You've got mail

Driving along today, I found myself paying particular attention to the various letterboxes that still stand proudly, almost in defiance of the fact that 'snail mail' or traditional mail via the post is rapidly on the decline.

Some rusty and worn, others shiny and new, in some cases colour coded with the house for which they collect mail for.

Question -

Just how much longer are we going to need letterboxes?

With more and more people opting for online account summaries, billing systems, magazine subscriptions and of course email being the more commonly used form of personal correspondence,  it does seem inevitable that one day, not too far from now, the letterbox (as we know it!) will become a thing of the past. Our children will laugh at us when we reminisce about going to a box-like contraption at the front of our yard, opening it up with excitement and, fingers crossed, finding something other than a bill or junk mail (the original spam).

Think about it - when was the last time you received something nice in the actual mail, the post? Apart from wedding invitations and the like, when was the last time something in the mail made you smile?

With so many quirky, funny, witty (and at times crudely hilarious) cards around (my personal favourites are from Typo), it's crazy that we still resort to an impersonal email to keep others up to date and let them know 'we care'.

I'll raise my hand before anyone to admit that I rely on TXT, email or our dearly beloved Facebook to keep in touch, and while it's convenient, in real time and for most part reliable, I'd argue that it's effort.

In the time it takes to open and compose an email, a heartfelt note could be scrawled, a stamp licked and an envelope sealed. Voila! A little more effort, a lot more excitement for the receiver.

So save a postman and send a letter!

Go on, do it...you just might make someones day.....xxx

I've worked it out

"Looking back at the times where I allowed my work to create stress and frustration in my life I now realize what I thought was important really was not. I am not saying you should not take your work seriously, what I am saying is that we need to realize that life is all about balance." Catherine Pulsifer, Briefcase with an Engine 
Today I found myself explaining my strict work/life balance policy to a much younger colleague.

With ten years between us, and completely different lifestyles, the colleague seemed quite shocked that I wouldn't be willing to work a handful of Saturdays in order to be rewarded with complimentary product.

I explained to him the following:

I'm 32, not particularly interested in updating my current model, and to give up one of my 2 days off just seemed ludicrous! My weekends, or any time off work for that matter, are incredibly important to me as they are my days of sanity, my days to be 'Sheree', the fiance, the housewife, the Aunty, the friend, the daughter - anything but the 'career woman'.

2 days off is such a small amount of time when compared to how many hours we spend at work and I'm not ashamed to say that my job doesn't even get a look in during my 'Sheree' time!


After stating that I have come to the realisation that 'work won't keep your heart happy, but special moments with your family, friends and loved ones will' it dawned on me that other more senior people in the room may have been passing silent judgement on me. Perhaps they feel that I don't work as hard, my priorities are not right, or that I have no concern for my job. The majority of people within the company I work for are very much status hungry and don't seem to understand why some of us aren't. They spend the majority of their day either working, thinking about work or travelling for work.

If those judgemental thoughts came into their minds, let me tell them this -

I have been at the top. I know what it's like to be in a position of 'authority', to be completely responsible for large scale projects and have a fancy title. I know what it's like to be given deadlines, to have the heat turned up and to have complete glory when outcomes are not just met, but over delivered on.

I also know that as quickly as these things are achieved, they are forgotten about and new projects with even shorter deadlines are placed before you. Appreciation is minimal and frustrations are high...and for what?

SO.....

If I choose to go home when my daily hours have been worked, it's because I have been efficient. I work to the standard my boss requires, and in most cases, deliver results beyond their expectation of me.

When I decline to work weekends, it's because I have more important people to be there for, milestones to celebrate, or personal projects to work on. There are children to laugh with, birthday cakes that need eating, lawns to be mowed, BBQ's to be cooked, music to be danced to and LIFE to be lived!

You may want to live to work, but I most certainly work to live.....why? Because life is just too short.

It really is that simple!

I can honestly say that I have learnt alot about myself over the past 6-12 months, learnt more about what I really stand for, my values, my beliefs, my likes and dislikes and most of all, how emotionally attached to them I really am.


