Frosty the Snowman

Big yaaaawn! Saturday morning and after a busy few weeks I think I deserve a lie in! …. As I look outside from the gaps in the curtains, I see the gorgeous blanket of snow. Perfect! Plus its -5 degrees outside so not much going to be happening out there, might as well just take the opportunity to relax.


Hmm, yeup, sounds too good to be true, right? It was just TOO perfect. I decided to ‘utilise’ the bathroom. Actually to be precise I NEEDED to, I don’t think anything less than needing something was going to get me out of bed. And that’s when I realised that we had lost access to the basic amenity of running water! AARGH!!!!

Now, if you live in the UK, you’ll know that even the lightest snowfall means all services shut down. Our airports were closed all day, in fact they still aren’t fully operational and even some shopping centres had to close! (Do they know its nearly Christmas?!$*)…. So what was the likelihood of me getting a plumber to come to my rescue? While my husband Rishi, put his faith in a plumber battling the snow to save us … my panic grew every minute that passed by. How I longed for the tip tap of water in the sink…. Human’s NEED water to survive, dammit! I couldn’t wait any longer, so I did what every other panicked person would have done in this situation, I turned to Google! Google would have the answer!

“Frozen pipes” –> SEARCH!

And lo and behold there were several handy man, and women, describing the exact situation I was in, with some home remedies to resolve this emergency! What great suggestions they were too:

1. Heat up wet towels and put over pipes

2. Pour boiling water over pipes

3. Put hot water bottles on pipes

Not sure if you’ve noticed, but all the solutions above, involve the usage of water. Um, didn’t they see my problem, NO RUNNING WATER!!! Hellooo?

Luckily, Rishi had an old bottle of water abandoned at the back of the car. So we prepared a hot water bottle and went out to defrost our pipes!…. Did I mention that our pipes were outside in the -5 degrees cold, where the snow was falling at a faster and faster pace?!!! Yes, well, after psyching myself to step out in to the white abyss, I bundled up, opened the door and bravely put my foot out in to the snow…

Now you may be expecting that I felt the cold and gave up, but no, I actually got excited. The snow was a lovely, powdery white, so pure and pretty. Perfect for ….a snow fight?!

It’s like all the worries had just blown away with the snow and the big kid inside me came out to play. So while Rishi diligently lay the hot water bottle across the frozen over pipe, I hurled snowball after snowball at him! What fun?! My hands were becoming more and more numb, my hair was changing to snow white, but who cared? How often do we get the chance to just STOP. And enjoy ourselves like little kids, not worrying about anything, because even if you wanted to do this or get that done, YOU CAN’T! Fantastic.

Natures’ way of telling the world, take a break. Chill out!

Right, so getting back to my point, this was the most ideal opportunity to tick one of my 101 in 1001 days tasks. No 71. Build a Snowman.

This was the first time I had done this in my life. How did 27 years just pass away without building a snowman! I must rectify the situation immediately. What you have to understand about me though, is that just because this was my first time, didn’t mean that this snowman could be anything less than perfect. Not one of those little, midget snowmen who aren’t well rounded. Nope, mine had to be one of the best snowmen ever. Let’s get to work then!

Hmm, not so easy! I battled the snow falling in my eyes, the numbness in my fingers and toes and fought on to build the best snowman ever; and bl***y h**l was it hard work. How did the little kids do it?

At some point, when the snowman still looked like a raised mound on the grass, I realised it really didn’t matter whether it was the best snowman ever. I was having so much fun working together with Rishi and letting my mind focus on just enjoying itself, my energy levels were instantly boosted. All that mattered was making the most out of this crazy morning and this beautiful opportunity. I didn’t need to sleep in. By being outside in the fresh air, warmly wrapped up ofcourse, laughing, playing and generally clowning around, I’d given my mind and body more than any extra hours of sleep would have done.

I felt fabulous.

A word of warning though, before you attempt to have this level of fun. This energy boost may lead you to try out more activities which are outside of your original comfort zone. I have evidence of such behaviour. Exhibit A below: Me as a snow angel!

Yes that’s right, I lay down in the freezing cold snow, while snow was STILL falling and flapped my arms and legs around.

