Daily Confessions 14

It's 8:19 PM on a Sunday night and I'm watching some weird series that's French but dubbed in American English. Some of the translations are dodgy. 😂 

Two days before Xmas Eve, I'm rethinking my life. The things I do. The things I've done. People I know and how they affect me emotionally. Toxic people. I guess this is an important time of the year to take a closer look at whom I surround myself with. How I want my future to unfold. 

It's funny how time goes by so fast. One day you were a kid and the next, hurdling into middle age. 

I guess I'm looking at how I can change my life and live it more authentically, jobwise and be more myself. 

I'll probably write another blog post on NYE. Take care and live the most authentic life you can. 

Wonder Woman XXX 

Daily Confessions 13

I'm watching an episode of Women of Impact on YouTube. It's called Don't Allow Yourself To Be Quieted, Step Into Yourself. It's fascinating.

Earlier today, I came across an apple pie at Sainsburys. I faltered for a minute, wondering whether I should get it now or closer to Xmas. 🎄

I stopped myself when negative thoughts related to my body image came into my mind. Thoughts like I'm going to gain weight, I'm getting chubby, other people will judge my body and assume that I eat crap, etc.

I changed my thoughts ASAP.  People will think whatever they want to think. I value the relationship with myself. I'm also on the path of getting my power back. You can read the blog post I wrote the other day called Get Your Power Back Part 1.

I bought the apple pie and Madagascan vanilla custard. 😂

It was delicious!

I feel like I'm evolving as a person who is becoming a better version of myself. I don't know if it's aging or embracing being more me, being more authentic. I value authenticity more these days in the way I communicate. I'm starting to feel a bit more empethatic towards myself. It's a start. That's enough about me.

What about you? How do you value yourself?

Surviving A Workplace Bully

This blog post is a mixture of a rant and a way of getting it out of me. Storytime on a Monday evening.

On a snowy April morning, I was nervous about my interview. It went well and I was offered the job on the spot. It was an optician's. However, I noticed that Manager R*'s  behaviour changed immediately. He spoke to me in a harsher way. I didn't know what to think of that.

As the weeks and months went by, he started to be antagonistic towards me and blame me for other people's mistakes. I couldn't defend myself because I needed the job.

There was a day when all the frame stock needed to be counted. A certain co-worker was doing that job. He came all the way upstairs, stood on a stool and shouted down at me that I'm upstairs and not helping that co-worker, while they're struggling to get that job done.
I couldn't say anything, tried not to cry and feel like a kid.

I'm sure other things happened, but I can't remember them.

I made mistakes as a newby trying to learn the job. Here is another incident. I was prescreening a px before she went to have her eye test and I showed the results to the optometrist. She saw it and frowned. Then she showed it to him. She said that the decimal point looked like a 1. He turned around on the spot and said,

"You're fired."

The optometrist was shocked. I was rooted to the spot. Then I turned around, pouted at him and returned to my job.

There was a time when I was quite new and I'd made a mistake, can't remember what. I ran upstairs to the loos to cry in a stall, when I passed by the store's overall manager and let the door bang shut behind me instead of holding it open for him.

Later on, I managed to stop crying and went back to work to find that manager talking to Manager R *. Manager R* later on told me that he talked to him about me and my customer care; how bad it was because I let the door shut in his face. Manager R* said that I would be reviewed in 3 months to see if they would keep me on.

That really pissed me off. I think I probably cried in the prescreening area, in the dark. 😂

OK, this is sounding depressing.  😂

Have you come across a workplace bully? Let me know. I'd love to hear your experiences.

*I really needed that support and didn't get it. That experience was awful in more ways than I can describe. It still feels traumatising in a way. That ringtone for the phone back then sends me straight back there. I'm going to name him here and put this behind me. Manager R * is Richard.

I don't expect him to apologise any time soon. 

Wonder Woman
XXX

Get Your Power Back Part 1

I've been thinking about the times when I felt that I gave my power away; when I felt undervalued or affected by someone else's words.

For the last several years, I've spent time getting to know myself. Recently, I've dived deeper. Every day, I've been practicing being present, choosing happiness over reacting to annoying things and my co-workers moodiness, especially Manager X*. I've gotten better at dealing with challenging situations at work instead of taking things personally or letting anxiety take over. I'm not perfect at all and take each day as it comes.

Manager X* is not a bad man. He reacts in a stressful way to every day work challenges. His emotions; grumpiness, antagonism, micromanaging (not an emotion) 😂 and at times bullying behaviour affects everyone. His emotional backlashes are predictable. I only realised that when I asked myself why I let him affect me negatively, where I'd get anxious and sometimes upset. Making grown people upset at work of all places is unacceptable. When I feel that way, I'd make myself invisible, almost transparent hoping that I wouldn't be noticed.

Anyway, I noticed that I let him make me feel that way. I gave away my power. How do I get it back?

Hence begins the journey. The first step is Get to know yourself. I've been practicing self-care, self-love and being creative. This is an ongoing process. I will update you on my journey.

