Category: Geen categorie

FUN! It really is. I remember hearing other people talk about their grandchildren and often thinking that there was nothing else they could talk about (sorry too judgmental for words) but I am now the same. Since the arrival of my granddaughter, Reign Aurora on 19^th February 2019 (and wow what a lovely number combination too 19-2-19), I have definitely joined the club and it is so different from when I became a parent myself.

I had a little think about why this is. What is the difference? Well first of all I think responsibility. Becoming a parent changes your life completely and you become responsible for a small baby and you want to do the very best you can, protect them all the time and give them the very best of everything, often putting yourself totally in second place. Do you agree? (Well, those of you who are parents too).

But being a grandparent is different. First of all, the idea that your baby, now grown up is becoming a parent too. So, you have a lot to share about things before the baby is actually born, but the moment they arrive you no longer have that same huge feeling of responsibility. You are intensely proud of your own child and their offspring so, that is not the main issue.  

One of my friends described ‘grandparenting’ very well and that is: you can have so much fun with them all and every day and do all sorts of exciting different things but at the end of said day, you hand them back to the parents and then collapse into a chair for a snooze after a busy, non-stop day. Is that true? How many people can relate to that?

Well with the arrival of Reign, I decided that one of the things I would do was to talk to her in English. At the age of 2, she is totally fluent and can switch from Dutch to English. It is quite amazing! When she is here, we do fun things like drawing. She loves it and I have to attempt to draw the things she asks me to, like the cat, a windmill, a butterfly and the latest is a frog. For weeks she has been telling me that when it’s her birthday she will be 4! (no not two but four) and to be honest you would almost believe it. She is jolly smart. But I think children of today are.

This week I was teaching her to count in English up to 5 and she got it straightaway. And then the magic. She is two! Happy Birthday!

Another thing she loves is building towers of bricks and we do it brick by brick until it starts to tumble and she then says: ‘oh no!’ and laughs. Begin again and repeat until she loses interest. 

Top favorite is a magical castle which belongs to Princess Penny and her friends. All of whom say little sentences, which she has no trouble whatsoever copying. Everything is ‘so exciting’, and she knows exactly which little, tiny switch activates the battery to make them talk. Now only Princess Penny herself is permitted to ride the magic unicorn, which then makes several tottering steps forward. This is a whole set by Vtech called: ‘Happy Friends’.

Her big present for her birthday has been a bike. And she was thrilled. Not a bike with pedals, but a sort of bike that you walk with, sitting on the saddle. I cannot for the life of me think of the proper name, but its great if you are out, she can ride along but is not afraid to fall, because her feet are on the ground all the time. She is walking on the bike! Sounds a bit weird but it’s true.

Later today, (and would you believe it was a week ago now as I publish this blog), we are going for cake to see her bunting and balloons, all of which she had already told me on Facetime are lovely. My present is a butterfly made like a puzzle out of special wood. Grimm’s, a Germany based company make lovely things for the children of today to entice them to make other shapes with the pieces. It will fit in nicely with something else she has a sort of tower or tunnel from the same toy maker.

Her favorite book is about a caterpillar who munched his way through an enormous amount of food and then morphed into a cocoon, eventually flying out to become the most beautiful butterfly. I have loads in my garden which she sees in the summer.

I can conclude being a grandparent is just full-on fun. Seeing them grow up and become their own little person, with all their cute and sometimes exasperating characteristics. Reign has a definite will of her own and if she does not want to do something, believe me she does not! Her favorite words are : ‘mine’ and ‘no’ which is typical for what is often referred to as the ‘terrible two’s’ but I cannot agree. Two is such a charming time, where they change every time you see them. Just that little bit further forward with a new word, which then becomes a sentence and she already has her own favorite little boyfriend at daycare. So sweet.

For those of you who are reading this and are a grandparent too, then you will be able to relate to what I am saying. One of the lovely stories about her is that she goes every Thursday with her Dad to the dairy farm to collect eggs, milk and cheese. The young calves outside are fascinating and she was so pleased to see them. We have a spontaneous video of her waving and saying – ‘hayyo (hello) koeien’ (cows in Dutch) and the saying to her Dad ‘mooi he?’ which means ‘nice aren’t they?’

And that is exactly what I mean, full-on fun each and every day. So, finishing off now as she is about to arrive and no doubt, we will be playing in the garden on this lovely Spring afternoon. An added bonus in February. Our star child !

Planets often go ‘retrograde’ in a calendar year and several times, but when they do, people feel the energy intensely. Astrologists talk about it in their posts and such like. So why all the fuss? 

As Planet Mercury, often known as the ‘trickster planet’ has now started to move forwards again (February 21^st, 2021) you can really feel the re-set or refresh in the energy. So, what does it all mean?

Even if you know very little about astrology in general, you will often see on the socials that all astrologists tell us avidly that Mercury is going retrograde. This, out of all the aspects of every planet, seems to attract the most attention.

And it is all about the effects, because everyone feels it whether they think they do or not. If you begin to pay attention to events in your own life, when a retrograde is underway, even take note of them and even more important the changes that occur. In other words, your productivity seems to increase and often you encounter more frustrations that usual. Why?

First of all there are three Mercury retrogrades in 2021 and there is something else which is interesting. The first on 30^th January was in air sign Aquarius. The second May 29^th in air sign Gemini and the third one op 27^th September in air sign Libra. So, you could maybe conclude the ‘winds of change’ are blowing. Three times this year in three air signs. Interesting!

But does Mercury really move backwards? In fact it doesn’t. If you are a stargazer, you will see that is appears to move backwards (retrograde), like ancient astrologers perceived thousands of years ago. And usually, they saw after a period of about 3.5 weeks, it seemed to reverse itself and go forwards again.

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun and therefore its orbit around same is much shorter than earth’s. In these so called ‘retrograde periods’ it actually speeds past the earth and that is why it’s called a ‘retrograde period’ and how we experience it.

For example: if you were traveling in a car and it passed you, you would be able to tell that it is moving faster. But then if it slowed down and you passed it, it would then appear that the car is actually going backward. When it overtakes you and goes faster again, it kicks up the dust on the road. So in the same way, when Mercury speeds past, like a High Speed Train, it creates a turbulent gust of wind. This same turbulence and disruption that Mercury makes can effect what we feel on earth in our everyday lives.

In astrology there is a firm belief: ‘as above, so below’. By this they mean that there is a fractal relationship between the orbits. In other words between the heavens and human activity down here on earth. This idea is important in astrology and probably a very good one to keep in mind.

And this year all the Mercury retrogrades are in air signs. Enough said!

The planet Mercury is the ruler of COMMUNICATION.  This includes: listening, speaking, learning, reading, editing, researching, negotiating, selling and buying. It also rules all formal contracts and agreements as well as things like book manuscripts, examination papers, agreements, deeds, contracts, leases, testaments and so on. Legal binding documents in other words (and now I know why I decided to write this blog today of all days when the dust has settled!)

In Mercury’s domain are codes, including computer codes, transportation, shipping and travel. During retrogrades said areas get scrambled and spin out of control. A logistic nightmare. So why does this happen?

