Hello & welcome to a new regular blog – ‘be happy it’s friday!’
I decided to change things up a bit. I miss my daily musings through blogging and been looking for inspiration on how to do it and what to write going forward. In a flash of inspiration,it came to me, so each Friday, I am going to take 30 minutes to write about life, happiness and health – all the things my life is about these days and a far cry from the dark days of grief and loss and the thealisandwiches.com. A place where I can continue to share what I am learning and experiencing in a positive and uplifting way and which I will hope will inspire you, as a reader to be happy and healthy too!
Be Happy – it’s Friday!
I know we shouldn’t just be happy on Fridays. We ‘should’ be happy every day, so all the happy guru’s say. But we live in a world where our kids go to school and the majority of the working world toils away Monday through Friday and the weekend is the time we get to spend with our family and our friends. It’s a different kind of happy. It’s a ‘down tools’ kind of happy. It’s time when we can put down a few of the juggling balls of life and pick up a nice glass of something and reflect on the week.
Today I am sat on my balcony surrounded by rambling roses, embracing the sun that has finally decided to show itself. I have imagined myself doing just this all week. … I imagined it while I was rushing around getting things ready for VIP visitors, juggling new projects, kids and multi-tasking which ended up in cooking disastrous meals and having to dash to the supermarket moments before it closed its doors. Last night as my guests arrived, everything was planned to the hour…
But as we know, nothing goes to plan and the Universe has other plans when we are white knuckling to stay in control. Tom, my eldest, got sick. A high grade fever, vomiting and unable to swallow; a sleepless night for the two of us meant my perfect plans for a Friday with my Legendary Dad and Step Mum were kyboshed.
So, here I am – reflecting at the end of this week realising it is the unexpected that causes the most stress. My dropped laptop adding additional pressure to back everything up to external apps, having to type this but then go back and add in spaces, capital letters and paragraphs as multiple keys don’t work. The re-plan when my car gets commandeered by my husband to ferry colleagues around. The poorly child who needs nurturing, loving and monitoring. Time and effort wasted on projects no longer moving forward.
But all of it has made me slow down. Strangely linked to the topic in the Heal Yourself Happy hub this week. A reminder to go with the flow, to single task (as Jeremy Clarkson so eloquently says – multi-tasking is the surest way to screw everything up) and focus on what really matters.
In preparation for the summer holidays, which for us starts next week, it is a clear reminder of Pareto’s law – to focus on the 20% that gives you 80% of the results/satisfaction and therefore happiness.
For all you jugglers out there – I recommend you watch this video and even get the book for your summer holiday lounger reading… ‘Do less’ with a view to achieving more.
By letting go of plans, of slowing down and sitting amongst the roses while my dad reads his book and we sit quietly, relaxed in each other’s company, as my son snoozes with his fever gently receding and my step mum bringing calm and beauty to all she touches, there is nothing else that needs doing and I have achieved 100% happiness.
