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I see you.

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i see you 2

Late night inter-web scrolling left me feeling a little numb last night.

I remembered this morning though, reading another parenting article which shamed me (sorry), encouraged me with three things I have to say to my child everyday, for them to be a good human.

One of which was this ‘I see you.’

What an unusual thought.

I see you.

Of course I see him. Of course I see her.

They are both in my face every waking moment and sometimes moments when I am sleep walking around as well.

These words kind of echoed and made a memory in my heart, so I have been musing over them all morning.

Today marks the first of December and I am attempting to finish the year well, by using these writing prompts to capture moments and create lasting memories with my littles.

Describe a moment from today that you want to always remember?

There are many already and it is only 8.58am.

The moment when he tasted chocolate from his first advent calendar and then proceeded to have a major melt down because he wanted number six now as well.

The deep breath she took as she floated off into her morning sleep, snuggled perfectly under the pink blanket, so soft and all-consuming.

The moment I stood in the shower, washing away the weariness of the early, early morning, feeding, playing, changing, mummy-ing, convincing, face-timing, train building, kissing, goodby-ing and texting my dearest ones.

When I found the words ‘I see you’ tumbling out of my mouth to a tantruming two-year old, who was frustrated as my attention was distracted by his newborn sister.

Everyday, Ordinary Moments, that I will one day wish back again.

Memories of a very first Christmas,

Longings for Michael Bublé playing carols over breakfast,

Moments of beauty amongst ruins…

This morning before 9am, I have contacted a friend who was holding her husbands ashes as she decides where they may rest, a friend who is away with her husband’s family as they grieve the loss of their sister, chatted over text with a friend whose birthday it is today, someone who broke up with a boyfriend last night, read an email from an older friend who lost her husband a month ago, who received the crocheted blanket I sent her. Everyday stories, that required acknowledgement and memory making.

The stories go on and on, and they linger longer.

Everyday moments, when people share their stories.

‘I see you.’

I see you friend who is hoping for a Christmas miracle,

I see you Mum who is tired from a night of broken sleep and restless baby,

I see you beautiful woman who is contemplating divorcing her husband,

I see you.

Every one of these stories is present today in my everyday moments.

Memories I don’t want to forget.

Memories, mixed with opportunities to acknowledge the stories of hurting people, hidden in everyday moments, awaiting discovery.

Seeing someone is as simple as acknowledging them in your life.

I see you this Christmas, even when you would rather forget these everyday, ordinary moments this December.

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Do you want change this New Year?

new years

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change

What are your plans for the Holiday Season?

Hanging with friends and family?

Buying presents, eating lots of food, chilling out by the beach?

What about taking time for yourself and reflecting on the new year approaching and setting some change into motion?

Over the last ten years I have taken time on the 1st of January to reflect on the coming year and make changes.

Last year over 500 people joined me and they started their year reflecting and asking themselves questions towards change. I have decided to get them out to you early, so that we can be accountable and prepared.

Here is some inspiration from significant leaders throughout history and their thoughts on change…

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Barack Obama

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

Mahatma Gandhi

For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Steve Jobs

You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.

Jim Rohn

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.

C. S. Lewis

Would you like to join us?

Here is what you need to do.

Change Reflection Pages

1) Download these pages and print them out;

New Year Change Reflection

2) Make time to reflect and answer the questions. Make a date with yourself now.

3) Share this website through social media and get your friends joining us, so we can be accountable to the process.

4) Hashtag #inspire15 and lets start 2015 inspired. Here is a spotify list to help you get in the zone.

If you want help to complete these pages, contact me on Amanda@amandaviviers.com for a personal mentoring session and we can do them together.

Happy Days dear creative friends

New year is just around the corner.

Take time for yourself and set attainable goals this holiday season

Sincerely

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this is change

change

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When we make a change, it’s so easy to interpret our unsettled ways as unhappiness, and our unhappiness as the result of having made the wrong decision. Our mental and emotional states fluctuate madly when we make big changes in our lives, and some days we could tight-rope across Manhattan, and other days we are too weary to clean our teeth. This is normal. This is natural. This is change.

Jeanette Winterson.

Change is never easy.

It is confusing, it is overwhelming, it is step by step, painstakingly laborious.

Change affects every part of our hearts and lives.

The last two and a half years has been every bit of this for me.

Letting go, finding ways to regather my sense of self and moving forward.

How are you going with change, early this Sunday morning?

I love this wisdom from Jeanette Winterson. Our emotional state through seasons of change fluctuates and it is okay.

It is okay.

Someone asked me yesterday how I was going with novice motherhood.

