Tag: Writing

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Sacred Pause

As April draws to a close, so does national poetry month. As last year, this month, I have challenged myself to write a poem a day. Rather than post them all here, I have been sharing my efforts with my poetry group. It has been fun and stimulating.

During this beautiful month of the changes we can see happening all around us in nature, I have been pondering more and more about personal growth and how I can change, flourish and blossom as a creative human being.

I have been writing alongside everyone else in my poetry group using a daily prompt. It has been incredible to see so many different poems arising from the same prompt, so many different approaches to the same theme. To share, to give and receive comments and constructive feedback with other poets has been inspiring and motivates me to continue writing poetry.

It is truly remarkable for me that I can now say, yes …. I am a writer …. and finally I am poet. I was maths, function and logically orientated at school, being fearful of expressing myself during English lessons and avoided wherever possible poetry and essay writing … I didn’t really appreciate what a poem was until about five years ago and didn’t start regularly writing poems until 2022 … now I find I can’t stop. I find this really interesting, as I am convinced it is this discovery of who I really am (the soul) that is driving my creative journey (the yoga, the writing, the art, the singing and the dancing) leading to a ‘coming together’ and a connection I feel with the universe (the divine).

Writing poems is a mindful activity … as a writer, for me, it is essential to be an observer … of myself, of my behaviours and of other people’s behaviours and generally of the world around me, especially the natural world. I am curious … always asking silent questions within my mind, and pondering what the answers might be … it fires up my imagination and enables me to create prose pieces and now poetry.

April is a great month to write. There is so much change happening in nature, new beginnings, new life new stimulus for my senses to spark creativity. This time of year though, I have to work harder at being more mindful and aware, to really notice the changes happening around me, because everything is changing at such an alarming rate. Now is when the year seems to accelerate. How one moment, I may look out of the window and see the prunus tree in the front garden in blossom and the next, realise the blossom has blown away and the tree is full of its rich burgundy leaf covering. How did that happen and how did I not notice when several times day I walk, cycle, or drive past it?

Being aware of the changes happening inside me too is a mindful practice. It’s a terrible cliche, but nothing stays the same. Our bodies change from moment to moment, our emotions, our behaviours, our relationships. This is why during April, I like to take up the challenge to embrace writing each day.

Thinking of my writing practice as a sacred pause helps. Once a day, I consciously take the time to stop everything I’m doing and focus on the here and now …. just being. I either sit up with a straight spine or lie down on the floor and concentrate on my breathing. Conscious breathing as part of my yoga practice is essential for stilling my mind and tuning into my body and applying this same technique to my writing practice really helps. I can then more easily get in touch with my feelings and use this as pathway to a deeper heart-mind connection and therefore a more fruitful mining of words. From this place of stillness (and it may only take ten minutes), I find I can move into my writing time more centred and focussed and therefore crafting a poem comes more easily.

Taking a sacred pause to consciously breathe well can hep with any creative endeavour and during April, I’ve been using it with my art too. This month, I haven’t managed to complete a collage painting, but I have been playing around with pink and green, a great combination. It’s been playful and fun.

During April I have been experimenting with Japanese forms of poetry. Here are three poems using three such forms … all with the theme of the moon.

The Tanka Form

yellow moon appears

blooming in a purple sky

bleeding red petals

choosing pleasure over pain

I release you from my dreams 

The Haibun Form

A silver moon large as a golden sun bathes the earth and the oceans with pearly light. The wolf howls at a million stars and deep beneath the waves, the blue whale moans,  blowing a million tiny bubbles in the air.  

earth, ocean, wolf, whale

greeting, calling, connecting

universal love  

The Haiku Form

lavender moonshine

dozy dormouse unfurls his

caramel belly 

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Keep it Simple

Celebrated each year, today (21 March) is World Poetry Day. When I reflect on how many human beings there are in the world writing poems today, I feel both overwhelmed and humbled in our shared humanity and love for the lyrical word.

Writing poems can be transformative. It is a creative form that gives writers the ability to express deeply felt feelings, experiences and hopes in a sometimes hopeless world. Despite our uniqueness and the many divisions and disparities, much of what we feel and experience as being human is similar, especially our relationship with nature.