I highly recommend the focusing on enjoying yourself, and having so much fun that your energy levels sky rocket, but you have been warned, you may do more than you ever imagined you could or would before!

Until next time…..

Ok, Ok, I’ve got to be honest…. I’m actually really proud of myself! I mean how cool is the snow angel?! LITERALLY! If this is what getting out of the comfort zone feels like, I don’t ever want to be in it! 🙂

101 Things to do in 1001 Days (less 3 days!)

As I continued on my path of self-discovery, to find my passion and establish a way of earning an income from it…. (fyi still not totally clear on the passion), I came across some truly inspirational blogs… and I had some serious blog envy…. People were out there making their lives happen, and some guys were out there achieving things which many of us, having lived the city lifestyle, would think is just plain silly.

I mean wouldn’t it be ridiculous to spend your life travelling the world like a gypsy? That’s just not practical! Or what about quitting your job to ‘find yourself’?  How about dedicating your life to charitable causes? Or consider something a little bit simpler like setting up your own business doing what you love?!!!

Hmm, I’d LOVE to do that, but I just CAN’T! Who’s heard that before? Or even worse, who’s SAID that before?

When did we decide to limit our capabilities? When did we decide that we can’t get what we want or be who we want to be?!

We can come up with loads of excuses for not being proactive and striving to achieve our dreams… “I have a mortgage”, “I have children now”, “I’m just too old”, “I’m too young”, “I dont have the money”, “I………”. The list of excuses can go on as long as you need it to, but will it really protect you from the risk of failure? Will it make you feel better that you gave up on your dreams? Or will you be in the last days of your life wondering, “What if…?”

The choice is yours and always has been. You are in the place you are now, and there is no changing that, history has happened, but the future is still out there, wide open, waiting for you to shape it……

So that’s what got me thinking, what is it that I want to achieve in my life?……. WHOA……MELT DOWN…. Thats quite full on, baby steps for me please……how about I just focus on what I want to achieve for this next stage in my life?

And that’s what made me start on my 30 before 30 list… a bucket list of some sorts I guess… but as my creative juices started flowing, (I didnt even know I had these) the list quickly began to grow. What had I been holding back on? So many exciting things to do! Could I really do all this? Did I have the time? ….. Well I actually have 1001 days (less 3) before the big 3-0… so that should be plenty of time, right? Why not upgrade my list and make it 101 things in 1001 days (less 3).

O yeah!!! Now that’s a challenge!!!

Aaah! Could I? Should I? Will I?

In the words of my Daddy “Just F*** IT” and the mighty Nike, “Just Do It”.

With inspirational words like that, there was no going back so low and behold, below I have my 101 things to do in 1001 days (less 3)…. it’s a list of all the cool, crazy and some just got to be done, bloody nuts things that make you think twice about doing it BUT you know you want to!!!!

There’s only a few mini rules:

  • The tasks have to be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined.
  • The goals must also be realistic.
  • But even more importantly the tasks have got to be JUICY…. they need to grab your interest and keep you interested. These tasks have got to stretch you other wise it’s just no fun!

I envision, big jumps of joy, mad hugging of strangers, perhaps even some fear tears but most of all a sense of kick ass achievement when I rock my way through these…..