Take care!

Wonder Woman XXX

Manager X*: This is my current manager and won't be named. 

Daily Confessions 12

I'm nibbling on cookies and watching the SacconeJolys. It's been a frustrating day. Not all of it, just the last 2 hours of it. It was kinda stressy. I'm glad I'm home, chilling out and so ready to go to bed. It's only 6.13PM. 😂
I really can't be bothered to make dinner. I think I will get some writing done. 😊 Possibly some reading too.

What do you do to calm down and relax?

Christmas has arrived at work with gigantic baubles. Christmas music is taking over and crowds of people are taking over the isles. 

Do you like and enjoy Christmas? My workmate doesn't care for it and keeps saying bah humbug! 😂  It cracks me up. I call her the Grinch.

What do you like about this time of year and what don't you like?

I'm loving Xmas films, fuzzy blankets, candles, treats, Xmas shop windows, moody skies and delicious hot drinks.

I'm not loving the darkness that Winter has brought with her. Although, with all the Xmas lights and festivities, it's hopeful. Getting up in the morning is getting harder. The regular rain is annoying. I don't mind the cold.

Practicing gratitude every day helps a lot with all that I've mentioned.

I'll leave you for now with a better blog post tomorrow. Take care! 😘

Wonder Woman
XXX

Daily Confessions 11

If trees were saints. 

Today, I was thinking about trees and all the good things that they do. Then, for some reason, I thought about saints. I had to compare them to each other. If this bores you to death, consider it your Friday silly post and enjoy! :)

Trees provide a place for animals to shelter in, food for their survival and a home for insects and birds. 

Saints are selfless and want to help other humans in need. They provide shelter and food for people who need it the most.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide, potentially harmful gasses and release oxygen. 

Saints, let's not mention the gasses. I guess they give out give vibes.

Trees are beautiful from the outside.

Saints are beautiful from the inside.

Trees reduce air temperature contributing in lowering the overall temperature of the atmosphere. 

Saints are cool.

Trees reduce the effects of landslides.

Saints are able to work miracles.

Trees are miracles in all that they do and offer. 

There's a lot more to trees and saints, but if trees were saints, their leaves would be their halos. 

*****************************************************************************

Much later on:  

I wrote 500 words before having dinner. I'm proud of myself. I'm being consistent. It looks like I'll be writing 500 words every day, at least on my work days. Hight five!

I'm listening to a book that is amazing. It's called The Third Door by Alex Banayan. It's mainly about his journey on how successful people got to where they got to. For most of the book, he's been trying to get an interview with Bill Gates, for the main part. He's gone through so many rejections that I feel for him. He's so relatable. Check it out. I think you'll like it. I'll let you go. I'm quite tired tonight.

Good Night.

Wonder Woman

XXX

Daily Confessions 10

From a cup of tea to 500 words!

You're probably wondering what the hell I'm talking about. Let me clarify it for you.

I don't know if it's an age thing or a work thing or even a winter thing. It's natural to be tired after a work day. I do find being creative like writing or drawing much harder at night, because when I'm that tired, all I want to do is chill out and watch Netflix or YouTube. I think winter has something to do with it too. The cold darkness makes me want to hibernate until April. If I do that, I won't get anything done. So, yesterday, when I came home, I made myself a cup of tea, changed into my cosies and turned my laptop on.

I blogged, listened to a couple of podcast episodes and wrote 500 words. Initially, I wanted to write 1,000 words, but I had to compromise with myself because I was getting quite tired. I lasted about 3 hours before I had to stop and chill out a bit before going to bed. I'm counting that as a winning streak!

Today, I did the same thing. I'm getting quite hungry thinking of my dinner while snacking on crunchy peas from Graze. The podcast I was listening to yesterday and todays is Don't Keep Your Day Job. It has the same title of the book by Cathy Heller. The podcast is amazing! It's so inspiring and pushes me to keep going. Here's the link if you want to check it out. You'll find me mentioning this podcast quite a bit in the near future. Another podcast that I love is The Skinny Confidential podcast. The episode that I love is the one with Gabby Bernstein. If you're dabbling in spirituality, you'd have heard of her. The link is also below.

https://www.dontkeepyourdayjob.com/episodes/alex-banayan-returns

https://tscpodcast.com/episodes/

I took a break from blogging and returned to Keepers of the Crypt. I wrote 500 words. I'm happy with where it's going and I'm excited to write more every day. I think I will carry on with my 500 word limit, for now.

I'm going to leave you for now. My dinner is calling for me.
Good night.

Wonder Woman

XXX

Daily Confessions 9

What are instincts? 

According to the Collins dictionary, the definition of instinct is:

*Instinct is the natural tendency that a person or animal has to behave or react in a particular way. 

There's a British definition-one of several that I relate to. It is:

*Inborn intuitive power. 

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/instinct

Why am I talking about instincts? 

