WE ARE LIKE THE WAVES...

I’ve always had an affiliation with the sea. It’s the place that makes me feel most grounded. A gravitational pull that gives me a sense of comfort and calm. A walk last weekend got me thinking (clearly the sea induces some deep-thinking vibes within me). This sea and its shoreline are the exact same, yet it has the ability to show up as different versions of itself. Much as we do as human beings, it captivates different moods depending on the environment. One moment we can feel flat, lifeless with very little desire to move great depths. Next, we can feel exhilarated, free to move and able to put up a fight. No one blames the sea for its current state. No one tells it to change. In fact, we sit in awe of both its stillness and also its ability to form huge energetic, crashing waves.  

This made me wonder… Why do we put pressure on ourselves to change when we feel a little flat? Why not simply remind ourselves tomorrow is a different day, and that the environment will be different? I think it’s time we put a stop to attempting to fix ourselves. Stop trying to be this all-enthusiastic go-getting person every single day. 

I don’t know about you, but I’ve often felt guilty in the past for taking time out, guilty for wanting to relax and have time doing things I want to be doing, not the things I feel like I should! We admire the calm, stillness of the sea, so why don’t we allow ourselves to admire that same calmness within us? The busiest person title has been attempted to be won by many. I believe now is truly the time to allow ourselves that level of calm and relaxation. It's time to stop wearing the busy title like it is a crown to be proud of and simply start listening to our own intuitions and needs. 

That’s when being by the sea got me thinking a little deeper… 

The juxtaposition of the beauty in the sunlight glistening on the waves against its strength and dangerous depth is somewhat thought provoking. The way something so dangerous and somewhat unknown still leaves behind gifts on the shoreline. Beautiful naturally crafted shells and stones scatter the shoreline like treasures left behind. It smooths out the sand leaving behind an elegant carpet of fine grains that shimmer from every angle. It creates a pathway in which we can explore. The more I thought about this the more I realised it offered up a perfect metaphor for this current s**t show of a situation. Despite the upset, the unknown and the potential threat, it acts as an important reminder to also take note of the beautiful things it leaves behind. Things that are so often missed because we are so programmed to focus on the negatives!! I came across these beautiful words that offered up that glimmer of hope. That glistening seashell hidden within this hard and unknown time. 

This offered me with a little awakening, and I hope it does for you too….We are surrounded by so much beauty. All we have to do us open our eyes and hearts to it. 

  

These Words...

I stumbled across these words a couple of weeks ago, and couldn't not share them with you.

I hope you love it as much as I do. 

Here goes.... 

“Push yourself to get up before the rest of the world - start with 7am, then 6am, then 5:30am. Go to the nearest hill with a big coat and a scarf and watch the sun rise.

Push yourself to fall asleep earlier - start with 11pm, then 10pm, then 9pm. Wake up in the morning feeling re-energized and comfortable. Lie in your garden, feel the sunshine on your skin. 

Get into the habit of cooking yourself a beautiful breakfast. Fry tomatoes and mushrooms in real butter and garlic, fry an egg, slice up a fresh avocado and squirt way too much lemon on it. Sit and eat it and do nothing else. 

Stretch. Start by reaching for the sky as hard as you can, then trying to touch your toes. Roll your head. stretch your fingers. stretch everything.

Buy a 1L water bottle. start with pushing yourself to drink the whole thing in a day, then try drinking it twice.

Buy a beautiful diary and a beautiful black pen. Write down everything you do, including dinner dates, appointments, assignments, coffees, what you need to do that day. no detail is too small.

Strip your bed of your sheets and empty your underwear draw into the washing machine. wash, then hang them in the sunshine with care. Make your bed in full. 

Dig your fingers into the earth, plant a seed. See your success as it grows everyday. 

Organise your room. Fold all your clothes (and bag what you don’t want), clean your mirror, your laptop, vacuum the floor. light a beautiful candle.

Breathe. Practice your deep breathing. Ground yourself. 

Have a luxurious shower with your favourite music playing. wash your hair, scrub your body, brush your teeth. Lather your whole body in moisturiser, get familiar with the part between your toes, your inner thighs, the back of your neck.

Push yourself to go for a walk. Take your headphones, go to the beach and walk. Smile at strangers walking the other way and be surprised how many smile back. bring your dog and observe the dog’s behaviour. Realise you can learn from your dog.

Message old friends with personal jokes. Reminisce. Suggest a catch up soon, even if you don’t follow through. Push yourself to follow through.

