Letting Go...

 Learning to 'let go' is surely one of the most important lessons of life. It is a difficult, painful, overwhelming and frustrating process. Yet it is also surely one of the most liberating, empowering and healing experiences of life too...

We cling on so hard, afraid to let go, but letting go is a necessary part of life and is essential for our personal development, fulfillment and growth...

What are you holding onto? How would it feel to let go, even just for a moment?

Tips

 

Meditation / relaxation and mindfulness helps, as does journalling, talking things over, exercising, and living life in a meaningful, authentic and responsible way. In taking full responsibility for our life, we choose to let go of that which we no longer need, so that we can create space to let in what we do need. 

It is a case of living life in a fluid, flowing way, whereby nothing is permanent or fixed, but is constantly moving and changing, as is nature's way. We are all part of nature and the natural processes of life. We can learn a lot from observing nature... nature doesn't cling onto what it no longer needs - trees let go of their leaves, to be replaced by new ones; flowers die and regrow, and so the cycle of life goes on... Anyway; time to stop - I seem to be digressing! ...

More tips for letting go are in this blog (not mine) link below: 

http://bit.ly/lwGFyS

 Quotes

'The Tao Te Ching says, When I let go of what I am,
I become what I might be.  When I let go of what I have,
I receive what I need.  

Have you ever struggled to find
work or love, only to find them after you have given up?
This is the paradox of letting go. Let go, in order to achieve'

