October 24, 2022- To be close or not to be close?

Dear October,

don’t ask where I have been these last times, and I won’t ask you either… actually, let’s pretend we run into each other in our morning walk in the park, in the same way as I run into Mr. S, my former landlord. And his dog. We were happy, with some small feeling of guilt on my side, for not having inquired about the existence of any bill. But apparently, there wasn’t any. So much the better.

So let’s continue our relationship where we left it: in London.

Here I am, dear October, with many changes taking place both in the country, in the world, and in my life. A New head of state, changes everywhere. Nice changes happening in my life.

But this is not the moment to start my confidence.

I would like to ask your opinion: how do you keep the right kind of distance from people at work or with your neighbours so that you have a smooth relationship?

The kind of place where I live is like a hotel: a lot of different people and habits, and somehow some grudges came up in my discussion with a new friend. It seemed that by acknowledging these grudges the place seemed full of them. It is like when you agree on some negatives they seem to become more important.

And then I kind of regret starting the conversation. By acknowledging something we made it more tangible.

How to get out of a gossiping state of mind and dissipate anything negative I might have said or accepted to hear about?

By making a list of positive characteristics of the people I have criticised- including myself.

So here we are:

K is picking a fight easily but she is also emotional and good and goes the extra mile for those who are her friends

L might be a cold fish and flirt with all women but is also someone with good conversation and culture

Or something of the kind

How do you get along with the other months, October?

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April 26, 2022: 8-year Blog-a-versary!

Do you believe it April? 8 years of writing and blogging, for something that started as a three-month journaling, April to June of 2014! I was struggling with a wannabee boss at a part-time job, and there wasn’t one thing in my life that seemed to have some stability.

If change is the most stable thing, then changes I got throughout these years: change of country and working language, of scenery, of social circle, of pretty much everything!

Apart from the pandemic, some personal tribulations and being a carer for a sick parent,

And here I am today, recovering from Covid19, after having avoided it for two years and with three vaccine doses, to slowly start another blog year and to look forward to further personal development.

I have settled in London, renting a room in a kind of communal living, like a student’s residence, and most importantly, I got myself a permanent job in the midst of the pandemic!

Looking forward to the new blog year and to the new directions this blog will take!

Happy Anniversary “April4june6.wordpress.com”!

October 17, 2021: Designing my Perfect Life

Hello October,

I feel a bit more relaxed after a month in London, and I start wishing for more: so here I am, planning what I would love to see materialising in my life: everyday life, friends, home, career, anything. I would like a magic wand to attend to it, but sometimes, taking a step at a time is also great. I came accros my goals set in 2017 in an old notebook, and was happily surprised to see I have reached them, almost all!

In the meanwhile, there were times that looked disastrous, as if not only I was not reaching any goal, but I was also losing what I already had! Somehow, I kept my faith, in the middle of these adventures, and I can now talk from a much better place.

So, how do I create magic again? Apparently Good Things come to those who Create, so I will draw the best possible picture and I will see myself into it. I see myself aligned with my work environment, friends I can trust and who can be trusted and a mission that inspires me! A loving family created, pets, travelling to unite with like-minded people on Earth, Beauty and my personal Utopia materialised!

Can we be happy in the middle of unhappiness? Yes, because LIFE has always a way to get ahead, and by involving as many others as possible to this happy bubble of ours! May Happy Bubbles become many and include the whole world!

September 28th, 2021- Create and let your creation be!

Hello September,

isn’t it difficult to let something go, once we have created it? Parents should feel that with their children, who might end up being very different people, but the same goes with other creations. Once it’s out there, others may interpret it in ways we couldn’t imagine initially. Apparently, it happens also with technology. Text messages were a byproduct and they ended up becoming a main communication tool …

All this to say, yes, I understand it is difficult, especially when you have struggled and worked consistently in one direction, to let this creation go and remain empty-handed. It makes us vulnerable, somehow. But we are not empty-handed!

Is this something people who have been plagiarised think?

Hmm, ok, it might be worth defending a creation, but the creative power is still with the person who has created.

And all she or he have become in the process.

Something to keep in mind when we become too possessive with our work

https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1246&langId=en

August 26, 2021: Something got to change: blossoming

Hello August,

yesterday I caught myself feeling envious when seeing people coming back from holidays. Today I experienced a sense of vertigo and I realised it is psychosomatic. So, yes, I need to get off this negative train and get into another, positive directionl.

My feelings have been bottling up during the last months and I felt I didn’t really have anyone to share them with. I kind of felt alone with my challenges. I also realise that a holiday is not when you don’t do work. It can be more tiring if there is no learning, enjoying, and getting away from potential stressors, even for a while.

I can’t blame everything on the pandemic.

Or, even if it was the pandemic’s fault, I would still need to adapt.

Adapt and grow as a human being, not just adapt 🙂

I used to see some middle aged and old people who looked dry and bitter. They had stories they wanted to share about the terrible things that happened to them. Full of spite and then taking it on to the first innocent or less innocent who might be in front of them.

