Tag: purpose

advice · birthdays · challenges · Changes · daughter · happiness · knowledge

Happy Birthday…18 Year Old

Joanne8 Comments

One of my children will turn eighteen this year. Being born in the year 1992, by the time the day of her birthday arrives, the law of the land will pronounce she has permission to legally vote, purchase cigarettes, tobacco and lottery tickets, purchase and drink alcohol, enter clubs and bars, get married without parental permission and sign legal contracts.

To put it simply, at the age of seventeen years and three-hundred-and-sixty-four-days, she will be regarded as a dependent child. The very next day, she will have apparently made an overnight transformation into an adult.

Long gone are the days of “Coming of Age”, when the proud parents of the birthday boy or girl would ceremoniously present their “new adult” with the “Key to the Door” ~ when turning the age of twenty-one.

What exactly is the point of all of this grand-standing, pomp and ceremony, presented to the newly turned eighteen year old?

Did the magical fairy from “The Land of Eighteen” wave her magic wand over this child, whilst they slept, bestowing said child with all of the knowledge, wisdom and acumen they will need to carry them through this magical journey they are about to embark upon…called adulthood?

According to the law, the answer is yes…I, however, would beg to differ.

To all of my daughter’s friends, whether your birthday is today…tomorrow…this month…or this year, I wish you the absolute best of everything you could ever imagine, even in your wildest dreams, for the most magical life of your own creation…but don’t let any law fool you into believing your life begins today!

For your magical journey actually began eighteen years ago. And there is no final destination to this journey.

Did you realise that you were born with your very own in-built sense of knowledge, wisdom and adventure? Next time you meet a baby or a young child, look deeply into their eyes…there you will find the clarity and wisdom that us mere adults can only dream about!

The eyes are the window to the soul, and within a babies untainted eyes you will find all the wisdom of “knowing”.

You may not realise this, but you still have the very same natural wisdom you were born with, that same wisdom you see in the eyes of babies. But you may have forgotten that it was there all along.  You’ve probably just misplaced it somewhere, lost amongst the millions of words embedded inside your brain by family, friends, teachers, classmates, movies and TV shows.

In actual fact, the advice you give yourself is the best advice you will ever receive. Only you know what is best for you.

For your birthday, I wish you an abundance of realised wisdom, which will carry you safely along the Magical Road of Life.

All of the best advice ever given to me has been of a spiritual nature. If your spirit is well, the material side of life falls into place all on its own, without too much assistance from you. Therefore ~

  • Keep clarity of mind; stay focussed on the things you know are right for you.
  • Show kindness to others; even a simple smile goes a long way. 🙂
  • Show kindness to yourself; love for others begins with love for you.
  • Have a healthy strength of will; don’t be swayed by peer pressure.
  • Follow your own intuition; listen to your inner voice, it won’t lead you astray.
  • Follow you own dreams, not the dreams that others have for you.
  • Don’t be afraid to make mistakes; there are lessons to be learned, even in adversity.
  • Don’t sweat the small stuff; when you grow older, you realise that the hassles in life are really all small stuff.
  • Learn how to say no. Ultimately, you don’t do either yourself, or anyone else any favours by saying “yes” when you really mean “no”.
  • Be true to yourself; decide what is right for you and make no compromises.

“I hope your Birthday gently breezes into your life all of the choicest of things and all that your heart holds dear”.

challenges

The Achievement of a Goal

Joanne1 Comment

“Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit”. ~ Conrad Hilton

On the 16th of June, 2010, exactly one month ago today, I wrote an article entitled “Challenging Myself”, in which I announced to the Land of Blog my intention to set myself the task of writing a new blog post, every day, for the next month.

The inspiration to attempt this task came from NaBloPoMo.

I began the month feeling confident that there would never be a shortage of topic content and as my writing has gained momentum throughout the month, I can confirm that my assumption was correct.  In fact, some days I linger momentarily over a blank computer screen, not through lack of ideas, but rather in contemplation of which topic on my list I will write about!

A month ago, I declared that I wished to achieve more of the following ~ Discipline, Consistency and Confidence.

Discipline became easy, after the first couple of days. I am rather a creature of habit by nature and writing a blog post each day has become a regular routine for me each morning, along with eating breakfast, having a shower and making the bed.

