Hello there friends and welcome to my 108^th blog.

I have had a wee sabbatical from blogging for a couple of reasons, but it’s good to be publishing again!

A few months ago, I attended my awesome 40-year school reunion, and was blessed with the opportunity to address the learners as an alumnus. Below is my talk.

“Good morning, everyone,

What a privilege, a treat, and a pleasure it is to be here today.

I can scarcely believe that we are celebrating 40 years since we left school.

My name is Hayley. I am blessed to be the wife, a mother of three grown-up boys, a physio, nutrition coach and blogger. We have 2 dogs, Lilah who is a 13-year-old Jack Russell, and Bella, who is a 7-year-old cross Lab Ridgeback. They are My Beloved Girls and I have learnt so much from them.

I will chat to you about some of the things they have taught me, all of which, I  believe , would have really enhanced my life as a school girl.

FIRST

My Girls prioritize their health.

My Girls eat to live, and do not live to eat.  More recently I have learnt to eat nourishing food most of the time, a healthy protein, a nutritious carb, a splash of fat, and lots of rainbow veg with some fruit.

My Girls only drink water.  We were brought up on fizzy drinks and this has been one of the most difficult things for me to cut down, as I still love the taste of a bitterly cold coke or coke zero. I also have a penchant for bubbles, but my narrative on this one is that bubbles are good for me whereas fizzy drinks are not.

My girls move often and exercise a great deal. I did enjoy my sport, but later in my school and varsity years exercised less, which was to my detriment on so many levels.

My girls prioritize their sleep, and never grapple with this. A good night’s sleep eludes many folks my age. I really envy my furry friends for this.

My Girls seem to get the balance of play, work, and rest.

I urge you to create great habits now. Eat to nourish yourselves, consistently drink tons of water, sleep well, aim for balance, and keep moving.

SECOND

Lilah and Bella are truly authentic, and they know who they really are.

They do not seem to be concerned about the opinions and thoughts of others

Occasionally I would like them to care a little more about what people think of them, particularly when in the presence of guests, they lie on the couch (yes, they are rather spoilt) with their legs splayed in a rather unladylike fashion, but it is all good, and they have yet to offend any of our friends, I hope!

We humans on the other hand, often portray ourselves as who we think we should be.

We do this to fit in and blend in, which I get. From the moment we are born we are influenced by our parents, siblings, peers, teachers, and friends. Sometimes we end up being moulded into someone who we actually do not want to be.

Try to find  out who you really are and what your own personal values are, always remembering that you, truly and honestly, are enough. Choose your own distinct life path.

THIRD

My girls just love life. They make the most of every day. They play, they run, and they chase Hadedas (totally unsuccessfully). They definitely seem to be living their best lives and find excitement and joy in the smallest of experiences.

So, I say to you now.

Climb that mountain, swim in that sea, watch those sunsets and sunrises. Look at the stars. Take risks, be scared, persevere, be present, sing, dance, laugh, love, smile.

Try to find that excitement and joy in  every day that you are lucky enough to enjoy on this earth, remembering that happiness happens now, not in the future. Tomorrow is a blessed gift, not a given.

FOURTH

Lilah and Bella have a natural curiosity. They inhale their way through the woodpile in search of an unsuspecting mouse or rat, they explore the shed, and have a sniff at almost every bush, shrub, tree trunk, or electrical poles on every walk.

Have we lost our curiosity? Are we resting on the laurels of our competency and our safety net?

Let’s not do this. I urge you, keep learning, keep questioning, read, and keep an open mind for as long as you are able. Just stay curious.

FIFTH

My Girls see life as a journey, and not a destination, and they seem to understand that the greatest part of the road trip of life is about the incredible experiences and memories we make along the way. They maximize every moment, even those spent chilling, and they are positive and grateful every step of the way. Let’s embrace every aspect of our journey, striving to always live our best life.