THE LIST

Activities
1    Conquer my fear and do a sky dive!
2    White water rafting in level 5 rapids or on a waterfall
3    Go diving
4    Run the NY marathon
5    Try surfing
6    Bathe under a waterfall
7    Shoot a gun
8    Sleep under the stars/camp on a beach
9    Ride on a motorbike or moped
10    Go rock climbing
11    Learn to do a cartwheel
12    Send in a photo of myself for a modelling job!
13    Send in a photograph to a photography contest
Career
14    Own my own successful business
15    Find my passion in life
16    Create and market a training course
17    Journal progress on my 101 things on my blog…and publish it
18    Create a 5 year career/business plan
19    Earn a 1,000 followers/readers for my blog
20    Learn how to put videos on my blog and do it!
Charity
21    Volunteer to teach English as a foreign language abroad
22    Donate blood (and be healthy enough to do so)
23    Buy a homeless person a meal
24    Donate £1 to charity for each task I complete
25    Donate £3 to charity for every item on the list not compelted.
Education
26    Learn to speak Spanish so that can hold a reasonable conversation with a Spanish person!
27    Go on courses/training so that can progress in my career
28    Say ‘yes’ to 1 opportunity every month which normally would have said no to.
Health and fitness
29    Do yoga for 30 days in a row! 30 day bikram yoga challenge
30    Touch my toes without bending my knees
31    Learn Tai-chi or another martial art
32    Do a bridge position with an actual curve
33    Exercise 3x a week (except when abroad)
34    Be able to do 3 pull ups
35    Have a candelit bath…. not sure why this is in my health and fitness, but hey ho!
Hobbies
36    Audition for and act in a professional play, pantomine, production, movie or tv show
37    Learn to sing as well as Rishi does
38    Go horseriding again and enjoy it!
39    Practise singing (where possible) every day even if its for 5 minutes
40    Go to a pole dancing class.
41    Go to a lap dancing/strip tease class.
Home
42    Update my driving licence to have my new name and address!
43    Get curtains for the house
44    Buy plants for the front of the house and keep them alive!
45    Take 3 amazing photos to blow up and put up in the house
46    Buy an amazing lounging chair for the bedroom
Finance
47    Earn a sustainable £x per year doing something I love
Food
48    Learn to make amazing daal
49    Master the recipes for a three course, from scratch, indian meal
50    Cook a meal for my whole family (Rishi’s and my side)
51    Try sushi (Vegetarian) in Japan
52    Try 3 new foods that I wouldnt usually.
53    Bake homemade bread
54    Make a chocolate fondant
ME
55    Love, trust and appreciate myself.
56    Answer the 50 questions that will free your mind!
57    Write letter to myself to open in 1001 days
58    Take sexy photos of myself… Keep them somewhere safe.
59    Make a list of 101 things I have already achieved in my life.
60    Make peace with 3 people I have let upset me.
61    Write a list like this for the next ‘part’ of my life
62    Celebrate the last night of my 20’s in style!
63    Make a list of 101 things I am grateful for.
Random
64    Move to/live in southern California or New York for atleast 3 months.
65    See and be up close to a real live volcano
66    Make a scrap book of my wedding photos
67    Inspire someone else to create their own 101 things to do…..
68    Carve my name on a tree
69    Send anonymous flowers to someone having a tough day
70    Pee outside
71    Build a snowman
72    Go for one week without swearing. £1 in a jar for every time I swear which I have to give to someone I dislike
73    Watch the Godfather trilogy
74    Do a hollywood wax
75    Brush my teeth twice a day for 30 days
76    Get through one week without pressing snooze on alarm clock
77    Get up early and watch the sunrise
78    Sing in a karaoke bar
Relationships
79    – (censored)
80    Have a baby/be pregnant by the end of the time period!
81    Make a list of 101 reasons I love and appreciate my husband Rishi.
82    – (censored)
83    – (censored)
84    Spend a romantic afternoon in the park with Rishi
85    Play on the Wii or any other game once every month with Rishi or my brothers or friends
86    Go out for a coffee with my Mom and Dad at least once every 3 months
87    Invite friends over to the house for an eating party of some sort (tea, brunch….)
Spirituality
88    Be in the presence of a Swami/Guru who gives untold wisdom on spiritual enlightenment and follow what he/she says to do for at least the remaining time in the 1001 days!
89    Fast for a full day (Midnight to following day morning)
90    Smile and remember to be thankful for something every day
Travel
91    Go travelling backpacker style
92    Visit a paradise beach location e.g. Maldives and stay in a luxury hotel/villa.
93    Visit Vietnam and Cambodia
94    Go to Japan
95    Walk the Great Wall of China
96    Chill out on the beach that is in the movie “The Beach”… Ko phi phi
Treats
97    Buy a pair of Louboutins
98    Enjoy a massage… Mmm
3 wishes
99    …
100 …
101  …

I’ve left 3 wishes at the end to add in any BIG things that I really want to do, but they got to be really cool or important!!!…. ok, ok, truth is, it took me 2 days to get to the list of 98 things to do, so I’m leaving the rest to divine inspiration….

If you do have any suggestions with the above, or have created your own list, perhaps a 30 before 30, 12 before 2012, 69 before you get pregnant, or 101 before you hit the old bucket…… whatever floats your boat, I would love to hear from you!