I replied ‘One moment I feel like I could take on the world, next moment I want to escape to an island in the Pacific and hide.’

All of these emotions can be felt in just one day.

One hour, I feel completely capable and then the next I don’t even know what I’m doing.

This morning however, as the sun rose in through my window pane, I felt a small whisper from a voice I have grown to love saying this…

Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

I took a photo of these flowers I was given last night, I captured a little moment in my morning and just breathed.

Aware, that even if today goes pear-shaped;

Even in the midst of the massive change that has happened in my world with two little people relying on me,

Even if I am now on the receiving end of months of sleep deprivation, in the morning a fresh and blank page appears and the day begins again.

It is well with my soul and opportunity awakes for even the simplest of endeavour.

Mine today is to be a kind human.

What is yours?

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finishing the year well

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The wash of a year like this is starting to take its toll.

Even though I failed in my mission this year to draw in my diary everyday, I have such a sense of purpose about the coming months.

I was flicking through instagram this week and stumbled across a writing challenge for the month of December that inspired me.

The company is called Life Captured Inc and it is adorable.

When I began this blog in 2005, it was all about capturing everyday moments and documenting them. These guys take it to a whole new amazing level.

I want to finish this year well, so December come at me. Join me and the amazing creatives at Life Captured Inc and use these writing prompts to journal and remember well this Christmas.

This morning, I had a little moment.

A creative avalanche.

I cut up some of my husbands old T-shirts and made some cool onesie PJ’s for my Maximus.

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Creativity is honestly endless.

Never give up an opportunity to just have a go. I just grabbed some old T-shirts, put some pants and a top together as a pattern and just dove in.

Fear is the greatest hindrance to our opportunity.

Opportunities to repurpose and recreate, bring beauty from old and make our little worlds more colourful and fabulous.

Join me this December and capture those moments awaiting discovery.

Everyday, Ordinary moments.

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Ps; I have only two more spots left for my Creative New Year Retreats. If you are thinking of booking, get in and do it today.

PPS; I sent my manuscript to a publisher. Gah!

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stepping out into the big world of publishing

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finding a book publisher

I sat down this afternoon and had this cup of tea, with thoughts whirring around my head faster than the bubbles frothed in this milk. My heart was racing with a sense of purpose and potential.

Over the last few weeks I have had such a sense of clarity about the next years of my life. The kind of weeks that only come with a whisper. Maybe they have come because I journeyed the well-worn path on my knees of forgiveness and letting go.

A whisper that has been saying;

Go on have a go.

You never know this could be Divine.

Life is way too short for maybe.

One of my big decisions over the last little while has been to launch these Creative Retreats. A one day retreat facilitated by me with one person, near the ocean, creating space to dream. I have been so overwhelmed at the response with only two places left.

Another moment of clarity has been around my latest manuscript that I have been working so hard on this year. I have decided to step out into the crazy world of publishing and pursue an agent and publisher for this book The Summer of Love; single, over 25 and exhausted. The letters that my readers here wrote, all 30 of them are so inspiring. My intern read them and started to cry, my author friend read them and was like YOU NEED TO PUBLISH THIS.

So, I have taken a deep, long breath and have committed.

I am scared out of my heart. It is pumping and writhing, full of fear and trepidation.

I have been on a journey where I have self published and put my ideas out there, for you, the people who choose to come and read this blog. (which by the way this week has gone over 2 million hits for the year! WHAT! with 65,000 unique visitors this year alone.)

My first book sold out this year in hard copy and I smiled this week when a reader from France emailed asking for a book for a friend in London, as Amazon was selling a copy for $199 due to it being sold out.

Crazy Days.

I am tentatively going into places I have never gone before and who knows I may fail, but I am stepping out anyway.

If you are a praying type, pray with me. There is a song that has been popular lately that says this…

‘Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters, wherever you may lead.’

When we sing songs like this, do we think that God doesn’t hear our cry and take us into unknown territories?

An anthem that is exciting as we sing it, but are we ready to actually do it?

This could be a whole new day for Capture as I send off my book proposals and manuscript this week.

Tentatively,

With a deep breath,

I am just having a go.

These photos that I took today of Libby who fell asleep on the floor this afternoon as I drunk a cup of tea, remind me that I am influencing little people daily.

An inspired Mum, is a happy one.

And that I am.

What do you need to step out and do?

What have you been waiting for?

These are the best of days, the ones where we fearfully step out of the boat and start to see our dreams become a reality.

Till tomorrow

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Ps- If you are looking for ideas for homemade Christmas gifts this year, my e-book Capture 30 merry days is available to download today, with lots of fun and interesting gift ideas.