After going to the loo about 1am, I snuggled up in bed and was trying to go back to sleep. My mind was really active. I started breathing deeply to get myself to relax. I started thinking about instincts. We've obviously used our instincts to survive and evolve for hundreds of thousands of years. I like the second definition that I've mentioned. Inborn intuitive power. It sounds like magic. How do we access that power? Are there spells? What are we listening for when those instincts are trying to tell us something? And why is that voice so quiet compared to the natter of the mind? I suppose things like meditation and quiet time might help us tune into that power. 

I've listened to my instincts in the past. When that voice was loud and firm with me, I listened. It does seem like these days, it's fainter. Where did it go? I've decided to hone in on it and make it louder like an obnoxious teen on the bus. 

What do you think? Do you listen to your instincts? If yes, how?

I'd love to hear from you. 

Good night.

Wonder Woman

XXX

Daily Confessions 8

One of my favourite people online is Jay Shetty. I watched him interview Hasan Minhaj. The episode is called How To Strategically Express Yourself and Take Criticism Positivity.

If you've ever seen Patriot Act on Netflix, you'll know how funny Hasan is. He talks about political/social and mental health issues, and uses comedy to communicate his thoughts, ideas and facts. It's worth a watch.

There was a natural conversation between them. It didn't seem like an interview. Hasan was just as funny as he is on the show. He talked about how he takes critism more positively, being fired from his past jobs and how he prepares for his show.

You’ll find it on Jay Shetty's YouTube channel.

I'll leave you tonight.
Good Night.

Wonder Woman
XXX   

Daily Confessions 7

Sundays are one of my favourite days. It's a full on chill out day. 🐱

I carried on reading Don't Keep Your Day Job by Cathy Heller. I love reading stories about ordinary people who grow their hobbies into a successful career. 😊

I recently cancelled my gym membership. I realised that I didn't enjoy it anymore. It's not worth being unhappy and feeling like you have to workout at a gym to be healthy. It put a negative light on how I viewed my body, which made me feel like I had to change it to be thinner and look healthier.

There was a point when I felt pressured to go to this gym or that gym with a certain set of friends. I felt so bad that I tried out a gym that I've never been to, but it wasn't me. It seemed that I was loosing myself to be like my friends. So, I'm not doing gyms at the mo.

Don't get me wrong, I do like working out. I won't ever let myself be controlled/influenced like that again.There are things I've been meaning to try and will experiment in the new year.

I'm spending time getting to know myself, practising self-care, self-love and being compassionate towards myself.

I'm also working on resetting my morning and night routine, especially getting more sleep and using my phone less at night. It makes me feel more awake in the morning, especially at work.

Anyway, I'll leave you tonight.
Good night.

Wonder Woman
XXX

Daily Confessions 6

Saturday was alright. I was working and all I wanted to do is go back to bed. If you work on the weekend, I feel you. 💜

Dealing with a grump/stressy manager is hard. I feel for the rest of my colleagues who have to deal with him all day long. Having a bad attitude and being blamey is terrible for people who have to deal with it. It can also come across or turn into bullying.

Mental health is really important. In a place that doesn't support that, it can be really tough to be present and present your best self. Take time out if you need it. You are important. ♥

On Saturday nights, I tend to let myself chill out and let go of the day.

It's a shorter one today. Have a good night.

Wonder Woman
XXX

Daily Confessions 5

Today was great.
Most of us at work wore bright clothes for Children In Need. I donated and wore a yellow head band with pudsies's ears on it. It's really cute.

Winter has really set in when it starts to get dark at 2pm when it's raining. If you've ever worked in a building, you'll notice cold spots, drafts and goosebumps. Sounds like a haunting. It's not. It's our long lost friend, Winter. 💨❄💧

A customer brought in a pair of glasses that were 3.5 years old and out of guarantee. He was complaining about the coating. Plus it seemed like he needed an eye test, leaving the details out.

Talking/writing about this kind of thing is really therapeutic.
Explanation: He wanted a free pair of glasses. Annoying. 😂

I felt creative today. I wrote some poetry and chilled in the evening. I watched a few episodes of A Conversation With. It's Phillip DeFranco's podcast. He has a YouTube news channel.

There weren't any more fly bodies. Good news? I don't know. 

Good Night,
Wonder Woman
XXX

Daily Confessions 4

Bing! Bing! Bing! Bring out your dead! The body count piled high...as more blue bottles were swept up. I battled with a few more this morning.

Moving on from insects, today was alright except for a couple of annoying things I had to deal with workwise. I left late and decided to treat myself to some snacks and chill out. This week's been intense.

I settled down to watch a show called Guilt on Netflix. it's so good! Try it and see what you think.

****Intermission****

I accidentally fell asleep. Oops. 😂

I wanted to say that Today is World Kindness Day. I do feel that these days, we are more disconnected and lonely even though we are connected online. Be kind to yourself and practice some self-care. Be kind to the bus driver, he gets a lot of shit from customers. Be kind to whomever is serving you, they get even more shit and abuse from customers and managers.

Smile more tomorrow. Who knows, you might brighton someone'sday.

Good night.

