Tuesday, October 2, 2018

How to make your dreams come true



When I look around at my new-ish work-from-home lifestyle, it’s often a ‘pinch myself’ moment.  Especially on a day like today – it’s springtime, the sky is a brilliant blue and it’s warm.  I am typing this blog post with two little dogs asleep in their bed in my office, and an ample-hipped cat sitting loaf-of-bread style in front of my keyboard.  I’ve just enjoyed breakfast and a coffee outside, then an orange from my tree a little bit after that.  I know, I’m sorry, it sounds like I am skiting with the orange-from-my-tree thing but it’s true.

I’ve always loved being at home, and dreamed of the day when I could retire from an external workplace.  I thought it would be in a happy housewife kind of way though, not a work-from-home way, but it couldn’t be more perfect for me.  I do feel like a happy housewife most of the time though, and write for fun.  Luckily I could see people around me doing similar things and self-publishing their work, otherwise I couldn’t have made it my job.  When you can’t see others doing something, you doubt whether you can do it yourself.

If you see a different, wonderful kind of life for yourself, please allow me to share my secrets on making your dreams come true.

No. 1. Conjure up the most perfect lifestyle you can imagine.  Make it amazing and note down all the little details that make it magical.  For me, I wanted to be at home, doing something creative and having a lifestyle like I am on vacation all the time.  I wanted our home to feel like a resort.  This is why my husband and I decided to move out of the city and to the small area where I grew up.  It’s a sunny wine region with its own micro-climate.  Because property is less expensive here we could afford a nicer home on land.  I had the resort-style vibe in mind, and our home even had its own palm trees :)

No. 2. Start doing more things that are fun to you.  For me that looked like my blogging and writing, and I decided to write about what made ME happy, didn’t matter if anyone reading thought I was flossy, flowery and airy-fairy.  If it made me happy, it belonged on my blog and in my books.  I play around with my style files and inspire myself with curated magazine pages and self-written inspiration in my journals, where I go to dream about pretty things, personal development and my own chic and feminine goals.  I also create with my hands – sewing, knitting and other handcrafts.  Not everything all of the time, at the moment I am taking a rest from knitting and have been using my sewing machine more for cushions and home furnishings etc.

No. 3. Don’t worry about what others will think.  If you love something, that’s the main thing.  I don’t try to change anyone else’s mind about anything, I just make my own fun and whoever wants to join me, joins me.  The surest way to writer’s (or blogger’s) block, is wondering what others will think of your work.  Don’t do it!  Write something that makes your heart pitter-patter and put it out there before you can talk yourself out of it.  Better still, put that thing out there and then run away.  Don’t think about it again.  Then move onto your next project/blog post/book.

No. 4. Be creative every day.  Don’t save it for special occasions because it will wither up and die.  Inspire yourself every day with your favourite form of creativity – writing, baking, photography, art, music, etc.  Ask yourself what you loved to do as a child if you’ve forgotten, and start doing that thing again.  Lift yourself up and make your life a symphony with the way you live it.  Make decluttering a regular part of your existence too.  I always feel more free and creative when I’ve let things go, things that are part of my old life, not the new vision for my future that I am constantly creating.  I’m not saying get rid of everything, just the things that feel staid and like they are pulling you back.  The clothing/furniture/décor items that feel authentically YOU whether you’ve had them for five minutes or twenty years, those are keepers.  Curate your life and move forward with lightness.

So those are my secrets, the steps in which I've started my dream life.  Now, what do you want to do with your precious life, starting right now?  Please tell me one dream that you’ve never told anyone.  Something that’s been knocking on your heart’s door forever and you keep telling it to go away because it’s too scary.  Go on, you know you want to share :)  You’re in safe company here.  As you will have seen in the comments, How to be Chic readers are beautiful souls.  I feel so lucky to have you visit, so thank you!

~ Fiona

 https://amzn.to/2NcdBRu

PS.  Have you read my new book yet?  It’s been out for only a few weeks and I am thrilled with the response so far :)  It is still the number one new release in ‘Consciousness and Thought’, so thrilling.

You can ‘look inside’ on Amazon, and see if I am your cup of tea.  You are warmly welcomed!

16 comments:

  1. You are always such an inspiration. You raise my spirits with every post.
    Lest anybody feel it's impossible to move to a microclimate, it's still possible to make one's home like a resort. Our little house was a real disaster when we bought it. It wasn't even a house but a business. Now it IS like a resort. Little by little, as budgets allowed, we made things better until we ended up with a real gem.