When in retrograde, the planet is astrologically speaking in a ‘rest or sleeping’ stage. So while Mercury takes a nap, the activities that it governs don’t have the benefit then of a well-functioning, wide awake planet to supervise. So, expect a certain degree of pandemonium will occur.

Good advice is not to make any important moves or decisions when Mercury is retrograde. Nothing will be settled successfully for the future in these periods and you may even find it impossible to create a good plan and to actually effect it either. During the retrograde period, it is also hard to get decisions from others and even when a decision is made, it will often be changed, just at the moment that Mercury makes its turn.

Summarizing, Mercury retrogrades are not good times to do anything involving communication. Not a good time either to sign contracts or ‘shake hands’ on a new agreement. A house sale or signing a lease, better to wait. Remember too that verbal agreements can often be just as binding as written ones. Because the environment is fluid and changeable, irrespective of what you are told or think. 

And doesn’t this all make a lot of sense when you think what is actually happening in the world right now, in the first retrograde of 2021 which ended yesterday (21.2.21) And look at the numbers too.

The thing is during these retrogrades no one can or wants to predict what situations will be like later. This applies in the all the areas mentioned above which are connected to the one simple word – COMMUNICATION !!

Other planets that retrograde are Mars and Venus, but we will talk about them another time!

Finally coming back to the situation worldwide, the pandemic, do you feel like me that communication seemed (or even still seems) to have gone haywire. What is true and what is not?  So many conflicting ideas and thoughts.  My advice, stay close to yourself, use your common sense and don’t take risks. Take action when the heavens become more peaceful.

Don’t you think, like me, that it’s a bit passé that we only celebrate love one day a year and are filled with romantic feelings. Wouldn’t it be better if we celebrated love 365 days a year? All the time and with everyone.

This morning opening the socials which are filled with ‘cozy photos’ some of which I ask myself why some people think that every photo they make they have to have their tongue hanging out, as if they are ‘gagging’ for more. Especially more mature people, it’s pathetic really. If you want to take a photo with your partner, make a nice smiley one! At least!

But that is not the purpose of my blog really, it is more about how many people really know, where the tradition of St. Valentine’s Day came from? So, let’s do a little bit of research:

Well, as we all know the feast of Saint Valentine is celebrated today, 14^th February. It originated from an early Christian feast honoring two martyrs named St. Valentine and then became associated in different cultures and religions as being connected with romance, romantic love and such like.

The said martyrs, including a man from Rome who ministered the Christian religion to followers in the 3^rd century and was persecuted under the then Roman Empire for doing this. Very romantic, I think not.

But there is more. This Valentine is said to have restored the sight of the blind daughter of his jailer. So why he was persecuted no one really knows, apart from the general persecution of heretics. But numerous legends that followed were then related to the theme of love.  The story says that he wrote a letter to the jailer’s daughter and signed it off as ‘your Valentine’, a sort of farewell note if you like, before he was executed. Another story says that Valentine performed marriage ceremonies for Christian soldiers who had been forbidden to marry. Why I don’t know?

In AD 496 Pope Gelasius 1st ordered that the 14^th February was a day of celebration for St. Valentine of Rome who has been put to death in AD 296. The day was then associated in the 14^th and 15^th century with romantic love. It was in the 18^th century in England (of course) when it grew into an occasion when couples expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, confectionery and sending cards which became known of course, as Valentine’s cards. The symbols used today are heart shaped, the handwritten letters have now become commercial greetings cards. Given to lovers to unlock the giver’s heart and to children to ward of epilepsy, which is also known as St. Valentine’s malady.  

It is not a public holiday in any country, but an official feast day in the Anglian and Lutheran Church. Many Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate on June 6^th in honor of a Roman presbyter St. Valentine. Not sure if this relates to the early martyr Valentine way back at the beginning of AD.

It seems that in fact many martyrs were given the name Valentine, but there is no research to say why? The remains of the first Valentine (as we shall call him) are actually buried in the Via Flaminia. Relics kept at the Church and Catacombs of St. Valentino in Rome, which made this an important pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages, until the remains were actually transferred to the church of Santa Prassede during the rule of Pope Nicholas IV. The flower crowned skull is exhibited in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome. 

So, the original Valentine certainly moved around a bit after his death!

Nowadays Valentine’s Day has of course become a consumer driven holiday. Enormous amounts are spent worldwide (more than USD 27.4 billion in the USA alone in 2020 and AUD 568 million in Australia !!!) on gifts and gestures to celebrate love. And have become in this way, far removed from the original idea of giving a gift to the person or person’s that you love. As I began, shout-outs on social media seem to have replaced a lot, crass photos declaring love are in my opinion virtually meaningless. Done only for show. The emphasis should be put more on maybe, if you want to give something, to something less expensive. A special meal, watching romantic movie at home, flowers seem to be a good alternative.  A suggestion on internet was to make Red Velvet Cookies for your loved one. So get baking everyone!

But to come back to where I started, why do we only have one day a year when love is the topic? Why not every day? Isn’t it more important to show love to others, in the form of respect, courtesy and such like every single day? Being emphatic, rather than sympathetic. Being understanding instead of getting irritated. 

At this particular moment in time, 14^th February 2021, I think I could generalize and say every single person I have encountered this month so far has been someone with a very short fuse. One tiny little thing has to occur, and then they explode about things that are absolutely irrelevant. Is this because we are all in lockdown and restricted so much. Probably.

Why don’t we all think about this and make today and every single day, a day of love. A small gesture is enough like saying ‘Good Morning’, people don’t bother anymore. Smiling at someone, people have stopped doing that and instead of moaning constantly, be grateful for the small things in life. The fact that you can spend time with your loved ones, even under the present difficult circumstances. A Facetime or video call is just as effective as popping in to say ‘hello’.

This is what the entire world needs – love. Remember the famous words of the Beatles song. “Love is all you Need”. Agree? Maybe today is the right moment to remind yourself that the most important thing is just that – LOVE.

Images: Google

For days, the air had been heavy, grey and hardly any wind. As if the sky was crumbling down on top of everything and everyone. Ginny had had a headache for several days. One of those pressure headaches, which really wasn’t a headache, just a feeling that someone was pushing down on the top of her head.

That morning she was up later than usual. The dark, grey mornings were not at all inspiring to leave the warmth of her bed. As she opened the blinds, there was an unusual stillness in the air. The sheep were standing still in the fields, not making one single sound. No birdsong. If they were sensible too, they would still be in their warm nests hidden deeply in the conifer trees. Oppressive, or heavy, that was the word, Ginny thought. 

Coming downstairs she lit the log fire and soon the flames were spreading warmth into the room. Put the kettle on, deciding to have breakfast first before she ventured out into the cold to walk her dog. He was still fast asleep on the couch, in a deep dream.

Showering quickly and putting on some warm clothes, Ginny pulled on her fur lined boots and both of them went out into the cold. And boy was it cold! It took your breath away. As Ginny looked up to the sky, the first delicate snowflakes began to fall. She had heard on the weather report that a cold front was coming towards the country where she lived, across the plains of Eastern Europe, bringing the icy temperatures from Russia. Wind was forecast for later that day, but just for now, it was just as if the world was in a state of pause. Very little sounds and very little movement.

