Miranda meanders

Do you ever have that feeling of not wanting to get out of bed and wishing the day would be over within a split second because you feel so rubbish? I hope I am not the only one but at the same time I do not wish this feeling upon anyone because it really does suck. Yesterday, I saw a rainbow and it made me feel how on earth does nature go on flaunting beauty in front of our faces wherever we go? It was a beautiful rainbow and uplifted me. Same with plants and flowers! They keep growing and keep their stems vertical and their petals flouncy bouncy, just as I believe, we should aim to be in our outlook on life however bleak, grey, shiny or golden it may seem to me and to all of you we can get through this, yes I can. Yes you can!

When I have a sulking session to myself under the covers wishing life would be easier, I forget within the moment that what I have around me is enough to make me feel that tinsy winsy bit happier. Like today, I rang my sister up spontaneously and instantly this surge of good energy spread through my body like a wave of warm loveliness, an irreplaceable feeling. This connection with our loved ones is so important for our mind, heart and body especially during this time. Also, I decided to battle the winds and go out for some fresh air, even though it took a lot of reasoning with my mind and body given the heavy winds, to drag myself out the door, I eventually did because life as you all know it, is out there in the open waiting for you to grab by the reins and just let the local bus take you on a journey to your chosen destination. A change of scenery helps. Make sure you have a book with you to read on the journey. I am reading ‘A man called Ove’ it’s a very good so far heheh.

Also, any bath people? Oh yes, I love a good bath, who doesn’t? Try and sneak one into your day and you will feel very good afterwards. Guaranteed. So don’t be too hard on yourself , be kind to your mind and be kind to your self and you will find your heart harmonising with a feeling of warmth, of which is Happiness. Have a lovely weekend, Big love , Miranda xx

Here are a few affirmations and mantras to keep yourself going through daily life:

AFFIRMATIONS

• I can do this. I am not my pain. — @thedailymigraine
• I am allowed to focus on what I need to do for ME.
• I will make it through this and it will make me stronger.

MANTRAS

• Trust the universe; let life unfold with ease.
• Think healing thoughts.
• I will not fear anxiety. I will show it love.
• Less trying, more trusting.
• Interrupt anxiety with gratitude.
• Positive mind. Positive vibes. Positive life.
• Live more, worry less.
• If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.

After reading the book ‘Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine’, I was inspired to write about the significance of looking out for one another. It sucks to feel rubbish, sad, confused and lonely. I am sure most of us can relate to these feelings. However, knowing we are not alone in feeling these emotions calls for the power of empathy.

‘Because I have experienced pain, I am able to embrace the pain of others , because I have made mistakes, I am able to forgive others their mistakes. May my suffering become the seed of compassion’

Haemin Sunim🌱

This quote speaks for itself and powerfully conveys strong emotions. We all go through our ups and downs. And when we see suffering around us, compassion can help our loved ones, for many of us know what it is like to make mistakes and experience pain. We want to relieve this pain from our nearest and dearest as much as we can, however serious their situation, it is in the small actions of kindness can we make a big difference to their well being.

In the book, it explores loneliness and mental illness Eleanor deals with. My heart goes out to her, finding myself sympathising with her way of life and the hardships she has had to go through. But it was in her innocence and her friendships around her which warmed me inside, knowing she is fine because she has a couple good friends looking out for her, one in particular. (I shan’t say anymore hehe)

Anyways this quote from again Haemin Sunim pretty much describes the friendship surrounding Eleanor in this book. And something I am sure you can resonate with. I can anyways hehe..

“There are those who love you for who you are , and there are those who love you for what you do. There is no change in the love of those who love you for who you are, even when you make a mistake or fail. Such people are your true friends and family’

Haemin Sunim 🌱

“Don’t let your difficult past define who you are today. If you do you will live your whole life as a victim of the past. There is life force within you waiting to shoot out of the ground of the past. Please trust that force of renewal. Bow respectfully to your past and proclaim “From now on, I’ve decided to be a little happier!” Haemin Sunim

These are powerful words coming from Buddhist monk Haemin Sunim. And every bit of the quote is true. I so do believe it is easy to feel victimised by our difficult past and let it define us. But we shouldn’t. As does the weather change , our mood changes however we are in control of our happiness and as Haemin Sunim says we should trust the force of renewal within us to overcome feelings of bitterness or hardship from the past. Not to say it is simple or easy because it is not. But if we make conscious effort to realise we have potential to be happy then I’d like to think we can achieve our goal to be content, satisfied or happy in the present moment.

