Stress

Man Alive! If it's not raining, it's pouring - or so I think the saying goes! This few weeks is proving to be the most stressful of them all, I feel like a nervous wreck and am having to push myself doubly hard!

However I have managed to get myself out there and apply for part time jobs and I have managed to make a few contacts, write a few submissions to magazines and write another few thousand words of my novel all at the same time as move house!

Last week's remedy for too much stress was to down enough wine to sink a ship and eat enough chocolate to feed a small country. Of course this week, not only am I suffering from the effects of stress and no sleep, but also from a week of junk food and too much sugar! Will I ever learn?

Serendipity...

Serendipity has to be my favourite word. I love the way it sounds, rolling off the tongue and tapping the lips like a flamenco dancer moving to a vibrant rhythm. More than that, I love what it means - accidentally stumbling on good fortune. A friend of mine lent me a copy of a book that describes luck, because he thought I needed more of it - well we could all do with a little more luck, couldn't we...? But as I read through the first few pages I thought, hang on, I'm actually one of the luckiest people I know. OK, things don't always work out the way I hoped, but that's just life. So I thought I'd list three of my most lucky, unplanned and undreamt of moments some of which, strangely, came from moments that I would've chosen not to experience.

1) Losing my heart to an Australian which led me to Byron Bay, a small town on the Pacific Ocean in NSW that appealed to the Bohemian in me. There I found wonderful friends, a deepening interest in yoga and an alternative lifestyle and an intense love of the ocean. It is a town that changed my life and a part of me stays behind every time I have to leave.

2) My first foray into lone travel took me to Peru and a Scottish friend who has opened her heart and life to me, making my move to Aberdeen a breeze.

3) Losing a part time job in my last year of university, I still don't know how I got through financially, but without that experience I would not have had the time to devote to my studies and improve my final grade.

This particular experience is also borne of negativity and who knows where it will lead - but I am sensing a pattern here, I clearly need a good shove in order for my life to move on! So I think over the next few days, as I search for a part time job to support my endeavours as they find footing and take off, I will choose serendipity rather than wait for it to fortuitously land in my lap!

I am a lucky egg!

Winning Mentality

First things first...

When starting any new venture, your head needs to be in the right place. All negative thoughts and any lack of self belief absolutely must be banished once and for all. I read a lot of self help books anyway, and a lot of them are the flaky 'leave it to the universe' types, but then one comes along that is full of practical and useful advice and actually HELPS!

'Winning Mentality' is aimed in the main at sports people and businesses, but I have got so much from its positive message - proving that there is something in it's pages for everyone.

What's helped me the most is the advice on overcoming fears, trusting your instincts and putting the right action into achieving your goals. So much so that I'm ready to take a leap of faith! Now, I would be lying if I said wasn't terrified, but having said that not trying is now scarier than trying and failing. Although, our erstwhile author has a theory about failure and quotes: 'you haven't failed, you just haven't succeeded yet' - what a wonderful guiding philosophy!

For more information about Phil McNally and Winning Mentality go to:- http://www.winningmentality.co.uk/

I did say I was a technophobe...

I’m watching Lost! I love Lost and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I love the intrigue, the dialogue, the flash backs and flash forwards, the time travel and the mystery of how they all get to stay so gorgeous despite the very real lack of Boots the chemist and any local spa facilities – just wonderful!

What I am ashamed to admit, however, is the total ineptitude of my random fingers that sent an email (advertising my magnificent new blog) to everyone in my contact list including those who should have been deleted long ago!

Ooops!

I can only apologise to those recipients, who no doubt were spitting feathers at my audacity (particularly as I put three little kisses along the bottom!).

Tomorrow is Monday and I have a whole list of things to do in order to get this new life/career thingy off the ground – not least of all finding a new and cheaper place to live!

A new start...

Welcome to my very first post of my very first blog! This is quite a big moment for me as for years, as I stealthily gathered information and technical know how, I have been languishing under the guise of technophobe! I can no longer claim that, although it may well take me a while longer than most to get the hang of this blogging malarkey.

About me... I'm a Londoner living in Aberdeen. I love this city because it's small, but not too small, friendly, but not too friendly, quirky, but not too quirky oh, and it has some great bars. I have a great circle of friends, I love to write and started a creative writing course at the local college last year which is continuing into the Spring. I have written for national magazines and newspapers (and hope to renew that particular career path) and I am in the process of writing two novels. I get to travel when I want - next stop Morocco and India, where, with luck and a lot of hard work, I will train as a yoga teacher.

So, it's all looking good.... except.....

Employment eludes me, in Aberdeen at least. I have never had such job like bad luck or the misfortune to work with bitchy, sniping bosses who can control my destiny with a flick of their evil magic wand! Of course there are many exceptions, but I'm talking about those who let the power go to their heads, the ones who in another life may well have been egotistical despots who are only happy and fulfilled when in the throes of destruction.

However, this blog is not about ranting on, it is about a positive new future. It is about rising phoenix like from the flames of recession, redundancy and the clutches of crazy employers (hence the title, graciously donated by my pal Nichole whose antics you can follow in pithy detail at http://twitter.com/nichole72). I want to share with you the steps I'm planning to take as I restore my working life and confidence by taking on a portfolio career. A career that encapsulates all that I am and love and one that will lead to true fulfillment of body, soul and bank account! of course, it goes without saying that any advice, comments or inspiration will be more than gratefully received!

So here are a couple of my ideas - lots of writing and communications - features, articles and maybe a little ghost writing (you never know, the next time Beckham publishes his autobiography you could be reading his thoughts as penned by me!) TEFL teaching (I have the certificate, but have never used it) and a little part time job that will help me through this transition.

Ok, lets go!