By the time she was back indoors, the first flakes of snow began to swirl in the breeze. Her headache was suddenly gone, now that the pressure in the air had cleared. For the rest of the day, it snowed heavily, about 30 centimeters deep. Ginny ventured out and cleared a pathway with her snow shovel. She had to go out later with her dog, but within moments of clearing it and seeing the pavement stones, it was white again. She decided to take her second walk before it got too deep.

Her dog loved the snow and would run about in it. She threw balls of snow for him to catch. It was amusing to see they just disappeared and the way he looked for them. Normally people would think he was a white dog, but in the brilliance of the snow, he looked decidedly cream in color. He would sniff into the snow with his nose, almost blowing it into the air and then try to catch it. The wind was picking up and it felt much colder than earlier. Thank goodness she had had the sense to stock up on supplies, if it was going to get worse and she would not be able to drive. Ginny had never liked driving in slippery conditions and it didn’t take long before car tyres made a bed of impacted snow on the roads. 

Where she lived it was pretty remote, and often the ‘gritters’ would be the last place they came to. Usually, the neighbors rallied round and cleared it together, but with the wind chill factor of nearly minus 15oC, no one was out.

Putting more logs into the fire, Ginny re-filled the basket and put some soup on the cooker for lunch. Her dog was tired from the walk and was lazing on the couch once more. After lunch she put on her computer and opened her email. Smiling, she found one from her friend.

On the other side of the globe, there was a heatwave underway. Temperatures soaring up in the 30 degrees C. He had had a very busy week and a tough time schedule, but he always found time to write an email to Ginny to ask how she was, what was going on etc.

Their meeting had been one which no one would ever have imagined. A brief encounter, online, had led to a deep friendship. They had in fact never even met face to face, (well only on Zoom connections) but he was well-known and the mere mention of his name, was enough. Over the months they had shared a lot with one another and neither of them could imagine that things would have gone so far. But they had. In Ginny, he had found someone to share his deepest thoughts and opinions and she never ever made any judgement. She seemed totally distanced from both his fame and fortune. The strange thing was that she was a star sign Leo like him and usually he would clash with other Leo’s, but not with her. And that puzzled him a lot, but he loved her natural way, her intellect, her intelligence.  Over the months he had come to rely on her a lot for her opinions and thoughts, even things that were work related and way beyond her control. But she fascinated him. Yes, that was the word, fascination. He had never met anyone who was not immediately in awe of his name, or his profession. Ginny seemed totally oblivious to it all and maybe that was the attraction. She wanted to just be his friend without obligations.

Ginny found herself laughing at some of his stories in his email. He gave her a sort of day-by- day account of his week and he had a huge sense of humor for sure. It was a little routine they had started several months ago, a weekly email, to keep in touch. Any plans to meet physically had been fraughted by the viral pandemic, which held the entire world in its grip. So many rules, restrictions and even worse so many people had been affected by it. And everyone had had enough, no matter where they were situated in the world.

Certainly, Ginny had. Often, she felt as if all her spontaneity had been removed. It wasn’t possible to do anything with a whim. A sudden feeling that she wanted to go to the beach and have lunch there. Virtually everything was shut and had been for weeks. True she could go to the beach and walk along the sands, but in wintertime it was different somehow.

Over the next few weeks, winter held the majority of Europe in its icy grip. The snow fell and the layers of snow became thicker and more slippery every day. Despite the snow ploughs which regularly went by, the roads were a complete disaster and virtually no one with any sense ventured out in their cars. Night temperatures went down to minus twenty and the bitter easterly winds kept blowing. She had not been able to open some of the windows for several days, they were stuck with the ice. Snow that melted during the day with the warmth from the heating in the house and then froze again at night. Despite all the complications there was a sort of serenity in the air, peaceful and calm and the woodland close by looked magical with the bare branches covered by a layer of now frozen snow.

And as cold as it was in the north, as warm it was in the south. It seemed totally surreal that bush fires were raging in some parts of the world, the heat, the dryness and sudden winds causing a lot of problems.

Weeks turned into a couple of months and suddenly Spring was here. Ginny’s favorite time of the year when everything began to grow again, tender green new leaves opening on bare branches. The daffodils and tulips created colorful carpets in the fields close by and all memories of the chill were gone. They had kept up their weekly emails.

One sunny morning as Ginny was working in the garden, she suddenly had a feeling that something was going to happen. Not so much a feeling of foreboding, more of something pleasant. Putting down her secateurs and taking off her gloves, she came back into the house to pick up her phone, which was ringing. She saw the name on the screen.

‘Hi, how are you?’ he asked.

‘Absolutely fine’ Ginny replied, ‘out in the garden working’.

‘So busy then’, he said.

‘Well, yes sort of, just enjoying a lovely spring morning to get some work started’, she replied.

‘Got anyone to help you?’ he asked.

‘No, only me, but I enjoy it’.

‘How are you?’ she asked.

‘Well quite tired at the end of a long busy schedule and really glad to have a break now’.

Ginny heard the sound of the bell on her gate which meant she might have to end the phone call, irritating, as they had not actually spoken for a while and hoping that whoever it was would see she was busy and leave.

Then the bell rang at the door and Ginny hurried into the hall, still holding her phone in her hand. A tall person was at the door. She did not recognize the shape or the shadow, thinking it might be a post-delivery or something like that. Opening it, she could not believe her eyes. He was there! Face to face. Smiling his broad smile and looking down at his own phone, they both started to laugh. And laugh until they thought they would never stop.

‘Surprise! Did you expect me?’

‘Absolutely not!’ 

‘Wasn’t sure if I could get here this fast, but you know, pulled some strings and well, here I am’.

‘Come in’, Ginny said realizing that he was still standing on the doorstep.

As he stepped in, she took his arm. Quite boldly in fact and then suddenly his arms were around her, holding her tight.

A long embrace, which felt so right and so good.

Eventually they let go and both stepped back.

‘Can you stay?’ she asked.

‘Of course, if it’s alright with you?’

Alright? It’s perfect, I am just totally and utterly flabbergasted that’s all’, she said.

‘Well, me too actually. I thought on the way here that maybe it wouldn’t be convenient, or that you might be out or even worse away. Never thought to tell you or even ask if it was ok, which was a bit presumptuous’.

‘Of course not’ she replied. ‘Actually, I am so thrilled to see you in person, after such a long time, so many emails and so many Zooms. I almost feel that I need to pinch myself if this is for real.’

‘It is for real and something that I have been waiting for such a long time’. 

‘Me too’ she said.

She asked if he would like a coffee and then carrying two large cups of frothy coffee out into the garden, she put them down on the table. He took her into his arms once more and kissed her tenderly.

Winter had blossomed into Spring.

Over the past couple of weeks, my website seems to have gone ‘viral’ and I have received literally hundreds of emails with comments. I have tried to read them all, replied to those who asked questions and thanked those who wanted to share in their own social circles.

I asked myself why? Suddenly, there was such a huge amount of interest, as I have been writing blogs for a long time and although this has happened before, a large surge of people noticing and reading, there was something this time around, which prompted me to write this blog. It seems to be ‘an issue’ that a lot of people are thinking about.

