Lillies in my Kitchen ~ April 2010
I love lillies always have, maybe it’s the fragrance that hangs around my house for days, I can smell the aroma the minute I walk through the front door, it’s very welcoming.
Today has been rather lovely, I spent a lot of it under a tree reading a biography on Rimbaud by Graham Robb in the sunshine, quietly enjoying the first real stirrings of Spring.
I also love riding my lovely bike ( a Marin Point Reyes) as to get to this lovely secluded spot away from noise and people I needed to ride there, so I gathered up the essentials (a book,  a picnic of sandwiches (which funnily enough even had cucumbers in it… how delightfully British of me…) , juice, yogurt and ginger cake)
I need fuel as the ride was a good few miles and the majority of it on the way back is uphill. I now have rather shapely calves and toned legs.. hehe. The purpose of today was really simple, finding a quiet place within… outside in the world.
It’s so easy to hide away, not venturing out, though I purposely avoided all the crowded spots of park/green grass (lots of people were outside, eating ice-cream)
I prefer trees, birds and bumble bees (good to see lots of them today) I am quite a sociable person when I need to interact with the world and I can easily converse with most people.
Though I have a much quieter side of me that very few people get access to. Most people complain (though a few know my nature and actually love this side of me more) that there is something wrong as I’m not being bubbly or chatty. I am actually quite shy and quiet a lot of the time. I treasure these moments when I can be exactly who I am and it helps me to unwind and put any troubles/thoughts and feelings I have into perspective.
Being grounded sounds boring, being manically busy sounds exciting ..not to me
I find being peaceful and grounded inside actually makes me more productive, energetic and positive and being frenetically busy is so tiring and makes me feel ungrounded, spaced and depressed.
So days like this are like a pressure valve for me, it lets off steam by riding my bike, which also get me to be physically active (which is a good thing) and the tranquility is productive as it helps me to arrange my head and clear it of rambling rubbish.
Stress needs to be kept in check as grinding ourselves, mentally, physically or otherwise into the ground is not the answer and worrying about how things will move forward won’t solve a damn thing.
It has taken me a while to get here but I’m learning fast and the bottom line for me is I’m worth caring about and my needs are important.
There are many, many ways to help yourself, you just got to be willing to look and ask and the answers will come.
I use these at different times:
Sedona Method, EFT, peaceful surroundings, reiki, meditation, massage, essential oils, music, crying, laughter, love, cuddles, friends, journal writing, baking cupcakes, reading a good book, films and of course riding my bike.
Find what works for you as ultimately you need to take care of your own basic needs, which in itself is an act of self love.