life
May Inspiration
Decor, Inspiration, recipes, Summer
Help! I Just Quit My Job
Inspiration, Life, Words of Wisdom
Source: careerealism.com
I did the unthinkable the other week. Despite knowing my country is currently facing a very large unemployment problem, and knowing all-too-well that I am a young 21-year-old graduate with very little experience, I decided to finally quit my job.
What I’m leaving behind is admittedly quite a respectable (although excruciatingly boring) office job as an assistant administrator that many people would see as something a young graduate just starting out shouldn’t throw away.
But the truth is I was miserable. I mean, completely miserable. I hated waking up in the morning. I would dread walking through the office door. And I hated spending the day with my very unfriendly team mates. Admittedly, my team must have been one of the worse in the company, and they constantly made me feel intimidated, awkward, and uncomfortable. From my very first day I was never truly made to feel welcome. The role that I had also been given was the opposite of challenging, and I spent most of my day twiddling my thumbs and staring into oblivion.
Because of this my confidence went down the drain. I was so unhappy. I would eat my lunch in my car, and would nearly be on the verge of tears if I had to walk past everybody in the office to get to the printer (it got that ridiculous). I was coming home devastated and spent my evenings crying for no reason. Even my family and boyfriend said they felt I had become withdrawn. I just wasn’t me anymore.
One day it was as if a light bulb went off in my head. I wondered if the thing that I needed was to just quit my job. But there was NO way I could just quit my job. I needed a job. I needed the money every month. I needed a title. I needed a place to go every day. Plus, wasn’t I just being a spoilt brat?
Yes, the job I had was awful and boring and not what I wanted to do in the long-term, but surely I should just be grateful I had a job. What made me so special? Why did I think I deserved a better job when everyone else in the company seemed so content? Maybe I should just grow up and realise this was real-life, and I had to endure a mundane 9-to-5 job like the majority of everyone else in the country.
Plus maybe I was the reason I couldn’t stand my job, and couldn’t get on with the rest of my team. Maybe there was something wrong with me?
So I have been pushing the thought of quitting my job, without another job, out of my mind for a while. But the thought just wouldn’t go away. So, one Monday morning I didn’t drag myself out of bed as usual. Instead I calmly told my office I wasn’t coming back. It was as simple as that. The fact that I really could just quit my job as quick as that, made me feel so liberated, and gave me so much power. Instantly I wasn’t depressed anymore. Surprisingly I felt happy. And I felt like my normal 21-year-old self again.
Of course I’m desperately searching for a new job; a job that I actually want to do. And I realise that I’ve lost out financially. But I know I will get back on my feet soon, and while I am living at home with my parents, I don’t desperately need the cash anyway.
The surprising fact is that I feel proud of myself. I don’t feel like a quitter at all. I am actually glad I didn’t tough it out and just get on with it. I think it takes more guts to say ‘no, I’m not doing this to myself anymore’. I believe I have done an extremely brave thing and have stayed true to myself; instead of listening to what I’m told is the right thing. I have done what I have wanted to do, instead of what I am told you should do. And I am starting to feel like my old self again. I don’t wake up dreading the rest of the day.
So I have gone off and done the unexpected instead of what is expected of me. And true, many people think I must be crazy but I have never been so proud of myself. I am a much stronger person then I thought.
Plus, I am a big believer in things happening for a reason. I have complete trust in my intuition and hopefully something amazing will be right around the corner…
Six Things You Can Always Count On To Cheer You Up
Inspiration, Life
All of us have our off days and sometimes feeling stressed can get us down. But the simple things in life are usually the best, and these six fail-proof ways to spend your time are guaranteed to lift you mood. I promise.
1, Having a cup of tea (with properly brewed teapot teabags). It’s true what us Brits say, a good cup of tea can solve anything. I swear.
2. Listening to your favourite music. A few tracks of Bob Marley and you’ll be as right as rain.
3. Having a healthy hearty breakfast. Like the experts keep saying, having a good breakfast will provide you with the energy to face the rest of the day. Plus it will stop the guilty mid-morning snacking.
4. Reading a good book allows you to escape from the chores of day-to-day reality. . And don’t feel guilty if it isn’t a classic, read what you want.
