Tick tock

Every one of us has 24 hours in each day. And even though you can divide this into 3 lots of 8, I do not recommend doing this. Why, because some of your experiences will go longer (the enjoyment factor) than others. So just feel your way through it and go with the flow, but also be constantly aware of how you feel. 

Here is an example story for you: This past christmas, I had to feel my way to how I was going to make this work for me and others around me. Long story short – I drove my car between two different places around New Zealand. This was based on past experience.

Then, when I got to my desitation, because I felt I was in good company – I become at first the entertainment, and leading everyone to having a good time. 

And lastly, my stepping and strategizing  for the day was to leave the party at a certain time, but because I was going with the flow – and the flow was going well, basically everyone left at the same time. Not too early, not to late. 

Everything you do in life gives you an education, and it from this you are guided on what to do next, and the idea, you evolve.

Especially not if your working day goes beyond the 8 hours and extends into 12. Wherever you can, your mental health and then general health needs to always be your priority – I call this mindfulness. Learning what to do is a must.

Take your time, and talk to someone

This brings me to the next thing, when you rush you end up in a puff, and you can end up feeling out of sorts that you end up going back, especially when it comes to security and making sure the place is safe and sound. So it is best to take your time and not rush, and also, stop and talk with others. This takes care of two things, you refleccting on what you have done, and do you feel good? And what do you need to do next?

Tackle tasks

Every task that you need to …. well tackle is going to take time. This is where I talk about experience gives you an education – like no other. And by no other, I mean a formal education. Don’t get me wrong –  I am not knocking University, heck I was there. What I am saying is repeat what feels right for you – meaning, if it works for you – wonderful.

Take it easy

This brings me to the next thing, when you rush you end up in a puff, and you can end up feeling out of sorts that you end up going back, especially when it comes to security and making sure the place is safe and sound. So it is best to take your time and not rush, and also, stop and talk with others. This takes care of two things, you refleccting on what you have done, and do you feel good? And what do you need to do next?

Take a look back

I believe that the activities we all engage in with our lives revolve around our need to shop (experiences or products). This is why I encourage you to use your experiences to help educate yourself, so take a look back  -are you happy with the actions you took?

Wellbeing Wednesday and working to an order of operations

As I write this post and figure out what it is that I want to you know, so that you also are able to live your life day to day with efficiency and effectively so that you achieve, I had to order my thoughts so as to have this discussion with you. And it goes something like this. When I put out an SOS and then began to work and operate my first busines of cleaning peoples homes, my only thought question for myself was: will doing the only thing that I feel I am good at help me overcome my overwhelm while helping me create and structure the education that I want to deliver in the future? 

The answer was yes. And this is how: It all began with knowing that I had mental health problems that would never go away, so I had to find a way of taking care myself through movement and music so that I could life day to day with a little normality. Being OCD with cleaning was and still is my go to when it comes to taking care of my mental health. 

Who would of thought cleaning work would help me to help myself: I certainly didnt. But here is the thing, I would think about what mattered to me at the end of each day and I would start there.

You are always managing. Each day you wake up, you are wondering if you can do a load of laundry, along with, do you have enough money to make it through the day? Both of these things affect your wellbeing on a Wednesday. 

Monitor

How do I feel about mess in general – and how does this affect my mental health? Since that time I have learned some of what I know and am able to do stems from the relationships that I have and had with the women in my life past and present – my mother and both of my grandmonthers. Turns out this is how I initiated the bonding. ( I did this by following these ladies around with a broom and shovel and I would do what they did) While visiting my dads parents in Greece – this is where my name is from (FYI), my grandmother always liked having a clean tidy home for her and her family ( ie: my dad) to live in, so she was constantly cleaning, and so was I. My mother is the same way, but for me it is different. I want to feel that everything is clean and tidy, not just seeing it. Why, because when you can feel the clean in the atmosphere and you can smell the resources used to get the place that way. The result of this is, you feel good, not so overwhelmed and being able to relax is easy. So always think about what you can do to monitor your mental health.

Manage

This brings me to the next bit of mess – your money. If I asked you roughly how much money was in one of your bank accounts, would you know and would you be able to tell me? This for me is something that while it will always be a work in progress, my mental health is better for the way in which I manage how much money is in the bank.  You see, there is also money, not alot, but enough to lift my spirit of not feeling good with money to knowing and being able to achieve the having of money where I want it if and when I need it. This is important, because the reality is that we all need money to well live life, day to day.

Move

Now this next bit is about how I manage the money that I do have. When financial experts tell you it is important to budget, they are not kidding. And while the word “BUDGET” screams BORING, having a budget blowout is not what you want. Trust me I have had too many of those. So each month, no not week, that is the next thing – I add all of the musts that the money MUST take care of, and then I take care of that thing, ie having a website on line with a blog for you learn from. Once I have budgeted for having a business website, I see if there is change, and I move it, to another account, so that I can keep living – this is also about making sure I take care of my mental health.       

