Monday Blues Archives - Page 6 of 20

Vernette August 10, 2015

7 For Seven

Five years ago today…I was preparing to say my final goodbye to my mother. It was a day quite like this one – sunny, blue skies – except there was a slow motion quality to everything.

Five years later…it is still surreal. I heard her name being called at Mass this weekend and for a second I was like…”hey that’s mummy’s name.”

Grief does not get easier. All them books on it…they lie. Who feels it, knows it. And I’m learning to live with it. I’m learning how to be happy in a world that is forever changed. I’m learning to live all the lessons she taught me.

I would not be the woman I am today without them. And as painful as it might be to admit this, I would not be who I am today, if she were still here.

…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 I have adopted the practice and it has really changed my life in positive ways. My 7 this week is all about the woman who God chose to create me. I love her. I miss her every. single. day.

Thank you for giving me life. Thank you for being my first love. Thank you for teaching me how to let go of someone I love. Letting you go was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.

Dear Mummy, thank you for introducing me to God. It is this faith that gives me the strength to move forward in joyful hope.

Thank you for showing me how to be strong. Around the time we decided as a family that mummy was not going to do any more chemo treatments, I asked her what was the one lesson she learned from her whole journey with Ovarian Cancer. She said to me that having cancer, taught her how to be strong. This from the woman who raised three children on her own, during a recession, cleaning people’s houses to make ends meet. I have so much respect for what she calls “strength”.

Thank you for my sister and brother. This journey would have been super boring without having them to blame things on. Thank you ~~drumming it into our heads~~ teaching us what is really important. Thank you for a childhood that may have lacked “wants” but was full of the things that really mattered – Love, plenty laughter and a mother who cheated to win against her own kids at board games. Yes folks my mother hated losing…to her children.

Thank you for allowing me to bathe in the rain! I’m a hardcore pluviophile and proud!

Thank you for all the support and encouragement.

Gloria Amelia Superville
May 05, 1947 – August 07, 2010
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my Spirit rejoices in God my Saviour”
Luke 1:46-48

I want to make you so proud. I want when people meet me that they see a bit of you too. I want them to know that the woman I am today was because you worked hard, you sacrificed so that I could get here. I am so grateful for the time I had with you and I hope to live a life where time with the people I love is always my number one priority!

I will pay attention to the little things today. Those little things, the mundane details that make up all the blessings in my life as I move through this day still so full of promise. By sowing these seeds of faith and gratitude, I can truly carry with me and reap the rewards of “positivity + balance + bliss” throughout the days ahead and well into the week 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? What made you smile? Feel free to share below!

Vernette August 3, 2015

7 for SEVEN

Hellooo August!!!

As we start a new month and for a me – a new year I would like to share with you how this gratitude practice came into being…

…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 I have adopted the practice and it has really changed my life in positive ways. Here are my 7 simple positives for this week:

Avocado Toast. Cumin and olive oil just takes this to the next level! Try it and get your life!!!

Another Birthday.

Blue Moons. July 31 I was fortunate to capture this spectacle – a second full moon in a calendar month. A powerful reminder to follow my heart and get my rebel on.

Coffee with friends.

Happy tummies and hearts. The remnants of a lunch hour well spent!

Breakfast surprises!

Homemade Tiramisu. The best kind!

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 and well into this new year of life.

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? What made you smile? Feel free to share below!

____________________________________________________________

Instagram is my favourite place to connect.
FOLLOW ME there and say HI!!!

Vernette July 27, 2015

7 for SEVEN

Hello Loves!!!

July is winding down and we’re getting closer and closer to the most fantastic day of the year – my birthday!!! Whoo hoo.

As it happens every year around this time, I get all reflective about the last 12 months and the experiences that have brought me to this very moment.

My 7 for this week is a ~~(very small)~~ compilation of few of my favourite things over the last 12 months:

Family. I am who I am today because of the support and encouragement of my family. If not for them I cannot say where I would be today. I don’t even want to think about it.

Friends. A friend of mine said to me recently that there is no such thing as an independent person. We all need something or someone – whether it is family, friends or a significant other. We all need that intimacy that comes with knowing someone you can be who you are 100%…no judgment. I am so blessed to have cultivated authentic relationships – especially over the last couple years – where I am me and that is enough. My Cohort of Awesome has been my safe place and I am grateful for all of you.

YOU. My dear reader. Jeff Goins said, “Most writers struggle with the same thing, one thought that threatens to destroy their message before it ever leaves their fingertips: what I say doesn’t matter.” This is a major fear of mine – who am I to have a blog? What do I really have to say? I struggle to even call myself a writer. But you continue to read. You continue to support. And I am grateful. Thank you.

Travel. NYC x2, London, Bristol, Miami, Washington D.C. – the travel bug bit me hard in 2015. It is has been a fantastic year for new experiences and lots and lots of good coffee. The downside is that now I crave more new experiences.

Love. One of my favourite quotes came from a Nayyirah Waheed poem,
“i am mine.
before i am ever anyone else’s.”
I am reminded every day that at the top of the list of those who Love me…is my own name.

