Hello everyone! Ah winter, where the weather is crisp, the nights are long and the skies are chilled blue. Whilst some of you will be kicking back and enjoying some well earned time off, this long weekend along with my fellow Adeladies I'm flying to Canberra to participate in Skate-turion an Australian Roller Derby Tournament of epic proportions. I'll be set to 2 modes predominately: battling it out on the track or warm and toasty rocking my devil onesie. It's set to be a super rad weekend.
To my fellow Adeladies, stay warm and be excellent to each other. In your honour I have located this music mix to release your inner badass.
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Friday, 7 June 2013
Friday, 22 February 2013
Feel Good Fridays
This past week has made me truly be grateful for the things I do have. My wonderful friends. My crazy yet caring family. My Alice in wonderland like obsession with art, travel & Roller Derby. But most of all the love of my life, my darling husband. Life is amazing with you all in it. Thank you.
Here are some fun songs to cheer up your day in celebration. x
Here are some fun songs to cheer up your day in celebration. x
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
New Years Resolutions
Last year I decided to start a resolution early to see if I could do it. The goal: to not buy anything unnecessary from October 31 until January 1st.
I pretty much followed a similar formula as summed up perfectly on Zen Habits Buy Nothing Challenge.
As a retail therapy junkie I found it an incredibly confronting challenge which made me realise my motivations to shop. Thankfully I've never been one to buy things on credit and kept it well within my means. But I did use it as a way to soothe my emotions. To treat myself when I was feeling stressed or blue. As a way to congratulate myself on a job well done. I bought gifts to show people how much I loved them. Because I just plain wanted something impulsively. Often once the rush of the purchase was over, I'd almost immediately feel buyers remorse later.
So to help myself in the challenge I turned off all of my email subscriptions, set myself a savings goal and kept myself distracted with friends and family, my new blog and anything else that didn't involve shopping. My mantra became 'just because you like it doesnt mean you want or need it'. I honestly didn't fully recognise at the time just how hard this whole experience was going to be.
First I realised how impulsive my purchases were. I became aware of the burning desire that crept up underneath my skin when I went shopping. Tempation was the devil and it was lurking deep inside of me. I found on some days I had to drag myself away literally before I was corrupted.
I made it hard for myself to shop. I no longer picked up a basket but held my mobile phone in one hand to make it really difficult to pick up more than one item. I banned myself from shopping websites. I banned myself from sales racks, shopping malls and op-shops. I wrote lists constantly of the things that I wanted as a way to help myself get through the emotions behind the motivation, to acknowledge the impulse and then let it go. I did a lot of breathing and counting down from 10 when I felt the temptations too strongly.
I became more present in the moment of shopping by asking myself a lot of questions. I was able to reassess what I really needed. Could I just make do with something for a little bit longer? Do I really need this item right now or could it wait until 2013? Do I already have one at home? Do I want it because I like it? Will I actually use it? A lot of the time I realised that I enjoyed the giddy rush of the hunt more so than the actual item itself.
I purchased only two unnecessary items during the entire challenge. I felt terrible and was honest with myself by telling my friends and family what I had done. Each slip up gave me a chance to learn from the mistake, assess my emotions at the time of purchase and be more motivated to not do it again. I found the desire and impulses to buy slowly diminished over time as I formed new habits.
So I did it, I went 2 whole months without shopping! I reached my savings goal and my bank accounts are looking peachy. Today for the first time in a long time I let myself go crazy and shop. I was able to reassess my needs and wants and was able to talk myself down from buying all the things that I'd been cataloging in my mind since the challenge started and instead bought one new dress to celebrate.
It has made me realise what is truly important in life does not include the things that you wear or the objects that fill your house. But simpler things like a relaxed and loving family, laughing with friends, challenging yourself to be a better person and striving to make a difference in the world or your little community. All of these things in the end are worth more to your life in the long run.
(image from the thecalmgallery.com if you are interested!)
I pretty much followed a similar formula as summed up perfectly on Zen Habits Buy Nothing Challenge.
As a retail therapy junkie I found it an incredibly confronting challenge which made me realise my motivations to shop. Thankfully I've never been one to buy things on credit and kept it well within my means. But I did use it as a way to soothe my emotions. To treat myself when I was feeling stressed or blue. As a way to congratulate myself on a job well done. I bought gifts to show people how much I loved them. Because I just plain wanted something impulsively. Often once the rush of the purchase was over, I'd almost immediately feel buyers remorse later.
So to help myself in the challenge I turned off all of my email subscriptions, set myself a savings goal and kept myself distracted with friends and family, my new blog and anything else that didn't involve shopping. My mantra became 'just because you like it doesnt mean you want or need it'. I honestly didn't fully recognise at the time just how hard this whole experience was going to be.
