Day 30

A month - a whole month has gone since I started writing my blog! Wow! 





I thought it would be a great opportunity to stop and reflect on the past month. The journey that I have taken has been an interesting one! I have done some self discovery and hopefully passed a little of that wisdom on to you all! 



What has been the stand out thing this month for me? It would probably be to accept your emotions and in turn accept yourself. And be happy for who you are - faults and all - because being so self critical and hard on yourself all the time is not a positive for anyone and generally what you see as a fault is what someone else may find interesting!  

Self acceptance and love is a huge and beautiful topic that I am sure I will explore more as the year continues. This is the one thing that needs constant practice and reinforcement! We're stuck with ourselves forever…would you like to live with you?!

Photo 30: Lunch - smorgasbord!

Photo 30: Lunch with a view!

 I was treated to a lovely lunch and girls afternoon with my netball team (even though I haven't played for awhile!). Was beautiful! And I was also pretty chuffed to be asked to be our teams coach while I'm off playing! I think I was a bit bamboozled and forgot to even answer! Yes! I'd love to!! 

I hope you are all ready for the "new mid-year"!! So countdown to a new beginning! 

…Until Tomorrow xox

Day 29

Photo 29: A stormy, wet dreary morning!

Wow, how often do you do exactly what you want at the time you want to? I woke up to this in the morning! I gave Buddy his breakfast…he looked at me as much as to say "I'm not going outside in this weather" and ran back inside and jumped on his bed!! So I took his lead and went back to bed too! I had a slow morning lazing around, and started to feel guilty…then I thought about how often we put pressure on ourselves to do what we think we should…not what we want to do… So I then felt better about my lazy Sunday morning!! :)

Yep! Definitely! :)

 I want to share my favouritest all time joke today because its a lazy Sunday and I think we all need to end it on a happy note and start the week on a high!! :)

A man walks into a pet shop and asks the attendant for a pet that will impress his mates at the pub. 
"We have a talking millipede" Says the Attendant
"Great" So he takes the millipede home and sets him up in the living room. 
"Would you like to go to the pub for a few beers with my mates?" He asks his new pet millipede


….no answer… he thought…must still be settling in and went and had a shower. He came back and asked
"Would you like to go to the pub for a few beers?"

…still no answer. He went and had a beer and watched the rest of the footy. 

"This is the last time I am going to ask you…would you like to go to the pub for a few beers?"

The Millipede answers "I heard you the first time…I was putting on my shoes!!!"

Hehe, always makes me laugh and I think I have told the joke over 100 times!! Feel free to share it! :)

It is great start the week on a happy note! 

…Until Tomorrow xox

Day 28

A tough Saturday night for me…a cup of tea, a good movie and a snoozy dog! Wow what a party animal!! 

Day 28 photo: Inquisitive Buddy

Photo Day 28: cosy slippers and dinner

There was an interesting pattern today when I was talking with people. Which was we all seem to doubt ourselves, fall into old habits and also not see what everyone else does when they look at us. 

I like this!

I'm not sure why there is so much self-doubt in society - does it come from not wanting to seem "cocky" or "stuck up" if we accept ourselves? I personally think there is a difference between being happy and confident with who you are and being arrogant. 

Acceptance. That's a big thing that I've been working on. Accept that what you are feeling at the moment, then let it go. You can only move forward if you let go of the past. And it is the past that we define ourselves by…when we need to define ourselves by who we are, who we want to be and what our morals are.

We waste so much energy trying to change or resist aspects of ourselves that define who we are. We all are made up of an array of aspects - some we love, some we like and some that we need to accept because they make us who we are - unique! I know that I am an active person and in the course of a conversation can easily jump between about 3 topics…this can be frustrating for people at times, but it is me and I have accepted that this is part of me. When I accepted this, I can now giggle at myself when I'm 'extra flighty', and have found that what I thought people would annoy people was one of the aspects they accepted or even liked about me the whole time!!

Self acceptance and trust in our own abilities and feelings. A huge and powerful thing, but extremely important to lead a happy, fulfilling life. :) 

…Until Tomorrow xox

Day 27

I thought today was Saturday!!

