VernetteOutLoud

7 for SEVEN: 3 Mondays Into the New Year

We are three Mondays Into the not so New Year – how are you feeling?

Isn’t it funny how the year does not feel so new just 16 days in? I swear to you, I am tried already. And I suppose it’s because you do all this work internally – setting goals and intentions and getting clear on exactly what you want to accomplish – then you have to live in the real world. And in this real world, it might be a new year but some people have their same crappy attitudes, at least in my office.

But I digress. It’s Monday and you know what happens in this space:

…every Monday, we post seven positives from the previous seven days of the week as a reminder of what we have so that the week starts out on an upswing. There is much truth in the belief that happy people attract good things, so it is important to start the week out right. Sometimes it’s the more grand, but other times, it’s the simple things.~ Key + Arrow

7 for Seven originated at Key + Arrow and now let’s get into my 7 for this week:

Baby talk.

My nephew has been saying ‘ma-ma’ and ‘da-da’ for about 6 weeks now. The words are just baby babble, not really identifying his mama or his dada. But lately, he has been trying to imitate the words hello – he only has the ‘oo-oo’ part but *fingers crossed* he will be saying the actual word soon. Every time I see him, it’s a lesson in wonder and love. I am so grateful that this little light chose us to be his family!

Helping Hands.

On the way to Mass on Sunday morning, my sister stopped for gas, even though we were cutting it close for time. As we were finishing up at the pump, a guy approached her asking if she had jumper cables because he needed a boost to start his car. We couldn’t start it at the pump, so two guys helped push his car unto the road. My sister and the guy made quick work of getting the clamps attached and with a rev of her engine, the guy was able to get enough juice to start his car.

He was so thankful that we assisted him, even apologizing for ruining our Sunday. We assured him he didn’t. We got to Mass with two minutes to spare. Everything happens for a reason. If I had opted to drive us, we would not have stopped for gas and thus would not have been able to help the guy. And we both reasoned that if we were late to Mass because we stopped to help someone on the way, Jesus would not have minded in the least. The guy got help, we made it to Mass on time and we got to put some good karma into the world. #Winning

10K every day

You guys I did it! I made 10,000 steps every.single.day. last week. And I will have you know that these steps did not include my other gym workouts – spin, weights and yoga. This was simply me making my step goals for the week. I was properly tired by the weekend, but it made my sleep so much better, so no real complaints here.

Dinner with my Sister.

Because even though we speak everyday, dressing up and going out to eat and catching up over a really nice dinner is an extra special treat. Bonus: When she pays!

My Cohort of Awesome.

I have surrounded myself with people who reflect my light and who are able to shine their own light when I am being pulled into the darkness. I will be forever grateful for these wonderful people who have allowed me to be part of their journey here on earth. This journey would be hella boring if not for them!

Coffee Love.

I’m 7 for seven on getting my coffee to cream ratios just right!

Planning vacations for the rest of the year.

Man am I looking forward to aaall the long weekends 2017 will bring and I am joyfully planning travel for the upcoming months. These first 16 days have been an eye-opener and boy have they renewed my resolve to prioritize self-care and relaxation this year.

I hope that by continuing to pay attention to the little things, the mundane details that make up all the blessings in my life and by sowing the seeds of faith and gratitude, I can truly carry with me and reap the rewards of “positivity + balance + bliss” throughout the days ahead.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate you! This is me blowing some glitter and confetti on you because you’re super blessed to have received the gift of another 86,400 seconds today, to spend any way you desire.

Make those seconds count!

I love hearing from you…what are you grateful today? How has 2017 started for you? Feel free to share below!

7 for SEVEN: A gratitude practice

Hello again my loves, I am so filled with gratitude for you.

We are off to a great start for 2017. The first week is history. Things are kinda settling back into normal routines as the school term opens this week. This means more traffic on the roads here…but I digress. I feel like this is the week, the year really gets started.

…every Monday, we post seven positives from the previous seven days of the week as a reminder of what we have so that the week starts out on an upswing. There is much truth in the belief that happy people attract good things, so it is important to start the week out right. Sometimes it’s the more grand, but other times, it’s the simple things.~ Key + Arrow

7 for Seven originated at Key + Arrow and now let’s get into my 7 for this week:

Weekends.

