The Third Alphabetical Instalment: E & F
Good morning to you my dear readers,
I am not really that great at doing this as half of my time is spent lost in memories of the past or worrying about the future. Both are aspects of my personality that I have a mixed attitude towards because I love my sentimentality but I know I can get caught in how things were not how things are and by worrying about the future it shows I care and leads to me organising and planning things but can hold me back from enjoying what's good now.
Being aware of these sides of my nature has meant that I've learned to be more aware of my tendency to react certain ways, it doesn't stop me from it but I can attempt to balance things.
I have lately with this 'E' in mind been trying to let myself go a bit and enjoy the moment rather than compare to past moments or be thinking about what I need to do next. It has not worked every time (but having my little sister over in Sheffield has made it a lot easier!) but when it does it has been wonderful as it means I can not worry but just enjoy and be liberated. I'd totally recommend if you share either my nostalgic tendencies or feeling like the bad things from the past won't let you move forward or worrying about the future, to try and enjoy the moment as you experience then. Smile more and treasure those little moments as much as big occasions because more often than not they are the ones that bring the most joy.
This isn't a call to be happy all the time because as human beings we have a range of emotions and it would be impractical and inadvisable to avoid all others (as smiley as I am of late even I couldn't manage a permanently happy setting!). But more a reminder, an opportunity, to enjoy life, treasure those moments that make you smile and give them your full attention as it may, as it has done for me, remind you of your priorities in life and make you a little bit more happy and relaxed too :)
This is another maxim that I find difficult to fully endorse to you as it is another one I have struggled with so it has been eye opening to consider it.
For much of my life I have dwelt more on my failures than success, mainly because they felt a lot more significant and numerous from my ability to give up on a variety of musical instruments and pursuits, to comparing myself to others impressive achievements in their particular talents and seeing myself as meagre in comparison, an all-rounder who could get by in most things but never stood out in any area. I soon began to be afraid of failure even when I did succeed in something as I had the pressure then to repeat that feat, a vicious circle that meant I was never happy of what I did as I was afraid it would turn into a failure.
A lot of that could be linked to high school insecurities as friends are keen and quick to remind me that I have achieved things, that I am not a 'failure'. I think it's more a problem, as Vivian says in one of my favourite movies Pretty Woman, that "The bad stuff is easier to believe. You ever notice that?" Regardless of the truth of failures and successes some of us are more inclined to dwell on what we haven't achieved or the negative sides of ourselves than the things we have and our positive aspects. I am incredibly guilty of that!
However the years and developing a kinder view of myself has meant that I have not let my failures and fears hold me back. I dare to succeed in areas that previously would not have considered ever attempting. Taking jobs that I didn't think I could do and finding new sides of myself, new strengths and succeeding at gaining confidence, new skills and happiness for me.
Getting rid of the fear of failure and taking a kinder view of it (and myself) when it does happen has been liberating foe me also. We do fail, but our ability getting back up again when we are knocked down by life is what we should be judged on rather than what knocked us down in the first place. Hindsight shows me that without the failures I've had and the lessons I've learnt because of them, I wouldn't be the woman I am today, so I look a little bit more kindly on those memories now.
I make it my mission to dare to succeed now, to try new things, and get back up again when failure does happen because it's a chance to improve and learn. I still would count myself as a recovering pessimist rather than an optimist but I do now try and remind myself more of the small daily successes rather than the things that go wrong as the former are what I want to place an importance on in my life.
I fail but am not a failure. I succeed but am not my successes. I'm just me.
I fail, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life but this doesn't make me weak but human and I dare to succeed, strive for more and learn from everything.
I would encourage you to dare to succeed because if you live in fear of failing you deny yourself the chance to succeed at all. It won't always work out but those times it does will be amazing.
Here are some nice little quotes I found to finish of this post:
I hope this blog post finds you well and enjoying a moment of relaxation.
I know you weren't expecting another blog post so soon but I had to squeeze one more in before the end of the month! I can't really quite believe we're nearly crossing over into April because March has been a bit of an up-and-down emotional whirlwind for me and I didn't think that would come to a close so quickly.
However April means a lot of good things that I'm looking forward to such as a return to my adopted homeland of Northern Ireland this evening. I really can't wait as it has nearly 3 months since I was last there and I have missed my family, friends and beautiful scenery a lot! So the first week of April will bring lots of coffee shop trips, walks on the beach and massive hugs. I couldn't be more excited :D Despite the terrifying prospect of essays April will also contain another outing to Itchy Feet, attendance at the Ice Hockey Varsity match and some other exciting adventures too so so I shall try and not freak out too much that we're almost a third of the way through the year.
However April means a lot of good things that I'm looking forward to such as a return to my adopted homeland of Northern Ireland this evening. I really can't wait as it has nearly 3 months since I was last there and I have missed my family, friends and beautiful scenery a lot! So the first week of April will bring lots of coffee shop trips, walks on the beach and massive hugs. I couldn't be more excited :D Despite the terrifying prospect of essays April will also contain another outing to Itchy Feet, attendance at the Ice Hockey Varsity match and some other exciting adventures too so so I shall try and not freak out too much that we're almost a third of the way through the year.