5. A good pair of shoes. Definitely a way to a girls heart.
6. Lastly, just hanging out with good company and in a good environment doing absolutely nothing.
And a little sneaky one that I couldn’t resist. Seeing a picture of the gorgeous/perfect Ryan Gosling is always guaranteed to brighten my day.
January Inspiration
Inspiration, Life, Photography, WinterThings helping me get through the work blues on this cold January day
2013.
Uncategorized
Happy New Year everyone!
I realise how late this message is but I’ve been really busy lately working at my new job (in insurance…sigh!) and haven’t had a lot of time to blog. But I’m definitely going to keep on top of it from now on. It will give me a much needed break from my soul destroying job (but hey, can’t complain too much! Beggars can’t be choosers as they say).
So after a great Christmas and New Year with the family, and with a snazzy new Samsung camera (Christmas present from Mum and Dad), it’s finally time for me to say goodbye to 2012 and start planning for the year ahead.
I’ve got to say, 2012 was a massive year for me, and for the first time I’ve had to view my life like an adult and sort out what I’m going to do in the future. So it’s been pretty scary.
What else happened in 2012…
1. Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and History of Art
2. Went inter-railing around Europe for five weeks
3. My dog Patch of 17 years died.
4. I celebrated my 21st birthday
5. I went on my first holiday with my family AND my boyfriend (went surprisingly ok)
6.Got my first ‘grown-up’ full-time job (in insurance)
So 2012 was definitely a year of ups-and-downs for me. It’s been fantastic on one hand, and quite tough on the other.
But I am surprisingly excited to see what 2013 holds, because for the first time in my life I have no idea what I will be doing this time next year. Up until now I have always been a student studying. now I am a fully – fledged adult that has to try and make her way in the world. Gulp!
While this is pretty daunting stuff, it is rather exciting too and as the saying goes…the world is full of possibilities…
Resolutions for 2013…
1. Finally learn to drive (sick of public transport)
2. get out of my student overdraft
3. Sort out what I want to do with my life career-wise
4. Plan Australia 2014 with Jim (eeek!)
5. Be the healthiest I’ve ever been (enough is enough now…no more cake Katie)
6. And of course keep writing and blogging.
Hopefully I’ll be able to stick to these. It’s not like they are completely over the top like go to the gym every day, or learn another language. And I really have no choice with the overdraft one anyway, I’m sure my bank is going to start charging me.
To help me keep on top of things this year I’ve splashed out and bought myself a Dodo-pad diary and Lonely Planet calendar which I love.
So Hello 2013. It’s good to meet you. And be nice!
The apocalypse is coming: how people are coping around the world
Life, Travel, Wacky
21 December 2012. The end day of the ancient Maya calendar, and the day, many believe, the world will end. As 21st December approaches, people around the world are preparing themselves for the apocalypse. Though the Maya didn’t say much about what would happen next, many members of the public have rushed to fill the void. They are foreseeing all manner of monumental change – from natural disasters, to doomsday, to a new age of enlightenment. So while us Brits are preoccupied with Christmas shopping and other jovial festivities, many people all over the world are taking this Armageddon talk extremely seriously…
China
A very dedicated farmer prepares for the apocalypse in China by inventing a survival pod he hopes will be of use during the arrival-of-the-end, by providing protection against natural disasters. The airtight sphere has space for around fourteen people, contains oxygen masks and seat-belts, and is designed to remain upright in water. Liu Quiyan from the village of Qiantun, Herbei province, says he was inspired by the 2004 Asian tsunami and by the ‘brilliant’ apocalyptic Hollywood movie ‘2012’ to develop the pod. The pod, nicknamed ‘Noah’s Ark’ may be able to float on water, but will it be able to survive the end of the world? If the world is to end in a couple of weeks, I’m not sure I would be happy being one of the (un)lucky fourteen who will spend their last moments on earth in a fibre-glass shell.
Russia
In the meantime, Russians are preparing for the world’s end by shopping for candles and vodka. To prepare for the Mayan doomsday Russian shoppers are clearing out the shop shelves in the country’s far north and east, where it is believed the apocalypse will supposedly hit first. And what do Russians need for the end of the world? Vodka of course. And imaginatively, lots of candles and matches, which have been going for three to four times the normal rate.