Friday was the kind of work day that makes you grateful for the respite of Saturday. I felt like I earned a month’s alary on that day alone. But I survived and guess what, I get to do it all over again today. Ha! However, I am grateful that I have a job to go to when the me-time of the weekend is over.

Coffee with friends all year round.

The Christmas season is the time of the year when most people catch up with or make the extra effort to see family and friends. I am grateful that I have a tight cohort of awesome family, and friends who are family, who make the time to connect all year round.

Beach Please.

I am thankful for ‘Beach Please’ messages that get answered with a ‘Let’s go!’ I love that I live on an island in the sun that is so small (a good and a bad thing sometimes) it only takes a 45-minute drive to the soothing sound of waves crashing. I am ever grateful for friends who are always down for an adventure.

Belly laughs.

During my morning walk on Saturday, I met one of my friends on the hill and we just fell into step and continued the journey chatting to the top. On the way back down the conversation got to football (soccer for some of you) and favourite ‘man-crushes’. Side note: Trini men will only ever talk openly about man-crushes when it relates to sports…mostly football.

Anyways, he mentioned his all time favourite, who happens to me mine as well. But he is an Arsenal fan *side eye* so his second favourite is Thierry Henry. I responded, (with my bad self) with this quizzical look on my face…Meh…Thierry??? Ugh, I not impressed. The man literally took off downhill in a sprint and I heard the words – Don’t diss Thierry!!! in his wake. I laughed so hard, I was wheezing! These fragile Trini male egos. I am laughing now as I type this. That reaction was priceless; and no…he never stopped.

Living out Loud. 

God has a way of sending you messages. I had this post scheduled before the Golden Globe Awards last night. And it was written with this quote I found that describes perfectly how I’m trying to live my life and what I strive to do every day to create such a life. French novelist, Émile Zola said, “If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud.”

And then Viola Davis had this to say as she presented the Cecil B. DeMille Award to Meryl Streep: “You make me proud to be an artist. You make me feel like what I have in me is enough. My body, my face, my age, is enough.” And she went on to say that Meryl encapsulates Émile’s quote perfectly and I was like…hey! I just found that quote and started reading up on him. What are the odds? So I came back to edit this portion to add this bit and you can watch Viola here.

Coffee presents.

As you get older, Christmas becomes less about receiving gifts and more about giving – whether it is spending time with loved ones, or something more tangible. So it always special when I am the recipient of a thoughtful gift and when that gift happens to be coffee – I am over the moon happy. Extra points for it being from a local roaster!

You.

And finally, I am grateful for you dear reader, for taking the time to read, comment, support and encourage me. This blogging community is everything. Thank you. I see you and, I appreciate you.

I hope that by continuing to pay attention to the little things, the mundane details that make up all the blessings in my life and by sowing the seeds of faith and gratitude, I can truly carry with me and reap the rewards of “positivity + balance + bliss” throughout the days ahead.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate you! This is me blowing some glitter and confetti on you because you’re super blessed to have received the gift of another 86,400 seconds today, to spend any way you desire.

Make those seconds count!

I love hearing from you…what are you grateful today? How has 2017 started for you? Feel free to share below!

7 for SEVEN – A gratitude practice

Hello my loves, I am so filled with gratitude for you.

Things have been VERY quiet in this space for months. But it’s a brand new year and here’s to new beginnings and starting again. How awesome it is that I am still here to try again.

2016 was a great year and it was a heavy year and it was every thing in between, a true roller-coaster ride of emotions. I kinda lost my blogging way a bit. And it was okay. Because I always wanted to come to this space to add value. So I don’t feel too badly about not publishing much for 2016.

I have set some new goals and intentions for this space for this year. And I’m sitting here now, feeling positive, grateful and hopeful for all that is to come – whatever that might be. I’ve got my big girl Jedi panties on…I’m s0 ready for 2017.

That’s why I’m using the energy of this fresh start to share my first 7 for Seven for this spanking new year – to get going once again.

…every Monday, we post seven positives from the previous seven days of the week as a reminder of what we have so that the week starts out on an upswing. There is much truth in the belief that happy people attract good things, so it is important to start the week out right. Sometimes it’s the more grand, but other times, it’s the simple things.~ Key + Arrow

7 for Seven originated at Key + Arrow and now let’s get into my first 7 for 2017:

Starting.