I’m hoping that by you joining me for this ride, and getting involved in all the madness, we can inspire each other to stop putting off our goals and seize the day! WOOP WOOP!!!

Alright, that’s it….. let the countdown timer begin! EEEKKK!!!

Thank you World!

In the era of the internet, we often hear that ‘the world is your oyster‘, we have the ‘world at our manicured fingertips‘…you can do just about anything you want as the world is now accessible to you through one little cable and a laptop.  However, as I set about on my journey to discover what it is that I really want to do my life, there are often times when I feel, that its less about making friends with the world and more like “me against the world!”

How often have you felt that in your pursuit of happiness, you seem to be the only one in the world struggling while everyone around you charges on with their lives? Be it a successful new business, a promotion, more fun in their social lives, or perhaps they just got those new pair of shoes which you would have loved! While they seem to be going in flow with the world, you’re the one left behind, stumbling through the alley way, looking for the sign that tells you you’ve hit the highway.

But does it really matter whether our neighbour has a better car, or your colleague got a fantastic new job or even that you’re best friend is having way more sex than you?! (well maybe the last one should matter! 😉 )

I guess you got to wonder, why can’t we simply be content with what we have?  It’s not that bad is it? If we are going to compare ourselves, why don’t we compare ourselves to those worse off than us? The point is, we may not have the same as the few around us, but we could have had a whole lot worse.

So I for one am going to take time out today to say, I’m grateful. I’m grateful for the roof over my head, the car that gets me from A to B (just about), the healthy heart, body and mind I’ve been blessed with, the great support system around me and for me just being crazy ol’ me!…. O and ofcourse, thankful for the internet for letting me rant to the world through my blog!

Hmm, feel a big smile coming on! 🙂

New Era, New Habits

Yep that’s right, I’m on my own…. no job to support me, no monthly income to spend on the latest trend-setting clothes and no bosses to please with a smile here and a compliment there!

So does it feel like a massive weight has been lifted of my shoulders you ask? Is freedom from the rat race all I’d imagined it to be? ….. Uh NO!!!

It’s amazing how our perspective of things can be so drastically different to the reality.

Despite spending time and money looking at everything from the ‘grow your own business from home’ products to seminars where the speaker says they will do everything for me and I just have to sit at home and ‘scratch my ass’, I still don’t appear to be spending my Wednesday afternoon at a golf course. Ok, ok, I’d prefer the spa, but you know what I mean.

The point is, something is just not right.

Having had time at home to analyze the businesses of the successful and compare them to the thousands of failed self-starters, reality is rearing its ugly head in my face. I’ve realized, its not that I don’t have the right products or access to the right people, and you know what, it’s not that I’m not capable… And just because I’ve been working from 8am to 2am the next day, does not mean I have any more chance at succeeding in the business than the next guy. In fact, I’m actually sabotaging myself.

How is my brain supposed to function when I’ve been up for an ungodly amount of hours? How is my body supposed to stay upright in front of my computer when I’ve hardly had any breaks? How am I supposed to feel motivated if the only interaction I’ve had with humans, is watching videos online or stalking people on facebook? It’s just not going to happen!

We’ve had it ingrained in our heads that if we work hard, we’ll do well. But does working hard mean working long hours? It might work in the short term, but at some point, it’s going to switch. We will no longer be motivated and quitting will be at the forefront of our mind. We’ll be sitting in front of the computer, but be thinking about spending time with our family. We’ll be out with the family and be thinking about what work we should be doing. How can we succeed if our mind is elsewhere?

What we need to be doing is giving our body and mind the energy they need so that when we get down to work, we are playing full out, a 100% all the way. I don’t want to be working 12 hour days and I’m guessing neither do you. In fact, that is why I quit my job. The truth is that the most successful people spend 1 hour working productively for every 2 to 3 hours we spend slaving away.  They’re working smart, while we’re working ‘hard’. Put simply, by changing our habits, we too can become better at using our energy more efficiently so that we work for a shorter time but achieve a whole lot more! Instilling these productive habits, allows the success and freedom we’ve been craving to become almost inevitable.

So, I’m clearing the decks and making way for the new smarter, healthier, productive me!! Who’s with me?