Meanwhile, authorities are trying to bring a little sense back to the public. As the Daily Beast has announced; Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev rejected the Mayan cosmology. “I do not believe in the end of the world,” he explained. “At least, not this year”. You would think this announcement would have been enough to calm the public paranoia, but then again, when has the words of a prime minister ever been taken seriously by everybody? Unsurprisingly, the promises of officials are not comforting everybody, and many still believe the two-week-long time of “complete darkness and silence” is still very much going to happen. At least that explains the candles. And vodka? Well at least people can drink themselves to oblivion when the time comes.
Even Russian news websites are publishing survival recommendations – among them, “move to a country house, and make sure you have a stove, plenty of water, and firewood.” Most people in Russia have country homes, called dachas, so surely there should be no need to panic. If anything, their chance of survival is higher than the rest of ours. However, many Russians are still unprepared to take chances. One Russian businessman Valentin Sveridov, 45, decided to not waste any time and evacuated his wife and seven-year-old son from Moscow. He describes his terror when he read on the internet how the capital will be like hell-on-earth. There will be – in his own words; “Rivers of blood, hundreds of rotting dead bodies, and deadly epidemics.”
However, the Russian businessman remains optimistic. “Russians are made to survive,” Sveridov says, “we are used to living on the edge of apocalypse – they turn the electricity off almost everyday in my home village in the far east.”
Netherlands
It seems that this fear of an apocalyptic end is wildly sweeping the rest of Europe. In the Netherlands, thousands of Dutch citizens are preparing for 2012 by stocking up on emergency survival supplies, with the most dedicated even purchasing life rafts. However, it seems some are quite optimistic about the possibility of the world ending, and are even welcoming the prospect. Petra Faile, a person recently interviewed by Press TV, has recently stated; “you know, maybe it’s really not that bad that the Netherlands will be destroyed”. He adds that he doesn’t like living in the country anymore because of immigration and how the government continues to allow people in the country. He sounds like a very friendly man.
France
In the meantime, the small, sleep village of Bugarach, population 189, is being inundated by large groups of fanatic outsiders who believe the peak of the village’s mountain is an “alien garage”. According to them, extraterrestrials are quietly waiting inside the Pic de Bugarach for the Armageddon to start, at which point they will leave, taking a few lucky humans with them. Outsiders see Bugarach as their ticket to a better place, and the village mayor, Jean-Pierre Delord, is worried about the effect these visitors are having on the sleepy village. “This is no laughing matter,” Delord recently told The Daily Telegraph.
Mexico
However, the apocalypse isn’t only inspiring dread: some are eagerly putting on their yoga-pants and grasping their meditation beads, and joining a global counter-movement promoting the date as the start of a new era of hope. Thousands of New Age fanatics are expected to fill ancient sites across Mexico in the days leading up to it. One of the biggest movements is Birth 2012, which is using the Mayan date to suggest a global spiritual reset. Hotels near the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza have been sold out, with many rooms booked in advance. “We’ve activated this campaign for three days of love,” said movement co-founder Stephen Dinan. “Let’s have generosity and kindness be the operative fare, rather than people hunkering down in fear.”
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/lifestyle/2012/12/11/mayan-apocalypse-world-awaits-big-day/
To be honest, Stephen may have a point. If the world really is going to end, why not ‘spread the love’ instead of cowering in your basement with a candle and a tin of soup. But it seems that while the rest of the world is ‘preparing’ for the End, us Brits are simply going about our daily business of work, sleep and Christmas shopping. To us, 25th December, Christmas day, seems like a far more exciting date than the supposed Day of Reckoning. Some may call us naive, maybe even stupid, but if the world is truly going to end in two weeks won’t we be having the last laugh? Surely when faced with something inevitable, it is better to carry on living and making the most of your time, instead of fearfully stocking up your food cupboard or searching for E.T.
And if the end doesn’t come? Well we aren’t going to look like the silly ones now are we.
3 Facts To Stop You Worrying NOW
Inspiration, Life, Words of Wisdom39% of all things you worry about will never happen.
32% of all things you worry about have already happened. It’s time to move on!
9% of worries actually relate to important issues. Yes, only 9%!
