Change is in the Air

The Linden tree outside my house is beginning to lose its leaves.  With the prediction of a storm forecast for tomorrow afternoon I doubt there will be many leaves left on the branches by Sunday.  I was glad to get the chance to view the tree again before it is laid bare for winter.

My last post here was about the steps I took in order to get myself back on track with relation to how I viewed myself and my well-being.  To know that I am doing all I can do to take care of my mind and my body with nurturing and good nutrition has been a catalyst for improving other areas of my life.

Once I had 'cracked' where I wanted my life to go with emphasis on self improvement and self love, I was able to take charge of other things such as my home environment and make changes there that would have a positive impact on my (and others) life.  I had a big clear out in the summer and decluttered quite a few rooms.  Things then came to a standstill for a while (but that is OK) and I started to make small changes starting with the kitchen.  I had a sort out of the kitchen food drawers getting rid of out of date herbs and spices that I had been hanging onto for years!  Now I am much more discerning about my choice of flavourings and can gradually build up my new stock.  I bought a couple of large white rectangular plastic 'baskets 'and now my condiments, 'super-foods', and store cupboard packets are all within easy reach inside them.  Before making this change I had a chaotic 'system' of having everything loose inside the drawer.

Another change I have made has been meal prep for the week.  So, on a Sunday I decide what things I want to eat for the next few days and I do some preparation in advance.  During the week, when I cook the evening meals I always keep some aside for my lunch box.  Having systems in place is helping my life flow much more easily.

I think the key to organisation is keeping on top of things.  During my 'inertia' phase I was unable to make headway in sorting out my life.  Now I make a point of seeing what needs to be sorted and I sort it!

Once I got started with organising my life the momentum just kept things rolling!  At last after many years of a life on hold, I am making progress towards an environment that matches the life I want to lead.

The Linden tree above is a metaphor for my life right now.  The leaves that are spent fall off and new leaf buds emerge the following spring.  Life is all about change, renewal and rebirth.  The changing seasons is natures's way of showing us that nothing is static.  Everything needs to change and grow.

A Personal Manifesto

Today I  rediscovered my Tome for Life at the bottom of a large pile of unsorted bric-a-brac.   I started a 'Tome for Life' or Simone's daily 'bible' back in September 2012.  You can read about it here. 

Flicking through the pages I came across a personal manifesto that I had written.  I can't remember where I found the guidelines for writing a personal manifesto, but recall that it is a declaration of your core values and beliefs, what you stand for, and how you intend to live your life.  I thought I would share some of my personal manifesto with you.

• I shall cultivate peace of mind.  I know that I can change the way that I feel at any moment, simply by changing my thoughts.

• 'I intend to enrich my mind by reading books.' James Allen (philosopher).

• I shall improve myself every day in some way, whether it's by dropping a negative belief, learning a new word, or adding to my knowledge of the World.

• I shall not take things personally.  I know that what others say and do is a projection of their own reality; it has nothing to do with me. 'Expecting the World to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian.' Dennis Wholey.

• I shall make home sacred space. 'Home interprets heaven' Charles Henry Parkhurst.

• I shall see mistakes as feedback, I will adjust my aim, and I will try again.  'Failure, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement.  One fails forward towards success.' Charles F Kettering.

The above words are just a snapshot of my values and how I want to live my life.  It is a pity that the words were tucked away in Simone's daily 'bible' which I had totally forgotten about!  I will make a concerted effort to look at this book daily and see how much I am adhering to my manifesto. 

If you are feeling lost or looking for a frame for your life, I recommend a personal manifesto for moving forward. Just don't do as I do and forget to read it!

Setting Small Challenges

I am in awe of people that set themselves huge challenges and achieve them.  However, I am not in the correct mindset to undergo anything too challenging at the moment.  That doesn't mean that I do nothing, instead it just means that I set myself small attainable goals.

Recently, I set myself the task of looking for seven words, mainly adjectives and a few more unusual nouns, in the English Dictionary and learning their meanings over seven days.  Each Saturday I put a new list of words and their description on the fridge so that each time I am in the kitchen I can learn a few words in between doing the cooking and other chores.

Here is an example of words for week 1:

Pseudo
Fortitude
Adversity
Hyperbole
Pragmatic
Gormless
Oubliette

I won''t include their meanings here and I don't suppose I will ever have the chance to use the word Oubliette* in a conversation!  I am hoping that an increased vocabulary will give me an added advantage when it comes to filling in job applications!

I am going to set myself a few more achievable challenges this week such as learning something new in jewellery making and cooking something I have never cooked before (fried chicken was a first for me a few weeks ago).

If you are inspired by this and in the mood for setting yourself a small challenge, let me know what it is in the comments below.

*A secret dungeon with access only through a trapdoor in its ceiling.

Flaws

My flaws are my strengths

Reflecting

Thank you for the responses to the question on my last post.  You have given me a lot to think about!  I have now published the comments so you can see what each other came up with.  I was never expecting to see words such as vivacious, dynamic, or exciting spring to people's minds, as that isn't me, but they are traits that I admire in others.

