Living in Peace, Fables & Happiness Lists.

The ramblings from my mind this week. Essentially a Facetime call.

Good Morning everyone! We are waking up to a new month, July. One of my favourite months of summer that always includes a few events in the diary, (usually our annual trip to Cyprus) some of my closest people celebrate their birthdays (my mum, brother, my bestfriend and her boyfriend too!) But also it’s the month that really feels like summer.

This week I have lot’s of things I want to share with you. Take this entry as a Facetime call with me, a little bit rambly and all of the place, but an insight into my brain.

Something I have done for years now, since 2018, is a ‘Happiness List’ each month of the year I bullet point milestones, memories, moments and achievements, however big or small, into my notes page. I always really enjoy looking back on it at the end of the year, to reflect on all the things I am proud of or have loved experiencing.

This last week I started a new ‘Happiness List.’ Rather than splitting this up by months its a continuous flow of bullet points. Rather than achievements these are more mundane moments that have brought me happiness at the time. This week I added:

• Started my morning at 6am by going on a walk with Basil. Out of bed, straight on a walk - I felt amazing!

• Ate chocolate buttons in bed at 8pm.

• Had my mum to stay for a sleepover. We sat in the garden from lunch until dinner chatting about everything and anything. It felt like the times before I moved out. I need to do this more.

• I made all my meals from scratch (sauces, sides etc..)

• I shot content for IG purely for me, pictures that I loved rather than posting for numerical gain.

• The hydrangeas have started to bloom.

• I spent more time in the garden than I did in the house.

• Jack and I ate mac and cheese on the sofa watching tv.

Just by noting down these tiny fragments of the day or week, that perhaps would go unnoticed has left me feeling so light and upbeat. I really recommend trying something like this. It’s a really nice reminder of the normal parts to life that bring joy.

So, as I previously mentioned, this week I have had lots of topics and thoughts milling around in my mind. One in particular based on a TikTok I watched this week. I couldn’t tell you who, what or where it was, but a man was discussing the after effects of lockdown. Apparently many people have stated they have retreated inwards and are no longer socialising as much as they once were. Choosing to receive their dopamine hit of social activity via the digital world. Voice noting friends is a convenient means to stay in touch. Zoom calls replace the office meetings. Home workouts are on the rise. Staying home has become the norm and I guess the preferred option.

It’s really interesting because I see a lot of myself in this. Prior to lockdown my life looked VERY different. I lived at home with my family. I had minimal responsibilities. Finding my feet in my new business ventures. I felt confident in my position, crammed my calendar with as many events, meetings and appointments as possible in a means to be perceived as successful.

But then lockdown. A time in life that looked different for everyone across the world. Some people thrived and others hugely struggled. It feels so alien now, as if it just didn’t happen.

A lot has happened since coming out of that phase of life. I signed to a management agency, my family had a huge life change, I left home and moved into an apartment with my boyfriend, I had probably the most traumatic and confusing year of my life, I moved again to our beautiful home, I closed my business, we got a dog and throughout all these things the part of life that made me feel so at peace was being at home.

Wherever that place was, it brought me joy.

Throughout the last three years it has become so clear to me that I enjoy my comfort zone and that is totally okay.

I’ve listened to many podcasts based around ‘hustle culture,’ pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is when you grow as a person. The notion that if we want to be successful we need to be doing more. Put ourselves out there. Network. Achieve your highest and wildest dreams through manifestation. Better ourselves through cold water therapy. Eat organic. Non toxic diets. Mums that do it all. Endless travelling. Day in the life of a 6 figure business owner. The 5am routine. We are so familiar with this new age way of life.

But, I’m just not into it. I really like being in my comfort zone. I enjoy being at home in our small village, doing the mundane things. Owning a business that brings me so much joy and fulfilment. Which perhaps on paper doesn’t look successful but to me it’s everything I could have dreamed of. Looking forward to a future of having a family and hopefully putting all my energy into being the best mum I can be.

Society puts such a pressure on us to be doing it all. But what if we simply choose not to. I think the only harm there is not allowing yourself to live the life you want to. Completely based on constructed values that you don’t even align with. I think what I am trying to say is it’s important to do just do the things and live the life that you really want. It’s so easy to feel like we are not doing enough, but what even is enough.

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I came across a fable this week which totally resonated with me and I wanted to share it with you.

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.  Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna.  The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, “only a little while. The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs. The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos.  I have a full and busy life.” The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”

To which the American replied, “15 – 20 years.”

“But what then?” Asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part.  When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions!”

“Millions – then what?”

The American said, “Then you would retire.  Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”

It got me thinking about the main fundamental in life that is so important to me.

Peace.

A word that most likely means different things to different people. But it goes without saying that this is a huge privilege. Not everyone gets to live their life like this, and of course it’s all swings and roundabouts. Even the most peaceful people experience the everyday stress of finances, bills, relationships or family.

For me, peace is like the umbrella to my life. I actually think this has been deep rooted in me for a long time. At school I hated drama, confrontation and anything that felt hostile. As a child you almost don’t have the ability to control those aspects, you have to go to school each day and be surrounded by gossiping, arguments and the very normal make-up of teenage life. But as an adult you are, for the most part, granted this freedom of decision making.

I want to live like the Mexican man. I don’t need the big city, the millions of pounds, the constant stream of materialistic items. Because in reality, none of that really matters.

I hope you enjoyed this weeks entry of Seasons. It means the world to me that so many of you take the time to click and read each week. As always, stay in touch I love to hear from you all. Have a wonderful week.

L xx

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WEEKLY INTENTIONS

• This week I need to get my routines back. Since having Basil my day’s have felt like a blur. Back to the morning walks followed by reformer and getting on top of my content schedules.

• I will also be working on project Dressing Room. With lots of paint samples arriving, floor samples and booking in to get the work underway eeek!

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DOING

We are in the process of transforming our front garden into a hydrangea haven and I couldn’t be more excited. Thursday’s YT video will explain more.

WATCHING

A Family Affair - Netflix. I absolutely loved this movie. A feel good rom-com starring Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron.

BUYING

Hydrangea Anabelles - We bought our 7 hydrangeas from a local nursery Golden Hill, for the front of the house (coming in Thursdays vlog.) I cannot wait to share the transformation with you properly because wow it looks incredible.

EATING

This week I made a delicious potato salad. An Ina Garten recipe and the perfect accompaniment to a BBQ or a fillet of salmon. I swapped out a few things like dill for parsley, I didn’t include leeks or buttermilk and instead added spring onion and lemon juice.

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