Wonder Woman
XXX

Daily Confessions 3

Sometimes cuddling up in bed into a warm cocoon is the best thing ever. I haven't taken my make up off. DAMN IT. Dramatics aside, today was hard work. The body count was high. I counted twelve cadavers in the area I was working alone. Of blue bottles that is. There were more near the steps of doom and on the landing. So maybe 30-50 bit the dust. That was after the bug spray was used intensely. So gross! 💀

When I got home, I had a nutella cronut. It was so good. That was the last one.  I have no excuse to treat myself. I read a couple of chapters of Don't Keep Your Day Job by Cathy Heller. It's super inspiring. I've been thinking about doing more art and writing more consistently. Will update you more on what I've been upto creatively.
I'm returning to my cocoon.
Good Night.

Wonder Woman
XXX

Daily Confessions 2

Today was a typical busy day, except for the blue bottles that kept flying around the room I was working in. They're massive! Four or five of them kept buzzing about all day. They were touchy feely; getting too close to me and trying to land on me. I swatted them with bits of paper and my left arm.

The landing was also infiltrated with blue bottles. There were about ten of them crawling or flying all over a large window. So gross. For some reason it reminded me of The Exorcism. I bet those maggots hatched into blue bottles. Let me explain.

A few weeks ago, I came into work and notice loads of white wriggly things on a flight of steps. Above the flight of steps is a partially open sky light. Loads of birds hang out there and occasionally, bird poo lands on those steps. So it went from poo to maggots. That was the sensation of the week. At some point, someone came in and sorted it out. No maggots so far. But, today, blue bottles descended  upon us. I'm sure the maggots were still there. I'm scared that the rotting bird is going to fall down in pieces and disintegrate on the steps of doom.

Anyway, right now I'm listening to an audio book. It's a "beach read". I've never read a "beach read" before. It's a really good distraction. It's called The Beach Café by Lucy Diamond. I was happy to see that a book I got recently arrived today. It's called Don't Keep Your Day Job by Cathy Heller. I'm excited to read it. I had another donut. A raspberry and pistachio one. It was very tasty.

I'm going to chill out tonight. No screen time. Will see how it goes.
I'll leave you tonight.
Good Night.

Wonder Woman
XXX

Daily Confessions 1

I'm sitting on my bed, waiting for donuts/cronuts to arrive and listening to The Box of Oddities podcast Halloween edition 1, because I can't get enough of Halloween already! 

Since this is a confessions blog, I decided to do this on a daily basis and share my writing/life struggles with you. On this Monday, it's my day off work and I'm enjoying the sunshine  indoors. Anybody relates to that? Besides, it's cold and I'm cosy with my blankets, podcast and a blueberry donut which just arrived. 

I really enjoyed this past Halloween. I was meant to go to a Frankenstein play, but I didn't really feel like it so I stayed in and got ready. Using a lot of eyeshadow, my face was blue and my cheeks were shimmery gold. An alien hunting for children to eat. The kids who came to the door appreciated it. I love it when they come up to the door and say, "trick or treat!" They're so cute!

Today is Armistice Day or Remembrance Day. I always send my wishes to the families that have lost those brave soldiers. 11/11 also has a different meaning for different people. If you're into spirituality, it may mean that the universe is telling you to be more aware or that your angels or spirit guides are trying to communicate with you, or you are about to manifest. There are many reasons/meanings for this number. Believe what you wish. I use it to remind myself to stay positive and that I'm on the right path. 

Something freaky just happened. I was listening to The Box of Oddities podcast Halloween edition 2. A lady was telling her story and she mentioned 1111 and today is 11/11. The podcast was published on 30/10. The host was also talking about 1111 while I was writing/typing 11/11. I don't know what to think about that. Coincidence? I'm not sure.

I took a break from blogging to write a 1,000 words for Keepers of the Crypt. I feel good about where I'm going with the book. 

I'll leave you tonight. Take care,

Wonder Woman

XXXX

The 5AM Club

I once decided to get up at 5:00AM for a week to get ahead on my writing. On the first day, I was so excited that I got up before the crack of dawn to write by candle light. It sounds so romantic. In a way it was. Every morning during that week, I lit three or four candles and wrote for about forty to fifty minutes. Not quite an hour, I know. I lit candles because it was so dim at that end of my bedroom. I now have a cool blue and green sequin lamp. The struggle of getting up early was so hard. By the time I got to work, I was jacked up on adrenaline. When lunchtime rolled around, I was struggling to stay awake. You'd think I'd get used it by the end of the week. Nope. It was much harder. When the weekend came around, I was writing for about thirty minutes. 

I came across the Five AM Club book by Robin Sharma on YouTube. The main thing I got out of it was that getting up early gives you time for yourself to exercise, work on yourself, improve your life through reading/watching videos or going to workshops. Many of the most successful people in the world wake up at 5AM to meditate, workout or journal. He's right about having that extra time for yourself makes the day flow better and decreases stress. He uses storytelling to give us information on meditation, getting more sleep, personal growth and how to use creativity in business. There's a lot more in the book. When I finished reading it, I felt like I had to go through it again to capture all this knowledge. Anyway, if you'd like to watch what he's all about, here's a link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj5gf47UxhI

Robin Sharma is a #1 bestselling author. His most popular book is The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. His other books are The Greatness Guide and The Leader Who Had No Title.

