Photo by Andre Furtado from Pexels
It’s a brand new year. And even though it’s already one month through, there is plenty of time left to make a change. To make it your best year yet there are certain things that you should do throughout the next 11 months and beyond. Life isn’t perfect by any means, but by taking action, you will be able to live your life to the fullest in the best way possible.
If you’re unsure as to where to start, here are some ideas of activities and changes you can make in 2020 that will get you off to a great start.
Take Some Time Out For Yourself
Often, you’ll forget to take a break for yourself. Every day brings a lot of stress – from the stress of work to home life. So it’s important that you take a break every once in a while and get back to the true you. Whether this is simply taking a day off to spend some time with your family or heading for a spa day for a little TLC, you’ll feel as though a weight has been taken off of your shoulders – even if it’s just for a little while.
Start A New Hobby
Have you always wanted to try pottery? Or perhaps you’ve dreamed of riding a horse but have never gotten round to it. Whatever the activity or hobby, it’s now time to have a go! Branch out and try something new – you never know, you could find a hobby that you love to do!
Go on vacation
Have you been putting off a vacation for while? Then why not finally take the leap and book one this year? It doesn’t have to be expensive either. It can simply be a small getaway that gives you the time to spend some quality time with loved ones. Helping to create memories that last a lifetime, it gives you all a well-deserved break and the chance to see somewhere new.
Work on Your Health
Your mental and physical health is so important. Which is why this year you should take a stance and do something about it. From creating a fitness routine, to eating healthy or booking into a treatment center (such as complex ptsd treatment centers) if you require it, you’ll go through the year feeling a lot better in yourself.
Practice Self-Care
Everyone deserves a little ‘me’ time every once in a while. And if it’s something that you rarely do, this year, make a change and make it more of a priority. Take an afternoon or evening every week and treat yourself to a warm bath, some reading time or doing another activity that you love to do.
Final Thoughts
So, there you go! Those are some suggestions as to what you can do to make this year amazing. Of course, what you choose to do is up to you! But whatever you decide to do, you’re guaranteed to have a wonderful year that’s full of fabulous memories that last a lifetime.
*contributed post*
*contributed post*
We all want to live a life that’s as happy and fulfilling as can be. Alas, wanting this type of life and actually having it are two different things. One of the issues with this is that when it comes to improving our lives, we tend to look at the things that we can add that’ll make it better. But in many cases, what’s needed is to remove the negative aspects that are holding you back. In this blog, we’re going to take a look at a few things that might cause problems -- and which you should try to correct.
Poisonous Friends
They say that we’re the average of the five people that we spend the most time with. If you have loving, supportive, positive friends, then you’ll be on the right path towards happiness. But what if the people that are closest to you aren’t as supportive as they could be? While it’s not nice to think about, some people are poisonous, either maliciously or inadvertently. If you have a sneaking suspicion that your friends are holding you back, then it might be time to slowly withdraw yourself from the group.
Unhealthy Lifestyles
Our lifestyles have a tremendous impact on the overall quality of our lives. If you’re eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep, then you’ll be in a good position to be at your very best. But if the opposite is true, then you could find that the ripple effects lead to a space where you don’t want to be. It’s important to remember, however, that it’s always possible to change your lifestyle. If you’re drinking too much alcohol, you can get help from a detox center. If you’re not eating healthy foods, you can look up a few easy to make recipes. And you don’t need to go to the gym to be fit -- look at finding an activity that you like instead.
Mentally Tired
No-one said that life was going to be easy; they just said that it would be worth it. If you’re suffering from mental health conditions, then your quality of life will be compromised. But as with most things, this is something that can be overcome. The first step is acknowledging that you have something that requires management. Once you do that, you’ll be open to the many treatments and therapy options that are available in the modern world.
A Lack of Direction
It’s important to live in the moment, but not all the time. You need to make plans for the future too; if you don’t, you might end up in a situation where you feel a little lost. Don’t worry if you don’t have anything earmarked at the moment -- it’s never too late to think about what you want to do in the future, and put plans in motion to make it a reality. This could be related to your career, your relationships, or anything else. Just making the plans is usually enough to have you feeling better about the years ahead.
