Quote by Walter Mosley

This week I’ve worked silly hours at work and that’s meant that the demand on all areas of my life has increased from chores at home to time with loved ones. The week has had its moments of being overwhelming and then I had an amazing experience.

I had to return Thursday evening to work for a meeting at 6:30pm, I couldn’t go home and return to work in time so I went to a friend who lives local to the school I work at for a cuppa and an escape from the building i’d been in all day. She has twin girls so her house is a vision of pink and sparkle – it’s truly delightful, plus I’ve always been intrigued by multiple births and find the girls not only scrumptious but also fascinating, just the fact there is pretty much two of every toy blows my mind, plus Barbies house is beyond the realms of my reality – a tractor loving, puddle jumping monster.

Anyway, my friend picked the girls up and I was to meet her shortly after she arrived home. In typical Lucy style I was early, stranded on the door step and the cats weren’t prepared to let me in. 

I leaned on the garden wall and began my wait when a cheeky idea popped into my head, it was a silly spontaneous moment that saved my week. Opposite her house is a convinient store, so I ran over and bought a packet of crisps as a treat. I then sat on the wall in the 4pm sun swinging my legs without a care in the world. I know it’s sad but it felt delightful. 

Know why? Because it’s true, I love crisps but more importantly in a demanding week I had five minutes to just be. To sit. Not one person demanded something from me; not the pupils I teach, the family I adore or even the pet snails. I didn’t look at my phone and I wasn’t planning / time shuffling, there was nothing to do and certainly no list to haunt me. It reminded me of being a child without a care in the world and I liked it. 

Before you close this page or am concerned I’ve lost the plot – don’t. What I’m saying is no matter how small the time is when priorities are all encompassing always ALWAYS make time for you. If that means a cup of tea and five minutes under the duvet or locked in the bathroom with a good book – do it. Sure I know I need to get out more but for now when the world demands and keeps knocking on my door, I will perch on my wall kicking my legs without a care in the world, and when my crisp packet is empty and the sun has warmed my cheek bones I will answer the door with a bigger smile, as a better being and ‘demand’ will be no more.

I urge you too to embrace the small moments life offers, to be spontaneous in thought and gesture when appropriate and to make time for you because Walter is right – freedom is a state of mind.

 Quote original to what my fridge says.

Usually I find a quote that resonates with me and then use this as my starting point for writing. Today however I had a point to make and despite searching couldn’t find a quote that truly power slammed my opinion, so in my own empowered zone I created my own. It isn’t a particularly deep quote with under tones, meaning or hidden metaphors but as I often write, I’m partial to a quote that gets straight to the point.

For any younger readers, this advice comes from my thirty year old self…never settle. If you don’t love the dress, leave it on the hanger in the store. If the boy is cute but annoys you within five minutes of being in his company then he probably isn’t the ‘one’…side note, although I personally believe in soul mates these come in many forms, you may find ‘the one right now’ and after several months or years becomes a little too comfy or blooming irritating – like a jumper that was once a favourite but lost its shape and doesn’t bring out the best in you. It’s okay to release the jumper to the charity shop or back to relationships decide to go separate ways…the jumper will be a perfect fit for someone out there.

Despite our limited time in this weird and wacky world I’m not sure why everyone is in such a rush? Rushing to school, rushing to work, rushing to get jobs jobbed and meetings met…

I fully admit that at times pace is a friend, but never forget to make time to stop and look around once in a while. Toddlers are fabulous for this, my son walks at the pace of a snail and feels the need to stop at every daffodil, worm or rock (which may potentially have a worm under it) and although my adult brain is whizzing and encouraging him to pick up speed, it is he who has the balance right. 

Thirty year me has seen relationships where people have settled and sadly these usually result in divorce or seperation. Making do is best left to your sewing box and away from the people you surround yourself by.

So how can you avoid the rush and may be worst of all the settling…

1. Stop

2. Reflect, analyse and look around

3.does it make you happy (‘yeah I guess’ is a no!)

That’s it. Except may be act upon your analysis, always take stock of the relationships that take up your time – are they serving you draining you or have you just out grown them like that jumper we mentioned earlier?

This week take time to stop and analyse, it may prevent you from settling for something below you.

  

Quote by Trisha Yearwood.

It’s an ironic quote for me today as my current aim is to be more focused / disciplined and to use my time a little better, so reflecting on Trisha’s quote at first could make me think ‘bugger that it will happen anyway’… But I think there is a more to the quote than we realise – to make things happen in the first place we need to challenge ourselves and they may not always work out how we’ve planned.

