Gratitude's and Celebration - Week 54 - Become your own Cheerleader

Gratitude and Celebration Journal

As I embark on the 2nd year of keeping a Gratitude and celebration journal I asked myself where the self love was.  I have shared so many things that I am grateful about from the large to the very small, for the friends that I have to the opportunities that present themselves, whether positive or negative, everything has its' place at some point if only to shine the light on the gifts that lay within us that needed the trial to make it what it can truly become - think of the pearl and how that is created in the Oysters shell.

So thinking about self love, I asked myself how many times I had acknowledged when I did something good, did I take the time to celebrate the accomplishment. As well as having really encouraging people around who support and encourage you, how many times a day do you say something supportive about yourself, or say 'well done me'? 

We are not always going to have people around us that say those great things about our accomplishments and that is where you have to be your own best friend.  When you got up and did that exercise even though you wanted to slouch around what did you say to yourself? what do you see yourself becoming?, who is unfolding in front of your own eyes?  I say this because I realise that I don't always see myself, I see the person who fulfills many roles, I see the daughter who is looking after her mum with dementia, the daughter who deals with mums care and support from others, I see the wife and mother, the friend that is supportive, but for a long time I didn't see me.

As I approach my birthday next week, I have been thinking about who it is that I want to be for me, as an artist, a woman, a friend.  I have been listening to what I say about myself, how I treat myself, if I am putting myself and my needs on the back burner while taking care of others needs and beginning to shift the balance.  I realise that if there is no more of me then I cannot help others, I cannot be the blessing that I want to be. We need to take care of ourselves to be able to care for someone else, rather than taking it all including our well-being for granted.  I want to treat me as I would a best friend.

I celebrate and I am grateful for the woman that God created me to be, and will say and think encouraging things about myself everyday as I encourage others in their walk.

I look forward to the journey and hope you come along and join me. Why not start your own journal, keep it as simple or complex as you wish, but do something!

Gratitude and Celebration Journal

Gifts are waiting to be birthed...Gratitude's and Celebrations Journal - Week 50

You have so many gifts waiting to be birthed

I know that I have said this before, but you are a big deal, I don’t see why I shouldn’t  let you know today if your reading this or whenever you find the time, but it needs to be said again and again! 

From before you were born you were thought of as unique and special, and with every hair on your head being accounted for you are a pretty big deal.  It doesn’t matter what you have been through, your experiences, your trials, your tribulations, or the pain that you have been through or are currently going through, your story, thoughts, experiences, views and life matters more than you will ever know.

Gifts waiting to be birthed

And just as on the day you were born there was anticipation,  joy and perhaps a tear or two, your arrival into this world is a blessing and everything that you do is connected to others souls around the world, each one with a purpose and a plan for their lives.

You are filled with immeasurable gifts that are waiting to be birthed.  It does not matter how old you are and how many years, months or days you have left, there is something that can be birthed today.    Think about the dreams you have, the hopes you have, the changes that you want to make, the steps you would like to take and do something today.  One thing that will bring you a step further to uncovering those gifts that have been laying dormant, that only you can bring.  Take a breath, are you ready, now go......

Don't be afraid....

I celebrate and am grateful today for each gift that is laying within me that I have yet to uncover, and as I take a step of faith I come closer to uncovering more joy, more grace, peace and love.

Celebrate your Gifts - Mixed Media Art by Amanda Trought

Read about the Gratitude's and Celebration Journal HERE

Gratitude's and Celebration - Choose...you still have a choice

You have a choice, don’t let doubt creep in....

You always have a choice, whatever the situation. You can choose.  You can make a decision whether you actually want to accept the results of a situation and choose a different path, or you can choose how you respond to a situation and whether it will have an impact on your life.

Whatever you do, you make the final decision.  What is it that you have been running away from.  Not making a decision is the same as making a choice, you have just chosen to do nothing and wait and see what happens, and in the end you may not like the results.

We are uniquely formed and fashioned by God and we each have a purpose on this earth.  It is our responsibility to make sure that we live and make the most of our lives however short or long they may be.  Don't listen to the negative voices that tell you that you will never be able to..... or that you will never achieve .......be an inspiration for someone else that is coming up behind you, to those that look to you for an example - extend your had to the next.  

I am grateful and celebrate today because I had another day to make a difference, I no longer take what I have for granted and will continue to make choices that will steer my life to it's fullest and highest purpose.

What choices do you have to make today?

Gratitudes and Celebrations - Face your fear

Face your fear, name it, and then move on...

What is your biggest fear that stands in the way of your creativity, that you know you should be doing, but for some reason you always talk yourself out of, saying that next time you will get round to it, but you never do and time is ticking?

We all have something that we put aside for one reason or another, and before we know it a few years have passed and we don't know were the time has gone, but gone it has.

