Desire or Aspire?

Nowadays most of us choose to have our lives strewn across the internet. We have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, all forms of social media. In many ways the openness of internet world is a positive thing, we have banks of knowledge available to us at the click of button, we can check up on old friends, make new ones and feel closer to celebrities more so than ever before. However, there is always a downside to any positive, they can make us feel a lack of achievement, ungrateful and make people hungry for recognition.

So in light of this, I have decided to create this post to help myself and others understand that its important to take a step back from the machines and look at what is right in front of us. Or one day, we are going to look back on our lives and wonder what we could have achieved.

I can’t speak for the world, but most of my memories are made up of spending time with loved ones, reading a good book, shopping in my favourite boutiques or rearranging my furniture (yes I do this). We should feel blessed for what we have in life and what we have accomplished up till now. Not look at others and compare ourselves (even though we do), because we have different experiences, different opportunities and often find those we admire, also admire someone else just as much.

So what I want you to do is walk around your house, take in the beauty, find three things within stepping distance you love about it and that make it special to you! These can be any three things and don’t have to be your favourite. If I was going to start listing my favourite things in the house they would be Walter, Jon and my harp. I want you to find three things that you look at and smile at. For the purpose of this exercise I have taken photos of mine and explained what they mean to me below!

Blackall’s Beautiful Three 

1) This is my beautiful image of Kew Gardens that I bought last year when I visited the Orchid Festival with Jon and his parents. Even though this is just another glittery post card to most people, to me it is a symbol and memory of so much in my life. It shows the changing of seasons throughout Kew Gardens, and unbeknown to many, Jon took me here when we were just friends for a day out together and it is the place that we went too before he asked me to be his girlfriend. It is an incredibly personal image to me as it shows the seasons that can relate to moods: frosty, sunny, cool and calm and also relate to 365 days of life. For that reason, when I look at this postcard so much springs to mind, it is a cheerful, relaxing yet slightly childlike way which I think shows the fun side to life.

2) Next we have a little felt animal that is a true likeness to our fury friend Walter. This little guy brings back to so many memories and is so special to me because he is Jon’s first attempt at a felt animal (with some assistance). I first used felt years ago with my friend Lauren her mum and my mum at one of our craft days / girly get together. Since then I found it super therapeutic as you have to repetitively jab at the felt to give it texture and create a fabric like finish (says a lot about me). One rainy day back home visiting my parents, Jon was looking a bit bored so I suggested we had a go at crafts. He wasn’t too into it at first as he hadn’t made them before but after I got the kit out and started showing him what to do he really got into it and finished felt Walter in a matter of hours. I am now so proud of this as it is way better than anything I could have done and is going to forever hang on our Christmas tree. When it isn’t Christmas he sits on the bookshelf just where our real life Walter likes to sit (and nibble books).

3) Finally on my list is this beautiful snow globe, that probably shouldn’t be out because it isn’t Christmas, but it is and has been since my little brother gave it to me at Christmas. I am so sentimental about anything gifted to me by my family especially if it is from my baby brother (who is taller than I am). This snow-globe was picked out by my brother one Christmas and he bought it for me, because he thought I would like it. Not because my Mum told him to get it, but because he wanted too. Anyone who has a sibling will understand how special it is when your sibling gifts you something like this. As well as this, the snow globe has been all over the place with me, everywhere I have moved. I find it relaxing and calming to look at so I keep it on my dressing table in my bedroom. Inside it is a beautiful silver deer surrounded by sparkling snow which just gives it that little sparkle.

Now, don’t you feel better? Instead of sitting on your machines wishing to be someone you’re not, aspire to be the person you are and appreciate what you have in life. I feel so much happier now I have done this exercise and am looking for more things I find beautiful, if something doesn’t mean anything to me then there is almost no point in keeping it, so give it to someone else and create a new memory for them.