My Coastline – Dawn & Dusk: March 2016

Easter greetings fellow bloggers – March hasn’t been a good month for blogging but it has been a good month for taking photos and for walking. I have done a LOT of walking this month. I’m still job hunting (sigh!) but this is interspersed with much exercise (to keep my mental health in perspective) and the exercise has been awesome. It’s also got me out and about and appreciating my environment. So while I am loosing enthusiasm for job hunting (but still working at it), the product has been some photos that I can look back at and enjoy. And I’m probably fitter and healthier than I have been for some time – so that’s great. Enjoy!

My Walk to Work: March 2016

Following on from My Back Yard, I want to share with you my walk to work (highlights that is!)  I take a train to the city centre and have started walking around the Wellington waterfront to get to work. It takes longer but I get to see some awesome sights, and no two days are the same. Here is a snapshot of Wellington on my walk to work in the past 10 days. Enjoy!

My Backyard: March 2016

It would normally be considerably cooler this time of year but we are enjoying what remains of the last of the summer weather. It has begun to get cooler and darker in the early mornings and certainly darker earlier in the evenings and noticeably cooler too: an extra blanket on the bed; taking a jacket with me to work; making sure I walk before it gets to dusk and light fades. But we are still enjoying warm days, and for what it’s worth, it’s been a great summer here in Wellington, New Zealand.

I want to share some pictures I’ve taken in the past 24 hours because they are a reflection of my experience of how March has been this year (so far!). I know the good weather won’t last so I want to make sure I record it when I can. I tend to take photos of the same shots over and over – so if you’ve seen some of my previous photos – this is same area which I love – and it’s what I think of as ‘My Backyard’. Enjoy!

Being you

Grow where you are planted… but don’t just be who you are, where you are and what you are. Make sure to move and change, to grow and evolve… and become better, stronger, more sure of yourself each day. Make it your task to be the best you that you can possibly be.

Or in other words…..

Adaptable

I’ve been thinking about being adaptable, being open and willing to change. As we age, we often become less inclined to change and grow and adapt. As someone who has spent the majority of the past 4 weeks job hunting, I am very aware of the need for me to be adaptable. Not just that, but to be seen to be willing to change – to have an attitude which embraces growth and change rather than simply being a reluctant participant in the process. And that’s been a good reminder about the importance of my attitude when it comes to embracing the new, the unknown, the uncomfortable. And life’s like that – it keeps changing (regardless of how we feel about the change) – it’s a bit like waves on the beach. I may not enjoy standing in the midst of them because they are cold and their constant movement and undercurrents can be unsettling. But regardless of how I feel, the waves are going to keep rolling in! Might as well get used to it – or get out of the water!

And because life keeps changing and moving, just as I get a little more used to the twists and turns – a curve ball comes along and knocks me off my feet. And I can either get back up and get back in the water or I can walk away and leave the beach.

My fixed term contract is almost at an end and I am very aware of the need to be earning money and contributing towards my mortgage. As such, I’m also very aware that yet another change is coming my way and while I can’t see too far ahead, I can make sure my attitude is appropriate and I am in the right frame of mind to deal with whatever comes my way. In preparation I have been doing lots of 1) hunting for jobs, and 2) exercise. It’s been a good summer to be out walking and I really feel like I’ve made the most of this summer and done significantly more exercise than in the past few years. This means I’m feeling more fit and enjoying being active, but the main bonus is the impact that it has had on my mental health, and my ability to face challenges and frustrations. So I feel like I’m preparing as best I can.

And I’m mentally preparing for the next challenge and how I will not just adapt but I’m hoping I will embrace the new, the unknown, the next step.

I leave you with the words of Charles Darwin:

Heart & Mind

I know you’ll forgive me if I harp on and say the same thing over and over but I think these words and the associated sentiment are worth being reminded of – again and again.

You never know what someone else is going through, where they’re at or what’s happened to them in the past weeks, months or years – so this is a gentle reminder that unless you’ve walked in someone else’s shoes – don’t judge too quickly.

Keep an open mind – they may have something to say that you need to hear. Keep a compassionate heart – you may have an opportunity for kindness that someone else needs to receive.