Where in the world have I been?

Ummm……HI…..Before I go about posting as though I haven’t disappeared for months, I figured I would check in and let you know a little about where the heck I’ve been.

I hate hearing “I’ve been SO busy, you have no clue” because it implies that you’re busier than everyone else, when really “busy/stressed” is relative to your own threshold and what you’re used to. For me, I feel like I haven’t stopped since I started my career. I have an innate ability to take on way too much work and put pressure on myself to constantly push the bar. Then, about 7 months ago, I switched roles within my company and I fell into a slump of overworking myself. There were weeks that I was putting in 16 -18 hr days regularly (including weekends) and without my even realizing it, I put everything else in my life second to work – family, friends, blogging, hobbies, home renovations and even the gym took a hit (sometimes going down to only 1 day per week). However, without harping on that, things find a way of working themselves out and I’m feeling as though it’s starting to come together again as I am taking control back.

While it’s not directly related to how or why I decided to take control back, I find it funny how things make so much sense when you look back than they do in the present. There is one part of the infamous Steve Job’s Stanford Commencement speech that I can never shake out of the back of my brain, but I’ve found so true;

You can’t connect the dots looking forward you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well worn path.
- Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement, 2005

So…if you’re going through a rough time, remember that you won’t do anyone any good if you keep putting yourself second. When things get tough, realize that “this too shall pass” and be grateful for everything you have. Cherish your health and treat those who love you with the utmost respect.

On a lighter note, the good news about this hiatus is that I have a backlog of topics I want to cover and am SO excited to steal some of my time back and get back into blogging! I also want to take a second to thank the overwhelming number of emails I received to see if I’m ok and asking if I’d be back. They all meant SO much to me and ironically always seemed to time well when I was having a bad day – they kept my spirits up and helped to re-focus.

Other than that, I figured I’d leave you with a few completely random pictures from the past few months!

There is a zoo near us that we visit every year which has an interactive program. You pay extra and get to pick 3 of their baby animals to play with in a one-on-one setting. This year we got to play with a baby kangaroo (she was about 9 months old), cerval cat and a turtle. I am a HUGE animal lover, so this is always such a great time. In the past, we’ve played with a lemur, tiger, fox, hyenas, lizards, cheetah, wolf…

Next up are a few pictures from a trip we took to Scottsdale (Arizona) a few weeks ago. It was part of a Reward & Recognition program through my work for achievement. They definitely went ALL out and treated us well. Arizona is gorgeous and so was the Fairmont Princess Resort. 

In between those few outings, I went to the Rihanna concert for her Diamonds World Tour – which was SO good. Part of the perks of being front row was getting to shake her hand as she came off the stage for one of the songs. She’s gorgeous!

Lastly, on top of the insane work hours, we’ve been trying to renovate our home. While it is only 7 years old, it wasn’t our style and we bought it with the intent of renovating. Luckily my husband is SO talented with his handy work, we’re saving a fortune on labour by doing it all ourselves (with the help of family members when we need extra hands). As such, everyone at our local Home Depot knows us by first name…I can’t wait until we’re done!

What have YOU been up to? Any recommendations for immediate next posts? I plan on doing an inspirational post asap on a fitness personality that has transformed my life! Check back tomorrow to see who it is.

xxxo
maja