SYL - Week 4

Wheel of Life

This weeks mission for SYL Week 4 is to examine exactly how life is going right now. I like this idea and was really looking forward to completing the challenge. It also helped spur me on to finish Week 3 - Mission Statement, which I didn't get finished in time to add to the linky so if you have time and would like to read it I hope you will

This is my Wheel of Life as it stands today...

There is nothing really surprising in there for me. I've been through one hell of a year and two things have suffered the most at this end of it. My Relationship with Trav is the one that makes me the saddest. Don't get me wrong, I love him to the moon and back and he loves me too, I just think that we are tired and are taking each other for granted. I suffered with very severe depression over the last 12 months. It was well and truly out of control and I nearly took my own life. I don't like to dwell on it too much because I've managed to get some professional help and I'm in a much much better place now. Trav is the reason I am here. He knew how to look after me and knew when it was time to get tough and kick my butt out of bed or off to the doctor. I owe him a lot. I know that he is as tired as I am. That's obvious in the other area we need to work on...

Home. By this I mean the house. The physical side of it like the cleanliness. Our house is not filthy and disgusting but it could be a lot better. We let things slide when we had bigger problems to deal with but we have those under control now so it's time to start working on the house and our home again. I want it to be a happy, bright, clean place. Somewhere I can invite family and friends to without having to do a quick tidy and a vacuum. I want the kids to learn the responsibility of keeping the house clean as you go instead of someone else cleaning it all at a certain time of day.

Creativity, Family and Health are going along ok. They are not in dire need of attention but there is room for improvement. I think I'd love to get an average of 3 for my Wheel of Life by the end of 2012. Actually I'd love to have everything at a 3 or above. 3's are good, 3's are manageable and they mean the pressure is off a little.

Finances and Work are going great. Trav loves his job and earns good money. I have my own facebook page and have turned my hobby in to something that can earn me money to buy more fabric and enjoy being creative. It has done wonders for my self esteem and I love it. Money is something that Trav and I have always had control over. We work well as a team and because of this, we manage to save money living on one wage and still not go without things that we need or want.

This leaves Friendships. My friendship group has had 2 changes over the last 12 months. It has been hard and there are things I regret and would change. What I wouldn't change is the outcome. I have two of the most loving, honest and supportive friends anyone could have. We have been through so much in the last 2 years. I think that's what has made us so close. Honesty was one thing I promised them and it is what has cemented our friendship. I think I am finally at the stage where I can relax, be happy and just let the friendship grow on it's own. It feels so natural now.

Well, I've managed 2 blog posts in one day. It feel so good to have made it back to the keyboard. Writing is one of my favorite things to do. SYL12 gives me a reason and the motivation to write and I get so much from it. I hope other people gain something from reading, I know I gain a whole lot from reading other people's blogs xo

SYL - Week 3

My Mission Statement

This weeks mission floored me. I had no idea how to tackle it or what I was going to come up with. It has taken me an extra week because we had a little family holiday but this was a blessing in disguise as far as my blog goes. The extra time has given me time to think and reflect, consider the things that work in my life and the things I would like to see in the coming year.

I cherish my family, I am sitting here watching the two youngest eating their dinner as I type. They are so small and impressionable. Like little tiny sponges that will soak up information forever. How can I help them live to their full potential without a plan, without a mission statement.

I'm still not exactly sure how to word things so I'm just going to type. My mind usually plays second fiddle to my fingers while I blog :p I just seem to type and everything ends up exactly as I'd imagined it would. I'm hoping that happens today but I'm not confident haha. It was nice to know that I wasn't alone in worrying a little about this challenge. We get so carried away with life that we forget that we can stop, look, listen, think, plan and THEN act. This is what I want to do this year. Take back control. So here goes......

Our family will slow down, spend quality time together, treat each other with respect and dignity. We will cherish everything we have and support those less fortunate. We will stand strong during any struggles and do our very best at every opportunity. We will believe in ourselves.


I have highlighted the words that I think are the most important for us to focus on this year. I am looking forward to a much more family orientated year and one in which I find, understand and believe in our worth, especially mine :)


http://www.homelifesimplified.com.au/simplify-your-life-week-3-creating-mission-statements/

SYL - week 2

Values

This one has really got me thinking. I haven't read anyone else's blog this week because I wanted this to be all about me. I didn't want ideas from others or an idea of how to write my values. They are inside me somewhere and I can find them. The printable did come in handy and gave me an idea of the kind of words I was after, it was easier than I thought it would be after that.

I'm going to start with my list
Honesty
Loyalty
Courage
Playfulness
Family
Self reliance
Positivity
Balance
Resilience
Creativity
Responsibility

A big list to start with. These are the words that stand out to me. These are the things that I value about myself, my friends and my family. These are the things that I look for when choosing things like schools or caregivers for my children. These are the words that describe how I expect myself to act and treat others and how I expect others to act and treat me. I don't value them all equally so this is how I was able to have a second look at the list and decide which ones are more important than others.

Which values made the cut..
Honesty
Courage
Family
Positivity
Resilience
Responsibility

I didn't manage to cut it down to 5. I can't seem to leave any of these values behind so all 6 will continue on with me to the next step. Now it is time to rank them and find the most important. This doesn't seem like it will be an easy task but it's one I'm looking forward to. As much as I've thought about this task all week, I haven't  actually thought about which value would top the list. Now it's time to get in to it.