The reason for my question wasn't to be narcissistic, it had a much more practical reason than that.  I am trying to find out if I am portraying the essence of the 'real' me on my blog.  Judging by your comments, I think I am coming across as I want to be seen although I would love to be more inspirational to you all. From now on I am going to be less solemn and despondent as nobody wants to come and visit a worrywart.

The words that came up more than once were creative, sensitive, thoughtful and kind and I guess that is me in a nutshell (my positive traits anyhow, we won't mention my negative ones!)  My favourite and most unexpected description of me had to be 'as delicate as a flower' submitted by the lovely Michela.  Thank you Michela that really made my day!

Pushing Boundaries

I am not really one for pushing boundaries.  I usually stick with what I feel comfortable with.  This self imposed restriction has prevented me growing in so many areas in my life.  I am getting better though, for example; instead of stitching on aida I decided to stitch onto linen which is a challenge in itself when my eyesight is failing. Hardly pushing boundaries I know but I am expanding my range of skills.

I have set myself a challenge of making some tactile key rings with some of my favourite sentiments stitched on to the linen.  Whilst out walking the other day the words 'live life with purpose' came into my head.  They will be the words on my first keyring.  I intend to live my life with purpose, making the most of every day and learning and growing with each new experience.

A Creative Need

A few posts back I mentioned that I found a dead rose head in my garden that I felt the need to paint.  Well, I didn't paint it but decided to sketch it in coloured pencils.  The colour palette was limited so the rose doesn't look quite as I had envisaged.  A few years ago I would have torn up the paper and been most upset that I couldn't replicate the rose exactly.  I am neither happy or unhappy at how the picture turned out.  I feel I have captured the essence of the rose but I could have taken more time over the drawing.  I didn't use an eraser or spend too much time over the detail.  I wish I could be the type of person that deliberates for hours, days, weeks over a painting/drawing until they get it 'right' - but I am not.  My drawing had to be instantaneous.  Observe.  Draw.  Move on.  Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with the amount of projects that I want to do such as my cross-stitching, rubber stamping, painting, drawing, beading, sewing, crochet, gardening, baking etc.  It is so difficult to fit in all these pastimes with a family and make sure their needs are met and that they are well cared for as well as Gizmo and the hens. 

Although I show you parts of my garden and occasional glimpses of my home, I can assure you that both are as cluttered as my mind.  I find it hard to settle on one subject, topic, interest.  I want to explore them all!  I am gradually de-cluttering my home and garden and eventually my mind so that I am not floundering in a sea of ideas and projects.  Watch this space!

Edited: A close up of the picture can be found on my Mutant Trees blog.

Personalities and Self Discovery

As I continue my soul searching quest to find out who I am, what makes me tick and where I am going, I have been studying personality types based on the works of Carl Jung and Isabel Briggs Myers.

There are 16 distinct personality types in the currently most widely-accepted Personality Type model. After much consideration I seem to fit the INFP personality best of all.  The INFP personalities are the Idealists.  Looking further into this to see what careers are suggested for INFP personality types I see that 'Writer' is at the top of the list.  It seems quite far fetched to me that I could actually make a career out of being a writer as I didn't even reach GCSE standard for English at school!  It has given me a goal to work towards though.  I can see myself as a writer.  I will be sitting in my study looking through the window to the hills in the distance, I will have a steaming mug of coffee by my side and a plate of home made biscuits to feed the mind and the belly. With my cat purring contentedly on my lap as I write............  the situation is almost ideal.

A Question of Faith?

I am a philosopher. I spend so much time thinking and not nearly enough time doing. I have an inquisitive mind and don't accept things on face value. I have spent many years questioning my religious beliefs and found it difficult to fit in with all the various religious constraints.

Yesterday I had an epiphany! (in the form of a realization and not in the Christian sense of the word). I was seeking out things that interest me through Internet searches and came across a belief system that fitted in with my views and beliefs rather than me having to fit into someone else's.

It felt as though a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I had the best nights sleep I have had in ages.

This is not going to turn into a religious blog as I think that religion can be a great divider and I want this blog to be accessible to people of all faiths and beliefs.

Who knows, next week I may change my views yet again but for now I feel that I have made a breakthrough in understanding a little more about myself and the direction I want my life to go in.

Gratitude

For many years I have read/collected self help/improvement and creative lifestyle books. Each time I get a new book I think - this is it. This book will change my life. They don't. In order to change my life I have to be willing to change myself and so far I have been reluctant to do so for reasons that evade me. Maybe I quite like me and don't see any reason to change after all these years! One very good piece of advice that I did pick up though was from a website that I discovered last year http://simpleabundance.com/gratitude_journal.html that recommends keeping a gratitude journal. Each night before lights go out I write 5 good things about my day. 5 things to be grateful for. I have been doing this now since October last year and I find so much in my day to be grateful for. Sometimes the things are mundane such as 'I am grateful for finishing the pile of ironing' or it might be about receiving nice comments from bloggers. I have found that by focusing my attention on the good things in my life the good things get bigger and the not so good things seem to diminish. It is also a good thing to do just before bed as you go to sleep on a positive note. I am still on a quest for the ultimate book on self improvement/discovery though! Can you recommend any to me?