Looking out for new ideas and bright colours

Posted on by Greta

I enjoy so many different aspects to culture, whether it be the most recent art or exhibition, an up and coming hangout, or the best place to grab a bite to eat. It makes me happy that I live in a city like Melbourne, with so much to offer.

Culture is everything that surrounds you at any given point in time. I enjoy watching people and taking in how they dress, walk, what they are doing and what they are talking about. I like to see how they do ‘them’.

As many of you already know, I enjoy attending the odd exhibition. I posted about MoMA at the NGV on my other blog and am looking forward to my next trip to the gallery already. If anyone has any recommendations, I’d love to hear them!

I also loooove eating out. Whether it’s a lunch break at work, catching up with friends in the city or going out for dinner in the suburbs with my husband. A city like Melbourne is always alive with its plentiful laneways and never-ending choice of places to dine.

Morning peak hour is one of my favourite times, as everyone is rushing around to do whatever it is they need to do that day, and everyone’s days are so unique.

I try to get a fair distance covered before I reach the office, as walking clears my head and helps prepare me for my workday because, as I’m sure you will appreciate – there is just so much to think about!

But having an active mind and being busy has its upsides. Some people find that keeping themselves busy ensures that they prioritise effectively and don’t dwell on things for excessive periods of time. Our overall happiness often comes down to the way in which we operate when we are busy.

On my way to work, I watch the people I pass and think about what may inspire their lives; what gets them out of bed every day. I like to see the different styles, from bright coats to chic hats to faux fur or platform shoes.

I’m not rushing to judge these people, I just find it interesting. I really just look out for things I like, new ideas and bright colours.

Crazy and adventurous or plain and simple, whatever you prefer.

I also really enjoy my coffee and Melbourne is one of the best cities in the world for people who love coffee. It’s so easy to find a cosy café to sip your favourite beverage in, while staring out of the window, or scrolling through your Twitter feed. It is refreshing to be around others who enjoy the beverage as much as I do.

While Melbourne is smaller than other comparable cities such as New York and London, and even Sydney, the cultural significance that this city has to offer is hard to find elsewhere.

The people, the food and the coffee are aspects of culture that stand out here and continue to ensure this city is still entirely liveable for me and many others.

The little things

Posted on by Greta

The little things in life are often what makes us happiest.

Offering your train seat to someone in need, watching your dog run around for no apparent reason, reading a friendly comment on your blog post or learning something new from an article you read online.

None of these things are immediately life changing, but each of them involves another creature’s happiness. It is our interactions that make us smile, feel special and give us something to look forward to.

Last week on the train to work I gave up my seat to a woman who asked for it. I got up out of my seat straight away and she thanked me. She was older than me but didn’t look as though she desperately needed a seat, but what do I know? I watched as she took out her phone to play a game and wondered if she actually needed the seat or just wanted to play her game in comfort. Either way, I felt good about myself. Maybe a little bit cheated, but I knew I had done the right thing.

A pet brings a special feeling of joy to life. You have a special companion to come home to each day; someone who will listen to you without offering advice; someone whose mood may be lifted by something as simple as being let inside when it’s cold. Owners and their animals share a unique bond; a relationship of inspiration and encouragement.

Now I may sound a bit biased, but my dog is the best. I just watched him as he ran around our front yard, wagging his tail with his tongue flapping about simply because he felt like it. Or maybe he thought I was going to chase him. When I didn’t chase him, he didn’t mind, just went about sniffing the rose bushes and foraging in the mulch. Whenever we get the chance to take him to the beach, we run with him along the sand and he genuinely looks like he is having the best time in his life. His excitement is contagious.

It is always uplifting to receive a (positive) response to something you’ve done. Feedback is what keeps us going, keeps us energised and reminds us of why we do what we do. It propels us to excel and drives us achieve. Even negative feedback can be good, if taken constructively and used to shape future decisions or actions. If we don’t know what we are doing wrong, how are we supposed to improve?

I love reading, writing and thinking. Each day I am excited to learn what people are reading and writing about. I like to see what opinions are out there, so I scroll through my feeds and click on anything of interest (this usually takes some time). I like to see what people are doing with their blogs, what the latest ideas are, finding out who the next young entrepreneur is and reading all about their success. Reading is (obviously) engaging and allows us to view things from a different perspective.

I began by classifying these as ‘little things’ but now I’m not so sure that I would classify them as ‘little’. These actions and emotions are part of everyday life and should not be underestimated. To remain happy; to remain satisfied; it is important that we recognise the cause of our happiness, to ensure that we keep doing whatever it is that we are doing.

