Women and cats will do as they please! :)

TheMagician

Good evening!

Wanted to update the diary today as I had some fantastic news - I have passed my exam I sat in November. I am so happy and relieved.
I am literally on the home run now and will be qualified by May - how fantastic is that. It will have taken me 3yrs of juggling home, work and studies but it's more than worth it.
So a big thumbs up so far, 2017. You're giving exactly what you've promised - long may it continue.

Money wise, things are good. The savings pot is still growing. Christmas holiday didn't cost much as we were with the family. Next month though is DS's birthday. I've already bought the presents and ordered the cake. However, there'll be a weekend in London too. Bought the train tickets, the hotel to sort still.

This year is turning out to be big on travel. In May, we'll be going to Bucharest for a friend's wedding. Will stay for a week overall, travel out of the city and explore.

So some money will go towards all the holidays. However, ever the careful one, I'm making sure to get the best deals and stay within a budget.

Submarine76 - a very happy New Year. Hope this year is a winner for you.

Fortune Smiles - what a name. Fortune most certainly smiles. Happy New Year.

TheMagician

monz

Remember if you are booking a hotel online. See if you can through a cashback site xx

TheMagician

Ooooh thanks so much monz
I go through the cash-back sites every time but it didn't cross my mind to use it for the hotel - saved myself £4 :beer: Cheers!

I've also ordered an Oyster card so we're now sorted and ready to party :rotfl:

Hmmm realised that if I don't switch my broadband, they will now start charging me £10 more a month - over my dead body I will give them a call today and give them a chance to save me as a customer or I'll be switching by tonight :rotfl:

Today I've got a friend coming round for dinner - he'll be giving me his wedding invite. So I've already cleaned up, just have to do a shop for dinner, whatever that'll be...

We'll soon pop put to DS's bank. He's got a massive piggy bank full of coins and notes so we'll be depositing that as he gets a very decent % return.

Talking about interest - well, that's gone to the pot... I will be switching those too They don't stand a chance - I always get my money's worth. Zero loyalty, sorry all banks, broadband providers and supermarkets. Not sorry really :cool:

TheMagician

TheMagician

A quick call to the broadband provider, at first they offered £5 off so half price, I said NO - it stays as it was or I leave, there are actually better offers out there than even the current price. So they said, tell you what - don't wanna lose you for £5 :rotfl: - have it back as it was.

Sorted! :beer:

Next - banks. Now these won't budge so I'll just have to figure out the best deals and switch

TheMagician

Have a couple of bay of e items on sale, one's already fetching £27 with 4 days to go.

Also, have a Nespresso coffee machine to sell.

Now off to the bank and the shops.

TheMagician

The item sold for £38 - nice profit.

I have been incredibly busy this week again.
On top of work and the usual stuff, I have booked the flights to Bucharest and hotels too.
I've wrapped all DS's presents in preparation for his birthday.
I've booked my last course at college - starting in April.
Been studying for the exam in 2 weeks' time.
Opened a new bank account for higher interest.

I've just done an online food shop for tomorrow. It's turned out to be a big one but they had my favourite tea on offer so I stocked up. Shouldn't need any top-ups at all and would like this to be the last time I spend before the payday on 31st.

Things to do next week - chase up my GP, post an item back for a refund and carry on studying

TheMagician

Ah, OK - it's one of those days and one of those notions...
Some weird, personally for me uncomfortable energy has been floating around.
Anyone else noticed?..

Times like these get me thinking and pondering and contemplating a bit more.
After all, they say we are human beings, not human doings.
Though, I must confess, sometimes being a 'doer' is just more comfortable.
It feels as if it achieves more.
But does it?
If it's true that one's fate is sealed, and in large I believe it is, then being could just be enough.
Where are we going? Where are we rushing? What are we doing - when the end result is the same?

But I'm an action taken, a 'grabber by the horns'. The exhausted one sometimes. The one that doesn't stay down for very long or at all.

The positive one. Well, tonight I'm the ponderer.

I look around, and everyone is so different.
Different starts in life, different countries, languages, families, education...
But some 'different' ones feel like home. Could talk and talk and tell everything and laugh and understand and cry and support.
And others...well, what did Sinatra say? Some people get their kicks stomping on a dream.
Funny though. Mum used to say, it takes all sorts to make the world go round.

Soulmate - many people think that soulmate is someone that you feel totally at ease with, supported, loved, things flow freely. Actually, soulmate is the one that challenges you the most. The one that pushes all the buttons. The one that squeezes you until something comes out, whatever it is inside. Fear, anger, tears, laughter, joy, understanding? Will they get anything at all? Ah, well the answer is no - if you're already a master. I'm not yet - I'm working on it though.

I'm not interested in a superficial conversation. I'm not competing with you. You're not in my way because my way is already laid out and so is yours. Like parallel lines - they never meet. Are we all just parallel lines? Even if we spend a lifetime together, were we just repaying the karma and having a good time? Difficult time? Purposeful time?

