The other day I was talking to my friend Shannon when she mentioned that her daughter was confused about what she wanted to do for a career. Shannon was worried as her daughter had taken a year off from studying. This reminded me of how I felt when I left school. I started doing my Commerce Degree majoring in Accounting and then decided after one Term, that I wanted to take a break from studying. Looking back I guess I just wanted a rest after high school and I was unsure if accounting was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. During my gap year I worked various jobs and found that I actually enjoyed working in an office. However by the end of the year I was still undecided about what I wanted to do. At the end, I decided to return to University and complete my degree.

I graduated, started working in tax compliance and have continued to work in roles which use accounting as a basis. In my early thirties, I discovered property investing and to my surprise, I found that I loved everything to do with real estate and property. I could spend every day of the week inspecting properties. In my late thirties, I rediscovered my love of writing and have now published my book. I have also found meditation to be a great tool to relax your mind and have completed a course in teaching meditation. Throughout my life, I have continued to work in financial type positions while exploring other interests. I am not alone in realising that it is never too late to learn something new.

Maria a friend of mine, is in the middle of her nursing degree. In her early thirties she found herself divorced with two young children. Her career as a graphic designer was not inspiring her anymore so she decided to fulfil her dream of being a nurse. She loves her studies and brings a wealth of life experience to her new career. It is never too late to follow a new path in life.

Gone are the days where you decide on one career and stick to it for the rest of your life. Today we can fit a few careers in our life time or perform a few at the same time. We are only limited by our own beliefs. When I think back on how confused and worried I was when I nineteen I have to laugh. I would now tell that nineteen year old (and her parents) to stop putting pressure on herself and to just go with the flow of life. There are no such things as mistakes because every experience teaches us something. It helps us grow into the person we are today and life will all work out in the end.

I have received some positive feedback on my book such as the large font. When finalising the publication of my book I specifically asked for a large font so that people could pick it up and read it at any time. There is no need to find your glasses in order to peruse the book. The book is available in soft cover and in an E-book format on Amazon and other online bookstores. Hope that you enjoy it and find it useful and interesting.

Have a great week.

I received the news this week that my book is now available via online bookstores. It can be purchased in both soft cover and as an ebook through
Amazon and a number of other websites. I am over the moon at being a published author and finally realising a childhood dream. My hope is that my work is able to help others.

My website is in the process of being updated so that the My Book tab will show the final product. I  am also brainstorming with my friends and thinking of various ways to promote my work. It is all exciting and very surreal. Here is my book “The Busy Woman’s Guide to Losing Weight and Making Money”.

The other day I was talking to a lady and noticed the ring on her finger. I commented on what a beautiful and unusual stone it was and she said it was a blue emerald ring she bought for herself on a holiday to Vietnam. Then we simultaneously made the comment “Well no one else is going to do it for you”. We both laughed and then carried on with our original conversation.

Later that day I thought about our exchange and the fact that we both realised that we needed to occasionally ‘treat’ ourselves. In our daily lives most of us are busy looking after everyone else and spend little time, if any, in actually looking after our own needs. When was the last time you treated yourself to something that you wanted to do or bought yourself a present you really wanted?

Starting today make the decision to treat yourself the way you want to be treated. That means that you need to voice what you want and how you want to be treated. If you put everyone else first, it tells them that you are happy to be considered last. Whenever you put your own needs aside, you may slowly grow miserable and in the long term, you may end up with depression.

Years ago I met a mother who during dinner gave all the good pieces of chicken to her children and husband. She was always left with the pieces that no one else wanted. Not surprisingly she always complained that her family were inconsiderate towards her. Choose the piece of chicken you want. Show those around you that you and your opinion actually matter.

Life is meant to be enjoyed and experienced to its fullest. Celebrate your individuality and the fact that you make a difference in this world. One of my favourite sayings is ‘treat others the way you want to be treated.’ I would now like to add ‘Treat yourself the way you want to be treated’.

Have a safe and joyous week.