Merry Christmas

So Christmas is here and what did I say about the time flying! It seems like just the other day we were ushering in the month of December. I hope we made the most of it and savoured every moment. Christmas is not only about gift giving but it's about the feeling it invigours...to see the smile on a child's face, the atmosphere of peace and joy, and those special memories that we create with each other. Christmas is for everyone...the child in each of us...let us take with us the cherished moments of yesterday and make each Christmas a special time...Let's hope it was a good season and as we celebrate with our families and friends let us remember the 'reason for the season' - Christ our Saviour who was born in a manger to bring salvation to us all.

May your Christmas be filled with love, joy, peace and laughter ...and may you take a little piece of Christmas with you throughout the year as we remember the sentiments this wonderful season brings. God bless.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!!! Felix Navidad! Joyeux Noel! Natale Alegro! Vrolijk Kerstfeest! Frohe Weihnachten!

Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit!

It's December already...and I remember when the year had just begun like it happened yesterday! Wherever is the time going...? Seems like it is just flying these days. This is just a post to wish everyone a happy December...before they get busy with the hustle and bustle of Christmas...putting up the curtains and the lights...shopping and cooking those tasty Christmas treats....and of course the merriment and holiday parties and limes.

Like the old folks say - "time waits on no man." It's true what they say. And let's hope we don't get too caught up in the preparations of the season and forget to give thanks for each and every day for we never know when this can be taken away...And last but not least we should remember to share a little something with those around us and of course the less fortunate...even if it is your time, a song, a smile or more material things for those of us that can afford it.

Again...wishing all a happy and holy holiday season filled with lots of joy, love and good tidings!

Savour every moment of this wonderful time of year.

Happy December!

These were the good ole days!! Click here to listen ----->

Life

This is something I wrote about a year or so ago on the eve a birthday (I will not say which one!)...but never posted...I think it is still revelant today and wanted to share an excerpt:

"...comparison is by no means a measure of success. To succeed is to be truly happy with what you have attained at your stage of development. Not to sound cliché but some people go through life so swiftly they do not stop to smell the roses, to really be cognizant of what this life is all about, the real purpose that we are put here for, which is to really share our joys, lessons and talents with others and to give thanks for life and give back something to the world. There is one thing that I have learnt over the years: and that is life is short, life is unpredictable and you never know where life will take you, what it may bring, and no matter how much control you think you have, the reality is that you really don’t. You can’t control people no more than you can control the weather. However, we can shape our destiny by our actions. We look to the future and we think: how are we going to make this decade better than the last? Are we going to put a limit to what we can achieve? Are we going to try to please others by doing what is expected of us? Or are we going to try to live our own life to the fullest, the way we want to live it no matter what anyone says or thinks? I believe in the latter and I think most people do too whether they decide to put into action or not....

At this point, I really accept that it is really time to take that step and let go, and embrace life’s possibilities, to let go of the past, to step out of the comfort zone and embark on a new journey. Whether we feel our purpose is to pro-create, to acquire fame and fortune, to be President, CEO or simply to leave your mark on this world by simple things, to touch everyone you meet by your actions, words and deeds so as to leave behind a legacy. Maybe it all sounds a bit dramatic, but that is all life is. Actions and reactions, repercussions of a former action: simply known as karma. Time is one of life’s simple phenomenons and this coupled with patience and a little faith, is the solution to most of our problems; the more we realize this, the faster we would achieve most of our objectives, which I am sure happiness is at the core...." (c)

Trust: A matter of perspective

.......We need to be able to think on our own and draw our own conclusions. If things don’t go our way all the time, do we get upset and throw a temper tantrum? Or do we try to think objectively, weigh all the factors and try to figure out why things were handled the way they were? We need to open our minds and come out of our “glass cubicle” where the other person is always wrong. The world or rather the company is not out to get us unduly. Perhaps we should look at the glass half full instead of half empty. Are we giving 100%? At the end of the day, we need to make the decision of our level of commitment....(c)

To read more click on the title link

One more try...Is it worth it?

So you gave it one more try…. and where did that get you? Honestly how many of us say that, then we wind up disappointed and more miserable than we began? Some of us do this for a multitude of reasons but after a while you know our judgment must bound to get better. Time after time we tell ourselves that this is it…never us again then we get trapped with the same old feelings that maybe it can work this time. Maybe it’s for the children, maybe it’s for social appearances, maybe it’s pride or ego…not me! I can’t fail at this! But call it what you want…sooner or later we must see the light before it’s too late....

