Tag Archives: Experiences

Tenets

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Posted by in Experiences, Lessons Learnt

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A little while ago someone asked me for some tips on blogging, and so many thoughts came to mind.

I had much to say; things I regret not doing, things I could have only learnt on the job, things I wish someone had told me, and things that are difference makers.
I gave her my most significant lessons, which in all honesty apply to many things, and I am sharing them with you today.
*record scratch* I had initially typed up the seven points I gave her, but upon reflection, I changed my mind as I really, really, really want you to focus on the important stuff. And now we have three.

  1. No, your idea is not stupid. Run with it. The journey from inception to fruition might be a jog, sprint, or marathon, whatever it may be, just start! It doesn’t matter what it looks like, if there are errors or if it’s not exactly how you envisioned it, put ALL of that aside and start with what you have. And yes, you might be the only one who believes in it, still do it!
  2. The best way to get better is to ‘do’. Do more, and that means practice, practice, practice! Practice precedes progress and improvement. Practice well.
  3. Consistency. This one will make or break what you do. Do not underestimate it at all. Your work and purpose depends on it. It won’t be like that forever, but at the beginning and perhaps for a (very) long time, make consistency your goal. Think of anyone you consider to be successful, were they an overnight success? Absolutely not. It was consistency, trial and error and patience.

The chances are, you know these things already, and if so, I’m reminding you again. There is no escaping these tenets, so you might as well concede, and be on your merry way to hopefully, a more enriched life, doing the thing(s) you have always wanted.

Xo

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Seasons

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Posted by in Experiences, Lessons Learnt, Life, Self-Development

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The weather in London has been amazing! But if you’re from here, you know all too well how fleeting it is, and how eager we all are to enjoy it whilst it’s here.

Seasons. We might not like them but we need them, whether we recognise it or not. Everything has its time. A time to work and a time to relax.

What are you working towards? And is it working for you? Because if not, maybe it’s time for you take a step back and assess what season you’re in.

When we resist what is happening for us, we cause further pain and strife to ourselves.

There is however another option, to stop resisting, relax and get into the flow of your season. I know, it’s difficult to relax when you have these dreams that you need to make happen, which are obviously not going to come on their own, right? Well, not entirely. Sure you have to do something, but notice how things come to you much faster when you’re relaxed, and the urgency isn’t there? You might have even forgotten about the thing itself and suddenly it appears. This is what will happen once you choose to accept versus resist.

I know it’s annoying when things aren’t working how you want it to, but what’s even more frustrating, is trying to force something to happen that is unripe.

If there is something you have been trying too hard at, choose today to relax. Take a deep breath, pull back and then get in tune with the vibration of your life. Pay attention to the things that are happening/working and flow with that, and you’ll soon find that the others things will begin to work itself out.

Xo

A Little Me Time

03 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by in Experiences, Life, Motivational & Intentional, Thoughts in motion

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Recently I have felt like my interactions with those close to me have become a bit stale, and it seemed to have happened ever so rapidly.

We’re just not gelling like we used to, and with life evolving so quickly, our paths are diverging in a way that’s challenging and causing me to really reassess my relationships.

And so I made a decision to limit my engagement and take some time out to figure out what’s going on and in the meantime redirect my focus on other things.

It’s important to evaluate what’s going in your life from time to time, especially if it doesn’t feel right- The whole elevation requires separation bit.

Now I’m not sure if my game plan is to elevate, although as I think about it, I suppose it is. To mentally elevate.

Maybe you’re in similar place to me, having to figure things out and that’s okay. For your own self development, it is sometimes necessary.

There are a few things I’m doing more of in this period:

  • Gratitude
  • Positive affirmations
  • Reading a minimum of a chapter a day (currently, Crushing it by Gary V)
  • Investing in my goals
  • Meditating
  • Journaling

I don’t know how long I’ll be disengaged for, it could be a week, two weeks or a month, I’ll know once I feel different.

I’ll still be here though, on the blog that is.

Xo

Where’s Your Head At?

12 Tuesday Jun 2018

Posted by in Experiences, Lessons Learnt, Life, Motivation

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A few months back there was a big boxing match that I wanted to watch and for the life of me I can’t recall who was fighting now because it was so so dry.

Usually when big boxing matches are coming up, my friends and I look for a venue to watch it at, however we can never quite get it together and it’s always by some stroke of luck that we find somewhere at the very last minute.

Anyway this fight was coming up and I was completely over the palaver of trying find somewhere. Nope, not doing it. I am not looking for a place, a vibe, a nothing, but, I still had the issue of wanting to watch the fight, so what do I do? Then it hit me, ‘Irene, pay for it and watch it at home DURH!’. That’s what anyone with common sense would do, right? Except I was so used to having the mind frame of watching it with others, in their space and on their dollar that it never ever occurred to me that I could just pay for it myself and watch it in the comfort of my own home, without the hassle. Genius idea.

It might sound minute to you, but it shocked the hell out of me because I hadn’t realised that even in something as small as this I had become conditioned to think about some things in a way that was limiting my experiences. Needless to say I paid for it, watched it in bed and after the boring fight was over, fell right asleep, perfect.

It took me making a different choice to encourage me to have a different experience.

What old ways do you have that is limiting your experiences? What could you take responsibility for? What different choice could you make that might lead to a different experience?

The people who get uncommon results do uncommon things. Break your mould and do something you wouldn’t normally and yes sometimes doing that will be difficult and challenges will arise, push through anyway and do it.

I did a presentation last week in front of a whole directorate and I was shitting myself. They couldn’t tell though but I was so sure I was making an arse of myself. It was my first time doing something of that kind and trust me when I say all sorts of challenges cropped up in the lead up to it but I expected that because that’s what happens when you want soemthing. I seriously considered dropping out at the last minute and said to myself, ‘Irene why did you say you’d do it?’. But guess what? It was well received and my colleague and I had lots of positive, reaffirming feedback.

