New Chapter

Leave a comment November 26, 2019 Embarkedwithsimone

It’s been three months since our new chapter began, with hubby coming home to be with the kids & invest more energy into his business, and I jumped back into a full time role in the corporate space.

Three months of adjusting, three months of working out our new normal, three months of finding our feet (& still counting)…

Three months of me…

Learning a new role, a new company, new people, new systems & processes

Learning how to switch from Mum mode to work mode & back

Learning what it’s like to arrive home each evening at the peak of witching hour(s) & being thrust into the kids nighttime routine before winding down

Learning the importance of the train ride & walks home to support switching modes & resetting

Learning to let go of expectations on getting all the things done, or things being done differently to how I would do them

Learning to deal with the real FOMO that comes from not being available as much for family & friends, or being part of the regular school routine

Learning to share the opportunities

Learning to prioritise even more & learning to let go of the guilt that comes from not being able to get to everyone or everything

Learning to appreciate the weekends in a new way

Learning how to keep my passions (quality family time, & my creating & sharing through my business) alive, & to keep those promises to myself that I wouldn’t let those passions slip…

And whilst I can’t & won’t speak entirely on hubby’s behalf –

Three months of him…

Learning a new role & new processes in the same house, with the same little people (for a whole lot more time), with less other people

Learning what it’s like to be a stay at home Dad, juggling 3 kids & their needs, whilst running a business

Learning what it’s like to eagerly wait the arrival of that second pair of hands

Learning of the special bond that deepens

Learning to let go of expectations to get all the things done whilst having little ones as your number 1 priority

Learning how quickly plans can change, & how to steal little bits of time where you can

Learning to prioritise in a new way, with new activities and responsibilities

Two roles

Equally as important

Equally as new

Equally as many challenges

Equally as many milestones

Equally offering a new perspective on the other

All of our triumphs & challenges to date have set us on this path & brought us to where we are today, & I am so grateful for this new chapter, however short or long it lasts, & for what we are both learning, & equally as important, for what our children our learning too

We have a new found appreciation & respect for the roles we held before & for the roles we each hold now. We both understand & have experienced the challenges of each role, & we have both experienced the joys that come with each role.

Never under estimate the opportunity to see another perspective

To embrace a new experience

And to go where the universe is guiding you 💛

Intuitive Reiki Energy Healing and Reading Sessions with Embarked with Simone in Atwell, South of Perth Western Australia

Game Changer

Leave a comment February 11, 2019 Embarkedwithsimone

We are the creators of our own happiness. Only we can choose

How we see things

What we focus on

How things make us feel

Who we surround ourselves with

What we put into our bodies

How we spend our time

How we experience things

We can consciously choose to focus on the positives, & what is happening for us, rather than what is not happening

We can choose to focus on the good in ourselves & others

We can choose to be grateful for the simple things – for each day, for each breath

We can choose to allow things to get us down, or we can choose to look at our reactions & what we might really need

We can choose to give out all of our energy, or we can choose to consider our needs & make ourselves a priority

We can choose to say no to the people, events, foods, etc that don’t align with us, that don’t fulfil us or make us feel good

We can choose to rely on others for our own happiness, or we can take responsibility for ourselves & ask ourselves what we truly need (& listen to the response)

We may not be able to choose the weather, or what is happening to those around us, but we can choose what we make of each day, where we want to be, & how our external factors affect us.

We get to choose how we show up each & every day

And when we realise how much choice we have, the game truly changes

Take a deep breath, pause & decide.

How do you want to feel?

How do you want to be seen?

Losing Patience

Leave a comment December 20, 2018 Embarkedwithsimone

Tonight I lost my patience.

When the usual bedtime antics went on longer than I could handle, with having had a testing few weeks, having done a full day plus the dinner and bedtime routine solo, and having things on my mind that I wanted to get done (for the kids) once the kids went to sleep… I reached my limit with Mr 4, because he’d reached his limit and I couldn’t calm him down and we both ended up having meltdowns together…

Once we’d both calmed down, we said our good nights and I left the room.