Finally, at the age I am now, and with the amazing people I have in my circle of friends, I feel so empowered to make choices regarding lifestyle and friendships, without fear of judgement, criticism or ridicule. I have 'weeded out the garden' so to speak, and it feels FABULOUS!

I'm fortunate enough to have friendships I made as a teenager, and although our paths have had some distance between them, they have never lead in completely different directions.
My friends are the best. We can laugh, cry and celebrate all the memories that have brought us to this point today and get excited about the plans we each make for the future.

Now all in our 30's, we have grown into successful, mature and confident women - each with our own views, strengths and goals, and each as supportive as the next, there whenever we need her :)

To my friends - thank you. THANK YOU! Thank you for being honest with me, for NEVER judging me or the decisions I have made in my life, THANK YOU for celebrating my victories and getting excited over my ideas, THANK YOU for being there - being POSITIVE, being MATURE, being YOURSELVES.

And most of all - thank you for being amazing people who know right from wrong and act with PURE and LOVING intentions toward each other. As we grow older and wiser, it is never more evident how important good friends are - to laugh with, to cry with, celebrate milestones with, enjoy the quiet times, laugh at the old times......not just drink and party with!


This quote, taken from the website marcandangel.com is a perfect fit for the way I'm feeling -

Let go of needless drama and those who create it. – Never create unnecessary drama, and don’t surround yourself with those who do.  Choose friends who you are proud to know, people you admire, who love and respect you – people who make your day a little brighter simply by being in it.  Don’t walk away from negative people, RUN!  Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.


It really is that simple.

The first drop

When are people going to realize that what matters most is not what you have, how much you earn, what title you have, how good you look, how many people you know, what size is on your clothing label (just to name a few).....but what really makes you stand out is how loving, considerate, open minded, generous, gracious, humble, mature, giving and respectful you can be to the world around you and the people within it.

I do not admire anyone who gloats about how much they can acquire, in fact, I get embarrassed for you. Why? Because I know that deep down inside, you would rather have the one thing you cannot buy instead of all the things you can. I know this because I've been there before.

I do not admire anyone who is quick to criticize others for doing things differently. Your way is your way, it's not the only way and may not even be the best way - but just as theirs is theirs, so is yours. You may not have an understanding of why others act the way they do - you have not walked in their shoes so don't assume to know their miles.

I do not admire people who are selfish with knowledge, holding information tightly is a sign of insecurity. Knowledge only becomes wisdom once it is shared; you are not wise because you 'know' a lot, you are wise when you allow the information to become powerful and make a difference.

I have no respect for people that would rather talk about themselves than seek to understand those around them better. Your ignorance toward others is your worst feature. Do you even know how to show interest and regard for other people's passions? When was the last time you sought to learn something new about someone not so new?




We need to accept ourselves for who we are, not who we need to be seen as in order to increase our sense of self worth...

Ponder

At times I can be accused of being over analytical, at times I can be accused of being too blasé.

This past week has given me an incredible amount of down time, time which under any other circumstance would've seen me productive in all aspects, home, mind and socially. Unfortunately, being confined to the couch, with little energy and even less motivation, gave me way too much time to think. And here I am, over analyzing again.

Sometimes I wish I was a puppet, someone guiding my every move and action, no need to think, feel, or come up with answers to some of the harder questions and choices life throws at us.

Now if I could only figure out which puppet I'd be.......(and so the process starts again!)

Quality not Quantity

As I get older, I have come to realise that it really is true when people say 'it's about quality, not quantity'.

In particular, the subject of friends.

After all is said and done, there are but a handful of people I would consider to be 'quality' friends. They know who they are and it goes without saying that we will be friends until our dying days. Our friendships have stood the test of time and space, challenges and chapter changes, and are filled with wonderful, warm, funny memories that only we can relate to.

Some may accuse me of being disloyal, moving on from friendships like they have an expiry date. Well let me tell you, some of them do. Just like a relationship gone bad, sometimes it's best to move on, take the friendship for what it was and realise what it can no longer be.

