On this quiet Christmas day...

Music: various (right now Rascal Flatts’ album “Me And My Gang”)

Mood: calm

In my glass: just finished my daily coffee

Oh my gosh, time does fly!  

It’s been another year on the rollercoaster with bends, ups and downs.  

Er… ups?  Hm, I don’t remember any.  But, oh, downs, yes, so many!  :(

Uh-uh, wait there!  No ups?  Really? That’s not true, think again! 

A. said last night: 

“That’s only what you think.  Maybe you don’t feel that way but you have done a lot to make changes for the better.  Try to look at your life more objectively.”

She’s right.  I tend to focus on the negativity.  On things that go wrong, that don’t work out, something I do wrong or I’m not good at.  I then forget all those other things that go well, that turn out to be alright, things I can manage.  I keep forgetting that there are good times and there are nice things - lots of nice things in life.  

Yup, that will be my mantra for coming days :)

In fact, I’ve been seriously tackling my anxiety/phobias and the “sombreness” (er… okay, let’s face it, “depression”) - since Autumn last year.  When I look back at then - yes, I do see a big progress.  :)

With therapies & courses and my lovely friends’ help, I’ve come really far!!  

January-March

I took part in a Mindfulness course.  Mindfulness helps me to cope with anxiety, to see/take things as they are.

April

I started practising yoga at home.  Thank you very much, YouTube!  ;)  My most favourite channel is "YogaWithAdriene”.  I do watch other channels, too, but YWA is the one that motivates me the most and makes me feel “yay!”.  I also did 2 “challenges” with her vids.  Since then, I practise yoga everyday (!) - usually twice.  Ha! 

I meditate since April, too.  Well, I’m not sure if I should call it “meditation” - what I do is to sit still for a short while (15 minutes or so), breathing “mindfully”.  Sometimes only counting my breaths.  Other times I repeat a mantra in my head.  It’s not very easy to get myself to concentrate on my breath or mantra.  …Hm… I need more practice ;)

September

New “Portraiture study group”.  Hm…. I don’t know… Now, almost 3 months later, I don’t have any good photo yet.  :’(

Next year, …which begins next week already!

I want to (try to) find “my place”.  This tiny apartment is not truly “my place”.  I don’t mind if it’s small but I want it to be “my place” - I don’t mean to “own” a house or a flat.  I want to feel at home - with my own things around me.  My own furniture.  My photos on the wall.  

But most of all, I want to find my home in myself - in my heart.  

Be more “mindful” to notice “nice-things-in-life”.  

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Alrighty… it’s yogatime now :)

I’m late - as always - but better late than never, right?

I wish everybody love, hope, peace and all the “nice” things in life - like hugs and smiles :))  

Happy Holidays!

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Music now playing: “Come Saturday Morning” by Rumer

Mood: uplifting :)

In my cup: herbal tea “Bright Mood”

(It's been hours since I started to write this entry.  That's why this update ;) )