Gratitude List

Things I'm grateful for this month:

Yankee candles
Sister, Sister being back on
The weather not being too cold for this time of year
Buffy the Vampire Slayer being back on
Yule coming up
Starbucks' gingerbread coffee
Christmas decorations
Christmas!

The Love Project- Friendship

Continuing my Love Project series I'm now going to move on to friendship. This will be quite a personal post which makes me nervous but I'm going to have a go at writing a more revealing one!

Friendship is a bit of a difficult one for me. I've had a complicated time with friends over the years. When I was at first (primary) school I had several friends. One of them moved to Sheffield about the end of Year 3 (I was 8). Another one moved to the Isle of Man. They both had the same name actually!

Then I moved to middle school and made more friends there. In Year 7 (ages 11-12) my best friend at the time (my oldest friend) seemed to turn on me and acted weird towards me. Also at the end of Year 7 another friend moved to Bedfordshire. I really didn't like school in general then because I was bullied and I hated going. I often had days off because I just couldn't cope with going, so I was relieved when middle school finished for good.

I was nervous about going to secondary school but it was better than middle school, I wasn't really picked on anymore. I was even in a class with some of the kids who had teased me before but they were ok now! I made new friends and things got better with my old friend although they weren't quite the same. I made a new best friend as well. But towards the end of Year 9 (ages 13-14) she turned on me as well. She stopped speaking to me almost overnight and I never knew why. She didn't want to sit next to me or anything, turned away and stuck her fingers in her ears if I tried to speak to her! It was devastating. It really hurt me and I just couldn't understand why she didn't want to be my friend anymore. I knew that she had personal problems and I tried to understand but I just couldn't understand why she took it out on me. My grandad had died the autumn before and I just couldn't cope with school anymore, so I left at 14.

After that my depression got bad and I also got OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). I think it started when I was still at school but it didn't get really bad until I was 16, when it got tied in with my health anxiety. I isolated myself from my old friends and people in general, I didn't go out much.

I gradually got back in touch with a couple of friends from school through letters and email/instant messenger but I was scared to see anyone. I went through a really bad time in general.

Since then things have got better. Most of my friendships these days are through belly dancing. I see my dance friends the most socially, at class and events. Most of them are older than me, about 15 to 20 years, (or more) but we get on well. I also got into penpalling in my late teens and it's been nice getting to know people that way. I've known a few of my penpals for a while, a couple for about 10 years.

So I know how important friendship can be. Good friends can really make a difference in your life. I thought I'd share about some good articles on friendship. :)

Gratitude List

Things I'm grateful for this month:

My PS3- I was watching some DVDs on there because I was having problems with my DVD player.
The last of the autumn leaves
Roses still on the bush outside my window
Mr. Kipling's Frosty Fancies
Gingerbread whirls
Connecting with others online
Coke and popcorn
Twilight and New Moon- I've been re-reading them.

Beliefs and Believing (LOA)

Note: In this post I'm referring to the Law of Attraction aka LOA. For a background on LOA click here. :)

I've been thinking a lot lately about beliefs and believing. When you want to manifest something you can come up against a lot of resistance. You start hitting your limiting beliefs. I've been finding this happening with myself a lot lately, so thought I'd take a deeper look at it.

Back in January I did a post on believing things are possible which you can read here: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2015/01/what-is-possible-loa.html

I also did a post about manifesting and resistance: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2015/07/manifesting-and-resistance.html

The Love Project- Romantic Love

Note: In this post I reference the Law of Attraction aka LOA which you can read more about here:  https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/law-of-attraction.html

This year I felt inspired to carry on with the Love Project that I started 2 years ago. I had kind of abandoned it until I did a post on self love and romantic love in March, which you can check out here: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/the-love-project-self-loveromantic-love.html

I can't believe it's been 2 years since the first post! I started the project because I wanted to have more love in my life, especially a loving, long term relationship with the man of my dreams. I haven't manifested the relationship yet but I have experienced love through friendship. Last year I found a supportive spiritual community online and it's enhanced my life. I think next time I'll do a post on friendship but for now I'm going to do another one on romantic love. A lot of links coming up! :)

Like I've mentioned before I think a big part of connecting with others and opening up to them involves vulnerability. I struggle with that but I'm trying to move past it. I'm also afraid of judgement, something that I expect a lot of other people are afraid of too. Here are a couple of posts on vulnerability:

http://markmanson.net/vulnerability

This one is for men but helpful for women too:  http://markmanson.net/power-in-vulnerability

Gratitude List

Things I'm grateful for this month:

Autumn
The trees changing colour
My BlackBerry
Getting a new computer and being back online!
Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness- I'm re-playing it.
Hallowe'n chocolates!
Yankee Hallowe'en candles!
Hallowe'en/Samhain coming up

Gratitude List

Things I'm grateful for this month:

Deliberate Receiving book by Melody Fletcher- I got this last month and it's a great resource to refer to.
The start of autumn
Madron/Autumn Equinox coming up this month
Beautiful golden sunny weather
Titanic: The Long Night and the sequel Remembering The Titanic by Diane Hoh- I've been re-reading them.
Nando's- I went to the new one in Hove yesterday
Coca Cola Life
Watching Are You Afraid of the Dark? DVDs!

