Despite summer being two weeks away in Australia and yesterday temperatures reaching 41 degrees Celsius—warmth is a topic I find hard to express without winter. My photo choice depicts the chiminea my husband and I keep warm by on a winter weekend evening.
We enjoy its warmth while planning our week ahead. There is something mesmorising and relaxing about watching the flames dance—they warm you from the inside out.
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What’s the best present you’ve ever received that was handmade by the giver, not store-bought? Tell us what made it so special.
I love hand made gifts. They take time as well as thought and make me feel special. Over the years, I have received many and cannot judge any one as better than another. I love them all. Each had specific meaning to me and I struggle to be able to throw them out—even the paper crane a patient made for me with the words tough love and smiley faces remains at my desk—energising me when work is difficult.
These two vases are an example of my hand gifts. The pottery one was designed and thrown especially for me during a friends pottery class. The second was hand painted by my sister-in-law for my 40th birthday.
My father has made me many presents—recreating ideas he sees and crafting them in wood or metal. I was the only child I knew growing up who had a wooden skateboard with her name etched into it. I still own it but I no longer ride it.
Thanks to anyone and everyone who have ever given me a hand made gift—including food. It makes me feel special and is appreciated.
We saw this young Buddhist monk in the Shaolin Temple, Henan Province, China. I was fascinated by what he may be doing—he was surrounded by an air of mystery.
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Our ten-minute free-write is back for another round! Tap away on whatever comes to mind, no filters attached.
November 13 is World Kindness Day. This day focuses on acts of kindness in the community and helps breakdown barriers such as religion, sex, race, age and demographics. To join people together, making the world and our community more connected and a happier place.
Random acts of kindness, part of World Kindness Day are encouraged everyday, not just November 13. Some people are easier to be kind to than other. However, it is often those that are the hardest to be kind to—that need our kindness the most. Where possible choose to be kind to these people. A simple smile or hello can start to break down barriers and help develop opportunities for further act of kindness.
When working on being kind to others, I believe it is important to remember to be kind to ourself. Many people would never criticise or treat others the way they treat themselves. Make World Kindness Day a starting point to prioritising kindness—for others and ourselves.
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Aesop
Photo Credit: Google Images
Today you can write about anything, in whatever genre or form, but your post must include a speeding car, a phone call, and a crisp, bright morning.
It was one of those days. Everything that could go wrong—was going wrong. I found my mind wandering off, thinking of ways I could make my day stop. At present I was not in control. Then it happened.
The passing policeman turned on his flashing lights—indicating for me to pull over. Oh no! He had noticed my speeding car. Just what I needed. After being given my ticket—I decide to change my day.
Instead of driving off, I made a plan. Continuing to think ahead was not helping. I needed to centre myself. Meditation was my answer. Clear my mind, breathe deeply and stop the chaos in my head. I needed to be in control rather than my world controlling me—and giving me speeding tickets.
I changed my day around. Fortunately, my girlfriend answered my phone call and was available for an urgent coffee. Having a chat relieved my stress and energised me. That half an hour solidified my day’s plan—making the remainder of my day busy, but taking time out worked. I prioritised my day and as a result, I was reaping the rewards.
At the end of the day, I had achieved everything I needed and more. Because I took the time to focus on controlling my mind. So for now—tomorrow is another day. Hopefully, it will start with a crisp, bright morning as I would love a walk on the beach.
Sleeping Beauty’s castle is the land mark of all Disneyland parks. This one is from Hong Kong Disneyland. It reminds me of being watching The Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday evening as a child.
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The Redwoods call for a hug.
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What is your most vivid memory of the kitchen in your childhood?
Exciting vivid memories elude me. My main memory is being required to wash and dry the dishes with my siblings every night. Not caring for the washing part—I was happy to dry. This usually made everyone else happy. They would rather wash or put the dishes away. It also meant I had control of any naughty tea towel flicking behaviours my younger siblings liked to try.
As a child, who was your favorite relative?
My father’s mother lived in a granny or in our case, nanny flat at the side of our home. She was always available to us if we needed anything and would wait for us to come home from school. I remember one year she told Santa that we would like a swing set, which Santa delivered.
What did you or did not like about the first apartment you ever rented?
The first apartment I rented was in Sydney after I was married. Having already purchased my home I did find that I was limited in where I hung pictures and what I could do frustrating. I was excited however, by the freedom of being able to move cities and set up a new life that renting gave me.
What kind of TV commercial would you like to make? Describe it.
I would like to make a television commercial about the power of positive thinking. How your actions can change your outcomes. It would include references to being in the present moment.
My hope would be that it would inspire people to recognise the power of their daily choices.
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
Last week I was grateful for the fun times I had at our work Christmas party. Catching up with people you don’t see often and remembering the year that was.
Next week I am looking forward to finishing work for the year at preparing for my Canadian adventure.
http://ceenphotography.com/2014/11/03/share-your-world-2014-week-44/
Yesterday I attended the NSW Emerging Writers Festival. The first session of the day comprised of 5 Australian authors giving their writing tips—Tom Doig, Delia Falconer, Benjamin Law, Laura Jean McKay and Walter Mason.
This was favourite part of the day. It lead me to think about what I have learnt on my writing journey—from book to blogging.
1. Begin by writing. Don’t worry about order—get your ideas down. Form and order come in the editing process. The more you write, the quicker and more naturally, form and order come.
2. Use every spare moment to write. Half of my book was written in 10-30 minute sessions on my daily train commute. I continue this habit with my blogging.
3. Believe in yourself. Self doubt can and will question your ability. I heard it and kept going anyway. I let my audience decide if my writing was good enough. So far, feedback has been positive.
4. Find ways to talk about your work. Initially, I didn’t know how to bring my work up in conversation. So I focused on it. The more I talked about it, the easier it got. Yesterday, I joined a panel at the writers festival to discuss my work and my ideas. It was fun. Afterwards I was surprised and excited by how natural it felt.
5. Prioritise your time. There will always be a reason not to write—too busy, too tired, somebody else needs something. Find a way to incorporate everything you want to do in a day. This is where writing in short sessions helps.
The secret is—find what works for you and keep doing it. If you really want to do something—you will find away.
