Månad: februari 2018

Friday Feeling – Inner Strength

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”Smiling doesn’t always mean you are happy, sometimes it simply means you are strong. And you are.”   When you need it the most it will be there. It will embrace you with all its power. With all its grace. Effortlessly and without questioning your potential. I’m talking about your inner strength. Ahaa, you thought you didn’t have any? Oh yes you do. We all have it, and I’m pretty sure it will shine through you the day you require it the most. I think the day we allow ourselves to truly feel all our emotions; sadness, grief, pain, fear as well as excitement, joy, peace and happiness – our inner strength will follow comfortably along like a skilled dance partner.   ”The glassblower knows: while in the heat of beginning, any shape is possible. Once hardened, the only way to change is to break.” – Mark Nepo   One should never, however, let feelings take over completely. Recognize them as merely emotions. They don’t define you; you’re not your emotions. They are simply a …

Today’s list

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”Life is beautiful. Be curious, be fearless. Be unapologetically you”   Today has been a day filled with self-care. Doing things I don’t normally do, like standing on a stage in front of + 25 humans. It has been a lovely day; the sun has been out, plenty of snow for being Stockholm and it’s getting so much lighter outside already. Spring, I’m waiting for you like a delighted child the day before Christmas Eve.   Today’s mood: Optimistic with a sense of calmness. Confidence (that’s a rare one! 😉 ) Today’s I should: Start to look for a new apartment. Where to begin? And I should write a list of things to do in Stockholm, and then go do them. Since it’s my last three months in this gorgeous city. Today’s thoughts: I’ve a lot on my mind, but I now know life works for me, not against me. I’m accepting the present moment, simply as it is. Being grateful for everything that has happened in my life, for it has made me become more self-aware. Best …

Being easily pleased

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”We could never have guessed, we were already blessed where we are…” – James Taylor Beauty is found in the ordinary. As the winter sun caresses my frozen cheeks my fears slowly melt away, like snowflakes on a sunny April day. Reading books that open up my heart, providing me with valuable knowledge. Being able to constantly challenge the mind. Making a beautiful home cooked meal. Putting pen to paper, exploring the creative mind. Still, I know you’re with her. It’s the little things, without them there would be no essence to everyday life. Without them there would be no Me. There would be no Us.  One of the three books I’m reading at the moment is a book written by Mark Nepo ”The Book of Awakening – Having the Life You want by Being Present to the Life You Have.” In one of the chapters Nepo writes that; ”One key to knowing joy is being easily pleased.” I find this to be very true. However, this doesn’t mean that you should stop striving for …

We are all unique, yet we are all the same

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”Our destination may be different, but what makes us reach for the harbor is the same.”   We are all part of something greater than ourselves, may it be a community, family or relationship. As you go out into this world with the intention of living out your uniqueness, bear in mind, we are still one and the same. Humans live out the ambiguity of being both unique and the same. Mark Nepo explains it beautifully;   ”Through cancer and grief and disappointment and unexpected turns in career – through the very breakdown and rearrangement of the things I have loved – I have come to realize that, as water smoothes stone and enters sand, we become each other. How could I be so slow? What I’ve always thought set me apart binds me to others.”   We all feel the same pain, we all see the same amazement, we laugh, we cry, we live and we learn – we are all perfectly imperfect humans, yet we all speak in a different voice. Embrace your …

Monday thoughts

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”To live a creative life we must lose our fear of being ridiculous.”   Today is all about breathing in the present moment. Snowflakes dancing outside the window, embracing stressful, beautiful minds. Winter. You’re delightful. I worship your crisp and sunny days. It’s about visualizing, being aware of the power within. The power of the thoughts. Smile. Know that life is blooming and exciting, simply as it is. Pure joy. Pure amazement. However, it’s up to us to decide. Moments like these are about creativity. Following the heart, and being brave. Trusting life. Trusting oneself. It’s about doing things, although one has no idea what one is doing. That’s the beauty of life. The beauty of being a human.   Today has been a fruitful day. Absolutely love these days. Waking up early. Stretching and enjoying black, strong morning coffee. Watching how the sun quietly awakens. Life truly begins every second. Being grateful to spend time with my thoughts after a stressful and hectic weekend. Gratitude is the attitude. Loving every flaw and imperfection. The smell …