There is nothing quite as exhausting as a friendship that takes so much work to maintain and offers so little value in return. And yes, friendships should offer you value - why on earth would you want a friend that does nothing but bring you down, make you question yourself, your views, make you paranoid, lowers your self esteem and compromises your reputation all in return for your patience, advice, friendship and support? Friendships shouldn't be that draining, that's just not what they are there for and a person can only take so much before cutting ties.

On the flip side, it is unfair to falsely give your friendship to someone and have them believe that you admire and respect them. That's not being true to them and it is definitely not being true to yourself.

I have learnt the hard way that it's OK to no longer relate to someone and grow distant, especially if the path they have chosen is not one you wish to travel down.

In saying that, there are definitely people from my past that I wish I had stronger relationships with today. People that I know I gave up on, had silly little falling outs with, or just gradually stopped talking to. It's the ones that I know are toxic that I have no regrets over.

Life is way less stressful when there are fewer things to stress about....

Wheels in Motion

You may recall earlier in the year me posting some 'ideals' that I plan to live by this year, in particular one about giving my dreams and ideas a real chance.

Since picking up my mother in-laws DSLR camera early last year, I have been transfixed with the art of photography, wanting to learn everything there is to learn, then practising what I think I have learnt, all in hope to someday make it more of a career than a hobby.

I have been extremely lucky to have had work offered to me already, but I must confess that it scares the hell out of me. Taking a photo of someone with the expectation to produce a masterpiece is a lot of pressure...especially when it comes to capturing weddings, christening, engagements and the growing journey of a pregnant baby belly. Just because you have a good camera doesn't make you a good photographer! There are many elements to consider, but more often that not, the untrained eye is ignorant to them.

I am extremely critical of my work and have never felt comfortable taking money in return for taking photos - especially considering I am still learning and refining my own ability. Photography is something I find so fulfilling and rewarding, how could I possibly accept payment for doing it? Would that then turn it into actual 'work' and change my outlook on it....I know that I'd rather be paid to do something I love than be paid to do something I don't.

Perhaps I have never been comfortable with the thought that I just may have the talent to succeed in an industry which is so subjective....art has never been my 'thing, until now.

The feedback I have received regarding some of my work has been overwhelming, and I am so grateful for it as it keeps me motivated, keeps me wanting to challenge myself and keeps me critical of what I produce.

It's time to set the wheels in motion.....time to give my dreams and ideas a real chance.

Baby Steps

Mondays have a tendency to be a little overwhelming. Especially Mondays early on in the new year.

It's week 3 for me and the Mondays are not getting any easier, nor are they getting any less overwhelming. Especially this weeks' version of Monday.

Monthly meeting. The first of the year. Goals to achieve? Of course. They are big and they are scary. Overwhelming even, just to fit in with the current 'Monday' vibe.

Fast forward to home time (yes I made it out alive...)

 We had visitors, our dear friends and their 8 month old baby who we absolutely adore and are so blessed to have such a close relationship with. Watching him grow is just magic and having yet another 'mummy' friend is just another gift that could never bear a price tag. I learn so much from watching others parent and the I have come to the conclusion that there is definitely no 'one size fits all' approach to parenting!

Being only 8 months in age, the little man has a lifetime of goals before him, the first one being to learn to crawl, then walk, then run. All while trying to cut teeth.
His mummy is such a great mentor that she has even bought him knee pads in preparation for the big moment she knows will happen soon enough. Objects have been placed out of reach and there are daily activities in place to help him form new habits and master the art of believing in himself, knowing he can achieve something if he keeps at it.

Is that the key to it all? The right preparation, planning and having the confidence to never give up?

Someone once told me - achieving a goal is like breaking down a brick wall,  in the sense that it's more effectively done if you chip away at each brick instead of charging full force at the whole thing. If you try and hit the whole wall in one shot, you're more likely to end up on your ass with a strong feeling of defeat. Remove each brick one by one and you'll have many small achievements to celebrate and  before you know it, that big old wall doesn't seem so hard to knock down...in fact, there's not much hard work left at all.