I sat on the lounge and collected my thoughts, and after a quiet moment, I went back into his bedroom, climbed up onto his bunk bed, and we talked about what happened as I cuddled him to sleep.

I wasn’t proud of my behaviour, but I know it doesn’t define me as a parent, just as I know his meltdowns don’t define him as a child.

We all have emotions and sometimes they can become too much. We see it in toddlers all the time, and it’s okay for them to see it in us too (*provided no one is getting hurt).

After I left for the second time, I decided I wanted to share my imperfect moment, and that I would share the below words that I wrote a few months back (but haven’t yet shared) that help me through my tough parenting moments to help others through theirs 💛

. . .

Don’t be too hard on yourself, motherhood is a tough gig.

There are days when we all lose our patience. It is important to learn from these moments. Teach your children about feelings and what your feelings are evoking inside of you. Teach them about self care and needing space.

Take the opportunity to learn about yourself. Learn about the strengths you have and the things you need to improve. Learn about what calms you, but also what your trigger points are, and what your children’s trigger points are.

Be gentle with yourself.

Everyday is a new day filled with endless opportunities for self improvement.

These years will fly.

There is so much to learn and teach.

Have patience with yourself in the moments that you feel all patience is lost.

Take time to breathe and take stock. Whether that may be immediately after or later when the kids are tucked up in bed.

Life is full of opportunities for reflection.

Reflect often and if something isn’t working for you, then you are always free to alter your path.

Being gentle with yourself is key 💛

We are all energy.

There will be certain things or people or events that don’t gel with our energy & cause us to lose our patience, or become frustrated, angry, overwhelmed or upset.

These moments are inevitable. There is no one whose energy is unaffected by all other energy forms that exist in this world.

You are not alone.

What will help is recognising the energies that that do not connect with your own, or your trigger points, and learning how to best handle the situations.

Look inside to see what you can do to enhance the positivity in the situation.

Remember to focus on the internal and not too much on the external. All can be resolved from within 💛

By Simone

12.03.2018

Heart healing

Leave a comment November 14, 2018 Embarkedwithsimone

A week & a half ago after a trip to the ED, I was told I had viral pericarditis (inflammation of the sac around the heart) on top of the tonsillitis that our youngest kindly passed on… forcing me to REALLY slow down & rest my body. Whilst I’m frustrated that I can’t physically do what I want to at the moment, or what I would normally do, & things haven’t gone to plan (i.e. having to postpone the last 2 weeks of my Mandala Painting Workshop & clients), I have certainly received the message loud & clear that I need to look after myself.

Rather than focusing on what I’m not doing or what I maybe could have done to prevent it, I’m choosing to accept what is & I’m choosing to listen to what I’m learning in these moments 💛

I’m learning how important it is to nurture ourselves, & to receive, especially when we are often in the space of giving.

I’m learning that I need to be comfortable with saying no & to set more boundaries.

I’m learning that I need to ask for what I need & to accept help when it is offered.

I’m learning that I need to be more open to receiving.

I’m learning that matters of the heart take time to heal. It’s not as simple as taking a panadol (or using my amazing past tense roller) for a headache & ‘getting on with it’. When the heart is in need of healing, physically, emotionally & spiritually, we need to rest our bodies.

So, if you’ve experienced a trauma recently that is connected to your heart (not just in the physical sense), or you’re going through something that is affecting your heart at the moment (maybe you’re remembering the loss of a loved one like I am today), allow yourself time to rest & time to heal.

Go easy on yourself.

Let go of any frustrations that you may have around plans, abilities, or emotions.

Set boundaries & create the space you need to reflect & process.

Make time for the things that bring you joy.

Seek out the things that will make you deep belly laugh.

Be gentle with yourself.

You will bounce back when you’ve given yourself time to heal 💗

Sending lots of love xx

📷 Wearing my rose quartz & relaxing in my love heart nightie & looking after myself 💗

Group Acrylic Mandala Painting Intuitive Art Therapy Workshop with Embarked with Simone in Atwell, South of Perth Western Australia

What do you do?