How funny is it when you have no concept of what day / time it is? I then started to think about who decided the name of days and the 7-day cycle…which led me on to thinking about the 5-day work week. When you really start thinking about when we 'schedule' work and why we do so, it's really strange. I mean why do we spend most of our time at work? Why 8 hours of the best part of the day? Why not split the day, and have a break when it's sunny - or better yet condense the work so it is productive, in less hours of the day or a smaller amount of days in the week. 

I've been developing my small businesses for a year now. My dog training business (www.playfulpaws.com.au) from scratch. It has been an interesting and hard at times. To be solely responsible for publicity, paperwork, advertising, liaising, programs, classes, customer service and then the hands-on work, has really been a challenge. When I can I have been doing some professional development on how to run a business effectively. 

Day 27 photo-ish: My new business logo (Thank you Nathan and Theresa! I Love It!!)

I came across an interesting man called Jim Rohn (https://jimrohn.com/home). Through listening to him and reading some of his books, I learnt about how to use "part-time" to develop it into a success. How interesting is it to think that a "part time" job can be as successful - if not more, than a "full time" job, thereby allowing the BEST part of the day to do what you would like to. I also discovered that when you have a short time frame, you get HEAPS done, but if you have an ambiguous time frame it will take you forever. 

For example I needed to develop a new class curriculum for puppy and adult training. When I said, "oh I'll develop it" - it kept getting put to the bottom of the to-do list (hence I never got it done), then a week out from starting my classes I said "I have a week to develop a new curriculum" - still not a good enough motivator… The night before, yep I stayed up and developed it in around 2 hours. Having a time pressure was a motivator to get it done. 

However if you think about how much time in an average work day you waste i.e. emails, google, long phone calls, gossiping, talking with staff etc - you would be surprised how much it adds up to! If you were really productive for 2 hours, with no distractions, you would find you get a lot of your work completed and hence be more productive. This is where "part time" comes into it. If you use each minute of your work hour effectively, you do not need to be consumed by work, or have that frantic to-do feeling. 

I've heard of many different ways for no interruptions…put a sign on your door, phone on silent and message bank, disconnect the internet…really it's what works for you. What works for me? When I am developing something for my business, I like listening to relaxing music or putting on a 'chick flick' on tv or going to sit somewhere different and leave the phone in the car! When I am working with other people, I'm inclined to put ear phones in - or just say "I have to get this done! Don't distract me!" In a joking way. 

It's time (hehe) to put this into action. I know the past few days since I have been determined to get some of the lesser-fun paperwork side of my businesses done. And set myself a "time limit" such as "by the end of today I will have completed 2 handouts and made 4 phone calls". It works! Thus far I have completed the goals. (If you have ever been to Uni…you do your best essay the night before it's due?!) 

Some food for thought for you I hope!! :)

…Until Tomorrow xox

Day 26

What a day! Full up with medical appointments! Got to spend time with mum and dad and now having puppy cuddles! :)  

Day 26 photo: Little guest at the physio...

Had a cheeky little guest at the physio today…I called him pumpkin (he was grey!). My physio caught him in a cup. He was a bold  little mouse…actually came close enough to smell my sock!! He had a great adventure until caught…I like to think that pumpkin the super mouse found a way to escape out of the cup and continue on his adventures… (insert adventure music!!)

I think this is pumpkin…on his way to lead a happy life…
(be careful my next oscar award-winning script is in the making!!)

It's going to be a short one tonight, as I need an early night! I'm pooped!! 

I'll leave you with something I learnt today. To count your breaths. A simple but easy method to help meditate. Count 1-10 then start again (hehe poet!!). If a thought comes into your head, stop and start again. Its actually really effective! And helped me calm myself to be able to drive tonight!! :) 

So I hope you all have a good nights sleep!! :)

…Until Tomorrow xox

Day 25

What did you learn today? 








I think everyday is an opportunity to learn something and if we open ourselves to learning we will grow and change! I guess that's where the saying "You learn something new everyday" comes in to effect. I just did some research and normally you say before it is "you know that old saying…" But what is interesting is I cannot find the origin or where the saying came from!!

I really think we do learn something new each day, however do we stop and acknowledge it? It's an interesting thought. How amazing would it be to stop and share what you learnt during the day with friends or family? We always ask children "What did you learn today?". But learning doesn't stop when we finish school. 

"I will only stop learning if life stops teaching" My motto.