Is it because we have all had time to reflect or that we are so restricted in our movements at the moment? This could be the case, as more time, offers more moments to reflect. Not only about current affairs, but affairs that are more personal and closer to you.

An underlying theme was that people (and a lot of them) seemed to have maybe forgotten to trust their intuition and follow the heart. If there is one thing that is certain is that your heart will always speak the truth. Your truth and always have your best interests at heart too. It’s like an inner compass, guiding you and sometimes warning you, if you have strayed off your path or gone against your core values. Even if you are raising your eyebrows reading this and thinking yes, sure… please read on because this theme is happening a lot at the moment and it is a good time, while you still have time, to reflect and maybe make adjustments.

What, for example, if you are in situation which you know deep inside, means that you are continually swimming against the current. Every single thing you do, becomes a burden as opposed to a task. It is true to say that things that happen to us in our life are a lesson and form part of the learning curve, but when you are perhaps feeling lost, or swamped down in a situation that is not right for you, it’s often hard to see ‘the wood for the trees’, so to speak.

Have you ever given in-depth thought to consequences? Things that happen in your life that feel as if almost a miracle has happened. Just by chance, without any reason. Maybe in the form of ‘deja’vu’ or the feeling that you have been somewhere before, encountered the same thing before? These are all examples of coincidences that may cross our paths. Great minds in the past have said that: ‘coincidences do not really exist’.  That in fact that everything that occurs, happens for a reason.

So, I ask the question again: what if you are in a situation that you know is not right for you? And what do you do about it? What if every single cell in your body is reacting and trying to send you messages to re-think, make another choice, actually change things, speak out your own truth. Do you ignore or not?

Ignoring is actually postponing because you can be really sure that if you ignore, it will come across your path again and probably again, until you listen to that inner voice. I know for those of you who are not so spiritually inclined that often words like this are difficult to interpret, but you should listen because after all who’s interests do they really have at heart. Yours!

If you go to bed at night and have trouble sleeping because you are mulling a thought around and around in your head and wake up the next morning and that same thought comes up again. Then the message is pretty clear. It is time to make a change. No matter how hard and difficult. Sometimes you have to make the choice to change something to not only turn the energy around, but also to walk away. No matter how hard it seems at the time, because one thing for sure is that when you look back, you will ask yourself: ‘why didn’t I take this decision earlier?’ That is why it’s really postponing the inevitable.

I could write a huge, long list of examples and subject matter. But you know really if you are reading this blog. It happens to each and every one of us. No matter how much we try to avoid or how much we think we are living the perfect life, no road is ever smooth, there will always be bumps and bends. It is called life!

I often find that suddenly I get inundated with advice from all corners, often in astrology which is something I really enjoy and I read often. I am not talking here about a general astrology comment in the newspapers, more about specific advice you receive from professionals. You may or may not believe it, but personally I think that astrology is one of the things in life that tells you so much. After all it is related to the moment you arrived on this planet, almost a photo record of your birth moment (this is the form of your personal natal chart) and like a thumbprint, this is personal and no one else’s is the same. It is an actual screenshot if you like, of your arrival, where the planets and stars were positioned at exactly that moment. 

A lot of people pull ‘cards’ on a daily basis for inspiration and such cards are very plentiful, there are so many decks. Others have a book that they open randomly for a daily inspiration, others listen to apps and such like on their smartphones, like Calm, or meditations. In these difficult and trying times, it brings comfort.

But it is also important, as you have much more time for reflection, which is certainly the case at the moment and that you use this time to reflect more. If you feel that you have got yourself into a situation that no longer works for you, then find the courage and make a change. The same applies to your borders too, so far but no further. Don’t allow yourself to be manipulated by others. Remember what I wrote at the beginning of this blog: listen to your own heart and follow your own truth. No matter what. 

It is important and if you don’t that you will find yourself being diverted, going around in ever increasing circles and end up not being true to yourself. Making a choice for change is courageous, not easy, but try and find that little extra to speak out and make said choice. This applies to friendships, relationships, people who are in your life and maybe you prefer that they were not, contacts (especially social contacts). Recently, someone gave me a very good tip about ‘having a clear out’ in your social contacts. Go through your phone contacts for example, and anyone who you are doubtful about, edit their name by adding ZZZ in front of it and then they go down to the end of the list. Re-appraise a month later, if you think, delete, then just get on with it and do it. Same for Facebook and Instagram. These social media circles are becoming less safe as conglomerates like Facebook (and Instagram is owned by them too) sell off your information to third parties. If you don’t believe me, check for example your Facebook history, they can even see when you log into your internet banking. Delete the history and tick on the app, which means that you no longer allow them access. Just have a look!

But I diversify…

Coming back to the theme of this blog, listening to that little voice inside telling or advising you is important. Because it has your very best interests and only your interests at heart. No one else’s. Your heart beats with your own rhythm, no one else’s so that is why you should trust it. Without a heart there is no life. When the heart stops, life ends. Simple. Your stem from the heart is talking to you with every beat. Adding to the signs and synchronicities that cross your path and guiding you to make and take the right decisions, even the ones you are afraid to take. Like ending a relationship, ending a contact, deleting someone who no longer is in your life. Decluttering and making space.

I am sure that every single one of you who has read so far, will know in some or other way what I am talking about. This is going around in endless circles and not progressing. Be ruthless, if it doesn’t feel right, make a change no matter what. It may be painful at first but in the end you will be glad you did (and have pride that you had the courage to do it).

It is a bit like decluttering your wardrobe, becoming irritated every time you needed to put in another hanger and having to make space, because it’s overfull. Make a golden rule, I did it recently. If I had not worn it last year, it was bagged or binned. And then the pleasure as you can now put your clothes into the space without having it all immediately creased and ruffled up. You have a proper overview of what you have, what you might need (because we all love an excuse to buy something new don’t, we?). It’s a tedious job, but once done so worthwhile. I actually color coordinated my clothes too and that looks really good.

Try this in other aspects of your life. And if in doubt open your eyes and ears to your intuition and your inner voice. It knows best

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QUOTES: Butterflies & Pebbles (S.C. Lourie)

IMAGES: Google

I wondered if I really wanted to join ‘the bandwagon’ and write something about what is happening here in The Netherlands, since the introduction of the ‘Evening Curfew “ last Saturday from 9pm until 4.30 am. This is an extra rule to just keep people off the streets and congregating and ‘spreading’ the Covid-19 virus. It is supposed to help as an extra, up and above the virtual total lockdown we have here since December.

Of course, and I will say this first of all, we all need to take action. We are all tired and fed-up of Corona and being stuck indoors, no shops open apart from supermarkets and such like (in other words ‘essential items’). People are fed up working from home and at the same time teaching their own children at home. The schools are shut and have been for weeks. I cannot personally comprehend the numbers to be honest, even though we now have the British and South Africa strain of the virus detected here. The numbers infected and dying increases every day. Hospitals are full. Entire towns of people near to Rotterdam have all been Corona tested (more than 63.000 to be exact) and the vaccination program is slow and seems to be undergoing difficulties.

