To my dear followers, who may be thinking that I have fallen off the edge of the world by now, I assure you that I have not. What have I been doing that has prevented me from writing as often as I used to? Well, let me share a little of what’s been going on.
Since my last post, I took on a second job, I’m studying, I’m starting my own business, and I’ve worked on a few books. The first book I worked on, I was tasked with designing the cover. The first test book was released on Amazon in September to see how it looks in print. The editors are working out some kinks, but overall it looks great! The old photos inside and stories about the man who travelled the world make for an interesting read. His life has been an amazing adventure! Felt surreal holding the book in my hands after designing the cover. His story is really inspirational.
The second book was a children’s book that I wrote. It was a huge project that consumed almost all my free time, but it was a great experience. A company I worked with organised a book launch as their Christmas promotion to showcase my merchandise based on my book, as well as the book itself.
I’m really impressed with how the book came out in print and how all the merch came out. Watch this space! I will be adding a link to my new website where you can see my new book and the merch.
I’ve seen people work like crazy and almost forget that there is more to life than just work. After trying to do so many projects at the same time, I realised I was starting to become like that, using all my free time to just work. The wake-up call came when I ran myself down and realised that people need rest and a social life as well. I don’t know how some people run on caffeine and 3-5 hours of sleep every day, just to burn through work and repeat the same thing the next day, almost every day.
The things I once loved and was excited about, I began to lose passion for. My hobbies began to feel like chores, and what had been relaxing before had become taxing. Talk about a burnout!
As I worked at balancing my life and work schedule, sufficient rest and exercise helped me to feel refreshed and less tense. Socialising gave me something more to care about than the stresses I faced. I also ate less fast food and started a healthier diet, which worked wonders! Okay, singing and dancing around my cottage when I’ve been frustrated or really sad is like magic as well. Didn’t really believe my mom when she told me to try it, but it really works… even if my neighbours think I’m crazy.
I started finding joy in doing the smallest, seemingly dumb things like washing dishes. I found joy in my work, my studies, my hobbies and in life in general.
There is a time for everything – singing, dancing, rest, hobbies, exercise and a social life. They’re like an antidote to the stresses that life throws at us, and life throws us many in the forms of sickness, heartbreak, work, various relationships and so on… There is so much more to life than work and stress. There is joy to be found in those difficult situations, and that is a choice, even though it’s not the easiest one at times.
Joy is an attitude that defies circumstances. Happiness is merely a feeling based on circumstances. An Instagram picture I saw defined it very well by saying, “Joy is a deeper sense of contentment and peace that comes from within. It’s an enduring state of mind that can be cultivated regardless of external conditions.”
So, just a reminder to all you hardworking people to remember to take a moment to breathe. Smell those roses, laugh a little, love a lot, eat healthily and rest well. Life is about balance, and we only get one crazy, beautiful, wonderful life to live, so we have to make it count!
I will be writing my next travel post soon, so stay tuned. My posts will be more frequent from now on. Thank you to each and every one of you who have supported my blog merely by stopping by to read it or have subscribed. See you all in my next post! Until then, wherever you may be, good morning and goodnight!
If you have tips that have helped you balance your life and work schedule, comment below. I’d love to hear about them!
This Crazy Thing Called Life 