So STOP WORRYING
25 Things To Make You Happy
Inspiration, Life, Winter
The Christmas season is going far too quick for my liking, and in practically two weeks it will all be over. I feel like the time has flown by, and I am dreading the cold and dreary month of January. To me the month just signifies the end of jolly festivities, an enlarged overdraft, and dismal weather. Every year I make boring and unrealistic new year resolutions. And every year I break them. So instead I’ve decided to compile a list of things that are ‘scientifically proved’ to make you happy (yes, I’ve done my research!). So to combat the blues in the upcoming grey month, here is a fail-safe guide of simple things that really are do-able. New years resolutions can get thrown out of the window. I just want to be happy.
Yes this may all sound very corny. But in the words of Kate Winslet in The Holiday; ‘I like corny. I need a little corny in my life.’
1. Eat Fish. Omega-3 fats (found in cold water fish. Think salmon) are the happy fats. Apparently they build the brain’s neurons, producing more of the feel-good hormone, serotonin. Salmon and egg bagel for breakfast? Sounds good to me.
2. A smart new notebook. There is something about scribbling in a smart, new jotter that is really satisfying. It beats writing on a crumpled scrap of paper you will never see again.
3. Grow herbs. You’ll feel very domesticated and smug. The satisfaction of adding your own basil to spag bol is so worth it.
4. Write down what you’re grateful for. Alright I admit, this may be the corniest thing ever, but writing down what you’re grateful for before bed (be it small or big), means you’ll fall asleep in a positive mindset.
5. Your favorite activities. Make time to do one a day. It can be anything from having a bath, reading a chapter of a book, to writing a diary.
6. Create a happy box. Fill a box with things that make you smile – postcards, letters, messages. They will come in handy when you feel low.
7. Create the ultimate playlist. Choose your favorite tracks and put them in a ‘power’ playlist. Simply listen when you want to banish a bad mood.
8. Have a power hour. Feeling disorganized is normally the main reason for stress. So set aside an hour a week for personal admin; post, checking finances, and de-cluttering. Boring but you will thank yourself for it.
9. Instagram/photograph your week. You may think you’ve had a boring/horrible week, but looking back, it may not be so bad.
10. Say yes to one thing you normally wouldn’t. Even something small such as a lunchtime coffee with workmates. Go on I dare you. ‘Professionals’ have said it is important to get out of your comfort zone every-once-in-a-while. Apparently.
11. Have a day with no plans.
12. Go for a walk. It’s important to make time for yourself, exercise and get fresh air. This is the perfect way to do all three. Oh and apparently, sit up straight. Studies show bad posture can cause a bad mood.
13.Laugh. Nothing is better to beat anxiety.
14. Reach out and forget about yourself sometimes. Helping someone else, volunteering, or giving to charity can really help get your life into perspective. As well as feeling good about yourself, it also takes the pressure off of you and your own life.
15. Never miss a voucher. Whether a meal out or shopping, always check the vouchers first. If you save money, you will feel pretty chuffed with yourself.
16. Get back to basics. Why not slow down for a minute and spend your evening baking, or really giving cooking a go. If you know you’re not a world-class chef why not invest in a slow cooker? You’ll be able to make delicious soups and stews easy-peasy!
17. Watch a Rom-Com. An instant mood-lifter.
18. Let others inspire you. Always looked up to a famous person? Why not read their biography to help inspire your own life? Maybe you’ve looked up to someone more personal. Why not meet with them and have a chat about their life. Or for girls, why not simply read a girl-power book to get you inspired. Pride and Prejudice – single woman refuses to settle until she has met her match. Go her.
19. A ’90s box-set collection. There is something about going back into the past that is so uplifting, and the nineties ruled. So treat yourself to Friends, Sex and the City, Buffy the Vampire-Slayer…the choices are endless.
20. Have a shower in the morning. It may seem like a chore but a blast of the shower in the morning will instantly make you feel more refreshed and ready to take on the day. Why not buy a mint an tea tree shower gel? The menthol in the mint stimulates the brain function, helping to wake you up.
21. Turn digital pics into proper photos. Don’t leave all your memories on a computer. Have them around the house where you can see them, and they will make you smile.