~ Mary Manin Morrissey

 ~~~ 

We must learn to let go, to give up, to make room for the things we have prayed for and desired.

Charles Fillmore

Affirmations:

In letting go, my life can flow...

I release and let go of all the baggage!

I let go of all expectations and I am free....

April's Loveliness...

 

"April's rare capricious loveliness." ~  Julia Dorr

Hello again, sorry for the lack of blog updates recently - this has been due to a combination of computer and internet problems, a busy spell at work, and probably mainly because of being outdoors enjoying the sunshine a lot!

I was at the allotment by 8.30 this morning, and pottered around digging, weeding, planting out my runner and borlotti beans, and generally enjoying the birds singing, bees buzzing and tadpoles darting around the pond... and I also wrote some haikus (below)...

spot the tadpoles...

Sitting in sunshine

Drinking coffee by the pond

While the tadpoles play...

 Blossom on the tree

Floating down like confetti.

A bluetit's the bride...

30 day photo challenge... Day 5...

Day 5 - Red

 

'Call me, call me any anytime
Call me, my love, you can call me any day or night
Call me... ' (Blondie)

 

 

There is something really special about mornings. I love that peaceful feeling when I first wake up, and then I sit for a while with my cup of coffee, gradually waking up and watching the world outside start to unfold and wake up too...

 I took these photos yesterday morning ....

 

 

 

'Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift ...another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your
entire day. Today will never happen again. Don't waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail'

 

 ~ Og Mandino

 

 

30 day photo challenge... Day 4

If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it...
Twelfth Night - Shakespeare

Day 4 - music

Music is what feelings sound like  ~ Author Unknown

 

30 day photo challenge... Day 3

Day 3 - Sunshine

There's something so satisfying about hanging washing on the line to dry in the sunshine - I love that lovely fresh smell...

every day i write the book...

" Life is like a book with many chapters we call seasons. 

Some chapters tell the story of love, drama, comedy, mystery, loss, adversity, growth, disappointment, triumph, etc. Some chapters are dull and ordinary, others intense and exciting. 

The key to enduring, persevering and being hopeful is to never stop on a difficult page, to never quit on a book or a chapter that seems too long. 

Some chapters may be sweet but too short. 

Your words, thoughts, actions, non-action and choices are the pens that write the pages in your book. 

Have the courage and faith to keep turning the pages believing better chapters lie ahead. 

... Trust. Listen. Believe. ... 

Activate your gifts and talents. 

Be creative. Be kind. Be patient. Be faithful. Be grateful. Be fruitful."
 

~ Diamond Taylor 

30 day photo challenge... Day 2

Day 2: 'Today'

 It's nice to have my cake and eat it!...

The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the cheering influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to reproduce. 

~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr

Photo Challenge - Day 1

Day 1: Reflection / Shadow

This is a reflection in the mirror in Iona's bedroom. 

Her room is bursting with light, life & creativity - just like she is! x

30 day photo challenge...

... I'm enjoying doing the '30 day song challenge' on facebook so much that I decided to set myself a photo challenge too...
Anyone is welcome to join in, but you'll probably have to post the photos into your own blog, then share them via a link in a comment - have fun!

Here are my categories
Day:

1. Reflection / shadow
2.  ‘Today’
3. Sunshine
4. Music
5. Red
6. Cloud
7. Home
8. Day trip
9. Sunrise or sunset or night or moon
10. Nature - plant, tree,  bird, animal, etc
11. Rainy day
12. Yellow
13. Fun, laughter, carefree, play, pleasure, etc
14. Picture within a picture / picture that tells a story
15. Words
16. People / a person
17. Loss / lost
18.  Me / identity
19. Blue
20. Risk / fear
21. Purple
22. Broken / derelict / abandoned...
23. A picture from, or of, childhood
24. Black
25. Somewhere outside today
26. Green
27. Something I made / did / drew / etc
28. Travel. transport / journeys
29. Fashion, culture, making a statement, art, graffiti, etc
30. Peace, tranquillity 

spring in my step...

More signs of spring in my backyard...

'In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.'  ~ Margaret
Atwood

Bee in spring...

Despite being terrified of them when I was younger, I really love bees.

I was delighted to spot this little fellow in my back yard just now.

Spring is in the air - although it is a lot cooler today... 

♥



being mindful...

"At the moment of waking up,

before getting out of bed,

get in touch with your breath,

feel the various sensations in your body,

note any thoughts and feeling that maybe present,

let mindfulness touch this moment,

Can you feel your breath?

Can you perceive the dawning of each in-breath?

Can you enjoy the feeling of the breath freely

entering your body in this moment?

“Breathe-in: I smile,

breathe-out: I calm my body,

dwelling in the present moment,

it is a wonderful moment.”

Thich Nhat Hanh 

Monday morning...

A new week begins;

Like a leaf bud unfolding

It bursts into life...

Have a great week!

Easy like...

...Sunday morning

I love Sundays... that laid back feeling, when it doesn't really matter what time it is... cups of coffee, pyjamas, snoozing cats... toast... music drifting round... soaking in the bath... wandering by the sea... reading yesterday's newspapers... just 'being', rather than 'doing'... watching people walk, run, or cycle by ... having something nice to eat... basically just enjoying each moment as it drifts past...

Anyway, here are some sunday morning haikus and photos from this morning:

Cleo

 Bathed in the sunshine,

Cleo greets me with a yawn;

Then goes back to sleep...

Shadows...



Sunlight fills the room.

Shadows come to life and dance

Along with the dust...

The scattered petals

Remind me of confetti.

Loss is everywhere...



shake it...

 like a polaroid picture...
Here are three I took yesterday...

 

morning...

In bed, I listen

To the rhythm of the sea

And a purring cat 

♥

fog on the tyne...

 

A single sunbeam 

Reaches out from misty sky

And touches my heart

groan...

The weathered wheelbarrow waits

by a weary watering can

which has

suddenly

sprung 

a leak.

But luckily there isn't a hole

in my 

bucket...

hmm. I should probably delete this, shouldn't I! - I certainly hadn't planned on ending it with the 'hole in my bucket' scenario, but it just seemed to write itself. That song reminds me of seemingly never-ending car journeys in the summer holidays of a long time ago, from Whitley Bay to Kent. Intertwined with non-stop 'Are we there yet??'s, were endless games of 'I spy' and rousing sing-songs, led by my dad, presumably originating from his days of being in the scouts.... There's a hole in my bucket / On Ilkley Moor bah tat / The quartermaster's store /   Under the lilacs / Weel may the keel row / One man went to mow / and so on ... and on ... and on...

spring...

 

The bluetit by the nesting box

Sings a joyful song...

 While a blackbird takes a bath...

 Then the gentle breeze whispers

'Spring'.