I think that if you stop learning, you will stop to enjoy what you are doing. And you do see this frequently with people who have been in their jobs for a long time. Their passion has gone and they don't seem open to learning. 



There is research done on the benefits of learning - boosting your confidence, motivation, positivity and the best bit is lessening your chances of being affected by Alzheimer's or other mental illnesses. The interesting thing in my research is that most websites and people you talk to suggest that learning something needs to be a big change - such as learning a new language, or taking up a new hobby.






My opinion is that is fantastic if you have the ability to take up something new, but learning can be on a smaller scale. Reading something on the computer, talking to someone that has a different viewpoint to yours, reading the paper, listening to the radio, watching nature or animals. The opportunities are endless. And when you start to be open to learning you will see so many avenues to learn!! :) 

I learnt today that being positive and looking for the best in a situation will make things easier to bounce back if they don't go to plan, but it's also really important to remain realistic. So you can be positive but not naive. I also learnt from mum that Simon Baker has 2 kids! Hehe. See the things you learn don't necessarily need to be profound! 

…Until Tomorrow xox

Hehe! :)

Day 24

I had a 'movie moment' today. You know the ones where you are doing something and then you think, oooh if I was on a movie that would be the perfect song to play at the moment?! 

It happened when I caught myself absent mindedly staring out of the window at the rain…the rain was falling on the window pane... I was deep in thought…I have no idea what about now…but I thought gosh this would be the moment in a movie when the main character is really pensive and something like "Bad day" or "Bridge over troubled water" or "Diamonds on the inside" would be playing over the narrative. Then my imagination got away from me and I started writing a whole script in my head about this particular scene!! 

Before I knew it I had the next Oscar-award winning script in my head! Now…to put it in writing!! :)




Today was a beautiful winter day…Raining, Cold, Stormy…perfect for snuggling under a blanket and to stare out of windows! I am not a great fan of winter..being a bit more of a reptile - thriving in the sun, and wearing thermals and many layers in winter!! I was dressed like a michelin man, snuggled under a blanket and almost sitting on the heater - refusing to go out of the house. It was a great reminder for me to look for the beauty in everything and look for the grateful aspect. 



So here's what I came up with:
1. The mountains finally got snow
2. Rain will fill up the reserves
3. I was able to stay at home and snuggle with a blanket
4. I got to write the next oscar winning movie, just by staring out a window! 
5. I got to spend quality time with mum and Buddy

Day 24 photo: Warm Moccasins

Like I said yesterday, once you start, you just keep going!! Oooh 6. I found my warm lace - up moccasins (classy I know!!).  

I love the opportunity everyday to put music to a situation. And I truly believe there is a song for every moment. Sometimes I think I should be on 'Glee' but in real life. I'd love it if everyone just broke out into song randomly. How happy would we all be? And you don't need to be a good singer to reap the benefits of singing. Did you know that singing has been used as a therapy for people with depression, anxiety and stress? It's similar to laughing - it takes the focus of the internal wanderings of your mind and releases endorphins and oxytocin. Pretty cool! So next time your feeling a little blue, crank up your favourite music and sing along - or grab your hair brush and sing. Or belt it 

I tried this the other day when I got in the car..I was a bit anxious, so I just started singing a song and found myself start to calm, almost immediately I felt better. 

Mmm…I think I might go and watch 'Annie' or 'The Lion King' and sing along!!

…Until Tomorrow xox

Day 23

It's Monday! A start to a beautiful new week, where the options for what can happen are endless… :) 







Sometimes we need a little help to look at the bigger picture. We get caught up in the day-to-day running of our lives, we forget to stop and look at where we are headed. We take things for granted daily. I definitely did. 

What do you take for granted? 

Is it the fact you can walk / run? Have a roof over your head? Can indulge in chocolate? Have food on the table? Be healthy? Have a loving family? 

I know I never thought twice about juggling a few jobs - and being able to run 21kms and being healthy. Until I had a wake up call. If this wake up call had not of happened, I could of continued on my life without ever being aware of the bigger, better picture!

Sometimes our wake up calls are subtle, sometimes we need that extra help I was talking about. 




Last night on 'Sunday Night' there was a truly heartwarming story. You can watch it here: https://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/features/a/24291758/sharns-last-wish/ 

What an amazing, strong, inspirational woman. Who continued to be grateful for her life in spite of many challenges. 





