On the Eve of my 28th Birthday

Another year has zoomed by (ringing some truth into the phrase that time flies by after the age of 25) and tomorrow I will be 28. Wow, when I was younger anyone over 25 was deemed OLD!

28.Two years away from the big 3-0.

It is around this time that the average person starts thinking of everything they wanted to do before attaining the age in question, but have not due to whatever reason.

This past year has been a really good one for me. I have ticked off most of my goals for 2014 (save and except for the scuba diving course that I really still want to do) so therefore it has been a productive year.

A few things I can say about getting older is that:-

1) Sleeping past 7am on a weekend is damn near impossible (and staying up after 11pm is a record); 

2) You realize who and what makes you happy (and who/what doesn't);

3) The realization that you need to look after yourself (there's no such thing as a soul transplant) Eat healthy, exercise regularly, reduce alcohol consumption, etc; and 

4) Listening to your own instincts or intuition is more reliable than any prior knowledge.

If I think of how different my life at 27 compared to my mom's life at 27, there is really no comparison. My mom had been married for six years, had a three and a half year old daughter. She was also a widow at that age. I am neither a wife nor a mother, and have thankfully been spared the heartache of losing my significant other. Our experiences up till now have been extremely different, but I am so lucky to have my mom. I have learnt ALOT from her

Goals for my 29th year on Earth:

1) Do that scuba diving course! 

2) Travel to Egypt and visit the Pyramids & Valley of the Kings;

3) Be a better person than I am today; and
4) Develop Soleil-Femme (a logo and official hosting would be a nice facelift)

Where's that chocolate cake?

Review: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

My longtime friend and former colleague, Matthew, recommended I read this book. Knowing Matthew does not read fiction very often, and judging by his positive feedback on this novel, I realized it was a must read and downloaded it onto my Kindle.

The story line centers around Harry August, a boy born in a train station restroom on New Year's Day 1919. Harry is an ouroboran or kalachakra, a person that is born, lives, dies and so the cycle repeats. His birth date remains the same, but the manner of his death (and the date thereof) differ as a result of his choices in that specific life. Harry is also a mnemonic, which means he remembers everything from his previous lives, even the tiny and insignificant details.

I don't want to give the plot away, but Harry soon becomes embroiled in a plan to delay the end of the world.

This book is an absolute thriller, and will hook you within a few pages. I've never had to use the Oxford dictionary function on my Kindle as much as what I did for this book. It is intellectual and opens up the mind to a whole different school of logic. If you are looking for some insightful theories into the universe, then this is definitely for you. Maybe I found it more fascinating because the idea of reincarnation is so exciting.

Tiny disclaimer: The book does not discredit Christianity, but some religious people may be offended by some of the author's views and remarks.

If you read (or have read) the book, please share your thoughts on it. I would love to receive your feedback.

5 Things Thursday - Exams are Over & There's so Much to Look Forward to

So the exam of my life is over, and whilst I'm experiencing the elation that only a fellow student released from his/her academic duties can understand, I also feel worried. Extremely worried.

Did I do enough to pass? Last night I barely slept. Thoughts of items I'd forgotten to include, and mathematical errors I'd made constantly entered my mind. There's nothing I can do about it now, so while I hear you think aloud that I should put it to the recess of my consciousness (how badly I want to do that) - as much as I've told myself this and tried - it does not work. Doubt creeps in and the stress starts all over again.

The curse of a student.

To make matters worse, results will only be released in approximately six weeks.

In an attempt to be positive, last night I thought of all the wonderful things that I can do now that I have a break from studying. They are:

1) Having more than a one day weekend. Attending lectures at Edge Business School each Saturday from 8am - 5pm (on a conservative day - some weeks ran until 9pm) meant that I only had Sunday to do all my errands, grocery shopping, free time to see friends, etc. My mom was so helpful during these past three months, cooking dinners for us and doing my weekly shopping - thank you so much mom. Had I not been working the lack of weekend would not normally affect me, and it dawned on me how fortunate I was to have had that opportunity of free time last year.

