Long Time Between Drinks

I do confess I got busy with life and my poor old blog was left behind, neglected and abandoned... yet here it is, still lovingly waiting for me like a reprimanded puppy; not entirely sure how to take me after our last interaction, but excited to see me nonetheless.

So it's not technically a new year, now that we're in April, but after such a gap in connecting, I can't help but feel as though writing about new beginnings is appropriate.

Since my last blog, I've moved countries, moved cities, changed careers, watched all my friends start families and found myself grateful for the 'rocks' in my life. In an ever changing world, and with the adventures that lead us across the globe, around the bend sometimes, and under the weather at others, it's nice to have some key things in our lives that keep us grounded.

In my case it's my husband; he's strong, stable and rational, which is a wonderful balance to my sometimes eccentric, occasionally emotional and always adventurous feminine way of living, (which I wouldn't trade for anything in the world incidentally). He keeps me grounded when I'm off on another tangent with some big idea on how to change the world or start a new business... he reminds me to stay calm, think things through and make well educated decisions rather than excitedly just launching into a new project that may come back to bite me later.

My other rock is my family who, in true form, are a little eccentric and dramatic themselves, but always there - no matter what change is happening, with myself or my sisters, they are always available to lend an ear, lend a hand or simply share the journey.

So no matter what new beginnings your life brings, be it good, challenging or just different, remember to be grateful for your 'rocks'... you know the ones; they are always there, strong, steady, loyal and reliable - so familiar even, you may not have acknowledged how important they are. Let this be your reminder to tell them what they mean to you.

Creating Happiness

Have you ever found yourself wondering when you became so miserable? It seemed to have crept in slowly, bit by bit somewhere along the way and now you’re in a rut and not really sure how you got there? Whilst it’s easy to think you’re so far away from feeling good again, it really only needs to take a few small changes, and an internal decision, to get yourself feeling on top of the world again!

One of the first suggestions I have for creating happiness, is to create some space. Now by that I don’t necessarily mean physically, although clearing out the clutter in your home is a GREAT way to start feeling good again. ‘Stuff’ has the tendency to weigh us down energetically and it will be very freeing to clear out anything you don’t need anymore – you’ll feel so much lighter for doing it.

What I really mean by making space however, isn’t specific to any area of your life, it’s wherever you most need it. The first place I would start is to make some space in your schedule for you. Take at least 20 minutes each day, even if it means waking up a little earlier, to start your day honouring yourself. Whether you use that time to write in a journal, listen to your favourite music, go for a walk in the fresh air, meditate or just enjoy some quiet time, savour it as your special gift to yourself.

Another way to create space is in your friendships. Who are you spending the most time with and what impact are they having on your life? If you find yourself being negative, consider if the people around you are feeding that negativity… if so, you may want to consider whether spending this much time with them is healthy? Alternatively, maybe it’s something you could discuss with them and agree to start pulling each other up and being more positive. You’d be surprised how much easier it is to make these changes if you’re both aware and looking out for each other.

Finally, I would say that the most powerful way to make yourself happy is to DECIDE to be happy. I know that sounds easier said than done, but we have so much more power than we choose to believe we have and at the end of the day it’s only us who decides how we will feel. Don’t let life choose your moods for you – how you choose to react to any situation is entirely within your control. Empower yourself with the knowledge that it’s up to you ALWAYS to decide what mood you’re in.

So be the guardian of your thoughts and CHOOSE HAPPINESS. It’s a habit like any other.