This is a an article that I have posted before in my personal blog…..

While living each day, many of us may be so accustomed to our routine lifestyles and habits. Some may give excuses and blame others/situations for not being able to “live out” of their boring routines, while others may feel too complacent to even bother about  “living a changed life”.

Some time ago, I felt so “unmotivated” suddenly because everyday is simply work, home and then same types of activities in our free time.   Well, should I say that my routines became so predictable until my mood became unpredictable? *faint*

There came a point when I have to admit that I felt so tired and upset over the whole monotonous life and I started to get so unenthusiastic and in fact wished that I could break away from that usual lifestyle. Then, I started to so some self-reflections.  At certain point in time, it became clear that  I could put in a little effort to inspire myself to take a different look at life and create a little different routine in life.

So how do we change that little routine in life?  [Well, for all you know, changing that little routine in life could bring a whole new experience, enable us to see new things, know new people, and find richness in life from a different perspective.]

Imagine the footsteps that we take in life.....In life, are we walking in a circular motion everyday or are we always making the same "back and forth" steps? What will it be like to take a different step?

Amongst other examples, sometimes, I will do my grocery shopping at a different supermarket. In fact, grocery shopping has become such a tedious routine over weekends that I can walk to different sections of the usual supermarket that I patronize, even with my eyes closed.  A different supermarket set-up and a different group of shoppers offer me a different shopping experience altogether:)  In other times (like I had mentioned in an earlier post), we might also enjoy ”picnic” style dining [hmmm....a breakaway from usual norm].

My friend has asked me why don’t I just spend time with my kids at home over weekends and wonder where I find the stamina to create that “whole new outing experience” almost every week –haha, especially with 2 active and demanding boys! To me, the answer is simple - although it might be easier to just sleep our time away at home or stay at home while the kids self-entertain themselves, it is definitely more fulfilling when I see the happy faces of my family as they embrace new experiences and get that additional exposures.

I like my kids to be more "exposed" to different useful experiences in life and hopefully create colourful and yet beneficial childhood memories for them. I hope I do not live to regret one day that I did not even try to help them in seeing life and the world from a different perspective.

I like these moments when I can break away from the routine of being a stern mother...to being a friend of my kids

So, it is often this little difference in the routines that we make in life that brings more colour to our lives and that of the people around us. Do you agree?

Think about these little variations in life:

• Everyday, as we drive to work or other destinations, have we ever wondered that if we were willing to just live with a little inconvenience, we could actually relax in the comfort of a public transport driven by others, and just sit back and sleep or admire the scenes outside?
• For people who have been always patronising the same shops and buying the same things, have you ever realised that perhaps there are other things to offer and other stuff to enjoy at other places?
• If you have been putting blames on others for your unexcitable or stiffling life, have you ever considered that just taking a “little” step forward to make a little difference in your life routine, could have added a little sunshine in your life?
• For those of us who are parents, have you convinced yourself that we do still have our personal space to enjoy although striking a “work-family” or “self-family” balance is not so easy?
• For those of you who are always on your way home for dinner, have you ever wondered that sometimes eating out can add that little flavour in life? Vice versa, dropping by our parents’ home for homecooked meals can add a warm taste in life.

So….have you been also adding a little variation to your routines and enjoying that little change of essence in your life?

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