Sometimes the most uncomplicated poems can be the most effortless and turn out to be the most satisfying to craft. Below is my simple poem for today and above my recent collage painting.

Today 

Today I watched a woodpecker drilling the trunk of a birch tree. 

When he saw me, he hopped among the branches and in a red flash, flew away. 

Today I met with a friend whom I love for the man he is becoming.  

Today I drew a picture of my brain and was amazed by its complexity.

I marvelled at its intricacy, its many pathways and infinite potential. 

Today I ate a bowl of frozen cherries, their icy form a balm for my rasping throat.

Today I listened to a broken man who believes in assisted dying. 

When I offered him my fear, I discovered a wall between us.

Today I discovered  I can be brave to reach out my hand to a stranger.

Today I realised I can accept loss and be comfortable with what is. 

I know I am enough for myself, that it’s all I have and that is ok.

Today I heard a woodpecker drumming. Today my spirit soared.

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Why Do I Write?

As a writer, I find it useful from time to time to reflect on why I write, why I consistently spend hours writing (or trying to write), crafting words into short stories, poems and memoir pieces. Creative writing is hard … most writers I know agree. If it is so difficult, then why do I persist?

For me, writing is a quiet, solitary experience which I find soul enriching. But it can be lonely, is often frustrating and sometimes ignites powerful emotions that can be challenging to process. I can spend a lot of time trying to write and not arrive at a ‘finished piece’ … I might not even arrive at a sentence I feel content with. Despite this, I find the process of writing to be wholesome, energising, immensely rewarding, and fulfilling … this is why I persist at the craft.

Recently, I have been struggling with my writing and so this is a good moment to reflect and ask myself:

Q: Why do I want to write?

A: To get to know and remain connected to my inner self (my soul / my ‘being’) … and … to discover all there is to know about me as a ‘human’, a person with a personality and an ego (we all have one) and who experiences this world through her senses. To explore myself as a human and continue to grow and develop to be the ‘best’ I can possibly be.

Q: How do I feel when confronted with a blank page?:

A: Receptive to what might come from within and with a willingness to ‘go there’ … even if I am lured to the dark places. Hopeful I will learn something about myself. Content if nothing appears, but acknowledging that if I can scribble something … anything … and just get started, then words will eventually flow.

Q: Who am I writing for?

A: Primarily for myself, for the joy that comes during the process, but also for anyone who, if they choose to read my writing, may be helped in some small way … to discover something new for themselves or simply to discover joy too.

Q: What would I like others to feel when they read, or hear my words?

A: An emotion … some reaction that comes from within that may awaken them to a greater awareness of themselves and that this might generate feelings of compassion, wellbeing and empathy.

Q: What is my greatest need as a writer?

A: To experience connection with myself, but also with other writers through sharing and mutual respect, with no judgement, total acceptance and compassion.

Q: What blessings do I want to offer anyone who reads my writing and/or who would like to write themselves?

A: For them to feel connected to themselves, to love themselves as they are (without exception), to know they are loved as they are in this moment, to heal from past hurts and to encourage them to say through their own words the unsayable and to be heard.

I write from emotional depth and because of this, writing feels like I am taking a risk. I like this feeling even though it can be unnerving when I share my words with others. Despite and because of this, I want to keep going with it, I have to keep writing …. never stopping … because writing helps me not to feel broken. It keeps me feeling whole and connected to the universe and able to express all of me.

I liken the process of writing to the feelings I have when I ride my bike through the landscape. Riding brings me great joy … it is my way into solitude and peace … it is my special place where I am at one with nature … when I can travel alongside the birds … when I can fly with them and be totally free … to be me …

The following poem was inspired by a writing prompt where I focussed on two words: ‘risk’ and ‘broken’.

Carry it Always 

And if I speak of risk, then I am speaking about being broken. 

My Uncle Clifford told me broken was like being ripped 

apart and stitched back together with wire wool. 

It hurts, he said and you are never the same again. 

