I'm back with a bang.............why I disappeared!

Hi everybody! 

Okay first of all I want to say thank you to everyone who has been reading my blogs while I have been neglecting it, I have good reasons which I will be sharing with you all over the next few weeks!

I feel so blessed that you all like to read what I write.....it just amazes me how many people are reading my posts while I'm away.... look at you all, from all over the world. 

My last few posts have been really liked....

If you haven't read these already you scroll down to view them.

I just want want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone reading!

I am back and will be sharing all the fun things I have been doing with you per the next few weeks :-)

For now I just want to leave you with a thought...what if I told you anything is possible? would you believe me?

Probably not, but I'm here to tell you that is it and that the only thing that holds us back from having and achieving everything we want is ourselves! The only thing we need to change is our minds we can be fitter, have better bodies, more motivated, financially independent, entrepreneurs any thing we want to be

I have set up my life coaching business in the last few months so head over to 

http://www.anniemarie.co.uk 

now and book yourself in for a free introduction and session if you want to drastically change your life for the better in 2017 I can help you do it.

Stay tuned for how I have achieved my goals in the last few months

I hope you are inspired 

Loves Annie xxx

It is okay not to be okay - I am a vulnerable human being who isn't?

Hi everyone!

So I promised myself I'd take the time to do a little blog while I was touring the states, so here I am. 

I didn't expect to be writing about this subject, but due to recent events in my home town I feel the need to.

I am a vulnerable human being, okay, there I said it!

I think the reason I feel the need to be open and honest in today's world, is because as a society we are trained to be perfect and act as it everything in our lives is too.

Well it's not, we are merely imperfect people trying to live our lives to the best of our abilities, in a messed up world.

I am an emotional person, in that I'm not afraid to show my emotions the majority of the time and I do no feel like it's a crime. With that said, we live in a society that almost forces us to do otherwise.

It is a crime to cry. When someone cries we are constantly telling them every things going to be alright there is no need to cry, or get upset, well that is a lie! Of course at times in our lifes there is a need to cry and be sad, if thats what our emotions are compelling us to do then we should just do it. Regardless of where we are. At hard times in my life, I am sure i am not the only one but I have cried in public and felt mortified! Why do we feel like this? Why do we actually care what other people think? Why do we feel the need to put on this hard exterior and act like everything is fine.

I watched the movie "bad moms" (It is so funny) last night and even it as a comedy make a joke of how we act, like everything in our lives is okay even if it is not.

Now I am not advocating moaning or complaining about every little thing, like the weather or that fact that we were delayed on the way to work, quite the opposite actually. I think we need to stop moaning and start being grateful for this amazing world we live in and the simple gift of life. But with that said, I feel the need to say that we are allowed to be upset when life throws us a curveball or we make a mistake.

 I am always hearing people, myself included at times, "I'm so scared, I don't want to fail or make a mistake"

As a society that what is promoted, heaven forbid we make a genuine mistake in life. I have been the same in the past but I am trying to change. It is okay to make a mistake, genuinely it is okay. Literally, if we don't fail a lot in this life then we are not actually trying anything right?

Does a baby say "That is it, I am not trying again" when he falls for the 10th time in the process of learning to walk? NO,  he doesn't. Why? is it simply because he is a baby and he cant talk. No,  it is because he doesn't know that in our society that falling is failing! Thank God! If he did he might have a different view and give up altogether.

Mistakes in life may not be as simple as falling over, but they are all valuable lessons and we can bounce back from them.

I am unsure, what is going on in each of your lives now. Maybe you are doing fine. I am so happy for you if you are. But if you're not maybe you're struggling financially in that you spent too much money this month, or you feel like your failing as a mother/father because the stress is getting to you, maybe your marriage is not the rocks or you are simply unhappy in life for some reason or other.

All I want to say is that it is okay not to be okay! Speak to someone about how you are feeling, it may be the last thing you want to do in the situation, but trust me its the best thing to do. Problems don't usually fix themselves, without a little help and a little time.

I think as a society we need to throw more love and understanding out there and stop being so closed of and judgemental. Even when we make mistakes and I mean the biggest mistakes, even committing a mortal sin. I cant speak for everyone, but I believe the majority of the time it actually wasn't intentional. We all make mistakes some bigger than others, some much bigger than others and we think if we were in that situation we would never do that! Well we actually don't know, because we are not it their situation, we are not stressed up to our eyeballs or can't see a way out.

I am a firm believer in the saying let him without sin, cast the first stone. 

SO MAYBE WE CAN STOP JUDGING AND START SHOWING LOVE REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES. 

I hope you are inspired.

Loves Annie

xxx

How two simple words could change your life!

