Silk Skirt (2)

The young girl walked into the tiny bathroom that was actually part of her bedroom. It was created for her convenience, after the accident, so that she could easily access this small but well-organised room. It had a certain style, a kind of elegance and always smelled like cinnamon and tangerine. There was a round sink, a shower and a toilet inside; everything white, except for the apricot coloured tiles. Just above the sink there was a window with a view to the lake.

In her room, black and white portraits were hanged absolutely everywhere, including the bathroom. Even the wall behind the sink was completely covered with old pictures in funny frames. She washed her face and wiped it gently with a fresh and clean towel. Then, she gazed at one of the photos. She liked looking at pictures and spending hours with organising them. Most of her pictures and paintings were kept in various pastel-coloured paper-boxes except for some that she kept hidden, underneath the wooden flooring, right behind her desk. She started to think about lifting up that piece of parquet and having a look inside the box but then quickly changed her mind. The time did not come yet; she thought. She was not ready for it.

picture: Pinterest

So, she went back to her bedroom and took out the watercolours and the brushes. Most of the paints were either finished or really dry, as well as the old brushes that seemed to have been used heavily and many-many times. She wanted to turn her new energies and inspiration into creating something; to start a new painting, perhaps. But how? How could one do anything with these dead paints and brushes? She thought that maybe she could take the courage to go to the village. But how?

-- to be continued --

The 3D-Secret of Happiness

About six months ago I read a very well-written and positive review about  Paul Dolan's book called "Happiness by Design", so I decided to buy it. As I not only enjoyed reading the book but found it extremely useful as well, in this article I would like to share one of the many smart and easily applicable strategies that the writer introduces to the readers of this handbook about creating your happiness.

Paul Dolan says that we could be much happier if we paid more attention to the “Three Ds”; namely Decide, Design and Do. According to the author:

"Decide will help you answer whatever question it is you have about your happiness, design will make it easier to implement the answer, and do will ensure your attentional resources are running smoothly."

picture: http://www.designzzz.com/

As soon as you are inspired, take the time and effort to brainstorm a bit by doing some research, dreaming, meditation, etc. Simply, just let yourself go with the flow: read, draw, write, take pictures, ask questions, listen to music, exercise; do whatever makes you feel good and use your energy to create a bunch of ideas that you could use for finding your passion and purpose in life.

Once you have plenty of plans, try to organise them and select one aim that you want reach first. Be specific, go into details and make a strong and determined decision; if you want, you can write down a similar sentence to yourself:

“I want to … by … (a date) in order to …”

Now, you need to plan or design the process that will lead to the successful and efficient completion of the task. Ask yourself what you can do today, tomorrow, next week or next month to reach your goal. Write down the steps that you want to take in order to carry on with your project. If you think that you need some help, do not hesitate to contact other people who can help you realise your dreams. 

Finally, just do it! Take actions to your aim every day. Create new habits, certain routines that make you work towards your goal regularly. Start small, do not overwhelm yourself with too difficult tasks or extreme changes in your lifestyle. Be realistic but do not give upon your dreams for a minute!

Silk Skirt (1)

picture: Pinterest

Fresh, light and sweet spring air came into her bedroom when she opened the windows. She suddenly felt happy and energetic. The gentle breeze lifted up the white lace curtains and the room was now filled with good energy. Her mood now reflected only positive thoughts and feelings. After months of darkness, she finally experienced the light; she felt easy, content and motivated.

She closed her eyes and started to visualise beautiful things: she saw the secret garden; the white, yellow and purple crocus appearing early spring time; the rare off-white daffodils in the corner, in front of the evergreen bushes. Then, she was looking at the tiny, brown, dotty birds dancing around the little pond. She wished she could just get up and walk into the garden and see whether anything had changed at all.

She took a deep breath, held it for few seconds. Then, she exhaled, panting loudly for a long time. She repeated the practice several times, until finally she felt relieved as she let go all the problems through her nostrils.

--to be continued--

Spring is here - So am I

Dear Friends,

It has been almost a year ago since I wrote anything on the Rhythm Blog. Although I did not post anything here, I have been doing lots of research, reading and some writing too and did not forget about You for a minute! I have always heard the little voices inside my head, reminding me of those who read and commented on my first few posts on this blog.

So many things have happened to me during these many, many months but finally, I managed to organise my creative life and thoughts and took the time to write something for you. 

I hope you will like the first part of my new short story sequence; I decided to spice up the blog a little bit and will write something new and different apart from the usual lifestyle related posts.

Thank you for your patience and for all the support! Enjoy Spring and Happy Reading! 

picture: Pinterest