Over the past few months I have been kept

busy with my favourite Arts & Crafts activities.

For me, they have served a double purpose…not only do I always find them calming and meditative, but I’ve been able to secretly make, and  give original birthday and Christmas gifts for family and friends.

Arts and crafts have been a passion of mine since childhood, and I was delighted to immerse myself in creative pursuits again.

Having rediscovered the peace and fulfilment in these endeavours, I’ve decided to concentrate more fully on them this year, and intend to post occasional news and photos of my latest creations.

Meanwhile, I wish you all Peace, Love, Health, Wealth and Happiness for 2012 and beyond.

The world is so full of  ’must have’ designer goods and gadgets,  that in our harsh economic climate it makes both sense, and a refreshing change to give and receive truly personal gifts.

With a little thought, it can be possible for us  all to come up with a ‘special something’ from the heart.

Consider gifts such as mouth watering home baked goodies,  home grown plants, hand crafted items,  even ” I promise to…” vouchers.

Very often it’s the small  ’made with love’ gifts that are valued the most.

Perhaps one of the first things that you can do when trying to get more out of life is to decide exactly which way you would like your life to go. If you are not yet writing things down in a journal, this would be a good place to start as it would help you to sort things out and to give your life a little bit of direction. Once you actually begin to become comfortable with writing things down, it can take on a number of different forms to assist you.

You need to keep in mind, that keeping a diary or a daily log is not just a matter of writing down your feelings or what took place during the day. That is a big part of it, yes, but you can also use it to organise things and make sure that your short-term and long-term goals are realised. When you begin to write these things down, you dedicate yourself to those goals to a certain extent and you become somewhat accountable to yourself in the process. As long as you’re consistent with it, you will see the changes begin to occur.

Have you ever tried so frantically to find ways of  relieving  your stress,  that you became even more stressed?

It’s ironic, that in desperately trying to blot out stress and anxiety, we may be fuelling  even more stress and anxiety… What a ridiculous circle…no wonder so many of us are at our wits end.

Have you ever read  The Tao of  Pooh?  If you haven’t, then beg borrow or steal a copy.  If you’ve read it already, then read it again.  Inside its pages you’ll find hidden pearls of wisdom for stress free living.

It’s a lovely simple introduction to the Tao.  In a nutshell, the Tao is all about how to be happy and calm (no matter how the rest of the world may seem to behave.)

Why persist in turning minor irritants  into a volcanoes?  Your peace of mind and well being is far more important.  Let it go… Don’t do stress.

It’s a time for renewed optimism, to put away dark thoughts and to believe in a brighter future. As you look around and marvel at the unfolding growth, it becomes so much easier to picture brighter days ahead.

Springtime is a perfect time to refresh your mind, to sow the seeds of positive thoughts, and to visualize a brighter better future.

As we prepare the soil in readiness to receive new plants, so you can prepare yourself for to receive fresh new thoughts in your mind, rid yourself of old negative ones.

Try to find, or imagine yourself in a quiet place outdoors, perhaps the corner of a garden, a park bench, a field, or maybe a country lane. Choose a secluded spot and make yourself comfortable… Be aware of the peace and beauty surrounding you…

Take a long slow deep breath… relax… continue to breathe deeply and slowly… relax… As you breath in, imagine a cascade of cool refreshing spring water surrounding and entering your body… feel yourself relax as your mind and body become refreshed… renewed… relax…

As you breathe out, imagine that all your old unwanted thoughts and feelings are being washed away… relax… you are refreshed, you are renewed… you are receptive to new thoughts, new beliefs… you are at peace.

There are quotes abound for every single aspect of life. No matter what  the occasion or subject matter, an apt quote can be found.

If you type “quotes” into your google search box, you will see around 296,000,000 results pop up. Whether you are searching for ideas and inspiration,  or comfort and consolation,  you will almost certainly come across one that is  perfect for you.

Do you ever find it difficult to find the right words of condolence? To put your true feelings into writing? Someone, somewhere, has said the very words you try to find.

Many famous writers have used the wise words of others as a jump start to their own creativity, why not you? Sometimes, just a few little words can be the spring board to greater things.

Quotes can be  thought provoking, used when journaling, they can help you gain perspective, clarify issues, alter your viewpoint and can even change your life.

Apart from looking up words and phrases to suit your mood, why not try seeking out completely opposite ones? For example, if you are feeling sad and morose, it might be a good idea to look up something light hearted and amusing, words that could bring a smile to your face, even to bring laughter.

Perhaps  anger is the mood of the moment. You may be outraged at the behaviour of someone. Do you feel frustrated because you cannot control a situation? In such moments, you could try looking up words of forgiveness, of understanding, and  peace.

So next time you feel lost for words, don’t despair or pull out your hair, solve your problem with an appropriate quote or two.

• Family and Friends – Most people tend to include a little bit about this subject in their journal, regardless of whether it is personal or business related. You may want to consider having this as a main topic in your journal, however, because it can help you to remain focused on the things that should be most important in life. In a day and age that many of us tend to push these things to the side, journaling can help to bring them back in focus again.

• Memories – I’m not necessarily just talking about random pieces of information but rather, these are things that tend to come up into our mind from time to time that we never really think about. Writing down these memories can help you to remember those memories that may otherwise disappear. It can also help to sharpen the mind, which is something that many of us can use.

• Challenges – All of us have challenges to overcome or things that we would like to accomplish in our life. Write these down and continue to write on the subject, take note of your progress and it will help to motivate you to complete it.

One of the quickest and easiest ways to keep your good intentions on track is to simply put pen to paper.  The very act of  writing down your intentions sends a clear signal to your subconscious, it  both clarifies and reinforces your intent.

Did you start a journal?  Are you taking advantage of it?  If you haven’t started one yet, I urge you to stop making up excuses, and start writing today.

Haven’t got a journal to write in? … then use any piece of paper that comes to hand … it’s the very act of writing down your thoughts that is the magical ingredient,  it doesn’t really matter what you write them on.

Journaling holds so many benefits for you.  I will expand on these in future posts, and will give you more hints and tips to help overcome many other problems.