Perhaps that is why the idea of discipline didn’t bother me a month ago, when I began this task, I knew that after a couple of days the word discipline would evolve into the new word of habit, which I find far less intimidating.

Consistency was achieved as my writing gained momentum. In fact my next plan of action is to set aside perhaps one day of each week, every week, to write as much as I can for the upcoming days, all on the same day.

Momentum is my reason for the intended marathon writing sessions. Once I’m in my writing mind-set, my only affliction is that my mind moves faster than I can write! One idea leads to the next, then the next, and so on. By writing one lengthy article on any given subject, I can later edit the article, breaking it down into smaller, easier to read posts, for daily submission to my website.

Confidence, I had identified a month ago, as being my Achilles heel. Little did I know back then how consistently supportive my fellow bloggers would be!  It has been with the greatest of delight that I have received so much positive feedback from you all! Thank you for all of the ongoing support each of you has given! 🙂

It becomes more and more apparent to me every day that I am not the only person on earth who needs the occasional confidence boost! I thoroughly enjoy reading the articles that other people have written and when the opportunity is offered to leave a comment I enjoy taking it. I remember how much I appreciate receiving comments myself, and it also becomes a wonderful socially interactive experience. 🙂

Reflecting on the past month, and now having achieved the goal I had set myself of writing and posting an article each day for a month, I can honestly say has turned out to be easier than I had initially expected! My enjoyment of writing, combined with the social interaction, made it an absolute pleasure to achieve, rather than a task.

I’ll see you all again ~ tomorrow! 😀

“You can do anything you wish to do, have anything you wish to have, be anything you wish to be”. ~ Robert Collier

freedom · gratitude · happiness · inspiration

Introducing… “Freedom Space”

Joanne2 Comments

“Today I embark upon a whole new journey. I’m unsure yet as to exactly where my journey will take me, although the destination isn’t important. Perhaps I won’t ever reach a final destination, and that’s okay. Enjoying the journey each step of the way is my aim”.

And so begins a brand new experience in my life, one in which I find myself not only contributing regularly to my own website, right here. Káren Wallace at www.thecalmspace.com has offered me the brilliant opportunity to become a regular contributor to her online magazine. 😀

Each month, Káren introduces a different theme at the Calm Space, this month’s theme being the wonderfully uplifting emotion of “happiness”. You may recall how the theme inspired me to write my own thoughts on happiness, which in turn led to further thoughts of gratitude, showing the contagious nature of the word!

Over the past three months I have contributed to the Calm Space as a guest writer, having my articles included for the topics of “Inspiration”, “Purpose” and “Wonder”. Káren has included links to all three of my guest articles in my latest post, “Happiness is a Road Called Freedom” .

The word “freedom” encompasses a multitude of emotions for me, including not only the physical freedom to choose to go where we please and do as we please, but more so the freedom we have to choose our own thoughts.

With a mind packed full of negative thoughts, we could travel along the journey of our lives feeling as if we are dragging a ball and chain on our ankle and living like a caged bird, metaphorically speaking, or we can choose the alternative…

Positive thoughts and positive choices will allow the caged bird to break out of these self imposed confines, soaring high above the earth, feeling lightweight and free!

Today, I am the soaring bird, experiencing one of the consequences of the choice I was free to make, in choosing to begin writing again. Káren Wallace unknowingly became the catalyst in my choice to “go public” with my blog here at Home Life Online, through her words of encouragement to me, earlier this year. For Káren’s continuing words of praise, along with the opportunity to become a regular contributor at the Calm Space, I will be eternally grateful. Thank you, Káren. 🙂

Follow the link to “Happiness is a Road Called Freedom” and share your own thoughts, either here or at the Calm Space (or both!) knowing that you are amongst friends. 🙂

challenges · Changes · inspiration

A Sunday Job in Progress

Joanne3 Comments

My house is in total disarray. Master twelve thinks it looks as though we have just moved into a new house while my two cats are in a state of total confusion. The dog has been banished to the backyard.

It’s all for a worthy cause, however the cats have their doubts! The Man of the House (M.O.T.H.) and I both agree it is a job well overdue.

Yesterday we dismantled the main living area of the house, this being the “Family Room”, which comprises of the kitchen, meals area and the family lounge room, (as opposed to my Quiet Room).

The M.O.T.H. painted the whole ceiling area yesterday afternoon, not an easy task and one which has left him with a major “kink” in the neck!