So, tell me, what are the little things in your life?

L I V E A B L E

Posted on by Greta

Last week I learned that Vienna is now the world’s most liveable city.

Melbourne was bumped down a spot after 7 years at the top, which I am not overly upset about, but this news got me thinking; what constitutes the world’s most liveable city?

A Google search lead me to a report, ‘The Global Liveability Index’, and I quickly learned of the ‘Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)’, an organisation which provides country, risk and industry analysis.

In a world that is rapidly changing, it seems strange that the EIU only conduct this specific ‘liveability’ analysis once a year.

It is also interesting that there are only four countries featured in the top ten, maybe the EUI should create a rule that the same country cannot be featured more than once in the top ten, or at least in the top five.

  1. Vienna
  2. Melbourne
  3. Osaka
  4. Calgary
  5. Sydney
  6. Vancouver
  7. Toronto
  8. Tokyo
  9. Copenhagen
  10. Adelaide

Japan is top pick out of Asian countries, which is somewhat understandable. The craziness of Siem Reap (Cambodia), Bangkok (Thailand) and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) leave these developing cities out of the top ten, which almost makes me wonder why the EIU doesn’t split the list up with a ‘developing’ or ‘developed’ criteria?

These cities and the countries they reside in have taught so many travellers more about the world than they may ever learn in a developed area.

Watching people go about their day to day lives in these foreign lands is so different to what most of us know. Travelling to these countries allows for levels of personal development that can not be achieved elsewhere.

But as travellers, do we really need an annual report to tell us where we should flock to next, or could this report be more useful?

I can tell you that I have never witnessed the value of humility to such an extreme in any developed country that I have been to so far.

To put this value into perspective, let’s talk about children. We all know that kids have an innocence that allows their imagination to run wild.

But many children are not in an environment where they learn humility quickly.

Take a child to Vietnam, they will see things that they have never imagined; people cooking food in the streets, busy markets, scooters transporting a room full of furniture and a family of four, flooded streets and people with masks protecting their faces from the fumes.

Or, choose the safe road and take a child to Los Angeles, where they will still be amazed at what they see, just not in the same way.

So, let’s shake things up a little, step outside of our comfort zone. Because we need to give as much support as we can to these incredible countries and show people just how special they are.

These countries need as much as we can give them.

Coffee and self-control

Posted on by Greta

I think coffee is delightful.

I am delighted just thinking about it.

But we, as curious creatures absorb copious amounts of information every day, some of which may lead us to believe otherwise.

It is known that when consumed in excess, coffee can have a negative effect on the body.

But to me it seems that as long as you are in control of your coffee intake, and that it does not exceed an amount which cause physical strain on your body, then coffee is okay.

But coffee, or caffeine, is addictive.

Every day, I have one, two or (rarely) three cups of coffee. I love it. And I don’t think there is anything wrong with that.

I have gone through periods of time when I have tried to cut back. It does seem unnecessary to have more than two a day, especially if I’m paying for it.

I have an espresso with my breakfast and another one (either a long black or flat white) later in the morning.

I enjoy sipping my espresso while carefully my breakfast each morning. I like to think as I eat, about what the day may bring. When I get to work, it’s great to step out of the office, into the fresh air and engage in conversation with a colleague who may accompany you, or a barista.

A common feeling for coffee drinkers is that the barista-consumer relationship may have gone too far.

I used to religiously have a long black on my way in to work. I would get another coffee mid-morning and maybe another at lunch. I used to go to the same shop for my pre-work coffee every day. It was good coffee, friendly service and not too far out of my way.

But, I like to mix things up a bit more now. I do have my favourites, but they have learned not to expect me.

It’s kind of creepy when they expect you.

Same time, same coffee, every day. They know your order, your dogs name, where you work, your family situation and other crucial bits of information carefully gathered to build rapport.

Some people love it, but I would say it is almost confronting.

I have read (on more than one occasion) recently that amazing things happen when we stop having coffee. We can sleep better, concentrate better and our moods change.

It makes me second guess my much-loved past time. But let’s be honest, I have tried to cut back on many occasions, and I wasn’t successful.

If you enjoy something, and it does not pose an immediate effect to your health, then why give it up?

For me it’s about self-control. I don’t want coffee to think that I can’t resist it.
So, every now and then I take time out from coffee. Whether it lasts a few days or a few weeks, I am yet to see a noticeable difference in my capacity to operate. I thought coffee made us more alert anyway?

