“On life’s journey faith is nourishment, virtuous deeds are a shelter, wisdom is the light by day and right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him.”  – Buddha.

No matter what is going on in our lives, I am reminded over and over that there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for.  We just need to look for the Gems in our lives and acknowledge them, and then we will live a life of abundance.

Nothing beats a bit of sunshine, fresh air and a walk with your best friend.  It’s a great way to spend a few hours.  Reminds me of one of my favourite songs “I’m walking on sunshine” and today, for a while, I did.  It’s nice to be able to head off in a different direction each time and see what is in the world around us.  I was pleasantly surprised today to find a small park I never knew existed in the neighbourhood.  A real gem.

I decided today was a good day to also take myself out to lunch.  I walked from my home to the waterfront precinct, where I went to my favourite cafe/restaurant to have a very late lunch.  I sat outside, even though the weather had changed to being cool and cloudy.  All the sea gulls give the area a lovely coastal feeling.  It was very relaxing and therapeutic to my soul.

I also started work on an artwork project I have envisioned in my mind these past weeks.  So far I am happy with some of the elements, but one of the colours in not right and is not applied the way I envisioned it to be.  I am thinking, I probably should have stuck to trying to do one canvas at a time instead of all three.  Live and learn as they say.  I should say this is the first time I have attempted to do a mixed media piece and maybe taking on a triptych is not such a great idea after all. *smile*

So I think, it might be time to sit back and relax with a book for a while.  Need a cup of coffee.

So what Gems did you find today to be grateful for?

Coastal Girl

Over the past almost four years, I have turned my thoughts inward in the hopes of learning more about who I am, what I want out of life and hopefully becoming a better person.  It has been a time of discovery.  Learning new things about myself.  Not always a pleasant experience as I found out.  Coming to terms with decisions I made, some good, some bad (on reflection), but MY decisions.  I have learned to let go of many things.

It is time to focus on the here and now, but also to set some new goals for my future.  I could see my future so clearly, which was kind of scarey in itself.  I still WANT that future.  I want to trade Coastal Girl for Farm Girl.  Like most things in life though, there are many obstacles and whilst this is what I yearn for, it may never happen.  There are still issues  from my past to deal with, but they too will have to be put on hold as I deal with my health concerns first.  The universe sure has a way of making us stop and think sometimes.

So today I reaffirm my positivity in life and set forth after my dreams.

Coastal Girl

How our life changes in the blink of an eye.  We live as if we are invincible and in one split second, life changes for us and we have to face our own mortality and the life we have lead thus far.  Have I done the things I wanted to?  Have I touched the lives of others as I intended?  What are the things that matter most?

The answer to the last one is easy…the simple things.  To love. To feel the warm summer breeze on your skin.  The smell of freshly mowed lawn.  A bird’s song.  To see all the beauty that surrounds us daily, but which we often take for granted.  The people in our lives.  Our pets.

After getting some rather personal and distressing news Friday afternoon, I pondered all this and more.  I sat in my lounge room and looked around at all the things I have gathered to reflect “me” in my surroundings.  In that moment, I realised, they are “just things”, they don’t really reflect me at all.  I am so much more that that.  The only thing in my home that meant anything, in that moment, was my best friend, my dog.  She has been with me over the past eleven years to be there through all the good and bad times.  Her love for me is unconditional.  The only kind of love worth having.  She will continue to be there with me for what I hope is a long time to come.

I finally “got the hug” that I have needed.  It meant so much.  Some people come into our lives and just are so much more than we could ever have realised they would be.  My life has been greatly enriched by this person and I don’t think he knows by how much.  I can try and tell him, but words often fail me.  I can only show him by my offer of unconditional love.

I have some wonderful friends online whom have been very supportive also.  I don’t know what I would do without you all.  Thank you.

So, hug and appreciate those you love, and remember, the best things in life are truly the simple things.

Coastal Girl.

I have awoken today feeling thoroughly refreshed and grateful for my good health and healing abilities.  I had a small procedure done on Wednesday, went through the “blahs” afterwards and then gave myself a severe talking to LOL.  Honestly, I have been blessed with good health and here I was feeling sorry for myself when, in fact, I had no reason to.  I have all my limbs, no major life threatening diseases or the like.  What was my problem?  Aside from being on my own, well I have my dog, I was bored and had some pain.  It’s funny how when we are working we crave time off, then when we have the opportunity to “do nothing”, we are still not satisfied.  All I craved was a hug.  A hug from the “right person”.  It didn’t happen and I survived…it’s okay.

So here it is two days later and I am feeling back on top health-wise.  Haven’t had that hug yet, but I’ll survive.  No matter who we are or where we are, we all need to remember to feel grateful for our good health and that there are numerous possibilities out there for us to explore.

Coastal Girl

I made a new friend some weeks ago after joining an online forum.  After many exchanges back and forth, I told her we are both “Students of Life”, as in, we both have to experience life to learn from our mistakes and to always look for the good in any situation.  I truly believe in something she said.  Some people are brought into our lives to teach us something, whether it be about ourselves or the world at large, but the timing has to be right for us to learn the lesson.

Everyday, we come across new people, new situations, and, in each of these, there are lessons to be learned.  We just need to open our eyes, ears and heart to allow these gifts in.  After heartbreak, we tend to close ourselves off to the world.  It is a protective mechanism, but I also believe, the time to reflect on the lesson and heal from the wounds.  After some time, we come to realise that we have healed and the world looks wonderful and full of many possibilities once more.  Of course these possibilities were always there, we were just not ready, and that is ok.  If more people took the time to renew their relationship with themselves, and to heal, I believe this world would be a much better place.

We are the sum of our experiences.  We all have flaws.  No-one or situation is perfect.  That is just something we create in our minds, our ideal.  We need to accept these flaws in ourselves and each other in order to experience the rainbow of mankind in all its diversity.  We all deserve to love and be loved in return.

My most recent lesson has been to slow down and smell the roses, enjoy the journey and not focus on the destination.

Wishing you all a peaceful and enlightened day,

Coastal Girl

Farhana Dhalla has a book called “Thank You For Leaving Me”.   The following excerpt really resonates with me:

“I do not have the answers.

There is no right way.

There is not just one way.

And the ways may change.

Healing, discovering, living and learning are not linear processes.

They are cyclical.

All of life is about cycles and contradictions. I know because I am confident, aware and evolving in one minute and in a flash can feel wounded and insecure the next.

But every time I go through a cycle, my vantage point seems to be a bit different. The movement through the cycle seems to go a little quicker, a little smoother, and I can see the gift that came from the experience more and more easily.”

I hope that these few lines are inspirational to you.  Remember to find some joy and gratitude in your daily lives.  It IS there if you are open to it.

Coastal Girl