So once again I have been blog surfing.....catching up on posts by some of my favourite bloggers. Erica over at www.thefeministafiles.blogspot.com directed me towards this little gem - I loved rule number one, so thought I would share:
"In her new column for O, author, political commentator, and veteran campaign strategist Donna Brazile offers her rules to live by.
1. Be the buffalo.
Wilma Mankiller, the first female principal chief of the Cherokee nation, once told me how the cow runs away from the storm while the buffalo charges directly toward it—and gets through it quicker. Whenever I'm confronted with a tough challenge, I do not prolong the torment. I become the buffalo."
I wish I had of known this many, many years ago! It would have more than likely helped me to get through so many trials and tribulations.....oh well, I got through them regardless! I shall now endeavour to be "The Buffalo" when faced with challenges - I'm pretty sure that as a mother of four kids, I have many more challenges to come!
My quote for the day? Well, I came across this one today and it jumped out at me! "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."— Eleanor Roosevelt. So I have paid this little quote forward, to a friend's teenage daughter. Typical teenage girl issues, which never have a typical solution. I just want my kids to stay my "babies" forever.....
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
A little old disclaimer....
So I'm guessing disclaimers should be put at the start of something? Well, I'm doing things a little differently.
As the title of my little blog states, all of my thoughts and ramblings that I put out there for people to read are My Insight. They are my feelings, thoughts and opinions on things that are going on in My life. This blog was started because I love writing (well, typing as we now know it!). I am an emotional person, I do not shy away from letting people know how I feel. So for me to hop on here and pour out my feelings on everything from conversations I've had with complete strangers, issues I'm having with family or friends and general day to day what I like to call "bullshit" is my perogative.
I do not write anything on here with any intent, only my insight. So what I guess I'm trying to say is, please feel free to read my blog, and furthermore give me your feedback. But if you know me in person, please don't "read in to it". If you would like to know more, then ask me - I'll be happy to tell you!
I have had some wonderful feedback and comments made to me about my little blog, and it has encouraged me to continue, so thank you for that!
My quote for today comes from a comment I received in relation to one of my blog posts - "Love and Friendship"......that's all! x
As the title of my little blog states, all of my thoughts and ramblings that I put out there for people to read are My Insight. They are my feelings, thoughts and opinions on things that are going on in My life. This blog was started because I love writing (well, typing as we now know it!). I am an emotional person, I do not shy away from letting people know how I feel. So for me to hop on here and pour out my feelings on everything from conversations I've had with complete strangers, issues I'm having with family or friends and general day to day what I like to call "bullshit" is my perogative.
I do not write anything on here with any intent, only my insight. So what I guess I'm trying to say is, please feel free to read my blog, and furthermore give me your feedback. But if you know me in person, please don't "read in to it". If you would like to know more, then ask me - I'll be happy to tell you!
I have had some wonderful feedback and comments made to me about my little blog, and it has encouraged me to continue, so thank you for that!
My quote for today comes from a comment I received in relation to one of my blog posts - "Love and Friendship"......that's all! x
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
An unfortunate update...
Hello friends.....
It is with a very heavy heart that I share the news of the passing of my dear elderly friend I had only blogged about a month or so ago. In the end, his family and friends got their wish - for him to pass away with dignity and comfort, in his own home.
For the past 13 years I have cared for this man, and treated him exactly how I hope I am treated if I am ever in the position of being under someone else's care. For the most part, he was a very joyous man, and loved a good laugh - often at someone else's expense. So it is now that my co-workers and I get the privilege of taking part in organising his farewell. Yesterday, three of my closest friends and I sat around a table with a funeral director, and bravely faced up to having to choose a coffin and flowers for him. This is something I honestly did not believe I would have to do for a very long time....but it truly is an honour to be able to send him off with the same amount of joy and respect that he had whilst still with us.
Although yesterday was difficult and there were tears shed, there was also a great deal of laughter as we all shared the amusing stories about this man we had all come to love and treasure. I am hoping that his funeral will also be a mixture of tears and laughter - as we mourn our loss but also celebrate the sheer joy of knowing him and sharing his life.
So today I shall sign off with a quote from my friend - "Are you there Dear?" No matter where you were in this gentleman's home, you could hear him calling out, and for the majority of times, all he wanted was to be reassured he was not alone. Well, RF, you weren't alone, and you never will be. My hope is that you have been reunited with your loving Mum and Dad, and that you are resting ever so peacefully.
