Hello,

Happy New Year to you all!

If you are reading this, then thank you! It has been a very long time since I uploaded a new blog post. So many of you lovely people have asked me if I will ever do another blog via messages or when you see me in person.

Every time someone mentions ThinkLess.LiveMore to me, it puts a huge smile on my face. I always love creating content for ThinkLess.LiveMore and have always said that it means so much to me, even if just one person enjoys reading a post or one person finds it relatable or helpful. I also find it very therapeutic myself!

So, here it is…a new year and a new blog post…

New Year is often a time for reflection and making changes. I do like to take time to reflect and think about the things that I would like to focus on without putting too much pressure on myself. Resolutions are not for everyone.

I have noticed over the last year that I have had to be really mindful about comparing myself to others. I sometimes find it difficult not to compare myself to others, particularly when scrolling through social media, and you see Instagram accounts with picture-perfect moments that look like they are from a movie scene.

And I, too, share the good and happy times like many people. But it is always good to remember that sometimes that perfect picture doesn’t come naturally! Don’t get me wrong, sometimes it does, and that is fantastic, but quite often, it doesn’t and what you don’t see behind the photo is how long it took to get that perfect picture.

I am sure that most of us can agree that usually we are telling everyone to smile nicely, several times! Shouting for everyone to stay still and to stop bickering! Smiling when you still feel sensitive about that argument in the car, if only they just took the turning when you said, you would have all arrived at the destination an hour before! Or trying to forget the huge meltdown just moments before, because you told your toddler it was time to get out the puddle. Twenty minutes of splashing was clearly not long enough!

Of course, these all add to our memories, and we laugh at it when we look back, but you do not get to see what happens behind the scenes of a photo that is posted online. Basically, that was a very long way to say that there is a story behind every perfect photo!

I would also like to try and say YES more! I am often too self-conscious to join in or do things that I would like to because of overthinking and worrying what others will think. I have had anxiety when it comes to this for as long as I can remember and will always play out the worst-case scenario in my mind. I do not think that I will overcome this with every situation immediately, but being more mindful of it helps.

I made an extra effort to try and work through these feelings in 2022 and even wore a swimming costume on the beach with my family for the first time in years.

I see lots of inspirational posts about not caring what others think, living in the moment, and being present with your family to make memories that will last a lifetime. This is something I would like to remind myself of throughout 2023!

And finally, I would like to try and slow down! Life gets busy and can be stressful. It is so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of life, and it can pass us by so quickly. Again, being present in the moment is important to me. Finding a balance can be difficult, especially when you have family or work commitments, and those chores need to get done at some point! But, reminding myself to slow down does help me to prioritise and live in the moment and to remember to not sweat the small stuff!

They are big goals I hear you say! Yes, they are. Let me break it down further and explain what I will try to remember, to be able to make small steps towards what I would like to focus on. And if you would like to focus on these too or something similar, then this might be helpful for you!

Comparison is the thief of joy!

Social Media is notoriously known for causing people to compare themselves and when you compare yourself to others, you are comparing yourself to the perception of what you think the person is. Many people are presenting only their ideal selves online. Therefore, you are comparing yourself to an ideal figure, not a true representation. As they say,

“Don’t compare your behind the scenes to someone else’s highlight reel”

Say YES!

Every time you do something new, you grow. Saying yes opens new doors. When you say yes, you make memories.

Your children won’t remember or care about what you weigh, what swimsuit you wore, or what you looked like at the pool. They will remember the memories you made together because to them, you are everything!

Slow Down!

Life is too short. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Do what makes you happy. Be with those that make you smile and love life!

“Once she stopped rushing through life, she was amazed how much more life she had time for”

Well, I do hope that the first blog post of 2023 has been an enjoyable read! Please do share your thoughts and add a comment or like if you enjoyed it, can relate or have found it helpful. I always love to hear from you.

Happy New Year, I wish you all Health and Happiness!

ThinkLess.Live More X