Judgement

 

I've been thinking about judgement lately. I've felt judged for a lot of things- my music choices, the food I eat, how I say things etc. I started to become afraid of expressing myself, of really being who I am. I get afraid that people will make fun of me. I think this feeling has been with me a long time because I was picked on when I was at middle school and I just didn't feel safe anymore. I became depressed and then I also had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and anxiety. I think the anxiety I felt about school spread into other areas of my life.

Gratitude List

Things I'm grateful for:

Simple moisturiser
Lammas
Last full month of summer
Hot, sunny days
Re-playing old PS2 games!
Coke (as in Coca-Cola! lol)
Chocolate raisins
Sunsets

Manifesting and Resistance

A couple of months ago I did a post dealing with manifesting fears, the things that come up when you're working on manifesting something. I'm still having some issues so I've been thinking about this subject more and I decided it would be good to do a follow up post about resistance. :) You can check out the original post here: https://fallingpetalsuk.blogspot.com/2015/05/dealing-with-manifesting-fears.html

 I did an internet search using the same sentence as the title of the post above and the top result was an article by Steve Pavlina about manifesting intentions without resistance: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/11/manifesting-intentions-without-resistance/

Gratitude List

Things I'm grateful for this month:

The roses on the bush in my garden
Hotter weather
Summer!
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins- I've just finished re-reading it.
Longer, lighter days
Listening to new music
Simple moisturiser 
Litha coming up

Gratitude List

Things I'm grateful for this month:

Beltane
Warmer weather again
The hawthorn trees blossoming- the ones near me have dark pink blossom
McDonald's choc chip iced frappe
Facets of Joy Worry-Shift and I Believe in Magic e-courses
Being able to use my old computer monitor since my usual one has broken. I hope to get a new one soon.
Feeling better than I have been
Eurovision

Dealing with Manifesting Fears

So when you get into the Law of Attraction (LOA)/manifesting, you do it because there is something you want to manifest and you want to improve your life. I think that the big thing some people struggle with (including me) is believing that things are really possible. But what about when you start to manifest and it brings up fears? Maybe you find that you're afraid of getting what you want.

I've found that I have seen changes in my world but I've also become afraid once I've seen them because, while I really want to manifest things, I'm also scared of the changes they will bring. I think quite a few people have similar experiences. My fears are around relationships currently. Someone else's might be work/career, family, travel, moving house etc. You have thoughts like,  "Can I really handle this?", "What does it mean if it REALLY comes true?",  "How will my life change once it's here?" or "But what if I just can't do it??". I believe that this is part of the reason why we tend to have trouble manifesting "bigger" things. Getting a new games console didn't massively change my life (I manifested a PS3) but a new relationship will! Same goes for a new job, having a baby or travelling the world. I think a lot of us struggle with this thinking, so that's what I'm going to focus on today.

I'm not an expert on this at all because I'm working through it myself, so I'm going to share some links with some tips and advice that I've found helpful.:)

Gratitude List

Things I'm grateful for this month:

Spring
The trees starting to blossom
Purple nail varnish
Easter
Easter eggs!
Winning free McDonald's food and drink items in the Monopoly giveaway
Warmer weather
Beautiful sunsets

The Love Project- Self Love/Romantic Love

I kind of abandoned this series because I didn't know what else to do on it. But I think the time is right to take it up again. I'm going to keep exploring self love and romantic love because I feel there's more to say. :)

The more I learn on my journey to the kind of relationship I want, the more I see that it's about being whole first and coming into your own as a person. It's also about being ready for the kind of relationship you want and about receiving it in.

I thought I would share some articles I found.

First up is an article on feeling deserving of love and self love: http://positiveprovocations.com/2011/07/26/you-deserve-to-be-loved-happy-relationships-series/

I've come to see that self love is very important. If you love and respect yourself and don't treat yourself badly, then you won't put up with any bad treatment from others because you know you don't deserve it. You know that you deserve love and respect and you know that you are a worthy person.

Here's another article from the same site (Positive Provocations) about ways to start loving yourself:
 http://positiveprovocations.com/2011/04/28/how-to-cultivate-and-nurture-self-love-self-love-story/


And here are a couple of posts on love and being whole and complete in yourself whether not you have a partner:

 http://www.havingtime.com/love-lessons-4-things-ive-learned-from-my-lifes-journey/

http://www.havingtime.com/being-whole-and-complete-farewell-to-the-idea-of-finding-other-half/

I think these things are also important to know.

