Simple Self Improvement

A garden can bring much joy                             Image:Marie Vonow I enjoy spending time in the garden but to be honest I can’t be bothered with any plants that need to be fussed over. There are so many types which are easy to grow that I can’t see the point in actually stressing over plants when I want to enjoy my time in the garden. Some people do enjoy the challenge of getting a delicate or fussy plant to grow but that's not my style, I prefer things that are simple. When it comes to veggies and herbs, I plant easy to grow stuff like loose leaf lettuce, rocket, spring onions, chives, basil, parsley, rosemary, silver beet and tomatoes. I grow some things in containers and others directly in the garden.              Rosemary bush    ...

Artist at work                                                                              Adapted from Pixabay It is very satisfying to indulge in a creative activity such as writing, art, music or sewing. It is a way to express oneself and can bring joy to the creator and others. For some, creative expression is a form of therapy. Sometimes the process of expressing oneself or creating something is more important than the result.

King William Street Adelaide                                   Image:Marie Vonow Marcel Proust, the famous French novelist, critic and essayist born in the nineteenth century said, ‘ The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. ’ There are many things in one’s local area or places one visits frequently which one probably hasn’t ever noticed. 

                                                                                                  Image:Marie Vonow What does the word ordinary mean? According to my old Heinemann Australian Dictionary (yes the old one held together with sticky tape), ordinary means normal, usual or average. That doesn’t sound very exciting. It sounds like enjoying the ordinary means accepting things that are pretty boring and dull. Actually, it is the opposite. It means discovering the exciting aspects in everyday th...

Enjoy that cuppa, enjoy the moment                                  Image:Marie Vonow What could be better? I am sitting at my computer blogging while listening to uplifting music. I am drinking my favourite coffee from a lovely mug. Every now and then I take a nibble of dark chocolate and I don’t have to feel guilty because it’s only a small bar and it’s sugar free. Also, I have read dark chocolate contains anti oxidants and boosts your endorphins. The sun is shining through the crystal I have hanging in the window making rainbows of refracted light appear on the walls of my room. These may be simple pleasures but they make my life good. I feel gratitude for these things and am living in the now, in the present moment. Eileen Caddy, spiritual teacher and New Age author said, ‘Nothing really matters except what you do now in this instant of time.’  It is easy t...