TKGC Hero - Sarah Lilly

Sarah Lilly is a Kiwi mama, business owner and blogger. She's all about living her best life everyday, positive vibes & having a grateful heart. We asked her for her thoughts on life.
Everyone has their own definition and opinion of what their own perfect life should be, can you give us an idea of what it means to you? I believe a perfect life is one where we are really truly happy. Where you wake up each morning and are grateful for existing and are excited for what each day brings. I believe being happy is definitely a mindset and a huge part of this is being grateful for what you have rather than constantly waiting on the next thing that we think will make us happy.  The more grateful I have become in life, the more happiness I have been attracting. I’m a big believer in the law of attraction!


I really only have been living what I consider to be my perfect life for the last few months and in that time, I honestly can’t believe how much I have transformed as a person in the process!  I know I’m still growing and learning, and still discovering exactly what path I want to be on, but I honestly couldn’t be happier right at the moment.  I think we are always on the journey and as long as we are remaining positive and learning life’s lessons, then we are heading in the direction we are meant to be!

 


Figuring out what your own personal best life is, compared to just trying to mirror others seems to be a pretty important thing these days, how do you find the balance between taking advice from others and applying it to your own life? 

I think it’s super easy to compare our lives to others, especially with social media - we are given the illusion that others have the perfect life, and it leads us to compare our lives to their glamorous show reel. But that’s exactly what it is - highlights. Everyone has good and bad things  in their life and I think it’s so important to remember no one has the “perfect life”.

I know in the past I’ve tried to do what others do in the hope of being successful/fashionable/get more followers, or whatever else it might have been to be more like who I was trying to copy and would then be disappointed when it didn’t work. I remember years ago my mum told me you can never wish to have someone else’s life unless you would 100% swap with them - that’s friends, family, everything. When you look at it this way,  is there really anyone you would want to swap with? I just remind myself of this anytime I feel like I am comparing myself to someone, or wishing I could be more like someone else!

When it comes to implementing advice into my life, I pick and choose what I feel like I need at the time. I am not a fan of unsolicited advice at all and I much prefer to seek out advice when I feel I need it! 

 


Was there anything specific moment that made you want to “live your best life” as it were, or have you found that being set an example at a young age helped you on your way. 

For me, the end of a relationship earlier in the year was what kickstarted me to find “me”. Something that could have been absolutely horrible, actually ended up being one of the most defining moments of my life and from there I have grown so much as a person, in terms of both confidence and the way I look at life.

I really love the motto “things happen FOR us, not TO us” and I think this is a great way to look at everything that happens in life. While not everything that happens will always be good, there is usually some positive to be found in there, whether it’s personal growth, learning a new skill, or being forced out of our comfort zone. Not everything in life will be good, but I believe it's about trying to find the good in the situation and going from there.

 

 

How important do you think personal wellbeing is to helping you live the life you want? 

Personal wellbeing plays a huge part in my life now, but it didn’t always. I would hardly ever put myself first or take time to do the things I wanted to do as I was always running around trying to keep everyone else happy, and it really took its toll. Now I make a point to take time out for myself, because I now know that if my cup isn’t full, then I don’t have anything of quality left for anyone else!

Journalling is something I’ve recently started, and I do a few minutes every night - I wish I had started earlier! I also practise gratitude every morning and night and think about all of the things I am grateful for each day. I also try to fit in a couple of yoga or meditation sessions each week. Even if it’s just 10 or 20 minutes a couple of times a week, it’s just a nice reset.

I am currently trying to overhaul my diet a bit, and reduce the amount of sugar that I eat (I have a massive sweet tooth!). I’m trying to add in some healthier recipes and snacks! This is a work in progress, but I’m making progress in the right direction!

 


Achieving the life you want doesn’t just happen overnight, do you have any personal habits or routines you’ve developed that helped you achieve yours? 

As I mentioned, I’ve recently started journalling, and I’ve found it such a relaxing and reflective way to end my day. I love getting all of my thoughts and ideas on to paper and out of my brain, and I find a good brain dump is a great way to end the day and prepare myself for sleep. I’m also someone who thrives on do to lists and using planners to keep myself on track and organised.

Saying my gratitudes both first thing in the morning and last thing at night is such a positive way to start and end the day and it reminds me just how lucky I am. It’s also the perfect way to boost my mood and make myself more positive if I’ve had a bad day!

I also listen to a lot of motivational podcasts, and quite often have one playing in the background while I’m getting ready for the morning. I’ve learnt so much from listening to these and they always set me into a positive and happy mood for the day - good music does the same too!

 

 

Since you’ve been living life the way you want, what’s one part of your day you’ve come to love more than the rest? 

I actually love getting up in the morning (and I never ever used to be a morning person!). I wake up, say my thanks to the universe, and then go and get my son out of bed. He has breakfast while I have a coffee and we just enjoy our quiet time together. I try to make a point of not being on my phone or having any other distractions, and just fully enjoy the moment. This simple moment every morning has really become one of my favourite parts of the day!



Finally, everyone will go about finding and living their own personal “best life” in their own way, but are there any tips or last words of advice you wish you were told?
I really wish I had learned about things like gratitude, journalling, meditation, and mindset much earlier on, and I highly recommend everyone look into these practises. They have had such a hugely positive impact on my mood and outlook on life, and have helped me through some fairly hard times! Before I started getting interested in these things, I thought they were totally woo woo, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! I guess my best advice to those looking to create their best life would be don’t rule anything out. Explore all of your options, and go with your gut and what feels right… you never know what you might find!