I'll round it off with an article from Shelly Bullard about how you are actually "The One" that you're looking for.:
http://shellybullard.com/secret-finding-one/


The meaning is that once you've found and accepted yourself then you will be ready for a relationship with another person who is right for you. Now I have to say on this subject that I don't know if finding and accepting yourself is something that will, or can be done straight away. Obviously it's great if it is. But it can lead to thoughts of, "I have to do this now or I'll never find the right person for me!!".

I prefer to think of it more as a journey, if you start it now then you set it in motion and this may lead to you finding another person who is right for you and then you can learn and grow together.<3


I hope you enjoy the articles and find them helpful like I have. :)

Gratitude List

Things I'm grateful for this month:

My birthday presents
Birthday wishes from family and friends
Cake!
My birthday meal at the Harvester
Daffodils
Spring coming
The latest session of Facets of Joy I Believe in Magic
Oestara coming up

Alternatives To Meditation

Meditation is often suggested as a good way to spiritually advance. However what if you're just not that into it? I'm not keen on it myself and I know that some others aren't either. Some people have the viewpoint that meditation is the only way to grow spiritually. I'm more inclined to take the viewpoint that there are many ways to grow and learn, especially if you follow the Law of Attraction, which is all about feeling good.

Sometimes I have found meditation helpful, like when I did the May Cause Miracles program last year. That was one of the times when I first felt it "working". If you'd like more info about meditation and how to meditate, visit this post: http://personalexcellence.co/blog/how-to-meditate-in-5-simple-steps/

But if you'd like to try something different, here are some alternatives. :)


Music

If you're into music (like I am) then you may find it helpful to listen to relaxing music. It could be different types like instrumental, chanting, gentle lyrics etc. Or just anything you like. I find some pop and R'n'B songs relaxing.

A piece of music I really like is Dance of Autumn Lights by Ivo Sedlacek. He is a Czech violinist and his pieces of music are quite long, around 15 minutes, so you can just relax while listening to them.  Dance of Autumn Lights sometimes puts me in a kind of meditative state. You can listen to it here: Ivo Sedlack- Dance of Autumn Lights

Here's another nice piece by Ivo called Colour of the Leaves:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG6biHA91TU

Update 25/11/18: Video is now unavailable.

Note: I just saw on Ivo's website that his music is listed under meditation. :)


Another piece of music that I like is Raga Shivranjani played by Prasad Bhandarker on the Bansuri (Indian bamboo flute). It's really beautiful. :) Listen here: Raga Shivranjani on Bansuri

Gratitude List

Things I'm grateful for:

Sunny days during winter
Chocolate popcorn
The PS3 game Heavy Rain- I re-played it recently
Easter chocolate in the shops already!
My new top
McDonald's breakfasts
Saved By The Bell being back on
Imbolg tomorrow

What is possible? (LOA)

Note: In this post I'm referring to the Law of Attraction aka LOA. For a background on LOA click here. :)


I've been thinking lately about manifesting and believing things are possible. I think that when you're trying to manifest something, so much of it is about believing that it's really possible and that things can change. You might find it easy to manifest "small" things e.g. a cup of coffee, a feather, a certain type of bird etc. but with the "big" things (a relationship, new job, baby, new house etc) you feel stuck and find it harder. According to the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne you can manifest bigger things just as easily as smaller ones. Maybe you can if you have no resistance at all but I think the problem is limiting beliefs. (A limiting belief is a belief that you have about yourself or the world that holds you back, "limits" what you think you can do, have or be). If you believe that you "can't" have something or aren't "supposed" to have it (or even want it) then obviously that will get in the way. Here are a few good resources on limiting beliefs:

 

Update 19/8/21: I have updated links and added a Melody Fletcher one, since I can't find the first article anymore.

http://www.deliberatereceiving.com/releasing-negative-beliefs.html#axzz3PCSB69X1

https://melodyfletcher.com/2014/05/22/how-to-release-those-big-nasty-deep-seeded-beliefs/

https://melodyfletcher.com/2014/04/28/how-to-discover-your-limiting-beliefs/

https://www.livelifemadetoorder.com/blog/law-attraction-dealing-limiting-beliefs/

Gratitude List

Things I'm grateful for this month:

Having a nice Christmas
The Christmas tree
Tree chocolates!
Christmas presents
The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer- I borrowed this book almost 2 years ago from the library and I just got it to keep as a Christmas present
Live Life Made To Order- some good tips on there
Facets of Joy January offerings- I'm taking part in both the January session of I Believe in Magic and Savor the In-Breath.
The Personal Excellence Healthy Living Challenge