Tag: Health

Being less busy

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When you live in the city (any city) you tend to forget how it feels to do less. Your every being is aching to do less, have more time, enjoy more, have more fun, but due to obligations it just never happens.

So……here is my story and the wonderful affect it had on our lives when we started doing less, being less busy, and just be…..I always needed more hours in the day of what is available, I was always late, I was always speeding (I had a file for all my speeding tickets), and I constantly had a feeling of being rushed. All the things that give you lots and lots of stress, headaches and unhappiness. I never had time to spend quality time with my children, because by the time I see them it was late and we still had to make and eat dinner, bath and be in bed on time in order to start early the next day and just do it all over again.  We lived for weekends, when we can just have a little bit of less rushing around, however there were still the grocery shopping (which in itself is one big torture). Just imagine your Saturday morning start with searching for parking for an hour, shuffling in a grocery store because there are so many people, and then again standing in a queue to pay all your groceries for another hour.  That is not a live!!

Luckily we are in the position to relocate anywhere in the world. I can’t really work anymore, but have lots and lots more time to do the things that really make me happy. (like writing, painting, gardening) We have lots of open space around us, about 5 hectare, no traffic and I can do my groceries anytime of the day. Even though our income has decreased by half, our well-being, happiness and quality time with the kids has increased 3 times. It’s nothing to just sit on the patio and just BE – the only rushed thing that I must do is breathe – other than that I can just enjoy the peace and quite and beautiful views.

When we have friends visiting I can immediately see who are the ones that come from the city, and who are those who know the magic of doing less, enjoying live more, and appreciate being unbusy. The friends from the city can’t sit still for more than 10 min, then they must get up and do something. Don’t misunderstand me, I also love doing stuff and hate it to not have something to do, but doing nothing sometimes is also doing something.

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Go into this week with the attitude that your peace, your health of mind and your heart mean more than getting everything else done. That your smile matters. That feeling rested matters. That holding the hand of your loved ones matter. So pause lots, function at a pace that doesn’t pull you apart. Honour the things that make your feel good inside, the things that make you feel alive. Give time to those things this week. Make time the fit it is, by giving it to what really matters to you. – S.C.Lourie from Butterflies and Pebbles

Please follow BecomingUnbusy. It gives my inspiration everyday.

Vellies

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I notice that there is a new fad these days….a “vellie-craze”. I remember when I was still a youngster, “vellies” were the shoe to wear, and then it died a drawn-out death while all the new fashionable shoes came on the market. But, these days they’re really making an entrance again and you get the most beautiful designs, in the most beautiful colours. I’m certain when you put them on your feet it’s like walking in a spa, where only your feet gets pampered all day long.

Even though I’m sure they are very comfortable, and they look great with any outfit (after all wearing flats are in) I’m still a little bit hesitant to get a pair. You see I’m one of those, the crazy people, well, I would think the more healthier people. The I-don’t-eat-meat-people, therefore I don’t kill animals. So….to get your beautifully designed “vellies” I’m sure a 100+ cattle must have been slaughtered to make them. (Well, these days you never know….it might even be a little donkey that were under the knife).

So, since the fad has started I have these very contradicting emotions about getting a pair. You see, I don’t eat meat, BUT….I love beautiful things. I love natural materials….like cotton, silk, wool, and leather, and I hate ‘fake’. This really makes it very difficult for me.

After a very long restless night I’ve decided NOT to get a pair. Like food, there are a lot of other shoes I can wear which is as comfortable and as pretty as the “vellies” you find these days. Therefore I don’t have to be part of the new fad, I don’t have to get a pair, and I will be OK wearing any other pretty shoes.  After all I don’t like it to always jump on the bandwagon with everybody else……I would rather do my own thing, follow my own style, and still be comfortable in my own skin. Knowing I didn’t share in the enjoyment of wearing something that was made of another living being’s skin.

After all, we are all unique and isn’t it better to be yourself, than jump in the fire with the rest of the clan.

Just a big, fat thanks!!

I love beautiful photographs and images, as well as expansive collections. All the wonderfull stuff people display on shelves fascinates me. Images on my site enhance my posts and therefor I would like to say a big, fat thanks to Pinterest for all the beautiful photos and images of our lovely ‘vellies’.

Slowing down & enjoying the simple life

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I just read that there is a new book on the market that everybody should read. It’s called THE SUBTLE ART OF NOT GIVING A F*CK by Mark Manson. In short, he focuses on the fact that life is hard, and that you must rather learn to deal with it and not just expect everything to be positive, to actually ignore the let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected our society. We’re busy spoiling our generation, by rewarding them gold medals just by showing up…and that ain’t on. Life is hard, and the secret is that you must enjoy, appreciate and be grateful for what you have, who you are and where you live.

The simple truth is that we are busy chasing things that aren’t real. Hence, my heading “slowing down & enjoying the simple life”, everybody is searching frantically for the best, most beautiful house, best clothes, fastest car….and if it isn’t working just go and buy a new one. We are teaching our children that everything is replaceable, that money can fix anything, and being the most beautiful, with the best hair due, best make-up and best-manicured nails are the things that make us happy….guess what, that isn’t true.

So…this year I’m pressing pause on a lot of things and rather live out my toolkit gained over the years. I’m sharing it with you, hoping that you will be able to take one of them home and live a better, happier life.

  • Define your goals and share them with family, friends and colleagues so that they can understand you.
  • Plan, plan, plan – set goals and review them. If you don’t have a plan how would you know when you get there?
  • Always be yourself – no-one else is better qualified.
  • Be happy – the purpose of life is happiness and the key to happiness is in your own hands.
  • Always continue to learn – you’re never too old!!
  • Say ‘I’m sorry’
  • Keep demanding excellence for yourself
  • Just be happy!!!

 

 

Frênds

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What would a woman do without her friends?

I never really had a best friend, I was always a loner and loved it, still do, but now that I’ve turned 40 (yes, it took me 40 years) I get to know the value, joy, love, and laughter there is in having a best friend or three.

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It was really tuff moving to a ‘plattelandse’ small town after growing up and working in the city with its high glass buildings and very important CEO’s. With luxurious shopping malls just around the corner; with all the comforts just a short drive away, but it was such an empty live. There was never time for a quick…or long coffee, and chat with a friend. Your best friends were your colleagues that work with you, and most of the time they didn’t even know where you live or how the inside of your home looks.

It took a while, but now, after we have gotten used to the slow life of the ‘platteland’, we have time to get to know people, the real people, not just the fancy cars, fancy dressed kids and presentations you see at work, but the actual people. You become part of their lives, and things like movie nights, braais that go on till sunrise and long coffee breaks in the afternoon, are what it is all about.

The best part of making and having real friends is the deep conversations. We talk about real problems and also try to solve them. We laugh at one another’s jokes, and silly moments and we appreciate each one’s “funny’s”. We accept the other person exactly how she is because, in the end, we are friends because we are the same. We feel the same about how we raise our children, what kind of food we eat, and how we decorate our homes. Our passions are the same, and we can share our heartache without feeling judged or ashamed.

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Even when we don’t see each other for more than 14 days we still talk as if we spoke yesterday.

That is what friends are for….for fun, laughter, love, and heartache.

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