Helena of the Lake

  Learning is a lifelong endeavour, but since this epidemic took over our lives I have consumed so much more information that my head is exploding. We are all looking for new ways to make money from home and that requires us to investigate options we never even considered before. How did we get here? You don't have to answer that. So much to investigate, so little time! Which ones work, which doesn't? Who can you trust? It can be scary to try something new, but also exciting. Then you talk to your friends and they share what they have learned as well. More information! Thanks to the internet and technology in general it is so much easier to start something new, but like all things in life, you have to do your homework. The competition is tough and you have to do something that stands out and attracts attention. You have to try and be more creative than the next guy or it might not work out. Research, plan and work at it every single day. The internet is your oyster! Keep moving

  Do kids realize how lucky they are? You don't have to answer that. Being an adult, sometimes really sucks! Especially in these uncertain times we're living in at the moment. And when you're living in another country, even more so. When can I go home? Should I go home? You're dependent on other people for the right information all the time and the rules keep changing. Some days are normal and you just go on with your daily life, whatever that is. Then someone asks just one question about your future plans and you start to overthink again. And so the cycle continues! One moment you're excited and positive and the next, fear and anxiety hit you right in the face. You can't make any plans because you have no idea where things will stand in a month or two from now. And only the people who are in the same situation as you, really understand your dilemma. All you can do is live one day at a time and breathe......just breathe!  Until next time.......just breathe!

  Now more than ever it's important to understand the impact our words have on other people. What we say, how we say it and who can hear it. Every time you post a remark, an opinion or a criticism, it will be either applauded or you will be ripped apart by someone else's words. So the cycle continues! We are all so different and it should be a beautiful thing, but we want people to think like us and agree with us. We should be celebrating different views and thoughts, but we don't. Deep down we know it's impossible to please all of the people, all of the time, but we have to keep trying. Pride, hurt feelings and emotions come between us and the chance to learn from each other, instead of expecting or demanding from others to agree with our thinking. When are we going to learn? Don't believe everything you think, friends! 

  Giving comes in different forms. You don't have to spend money to give or share something with another person. When I really like a song, movie, book or even a quote or a language app, I love telling my friends or anyone I meet about it. The best part is when they tell you how much they enjoyed it. Don't underestimate your abilities to share the joys of what you love, with other people. In the last company I worked, I started buying snacks for the staff and leaving them on our kitchen table. Sometimes people were so busy they didn't have time to eat or go out to buy something. They would walk in and grab a quick snack to get them through the next hour or so. A former colleague of mine told me he started buying snacks for the staff at his next job too. He used to love my snacks! It just made me really really happy! Keep sharing, friends! 

  It's been nearly a year since all our lives were changed. Just imagine the stories people will be telling about what happened to them in 2020 and 2021 and how this epidemic changed us all. I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would be working for myself at the age of fifty-seven. I never imagined a mask would become part of my daily wardrobe. One would think that a terrible event like this would bring people closer. I'm not sure it has. How much longer will this continue and what will our lives be like a year from now? I miss hugging! Something so simple that I took for granted is not recommended in this time. Thinking very carefully before you accept an invitation to see friends. It is all still so unreal some days and other times you just go through the motions of another day. Will this make us appreciate life more? Will we learn anything from this? I really hope so! Till next time!