Changing My World

The other day I purchased a little silver disc to wear on my wrist with one of my very favorite sayings.

What does this saying mean to me?

It is way to big of a job for me to change the whole world, but if I change myself, my world will change around me.

Be the mother I wish to see in the world.

Be the partner I wish to see in the world.

Be the friend I wish to see in the world.

Be the employee, the employer, the co-worker, the neighbor, the daughter.

Be the person I wish to see in the world.


I love wearing my little disc, it reminds me to be the change I wish to see in the world.



suzy x

jewellrey available online at corinegrant@etsy.com

Time Management

Last week as I was racing from work to my osteopath, via friends to pick up a computer game the kids had been nagging for when I realized I might be able to squeeze in a 10-minute hasty shop for something to wear to my birthday dinner with the girlfriends.
And I managed it.
The reason I needed to squeeze it in, rather than taking my time afterwards or on the Saturday morning, was because I didn’t want to lose time with my kids. So I squeezed it in.
After (what I thought) a successful buy (more about that later) whilst I was lying face down on the massage table and unable to squeeze in any of the other many thing s I needed to get done, I got to thinking.
About how practical we become with time management once we become parents.

My husband and I built our home in 6 months when our children were aged 12-18 months and newborn-6months.
We would go into a tile shop and just as our son was about to pull a large display onto him we would quickly go with a choice we both agreed on and fitted in our budget. There was no going back, umming and ahhing, and re-thinking for us, that was it- decision made. This is how it was for everything we needed to choose, and we looked at it as a blessing, to make a quick choice and stick to it.
By the way, we still love our home and those choices; our mantra was keeping it natural and neutral and to not go with any design phases or crazes of 2002 that would firmly stand/age our home in that era as all phases do for their time.

So, how do we all mange? When we work, or have a newborn, toddler, kids or teenagers, friends, a life? Or a few or all of the above? How do we get through the day? What is it that we do?

We prioritize. We get rid of the non-essentials. We choose to do what is good for us, we choose to be with people we like and do the things we like to do.
Priorities are not generic. It can be having a clean house, spending time with friends, relaxing with a book, or doing all the bookwork, all priorities.

We live in the moment. When we are working we focus on the task at hand and do the best job we possibly can. When we are resting we clear our mind of work, non-essential stuff and we get some rest. When we are with our family we direct our attention to them and enjoy the moments.
Noticing the rhythms of our body we use the time when we have the most energy and we rest when we have the least.

We make time for ourselves because everyone knows; Happy Mum, Happy Family…and that goes for happy dads and happy kids too of course…☺

We use routine as having a routine is having freedom. Knowing when your children need to sleep and eat, knowing when the sports practice is, knowing what your partner has to get done means you know when you can book an appointment or need to be home.

We delegate. Because our partners are along for this journey with us. Because we know our children can and need to do things for themselves. Because (if we are lucky enough) we have family who love to help. And because our best friends would do anything for us when we need them.

OK. My own personal time management ways.
Buying clothes that do not need ironing or hand washing. I do not do the ironing thing, and luckily my husband and I do not work in an environment where we need to wear freshly pressed shirts!
Meal Planning. Every shopping list, I make a list of the 7 meals we will eat that week. No thinking about what to cook…
Speaking of cooking, slow cookers and large meals that you can freeze half of. Any meal that makes itself is a favourite of mine.

So back to the top I bought in 10 minutes…well that 10 minutes had to also include parking the car and making my way through the shopping centre, so there wasn’t time to try anything on.
I found a gorgeous ruffled, long, lovely top. Great! Well-done Suzy! Beautiful fabric, beautiful colours, even another shopper commented when I held it up to myself.
As I dressed the evening of the dinner to my dismay there was a niggling feeling I may look like a wedding cake. I asked my 7 year old daughter…she tried to reassure me it was fine, still that niggling feeling, she wasn’t being too convincing. Two of my gorgeous girls turned up and straight away they told me straight. And let me tell you, these women would not have an un-necessary negative comment in them, so I knew, the top was not a success…and as I rushed off to get the heck out of it, I saw a little look of relief on my daughter’s face…aah bless the beautiful life, you cant win every moment!

suzy x

The Optimist Creed

A workmate and I have both recently printed a copy of Christian D. Larson’s Optimist Creed and have been making a ritual of reading it each morning- in our own time and to ourselves...not together, which would be a tad weird for the rest of our office!
They are such amazing words and if I can follow just three of his declarations during the day I feel I have been successful.

Larson was an exceptional and extremely significant early New Thought* leader and teacher. He was a prolific writer who believed that people have remarkable underlying powers which can be used for success with the right outlook.

In 1901 he organized the New Thought Temple and began publishing a periodical “Eternal Progress”. He had 40 of his books published.

The Optimist Creed appeared in his book “Your Forces and How To Use Them” in 1912. Many have since found inspiration in this creed, from healers and hospitals to sports coaches and schools; and especially those of us who want live with the practice of being happy.

So here it is:

Promise Yourself
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet.
To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.
To live in the faith that he whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.
Cool huh.

Try it; print it out, read it, email it, stick it up on your fridge. Give it a go, my co-worker and I have noticed it does change your perspective of the day; it does help with getting ourselves into a good frame of mind.
It’s pretty much a guide to having a beautiful life.

suzy x
*New Thought is a spiritual movement which developed in the United States during the late 19th century and emphasizes metaphysical (abstract and theoretical study of being) beliefs concerning the effects of positive thinking, the law of attraction, healing, life force, creative visualization and personal power.
Very much the origins of what the DVD and Book “The Secret” is influenced by.