Day 56 #600DayDiary : Finding positivity on painful days @NYR_Official #family #massage #love

I wasn’t really sure what to write here today at first….
If you look back at the introduction to this 600 Day Diary, this was originally intended to be about the journey I was on and the surgery I was facing – having been told it can take 2 years to fully regain strength after surgery.
Happily, I dodged the need for surgery 😀 – however, it seems I forgot that my natural healing journey still has a long way to go. I woke up about 3am in pain & discomfort.

Perhaps going back into the office environment?, beginning to socialise a little more again?, enjoying trying my clothes on / seeing my physical shape change & tone up ( as a lovely bonus to my physio & healing ) ??, coming off my medication? Perhaps a mix of all these factors?

I’m in pain, discomfort, not really able to settle & I guess … Frustrated with myself ...
Thankfully I have a wonderful loving family & my talented caring mum is visiting. She noticed the change in my mood & a dip in my usually positive disposition.
She offered me a loving gift that I’m so lucky she’s skilled at ❤
An aromatherapy massage using gorgeous Neal's Yard Geranium & Orange massage oil.

I’m still unsettled & puzzling as to where this set back is coming from, however I feel so grateful for my fab family & the gorgeous nurturing nourishing scents of geranium & orange x

Day 45 #600DayDiary : #HappyFriday – celebrating friends vintage wedding @vinteas @RevivalRetro

Today, was the last day of my 1st week back in the office
About 3.5hrs in, I’d suddenly do a time check – as I’ve been noticing pain & discomfort around then …. however, I am also noticing that it’s improving each day. As long as I keep doing my physio!!

So much has happened this week, as I get back up to speed with the things that have changed & the things I wish had changed – but are still the same 😉
So I loved spotting this quote today – it is so true :

More importantly – today is the wedding of my good friends. They chose to have a small afternoon ceremony & asked if I’d join them to be 1 of the witnesses.

I was honoured to be part of their day and I absolutely loved their wedding outfits. Both bride & groom looked very dapper 😀

The brides dress came from Revival Retro Boutique which
I definitely want to visit next time I’m in London!
And after a lovely ceremony we went on to Vinteas for a celebration afternoon tea & a few gifts

With plenty to go around

Their small wedding party had a lovely afternoon & I really enjoyed getting to meet the family of 2 of my good friends … We made a good effort clearing the plates too 🙂 The cream tea was especially popular.

A great Friday & a special day for a lovely couple xxx

Day 44 #600DayDiary : Shift your perspective, change your day.

Going back into the office this week, I expected it to be the physical tiredness that would be the main shock to my system

even though I’d been working from home, I guess I’d been working more on my timetable – so I found Mon – Weds pretty frustrating at how I wanted to nap the instant I got home & felt incapable of much more than preparing what I needed for the next day & then wanting to curl up and sleep!

What I wasn’t fully expecting was the wave of emotions – people sharing & physically feeling how tired many of them were. I was receiving comments about how relaxed & well I looked – and I was the one who had been in hospital & in pain … the impact of what they were saying wasn’t lost on me. The demands & expectations of our roles, our work, the deadlines, office politics – all came flooding back & well … Tuesday & Wednesday felt like the eye of the storm.

Thankfully, I had something pretty important to support me (as well as my lovely family) :
PERSPECTIVE
Keeping things in perspective, as well as reminding myself to take a moment to stop and shift. To see things from a different angle.

I suddenly realised I had been experiencing my day through ideas & emotions projected onto me by other people. Actually. My week had been pretty good. Monday night I’d gone out for a lovely catch up early dinner with friends

Tuesday I’d gone back to my bookclub and enjoyed the discussion (& been grateful for the earlier than usual finish), Wednesday I’d had a GREAT physio class & spent a lovely evening (& enjoyed another early night!) with family.
And by Thursday I was taking it more in my stride and enjoyed a fab catch up with a friend over a delicious indulgent hot chocolate, while we planned a party for later this year 😀

The 2 reminders I received today/this week so far:
1) when you are feeling more tired than usual, be more aware who you choose to spend your time with – energy boosting friends/colleagues – avoid the energy zappers until you have to/are back on full power 😀
2)

Day 41 #600DayDiary : Focus, priorities & putting your needs first @TEDxBrum @twiningsTeaUK

I originally started this post on Monday – 11th August – my 1st day back into the office, after a period of working from home due to an injury. I’m completing it today reflecting how I felt at that point … Although the week moved around pretty quickly 🙂 ❤

Today I went back into not this exact space, something fairly similar though

I got in early and before I realised I’d gone into office mode – I was checking emails, looking at meeting schedules, prioritising my day ….

Thank goodness, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted this

A box of herbal tea. I had begun my 1st day back in the office environment and had already forgotten my intention- to put my needs first.
It shifted my whole day 🙂 I went & made a cuppa, watered my neglected plants (thank you to the colleagues that had attempted to keep them alive 🙂 ) and wrote out the list of the many things that were flooding into my awareness, now I was physically in the office.
Then I went to chat & catch up with a few colleagues – to catch up & hear what had been going on for them – before taking another look at my list and choosing out of the many things I’d written, what I would selectively decide to complete that day.

