it a go. Find a quite time to center yourself and re-connect with who you really are. Trust me you have never felt so at peace!

June 19, 2020

How to find Inspiration in New Challenges

When last did you take a challenge and turn it on its head?

Question: How can you find inspiration? When last did you see it as an opportunity to be inspired! Ok, so you may not have to challenge yourself to be inspired, BUT….. challenging yourself will almost always result in inspiration! Challenges will leave you in a state of wonder at what you are capable of. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is almost certain to surprise you and teach you something about yourself.

So, in order to challenge ourselves we need to ask, what inspires you? For me it’s pretty simple things like travel, photography, walks on the beach and trying new things. I know, that’s really broad, but it’s true. Now, let’s be clear, I’m not talking along the lines of adrenaline junkie new here. I’m talking a new recipe, a new restaurant, a new walk or a new view, a new book or a new type of face cream (did I say face cream? I meant ice cream! Lol!) You see, I find life inspiring! I find the idea of the gazillion things there are out there to see or do fascinating!

The greatest way to grow in this life is through new experiences.

Sometimes it comes like a rush of inspiration, sometimes it’s more of a life lesson. Always there is growth. It can be difficult to see this when you are going through something challenging. If you are not able to see the lesson while you are going through it, look back afterwards and you will see it more clearly. I have had my fair share of these, from recessions and redundancy to nearly losing my beautiful baby boy. Every single one of these experiences has strengthened me and I choose to be grateful for them. Because, believe me, they ALL came with lessons. They ALL made me stronger and more appreciative of what I have and where I am now. When we find ourselves stuck on a hamster wheel it is time to make a change, find that new experience and new inspiration that will fuel our souls.