April 1st, 2020- 6 Year Blog-Anniversary! Happy Birthday April4June6!

Welcome April,

again, in this strange period where we humans realise how much we have in common and how vulnerable we are without cooperation!

Six years after I started blogging, at the beginning only for three months: April to June, with the promise to write every day. And I did!

I was facing a wannabe boss who fired me in Paris, France, heartbreak, financial instability, health issues of members of my family and some passing issues with me, eh… kind a few actually!

In the meanwhile I changed country and language, went to London, changed again, went through precarious jobs and relationships, … published a book, got a new job, published some poetry…

And here I am in my starting point, at my parents’ home waiting for the virus storm to pass, hoping and praying it will get better for all of us…

And thinking of ways to act responsibly in the world emerging…

Still, a lot of reasons to celebrate, and most of all, celebrate the trajectory, wins and losses, getting back up and continuing…

And THANKING friends, people who have stood by, blogfriends, everyday life friends, unknown kind passers by who smiled, flowers, animals, kids, the wind in my cheek…

HappY BirthdaY April4June6 WordPress blog, it’s time we expand… I will tell you how 🙂

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December 27, 2019- Wrapping up certain things before the year comes to en end?

Hello December,

I have added a question mark because I don’t want to put pressure on my flu-suffering head. Yes, there are things to do. The kind of things I don’t like to face. The practical ones. The ones that if you don’t do you are not an adult and eventually, everyone will notice.

On the other hand, we do I avoid to look into the abysse? Because I am afraid I will not know what to do. And I will just stress.

I might feel bad about myself, not successful enough, not beautiful enough, not enough of something.

How about asking for help?

This is probably the best one. I need to ask for help and advice instead of pretending they don’t exist.

How about seeing myself as all there is to it?

There must be some technique to say, wait a minute, I am good and gorgeous enough, I am Worthy and my hair is just awesome today. It can be nice tomorrow also, but that doesn’t take away anything from their awesomeness today.

And I don’t need to post a picture to prove it.

Doing something special.

Giving oneself a medal?

What if some people disagree with this?

Let’s not ask them!

https://www.printavo.com/blog/year-end-checklist-10-things-you-must-do-before-wrapping-up-the-year

April 5, 2019- Celebrating 5 year Blog-Anniversary!

Dear April,

do you remember? I started this blog five years ago, with the intention to write a post-a-day for three months. I was facing a crisis in my personal and professional life: horrid wannabe boss, finances, relationship, instability.

Where am I today? In my home town, with my ageing parents and the cat, where I was afraid to end up if my projects didn’t succeed. And guess what? It’s not as bad as I thought.

Because I might have put up with things out of fear. The fear that if I fail this and that, I might be cast back to where I was at the beginning. A kind of snakes and ladders game.

And guess what? I am not the exact same person. I took risks, huge risks and I failed some of them, for reasons also independent on my effort.

But despite the fact that I didn’t get the funding, that I overworked and I spent all my economies, despite the fact that a member of my family had health issues and I had to go home for a while, I am confident about the future.

I have plans, dreams, and most importantly, I am working towards them.

So, from my place, whatever it is today, I am working towards the next step.

And everything learnt is a profit.

If a snake has swallowed me, I can still take a ladder because I know I can!

Thank you dear blog and dear blog-friends with your wise comments for helping me realize this!

https://www.microsoft.com/de-ch/p/snake-and-ladder-game/9wzdncrcrsq2?activetab=pivot:overviewtab

February 5, 2018- Taking one step a day, with a deadline mid-February

Hello February,

do my dreams have to be far? Can’t they be here right now, so that I don’t have to make any effort?

In a way, they are here.

But then, new dreams come along.

That’s a way to grow.

As long as it’s not just greed 😉

Anyway, I am in the process of writing a piece and I have a deadline.

I wake up early, but there are moments I feel stressed, I have doubts, I am tired.

And I am tired because I stress.

What do I do in this case?

1. Chocolate – immediate satisfaction, level 100%
2. Taking a small break (nap, drawing, walking around)
3. Talking to a friend who seems relaxed (this is an important detail)
4. Writing in my blog (I also have a piece of chocolate in my mouth)
5. Going back to whatever I was doing
6. Doing it!

