Saturday, March 26, 2016

Friends

Never underestimate the true value of a great friendship. So many different friends enter our lives over the years, some that will stay for a lifetime and others maybe only for a season. This weekend I have had the pleasure in being able to spend Easter with a number of friends and it's made me feel so lucky to have so many truly amazing people in my life.
There is my awesome kiwi cycling buddy who is always willing to meet at crazy hours of the morning, even at 6am on Good Friday in the dark. Couldn't have thought of a better way to start Easter than to cycle a few km's on the bike whilst debriefing about our week! This friendship was one that evolved through a shared love of triathlons and whilst we don't train to race any more we still like to push each other out on the bike.
To undo all the work on the bike I then had the pleasure of an afternoon of cheese and champagne with 3 beautiful girls that I've known now for 20 years. Makes me feel very old to say that out loud! I've known these friends since high school and whilst our lives have all gone in different directions and we really don't share common interests we're always there for each other. These are the friends I can laugh with, I can cry with and I never ever care what they think of me. With one of these friends so close that she was even there to share in the birth of my daughter.
Today I was invited to a BBQ at a friends place, someone who I also met through triathlon but only really became close with when we were both single and going through a slightly crazy time in our lives, I feel that this is a friend that came into my life for a reason! Since becoming a mum and our lives going in different directions I haven't really spent much time with her but when the espresso martinis were served this afternoon it did bring back some fun memories!
And finally tomorrow I will have the pleasure of having coffee with a truly dear friend of mine, who in some ways feels like a bit of a mother to me. She's my rock when I need advice, always so calm and collected. Again someone that I really don't have a lot in common with, we met through work and over the years have become very close. She's helped me move houses, bid at auctions for me, cared for my daughter, listened to me complain about work, life, anything! 
I feel truly blessed to have so many beautiful friends in my life, whether I see them weekly, monthly or only once a year. So thank you for being my friend!


Friday, March 4, 2016

Getting out of a rut

Lately I have found myself in a rut that I haven't seemed to be able to get out of. There doesn't seem to be one individual thing driving this rut, just a number of smaller things that I've allowed to compound into a deep rut.
I've found myself not exercising, finding a million excuses not to, no time, too tired, too many other things to do. Yet I know that being fit is one of the things that makes me feel good about myself and contributes to my happiness.
I've found myself getting frustrated with my job, but not for any real reason, I think the juggling act of full time work and motherhood has started to take its toll and I feel like I'm not doing either to the best of my ability which frustrates the hell out of me. I always love to put 110% into everything I do and so when I'm not I get dissapointed with myself.
I've been on the search for a new house, a place to call home for Mia and I. I fell in love with a beautiful place that would have been perfect for us, only to get outbid at auction last week which really got me down. The search is time consuming and draining and so not my style! I like to decide on something and just go out and get it, not have to fight for it!
I've felt like I've been in some kind of mid life crisis, where I woke up one day and started wondering how the hell my life got to be the way it is. 
Then this morning as I watched my super adorable little mini me walking around the house with her cute blonde pigtails with her hand out saying 'stop' I did just that, I stopped. I paused and took a deep breath and I let it out with a huge sigh of relief and a smile on my face. I realised that the answer to my rut was to stop all of my negative thoughts and think only positively. I gave that adorable little girl a huge hug and a kiss and we did a little dance as we walked out the door. I spent the day feeling positive with work, refocused and managing one thing at a time and not worrying about anything outside of my control. 
It's amazing how the power of positive thought can really change your whole outlook. Now if only the power of positive thought could just find me a new house for the right price!