April 1 – the Fool’s Day. Usually there are lots of jokes and people get really creative….
There’s another way to look at the fool – this trusting, naive being, that’s walking its path with an open heart.
Right now,when times are tough, we tend to build more boundaries, strive even more for security, for safety – which is not a bad thing. Just think about it and balance it out with curiosity and embrace all the beautiful surprises today and every day on your adventure.
Happy April Fools Day!
For years now I did choose a word for the year ahead, I only stopped when Covid threw me off. Often I get asked why I do this instead of New Year’s resolutions.
First I set intentions for the year ahead – by answering questions like what do I want to experience, how do I want to feel, what do I want to create this year.
This is different from the usual I want to make x amount of money or loose 20 pounds resolutions. By focussing on the feeling that I want to experience and feeling it in advance and regularly, I am getting my energy up to fuel and attract my goals.
A word for the year that summarises my goal or feeling that I want to create is something I can use as a reminder and mantra. It multiplies the energy and is easy to focus on.
Let me give you an example:
I am going to create and release my first EP, with four songs. They will be Indie Folk songs, co-created with my favourite producer who really gets me and helps me achieve my sound.
I will collaborate and meet new songwriters and musicians. I have found my tribe and will explore these friendships further. We will create new songs that touch others and are successful in many ways.
I will work on my voice and express everything I am and feel through music.
These are just examples of my goals for my songwriting – and while I was thinking what word could describe these best – creativity, music, commitment, courage, collaboration – another word popped into my mind: JOY!!!
It encompasses everything I do with. my music, feeling joy, enjoying the process and the community.
So, my word for 2024 is JOY and every time I write it or think it, it makes me smile. And: It’s a word of being, not doing. I AM JOYFUL, I feel that way – so I can feel that way while working towards my goal or when I am resting.
I love my word – and I am curious: if you have a word for 2024, please share in the comments.
It’s Christmas Eve, so here’s a last minute tool, just in case.
This time of the year is so full of expectations, especially on Christmas Day.
You expect your partner and family to like the gifts you choose for them, you expect them to be nice and kind to each other, you want harmony.
You expect to get gifts that were chosen for you, mindfully, things that you really like.
Let’s be honest: this doesn’t happen for most people.
Family members will disagree or even fight, you may be gifted with things you hate and still your aunt or Mum expects you to be grateful.
Christmas – for many of us – is a stressful time – maybe because we expect it to be wonderful. There’s nothing wrong with that, that’s why we did the visualization yesterday.
To manifest this you need to let go of the „want“, of your expectations.
You can feel joy whatever happens. Only then can the Universe/God/the Tao bring you the gifts you’d love to receive.
Too much attachment and expectations – and it will not work as elegantly as possible.
So breathe out, tell yourself you’ll accept whatever happens. Let go.
…for yourself.
It’s Saturday, it’s not Christmas yet, so it’s the perfect day to recharge as much as you can.
Here are some of the things I do to get through this busy time:
I’m sure you’ll find your own way to recharge – just allow yourself to take some time for yourself.
Everyone will profit from you recharging and relaxing before Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate.
Enjoy and reeeeeelax!
I took yesterday off because I thought it was solstice, then I realised it was actually today, around 4:40 am. The energy is still high and I’m still not doing much other than reflecting and being grateful for the last year.
Here’s my yearly post – Merry Solstice!
Today is the day of the Winter Solstice.
From this day on the days are getting longer, the light is coming back.
It’s a very old celebration today – celebrating the light.
It made me think how we love the light and don’t want to see the darkness, the dark side.
They are brother and sister, dark and light. They are dancing like Yin and Yang.
So this is the day to look at the darker things in life and embrace them. Then embrace the light, too.
Look at things you think of as bad, wrong and so on. Ask yourself: what did this bring me? Where would I be without this experience? Is there a gift in the darkness, the shadow?
Acknowledge it, embrace it if you can.
Look at the parts of yourself, the parts you are ashamed of, the ones you put in a dungeon, your shadow – look at them and say hello. Be with one of them and embrace it if you can. Be gentle and kind, don’t force it,
It’s easy to love the light – but you can’t have it, experience it fully without the dark.
Take some time today to meditate and celebrate both.
Merry Solstice!
When I was trying to decide on a theme for today, I remembered something I always forget to use – only when I’m very stressed I seem to remember it.
While it would be way easier to use this tool each day, it seems I have to forget out to really value it.
So, have you ever noticed how you worry and stress about things surrounding you, things and people you can not change and you can’t really influence the outcome. Like when it starts snowing and your train home gets cancelled or you do some grocery shopping and there seems to be no parking available. You know what I mean…
So the first tool works best if you believe in a Higher Power – doesn’t matter whether you call it God, the Universe or the Tao or any other name – it’s going to work. Take a piece of paper and draw a line in the middle. On the left you write everything you have to do or could do – on the right you write the things God/Tao/universe could do for you, like create goodwilll among the people you meet on Christmas or create flow when the traffic is driving you crazy.
