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Filled with joy

20140118-122817.jpgWe had a great chat with our sometimes neighbour this morning, who had just come back from his holiday walk on the beach all inspired.

He was telling us about a friend of his who is getting married this afternoon, after a terrible few years of trauma after losing her first husband suddenly.

We talked for a long time about being filled with joy by the little things, rather than allowing the confusion and pursuit of success and happiness to overtake our days.

What a great conversation with a neighbour.

One of my best friends also lost her husband a few short years ago. Just before he passed away, he left a note for her saying.

‘Life is short, love what you do’

The prophetic statement of the coming unexpected days of their lives is eerily haunting.

But it is true.

I think we believe we are immortal, however the trauma and tragedy of those around us shows us that we really don’t know the hour or day when our time will come to an end.

In those last hours of life, the bank statements and the hurtful words that have been said by an acquaintance, the washing piles and the unmet expectations will not be the last thoughts on our minds. Memories of family and meals. Good times and great regrets, these will be those things that consume us.

Take time to be filled with joy this Saturday.

Life is Short

Love what you do.

Thanks Craig.

We miss you

XXOO

Amanda

 

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A field of possible

20140117-130525.jpgToday I have signed up for an E-course online with one of my favourite Authors Brene Brown.

The course is called the gift of imperfection.

I have the book that I am reading on my kindle at the moment and I am so excited about this 6 week course, to be challenged, stretched and discover new possibilities.

The main premise that this book covers is our societies incessant need to be perfect and also to please other people.

I had a chat with a friend yesterday about the deceptive nature of online forums such as Instagram.

People make their lives look how they want to. In essence there are lots of lies and self promotion.

Instagram is a perfect presentation of an imperfect world.

Often spending too much time on forums such as these does either two things.

1) People present their world as perfect and unattainable and therefore isolate themselves from the reality of everyday messy life.

2) People watch what happens in others instagram feeds and then stop creating for themselves, because their lives are imperfect and their feeds cannot match others.

I say stuff everyone!

Let’s enjoy our worlds for what they are imperfect.

Full of imperfect people.

Imperfect lives.

Imperfect creations.

I love this quote:

Somewhere between right doing and wrong doing there is a field, let’s meet there.

It’s not about aiming for perfection or imperfection, it is resting in the place of reality.

XXOO

A

 

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Simplify

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I spent most of yesterday with one of my dearest friends Bonnie.

I came to the end of the hours of endless conversation, beautiful reflection and honest moments, so grateful for the gift of true friends.

The ones you can be completely yourself with.

The ones who understand your heart, your motive and soul and don’t hold tightly to the amount of times we have seen each other but the quality of the moments we have shared.

I have learnt in my last couple of years of novice motherhood that friendships change significantly and that is truly okay.

I have learnt to hold looser my expectations on my friends but then cherish the moments I have with them.

To call and ring and keep in touch when I am able, but to also think good thoughts and pray for them when I can’t.

To simplify my expectations of people and adore the precious times that I get to hang simply with them.

Are you holding on too tight to people?

Do you struggle to maintain friendships over the change of seasons?

Have you found yourself friendless?

Maybe there are some reasons for that.

Maybe you need to simplify your expectations and take time to just be with people when you can.

All of our lives can be complex at times, but really do we need our friendships to be as well?

Life is way too short.

Live light.

Let go of the guilt, the hurt and the manipulation and enjoy people for who they are.

Love extravagantly but hold on lightly.

Live a little simpler in your friendships and you might surprise yourself how many new people you will have around you at the end of this year.

A

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Beauty everywhere

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This little plate is a present from one of my dearest friends and all day I have been consumed with it’s beauty. The detail, the fine proportions, it’s clarity and so much more. I went to the shops to do the groceries today and I bought myself a bunch of oriental lilies, their smell, their look in my bathroom and lounge room, one word beauty.

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Beauty is just as important in our daily sustenance as bread. Simple, pure, unadulterated peace.

This quote helps me in days of distress.

Beauty is a balm that heals.

Are you confused?

Are you lonely?

Are you needing solace?

Find something beautiful from nature or that is inspired by nature and I have often found in my own walk, my heart lifts again.

We all need a place of restoration.

We were designed to live in a place of peace.

I often find in my life this peace is encouraged and motivated with places of beauty.

I think our interpretation of beauty has become plasticised. We think beauty is perfection. We believe beauty is produced, manufactured.

I think the most beautiful places of rest, are filled with imperfection and a raw condition.

Find your place of nurture.

You will live inspired if you seek moments like these.

Love

Me

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less clicking more making

more making 1

This little pair of booties took me less than an hour to do.

When I create something, whether it  be a yummy nutritious dinner, crochet, paint, draw…Anything. If I produce something from scratch I feel an immense sense of satisfaction and purpose.

Unfortunately we live in a culture where we live off the success of others and we spend our days comparing and looking online at other people’s creations.

Often I am inspired when I see your bits and bobs on instagram, but if I spend more time clicking, than I spend making, something inside me starts to go a little loopy.

Our creativity becomes watered down by comparison to others inspiration.

It is hard to live a life inspired, when you are constantly comparing yourself to others.

This blog for example, I don’t read many blogs regularly, its not because I think this blog is better than others, far from it, but when I spend heaps of time online on other peoples musings, I find my own thoughts crowding.

A quick surf, a simple delighting in others thoughts is inspiring but too much and your brain starts to crowd and it affects your own output.

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Somedays I just need to pull out a normal book and put my phone and Ipad in a far away cupboard pull out my creative pursuits and get lost there.

Do you need to write?

Do you want to create?

Then take time away from online, make yourself a nice drink and begin again something from scratch. The tension and the fulfilment of its creation is one of the most satisfying things.

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The reason why?

I believe we were all created to produce good things.

Yes you.

Goodness lies dormant inside of you awaiting production.

See ya.

Amanda

12/365 ( I am drawing every day in my visual diary for 2014, you can follow the journey of mine and others by #inspire14 . It’s all about living inspired this year.)