Describe something you learned in high school.

There are 3 things that I learned in high school that shaped me.

They are as follows.

1. Studying journalism as an elective helped shape and form my writing ✍️ skills,  and to this day remains important to me.
2. Studying Australian history,  particularly the history of Melbourne, was just so interesting and informative.
3. Mr Guppy writing on the blackboard the lyrics to the John Lennon song Imagine 🎵.   It changed my life and formed my views on social justice, equality, and faith.  He was an amazing teacher who was always trying to shape our view and make us better people.

What animals make the best/worst pets?

I must admit my bias in answering this question as I totally love ❤️ dogs 🐕 and I think my little Lily is the loveliest creature on 🌎 earth.

Deciding on which pet to get brings up some issues. Getting a pet, particularly a dog is a huge commitment and should not be entered into without serious consideration.   The Lost Dogs Home here in North Melbourne used to have a saying “That A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas”. After the pandemic a few years ago that saying should be changed to “A Dog Is For Life,  Not Just For Covid’. This really isn’t funny because so many people got dogs during lockdown, and then got rid of them post lockdown,  when the realities of Dog ownership were realised, leaving shelters with a glut of rescue dogs.  If you have a dog you have to be aware of what a huge commitment thst is and if you are up for it it, could become one of the most happiest and rewarding,  fulfilling experiences of your life. You must be prepared to love and care for your pet whatever may come.

I am totally biased when I say that Lily is best thing that has ever happened to me.

What job would you do for free?

The job I would do for free is one I have already done for one friend in the past for free.

As part of my daily spiritual life I have a few packs of angel Oracle cards that I give myself a small reading 📚 from everyday.  These cards are mainly affirmations to live by and aleays come with the spiritual understanding that we don’t worship angels,  but use the cards as angels being messengers from God.  Using these cards aleays makes me feel optimistic about my life.  I used the cards in the past to help a friend who was having a  terrible time in their life, and it brought her peace of mind and some support when times were tough.

When I first purchased these cards I was taught how to use them properly and now would like to extend an invitation to my loved one’s 😍 for me to do a reading for them free of charge, just me showing my support of those I love in a way that shows affirmations and love.  This most certainly is NOT fortune-telling, and I am not a fortune teller.  It is a way of loving, healing, and helping people affirm the journey they are on.

If any of my loved one’s are interested, I will do a reading for them free of charge.

How have you adapted to the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic?

The covid pandemic brought on changes worldwide 🌐 and many of the world’s population struggled with those changes.

For me, it taught me to appreciate stillness and quiet.   I think it taught my dog 🐕 Lily that, too. I appreciate a slow start to my morning 🌄 routine,  whereas before the pandemic, I rushed around of a morning 🌄 struggling to do everything quickly.

My family were concerned that the isolation would bring on my mental health issues until they realised I was a person who sent my loved ones positive inspirational and funny messages.  It was at this time I started to send the morning gif to my loved one’s as a tribute to Susanna who passed away after a long battle with cancer.  In Melbourne we had the world’s longest period of lockdown and many people struggled and suffered as a result of that.  I know how Susanna felt that whist she was struggling with cancer, lockdowns meant she couldn’t spend what time she had with her loved one’s.  As soon as lockdowns were reduced Susanna did her best to spend time with those she loved.

I think what the pandemic taught us is that as humans we are vulnerable and need one another.  The pandemic has brought us a better understanding of mental health issues. So many people experienced mental health issues as a result of the pandemic and mental health issues are no longer are a tabboo subject.  That has been the positive thing that happened because of the pandemic.

Hopefully, the pandemic has improved our understanding of humanity and the fact that we need one another in our lives for the betterment of humanity.

What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like?

My morning rituals are as follows.

I get out of bed, and the first thing I do is a small angel card reading 📚 for the day.  It is a great way to start the day with positive affirmations.  Then I have breakfast,  have a shower, and get dressed. Once I am dressed I take Lily for a good walk 🚶‍♀️ which is my favourite part of the morning 🌄.  After the walk 🚶‍♂️ I have my morning coffee and send greetings to my loved ones.  It is at this time that I look at the blog and tend to write my blog then.

When you were five, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was five years old, there were a few things I wanted to be.  Firstly, I wanted to be a ballerina,  I was learning ballet and tap dancing at the time. I also thought about becoming a vet, but I decided I couldn’t inflict pain on animals and certainly could not put them down.

My most special dream was to be a writer, and I definitely held onto that dream, and now I am a writer.

What’s something most people don’t understand?

I am a little perplexed  by today’s blog topic. A few years ago, I would’ve said that mental health issues are something that most people don’t understand.  However, in my experience,  I have helped a lot of people to better understand mental health and that most people I meet are willing to learn more.  I think in our post covid 🌎 world, mental health issues are more freely accepted and discussed more publicly.  I hope this continues to be the norm.