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    1. I couldn't agree more - in our last home, which was not resort-like in the least plus we didn't want to spend any money on it, I incorporated little touches that felt like we were staying in hotel and it felt good. Things like presenting drinks and nibbles nicely, fresh towels and a clean bathroom, well-made bed etc.

      PS. I would love to know your first name, I feel rude not using it!

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  2. Loving your book so far Fiona! I bought a hard copy as I like to annotate and highlight bits to get the most out of it.
    Wise words as always from you. It’s always good to be reminded of how best to curate our lives to make them our best.
    Www.livechicandwell.com

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    1. Thank you dear Sarah! Can't wait for your book to come out :)

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  3. I love what you say about not caring if anyone reading thought you were flossy, flowery and airy-fairy.
    For the last 2 months I have had a shellac gel manicure and I love it. I have always wanted nice nails (a la Joan Crawford), mine are soft and never grow very long, but have always been put off by the cost and also the thought I may be judged for being frivolous. I was also put off by some French chic sites which opined shellac would not be considered chic. However, one day I was talking to a friend and when I said I'd love to have my nails done she simply said: "Why don't you, then?" And I thought about it and decided why not? Who cares if others think it's daft? So I have had them done three times now and I love it. They're a classic sparkly gold at the moment and I'm having them done again next weekend. I may carry on having them done and I may not, but I'm enjoying them right now and I think they look lovely.

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    1. I hope you don't mind me commenting here, but I say "you do you." Being true to oneself is how one acquires style ... the ultimate parisian chic. Keep on doing you :)

      D.

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    2. That's kind of you, thank you.

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    3. I'm with D, if having beautiful nails makes you feel happy and sparkly inside - as well as on your fingertips :) - then do it! I love finding those little things, like your nails, that add a touch of fun and loveliness to my life. Like you say, it might only be for a little while if you decide not to do it anymore, but then again you might continue on with shellac nails for the rest of your life and be so happy with the decision. For you, it sounds like shellac nails belong in your five-star life :)

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  4. It is fun to read blogs and books by those that love what they love without apology. It comes across as genuine and authentic and most people are drawn to that. I always enjoy reading your work and being inspired :)

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  5. So true, Stephanie! I loved the early days of blogs when everyone (well, maybe not everyone, but most people) were simply being themselves and sharing what they loved. Nowadays things are a lot more polished, professional and business-like. I aspire to remain a little bit unpolished, hopefully not too much so :)

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  6. I would love to break out and do this type of thing, but for a lot of us the money just isn't there to be able to do something like this. I can't starve Peter to pay Paul type of deal. I will be working probably until I am 75 and that doesn't sound very fun but that's life.

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    1. Anon, I'm certainly not suggesting you quit your job, but it costs nothing to dream and plan for something different if you desire to. I put time towards my dream of being a work-from-home writer while being in full-time job for many years.

      For me personally, I don't believe you need money to do something amazing - the dreaming comes first. There are so many more opportunities for us to do something different for a job these days - it just takes thinking outside the box to see this. Most people can't.

      I read and listen to information every day which keeps my mindset in an expansive space. Surround yourself with people who inspire you and you will find your life changing too. Most of mine I don't even know - they are online in the form of blogs, podcasts etc as well as books and audiobooks.

      Follow the breadcrumbs of what interests you most and go from there. I wish you all the best - good luck!

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  7. Great advice Fiona! I recently packed up some knitting projects and yarn and shipped them off to a knitter who would enjoy them. Not sure I'm really a knitter, or I was just knitting because I thought I should. I know, sounds daft when you put it in writing. This whole year has been a big one for decluttering for me. It's hard to imagine a new phase of life when all the old things are weighing you down. I think it is a continuing process of re-evaluating at different stages of life. Not getting stale, and setting up new goals. Like the knitting, I am seeing that there are a number of things I am hanging onto/doing that are no longer me or never were. It's freeing to move on. xo Deborah

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    1. So true, Deborah! And just because you don't feel like a knitter now, doesn't mean you were wrong to knit before. Like you say, it's about evaluating yourself at different stages of life and not staying stuck doing the same thing because you've always done it. Bravo :)

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  8. This design is spectacular! You obviously know how to keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Fantastic job. I really enjoyed what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it. Too cool! ace of space cast

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  9. Yeah bookmaking this wasn’t a bad decision great post! . putlockers

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Merci for your comment. Wishing you a chic day!

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