Hello Blog Visitor!
I haven't updated this blog in a long time and have decided to retire it. I'm leaving the posts online, though, so feel free to peruse all the articles at your leisure. I won't be responding to comments, but drop by my other blog www.islandwench.com to get in touch and see what I'm up to. 
Cheers,
Louise
The key sentence for me here is "Because it's way too stressful to live an inauthentic life."...
You Are 96% Real |
 There's hardly a person on this earth more real than you are. You have no problem showing people who you are, flaws and all. For you, there couldn't be any other way. Because it's way too stressful to live an inauthentic life. You're very comfortable with yourself. And because of this, you're able to live an exciting, interesting, and challenging life. |
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A martial artist kneels before a master sensei in a ceremony to receive the hard-earned Black Belt. After years of relentless training, the student has finally reached a pinnacle of achievement in the discipline.
"Before granting you the belt, you must pass one more test," the sensei solemnly tells the young man.
"I'm ready," responds the student, expecting perhaps one more round of sparring.
"You must answer the essential question, 'What is the true meaning of the Black Belt?'"
"Why, the end of my journey," says the student. "A well-deserved reward for all of my hard work."
The master waits for more. Clearly, he is not satisfied. The sensei finally speaks: "You are not ready for the Black Belt. Return in one year."
As the student kneels before his master a year later, he is again asked the question, "What is the true meaning of the Black Belt?"
"A symbol of distinction and the highest achievement in our art," the young man responds.
Again the master waits for more. Still unsatisfied, he says once more: "You are not ready for the Black Belt. Return in one year."
A year later the student kneels before his sensei and hears the question, "What is the true meaning of the Black Belt?"
This time he answers, "The Black Belt represents not the end, but the beginning, the start of a never-ending journey of discipline, work and the pursuit of an ever-higher standard."
"Yes," says the master. "You are now ready to receive the Black Belt and begin your work."
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more inspirational stories
| Beginnings are always messy. | ||
| John Galsworthy | ||
And moving into my new home proved to be no exception... There is some semblance of order emerging from the chaos now.
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I knew that! Still very far from overtaking Richard Branson though...
You Are a Natural Entrepreneur |
 You're creative, driven, and full of great ideas. You could be the next Richard Branson, Warren Buffet, or Oprah. Keep with your dreams, even if people don't understand or respect them. Someday you'll have too much money to care what they think! |
Thank you, Goddess! Thank you everyone who has sent me their positive wishes for finding a house!
I have found a place to live.
I'm very excited about my new home. It's not the beach house I wished for, but, as always, the Universe knows best what I need right now.
I spent the last three months responding to every suitable ad that I saw and even put a couple of my own "desperately seeking" ads. I put the word out to everyone that I knew that I was searching for accommodation. All to no avail. I never even got to the viewing stage.
Then, one day last week, I was sitting in front of my computer talking to my daughter, telling her not to worry and to trust that the Universe will provide and that I had a feeling something was going to happen today, when an email came in. It was an alert I had set for a local classifieds site. The minute I read the message, I knew this was the place for us. I phoned up immediately and we went to view the place 2 hours later.
As I walked in, I just "knew" this house was for me. The landlord walked us through the two living rooms, four huge bedrooms, an oversized kitchen with attached utility room, three bathrooms and a study, before showing us, nearly as an afterthought, what he called the children's playroom. This room is a gorgeous wood-clad attic room with skylights and just screams "meditation, sacred space, etc.". And then I knew why this house was for me.
In the previous two weeks the Universe had been shouting. I received quite a few requests for Reiki and spiritual counselling. Many people also phoned me asking if I knew of a spiritual centre in the Seychelles. There isn't anything like that here. YET.
I've also been pretty broke the last couple of years and just last week I finally sold a piece of land that has given me some financial resources, without which I would never have been able to afford this kind of house.
It's long been a dream of mine to start some sort of spiritual centre here. Long-term, I'd like to live and work in a spiritual retreat centre and have made plans for a cafe where like-minded people could meet.
For a long time now, I've been responding to people who have asked for help that I don't have the space or resources to do anything in that vein. I did help in "smaller" ways, but didn't feel ready for more. Now I have enough resources for the first step; a house where I could start up something in the spiritual area. The Universe has provided and I no longer have an excuse to avoid doing what I'm supposed to be doing...