SIXTH

Bella and Lilah do not worry, overthink, and they are not hell bent on controlling all aspects of their lives, and the lives of those who are near and dear to them. They are not prisoners of their minds, and remain rational and logical, most of the time. They control the controllables.

This remains extremely difficult for me.

More recently I am maybe managing this better after much work.  I have been able to call on external resources over time and am striving to manage this. Breathwork has been especially helpful for me and I implore you learn control that which you can and park the rest.

 

SEVENTH

My Girls embrace their imperfect life. Lilah has lost most of the vision in her left eye, and Bella is on chronic meds for her  anxiety. They seem to realize that life is not perfect, and just accept this, managing to navigate the difficulties with such aplomb.

We as humans, make mistakes, face big challenges, experience loss, have terrible days, weeks and sometimes months, and we fail. Our world is often not a pretty place. We are sad, frustrated, angry, lonely, lost and there will be times when we do not know where to turn.

This is okay.

What is important is the way in which we deal with these hardships. We do not own events or why they happen, we own what we do with them.

Here I do need to add, there are terrible and tragic things that happen to people and not all things can be easily dealt with in this way, but so many of our stresses can.

EIGHTH

My Girls are thankful for all that they are and all that they have.

Even when Lilah had to wear a cone and Bells was so nervous about having therapy, they both rose to these challenges and remained upbeat and thankful. We can learn from this.

Let’s revel in the smallest things, the beauty of nature, the sun on our backs, a delicious treat, our health, just the fact that we are alive. Let us be grateful for our family, our friends, and our beautiful selves.

 

NINTH

Lilah and Bella are so comfortable in their skins. They do not compare themselves to other dogs, and they certainly do not compare their lives to the unrealistic standards that society imposes on them. They are very beautiful, so this may make it a tad easier for them, but I am still so proud  of them for knowing that they are enough..

Thankfully, and this has not been easy at times, we have managed to keep them off social media. They do not even have cell phones, much to their chagrin.

Take a look into your amazing selves and cherish your minds and bodies, appreciating the multitude of incredible functions they carry out every day. Treat yourself in the way in which you would treat your partner, best friend, or a beloved family member, with kindness, tenderness, care, and love.

 

TENTH

My Girls love us, warts and all, and show us the most incredible unconditional love They do not judge and criticize us, even when we mess up or reprimand them. When the suitcases are packed and we head out the drive, they seem truly bereft, but on our return home, they welcome us with abundant love, and all is forgiven. Granted they always have the most delightful carers, who spoil them rotten, whilst we are away, but that is not the point.

Deep and meaningful relationships are a cornerstone of happiness and are essential for our overall health and wellness.

On the other hand, My Girls are also known to be quite picky about who they like and are prepared to associate with, which I have learnt to respect.

We also need to realize that life is too short to be around people who do not make us feel wonderful.  Try to surround yourselves with folk who bring out the best in you and who help you to become the best version of yourselves.

ELEVENTH

My Girls leave no carbon footprint.  They do not use plastic, they reuse, recycle, and reduce. It is a little easier for them to do all this than us, but it’s worth striving towards. We have to take care of our precious planet.

Plant a tree, pick up that litter, conserve water and electricity (don’t mention the loadshedding) walk and cycle more and drive less.

TWELTH

My Girls are kind. It is somewhat less of a challenge for them than for us mere mortals, but they seem to understand the value and importance of this.

If we all tried to do one act of kindness most days, can you imagine what an awesome world we could have. I am on a mission to try to do this. Let us try to sprinkle kindness all around the world.

 

Thank you for your time.

I really hope that something in my chat will resonate with you. Wishing you all a wonderful rest of year. Go live your best lives.”

 

So, that was my chat to the learners.

It really seemed to resonate with them, so I decided it was worth sharing. There are some repeats from a blog I wrote about a year ago, but I have added and amended the blog for the purposes of my talk. I really do hope that something from this, strikes a chord with you.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, making the most of every moment.