VernetteOutLoud

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!

#WeekendCoffeeShare: Happy New Year

 

If we were having coffee, the first thing I would do is wish you very Happy New Year. It’s been a while since we’ve shared some coffee in this space. This first cuppa will be a special little catch up. It’s a rainy Sunday afternoon here in Trinidad, so settle in while I brew some locally roasted beans, this coffee break is much needed.

Do you mind if I add some rum to my coffee…? Make it an Iris…a Caribbean Coffee instead. Shall I add some to yours?

Joyful Hope In A Cup

If we were having coffee, I would share with you just how hopeful I am for this new year. 2016 was a good year and one that I had many things to be thankful for. I am looking forward to cultivating meaningful relationships. To continue building on the things I started last year business-wise and generally living well. I am acutely aware of the fact that life is short and all that truly matters is that you loved. That you allowed yourself to be loved and added value to this world, so that you when you do leave…you leave it a better place, because you were here. What are you looking forward to for 2017?

One Word 2017

If we were having coffee, I suppose you might find this talk to be the effects of the rum I added earlier. But it’s not I assure you. December was a sobering month of grief and endings. Hence, the hope for this new beginning. I have been working on my goals for the next 12 -18 months and getting clear on my intentions. I have also been pondering my one word for this year. I have narrowed it down to three contenders and I’m hoping that by the end of my goal-setting this weekend, the right one will emerge. Do you have a word or theme for 2017?

Sip Sip Pass

If we were having coffee, I would pour you another cup, add some more rum to my own and and sink a little deeper into the sofa of truth while you share your news. I hope your first week of 2017 was just what you needed to start this New Year. Please feel free to share in the comments below.

*****#WeekendCoffeeShare is an awesome link-up where coffee (or some other awesome beverage) is being shared over great conversations.

#WeekendCoffeeShare originated at Part Time Monster:

I started the Weekend Coffee Share last year after lots of feedback and several months of writing posts that imagined a conversation with my blog readers that started with the “if we were having coffee” line. The coffee share runs on the weekends, and there aren’t a lot of rules—-posts just need to be formatted like a conversation over beverages (we’ve had tea-drinkers and cocktail-hours as well as coffee) AND be written within the past week (so you don’t need to publish on the weekend to join the link-up). The hashtag #weekendcoffeeshare is in use all weekend on Twitter and Facebook, and it is sometimes used a bit during the week as well. ~Part Time Monster

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!

 

Coffee Break: Treat yo’self!

Today is National Coffee Day and it feels like my own personal holiday. Because coffee is one of my love languages. To celebrate this auspicious occasion I am sharing two of the best offers on today View Post

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!