It is with a very heavy heart that I share the news of the passing of my dear elderly friend I had only blogged about a month or so ago. In the end, his family and friends got their wish - for him to pass away with dignity and comfort, in his own home.
For the past 13 years I have cared for this man, and treated him exactly how I hope I am treated if I am ever in the position of being under someone else's care. For the most part, he was a very joyous man, and loved a good laugh - often at someone else's expense. So it is now that my co-workers and I get the privilege of taking part in organising his farewell. Yesterday, three of my closest friends and I sat around a table with a funeral director, and bravely faced up to having to choose a coffin and flowers for him. This is something I honestly did not believe I would have to do for a very long time....but it truly is an honour to be able to send him off with the same amount of joy and respect that he had whilst still with us.
Although yesterday was difficult and there were tears shed, there was also a great deal of laughter as we all shared the amusing stories about this man we had all come to love and treasure. I am hoping that his funeral will also be a mixture of tears and laughter - as we mourn our loss but also celebrate the sheer joy of knowing him and sharing his life.
So today I shall sign off with a quote from my friend - "Are you there Dear?" No matter where you were in this gentleman's home, you could hear him calling out, and for the majority of times, all he wanted was to be reassured he was not alone. Well, RF, you weren't alone, and you never will be. My hope is that you have been reunited with your loving Mum and Dad, and that you are resting ever so peacefully.
Monday, June 7, 2010
"Service is the rent we pay for living"- Malaak Rock
Today's quote is from the gorgeous, drop-dead, stunning wife of the funniest man in the world - Chris Rock. Yet again, I was watching my daily episode of Oprah, and Malaak was taking part on the show, sharing her views on volunteering (and plugging her book "If it takes a village, build one"). When she said "service is the rent we pay for living" I thought it was a great way of looking at volunteering, or helping those who need or want help.
Yesterday, my eldest son and I took part in the "MS walk and fun run" here in Melbourne. It was something I decided to do when another friend on facebook posted he was doing it with his sons. I already knew four people who were living with MS, so it was something I felt was quite close to my heart. As I set the wheels in motion and asked my friend if I could join his team, I put two and two together and worked out that his gorgeous wife (who I had known for a couple of years whilst being kindergarten mums together) was also living with MS. So this then pushed me on and made me even more determined to raise money for the cause and raise awareness of a disease that was becoming much more common than I would like to acknowledge.
A few weeks later, I was overwhelmed by the support and sponsorship of friends and work colleagues and had raised $420 (my son raised $180)! So yesterday, Lochie and I made our way in to the city, in the freezing cold and rain, and joined thousands of others on a 5km walk (braver and fitter people took part in the run!) around Albert Park Lake!
Spending a few hours surrounded by people who had taken the time to register, raise money and take part in a fundraiser, to raise awareness and money for a cure, was very humbling and surprisingly - given the dodgy weather - enjoyable. It was also a great teaching lesson for my 11 year old son, who was complaining to me about having a sore foot......It was then that I explained exactly what MS was, and how it affected people living with it. I told him to have a good look around at all of the people who were taking part in the walk - because not only were there people like us who were doing our parts on behalf of people with MS, there were hundreds of people with MS either making their way around themselves, with the help of family and friends or being pushed around the course in wheelchairs. He soon stopped complaining.
Volunteering, fundraising and general service to your fellow human beings is a wonderful way to get a wider view of your community. Sometimes I think we focus way too much on ourselves, community service can be a wonderful way of shifting that focus and and giving our time and energy in ways that help us to appreciate how great our lives really are.
I am now going to keep my eyes peeled for the next stint of fundraising or volunteering I can contribute too. But what has made me most happiest about yesterday, was that after our walk Lochie asked me to wait a minute whilst he strolled over to a tent set up with information about the MS Readathon. He picked up a flyer and said "This is something I could do Mum". Made my day!
Yesterday, my eldest son and I took part in the "MS walk and fun run" here in Melbourne. It was something I decided to do when another friend on facebook posted he was doing it with his sons. I already knew four people who were living with MS, so it was something I felt was quite close to my heart. As I set the wheels in motion and asked my friend if I could join his team, I put two and two together and worked out that his gorgeous wife (who I had known for a couple of years whilst being kindergarten mums together) was also living with MS. So this then pushed me on and made me even more determined to raise money for the cause and raise awareness of a disease that was becoming much more common than I would like to acknowledge.