Recently I seized an opportunity to go for a promotion and although I wasn’t selected I learnt a lot. I learnt that I believed in myself and that’s an important quality, I then learnt that the candidate that did had a skill set that didn’t interest me which meant that I probably didn’t want the role anyway haha, that it wasn’t for me and may be it was a lucky escape…loved ones reminded me that ‘better things were coming’ and I was kindly reminded how supported I am. I wasn’t looking for promotion at the time but by taking a risk it’s made me analyse my future, next steps and perhaps new horizons – not bad for an event that at first I thought had gone against me.

Hopefully in the next few months things will work out even better so that I can update you. I trust that things will work out well for me and my family…trust is an important element to this quote, but don’t underestimate action. If I hadn’t of taken a risk, I wouldn’t have learnt, developed or opened doors for the future. Things can’t happen (even if they are meant to) if you are present to collect them.

This week, take calculated risks that open doors and don’t worry if what’s behind the door isn’t what you first thought..if it’s meant to be, it will find a way.

  

Quote by Susan Statham.

It’s funny to think we are all authors of our own life if nothing else. I’m pleased that although life has given me the odd tradegy it’s provided plenty of laughter, travel and love too.

I think the second and third parts of this quote are crucial, so I’m going to break them down.

Write well:

Always purchase the best you can afford; whether that be tomatoes on the vine rather than loose in a pot or a cheeky upgrade on your travels – the best of life doesn’t have to cost a fortune, but always expect and accept the best.

Edit often:

Life has a way of running away with ourselves, one minute I had a premature baby that slowly fed – the next he is half my size and eating double the portion I’m able to tuck away. Sometimes I think we’re in mid February and realise that April has snuck up on us…so to edit often, simply means being aware of your current situation and working out the bits you like, editing the people you don’t, the situations you’d rather avoid and perhaps taking chances for promotion or leaps of faith in love – because it just might pay off. It’s well known and something I hope to write a post on soon in more depth that our success or lack of, our health or lack of – our entire existence is made up of the five people we spend the most time with. Make sure your inner circle is strong and heading in the direction that you want.

This quote says to me – own your life, it’s only yours. Sure you may have to think of others, take into consideration circumstances but ultimately you can shape life to be what you want, feel how you want and surround yourself with the best of life…so get out the Tipp-Ex, pick up the eraser, or maybe life has got a bit messy, its time for a full white wash and it’s time to make life work for you.

Feeling a bit daunted? Probably best to start small – so write down 3 things you want to achieve tomorrow, make these your priority. Then discard 3 items that are either ready for the bin, the charity shop (bonus karma points awarded here) or perhaps you can recycle them. On a separate piece of paper write down 3 goals that will make you a happier person – keep it in a safe place, mine are in my purse and also written on the back of a bookmark.

Just these little ‘edits’ will move you forward and remove the clutter you don’t need.

Lucy’s top tip: we always have a charity carrier bag ‘on the go’ that we drop off every once in a while. My mum swears by clearing out one draw at a time, sadly I’m partial to the cutlery draw for a quick declutter and motivational ‘I’ve achieved something’. Sure dreams may take bigger steps, but at least when you’re on a cruise ship sipping champagne with the Beckhams you’ll know your cutlery draw is tidy should anyone pop around 🙂 

  

  Quote by Pravine Hurbungs (I think, if nots it’s Anon) 

 This is a kiss asssssss kind of post today. I adore all things sparkly from champagne, diamonds and if I’m honest even the back of a cd makes me smile – it’s no surprise that this quote grabbed my attention. I was probably a magpie in a previous life.

Every now and then life plateaus out and it’s time to step it up a gear (or not depending on how bothered you can be), there is a pearl of wisdom amongst the motivational community that you should never share your future goals and aspirations with anyone. I like sharing so this can be hard to do at times BUT it’s to stop ‘them’ giving their negative opinion, drowning your fire for desire or frankly distraction you from your pathway. It makes sense doesn’t it? As mentioned in a recent post people always speak from their perspective – that isn’t yours and actually if it’s your goal / dream then why would you need anyone else’s opinions? 

Yesterday, I was walking through our local high street with my little man and we sat for a while watching the river flow (three year olds can do this for way longer than you’d think) and suddenly an entire new desire, future pathway / goal popped in my head. It excites me and I decided to give it my focus over the next year. Due to not discussing goals I can’t say much more but I realised that sometimes it’s good to let ideas flow and also to take a break from the whirl wind of life so that they have the opportunity to appear.

You are also a diamond, if not to others hopefully to yourself. So what’s stopping you reach for your dream job, living in your ideal home or even perhaps travelling a little more than you have lately.

After all, they can’t break you. It’s time to sparkle.