Not enough vaccines to start with, not enough people to give the injections and so it goes on. Anyone who can actually bear to watch the News, which I hardly ever do, it is just all doom and gloom.

The thing is do you allow yourself to be influenced by all this negativity or rise above it? That is a big question and probably hard to answer. How true is all the news, how much are the figures ‘manipulated’ or not? 

However, this blog was to talk more about what has happened since the curfew and to be outright, it is absolutely disgusting what is happening in major towns and cities.

Riots, pillaging and plundering. Setting cars on fire. Smashing windows, stealing from shops and all the ‘youth’ being called up on social media to join in and create as much havoc and damage as possible. This is not protesting; this is downright terrorism and hooliganism. No other words needed.

It is heartbreaking to see police horses being hurt and falling as the angry crowds gather and hurl anything they can find at the police, ambulance personnel etc. Shops which are suffering enough through lack of income being totally ruined and it brings tears to your when you see a shop which sells greetings cards, books, stamps, stationery etc., being totally smashed up. Tell me please what is the purpose? This is not the way to protest to the Government about the lockdown and curfew. This is stupid, senseless, destruction. 

And then you ask yourself, what people do this? What parents stand by and know that despite the curfew their family is out on the streets? Why and what are they up to? The images are alarming to be honest and it spreads literally like ‘wildfire’.

Yesterday, a policewoman wrote a really good letter on social media … inspiring and made you think, and I was tempted to react because something happening in my own family which was really the other side of the coin.

My son works in the food industry on the so-called ‘Maasvlakte’ in Rotterdam. He does shift work and has special dispensation to be out in curfew hours. Very necessary if your shifts end during said times and you either have to travel to work or home. This week he was called in unexpectedly for an extra shift, because yes, these industries are suffering as people are off sick too. On the way home he needed to get petrol. Two police cars trapped his car and 4 policemen got out to ask why he was out. Even though he has all the documentation to explain why, he was told that he should get petrol during normal day hours, a bit difficult don’t you agree if you have been on night duty and have to sleep during the day? And he did not expect to go out and the last thing you think about is petrol until the warning light comes up.

He got an official warning which I thought was very unfair and to be honest, I would like to suggest maybe that the police would be better concentrating on these riots than wasting time doing things like this. Once the explanation was given, end of the matter you would think, wouldn’t you? I thought this is really another side to the story written by the policewoman even though I agreed with her words completely.

Last evening too, thugs were throwing stones and paving slabs from a viaduct onto passing cars on the motorway. This is not protest, this is destructive nonsense and actually you can kill someone if the slab crashes through their windscreen. Attempted murder, trial and prison sentence. This is not screaming your head off about not being allowed to be out at night. This is something which could affect innocent people. Shame on those who were present. Well more than shame!

And so… it goes on and where does it end? Lifting the curfew will not make things better. Thugs and hooligans should be severely punished. Police are armed here with weapons and should they use them? It does not really solve the problem, but it maybe would make them think twice. But even that is doubtful because these people (probably unemployed and receiving a hand-out from the government) and maybe don’t have enough braincells to understand what they are doing. This is as I said several times, not a protest or a demonstration, this is destructive hooliganism. I saw that someone suggested that the water used in water cannons should be colored with permanent ink, so that the ‘soaked’ protestors cannot remove it and everyone will see and witness this. To be able to see their shame. If they have any and that I doubt very much indeed. Maybe that is a good idea? I don’t have an answer. But for every hooligan or thug, there are so many good people as well.

One uplifting thought was that a lot of people turned out with brooms and such like to help clear up the damage. A lot of shattered glass everywhere and then I thought, this is what makes good people what they are. That communities join together to make the repairs, to show solidarity with those affected by this complete and utter nonsense. That is positivity and makes you feel there is hope and some light at the end of this lockdown. Support for your community in the clear up after a night of violence, destruction, pillaging and plundering.

Basically, people are good and it is in our nature when disaster strikes, to help one another. To give our support and offer aid. Do you agree?

In times of so much fake news and so much manipulated information, it has to raise questions surely? I saw this happen when people turned up to help others clear up. To help to board up windows which have been smashed, sweep up the glass from windows and bus shelters lying on the ground in thousands of shards. To clear up where cars have been burnt. Where pavement stones have been removed to throw at the Police. It is too shocking and the list is too long!

It is time that we unite and stop this in The Netherlands, but the big question is how?

But one thing is certain, it has to stop and stop NOW!

Images: Google

Who else watched the inauguration of Joe Biden as 46^th President of the USA, yesterday?

Of course, it was different, but under the strict controls (so many ‘militaries’ on the streets for fear of reprisals by Trump followers!) and also the safety of the new regime – it was different.

I felt for the person or persons who had placed all those flags in the grass on the Mall.

As I listened to the various speeches, a feeling of optimism came back. After 4 years with ‘enfant terrible Trump’ who sneaked out of the back door and was not even present at the ceremony for the first time ever … coward: it felt as if a breeze of fresh energy and air came in.

I wasn’t really an avid fan of Joe Biden until I heard him speak from the heart which he did yesterday. He may be 78 and probably many think too old for 4 years of damned hard work, the thing that struck me the most was, his words about ‘putting his soul into the job of reuniting the USA and with love! Goodness me. Inspiring !!

I liked the gentle, passionate voice of feeling, it went softer and slower when you realized that he was talking about things that mean a lot to him and what he stands for. Hats off, it is an entirely different story than we heard 4 years ago, when Trump was bellowing about America first and basically f*** the rest of the world.

It is a breath of fresh air to hear on this morning’s news that one of the first things Joe Biden is going to do is come back into the discussions concerning the climate agreements. Good.

As the USA is one of the biggest countries in the world, this is important and together with others in the G30 or whatever number we have got up to in this agreement, now it will make a difference, won’t it?

I also noticed the admiration from many people who attended, from Presidents and First Ladies of the past to present day members of the Senate. I saw a genuine respect and friendship. After all, let’s face it Joe Biden has a lot of experience on the Washington political scene and he was running mate for one of the best Presidents ever – Barack Obama.

Proud family members surrounding him and you saw the emotion, the clearing of the throats as the national anthem was played. It was a big moment for all concerned.

No one was interested anymore to even think about Trump and consortium who made history by not being present. So childish, like throwing all the toys out of the playpen just because you did not get your way and win. I think maybe in reflection a lot of his fans will think twice about in the aftermath of yesterday.

But now the important part and the inauguration of the first woman Vice President, Kamala Harris and you can only feel a huge amount of respect for the way she presents herself and one to watch I feel in the future. I know a lot of people wanted not only Michelle Obama or Oprah Winfrey to run for the presidency, but Kamala is interesting. I don’t really want to hear about any matters concerning race or creed, more about the respect for her as a person and also an amazing inspiring speech later that day. And of course bringing back the ‘feminine power’ into an important political office.

No one will deny that they both have a huge task ahead of them. Mainly first of all repairing the damage, but also finding a way to unite everyone. As Joe himself said yesterday, this is the United States of America and united we must be. Very true. A lot more can be achieved when synergy comes into the equation, which basically means that often opposites come together and create great things. Let’s hope so. It is of course OK to disagree about things, we don’t all have to think the same, but let’s work on resolving the differences, something which Trump as an absolute classic example of a narcissist found impossible.