First I realised how impulsive my purchases were. I became aware of the burning desire that crept up underneath my skin when I went shopping. Tempation was the devil and it was lurking deep inside of me. I found on some days I had to drag myself away literally before I was corrupted.
I made it hard for myself to shop. I no longer picked up a basket but held my mobile phone in one hand to make it really difficult to pick up more than one item. I banned myself from shopping websites. I banned myself from sales racks, shopping malls and op-shops. I wrote lists constantly of the things that I wanted as a way to help myself get through the emotions behind the motivation, to acknowledge the impulse and then let it go. I did a lot of breathing and counting down from 10 when I felt the temptations too strongly.
I became more present in the moment of shopping by asking myself a lot of questions. I was able to reassess what I really needed. Could I just make do with something for a little bit longer? Do I really need this item right now or could it wait until 2013? Do I already have one at home? Do I want it because I like it? Will I actually use it? A lot of the time I realised that I enjoyed the giddy rush of the hunt more so than the actual item itself.
I purchased only two unnecessary items during the entire challenge. I felt terrible and was honest with myself by telling my friends and family what I had done. Each slip up gave me a chance to learn from the mistake, assess my emotions at the time of purchase and be more motivated to not do it again. I found the desire and impulses to buy slowly diminished over time as I formed new habits.
So I did it, I went 2 whole months without shopping! I reached my savings goal and my bank accounts are looking peachy. Today for the first time in a long time I let myself go crazy and shop. I was able to reassess my needs and wants and was able to talk myself down from buying all the things that I'd been cataloging in my mind since the challenge started and instead bought one new dress to celebrate.
It has made me realise what is truly important in life does not include the things that you wear or the objects that fill your house. But simpler things like a relaxed and loving family, laughing with friends, challenging yourself to be a better person and striving to make a difference in the world or your little community. All of these things in the end are worth more to your life in the long run.
(image from the thecalmgallery.com if you are interested!)
Thursday, 29 November 2012
by day but by night...
I might as well get it out of the way, yes I play Roller Derby and I love it. It is a huge part of my life so expect to hear a little about it from time to time. Lets be honest it was always going to appear on Pineapple Dazzle.
No I don't wear fishnets.
No I do not have any tattoos.
No I am not a lesbian. (Why does this matter anyway?)
Yes I am passionate about how physical & skillful the sport is.
Yes Roller Derby is widely stereotyped & overly sexualised in the media.
Yes the injuries & bruises are real.
Yes it's lots of fun to be involved & play!
I am one of the truly lucky ones to be apart of a fun-loving, supportive & nurturing league. I am inspired daily by the wonderful people that I have met since the beginning. It's these people who have grown to not only be my league mates but my closest friends. In saying that I have met even more truly incredible (men and) ladies around the world who have come to mean a lot to me too.
Shout-out to my lovely Derby wives around the world! *waves*
Roller Derby is a huge commitment of time (trainings, committee meetings, camps, public bouts, socials events, personal fitness) & does slowly take over your life. But the more you pour yourself into the sport, the more you engage & work hard for your league and team it has always in my opinion been worth it. 110%.
My league Adelaide Roller Derby, is currently going through its Fresh meat Program (aka recruits) and there are 60+ girls trying out who are honestly all really brave, tenacious, strong & really nice. Like beauty pageant nice. I wish we could bring them all into our league but that's just not possible.
So looking forward to the season beginning soon when I'm back on my skates full time. Until then I'll just have to make do with summer time outdoor adventure skates will my pals.
Thank you Matt Walker for use of your photo.
Monday, 26 November 2012
Thursday, 22 November 2012
Dream a little dream
Sarah and I caught up over a rare sunny lunch in the dying days of winter. So far she had quite a deflating & dejected year. Trying to make the best of a bad situation Sarah was updating me on her latest job prospects, a job interview set for 2 weeks time. It wasn't an inspirational dream job she was applying for but one of those keeping the toe in the water numbers. Sarah then told me about her wild & terrifyingly non-conservative dream of packing up a suitcase & moving to New York for 3 months to dance & absorb the wonderful city.
Sarah is a very rational person so she was caught up in a huge tug of war between head & heart. She had the means & the desire, all she needed was confirmation that her dream wasn't just the mad raving delusional ideas of a crazy woman. Sarah was in a lucky position the universe had given her the ultimate motivation to follow her dream.
In the end Sarah cancelled the job interview because she was already enjoying the leaves changing colour in New York. I'm so proud of her following her dreams of being a Ballerina. Even if it is only for a short period of time her life will forever be enriched. I keep my fingers and toes crossed that she finds a way to stay over there indefinitely.
She was made to be a New Yorker and follow her dreams.
Check out Sarah's blog
LVS
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