Tag: freedom

freedom · gratitude

Ultimate Freedom

Joanne2 Comments

Today’s post will be a quick one, basically to keep my commitment to NaBloPoMo and postaday2011.

Not that I have nothing to say…there is always something to say!

It is 8pm on Friday night as I write this. And I’m alone.

Not lonely; but alone.

I feel like a real grown up!

I’ve had the house to myself all day and will be alone all night as well. My family all have places to go and people to see.

This is the first night I have spent alone in the last…um…over twenty five years!

So this is big!

I’ll fill you in on the details tomorrow.

I’m savouring every single moment of this serenity.

For now, I’m going to make the dinner of my choice, watch the television shows of my choice, go to bed in my own good time and wake up tomorrow when I feel like it.

Oh, the freedom of it all! 🙂

freedom · gratitude

Looking Inside the Mind of an Optimist

Joanne2 Comments

“Never mention the worst. Drop it out of your consciousness. This practice will bring all of your powers to focus on the attainment of the best. It will bring the best to you”. ~ Norman Vincent Peale.

2011 is the first year in which I have actually gone out and purchased a Gratitude Diary and started to make use of it immediately.

You see, it’s all a part of my master plan. I have chosen my word for the year, for the theme which I have chosen to live by throughout all of this year.

My chosen word is “Freedom” and a main aspect of my theme that I am aiming to achieve is freedom from unwanted thoughts.

I love the word “Freedom”. It encompasses such a wide range of aspects, all relevant to the ultimate achievement of my goal to attain freedom.

Like all new habits, banishing unwanted thoughts from your mind takes time. I know that is true for me. The easiest thing to do, and the biggest mistake to make, is to allow your thoughts to wander off, unchecked, when you are wishing to form your new habit!

Reining in your thoughts could be likened to beginning a healthy eating plan, or a new exercise regime. Old habits have a happy knack of dying hard.

But anything worthwhile is worth sticking to and before long a whole new series of habits have taken the place of the old ones.

Another point I will be paying particular attention to is, as Norman Vincent Peale says in the above quote, “never mention the worst”.

If mention of the unwanted must be made, I have discovered through many years of practise that your statement can be turned around, from the negative to the positive.

It’s the old scenario of not saying that your glass is half empty, but rather your glass is half full!

Example : You could complain about not having any room in your cupboards, due to having too much unwanted “stuff” stashed away inside of them….OR….

You could tell the story of how much pleasure you will feel when you have discarded all of your unwanted possessions, leaving you with available space inside the cupboards.

It’s a subtle difference and it can change your whole mindset, by focussing on the positive scenario.

That’s where a Gratitude Diary can make a huge difference to your life, forcing your thoughts into a state of appreciation, hence forming a whole new habit, for you to easily live by.

I’m a firm believer that regardless of how dreadful any situation may appear to be, especially when it has just occurred and feelings are raw, there is always a reason for the event taking place.

Sometimes it may take a little bit of deeper delving into a situation, to discover the message the Universe is sending. Don’t give up ~ search hard enough and you will find your answers.

Stay optimistic, show appreciation and the best will find you. 🙂

Footnote : Today I can celebrate, as this is my one hundredth post here at Home Life Online; Everyday Inspirations.

Today, I am grateful for having come up with 100 ideas for topics to write about!   Jo.

Uncategorized

The Sounds of Silence

Joanne2 Comments

How long has it been…three, perhaps four weeks, since I have spent the day alone, at home?

I can’t quite remember; it’s been so long, too long.

Days of solitude are a necessity to me, as essential as food and sleep.

But it hasn’t always been that way.

When my four children were all much younger the house was continually noisy, in one way or another. Talking, television switched on by the first child out of bed in the morning, music playing (in more than one room), phones ringing, and usually all at the same time!

On the odd occasion when I would be in the house, in silence, I couldn’t cope; I simply had to switch on music, or the television, anything to cut the deafening silence!

