Hey guys!




So for those of you who have managed to escape my website and actress Facebook page won't know that I've just got back from a month of filming in France, Germany Switzerland and Cameroon for TV pilot- 'Lifeline'.





 I also was then lucky enough to be back in the UK for one night and then fly to Vegas with my older brother for business conferences for our latest family journey (More on this will be revealed soon). But how cool is that? Flying to Vegas (Or Disneyland for adults) for work... you can tell I'm still buzzing from that!












Any way while I was away on set, I got back into my routines of meditating and exercising daily (If you haven't heard of it, the free 'Headspace' app is an incredible way to get into meditation without the frustrations!), and it did absolute wonders for me. My clarity and identity came back as I left the 'rat race' and stopped wearing a watch- at times I couldn't tell you what day it was- what complete and utter serenity and freedom?! Bliss!!








So in this moment, I decided that I had no blog identity... I kind of dipped into a bit of this and that, but no solid plan, you know?... If you don't know where this is going- I now have one!!



I aim to use this as a platform for the 4 main parts of my life, to share with you guys my experiences as an actress (on sets, auditioning, character prepping etc), my fitness journey (including any gluten free recipes, training regimes, or body image epiphanies), my inspirations  (so everything motivational and mindset orientated), and finally the social elements of my life (friends, family, and experiences). Each one will be written about in rotation, 1 per week- that's right you lucky people now get 4 blog posts of my ramblings per month. I'm going to trial this for a couple of months and see how it goes, so anything you want to hear or read about, let me know!


Chal for now lovely people,

Keep smiling :D

Makenna x

                                                                          Hey!




So I've been out of touch for a while- I tend to prefer blogs when people have something to say- you know?



Okay so I'm currently in the middle of shooting a TV pilot which means I'm between countries and amazing locations and life is pretty awesome.



Cue the point of this entry... So when I was younger I really struggled with body image and eating habits as I'm pretty sure the majority of our society does at some point. And from that I've learned that I have to let go of that when shooting or away as I can't control when or what I eat 100% of the time... still learning.

Everyone on set is amazing and bend over backwards to ensure that I have stuff I can eat (I also have a gluten intolerance). This post is more me expressing my journey to mental well being.



 I'm currently rereading a book (and plan to do so multiple more times for the rest of my life) that I've mentioned before in a blog post called 'Creating a bug free mind'. It basically teaches you to let go of our society taught pressures and worries and relearn to live in your now and your present.




These last few weeks shooting have really honed that for me, I'm currently learning to let go of the guilt I usually feel when I have missed countless gym sessions and eaten odd foods at odd times because of the basic fact that I'm working and doing something that I really truly love to do which means that at times I may be working odd hours and my usual go to foods can't come with me on the flight. Hey, that's okay (See? learning ;) )

My point is I almost let myself become overwhelmed with my food control and body image and almost completely missed this incredible filming experience that I strived for and worked for that is happening right under my nose!!!


So today's message is (in my Mum's very wise words), be kind to you. Don't miss your now because you're stressing about things you 'should' be doing. Have a lay in every once in a while, sit and watch the world go by or pick up your hobby for a bit. Remember we work to live, don't live to work- treat yourself and stop to smell the roses. Be on your side and don't beat yourself up- from personal experience it's much better when you are your own side...



                                                                      Stay happy :)

                                                                       Makenna x

...what I'm doing.     

Okay.... hands up who can say this?

Now hands up who's slightly afraid to admit this?

*Cue 'Mean Girls' moment where pretty much everyone puts their hands up both times and awkwardly laughs about it*



I'm just reminding you all that it's okay!

I'm a massive perfectionist (like most of us), and always struggled with the idea of doing something 'wrong' or looking stupid because I don't know what I'm doing. As an actress I learnt pretty quickly that there's no room for that awkward 'I don't want to look stupid' dance that we all seem to do. Wanting feedback but don't want to do things 'wrong'? How can you improve if you don't show off those flaws to someone to get that feedback to change it? Madness. Reality check- no one knows what they're doing 100% of the time all the time *Slight nod to Anchorman quote there*

And if they did, imagine how boring that would be? Imagine you could do everything, ever, always... You'd lose that sense of progress, achievement, determination to get better- and reaching that goal. What would you strive for? What would be your goals? How would you find motivation to do stuff if it all came so easy to you?

Sometimes we (well I know I used to), get caught up in wanting to be at our goal, wanting to be perfect at everything, not wanting to make mistakes, and today I'm asking you why? Isn't life so much more fun when you can live and learn and laugh at your mistakes?

Makenna x

Hey! Long time no blog... Sometimes I feel like I have no epiphanys for you or wise words or ramblings... Sometimes I just write and see what I end up with... Like today... so hey!

New year! Yay! Always such a good time- new bursts of motivation, decisions being made, directions being taken- I love it! My blog post today is a little late I guess but I feel it's a lesson we could use always- Limits... why do we have them?

We grow up and suddenly hit a point where we find our confidence knocked, we struggle with self doubt and the big wide world tells us things are not 'probable' or maybe not even possible. Well screw it. The only person who can limit you is you. I think we forget what we're capable of in every sense of the meaning- we forget that our body can adapt, our mid can grow and we can push ourselves out of our comfort zones and live!

So this is another little nudge from me to you (And me to myself)- do things in 2015, push yourself- If you don't do anything new, in 5 years time your life will still be the same!

Just a reminder- you're awesome and we've got this!



Makenna x

So life is what you make of it. Do you know that if there is a number of crabs in a bucket and one attempts to climb out, the others will pull them back in? Dog eat dog, every man for himself, it's all a negative hole, almost training us to isolate ourselves to 'win'.