Maintain

So the two bits of info above is about the admin that I engage in daily and weekly so that I always win with life. After this, I go back to the monitoring of the mess, (cleaning that is), that each time I have to head out, and only I am there, I make sure that I start and maintain my fitness for the day and maintain my house with cleaning. As I do this I am also leaving the house for a while to do other things.

The answer was yes. And this is how: It all began with knowing that I had mental health problems that would never go away, so I had to find a way of taking care myself through movement and music so that I could life day to day with a little normality. Being OCD with cleaning was and still is my go to when it comes to taking care of my mental health. 

Who would of thought cleaning work would help me to help myself: I certainly didnt. But here is the thing, I would think about what mattered to me at the end of each day and I would start there.

You are always managing. Each day you wake up, you are wondering if you can do a load of laundry, along with, do you have enough money to make it through the day? Both of these things affect your wellbeing on a Wednesday. 

Monitor

How do I feel about mess in general – and how does this affect my mental health? Since that time I have learned some of what I know and am able to do stems from the relationships that I have and had with the women in my life past and present – my mother and both of my grandmonthers. Turns out this is how I initiated the bonding. ( I did this by following these ladies around with a broom and shovel and I would do what they did) While visiting my dads parents in Greece – this is where my name is from (FYI), my grandmother always liked having a clean tidy home for her and her family ( ie: my dad) to live in, so she was constantly cleaning, and so was I. My mother is the same way, but for me it is different. I want to feel that everything is clean and tidy, not just seeing it. Why, because when you can feel the clean in the atmosphere and you can smell the resources used to get the place that way. The result of this is, you feel good, not so overwhelmed and being able to relax is easy. So always think about what you can do to monitor your mental health.

Manage

This brings me to the next bit of mess – your money. If I asked you roughly how much money was in one of your bank accounts, would you know and would you be able to tell me? This for me is something that while it will always be a work in progress, my mental health is better for the way in which I manage how much money is in the bank.  You see, there is also money, not alot, but enough to lift my spirit of not feeling good with money to knowing and being able to achieve the having of money where I want it if and when I need it. This is important, because the reality is that we all need money to well live life, day to day.

Move

Now this next bit is about how I manage the money that I do have. When financial experts tell you it is important to budget, they are not kidding. And while the word “BUDGET” screams BORING, having a budget blowout is not what you want. Trust me I have had too many of those. So each month, no not week, that is the next thing – I add all of the musts that the money MUST take care of, and then I take care of that thing, ie having a website on line with a blog for you learn from. Once I have budgeted for having a business website, I see if there is change, and I move it, to another account, so that I can keep living – this is also about making sure I take care of my mental health.       

Maintain

So the two bits of info above is about the admin that I engage in daily and weekly so that I always win with life. After this, I go back to the monitoring of the mess, (cleaning that is), that each time I have to head out, and only I am there, I make sure that I start and maintain my fitness for the day and maintain my house with cleaning. As I do this I am also leaving the house for a while to do other things.

Today’s talk on what matters is about, moving some of your laundry to the washing machine.  How often do you do your laundry? Do you leave the basket until you have run out of clothes, and then panic? Where do you put your laundry once the machine has washed it?

That mess is causing your mental health and learning to suffer – but have no fear, once you know how you will be able to excel! There are reasons why doing your laundry at any old time is causing you to feel overwhelm and you are not learning how to get the laundry done. Today I am going to dive (pardon the pun), into what to do and why:

1 – You have to monitor the weather

2 – You have to prioritize what matters to you as to what you need to learn to do.

You have to monitor the weather

When I say this, it may sound silly, but there is a reason why there is a weather segment, possibly on every news channel in the world! And, you may not realize this, but have you noticed, whenever you speak to someone you know (say a friend or family, or other.)

Do you find yourself asking “How is the weather treating you?” It is as if we all think the weather owes us something. It doesn’t. My teaching point is this, the weather affects everything that we (you do). That includes you knowing when the rain is coming so that your ability to do some laundry is not affected.

My example and story for you is this: It is Sunday night and the weather segment is about to come on, so I tune in. I discover that Monday will be fine and sunny, with a bit of wind. I have learned over the years, that these conditions (sunny, with a bit of wind) are the best for doing the laundry. Why? It is fine and sunny outside, with a bit of wind. Your laundry will air and dry and will smell nice. My next teaching point is this, I have mentioned Sunday and Monday for a reason. It is a great way to START your week if you do not have to be anywhere in a hurry, and when you do your laundry on days that I have now mentioned, (fine, with a bit of wind) you will be able to move on to the next thing. So my teaching point is to learn to monitor the weather. Your brain and body will thank you for it. I know mine does.