Check out his book if you are into self-improvement and leadership. 

XXX

Wonder Woman

Stress Less, Accomplish More

If you'd ever dabbled with meditation, you'll know that you'd probably felt anything from boredom, falling asleep and bombarded by your thoughts. I decided to give Z Meditation ago when I came across Emily Fletcher on Mindvalley, on YouTube. Here is the link if you want to check it out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy6uO0MzbPg&t=19s

The science behind meditation and how stress affects the body fascinated me. I was intrigued by what Emily said about how sleep is not enough for recharging the body. Here is a passage from the book based on science and how meditation thickens the corpus callosum when people meditate regularly. The corpus callosum is the thin strip of white matter that connects the gray matter of the two hemispheres of the brain.

"In 2012, a team of neurologists at UCLA's Laboratory of Neuro-modulation and Neuroimaging published a study that clearly demonstrated the thickening of the corpus callosum in people with regular meditation practices. Even more interesting, in 2015, a team from Harvard published findings from an experiment in which they conducted baseline MRIs on participants before starting half of them on a regular, daily meditation program. The subjects were selected on the basis of their overall health; all subjects, however, reported dealing with the effects of stress on their lives. During the course of the experiment, subjects answered questions about their mood and emotional states; those in the meditation group reported more positive overall feelings and a reduction of stress. At the end of eight weeks, the scans were repeated, and the brains of those who had begun meditating showed unmistakable physical changes, including shrinking of the amygdala (that is, the brain's fear center), which expands when the brain is steeped in cortisol or other stress hormones, and expansion of the brain stem, where dopamine and serotonin-the chemical responsible for feelings of happiness, love and contentment-originate."
-Chapter3 Stress Makes You Stupid, page 43.

Emily encourages us to meditation twice a day for fifteen minutes. There are three parts to this type of meditation. Mindfulness, Meditation and Manifesting. The three Ms. I'll spare you another passage on what this all means and how to do it and leave you a couple of links. If you are interested in more, you can try out the book.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy6uO0MzbPg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBmgHX2e2OQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TIJRWVcv8Q

My personal experience with Z Meditation, if I do it properly feels amazing. And I do end up with more energy, more positivity and feeling that everything is going to be OK.

I hope you've enjoyed this blog post.

XXX

Wonder Woman

The Magic

The Magic by Rhonda Byrne is all about gratitude.

She goes into how using gratitude every day can make you more positive, help with manifesting and becoming healthier.

The Magic of gratitude may help your relationships, improve your health, heal past or present relationships, attract more money to you and change the way you see yourself.

The main thing that I got out of it is that being thankful made me more positive and grateful for the small things in life. Try it, you may like it.

Wonder Woman,

XXX

Becoming

I recently finished listening to Becoming by Michelle Obama. I really loved it. She's thoughtful, hilarious and makes me feel grounded. I've learnt so many things about her and Barack that gave me perspective on them as a couple and when they were the first family of America. I've learnt that she is so smart, kind, nurturing and funny.

There were moment when I cried. When her dad got sick and how she felt about that. How her mum deals with everything, and how her parents sacrificed everything for her and her brother. She sticks to what she believes in and is honest in her communication.

There's so much more I can say, but I want you to read/listen to it and experience it yourself.

100 Books by 40

Hello!

I haven't posted in a while. I hope you're alright and enjoying the change in the weather.

I'm back to let you know that I have decided read 100 books by the time I'm 40. 😅
It's a steep challenge but I'm excited about it. I'm 5 books deep and about to finish a couple of them today. 🙆

I'll be back to update you on what I thought of those books later tonight. Have a good day!

Wonder Woman XXX 💜

For The Love of Writing

Dear Thursday,

I'm really loving werewolves today.
I edited a chapter today and noticed how Eva is growing in her own skin. How she is getting stronger as a creature and a vampire. The people in her life are mainly strong women with cool personalities. Sometimes I think miss these creature if I don't work on my books for a while. I like most of them. Not so much the bad guys. They piss me off. They're annoying and dangerous. Although Eva and her gang are dangerous too.

When I think of them compared to humans, I see the fragility of a human life and the brief time we have on this blue planet. I'm so glad that I'm a writer. I love creating a whole new world and controlling the characters in it. Sometimes it seems like they have a life of their own.

I don't think I could ever not write. My writing journey started with poetry, song writing and short stories. Then I got super inspired to write my first book. Moth isn't my first book, but my second. A natural transition to this deep, dangerous cool world of creatures. I still write poetry, a song here and there and short stories.

I started a side project. It may be a short story or a novel. It's not going to be a fantasy novel. I feel like it's going in the direction of women's fiction. I'll leave it at that for now.

