Blog Archives

Your priority pursuit

6/29/2015

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. ~ Thomas Merton

I would include any creative activity you enjoy in that statement. It's wonderful to get lost in my creative projects and my writing, the movies or the theatre... Come to think of it, any pursuit I feel passionate about. The problem is, I have a lot to choose from - comedy, opera, sitcoms, travelling, music, walking, reading, swimming, taking photos, making scrapbooks... which might be the reason for the anxiety I sometimes feel. I have too much going on!

Sharing Rubin's insights on this particular topic from her book The Happiness Project, she suggests scaling it right back, singling out one thing and pursuing it as a priority:

"But whatever your passion might be, happiness research predicts that making time for a passion and treating it as a real priority instead of an 'extra' to be fitted in at a free moment (which many people practically never have) will bring a tremendous happiness boost."

The 5 rules of Life

6/26/2015

Do you agree with these?
Would you change any of them?

Being happy on a daily basis

6/22/2015

I'm guilty of thinking (and convincing myself) that if I just get to this magical point in my life, or if I just buy this "thing", it will make me instantly happy and all of my problems will be solved. However, there is more fulfillment in creating happiness on a daily basis, but how can you do this?

Another article caught my attention "10 Ways to Change Your Life in 10 Minutes or Less".

I'm a big fan of learning new stuff and developing myself as a person. I agree with this sentiment: "Learning makes us confident, feeds our creative soul and broadens our perspective."

Sitting back and taking stock is really important. I love going out walking so I have that time to myself to enjoy nature, plan and think about things.

"Virginia Satir, a family therapist, contends, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need twelve hugs a day for growth.” " Hugging makes me feel a warmer person, more approachable and loving, and I feel good about doing it. The same goes for complimenting others. It takes nothing to compliment someone, but the positive energy those words stimulate is incredible.

Two things I'm always working on - decluttering and sticking to my yoga routine. When I'm doing these things, I feel really good. It's just making the time to do them...

Borders and baskets

6/22/2015

Newquay's rose garden & boating lake

6/21/2015

Healey's Cornish Cyder Farm

6/21/2015

Nice place to chill with Cornish ice cream

Newquay delights

6/20/2015

Rose Garden

Weeping wych elm

Noddy, Kermit and the flowers at Newquay Boating Lake

Trenance Cottages, Cafe & Gardens

6/20/2015

Pot of tea at Trenance Cottages

Salt n' pepper love birds

Cutest ice cream parlour

Funny trunk tree

Godrevy Point

6/19/2015

Seal Cove

Sea Centaury wildflower

Godrevy Lighthouse

Thirty-Two Going On Spinster by Becky Monson

6/19/2015

After The Happiness Project, this was a lighthearted Chick Lit read. It was funny, silly and easygoing. And despite the Americanisms, engaging.

Jules is 32 and lives in her parent's basement. She has a job she doesn't enjoy, no social life and no motivation or hobbies other than baking.

It's a storyline I've seen a thousand times, but with Monson's twist. I admire authors who take a tried and tested storyline and put their mark on it.

What I also like, is that even in the story's simplicity, the author has a plan to create a series from this book. She knows her market and target audience and has geared her social media to this particular genre. I wish I could be that disciplined!

Some of my favourite bits from the book:

"I believe that I am past the common age for marrying. I just turned thirty-two. What's the going age for marriage now? Twenty-five? Twenty-six? It doesn't matter because at the age of thirty-two, my clock is ticking. In fact, my doctor informed me of that last week. He actually told me that I should consider finding someone and settling down because my eggs "weren't getting any younger." Pretty harsh when you consider that I haven't been on a proper date in over a decade, right? I seriously should find myself a new doctor, one who sugarcoats everything."

"I got a reply back that simply said: "You're welcome," which I took as: "Please have my babies."

"It's better to avoid feelings rather than actually feel them. I'm good at avoiding. I've been doing it for years."