Advice to my teenage self

What advice would you give to your teenage self?

The advice I would give to my teenage self would be to trust your gut instincts, your developing women’s intuition and if something doesn’t feel right in your gut, trust that feeling and be prepared to walk away from certain people and certain situations, when your gut is telling you something is wrong 

I would tell her that she is right in her belief that true beauty comes from the inside and to be wary of those people who judge on appearances.   They aren’t real people and aren’t truly beautiful.  I would tell her that some truly beautiful people will come into her life and that life can be rich, wonderful, and fulfilling.

Racism,  judgement and intolerance

What bores you?

The things I find most boring in this world 🌎 are racist,  judgemental, and intolerant  people.   I find these people difficult to listen to.  We are all born equal in this world 🌎 and people who are racist, judgemental, and intolerant don’t deserve to have their terrible viewpoints heard.  I believe we should treat everyone as our equal as we are all equal in Gods eyes, and we have no right whatsoever to judge other people.  We should love our fellow humans and not look down on people who are different to us in any way.

Red leather sandals 👡

Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.

My favourite pair of shoes would have to be the red leather sandals 👡 i bought at Big W of all places.  They only cost about $15 and could be used for all occasions dressy and casual combined.  They were the most comfortable shoes 👞 I owned, and I loved them.  Unfortunately, one of the pair came to an untimely end when Lily was a puppy because she managed to get into the bottom of the wardrobe and chewed them.  Because they were my favourite shoes 👞 and well worn, they would’ve smelled of Mummy, which is why Lily chewed them

Lily the best gift.

Share one of the best gifts you’ve ever received.

As I am writing ✍️ this piece, Lily is right beside me touching me.  I would have to say that although thechnically I bought Lily I would have to say that she is the best gift I ever received. ❤️  She is definitely a gift from God, and I have grown to love her so very, very much.  Deciding to buy a puppy was the best thing I could have done, and Lily is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time.

The joy and peace of mindfulness

If there is anything that I have learned recently, it is that the practice of mindfulness leads to true happiness, which in essence is peace and a feeling of contentment.

I recently had something happen in my life that could have brought on a resumption of my mental health issues, so rather then let this happen I decided to practice mindfulness and do all the things that make me feel good.  I know these things work for me.  There is a really good reason why hospital psych wards offer mindfulness and music and art therapy.  It is because they work in getting and keeping people well.

I practice mindfulness in my own life in several little ways. Everything from slowly eating and enjoying my food, to slowly patting Lily and concentrating on how soft and lovely she feels.  I definitely have been practising 🎶 music therapy as part of mindfulness,  by all day having the radio on in the background and slowly moving and swaying to the music.

The result of this focus on mindfulness is that I feel the most joy, peacefulness, and contentment in my life for several years.  I know if I can keep this up, hopefully I can stay well and cope with whatever curve balls get thrown at me in the future.

Now We’re Getting Somewhere

If there was a biography about you, what would the title be?

If there was a biography about me, I hope it would be called now. We’re Getting Somewhere after the Crowded House song 🎵 🎶 of the same name.   About 10 years ago, I tried to write my autobiography with that title.  This was quite therapeutic and cathartic for me, as I wrote a lot about my marriage and its ultimate breakdown,  but it’s not something I would want to publish for public consumption.   Writing it was like therapy for me, and I would still like the title of Now We’re Getting Somewhere because it think it shows that my life is a work in progress and just keeps on getting better 😌.

An old cottage

Write about your dream home.

My dream home would be a little old cottage somewhere in the Macedon Ranges and surrounds.  It will have 3 bedrooms and a small garden with roses lavender and daisy’s.  I will set up one of the smaller bedrooms as a creative space with a writing desk,  an easel, a comfy 💺 🪑 chair, and a bed for Lily.   It will be close to amenities and a nice park to walk Lily in.