Baby steps

Dear friends
BABY STEPS..I learnt about baby steps only last year and have been doing them ever since with my artwork and in my life. I always used to try to do things in large steps and often failed. Slow and easy does it and taking things in manageable baby steps can achieve a lot. Do you do things in baby steps? What are you achieving?

Lots of love from susan in australia

Wonderously in love

Dear friends,
Are you wonderously in love with yourself? I have met very few people that are and yet those who celebrate life are truly in love with themselves but not in an egocentric or prideful way. They celebrate themselves in relation to the Universe. How can you love yourself more?
I am trying to learn to love myself more. I am quite overweight and am trying to accept myself for who I am. I exercise an hour and more a day and eat moderately and am slowly losing weight but even if I don't I hope to learn to love myself for who I am.

Lots of love from susan in australia

Living in the present

LIVING IN THE PRESENT.....Many people including Eckhart Tolle and Julia Cameron and many eastern mystics and self development gurus advocate living in the present. Do you live much in the present or often in the past or future. What are the benefits to you of living in the present? How does it help you creatively?

Lots of love from susan in australia

Finding water C2

Finding water...chapter 2...inhabiting the present....Julia receives a writing package from her sister that has her reminiscing about the past. What in you life triggers you to think of the past...letters, diaries, a movie, music? I find all these things remind me of my past. How do they make you feel? Do you have mostly good memories or sad?

Lots of love from susan in australia

Daily life with Julia Cameron

Dear friends, For the past few years I have been exploring Julia Cameron's wonderful books starting with The artist way. I belong to a fabulous yahoo group about Julia's books and have gotten into the habit of asking a daily question prompted from Julia's books. Thought you might like to read them so here is today's...
It is from chapter 2 of Julia's book Finding water....

Julia says “Artists love drama and when we do not create it on the page or on the stage, we often create it in our lives”. Is this true for you? I know I often look at my life and wish I had more of the drama of my youth....then perhaps not!

Lots of love from susan in australia

Weekly

Dear friends,
I am wanting to write in my blog each week but lack inspiration of what to share. I'm not sure what is more important...being inspiring or blogging once a week.
My main problem at the moment is my weight. I have had an obsession about my weight since I was a child and still do. I have been working with the doctor to lose weight as I have become quite obese since leaving work. I have been losing weight for 8 months very slowly and the doctor is thrilled. I can't tell any difference. The past few weeks the weight has gone back on and I am really anxious again.
I really don't overeat to the point of explaining why i am so overweight. I exercise over an hour and a quarter each day.
I think after I do some more journaling I need to realise I am OK the way I am. I need to be more accepting of myself.
Do you have weight problems and or problems with food and exercise?
lots of love from susan in australia

Conservatory

Dear friends, A few days ago I stayed overnight at a conservatory on the beach with a glass ceiling that looked up at the clouds and at bedtime to the stars. There were a few torrential downpours while I was there. A friend came late afternoon and we went out for dinner which was nice.
This is the last stay I will do on my own when I am in my flat mode. I need to be zippy and up to cope with unexpected happenings.
I am realising more and more that I am unlikely to travel far. I had great ideas of slowly getting the confidence up to travel in AUstralia and hopefully to New York. I can't see it happening with the way I am.
I need to learn to be satisfied with my life and its simplicity.
lots of love from susan in australia

Home alone

Dear friends,
Over recent years with my mental illness I have had trouble when I have a day home alone with no planned activities, friends to see. I get really anxious. I am usually fine if I am in zippy, up mode as my mind floods with ideas of what to do with my art, reading, writing. When I am quiet and my mind is less full I get really anxious. I often get panicky and go over to my mothers but today I want to see if I can ride it out. I feel so aware of myself like I am in a fish bowl. It gets like that when I am quiet.
Do any of you get anxious if you are home alone?
lots of love from susan in australia

Dali exhibition

Dear friends,
Great achievement going into the city last week to go to the National Gallery of Victoria for the Dali exhibition. I went in by train and had some lunch and went quickly around the exhibit taking in enough to make me happy but not making me too anxious with the crowds. I darted in and out of the queues going around all the paintings and drawings, etc. I then came home. I needed to sleep for an hour when I got home because it took a lot of my energy but I did it.
One fascinating thing I discovered is that it is good for me to journal while I am on the train. I journaled all the way on the train there and back and time went so fast and I wasn't anxious about the people on the trains. I will journal in future. Great discovery. Reading and knitting isn't as good.
I realise it won't be possible for me to do my 2 days in the city staying at the Windsor until I get more practice going to the city and dealing with the crowds. I am hoping to go into the city again to the Pompei exhibition at the museum. I will be in my quiet phase so it will be interesting to see if I decide to go. I am much better doing things when I am in my zippy, up phase.
Just keeping you up to date with what is going on.
I am certainly doing much better than 12 months ago and far better than when I started this blog.
lots of love from susan in australia