This year for me started out quite interesting.

I had school holidays from late December until February this year and then I had long service leave for 5 weeks.

In total, I had 11 weeks of leave, wow!

I had so much planned I wanted to get into the gym and work out, I wanted to go and stay at a hotel near the beach.

I wanted to take walks along the beach and just listen to the waves and feel the sand under my feet.

I wanted to declutter my house and sort through things.

I wanted to go out for lunch and catch up with friends for coffee.

I wanted to work on my self-care.

I wanted to journal.

I wanted to work on my book.

I had so much planned for this time off.

But!

I did not realise the impact that last year had on me.

It was probably one of the hardest years I have had as a Chaplain.

I felt like I carried that year on my shoulders and didn’t know the weight of what I was carrying.

I didn’t realise the impact it had on my body until I stopped after Christmas.

I mean I really stopped; I had no desire to go anywhere.

I had no desire to be creative and I love being creative.

I just sat on my couch and watched Netflix.

It was not what I had planned.

I felt like I had fallen into a deep pit and I had no idea how to get out.

I was stuck.

It was difficult and I reached out for help.

I was advised that I just needed to rest and recover.

I was questioning how do I do that, what does that look like for me.

I didn’t plan to spend my holidays, staying at home.

I went back to work and really didn’t feel 100% but I was so happy to see everyone.

Slowly I began my climb out of the pit.

I prayed.

It was a journey and I slowly began climbing out of the pit.

There is hope, there is always hope and sometimes you need a pause to gather your thoughts and work on your new journey.

If you are feeling like you are in a pit, reach out and keep reaching until you find someone who listens to you.

Keep reaching out, until you find someone that is there for you.

I am cheering you on.

I will share more soon.

Tracey Buckley

I joined the gym late last year in December, I think that I was helping them pay their mortgage for a while.

I decided finally to get a Personal Trainer and we worked on my goals and what I wanted to achieve by going to the gym.

My goal at the time was to go to the gym three times a week.

In February I was on long service leave from my job and I did get to the gym a few times and then I went back to work and things sort of stalled.

My turning point- I had a session with my trainer one morning at 5.45 am. Yes, read that again 5.45 am. Well, this morning he didn’t turn up (there was a confusion about the day) so I thought I am here so let’s do a workout. It was the push I needed.

I am grateful for the day mix up as this started me on my gym journey

I am now finishing week 4 of going 3 times a week and I love it.

I get up at 4.45 am have my coffee and then get ready.

I am at the gym at 5.45 am on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings.

I am loving it.

I have noticed that I am getting stronger, I have put my weights up on most of my exercises.

I have also planked for 5 minutes and 8 seconds.

This week I am going to try to plank for 6 minutes, aarhh.

Now just letting you know that I am not doing it for weight loss, I am wanting to get fit, tone up and for my mental health.

I am enjoying taking some time out of my busy day and spending time on my self-care.

Self-care is my word for this year and yes it is a work in progress.

I will share more soon.

Tracey

Last week I wrote about self-care and last year I really didn’t do it that well.

There was a lot going on.

So, I am putting in plans to do it well this year.

This is my self-care part two.

I know that it is another venerable post but I am wanting to be real with my blogs.

I am wanting to make a difference.

What are my plans for this year-

• Walk twice a week
• Sing everyday
• Go to the gym 3 times a week
• Once a month boxing session
• Blog one to two times a week
• Finish work on time once a week
• Work on songs – this could be writing and learning the lyrics
• Got to art therapy
• Sleep in one day on the weekend
• Catching up with friends
• Going out for coffee
• Being creative
• Write
• Work on my book
• Catch up with family
• Catch up with my nieces and nephew
• Visit my music mentor this year in Melbourne
• This is a difficult one for me but saying no to things (aahhh)
•  Have fun.

What are you putting in place for your self-care I would love to hear from you.

Let’s encourage one another in our journey.

Let’s cheer each other on.

From Tracey

My word for this year is-

  Self-Care

This is a vulnerable post, and I really want to encourage others through my journey.

Last year was the most challenging year that I have had in a long time.

As a Chaplain and also in my life journey.

I work as a primary school chaplain and I love my role, I really do.

I think that the last time that I have a year like this was in 2016, but that was also mild compared to last year.

There have also been other challenging years like 2007, but that is another journey that I will share later.

You know when you just go and keep on going when there are difficult situations happening?

It is like you have dived underwater and do not know where the surface is.

It is like you swim to the bottom, you swim to the side and then finally you find the surface.

You have held your breath for so long and when you eventually surface, you find yourself gasping for air.

It is time-consuming, it really is

This year I am going to focus on my self-care.

For me this is quite challenging, I know that I can support others but I need to take what I say to others and take my own advice.

Yes.

This year I am going to focus on things that I really love.

I am going to do things that fill my bucket.

I love being creative I really do.

So, this year I have joined a gym and have an amazing personal trainer.

