Reconnecting with our Inner Child

Today I spent the afternoon with my friend and her beautiful 4 year old daughter. 

We had an afternoon of play. Drawing, trampolining, swimming and playing fairies. 

The joy and pleasure of suspending adulthood and simply playing was just brilliant and so relaxing and energising. 

We forget what it is like as a child and how wonderful and open to interpretation life is. Recent questions from her including "what are armpits for? " and "why do snails have invisible poo?" sum up for me why we should connect with our inner child more often - classic!!

We get to an age where if we are not careful we stop asking questions and stop getting curious. 

So this week my mission is to be more childlike, play and get really curious........

Happy Tunes!

I have just been having a brilliant time listening to as many of my favourite tunes as possible and seeking out all those really feel good tunes!

There is something about music that gets straight to the heart of your mood - there is a tune for everything.

Today I am seeking out all the happy tunes in my collection. Its so nice to hear something from years ago. One tune took me back to a scorching summer holiday as a teenager - great memories - others to a memorable night out with friends.

Get your music on right now and play your happy tunes!

la la la la la..............

The Power of Intention

Well I don't know about you, but I sometimes wonder about how events in life actually come about and how much of that is down to our action and how much of it is just chance.

Whilst you could probably convince me on one level that fate does have its hand to play and opportunities arise because we happen to be in the right place at the right time - I also believe that we create our own future.

One of my areas for continual learning is the art of patience - with myself. I am as patient as you like with others, but not always with myself. You know when you have your heart set on achieving something and it takes an age to come to fruition - that sort of thing tests my patience. Not that I expect to just receive everything without effort on my part, but just that sometimes you put yourself out there and it just seems to take an age before you feel things move forward.

Of course you also get those days where all those great intentions that you set for yourself and all the seeds that you have sown and nurtured and watered suddenly burst into flower. Today was one of those days for me. Over 18 months ago I set some really clear intentions for my life and work and today in three of those areas I received confirmation that I had achieved what I set out to do.

I realised that what had led to the realisation of these achievements was the setting of very clear intentions, and then focusing my energy on those things consistently, week in and week out. Did I doubt it would happen? Sometimes I think I did, and I did have to review regularly whether I was doing the right things to get me where I wanted to go. Overall I knew that the intentions that I had set were the right ones and I just needed to be disciplined and focused in my energies.

How do I feel now 18 months on - absolutely fantastic!! In part because I have developed new levels of patience, and also because achievements feel so much more rewarding when you have to wait a bit longer............

Sleep

I love my sleep. I don't need loads and loads but a nice seven hours or so really does me the power of good. 

I always have my room nice and cool even in the winter and there is just something special about snuggling in for the night. 

I especially like to have a nice bath and get into clean PJs and freshly laundered sheets. Bliss. 

Of course I know that while I am asleep my unconscious mind is hard at work processing all the activities of the day and finding meaning for me. I think this is amazing, that I can be fast asleep yet my brain is working harder than ever!

I love waking up after a good nights sleep and having a nice stretch and feeling energised and ready for the day ahead and curious about what the day may bring. 

I'm off to the shower to fully wake up and embrace the day today after a lovely deep sleep. Have a great day and happy sleeping. 

Belonging

I was just reflecting today about all the lovely groups I belong to, and how they all make me very happy and quite often for very different reasons. 

My family are obviously the group I have been a member of the longest. The group has changed shape and size over the years and new additions have arrived to add a whole other dimension to its ability to nourish me. Especially my beautiful grandson!

But I was also thinking of some of the other groups I'm a part of and how much pleasure and reward I get from contributing to and receiving from there very existence. 

Yesterday I spent the day with a group of fellow professionals and tomorrow and Sunday I will be spending time with my fellow students of yoga. I especially look forward to my weekends of yoga and the true sense of belonging it gives me, being surrounded by lovely friends and sharing common aims and philosophy gives a great sense of kinship. 

Belonging is part of our make up and cherishing our connections and nurturing them is one of the greatest gifts of life for me. 

So tomorrow I am going to be even more open to giving and receiving and celebrating how lucky I am to belong to such lovely circles of friends, family, colleagues and the biggest group of all - humanity. 

A summer stroll

Today my nurturing and nourishing activity took the form of a lovely walk on the downs near where I live. 

The views across the sea from here are breathtaking and always stop me in my tracks.  

Walking by the sea is simply one of my most pleasurable activities. The sea for me has a magical quality that draws me in and connects me to the wonder and opportunity that lies untapped - the creativity within me yet to be expressed. 

Whenever I need inspiration or guidance I go to the sea - and if I can't - I recall it in my mind. This alone has a calming impact and clears the way for new ideas and helps me to feel grounded. 

We all have a favourite place or image which nourishes us - what is yours?

Smile

Have you ever noticed how great you feel when you smile?

Thinking about your day, can you recall how often you have smiled? What made you smile? How did it make you feel?

I love smiling - I think it's something that is so simple - like breathing - it costs nothing  - and has such a beneficial effect on our wellbeing and the people that we meet.

I have days when I make a conscious effort to smile. I smile at strangers I pass on the street - and more often than not they smile back - I sit in my favourite place with a cup of my favourite tea and just smile to myself. 

There is something about a good smile that puts everything into perspective. Have you ever noticed what happens when you are worrying about something or can't work out a problem and you just stop and smile? 

For me - It's like it doesn't matter what the issue is or whether I know what to do next - by smiling I sort of accept that I am where I am and acknowledge that whatever is going on I am ok, I am safe and all is good in my world.

So I am sending you an enormous, beaming, cheek stretching smile, right here, right now.

Indulge me and pay it forward, to whoever is next to you on the bus, walking towards you on the street or to whoever you feel would benefit from the joy of your smile.

:)