This is still me ❤️

It’s been a struggle this week. Jet lag, trying to get back into a routine and the huge list of things I would “do when I am back from holiday” is now looming over me. That’s why doing this weekly gratitude exercise is so important to me, as, despite all the things that haven’t gone as planned, which seem far easier to remember, many things went right this week. Joining my first workshop On Wednesday evening, I attended an online workshop with Writing Launch. Jacob & Ian very kindly gave an hour of their time, free of charge, to go through how to pitch an article to a magazine. Not only that, but they also offered a great package which includes a list of nearly 2000 publications to write for, mentoring and access to their entire catalogue of courses. The cost is $47 per month (around £40) however, you get the first month for free and can cancel at any time. Of course, I snapped up the generous offer and plan to start earning money again as soon as possible. Getting back in

Where the hell did July go? It whizzed by in the blink of an eye. I am slowly learning that the more I reflect, the more I learn and the more I want to improve. It's like an ongoing never-ending cycle, but a good one. With each month, comes the need for acceptance in certain areas of life and I discover that there are some areas I have been focusing on, that perhaps I no longer need, or want to change. Things I Loved About July I read a lot of Medium articles, I commented and clapped for those I enjoyed and I now share 5 of my favourite articles each Thursday on various platforms and again on Sundays in my round-up post. https://thisisstillme.medium.com/5-of-my-favourite-articles-on-medium-this-week-with-a-befitting-bonus-article-c2a8c367d770?source=friends_link&sk=f1e5e4cc7239982dddde55affcddc31f https://thisisstillme.medium.com/5-articles-i-read-on-medium-that-inspired-and-motivated-me-to-keep-going-41a5314deff4?source=friends_link&sk=92a565cd3a8e3f2bf1b1788c7c22e7

Planning is the key Write Back Up Content I am planning on doing some writing whilst I’m away. We have a 9-hour plane journey and there will be days lazing by the pool where I know I will think of something, but I want to have some pre-written content so that I don't feel under pressure to be writing whilst on holiday. I love writing and I don't want to make it feel like a chore. Daily Meditation I've been letting this slide lately and I've noticed that my brain has started to feel full of too many thoughts again. I want to get myself back into the habit of meditating, I just need to figure out which time of day works best for me. Finish The Power Of Focus I've been reading this for 15 minutes each day and it's very motivating. If you are self-employed, looking to start your own business or just want a bit of motivation, I would definitely recommend this book. Once I've finished this, I can then start my next book "The Last Law of Attraction Book

Learning, laughing & looking ahead Other Writers I read a lot of really good articles this week. I've learned so much in such a short space of time. I've been inspired I've picked up a lot of great tips and came away with lots to think about. An afternoon with the bestie I spent an afternoon with the bestie. We had lunch in her garden in the sun and caught up on each other's lives. We always have so much to talk about and it feels like a really fun therapy session. Rejigged my routine I took away a lot of things from the articles and some of them relate to my routine. I sat down on Friday and planned not only my content for the week but also set out a rough plan for the week. I just need to remember that things don't always go to plan and that's ok. What are you grateful for this week? ♥️

Our Intention Creates Our Reality - Wayne Dyer The start of a new month brings new goals and with new goals, are new intentions. This week I’ve tried to focus on different aspects of my life, so I don’t neglect some areas as I feel I may have been. Read and comment on Medium articles This is something I’ve been trying to do each day but I want to be more concise. I’m going to read and comment on 10 articles on the Medium platform each day. Get up and move After seeing that I only closed my exercise ring on my Apple watch four times in June, I am now going to be more mindful of getting myself moving. My watch goes off every hour telling me to stand, so each time that notification goes off, I’m going to stop what I’m doing and move around. Review my morning routine I’ve been playing around with my to-do list a lot recently, trying to figure out what works well at what time of day, so it’s time to review that morning routine and get that back into play. I need those morning walks

Finally, a week where I can stop and breathe. It's been a positive week and I feel with each new day, brings new things to learn. I sometimes feel like I have only just begun living my life as I am meant to, which is odd at the age of 41. Last week I started adding a "song of the day" to my social media pages, the intention behind these is to get everyone's day off on a positive note. I thought I would share these on my Friday posts for everyone to enjoy, by adding the link to the day of the week. On Friday I went out with a couple of friends for some Friday night drinks. We sat in a beer garden, drinking rose and chit-chatting about our lives. I had a picture taken, which I usually hate but for once I didn't. When I wondered why I noticed that I looked relaxed and not like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders, it felt good to realise that. There was a man at the pub that I was convinced was the actor who played Martin Fowler in Eastenders. I was t

Gratitude is the attitude Yesterday, I posted about the emotional rollercoaster I’ve been on this week Despite the downs, I have managed to find plenty to be grateful for and here are my top 3. Sunday Cinema Date On Sunday, the husband and I took ourselves to the local cinema to watch Top Gun Maverick. I love going to the cinema, the husband, not so much. The weather was pleasant, so we decided to walk the 2 miles to the cinema. I don’t like to spoil things for others, so I won’t say too much about the film itself, other than that I loved it! Usually, the husband and I will go for dinner or drinks so it was a refreshing change to go to the cinema on a Sunday afternoon. Medium stats For those of you reading this that are Medium members, you will understand where I am coming from. Since joining at the end of April, I have checked my stats almost daily, along with my medium partnership program earnings, which in the first two months have not exceeded 38 cents. So I was pleased

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No one's perfect right? I posted this in my newsletter recently but I thought I would elaborate more, and provide the links to each book. If I had gone through a little bump in the road a year or so ago, I don't think I would be sat typing this article, I would most likely be in bed eating Chinese takeaway, followed by ice cream, buying untold shit online on my credit card, accumulating more debt. Whilst I give most of the credit to my amazing therapist, I have done some learning myself by reading (and listening to) various self-improvement books along the way. Here are some of my favourites: Not a diet book - James Smith Ahh, James Smith! I started following him on Instagram a fair few years ago and I have listed him at the top as he recommended quite a few of the books on this list. You may have seen him on TV with his no-nonsense approach to the diet industry. In this book, there is straight-talking advice on how to get fit physically and mentally. Having been on the die

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The book I read after Last one at the party took me a whole month to read! This is a really long time for me and I really struggled. When I picked up One Small Mistake, I was immediately drawn in, I devoured the first half of the book in one night, staying up until 2am, when my eyes finally gave in. I really loved how this book shows how we can perceive others thoughts and feelings differently and how this can really affect the decisions we make In the second half of the book, I was surprised to find myself relating to Elodie's sister Ava. There were things that were in her letters that I could have written myself and it was really quite comforting. I'm looking forward to reading more from Dandy Smith

According to my Goodreads profile, I read 36 books in 2021. I love all different genres but I generally find myself with mostly mystery, crime and thriller books. I will honestly give any book a go. I used to make myself finish a book, even if I wasn't enjoying it but as I got older, I realised that life is too short. I do usually give them another go at some point as sometimes, I have to be in the right mood for certain books. The following books, in no particular order, were my favourite books of 2021. Exoskeleton - Shane Stadler "A convict is given a choice at his sentencing: Serve a 25-year prison term, or spend one year in an experimental corrections program. As his only hope for redemption, he opts for the latter, and finds himself in a horrific situation that transforms him into something the world has never seen. EXOSKELETON is a dark, dark ride along the border between science fiction and horror" This was the longest book I read last year, it mixes some f