Christmas Countdown day 3: Have some fun!

Christmas is not about being boring, not about being too cool and being mature! Christmas is about getting excited about the little things, laughing at lame jokes and having fun with your friends and family. On Monday night me and my girlfriends got together and had a blast, we drank a few margaritas, played some cranium and attempted dancing to single ladies by Beyonce.


My challenge for you today is to have some silly fun, do something you want to do like run around the house dancing, singing some Christmas carols as you wander around, smiling like a crazy fool or actually saying hello and merry Christmas to people. If your not the silly fun type how about something else that makes you feel good, like a Christmas movie (love actually anyone?) or doing some yum baking. There are so many different options!

Take the time to do something for YOU today. Do something that’s lots of fun, something that makes you laugh hysterically or just feel happy inside.

Love and Blessings, Katie D, xx

Christmas Countdown Day 2: Stranger Danger

Today let’s mix it up a bit! I challenge you to join with me in spreading the Christmas joy by… wait for it…this will blow your mind…being NICE to people! And to stretch it even further, people you don’t know!

When and why did Christmas become about the rush, about who had the best presents and who hosted the best Christmas party. Christmas for me is about the most important thing we all have the ability to do... LOVE.

 My challenge for you today, is when you are out, rushing around, getting your last minute presents, (like im about to head out and do in an hour) smile at people you walk past, be patient when the little old man walking in front of you seems to be going at his slowest pace, be pleasant with the people serving you maybe even take the time to say merry Christmas to them and tell them that they are doing a good job. Think about how you want to be treated, treat people that way!

Going along the same lines as yesterday, it doesn’t have to take much effort, you don’t need to do much, you just need to shift your thinking and your attitude a little and your good to go, and just remember, it’s not their fault you left all of your shopping to the last minute!

Have a wonderful day, be patient and kind to people

Katie D

xx

(some of the lovely people that I love)

Christmas Countdown, Day 1: Do Something!

This year I am feeling filled with joy for Christmas. I’m excited, I don’t mind looking like a dork wearing a Santa hat and I can’t get the giddy smile off my face.

Maybe it’s because I’m not working these holidays so I have noting better to do. It could be because my best friend got married yesterday so I am filled with Cheesy love, or maybe it’s because this year has been a year of so many ups and downs for so many people that I am learning how important it is to lap up the good days, embrace the lessons learnt from the bad ones and truly appreciate the people you love.

So this week I’m going to try and write a few posts prompting you to get into the Christmas Spirit with me. How about we start today by doing something for somebody else. Something that is selfless, maybe even anonymous. How about,

- dropping a homemade present around to someone you love,

-leaving a card in the mailbox for someone who has really impacted your life this year

or

-doing something for somebody like mowing the lawns or taking in the washing.

 Whatever it is big or small it doesn’t matter. You don’t need to spend money, it doesn’t need to be flashy, all it needs, is to be done with love.

 

Let me know how you get on : )

Katie D

xxx

I ♥ Percy

Today’s Blog is dedicated to Percy… My Bike.

Now why the sudden outpouring of love for Percy you ask? Well he has in fact always been faithful; especially considering I’m slack and still do not have my licence. But the last few days I have realised just how handy he is. Here are several reasons

1) In the last 3 days I have biked to poly tech I have save $16.80!!

2) Instead of having to leave my house to catch the bus at 6:45 I can now leave after 7 and still get there faster and earlier than taking the bus.

3) I’m awake and more focused in class

4) If I don’t have time to do any more exercise that day then I’ve at least done about 20km of biking

5) I can zip past all the afternoon traffic in the magical cycle lanes

So here is a song to go along with the silly blog in tribute of Percy the faithful Ole bike :)

Katie D

Pieces of the Puzzle

I am 5 weeks into my Bachelor of Nursing and absolutely loving it so far. I forgot how much I loved school, how much I love people and being around them and as nerdy as it is how much I love learning. The last few weeks we have been learning a lot about Culture. What culture is, what it means to people and how we need to be considerate of all different cultures to be good nurses. Were also learning that to be considerate of other cultures we also need to know what our own culture is.