Our fears are 'False Expectations Appearing Real' and are usually without substance, and if you actually examined where the source of the fear stemmed from you would be surprised.  I was thinking today about those experiences that we had in our childhood and which now have an impact in our adult lives.  Many things that went unresolved, unsaid, and every so often come back to haunt the adult you.  Stepping back and giving the child in you the care that it needed at the time of the event will impact greatly on how you feel, and the things you do tomorrow.

Those unsaid things and incidents form clutter in our minds, hearts and spirit and weigh down on our today, making us feel less than, unable to move forward.  So today, make one action of self care, it doesn't matter what it is, but that you have taken the time out to notice.  Show some love to yourself and start clearing the mind clutter that needs to be shown the door.

I am grateful today and celebrate facing those things that I was previously fearful of, looking forward to getting rid of those thoughts that bear no fruit in my life.

Gratitude's and celebration Journal - Facing your fears

What will your next move be?

Gratitude's and Celebration - Day 46 - All your experiences ......

All your experiences make you stronger...

Gratitude's and Celebration Journal - The beginning page

The majority of people at some point in their life will have an experience that will shake them to the core, but not everyone will react in the same way to the same experience.

After playing around this figure emerges

Layers are added to our lives, each day we walk on the earth there will be key things that we thought would crush us, but as we looked the experience dead in the eye, picking ourselves up, we moved past.  Holding on to life and seeing a purpose to our existence.

We didn't know that we would heal, but we did, we didn't think that we would laugh again but we did.  We never thought we could breath without the pain coursing through our bodies.  But the pain got easier, we still remembered but it didn't hurt as much with each passing day, we were able to exhale.

Our lights once dimmed began to shine again and light up those dark places.  Our minds and our hearts renewed with strength and we were able to face another day.

I am grateful for the love that carried me through many a dark day, and celebrate the grace that enabled me to find the space to breath again, and heal a heart that felt broken.

In thinking about your own experiences, what strength can you find to turn a current situation around?

Gratitude's and Celebration Journal - Full of Inspiration!

Have a blessed weekend! If you want to see how I made the journal (click here) Blessings!

Gratitude's and Celebration - Week 44 - Listen to the stillness

Gratitude's and Celebrations - the beginning.....

Allow the blank spaces and the silence time to settle....

Sometimes you need to be quite, to stop and listen.  Listen to the silence uncomfortable at times but necessary, listen to your heartbeat, your breath, the ticking of the clock.  Listen to your mind as it tries to make sense of the world, as the wind soars past your window frame and makes a sound as it seeps into the panes of glass, to the tweeting of the birds in your garden.  

Gratitudes and Celebrations - Listen as the page begins to take shape

Listen to your thoughts, as you go about your day, what are you saying to yourself, what words of encouragement or discouragement do you utter in a moment of testing?  Listen to your cries of your heart, what is it you really want? often what is not said speaks volumes.

Listen - sometimes it takes time to make sense....

Listen to your voice, do you support yourself in your endeavors?  Are you spending time in your creativity, do you listen to the little girl inside you shouting to be heard, or do you brush her aside and miss your calling?

Listen - don't be afraid to stand out....

Listen to your heart as you give space to those friendships, the bonds of love, nurtured, supportive, and forgiving, those that are near and sometimes far.  Listen to the word....

I am grateful today for the opportunity to listen, to listen to my heart and celebrate the stillness that will bring peace.
What do you need to listen to this week?

Gratitude's and Celebration Journal

Have a blessed weekend! If you want to see how I made the journal (click here) Blessings!

Gratitudes and Celebration - Week 43 - Sing a new song - change can happen

Whatever is not working right now can be changed!

Change is stepping into the unknown, making steps to experience something different.  We can embrace it or we can run from it, and it can be for the better or could be for the worse but what counts is how you respond and react to change.

Many of us have experienced needing something to change but we don’t have the immediate resources, experience or knowledge of what steps to take.

A good place to start is knowing why you want change, if things are not working and you are unhappy there is no point in dwelling in the situation but do something about it.  If you don’t have the resources find out how you can get them, do you need to save up, change your job, get more creative, whatever it is do something, change the way you treat yourself and begin to sing a new song.

I am grateful today for the songs within my heart that tell the story of change that has occurred and will occur within my life and celebrate the new experiences that change brings with it.

What songs of change will you be singing this week?

Gratitude's and Celebration Journal

Have a blessed weekend! If you want to see how I made the journal (click here) Blessings!

Gratitudes and Celebration Journal - Week 39 - Your best

You deserve the best for your life

Gratitude's and Celebration Journal

When you think of your life what one thing do you think that you have done that brought out the best in you that celebrated who you really were?

What is your best and what do you think that you deserve out of life?