A few weeks later, I was overwhelmed by the support and sponsorship of friends and work colleagues and had raised $420 (my son raised $180)! So yesterday, Lochie and I made our way in to the city, in the freezing cold and rain, and joined thousands of others on a 5km walk (braver and fitter people took part in the run!) around Albert Park Lake!
Spending a few hours surrounded by people who had taken the time to register, raise money and take part in a fundraiser, to raise awareness and money for a cure, was very humbling and surprisingly - given the dodgy weather - enjoyable. It was also a great teaching lesson for my 11 year old son, who was complaining to me about having a sore foot......It was then that I explained exactly what MS was, and how it affected people living with it. I told him to have a good look around at all of the people who were taking part in the walk - because not only were there people like us who were doing our parts on behalf of people with MS, there were hundreds of people with MS either making their way around themselves, with the help of family and friends or being pushed around the course in wheelchairs. He soon stopped complaining.
Volunteering, fundraising and general service to your fellow human beings is a wonderful way to get a wider view of your community. Sometimes I think we focus way too much on ourselves, community service can be a wonderful way of shifting that focus and and giving our time and energy in ways that help us to appreciate how great our lives really are.
I am now going to keep my eyes peeled for the next stint of fundraising or volunteering I can contribute too. But what has made me most happiest about yesterday, was that after our walk Lochie asked me to wait a minute whilst he strolled over to a tent set up with information about the MS Readathon. He picked up a flyer and said "This is something I could do Mum". Made my day!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
You know how much I like to share? Well tonight I was clicking the "next blog" tab and it lead me to a blog titled "Starswirlz"..... There were quite a few beautifully written and quoted passages, but this one in particular tugged on my heart strings:
"Why do people always like to run away and not face the issue? Don't they know that once you start running, you will always be running away from the problem and never getting over it? What if one side decides to stay and face it but the other runs? That must be the suckiest feeling in the world, to be left stranded trying to solve a problem that requires both to be involved. It's like trying to clap with one hand."
Hmmmm, yes, I feel like I have been clapping with one hand! Got it in one! And so goes my never-ending lesson of self-discovery and self-counselling....who would have thought another Blogger would help me through posting his own thoughts? I love this blogging world!
My quote of the day: "I got it!" by my baby girl Chloe. This is her first real put together sentence - and it is just beautiful! Have a great day/night wherever you are!
"Why do people always like to run away and not face the issue? Don't they know that once you start running, you will always be running away from the problem and never getting over it? What if one side decides to stay and face it but the other runs? That must be the suckiest feeling in the world, to be left stranded trying to solve a problem that requires both to be involved. It's like trying to clap with one hand."
Hmmmm, yes, I feel like I have been clapping with one hand! Got it in one! And so goes my never-ending lesson of self-discovery and self-counselling....who would have thought another Blogger would help me through posting his own thoughts? I love this blogging world!
My quote of the day: "I got it!" by my baby girl Chloe. This is her first real put together sentence - and it is just beautiful! Have a great day/night wherever you are!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
I've been watching too much daytime television!
Hello friends....
As the title of this post suggests, I have indeed been watching too much day time television! Well, in all honesty - I've been recording too much and watching it when I can!
Yesterday's viewing included an episode of Oprah I IQ'd (for any US readers, this means Tivo'd) featuring Rosie O'Donnell. Now, I haven't seen Rosie for a couple of years, since she decided to hot-foot it from "The View", a much loved daily show of mine. And I must say, the hour she spent with Oprah was very interesting and delved in to so much of Rosie's life and what had been happening with her since her departure.
Yes, it was interesting to get a peek in to her household (she now has her own reality tv show in the states about family) and the way she and her ex-wife co-parent whilst both getting on with their own lives and new partners. But it was much more interesting to hear how Rosie has been dealing with depression, anger and just to throw a spanner in to it - menopause!
Rosie had many things to say about all of the above, but I actually wrote down a couple of quotes, because I was surprised at how much they resonated with me and where I am at in life right now. So I thought I would share....
In talking about her "falling out" with the almighty queen of television, Barbara Walters, she stated "If I had of been braver, I would have just cried, and said you really hurt my feelings". But apparently, instead, she screamed and insulted Barbara and said she thinks she even scared her. I sooooo get this. But I feel like I'm on the flip side. I tend to cry and state exactly how I feel, but think that sometimes it would be much more effective to scream and be angry? So I guess, in essence, Rosie made me feel like I am the braver person, for being able to share my feelings and emotions.
