To all the men and women who served all of us so gallantly and came home, or did not, The Burnout Queens and The Burnout Pups are grateful and proud of your service.
WE WILL NEVER FORGET
With love, The Burnout Queens xx
Hello from Lewes & London! 11 November 2017
The October ritual season is upon us. Of course we bring old rituals with us from Canada and have adopted new rituals over the last eight years in the UK. If there is one thing that signifies Autumn arriving it’s the flight of geese overhead and the appearance of gourds, pumpkins and little black witches sitting in the weekly market stall.
Our first UK ritual began attending art exhibitions and fairs. Our favourite ‘never miss’ is now the Affordable Art Fair in London. Creativity on tap over tea and croissants. Just a great day out every year.
Hallowe’en in North America as many of you know is a big thing. The UK is just catching on, but we were prepared. Alas, no children, so we were forced (!) to eat the candies ourselves. When it comes to costumes we have not been disappointed, as Lewes Bonfire Night is something really, really big in the UK. It starts mid-day with the town shutting all it’s transportation, boarding up the high street shops and dressing for the evening celebrations and parades.
We had been warned that this is a parade and fireworks like nothing we had ever experienced before. We were told it would be a good idea to take the pups away for the weekend as the canon booms and fireworks shook the houses. But we are The Burnout Queens so we stayed to make it yet another ritual that we were preparing for. A ‘pet remedy’ plugin to chill the dogs (it absolutely worked and seems an understatement given the noise outside), and a magnificent view of the fireworks from our kitchen window.
The parade of pirates, military, Native Indians and Zulus, 80 people deep, carrying flaming sticks and crosses through the street, up through the castle keep and out to the High Street where they were met by Highland Pipers all proceeding down to meet at the War Memorial was a sight to behold. Wreathes and prayers over, the fireworks began and the skies around Lewes were filled with red smoke and what we fondly call the ‘boom, boom, sparkleys so the dogs don’t freak out.
Rituals are what makes our lives here in England interesting. Although we often share our everyday chores, teas and walks, these extra special rituals are icing on the cake (and you know us with cake)!
We hope you have great rituals that give you joy and mark your year in special ways. Of course, the next big ritual is growing close, and you know what that means…ho, ho, ho!
Here’s a proper newspaper picture of Lewes Bonfire Night…and yes…the house shook!
Until next month. Happy boom, boom, sparkleys!
P.S: If you have pictures of rituals that mark your years, we would love to see them. Share them in the comments section of our blog (http://www.theburnoutqueens.com/blog)
When the time is right, One Decision can be simple and clear.
The #Burnout Queens Wisdom: When the time is right, One Decision can be simple and clear.
One Decision
#Burnout Queens Wisdom: You deserve to live a life that raises you up, and sometimes that requires One Decision. One Decision may feel like a dive off the high-board and, you know what, it probably is. However, do not overlook, doubt, or forget that you are smart, creative, strong, insightful, powerful, intelligent and you are worth it.
Don’t Read This If You Are a Commitment-phobe! | Burnout Proof Your Life
It’s always good form to stop periodically and take stock of where I’m at, what needs doing, what needs to change and where I can just sit back and exhale. So I’m harking back to a question I often ask myself at the beginning of the year, “What am I committed to this year?” and forwarding my focus to the remainder of 2017.
What am I committed to for the rest of this year?
Now for me this question isn’t about the ‘doing’ end of things; not my ‘to do’ lists (which often languish) or juggling stuff (no fancy footwork here) no, it is all about the commitment side of things. That means throwing myself heart and soul into whatever is on my viewmaster for the remaining 2.5 months of 2017 and this year, for me, that means renewing my commitment to living burnout-free.
Out of necessity it’s how I live, that is if I don’t want to dive head first into that burnout trap yet again. It’s about being truthful with myself and owning that truth. It’s about overcoming some sneaky form of fear that can undermine my commitment. It’s about living enthusiastically, energetically, and ‘spirit-fully’.
The Burnout Queens get asked pretty regularly how we make living burnout-free look easy. Most people are surprised when we don’t rattle off a list of all the usual (but, yawn, hum drum) things like, say ‘No’, set goals, make a plan, don’t take on too much, and find balance! Well, we practice what we preach and live to defy ordinary.
Burnout proofing your life has nothing to do with sorting the stuff in your life and everything to do with sorting out YOU!
Start by asking yourself these rather ‘pithy’ questions:
- Are you happy?
- Are you fulfilled?
- Are you pursuing your dreams?
- Do you have a dream?
- Do you believe in yourself?
- Do you live consciously?
- Do you exist with confidence?
- Does your life-work make your soul sing?
If you feel wishy-washy when it comes to saying ‘yes’, you may well have an open door policy to burnout.
Burnout proofing your life can mean the difference between success and…you know.
Most importantly it is very very doable and very very necessary if you don’t want to end up exhausted. Burnout leaves you feeling like you are drowning under the sheer volume of obligations, responsibilities, choices, decisions, problems, worries, fears for the future, and even all the fun and entertaining stuff you try to cram in. (Oh come on admit it, sometimes you make social plans and then end up moaning that you don’t have time or are just plain old too tired to be social).
Now just cause burnout proofing your life sounds so darn practical or, dare we say, dull (Never! The Burnout Queens don’t do dull!) it doesn’t mean it is. In fact, we think it’s just the opposite: it’s creative, inspiring, fun, fulfilling, satisfying, and expanding.
It starts with a commitment deep within your soul. How you live simply starts making sense. You don’t have to ‘find balance’ your life naturally develops a rhythm, a harmony, an equilibrium. You don’t have to worry about ‘finding your meaning and purpose’ (we heard that sigh of relief) your life will BE your purpose in small ways, big ways, inside and out.
So, that’s what I’m committing to for the rest of this year, being willing to defy ordinary and live another burnout free year. That and having a bunch of adventures along the way. Are you ready to come along?
Start living the life you have imagined. One commitment is all it takes.