I mentioned in a previous post that I had been through some dark nights of the soul in the last two years. This time around, when it came to trusting that I would have a roof over my head, I trusted. Completely and totally. I put myself into the hands of the powers that be and let go. When I wavered slightly (ever so slightly), I wrote a post about my worries and received so much encouragement from you. Asking for help was definitely a first for me; I have always found it easy to sense when others needed help and gave it freely. Asking for help for myself was another matter altogether; pride all too easily got in the way of that.
I am over the moon with happiness.
I am filled with joy.
I am overflowing with gratitude.
From the bottom of my heart: Thank you.
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One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach, with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf. He was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect of catching a fish. About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach, trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman sitting on the beach and decided to find out why this fisherman was fishing instead of working harder to make a living for himself and his family. "You aren't going to catch many fish that way," said the businessman to the fisherman. "You should be working rather than lying on the beach!" The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied, "And what will my reward be?" "Well, you can get bigger nets and catch more fish!" was the businessman's answer. "And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman, still smiling. The businessman replied, "You will make money and you'll be able to buy a boat, which will then result in larger catches of fish!" "And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman again. The businessman was beginning to get a little irritated with the fisherman's questions. "You can buy a bigger boat, and hire some people to work for you!" he said. "And then what will my reward be?" repeated the fisherman. The businessman was getting angry. "Don't you understand? You can build up a fleet of fishing boats, sail all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish for you!" Once again the fisherman asked, "And then what will my reward be?" The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the fisherman, "Don't you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again! You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You won't have a care in the world!" The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "And what do you think I'm doing right now?" 
Living in the Moment
Get High on Life the Bollywood Way
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Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.
Horace
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I came upon some real gems this week:
If you want to detox your entire body, mind, spirit and life, turn to this list, which has over 100 ideas for removing the poison.
Tom Volkar asks in his latest article if a dishonest excuse is proof that you care more about what another thinks of you, than you value your own freedom of self-determination. He makes a very good case for his point of view. And the guy is gutsy!
Tim Brown gives 10 good tips on how to change your habits. I did No. 6 (Blog It) in my post on quitting smoking. Now I think I'll have to use his tips to acquire a vice or two...
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link love
free stuff
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I've been too busy this week to make anything new, so I though I'd showcase myself selling my crafts. :-)
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Craft Showcase
That's me alright :-)
You Are Disco Dancing |
 You are very energetic and lively. You could dance all night. Fun loving and social, you like dancing best when everyone in the room is dancing. You love to dance to anything, and it's hard to stop once you start. You love dancing in a crowd. And no matter how big the crowd, all eyes are usually on you. |
This is a lovely Sufi story from The Way of the Sufi by Idries Shah.
A powerful king, ruler of many domains, was in a position of such magnificence that wise men were his mere employees. And yet one day he felt himself confused and called the sages to him.
He said: 'I do not know the cause, but something impels me to seek a certain ring, one that will enable me to stabilize my state. 'I must have such a ring. And this ring must be one which, when I am unhappy, will make me joyful. At the same time, if I am happy and look upon it, I must be made sad.'
The wise men consulted one another, and threw themselves into deep contemplation, and finally they came to a decision as to the character of this ring which would suit their king.
The ring which they devised was one upon which was inscribed the legend:
This, too, shall pass.
I've often heard the phrase "This, too, shall pass." as advice when things are rough, but this story emphasizes that happiness, too, shall pass.
It seems to me that it highlights the importance of detachment and letting go. What do you think?
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The timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness; and knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream.
Kahlil Gibran
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Once again, my favourite finds of the week:
A beautiful woman ponders the deeper meaning of beauty in her article Beauty is Fleeting . It's a wonderful article devoid of the usual clichés.
Steve Pavlina suggest to "prove to the universe that you're willing to receive the small package with love and gratitude, and bigger opportunities will soon follow" in his article How to Earn Your First Love Dollar. It's an intriguing idea and I'm going to try it.
Many seekers on the road to higher consciousness will pass through the Dark Night of the Soul. This is a good indepth description of what to expect.
