Spring Walk

I took a walk this afternoon to get some fresh air and recycle some glass bottles at our village recycle point. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and a few people were cycling in the distance. Spring is finally here but we must enjoy it responsibly.

These pictures aren’t anything special, just me capturing a glimpse of nature on my phone while I was walking and listening to Stephen Fry’s Podcast Great Leap Years.

I think more now than ever we need to get into the practice of living in the moment and being grateful and content with the simple things in life.

‘Small and Definite Happiness’, is a phrase I came across in a vlog by 해그린달 haegreendal a Korean Youtuber who makes the most beautiful and relaxing videos about home life, which I feel like everyone should check out if they are feeling a little anxious as her videos will relax you instantly. So, yes we should all be seeking Small and Definite Happiness while we are all locked away at home at the moment.

How to Survive Quarantine

At first, I didn’t take the SARS-CoV-2 seriously, I thought ‘oh this will all blow over’… It didn’t and it won’t.

It’s strange when you realise that you are living through a moment that will make history for some it was WWII, the Fall of the Berlin Wall et cetera, for me it was 9/11 and the 7/7 bombings in London. I remember where I was on these occasions and that they would change the face of the world forever. SARS-CoV-2 is another of those moments. We are living through exceptional times that will most definitely leave a scar.

With the whole country going into quarantine I thought I would put forward some ideas on what to do with all this time spent at home so that we don’t go crazy and can use this time to make some positive changes in our lives. And it is also worth noting how most of us lucky in the fact that we have a roof over our heads in this time, as many people are out on the streets or struggling to make ends meet due to this whole situation.

What to do while in Quarantine

• Read a book, or 5 - I can make a reading recommendations list if y’all would like.

• Make a playlist and dance around the house singing loudly

• Commune with nature - RESPONSIBLY! Open a window, sit in your garden, let the sun shine on your face and the fresh spring air fill your lungs

• Exercise - Practice yoga, run up and down your stairs, push-ups, pull-ups, jogging on the spot or maybe dig out those old school Mr Motivator tapes and get moving!

• Think then do - Confront yourself, are you satisfied with the path you're on. If not think about how you can change the direction your heading in. For me, I will be filling my time making videos for youtube, studying, taking photos, decluttering, studying the languages I’m learning and writing, lots of writing.

• Use technology to come together - We have all this fantastic tech around us that allows us to see and talk to anyone around the world, so let’s stay indoors but visit our loved ones virtually.

• Binge-watch TV - Oh there is so much content out there in the world, and if there is a TV show you’ve been meaning to watch now is the perfect time to sit back and watch.

• Pursue that hobby you’ve been meaning to do - We all have those hobbies where we have exactly what we need to get started but somehow haven’t managed to, for me that’s my acoustic guitar, sitting patiently in its bag waiting for the day I pick it up and start learning.

• Pamper yourself - Use that expensive facemask, watch a youtube tutorial on how to do facial massages, run a hot bubble bath and pour yourself a glass of wine and indulge in the luxury of it all.

• Start a blog - If you’ve always wanted to have your own little space on the internet then now is the time, I use Squarespace which is probably the easiest platform to get started on and I love it #notsponsored #butiwishiwas

• Get drunk - We all need to let loose sometimes

• Research - If there is something you're fascinated by take some time and find out about it, whether its Quantum physics, Norse Mythology or the Mongolian Empire, find out new information and enrich your mind.

• Train your pet - A way to keep you and your pet busy and having fun, I’m going to get Eddie our Jack Russell to learn a few new tricks…if I can get him to stop snoozing in the sun that is.

• Clean and declutter - we are all going to be stuck at home for quite a while so you need to have a clean and organised space to inhabit, so get vacuuming, dusting and sorting through your belongings.

• Play games and board games - If you're lucky enough to be in quarantine with your family, friends or loved one then pass some time playing games it will make you laugh and appreciate those around you.

So do your part, stay at home and stay safe and healthy. Also, let’s show as much gratitude to NHS staff as possible, they are working hard to keep us all safe and they are risking their lives to do so!