22. Call your grandparents. It will make their day. And yours. And keeping in touch with your family is important.
23. Get a fast giggle through YouTube. There are so many hilarious videos out there. One of my favorites – David After Dentist shows a seven-year-old boy high on painkillers.
24. Dress to impress. The dismal weather may make you feel like you want to hibernate under a mountain of layers, but dressing in your favorite clothes for YOU, will instantly make you feel better about yourself and brighten your day.
25. Cuddle. Just twenty seconds of hugging releases the magic anti-stress hormone oxytocin into the bloodstream.
Patch
Childhood, Life, Pets
Dogs are funny creatures. Although they divide people’s opinions, they are inherently a part of our lives. Whether it is small or big, good or bad, it seems everyone has a dog story. I think opinions are formed of dogs from a young age. For those lucky enough to have grown up with one, the joy that they bring can stay with us for a lifetime. I am grateful to say that I have been one of the lucky few who had a little friend who never left my side from my first day of school to my university graduation. He was called Patch. He was a scraggly Jack Russell. And he was my best friend. He watched over me from when I was an awkward and shy little girl, right into my womanhood. Because of this he has a special place in my heart.
My parents bought him from a Jack Russell farm in Dorset. He was to be our first proper family dog since I was born. What my Dad didn’t realize when he arrived at the farm was how expensive pedigree Jack Russells were. After being told the price range of up to £500, my Dad asked if they sold anything a little cheaper. This was when the farmer took him around the back and presented two little runts. ‘These two are £50’, he exclaimed. My Father, a little more relieved, told my Sister and Brother to choose one. While one laid in the corner looking a little sad and forlorn, Patch was jumping up excitedly, eager to be stroked. My Sister knew right away which one she wanted. It was fate.
From that day on, Patch was a member of the family. He was there through all of it; from my first day of school, to my sister Claire moving out. He was also there when my sister Sarah got married…and then divorced. He has been through both my sisters having a baby, to my Mum and Dad losing their parents. He was present for my brother’s graduation as well as mine.
Having older siblings can get quite lonely as a child. My Mother had me later in life when my eldest sister was fourteen. So while my sisters excitedly got ready to go down the pub and my brother was out playing football, I would look on with a little jealousy wishing I could be involved. So in a way I was an only child. Patch was an only dog. And so we grew up together.
I still feel guilty about the indignity I must have caused Patch through my ideas of fun and playing. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I made him wear my clothes and play weddings (Patch was the groom obviously), and made him sit with me on the army mattress as we whizzed down the stairs. I’ll never forget his wary face watching me as I followed him everywhere pretending I too was a dog, even accompanying him to his water bowl. But he was always a good sport.
Growing up with a dog teaches you a lot about friendship and life. I was a painfully shy and awkward little girl, while Patch was adventurous, mischievous and brave. I always wanted to be like him.
I’ll never forget the day my Sister and Dad brought Patch home. I was five years old; he was only a couple of months. We all crowded around the kitchen table as my Dad presented him wrapped in a towel; a little white ball. He was tiny. He was the size of my Dad’s palm as he cupped him in his hands. They asked me if I wanted to hold. As a little girl I was in awe, and too frightened that my clumsy hands would break him. I didn’t trust myself. He looked so delicate.
We called him Patch. We all agreed the name suited him. He was a white ball of scraggly fur except for a large round Patch on one eye and ear. It was the perfect name for the perfect dog we exclaimed. The morning after, as the rest of the house still slept, Patch and I sat watching TV together; at first maybe a little awkwardly, as we lay secretly assessing each other with sly glances. It wasn’t until I turned around and saw him drinking out of my bottle that I knew for sure. I laughed with delight and realized we were going to become life long friends.
Seventeen years later and it is finally time to say goodbye to my lifelong friend. He was wacky, bold, and funny. And he was the best thing that happened to my childhood.
Dear Patch,
It’s been four months and I still can’t believe you’re gone. I still expect to hear your little feet padding along the wooden floor, or your early morning scratch on my arm to lift you into my bed and away from the cold. When I leave my wardrobe door open I have to catch myself from thinking you will be in there, all my clothes piled up in a messy heap in your bid to get comfortable. Every time I eat popcorn or chocolate Maltesers, it reminds me of you and how much you would try to devour them if you were here. I can’t bear to hear Frank Sinatra anymore as it takes me back to the time you would lay by the CD player whenever he was playing.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that I miss you and I think of you every day. You were a constant. There from my first day of school to my university graduation. When times grew hard or I felt sad, you were always there no matter what. You were my little wonder dog and I thought you were invincible. I thought we would always be together.
