A little post of appreciation

Heyyy there everyone!! I hope you’re all having a less stressful and chaotic week than I am? 

If you’re not, please feel free to vent in the comments section. I know that the saying ‘misery loves company’ isn’t exactly inspiring or positive, but it truly does make you feel better when you can let out a bit of that stress and frustration. 

Anywho, this week is honestly a bit of a stress-mess for me. 

I’ve got a massive essay due next week Tuesday (I have finished my research and started it, but it’s 40% of my mark and I really want to do well so of course all of that self-inflicted pressure isn’t doing anything helpful to still my nerves), and my general schedule … eish let me just say that looking at it makes me want to curl up into a tiny little ball under my fluffy blanket and hide until it all goes away. 

I was sitting in bed this morning thinking about how it feels like I’m trapped on a treadmill, or more accurately one of those little hamster wheels. You keep running and running and running, thinking that you’re going somewhere when in fact you’ve gone nowhere until eventually, you can’t keep up with your own pace and fall in a spiralling mess. Honestly – life sometimes feels just like that. I was actually going to write a post about this and how hard it can be to keep up with the never-ending pace of the world around us. I mean, just as soon as you think you’ve got time for a break, the next thing pops up, and if you want to keep up and be successful, you just have to push on through. If you can’t push on through though, you end up falling behind. I mean, it’s partially why I’m always so terrified to miss things or say ‘Oh I’ll just catch up later’ because the sad truth is that everything else keeps pace so not only do you have to keep up with what you would have had to do, but you need to catch up what you missed, and life is already exhausting enough. 

However, just as I sat down to type this post I realised that as stressful as life can be, and as impossible as it feels to get off the little hamster wheel, there are still loads of things that make it worth it, or are there to help get you through it. So today, instead of writing a more sombre post about the evils of our meritocratic society and all the cultural goals we strive so hard to achieve and end up pushing ourselves to exhaustion to try and do so (that post will be coming though haha so don’t feel you’ve missed out), I thought I’d instead just do a little post of appreciation. 

Despite the oodles and oodles of university work, assignment reading and everything else stressful and frustrating that’s cluttering up my diary, there are still so many things I have to be thankful for, and I don’t think that all those things and people get enough credit. 

1. My boyfriend. Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do or where I’d be without him. No matter how stressed out I am or how much my nerves are frazzled (and believe me, I’m not exactly a little ray of sunshine when I’m like that…) he is always there for me. Whether it’s offering me some words of encouragement or support, giving me a hug so I can cry my eyes out or even not seeing me for a few days so I can get things done, he is always there to support me in any way he can. 
2. My family. I couldn’t name my boyfriend without my family (because they would probably poison my tea or kill me in my sleep… just kidding!). In all honesty, I am so appreciative to have my family around while going through this term of uni. With everything being online and even more frazzled than last term thanks to covid, it has just been so reassuring to have them around. Being able to chat through assignments or lectures with my parents, help my dad cook or even just to have my grandparents around to have a cup of tea truly turns what could end up being a miserable, work-obsessed day into something positive. 
3. Working internet. Does anyone else find it terrifying how little we can do without the internet? If my internet had to stop working, I would literally be toast because that means I can’t do uni work. I can’t work in general. I can’t blog. I can’t even WhatsApp someone to complain about the fact that my internet isn’t working. Even though it sort of goes without saying, having to do this whole term online and from my little home desk all the way in South Africa (which is a good 13000km away from my university), truly makes me appreciative of the internet. Please don’t be mean and stop working! 
4. My cat. Ohhh do I appreciate this little fluffball. He has gotten a lot more demanding since I’ve been back home (heaven forbid I’m not out of bed at 7:30am to feed him because otherwise, he will quite literally meow my ear off) but I didn’t realise how much I missed having him around until I came back. He’s the best listener in the whole world (probably because he doesn’t give me judgy looks when I say crazy things, he never interrupts and he just patiently lets me rant) but he also seems to know when I’m extra stressed so will come to sit on my lap or just sit by me to give me a little extra love and support. I don’t think he quite realises just how much I need it, but I certainly appreciate it. 
5. Tea. I would probably have a nervous breakdown if I couldn’t have tea. It calms me, it energises me, it gives me something to focus on, and it helps give me a minute to think, process things and then face things with a more steeled attitude or a fresh perspective. If there’s ever a global tea shortage, I will probably be one of the first people to snap. 
6. My blog. Okay, so this one is a bit of a mix because I’m so busy that finding time to blog sometimes adds to my stress. However, my blog is also something that just gives me so much happiness. It gives me a little place where I can brain vomit out all of my thoughts and not have to reference them! It’s also a place where I can chat to amazing people and get a fresh perspective, as well as just take a break from my life of uni, work and repeat. As much as finding time for it is a mission, I don’t think I give my blog itself enough love and appreciation because it truly is super special to me. 
7. And that brings me to my very last one for today – YOU!! So I can’t mention everyone by name because it very well may take me a day or two and sadly I just do not have that time right now … but each and every single one of you who reads my blog, takes the time to comment and shares your thoughts, everyone who supports me and my blog (friends, family and everyone in between) … I APPRECIATE YOU!! Truly you make it all worth it because I wouldn’t be able to do all of this if it wasn’t for the constant love and support from all of you. So truly thank you from the bottom of my heart! 

I know that this post was a little bit random, but I think that with all the hustle and bustle of life and the stresses that come with it, sometimes we forget to stop and smell the roses. We forget about all the good things we have going for us and the people and things that help turn bad days into good ones, so I felt it was a good time for me to reflect and think about everyone and everything I appreciate, and send out a little love for them into the world. 

I just wanted to express again to every single one of you how much I appreciate you! Thank you so much for supporting Tall Blonde Tales for the last two years and for making blogging something that I love doing. You are all amazing!! 

Lots of Love

Blondey on a Mission xxx

P.S. What are you appreciative of? Anything big or small, or a particular person? Let me know in the comments section!! Sometimes writing a little list of appreciation can be a really peaceful activity, and it definitely rejuvenates you a little.