You do whatever you can on your side – but you leave space in your life for a Higher Power to help you in a way that creates what you need. Often these are things and people you never thought about.
Don’t believe in a Higher Power? Are you a sceptic?
Here’s tool #2, shared with me by a Kahuna, when I learned about Hawaiian shamanism (HUNA). You simply EWOP problems and situations.
EWOP stand for Everything Works Out Perfectly. You simply let go of the problem, situation, person, whatever it is and affirm Everything Works Out Perfectly. That’s it, in short trust and let go.
It always worked for me, and it worked often perfectly but differently. So be open for surprises – and enjoy!
Today I had one of these days where something I wanted to do – recording vocals and harmonies- sent me into a phase of procrastination and anxiety. So not me usual positive me
I wanted the vocals to be perfect – of course – while knowing that the person who’d hear it first always has my back, especially when I have a serious case of self doubt.
This “it has to be done perfectly” runs deeper than I thought – while I know where it comes from, being the daughter of a teacher and constantly criticised for the smallest imperfection, I thought I had found my way around it. Most of the time I’m fine with doing something as good as I can.
This time of the year though seems to bring out the old conditioning:
Preparing the best Christmas dinner! Finding the perfect gift! Being the perfect host in perfect shape – or whatever you’re reading in magazines, on Social Media and everywhere else.
Here’s news for you: you don’t have to do something perfectly to be loved.
You don’t have to prepare a perfect meal, write the perfect song or sing the perfect harmony. Perfection can in fact be rather boring.
So, let yourself off the hook, like I did today, by breathing, sharing my anxiety and taking the pressure off. You can have a great Christmas, Hanukkah or whatever you celebrate – just do it as good as you can and do it with love, from the heart, feel it. This time of the year is about sharing time with loved ones, about enjoying time together, share your love.
Love actually adds more to a meal, a song or a gift than perfection ever will.
So, breathe, let go and relax. All will be well 🙂
See you tomorrow.
… until it’s Christmas Day.
And of course it’s still somehow overwhelming, I notice feeling stressed – even when I don’t celebrate a big Christmas.
People around me are rushing, tired, doing all the last minute things one “should” do before Christmas and before this year ends. It feels so stressful instead of joyful and fun.
My mailbox is filled with either last minute gift ideas and offers – or how to make 2024 the best year ever. I’m so tired of these offers that usually start in November, way before Black Friday and continue after Christmas. Yes, I buy gifts for Christmas, yes, I plan my year 2024 – and I go at my pace. I try my best to stay in the moment and enjoy these days.
I also want to say thank you to everyone reading, following and all the people who crossed my path in 2023.
So, I choose today to share some of my tools with you, every day for the next 7 days. Tools I use to stay (almost) sane and calm in the midst of the end-of-year-craze.
So, here we go, the first one is really simple, yet powerful – and I can’t even remember who shared this with me first. It’s called 4-7-8 breath and it is exactly what it says:
You sit or stand and let your body go soft. You can do it with eyes open or closed (obviously depending on the situation) – you may want to put a hand on your heart or not. It’s fine either way.
Then you inhale for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 7 and exhale for a count of 8. It’s simple: Inhale -2-3-4-Hold-2-3-4-5-6-7 – and exhale-2-3-4-5-6-7-8. Do it three times in a row. Then take a deep breath and breathe out with a sigh.
How do you feel? More centred? Just a bit more relaxed?
I use it in any situation where I feel a bit of anxiety or stress – or when I try to go to sleep but can’t. Just give it a try and if you like it, share it.
See you tomorrow – stay tuned!
… we celebrate the reunification of our country. In November 1989 the Berlin wall came down – and almost one year later we finally had one Germany, no borders, no walls. We celebrate our freedom today.
I still get goosebumps when I remember that time, the peaceful and powerful protests that lead us there – this strong feeling, even here, where I live, so close to the French border. The feeling of being united.
Last week I also saw the women and men in Iran, protesting their regime, peacefully protesting – and I noticed that our media barely report it. I see lots of videos on social media, I share them, and I feel so helpless.
A regime is shooting its own citizens and we – mainstream Germany – look away. We don’t help, our politicians are all talk and no action or sanctions.
So, wherever you are in the world, if you live in a free country celebrate your freedom and please, please share the news from Iran. We can’t look away, their time has come.
P.S.: I’m usually not writing about politics, but at the moment there’s simply too much happening around the globe, that needs to be named and shared.
mycreativewings 