I've watched a video that really inspired me today.
Here's the link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a7NRRyPkps

I hope you get something from it.

Good night.

Wonder Woman,
XXX

It's Tough

Dear Tuesday,

This is an inspo post.

Hemingway said,
"There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed."

I'm sure he had other tips, but this is one of his famous sayings. I could quote all day, but I won't.

If you're writing a novel and working full time, keep going. This is really tough. The evenings are tough. There are distractions, you get hungry, you have to shower, sleep, etc …
The weekends are more fun. You have more time to write and create great ideas. However, the distractions are endless. Chores, food, hygiene, exercise and entertainment. I have replaced most of these things with podcasts, books and audio books, especially while I'm writing. I mean, I still eat, shower and remind myself to do those chores a million times. That's why they're called chores. Right? So boring!

Anyway, if you're a full time writer, CONGRATULATIONS! You are where we want to be. A success at writing down lies, I mean stories. Then those chores can be handed over to someone else. Joking! I do enjoy hoovering. Really. Those dusty corners.

I love writing. Especially fantasy. I'm hoping to complete all 3 books this year. So doable. Yeah. I know. It's tough. A solo journey. The lone wolf. Never stop. Keep going. Even if the laundry is high as a skyscraper.

Here's a quote that's more inspiring than Hemingway's.

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you."
-Maya Angelou

Good Night,

Wonder Woman
XXX

Love Is Love

Dear Saturday,

You were great.
Today was pride. I managed to take loads of pics. Here are a few I want to share with you.

Entertainment:

Today is one of those nights where I need to chill out. So I started to watch a series on Prime called The Boys. It's amazing. I haven't finished watching it. 7 super heroes are signed up to this company that make them big and popular, with an agenda behind it. It's not all innocent. I think you'll like. The underdog is almost an anti super hero. Try it. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.  

Mindvalley Talks:
You probably heard of Jay Shetty. He's one of my favourite people on the internet. I love watching his content on Instagram and YouTube. I just watched him being interviewed by Vishen on Mindvalley Talks. The video is called The Mind of Jay Shetty: An Interview with Vishen Lakhiani.
I find him really inspiring and motivates me to keep working on myself. There's no point in me telling you what he said. Here's the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0rG5SkpSIw

I'm going to leave you for now, until tomorrow.

Wonder Woman,
XXX

Hard Days

Dear Friday,

You were alright.
 I'm listening to UB40 while writing this so it's seriously chilling me out.

Work:
The morning started out great until it didn't. It was challenging at work today. Somehow, I managed to get through it. It ended a lot better than it started.

Writing/Editing:
I edited 3 chapters today. 1 more than yesterday and 2 more than the day before yesterday. Yeay! I'm trucking a long a little faster this week. It does seem like it's forever to finish editing it. Aiming at finishing editing Sisters of the Moon this weekend. I can't wait. Also, I'm starting to love the journey. Writing Keepers of the Crypt makes me feel like this whole era, trilogy is coming to an end. I'm looking forward to writing my next book. I'm really excited about it.

Reading:
I read most of the 5AM Club by Robin Sharma. I'm really excited to finish it and tell you all about it. I'm going to tell you how it has helped me in a separate blog. There is so much valuable info in that book. I was surprised.
I got a new book recently. I was inspired by a couple of videos that I saw that had Emily Fletcher in it. You might recognise her name from other blog posts. The book is called Stress Less, Accomplish More. Looking at it makes me feel really excited to read it. It's mainly about meditation and how it can improve performance and other good stuff about it. I'll also tell you what I think about it and how it has affected me in a separate blog.

Anyway, I started this blog a little tonight so I'm going to bed. Sleep well.

Wonder Woman,
XXX

Follow Your Dreams

Dear Thursday,

Today you were amazing.
I had an excellent day. Something changed between last night and this morning. I felt blissful, optimistic and extremely positive. I'm going to change the layout of the blog today. As a writer, I wanted to tell you the realness of it. Confessions and all.

You probably heard this before. People say it a lot. Follow your dreams. Achieve your goals. Never give up. Keep going. It's true. Why would you want to slog away every day at work then slump down to whatever Netflix had for you to watch?

Something to live for. Hope. Expectations and the glimmer of a better life.

Follow your dreams. Never give up.

I'm writing this after editing 2 chapters. It doesn't seem like much, but compared to the last few days, that's 1 more chapter. A step forward. Hopefully in the right direction.

In this notebook, I give myself a goal that I try to meet. A number of chapters to edit and I try to achieve it. I would say at first I did really well, then nothing. I reminded myself about my goals and ambitions. From that day, any extra chapter I did was a bonus. Another step forward towards my dream. 

What is your dream?

If you're a writer like me, it's important to keep track of your accomplishments. One foot in front of another. A step closer to your dream.

I hope today's blog has helped you in any way to get you moving towards your life's ambitions. You dream, because nobody is going to do it for you.

Good Night.

Wonder Woman.