Value #1 - Honesty

Without a doubt this one gets the top spot. I value honesty from family, friends, carers, corporations, customers, employers, the list is probably endless. There are so many people out there who are dishonest. If we were all like that, I think the world would self destruct before very long. I pride myself on being a very honest person. Lies are much more often hurtful than they are helpful.

Value #2 - Responsibility

I believe responsibility comes with age. Even small children become responsible for their own actions and toys as soon as they are able to understand consequences. The learning and responsibilities continue until the day we die. I cherish family and friends who can stand up, be responsible and take ownership of their behaviour. I think those people are amazing and should be held close.

Value #3 - Courage

This is getting a bit trickier now, these values are becoming almost even in level of importance. This is an amazing task and I am loving it so far. Courage is something that I have always needed and expect to need for a long time. I needed to stand up for myself as a child and an adult. Now I also need to stand up for my children and my husband. I will also stand up for anyone not strong enough to stand up for themselves. I love being an advocate for others but I love teaching them to be courageous even more. Everyone can do it, courage goes hand in hand with self worth. When you believe you're worth standing up for, it's amazing the power you can possess.

Value #4 - Family

My family are the single most important thing in my life. I am surprised to see them down here at number 4 in my values ranking. The reason they are is because they need to come after the other values. I can't look after myself and my family without Honesty, Responsibility or Courage.

Value #5 - Positivity

This is a value that I have only recently realised the power of. The power of positive thinking can help you overcome so many obstacles. It can lift you up and change your world in a second. I've found so many positive people, words and pictures right here in the SYL challenge and I want to thank everyone that has helped me find it. I now find at least one inspirational picture a day to focus on and that is my mantra for the day. When I have a bad day, I read something positive and reflect on the positives in my life before I go to sleep. It is going to change my life, I just know it.

Value #6 - Resilience

I could not leave this lovely value off the list. I am a very resilient person, I always have been. I can face adversity and get back up over and over again. When people asked me how, I used to answer "because I have to, no one else is going to do it" but I've come to believe that it's not entirely true. Not everyone copes with hardship. Not everyone puts their children first and struggles through whatever that entails. I do these things without a second thought and I now know why. It's because I value Honesty, Responsibility, Courage, Family and Positivity. They are all linked and they all give me Resilience.

Who knew it would be harder to end this post than it would be to write it. I'm amazed that all my values tie in so nicely. They are exactly who I think I am, who I hope I can always be.

http://www.homelifesimplified.com.au/52-weeks-to-simplify-your-life-challenge/

Sophie's Story

I have an 11 year old daughter and I'm very lucky to still have her with me. Without the selfless gift, given by a grieving family, she would not be here.

Sophie was born with a metabolic condition called Ornathine Carbomylase Defeciency (OTC for short). In 2008 she was lucky enough to receive a liver. I have previously blogged about her illness and journey so I will just share the link here and hope that you can all ready it and learn why it is so important to talk about organ donation with your families.

Your family could make this much difference in someone else's life

Sophie's Story

SYL - Week 1

I like the thought of ending a year thinking of the positives. It is so easy to fall in to the trap of just remembering the negatives but positive things happen to us every day. We just don't seem to take as much notice of them compared to the negative ones and it is a real shame. We take so many things for granted. I've come to the realisation that I don't really want to change anything this year. I have everything I could need or want. I just need to get things in order, simply my life so I have time and energy for my family.

This is my list of everything that went right in 2011....

My daughter had a liver transplant 3 years ago and was in perfect health all year. Her courage and enthusiasm gives me so much pride and strength. She is amazing.

My four children make me smile every single day. They are so loving and considerate (well most of the time! they are kids after all!) I love that I can be proud of their behaviour when we are out and they will get in and help me any time I ask. My two big kids help so much with the two little kids (14, 11, 2 and 1) and while I know they don't always feel like doing it, they rarely complain.

I've made myself happy this year. I had a couple of very rocky times but it has taught me that I am worth the fight. I am a strong person. I am loyal and loving. I am clever and talented and I want to ignore the doubts and push on in the new year to show off all of these attributes I can be so proud of.

In 2011, I jumped head first in to my own sewing hobby and started selling items on facebook. It has given me something to work towards, shown me that I am good enough and am capable of almost anything I put my mind to (except for satin stitch on a sewing machine it seems! This I will conquer one day as well!)

Love has bought my family together this past year. The way we all stick up for each other and rally when times are tough gives me the strength to carry on. I see other families fall apart and it just makes me cherish mine even more.

I have learnt that I can be a good friend. That I can have good friends. This has been the most empowering revolation of 2011. I am worth it and so are my friends. I love them dearly and I can only hope that I give back as much as I get.

I am grateful for my family, my gorgeous friends and my psychologist! I have finally realised that I am the person who needs the work now and I'm not scared or embarrassed but ready to jump in with both feet and get the smile back on my face permanently. I deserve it and my family deserve it.

Here's to a New Year and a new me! :D


http://www.homelifesimplified.com.au/52-weeks-to-simplify-your-life-syl-week-1/

52 weeks to simplify your life

I am starting 2012 the way I plan to finish it, positively! This is the year when everything will become manageable and I will find my inner peace.

Life has been a struggle for so many years and I finally feel like I now have my head above water. Now it is time to stop and examine my life, find the things that are working well and improve the things that could use some work.

I'm feeling more positive than I have in a long time and I know that I can achieve anything I put my mind to

http://www.homelifesimplified.com.au/