 All of this has got me thinking about my own culture and about the things that make up who I am. Some people hear culture and they think skin colour or where someone is from. Sure that plays a part but it doesn’t define the person. For me culture is all the pieces, big and small that mean something to me and make up the person I am.

 

 

Who am I?
I am a Kiwi, I'm a daughter, a sister, a friend, a girlfriend I love my family, my friends are like my family. I try to have a positive outlook on life. I love God and try to live my best for him, I love going to church, I take things too personally sometimes, I cry in cheesy movies but often not in real life, I like to smile, I hate being told what to do, sometimes I’m too stubborn for my own good, I like to encourage, I like to sing and dance (both of those not always well), I like country music, I love to laugh. There are countless things that make up who I am.

When we are around the people we know really well, it is sometimes easy to get comfortable and actually forget who we are and what it is we stand for and believe in. However when we put ourselves out there and step into a new place it stretches our thinking and shapes and moulds us.

I have really enjoyed being around a brand new group of people. I think it challenges you to reflect on yourself, on your beliefs and helps us know if what we believe is because we believe it or if those we are usually around do. The things we truly believe in will stick and the things that don’t matter or that we haven’t placed enough importance on even if we do care about them will be washed away.

Here's a song I really love by Jessie J about being "Who You Are"

Just a random little blog from me, it’s a bit all over the place but I challenge you to check yourself, ask yourself who you are and what pieces make you the person you are. Sure circumstances and perspectives change as our eyes are opened to the world, but I believe it’s so important to know and identify what’s important and hold onto it, other wise who we are can be broken apart.

Katie D

Way back when

What were the things that you loved when you were a kid? The things that made you happy and made you smile. My favourite thing in the whole world was animals. Even when my friends were being mean or even if I maybe didn’t feel like I had a friend the thing that could always cheer me up and make me feel loved were animals. I thought that I was an animal whisperer and that I could talk to animals so I used to try picking up bees and when they stung me (which they did) I thought it was just because I hadn’t learnt how to talk to them properly yet.When I grew up I either wanted to be a farmer or a vet.

 I have memories from when I was a child of spending weekends and holidays in central Otago, where my dad grew up as a child. We would spend time going and visiting our friends who lived on farms and had animals and it was always the best part of being there.

 When I was 7 and we moved to Christchurch one of the bribes to try and make me not hate it so much was my kitten. She made me so happy and I spent hours spending time with her, pushing her around in a dolls pram and training her to jump through a hoola hoop in the staircase.

 When I was a kid my dad used also spend time driving me around all the different pet shops so that I could look at all of the animals and day dream.

Animals for me relate to so many good memories of my childhood and growing up but somewhere along the way I forgot about them. I forgot how much they meant to me I got too old and too cool to love animals and spend time with my cats and enjoying being around them. I have started reading a book that has reminded me of my love for animals and rekindled it for me. It’s helped me to remember all the good memories that animals are associated with from my childhood.

 Another thing I have recently remembered my love for is baking, and that’s not just because of the yummy taste but because it reminds me of doing it with my mum and helping her for as long as I can remember

Now there is definitely some things from our childhood we need to let go of like that imaginary friend or my belief that I could talk to animals, but  what is something that you have accidentally forgotten about or left behind that used to make you so happy.

Dig it out and see if it still has the same effect.

Mine does J

Katie D

Snow

I know my last blog was on snow so I'm sorry for the repeat but thanks to the snow Polytech is closed . I am rather happy about this because it means instead of getting up at 6am to truck through the snow and get to class it is 9am and I am still warm, still cosy and still in bed. In honour of that, here are some snow photos.

Stay warm and Enjoy
Katie D

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

I Love the Snow, it is so beautiful and it makes all the cold weather worth something. It's funny how when it is snowing, I forget about all the things that I don’t like about winter and am just filled with happiness and excitement.

Snow links me back to memories of being a kid, living in Dunedin and on a hill. I remember sliding down the small hill in our back yard. Winters at my grand parents in Central Otago, ice skating outside and going skiing. Spending as long as I could outside in the snow until my fingers and toes were so frozen that I couldn’t feel them. The burning sensation of putting my toes too close to the fire for too long

I love how the snow can re ignite those memories for me and take me back to the awesome happy childhood I had. I’m so thankful for those memories that it sparks. I hope that I never become too grown up to loose my excitement and I hope that I'm never too old to have a snow fight, play in and en joy the snow.

