Cultivating Purpose

Hello everyone,

I hope you’re doing well!

This week on my blog I wanted to talk about cultivating purpose.

For a long time my purpose in life wasn’t something that had ever crossed my mind. Prior to leaving my abusers care I almost just existed and though I very much had dreams I never thought I would ever be in a position to put them into place nor did I think they would ever have the ability to come true.

After I left my last therapy I was left with a strange sort of feeling. Don’t get me wrong I was eternally grateful to get to the place I had, but I was left feeling a little lost and almost with a feeling of ‘well,what now?!’

I quite literally had a blank slate. I was no longer trapped inside my abusers care nor in my own mind and I was left to go forward and create the life I wanted. Yes that sounds all very lovely, but at the same time it felt like the world had just opened up and got a whole lot bigger for this little lady!

Patience with myself was something my therapist was keen to remind me of and I spent a lot of time just soaking in life. A life where I could just go to bed without checking the oven in patterns of 3, 6-9 times or go to bed without having night terrors that would leave my finger nails imbedded in my palms.

As time went by I realised that I had already found my purpose and was doing what I had previously only dreamt of. Yes, I had goals to further my blog and share my story and that was something that my therapist had also encouraged me to do, but I found my purpose was also just to quite simply, enjoy life.

I always find it funny explaining these point of view to people and when I shared with a friend some time ago that my dream was to have a garden they said “Doesn’t that just come with a house?” I feel that road to recovery and healing journey really leaves us with a more positive outlook and also a different kind of appreciation for life and the little things in it that most wouldn’t think twice about.

I realised my purpose was to quite simply just ‘do life’. To really soak it up. Embrace all those things that I once thought were so far from me. From getting a house WITH a garden and getting myself a pup (tick that one off!)

Purpose is a funny little thing and often most peoples purposes are centred around their careers and work but I don’t believe that should be solely what purpose is all about. (Don’t get me wrong, my blog is a big part of mine!)

Still, no matter what you purpose is in life studies have shown it holds great benefits from being great for our mental health to even prolonging our lives!

I can definitely confirm that it has been great for my mental health and I am grateful for taking that time to work out what purpose really meant to me. Its safe to say I have ticked one goal off my list (ahem, miss Lola bear!) but I shake myself as I tick off another too. A house and yes, with a garden!

Previously I had lived in the city to be closer to work etc, but since making the decision to work solely on my blog and from home I have since moved out into the country and found myself in a home that I would have only dreamed of. Previously I had various herb boxers scattered around my windowsills and small garden section, but this year and upon moving I have found myself with more space and a bit of a green thumb! Alright, not quite. However I have been planting till my hearts content that’s for sure!

Let me tell you its been a learning experience from fighting off butterflies to working out just who’s little feet have been clambering all over my carrots! Yep, carrots, cabbages courgettes, capsicums, tomatoes, you name it!

The whole experience has been so rewarding and it has been amazing to reflect on tipping those little packets of seeds into the soil and weeks later collecting handfuls of fresh rocket and tomatoes to feed and fuel my mind and body during the day!

I don’t know what’s best, that whole process or that the produce is so much nicer than the regular fruit and vegetables from the supermarket. I had never previously thought that much about it, but my word you can tell the difference!

If you read my last post with The Cool Gardener you will know their falafels are a firm favourite of mine but another is their beetroot patties! Currently I have been layering them on a fresh ciabatta roll with rockets and tomatoes from the garden and homemade chutney that was actually given to me by a friend who has also caught the gardening bug too!

I imagine The Cool Gardners purpose would follow similar suit as they pride themselves on good honest food: made by Kiwis for Kiwis and work with New Zealand gardeners who are as passionate about plants as they are! I love being able to partner fresh produce with equally nutritious products like The Cool Gardner and their selection of goods really has been the perfect partner to a wide range of things I have been growing from their falafels to beetroot patties and cauliflower schnitzel!

To me its just the epitome of purpose and the planting, nurturing and harvesting truly has been so beneficial to my mental health. When I speak to those friends who have also caught the gardening bug the light in their eyes and grin on their faces would too suggest it was a huge part of purpose for them too!

Its great to have big goals, but I believe its just as important and beneficial to appreciate all the little things in life along the way!

What goals are you trying to cultivate or what have you achieved that you once thought was out of reach? ⁣I would love to hear!