I have recently returned to full-time nursing work and I am loving it. It’s been some time since I have worked full-time, and really, I never thought I would do it… ever again.
About 3 years into my nursing career I was finding it all a bit overwhelming so I began to cut my hours down. Over the years this drizzled down to only a few shifts a fortnight and even then I still thought that it was too much. Continue reading “Working Full Time Again and Relishing It”
Does this sound familiar – coming home, having a cuppa, a beer or a joint, a bit of chocolate, feet up in front of the tele to ‘wind down’ from the day? Or a yoga session followed by a bath with scented oils? Or off into one’s room with the door closed, to shut out the family and the world and do your own thing? Ah… sanctuary from the madness and demands!
You know how it goes; a world of humans expressing their emotions and thoughts, like 7 billion devices blasting out their waves at full volume… Continue reading “Bracing For Impact (in a Crazy, Scary World of Energy)”
It was a hot summer’s evening when I settled down for another night alone on the beach. Alongside me were the few possessions I owned. I had no pillow so I would use a book. The blanket I used to cover me had seriously outlived its shelf life; having been used all summer without a wash, it was smelly, manky and uncomfortable and no matter how hard I shook it, I could not seem to get all the sand out that had matted its way in. Continue reading “The Illusion of Rebellion and Adventure”
A lot of parents wish to protect their children from the harshness of the world and from the very confronting and mean behaviour that children especially encounter in high school. However, does sheltering your child truly protect them from what is going on in the world?
In my own experience I would answer this question with a clear No. Continue reading “Does Growing up Sheltered Protect you from the World?”
Just yesterday I discovered that the English name for a flower that in Germany is called “Mondviole” is honesty.
This name is so very fitting in many ways:
Like honesty this flower is never the first thing to be seen: it is rather small, the flowers are not big and showy, but it is always present by its wonderful smell. When looking at its flowers, the first thing that comes to my mind is simplicity, delicacy and strength combined with absolute clarity – and that is what honesty is about for me. Continue reading “Honesty”
While we would never want to admit it, conditional love is very much the predominant expression of love in the world today. It is something we have accepted as close enough to love and therefore we have begun to accept, and even expect, this type of love time and time again.
Conditional love has many layers and many forms, all of them designed to show the world just enough of our true self (our essence) so we don’t appear soulless, but not enough that other people might freak out, run away or point and say, ”You’re different,” “We don’t like you” etc.
Conditional love is the voice that says, “Don’t shine quite so bright, don’t say what you actually feel, don’t step on toes.” It is also the voice that says, “You’re better to wallow in your woes, because when you wallow, others leave you alone or give you attention and sympathy.”
The other morning I woke up feeling very vulnerable – I was tearful, head-achy and I felt fragile and sensitive to anything that was being said to me. The smallest comment would bring me to tears.
The night before I had attended an Esoteric Yoga session and the presenter did say that we may feel quite vulnerable in the first two weeks. I really did not believe her as I was feeling pretty good at the session, but here I am now – feeling vulnerable.
I was aware of something in my body telling me to “get rid of it,” to put this vulnerability aside and “get on with your day,” as I have done many times in the past: but today I decided to allow this vulnerability to be there and to deeply feel it. Continue reading “Feeling Vulnerable – Feeling Me”
You would think that accepting a compliment from someone would be easy, something nice said to you or about you, but do we really stop to allow ourselves to feel what is being shared with us about ourselves?
This is something I have been recently observing in myself. Someone offers me a compliment, and I quickly say thank you, brushing it off like it was said in jest, a fleeting moment, or simply to be polite, or better (worse!) yet I go into an explanation of why I may look good, or why my hair is incredibly amazing on that day. Continue reading “Compliments and Me”
I have learnt a very important truth lately, and as the title suggests, that there is really no such thing as a mistake, for every day opens up new opportunities to explore with a greater understanding in all facets of life. Opportunities of growth can be found doing everyday tasks like folding your washing, driving your car and painting a picture… and it is the latter where my new learning begins. Continue reading “No Mistakes: Just a New Learning”
As a young girl I enjoyed playing with Barbie dolls, making a home and creating a life for them, to have a husband, babies and work. As the only girl in the family I would play for hours on my own, enjoying the ability to make up my own stories.
The next day I would head off to school and share the story I made up with my dolls, only to find my girlfriend had played an almost similar game with her dolls. I remember feeling a little disappointed that I hadn’t come up with a new idea!
Recently this same scenario played out again, but this time I was able to feel that we do not own the things we create. Continue reading “Inspiration and Where does it Come From?”