My life has been touched by some uber amazing women whose passion for life and the way they choose to live it have really inspired me. Some are bloggers, some are not, their lives are all different and they are all special. I feel honoured and privileged that they are sharing their stories and sprinkling a little bit of their awesome right here. May you be wom-inspired!
Meet Emily Hawker.
Emily wears so many hats on the interwebs, both literally and metaphorically and there are just so many reasons to love her. For one thing, she certainly knows how to rock a frock (or pretty much any outfit really), you can follow her fashionable adventures on Styling You’s #everydaystyle hashtag. She’s an avid reader and reviewer of books (both for adults and children,) and she’s a muscial maestro, if you don’t believe me, check out her cover versions of some classic songs here and here… Surely, it’s only a matter of time before Emily gets a record deal? But that’s not all, Emily is an exceptional writer and my favourite Grammar Guru. I don’t think there’s anything that Emily doesn’t know about grammar – she’s even got a Practical Grammatical series on her blog. I don’t know about you, but I for one, totes need to take a leaf out of her grammar book. She’s also living with PKD and has given up chocolate which let’s face it, is no mean feat. It’s National Stroke Week this week, Em wrote this post which is as powerful and inspiring as it is educational. I’m sure you’ll agree, for so many reasons, Emily’s so inspiring.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m Emily. I’m a stay-at-home mum, wife, daughter, reluctant housewife, writer, editor, blogger, serial winner of 25-words-or-less competitions, former marketeer, recovering chocoholic, wordsmith, pianist and geek.
I blog about reading, writing, singing, familying and verbing at emhawkerblog. And about whatever else takes my fancy!
Tell us 3 things you are and 3 things you’re not.
Three things I am: wordy, nerdy and an inventor of new words like absurdy. (I’m also the world’s lamest poet.)
Three things I’m not: quiet, patient and coordinated.
Complete this sentence, ____________________ changed my life. How and why?
Having children. Original, huh? Plenty of things have changed my life – my father’s death, my PKD diagnosis, meeting and marrying the love of my life – but none as substantially as having kids. Now and for the rest of my life, the wellbeing and happiness of two certain people in my life will be as high a priority as my own.
What has been life’s greatest lesson?
If you hear something often enough, you will start to believe it. But if you’re surrounded by people who tell you things you don’t want to (and shouldn’t) believe, you have the power to tell them no.
What is your biggest achievement?
My kids. Man, I’m getting predictable! But I’m so gosh darn proud of them, it’s ridiculous. And pregnancy wasn’t easy for me (nor was falling pregnant, and nor was the birth of my eldest) so those things certainly add to the feeling of achievement. My husband and I made actual people! And now we’re helping them grow and learn! And we also get to watch them do those things, and plenty more, all on their own. It’s amazing.
What has been your toughest obstacle and how have you overcome it?
Self-doubt. I spent a lot of time in my late teens and early twenties talking myself down so that someone else in my life wouldn’t get the chance to do it first. It was a joking self-deprecation strategy that backfired big time when I started to believe my own jokes.
This will sound lame and inspirational quote-like, but I’m working towards overcoming it simply by recognising it. And actively stopping myself from doing it. Most of the time. It’s a work in progress.
Viktor Frankl says “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how.” Everyone needs a purpose, what’s yours?
To share my words. With my family, with my friends, with my blog followers, with the world. With whoever will have them.
What are your words to live by?
As an anxious person who overthinks everything, I adore this from Michael J. Fox: Don’t spend a lot of time imagining the worst-case scenario. It rarely goes down as you imagine it will, and if by some fluke it does, you will have lived it twice.
If you could have any mentor, alive or dead, who would you choose and why?
Julia Donaldson. She writes songs. She writes best-selling books for children. And from what I’ve seen of her, she’s modest and unassuming without being self-deprecating. She could definitely teach me a thing or two. Or twenty.
If you could play hookie for a day what would be on your list to do?
Sleep. Read. Write. Get a massage. Play the piano. Sing. Cuddle my family. Eat yummy food.
You give so much to others, what do you do to take care of yourself?
I read and write. It’s how I charge my battery.
Thank you for sharing, Emily.
Let Emily inspire you a little bit more…
on the blog
on facebook
on instagram
and on twitter
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