Think long and hard about what interests you. Crime? Sex? Boarding school? Long-forgotten romance etiquette? Find a book about it and read it. There is a book about literally everything. 

Become the person you would ideally fall in love with. Let cars merge into your lane when driving. Pay double for parking tickets and leave a second one in the machine. Stick your tongue out at babies. Help an animal. Compliment people on their cute clothes. Challenge yourself to not ridicule anyone for a whole day. Then two. Then a week. Walk with a straight posture. Look people in the eye. Ask people about their story. Talk to acquaintances so they become friends.

Lie in the sunshine. Daydream about the life you would lead if failure wasn’t a thing. open your eyes. 

Take small steps to make it happen for you...”

Author: Emma Elsworthy

  

*Image credit for the planner image is Ella Iconic

**Image credit for the candle image is Osmology. 

***Image credit for the books image is César Viteri

SCREW YOU RESOLUTIONS

We’ve been programmed to see New Year’s Day as a switch. The day we wake up and suddenly stop enjoying that extra glass of wine with yes, yet another cheese board!! We whip down all the decs for a spruce up, and a spring clean, forgetting that Winter has actually only just begun. The cosy evenings are here to stay just a little longer.

A new year naturally presents a fresh new start yet. Yet January as a month is quite the opposite. It is often a little dark and dreary, and not the most inspiring. Our waistlines are often a little fuller, and our bank balances a little lighter. This got me thinking, perhaps it’s become more of a habitual behaviour than an actual WANT to set resolutions.  

This year feels somewhat of a continuation of the last. A year that felt a little unused. Whilst I remain ever hopeful we will be out doing wonderful things very soon, I have started this year a little differently to past January’s. I guess this is why I’m also posting this on the last day of the month and not the first! 

I used to be that person that the second the clock struck midnight I was cracking on with a new fitness regime, and the chase for big goals had begun. I would quickly find myself scoffing chocolate and sipping red wine at the first opportunity…. That New Year bandwagon was off the tracks!!  I felt like I went into 2020 as one person and came out another. One with more clarity, direction, and a thirst for a different life than the one I thought I wanted, which was ironic as it was the year I, like the rest of us completely slowed down. It taught me to be a little kinder to myself, and it taught me that a little something in moderation was the key to feeling heathier and happier. No more denying myself of said chocolate or red wine WOOHOO. 

Side note: I will take this opportunity to say if you have set big resolutions then GO YOU SUPERSTAR… always remember, happiness is what it looks like for you, not everyone else. But for me 2021 is not about setting resolutions I know I won’t ultimately stick to. 

2020 was a stark reminder that you can never be fully prepared for anything. And a reminder that we all needed to fully live in the moment. 

For me 2021 is going to be about just that…. Living more in the moment and embracing the things I learnt about myself in 2020. Doing more of the things that make me feel golden, and pretty much just winging my way through. 

Here’s just a few things I will be embracing more ( in no real order)…

My Golden List:

Arranging fresh flowers into vases, bottles, or any other vessel I can get my hands on

Catch ups with my beautiful friends

Memory making with my family

Mood boards

A steaming mug of hot chocolate

A flask of tea on an early morning drive

Road trips

Listening to my heart

and following it too

Mountain hiking ( with a good supply of snacks)

Wrapping gifts in beautiful paper and ribbons

Calligraphy, and the most beautiful stationery

Love letters

The simple things

Growing fresh veggies and a windowsill herb garden

Lists – I fricking love a list!!!

A bar of chocolate and a magazine ( that’s right, the “share” bar just to myself

The crisp pages of a new book

The crumpled well-loved last few pages of an old book

Beach walks

Country walks

Let’s face it, any kind of walk

Creating beautiful tablespaces for dinner

Dinner dates

Brunch dates

Lighting every single candle I have ( even the expensive ones, actually ESPECIALLY the expensive ones

Golden things 

Glittery things 

Dancing to my fave playlist

Having my nails done

Bookshops

Discovering new places, and pretty little towns 

Living a good life

How are you are hoping to spend your time in 2021?

 *Image credit for the first image is here.

A Dog's Purpose - From a 6 year old!!

Notably these are not my words, but they are words that I think we can all live by. I wanted this blog to be a place you can come to feel a little uplifted and inspired to always follow your heart. A place to encourage you to live a good life. I hope that helps do just that...

A Dog's Purpose - From a 6 year old!!

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ‘I know why.’

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, ‘People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?’ The Six-year-old continued, ‘Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.’

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply..

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you’re not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

 

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY.