Sometimes you have to push yourself a little out of your comfort zone, well for me, this is ALOT out of my zone. South Africa has some incredible bloggers that over the last year I have been so privileged to get to know more. Men and Women across all genres, writing about their passions and sharing Continue reading “SA Blog Awards, every click counts !”
Category: Motivationals
In Celebration of Universal Children’s Day
Today marks the 63rd Universal Children’s Day. Established by the UN to raise awareness and draw attention to child welfare. Something that is so critical to the world today promoting international togetherness and awareness among children worldwide. Looking back at how we can make a difference to our children’s lives, I thought what perfect timing to tell you about the work the Johnson’s Baby and Unjani Clinics’ are doing across South Africa. Continue reading “In Celebration of Universal Children’s Day”
Living life through the eyes of my children
“If we could see the world through the eyes of a child, we would see the magic in everything…”
Every day when I wake up, feeling a little grumpy because my sleep was broken or not long enough, I look at my children in amazement. Every single day these tiny humans beg me to wake up and jump out of bed. It’s a new day, it’s a new day filled with promise and adventure for them. Continue reading “Living life through the eyes of my children”
My V-Bac Experience
Let me start by saying that I did not choose to have a V-bac to be “more of a woman”, or to fulfil some right of passage that is bestowed upon all women, because to be honest, in my opinion, that is a load of rubbish. Regardless of the way you give birth you are still a bloody strong woman, in fact dare I say, having a c-section is far worse than giving birth naturally. Continue reading “My V-Bac Experience”
Relationships – Valuing those who mean the most
Anais Nin put it beautifully when she said, “Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.”
Though some people are natural loners and are happy without them, most of us depend greatly on the company of true friends. As with any relationship, friendships bring support and joy and occasionally strife 🙂
As we grow, we realize it becomes less important to have MORE friends and more important to have REAL ones.
If you think about it, life is kind of like a party. You invite a lot of people, some leave early, some stay all night, some laugh with you, some laugh at you, and some show up really late. But in the end, after the fun, there are a few who stay to help you clean up the mess. And most of the time, they aren’t even the ones who made the mess. These people are your real friends in life. They are the ones who matter most.
Heres a couple of things I feel true friends do in fact it kind of relates to your relationships too):
- They face problems together. – A person who truly knows and loves you, a real friend, is someone who sees the pain in your eyes while everyone else still believes the smile on your face. Reality is you don’t need a friend who can solve all your problems; you need a friend you will face your problems WITH you. lo
- They GIVE what they can. – Truth be told a lot of us enter relationships to get something out of it. We try to find someone who’s going to make us feel good. In reality, the only way a relationship will last, and give us happiness in the long-term, is if we see our relationship/ friendship as a place we go to GIVE, not to take. Contrary to popular believe studies show you gain significant happiness and a sense of purpose from GIVING. It can only be a ‘give and take’ if BOTH SIDES are GIVING. That’s the key.
- They make time for each other. – You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot in someone’s life. Never force someone to make a space in their life for you, because if they truly care about you, they will create one for you.
- They offer each other freedom. – A healthy relationship/ friendship keeps the doors and windows wide open. Relationships thrive in this environment. If this person is meant to be in your life, all the open doors and windows in the world won’t make them leave.
- They communicate effectively. – You NEED to get your thoughts OUT. If you have resentment, you must talk it out rather than let the resentment grow. If you are jealous, you must communicate in an open and honest manner to address your insecurities. The most popular myth is that, in relationships, since you talk to your partner, you’re automatically communicating. But this is generally surface stuff. 80% of communication actually involves listening!
- They accept each other as is. – Trying to change a person NEVER works. A real friend is someone who truly knows you, and loves you just the same. Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love THE REAL YOU.
- They are genuine. – Never idealize others. They will never live up to your expectations. Don’t over-analyze your relationships. Stop playing games. A growing relationship can only be nurtured by genuineness.
- They compromise. – Real friends meet in the middle. When there’s a disagreement, they work out a solution that works for both parties – a compromise, rather than a need for the other person to change or completely give in. It may even be that one party may decide to walk away, that it’s not worth the investment. That’s ok too, you have people in your life for different reasons and seasons.
- Belief in each other. – Studies of people who grew up in dysfunctional homes but who grew up to be happy and successful show that the one thing they had in common was someone who believed in them. Do this for those you care about. Support their dreams and passions and hobbies. Be nothing but encouraging. Whether they actually accomplish these dreams or not, your belief is of infinite importance to them and you made a difference to someones’ life.
- Be Realistic. – No one is happy all the time. Friends must keep realistic expectations of each other. We are not all “Super-men” we have our day-to-day lives and get caught up in them. It may be that you don’t see your friends for months on end. A true friend is someone who you can see after years and you can pick up right from where you left off.
- They honor each other in small ways on a regular basis. – Honor your important relationships in some way every chance you get. Every day you have the opportunity to make your relationship sweeter and deeper by making small gestures, remember the giving? Making one person smile could change THEIR whole world. Your kindness and gratitude matters.It’s all too easy to take someone for granted.
