Taking The Lead
LIFE
Planning a wedding around other life events is a financial juggling act. It has made me more aware of what my everyday budget looks like and how I spend it and when.
Back in January when I found my wedding dress, I paid the deposit and I thought.
'Awesome! I have five months to pay this off!'
However, I haven't paid anything towards the dress since paying that deposit because until a couple of weeks ago my mind-set was 'everything is fine, la-de-da-de-da' and last week I had a rude awakening when I realised that I could have had that dress paid off by now and soon I will have to start paying off my flowers...and to top it off, I have an over-seas trip with A. planned late May to early June and while that is mostly paid for, I have to save at least another grand.
So the long and short of it is that I have painted myself into a corner...
Being ever the optimist, instead of thinking 'Oh shit...oh shiiiiiiit!' (truthfully that was my first reaction) but since then I have decided to use this time to improve on the three aspects in my life where I have felt the pressure lately which is gym, nutrition and studying.
While my nutrition is coming up to par (except for the indulgence of spaghetti bolonaise this past week) my gym attendance was below average and my studies...I couldn't bear to think about it - there was a mental blockage that I wasn't aware of until today when I was talking to my Personal Trainer, Dave. Dave has been my Personal Trainer for the past four years, aside from being an awesome trainer, he is also an incredible human-being. One time when I was absolutely exhausted to continue during a session he ordered an UBER for me to take me home. What is special about Dave is that he knows that the mental state of a person affects their emotional and physical health too.
I'm not much of a verbal talker when it comes to my health and fitness but today, Dave encouraged me to talk and I had a realisation that I have allowed other people to take the lead instead of being confident in myself because I have been afraid of being wrong or failing.
Dave encouraged me to try and fail rather than fail by not trying.
(Like I said, he's an incredible human-being!)
LOVE
This Saturday night gone, A. had a close call when a drunk lady who wanted him to dance shook and pulled him off his stool in a club. He fell and hit the back of his head on a wooden pole that was behind him. He wasn't drunk, he had only had two drinks.
The last time I had been that frightened was when he called me from the back of an ambulance saying he had been hit by a car.
Thankfully he was able to stand up and walk out of the club assisted, no fractures or bleeding but he did have a mild concussion for twenty-four hours.
On Sunday afternoon we went to the hospital because A. still had a head-ache and thankfully, we found out nothing was wrong - Doctor John told us he wouldn't recommend a C.T scan because A.'s symptoms indicated only a mild concussion and it was unneeded - he assured me that I had done everything right in taking care of A after the event occurred.
But sitting in the visitors chair next to the hospital bed made me realise that as much as we try to control everything in our lives, we cannot control the actions of someone else that can affect us or a loved one. And after I had this realisation A. looked up and smiled at me and I stood up, ran my fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead, thanking God in my heart for keeping him safe even in harms way.
I have a confession - I haven't picked up my Bible in a year and while I have prayed to God for strength, to save the people of North Korea, to protect my loved ones and help the police locate missing children, I haven't had that closeness to him that I have had in previous years
But on Sunday, I realised that the love and grace for me, he has for A. as well.
& THE EVERYDAY
Other than the scare on Saturday night, life has been good and steady - for a time I was anxious about my work hours but that thankfully resolved itself. Unless I get called into work I have three full shifts a week and I feel calmer - money is tight and I won't be doing a lot of socialising this year - but I am savouring the time to write and paint because with winter coming, I know that there will be a time I'll be needed. Aside from taking this time to write, create, study and gym - I have also been enjoying cooking meals in bulk for me and A.
A new hobby of mine is making ice-cream from scratch and to my joy, I am actually good at it!
The first time I made ice-cream I made mango and coconut flavour and this time I made banana and coconut. I can't wait to experiment with more flavours!
Yesterday I enjoyed a full day of my favourite things; writing a romance novel based in Ireland while sipping a generous glass of Moscato wine and every few minutes gazing out my window to watch the rain fall. For me that's a perfect day. And while it is not my everyday now, I know without a doubt one day it will be. Except maybe not so much wine...
Just a question for all of you - what does your perfect day look like?
- Sarah xx
Planning a wedding around other life events is a financial juggling act. It has made me more aware of what my everyday budget looks like and how I spend it and when.
Back in January when I found my wedding dress, I paid the deposit and I thought.
'Awesome! I have five months to pay this off!'
However, I haven't paid anything towards the dress since paying that deposit because until a couple of weeks ago my mind-set was 'everything is fine, la-de-da-de-da' and last week I had a rude awakening when I realised that I could have had that dress paid off by now and soon I will have to start paying off my flowers...and to top it off, I have an over-seas trip with A. planned late May to early June and while that is mostly paid for, I have to save at least another grand.
So the long and short of it is that I have painted myself into a corner...
Being ever the optimist, instead of thinking 'Oh shit...oh shiiiiiiit!' (truthfully that was my first reaction) but since then I have decided to use this time to improve on the three aspects in my life where I have felt the pressure lately which is gym, nutrition and studying.
While my nutrition is coming up to par (except for the indulgence of spaghetti bolonaise this past week) my gym attendance was below average and my studies...I couldn't bear to think about it - there was a mental blockage that I wasn't aware of until today when I was talking to my Personal Trainer, Dave. Dave has been my Personal Trainer for the past four years, aside from being an awesome trainer, he is also an incredible human-being. One time when I was absolutely exhausted to continue during a session he ordered an UBER for me to take me home. What is special about Dave is that he knows that the mental state of a person affects their emotional and physical health too.
I'm not much of a verbal talker when it comes to my health and fitness but today, Dave encouraged me to talk and I had a realisation that I have allowed other people to take the lead instead of being confident in myself because I have been afraid of being wrong or failing.
Dave encouraged me to try and fail rather than fail by not trying.
(Like I said, he's an incredible human-being!)
LOVE
This Saturday night gone, A. had a close call when a drunk lady who wanted him to dance shook and pulled him off his stool in a club. He fell and hit the back of his head on a wooden pole that was behind him. He wasn't drunk, he had only had two drinks.
The last time I had been that frightened was when he called me from the back of an ambulance saying he had been hit by a car.
Thankfully he was able to stand up and walk out of the club assisted, no fractures or bleeding but he did have a mild concussion for twenty-four hours.
On Sunday afternoon we went to the hospital because A. still had a head-ache and thankfully, we found out nothing was wrong - Doctor John told us he wouldn't recommend a C.T scan because A.'s symptoms indicated only a mild concussion and it was unneeded - he assured me that I had done everything right in taking care of A after the event occurred.
But sitting in the visitors chair next to the hospital bed made me realise that as much as we try to control everything in our lives, we cannot control the actions of someone else that can affect us or a loved one. And after I had this realisation A. looked up and smiled at me and I stood up, ran my fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead, thanking God in my heart for keeping him safe even in harms way.
I have a confession - I haven't picked up my Bible in a year and while I have prayed to God for strength, to save the people of North Korea, to protect my loved ones and help the police locate missing children, I haven't had that closeness to him that I have had in previous years
But on Sunday, I realised that the love and grace for me, he has for A. as well.
& THE EVERYDAY
Other than the scare on Saturday night, life has been good and steady - for a time I was anxious about my work hours but that thankfully resolved itself. Unless I get called into work I have three full shifts a week and I feel calmer - money is tight and I won't be doing a lot of socialising this year - but I am savouring the time to write and paint because with winter coming, I know that there will be a time I'll be needed. Aside from taking this time to write, create, study and gym - I have also been enjoying cooking meals in bulk for me and A.
A new hobby of mine is making ice-cream from scratch and to my joy, I am actually good at it!
The first time I made ice-cream I made mango and coconut flavour and this time I made banana and coconut. I can't wait to experiment with more flavours!
Yesterday I enjoyed a full day of my favourite things; writing a romance novel based in Ireland while sipping a generous glass of Moscato wine and every few minutes gazing out my window to watch the rain fall. For me that's a perfect day. And while it is not my everyday now, I know without a doubt one day it will be. Except maybe not so much wine...
Just a question for all of you - what does your perfect day look like?
- Sarah xx
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