2) Reading books and not my study guide. I love reading. Non-fiction crime thrillers are my favorite. Best author is James Patterson hands down. Diversity is the spice of life as they say, so I will be looking for new genres to read in the forthcoming six months. Any suggestions?

3) Spending more time with my friends. I only saw my friends a handful of times during this semester. I rarely visited for more than an hour or two, and due to chores associated with running a household, my chats over BBM were short, and more often than not ended in "I have to finish my assignment" or "I need to do my homework for Saturday's lecture". Thank you friends for being patient and supportive during this rather crazy time. I look forward to making up lost time with you in the coming weeks.

4) Now that I am earning my own money again, I want to see and do everything. Try new things. And spoil myself. Buy myself clothing or perfume or whatever catches my eye, and feel like I have well and truly earned it. 

5) My goal for the second half of the year is to challenge myself. Possibly take a photography course or learn a foreign language. Spanish and Italian have always appealed to me. Leaning towards Spanish as it is spoken in more countries worldwide. 

There is so much to look forward to because life is beautiful, and it feels like it has only just begun for me.

Be Unique... Just Like Everyone Else

It has been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but why wouldn't one want to be an original in a world full of copies?

From the day we are brought into this world, we make choices that affect our journey in life. We develop personalities, have differing fashion senses, and discover our likes and dislikes. No two human beings are the same - revel in it!

We are the captains of our fate, and the masters of our destiny.

I, for one, cannot handle when parents dress their children identically. Yes, OK, if they are twins or identical twins it may be slightly more acceptable, but the fact remains that those children will never be exactly like their brother or sister. They have their own opinions, own dreams, own fears, etc. So WHY would they want to dress the same? Let them be their own people.

We only live once, so make the most of it. Stop worrying about what others think of you and just do it. At the end of the day - when you look back on your life - you will be proud.

There is nothing more expensive than regrets.

Happy Friday, readers!

** As a side note, if any readers have comments on my posts (whether in agreement or disagreement), please comment here (beneath this post) instead of sharing a link with your comment. I want to see you be brave... **

I Just Don't Want to

Have you ever been invited to an event/party/concert/movie/festival that you really really have no interest in? And instead of being honest and saying "Nah, that's not really my scene", you come up with an excuse. A lame one.

Like...

"My dog is going through a rough phase right now and I need to spend quality time with him/her." Or "I've already committed myself to going curtain shopping with my mom."

Why do we behave like this in this day and age? Why do we need to lie to cover up our true feelings of just not wanting to attend the event in questions? The answer is we don't. We're all adults and if your friend/sibling/coworker is offended by your honest reply of "I just don't want to", then he/she is not very considerate of you. 

Too bad, so sad. They'll get over it. Remember, what goes around comes around and that person will probably experience something similar in the near future, and then he/she will understand.

So, be honest. If it's not your thing - say so. Life is too short to do things they don't want to. 

It's the Small Things

So often we get caught up in the pursuit of the marriage/house/kids paradigm (as a friend aptly referred to it), we forget to appreciate the small things in life.

Simple things like admiring that sunflower growing on the side of the N12, taking some time out to read a magazine, enjoy a piece of confectionery, or watching a bird bathing itself in a puddle. We are so concerned about earning the money needed to survive in this competition called life we cannot comprehend wasting our time on anything as trivial as the above.

It's OK to lose sight of the bigger picture for a little while. Stop. Look outside. Take it in.

More often than not it will be a welcome break from that household chore or writing that report. Life is to be lived, not looked back on with the thought of "I would have rather done things differently". There is more to life than being a serious no-room-to-move person.

Have fun. Make mistakes. Laugh at yourself (or someone else for that matter). Help others. Make the best of what you have. And most importantly, be the best version of yourself as possible.