Everyday I receive a personalised message from "The Universe" and this one arrived today.  I really liked it and thought I would share it.

The only way to get what you really want, is to know what you really want.

And the only way to know what you really want, is to know yourself.

And the only way to know yourself, is to be yourself.

And the only way to be yourself, is to listen to your heart.

I really love receiving these as they arrive first thing in the morning and give me a lift before I start work.  If you would like to receive them too you can sign-up at www.tut.com

We need four hugs a day for survival

We need eight hugs a day for maintenance

We need twelve hugs a day for growth

                            Hug someone you love today.

Picture source:  www.teas2dine4.com/4sayingsnquotes.html

One of my dearest friends is to undergo yet another major operation for cancer later on today.  She rang me last night in tears due to the awful pain she is suffering and for the first time I sensed fear in her voice, partiicularly when she asked my why this was happening to her. 

She has been amazing over the last year dealing with each new occurance of the cancer with such positivity and hope.  All the way through she has held on to her vision of her future when she could return to her dream of living in Israel, surrounded by her friends and family and just last month she bought a flat there.

I am writing this in the hope that those of you who read it will spare a loving thought for her, and if you can, light a candle to shed more golden light upon her as she goes through yet another painful and difficult time. 

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Today I decided it was time to declutter my office, to get rid of paperwork and magazines I had been hanging on to in case they proved useful.  I had actually forgotten I had most of them, so I resisted the rather strong temptation to re-familiarise myself with the content and have put them out for recycling.  I filed those things I wanted and now know where everything is which feels so much better.

Anything I came across that I was tempted to keep I asked myself how important it was to me on a scale of 1 to 10, and anything that scored below 7 was binned.  It is the first time I have tried this approach and I have to say it worked really well.  If you like me find it hard to get rid of things I would recommend giving it a try. 

I feel so good about my efforts that I have vowed to declutter a small area of my life everyday.  Next stop is my email inbox!

It is because I feel so brilliant, as if a weight has been lifted, that I felt I had to write this to share the experience and the rating tip with you.  I hope it helps you too. 

I would also love to hear about any decluttering hints and tips that you have and are happy for me to share on this site.

Happy New Year, albeit somewhat belated.  I hope 2007 is proving to be everything you want it to be. 

This morning I was sitting here thinking how much I am looking forward to spring and the promise it brings of the summer ahead.  During this musing I received the following story from a friend, which made me stop and think about what I was doing.

Today is the Best Day

Author Unknown

We sat on a swing enjoying the warm summer air, truly without a care in the world.  My 6 year old nephew laughed as he swung higher than me.  His laugh made me smile.

Afterwards, we went for a walk, looking at the gardens.  As we were walking he looked up at me and said "Today is the best day!".  I smiled at him and replied "Yes, it is a great day."

I then started thinking about what we had done that day?  We didn't really do anything special; there was nothing that we did that cost any money.  It was a simple day...one where we talked, went for walks, and swung on the swing,

So often, we wait for our "best days" without realising that "today is our best day".  Or we say "when I get this", or, "when I have more money, I will........", and we forget to live every day, enjoying today.

We should be more like children; they truly live in the moment!  They don't need expensive things to make them happy; they don't use the phrase, "if only", or, "when I get this", or, "when I have more money".

There is a saying "Carpe Diem" which means "Seize the Day".  As we get older, we need to remember this saying and enjoy each and every day.  Keep your childlike attitude of "living each moment to its fullest"!

* * * * * * *

Having read this I looked around me and noticed the sun shining through the window, my 2 new kittens curled up around one another enjoying it's warmth, the sound of Jim in the kitchen and the wonderful aroma of the cakes he was baking.  Simple everyday things that made me feel warm inside and made me realise how lovely my life is right now in the middle of winter.  I hope it helps you "Carpe Diem" too.

This poem by Mike Dooley was sent to me by a friend and I liked the idea of nuturing our thoughts, as it is so easy to let them wither and die under the pressure of our everyday lives.

BRAND NEW THOUGHT

When you think a brand new thought
Something comes alive
And when you think this brand new thought
It will strive, and strive, and strive
To find it's place
In Time and Space
To reach the light of day
So think your new thought all the time
To help it find it's way!

I hope you enjoyed it too.

I have to say I don't normally read The Sun, however, I came across reference to this article on a French website and found it a really interesting reading.  It is Part 1 of a 2 part series written by Dr Ken Dytchwald, widely regarded as the world's leading expert on the problem global ageing.

In summary he is saying that we the Baby Boomers, those born between the end of World War II and the early sixties, have set the trends in popular culture and business throughout our lives.  The good news, according to Dr Dytchwald, is that we haven't stopped and we "continue to turn the clock back and go from strength to strength".  The massive baby boom is now being felt as a huge "age wave" around the world which is redefining what old age and retirement means, we are still defying convention.  We always knew we would didn't we?

Read the complete article here

I will publish a link Part 2 as soon as it comes out.

I have a client who is pretty stressed out at the moment and is feeling overwhelmed by all pressures in her life.  An associate recommendeed this CD to me.  So I ordered it to see what it was like.

It is created by Beryl Whiting who is a yoga and meditation instructor and she describes the CD as follows:

"It consists of my voice, accompanied by beautiful background music, guiding you into a place of deep relaxation.  If you are someone who finds it difficult to relax and let go of thinking and worrying, then I really believe this will help you.  If you are aware of tension in your body, eg,  your shoulders or neck, then listening to this CD will help you to effect deep relaxation in your body"

The only problem with this is that I listened to the CD and found it so useful in helping me to relax after a stressful day that I can't give it away.  So I am about to order another one for my client.  I highly recommend it.

Order Beryl's relaxation CD here

 At the weekend I decided to take some time off, to do nothing except relax on my swingseat and enjoy the peace and traquility of my garden. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the lawn mowers were silent for once.

To start with though my head was full of all the "should be doing" things, so I mentally ran through the list running in my head and asked myself what would happen if I didn't do any of them.  When I realised that nothing earth shattering would happen I gave myself permission to do nothing for a while.  Once I had done this the "should be doing" voice went silent.

And do you know it felt brilliant and afterwards I felt so refreshed and envigorated that I was able to get through some a lot of the things that needed doing so much faster than usual.

When was the last time you gave yourself permission to do nothing and just relax? 

Next time you feel like doing just that run through your list of "should be doings" and ask yourself what would happen if you didn't do any of them and be honest in your replies.  I think you will be surprised by the answers you get.

Go ahead and give it a try and take some time out for yourself. 

I have always admired Joan Bakewell and believe she is an excellent role model for women growing older with integrity and grace. 

She has just written a book 'The View from Here. Life at Seventy' which I certainly intend reading.

Last week I listened to an excellent interview with her and philosopher MM McCabe on Womans Hour.  They both talk very eloquently and amusingly about "the perils of trying to grow old gracefully"; "when is the right time to let youself go"; "and how much your appearance as a woman is bound to your identity".

I recommend listening to it as I believe it captures the essence of how many of us feel.  Click on the link below to listen online:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/ram/2006_37_wed_01.ram