Uncle Clifford took risks, but it wasn’t falling off his bike 

that broke him, when his skull hit the jagged side of a rock 

and blood flowed from the corner of his eye like larva tears. 

It was when they told him he wouldn’t ride again, 

not with a floppy head and a mush of wriggling worms for a brain. 

Uncle Clifford taught me devotion to risk, to carry it always 

on my person, like the shark’s tooth I found on the shoreline when I was ten. 

And if life gets boring, or puts you under pressure, 

he said, or if you feel you are trapped in a cage, 

then trace its form in your pocket and do it anyway. 

And if you forget one day and start to wobble, remember 

being broken isn’t about not being able to do anything, it’s about not trying. 

Today Uncle Clifford lives in a convalescent home in Southend-on-Sea.

He rides a tricycle along the seafront and watches seagulls scream. 

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Na Po Wri Mo – April 30 2023



The last day of national poetry month and the challenge was to ‘write a palinode – a poem in which you retract a view or sentiment expressed in an earlier poem.’ I did revisit my poems but decided to go off prompt and arrived at this:


How to Overcome Madness 

We plant seeds in the ground 

and dreams in the sky.

We hope our desires will balloon 

into clouds to carry us way 

above our wounded world. 


We sprinkle love to grow

roots deep in the soil, 

but we are on shaky shale.

The world spins out of control,

minds spiral into confusion.


The earth beneath us heaves, 

boundaries shift, fencing 

us inside our petty lives.

We smile at the sky praying 

our dreams will blossom. 


We focus attention, breathe

place hands on hearts, search 

for strength, humility, kindness.

We realise we can let go and love 

ourselves as human beings not doings.


When we discover we can escape 

the confines of humanity, leaving 

behind insanity, freedom is ours. 

We are the blue sky wonderland

where our dreams become reality. 

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Writing for Wellbeing

Any writing, including free writing, writing stories, poems, journaling, even letters, can improve our mood and wellbeing. You don’t need any special materials other than a notebook/paper and pen/pencil and you don’t need to write with good grammar or punctuation or be an accomplished writer to benefit, just a willingness to get your own words down on the page.

I am thrilled to be able to offer a series of five Writing for Wellbeing workshops (see my Writing for Wellbeing page for more information). Using a variety of writing prompts such as poems, objects, photos and visualisations, my aim is to help participants express themselves through writing.

By writing down our thoughts, feelings and ideas, things can become clearer, more understandable and gives a sense of perspective and control. Writing helps with personal development and this kind of writing has the potential for therapeutic benefit.

Writing can stir up many thoughts, feelings and strong emotions and so it is important to write what is within safe limits and to practice self-care. Sharing writing with other participants in the group is not obligatory.

These workshops are designed to use the medium of writing for self-discovery, affirming the ability to know what is needed to enhance personal wellbeing.

Benefits: 

  • Experience a sense of release as words are written down on the page.
  • Helps people get in touch with themselves.
  • Helps gain a sense of control over unsettling emotions.
  • Increases self awareness and feelings of compassion for the self and for others.
  • Helps bring things into perspective and helps to see things from other perspectives.
  • Helps with feeling restored emotionally as people focus on what they already have and what they may need to improve their wellbeing.

This series of workshops is designed around 5 different ways to wellbeing which research has shown can improve our sense of feeling good about ourselves and our lives. Whilst including happiness, wellbeing has a much broader concept than moment to moment pleasures and includes how satisfied and fulfilled we feel, our sense of purpose, how in control we feel and how we evaluate our lives as a whole. Wellbeing is a process of discovery and is different for different people.

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Clearing Out

The origin of yoga has been lost in the midst of time. The closest we can get, is that it began in India over 5000 years ago. In today’s modern world, many people think of yoga as a physical practice, but this is not the case. The essence of yoga is about stilling the mind, emptying the mind. If you’ve ever tried to sit in meditation, you will realise this is extremely difficult to achieve and certainly for any length of time. The physical poses and the breathing we practice on the mat are tools to use to help still the mind off the mat.