I am a firm believer in the words ‘what goes around, comes around’ and it will happen. Definitely as far as Trump is concerned and it is wonderful to know that Joe Biden will also restore all the work that Barack Obama did for healthcare for all residents of the USA. Instead of wasting money building futile walls on borders. Come on !!

The vastness of the USA and the number of citizens, first priority will of course be, being able to control the Covid-19 virus which has taken more lives than in WW2. That is pretty shocking isn’t it to know that so many have lost their lives. And everyone’s thoughts go to family, friends, neighbors and acquaintances who have lost people because of this virus, not only in the USA but on a worldwide scale.

So busy days in the White House ahead and let’s all cherish the idea that there is hope with this new administration. That both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris continue to inspire and stick to their own beliefs. It is an interesting thought that ‘their side’ have the majority in the Senate, so, laws that were abolished maybe for no reason whatsoever, will be reinstated and there is light at the end of a dark tunnel of 4 years of Trump. I think it’s true what people say, he had to become President to may be shake things up in the stuffy, dusty corridors of the Capitol, but to such an extent, no! It just became ridiculous in the final days.

So, wishing them the best of luck in a difficult challenge, but first impressions are the ones that count, and they were both impressive yesterday.

Inspiring words today on the socials too: for January 21^st 2021 (note the numbers 21.1.21)

111: meaning new beginnings and how!

‘Today it will be important to learn from the past and LET IT GO. No need to cry anymore of spilled milk’.

Images: Google

This is my question? Are you ‘living the lie’ or ‘living the truth’? This really means are you living your life according to who you are, what you want to achieve and how to go about it, or are you taking the easy way out and living the lie?

This may seem like a very hard question! I agree. The first inspiration for this blog came from two directions: firstly, because I started a new online workshop with my friend Janosh on Sunday. This was the second part or sequel to the Source Code which I took part in last year. Basically, for those of you who don’t know his work, he is an artist/visionary who channels sacred geometrical codes. Around August 2020 a special code arrived called Source and it formed the five-part webinar and online series which all came together on the 21^st December 2020. This date was not only the winter equinox but there was a major astrological event too, when Saturn and Jupiter were conjunct at 0 degrees in Aquarius.

Doing a visual meditation with the code when more than 5000 people did this simultaneously at the same moment, it reconnected all of us with our Source.

It seemed obvious that there would be more, we had come back to source and now it was time to embody it – literally physically into your body. So last Sunday was the live start to the sequel, ‘Embody’, again in 5 parts.

For more information on Janosh’s work see his own website (www.janosh.online)

But my point is here, it was an eye-opening journey and is still being continued.

Last Sunday we started with Unmasking which is all about who you are NOT. Removing the masks (which we all wear all the time) and face the naked truth. Who are you really?

How did it feel, well strange to be honest. The words ‘naked truth’ were the best possible description. It was time not only to take off the mask but also to face who you are.

And now the title of this blog! Are you then living a lie?

A friend of mine, who is actually well known, is. I realized that for quite a while and after Sunday I knew this is true. They really are. I will not for privacy reasons mention any names or details and just keep this general. But when you live your life in the ‘spotlights’ and are constantly watched by many, how true is your life. Is it a role you play? It is hard to do this when you live like this. Fear plays a role because you basically don’t want people to know literally everything about you, but how far do you go to keep up appearances? What if you are in a relationship that does not work anymore because the trust is gone? Do you ignore, which in the end will cause you so much stress or are you brave enough to break away, irrespective of what people say. And you know beforehand they are going to say a lot. About literally everything! So, what is the choice then to continue to live the lie, or take off the mask and be the real you? 

Tough choice isn’t it? But at the same time not. Because living a lie is one of the most stressful things in life because you are constantly not really yourself. You keep up appearances because you are basically afraid of the consequences. What if everyone suddenly is confronted by the fact that your ‘oh so perfect life’ is not that perfect after all. There are so many cracks and there have been so many attempts to glue things together, eventually you will have to take action because you cannot keep repairing ‘broken wings’.

That is one of the things I have learned in my friendship with Janosh over the years. You can try to keep hiding behind the mask but eventually and at some stage, you will be almost forced to remove it. Not literally forced by someone else but forced because you cannot live the lie anymore.

Let’s take relationships for an example. If you are in a relationship which no longer works for whatever reason, do you make the choice to go on regardless or make a choice for change. I know it is not easy and often people prefer to have a ‘status quo’ than stir up the dust and do it all differently. But long term this does not work. If parents stay together for the sake of children, the children blame them in the end because they have been brought up in a tense atmosphere. Children are in general very much more intuitive than adults in this case.

Falling out of love is painful or if someone breaks the trust. The latter is often harder than the feeling of no longer being in love. Once trust is broken it is virtually irreparable. Because in the back of your mind, you start to question every little thing. Something you may have ignored in the past is suddenly a big issue. And once the seed of doubt is sown, it grows and grows.

What if you fall in love with someone else? Someone who you realize is really your soul mate. Do you think you can possibly carry on if nothing has happened? Making contact with a soulmate can be one of the most powerful things ever. And virtually impossible to ignore. You know you want something more than anything else but how do you move forward. Keep wearing the mask and pretending that everything is fine or take action.

My friend who is in this situation regularly asks me this question and my reply is always the same. ‘Listen to your heart’. If your inner voice or sixth sense is telling your constantly that you should do it all differently then get on with it, no matter what the consequences. Obviously by this I do not mean hurting someone expressly but making a choice to change. To maybe break away and take no notice what other people say. Hard I know, but if it’s challenging you every day, then it will only increase and get worse. Don’t you think long term that people will respect you more for your honesty than the deception of ‘living the lie’?

Then if you are brave enough to actually make a choice for change, because you know in the end you have to, then you are actually doing yourself a big favor and proving to literally everyone that you are not being who you are not. But daring to show who you are!

Life is a continuous learning curve. It was never meant to be an easy flat road to travel along, with all the directions mapped out beforehand: we learn in actual fact by our mistakes. There will always be curves and bumps and even people who try to sabotage you along your way, but if you are who you really are, you will survive and reach your destination. That is in actual fact what we all as soul beings agreed to. We all wanted the experience as a human with all the things that come across our path. The problem is that we often distance ourselves from others (and not talking here at all about the Lockdown situation worldwide) but more about isolating ourselves behind the mask and taking on a role. It does not work long term.

The most important thing is that you care about who you are. As opposed to who you are not. I remember a famous English proverb:

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!

True. No matter what anyone else thinks or says, listening to your own heart is and always will be the most important advice you can ever have from someone.

IMAGES: GOOGLE

Today, 6^th January 2021, The Netherlands as the last EC country, has begun with the vaccination program for Covid-19. What are your thoughts?  Many countries have a policy about who is first in line, where the vaccination locations will be set up and the pure logistics about moving the vaccines themselves to said locations under cooling. It was several days ago when the first batch arrived over here and since then they have been held in a tight security unit.

