One Sparkly Life

Hi all, It's such a great feeling to know that I have a place to to put my thoughts. Whether anyone reads them, or takes them on board, isn't really the point. It's about a safe place to download and share. The good, the bad, the exciting and the ugly. While those close to me will know that the last 12 months have been tough and the last 6 more so, others will probably not have noticed a change in the business as usual version of me.  (aside from a lack of posting anything). Up until recently, I prided myself on that. On projecting that veneer to the world that everything is ok. But honestly inside I am sad. And it made me realise that we put on this veneer, this mask as if being the real version of ourselves would not be liked and accepted. That people would shun us and think less of us for showing our really feelings and our real lives. In this day of social media and the desire to share the best bits of our lives with everyone (those we know and those we don...

Having spent my weekend immersed in Stars Hollow with our favourite mother and daughter duo, I have now rejoined my reality and have had sufficient enough time to digest this next (and possibly last) instalment of my favourite TV family. I, like many others of around a similar age, spent the early 2000s religiously tuning into Gilmore Girls each week to get my fix of the latest caffeinated goings on in Stars Hollow. While Lorelei and Rory were closer in age than my mum and I, we did share a similar synchronicity of our relationships. We too spent plenty of time together shopping and enjoying hanging out. Though it is only now that i have developed a taste for coffee that we too can share this. So it was with excitement that we sat down Friday night to see what the last 9 years had held for our beloved Lorelei and Rory. Would Lorelei and Luke have finally got together? What adventures and accolades would Rory achieve on the Obama campaign trail as she pushed to dizzying ...

It seems that every time I sit down to write an update or post that so much time has past since the last one. How does that happen?? At least I am consistently inconsistent. :) February and March both flew by with me taking on some temporary work alongside looking for a new role. This has seen me work a full week plus find time to write applications and attend many interviews. While friends say I should be positive about the fact that I am getting lots of interviews and many 2nd interviews, I have to admit to it being rather draining to be switched on so often. The constant selling of my skills and trying to read between the lines and figure out what the recruiter/HR team are really looking for is taking its toll on me. Why do people ask such inane questions and how do these really showcase whether I can do the job or not? It's also rather demoralising to come 2nd so many times. I have lost count in the last 8 weeks how many roles I have applied for and how many I have been...

Another month has flown by and we are already in the middle of February. Why does time go so fast as I get older? January was a month of craziness. I started the year with a cast iron desire to stand up for myself and not sell myself short. My first act in this was to hand in my resignation to the that was draining everything from me. Thankfully my contract included only a 1 week notice period so Monday morning I booked a meeting with the CEO and by Friday I was waving goodbye. While this brought a massive sense of relief that no longer was I being hammered in a toxic environment, the reality of what I had done started to sink in. I had thrown in my job with no back up plan. No savings and no other job to go too! Ahhhh sheer craziness and a sure sign of just how drained I was being there. It has been a long time since I had done something so foolhardy without a plan. But I had enough cash to pay the next 2 months of rent and a new enthusiasm for myself. My first week was a joyous...

I have had many posts running through my head all month and can't seem to focus long enough to get any of them out and onto the screen. And today I read a blog post by LittleGreyBox on c hasing your dreams and it just clicked with me. There is no deadline and no real life threatening issues that are holding me back from doing the things i really want.  Take this blog for example - There is nothing that says I have to post every day or every week to make this a success. While in my head I know that at least semi regular posts will keep you interested, the truth is that it is my self imposed 'rules' that are making me agitated and anxious. I do lie awake and stress about my lack of posts. I have little notes around my desk on post ideas and a draft post schedule just waiting for me to commit too. So today I realised it's ok. While it would make sense to keep my posts regular and on a particular theme its ok if they aren't. It's my blog, my voice and my own way...

Woo Hoo! A little excited as I logged into the Blog today to see I have had 1,000 page views! yay! Thank you to everyone has has stopped pst to read a little or a lot of my journey. Like all Bloggers, I sit here writing my thoughts and sharing pieces of myself and wonder if anyone cares or who has tuned in. Such a great milestone to pass for me. So thank you! And while I am talking milestones, there are only 5 more sleeps till i head off to the USA. So excited to see my first glimpses of this amazing nation. My man's son has been lucky enough to be picked as part of an under 15s baseball team that is participating in a tournament in South Carolina and we are tagging along. So we roll into Dallas, Texas for a few days, then onto Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the tournament. Then the team depart and we move align to Cleveland, Ohio to watch the beloved Indians play 7 home games, just in case we haven't seen enough baseball by then. As you can tell it is a very ...

It's coming up to a year since moved house back into an area that I feel more represents who I am, who I want to be and the things in life I like and want. It is also coming up to another Birthday and like almost every year in the last 5 or so years, I ponder a little and spend some time reflecting.  Like most people, I do the goal setting and looking back on my achievements around New Year but I also seem to do a lot of self reflection around my birthday. I think it is has something to do with being another year older. While New Year is a chance for new beginnings and new habits, my Birthday brings along a reminder that I am not quite where I want to be in life yet. I bit of slap in the face some times as to the dreams and hopes i have and the distance I still have to go to achieve them. I hate to utter the words life crisis but the melancholy i approach my impending special day with lately seems to fit in this category. Go...

I came across this post on Marc and Angel Hack Life  about the 40 Regrets you don't want to have when you are 40 and I just had to share. I hope that you enjoy reading them and take notice. Combination of amazing, common sense and light bulb moments of reading. Enjoy. See original post here . Spending too little time with the right people.  – Sooner or later, you just want to be around the people who make you smile.  So today, spend time with those who help you love yourself more.  And remember, the people you take for granted today may be the only ones you need tomorrow.  Never be too busy to make time for those who matter most. Not making your loved ones smile more often.  – The most beautiful thing is to see a person you love smile, and even more beautiful is knowing that you are the reason behind it. Not saying what you need to say.  – Speak up.  Don’t hide your thoughts and feelings, especially when you can make a difference.  Be b...

Another year has begun and a new list of goals is ready to be implemented and achieved. a review from last years goals , left me feeling excited about how many things I had achieved and how many doors I opened. This has put me in mind to make this year an even bigger year. I came across an idea a few weeks ago to pick one word for the year. After much thought I think that my word for 2014 will be -  This year is all about adventure for me. I am looking at all my goals and I think the underlining theme this year is about experiences and adventures. Doing new things, opening my eyes to new worlds and meeting new people. In reflection I think my word for last year was GROWTH. Last year was full off ups and downs, with some great wins that did take their toll on me. Though overall I say I am in a better place than previous but the gains have been hard won. Let's see how I go with achieving my goals for this year. Business - I am working on a little idea aro...