Wise words (part 2)....

Following on from my blog Wise Words here are ten more tips for a better life!

• Drink plenty of water
• Try to make at least three people smile each day
• Don't waste your precious energy on gossip
• Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness
• Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment
• Realise that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime
• Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar
• Smile and laugh more
• Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others
• Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does

Have a great Friday and a good weekend!

Memories....

Over the weekend I had a busy time sorting through my house, clearing out lots of old stuff to make way for exciting new chapters in my life.

And when I went through boxes and shelves I found my very first 35mm camera....my old Miranda camera. Oh what memories.

My dad was a photographer in his day and right up to his death he had a camera on his table. He was never without it. And when I was a teenager he gave me this camera to use, along with another lens and a flash. There I was, all set on the road to photography at such a young age.

I didn’t understand alot of the buttons and settings, most of the pictures were more by luck than judgement, but still, there I was taking pictures with a proper camera.

On looking at it yesterday it was great to feel it again, hear that wonderful clunk as I pressed the shutter release and by instinct move the film on to the next frame using the lever. Ooh how I wanted to use it there and then.

Maybe I will get some film and have a go......and then wait excitedly for the pictures as I send it off to be developed....something that we are not used to doing now we are in the digital age.

Memories....gotta love them.....

Wise words.....

Following on from my previous post, my friend (the same one I went for a tea with) sent me a list called Tips for a Better Life. They are amazing....so I will share some with you from time to time and here are the first 10:

• Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day and while you walk, smile
• Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
• Sleep 7 hours
• Live with the 3 E's - Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
• Play more games
• Read more books than you did the previous year
• Make time to practice yoga, meditation and prayer. They provide us fuel for our busy lives
• Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6
• Dream more while you are awake
• Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants

Have a great Friday!

Wisdom....

Wikipedia - Wisdom is a deep understanding of people, things, events or situations, empowering the ability to choose or act to consistently produce the optimum results with a minimum of time and energy.

I was chatting to a dear friend last night over tea in Starbucks before we both dashed off home and I explained a situation to her regarding my family....and it suddenly dawned on me that I may well be getting wise in my old age.

My father passed away last year and recently my mum decided to re write her will so that her ‘house was in order’. She sat myself and my older brother down and discussed her requirements and what we should do in the event of her death – not exactly the kind of discussion you ever want to have, but it really does makes sense to have these things sorted out – and my brother and I had to make some decisions which will affect us and the family. Not wanting to go into too much detail, but suffice to say I made one which pleased both my mum and brother and at the same time left me feeling pleased that it had been dealt with calmly and sensibly. A few years ago I may well have made the decision based on what I thought was best for me, or maybe because I wanted to be in control of the situation, but this time I made the decision based on what was the best overall, leaving my ego at the door.

And when I explained this to my friend, I realised that I may well becoming wise....and you know what I quite liked it. I took comfort in that especially as society always is focused on age and we worry about getting old.

Next year I turn the dreaded 40 where they say life begins.....and if it’s full of wisdom then I say bring it on!

The best we can be.....

I have a confession to make......a month has passed since I last blogged! Where has the time gone?

On 10th February I committed to blogging more and revamping my website and I have achieved only a little bit of that. Why? My only answer to that is that life keeps me pretty busy and at times it’s hard to make way for other things....such as a blog.

I hate not living up to commitments – I feel like I am letting myself down and others too! But it seems like I am not alone in this, so I take solace from that.

I have joined a group on Flickr called The Blog Camp 365 project where you take a picture every day and post it as and when you can. Although I haven’t posted much to the group itself, I have been taking a picture every day. So yesterday I dropped by the group to see what was happening and the common theme on the discussion board were members who had decided to drop the 365 project as it either wasn’t working, they were not enjoying it or was taking up too much time. I completely understand that, especially after last week whereby it was mad and crazy and left hardly any time for me.

My reason for not visiting the group much was because I had not joined it from the start, so therefore I felt a bit disjointed. Everyone knew each other (or at least seemed to) and I felt a bit left out....so I just dropped by every now and then. But I wanted to be a part of that group as everyone seemed so nice. The community spirit I felt from just reading the posts and the comments on the pictures made me want to be involved. Plus the constructive comments, the ideas and inspiration is just what I need.

So I will. I will endeavour to be more active in this. But we have to realise that we are not superwomen (or men). We lead busy lives, we have family commitments.....and we can’t be everything to everybody or do everything we wish we could do. And if that’s the case, then we need to accept what we cannot change and do the best we can.

So here comes ‘the best I can’.....

A rainy Tuesday

Yesterday it did not stop raining. All day it just came down and although I like rain, when you are commuting to and from work in it, it just isn't nice!

So imagine my delight when my lovely Jim picked me up in the car as he had been working in town, And to top it off I managed to snap this picture on my camera phone through the window.

Bring on spring.....and fast!

Quotes

I simply love quotes! Not sure why....I just do. Maybe it's because I find people inspiring and therefore what they say in a quote can be inspirational (and clever and funny.....).

Here are some pictures I have taken using quotes as a theme.

Have a good Tuesday!

Helen

My version of Peace and quiet

I saw this on the back of the seat in a train. Absolutely loved it!