A Lack of Forward Thinking
You need to plan for your future. Sure, things may be going well for now. But it’s always better to be prepared. There are a few things you can do to achieve this. You can take out life insurance to protect those you love if the worst were to happen. You can take out insurance to protect your home and belongings. You can have savings in case you find that you need an in home caregiver when you retire. Forward thinking can give you security and make all the difference!
You need to plan for your future. Sure, things may be going well for now. But it’s always better to be prepared. There are a few things you can do to achieve this. You can take out life insurance to protect those you love if the worst were to happen. You can take out insurance to protect your home and belongings. You can have savings in case you find that you need an in home caregiver when you retire. Forward thinking can give you security and make all the difference!
*contributed post*
Happy Monday friends! I hope that you had a wonderful weekend! Today I am so excited to share this blog post with you- the beginning of our shore excursion on Prince Edward Island that we took while on our Holland America Cruise!
After exploring Charlottetown on our own in the morning (you can read about our beautiful time HERE), we headed back to the Charlottetown port to meet up with our shore excursion tour. It was our first shore excursion with Holland America Cruise and it definitely did not disappoint!
For those who are interested in the exact shore excursion that we chose it was the Island Drive & Anne of Green Gables shore excursion. You can click HERE to read more about it on the Holland America website. We had debated for a long time about the best shore excursion and we were so pleased with how our final choice worked out! We were able to explore Charlottetown on our own in the morning (which we both enjoyed so much!) and then we still had the opportunity to explore a bit of Prince Edward Island in the afternoon. If you are looking to kind of "split your time" like we did it really is the perfect choice for both worlds.
Our tour drove out first to Cavendish Beach and the Red Cliffs area where we had a chance to spend some time, admire the beauty, and take some pictures. It was fun to see the red cliffs from this area as I hadn't explored the "top area" on my first time to Prince Edward Island. We had chosen to walk the beach (you can read about that HERE) and I loved the opportunity to see the cliffs from the top. In many ways they seemed even more dramatic and you could envision L.M. Montgomery's world in different and new ways.
The pathway leading out to the red cliffs overlook from the parking lot was so sweet as it was lined with the prettiest yellow and white flowers. I love the Queen Anne's lace flowers and how dainty they are! Mom and I chose to let everyone rush ahead out to the cliffs and just slowly enjoy the walk through this beautiful area. It did not disappoint!
What was also wonderful (and I have found this many times as a person who loves and does a lot of cruises!) is that when we made our way out to the viewing spot many people had already started to clear out and we had the area mostly to ourselves!
Our first view was stunning!
Those red cliffs are truly a hallmark of what I consider to be part of the beautiful Prince Edward Island!
The incredible beauty of the red cliffs was simply lovely to see and walk around and explore! I can't recommend enough to spend sometime out in this area of Prince Edward Island!
Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to read today! I can't wait to share more with y'all regarding our Holland American Cruise adventures and about our time on Prince Edward Island! If you would like to read more about our cruise with Holland America you find more posts HERE!
Happy Thursday friends! I hope you have a wonderful day!
Stuck In The Wrong Career? Here's What You Can Do.
You may be right at the start of your educational or career journey. You also might be on a career break, or in the middle of a successful career, that you just don’t enjoy as much as you used to. Whatever the case, there are any reasons you may want to take a look at the different career options available to you. This is an incredibly difficult, but brave step into finding a fulfilling and rewarding career. And while it may feel quite isolating to be in a career that doesn’t satisfy you, there are many people who are not satisfied with their current job, but find themselves stuck for financial reasons, or simply because they do not know how to take the first step into searching for a career that is better suited to them.
Knowing the kind of job you may be suited to is a good first step. While you may not enjoy your current job, this doesn’t mean you are not good at it. It is easy to fall into the trap of going into a job because it is what we always imagined ourselves doing. The reality is, our dream job can often fall short of our expectations when we live the day in an day out realities of the job. Equally, going into a career that you have no real passion for, often because of familial expectations or because of the financial compensation, will be the wrong decision for you long-term.