Prayer. I thank my mother for introducing me to God and ensuring that the relationship I would eventually foster has a strong foundation. My faith has helped me through some tough moments this year.

Red Eye Sunrise. I love travelling on red eye flights. The airport is quieter. Not a lot of babies on the flight. And there is just something about starting a new day in a whole new place that is hella’ appealing to me. The absolute best part is being able to see the sun rise from the vantage point of the clouds. It is freaking amazing. I have been blessed this year to experience a few red eye sunrises. Seeing the clouds awash in the rays of the sun, heralding the dawn of a brand new day…maaan I cannot help but feel rejuvenated and ready to move forward enthusiastically toward everything the new day, another birthday and this new year has to offer.

And it is with this sentiment I greet this new year of life. 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 and well into this new year of life.

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? What made you smile? Feel free to share below!

____________________________________________________________

Instagram is my favourite place to connect.
FOLLOW ME there and say HI!!!

Vernette July 20, 2015

7 for SEVEN

Hellooo You Guyss!!!Things have been quiet around here for the last week or so because I was doing something pretty amazing!!! I just attended my first ever #BlogHer15 conference. And it was really really awesome!

I will do a full recap on Thursday, so make sure to look out for that. But for now I’m just so grateful to have been there. When I said that initial yes I had no real clue just how BIG of a yes it would turn out to be. I mean…I think I broke up with Netflix ya’ll.

For now, though as I face the task of unpacking…I will share my 7 for this week:

Being open. Saying YES. When I got to NY last Tuesday, I set an intention to be open to abundance, adventure and infinite possibilities. The last week has taught me that letting go of expectations, staying open to good things and saying a resounding yes…brings fantastic results.

This present moment…and all the moments that lead me to this point. You guys, I am so full right now. Heart and mind…and too often, I forget about the times I prayed, hoped and worked hard for something…forgetting that where I am right now is a result of many dreams – big and small – coming true. I am truly grateful to be living my dreams.

Having bigger dreams. Because I was created to live the best life I could. And that’s the only way to live this one precious life.

Travelling with friends…good company, plenty laughter and the occasional “oh my God I think we’re lost” moments are worth the experience.

Free Wifi… Because internet and I’m not about that roaming charges life.

Tiramisu with friends. This one is self-explanatory.

Other Bloggers. Meeting people who spoke the same language that I did was refreshing. The BlogHer community is an amazing treasure trove of women and men using their little patch of internet in interesting ways.

Rainy days. NYC is a boiler room at the moment. Happy to be back home in good old rainy Trinidad.

So as I go do the needful and try to settle back into everyday life…I hope that by paying 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? What made you smile? Feel free to share below!

____________________________________________________________

Instagram is my favourite place to connect.
FOLLOW ME there and say HI!!!

Vernette July 6, 2015

7 for SEVEN

Youuuu guysss!!! July is my favourite month of the year! It’s my birthday month ya’ll and I’m super excited for all this month and the next year of my life has to offer and I’m even more excited (if that were even possible) to with you my SEVEN for this week:

Rainy days. I love the rain. I love rainy days and snuggling deeper under the covers. And I get to sing to the annoyance of those around me…”Here comes the rain gain…”

Saying YES. I made a commitment to myself this year that I will say yes to experiences that put me in the same room with like minded people who will inspire me to be a better me. I had one of those experiences this week. I accepted an invitation to a book launch and that one YES has lead to so many great opportunities I almost cannot believe it.

JULY!!! It’s my birthday month!

Trying new things. My gym has started TRX Training and after being encouraged by friends I decided to give it a try. OH.EM.GEE. DEATH!!! What my “friends” failed to mention is that TRX was born in the Navy Seals and it uses your body weight and gravity to complete the exercises. I started the class with some trepidation but I still was not ready. I thought I was going to die. I felt like I wanted to throw up for an hour afterward. Rivers of sweat mixed with tears…thank the Lord for the sweat because it was a class where the men outnumbered the women – almost unheard of in my gym and really that bit alone should have tipped me off. This shit was VERY hard…arms, legs and brain was quivering from the shock afterward. All this to impress upon you that TRX is NOT for the lazy. You will die. And it does not end there…the morning after the workout, I tried to swing my legs off the bed to get up and start my day…I had to look back for my legs. You will die. And for the rest of the week you will ache from your neck down. But you will want to do it again. Because…the shock wears off and the aches subside and you feel great about yourself (You didnt actually die) and then you have try it again, if only to prove to yourself that you can.

Chocolate cake. Because yes! Always YES. ~~(And I deserved it after that TRX class)~~

Good friends I am blessed to have surrounded myself with really good people who tell it like it is. Always reminding me that “good work speaks for itself” whenever I start doubting myself and start worrying that I might not being enough.

172 days to Christmas…how you like them apples and grapes and presents and fireworks and BAM! the year is over. Get started. Every success story, started with a first day. You dont have to get it right…just get it going. A lesson I have been learning as I push myself out of my comfort zone and face my fears.

My hope is that by paying attention to the little things, the every day 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? What made you smile? Feel free to share below!

____________________________________________________________

Instagram is my favourite place to connect.
FOLLOW ME there and say HI!!!

POLICY OF YES