What I really want to say is thank you. Thank you for being such a great dog to my family. You weren’t perfect, far from it. You were disobedient, naughty, and a pain in the arse a lot of the time. But you were perfect to us, and I wouldn’t have had you any other way. Growing up with older siblings can feel a little lonely at times, but you never allowed me to feel like that. I was an only child, you an only dog; and we were best friends. You were always my best friend and because of you, growing up for me was a pleasure.
I think a lot of people don’t realize how important dogs can be, and how they can teach you a lot about love and life. I guess I should just feel lucky that I was one of the few to have grown up with such a special friend as you. I think I can safely say that I have never had a best friend like you, and I never will. I have seventeen years worth of memories. Memories of your fur soaking up my tears, memories of you making us all laugh. Having you meant that I was never lonely. You never judged, you always forgave, you always accepted me for all my faults and, most of all, you were always able to cheer me up.
You were the most adventurous and mischievous soul I have ever known. I will never forget how you used to jump over our bush like a race horse. Dad still reckons you’re the only dog that he has ever seen able to climb a tree. Running away to adventures was your forte and God, you could be a nightmare. I’ll never forget how you used to run away to the German man we named Mr. Wilson across the road, and how you always managed to steal chocolate from our bedrooms and leave the wrappers completely in tact. I still will never understand how you did it. You were a wonder dog. You were never afraid and you lived life to the full. You defied the laws of life. Your constant appetite for chocolate and milkshakes and anything else unhealthy shouldn’t have let you see the age of seventeen. But there you go. You were a stubborn little thing. You did what you wanted and wouldn’t be told otherwise. You were so disobedient. If I threw a ball you would never bring it back. If someone tried to move you while you were asleep you let them know about it. But that’s what made you perfect to us. I was a painfully shy and polite little girl while you were funny and bold, and didn’t take ‘no stick from nobody’. I learnt a lot about life from you. You taught me to be braver, to have fun, to live life to the max.
Sadly, I’ve also learnt a lot about death from you. I’ve learnt how sudden and cruel it can be. How old age can creep up and tighten its grip. It was painful watching you grow old, little man. Seeing you struggle up the stairs and prefer to be on your own. But nobody could believe your strength. You were so brave, right until the very end. I didn’t understand when you died. You seemed invincible to me. You were always there in the background. You lived in Dorset, Canada and Germany with us. You were there from the very beginning at that special time when the whole family were still together, still growing up and living together. When Claire and Sarah went and moved out, and my brother went to University, you were still there. I could still count on you. It was just me and you left, against the world. You were there when both Sarah and Claire had their first babies, and you’ve watched Thomas grow. You were even there when I brought my first boyfriend home. Although I knew you didn’t like it. Stealing his shoe and hiding it in the garden isn’t very subtle. Neither was barking at him constantly. But I am so thankful that you were there for all of it all the same.
I’m so thankful my Dad wasn’t willing to pay £500 for a pedigree Jack Russell and settled for you at £50 instead. I guess we got the last laugh in the end. You were the best pick of the bunch. What made you so special is that you weren’t just MY dog, you were all of ours. We all have special memories of you, and when I look at family photographs you are always somewhere in the background. Always present, always watching over us all. You brought us joy and brought us together, and I am so grateful to you.
So I guess it is finally time to say goodbye. I just hope you loved us as much as we loved you and you were happy with your life with us. But deep down I know you were. You showed us love every day of your life. You were a funny little dog, always making us laugh, always putting a smile on our faces. You gave me more happiness and friendship than most people I have ever met. You were my best friend, and always will be. I doubt any person will live up to the friendship of my childhood. You taught a little girl so much about life. You helped her to grow up. I’m glad you never gave up on her and was right by her side as she turned into a woman. You were there right until the very end. I just hope that through life, I will be as brave and strong and adventurous as you were. Goodbye my little friend. You are forever in my heart and I think about you every day.
Love Katie x
Made By Katie 