I've posted before about seeing life as a competition, so I won't fall down that route again... Instead today is about your support networks. Friends, family, work collegues, they all count. So surrounding yourself with people that bring you up is key.

I am so grateful for the people I have in my life. Some I see on a daily basis, some I see a bit less, and some dip in and out of contact, but when we meet up it's like no time has passed. Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to have these people around me- I know that when I have a crap day I can vent to a number of people and it's all okay, then they know they can do the same :)

Bascially, I'm rambling on, but I think we have a tendency to shut ourselves off sometimes (guilty!) and especally around the holidays, if you look, you'll see the amount of positive people you do actually have around you :)

Surround yourself with positivity and that'll be reflected in your life- how can it not? Smiles are contagious after all....

Okay, so I've been doing some thinking... Shock- I'm what they call a 'thinker'.

I think about everything, and anything, always, constantly, forever thinking. Of everything I need to do tomorrow, of what I'm going to eat later, of what's on my to do list that I haven't done, on why I haven't written a to do list... and so on and so forth. I over think. And that is where recently I've been focussing my thinking :)

So now I breathe, and remember I USED to be an over thinker- I'm a changed lady :)

I realised the other day that as people we can never just be... I certainly could'nt- I felt like if I wasn't planning ahead, or thinking about things, they'd just creep up on me and I'd have 100 unsolved 'problems'.

Then I looked at the mindset of a child. They just love everything there is to see- new places to go, new experiences, and they don't at this point have any idea about the future, or the fact there's a million tasks to do before they can rest and be happy, unlike me.... They just are.... They just 'be'.

So that's my dramatic, life altering epiphany for you today- I've taken a step back, and sometimes I just sit now and appreciate where I am, the moment I'm in.... I just 'be'- nothing to do, nothing to achieve... and although I'm still learning, I'm a much happier thinker, and have started to enjoy the little things :)

Okay so this is the second time writing this post- SUCH an old laptop, it decides when it wants to switch off and apprently not autosave!! (Technology is great until it doesn't work!)

Anyway, I've been nominated for the Liebster award!! How cool is that??

It's basically a badge of honour among bloggers- to me it's an acknowledgment that someone reads what I have to say and enjoys it- So humbling!!!!

So thank you to the lovely Hannah Earnshaw for nominating me- You can check out her blog here. She covers anything and everything interesting and always in such a pretty way!

So back to the rules:

1. Add the logo to your blog either as an image or as a widget
2. You should write 11 random facts about yourself
3. You must answer the questions given to you by your nominator
4. Then set your own questions for your nominees
5. choose 5 nominees
6. Once you have nominated you should then notify them.

So, here goes!!!...

My 11 random facts

1. I initially wanted to be a dancer when I was younger, and then moved onto singing for 2 weeks, and then finally fell to acting

2. My favourite place to be is in a forest

3.  I'm not actually 100% sure what my eye colour is- I'm convinced it changes... despite science telling me that's impossible

4. I could eat almond butter all day everyday... I kind of do

5. I'm a massive geek and proud!!!

6. I wear my reading glasses when I'm tired just as a comfort thing

7. I could not live without my tangle teezer... I once got asked if I was trying to get dreadlocks from how matted my hair was!! :S

8. I don't like wearing boots and socks- sandals all the way!

9. I once put a garden fork into my foot whilst helping my dad with the gardening (It was punishment for rocking the white socks and sparkly sandals I'm sure!)

10. The smell of freshly cut grass, christmas trees and cake <3

11. I want at least 3 dogs one day- big dogs... big big dogs

Okay so now to my Q & A from Hannah:

1. What literary or film character do you love but really shouldn’t?

   Slightly biased with this question- I love all the baddies- I think they're so much fun to play (from an acting perspective) so it's hard to pick just one... Bane from 'The dark knight rises' is in my top 5- just the way he asserts his position of power without ever raising his voice.
   

2. What was the last film that made you cry?

    I'm such a crier with films- it'd be easier to ask the last film I didn't cry at! I watched 'Beaches' last night... may have shed a tear or two :)

3. What would be your utopia?

   I'd happily live near a lake up in the mountains with surrounding trees... as long as there was coffee and chocolate!

4. What era would you most like to live in?

    I love the 20's- the flapper dresses, the dancing, the fun!

5. Who is the most famous person you’ve met?

   I once met David Walliams in a lift on my way to a voiceover job, who was on his way to film for comic relief- such a gent he held the door for me :)
    

6. What kick starts your day?

   I have a list of moments in my life that I'm thankful for which I add to constantly. I start my day by just reading a couple- puts me into a position of feeling grateful and flips my mindset :D
   And coffee...
    

7. What is your favourite feel good song?

   This changes daily! Today it was 'Lovers on the Sun' by David Guetta
    

8. Coffee or tea?

   I've mentioned coffee twice already- tea barely gets a look in... unless it's green!
   

    

9. What is your guilty pleasure?

   Dates and almond butter- the most amazing combination!!
    

10. What is your favourite word?

    Squish- It's just so much fun to say!
     

11. What would be your ideal superpower?

    Got to be flying!
    
    

    Nominations

    Okay! So now to pass the baton! My 5 nominations:
    
    1. The Purple Muse
    2. Health Fitness Boss
    3. Lost In Knit
    4. Cerys
    5. Miss Sunshine and Sparkle
    
    

    My questions :)

    1. What's your earliest memory?
    2. Favourite food?
    3. How did you meet your longest friend?
    4. If you could be anyone for a day- who would you be?
    5. What's your ideal day?
    6. Savoury or sweet?
    7. Who's your biggest inspiration?
    8. Favourite film?
    9. What's your best blogging tip?
    10. If you could tell your 10 year old self something- what would it be?
    11. Favourite season?
    
    
    Happy blogging ladies! <3