This new year has started with much promise. I am looking forward to continuing to build upon the things I started in 2016. Yes in many ways a lot remains the same, but I have resolved to go hard, start strong though small and take it one baby step at a time, working in silence until my success speaks for itself.

The little light that is now 10mths old. 

My family witnessed our own little miracle in 2016. My nephew came into this world and has changed all of our lives for the better. I cannot begin to describe the love I feel for him, he has taken his chubby little fingers and wrapped them around my heart. I am so awed and hopeful for the future.

Adulting.

The struggle is real! There are no guide books on how to manoeuver this phase in life. You’re pretty much making it up as you go…mostly by making mistakes and learning from them. When you don’t learn the lesson…that shit comes back to bite you on the ass until you do. Here’s to learning my lessons well in 2017 with no do-overs.

Not Everything Is About Me.

Everybody is fighting their own battle, their own demons. And most times, they are caught up in their own drama. So I’m trying not to take things personally. Learning to let some things go will be the best skill you can develop. I’m learning this the hard way…but I am learning.

Sticking with my fitness plan.

I am happy to report that I have stuck with my goal for getting healthy in 2016. I’ve 20lbs since June 14th. I changed my diet and I workout 6 days a week – God bless my Fitbit because it reminds me that I need to keep moving. My goal is 30lbs overall and I am very pleased to say that I’m seeing positive results. I’m looking forward to hitting my goal in the first quarter of this year.

Conquering personal mountains.

December wasn’t easy – unexpected loss and my friends in grief turned what is usually a festive, happy time, one of sadness and shock. My take-away from that experience was to LIVE. To live a life that I can be proud of. To love hard and to not be afraid to start again. We all have this one, short life. Sometimes, it’s going to be uphill and you might have obstacles in your path to crawl over. And sometimes it will be nice and shady and some moments will take your breath away. Sometimes you will need to ask for help. You will fall and you will get up. And yes, you can go it alone…but it is far more fun to travel with friends, people you love, people you can belly laugh with and have coffee (or wine) with. Getting to the top is only part of the fun. But oh so worth it! And you will never know, unless you take the first step forward. You have to start. You have to be unafraid to live. To be seen.

Hygge

And finally, I am grateful for the Danish concept of hygge.  Hygge (pronounced HOO-GAH) seems to be everywhere these days but it is about enjoying life’s simple pleasures – in my case: Family. Friends. Coffee.

I hope that by continuing to pay attention to the little things, the mundane details that make up all the blessings in my life and by sowing the seeds of faith and gratitude, I can truly carry with me and reap the rewards of “positivity + balance + bliss” throughout the days ahead.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate you! This is me blowing some glitter and confetti on you because you’re super blessed to have received the gift of another 86,400 seconds today, to spend any way you desire.

Make those seconds count!

I love hearing from you…what are you grateful today? How has 2017 started for you? Feel free to share below!

 

7 for Seven

Hello October!

I am so happy to see September go. It’s been one of the hardest months of 2016 and I’m hoping that the fresh start of October brings with all the energy of new beginnings.

I’m also hoping that these last 90 days of 2016 are productive and that I don’t lose focus on all the path I started on at the start of this year. There is still time to achieve some goals.

…every Monday, we post seven positives from the previous seven days of the week as a reminder of what we have so that the week starts out on an upswing. There is much truth in the belief that happy people attract good things, so it is important to start the week out right. Sometimes it’s the more grand, but other times, it’s the simple things.~Key + Arrow

7 for Seven originated at Key + Arrow and now let’s get into my 7 for this week:

I always have enough. The struggle was real this month in more ways than one, but through it all, I was reminded that I always have enough. Despite how bleak things looked at times, I continued to have what I needed.

I am loved. I felt like I hit my lowest point last week. And it was at that point two of my friends reached out just to say hi and catch up. Again, a reminder that I have people in my life who genuinely care about me. And it came at time when I needed it the most.

I am cultivating hygge in my life.  Hygge (pronounced HOO-GAH) is a Danish word and ritual of enjoying life’s simple pleasures – in my case: Family. Friends. Coffee.