XXX

State of Mind

Dear Wednesday,

You were a good day.
After I snoozed my alarms a thousand times, I got ready for work. And I ran out of foundation. Yup. I don't wear it every day. It was unexpected. I really wanted my highlighter to pop. Never mind. Typical camel day. That's what I call a hump day.

Work:
I was in a very positive and optimistic mood. I smiled and worked away to Classic FM which always helped to sooth my anxiety.

Lunch Break: I had a classic meal deal and listened to Reply All. It's a podcast about stories from the internet. If you love crisps, you must try spicy sriracha from walkers. It's really good.

Home: I danced for 30 mins to really upbeat dance music in my undies. I was feeling really happy and grateful. It was so much fun and great exercise. I only hope that the neighbours haven't seen me. 

Summer Snack: 0

Podcast watched: I watched a lady called Emily Fletcher on Vishen. She talked about meditation and how it affects the brain, body and our wellbeing. I watched the Skinny Confidential on the Ed Mylett Show as well as a lady called Jasmine Star. She's a photographer. It's amazing how much she's accomplished.

Books read/listened: 0

Chapters Edited: 1

Writing: 2 pages handwritten. 

Apparently, today is the New Black Super Moon. I wrote down my intentions and created a quantum notebook. You heard it. I got the idea from Charlie "Rocket" Jabley. He is so amazing. Check him out on Instagram. He writes down what he wants to accomplish/happen/manifest in his quantum notebook of possibilities with his magic pen or wand. He shows how to do it on his stories and recent post.

I'm going to shower and go to bed. I hope you have a good new moon and sleep well tonight.

Wonder Woman
XXX

Almost Rain

Dear Tuesday,

You were alright today.
Tuesdays are my Mondays. Which meant that I didn't want to get out of bed when my three alarms annoyingly woke me up earlier than I wanted to get up. I snoozed and snoozed until the feel of my dirty hair pulled me towards the bathroom. An hour later, I stumbled onto the bus and apologised to the bus driver. Why? Why do I do this? I half fell in front of him and then apologised about it. Then he didn't process my ticket properly so he had to do it again. Sounds like a Monday. I'm not whining. I didn't hurt myself. I didn't pay twice. This is my confession. A confession of a writer living in a real world.

Last week I attempted to journal. It was alright. I liked it. But I missed the blog. Confessions and all. So today, I decided to actually use it as a blog and tell you about my day. Whoever you are. I hope you had a great day. Anyway, back to today.

Work:
When I got to work, the familiar flutters of anxiety turned into full on boxing gloves. I breathed deeply and reminded myself to take the day hour by hour. I turned the radio on and tried to enjoy the breakfast show on Radio 1. Feeling more irritated than when I got there, I pushed the forward button and stopped at Classic FM. It felt MARVELOUS! My body calmed down and I got to work.

Lunch Break: Epic coffee and halloumi wrap from Leon's. I listened to Mysterious Universe podcast. Episode 22.04 was interesting, hilarious and fascinating. I cackled several times like a hyena. It was an epic 30 mins.

Home: I arrived late but thankful to have survived and somewhat enjoyed the day.

Summer Snack: 1 Magnum ice cream. Delicious and the last one in the freezer.

Podcast watched: The Ed Mylett Show. Break Mental Barriers episode with David Goggins. A very inspiring, brave and strong man. I highly recommend this episode. It's on YouTube. Gary Vee Episode - I'm not sure - but it's called Trust That You're on the Right Path | Meeting with Lauren Sanderson. A good one too.
The School of Greatness with Lewis Howes. His guest was Mark Sisson. This man just doesn't stop innovating and creating even when he started his 1st business at age 47. A fascinating person.

Books read/listened: Becoming Michelle Obama on Audible. Two chapters.

Chapters Edited (Sisters of the Moon): 1

Writing: 1 page handwritten

I guess it was a good day. No major dramas. No melt downs. No mishaps. I give it 3 stars *** out of 5.
I hope yours was a good one too. Sleep well and sweet dreams.

Wonder Woman
XXX

Sisters Of The Moon

I was thrilled when I finished writing Sisters of the Moon. It took me four years on and off to complete it. There are a myriad of reasons why it took so long. Then I recently finished editing it first round. To keep myself in check, I updated my progress on Instagram. It added an element of fun. Here are several photos of what I uploaded.

This week, my main focus is to complete editing it. It's going to be tough, I know it, but it has to get done. I'm very excited to get it ready for submissions. Thinking about that makes me feel really nervous. Part of it is fear of rejection and part of it is getting an agent-for real. I'm really excited to continue writing Keepers of the Crypt. The last book in the trilogy. The end of an era. As time goes by I seem to crave these characters and really love the stories. I hope you do to.

Have a good day.

Wonder Woman XXXX

Wednesday Ramble: I finished the book!

I finished writing Sisters Of The Moon! Yeay! 😁
So what's next?

And so the editing begins. I find it boring sometimes almost torturous, but then I loose myself in it, seriously enjoying it.