Even though other countries have started their own programs, it is big news this morning, like in other countries, that the first person is vaccinated. The news is reporting it almost nonstop. And every time I hear something about it, the doubts come up again in my mind.

As a child (me included) we were vaccinated against ‘deadly diseases’ it was quite the norm and still is to this day. I know there are some people around the world who don’t agree and please, this is a personal choice these days, either you do or do not have your own children vaccinated, but in some countries, there is a stigma about allowing un-vaccinated children into either daycare or schools.

The whole purpose of said vaccination is to inject ‘the virus’ in a controlled quantity into your system so that the body’s natural immune system does its work. That is the way it happens. Simply saying.

For several years a general influenza vaccination is given to people over a certain age to protect them from the annual normal outbreaks of flu across the globe. But Corona, or Covid-19 as it is correctly called, gave the world an immense problem. The speed at which the virus travelled and still travels and how it affected people was something we had never experienced before. It meant that something had to happen really fast if we were going to gain control over the virus, which is now mutating, just like viruses do.

Having worked for more than 20-odd years in the pharmaceutical industry, I know only too well how long it normally takes for a new product to be developed. It is years of work, trials and testing and then getting very strict approval from the appropriate authorities. Often the patents would be nearly at their expiration date when the product was finally launched onto the market, which meant that many other producers could make the so called ‘me-too’ copies. The pharmaceutical companies are big business with enormous budgets. I remember Dr Matheus Rath saying that the world is controlled by two things, the oil industry and the pharmaceutical industry.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not criticizing things, but I just recall how long all the work actually took. I have huge admiration for all the people who work in this field.

However, in several months, some of the big pharmaceutical conglomerates have been able to produce a vaccine and the question that keeps coming up again and again it my mind is – how well have they tested this? Have they really made sufficient studies into possible side effects? To be honest they do not know at this stage what side effects there may be long term. And that is pretty scary.

It is sort of being between ‘the devil and the deep blue sea’. Everyone wants this pandemic to be over so that life can return to normal but at what cost? Health is, as I have said many times, something that no amount of money can actually buy. You may have millions on your bank account, but you cannot buy good health. Simple!

So, what is good sound advice? I do agree that because many conglomerates have worked together and enormous amounts of money have been pumped into making this vaccine that it may have all happened quicker than normal. Another thing to think about as you are on the verge of maybe getting vaccinated or not, which is after all a personal choice, is this: are you then ostracized by society if you don’t get the vaccine. What if you are not allowed to travel if you have not had the vaccine. We may be all still in a worldwide lockdown but listening to the news it is as if we are being promised utopia. Once everyone is vaccinated, it will all be fine again. But will it? 

How long will it be before the vaccination actually works? For starters you have to have a booster jab, three weeks later after the first one. It is things like this that bring the doubt into my own mind and maybe yours? It is not so much that I am against the idea, which I am not, but the questions that many of us have I am sure.

How safe is it? And will this really stop this viral global pandemic? As I wrote earlier the virus is, as we have all seen, mutating in the UK and its spread already to other countries. Viruses are carried by moisture and the air, so how can you literally stop it. Of course, by introducing the strain into the human body in the hope that its own immune system will create the so-called barrier, or in simple terms recognize the virus and deal with it. This is a very true fact that the healthy human body functions perfectly and does in normal cases, but can it cope with this viral strain? We just don’t know.

Many people have been infected and many people have lost their lives. Many are in hospital either in special wards or in the intensive care. Staff (doctors and nurses) are working day and night to deal with the patients and they are exhausted. And when we become exhausted, our own system becomes more vulnerable.

This is not an easy blog to write because there are so many factors and things to think about. But still that niggling voice in the back of my mind, is it safe? Has it been sufficiently tested? Do they really know what the side effects may be long term? 

We all hope that the vaccination will mean that we are no longer susceptible to becoming affected and resilient to the effects. People who have had Corona and survived (as of course there are milder cases) are still not feeling 100 percent. Many people are talking about previous influenza pandemics which happens almost every year and the numbers. And to be honest I cannot comprehend the numbers anymore about the tests, positive or negative and hospital admissions, deaths and such like. I only know the numbers are alarming.

You?

Quite by chance my own GP came yesterday and we talked about the pros and cons of this new vaccination. On the one hand as a doctor, he said he thinks it is good to get vaccinated and we should be getting on with it, instead of talking about it for days, as was the case here in The Netherlands. There are people who have a higher risk factor than others. In actual fact I have the influenza vaccination myself for the first time this year. It’s related to age, which is a depressing thought. If you have reached a certain age, then you are eligible. He said that he was surprised that the GP’s were not being asked to vaccinate the people on their patient lists who are more vulnerable than others, even if it means he said, ‘working all weekend to get it done’. I agree.

But in the meantime, centers have been set up where lots of people will come to, have the vaccination, wait for 15 minutes to see if there are any side effects and I presume they mean like fainting or such like and then all come back three weeks later. Isn’t this going against the idea of having a lockdown to ensure people do not gather in large numbers?

In December I actually had to have a Corona test myself. I booked online using my personal codes and drove the car. Parked in the long line of cars to wait my turn. I did not have to leave my car or mix with anyone apart from the person doing the test who was suitably protected (clothing, mask, gloves etc.) and I got the result same day by email and text message. Brilliant logistics. 

On this morning’s news there was a live report of people assembling at said center, some wearing masks, others not, journalists and the tv people all interviewing everyone and it raises eyebrows. Virtually everything has been shut down, apart from the essentials, but hey let’s all congregate at the vaccination place instead! Seems very double to me. Wouldn’t it be better to apply the same principle as the testing places, vaccinate without leaving the car and if you are the type who faints at the sight of a needle then let someone else drive you? 

This and many other factors were my thoughts when I decided to write this probably quite ‘controversial blog’. In my own personal circles, mixed reactions about whether to have the vaccination or not. Some keen others not.

But don’t you agree with me that it all seems ‘double’. We have been asked for weeks now, to stay at home, work from home, schools and such like shut, everything shut apart from ‘essential goods’ shops, no contact professions – like the hairdressers, manicure salons, pedicures, gyms etc. etc. Restaurants, cafes, cinemas, theaters, museums – all shut down. And yet, we are all asked to come to the vaccination centers and they expect several hundred people to be vaccinated every day. And that is what I mean about being ‘double’ on the one hand avoid literally everyone as much as possible and then congregate with many people for the vaccination. 

Here is the Netherlands they expect that everyone will be vaccinated around August/September time. What? So long? 

Won’t a viral pandemic be over by then, when the weather has improved? Just like normal with influenza?

And that is exactly my point, so many doubts and deliberations? What is your choice? Do we actually have a choice, because won’t the people who say ‘no’ to the vaccine end up as pariahs of society? 

Please share your own thoughts in the comment box below.

I was working on something on the 30^th December and came across this text, which is how I want to start my first blog in 2021. We have just had the final full moon in 2020 in the zodiac sign Cancer, which is all about depth, emotion and water. And what a year it was for all of us and I expect many people are feeling, like me, enough is enough and time to make a fresh start into a new year.