So that shall be the approach this year....one thing at a time, baby steps if you wish.

Lazy Sunday

There is something so lazy about a Sunday.


It's almost an unwritten law that sleep ins, long hot coffees, cigarettes and the newspaper are indulgences that anyone can be forgiven for - on a Sunday.

The coffee tastes richer, the food is much more comforting, and the chirping of the birds is just that little bit chirpier.

Sitting here at a cafe, feeding the birds and sipping on a hot frothy chai latte, I am the most content I have been all week.

Damn you Sunday, why do you have to end?

Keep calm and TYPE ON!

I just knew that my first 'official' blog would be more of a vent! It takes a lot to make me wear my cranky pants, and this afternoon they are on good and proper.

One of my favourite stationary stores 'Typo' is being asked to removed their 'controversial' products from their stores due to it being deemed offensive.

For those of you unfamiliar with this particular store, let me paint a picture for you.

Quirky, eccentric, bold, vintage, incredibly kitsch, a little erotic, house, home, study - STATIONARY.

Typo made a public statement today explaining that their original marketing strategy was not in any way aimed at 'children', but had the younger adult generation in mind as possible customers. This is very obvious in their stores, the look and feel of their retail outlets is very much more of a mature vibe and there are hardly any products which the average 'child' would find of interest - unlike such other stores as Smiggle, or the stationary sections in OfficeWorks, Target, Newsagents and other obvious stationary stockists who do provide specific products for children.

They also went on to say that although they will continue to produce the majority of their designs, they will remove the items deemed 'controversial' from their shelves.

Well this is what I think of that...

For anyone that walks into any store, at their own free will, and finds anything they don't like or that they feel is offensive, controversial or otherwise - LEAVE and don't shop there. Turn your politically correct self around and walk back out the door that you CHOSE to walk through in the first place. It's as simple as that. Don't get yourself into a fluster, and more so, don't ruin it for everyone else who doesn't have a problem.

If you have concerns your child may enter this same very store and have their 'innocent' little minds corrupted, WAKE UP TO YOURSELF and realise that nudity is normal, there is far worse language spoken in the school yards (yep, even in the most religious or strictest of schools) and you are more likely to find more offensive images by watching the NEWS or MTV.

If we continue to let these fearful muppets censor our art, our style, our STATIONARY, what will they want next?

Get a sense of humour, get a life and GET your ignorant outlooks on life LOST!

Twenty Twelve

So I've decided to do things differently this year; I've decided to let it all out....hence this blog.

I figure that others do it, so why can't I? I mean, I've always had an opinion or a story to tell, it's generally always been different to that of most others' and I'd love the comfort of knowing that there may be others out there who can identify with it.

So here I am :)

Twenty Twelve will be the year for trying new things, stepping outside my (incredibly cosy) comfort zone, for taking some chances and hopefully for some big fat pay offs in return.

Remember not to sweat the small stuff, enjoy every moment for what it is for it is over before you know it.

Stress less, smile more, sing, dance, don't be afraid to let go......and always get a good nights sleep :)

Here are my 5 rules for 2012 - inspired by the website marcandangel.com (if you EVER need some inspiration, motivation or life coaching tips, I'd suggest you jump on for a sticky beak...it's pure brilliance!)......

• Start giving your ideas and dreams a chance. Turn your thoughts into actions, find what works and find what brings you joy.

• Spend more time with the people that make you feel good, happy, safe, accepted, inspired, ALIVE! Don't waste time with those who do nothing than leave you feeling exhausted, confused, drained and frustrated. Life is too   short and isn't meant to be this tiring.

• Be yourself – genuinely & proudly; Stay true to your ideas, thoughts, feelings, beliefs, values & outlooks. Feel good in knowing that they are there and yours to own as you have earned them through life experiences.

• Create your own happiness. No one else can do truly do this for you. Share this happiness with others and be grateful for every moment & every smile.

•  Grow - Stay curious about the world around you; learn new things, embrace diversity & be actively involved. Don't ever get complacent or put things in the 'too hard' basket.