Okay so I aware how busy our lives and how much time it takes to read a blog post, hence the reason I am moving to vlogging! ;-)

But I would just like to do a quick blog to say, thank you to every single person still reading my blogposts all over the world.

I am also going to try and my blogposts short and sweet from now on so here goes.

Below are my views from all over the world after only a few hours of me posting my blogpost online.

Shot out to whoever is in Jordan reading this! ;-)

From now on I am just going to try and share a lesson a day I have learned along my life path.

Lesson one -  Always say thank you!

Growing up, as I'm sure most of you were, I was taught manners i.e. to say please and thank you.

However, what I have since learned in life, is that these are the too most powerful, seldom used and meaningful words of all time.

These two words can change your life dramatically.

Don't believe me? 

Try tomorrow to say thank in every situation possible and watch how the atmosphere of your life changes.

It is insane how much we as people appreciate gratitude and yet how easily it is to forget it. 

We need to be grateful for every wonderful experience e have on this earth, as our lives themselves our miracles.

I hope you are inspired loves Annie xxx

Time and my "Richard Branson style" time investment scheme!

Hi everyone, 

I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone reading my blogs!

I haven't blogged in months and yet people are still reading... look at the last few days views from all over the world below:

So what have I been up to? What have I been doing with my time?

I have honestly been enjoying the summer. I have also completed a few courses, I completed a weekend course in life coaching, one in writing a book and setting up my own business.

I have more than ever realised that time is precious!

I am 29 years of age that means I have 31 years before I am 60! 

Can I say that again? I have 31 years before I'm 60! Now let me ask you a few questions how fast do you think the past 29 years have gone? Well look at your own life, regardless of what age you are, how fast has your life gone up to this point? Do you feel like you are the age you are? Do you feel like you have done enough? Loved enough? Traveled enough? Experienced enough?

Well I for one do not!

Hence why although I already felt like I was on fire for life, I am even more so!

I absolutely love life! I love it! Simply love it, and believe that it should be lived to the best of our ability.

We have the opportunity to be the best we can be. Everyone of us! We can be writers, singers, athletics or powerful speakers. We can be whatever we want to be.

So what is holding us back? Time? Every single person on this earth has 24 hours in their day.

Every single person has 24 hours to achieve what they want.

No one has one up on you. So we each have equal opportunity to get things that we want to do, done.

What is stopping us?

Factors may include money, geographic factors - like where we live, how we were raised, our beliefs of what is actually achievable. But all these can be overcome! All we actually need to do is act. The steps we take can be small, but the main thing is they are been taken!

So whatever is it you want to do in life, realise today life is too short and time goes to fast to wait until tomorrow and act today. Be who you want to be. Follow your heart. Take one step towards your dream. 

If we don't, we may all wake up one day and realise time has slipped through our fingers. I for one want to be able to say it didn't.

I want to be able to say "I GRABBED IT" with both hands and made amazing creations with it!

I now  work in job that I love, I have started a part time course in life coaching and will be starting another in CPID. I am also going to the gym three times a week. I am aiming to be the best I can be and squeeze every last minute out of each day. 

The time to act is now!

Who do you want to be? Where do you want to go? What do you want to do?

Just do it now, if you spend all your time standing still and waiting for the future, eventually the future will catch up on you and you will still be stuck where you were.

You are never to old to start so just start!

I hope you are inspired.

Loves Annie xxx

The main lesson I have learnt from my Lent challenges! You may be shocked!

Hi everyone! 

Okay so first of all I just want to say a huge thank you to those are reading my blog, I am so grateful that that even though I haven't blogged in a few weeks, you are still reading.

Just look at all the countries people are tuning in from...

I haven't had a chance to blog recently as I am completing an online coaching course. So as an update since my last blog I have completed numerous other challenges that I will document in my next post. 

The most recent one involved my whole office and various other company offices. After spotting numerous signs on the tube about national hat day. I thought it would be a great way for my work colleagues to join me in a challenge and at the same time raise money for a worthy cause.

On the 31st of March, thanks to the wonderful company I work for and everyone involved, we took part in national hat day. This involved wearing a hat for the day and donating £2 to the Brain Research Charity. We raised £500 for the chairity which is a huge achievement and proof that if people work together in this world, we can all make a difference.

But above all I learnt three main personal lessons from my challenges and this evening I will share one.

In this life, it is very easy in life to get comfortable and remain in your own little bubble. Society almost trains us to remain distracted and prevents from actually living out this wonderful blessing to its full potential. Once we are making money, have a nice job and social life we are content to just be. This is fine if you just want to exist, now I am in no way saying that these are not wonderful things to be grateful for, the opposite actually, they are amazing and to be cherished, as there are people in this world who would die for these comforts. But what I am saying is contentment can stop you from moving forward.

