Creating Sparks That Last & All Things Relationships

And Personal Reflection Instagram: @meganruthphotography_ downloaded via Unsplash Earlier this week, I witnessed the first turning of yellow leaves heralding the start of autumn. Wait!! I wailed, I'm not ready. This made me take stock: Why was I not ready? I've known all my life that summer segues into autumn. So why am I not ready? @primipil via Unsplash Personal reflection leads to change It's the same for our seasons in life. Personal reflection changes with each stage of life. Relationship boundaries shapeshift according to our status, commitment and amount of time together, i.e. child-raising years compared to empty-nester years, or career peaks versus slowing down your workload. That brings me to today's discussion. Personal reflection corresponds directly to our evolving boundaries. And if the people in our lives are not (or cannot be) in sync with our changing parameters, then we need to speak our mind so they can either level up or respect our growth. When we w...

Own It! I’ve discovered a new way of doing what I love. Creativity streaks, or sprints, are the go! Have you ever challenged yourself to a creativity streak? Bam! Brave act right there. Not brave as in heroically fight a bear, but brave as in step out of your comfort zone kind of brave, and not onto a bindi either— or maybe that is brave; kind of like a giant leap of faith but stepping into something risky. No I’m kidding, don’t go stepping onto any bindi’s or into any risks! But you know, sometimes you’ve got to take a chance on yourself— so let’s say calculated risks potentially. Anyhoo, a creative streak is quite a commitment. So it depends, are you committed to your craft, your creative influence? Because, without it, who would you be? De’Andre Bush I mean, your very personality is a creative streak: the way you wear your hair, the clothes you choose, your daily habits - they make up your creativity, your daily interests, AKA - You! See? Creativity is anything that brings out your...

How Do You Portray Yourself to the World? Your body is your home. Have you ever wondered what compels you to return home at the end of each day? What draws you into that space? What magnetism attracts you to the energy there? Whilst I can’t answer on your behalf, here’s what I know from someone who has lived in 2 countries, semi-permanently lived in a third and travelled for a year without a place to call home yet feeling ‘at home’ in each accommodation. Self-awareness in your space: You are with yourself constantly. How do you perceive yourself? Does that align with how the world sees you? How you wish the world to see you? I’ve noticed that the things that bring me peace are the very things that define me. They denote that eternal question of ‘Who am I?’ Not in a career or relationship perspective, just me, in my own space and not what the world sees from the outside. So what are these things that bring me peace, and how do they relate to who I am and how I portray myself to the wor...

Nobody Perceives You the Way You Perceive Yourself Frida Kahlo Cover image from the book; Frida Kahlo's Garden I am the person I know best.   Quote from Frida Kahlo regarding her self portraits. I have been fascinated by Frida Kahlo's expression of self for many years. Her use of light and shadow in her creativity depicts, closely, her awareness of shadow and brightness in herself. Light and shadow that each of us have. The quote above is preceded by deeper reflection: I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best. For me, alone time has always been paramount to me thriving in a noisy, busy world. Alone but not lonely, which I think is what tormented Frida somewhat. That opinion is my own based on the fact that she divorced her husband, Diego Rivera and ended her longtime affair with photographer Nickolas Muray in the same year. Anyway, this is not a study on Frida Kahlo, merely a reflection of how well she knew herself and how that led...

Are You Your Own Stumbling Block to Happiness? Hello Blog Family! It's been a hot minute since you last heard from me.  Thank you for your patience while I made a huge move, relocating house, home, hearth and heart. As you can tell, this move was a big deal for me, moving far away from my family. This may seem counterintuitive to my happiness but the joy I have already found after just two weeks in my new home far outshines any shadow of sadness that might have been lingering.  https://unsplash.com/@taiscaptures 5 Things Making Me Happy This Week For that reason, I wanted to share with you the pleasures I have gained from setting up home in a far away place: Finding new interests that excite ME: First off, the emphasis is on 'me' because without my own pleasures in life, I have very little joy to impart to others, whether intentionally or by exuding my vibe. It's not necessarily big events or material possessions for me, it's the miniscule shift in awareness . When ...

If Not Ourselves, Then Who?  [ I invite you to take in the information below and apply it to your daily self-care routine as set out by our Guest Blogger Jessica Ruiz] Javier Allegue Barros via Unsplash If we don’t take good care of ourselves, who will? Self-care is very important.  We are sometimes so busy taking care of others that we forget to take care of ourselves.   There are different types of self-care:   Exercising is one and it helps you to relieve            stress.  Exercising can be fun.  Some people like            dancing.                I love to dance and I love music.               Dancing is a fun way to exercise. Don’t get me              wrong, I know that things happen, and it              is hard to exercise, but ...

Fast Track Your Relationship Success I’ll admit straight off that relationships are complex, but I can guarantee  one secret weapon you need, for relationship success. https://unsplash.com/@coopery “We do not see the world as it is, we see it as we are.” Anaïs Nin You are your own secret weapon in every relationship you encounter. The deeper you know yourself, the happier your relationships will be. Know your triggers. Know your boundaries. Know your deal breakers. If you know those things intimately about yourself, you have the power to steer your choices in the direction of your happiness. When you know yourself so well, you understand your own perspective more clearly. You understand why you are hurt by someone’s words or actions because it originates in your psyche. Your thoughts about that situation. I’m not discounting the fact that there are hurtful people in the world, I am exemplifying your strength of character to navigate your perspective inwards. Understand that you ca...