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It's Time...




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The irony hasn't escaped me that as soon as I let go of my friday series "Favourite Thing On A Friday", because I've not been able to post on a friday, I'm able to post on a friday...

What are the chances?  Anyhoo.

I've been thinking this week about the picture I posted a short while ago "Bloom Where You Are Planted".   And I got thinking about what stops us from blooming.  I think we all want to be happy, fulfilled, blooming fabulous.  What is it that stops us feeling that way?

I used to think that my happiness depended on external circumstances.  So I spent a lot of time telling myself I'd be happier if...  they stopped behaving that way,  I achieved more,  I were slimmer,  I were wealthier,  I were funnier... less sensitive? Most importantly for me, I told myself I would be happy if I were healthier.  Not ill.

 I was "shoulding" myself and other people.

Do you know what I mean?

I was judging myself harshly and telling myself I "should" be different than I was.  And I was judging other people and thinking they "should" do things differently.  And by differently, I meant the way I thought they should be doing things.  I determined my internal happiness by what was going on in the world around me, what other people were doing or not doing, and what I thought other people might be thinking about me.  Basically, I put my happiness in the hands of everybody else except myself.

And it felt miserable living that way.

Then, things changed dramatically, and most of the externals of my life as I had known them, fell away.

And I realised something that has changed the way I see myself and the world.

If I carried on waiting for life to stop being messy before I could feel happy, I was going to be fairly miserable for quite a long time.

I realised,  my happiness is determined by what's on the inside not the outside.  I can bloom no matter what's going on around me.  I can choose to let my heart blossom right now. Just the way I am.  It's not an easy thing to do but it is simple.

As I see it, there will always be something we find messy going on in our lives.  There'll always be difficult things happening around us.  There will often be downright painful things, that cause deep sadness and that feel overwhelming. But we don't have to let those things stop us from being amazing.  Or even to let those things stop us long-term from being happy. We can choose to accept the uncomfortable, deeply challenging things of life, and open our hearts anyway.  We can be brave and give ourselves permission to be fabulous, and let our hearts bloom.  It's time.

 

Beautiful Words

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I've been painting again this week.  Turning my handwriting into lettering.  It's been fun.

I don't know about you, but I often forget to be gentle with myself.  I came across these words, attributed to Buddha, while I was doing my reiki training a good few years ago, "You yourself, as much as anyone in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.".  

I was brought up to be kind to other people, and to help where I could.  It never really dawned on me that being kind and loving to myself wasn't selfish, until I got ill. Since being ill, I've come to understand that being kind and gentle with myself is just as important, if not more so, than being kind and gentle with other people. If I push myself too hard, don't listen to my body, don't take time to do the things that nourish me, I don't have anything to give to the people I love because I'm exhausted, depleted, impatient, and not always too easy to be around.  If I give myself love and affection, I have much more to give to other people.  

I love these words.  They kind of give me permission to nurture myself.

What are you doing today to show yourself love and affection?

I'm going to get cosy with my cat Ernie, who is hovering around my computer desk, and curl up with him and read a library book.  Lovely jubbly.

I've also decided, after several weeks of thinking about it, to let go of my weekly series "Favourite Thing On A Friday".  I'll tell you for why...  In recent months, I've not always felt well enough to post each Friday, and have found the Friday deadline feeling a lot like pressure, rather than something fun.  I've also had a number of weeks where I've not been able to post at all on a Friday, and that hasn't felt comfortable for me.  If anyone would like to take over hosting "FavouriteThing On A Friday", let me know,  then I could join in when I'm able.  Otherwise, I will continue to post my favourite thing of the week each week, but not on a specific day.  Thanks for your understanding.  It's my way of showing myself a bit of love and affection, by not putting myself under pressure.

I hope you're having a great Saturday wherever you are.

Sending glitter and smiles, 
       
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