- They keep their promises. – Your word means everything. This is HUGE to me, If you say you’re going to do something, DO IT! If you say you’re going to be somewhere, BE THERE! If you say you feel something, MEAN IT!It doesnt mean you can’t ever cancel or change but your word is your integrity, something that is so crucial to never lose.
- They stick around. – The sad truth is that there are some people who will only be there for you as long as you have something they need. When you no longer serve a purpose to them, they will leave (going back to the seasons). . We rarely lose friends and lovers, we just gradually figure out who our REAL ones are.
“A Real Friend is one who walks in when others walk out” -Walter Winchell
Vision Boards – Turning Dreams into Reality
Are you familiar with vision boards? Have you ever heard of using a vision board to help them to achieve their goals and dreams?
I have to admit I work for a pretty fabulous company, in many many ways. The first thing you would probably notice walking around is that every single one of our walls is a different colour. The Second would be that everyone has a “Vision Board” Hanging above their desks. We call them “Dream Boards”.
If you are not familiar with a vision board, or have never even heard of the term before, let me explain ..
A vision board is a board (poster board, cork board…) where you put images that you aspire towards. They can be images of things you want out of life (a dream vacation, a beautiful house, a fancy car) or they can be visions of things that you want to achieve (one of mine is a working woman, running in stilettos, changing a diaper). Some people have been known to create vision boards of images that they are not 100% sure why they are attracted to them but hold on to them to see if their purpose and meaning becomes clear to them one day.
The purpose of the board is to keep your mind focused on the things you want to achieve in life, or to use it as motivation. The vision board gives your “vision” clarity and helps to keep your attention on your intentions. If you look at it every day it helps you to keep your “eye on the prize”, so to speak. It can also be used as a force to help reinforce your daily affirmations.
Making a vision board is really easy. You can make a simple one with some poster board. Or you can use a large cork board. I like choosing a colour for the board that resonates with me.
Once you have the board you are going to use the next step is to go through magazines and cut out images that stand out to you and that you are drawn too. Perhaps it’s a photo of a beautiful beach, that M3 we would all love to drive. If you are like me, Jimmy Choos would probably feature alot, in amongst the shiny rings.
After you have finished collecting pictures your next step is create a collage or arrange them on the board. I also have cut out letters to spell words that are important to me, “Happiness” and “Travel”. The board is YOURS so it has to make sense to you and only you. Don’t worry about what others think.
Once you have the pictures arranged you need to attach them to the board. Glue if its a board, pins if a cork board. You get the picture, i dont need to do step by step.
After your board is complete you need to hang it some place where you can look at it each and every day.
Look back and update it every 3 years or so. Vision board is kind of similar to writing down your top 10 goals for the year and looking back at what you have achieved. It kind of links in to “The Secret” with putting your dreams into the universe. You will be amazed at how much you can achieve if your dreams are hanging in front of you!
Do you have a vision board? I would love to hear about it. If you have been inspired to make one for yourself, what kind of images do you think your board would have?
Here’s one step closer to living our dreams x
A-Z (of things i love..)
A – Almonds. Best healthy snack.
B – Baking… have always, and will always be obsessed (when I have energy)
C – Cats (or dogs?) I neeeed a pet so badly at the moment, however it’s not the right time in my life. I’m a firm believer that pets have a telepathic connection with us and know exactly when we need extra attention
D – Dresses for Summer – I’m loving the feminine lightness, now I just need to follow-up with toned legs and a great tan?
E – Eggs Royale. Poached Eggs, Smoked Salmon, Hollandaise sauce, enough said
F – Fun filled weekends.
G – Gardens ! I LOVE the Outdoors there is nothing better to do on the weekend then laze around a huge patch of grass under a big tree
H – HAPPY – what I am right now and counting the days till the December break!
I – Ice – Cream – specifically Hagen Daaz ! Perfect for the Summer
J – Jewellery – statement pieces, rings, dangley earrings. I can’t get enough.
K -Kindness. Be kind to people. You never know what they are going through in their lives.
L – Laughing. My best is when you get a stitch from laughing and tears run down my cheeks. It’s simply the BEST. (although I always end up with Hiccups afterwards
M – Maldives – ah yes my dream destination that I will get to one day
N – Nature Reserves – There is nothing like heading back to nature for TRUE rest and relaxation.. T – 43 Days till I bask in the beautiful Botswana Heat of Chobe !
O – Oats. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I’m a big fan of oats. I also love adding blueberries, or strawberries 🙂
P – Photography. I really love seeing things through a lens. It’s a whole different view on life and add to beautiful memories
Q – Quality time with friends and loved ones.
R – Rainy days under a duvet.
S – Summer, Sun-Kissed Skin….
T – Tea !! What is better in life then curling up with a beautiful cup of tea
U – Underwear – it has to always match and it has to be comfortable.
V – Vision Boards. At work we call them Dream Boards. Create one for yourself every year and look back ! I love setting goals and dreams.
W – Watermelon. It’s slowly starting to come into season and I’m like a little girl at Christmas over this fruit.
X – Xenon Headlights – and my future car that will have them ………
Y – Yacht’s – some of my best memories have been island hopping on yachts. There is no other word to describe it other than Bliss!
Z – Zebra Print … in fact any animal print. I always accessories to an extra feel of sexy-ness