It may sound very British – I allowed myself the time, with that cup of herbal tea to bring myself back to what I wanted from my day, how I wanted to go about it & who I wanted to be, while I was going about my day 🙂

Then I got home & spotted the release of tickets for a local TEDx Brum event in November – with a very interesting theme (see the cover photo of this post).
DIY felt very apt, on a day when I had done it myself – I had created my own intention & choice of how I wanted my day to go & I had achieved that …. With a little help from some camomile & peppermint tea 🙂

Day 34 #600DayDiary : What’s your intention? The importance of laughter :)

I’d got into a routine I’d liked 😀 each morning creating my list of the top 3 things I wanted to achieve that day and not adding anything else onto the list until the 3 things I’d chosen were complete. The list doesn’t have to be all chores 🙂 In fact, it’s better if it’s not motivated by a sense of ‘duty’ – instead a list of 3 things you really know you want/desire/intend to achieve that day e.g. I included sunbathing one day 😉

Consciously choosing my priorities and how I intended to spend my time each day. It felt good. And then, as with any habit, you can slip out of it … I have had family come to stay and I suddenly realised my daily intention setting kept being put on the back burner. I was fitting around others or going with the flow and that’s fine, as long as you are consciously choosing too! 😉

I got a great reminder of this while I was editing a recent radio interview with Nick Chaeng – the Master Ding Academy – Midlands representative
You can here the interview on my Mixcloud by clicking here

Nick starts the interview by quoting Master Ding, we’d been chatting about the importance of laughter and he said “If you make it too serious the energy cannot flow”.
That really resonated with me as I listened again …. I realised – It was time to infuse some laughter into my day 😀

So glad I created the time in my day to edit this radio clip. Not only is it something I enjoy doing, I wanted to share it and it brought me a great reminder about intention & laughter – as well as of the great Tai Chi workshop we’d experienced

Day 31 #600DayDiary : Family time & great to see my sister so excited about her future :D

1st August, what will you enjoy this month?

July felt like lots of clearing & a bit of a healing rollercoaster 😀
I’m still healing & this is the phase to keep my expectations in check!
As mentioned in a prior post …. Gotta keep up with my physio each day, as I’m getting back towards “Claire power” 😀

A real blessing of this time has been my family, with our ups & downs – the fact we all deeply care, love & respect each other – is wonderful and we realise how blessed we are. We have our moments 🙂 Who doesn’t?
However, we ❤ each other and spending time together.
As I'll soon be going back to work full time & my dad starts a new job next week – we decided to have a full day off this week & go somewhere new.

The header photo of today's diary is my photo in the grounds of Blenheim Palace
A lovely relaxing day and the weather was kind. We sat on the terrace enjoying a coffee, basking in the late afternoon sun & watching some people setting up for a cricket match – all felt very civilised 🙂
You convert your day ticket into an annual pass, which makes it all the more relaxing – as we decided just explore the grounds at whatever pace was comfortable – enjoy a picnic lunch & we can always go back to visit the Palace itself in the autumn/winter 🙂

I used to love that when I lived in Paris – the Louvre is free 1 Sunday each month and so for the 6 months I lived there, I went 6 times and saw a little at a time – or some parts twice 🙂 Much more relaxing than zooming around thinking you have to see it all that visit! Hmmmm feels like a deeper meaning in there somewhere 😀

My sister has been away this week – staying with my brother, who helped arrange work experience for her in Birmingham.
It was soooooo great to see her tonight. Arriving back home bursting to tell us all about it and feeling clear she’s on the right path. She’s on a journey of her own and it feels so exciting to see her lit up like that – the magical caring person she is.

A great start to the month 🙂
Hope your August is starting well too xx

Day 27 #600DayDiary : Great to be back in the physio groove!

Playing catch up today on my blogs! And also on my physio.
After my busily relaxing enjoyable weekend …. I realised …. 😮
I hadn’t done my physio exercise on either Saturday or Sunday!!

So I was clear this Monday morning what my priority was!
After breakfast, I created the meal plans for the week & then was just ready to do my physio as the sun came out. So I picked up my mat & took it outside. Lying under an apple tree (in my parents back garden)
I felt very grateful to have this gorgeous space, sunshine & setting and it felt good to be doing my exercises.

It was also lovely afterwards, when I went for a shower to be greeted by the scent of sweet peas, in a small display of home grown flowers my mum had put in the bathroom. Sweet peas have such a lovely delicate fragrance – feeling grateful for being here. She has such a great eye & gift for flower arranging & many other creative things ❤

It really made me reflect on how wonderful life is, when you allow & welcome colour to flood into it xx

Day 26 #600DayDiary : Celebrating & creating

After a blissful, relaxing, healing, fun, laughter & sunshine filled day at Barefoot Festival yesterday…..
Well, we had to get back for a party. 2 in fact!
Both luckily at the same venue in town, both leaving do’s. So, although I was chilled, relaxed and more thinking about hanging on at Barefoot Festival to watch the evening fun … We hot tailed it back, (spotting a Delorian on the way, which was quite exciting!)