It was also a huge learning curve and built my character and skills, yet if I had quit, I’d never have that.

Its a new week, do something different and see how it goes. Whether you win or lose, you learn from it- you still win.

SShhh Don’t Talk About It

29 Monday Jan 2018

Posted by in Experiences, Travel

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I just got back from a solo trip to Malta. If you have ever tried to organise a trip away with others you’ll know how incredibly frustrating it can be. After months of trying to get it together with others, I scrapped those efforts and said right I’m going alone! I didn’t tell anyone until it was all booked. It was exactly what I needed. It enhanced my confidence in myself, that I can do it alone and although it’d be nice to have a companion, I am certainly enough.

Want to do something? Do it. Don’t allow the perfect time, thing or person prevent you from making that move. I have learnt then when you go ahead, the people that are for you will come to you in due time. Whilst in Malta, a friend in London told me he used to live there and that he can put me in contact with a friend of his to take me out and that’s exactly what happened. Within a few hours I was out exploring their night life.

Another thing to do or not do in this case, is talk about it. We all know what it feels like to talk about something and it not materialise, it’s embarrassing. I’m now operating on a strictly need to know basis, not purely because of the embarrassment, but what it does is allow me to work in private without the influence of others that ‘don’t get it’. A lot of the time all talking about it does is waste energy that you really could be using to actually do it. If you have to talk about it, speak about it to people who have done it or are doing it. You have to constantly keep yourself in alignment with the thing that you’re doing. You cannot afford to speak to those who are on a completely different path, because believe it or not they have the power to derail you. Would an architect speak to yoga instructor about their project? No, unless it’s about how to practice mediation with exercise then Bobs your uncle. Now, that’s not to say they can’t provide great insights, it’s just a ground you have to tread VERY lightly-assess them by their fruits.

So, nurture your goals in private and diligently, protect your mind, get in alignment and surround yourself with people doing the work and watch your life change.

Xo

Day 2: Dance Fever & Gym Boyfriends.

27 Tuesday Jun 2017

Posted by in Experiences, Life, More Action, Thoughts in motion

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I’m back!

After yesterday’s post, I rushed off to a dance studio.

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I decided last week that I was going to get back to one of my first loves, dancing. I’d been meaning to do so for a while, but I couldn’t find classes that fit what I wanted to do, so I said  ‘F it, I’ll teach myself’.

To date, there’s very little that provides me with the feeling of freedom as dance and performing does…Nothing else matters, you just lose or should I say find yourself.

I literally paid for a dance studio for an hour on Friday afternoon. I did my research, found a venue and booked it.

I was excited and a tad nervous even though I was going to be in the room by myself. Ever the investigator, upon getting into the room, I squinted my eyes looking for a camera. I knew that if there was a CCTV camera I’d still be conscious and not completely myself. I didn’t find one,“Yay!”.

Let me tell you, I felt (looked) like a complete fool! LOL. I mean, I can dance in a club but when you’re looking at yourself in a mirror, you really get to see how good or bad you are. My verdict: stiff as a board, but I’m totally okay with that because it means I have lots to improve on. Hold up, I don’t have two left feet, in fact on any given day I’m pretty good, but pretty good is not what I’m after, bloody brilliant is the goal! All in all I left there feeling really rejuvenated and happy with my decision to brave it alone.

Sometimes, its good to do something just for you.

27 June 2017

It’s a very scary thing to witness someone who gave you life be so vulnerable. They’ve cared for you, loved you, disciplined you, practically done everything for you and in a blink of an eye that could all change. My mother is made of solid iron so it was definitely worrying to see her need help.

My mother is however feeling much better today. She still has to rest, but there aren’t any signs of imminent danger. Thank you God!

I’m heading to the gym shortly as I have some major body goals. I want to feel and look the best I have ever done.

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Meagan Good, Teyana Taylor and Sophia Miacova are my current motivators.

You hear it all the time from mothers about how they didn’t appreciate their bodies and if only they knew what they had then and so on. I definitely don’t want to be singing that song.

I want to be happy with that new phase in my life when it comes, knowing that I truly enjoyed myself and my body. Also, you have to be what you want to attract, so buff body it is. That’s not to say my life will stop when children arrive, it won’t, it will just be massively different.

Pre 2017 I hated the gym but needs must. Working out at home wasn’t working and as with a lot of things you have to be in the environment that cultivates the things you want, joining the gym made sense.

I actually like it more now, it makes me feel good especially on a crappy day. Oh and having ‘gym boyfriends’ helps too. Well, they’re not really my boyfriends, merely people who have some sort of ‘interest’, they want to teach me stuff *roll my eyes* everyone is an expert in the gym ha! Like last night, a guy who I’m sure is old enough to be my dad (slight-moderate exaggeration) was asking me to train with him and if we could exchange details. I politely declined. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the affections, it’s nice, but sometimes a girl would like to train in peace even if it means looking like an utter idiot because you really don’t know what the hell you’re doing! I am considering getting a personal trainer though because this lower belly fat has gattogo!

The weather today is PANTS! Talk about grim. Raining cats and dogs “booooo!”, although it’s usually the best time to sleep. I don’t like public transport on a normal day so when it’s raining, erm ew.

I’m babbling now, thats enough from me. I’ll talk about my car drama and anything good (speak it) that happens between now and tomorrow, till then Godspeed!

…And yes today started off much better than yesterday-I win!

Xo

P.s Pictures provided by the muses Instagrams  @meagangood @teyanataylor @sophiamiacova, I don’t own shit.