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free stuff
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I was fed up of making jewellery this week and decided to paint some shot glasses again. I love painting glass and ceramic; working with these bright colours always cheers me up. And the weather has been dull and miserable, so I really needed the shot of colour.
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Craft Showcase
All true, except I'm still waiting for the last part...
What Your Taste in Music Says About You |
 Your musical tastes are reflective and complex. You are intellectual to the point of being cerebral. You are very open to new experiences, and even more open to new ideas and theories. Wisdom and personal accomplishment are important to you. You are naturally sophisticated. You are drawn to art, especially art by independent artists. You are likely to be financially well off... and not because you were born that way. |
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I’ve moved house five times in the last two years.
My kids and I are about to embark on the sixth move.
The first time, I had to make up my mind and switch countries from Switzerland to Seychelles within three weeks. I stayed at a friend’s home for a month and then moved to my own place. This was a horrible dingy little house in the middle of the bush. After 4 months, I was given a month’s notice by my landlady and found a bedsit to share with my two teenage children just two days before I had to move. The place was small, but nonetheless a step up from the previous shack. (We had luxuries such as hot water and proper tiles.) The story repeated itself, but this time I had just one day to move out. The house was larger, but started falling apart on us due to termites attacking the wood. This enabled rats to get in and we had to move out before we all died of leptospirosis...
I’ve been in this house for 10 months now, which is a pretty long time considering the track record of the last couple of years. The house is once again an improvement on the previous accommodation; we have three bedrooms, two bathrooms and unlimited hot water. Not to forget a fantastic view. My landlord now wants to tear the house down to build luxury condominiums and is going to start work on the site by the end of this month. So, once again I’m on the move.
To make matters worse, it’s becoming nearly impossible to find any kind of rental. The prices have shot up in these last few years and there is a huge shortage of accommodation even in the higher priced category.
So what do I do facing these impossible circumstances? I ask the Universe for the absolutely impossible: a house on the beach.
I’ve been yearning for a house on the beach before I even got here. Upon arrival I “realized” that there are only a handful of beach houses for rent and their prices are exorbitant, so I gave up on the idea, thinking it was impossible. Of course, with this attitude, my first home was miles away from the beach. Looking back over the last two years, each move has been an improvement and I’m getting closer to the beach as well. It no longer feels impossible.
These last couple of years have truly been an exercise in trust. I had quite a few dark nights of the soul where I lost faith and had to find a point where I regained trust despite the seemingly hopeless outlook of the situation. Each time I managed to dredge hope from the depths of my soul, the tide turned and a roof over my head was provided by the Universe.
Last month an online friend sent me a lovely link where one can wish upon a star. Without stopping to think, I spontaneously wished for a beach house. On a few blogs I visit, I stated my dream of living in a beach house and writing a novel. I’ve looked at my vision board on my desktop, built myself a beach house on Sims2 and starting visualizing.
Meanwhile, in the “real world”, I’ve placed an ad seeking accommodation, looked at a couple of places (not on the beach), but they haven’t worked out. I’ve got two weeks to go until I have to move out and I’m working on not feeling the fear and trusting that I will have a roof over my head.
I live in hope and surrender…
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The inability to open up to hope is what blocks trust, and blocked trust is the reason for blighted dreams.
Elizabeth Gilbert
Related articles:
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5 Steps to Surrender to Your Life Purpose
How To Put a Vision Board on Your Desktop
How You Can Easily Visualize Your Day Using the 5 W's
Put the Fun Back into Creative Visualization with Magic Rituals
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I've been too busy with house guests this week to write any articles, but I did manage to find some time to browse around the web. These are my favourite finds of the week:
5 Signs You've Married Your Problems and How to Divorce Them is a great article on how to get rid of our bad habits and create new and healthy ones in their places.
A Brief Guide to World Domination is a must read down-loadable e-book if you want to step out of mediocrity and to live an outstanding life.
Is Finding Your Life Purpose Preventing You From Obtaining It? is about healing ourselves by finding our joy and then sharing that joy to inspire others.
That's it for this week. I hope I'll find more time in the next few days for surfing...
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link love
free stuff
These bracelets are made with silver-plated chain, glass beads from all over the world and dyed shell. Hope you enjoy...
Craft Showcase
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