If you’ve been following this series you’ll have realised that the women are all inspiring and all beautifully different but the questions are always the same. This is mostly because it took me forever to come up with my top ten questions and partly because I’m too time poor and not nearly inspired enough to dream up ten new ones every week. Besides, I love how each of interviewee takes those questions and in their answers makes them their own. It’s eye openingly amazing! I feel honoured and privileged that these women are sharing their stories and sprinkling a little bit of their awesome right here. Thank you for joining me. May you be wom-inspired!
Meet Chantelle Ellem.
When I first started blogging (and when I say blogging I mean gut spilling,) Fat Mum Slim was the first blog I read and it was kind of love at first read. Really, it was. To read Chantelle, is to love Chantelle. She is one of the kindest people on the interwebs (if not the whole planet) she is a beautiful soul and I am sure her heart is made of solid gold. She is totes my blogging idol and I’m so happy to have her here because to me, she’s is so inspiring. Not just as a blogger but as a wonderful human being.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I blog at Fat Mum Slim. It’s where I share living my life inspired, recipes, photography, parenting and anything that tickles my fancy.
Tell us 3 things you are and 3 things you’re not.
I am creative, understanding and hopeful.
I am not good at dieting, or sitting still or making beds.
Complete this sentence, ____________________ changed my life. How and why?
Back when Lacey was 3 months old, I decided to start a blog. It was going to be a space for myself where I tried to inspire myself into the thin person I always dreamed of being. I didn’t get the “thin”, but I did get this whole new life that I couldn’t even have imagined even for a moment would happen. Blogging has changed my life, because it’s connected me with people from all over the world, from so many different corners. I can’t imagine living in a world before the internet, when you’d only be able to meet so many different wonderful people by traveling and searching for them. I get to meet these people from my own home, and get to know who they are, the beautiful and the sad details of their lives. It’s pretty amazing when you think about it.
What has been life’s greatest lesson?
That life is what you make of it. I think we all get thrown challenges, and some of us get bigger challenges than others, but I’ve realised in life it’s what you make of your life. There are times when I just want to crawl back into bed and feel sorry for myself {woe is me, seriously!} but life is something worth celebrating. I just want to live each day of it, as much as I can.
What is your biggest achievement?
This is going to sound so cheesy, but my marriage. Of all the people in the world I found my soul mate. I just love that we just get each other, we laugh, we laugh some more and we just have fun. I’m so grateful that I get to walk through life with Shane by my side. We’re best friends, lovers, parents and… soul mates. Together we made two pretty {rambunctious!} girls, who test us tirelessly, but make us into better people by being our kids.
What has been your toughest obstacle and how have you overcome it?
I’ve had lots of obstacles in life, and I think my biggest would have to be overcoming the trauma of being sexually abused as a small child. Without it happening to you, I guess it might be hard to realise how those experiences can impact on so many facets of your life. There was a time in my teens when I was over the fight. The memories and thoughts consumed me, and I was just done. I think reaching out, getting help and healing was a long and necessary journey, and one I have to deal with all the time, but so worth it to get to where I am now.
Viktor Frankl says “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how.” Everyone needs a purpose, what’s yours?
What an awesome question. I feel like I’m doing a poor job at my purpose of late, because I’m so stupidly time poor and exhausted, but I feel like my purpose is to make a difference. I don’t think I’m going to do anything earth-shattering {maybe I will, I hope I do!}, but I am content with making small differences; loving my girls and growing them into awesome human beings, being the positive in people’s lives, reaching out and connecting with people and hopefully allowing them to see the beautiful in every day life.
What are your words to live by?
Oh so many! It changes all the time. I think ‘one day at a time’ are words that I keep coming back to, in parenting, work and life.
If you could have any mentor, alive or dead, who would you choose and why?
Oprah! Oh I love Oprah. Because, Oprah. I think I’d learn so much from her. I love her. Oops, I said that already.
If you could play hookie for a day what would be on your list to do?
Nothing. I’d get a hotel {so I wouldn’t feel the responsibility that home brings} and I’d read magazines, drink tea and just chill out. Maybe even watch Sex & the City reruns? Can I go do that now?
You give so much to others, what do you do to take care of yourself?
I haven’t been great at practicing self-care, but I’m working on it. I’ve actually booked a hotel for a night next week so Hubby and I can relax, get massages and treat ourselves. I’m so excited about it, I can’t even explain!
Thank you for sharing, Chantelle.
Let Chantelle inspire you a little bit more…
on the blog
on facebook
on pinterest
on instagram
and on twitter