You have to prioritize what matters to you, as to what you need to learn to do.

You cannot prioritize what matters to you if you do not KNOW what that is or what that looks like so that you are able to flow strategically. For example, my teaching point, is this. Once I have checked on what the weather will do on a Monday, (fine with a bit of a breeze) I then check on how much laundry I have to get done for that day. So this is me with my steps in action and my strategy flowing.

Once I have done this, I check and monitor my time. I then do a load and then I do something else that also matters to me for my mental health and learning, to keep my strategy in flow. For me prioritizing means steps, strategy, and success, so that overwhelm is overcome. Once the load has been done, and I have done something else while the laundry was being washed, it is all about hanging the laundry on the line, to air and dry, in the sun, and the breeze, as I have mentioned.

So to recap on the talk ( monitor the weather) and teaching for today (I have mentioned what I do)

Monitor the weather. It will help your mental health, by learning to care about how you feel and what you need to focus on. 

I suggest you do the same. You do this, by prioritizing and planning, so that you get your housework done, on repeat. This is why I learned to write down in what order I did my cleaning so that all surfaces would gleam with shine and ended up creating a list of the surfaces and spaces that would always need attention.

It is all about understanding, your understanding, of all things maori,  especially if you have maori blood. Why? I have always believed that when you know where and what you have decended from, you have the ability to navigate your life a bit easier.

The reason, when you know and understand the behaviours that exist within your familiy background, you then have the ability to decide and navigate how you want your own life to be, going forward. This helps you to feel good, even on a Friday!

But first, you have to know and be able, to go back. Which brings me to this next bit, my own knowing and ability to speak in te reo maori – are you ready?

Ko tenei toku awa ( this is is the river that I am affiliated to, (the Whanganui river), in Whanganui, New Zealand)

As your can see, it was a nice day, to take a photograph – in the maori world, this is the starting point of my families turangawaiwai (the place you decend from). I now believe, that at the basic level of identity, we all have one. And when you decide to start immesing yourself in your culture, you will care more about your life, and the marvoulus moments that you create. Today is matariki day in Aotearoa, meaning New Zealand is having a public holiday from the normalities of life.

Here are 9 ways you can feel good about getting involved in matariki: It is all about maori kupu (words) korero (talk), waiata (song and dance), karakia (prayer) and kai (food), oh and tangata (people) and turanga wai wai (the place where you have decended from.

The day started at 4.30 am. This is what my ancestors would have done, not only to pretect themselves, but to know that they were going to be able to progress with the day. Engaging with life like this, is always about your mindset, which if not mindful how you feel, can affect mental health, and your ability to get involved, as it did mine.  You see, as I went to finish dressing myself my shoes, I realised that I would wear the wrong shoes, jacket and hat. So for next time, I need to learn to do differently.

Over the last couple of years, I have learned alot about myself, and my background. It is all about knowing and then ability. I encourage everyone to learn things about their background. Life will not be so challenging.

1: We left the whare (house), kei roto i te waka (in the car). We headed to see whanaungatanga (extended family).

2: The first thing we did was greet each person (kia ora, or tenakoe)

3: As the morning got underway, I was keen to read to everyone on the cluster of stars, in te reo (the maori language). I did. This is panui.

4: After this, (i muri nei) I got talking to someone who worked in radio, as I had an interest in this. This is korero or talking.

5: We all then headed for the food (kai) but before that, the food had to be blessed with a karakia (prayer).

6: We all, the family (whanau) got food to eat, and then sat down ( kei te noho ki te kai).

7:  Some of us discussed the cold (makariri) and how we were keeping warm. With a hat (potai) on our head, a jacket (kakahu) on our bodies (tinana), and shoes (hu) on our feet, to protect us from the elements.

8: Connecting the dots on how we are related, ancestors (tipuna).

9: And then finishing the day departing, (ka ki te ano)

I have always believed that when each one of us is in true connection to our core, because we know ourselves, this leads us to having the ability of wearing our pride on our sleeves and when speaking to others about who we are. This allows us to easily be able to also celebrate the cultures of others, because we find how we are the same.

It is all about your WOF- I am not just referring to your car’s roadworthiness, but your warrant of fitness also.

But my interpretation of a wof is not the same as getting a wof for your car. My warrant talks about you being able to have a clear direction of where it is that you need and want to go so that you can carry on.
The reason that I write about getting and keeping your car warranted and therefore roadworthy, is because, for me and my car, it is that time of year. Time to get a wof. And I kinda felt that this could relate to how we run our lives day to day, and the things that we need to think about, such as monitoring our movements so that we can achieve.