Who else is just blown away by the fact that 2020 is almost HALF WAY OVER! Holy Hell!!! Yet here we are. In the midst of a global pandemic, fear, unknown and trying to navigate this space and how we're feeling. Unable to connect with family and friends for months. The normality that we've had, and often taken for granted, so quickly taken away from us. Fear of catching something none seems to know a huge amount about. Conspiracy theories popping up left right and centre about COVID-19 & 5G... (not saying they're true... not saying they're not!)

But one thing has become so clear during all this crazy & panic! We need to celebrate life and the ones we love so much! Because so easily, it can all be taken away.

Now, if you're like me... then its been bot a happy and sad time. I've been lucky enough to have a 2 day a week job as a nanny which I didn't lose, because I nanny for 2 ED Doctors... but on the flip side, everything I've worked for within my business disappeared overnight! Talk about mixed feelings! 

Then we had the forced isolation, things closing down, freedoms taken away. Not able to even drive to the beach unless you lived close by. Everything we took for granted over the years, quickly became very clear. So on the flip side... we now have our eyes open to amazing freedoms that we have, in a country that even if they get it wrong sometimes... supports its people to the best of their ability. 

I am finding myself both grateful and scared... who feels the same?

Pushing myself to find the grateful in everything I do. Waking up at 5am for a 12hr shift at work = grateful to wake up! Grateful to have a comfy bed that I don't want to leave! Grateful to have a job to help pay my bills and support my daughter and myself! Grateful for the country I live in where I CAN work!

Now don't get me wrong, there ARE times I've fallen into the self pity bandwagon. Times I've felt sad I couldn't stay home and snuggle my baby (who's absolutely not a baby anymore at 15!!) and comfort her when she's been unsure of this crazy change. Sad that my business lost everything overnight and that I couldn't continue capturing my beautiful families / weddings / boudoir / new babies for my clients. 

But I learned to FLIP THE SCRIPT! Every time I found myself grumbling (and in the beginning it was a lot haha) I tried to reframe it and find the good in what I was complaining about! 

Picking up more hours at work = giving my bosses the ability to save more lives

Not being able to work in my business = researching and discovering new ways to build so that when I AM able to return to shooting, I have more options for my clients! (watch this space... new studio coming soon!)

Not being able to connect with family and friends = being able to stay in my pj's while I FaceTime or zoom them so i'm nice and warm and comfy and sitting in my home with my essential oils diffusing away 

Not being able to leave the house for non-essential stuff = living in a country that CARES about my safety and health!

It's not always easy to flip the script. In fact, sometimes its just down right HARD! But it's absolutely worth it... and once you pick yourself up and teach yourself to flip... the world suddenly seems to be a brighter place!

So now, as restriction ease... my business is abut to re-launch with a new studio, I am GRATEFUL for this time. It has given me the ability to sit back, reframe and find the positives! I am grateful!!

How has your world changed over the last few months?

I'd love to hear all!

Claire