The other wonderful lesson she shared was that of her growing up without a Mother, after she died when Rosie was just ten years old. Rosie said she had always thought of herself as a "mother-less child", when in fact she was now a "child's Mother". I thought this was beautiful. "At what stage do You tell a different story? You have so many different stories in your life". Wow.....who would have thought Rosie O'Donnell could have such powerful insight? I was only talking to my brother the other day, who had called me out of the blue, since he disappeared from my radar a year earlier. I was so very proud of myself, because I managed to stay calm and really tell him exactly what I thought about the way his life was going, and what I thought he needed to do to get back on track. I wish in a way I had watched Rosie a couple of days earlier so I could share this little gem with him.
The last little piece of scribble I took down from Rosie had to do with living her authentic self. Now, once again, I had heard Oprah (god love her) say this many times over the years, but had never taken it in. Rosie, in talking about the split from her ex-wife, said she felt like she was now living her life as her "authentic self". Hmmmmm.......isn't this something we would all like to be doing? I know I sure would! I have spent the majority of my life being what you would call a "people pleaser". I thought I had left that label behind after my split from the ex-husband, but on reflection, I have noticed I have slipped back in to old habits and am worrying way too much about what other people think of me, and wanting to feel accepted and liked. So, thank you Rosie, I have now put in to place my authentic self! And the only people I am aiming to please, apart from myself, are my husband and children. Because at the end of the day, their opinions are the only ones that matter!
Phew......I'm so grateful for day time television! What on earth would I do without Oprah? Who needs medication when you have her to turn to?
As the title of this post suggests, I have indeed been watching too much day time television! Well, in all honesty - I've been recording too much and watching it when I can!
Yesterday's viewing included an episode of Oprah I IQ'd (for any US readers, this means Tivo'd) featuring Rosie O'Donnell. Now, I haven't seen Rosie for a couple of years, since she decided to hot-foot it from "The View", a much loved daily show of mine. And I must say, the hour she spent with Oprah was very interesting and delved in to so much of Rosie's life and what had been happening with her since her departure.
Yes, it was interesting to get a peek in to her household (she now has her own reality tv show in the states about family) and the way she and her ex-wife co-parent whilst both getting on with their own lives and new partners. But it was much more interesting to hear how Rosie has been dealing with depression, anger and just to throw a spanner in to it - menopause!
Rosie had many things to say about all of the above, but I actually wrote down a couple of quotes, because I was surprised at how much they resonated with me and where I am at in life right now. So I thought I would share....
In talking about her "falling out" with the almighty queen of television, Barbara Walters, she stated "If I had of been braver, I would have just cried, and said you really hurt my feelings". But apparently, instead, she screamed and insulted Barbara and said she thinks she even scared her. I sooooo get this. But I feel like I'm on the flip side. I tend to cry and state exactly how I feel, but think that sometimes it would be much more effective to scream and be angry? So I guess, in essence, Rosie made me feel like I am the braver person, for being able to share my feelings and emotions.
The other wonderful lesson she shared was that of her growing up without a Mother, after she died when Rosie was just ten years old. Rosie said she had always thought of herself as a "mother-less child", when in fact she was now a "child's Mother". I thought this was beautiful. "At what stage do You tell a different story? You have so many different stories in your life". Wow.....who would have thought Rosie O'Donnell could have such powerful insight? I was only talking to my brother the other day, who had called me out of the blue, since he disappeared from my radar a year earlier. I was so very proud of myself, because I managed to stay calm and really tell him exactly what I thought about the way his life was going, and what I thought he needed to do to get back on track. I wish in a way I had watched Rosie a couple of days earlier so I could share this little gem with him.
The last little piece of scribble I took down from Rosie had to do with living her authentic self. Now, once again, I had heard Oprah (god love her) say this many times over the years, but had never taken it in. Rosie, in talking about the split from her ex-wife, said she felt like she was now living her life as her "authentic self". Hmmmmm.......isn't this something we would all like to be doing? I know I sure would! I have spent the majority of my life being what you would call a "people pleaser". I thought I had left that label behind after my split from the ex-husband, but on reflection, I have noticed I have slipped back in to old habits and am worrying way too much about what other people think of me, and wanting to feel accepted and liked. So, thank you Rosie, I have now put in to place my authentic self! And the only people I am aiming to please, apart from myself, are my husband and children. Because at the end of the day, their opinions are the only ones that matter!
Phew......I'm so grateful for day time television! What on earth would I do without Oprah? Who needs medication when you have her to turn to?
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