I hope that you all got to enjoy it too : )  

Katie D

Thankful

Maybe it’s due to the fact that I’ve only left the house twice in the last 3 days due to study, so I’m going a little crazy, but Today I am feeling thankful for lots of things.

Even though I’m as nervous as I could possibly be about the exams I have on Thursday and Friday, I’m thankful that the reason I’m so nervous is because what I’m hoping to achieve isn’t just a pass but hopefully the start of my path towards a career that I am so passionate about.

I’m thankful that even though it’s not the nicest day out sitting behind the glass it feels like it’s warm out there too.

I’m thankful that we are only getting closer to summer

I’m thankful for a week with hardly any aftershocks so I can focus on my study

I’m thankful that I got to see my oldest friend who I have known as far back as my memories go in the weekend.

I’m thankful for the friends that make me smile. The friendships that have lasted for some time and the ones which are just beginning to grow.

Today try being thankful for the small things and have an amazing day

Katie D

I like to move it move it

2011 for me so far has been a year of actually doing the things I’ve wanted too for a while. It started with me getting off my bum and getting active again.
Almost 3 years ago now my Dad died really suddenly of a heart attack. It was unexpected and a huge shock to me and my family. It has however made me think a lot more seriously about my health and my lifestyle and about the fact that I want to live the best, healthiest, longest life I can, not just for my own benefit but for the benefit of my future family and loved ones.

According to the Heart Foundation, approximately one in two New Zealanders (that’s half the population!!!)is overweight or obese, and we wonder why cardiovascular disease is currently the leading cause of death (40%) in New Zealand? The worst part? The majority of these deaths are preventable.

So what are two main things we can do to avoid this problem? Get Active and have a Balanced Diet.

I have always loved exercise, I was in multiple sports teams at school and although I was never the best, I just enjoyed being a part of a team, socializing with different people and being active. However after highschool as many of you will know it is harder to fit it in, life gets busy and exercise without even realising it can slip completely off the radar.

I believe life is there to be lived, to have fun and experiences that you look back on with a smile, so I don’t think that means running every morning and never touching a piece of cake again but I’m trying to learn to get the balance right now while I’m young. It took me a good 2 years to actually put my thoughts into action. So I know from experience that it is easier said than done.


So I have implemented a plan to make sure I work out, maybe it will work for you too. I love hanging out with my friends and I hate letting them down so I make a commitment to hang out with them and exercise at the same time. Monday and Thursday is Zumba with Amy and Lauren, Tuesday is pilates or yoga with Shanny and various mornings of the week are runs with Sammie. It’s the longest I’ve ever lasted with consistent (not including in a team) exercise

I think exercise is so important and something that everybody needs in their life. So I encourage you to ask yourself if your doing enough and if the answer if no then get a buddy, someone who can keep you accountable and get moving, you will feel so good about yourself in the long run. There are so many different forms of exercise that I don't believe for a second there isn't something out there to suit everyone.

I have a long way to go with making my lifestyle completely healthy and still I have a lot of goals to reach with my fitness, but maybe this will spark a thought in your head and encourage you to get up and get moving. If you wait around for tomorrow its never going to come so if there is something you want to change about your lifestyle and the way you are living then today is the day to do it.

Katie D

Faith

Stumbled across the picture and it reminded me following on from yesterdays blog, why learning to be patient is important to me. It doesn't mean it's always easy but it means that situations, with some patience will work out the way they are meant too.

Limbo Land

Waiting is horrible... not entirely sure what your waiting for is even worse. This year has been the biggest patience tester ever! And even if I do say so myself I think that I am getting to be more patient and letting the reigns of control and organisation go a little bit

At the moment I am waiting to find out if I am accepted into the Nursing programme that I have applied for and I just want to know! If I get in, I can finally start working towards having a career and a job that I am passionate about and if not I can start figuring out what my next step is.

Just a quick silly blog from me today but for all of you out there like me, feeling like your stuck somewhere you don’t want to be... hold on and be patient.

Whatever it is your waiting for, stay positive and remind yourselves of the reasons why it’s worth the wait.