So much information coming at us from so many different sources can sometimes feel overwhelming. Especially when you have not had your morning coffee.
Coffee makes me happy.

And it’s important to do what makes you happy. Drink your coffee, or your decaf, or none at all.

Saying this though, I would be interested to hear first-hand from an ex-coffee addict, what did you notice when you cut it out?

There is no point giving up

Posted on by Greta

Last week I read two completely different opinions, from the same publication which sort of threw me.

The first article I read was this one, discouraging people from spending too much time on a side project that might not work out.

I was only slightly discouraged, but the words stayed in my mind until I was on the train home from work. I thought about what would happen if I gave up? What would be the point giving up? Writing, editing and content marketing is what I love doing so if I’m spending time outside of my ‘proper’, more stable job trying to make a living out of it, what harm could this be causing?

Sure, I may be a tiny bit obsessed with my computer and my husband may not see me much after dinner but at least I have something to keep me occupied. Not only occupied but intellectually stimulated. How’s that compared to sitting in front of the TV each night?

The second article was much more uplifting and focused on the reason that everyone needs a side project, even if they are not in a place to fully let go of their full time job. It sat much better with me as my mind turned to the blog post I would be writing that night.

I get that there is a need to be realistic in a world where every Jane, Beth and Sam want to begin a living on their own terms, to be their own boss. But there is a fine line between being honest and being discouraging.

I, or anyone working on a side project at home should never feel like it will ultimately be a waste of time.

I found the second article inspiring, encouraging and even helpful. It explained that having a project to work on in your own time allows for a high level of personal development that would not always occur in a ‘normal’ workplace, when working for someone else.

I am not saying that a side project or ‘side hustle’ is for everyone. There is absolutely no need to begin a side hustle if you are content with your current situation.

But if there is something other than your current job that piques your interest, why not give it a go?

And don’t forget to let me know about your progress!

A little bit about me

Posted on by Greta

I always wonder why we focus so much on telling people what we think they want to hear?

I am a big believer of saying things as they are, no messing around or confusing the situation. People either like it or they don’t.

The journey

If I am totally honest with you, my freelance writing journey has not been a huge success so far. Working full time and finding time to research, write, pitch, follow up and liaise with clients is something I am yet to do. However, I plan my evenings of writing and researching every day. I know, eventually, the time will come, I just have to keep at it.
My first blog was going to be the launch of my writing career. I cover a wide range of topics, somewhat ad hoc, including my personal home life, memories and realisations, real estate and travel.

I have generally been open and honest about my opinions, but I’m ready to take that one step further.

My approach to lifestyle writing

As defined by Oxford Dictionary, lifestyle refers to ‘the way a person lives.’

Now this is a very loose definition and that’s what I like about it. It is open to interpretation, it is completely up to the reader and how they may choose to live their life.

I am interested in writing about a number of topics. They include travel, hobbies, work, real estate, self-improvement, health and food. I have now decided that these areas of interest all fit into the category of ‘Lifestyle’, or at least my category of ‘Lifestyle’.

Backcountry

If we want a bit of a prelude to the day I found my niche, I can tell you that yesterday was a cold, rainy day in Melbourne, where my husband and I took any glimpses of clear sky as an opportunity to get outside to walk the dog or go for a run. We had dinner at my in laws and came home to have some time for Netflix and chill. We had trouble deciding on a movie and finally settled on a movie based on a true story, Backcountry.

It was about a young couple that went hiking in the back country in Canada. The man had wanted to take his girlfriend to a special spot, that he remembered from his childhood. They soon realised they were lost which was not helped by him refusing a map when he was offered one. They discovered a half-eaten animal carcass and some bear tracks and realised they were in trouble.

I don’t want to ruin the ending for anyone, but despite the basic plot, it was a movie that got me thinking.

To relate it to lifestyle and the choices we make, I have hypothesised the below.

  1. Many of enjoy nothing more than time with nature, to explore, to be free
  2. Others would rather be in the company of other people, to feel safe and part of a collective
  3. Some of us are a mixture of both.

I like to think I relate more to number 1 but the truth is, I think we all have some of number 2 in us. I mean, who doesn’t want to be part of something?

These tendencies influence our choices each and every day and it doesn’t matter where you fit, or if you think there are in fact more options, as long as we can take the time to appreciate our limitations and of course, our achievements.

If you have ever thought about the choices we make in this way or have seen the movie and have a different opinion, I’d love to hear about it! If you wish to get in touch to discuss a project, please submit a contact form.