Realistically, it is natural for everyone to go through the lows as oppose to the highs and sometimes the lows can outweigh the highs. Do you ever find yourself wondering whether you can find happiness everyone is supposedly experiencing? I do. Even when I feel like I’m stuck in a rut do I feel the need to seek comfort in my own bedroom wishing one day someone can sweep me off my feet haha and take me somewhere beautiful. It’s okay to have moments of sadness. But there comes a point when my own difficulties become too much, I am subject to feelings of unworthiness, anxiety, stress and negative emotions. In order to surpass these feelings, I find inner strength to distract myself in doing things that make me happy like reading, painting or writing, or meeting up with a friend. To manage our emotions in our day to day lives is a mental workout in itself. I find balance is important. Eating well, sleeping well, sneaking in some exercise (walking or jogging etc.) and distributing time for others to see your lovely self as well as giving time to yourself is important for recharging our batteries to live a life well spent. So don’t let your difficult yesterday define who you are today. You are who you are today. Let your unique qualities shine and be kind to yourself. Thank you everyone, I hope you have a lovely weekend, God Bless, Big love, Miranda xx

Hello everyone, I hope you are all well and you are taking good care of your health during these unprecedented times. When we look at the whole picture, it is rather a doom and gloom scene created from the outcome of Covid-19. We are seeing a collapse in the financial market, downfalls in the employment sector as businesses are struggling to cling on to life and a huge number of job losses. This I am sure is tough for many, and for me it is also tough to get to grips with a reality one wishes wasn’t real but a nightmare we can all wake ourselves from and get back to normality. However where there may be worry flooding on our TV screens as news broadcasters drill on the consequences of Covid-19, there are blessings within the nooks and crannies of daily living.

For one, I believe we should be grateful we are alive and breathing. There is still freedom to go to parks and walk with a sense of release. Personally, I love walking because it allows me to channel my worries and dissipate them into thin air, just by appreciating my surroundings. There’s something about green, that just makes me feel good and I’m sure makes you feel good too. We can be in the company of our nearest and dearest. We can create time for ourselves in learning a new skill. We can enhance our skills and better yet celebrate them through sharing it with others. We can invest our time into doing small things or greater things for ourselves and for others. To encapsulate hope that things will turn better for the greater good of humanity gives us the drive to accomplish many things in our day instead of dwelling on the negatives. Being prayerful or hopeful allows peace and perhaps a sense of happiness to enter your heart. Sometimes we gotta experience the lows in life in order to appreciate the highs that will follow through no matter how big the obstacles are. Make space for hope that things will be okay, even when you feel hopeless in these times. God bless.

I believe as I am sure so do you, friendships are helpful to have in life. When you are feeling down, we are fuelled by our relationships with others in whatever form they take. In this blog post, I will home in on friendship. Have you ever felt so overjoyed being in the company of your friends? Is the weight of burden released from your shoulders the moment you embrace them after such a long time of not seeing them? Well, I certainly have in response to both these pondering thoughts. And I so do believe coronavirus lockdown certainly has made me appreciate friendship more than ever. Even though I was so limited to what I could do during coronavirus lockdown, the element of friendship stuck by me like glue, a glue so strong, I can let the lyrics of the song ‘I get by with a little help from my friends’ fall off my tongue liberally. They say quality over quantity, so however many friends you keep in touch with whether it be one or two or five friends, then hold them into the pocket of your heart and be fuelled by their love and attention for you and you can fuel them back with your energy to love and attend to their needs as well. It is in the small acts of kindness, the hey how are yous, and the lets go for a walk or a catch up over a cuppa or the footy ball games, or the sit and watch Netflix or the order a curry takeaway or the zoom calls that have saved us from losing our minds during this pandemic and will continue to keep our hearts afloat to this day, do the majority of society depend on our friendships. I love my friends and I cannot imagine my life without them, for they have contributed much happiness into my day to day living. Knowing their presence is always there, is a comfort to me, they are my healers and my cosy warm heart to heart secret keepers, my eyes, my ears with sense of intuition, they are givers and receivers to the personalised nature of our friendship that will be bound forever and ever.

I leave you with a poem I wrote a few years ago. Enjoy:

To the hip

Friendship

Joined to the hip

To the hip

Side by side

Tying knots 

Of loyalty

Happiness resides

Moments to treasure

Sweet company

Sweet cake

Warm words 

Weave through

Our minds

Secrets made

Kept safe

Friendship

Joined to the hip

To the hip

Arm in arm

Hugs so huggable

Bondage of joy

You are my golden charm.