This week I am in the Lake District. On some of my walks, I have been alone, spending time on the hills and mountains practicing yoga. No, I haven’t gone into a downward dog on the summit nor knelt down on the fell to do a cat – I’ve been practicing emptying my mind and having a psychological clear out of all the rubbish I carry around in it in an attempt to find an inner stillness and tranquility.

In recent years, as I have developed my yoga practice, I have been focussing on taking what I practice on the mat, off the mat, and into my day to day activities. I have learnt I can practice yoga anytime and anywhere just by becoming aware and bringing myself back to the present moment.

I have a tendency towards an over active mind and if I am not careful, I can find myself ruminating about things (people, events, issues, situations, imaginings, ideas etc.) to the detriment of my wellbeing.

One of my daily affirmations is to have a clear, steady, quiet and alert mind. This is far easier to achieve when I’m walking in the Lake District than when I am at home. This week I have focussed on having a clear out of my mind and enjoyed peace and quiet when out on the fells. The challenge will be to maintain this sense of being when I leave this beautiful national park behind and return to my usual day to day routines.

It is therefore my intention whenever … :

  • I catch myself ruminating about my past (which I can do nothing about)
  • Worrying about my future (which I have no control over)
  • Getting stuck with an issue I can’t resolve
  • Churning over something in my mind I feel guilty about OR
  • Overthinking a decision I need to make, when all I need to do is listen to my heart and my gut,

… that I pause, watch my thoughts, allow them to float away and then reset. I will remember I don’t need to roll out my mat, practice asanas and breathing or sit cross legged in meditation … I can achieve this wherever I am and whatever I am doing. I don’t need to be solo walking in the Lake District.

All it takes is practice!

LIHazleton.
Follow me on Twitter where I connect with other writers and all things writing. Follow me on Instagram if you love nature.

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Being Expressive, Being Creative – Vishuddhi Chakra

‘Can we speak in flowers? It will be easier for me to understand.’ – so says the poet and reclusive writer Nayyirah Waheed who describes herself as the ‘quiet poet.’

The Vishuddhi Chakra is located in the spine at the base of the neck. Known as the throat chakra it is associated with change and purification and establishing your voice.

Interestingly, I have noticed in myself over the last ten years or so (since my mother died and since I immersed myself in my yoga practice), a growing disinterest is some of the normal aspects of life; for example I no longer watch or listen to the news, I have no interest in going shopping, I have withdrawn from incessantly scrolling social media and pull away from political discussions or negativity and grumbling in general. If I ever did enjoy celebrity news or gossiping, I certainly don’t partake in it now, or at least I try not to by keeping vigilant and stopping myself if I do!

In studying the Vishuddhi Chakra, I realise this slow but steady shift is an unwitting, positive and inspired change in me, an indication I am refining the texture and calibre of my mind. As Deepak Chopra often talks about, I am expanding my awareness.

With the Vishuddhi chakra awakened and functioning properly, any experience, thought, emotion, or word, can be transformed into nectar for my own personal awakening and enlightenment. All I need is awareness and directed intention. This is why I focus my time and energy in pursuits that bring me great joy: writing, painting, walking in nature, reading, cycling, yoga and meditation.

I’ve written previously about the Swadhistnan Chakra, the energy centre of emotions and creativity: https://lihazleton.com/2020/11/05/being-creative-being-in-tune-with-emotions-swadhistana-chakra/

When Swadhistana is awakened, Vishuddhi is spontaneously energised and helps transform emotions and creativity so you can express yourself in many different ways.

I have noticed this happening to me. Here are a few examples:

  • I find it easier to show love – for myself and others
  • I can confess mistakes I have made with ease and say I’m sorry
  • I find it easier to let go of past hurts and forgive
  • I speak out and I am no longer afraid to say what’s in my heart and what is true for me

The Vishuddhi Chakra is our voice and is where we affirm life in the way we speak and express ourselves and through the way we are and what we do. I am aware that to communicate love and vocalise an appreciation for global matters beyond the fixation of ‘normal stuff’ that has little importance to me, is where I want to focus my energies. Why immerse myself in negatively and grumble when the very fact we are here and have breath is a miracle?

