2013 Review: Dreams Come True

2014 is two days away. What?! That’s absolutely crazy!

2013 has been one of the most amazing years for me. Here’s why:

I went to Paris - This was the most incredible trip I’ve ever taken. I went to Paris in June for my 18th birthday. The city is beautiful. The bookshops, the food and the scenery is just fabulous! If you’ve always wanted to go to the City of Light, I encourage you more than ever to experience it for yourself.

I went to a Springsteen concert - Unbelievable! I absolutely adore Springsteen and his music, thanks to my dear Dad. Springsteen’s music brought us closer and the mutual foundation we both created with our love of music is one that neither one of us refuses to break.

I moved out, and started University - Yep. The dream of me going to university came true.

I can’t wait to see what 2014 holds.

See you in the New Year!

5 Things I Love About Autumn!

September is here. Which means that it is officially the beginning of my favourite season - Autumn!

As I sit in front of the bay window that looks out onto my garden, I notice that summer has abruptly ended. I see that the leaves on the trees are starting to turn golden at the edges and that excites me.

Here are 5 things I just can’t help but love about Autumn:

1. Hats/Scarves/Coats - Yes. The fact that it is perfectly acceptable to wrap up in a big snuggly coat and wear matching hats and scarves is a big bonus for me.
2. Hot chocolate - Same thing goes, really. Even though I’ve been known to drink hot chocolate whatever the weather, but it makes me happy knowing that Christmas is nearly coming when I make hot chocolate in September!
3. New beginnings - September is notorious for fresh starts. I love the idea of starting anew and thinking about the things you would like to happen in the coming months.
4. Golden leaves - Enough said.
5. Movie marathons - Okay, so I have movie marathons all the time, but when it’s freezing outside, cuddling up on the couch with a good film sounds way more appealing.

What’s your favourite time of year? Is it Autumn? If so, let me know what some of your favourite things about Autumn are!

Seizing The Day

Lately, I’ve been viewing my life through an extra specially positive lens. I don’t know why this is, but I’m loving it. 

There have been many moments in the past couple of weeks where I have had to stop myself and slowly but surely, I start to appreciate the moments and experiences as they happen and become part of my life. The life that I want to live full of passion, love and positivity. Every. Single. Day. 

We’ve all heard of the phrase “Carpe diem”, haven’t we? The phrase coined by the Roman poet Horace still rings true today. I believe it always will. 

Seize the day. From now on, seize every single moment in every single day to make it magical, fun, positive and brimming with passion and love for your life. 

My life is looking bright, shiny and full of sparkles. I’m reading books that inspire me to write, I’m listening to music that makes me realise why I love music as much as I do, I’m watching my favourite films that inspire me to be that little bit more creative on a daily basis.  

In the spirit of seizing the moments of my life, I’ve realised that life is an incredible thing. That life is magical and it will only continue to be so if I say yes to incredible once in a lifetime opportunities that will make me look back and think “Yeah, my life has been pretty awesome, hasn’t it?” opposed to thinking “I wish I’d have done all of the things that I always dreamed of.”

Seize the day. Go on. I dare you.

Perspective: Looking On The Bright Side...

Gaining perspective. Sometimes, we all need to take a step back, realise what we have around us, and realise that life really is what you make of it. 

Confession time: I use a wheelchair because I cannot walk. 

I used to see my wheelchair as my BIGGEST weakness. No joke. And I guess for a while, I let it be my weakness. That was all over when I suddenly realised that the wheelchair was my ally. It had opened up so many doors for me (pardon the pun). Being in a wheelchair had shown me life in a way I don’t think I could have seen it if I was able bodied, in all honesty.

I began to work with wheelchair independence charity Go Kids Go!, at the age of ten and I suddenly came out of my shell, it wasn’t just because I was beginning to realise that there were strategies to become independent and confident in my own wheelchair skills, it was that I met other children my age who were also wheelchair users. That, I believe, was my golden ticket for getting me to where I am now. 

Eight years later, I realise now that, yes, I am in a wheelchair (but more importantly; that it does not define me). Yes, I have a condition which means that I can’t walk. That’s fine with me, just as long as I can create, inspire and volunteer my time to causes that make me so grateful to be a part of something that I believe in with my whole entire heart on a daily basis, allowing me to believe that this was what I was born to do, then I will be a happy lady.

Here’s the way I see it: My wheelchair, I now realise, is not the end of the road. It was the beginning of a long, scary, amazing, beautiful, crazy journey that has had its ups and downs over the years. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. I believe that those situations that, at the time, I thought I couldn’t recover from - I did just that. I dusted myself off, put my smile on my face, the smile that I’d once heard had brightened someone’s day, and I kept going. I just kept going. That’s the thing about life. It goes on. 

One lesson (out of many!) that I have learned throughout my wheelchair-using experience (or Life as I call it), probably the biggest lesson, is this:

Whatever circumstances you find yourself in, they do not control you. The way you react to the circumstance is the make-or-break in the situation. 

So, lovely, I urge you to look at a circumstance that might be very scary for you, and decide - how you are going to tackle this? With a smile or with a frown? ‘Cause I bet if you turn that frown upside down, you might just find that the world around you is a little bit brighter.