Stop being too kind

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”Sometimes I pretend to be normal. However it usually gets boring. So I go back to being me.”   It’s a great compliment when people tell me that I’m kind. I always try my best to be nice, loving, empathetic and caring to almost everyone I meet. However, when being kind becomes being ”too kind” negativity and even lack of self-respect might arise within. Don’t get me wrong. I think kindness is truly important, and without it the world would be a terrible place (the world needs more kind-hearted humans). Nevertheless, if your only reason for being kind is to constantly please others then kindness becomes self-sabotaging. If you’re afraid to set boundaries, afraid to say no, and always seeking to avoid conflict because you’re too afraid to upset someone then you need to start being honest. Be honest to yourself and to others about your wants, desires, needs and fears. Don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself. Keep fighting for your dreams. Be you, bravely. Don’t hide your wisdom. Your intelligence can be …

Embracing change

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”If you ever find yourself in the wrong story, leave.” – Mo Willems   I strongly believe that life works in mysterious ways. Nevertheless I like to think that life always works for us, not against us. For example it’s very common to settle in different areas of life; to settle in a job you hate, you procrastinate your biggest dreams, or you might simply not feel at ”home” in your environment anymore. We usually settle in life because it’s safe. The unknown scares us and we’re too afraid of what might happen if we actually start following our dreams. Failure scares the hell out of us. Fear definitely blocks us from growing, blocks us from living the life we dream of. However, if we’re too ignorant, and too afraid to do anything, life will sooner or later step in and make us do something, making change inevitable. This is what happened me today. The past months I’ve been thinking about maybe moving back to my home country. It’s not that I don’t feel at …

Friday Feeling – Don’t ever give up

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”Don’t hide your magic.”   Do yourself a favour. Don’t ever hide your magic. Your spark. Even though you might shine too bright for some, you will never shine too bright for this world. The world needs you. You.  Don’t give up on something you really want. Most likely there will be days when everything feels like a constant battle, you’re feeling stuck, and nothing seems to unfold the way you want it to unfold. During times like these patience is key. Giving up is not an option. Yes there will be struggles, it’s part of life. However, every so often set-backs, road bumps, might change your direction. Guide you towards a new path, one that you never thought of before. New opportunities usually enter when you let go of controlling all aspects of your life.   ”keep going. my darling, trust me when I say your time will come.” – Linda   It’s good to have a plan, and clear visions towards where you’re heading. Nevertheless, you should always walk through life with an …

Monday Inspiration

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‘Darling, a beautiful thing is never perfect.’   I hope you have a lovely Monday, and a great beginning of the week. After a couple of days feeling unmotivated I now feel the inspiration slowly returning. You just have to find what makes you happy.  For me this means doing things that help me relax. Yoga is of course a great way to unwind but also reading books and inspiring articles, catching the sun, cooking, working out and travelling… (oh how I wish I could jump on a plane right now).   If you feel lost, or you lost your spark, ask yourself when you feel best in your life? What are you doing? Who are you with, and where are you? What do you value most in life? How would you like to feel?   This is not about striving for perfection, it’s about doing the best you can with what you have and with who you are. Appreciate the beautiful journey of life. Try not to focus too much on the destination. I …

Friday Feeling – Love

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”I rather feel love than hate. It’s as simple, and complicated, as that.”   Love. The loveliest feeling of them all. Without love this world would be long gone. However, it needs more of it. Heaps of it. Don’t be afraid – sprinkle it everywhere. And remember, give some to yourself. My blog is a mess at the moment. However, my whole life is a mess! But I’m flowing with it. Accepting everything for what it is. Cause, sometimes that’s the only thing you can do. But anyhow, I’m changing things up here on the blog. An early spring cleaning. The reason for this; In February Health Food & Other Stories will be found on another platform. Yeah! Meaning this site (Things Close To My heart) will from now one only mirror my other big passions in life; writing, well-being and mindfulness. For those interested in healthy eating I’ll soon announce where I’ll start food blogging. So I apologise if the blog is a bit chaotic at the moment (chaotic is my new middle name..) …