When I arrived home, I wanted nothing more than to crash out, maybe have a bath & some dinner!
However…. 2 very lovely people were celebrating and we wanted to be there. How you show up is a choice! I was tired (& very relaxed!), so I put on some fab music and we began to get ready. We took our time 😀 and eventually arrived at 10pm. The perfect time to enjoy a few hours celebrations 🍸

So …when Sunday morning rolls around (today), I’m happy and yet very tired! I actually only had 2 gin & sodas while I was out ( oh, no, 3, I was very kindly bought 1) …. After that I chose to drink soda water … Still felt tired this morning though. 😉
That’s the celebrating part!

Creating … I was invited to co-host a radio show Sunday evening …. 9pm, and inbetween I needed to pack & travel up north.
However, I so wanted to enjoy the experience of co-hosting the show (over Google Hangout) that I made it work (with a little help 😀 )
Clay Lowe, Creative Director at Radio Warwickshire aka Soul Cruzer invited me to co-host his Musical Journey Show, sharing updates on what we’d been up to along with some great tunes.
I really enjoyed it!
2 long, busy, relaxing & new life experience filled days 😀
xx

Day 24 #600DayDiary : Choosing to “be” & allowing others to “be”

Just be.
2 simple words …. How easy do you find it just to “be”?
In fact, right now, I’m typing this on an ipad, with the TV on in the background (not my choice, I’d have radio or playlist 😀 )

Today, I spent some lovely time in the park, intending to read & then looking up and seeing the beautiful trees & river – I put my book to one side and allowed myself simply to “be”.

And it was lovely. So peaceful (in fact, my sister took a photo of me & someone made that comment … that I looked “peaceful”.) ,half an hour in the park, no phone, ipad, music or even a book. Just me. And that is enough.

Allowing others the space to be – that’s a lesson I’m increasingly learning/reminding myself of as well … I want to help, especially for those I love. ❤
And when they are blue, I feel it too. However I also understand that sometimes what people require is their own space , to be allowed to find their own path – even if I try & stand there with a torch.
Instead, a hug & to know you are there for them – that is what I choose to offer. And after a while they will be their true positive radiant selves again. ❤

Funny, I started this diary thinking it would be about physiotherapy & surgery – I am learning so much each day & know that during these 600 days my life will contain many more ‘growth opportunities’ 😀

an extra point :
Great news today in our family. 2 of my family who were waiting to hear back about jobs, got the jobs they applied for 😀 Yay!

Day 23 #600DayDiary : How To Be A Woman

There was quite a heavy feel to the start of the day, for one reason or another … So when this phrase popped into my head, I chose to focus on it Reasons To Be Cheerful 1,2,3

Choosing to recognise that someone else’s problems – whilst they may worry me – do not require me to be unhappy & I can’t always help or heal them.

Which brings me nicely to ….Caitlin Moran’s book published in 2011 – How To Be A Woman
I know, it’s been out a while, quick on the uptake hey! 🙂
It was actually discussed in May 2013 by our bookclub … I bought the book and started it and then had to travel with work and didn’t make the bookclub 😦
My initial reaction at the time is shown here on our event page
However for some reason today, when I picked a book to take to the park & read in the sunshine, I was drawn to this one.
And this time, I LOVED it. I valued, appreciated & laughed out loud at it.
So many quotable parts, however I just recommend you read it and I want to continue enjoying it 🙂

The chapter titles alone are fabulous. I’m only on Chapter 9 “I Go Lap Dancing” – however even that made me smile to remember when a friend asked to host a Burlesque (very different to lap dancing, of course!) and invite our French group – I actually received a written complaint from one of the group members, with vague threats if I allowed a burlesque night to be promoted via our group … (on the grounds she believed Burlesque to be degrading for women). I remember politely replying to ask, what was she basing this on? had she ever seen a burlesque show? …. When she admitted she hadn’t and I told her, I hadn’t either, so neither of us could make an informed judgement – it seemed to diffuse the situation 😀

Reasons to be cheerful: (In any day, there are always many more than 3 reasons to be cheerful 😀 ❤ )

1) A gorgeous summers day
2) A supportive encouraging doctors appointment
3) Some lovely time catching up with a friend, who had a lovely surprise to share with me
4) I dared myself & sent an email following up on a desire of mine (we shall see!)
5) Hearing my sister laugh ❤
6) A soak in the bath with a good book & bath salts
7) Getting all my physio exercises done
8) Oooh, losing 2lbs – that felt great this morning! 😀
9) Loving reading “How To Be A Woman”
10) Enjoying watching the series 2 finale of Nashville …

which, with it’s strong female characters, brings this full circle in some way to How To Be A Woman 🙂
xx