 Quote by Anon

I feel like we should alter this quote to ‘feel your life with the silly things – they are usually more fun’ but I think we’d be missing the point of the quote.

If I’m honest, I’m not a fan of the word ‘silly’ it sounds a little wet, slightly squidgy and rhymes with w….you get the point.

I think ‘silly’ in the context of this quote is really saying ‘people’ and that my friends is never worth listening to…

People are often mean, put themselves first and see the world only from their angle. It’s very rare that you find a soul who understands you and allows you to blossom (that’s why good parents are so important). At times people can also support you, nurture you and love you – I still think listening to your inner voice is more beneficial, although I’ve also realised that in my thirties I have friends I tap in to for different things; there’s my lovely cuppa chick, my make up guru, my ‘tell it how it is’ and of course my all seasons / all issues – bestie. Their views are important but very few make the inner circle. Maybe as we get older we get pickier?

In relationships ‘silly’ things can mutilate great relationships into ex partners…I guess sometimes little things can hit nerves or in my home cause tsunamis of rage… But (and this is the point I’m making) they don’t matter. Pants of the floor, how you load the dishwasher and talking through films (guilty) are unimportant. Happiness is sharing the good moments and when the world turns on you, building a fort and drinking tea.

So today I ask you to stop listening and watching everyone around you, enjoy the things that make you happy with the people and relationships that make you even happier. Life doesn’t always give out ‘cherries on top’ so savour them while you can, besides you and your life are too precious to ruin with the mundane and dam right dull. Emerse yourself in the things and people who make you laugh and those silly YouTube clips that make you chuckle…my secret silly pleasure is defiantly cats falling off of side boards or babies laughing 😉

So when I was a little younger I swore to Mr F that I hated receiving flowers, my philosophy was ‘they look beautiful and then you slowly watch them die’ now I blooming love them (excuse the pun), I still think it’s sad when they fade but so much good comes to my dinning room table / front window when a vase is bursting with joy. So much so that no.1 on my lovely things is… Continue reading →

  
Quote by an American entrepreneurs and general gentleman who has his sh** together / Jim Rohn.

I really should begin this post by telling you about my upcoming marathon…but I’d be lying.

I could tell you about the secret to my dieting success…but we had take away last night and I began the day with a bacon butty.

So instead I’ll tell you about my Laryngitis. It crept up on me during my year ten last lesson of the day a week or so ago, suddenly my vocals decided to dance a tune of their own – which incidentally is awkward when you are trying to teach the current political voting system. Within myself I feel fine, at times my throat has felt a little tender or swollen so I talked through it (don’t do this) and sounded like an elderly pensioner who smokes forty fags a day, I know this as one of my darling year seven pupils told me I sounded like ‘Marges sisters from the Simpsons’ – gee that made me feel better.

While my tonsils do the tango and attempt to sort themselves out, I have realised what I learn every time I’m slightly poorly – health matters. 

As a pretty healthy yummy mummy with an immune system that’s usually like the Great Barrier Reef (thanks to years in the classroom surrounded by grubby hands and chewing gum squished under the table) it’s something that I value and look after…most of the time.

I say ‘most’ and I eat dairy (chocolate), grab take always for convenience and pure mouth amazing moments, I exercise when the feeling takes me (the feeling is often too busy at the local gym to pop around to visit me) and two qualities I lack are patience and commitment which are essential for any long term fitness commitment.

However, I’m really good at the balance of indulgence and treating myself whilst not bingeing or indulging to a point that people tell me I ‘look well’ this is usually code for ‘fat’. 

My body is my temple and I’ve believed this since I knew it was mine and it was all I had. Recently a tree branch came down on my right hand side wing mirror whilst I was driving, a little eBay shopping and a replacement was found and normality was resumed, (plus I learnt that it was heated?I never knew you could heat a wing mirror…) The point im making is had the branch of been an inch or two further it would have destroyed my front window screen and due to the fact I’m teenie tiny and sit literally on top of my steering wheel, it would have taken me with it…parts for me can’t be found in eBay, neither can a new mother for my son, so I counted my blessings and stay a little more on the healthy side or in this case – avoid country lanes where possible on windy days.

You don’t have to be Mr Motivator 24/7 to be healthy, a little treat is all good, a glass of wine with dinner is always pleasant…but if you’ve drunk the bottle and decide a tequila shot is a great idea or the glass(es) of wine have become a daily ‘treat’ it might be time to have a word with your brain and check there are no voicemails from your liver complaining about the amount of stress it is under and how its calling its trade union.

Look after yourself – no one else is going to and nobody else can. 

*this post is void over the Easter weekend, eat the chocolate and if you can eat the kids chocolate and get away with it – do it.