This last March post of my blog is the third one of my Alphabet series (you can check out the first and second here and here) covering the letters E and F.
The E on my poster stands for 'Enjoy The Moment'.
I am not really that great at doing this as half of my time is spent lost in memories of the past or worrying about the future. Both are aspects of my personality that I have a mixed attitude towards because I love my sentimentality but I know I can get caught in how things were not how things are and by worrying about the future it shows I care and leads to me organising and planning things but can hold me back from enjoying what's good now.
Being aware of these sides of my nature has meant that I've learned to be more aware of my tendency to react certain ways, it doesn't stop me from it but I can attempt to balance things.
I have lately with this 'E' in mind been trying to let myself go a bit and enjoy the moment rather than compare to past moments or be thinking about what I need to do next. It has not worked every time (but having my little sister over in Sheffield has made it a lot easier!) but when it does it has been wonderful as it means I can not worry but just enjoy and be liberated. I'd totally recommend if you share either my nostalgic tendencies or feeling like the bad things from the past won't let you move forward or worrying about the future, to try and enjoy the moment as you experience then. Smile more and treasure those little moments as much as big occasions because more often than not they are the ones that bring the most joy.
This isn't a call to be happy all the time because as human beings we have a range of emotions and it would be impractical and inadvisable to avoid all others (as smiley as I am of late even I couldn't manage a permanently happy setting!). But more a reminder, an opportunity, to enjoy life, treasure those moments that make you smile and give them your full attention as it may, as it has done for me, remind you of your priorities in life and make you a little bit more happy and relaxed too :)
Also F stands for 'Fail, and Dare to Succeed'.
This is another maxim that I find difficult to fully endorse to you as it is another one I have struggled with so it has been eye opening to consider it.
For much of my life I have dwelt more on my failures than success, mainly because they felt a lot more significant and numerous from my ability to give up on a variety of musical instruments and pursuits, to comparing myself to others impressive achievements in their particular talents and seeing myself as meagre in comparison, an all-rounder who could get by in most things but never stood out in any area. I soon began to be afraid of failure even when I did succeed in something as I had the pressure then to repeat that feat, a vicious circle that meant I was never happy of what I did as I was afraid it would turn into a failure.
A lot of that could be linked to high school insecurities as friends are keen and quick to remind me that I have achieved things, that I am not a 'failure'. I think it's more a problem, as Vivian says in one of my favourite movies Pretty Woman, that "The bad stuff is easier to believe. You ever notice that?" Regardless of the truth of failures and successes some of us are more inclined to dwell on what we haven't achieved or the negative sides of ourselves than the things we have and our positive aspects. I am incredibly guilty of that!
However the years and developing a kinder view of myself has meant that I have not let my failures and fears hold me back. I dare to succeed in areas that previously would not have considered ever attempting. Taking jobs that I didn't think I could do and finding new sides of myself, new strengths and succeeding at gaining confidence, new skills and happiness for me.
Getting rid of the fear of failure and taking a kinder view of it (and myself) when it does happen has been liberating foe me also. We do fail, but our ability getting back up again when we are knocked down by life is what we should be judged on rather than what knocked us down in the first place. Hindsight shows me that without the failures I've had and the lessons I've learnt because of them, I wouldn't be the woman I am today, so I look a little bit more kindly on those memories now.
I make it my mission to dare to succeed now, to try new things, and get back up again when failure does happen because it's a chance to improve and learn. I still would count myself as a recovering pessimist rather than an optimist but I do now try and remind myself more of the small daily successes rather than the things that go wrong as the former are what I want to place an importance on in my life.
I fail but am not a failure. I succeed but am not my successes. I'm just me.
I fail, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life but this doesn't make me weak but human and I dare to succeed, strive for more and learn from everything.
I would encourage you to dare to succeed because if you live in fear of failing you deny yourself the chance to succeed at all. It won't always work out but those times it does will be amazing.
Here are some nice little quotes I found to finish of this post:
Thank you for taking the time to read this post of mine. I'll see you soon with my first post of April!
(Now I have to go pack!)
(Now I have to go pack!)
Much figurative love until then,
Mx
Song of the Post:Real Wild Child- from the Pretty Woman soundtrack sung by Christopher Otcasek
and What Is This Feeling- from the musical Wicked
P.S A massive thank you to all of you who take the time to read my blog, as last night it has surpassed over 2000 views since I started in September. I am massively humbled and grateful for this. Thank you so much :)
and What Is This Feeling- from the musical Wicked
P.S A massive thank you to all of you who take the time to read my blog, as last night it has surpassed over 2000 views since I started in September. I am massively humbled and grateful for this. Thank you so much :)
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