Nevertheless it didn’t work out this time around…so what next? Do you give up on love? Or do you dust yourself off in the hopes that you would find Mr./Ms. Right this time. Or do you reverse the cycle and rebound off your next victim? One thing’s for sure; you must find a way to heal your hurt. Whether it’s the real thing or just a sting. A tinge of jealousy, the feeling of betrayal or deceit… a case of unrequited love…. it all feels the same at the end of the day.

Do we think that somehow we brought this upon ourselves? Ridden with guilt and no place to go in a moment of weakness (we all have those at some point) we feel sorry for ourselves…we burden those around us with the memories and the thoughts of ‘what could have been’…and what we think should have been if, and only if…

Yeah whatever we say…we’re over it! But are we ever really? Even if it may seem that way on the surface (since some appear to mask it better than others who wear their heart on their sleeve) and it may seem that we have moved on, do we all (male and female) carry this hurt around with us in some way or another, wherever we go, buried in some small portion of our being…to be unleashed upon whomever we meet? And are we always on our guard, waiting for a reason for that suppressed hurt to spring out when we least expect? Sometimes the slightest thing may trigger it, or maybe it prevents us from giving of ourselves totally. Whatever the reality of our situation is, we have to face it. We can’t lie to ourselves forever…after all we are human. If it means talking to ourselves in the mirror, to a friend or to a stranger on the bus…we need to face reality and rid ourselves of our emotional “dead weight” that will only seek to drag us down and burden us, preventing us from living completely…sharing ourselves completely with that other person when the time arises.

Try it. Wake up and shake it off, clear yourself of the clutter and release. You will then see how drastic your relationships improve, romantic or otherwise. Trust is an amazing thing: it’s like a double-edged sword…it can either work for you or against you. The more you open up to your true self, is the greater your propensity to trust another and live freely on this earth without fear becomes. (c)

“You gotta wake up and live!”

– Robert Nesta Marley (1945 – 1981)

Only fitting that I feature one of my favourite artistes of ALL TIME....George Michael!!

Time after Time

...It is of the view that if everyone was made to get along all of the time, then we would have been all created similar and have the same thought patterns, capacities and experiences, but sometimes our diversity is a test of our tolerance and openness to the wonders of humankind. Maybe we should try to step back and view ourselves through a different lens and ask ourselves if we like the person we have become over the many years of experiencing joy, pain, love, hurt, pride and disappointment. What factors have led to us becoming the person we are today? And how do we let it influence our life and interactions with others?... (c)

Accept the challenge

At times we wonder if there is something more to life than the eight to four or nine to five. Have we found our true calling or are we still on our journey? Maybe sometimes we think that we have found it, but something may happen for us to doubt ourselves. How many of us truly can say we love what we do? How many of us know our true gifts and talents? This list maybe long or maybe we can’t seem to think of any at the moment but I’m sure some of our closest and dearest family and friends can tell us in one breath what is unique and special about us. This is something which we may overlook ourselves. Whether we can cook the best peleau or sew the best drapery to the envy of many of our houseguests. We are special creatures beyond imagination. We may be sitting on a goal mine and not know it. If we hone that skill or talent we may not have to work another day in our lives, as our job may not seem much like work at all...Today’s world calls for guts, for risk and creativity, passion and love. Many people may feel like they are just going through the motions waiting for that dream job or business opportunity to just fall into their laps. But sometimes we have to reach out and find it: make it happen...(c)

Nothing Lasts Forever

Nothing lasts forever…like children that grow up before the eyes of their parents; that ‘sweep me off my feet’ feeling of young love…the culmination of emotions at the yuletide season especially Christmas morning. These are all things that we wish could last forever but inevitably all good things must come to an end. Sometimes we wonder why did life have to change, these moments often pass by so quickly that maybe at the time we are not fully cognizant and appreciative of what is happening in our lives...Too many times we forget to savour the moments, we rush from one moment to the next without a second thought about what is happening in the present and before you know it that moment is gone. And the proverbial question remains: do we have control over our destiny? Many of us struggle with this eternal enigma. Is life laid out for us just to ‘live out’ or do we actively have a role to play in what happens at every stage? ...© To read more look out for the publication of a collection coming soon!

I think Doris Day said it best in her famous song: "Que Sera Sera."

Click here to listen ->

A little bit of me, a little bit of you

Why are we a different way around different people? Is it that you put your best foot forward with some and others just seem to get the bottom of the barrel? Is it that you regard some people in higher esteem than others, or that you just have different sides of your personality? Founder of analytical psychology, Carl Jung proposed that there are different types of personalities: extroverted and introverted and he suggests there are different ways of dealing with the world around us – inner and outer. Some of us are maybe afraid of unleashing all of our personality…the good, the bad and the ugly with people we are not that close to, in the fear of them judging us or maybe creating a false impression...(c)