Maintaining the wrong career will cause you a whole host of issues- both mental and professional. You may find yourself struggling to concentrate at work- unmotivated and unable to complete the easiest of tasks. This may be one symptom of burnout. People who are struggling to cope with workplace stress may be suffering from professional burnout. Burnout is a symptomatic reaction to stress, often characterised by exhaustion, cynicism, and an inability (or reduced ability) to cope with the day to day of a job. Individuals who experience professional burnout will often find it affecting the other areas of their life, and may start to experience depression-like symptoms. Withdrawing from social situations, generalised anxiety, and fatigue, are all symptoms of burnout. Prioritising your mental health over your career is crucial in your journey to overcoming burnout. You may need to take a step back for a period of time- in the form of sick leave if necessary, and use this is a time to evaluate your career.
Find the right career
Finding a truly rewarding career path is something we all aspire to, and yet so many of us are stuck in careers that at the very best we have little passion for at best, and at worst- contributes towards our bad mental health. It is hard to know which career you’re suited to, especially if you have been working in an industry for several years or more. To make sure you don’t go into the wrong career, take the pressure off yourself. Often the fear of choosing the wrong thing, keeps us doing the ‘safe option’- which may be the 9-5 that isn’t causing us any happiness. If you have the luxury of having an existing degree, try to think of the transferable skills that that provides you, and don’t just see it as a one stop ticket to one career. For example, if you studied marketing but have no desire to be a marketing executive, then think of the skills that you will have picked up in your studied. For example you will probably be very organised, and familiar with different types of technology software that will be useful skills to apply in a future career.
Upskill and Train
If you are in (the very common) position of being in a career that you enjoy but unable to progress further up the career ladder due to a lack of training or qualifications, then it may be time to upskill. Upskilling is where a company teaches their existing employee new skills that will help them retain their current position, or develop the necessary skills in order to get a promotion. This form of job progression is increasingly popular, as employers often prefer to recruit from their existing pool of employees rather than having to recruit elsewhere. Even if you are not in this position, getting further qualifications will help you develop your professional skill set and be hired for higher level positions in your industry. Gaining new skills and qualifications will most likely mean that you will get better financial compensation. If you are in the healthcare industry, a nurse for example, then you will almost certainly be able to negotiate better nursing contracts or earn a better salary as a nurse if you have further education on your curriculum.
Volunteer
A ‘safe’ way to trial a new career without compromising yourself, or your current job, is to volunteer or get work-experience in an industry that you are interested in. For example, you may not be able to gain even an entry-level position in your desired industry, but you may be able to offer your services for free, and over the course of several weeks or months, gain an insight (as well as valuable skills) into the job. This may help determine whether the industry is for you, and show future employers that you have the experience and determination to succeed in this field. Volunteering may be what makes you stand-out from a person with a similar curriculum to you. So don’t feel afraid to approach companies with a request to volunteer or gain work-experience.
While it may be scary to even think about leaving your current employment, or thinking about how you can progress in your current job role, you will never regret finding a more fulfilling career or job role. Some of the steps you can take to help you on this journey have been outlined above, and there will be many others that you will find on your path to career gratification.
*contributed post*
There’s no escaping the fact that mental health issues are on the rise. Anxiety, depression, and a host of other conditions are affecting millions of men and women across the country. But if a dark cloud has been overhead, you should know that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
It does take a conscious effort to get your mental health back on the right path, though. Here are some of the issues that require your attention.
A Lack Of Time
Mental health issues are often borne out of the fact that we don’t make enough time for ourselves. Juggling the various aspects of our lives isn’t always easy, and our mental health is often made to suffer as a result. Creating time for days out, holidays, and time spent with loved ones is key. The happiness that those moments bring will offer a sense of balance. It will go a long way to helping you unlock the inner peace and stability you deserve.
Financial Problems
Stress is a very common cause of declining mental health. It is often related to finances, which is why regaining control in this arena is vital. The use of financial management and personal budgeting software is vital. By analyzing your spending habits, you’ll quickly identify the errors. In turn, you can rectify the damage by changing accounts or developing new habits. Once your finances are moving in the right direction, a great weight will lift from your shoulders.
