Another little quote...

As you have probably all caught on to by now I am a bit of a quote fanatic!! Sometimes, however, we need someone else to give us a little push, something to keep us going. and sometimes, that someone is not always there. It is at times like these when we could do with just something little to keep us going, a kinder egg perhaps with the little gift inside, or something a little more meditative... or both!! (both is the best - contemplate on the thought while munching on chocolate... ALWAYs helps!!
So here is another one of my favorites... grab some chocolate, get comfy and get dreaming :)

''It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are''

What are you afraid of? What part of you are afraid to become? Take a deep breath, and knock down those barriers of fear. They are only barriers - they look like stone, they feel like rock, but they will fall over if you push them.

So if you've always wanted blonde hair but have always been a brunette... but are afraid of the ridicule...go buy that hair dye!! (only get the temporary colour in case you don't like it!!)

Love and warmth,

Anna-Katharin xxxx

Our greatest fear

This quote is one that has got me through many a hard time, and so I thought it could do the same for you too. Read it, share it, or just reflect upon it.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Love Anna-Katharina xxx

A matter of twigs...

A while ago, in the earlier days of our relationship, my boyfriend and I were in Tescos and he mentioned that he wanted to buy me some flowers.

He what???  

A completely normal, loving, traditional thing to do and yet I could not even comprehend the idea. I asked him to get me twigs instead… a nice clump of willow to go in the corner of my room. I could see the hope of there being even a trace of normality in his girlfriend fading fast in his eyes. No flowers, just twigs. At this, to his credit, he did put his foot down and we compromised that he would give me some time to get used to the idea before he presented me with even a daisy (we were going to start small!!)

This little episode disturbed me more than I let on to him at the time. Why couldn’t I, possibly the most feminine girl around, even comprehend the idea of being bought flowers? Because I didn’t feel worthy enough. I didn’t feel like I was beautiful, lovely, or worth enough to bought flowers.

I took it step at a time. Firstly, I bought myself a vase and got used to it sitting on my desk. Then gradually I allowed myself to visualise some simple pink flowers in the vase, to match my room. Then, after a few weeks, Tom did indeed give me some flowers. I religiously followed the care instructions on the label and miraculously kept them alive for a week… and whats more, I loved them. They made my room complete. And every time I looked at them, they reminded me that I was worth flowers, I was worth some beauty. I was a feminine female.

This may seem like a ridiculous tale, but it is tragically all true! Some of us do stuggle to feel worth something, some of us won’t let anyone do anything for us. But the truth of it is, we are all worth it. You don’t have to pass any test to be loved,; you just have to be prepared to accept that love and believe that you deserve it.

Start of small with the empty vase, then visualise what it would be like to have it filled. Then feel it for real. And it may just beat the twigs you would originally have opted for.

Love and warmth,

xxxxxxx 

Chocolate Cookie

Chocolate. Cookery. Emotional cure for any and every female predicament/trauma/broken nail/...the list is endless. Put these two luxuries with a wonderful (girl)friend and you have perfection.

Yesterday I was having a regular, emotional 'I'm miserable and need all the love in the world' day and one of my closest friends, on receiving the SOS text turned up in the cold and dark bearing smiles, a hug, chocolate cookies and gossip.In 30 seconds my life suddenly couldn't have been better. It goes without saying that she is an angel.

It is all too easy in the world we live in to become materialistically obsessed and reliant - and I am hardly one to speak... I would rather live of baked beans and be able to get the Ted Baker dress rather than eat well and wear jeans... but my point is however many bargains you managed to grab, dont let the things that matter slip away. yes you could see a chocolate cookie as a material object but its not. trust me. (because its chocolate!!) 

...but maybe sometimes, when you are reaching for an emotional spend, an emotional splurge - grab the friend, gossip and chocolate instead. because the fix isn't just instant. it lasts forever.

and always remember... when revision or emotions are involved... calories dont count. 

xxxxxx

A little thought...

Just a little thought to share with you...

''Letting go doesn't mean giving up...It means moving on''

We all have something we need to let go of, a past hurt, a grudge, a bereavement, a hang up... and if you don't think you do monitor yourself. Next time you are tense or angry...ask yourself why. Chances are you are clinging on to something which is continuing to hurt you.

Take a deep breath, and consider letting go. It doesn't mean forgetting it, it just means releasing the pain it is causing you and leaving the hurt behind.
xxxxx

Treat yourself as you would treat a best friend

In the middle of last week I reached a stress level higher than Mount Everest…tears streaming, heart racing, panic setting in, food feeling like a death warrant… nothing could have been worse…and yet, there was absolutely nothing wrong with my life. In fact, my life couldn’t be or have been better. I am settled into second year, the best boyfriend in the world, the best friends any girl could ever ask for, settled in a city I consider to be the most wonderful in the world… why then was I so desperately unhappy? Why did I just want to curl up into a ball and cry and cry?

During a therapeutic phone call to my dad, a man with mystical calming powers, I sensed a long pause before he announced to me, ‘’You need to learn to watch TV’’. Not something said by many to many, but something all my friends and my boyfriend in particular would second. That same day I happened to flick open a book I had used during the anorexia of little quotes that helped me through, and the one the page fell open on was, ‘’treat yourself as you would treat your best friend’’.

‘’treat yourself as you would your best friend’’

What if I did? If I did, I wouldn’t beat myself up after every extra piece of chocolate, I wouldn’t tell myself I was a failure if I hadn’t done as much work as other people, I wouldn’t feel guilty for sitting down and relaxing for five minutes, I wouldn’t bully myself to the point of mentally self-destroying myself every time I felt I could have done something better.

If I treated myself as I would treat a best friend I would wake up every morning and be glad to see the reflection looking back at me in the mirror, I would forgive not destroy myself, I would allow myself to relax for more than two minutes, I would support myself instead of constantly criticise who I was.

And the result? A happier, relaxed me who wouldn’t wake up and feel like she’d signed her own prison sentence by oversleeping for five minutes. Maybe if we all treated ourselves as we would treat our best friends there would be more pride in what we did, a greater willingness to share what we have to share, a more relaxed and happy world, less centred on what we would change about ourselves, and instead more focused on what we should celebrate and keep the same and cherish.

Maybe. 

BLOG IS BACK!!!

So sorry for the long delay since the last blog... I am now delighted to say it is all back and running and there will be regular blog posts so keep following!!

Love and warmth,

Anna-Katharina