Before I emptied the dresser, to be pulled away from the wall, I bemoaned the fact that it would take forever to remember where everything went, but with trusty camera in hand, I now have photographic evidence of the original placement of all my kitchen wares.

The mirror is down from over the mantelpiece, as is the mantelpiece itself. The house has not looked this bare since we built it, over sixteen years ago.

Curtains are down, mats removed, cupboards and bookcases emptied; the television cabinet is yet to be moved, which will be a major feat, as the fish tank is sitting on top of it!

There’s barely a room in the house that doesn’t contain the clutter of the rearrangement.

A new lounge-suite is due to arrive any day. The old family room lounge has served the family well for the past twelve years, and now it is time for it to move on.

Donned in my painting clothes, the M.O.T.H. and I will be tackling the walls today. I agonised over a colour change for the room and have settled on a coffee colour, which I am hoping will be as easy to live with as the cool shades of pale green, which we are replacing.

Meanwhile, Queen Cat has found herself a private couch in an out of the way room and little Cutie Cat is still unimpressed!

For me, it’s hi-ho, hi-ho and off to work I go! 🙂

Changes · inspiration · knowledge · Trappist monks

The Calm and Clarity of Silence

Joanne5 Comments

Last night I accidently, half-watched an episode of “The Simpsons” on television.

It was while I was in the kitchen, having a tidy-up. Master twelve had himself cosily snuggled up under a rug, in front of the television. At first, my mind was on autopilot, whilst going about my chores.

Without warning though, I realised I was listening to those goofy, cartoon voices.

No offence to anyone who enjoys “The Simpsons”, but I don’t watch the show, as I don’t enjoy it, simple as that, which is why I say I accidently listened to some of the show.

I’m also not a believer in any kind of “accident”, so it isn’t completely accurate to claim that I listened to the show “accidently”.

In the storyline, the father had his mouth clamped up (for whatever reason the writers of the show gave, I didn’t hear that part), so rather than hearing only his own voice, he began to listen to what the members of his family were saying, for a change. Needless to say, he learned a lot about them.

My kitchen chores kept me in the vicinity of the television long enough to find out that this gave him a whole new respect for his family.

The show was a reminder to me of a time, many years ago now, when I had a severe throat infection, so severe in fact that I was advised not to speak at all for about three days (not that I could speak, even if I had wanted to!)

My children were young at the time and I only had three of them, aged eight, five and ten months old. It was difficult at first, not having a voice, and I wrote notes to my husband constantly. I couldn’t read to my children and had lost the use of words to comfort them if they were sad, although hugs still worked wonders!

After the first day of speechlessness, however, calm set in. I could see that my family could actually function quite successfully without my voice; it was not, as I had previously believed, an essential commodity in holding my family together!

I remember these three days as the worst of times (I wasn’t feeling well) and also the best of times. The lessons I learned astounded me!

For me, my lesson hadn’t been to listen to my family, I already did that. Children are fascinating little people to listen to, and as they grow their own individual personalities begin to shine through. That is magic in itself!

By the time I was able to speak, I didn’t want to! I had developed a whole new respect for the Trappist Monks who had taken a vow of silence. I now understood the wordless, peaceful presence of their souls.

Trappist monks are an order of Cistercian monks, established in 1664, at La Trappe, in Normandy, France.

Actually, I believe it is not a “vow of silence” as such; however these monks are expected to only speak when necessary and are not allowed any idle chatter.

Silence is said to “empty oneself in order to allow the word of God to flower within”.

The purpose of the silence in the monks lives is to bring about quietude and receptivity. This I can believe, as it happened to me.

The feeling of calm, which overtook my whole being, although it amazed me at the time, has since become a necessity in my life. I can only describe it as being like a drug (not that I’ve taken any kind of drugs, ever!); a completely harmless drug, which enhances your life, giving a clarity of mind that previously, you would not have imagined possible!

The on-going after effects of the silence are calm and clarity, further enhancing not only your own life, but also the lives of those about you.

We are given the gifts of speech and hearing. We also have the gift of wisdom, which we must learn to put to use in overriding our innately human desire for constant chatter.

Just like the three monkeys; “hear all”, “see all” and “say naught”. These three monkeys must have no doubt spent time with the Trappist monks!

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on this subject. Have you yourself ever experienced the changes, overtaking your entire being, brought about by silence?