Since we're all on a journey with the same result, it's what we do here that counts.
So a line to myself - when you've got a choice to be right or kind, choose kind. Turn the other cheek. Don't be god, act god-like. Karma builds up and it comes back to you, good or bad. So make it count, make it good. Work hard, help others, support each other. And when times are heavy:

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.

TheMagician

Sometimes the thing that you were afraid of the most is the thing that is going to change your life for the better, forever.
Who are we to decide what lessons we should and shouldn't learn?
Who are we to decide what pain we should and shouldn't experience?
We do not see the bigger picture at the time of happening.
We do not know our fate or the reasons behind it all.

Sometimes, when a realisation hits you - just stop and let go. Let go of the old patterns, of what you thought you knew. Was it the right way? Yes, maybe. Maybe it worked then but doesn't anymore. Maybe it served its purpose and it's time for a new way.

A more balanced way. Life is about balance. The scales. Cram too much on one side and suddenly you're falling over, mentally and physically, from the weight on you.
Set priorities. For the day, the week, the month... But every day, something or someone is more important, and another day something or someone else gets their turn.

It's not true that you cannot have it all. We have been looking at it from the wrong point of view. You cannot have too much of one thing. That's what's not right. But you can have a little bite of everything, each day. And achieve insurmountable highs by taking one step, each day.

We have a body, a soul, a spirit, emotions. We need to feed it food, thought, activity, philosophy, kindness, love. And we need to do it every day in a balanced way.

Be cautious of what you just KNOW you know is true, because you might just be the cookie thief:

A woman was waiting at an airport one night
With several long hours before her flight
She hunted for a book in the airport shop
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop
She was engrossed in her book but happened to see
That the man beside her as bold as could be
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene
She munched cookies and watched the clock
As this gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by
Thinking "If I wasn't so nice I'd blacken his eye"
With each cookie she took he took one too
And when only one was left she wondered what he'd do
With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh
He took the last cookie and broke it in half
He offered her half as he ate the other
She snatched it from him and thought "Oh brother
This guy has some nerve and he's also rude
Why he didn't even show any gratitude"
She had never known when she had been so galled
And sighed with relief when her flight was called
She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate
Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate
She boarded the plane and sank in her seat
Then sought her book which was almost complete
As she reached in her baggage she gasped with surprise
There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes
"If mine are here" she moaned with despair
"Then the others were his and he tried to share"
"Too late to apologise she realised with grief"
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

TheMagician

A year later and I am back. Never really went anywhere, I was just busy with life.
Which in fact I decided to quit at the end of 2017.
Yeah, I quit my life.
I quit my job in accountancy which I knew wasn't my passion.
I quit my relationship which I knew wasn't as good as it could be.
I quit anything and everything that wasn't perfect for me.
And I have NEVER felt better. Long gone are the sore neck and shoulders, sleepless nights, bloated stomach, irritability and anything else that comes with being on the wrong path.
I AM FREE :j:j:j:j:j:j:j

It took me two weeks after quitting my job to realise what my real passion was - I want to be a life coach. And this is the path I am embarking on now. I am starting a course in September, until then, I am setting up my business, learning, researching, doing up my website, registering my company, networking, writing up plans and so on and so on. I am extremely excited about this.
The old me is dead and gone, completely and utterly. I cannot wait to see what this new life brings to the both of us.

The reason I'm back here is because this is not gonna come cheap and I need to keep an eye on money.

Things I spend on:
food - my biggest spend by far. I started logging every spend again and I won't even say how much I spent last month just for the two of us as it's insane. I buy organic where I can and we eat high fat low carb diet which means meat, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds feature in every single meal... And is it me or have the food prices definitely gone up?..

The other are not as high but I do buy:
essential oils
herbal tinctures
crystals
collagen powder
organic 100% chocolate
Nespresso compatible capsules
Skincare - cleansers, moisturises & exfoliators
Face oils
Bath salts
Herbal teas
Books on lifestyle, spirituality and health
Anything else to do with health or spirituality, anything at all...
Activities with my son
Concerts
Holidays

On the other hand, I do not spend on:
designer items of any sort
electricals
I don't drink or smoke or take any other escapist substances
We don't have a house yet so nothing spent on repairs
Cars - as long as it drives and is safe
Make up - don't buy very often.

So basically nothing has really changed, my focus has always been and will be on health, physical, mental and spiritual. And even though yoga, church, some books and YouTube come free, food doesn't and that's what I'll be keeping an eye on the most.

Anyway, it's Easter and it felt like the right time to come back and start logging my progress again :easter_os
Happy Easter everyone :A

TheMagician

TheMagician

Today's a day to celebrate :dance:

Part of the plan for my new career path is to finish off my old one... Sounds weird but I don't want to leave anything undone as I've come so far. Which means that I have to finish off my last exams for CIMA. And today I passed one of those. I am absolutely over the moon, feeling excited for the future, onwards and upwards. Tomorrow I'm starting to study for the next one and next week my course for the last one commences.
By the end of May this will all be done and I will move on with a sense of achievement and completion.

On the money front, I have decided to get one large weekly delivery of food and try not to top up if at all possible, apart from milk. Working so far so fingers crossed that keeps the food spends under control.

Peaceful Wednesday everyone
TheMagician