As the above photo suggests - if you don't like where you are, move! I would add, even if you do like where you are keep moving.

Keeping trying to be better, smarter and stronger... 

Try to be the best at your job give it your all. Try an be the best friend you can be to everyone in your life. Try and be the best you, you can be!

I don't mean work out everyday or wear the designer clothing, although these are nice things and can be part of life. What I mean as an entire person, be the best you can be. Mind body and spirit.

We could work 9-5 everyday, come home eat, hit the gym or meet friends. Then at the weekends have food and get drunk and wish we hadn't on Sunday thus we brainwash ourselves with crappy tv as a distraction from our own lives. Yes we could all do this. Id say a huge part of the population do. But where will it get us??? It will keep us exactly where we are, life will eventually move on and circumstances may alter slightly every few years along the standard society life span hitting classic stages along the way.

Depending where you are in the world and your preferences, they can vary, but in general they would be:

 Graduate
 Get a job
Get a house
Get married
Have kids
Work for an 50 years
 Bring up said kids
 Retire

But you will not really grow that much as person, your circumstances just change and you will adjust to them.

The only way to have true personal growth is to search for it.
 I for one and I am sure most of you will agree with me, want to be able look back on my life and say I lived the best life I could have.That I spent valuable time with people I love who made my heart smile, I traveled the world and experienced new cultures. That I used up all of me and what the best of me. I want to be the brainiest version of myself that I can be. I want to recognised in whatever field I am in as the one that always works the hardest to be the best. I want to have abundance in very area of my life. I want to use the unique individual gifts and skills I have been given from God.

This is my goal in life.

What I have learnt from my challenges is that pushing yourself every day pays off.

Push yourself  to step out of your comfort zone, whether that means standing up in front of hundreds of people and giving a speech, or just putting yourself forward for a hard task in work. Even signing up to learn something new. Whatever it is! Do it!

 I spoke to my landlord recently he is a qualified doctor and has practiced all his life, he has recently started a law degree and his family think he's crazy because he's 65. I think it is absolutely wonderful and so inspiring. It is never to late to take action, it is never to late to start something new, but life waits for no man so start now!

Don't settle for later, later could be too late.. I for one do not want to get to the end of my life and think to my life I should have lived more.I should have used up all my abilities and gifts. I should have given it my all. Start living life to the full now, say yes when an opportunity arises you never no when that yes will be the one to change your life completely.

I hope you are inspired

Loves Annie xxx

The more we focus on helping others the happier we are.... blog in the making....stay tuned! ;)

My Lent - challenges The last lap of the race! Make sure to come checkout my progress and thank you for following.

A huge thank you to everyone who has been support me and following my progress!

I have have loads of great support from people all over the world, my pages views today look a little something like this...

So I'm looking back on my week of challenges again I cannot believe have just two weeks to go!

I feel like I've learnt a lot about myself doing these challenges, but we can always push ourselves more so I'm going to try and really push myself out of my comfort zone in the last two weeks.

If you would like to keep track of my progress daily follow me on any of my social links below...

https://www.instagram.com/alightersidetolife/

https://twitter.com/alightersideto

or on snapchat add me - alightersideto

So this week I have completed the following challenges...

As Gaeilge - I had to speak in my native Irish tongue -  Challenged by Louis Donor
This was actually really fun and it challenged me to remember a lot of what I learned in school.
Not only has this inspired me to speak Gaeilge more, but it has also inspired me to learn a new language. I am going to take up learning Spanish this was a goal of mine last year that has been rekindled in my heart after realising what joy I get from speaking another language.

Hug day -  Challenged by I cant remember!
This was actually an amazing one and I need to thank whoever gave it to me! It was such lovely experience. Anytime someone asked me what my challenge I was doing. I got to give them a hug. As nation we are not really huggers other then with our possibly with our close family and friends. I think this is such a pity. Hugs are wonderful. I really feel like if people hugged more the world would be a better place. The best thing was that I or anyone I hugged didn't feel awkward it was just a really nice experience and challenged me to me more daring.

Thank you day- Challenged by I cant remember this one either :/ feel free to claim!
I especially loved this one anyone who watches my snapchats knows this is right up my street! I had to say thank you to everyone after every interaction I had. It made me very aware of how often and the main reasons I say thank you. I am a firm believer that we can never say thank you enough, even I   don't and this proved it. Saying thank you it not just mannerist is a necessity.