You get out what you put in and why wouldn't you want to make it your best effort.  Why would you want to give half measures – you would only be cheating yourself so If you are going to do something, do it to the best of your ability.  You appreciate when someone else has done a good job, how far would you go to make sure that your efforts came from a place of giving without expecting anything in return. Wherever you are, whatever you have, If everyone in the world did one act of kindness it would make a big difference around the world.

   

I am grateful and celebrate today that I have something I can give whether through my words, art or physical, and I can make a positive difference in the life of someone else.

What will you do to improve your circumstances and bring a blessing into the life of another?  Make a list of 12 things and start doing something every month, then increase it to weekly, then daily,  a smile cost nothing to give but can be priceless to the recipients life.

Have a blessed weekend! If you want to see how I made the journal (click here) Blessings!

Gratitude's and Celebration - Week 37 - Each Step you take...

Gratitudes and Celebration Journal

Each Step you take leads you closer to your dreams

What are the dreams you have been allowing to stir in your heart.  There are so many things that you are naturally gifted with and often you find your self falling into things, seemingly by coincidence.  

Imagine what life would be like if you had a plan, if you made an effort each and every day.  What are the dreams you have for your life, where do you want to be next year, or 3 years time.  You have to be an active participant in your dreams and work on achieving all the little milestones that's how positive change happens we have to do something, so let us continue to dream, dream big, take action by taking a step to realise those dreams.  

Each step you take leads you closer to your dreams

I am grateful to God for enabling me to realize many of my dreams over the years, and I celebrate the ones that will come to fruition in the future.

What dream can you take action on today?  As this week draws to a close have a blessed weekend! If you want to see how I made the journal (click here) Blessings!

Gratitudes's and Celebrations - Week 36 - Shine

Gratitude and Celebration

Your spirit shines

When you enter a room something happens, the particles of energy that collide with your energy begin to vibrate and a spark is lit.......

We have all been created to interact with each other, to collaborate, support and encourage.  That spark within that lights up a room, shifts the energy and inspires, we all have it whether you have realised it or not, you matter.  

Have you experienced the times when you have impacted positively on a situation or circumstance.  Imagine what a blessing you could be if you used your talents, gifts and abilities and shone that light in the lives of others.

I celebrate and I am grateful for the Holy Spirit which lives within me, a gift from God.  How will you let your Spirit shine?

Gratititude and Celebrations - Week 35 - A New beginning...

Gratitude's and Celebration

A new beginning is calling you

March always signifies the beginning of spring, we hopefully have gone through most of the bad weather and look forward to brighter evenings and a spattering of sunshine.

We put the clocks forward by an hour and we adjust our body clocks.  The clouds and moods seemingly lifted with more daylight hours available to us.

There are new beginnings ahead, no matter where you are in your life, old or young, you have a new day ahead, new opportunities, new adventures.  

I celebrate and I am grateful for the opportunity to see a new day and embrace the new beginnings that are unfolding in my life.  What are you going to do with your tomorrow, take time to notice everything over the next 24 hours.

Gratitude's and Celebrations - Week 30 - This is a great day! .......and Memories of Home

I missed the Memories of Home post on Wednesday and decided to do it anyway for this week especially because it is about being in tranquil environments or creating one in your space.  Mum has been in her flat now for nearly 40 years, all the neighbours kids that used to live there are all grown up, including myself having now been replaced with a new generation that play football in defiance of the 'no ball games sign'.  I am not sure what they were thinking when they put it up being the only space to play out in, there was never anyone to to enforce it when we were young and me and my brother would race round on our scooters, or play ball with the other kids.

Memories of Home - Tranquillity

Having experienced my first home at different points of my life growing up and now as mums carer I find that there is an unusual peace in her home which I am not sure I can solely attribute to the flat or what I have done myself, but a combination of making the environment suit the purposes and meet whatever the current needs are at the time.

I remember looking around at some things as a child and feeling how tall everything seemed, competing with my brother to check who was actually getting taller by measuring ourselves on the door frame.  He became much taller than me in the end with his 6f 2in frame, covered over are the lines on the frame.  This is my weekend with my mum and I am looking forward to spending time with her, while she is not as mobile and her understanding has diminished some what, she can still enjoy being creative and I am going to work on a mini memory box with her.

I had one of these boxes that contained a storage bag and thought I could recycle it has some potential and could be turned into a memory/assemblage box that could either be hung up or free standing, and would be a great way to capture something!.  I will let you know how it turns out in the recycled projects next week.

Gratitude's and Celebration

I am grateful and celebrate the 90 years my mum as lived, that she is able to see her grand-kids and continues to hold on to her precious life, not giving up but taking each day as it comes.  We are blessed more than we can know and I continue to look at the small things that come my way as a reminder.

Gratitude's Journal in progress

Completed page

This is a great day! 

What have you done so far with the day that you have, what can you do differently to make it even more special? I would love to hear from you and share what you will be doing. As this week draws to a close have a blessed weekend! If you want to see how I made the journal (click here) Blessings!