Katie D

Inspired to be my best Me

I want to tell you quickly about my friend B, B is somebody who I met while I was working in Kentucky. She was in the same village as me along with 4 other counselors so we got to know each other quite well during the 3 months we lived together. Her positive spirit and attitude towards life influenced and challenged me. I gained an amazing friend and role model. I miss her all the time but luckily for me she started writing a blog and through her writing I feel a little closer to her as I read her words, no longer thousands of miles away.


It was B’s blog that prompted me to start one. She always writes with so much honesty and truth. I value the words that she writes and have so much respect for her because of it. Even sometimes when I may have slightly different opinions, her blog sparks thoughts and helps me to ask myself the sometimes hard questions.

I want to try my best to do the same, to be as real and honest as possible in my writing.

The last few weeks I’ve been meaning to write a blog but every time I go to write one my mind is blank. I’ll get a small idea in my head but either can’t expand on it or am not sure If I should. Sometimes I don’t want to write something because I’m worried that I will offend someone or not get my point across clearly, but I realise if this blog is supposed to be an expression of who I am, then it needs to be me speaking truthfully about the things that I believe. I also need to learn that it’s ok for someone to disagree with my opinion or not fully be able to grasp where I am coming from. So from now on be expecting them more frequently. The good, bad and sometimes random tangents of thoughts strung together.


So often I think, I wish I could be better at this, I wish I had done that, I want to be the person who.... etc etc. Instead of always living in a state of shoulda, woulda coulda I think we need to start looking at the people who we respect and admire the most and using them as inspiration to put those thoughts into action. If they can do it, so can we. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think we should copy people and become something were not, I just think we can draw on other peoples experience and wisdom to help and encourage ourselves.

Among many other awesome things B is a runner and a vegan, she lives a really healthy lifestyle and although I don’t think I could live without my chicken, her way of living is inspiring me to be better and healthier. She’s helped encourage me (with her actions just as much as her words) to start eating healthier and running and in 1 week I have my first ever 10km Race

My Mum inspires me also (whether I tell her that enough or not).One of my first memories is of watching her compete in a Half marathon. She sets herself goals and achieves them, She has a very positive attitude, one of when life knocks you down get back up and keep smiling. Ma has taught me a lot of resilience over the years and always encourages me just to be the best that I can be.

Lastly but most importantly Jesus, he put others before himself and loved unconditionally. I think we could all try taking a leaf out of that book.

Are there things in your life you want to be better at? Well look to the people in your life who inspire you and see what it is that they do. Talk to them ask them, questions and learn from them.

Most importantly, don't live a life of wanting to be somebody else. Start being the person that You want to be, live without regrets and live to your full potential!

Thanks to the many wonderful people in my life who inspire me to be my best.

Katie D


P.s Check out B’s blog @ http://bpositivebfree.blogspot.com/

Walking in the dark

When I was working at a camp in the states my little cabin used to be on the other side of a long wooden bridge. During the day it was a gorgeous bridge surrounded by forest and snuggled right in the middle of a beautiful covering of trees. If you were quiet enough you could quite often spot a deer or other small wildlife wandering underneath and around it. However at night it was like a completely different bridge. A lantern would sometimes be placed on a hook halfway along the bridge but if the lantern wasn’t there you were in complete darkness and could not see from one end of the bridge to the other. The same sounds which in the day were mesmerizing and tranquil at night time seemed discomforting and eerie.
　
Some people refused to walk over that bridge by themselves and to be honest I didn’t blame them. I always tried to play tough and pretend that bridge didn’t phase me but truth be told, if I didn’t have my torch or a lantern, I would get scared. It was when I was in complete darkness that I would start to freak out.
Usually all I needed to do to fix the problem was stop being lazy and go and get a lantern from the dinning hall, (which isn’t far from the bridge) or to wait for somebody to cross with me.

Lately I have realised that I have an issue with feeling like I need to be in control. I say that I believe in God and his plan for my life, the desires and dreams he has placed in my heart, but the moment I feel like something isn’t going according to plan, I start to worry.
For the first 4 weeks after the earthquake I was waiting to find out what was happening with my course and my job. I think for the first time, I truly learnt what it is to be patient and to trust. I had to believe that even though I felt like I was in the dark and had no idea what was going to happen, whether I would still have a job, or if my course would still go ahead, that it would all work out.
Now you may wonder how the bridge relates to what I’m talking about, but the analogy that comes with that story has been a big revelation for me.

