Don’t regret the past it has led you to where you are today.

I’ve had a few things happen recently that has got me thinking not to regret the past beause it has led me to where I am today.

This week I heard indirectly that a past love of mine is now married with a couple of kids and living in the western suburbs.  It brought back many memories,  most of them good, but also made me lament what might have been. It got me thinking of my own marriage,  which wasn’t great and I had very good reasons to walk away from that marriage.  Although I would have loved to have children I am so glad I didn’t with my ex husband.  It would’ve tied me to him forever and I would’ve become a single mother without support from her ex partner.

Yesterday I stopped lamenting the past and instead am so happy and grateful 🙏🏽 for what I do have in this world.  My wonderful friend Russell dropped by my place to help me repair something in my unit. I originally met Russell through the church that I was involved in because of my ex.  To say I am grateful 🙏🏽 for Russell is somewhat an understatement.  He is amazing. My dog 🐕 Lily just adores him, and she doesn’t like most men. Russell looked after Lily for me when I went on the cruise. She was overcome with excitement at seeing him yesterday,  so overwhelmed that she couldn’t stop barking,  thinking she was talking to him.  He gently picked her up and held her in his arms like  she was just a baby and it rendered her speechless.  It was beautiful 😍 🤩 to watch and made me very appreciative of what I do have.  I regret nothing in my life, my journey brought both Russell and Lily into my life. Russell is a remarkable,  and good Christian companion and Lily is what makes her my little family.  I have a lot to be gracious 🙏🏽 for and my journey is an interesting fulfilling one. I am happy, well and contented.

Our family dog Sadie

Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?

I can’t think of an object I was attached to as a child, but I do remember being very attached to our family dog Sadie as a toddler. Sadie was a border collie who loved me and my very first memories are of patting her and climbing on her back to ride her. Mum could put me in the backyard in my baby bouncer and Sadie would lie next to me, guarding me. Unfortunately Sadie didn’t have a long life, she was run over by a vehicle when I was still a toddler.  That was my first experience of death and I so hoped I could visit her in heaven.

My Mission

What is your mission?

Do I believe that I have a mission?  Do I believe that I have a life purpose?  Absolutely I do.

I think my mission is to educate the 🌎 world about mental health issues, to bring about empathy and compassion,  by spreading goodwill and faith.

In the past I worked in mental health in consumer peer support roles and now I use this blog as my main expression of my life purpose.  I have a strong faith 🙏🏽 and believe in the law of attraction.  We literally reap what we sow in this life so I believe in spreading goodwill.

A good attitude to life certainly helps.

It is extremely hot 🔥 🥵 😍 in Melbourne today and I am realising that having a positive attitude helps us to cope when the temperature rises and stays high for several days.  It certainly helps to have a dog 🐕   Lily seems to cope with whatever curve balls life brings her.  She loves watching television 📺 and it’s like she thinks television 📺 is interactive . She has her favourite programs that being Muster Dogs and All Creatures Great And Small.  She knows when they are on and barks like she is talking 👄 to the dogs and other animals. I think some humans could learn a lot from their 🐕 dogs. Liky remains happy whether it is hot or cold 🥶.  A full belly,  a walk 🚶‍♀️,  some toys or treats and the television 📺 on and she is happy.  She takes joy in simple pleasures.  She brings me joy by the truckload and i love my time with her,  she makes the heat 🥵 🔥 bearable.

A freeway billboard

If you had a freeway billboard, what would it say?

There are a few different things I would put on a freeway billboard.

I love this wisdom of Lennon and McCartney’s songwriting.   From John Lennon I would  put the word  “Imagine” or the quote from  Beautiful Boy that “Life Is What Happens While We Are Busy Making Other Plans”.

From Paul McCartney I would simply put “Let It Be”.  I think that is the best advice ever to give anyone.

Whist I am quoting from song 🎵 lyrics my personal favourite title and quote comes from Neil Finn and it is simply ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over”. Again a good slogan and piece of advice.

Perhaps I need a huge digital billboard with all the quotes on rotation,  as i cant choose between tgem

Do I spend more time thinking about the future or the past?

Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?

I know I have answered this post before but it is good to consider it again.

At the moment I am endeavouring to think more about the future and make plans .

Traditionally I have thought a lot about the past ruminating about past events and what I have learned from them.  I try not to focus on the past, on things I can’t change and put my energy into the present and the future and focus on the things I can actually control or change.  Just like in the serenity prayer I am learning 🙏🏽 the wisdom to know what I can or what I can’t change

The Greatest Gift

What is the greatest gift someone could give you?

The greatest gift someone could give me is stable, affordable and supportive housing for the rest of my life.  Hopefully I will get that gift this year 🙏🏽 once The Haven here in Sunbury is finished building.  I know I am high up on Mind’s waiting list and I know I stand a great chance of being selected,  but it is a waiting game.  All my friends and family are praying 🙏🏽 for me.  This would be the perfect housing for my future and will get me out of the private rental trap and means my health concerns won’t weigh on my loved one’s as I age. So yes that would be the greatest gift that is achievable.

Choose your behaviuor well

If there is anything I have learned in this life, it is that we all choose how we behave  so try to always choise wisely.

Whenever I am faced with a conundrum or difficulty i choose to pause and to contemplate before I respond.  When I was younger and didnt have wisdom I made a few poor choices,  thankfully nothing really bad and in hindsight I learned my wisdom from those experiences.  It was when I was younger that a few people in my life weren’t sincere good people. Thankfully now I don’t have such people in my life. My ex husband was someone who made poor choices and tried to play the victim. He blamed his poor choices and ultimate bad results from his behaviour on everyone else including myself, his other friends or family or the church etc etc.  He would choose to make poor choices but then apportion blame elsewhere.  Needless to say his life was in constant turmoil and that meant he was constantly mentally unwell and never having the insight as to how his reactions affected his mental health and stability.  I learned a lot throughout my marriage,  but the gave me the wisdom that I have now and understand that we all choose how we behave. I had in my past a “friend” whose life was a total train wreck,  whose children had endured the very worst of abuse at the hands of their father  My so called friend was draning with constant dramas in her life, she was sucking my energy like a vampire and she was incapable of making wise decisions for her children. Worrying about that family caused a return of my mental health issues,  but at least now I have learned that nothing is worth worrying about so much that it impacts my mental health.  Again God taught me with that experience that if we are wise and intelligent we choose our behaviour well. I have learned to not be reactionary and that we have different lessons to learn on our journey. There but for the Grace of God Go I, so I practice wisdom and not judgement.