Other Health Complaints
Healthy body, healthy mind. It’s the oldest phrase in the manual. Naturally, then, ignoring physical health issues can subconsciously impact your mindset. Whether seeking professional support or finding your own ways to improve your physical health is up to you. Nonetheless, increased physical health should translate to a better mental state. Moreover, there will be no physical faults to stop you from chasing other life goals.
Self-Destructive Behaviors
Sometimes in life, you have to accept that mental health issues are self-inflicted. Or, at the very least, they are exacerbated by your bad habits. It’s not only down and outs that fall into the downward spiral. A short spell in a residential drug rehab center could be the key to breaking free from your dependence. This will instantly put you on a far smoother pathway, allowing you to regain control of your mind, body, and soul.
Negative Influencers
It’s often stated that surrounding yourself with positive people will bring positivity to your life. It’s true. However, you should not overlook the fact that the inverse statement is equally true. The harsh reality is that breaking away from the negative people in your life could be the most significant step towards success. There will be some difficult moments in the short-term future, but the long-term rewards are huge.
Ambition
Poor mental health can also stem from the feeling of being stuck in a rut. Human nature dictates that we want to grow as people. If you aren’t chasing a dream of some kind, life can seem to lose some of its purpose. Setting goals in your career and personal life is vital. When you follow this by actively chasing those targets, it will keep your mindset in a far healthier place. And if you achieve those goals, the positivity will reach even greater heights once more.
*contributed post*
This beautiful blog space turned "7 years old" this week. Happy Birthday to Caravan Sonnet! It is beyond amazing that we are now at 7 years... 7 years of growing, learning, and sharing... 7 years of becoming and 7 years of such a beautiful and faithful community of love and support.
Since I started writing on this little space in January 2013 (you can read my very first post HERE which just makes me smile), the world of blogging (or as I affectionately call it), "bloggy world" has changed significantly. At the time in 2013 many blogs that I followed and connected with were writing to share their personal lives with readers... a way to connect outside the world that we each lived in. Everyday stories mixed with some practical tips and ideas about how to live fully abounded and it was a sweet time to join "bloggy world". In the midst of so many amazing bloggers and authors who were pouring their hearts out I felt immediately embraced into the "blogging club" and think back to precious friendships (that have sweetly continued) and those early days often.
For me personally I started this blog as a way to reach out from beyond my bedridden existence at the time (due to illness) and as a simple way to keep friends, family, and loved ones informed of what was going on with my confusing health story (which ironically was only going to get more complicated in the months to come). When I started writing in January 2013 I did not know that I was dealing with Advanced Late Stage Lyme Disease, Skin Cancer, or a myriad of other health issues.
At the time I started there were no other chronic illness bloggers nor were there people talking and documenting their health journey's. I often felt a bit out of place, especially in those early months of starting when I was still desperately searching for clear answers on my health.
In a twist of irony, I didn't even really write about my health issues on the blog (except for some very general terms) until March 25th, 2013- in very brief details. At the time I did so only because there was a rumor going around that I had Cancer and wasn't sharing my diagnosis out of concern for my former students. At that time I was still a full month away from my diagnosis of Skin Cancer and was not aware of that component of my health journey.
I recently spent some time re-reading back through those first few months of the blog. I remember beyond my words that I was writing with tears behind the scenes, curled up in bed, slowly and painfully typing letter by letter a post, the extreme daily pain that I was in, the intense stomach issues that left me spending any free time away from my bed on the bathroom floor, the lack of support from the medical community, the inability to walk without help, the questions, the confusion, the questions in my faith, the loss of friends and independence, the fear, the unknown, and a desperate yearning to reach out and to grab life despite all of these things.
At the same time there was a beauty to that time period that is impossible to explain unless you have walked through a complete crisis in your life. The complete resoluteness of knowing what you believe, why you believe it, and knowing that despite all circumstantial evidence to the contrary your faith remains in tact. That you can say without hesitancy ... "and if not... he is still good". It is a coming to the end of yourself... the end of what you envision for your life to be and coming to a peace and acceptance of the ways and walls of God.
