Inspirational Sunday | Creating a Good Life

Another Sunday, another day of inspiration to get you through the week. I love quotes, you may have noticed from my Instagram where I share so many but I love how a good quote makes you stop and take notice - I know I'm not the only person that's completely enamoured with words especially when they touch something deep inside that you didn't realise was there.

~~Sometimes~~ Most of the time life gets in the way. We're completely stressed with work or hunting for jobs, children are bored during the holidays, we worry about bills, ill family members or drama that's hitting you from all sides. Add to that your own health, your own deep-seated emotions and of course those little things such as electronics breaking, your new jeans not fitting or a bout of acne that saps away the last of your confidence, it's tough trying to keep your head above water.

I know how it feels believe me when I say that. A few years back I felt like I had stumbled into certain situations which didn't make me happy and I felt there was no way out of. Work situations, for example, many are forced into work - any type of work even if it's not where your skills or expertise lie. You're then stuck on an hourly/annual wage that may be below where you feel you should be but you can't leave because of the economy so what do you do?

Stress can leave you exhausted and I know plenty of parents that feel selfish for putting themselves first - I know I use to. Where would you start in trying to reclaim or change your life? How would you go about making that change?

It's easier than you think. Here's how I got my life back on track and felt good about it.

Home

♥ Start off small. I'd definitely start by looking at your home. This is your sanctuary, is it cluttered? take one room at a time and declutter it. Donate your unwanted goods to your local charity or even your local school or hospital/baby hospital.

♥ Now that your home's decluttered, why not re-think your layout? Do you have furniture cluttering up space that you really don't need? why not sell it on or donate it? which will free up space in the long run and make your home more spacious.

♥ Giving your home a fresh design really changes your attitude and how you feel honestly. Why not give your woodwork a lick of fresh paint, why not create or buy new cushions for your living room or even add a vase of fresh flowers. In the bedroom, a new duvet and bed cushions always add a certain level of freshness and sophistication.

Money

If you're in work or looking for a job it can be tough finding ways to make money or to find the time to make money. Why not sell your unwanted goods on your local Facebay (Facebook) or Selling site where there is no fee's and you can get rid of your items quickly and easily.

Create a budget, Polkadot Paradiso explains this well in her post, you should check it out. Ultimately it comes down to making a list of what comes in, what goes out item-for-item allows you to see clearly where you're possibly spending money that could be pulled back.

Piggy Bank. At the end of each day have yourself and your partner (if applicable) empty your purse and wallet and add anything that isn't a £1 coin. I feel that keeping the £1 coins allows you to use that money the next day rather than taking more out via the ATM, your piggy bank will also fill up super fast by doing this every day and normally it's these pennies and coins that get spent on rubbish and wasted.

Dreams

Most people I talk to don't know what their dreams are. Other than winning the lottery what is it that you would do if you had lots of free time, no restrictions and no financial worries? Think of this as more of what would you do rather than what would you buy and create your 'bucket list' Nothing is ever too small or too silly to add to your list so add it. Knowing the answer to 'What is it you dream of...' gives you a target, an aim and some direction in life. Knowing that each day could take you one step closer to a better way of life is exciting.

So now you know what your wishes would turn them into dreams. Dreams without goals are wishes and setting yourself goals by deciding which ones you can easily do get you onto the first rung of the ladder. Find out how you can do them and get started - you can never dream too big!

Spirituality & Religion

You may not be a religious person and that's perfectly OK. You may not believe in spirituality and yes that's also OK too. However, having a set of rules or beliefs that you can say firmly is what you believe in is a good start.

What do you believe in? it doesn't have to be about a higher power or god of any sort, it can simply be something like 'I believe parents should tell their children they love them at least twice per day' or 'We always settle arguments in the same day' You may want to add in elements from health, society, politics, people, inspiration and well anything you want. Having this set of personal standards give you structure.

Getting yourself in order emotionally is one step to helping you to let go of your past. I know we all have a past, some continue to take trips back to that time and like all of the cliché quotes say in order to move forward you need to leave the past behind you. It's easier said than done so dealing with any issues either through communication, writing a letter and then never sending it or going to counselling are all ways of starting to heal.

I know there's a lot written here and of course, each step will vary from person to person. Moving forward, adapting, learning and dreaming is what will lead you to the good life. Never believe you can't do something because there's always away.