What if we allowed ourselves to fully experience reality in all its rawness—the beauty, the pain, and the everyday moments?
Lauren Ostrowski Fenton Aug 31, 2025
The picture below is yet another one of my thinking chairs…
Good morning, my friend
I am freezing! And sitting in my late mum's chair, and you know what happens when I sit in this chair? Yep,
I think... and I think some more...Today I felt a little bit about the unfairness of life and how life ‘should’ be,
and then I brought myself back into the present moment and reminded myself
It is what it is ‘It is what it is”
What if ...what if we tried to ease our grip on the idea of
“How things should be”?
What if we allowed ourselves to fully experience reality in all its rawness—the beauty, the pain, and the everyday moments?
When we can pause, breathe, and engage with life without any defences, we discover a freedom we never realised existed. This isn’t the freedom of escaping our circumstances, but rather the freedom found in being present. Being in this blessed moment! It’s the freedom of no longer battling against reality.
Confronting what ‘is’ can lead us to a profound sense of peace.
Don't you think? How is it for you? How do you cope with the raw reality of life?
I would love to hear from you....
Tornados It’s a freezing morning here in South Australia, and yesterday we experienced some tornado winds, which was quite an interesting experience for me...
I was editing in my little Zen room (I'll just have to show this to you! It is so tiny and so so cute like a teeny weeny shoe cupboard- let me know if you would like a peek) when I stepped out to make a quick coffee and noticed that the outside chairs had vanished!
Gone~ I couldn’t help but wonder where they had gone. After chatting with Adrian on the phone, who had braved the storm on the way to work, I learned about the mini tornado that had occurred while I was being all Zen.
Later in the day, on the way to the gym, I saw many trees down across the road. The dark skys were just beautiful...
Even though it’s bone-deep cold, I do find the rains and winds so beautiful from my vantage point atop this hill.
Something personal... Listen, friends, I'd like to share something a little personal with you... I'm sorry for not reaching out more regularly. I want to be honest with you: I have been facing a few challenges over the last two years... you know, those roadblocks life throws at you just when you think everything is going to be okay? You've got a finishing line in sight, and just as you're nearing the end, something in life goes hideously wrong. Well, that happened recently.
Do you relate?
And once more, I'm in the 'get back up' stage... oh, how I know that stage so well!
Have you recently experienced the ‘get back up stage’? And how did you go? How did you cope? Any gems of wisdom to share?
Anyway, I've been focused on my work lately, and I’m now employed as a crisis counsellor. I genuinely enjoy the work. However, it is never pleasant to hear people's sad stories. It’s nice to be part of a team and involved in helping another person. I need to do that; I need to help. I have also planned to return to university to pursue my master’s degree in social work. I hold a master’s in counselling, but I want to pursue an additional master’s to acquire more skills in social justice. I would like to learn more about how I can make a positive impact.
How are our cats?
Thanks for asking! The cats are doing well, Ruth is thriving, and the horses are happy, too. I'll add some cute pics...
How are my children? I have been experiencing an empty nest for the last couple of years, and no, I don't like it... But life does that to you sometimes. Doesn't it? After all, we ultimately parent to release our children into life rather than own them and anchor them to our apron strings. I feel so privileged to be involved in my children's lives. And yes, I would have loved for them to live with me forever, but I also understand that their time has come to explore the world and find out more about themselves. I’ve been speaking regularly with my girls, which is such a joy. But I do miss them. Honestly, if I had my choice, I would live next door to all of them, but I understand that part of life is making our own journey and figuring out how we can uniquely help others in our own right, apart from our role as parents.
And just as my children are growing, so i am ageing....61 years just around the corner...Gee, that snuck up on me!
How do you feel about ageing? Do you embrace ageing or do you find it challenging, and why?
To me, my age is not merely a measure of the years I've lived, but a testament to the resilience I've built through each challenge I've faced. Like the trees that bend in the wind, I, too, grow stronger in the storms of life.
Ok, ok, where have Laurens ‘live streams’ gone? Yes, I know I have stopped my ‘lives’, and this is the reason why...
YouTube is my primary source of income. And yes, of course, I love creating content, but I also do it to make a living now.
And here is the crunch...’Ba Bow’
Some viewers REALLY(understatement) didn't like the mix of meditation and live sessions in their YouTube feed, so they have been unsubscribing...,
So I am going to move my live streams to Substack(Yes, it's free, but saying that, I may at a later stage ass paid courses) and keep my YouTube purely and simply for meditation. Substack is a friendly community for sharing stories, audio, and live streaming that fosters a personal and intimate experience.
Lauren Ostrowski Fenton
It is what it is
What if we allowed ourselves to fully experience reality in all its rawness—the beauty, the pain, and the everyday moments?
