With all savings still wiped out we had not filled that void in our bank account with anything except stress and worry. Three days went by and I was considering looking for some type work. And then, out of nowhere, Mark receives a "tweet" asking how he is and would he be interested in some contract programming work. Holy Cow...where did that come from?
In a week Mark was working again and although the learning curve was a steep one and a little stressful at times, he managed it very well and completed the project on time and was promptly given a second project. Wow...that was close.
This Christmas we were particularly careful to keep the spending to a minimum. Mark was extra extra diligent by making sure he spent nothing on presents or special treats (please note a slight hint of sarcasm there)!! Sebastian and I baked and made presents and we experimented with healthier treats to try to keep our waistlines in check. Unfortunately I have to admit that I failed miserably on that front and managed to put on 3 kilos over the holiday period. Hmmm...little too much taste testing went on! Oh well, time to reign it in again and stop any cakes, biscuits and sweet treats (and alcohol) and I'm sure the weight will slowly fall off again.
In October I joined an on-line University and began studying Nutritional Medicine. Over the past 3 months I have enjoyed the study immensely. I find it so amazingly interesting and the thought of helping people to a healthier and happier lifestyle fills me with joy, as does my business which has the same goals. The study has however, been quite intense at times and I had my first on-line exam to complete by the end of December (no breaks for Christmas). I had fallen quite a bit behind while juggling business, life in general, Christmas preparations and study, and for the first time in 6 months, I fell ill. Not seriously, but enough to listen to my body and know that life had been out of balance and stress had taken over.
Never underestimate "stress". It will make you very ill and can manifest in hundreds of different ways. Sometimes subtle, then maybe a bit louder like a flu or another illness that takes you out for a week or more, then even louder like cancer, stroke, heart disease or some other major illness! Stress is so under-rated and not talked about, but it is very real. I have experienced it myself many times over my working career, both in management positions in large companies and during the times when I was part owner of a small business. I/we believe stress was a factor in Mark's diagnosis. I say a factor as there is no one thing that you can point your finger at and say that's how it happened. It's all the things in your life that contribute to your overall health and well-being. You can be the healthiest eater on the planet but if you never exercise, work long hours and have a constant feeling of stress or anxiety, then your life is not in balance.
Nutritional Medicine is all about treating the person as a whole - the holistic approach. Looking at the diet is important, but so are other factors such as happiness and lifestyle. I love it so much as it falls right into our beliefs of keeping "life in balance".
Mark has been enjoying weekly yoga classes and we made our Saturday mornings work around this so he could have his time and we then enjoy a hearty brunch on his return. Yoga classes are on break at the moment, so I joined a 4 week dog training course and our Saturday brunch tradition continues (only this time Mark cooks). It's awesome and important that we have our little "time-outs" to enjoy something a little different.
Talking about something different, let me tell you about "Nature Sounds". Our tenant Eric, who we now consider our friend, records nature sounds. It's his love and passion and at first I thought..."hmmm..ok, whatever floats your boat!" I listened to some of them and thought "yep...that is the sound of running water alright". But then we got to talking and Eric is more than just a guy who likes the sounds of nature. He has a PhD on the subject and knows all about how sounds effect the brain and different frequencies and so on. After one of our little kitchen chats, we decided to listen to some of his sounds to help us to relax and go to sleep. We chose the "Birds of Australia" album. Well knock me down with a feather if we didn't both fall asleep within 10 minutes. We thought, hmm, sure we were just tired. But night after night, we fell asleep listening to birds and within a very short space of time. It's been weeks now and while we have had the occasional night where we haven't fallen asleep instantly, the results have been nothing but astounding. Of course I want to share it with you; www.feeltherelaxation.com. Eric has even given me a discount code to share with all my friends and blog readers. When purchasing anything from his site, use the code REF-IS-10off to receive 10% off anything in your shopping cart. You can use his material for any type of relaxation, in the car, meditation or like us, just trying to shut down the brain and go to sleep. I dare you to give it a try! For more information about the man behind the sounds, you can read about him at http://www.australian-nature-sounds.com/philosophy/index.html.
So now we are in 2014 which brings with it some new routines and experiences as Sebastian starts his education years, starting at Kindergarten. He has already attended 2 short sessions and thoroughly enjoyed them. He even completed the most amazing painting on his first day. He is just growing up so fast and I will him to slow down, but he tells me that he just can't stop growing, so I have to face this reality, although very reluctantly. But I feel now, I have a new path to look forward to. I have my business and my study and a husband and child who light up my life, so what more could I ask for? Even the air-conditioner breaking down cannot dampen my spirits, well...maybe a little, but all will be well and everything will work itself out as it should. Keep the faith and keep moving forward....
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