The Wellness Poet
It’s been a fun year hasn’t it! I cough as I type… there have been times in 2020 when I like most people have had to remind myself that things happen for a reason (well daily actually). Whilst things may not always turn out as we hope, they generally turn out in the end. I’ve also lived with a lot of metaphors this year…..
I for one had my travel plans to London, Istanbul and Warsaw curtailed by Covid. I lost more than half my income overnight, and had to go into a state of damage limitation while trying to keep things at home positive and moving forward, knowing that I was better off than some but maybe not fairing as well as others. Life is not all about money and my mantra for 2020 was simple; “Live life from a place of Wonder, Not Worry!” So, while my financial position took several backwards steps, I focused my attention on the things I could influence, and put in place as many things as I could to try and alleviate the stress of money.
I also had to try and figure out ways to replace my lost income and keep my children’s routine intact. I’m not a fan of the word Pivot to be honest… I played Netball at school! I think 2020 has been more like a game of Dodgeball. Crazy, unrelenting, confusing, painful, fun, energetic, exhilarating and just quite tiring. So, in a year of Dodgeball, I created some new rules for myself.
- I slowed down
- I didn’t pivot
- I reviewed my intentions set in 2019 – the year I hit RESET!
- I decided to play the game at a pace that was right for me and my young family
- I didn’t panic shop
- I didn’t boast about any home-schooling achievements (or lack there-of)
- I was pragmatic
- I was practical
- I looked at the bigger picture
- I channelled my energies in a healthy way
- I recorded my first audiobook
- I published my second book
- I zoomed all over the world meeting new people
- I clocked up some pretty serious miles in my middle-aged legs
- I learnt some new tools and systems to help me be better at what I do
- I looked abroad for inspiration whilst being grateful daily that I lived in an area largely untouched by Covid
- I reminded myself that “This too shall pass!”
- I limited my interaction with negative and overly competitive people
- I sent good thoughts and wishes to those people in places far worse off than me
- I thanked the universe for fresh air, water, safety and an abundance of fresh food
As I look forward into 2021, I have great optimism that my financial position will come back to some kind of balance, and that all the hard work I’ve done at home in 2020 has paved the way for a new future, full of the things I love and value most in the world; connection, compassion, creativity and helping my community.
My biggest take-out of 2021 is that, life is not a race, and things will happen at a time that is right for you. Generally speaking, there will always be periods of boom and bust for many of us and it’s how we do or don’t react that is most important. Just because some people boomed this year and others busted it doesn’t mean that fortunes won’t change again – so always be grateful for exactly what you have in any given moment.
As a parent of two small children who want a lot, I’ve practiced limiting their desires this year in the same way I’ve had to limit my own. We can teach our children to limit their desires, be grateful for what they have and teach them the important skills of taking care of things at home and looking after one another.
Losing my grandmother this year was also a time to reflect on how each generation makes life easier and better than the one before. In planning her funeral and re-reading her biography I wrote in 1991, I had a chance to really be grateful for the fact that she was hard-working, grew her own food, sewed my clothes, saved her money and helped in her community. She was a very intelligent lady who was not given the chance to finish school, pursue her sporting passions or work in a professional capacity. But her legacy to our family is immense. Then I look at my own mother’s contribution and I see an evolution of that, and hopefully I too will leave a legacy for my girls.
My 2021 resolution is to continue my grandmother’s legacy, to do work that makes my children feel proud of me regardless of how much stuff I can afford to buy them, and to wake up every day in wonder of what might happen!
Wishing you a safe, happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year.
Krissy Regan is The Wellness Poet and Founder of Mindful Mums Queensland. She is author of 2 new books; Broken to Unbreakable, 12 Steps to an Unbreakable Mind, Body & Spirit and The Koala who Lost his Heart.
Krissy wrote both books whilst working part-time at home, raising 2 small children and juggling the demands of her household.
You can contact Krissy Regan at mindfulmumsqld@gmail.com or follow Mindful Mums Qld on
Facebook and Instagram @mindfulmumsqld and view
Krissy’s work here: https://www.thewellnesspoet.com/