This helped me stop and look at what I have and be GRATEFUL for it. For example the ability to walk - and eventually run again. 

As I have said earlier, I write a 'grateful' journal each night. I would easily get caught up in being grateful for "success" or "goals" or "family" - I would neglect to focus on myself. What particularly associated to me am I grateful for, and can I be specific!! I have started to be specific. What about my family am I grateful for? So instead of just rushing and 'dot pointing' my journal, I would stop and reflect as well. So instead of just saying 'I am grateful for my family' it would be 'I am grateful for having my family close by to spend quality time with them'. Then what about myself? Last night I wrote 'I am grateful for the ability to make my own decisions that impact my future'.

It can be fairly confronting at first, but once you start you realise there are so many things to be grateful for that you want to continue to write!! I find that sometimes I need a bit more inspiration - that's when I turn to the motivational sites on Facebook, or Pintrest or You Tube. Or watch amazing stories about inspirational people. 

Most people find it challenging to get out of bed and head to their daily 'hum drum', some days or all days. Are you a 'snoozer' - meaning your alarm goes off and you press snooze - just 10 more minutes..or do what my friend does and set her alarm for 30minutes before she actually needs to be up? I was one to get up when my alarm went off, but very sluggishly and everything was such an effort for the first 5 minutes! So instead of 'forcing' myself up, I now spend that 5 minutes to reflect on my grateful journal and to look at positive quotes to put me in a good frame of mind to start my day. 

Spending five minutes looking at positive things and reflecting on the 'goodness' in your life, changes your whole attitude to the day. 

If you can start your day strong and positive and grateful, you will be in a much better place to be able to deal with any knock backs or obstacles that you may receive through the day. And you will be able to enjoy your day and appreciate the little things a lot more. 

Day 23 Photo: A toasty warm wood fire!

…Until Tomorrow xox

Animals always get a smile!! :)

Day 22

What a glorious sunny day again today! How lucky in the middle of winter!!

Clearly the one I went into wasn't as new!!

I went and got my MRI done on my knee today. For those that don't know, an MRI does a scan of everything - muscle, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, bone and any other inner workings I have forgotten to mention! And it is extremely loud!! I got positioned on a trolley and had my knee secured..then I was given a squishy ball to hold, in case I needed to contact the technician, then had some ear muffs (niftily fitted with music!) and told to lay still…




Then it started. 4 lots of scans REALLY loud! Sort of like you would imagine a rocket starting their engine to be like!! I started to feel a bit overwhelmed and anxious - the having to lay still reminding me of being on a spinal board after my accident. Not a happy reminder! So I took the opportunity to practice the mindfulness exercise I have been learning. So I concentrated on my breathing (occasionally breaking to peak at the countdown clock…!) and just relaxed, letting go of any thoughts as they entered my mind. 

I must of been doing ok, because the technician came and touched me on the shoulder and I nearly jumped through the roof! She then said she wanted to do a  few more images because I had some bone haematoma… "ok" I said to her, and went back into the machine. Inside my head I was thinking "What?!! What is haematoma? What does that mean?!" Then tried to get back into the mindfulness…and trying not to let my imagination run away from me!! 

15 long minutes later…I am free to put on all my jewellery again (I never realised how much I wore - I thought I was a minimalist!!) and shoes on! Then I dared to ask the question - 'What does haematoma mean?" answer: "Bone bruising". Not as bad as my imagination would have me believe! Then I asked about my meniscus (which is what I thought was the main concern)… "I can't see it that well on my screen..the resolution isn't good enough". So I have to wait another 3 days before I get the full verdict. 

I guess another 3 days isn't too bad to wait, right? But it's already been 2 months! I've had enough waiting! But in the last two months one thing I have learnt is patience…you cannot rush things that are out of your control. So, I am left with my bone haematoma (!) to wait to find out if I can start to return to work soon, or if I have to wait… 

I'll aim to spend my time wisely..doing things I've been meaning to do for awhile, but keep putting off!! 

Day 22 Photo: Reading and playing with Buddy

Including what I did this afternoon - Sat in the sun, read a WHOLE chapter of my book, and played ball with Buddy! Hope you all had a great Sunday! :)

…Until Tomorrow xox