Lauren Ostrowski Fenton
Aug 31, 2025
The picture below is yet another one of my thinking chairs…
Good morning, my friend
I am freezing! And sitting in my late mum's chair, and you know what happens when I sit in this chair? Yep,
I think... and I think some more...Today I felt a little bit about the unfairness of life and how life ‘should’ be,
and then I brought myself back into the present moment and reminded myself
It is what it is
‘It is what it is”
What if ...what if we tried to ease our grip on the idea of
“How things should be”?
What if we allowed ourselves to fully experience reality in all its rawness—the beauty, the pain, and the everyday moments?
When we can pause, breathe, and engage with life without any defences, we discover a freedom we never realised existed. This isn’t the freedom of escaping our circumstances, but rather the freedom found in being present. Being in this blessed moment! It’s the freedom of no longer battling against reality.
Confronting what ‘is’ can lead us to a profound sense of peace.
Don't you think? How is it for you? How do you cope with the raw reality of life?
I would love to hear from you....
Tornados
It’s a freezing morning here in South Australia, and yesterday we experienced some tornado winds, which was quite an interesting experience for me...
I was editing in my little Zen room (I'll just have to show this to you! It is so tiny and so so cute like a teeny weeny shoe cupboard- let me know if you would like a peek) when I stepped out to make a quick coffee and noticed that the outside chairs had vanished!
Gone~
I couldn’t help but wonder where they had gone. After chatting with Adrian on the phone, who had braved the storm on the way to work, I learned about the mini tornado that had occurred while I was being all Zen.
Later in the day, on the way to the gym, I saw many trees down across the road. The dark skys were just beautiful...
Even though it’s bone-deep cold, I do find the rains and winds so beautiful from my vantage point atop this hill.
Something personal...
Listen, friends, I'd like to share something a little personal with you... I'm sorry for not reaching out more regularly. I want to be honest with you: I have been facing a few challenges over the last two years... you know, those roadblocks life throws at you just when you think everything is going to be okay? You've got a finishing line in sight, and just as you're nearing the end, something in life goes hideously wrong. Well, that happened recently.
Do you relate?
And once more, I'm in the 'get back up' stage... oh, how I know that stage so well!
Have you recently experienced the ‘get back up stage’? And how did you go? How did you cope? Any gems of wisdom to share?
Anyway, I've been focused on my work lately, and I’m now employed as a crisis counsellor. I genuinely enjoy the work. However, it is never pleasant to hear people's sad stories. It’s nice to be part of a team and involved in helping another person. I need to do that; I need to help. I have also planned to return to university to pursue my master’s degree in social work. I hold a master’s in counselling, but I want to pursue an additional master’s to acquire more skills in social justice. I would like to learn more about how I can make a positive impact.
How are our cats?
Thanks for asking! The cats are doing well, Ruth is thriving, and the horses are happy, too. I'll add some cute pics...
How are my children? I have been experiencing an empty nest for the last couple of years, and no, I don't like it... But life does that to you sometimes. Doesn't it? After all, we ultimately parent to release our children into life rather than own them and anchor them to our apron strings. I feel so privileged to be involved in my children's lives. And yes, I would have loved for them to live with me forever, but I also understand that their time has come to explore the world and find out more about themselves. I’ve been speaking regularly with my girls, which is such a joy. But I do miss them. Honestly, if I had my choice, I would live next door to all of them, but I understand that part of life is making our own journey and figuring out how we can uniquely help others in our own right, apart from our role as parents.
And just as my children are growing, so i am ageing....61 years just around the corner...Gee, that snuck up on me!
How do you feel about ageing? Do you embrace ageing or do you find it challenging, and why?
To me, my age is not merely a measure of the years I've lived, but a testament to the resilience I've built through each challenge I've faced. Like the trees that bend in the wind, I, too, grow stronger in the storms of life.
Ok, ok, where have Laurens ‘live streams’ gone?
Yes, I know I have stopped my ‘lives’, and this is the reason why...
YouTube is my primary source of income. And yes, of course, I love creating content, but I also do it to make a living now.
And here is the crunch...’Ba Bow’
Some viewers REALLY(understatement) didn't like the mix of meditation and live sessions in their YouTube feed, so they have been unsubscribing...,
So I am going to move my live streams to Substack(Yes, it's free, but saying that, I may at a later stage ass paid courses) and keep my YouTube purely and simply for meditation. Substack is a friendly community for sharing stories, audio, and live streaming that fosters a personal and intimate experience.
I would love you to join. Here is the link:
substack.com/@laurenostrowskifenton
Thank you for being part of this journey with me!
With love,
Lauren x
3 months ago | [YT] | 97