Simple Self Improvement

A person's mind can be just as cluttered as a physical space             Image:Adapted from Pixabay The topic of clutter is frequently discussed in magazine articles and on the internet. When we hear the word ‘clutter’ we usually think of physical surplus items that have accumulated over the years. Emotional bits and pieces are another form of clutter which can weigh us down.    This emotional clutter can be in the form of decisions you haven’t made or tasks you keep putting off. This type of clutter holds you back as much as physical clutter and can drain your energy making you feel tired and overwhelmed. There are times when you know you aren’t in the right frame of mind to make certain important decisions and it is wise to leave them for a while. After a time you may find yourself able to deal with them. Sometimes these decisions are left for a long time because you continue to find you can’t face sorting them out. ...

Enjoy a savouring walk                                                              Image:Pixabay We have had some beautiful weather lately, great time to enjoy a walk in a natural environment. Autumn has been late arriving this year but now the heat is definitely gone. Yes, sometimes it is cold, but there are times when it is 'Goldilocks weather', not too hot and not too cold but just right. For a moment there I thought I had made up an expression but when I googled it I found this expression has been used by others. Oh well. Recently I came across the term 'Savouring Walk' on the internet. The idea of a savouring walk is to spend twenty minutes taking a walk during which you make a point of using your senses to notice everything around you. Really look at t...

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...

           Adapted from Pixabay It can take a long time to work out just who you are and to have the confidence to state simply, without apology or explanation, ‘This is who I am.’ I love the Vanessa Amorosi song, This Is Who I Am . The message of accepting yourself as you are is so important. It is expressed well in this song and I particularly like the following part -    'I don't care if I'm fat, Or if you think my clothes are bad, 'cos I can go to sleep at night, I'm a good person and I'll get by. Well it's alright to be myself, Now I've learned to stand Well it's ok to be just who I am I've spent years really hating me Longing to be friends, now I hope you can understand This is who I am.' There is much emphasis on physical appearance in modern western society. Yes, it is important to try to live a healthy lifestyle but too much importance is placed on what a person looks like. There are times we ...

                                                                      Image: Pixabay What does ‘individuality’ mean? My old Heinemann Australian Dictionary says, ‘The particular characteristics which distinguish a person from others and mark him out as an individual.’ Some people feel more comfortable blending in with the crowd. They don’t want to display characteristics which distinguish them from others and they certainly don’t want to stand out. There are others who love to be noticed and don’t want to be part of the crowd. When you sit down and talk to someone you will note characteristics, attitudes, beliefs and fears commonly held by others and ones which are different. You may be thinking how similar the two of you are and then they say or do something which shows they are definitely dif...

                                                               Image:Marie Vonow Self Improvement is one of my interests. I will be keeping the posts in this blog simple because I am not into complicated. Where possible I like to keep things simple. I am first attracted to titles that include words like easy, basic, beginners or quick. Book titles that include 'idiot's guide' or 'for dummies' catch my attention. If I want more in depth information after reading the simple version I will look for it, but I start with the simple. While I believe it is good to aim for self improvement, I also feel it is important to accept oneself as one is at this very moment. And live, just live in the moment.  ...