I am learning about cars by force. A good and bad thing. This whole baptism by fire with my new-to-me-third-hand-car has taught me a whole lot about myself. As much as I consider myself a can-do woman, when it comes to cars *and I cannot believe I’m typing this* I realize now that I consider that guy stuff. So having to learn about the intricacies of alternators and trying to not suffer MEGO (My Eyes Glaze Over) and appear the stereotypical female was a true growth experience. I say here, I am not a damsel in distress thus, I see a Basic Mechanic Course on my horizon in 2017.

 

I am still eating for life. The numbers on the scale continue to get smaller and I’m hoping that my next check-up/blood test results will reflect all the changes I’ve made positively. The one positive outcome to some of the stress of this month. HA!

I am a proud Aunty – my nephew has started saying Ma-ma. It’s more like ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma. And we haven’t confirmed yet that he is actually referring to his mother when he says it…but the baby babble is starting to take the form of real words. The baby is starting to speak ya’ll! Ermaghad!!! 

I am big kid sometimes…and that’s okay. I fell down a YouTube rabbit hole of old Sesame Street videos – you know before everything was all about Elmo. And now I cannot stop singing  “do de rubba duck.”

This post was brought to you by letter I and the number 7. And now my hope is that by continuing to pay attention to the little things, the mundane details that make up all the blessings in my life and by sowing the seeds of faith and gratitude, I can truly carry with me and reap the rewards of “positivity + balance + bliss” throughout the days ahead.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate you! This is me blowing some glitter and confetti on you because you’re super blessed to have received the gift of another 86,400 seconds today, to spend any way you desire. Make those seconds count!

I love hearing from you…what are you grateful today? Feel free to share below!

 

 

7 for SEVEN

Youuu guuuys there are 96 days left in 2016! Can you believe that??

I’ve shared with you all that September has been a roller coaster and that means everything seemed to more down than up. I’m tempted to say that it’s all Mercury’s fault but a lot of it was just me. Long story short, this month has been harder than most and this is my 7 for the last Monday in September 2016.

…every Monday, we post seven positives from the previous seven days of the week as a reminder of what we have so that the week starts out on an upswing. There is much truth in the belief that happy people attract good things, so it is important to start the week out right. Sometimes it’s the more grand, but other times, it’s the simple things.~Key + Arrow

7 for Seven originated at Key + Arrow and now let’s get into my 7 for this week:

Surviving.  Thriving. I’m still here. I have food to eat, a place to call home and now I’ve added a car to drive. Despite all the shit going down and my general dissatisfaction with where I am at in my life, I’m still here. Still giving this one precious life all that I’ve got. Some days I have a lot to give and some days, I just want to stay in bed and forget the world. I am grateful, so grateful to still have the opportunity to live well. Whatever that looks like.

Writing. One line a day in my journal, because I feel most at home with words.

Accepting that sometimes you don’t just close a chapter…but the whole damn book and start again.

Anticipating the milestone moments of 2017 – with two weddings and a baby on the horizon, the New Year already holds so much promise of new beginnings.

Eating for life. The results from my medical in June were not the best and I had to make some drastic changes. So far, I’m down 15lbs and I’m seeing numbers on the scale I haven’t seen in 6 years. I still have some ways to go and some more tests to run but I’m getting there.

Loving my nephew – the joy of my life. He is seven months old now. The time is really flying with this one. I am loving watching him grow. He has a tooth coming out on the bottom. Such a sweetie pie.

Hoping that my turn will come soon…and that I can be patient with divine timing. I saw Bridget Jones Baby over the weekend and despite the ‘geriatric mom’ digs and the SILF jokes (MILF but the M is replaced with Spinster) it was a story of hope. Hope that you can have the life you want, even at age 43. Gawd I hope I don’t have to wait that long tho…

And now my hope is that by continuing to pay attention to the little things, the mundane details that make up all the blessings in my life and by sowing the seeds of faith and gratitude, I can truly carry with me and reap the rewards of “positivity + balance + bliss” throughout the days ahead.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate you! This is me blowing some glitter and confetti on you because you’re super blessed to have received the gift of another 86,400 seconds today, to spend any way you desire. Make those seconds count!

I love hearing from you…what are you grateful today? Feel free to share below!