My greatest Lockdown Lesson

My final lesson from lockdown …and it’s been a slow burner, it’s something I’ve struggled with all my life but oddly my personal circumstances, the pandemic and who knows what else but I’ve emerged from lockdown v2 really not giving a f*&k what people think of me.

Now by that yes of course I care about my family and friends opinions to the extent I might change my skirt if they thought it hideous and I do value and consider their views but ultimately I am not seeking theirs or anyone else’s approval.

I have become sure of myself, comfortable in my own skin, confident that I am making the best decisions for me and my family and I’m not scared to disagree, say no or do things my own way. And that has also brought me to a where I find it easier to have those difficult conversations, to stand up for myself and make some changes.

Now I’ve always been a good decision maker but I’m the rationale around my decisions was definitely influenced by others views or how others would perceive my actions. I’ve always driven a nice car because I thought it said, ‘hey look at me, I’m doing ok’ When often, I was not. And every month I paid handsomely for that vanity based decision. I handed my nice car back recently and now drive little Ruby Swift and instead of caring less about what folk might think of my perceived downgrade, I focus on the fact I save a lot more money every month. And give? …. Not one f$%k!

I used to worry that people liked me, but I’ve come to realise that you can’t really influence what people say about you, whether it’s true, exaggerated or a load of rubbish, so I don’t waste my time worrying about it.

It’s easier said than done for sure.

· Small steps of change; persistent and consistent steps that have slowly tipped the scales and created a much more confident sense of myself.

· Spending less time scrolling through social media and more time being active.

· Finding things I feel passionate about and adjusting my work life balance to make sure I have time to enjoy them.

And slowly I arrived at a place where

· I’m creating blogs like this to which I ‘m not seeking approval or validation but because I like doing it.

· I’m making better decisions about my life and my families based on what we will benefit from not what others expect from me.

· I’m prioritising my own health; getting enough sleep, eating well and keeping fit.

Don’t like it? Scroll on… I don’t give a f*&k!