Hello dear reader, happy Wednesday!
How are you? How’s your week going?
I realised lately that whenever someone asks me how I am, my automatic response – without even thinking – is “I’m good thanks, how are you?”
I say it even when I’m not good. So when I ask you how your week is going, I want you to think about it honestly. If your week is going well, GREAT! If it’s shit, then say it’s SHIT. No need to sugarcoat here.
My week has been BUSY. Work is busy, life is busy, everything is BUSY.
I feel a bit like I’m chasing my tail to catch up, but then the last couple of weeks have been a bit slower than usual so it’s all about the ebbs and flows really isn’t it? I can’t complain.
I nearly didn’t publish this week, but then I reminded myself that I’m making it a PRIORITY and I find it so grounding coming to you every Wednesday, and so here I am, dishing up your weekly recommendations of things to read, watch, and listen to.
Ready for some feel-good endorphin hits?
Reading
life is a game and these are the rules
I’ve been doing well at keeping my publishing promises, so here’s my public promise. Next week I’m going to have a new book started to recommend to you and I will STOP banging on about this book!
But seriously, my friends all laugh about the fact that I’m very airy-fairy and a bit woo (is that just an American term? I never really know because I work all day every day with American clients and they say it a lot) but this book feels like a gift every time I read a bit more of it.
I always believe generally that the universe sends you signs as and when you need them. You know… not getting the job even though you were CONVINCED it was your absolute dream position. Not getting the house that you put an offer in on even though you absolutely adored it and had already envisaged yourself in. And after a week or two of not reading a single thing, I got in bed last night and read a chapter that honestly – if I didn’t know better – I’d think my brain activity was being monitored or that somebody was literally inside my head. What I read was that synchronised with what I’d been thinking about and feeling, so I took it as a sign from the universe that I was on the right path.
Life can feel a bit chaotic and directionless sometimes, but I find this book really good at bringing you back to focus on what’s important. For the last time I PROMISE, you can find it here if you’re interested, and as another reminder, I don’t get ANYTHING if you buy it, so I’m not just doing it like those influencers do – oh I just love this product that I’ve never used but I got sent for free and they’re paying me to write this post #ad – I’m just sharing because I like to share a good thing with you. BECAUSE IT’S A GOOD THING TO DO.
Watching
Layla the boxer and luna
I don’t know whether you follow this account already, but if not, WHY THE HELL NOT?! GET OVER THERE RIGHT NOW!!!
Not only do these two precious doggies Layla and Luna bring ENDLESS joy to so many people (myself definitely included, but just check the comments of the videos) but I honestly marvel at the creativity and incredible videomaking skills of the owner.
It’s an absolutely BRILLIANT Instagram account to follow, the videos ALWAYS have me smiling here’s just one of the amazing videos!
View this post on Instagram
GOOD BOY OLLIE
And speaking of wonderful Instagram doggies that bring me endless joy, I couldn’t possibly share a doggy video/Insta account without sharing the absolute KING of Instagram joy, Good Boy Ollie (and his little brother Tato).
I PROMISE you, this account will NOT disappoint. It may sound sad, I know, but this is what it’s like when you’re 32 and apparently aging and turning into an old boring woman way before your time, but Good Boy Ollie brings me the most tremendous amount of joy. I sometimes nearly CRY at the videos, he is just THAT beautiful.
He is a ray of sunshine in dog form (aren’t they all?!) and you won’t regret following him if you don’t already.
View this post on Instagram
Listening
Porcelain – moby
An oldie but goodie for you here this week, a true chillout classic. I don’t recall where I ever first heard Moby, I believe like so many other artists I have grown up listening to it was when I was a kid and my Dad used to play him in the house.
If/when I ever have a child, one of the things I am certain about is that I intend on sharing our passion for music with said child. I can’t explain it but sometimes I listen to music and feel at home – and I think it’s because I was exposed to these artists at a very young age, before I even understood what music was and the power of it. Moby is one of these artists. The Beautiful South is another. Morcheeba. Shack. Charles and Eddie. Texas. Oasis. All artists that my mum and dad used to play in the house when I was too young to even understand music, and to this day I think they’ve had an impact.
Before You Go…
I was shouting at my dog recently, it was a particularly difficult day, work had been frustrating, I felt really stressed, there was lots of NOISE from the building site we live on and to top it all off my dog was hysterically barking at absolutely nothing in 2 minute intervals which was adding to the internal and external chaos.
I should highlight here that I am extremely noise-sensitive and I get dysregulated very easily when there’s a lot of noise. At this moment I just wished the noise would stop. I wished the drilling, the banging, the complete carnage outside my home office window would just STOP so I could concentrate on the million things I had to do that day. I wished my dog would just STOP barking, and so I shouted at her.
She looked at me, as if to say “but there’s danger outside the gate” and I realised something.
My dog is getting old. She’s 9 now, and she has an array of health issues. The vet has already told us she won’t live to super old age, and basically that these years that come will be her last years.
As she looked at me this particular day, I found myself realising that I won’t always have her here barking, alerting me of what she thinks is danger.
I won’t always have her for company when James is working away. I won’t always have reason to get up early, and get out of my house for a walk, and have the purpose of feeding this little darling and keeping her alive. One day, morbid so it may be, she won’t be here. And if what the vet says is anything to go off, that one day won’t be too far in the future.
Yet here I was focusing on how frustrated I was, how much she was annoying me, and shouting at her to just stop it.
Wouldn’t life be a bit brighter if we could all step back for a moment when pissed off, frustrated, angry, fed up, or triggered and just took a moment to breathe, break the cycle and choose a different reaction instead?
Instead of shouting at my dog, I could choose to understand that she was just trying to alert me about a danger. She was just trying to protect me and her territory, and the only voice she has is a bark.
OR she was just being an absolute dickhead because she had nothing better to do, but even still, this is a moment in time I should cherish because I know I’d wish for if she wasn’t here!
Wouldn’t it be better not just for the world in general, but for ourselves if we just paused when we are about to react, gave ourself a bit of grace, allowed ourself to feel the stress without making it worse and taking it out on someone else?
Anyway. Enough with the profound contemplations. Here’s a pic of my beautiful little dog enjoying her paddling pool in the heatwave a few weeks ago.
I KNOW you are probably wondering how I could possibly shout at her because SHE IS JUST SO BEAUTIFUL.
We all make mistakes dear reader. It’s what we learn from them that counts.
See ya next week!
Reflect and Introspect 