A New Beginning

It’s been a while since I updated the blog. The world has slowly been ‘opening up’, just as my own personal life has been taking a step forward, after a long period of what seemed like permanent ‘stagnation’.

I think we all get periods in our lives when we either have no clue what direction to take, where we seem to be treading water for eternity just to keep afloat, or life is just not happening.

The Covid situation has affected many people’s lives, not just health but jobs, routine, and fear. Moving forward I hope it is the start of a new beginning for us all, in whatever shape or format you desire.

For me, it has meant moving into my own home again. After a long wait and uncertainty, I finally got the keys to my new rental flat middle of June and I have been spending the last few months cleaning, decorating, and furnishing it. After several years of living out of a suitcase with family, it is a great feeling to have my personal space back. Only those who have been through marital disruption or homelessness will ‘get’ me when I say how great it feels. That feeling of just sitting, relaxing, absorbing your own energy again.

Moving Forward

I may continue with the blog for a while longer, see what other articles or inspiration I can bring you. If anyone happens to dip in seeking a source of encouragement or finds resonance with any of the posts then job done and I am happy to have helped. Moving into our later years we can sometimes lose our identity or life can just fall apart. Reaching out to others for support even in the mildest form can sometimes help us to carry on.

Personally, I hope to continue my studies in Counselling, which is still quite a long road ahead. Certainly different to my cakemaking days but will be equally rewarding. I continue to be at hand for my elderly parents, for whom I am grateful for letting me invade their space for the last couple of years. I am also delighting in watching my granddaughters grow. To be able to offer sleepovers now is great, albeit exhausting!

Vegan Life

I’ve also become plant-based/vegan. This is all part of me taking back control of my life. Last August suffering a painful sciatica attack made me more aware of just how important our health is. My back still sometimes plays up with pain in my legs but certainly tons better than it was. I have been doing plenty of walking and trying to keep active, although still taking baby steps with getting back into yoga. Doing a lot of researching (googling and YouTube) I have found that our diet plays an enormous role in our health. For me going plant-based, it helps with the inflammation in my body and cuts down on the back/leg pain. I am also finding it helps with my mindset and overall wellbeing. I’ll take you on my vegan journey so far in another blog post.

To Sum It Up

Sometimes we can feel desperate with no way out…people might say to you, ‘just be positive’ or ‘our thoughts create our reality’, and other various remarks, which to my mind can be exceedingly annoying. It is only when you have been down to your lowest can you climb back up. It is a sometimes lonely journey, but one that only you can do. It’s not easy, you have to be vulnerable and patient.

Will life be wonderful again?!……..I can’t promise that, but you certainly appreciate the simpler things in life! A new beginning is a new start, a new start is trying again. There will still be hurdles to face, problems to sort but it is all part of you being you.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

For those of you who haven’t read the fable Jonathan Livingston Seagull

, it is well worth a read. This is a favourite clip of mine which sums up just how I have felt over time. You’ve just got to keep trying…..for yourself!