He is also a boxer, so I have had I few PT sessions with him.

I also want to get back into my singing.

My plan this year is to visit my music mentor who is in Melbourne.

She is from Carer and Carter; they are country music artists who have won golden guitars.

I will share how I met her in another blog.

I have also decided not to take on too many things.

I find this difficult and after last year I really need to change what I do.

I want to do things that fill my bucket.

I was talking with a friend this year that said your bucket was not full.

I said my bucket, I only had the handle.

We laughed about this.

I am so grateful for the amazing people that I work with that have been there for me.

It has encouraged me so much.

I am grateful.

I will share more later.

What are you grateful for today?

Let’s encourage one another.

Tracey

I love being creative, I really do.

Most of you will know if you have been following me that I work as a primary school Chaplain, which I love.

I really do.

I love spending the weekends being creative.

Creativity for me is investing in self-care.

We always talk about self-care and what that looks like.

It is really important.

I must confess sometimes I am not very good at self-care.

I know.

I had a session with my supervisor this week and she knows that this term for me has been very busy and full on.

As I have said to some people that I work with, this term just looks different.

This term has been full on.

This term has been busy.

This term has been about others.

This term has had moments when I just sit in the space with students that want to have a chat.

This term I am available for them, they are my priorities.

My self-care has been-

So, this weekend I have been looking at a course about creating a journal by Roma Waterman.

Roma Waterman is an amazing Christian woman.

I have also been posting on Tik Tok, my user name is princesssparkles24, and I would love you to follow me.

I am also on Instagram traceybuckley1.

I have also been working on making some journals as well.

I am committing this week to create something every day and posting it.

I would love to hear what you are doing for self-care, let’s encourage one another.

I am also passionate about community.

Love you

Tracey

I don’t know about you but life gets busy, it really does.

I have just returned from a 5-day school camp with the year 6’s at one of the schools that I work at.

We went to Point Peron in Rockingham and had the most amazing time.

I was able to do abseiling, archery, orienteering, laser tag and the Point Peron Challenge.

Oh, and The Tracey Show, I will tell you more about this in another blog.

It was long days but oh so worth it, so many lovely memories were made.

I came home exhausted but very grateful.

I did rest for the whole weekend.

I have been thinking a lot about what brings me joy and bringing more joy back into my life.

Now it is not that I have totally lost my joy, it is that I need to have some things in my life that fuel me. That inspires me and that sparks my creativity.

So, for the next five weeks I am setting myself a challenge.

Drum roll please………………

My challenge for the next few weeks is to do something every day to bring more joy into my life.

To keep myself accountable I will blog about the things that I do.

I might even share some of my adventures on tik tok.

Search for @princesssparkles24.

I am being very vulnerable here.

Let’s encourage one another.

What is one thing that you can do each day to bring more joy to your life?

I would love to hear from you.

Let the challenge begin.

Lots of love

Tracey

Recovery Part Two.

I am so grateful to be able to share my journey for Recovered Living.

My message is you are worthy, valued and loved.

I am cheering you on.

You are amazing.

I want to make a difference.

I am here for you.

Lots of Love

Tracey

I am so grateful for having God in my life and how he wove all the amazing people that we’re able to help me.

The journey was not easy but it was possible.

I am so grateful for the most amazing people in my life.

I have always had on my heart that I want to make a difference.

I have always wanted to make a difference.

I am cheering you on.

You are amazing.

Lots of love

Tracey

I love the weekend, I really do and I love the time to just be.

I love the time to just reflect on the week that has been.

I love the time to embrace the week that has been.

I love the time to just slow down and to take a breath.

I love that I have the time to drink my coffee slowly and to sit on my lounge.

What do you enjoy about the weekend?

What are some things that you do on your weekend?

I would love to hear from you.

On the weekend there is time to inhale and exhale.

On the weekend there is time to be present in the moment.

The weekends are also my time to be creative.

I love being creative.

I really do.

Creativity is something that fills my bucket, I need to be creative every day.

Creativity fuels me, it encourages me, it is important to me.  

My creative purpose today is to encourage others.

This weekend I am sending out encouraging messages, I love this.

I really do.

I love encouraging others.

I am wanting to send out encouraging messages.

If you would love to receive one, please message me.

Let’s encourage one another.

Who are you going to encourage today?

This week I am going to post on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/theheartproject.net a picture a day of what I am grateful for.

I will also post a picture a day on this website as well.

There is so much going on in our world that we can focus on the negative and get drawn in.

What we focus on magnifies. It is so true.

This is an opportunity to look at what we have in our world and how grateful we are.

It’s the little things that we can overlook and not realise that what we have someone else is praying for.

I what to grab my phone and focus on capturing the wonder in our lives. I want to notice the little things; I want to be in the moment and be mindful.

I want to slow down and notice life in the slow lane.

I want to notice the goodness in our lives, I really do.

So, I am taking a deep breath and beginning.