Lauren Jones chats with us about her (adventurous) journey of motherhood to Morgan, and life in Sydney with her little family. You can read about The Jonesys' incredible journey across the Outback of Australia here.

My name is Lauren and I have a two-year-old daughter Morgan...
My husband, daughter and I live in Sydney, Australia.  Currently I am juggling a few hats!  I am a corporate impact strategist, sustainability advocate, adventurer and currently writing my first book.  Oh and a mum to an amazing two year old, probably my most important, rewarding and toughest challenge yet!

My husband Justin, our daughter Morgan, our dog Ollie and I live in Bondi Beach Australia...
Justin is Australian and half Chinese Indonesian. I am originally from Seattle Washington in the United States.  So Morgan has a mixture of multiple cultures, backgrounds and ethnicities, which I love. New Zealand actually reminds me a lot of my hometown Seattle. Both places are surrounded by such beautiful nature, the people are very laid back and always seem to be outside on some adventure or another, climbing a mountain, out for as hike or swimming in a lake. We love visiting NZ whenever we can as it feels a bit like home. 

Justin, Morgan and Lauren on their incredible adventure.

Be your own best friend...
So often we as mothers listen and believe our inner critic, that little voice inside your head telling you aren’t doing a good enough job, we aren’t being good enough parents, we aren’t being good enough employees, bosses, wives, daughters, sisters or whatever other roles we might need to be on any given day. 
I feel like parenthood really triggers a lot of self-doubt at times as you are always on uncharted waters.  Am I doing a good enough job?  Am I home enough? Am I working enough?  Am I supporting my family enough? Etc Etc…We are bombarded by so many images of what a mother should be, should look like, should do and it gets overwhelming to do it all at times.
So when I feel my inner critic triggered and I hear that little voice inside my head telling me I am not good enough, which it seems to be on overdrive from me personally since motherhood, I try to remember to be my own best friend.  What would I say to my best friend if she was sitting across the table from me and we were sharing a cup of tea?  Would I be as hard on her as I am on myself? No!  I’d tell her she is doing an amazing job because she is.  I am not always great at it but I try to remember to give myself that best friend love and support as well.

All three of us like to laugh and play and keep things light even when life get stressful... 
Justin has FOMO so he’s always getting us out the door to try new things.  I love micro adventures and weekends away where we can disconnect from everyday life’s busyness and spend quality time as a family.  But if I’m honest, I’d have to say our Labrodoodle Ollie brings us all the most joy.  She’s everyone’s favorite in the family and she is the best spooner I’ve ever met – shhhhh, don’t tell my husband. 

Lauren and Morgan taking in a beautiful sunset in the Outback.

We have a mission as a family to live curious, live kind and live great... 
Its funny because so many companies have mission statements that help them get clear about their purpose but few people incorporate them into their personal lives.  I think it’s really important to take some time and figure out what your personal mission statement is because it helps clarify what’s really important to you and why. 
As far as a daily ritual, we really try to have breakfast and dinner together as a family, even if its something really simple.  It’s so easy to get caught up in all the rushing, busyness and technology of today’s world that just remembering to slow down, turn off our phones and connect with each other is really important. 

A day in the life
I LIVE…in Bondi Beach, Australia.
I AM CURRENTLY READING…Creative Confidence by Tom and David Kelly.  Its an awesome book about unleashing and untapping the creativity that lies within each and every one of us.
I OFTEN FIND MYSELF COOKING…I love baking healthy muffins and making morning smoothies but to be honest my husband is the cook in the family!  He can whip up an amazing meal form almost nothing in our fridge.  I can’t do that.  He’s amazing!
I’M LISTENING TO…I’ve been super into Podcasts lately.  Recently my favorite one is called From the Heart – Conversations with Yoga Girl.  Rachel, Yoga Girl, is a new mum to a one year old and I love listening to the real and rawness of her journey to juggle motherhood, passion, presence and purpose. 
I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT…the ocean, nature and wild spaces.

Thank you Lauren for sharing you amazing words on Motherhood and living a more adventurous and curious life. xx Nb