This life just keeps getting crazier and crazier. I have often looked at the pictures of mums juggling so many things. Work, play, dog, house, exams, food and the list goes on.

But it is not just mums that struggle. I think everyone struggles with the pace of life. To love in the world is to want to move forward. To have a house (and let’s face it, if you live in Sydney Australia like I do… these days with the house prices the way they are, we struggle). To be present at work and juggle the responsibility of maintaining friendships, work ethic and study.

In fact, I have a daughter these days who is in the midst of her last 2 years of school. I watch her juggle assessments, time with the boyfriend, music, chores… so age is no barrier for this kind of stress.

Many years ago I turned to Buddhism. It was a time in my life when I had felt overwhelmed. The fast pace of my own life was getting me down. And I was frazzled. I was flat in fact, my hair was dull, my frown lines were a regular appearance and I would fall in a heap at the end of the day.

It is very different for me these days. You see I learned to live in the moment. Let me give you some background. I have 2 kids. Both of these kids do sport and music. Both work hard to excel at school. During the week there is the usual commitments of homework and planning the week. I work full time as a teacher so I often have marking to take home and planning to do. I also have another “job” – a loose term for it really. I work in a band called Soundproofed Friday and Saturday nights. I know this weekend put us home (“us” being hubby and me as he is our sound tech) at 1.30am Sat morning and 3.45am on Sunday morning. I guess what I am saying is we are busy just like every other parent I know.

What I learned many years ago is Mindfulness – being present in the moment. So in the morning when I’m walking around the house eating my toast while cleaning up and making lunches, I now make sure my mind is present for everything I do… living in the moment I guess. By doing this I slow down.

I also learned to never look back at the past… can’t change it.

The future is always changing… so I try not to worry about it.

It is about the now, it is about being present and living in the now.

For those of you who this resonates with, look up the concept of mindfulness. It has saved me and keeps me grounded.

Looking forward to my next post.

Namaste Lovelies ‘til next time

LO (or the crazy red-haired lady)