This has been a road that I never would have asked to walk. Yes, there was and still are deep questions about the future with certain areas of my health and there is a deep sadness after "losing" so many precious years to Advanced Late Stage Lyme Disease. I put the word "losing" in parentheses because I have realized that while I used to think that I was losing my thirties (what some have called "the best years of your life") nothing is lost when it is in the hands of our all loving God. I think back to what I wrote in 2013 about learning to be faithful in this new assignment of sickness... and what I have learned is that God has been faithful despite all of my times of unfaithfulness.
The story... I have learned is not about me... but is once again about Him. Some have asked what this looks like for this new season- and how my health is... and right now I am working on writing more about that ... but wanted to share a deep moment of gratitude for your support, your love, and the community that has been built over all of these years here at Caravan Sonnet.
As this blog has changed and morphed into what it is now - more of a cozy luxury lifestyle inspiration and travel blog, I remain so grateful for your love and blessing and support along the way.
Over the course of these last seven years I have grown as a person and a woman. It is not only in the outward areas of writing books, founding Twenty History Lane, and starting two etsy shops (December Caravan and December Lane), but in the deeper aspects of life-by processing in this space through a variety of topics that include life, faith, and love, grief, and loss.
I don't think that you can write vulnerably, deeply, and passionately in a space for seven years and it not change you. Being sick and fighting for my life has taught me to go beyond the surface and to understand a persons story - their history and who they are and the journey that has brought them to the place in life where our lives are intersecting.
The same is true for this place on the blog- and how I share the cozy luxury travel aspect -the history and the story behind a place and a building- the stories here are significant too. In many ways it feels like the blog is coming into a new season in a deep full circle way. Some people say this type of blogging has gone away but I see every single day that it is very much alive in beautiful ways.
As I move forward friends into this seventh year here on the blog I just want to take time to say thank you again for following along, for joining this community, and for all of your love and support over these last seven years. This community has been a huge blessing and built into my life in rich and deep ways. Thank you so much to the brands and press that have partnered with Caravan Sonnet and to the brands and press that will be partnering in the days and months and years ahead! Thank you friends- I can't wait to continue this journey with you and see what beautiful new adventures and days and blessings will meet us in this new year.
Happy Friday friends! I hope that your week is finishing well. Today I am so excited to share this blog post with you- our second stop that we took while on our Holland America Cruise, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island!
This was my second visit to Charlottetown, and it was even more lovely than the first visit. If you have been around this blog for a while you may remember that back in 2017 I took a lovely road trip through New England, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. On that trip in 2017 we spent a lovely three days in Prince Edward Island, including time in Charlottetown. It was sweet, it was delightful, and it really was delightful with a dear friend at the time.
That trip holds sweet memories in so many different ways and for so many different reasons, and one is how it impacted some ways I share about travel on the blog. After that road trip, I was inspired to start a series of me doing a large road trip each year and sharing and documenting about it on the blog. After that 2017 road trip I then took a road trip through a part of Alaska in 2018, which you can read about HERE, and then returned for a second road trip throughout a different part of Alaska in 2019, which you can read about HERE. As a side note I can't wait to share about where the 2020 road trip will be in the next couple of weeks!
But I share all of that to say that Charlottetown and Prince Edward Island hold a lot of sweet memories for me. When I saw that our trip with Holland America would include a stop at the Charlottetown port I was delighted to see Charlottetown from a different angle and I am so glad that we did!
We arrived at Charlottetown in the early morning and had a couple of hours before we needed to meet up with our tour group for a tour of some different spots on the Island. My mom and I got off the ship as quickly as we could and decided to explore Charlottetown a bit on our own and we were so excited that we did!
Compared to my time in Charlottetown in 2017, I was most surprised by how busy the city was. When we visited in October in 2017 the tourist season was ending and we were hitting it at very end of the season. In fact many shops and restaurants closed very early at that time (around 3 or 4pm!) which limited our ability to really explore the area.
That was not the case in August - it was busy and full of people and yet still kept the charm and quaintness that I would associate with Charlottetown.