Compliment day-  Challenged by Sharon O Neil
I really loved this one to be honest and it made me feel so good. I feel like sometimes we stand back from being really openly honest and complimentary on a regular basis for fear of coming across as too nice or as always "sucking up" to someone. It felt so liberating to be able to compliment everyone honestly as it was my challenge of the day. This has taught me to just be honest and openly compliment someone it could really make someones day. It doesn't matter whats other people think. Positivity is something to be shared

Day of silence - Challenged by Nuala Goggins
This was by far the hardest challenge yet. I couldn't literally believe how hard I found it. I think I realised how social I am I found it really hard not to atomically start a conversation without even giving a second thought, let alone the fact that I was dying all day to get involved in the office banter. It was very very very hard for me to do this one and was a relief to be able to talk again I feel like not only did it make me appreciate my voice but it made me understand how hard it must be not to have this basic form of communication.

Day of silence - Challenged by me
I did this one to see if it was actually as powerful as people claimed and being honest it is. It was made me cry aware of my facial expressions and how they are perceived by others. Smiling is a wonderful expression of happiness and smiling alone without even feeling happiness almost has a knock on effect of making you feel happy. So I for one will be trying to do this all the time!

I hope you a inspired

Loves Annie xxx

My third week of Lent challenges! Follow my journey of hilarious challenges...

So its Monday again and most people are just contemplating what work load they have ahead of them. I am doing that and some..

I am thinking about all the challenges I am going to do this week and cringing at the thought of how embarrassing and challenging they are going to be!

I had a conversation with someone recently in which they stated that these challenges would be more impactful on someone with less confidence than me, like someone who is normally quiet or quite withdrawn. I got the point but I feel the only reason I have the personality I do and the reason why I am so out going is because I have pushed myself, repeatedly to do things that scared me. 

I feel like it doesn't matter how confident someone may seem, there are things that scare the crap out of them and regardless, you can never push yourself enough in this life. Just because a person may seem confident does not mean that they are, I personally have certain level of confidence but feel like it is being put to the test with these challenges. you have to push yourself to go into uncomfortable situations in life if you ever want to progress.

So on with my challenges 

Stand up and touch my toes challenge - Ian Hobbs (make a fool of myself challenge basically!) So every time somebody around me cursed, coughed or sneezed I had to stand up and touch my toes. You can image how this went down, thankfully only one person coughed on the tube! It was however quite embarrassing in the office when people realised what my challenge was and I did receive the odd curious look when I had to complete the challenge in the canteen.

Consult someone else challenge -  Edward Hordley
So for the day if anyone asked me any question at all I had to refrain from answering it and simply turn to the person next to me to consult with them. This was quite challenging from a memory perspective. It also called for some restraint on my part, as the simple question "are you having a good day "turned into a serious of consultations when people began realising what my challenge was!

Shades challenge - Darren Hill 
For this challenge I had to wear sunglasses all day. As you can see below these were not just any sunglasses they were specially chosen for this challenge by Lawrence Hill and Joe Pearson. (my work colleagues) This was actually one of the hardest challenges this week as people were looking at me like I had lost my mind.

I was actually blessed in that the sun was shining when I left my house but by the time I had gotten to work it was lashing rain. The worst part of it was the tube journey, numerous women who sat opposite me just sat there staring at me and for quite sometime no one would sit beside me! In the canteen and general areas of the office building I was also greeted by an array of double takes and judging looks. As the office is quite big, not everyone is aware that I am completing these challenges so to them, I just looked insane.

This was by far the most challenging challenge of the week. It was constant and there was no escaping the judging looks. I learnt a lot from this one, I realised there was absolutely nothing I could do. I simply looked insane, so when people stared I had to ignore then and not care what they are thinking!


Third person challenge - Kate Dives For this challenge I had to speak in the third person all day. This one I also found quite difficult, but also quite interesting. I fell like I was narrating my own life, which got me thinking, we each as individuals do write our own lives.

We are brought up to think our lives are based on what life throws up at us and how we are raised. But it has absolutely nothing to do with it, yes we may be placed in more abundant or derelict lifestyles or situations but its up to what life gives to us.

It is entirely up to us what we make out of what we art given. Anything is possible,  it doesn't matter how impossible a dream seems and if we each want to have a great life and  story, we have to get of the bench and start writing one!

Thank you challenge - Anonymous 
This was one of my favourites challenges, it meant I had to say thank you after eve interaction I had with another person. I feel like it made me more aware of what I was saying. I ended up saying thank you to my office at the end of the day for there amazing company. This was not something I would normally do Bu rafter spending the day saying these two beautiful words I felt like I wanted to keep saying them. I will be sure to practice from now on as I received a lovely feeling from uttering these words so much. I also realised that I do not thank the people in my everyday life enough for making each day amazing.

I hope you are inspired

Loves Annie xxx

P.S Please feel free to comment and challenge me!