Goals for the New Year and Beyond

Today is January 1st 2020. It’s a new year and a whole new decade. I think this is something every single person on the face of the planet is aware of right now. Well maybe nearly every single person, there have probably already been so many new lives bought into the world today…what a magnificent thought. I digress.

As per tradition resolutions are made (and swiftly broken) so in the spirit of the season, I have 10 goals I want to work towards this year and for the rest of the decade and maybe even further after that depending on how fast I am at achieving them!

My Goals for the New Year and Beyond:

1. Finish your degree with the best grade possible (for you)

2. Travel more, see all the wonders this world has to offer you.

3. Become Trilingual or maybe even a Polyglot - that means practising French & Korean every day without fail! And you’ll add Japanese and/or German to that mix if you decide you are ready to learn more languages.

4. Become a minimalist - Zen Buddhism has helped you to become a much better person since you became fascinated by it back in 2009 but you still put too much desire and focus on material possessions, in this year and the years to follow you will change this.

5. Become better at Photography and Cinematography - Get out into the world more and capture photos and videos of what you see and experience.

6. Cherise the small moment in life - All those tiny moments add up to make your life, so have gratitude and love for the smallest of things that happen to you.

7. Say ‘Yes’ more - It’s about time you overcome your anxieties, especially social ones…and as clichéd as it sounds ‘The magic happens outside of your comfort zone’ is very true.

8. Create more - Write a book, paint a portrait, dance before the setting sun - you are a creative being as that is what gives you the most joy, so take the time and take risks to create.

9. Find love - Deep down inside you’re a romantic, you always have been, but you hid it deep within yourself as you worried that it made you silly, pathetic even. And well, you're quite sensitive, so the idea of rejection has kept your heart closed off for far too long…so its time to seek the possibility of love.

10. Do more for the Planet - You can always do more to preserve this beautiful planet as it is the only home we have!

What goals will you set yourself for this New Year and beyond?

Trust Yourself

Having Trust in yourself is one of the hardest but most important challenges anyone experiences in life. Without that fundamental trust in yourself, how can you learn to trust another or, know your self-worth or even know where you’re going in life.

For most of my life, I have been crippled by an overbearing shyness. I am still rather shy now, but I have come a long way. At school, I had a few “friends” but I didn’t really feel like I could be myself around them, of course, teenagers go through Identity crises and what not but it also didn’t help that I simultaneously suffered from depression. The concoction of out of balance hormones and emotions really tested me, I hated the way I looked, I thought for many years that I was the ugliest girl in the world and that I was undeserving of love etc. Of course, this was all utter rubbish that my mind was feeding me but I believed it for many many years. It’s strange how your thoughts can trap you quite easily, it feels like because it’s your voice in your head that it must be the truth…

Slowly over many years I found myself balancing out, yes some days are always going to be darker and tougher than others but when you get the point of equilibrium it really is an achievement. For me, that was 2 years ago. After 7 years of feeling lost, I could finally look at myself in the mirror and tell myself that I was okay, that life is a gift and that it really does get better. To get to this point took a long time and while I regret that I lost 7 years of my life to feeling miserable and out of place in the world, I have come out the other side stronger and more determined to forge a life I want to lead. Funnily enough one of the things that helped me gain perspective in my life was this very blog, it was in finding a routine to create content that gave me a focus. I also listened (and still do) to Zen Buddhism podcasts, they helped me ground my mind and focus on the here and now which is such an important thing to master if you want to become positive and content with your life.

So what does my life look like now? 2 years after hitting my equilibrium moment I have started a degree in English Literature and French, this little Blog  will turn 3 years old this year, we have a youtube channel, I’ve started yoga again and I’ve rekindled my love for reading. While some things have changed, some things haven’t, I’m yet to have a relationship, I haven’t moved out into my own home and I am not pursuing my passions as a career yet. But while I sometimes worry that my life is unfolding far too fast, I have hope that if I work hard and trust in myself and my journey then things will fall into place.