A weekly tradition where we pop the cork on the week that was, celebrate what worked, reflect on what didn’t, and look forward to a sparkling new week of possibility. I hope you’ll join me and share your reflections in the comments.
What am I celebrating?
In Champagne Friday #11 I committed to receiving inspiration from quirky and unexpected sources. Well this week I found myself laughing at things the kids were doing. My son lip synching to the ABC classical music channel & pirouetting around the house. My daughter limping in her classroom to prove that her ankle really was broken after telling the teacher about her mishaps (it wasn’t broken – a slight twist). Before I became a parent I often smiled at the things other people’s children did, but once you become a parent yourself you spend a lot of time instructing, directing, facilitating, organising and not as much time laughing as I expected – so this week I celebrate the energy, spontaneity & fun loving spirit that bubbles out of, and around, children.
What am I acknowledging?
I had wins this week with business & study – met some great people, organised useful meetings, received supportive feedback & on Tuesday came very close to starting & finishing a book for university.
What was missing?
Jen Louden, the Comfort Queen, introduced me to MRSC (minimal requirements for self care). So a quick run through mine – kissing and cuddling my children more than once a day, a few quiet moments or shared conversation with my partner each day, doing my exercise routine, reading my novel to unwind before sleep, yoga once a week, computer turned off around 10pm, five hours of unbroken sleep a night, connection with friends. Check for all of these – nothing missing for me this week.
What small change can I make to have more of that next week?
Next week I am in Sydney visiting with a friend so it will be very difficult for me to get my MRSC. I am a creature of habit & routine (I find it difficult to let go), but next week I will let go of my routine & enjoy the diversity that a new space brings (people, experiences, thoughts & feelings). Ready to pop the cork with me? I’d love to hear about your week in the comments…
Image by nImAdestiny
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What am I celebrating?
This week I decided to tune into the every day things of life that I can take for granted yet can be so grateful for. Often my focus is on the extraordinary and it was such a relief to be focusing on the ordinary things of life. I am grateful this week for getting easy car parks wherever I went; unexpected compliments that I usually let go over my head; the delightful and loving welcome my dog gave me after she had spent a day at the beauty parlour; a parcel with a precious item in it that I thought was lost actually was found by the courier company – lots of ordinary little things that added up to making my week special and one that actually turned out to be extraordinary for me because of the “everydayness” of life.
What am I acknowledging?
I met with a special woman for brekky one morning this week who shared pearls of wisdom with me in relation to the growth and development of my business. During our conversation I realised the importance for me of making time to connect with genuine people who can inspire me, share learnings from their own journey and introduce different perspectives on life. I left that brekky feeling very affirmed, grounded, and full of fresh ideas to move me forward. The other great thing was that my feeling of isolation just disappeared simply because we had spent time together.
What was missing?
To keep myself energised and in a creative flow I had decied I needed a few more hours sleep a night and that it was important for me to priorities time for exercise and reflection. Didn’t get the extra sleep – stayed up late on the computer! Missed my time of reflection and journalling.
What small change can I make to have more of that next week?
I can turn my computer off at 9.30pm! This will give my mind time to zero down and give me more restful sleep; I can wake up earlier then to fit in time for reflection and journalling.
Chris McRae
Congratulations Chris. So much can be learnt & experienced when we focus on the ordinary things in our lives. It reminds me of (the many) times my mother has told me to “stop and smell the roses”…same message really. We can miss much when we always have our eyes on the horizon tying to spot the next big thing. What a great idea to turn off your computer at 9.30pm for wind down time. I recently had a laugh with someone about the fact that creating the space to unwind at night can be the most “anxiety provoking” part of the day.