They could be right, or wrong. The thing is, if we don’t want to turn bitter and dry, and to blossom as human beings, there must be another way to regenerate and continue our path…

May 31st, 2021-How to transform a challenge into progress?

Hello May,

yes, you are about to go and I come to you with this big question! I see myself in a situation feeling overwhelming, dealing with my mother’s health issues. She is calling me non stop during my work from home and I can’t find anything I could do to ease her feeling of pain, emotional or … and a series of doctors have visited already…

When not knowing what else to do, what do you do? How do we preserve ourself and find the best possible solution and a feeling of serenity?

Breathing and listening to a TED talk:

Elisabeth Gillbert in her talk “it’s ok to be overwhelmed”, says that when we let the fear go and let the intuition talk to us.

Another solution I found online was to “load my truck” more, in Benjamin Hardy’s TED talk.

How to get to the next step?

Maybe reach out to people who have been through similar experiences and learn from them.

I have spoken to a friend, it has been kind of helpful, but I feel I need some specialist advice. I will look for someone who can give me an answer.

There is something I find very useful: the idea to show compassion and act without letting the pain take over and become another patient.

April 13 to 17, 2021: doing something new every day for 30 days, days 19 to 23

Hello April,

no, I am not cheating! At least not exactly! I have tried new flavours of coffee: from Costa Rica, to Guatemala, Brasil, Kenya and today Ethiopia. I have to admit Brazilian coffee was my favourite, followed by Kenya and Ethiopia.

Here you are! Anything else which could be new and exciting? Well, I have tried three recipes of morning smoothies and today I managed to wake up at 5am. Although this is not exactly my accomplishment. The cat has a stomach issue and she was supposed to be on a diet (the vet’s idea, not mine!). She didn’t exactly appreciate it and she was more effective than any other alarm!

Writing fiction is also progressing. My heroine and heroes are going to Bali, in Indonesia. In that way I can travel in my imagination since I am constrained in my movements.

Anything else? Hmm, yes, something new is definitely learning multiple regression analysis in Statistics. I had tried to avoid Statistics for years, but somehow some of my best friends are using stats. And somehow, I got to learn this method for my everyday job.

So this is new, and definitely, it will take a big part of my time this weekend!!!

By the way, a cup of coffee might help with this!!!

April 10 to 12, 2021: Doing something new every day for 30 days, days 16 to 18-Quality

Dear April,

I have tried different types of coffee, today opting for coffee from Kenya, the one from Nicaragua I liked less, and yesterday I wrote a kind of reference letter for one of my best friends.

One of my best friends, or my very best friend in primary school from the time we were 10 years’ old, and with whom I am still in touch, is launching a new business. She asked fοr my feedback, a sort of “reference letter”, on her capacities, and on her character. She is an architect and a ballet instructor, and I am not an expert on either.

Nevertheless, I have taken a few ballet classes with her, and so did my mother. And I have certainly a lot to say in her favour.

This friend of mine is someone who is never giving up, trying to do her best in every project, from being a teacher, a mum, to being an architect! She has faced adversity, and complicated relationships. Sometimes she has started something without realising what she was getting into.

I can totally relate especially with the last phrase.

And she really deserves a break and success all the way through!

Do women face more difficulties than men?

Well, in many parts of the world, this seems to be the case.

Let’s stand by each other, and by anyone, whatever gender, who creates quality for themselves and others

April 7, 8 and 9-Doing something new every day for 30 days, days 13-15

Hello April,

yes, I have followed through. After a smoothie with bananas, honey, ginger, peanut butter and protein powder, it was time to buy a jumping rope and then to try it. Oh, I have also tried a salad with biological kale, yesterday.

So that leaves me with something new to do on April 9, and I was happy to get it out early in the morning. I enrolled to an online class for public speaking with udemy. But I also intend to take google’s free course. This is something useful if I transform my blog into a blog one of these days. And with every possible activity online, our interlocutors will be spared from nausea because we move our head constantly in zoom conferences. At least I do.

Yes, it’s charming to move in real life. But in front of a screen it is like an experimental film.

So, yes, I can try it.

And see what will come of it.

It’s also a good exercise to put oneself out there and focus on whatever message we have.

https://learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalgarage/course/public-speaking

March 28, 2021-Doing something new every day for 30 days-day 4- a side hustle for creatives

Hello March,

looking for something new to do can be challenging: I try to see what would be possible, and what would be new. Not wanting to learn a new thing but also to do, to touch, to smell.

I will revisit “The Groundhog day” and check some of the ideas the hero had, while re-living the same day imprisoned in a time-loop.

So?

Play an instrument? My ex left with me a guitar, should I learn how to play? Online?

I have promised my colleagues a dance video and I am still far from it- finding that my hair looks savage and other excuses of this kind.

Am I procrastinating for not doing my work?

Could be, since I have a presentation on Tuesday and I am not that advanced.

I might try to prepare a video of my presentation.

Continue decluttering home?

I have opened a few cupboards and closets to take a look.

I have researched internet and asked friends.

I have even asked the cat.

Finally, I consider that my new task was to check how to monetise some skills and here is what I found that creatives can earn money through a side-hustle right away 🙂