FIVETRIBE

This conversation took place at about 0730 this morning as I was throwing bits into lunchboxes. Me:  Lulu, do you want a yoghurt with your lunch today? Lulu : (looks at me and wrinkles her nose while smiling slightly) Not today Mom, thanks though. PAUSE Lulu: You know Mom sometimes the yoghurts spurts a bit when I open it. And sometimes it messes a bit on the floor at school. And its really embarrasing because the big kids come past and say 'Who did this?'  I just wait til they go away and then I run to the bathroom and get some loo paper and wipe it up. ********************** She told me this story quite nonchalantly, she isnt traumatised or upset. It is what it is. I cant remember what I said to her in response but it was something good and affirming blah blah BUT it the conversation has stewed in my brain this morning. Do you remember your school days? Anything specific that sticks in your mind?  I vividly remember, after being teased relentlessly by a Gra...

I started reading this book last night. And my heart began to race as I read page after page. Finally. Someone gets it. Someone feels EXACTLY like me. Right down to the tiniest detail. I am not alone in this crazy place of discontented contentment. I am going to share some excerpts with you from the introduction ********************** " i had much to be happy about. I was married to Jamie.....we two delightful daughters....I was a writer...i lived in my favourite city/..... but all too often I sniped at my husband, i lost my temper easily, i suffered bouts of melancholy, listlessness and free-floating guilt." "i wasnt depressed and i wasnt having a midlife crisis, but i was suffering from a midlife malaise - a recurrent sense of discontent and almost a feeling of disbelief. Can this be me?' 'But though at times I felt dissatisfied, that something was missing, I also never forgot how fortunate I was.....' 'When i stepped back to reflect o...

I have been re-reading my copy of this book - i bought it some years ago, read it, made some changes and then fell back into old patterns. I re-read it this week and was again struck by the vitality, vulnerability and transparancy of this author. I thoroughly recommend it if you are looking to *choose less in a world of more.* Imagine my shock when I logged onto her blog and discovered she had suffered a major stroke in January this year. She has only recently been released from hospital and has a very long and difficult journey ahead to recovery. She is 38, a mom of 2 young girls, a ballet dancer, a writer, a speaker and so much more. And yet, she is only human, like the rest of us. Take a moment today, reflect and be grateful.

If you havent read yesterdays post , please go there first to read it. For those that have - this is what got me started on my little journey. I would suggest you grab a pencil and a piece of paper. Watch the clip - its roughly 8mins. Let me know what speaks to you; its a simply exercise - simplicity works for me so this was right up my alley! Please be aware that these changes I am talking about are not goals or bucket list ideals. They can more be described as Big Picture changes. Like this....I am thinking of my life in, say, 7 years time. What do I see? What do I *want* to see? For me that is the first step. Isolating what I want to see in the years ahead. And then asking myself the questions...what am I doing TODAY to ensure I see those results in the years to come. Simple hey? Let me lay out some really basic ideas: I want to still be married to the same bloke. So...how much time am I investing in my marriage? Is it my priority? How can I make it better? What d...

I have recently been reflecting on the last few months. Since November I have been through some really stormy stuff. Most of it I have not shared; or maybe I have just touched upon parts. The most overwhelming for me was how the vertigo affected me. I have never been ill. And vertigo doesnt make you ill but it changes who you are. It came over me so suddenly; left undiagnosed for 2weeks I began to suffer anxiety as I was sure there was something very wrong with me but I was unable to explain my symptoms. Eventually, being diagnosed, I felt tentative relief. This was shortlived as I realised that this ailment was invisible to everyone around me - leaving me feeling lonely, isolated and very vulnerable. There were many times I was in company and yet I was fighting to stay present. Dealing with this added to my stress and anxiety which worsened the condition. It was all such a mess. Then we had the news of my brothers divorce and again, I was shellshocked by the toll it took on us all. I ...