I started writing the third book in the trilogy #TheMoonChronicles yesterday. Beginnings, endings, change. Just like life, writing these books have their ups and downs, tragedies, romances, grudges. I do find that revenge is easier in fiction. 😂

I am feeling somewhat uneasy and scared about the querying process. If you're a writer, you'll know that this is the next step after editing. I've had so many rejections on my first two books, although most of them were positive. I am nervous. I know that 2019 is my year and that I will get there a lot sooner than later. It's a feeling in my soul.

Alright, I'm ending my Wednesday Ramble. Have a good hump day or as I like saying, camel day.

Good Night,

Wonder Woman XXX 💜 💜 💜

Valentine's Day 2019

It's V Day again. 
The one day of the year where you show your girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband/soulmate/partner how much you love them and appreciate them.

For a lot of people it's the only day of the year when someone feels special/loved/appreciated.  It's sad. There are 365 days in the year where they could feel so loved.

I'll spare you the time and rant.
Life is short. Love whomever you find yourself with. One day they won't be there. If you have trouble loving them, love you. 

Love you for their sake. Love you for your sake.

I love you ❤

Love,
Wonder Woman XXX   

Valentine's Day 2019

It's V Day again. 💘
The one day of the year where you show your girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband/soulmate/partner how much you love them and appreciate them. Maybe you splurged on a beautiful bouquet of roses, a bottle of wine or their favourite chocolate. 🌷🍷🍫

For a lot of people it's the only day of the year when someone feels special/loved/appreciated other than their birthday or anniversary. It's sad. There are 365 days in the year where they could feel so loved.

I'll spare you the time and rant.
Life is short. Love whomever you find yourself with. One day they won't be there. If you have trouble loving them, love you. 💝

Love you for their sake. Love you for your sake.

I love you ❤

Love,

Wonder Woman XXX 💜 💜 💜

P.S. Happy Galentine's Day 🍸

Thoughts On: Body Image

As a person living on planet earth, I can't ignore the fact that we are sold pretty much everything by either a man or a woman who is thin and attractive. 

We know that sex sells and we can't help noticing those abs in a commercial or a nude woman selling perfume.

Sitting on the bus on the way to work, I can't help but notice that on posters, it's only models or the hottest celebrity that are used to sell the latest serum or lipstick. I'm not the first person to notice these things or talk about them.

Although fashion has progressed in some way and we have plus models on runways, we still have a long way to go to show kids that they are perfect just the way they are.

Fitness is great. Promoting a positive message to men and women when it comes to their health is what we need. My main issue is when we women compare each other, our bodies and speed of weight loss; this also includes new mothers. Why is there so much pressure for them to lose weight? And so fast?

I really hope we continue to love each other and support each other. Empathy and compassion go a long way.

Love,
Wonder Woman XXX 💜 💜 💜

Thoughts On: Judgement

Today is the first day of February and a snow day. I've been thinking of my friends and how we all judge each other. I've observed their reactions to different situations and all the gossip about people we don't get along with. Do we really know each other?
I've been working on myself and my spirituality, and had to catch myself from comparing myself to others. It is so easy to do.
I also found myself judging another person without knowing the whole picture.

Why do we do that to ourselves?

This is one of those things that if you keep digging, you'll find yourself at the bottom of a deep pit. We are each other, and if we see each other with love and compassion, we've started something big, something life changing.

Love,
Wonder Woman XXX 💜 💜 💜

January 2 2019

It's the second day of the year. How are you doing? 🌟

I'm trying to get used to the fact that it's a new year. I've replaced my moodiness with excitement. 

Today I'm going to write at least 1k words. Read a few pages of a book. (Will let you know what it is at a later time). And schedule a day for my podcast. I've decided to record it on a weekly basis. 🎧
I've made a commitment with a friend to go to the gym X2 a week for the whole month of January. Written down in ink. 😂

I thought of journalling, but I'm doing that right now. Will leave it all on the blog for now.

Here is what I'm grateful for today.
1. A modern working toilet.
2. The Internet.
3. My phone.
4. My job.
5. My creativity.

What are you grateful for today? 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Love,

Wonder Woman XXX 💜 💜 💜 

January 1 2019

A new year dawned cold and bright. The bus idled by the curb, humming and flashing it's lights.

The day declared that it's time to carry on. Live another day. I have to go to work. Ideas of poems, stories and ways to express my mood faded in a puff of grey smoke.

Sipping on hot chocolate, I have just remembered that I was going to list what I'm grateful for.

1. I'm so grateful that I have a job.
2. I'm so happy and grateful for my delicious hot chocolate.
3. I'm so grateful for the heating that keeps me warm.
4. I'm grateful for my breath, my mind and my sense of humour.
5. I'm grateful for my good friends, and the few who have become family.

I won't make you retch any longer. 😂😅😛

I hope your day is all that you want it to be.

What are you grateful for today?
🌟👸🎇👠🎆🍸✨🎉🌟💜💡

Love,

Wonder Woman XXX 💜 💜 💜