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That crutch life

I recently had an operation which required the use of crutches for several weeks afterwards. I left the hospital with a pair of crutches to help me get around, with great difficulty initially, but got me to essential places nonetheless. I didn't leave the house for about 2 weeks. I couldn't leave the house for about than 2 weeks. Mobilising was difficult with the crutches, let alone without. Even short distances were a struggle. I had to depend on my crutches. Literally.  After about 4 weeks I had a small victory - I went from 2 crutches to 1 crutch! And could walk short distances in and around the house without any crutches. The real challenge came whenever I stepped out of the house. I didn't have the confidence to do so without my crutch. I felt at times that I could perhaps try to leave without it, but I wasn't overly convinced and would end up talking myself out of it. The crutch came along! It was scary to think that I would soon be walking w...

Overtaking trucks

As a driver of 7+ years I can officially say I dislike the fact that heavy goods vehicles are allowed to drive on the roads during daylight/working hours! (No offence if you are a HGV driver haha. I have nothing against you, just your truck!) The other day I was driving home from work behind a very slow truck, waiting for the opportunity to overtake it at a point where the road split from one to two lanes. When that moment arose I pressed my foot down on the accelerator and zoomed past the giant motor. I was so relieved I could finally get on with my journey home at a speed faster than a snail!? "These trucks are so annoying...." I thought to myself.  Just moments after this thought crossed my mind, so did a couple others. Firstly , the truck (assuming it was fully loaded) would have been carrying a lot more in its vehicle than most other vehicles on the road at that time. The heavier an object, the more energy/effort it takes to move it. Even my (basic) car t...

28 reflections in (almost 28 years) - Part 3

Sorry for the delay. Guess I'll kick off part 3 with... 15. Life happens to us all. Sometimes we bounce back quickly, sometimes it takes a lot longer than expected to come out of it. But know you're not alone. Surround yourself with supportive people and loved ones. 16. You will surprise yourself with what you are capable of doing.  This applies both to the good and equally the "not so good". Never underestimate yourself or your ability to break glass ceilings. Remove limits. 17. Don't bask in the glory of "success" for too long. Congratulate yourself and move on, there are more achievements to gain. 18. Say "yes" more often.  I know this sounds like a contradiction to the last post, sorry.  What I mean is, take advantage of new, and possibly even challenging, opportunities as they come your way. You never know what it can lead to, or who you will meet/network with. Most of the time you only stand to gain, even if it's just f...

28 reflections in (almost) 28 years - Part 2

No need for a long introduction. Without further delay, here are the next 7 life reflections 8. It's okay to say "no" For many years of my life I was terrified of using this word. So I would say yes, all the time, to almost everything and anything. There's something about saying no that makes you feel as though you are disappointing people, which is not a legitimate reason, especially if it isn't wise/it'll go above and beyond what you can offer of yourself at that time. Burnout is a very real thing. It's okay to say no sometimes. 9. Be present If you are in the presence of people put your electronic devices away! Why meet up with people, be physically present, but emotionally and conversationally absent?! Unless it's an emergency, whatsapp and social media can wait for a few hours.  10. Set realistic goals In 2015 I set an absolutely ridiculous number of new years resolutions - in excess of 50?! Needless to say the majorit...

28 reflections in (almost) 28 years - Part I

I can't believe I'm almost 28. It seems so surreal to be edging closer to the 30 mark!! This 4 part series explores some of my life reflections and lessons to date. In no particular order here are the first 7. Love yourself  If you truly love yourself you won't settle for a version of love that appears to be the real deal at first glance but actually offers what is "love plated". Get into the habit of saving  The discipline of saving is an important one to grasp in early adult life, because financial demands and pressures only get more intense as life progresses. As Tesco says: "every little helps"! Don't overthink things  I've often prevented myself from doing things because of the (mostly negative) "what if" scenarios played out in my head beforehand. Don't let what isn't stop you from what could be.  Transparency is attractive  You'll be surprised how many people will be drawn to your openne...

The odd one out

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Almost a year ago I wrote a Facebook post about a tree across the road from my house.  (Not the most interesting start to a blog, I know, just stick with me!)  Here is the post..... Ok, now you have the backstory to this blog, lets continue... So today as I was doing my make up, my wondering eyes noticed something outside of the bedroom window other than the unfortunate (and often tempting) sight of the golden arches located directly opposite my abode.  It was that tree! It had begun to develop its autumn leaves and this time I could not let the opportunity pass me by again! I had to take a picture! I climbed up on my little stool and dug through the pile of stuff on the top shelf of my wardrobe until I found my camera bag. I eagerly attempted to switch it on, but obviously the battery was dead having not used it for a good couple years, so as I waited for it to charge I simply stared at the tree.... (Ergh! Of course I didn't, that woul...