It's currently less than a week out from Christmas and only recently have I found myself with the time to slow down and reflect on what has been a year and a half of achieving and smashing goals as I look back on my last post here 1.5 years ago post Canada. Dad was up early as usual, up and out of the house for work at 530am. Mum and I have started a nice little routine taking 630am walks around the new neighbourhood here in Blacktown. Jimbois officially moved in with Courtney (my soon to be sister in law but she doesn't know that yet!) and with her family in Mascot. It's nice to see little brother achieving and hitting goals as well - I always knew he would.
There really isn't anywhere to start since I came from Canada and since the last post in here but lets rewind back into time...
Canada was fresh, mind was buzzing and body was full of energy as I spent a couple of weeks after landing back in Sydney to recoup and plan my next few moves. It started by recognising and prioritising some things that needed doing - mainly paying off my debt that I'd started some 6 years earlier when I bought the yellow Renault. The first thing I did was implement the skills and strategies I'd learnt by reading the Barefoot Investor. A fantastic book that I'm sure has impacted several generations for the better. Where once upon a time money was a drag it was a chance to further empower myself after I'd just conquered my health woes. The biggest lesson I took away from that book was in the words of "Pay yourself first" - the book talks about putting money aside for yourself to enjoy guilt free and to only then use the balance to douse all the other financial commitments. The line itself is simple but its the perspective that rang true. I set up my budget as usual, called upon old debts I had and paid everyone and everything back by August 2019. Credit Cards all cancelled by November 2019. Debt free for the first time in 7 years. BOOM. Goal achieved.
My ability to work on my financial goals started with picking up casual work through a couple of agencies and several casual pools. ASEPS, OrthoAngels, Chris O'Brien Lifehouse and Westmead Childrens Hospital. I ended up working so much and so hard it reminded me of why I put a hiatus on nursing to begin with which landed me my job at Zimmerbiomet - the one thing I took away that I am forever thankful for is Sarah whom I met at Campbeltown Private Hospital during one of my agency nursing stints. The sweetest most thoughtful person I have met period.
Sarah and I have been dating to date for just over 1.5 years. This girl is the one I've spent this entire time convincing her that a proposal won't happen for another few years. She's a smart girl and I'm sure she's got her suspicions - I've bought the ring already. A very memorable moment though is when I asked her dad for permission to marry her. We were out on one of our early morning fishing-kayak sessions at Appletree bay along the Hawkesbury river. On the water by 630am we were out for a few hours and spent the whole time thinking of how to break it to him. Our morning was cut short however without a single fish in sight so we decided to fall back to his project boat conveniently moored at Appletree. We brought the boat around to the pontoon and helped him load the microwave, said hello to a few snooty locals but carried on. After all the work was done we had some coffee out on the back enjoying the rising morning sun. Now, I have had this moment played out in my head many times over leading up to this moment and if there was one thing I was fairly confident about it would be my confidence. But no, I quickly found myself nervous with an increase in heart rate haha but I asked - "Pete, Sarah and I have been dating for awhile now and I'd love nothing more than to be able to propose and marry her with your permission" - It was definitely one of those moments that I will remember for the rest of my life not only for myself but also for Peter as a Dad to Sarah. I was a nervous wreck but his face shone and lit up with the biggest smile I think I'd ever seen him with. The rest of the conversation to follow was a bit of a blur but we spoke about families, future and the good and expected challenges. I appreciated his opinion and words of advice. We have some good times in Japow 2020 to come :) I also got Sarah a big F**K O** stone for a ring! can't believe they cost so much but I guess it just means the bigger the smile :D
I think with everything good that's happened I always have to take a step and talk about the journey to this point - it hasn't been easy. Enjoyable but not the ideal journey television and social media/pressures seem to define the benchmark. I have had a long history of being single in my mind and time has been furious having gone by in a blink of an eye. What I've learn't about myself was that I was truly fractured in the slightest of ways from all of the experiences I've had in the past. Things that may not affect some people but definitely had an effect on me. Not just with past relationships, but friends and family relationships. In amongst all of that the greatest victim was my trust for people. The output of this lacking part of myself was the sense of entitlement I developed over the years to disregard other peoples feelings as of no consequence from my own actions. I've met some fantastic women along the way and have had the pleasure to indulge in momentary connections but I almost always hurt someone and at the time, I honestly did not care or ignored with effort. That wasn't/isn't me and it's a thought that always at the back of my mine.
Sarah has shown me only the best of what people have to offer and every time I see her I am reminded of how lucky I am to accept me for who I am even with all of my shortcomings and so here is the next life lesson learnt. Relationships take time to manifest and develop but in Sarah not only have I found someone who I genuinely can trust but I've also unexpectedly found someone who I want to build and walk through life with. Isn't that a fantastic present for 2019? We've bought a house a few weeks ago and I can't wait to get on with life and see what 2020 will bring.
Head down, thumbs up. With the right people. :)
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