1 Comment June 12, 2018 Embarkedwithsimone

On those days (or weeks) when…
You’re a little more tired
You’re a little less patient
You’re a little more clumsy
You’re a little less motivated
You’re a little more forgetful
You’re a little less talkative
You’re a little more irritable
You’re a little less organised
You’re a little more distracted
You’re a little less enthusiastic
You’re a little more emotional
You’re a little less tolerant (of the mess or the noise)
You’re a little more doubtful
You’re a little less decisive
You’re a little more keen for a break…

The past couple of weeks have been full of all of this. With 3 little ones, including an extra testing (almost) 4yo, & all 3 kids taking turns at being unwell, meaning that they’re also extra sensitive, tired & easily upset by their siblings, things can build up.
Whilst these days are all part of the rollercoaster ride of parenthood, & some days we can cope better than others, I’ve learnt that the best thing we can do is to work extra hard at creating space for ourselves during these times. Whether it’s a walk, a trip to the gym, a Netflix binge, a cuppa & a good book, a break from some chores, a play date or someone to watch the kids, a warm bath, some painting, a meditation or yoga class, a coffee date with a friend… it’s important to think about what you need & then to communicate & ask for help if you need it 💛

For me, it’s been my painting, a play date, some Reiki practice, some writing, my oils, some family time, some tickling of the kids to get those extra good giggles, & a much needed date night (& break) over the weekend (organised by hubby) helping get me through.

It’s times like these that I’m extra grateful for the support I have & that I have discovered my passion for painting 💛 To now be able to share my space & to give others the opportunity to have some fun, relaxing & creative ME time makes me very happy 😍

What do you do for you? What helps you get through?

Giving credit, where credit is due

1 Comment January 31, 2018 Embarkedwithsimone

How often do we give ourselves a pat on the back as parents, and say, ‘You’re doing a great job!’?

When someone says, ‘You’re doing an amazing job!’, or ‘I don’t know how you do it!?’, how often do we accept the compliment, instead of shying away or politely disagreeing?

How often do we sit back and acknowledge the hard work we put in each day as parents, without criticising what we haven’t done, or feeling guilty about something?

The answer… not often enough!

We need to start giving ourselves more credit and allowing ourselves to feel proud of what we achieve each day. Raising people (little or big) is hard work! It takes a lot, and we give so much of ourselves every day, and yet we don’t take the time to celebrate our achievements. We don’t give ourselves compliments, or really accept the compliments that others give us. We don’t acknowledge that we deserve whatever little rewards we want to give ourselves, or allow ourselves the freedom to take a break (guilt free) when we need it. We don’t shout to the earth how proud we are of ourselves for just getting through each day, raising our 1, 2, or 10 children.

So let’s start making a change. The next time you’re celebrating one of your children’s birthdays or other special milestones, give yourselves a pat on the back for getting through the year or helping them achieve their milestone. If you’re at the end of a particularly tough day, take 5 for yourself once the kids are in bed and sit on the couch or soak in the bath, and acknowledge that you’ve gotten through a tough day and that you’re proud of yourself, reminding yourself that tomorrow is a new day. And even if it wasn’t a tough day, smile to yourself (maybe even with a little thumbs up) and be proud of your good day – definitely celebrate those little diamonds! If you have a partner who makes life that bit easier, don’t forget to talk to them and tell them how proud you are of them, and thank them for what they give to your family. And of course, if you receive a bit of praise, graciously accept it and say, ‘Thank you!’ with pride.

It’s also important to block out any comparison making in the process. It doesn’t matter what someone else is achieving, or what we think they might think (because often what we think they’re thinking and what they’re actually thinking are very different), we are all unique, we all do things differently, and we all have our individual circumstances. The bottom line is, we should all be proud of ourselves and we all have the right to be proud of our achievements as parents.

So whether you’re a parent to 1, or 2, or 10, or multiples, or you’ve got little babies or big adult babies… whatever your parenting, feeding, working, sleeping arrangements are… I am proud of you and I think you are doing an amazing job!

Spread the love today. Start by telling yourself how proud you are, and then tell your partner, a friend, or family member how proud you are of them too. We ALL deserve it!