I’m not sure how the changes occurred, the changes within myself, which brought about the demand (yes, it was a demand!) for peace and silence around me.

The sounds around home have altered now. My second oldest lives in her own home now, my eldest is quiet by nature (thank you, God!), and then there’s the two teenagers.

As is the case with many siblings, they are constantly bickering, only pausing long enough to sing together. Yes, sing. They have the same taste in music and, as teenagers do, know every word, to every song they hear.

Their singing can actually be rather entertaining, especially so when I way up the pro’s and cons…would I rather listen to squabbling, or the singing? Hmm…

Today there will be no voices, no phones, no mobile phones, no skype, no texting, no online chatting ~ everyone is out.

I have the house to myself.

My herbal tea is made and my ironing awaits me. Whilst ironing, the only sounds I will hear will be the pattering of the raindrops falling, the occasional chorus of frogs croaking and the distant buzzing of the cicada’s.

It’s a day to restore my equilibrium, to silence my busy brain, to focus on the here and now.

A day to appreciate the Sounds of Silence….

(Photo credit ~National Geographic at Google Images)

freedom · gratitude

My Year of Freedom and Gratitude

Joanne4 Comments

“To be grateful for “what is” has been my personal path to freedom. When I stop to allow and fully accept the reality of this current moment ~ NOW ~ a calmness and centeredness is revealed and available to me.” ~ Morthern Spears

Over the past few days I have read a lot about choosing a personal theme for this year; finding a word, or perhaps a phrase, which you can focus on throughout the year.

I suppose another way of putting it is to say your word should represent something you would like to achieve this year, something you hold dear to your heart.

Your word should represent the change and improvement you would like to achieve for yourself during 2011.

After much contemplation, I have decided that my own personal theme for this year will be “freedom”.

I must admit that freedom actually became my focus during the latter half of last year. In fact, when I contribute articles to the Calm Space, they are listed under “Freedom Space”. It therefore seems most fitting that I make it my year to have freedom uppermost in my mind, as I travel through this year.

There is so much more freedom to be achieved.

One of my main focuses in my quest for freedom is to live in the moment, therefore…

I choose to freely cut the strings that have tied me to past habits I have formed in my life.

With faith in the future, knowing that events will unfold around me in just the way they are meant to unfold, I need never worry myself about the future.

My focus will be trained upon the here and now, savouring the reality of the current moment as each new and wonderful event reveals itself to me.

And, most importantly, keeping my eyes wide open, I will show gratitude for all of the Everyday Inspirations I find in my life, recording their appearance to me in my Gratitude Diary.

I give myself permission to live a life embraced by freedom.

What about you? Have you given any thought to how you would like 2011 to unfold?

It’s not too late to forget the past, let the future take care of itself and centre your thoughts in the moment. Listen to your heart. What is it saying to you? Listen carefully, as your heart will speak to you, letting you know what it is you most desire from this year….from life.

Australia · friends

A Most Unlikely Friendship

Joanne2 Comments

During the month of October last year, the theme at the Calm Space was “Courage”.

As a regular contributor to the Calm Space, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to share a story I had heard of, via the internet, about two men and their pet lion, Christian.

The editor of the Calm Space, the lovely Káren Wallace, is in holiday mode throughout January, as here in Australia nearly the whole of the month is devoted to school holidays, hot weather and recovering from Christmas!

Káren and her family have a busy month personally, with birthdays and anniversary celebrations, plus moving house, so it is an ideal opportunity for Káren to rerun some favourite articles which have featured over the last three years.

Today, I have decided to follow in Káren’s footsteps and rerun one of my own favourite articles, “Finding the Courage to Let Go”.

The story of Christian the Lion is one of yes, courage, and also love, devotion, loyalty and friendship.

While you are over at the Calm Space, have a browse through the inspiring articles you will find there. Káren makes her readers feel right at home with her own warm, friendly, chatty articles.

I promise you will leave her site feeling rejuvenated and ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead for you!