The text is:

New Year, New Chapter, New Verse or just the same old story … ?

Ultimately, we write it.

The choice is ours.

And goodness how true is that? Who wants to keep re-writing or re-reading the same old story. Not me. This is the moment in my year when I have a clear up and chuck out.

Take down the Christmas decorations, even though they looked lovely during December, after New Year, they look totally out of place. What to keep and what to throw away. Not the same old decorations year in, year out, make space for new, later in the year?

Clear out my social media accounts, archive old posts, check the list of names. Who is in and who is out? It may seem quite the opposite to what a lot of people do. People love to have ‘likes and followers’ but my theory is, that it is preferably people that I know, as then it means so much more. This is almost impossible when my socials are connected to my website which has grown such a lot. I am very grateful for that and also the comments I get from people on a daily basis. This is the way I know that people are reading what I write, which is after all the reason that I do it.

I am not really a person who makes NY resolutions, mainly because I find them almost impossible to keep long term. The best laid plans have often dissolved before the end of January, so I don’t make them. I just think of the new ideas, the new goals and the things that I would love to achieve in this (new) year. New choices and new challenges. It is time to wipe the slate clean and begin again. Often on NY Eve we look back on the year that has passed and my advice would have been make it a really short look back. Don’t dwell on it too long.

Numerically 2021 is a 5 year. The number five is the number commonly referred to the as the number of humanity. Humans have five fingers, five toes, five appendages (if the head is included), five senses (not sure I agree entirely on this one I think there are 6) and five major systems in the body. Noted for independence, versatility, rebellion and a daring nature.

Interesting !

And if one word comes forward it is ‘rebellion’. Rebellion against how the world was faring in 2020. It was a disaster on many scores and do you like me, feel that you desperately need change.  A lot of us spent the majority of the year in difficult circumstances, dealing with this new virus, Corona, being asked to stay at home, stay away from people and isolate ourselves, when actually human nature is that we really want to connect with people. We do believe me! During 2020 we all proved our versatility by doing things we had to as opposed to doing things we wanted to. And now it’s time to be daring.

Finally daring to get on with the things you have been thinking about for a long time. Making the impossible … possible. Living your dreams. Creating the things that make you happy and make you feel that are making a contribution. Not only for yourself but for others too.

Another quote I found was this:

2021 Life is not about expecting, hoping and wishing. It’s about doing, being and becoming!

Hoorah! I can relate to that.

During 2020 I wrote a lot about problems on social media and even though I am not going to either go into this subject or repeat myself I just want to say: please wake up everyone and delete anything that does not feel right. Just do it, even though it may seem hard. We have to stop this once and for all. No more terrible stories please of how people are taken in by scammers. But enough said.

That is why I also have a ‘session’ early in the first week of January. Deleting old emails, usually I just keep the ones from December and delete the rest, received or sent on all of my accounts. Who am I connected to on Facebook? Personal friends or just ‘circles within circles’. Instagram same story. Followers or being followed. Who are they? People I know or not. Archive away all the old posts.  Just make a fresh start. 

The number of all these ‘social contacts’ does not help you to be a better person. Only you can be and do that! 

I repeat: It is about doing, being and becoming!

So here we are, a new chapter, a clean page and even though I find January a long dull month, it is the best time of the year to de-clutter. The weather is usually not that good and with a Code Orange Worldwide restricting travel, we have more time to do this.  It is also therapeutic. The pile of post on my desk is so high, everything falls regularly to the floor. I will file or bin in the next few days. 

As I am a writer, I fully appreciate the words – CHAPTER ONE as I write a new book and then at the end of each chapter, the feeling as it comes to and end and I type the words CHAPTER TWO. This to me represents a moment when I have a full blank page to fill with my story and as I write along, following inspiration, I never really know what is coming next. Like life itself really. In any storyline, I have a backbone of the actual story. The beginning, the middle and the end, but along the way I often diversify if I have new inspiration and this comes in many directions. Often, I have been known to delete a lot of words and start again, sometimes I even begin with the final chapter. But it’s a creative process and being creative doesn’t mean that you have literally everything mapped out from start to finish.

We can relate this to life itself. Of course, each and every one of us has obligations. No getting away from it, but we all have a lot of time in between to do the things we actually love to do. Moving away from the herd and not blindly following for example. The gyms may be closed at the moment, but a half hour walk every day is enough exercise. We may not be able to pump the muscles on the apparatus, but there is an awful lot you can do at home with a few simple tools to keep fit. One of the best ways to exercise is do yoga, which I used to love doing. But I don’t anymore. Why not? There are many online courses which you can follow. If you happen to be working at home, make this part of your routine too. 15 minutes moving and stretching pumps the blood around the system once again and you can go back to your work feeling refreshed. My son-in-law has a very busy demanding job and he told me the other day that he uses a special chair to work at home. Some parts of the day he is standing, some parts of the day he is sitting and during his lunch break he is walking. A brisk walk in the fresh air is therapeutic. It really is. Try it. Make that maybe one of your ‘NY’ ideas. Only excuse is when it is pouring with rain. It is also very good to rest your eyes regularly from computer screens and smartphones, which, come on admit, are on your desk all the time.

Because we do not want to miss out on anything … do we??

So, January is here, 2021 and my first moment this year is a dental appointment on 21.1.21.

It is not my hobby and was moved into the New Year as I had several sessions during 2020 and my mouth needed a rest. And it is for two extractions and I am dreading it, apart from the fact when I noticed the date, I thought again and wondered what is this trying to tell me? Too much stress? Possibly right so what is the next move?

Remove the stress if possible.

The thing is with stress is, I feel, the moment when we often cannot see the wood for the trees. How much stress do you actually have and more important what can you do about it?

Well, the remedy is only something you can do yourself and by that, I mean – remove it!

Turn things around, do things differently and make a real effort to let go of all the baggage you are carrying with you that you do not need, or even want anymore.

My top twenty or so ‘In and Out” for 2020/2021 is:

OUT IN 2020

• Fake news and fear
• The never-ending stream of boring reality programs on TV
• The long list of social media so-called influencers who feel they have to share their entire life with us
• Copying other people
• Duality and Competition
• Being a sheep in the herd 
• Following trends, just because they are ‘trends’
• Scammers on the socials
• Feeling obliged to do something even if you do not agree
• Staying in situations that you know are not good for you
• Hoarding shopping
• Overindulging
• Keeping things just for the sake of ‘keeping’.

IN FOR 2021

• Being who you truly are
• Speaking your truth
• Making a blank page for 2021, write your own words
• Being your own person
• Paying attention to signs and synchronicity
• Helping others
• Kindness 
• Synergy (often two opposites make the best team!)
• Respect for everyone!
• Creating your own trend and magic
• Taking a walk every day and getting enough sleep
• Healthy eating 
• Only sharing things, you want to share not what you feel you need to get the most ‘likes, comments or followers’.

And most important is the word – LOVE !

So, Happy New Year to everyone. Let’s all make a pledge to make this year better than last (and that won’t be very hard). A big thank you to everyone for your support last year.

Let’s toast to fresh starts and new chapters. Happy 2021 !

Images: Google