Sometimes we get so caught up on thinking that to get somewhere, we have to go a certain way and take a certain amount of time to get there, that we often don’t realise, we are still walking that same route, starting at the same place and finishing at the same destination. It just might look a little different getting there.

One night I didn’t have a lantern with me, but I decided that I wasn’t going to let this bridge freak me out anymore. I confidently held my head up high and instead of running across it, calmly walked from one side to the other, praying in my head and believing that I would get to the other side ok.
I, of course, got to the other side of the bridge and came out of the situation feeling better about myself for not letting worry or fear take over me.Sometimes we spend so long worrying about the little things, fretting over them, losing sleep and moaning about them, instead of just dealing with the problem. Too often we give the problem priority instead of the solution.

Im slowly learning what it is to not need to feel in control and to be able let go.
What are the things in your life that you don’t like feeling in the dark about?

Because maybe sometimes we just need to be prepared to embrace the "darkness" and keep walking.


Katie D

 (the Bridge at camp)

Laughter

Over the last few years, I have learnt the importance of laughter. It's amazing how it can turn your attitude around and change your perspective. My friends and I are professionals at laughing with and at each other. I have also leant the importance of being able to laugh at myself and being able to laugh in the middle hard times. I try to find something fun, or worth laughing at daily. Luckily with the wonderfully, crazy company I keep, this is not usually hard. Laughing helps to lighten the load and lift your spirit.

 　

A man isn't poor if he can still laugh.

~Raymond Hitchcock~

Laughter is the corrective force which prevents us from becoming cranks.

 ~Henri Bergson~

 Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.

 ~Victor Hugo~

Carry laughter with you wherever you go.

 ~Hugh Sidey~

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.

~e.e. cummings~

This one is for my friends, the reasons for lots of my smiles.

Keep smiling and do something that makes you laugh today

Katie D

　

You're the best You

My lovely workmate and friend Megan was my Secret (or not so secret) Santa at our work Christmas party. She gave me a calendar that every day has a new uplifting quote. I am a visual person, so I have photos, quotes and things that inspire me, plastered all over my room, so this calender fits in perfectly.

The one for today made me smile, so I thought I would share it on here.

Don't change who you are to fit in with how other people want you to be. You're at your best when you're being the REAL you.

Thanks Meegs :)

Katie D

My first ever blog

I will start by saying straight forward, I am not a writer.
However, this whole idea of blogging fascinates me. Over the last few months, as I have begun to follow a few different blogs more closely, I have been inspired. Several different things have intrigued me, the main one being how connected you can feel to somebody, through realising that they are going through and experiencing something similar to you. This can allow you to feel like you are not alone, not the only one with all the crazy ramblings and thoughts going around in your head.

The name of my blog is Echo of Hope, it has several meanings to me so take from it what you will.

I was busing to work one day last year listening to some music. I was thinking of a girl Echo who I had met and been a counselor for when I did a summer camp in the United States. This is when the name popped into my head.
I won't go into her story because it is hers to tell not mine. What I will tell you, is that I met a young teenage girl who has been through too many hard times, a lot of disappointment and a lifetime worth of pain. However, underneath all of this is an amazing, special and talented girl who is resilient and keeps going no matter what tries to knock her down. I am lucky enough to still be in contact with her and although we don’t talk as much as I would like, I often think about her.

Her nickname is Echo. The definition of Echo is something that leaves a lingering trace or effect, this is exactly what this girl did for me.
One of the definitions and my favorite for Hope; the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best

I don’t have a clue what I’m going to write in here. It may be humorous, it may be serious, it may be a waste of time, but it’s my prayer that maybe for even just one person it might make you smile, bring some light into a rubbish day, it may even leave a lingering feeling that everything will work out for the best. An Echo of Hope inside.

This one is for you Echo

Katie D

Under Construction!!

Just working my way around this site! Won't be long until I post my first ever blog :)