Favourite Quotes for a Good Life

PROCRASTINATION

“When you’re stuck in a paralyzing thought loop of indecision, stop thinking and start doing. Make a move, no matter how tiny.” – Marie Forleo, Everything is Figureoutable

Starting with this blog post was a good move 😉 Once you feel inspired to take a tiny action in your own life’s journey, save this somewhere so you can come back to the resources.

ANXIETY

”…the biggest prison is in your own mind, and in your pocket you already hold the key: the willingness to risk; the willingness to release yourself from judgement and reclaim your innocence, accepting and loving yourself for who you really are–human, imperfect, and whole.” – Edith Eger, The Choice, Embrace the Possible

FUN

”Fun is your birthright” – Sahara Rose, Highest Self Podcast

https://iamsahararose.com/single-post/2021/06/30/highest-self-podcast-376-fun-is-your-birthright-with-sahara-rose/

FEAR

“Dearest Fear: Creativity and I are about to go on a road trip together. I understand you’ll be joining us, because you always do. I acknowledge that you believe you have an important job to do in my life, and that you take your job seriously.

Habits that keep me from spiraling into a depression

Speaking from my own experiences, overcoming depression and later in life PTSD, every so often my body will now let me know somethings up; typically with symptoms of anxiety as I’ve usually missed the signals before that point.

My personality loves to keep me caught up in lots of activities and roles at once but now I know my mind and body thrive when life is a lot simpler than my desires and I’ve learned to accept that.

Still, life happens and we all get busy don’t we?! Currently my main focuses are a college project and studies, part-time work and organising virtual events. I won’t ever name all the desirables that come and go like learning Italian and books. Life can easily tip me towards anxiety as the fear of running out of time arises, that deep sense of urgency that is of course a false reality. Here are some of the ways I have improved at not letting my mood spiral.

PEACEFUL DISTRACTIONS

When I feel any of the unpleasant symptoms; chest tightness, hollow feeling or panicky I quickly step away from my task (even if my brain is telling me I HAVE to do this task) and I go for a little walk around the block, even to sit under a tree and simply do nothing. If you can’t go outside put a yoga mat or even towel on the ground and do some stretches, some deep breaths or maybe just lie flat on your back and chill.

PHONE ALERTS

Put the phone on do not disturb and put it away. It keeps the mind on high alert with lots of things to get you in a negative thinking pattern. Pull out that book you’ve been meaning to read for even 1 page, dance around your kitchen or make a delicious drink like a turmeric latte and prepare lunch in silence without distractions.

SHOULD I CANCEL?

Don’t cancel plans with friends. Believe me the desire was there (thinking..should I really be going for a walk with x,y,z to do) but yes, yes you should stick to your plan. Friend + Walk = Part of the cure

Compassionate Living Series with Simone

This is the third interview of our mini compassionate living series which was with the light of my life Simone Tiso. Amazing to find these different perspectives.

Tell me Simone, what does compassionate living mean to you?

Compassion is defined as “sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.”

With time, I am realising that I’m probably wrong on this and maybe most people don’t naturally live compassionately, but for me compassionate living is simply living. I have always had pity and concern for the sufferings and misfortunes of others and focused on how could I live to reduce/avoid that suffering to others.

Unless emotions end up getting the better of me and I might cause some negative feelings to others. Though I suspect I have never caused concrete harm.

Maybe it makes more sense to define the opposite of this, apathy, which is something that shocks me every time I see it.

What does practicing self compassion look like to you?

I do not know or understand this concept, so it is absent in my vocabulary/worldview.

Can you remember a moment you felt truely free? Where were you & what were you doing?

I have felt very free when I first left Italy. Then, as I forced myself to be financially independent I have felt that freedom slowly fade away. It has come back once I started getting a salary and have now achieved the goal I had put in front of myself.

I Want To Know

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living,

I want to know what you ache for

and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are,

I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love;

For your dream,

For the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon,

I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow,

If you have been opened by life’s betrayals or 

have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain,

Mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy,

Mine or your own.

If you can dance with wildness 

and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes, without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

If doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true,

I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself,

if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul,

if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty, when it’s not pretty,

and if you can source your own life from it’s presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure,

Yours and mine, and stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon ‘Yes’.

It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.

I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and dispair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children,

It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you come to be here.

I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied,

I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself

and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

-Anonymous

This is a poem written by an old friend who is no longer on this earth that had to be shared. It was written about 2002 and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.