 

November 9, 2017- Instinct, Wishful thinking and Logic: How to make decisions

Hello November,

well, a friend asked me how I see things in London. Am I making any progress in terms of jobs? What is to be overconfident, realistic or having a good instinct for things?

Am I insisting on a course of action because I am just unwilling to be a realist?

Am I doing something different?

Have I asked anybody’s feedback?

Well, I actually did.

I need to go where other people can’t, or won’t.

And, to publish where it is possible to publish, instead of waiting for a perfect publishing. house.

More could be better.

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/how-to-make-the-right-decision-how-to-decide/all

October 31, 2017- Halloween origins and reasons to celebrate

Hello October,

Halloween is around the corner, and although it was not in my tradition to celebrate it, I looked around for information. Apparently, the origins go back to the ancien Celts, so it is well rooted in the UK where I happen to live right now.

Something I could relate with? Apparently, for the Celts, November 1st was New Year’s Eve, and something is dying for something else to be born, as winter is coming.

So I take it as a new beginning, and a day with mystery and magic, which I rather enjoy.

Especially with a nice desert and with a glass of wine.

At least I am waiting to see what my friends have in mind, who will celebrate it tonight and invited me over!

February 26, 2017- How to expand Time: speed up by slowing down

Hi February,

apparently Hermione Granger received a gift in order to expend time in one of Harry Potter’s books, but is there another way?

So that I feel relaxed and people come to me and say when did you do all these things? You are in advance and so productive! You have Time for fun and Time to work. And all this with a smile. It is as if your day had twice as many hours and in the end, you are calm, full of energy and happy.

That is what they would say.

Now how do I get There from Here?

Here is some advice I found googling this topic:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gabrielle-bernstein/meditation_b_4432223.html

January 14, 2017- Past, Present and Future selfs

Hello January,

When I visit my hometown, I am usually torn between my past, present and future self.

The past self, is what people used to know me for. It is a powerful self, because they have not followed through the changes I went through. There are things I might have not liked of this self, at the time. It could be that I have been shy.

And then, if I stay too long in one place, I feel that I betray my future self. Especially when I grow out of the image others see me for there. So I need to go to this new place where I can reinvent myself.

The old self could be great, but I might have disagreed with the public persona, others shared for me. For example, if I have been this shy kid, I might want to go places where I will be known for my adventurous spirit and exploits.

And if this is the case, I might again need to move on and also be known as someone who is bonding and member of a community.

Is there a best place? Is there Homme?

Homme can be everywhere, if it allows us to have been, to be and to continue becoming, exploring, loving, developing, independently of age.

Conversations about change: Future Self (5/6)

July 11, 2016: When the going gets tough the tough get going

Hello July

I realise you are a very demanding month, the last two years I find myself organising summer art exhibitions and there is always a last-minute cancellation to fill in everybody’s nerves tense, and still… will pull it through…

So should I let myself stress? I try different solutions… after all, these summer exhibitions haven’t changed my life in a spectacular way… they contribute to the path I have taken, but there is not this one moment which determines everything… I guess there is always a possibility to change, to correct, …

This is what I tell myself, it is a marathon we are running for success, so the most important thing is to stay fit and continue running … not to sprint for 100 meters and then fall down breathless…

June 25 and 26, 2016: Love for Europe brings love

Hello June,

yes, this idea of the UK out of Europe kind of shook me as other Europeans, Londoners and pro-remain people.

But there was an interesting side-effect: this common concern brings people together. You see a gorgeous guy sitting next to you at the café, pub, … grieving for the loss … you join in with your grief to seek some kind of comfort… feeling the need to share emotions.

Is it a problem that he is a gorgeous blond with blue eyes? I didn’t even pay attention as the topic was so important… well he is working for a news program and he wanted to see how the other Europeans took it… so here I am today having coffee with him…

Will this collective emotion translate into something more personal?

It is hard to know right away; let’s see if we will meet again for drinks and more analysis!