January 2018 Prompts: Reflecting, Aiming, Expanding, Focussing & Refreshing

*Click here to submit your own entry, and to read about what others are up to as well!

Reflecting

on my refreshing Aussie holiday! I spent two weeks visiting the western region, before joining my partner’s family for Christmas. It was a ball of a time, watching all the kids rip open their presents. Their energy and joy was pure, infectious, and also very exhausting 😉 They were definitely the highlight of the trip, and the main reason I wanted to go. Perth and Margaret River were relaxed with lovely beaches, and we even got to hang out with some adorable quokkas! I will do another separate blog post about this, with tips on road tripping and wine touring as a spoonie, so keep an eye out for that! 😉

^{A cute quokka on Rottnest Island}

^{A gorgeous day at Yallingup Beach}

Aiming

for more ‘normality’. Yes I know, there’s no such thing as ‘normal’ – I even wrote a whole essay about that! What I mean in that regard, is my hope for more consistency in my life this year. As we know, that’s not so easy with the unpredictability of chronic illness, but all we can do is aim and try! For starters, I’d like to seek out and take up more work again. And with everything I’ve learned from reading and blogging, I’d like to step into that with more awareness of my limits and self-worth. Beyond earning an income, I want to seek out balances in other areas of my life too; a tug against chronic illness so that life stays tight – hopefully without snapping of course 😉

Expanding

the blog! I have plans underway for a small online shop, which will include e-books, art, apparel and maybe a blogging course as well. *shameless plug* Do support me if you can! 😀 I would like to focus on health, wellness and chronic illness blogs, in hopes that ‘a more chronic voices’ will be heard, amidst the din of social media. As they say, every voice counts. These are just ideas in my head that have yet to be fleshed out, and I’m looking forward to turning them into reality, bit by bit as 2018 unfolds.

Focussing

on ‘self-discipline’ in the new year. We’ve all read articles on the importance and benefits of self-care and self-compassion. While I still think they’re important, at times having more discipline can also be beneficial for our overall wellbeing. For example, I could heat up a simple bowl of bone broth for dinner even if I’m unwell, as opposed to ordering Deliveroo. And I definitely need to work on my sleep hygiene, which will naturally increase the possibility of a good day ahead. This is an excellent article that explains why true self-care can be hard work, too.

Refreshing

my mind through books. I always have plans to read, but allow myself to get distracted. My recent trip was a wonderful reminder that it’s possible to simply sit, read and soak up the present moment. Having less access to the internet always helps 😉 One of the best ways to improve my writing and stimulate my mind is to read a wider variety of books. I have come to realise that there’s not really a better or worse genre; they all contribute to stretching our imagination and thus, our minds. Doing so encourages flexibility, empathy, humility, and intelligence in its various manifestations.

Thank you for reading, and I hope to read your responses for January’s prompts too! Click here to submit your own entry, and to read about what others are up to as well!

Pin It: