27 Things
Published: 30.06.17
In honour of turning 27 next week, I thought I'd list 27 things I've done this year that made me really happy.
With no further adieu....
1. I performed at Pride. I got to stand on stage as part of a book launch and perform some poetry about acceptance.
2. I set up this blog. I'd wanted to for a while. This year I had that final push to make it happen.
3. I travelled, specifically: Wales, Barcelona, Thailand and Bali! And with that.....
4. I did a silent retreat. (Probably the highlight of the whole year) I spent 7 days in mindful silence and am really excited at the thought of doing another in the future.
5. I ran my first spoken word programme. Find Your Voice had some lovely feedback and I am well on the way to putting on two more courses – an advanced course for the people who completed the first and a beginners one for a new intake of people! (Soon I will have created my very own army of socially conscious spoken word artists muahahaha)
6. I got to perform at Sound City. I've performed at a few festivals but this was the one I was the most excited about. I got to watch The Kooks afterwards and Mamatung which made my night.
7. I was published - twice! Once by Writing on The Wall and the other in Womanly Words by Shakti Women.
8. Podcasts, podcasts, podcasts! I find them so fun. This year I was a part of 4 in total....
9. I had a reiki attunement. Meaning now I am able to practise on other people. Hit me up if you need some of that healing goodness in your life.
10. Alternative Fashion Fest recruited me into their performances to share some poetry I have around beauty standards. Every performance is jam packed with a chaotic atmosphere backstage and I love being a part of the family.
11. I learned to contour. I'm not really someone who's super bothered about makeup but it dawned on me that I have been applying makeup the same exact way pretty much for the last 10 years and thought it was definitely time to learn a new technique or two! Which brings me to...
12. I wore a dress. In my last two years I had removed pretty much everything that could be seen as feminine out of my wardrobe in favour of black jeans, doc martins and jumpers. I bought myself a vintage style floral print thing and it feels amazing to wear! Especially when you turn around and it does that swooshing thing.
13. I had a life coach. I never thought I'd have one, I thought it sounded a bit gimmicky but I met mine under such natural circumstances that choosing to work with her felt right.
14. I started the new year off right. I usually worry about NYE, panic and agree to do something I don't really want to do. This year (and also the year before, actually) I learned to take a risk, do something a little unconventional and put myself out of my comfort zone in order to spend New Year with amazing people, doing something incredible. I really felt that the risk paid off.
15. I worked for an organisation that was doing incredible work to create a fairer society.
16. I stood up for myself. When something seriously uncool took place in my life I chose to handle it in a way that made me proud. I'm so thankful to have had the support of an amazing community during this time and feel that what happened ultimately helped me to create stronger bonds with others. Solidarity is the best.
17. I started writing more. After going through a bit of a slump, recent months have seen my creativity spark again. As well as poetry I've also been trying my hand at scriptwriting, blogging and even a YA novel!
18. I got to grips with photography. I realised how useful it is to have those skills so I put in time behind the camera to learn a thing or two about getting the perfect picture.
19. I watched my friend get married!
20. I worked in a different city. Well many of them but I specifically spent a lot of time in Manchester where I met some amazing people. Manchester definitely has a huge part of my heart.
21. I read a lot more. Some favourites being: Eat, Pray, Love, The Alchemist, The Celestine Prophecy, Holes, The Secret Garden and The Night Circus.
22. I spent time in the studio. I got to put some of my poetry to music with my extremely talented friend Lewis.
23. I competed in The Great Northern Slam. I’d only ever done one slam before and that was a couple of years ago. Jeff Price runs a tight ship and the whole night was tense but enjoyable at the same time! I got the highest score in the first round, lost out on the second round by 1% but I had an amazing time and learned a lot.
24. I grew. Later in the year I started doing a lot of personal growth work. It's tiring and exhausting sometimes but it really is amazing to see the judgements that you have carried through life and watch those be challenged. I feel proud of myself for confronting some deep things and hopefully this is just the start of the journey for me.
25. Sacred sound journeys, cacao ceremonies, divine feminine workshops, gong baths and energy healing sessions. This has definitely been a year for expanding my horizons.
26. I saw Akala live. I've wanted to see him for a while now and he didn't disappoint.
27. I looked to the future. I took the time to make goals that worked for me. I'm currently weighing up the options for the years ahead with the possibility of doing a masters or even a big move!
Who knows what the future holds. I'm looking forward to making my 27th year even better than this one. What are some things you have done this year that made you happy? Also, if you are a July baby like me then I'd love to know your summer birthday celebration plans!
Lyndsay xo