A stop into the Anne of Green Gables Store was a must! This precious store was closed the last time I was there, and I had been disappointed. Let me tell you friends, those of you who are "Anne lovers" - definitely add this to your list to stop at. It is adorable and so sweet!
The beautiful thing about the main street of Charlottetown is that it is very easy to walk through and see on your own. We meandered in and out of stores and just had a delightful time exploring this charming area of the city. If you are on a cruise and looking to explore like we did I would say to give yourself about 2 hours to wander through.
Stopping in at this quaint and beautiful bookstore was a must! Just like last time, I picked out a couple of books again this time and loved adding them to my library collection.
I wrote about Casa Mia Cafe' and the delicious meal we had when I visited in 2017 (you can read about it HERE) and y'all... it is one of those restaurants that has just gotten better with time. It was so delicious and a restaurant that you have to add to your list to go to while in Prince Edward Island!
It really was the perfect couple of hours in Charlottetown and it was so delightful to see it again from a different angle, coming off a cruise ship!
Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to read today! I can't wait to share more with y'all regarding our Holland American Cruise adventures and about our time on Prince Edward Island next week!
Happy Friday friends! I hope you have a wonderful day and a lovely weekend!
Life, unfortunately, doesn’t always go the way that we’ve planned – and there are certainly bound to be situations where we feel as though we’ve let ourselves down, or as if it is essentially impossible to feel a meaningful degree of self-respect, in light of the things about ourselves that we dislike.
In life, though, there is also good reason to be optimistic. New scientific discoveries and therapeutic systems are identified every day, which mean that everything from autism treatment to drug rehabilitation is becoming more effective and streamlined. But beyond optimism, there are many reasons to practice some self-compassion, too.
We all tend to be our own worst critics, and the little voices inside our heads are generally none too uplifting.
Here are a few reasons why self-compassion is important.
Because there is always something in you worth respecting and honouring
It might be that you are thoroughly and legitimately horrified and disgusted by certain things that you
Because there is always something in you worth respecting and honouring
It might be that you are thoroughly and legitimately horrified and disgusted by certain things that you
have done your life, and by the condition that you currently find yourself in.
Under these circumstances, it can seem only natural to be resentful and highly self-critical. Ultimately,
though, no matter how badly some things have gone, there is always something in you worth
respecting and honouring – you can think of this as your potential to be better, or the
“spark of divinity” inside everyone.
Instead of being highly self-critical and harsh, focus on reformulating your life so that you can live
it in a way that you feel honours that potential and “divine spark.”
It’s never too late to get started.
Under these circumstances, it can seem only natural to be resentful and highly self-critical. Ultimately,
though, no matter how badly some things have gone, there is always something in you worth
respecting and honouring – you can think of this as your potential to be better, or the
“spark of divinity” inside everyone.
Instead of being highly self-critical and harsh, focus on reformulating your life so that you can live
it in a way that you feel honours that potential and “divine spark.”
It’s never too late to get started.
Because a lack of self-compassion is often the root of the problem
There’s been some fascinating research done on the reasons why people succumb to drug addiction, and other clearly self-destructive lifestyle patterns.
One common viewpoint that people have taken throughout history, has been that the individuals in question were just “sick” or “criminally minded.”
Increasingly, though, research finds that many behavioural issues including drug addiction will frequently stem from a sense of low self-esteem, and fatalism about certain issues that the individual is experiencing in life, in general.
In one famous example; United States military personnel in the Vietnam War were very frequently addicted to heroin. Politicians back in the US were alarmed at the thought of thousands, if not millions, of junkies coming home and requiring detox.
In fact, though, the vast majority quit cold turkey when they returned home, with no further complications. Being in war was the trigger for the addiction.
Self-compassion can help you to overcome many issues. Self-cruelty can help to cause them.
Because progress is only ever made one step at a time
You might feel some kind of scorn towards yourself, because you feel as though you fall short of
where you would like to be, and where believe you could or should be.
where you would like to be, and where believe you could or should be.
It’s important to remember, though, that progress is only ever made one step at a time, and in the
words of Lao Tzu, “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
words of Lao Tzu, “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
As long as you are taking small steps to move in the right direction, you can and should hold your
head up high.
head up high.
*contributed post*
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