But none of this is easy or possible if we are not aware. We all have mental and emotional struggles – this is human life but we do have choice and we do have willpower and the tapas to exert that willpower for greater good. It’s just a matter of opening up to possibilities and listening to what’s inside. This is where meditation can help.

I have grown my meditation practice over the last year and it helps me connect to my true authentic self. Deep listening enables me to formulate who I am, what I want, how I can serve and what I am grateful for. I can then take this out into the wider world, drop the conformity of social conditioning, be who I want to be and speak out for what I truly believe.

LIHazleton.
Follow me on Twitter where I connect with other writers and all things writing. Follow me on Instagram if you love nature .
 

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How to Be

I am enough.

You are enough.

We are all enough.

So many people are caught up in doing rather than being. They keep themselves busy achieving and fulfilling the roles they assign themselves and end up creating stress and anxiety in their lives. They feel as though unless they perform, achieve or fulfil a role, they are unworthy.

But this is not so.

We are enough and can reside in just being and have everything we need within ourselves to feel good without striving to meet self-imposed goals and deadlines.

But, for many people, this isn’t known. Without being aware of what they are doing, people are constantly massaging their egos in order to feel good about themselves.

The ego is our self image, our social mask, the role we are playing. Many people are unaware of the vice-like grip the ego can have and can fall victim to it. Unfortunately, this is the accepted norm i.e. the belief that our identities are wrapped up in who we are and what we do. We use labels to describe ourselves; we are mothers, fathers, doctors, bus drivers, tennis players … in addition, we employ self talk which can either inflate or deflate our ego; I am kind, I am generous, I am lazy, I am selfish …

But the ego is not who we really are.

I have been pondering this for many months and wondering how I can massage my ego less and be in the world as I truly am, as the real me, rather than put on a mask and rely on my ego when in social situations and when I am out and about generally.

After many months of socially isolating, I am slowing emerging back into the world, meeting friends, enjoying day trips away from home, coffee and meals out. Holidays in the UK are planned and travel further afield is being discussed.

In my previous blog post https://lihazleton.com/2020/06/28/emerging/ I wrote about emerging being a process and how I would like to resist falling back into old habits and ways of being. I have been pondering how I can achieve this and how to make effective and long-lasting changes.

For a long time, I have been using daily meditation and yoga practices to connect to the ‘real me’ — the part of me that is unchanging, the essence of my spirit, the pure consciousness that abides within. It is my hope that by continuing with these practices, where I can connect with the ‘real me’, I will be able to find that feeling when I am with others, when I am out and about in the wider world and away from the calm and peaceful surroundings of my home.

In the past, I have used my strong ego-self to thrive. I have survived an emotionally abusive upbringing, unloving and difficult relationships with men, a highly demanding and stressful corporate career and many challenging personal situations. These are all advantages of having a strong self image driven by a strong ego. I have thrived by employing and relying on my ego, rather than being transparent and showing my true nature. This has worked, but only so far. My relationships, my wellbeing, my sense of self, my contentment, what makes me feel happy and fulfilled have all suffered because of my ego. I lost myself along the way and suffered from worry, stress and anxiety.

A strong ego has many pitfalls and disadvantages. The negative side of the ego manifests as arrogance, pride, vanity, judgements, and prejudices. In the more extreme cases, it emerges as the need to control, the lust for power, fanaticism, or an obsession with materialism. I regret to say, in the past, I have often fallen foul of these unloving qualities and still do, if I am not careful.

So, I have been spending time in awareness of my ego and watching it like a hawk. If I catch it taking over, displaying those parts of me that are not the ‘real me’, I take action and come back to my heart, the centre of who I really am.

The more I meditate, the more I use my breath to connect to my centre during my physical yoga practices, the more I can let go of my ego and just be, knowing I am enough.

With time, with sustained practice, I hope this will become easier and I can take the feeling of being the ‘real me’ with me wherever I go.

I have discovered I can let go of my ego self, knowing that high self esteem doesn’t come from a massaged ego, but comes from cultivating spiritual values of truth, beauty, love, compassion, creativity, inner peace and bliss.

Being myself, being yourself is the ultimate form of self worth.

I am enough.

You are enough.

We are all enough.

How then is this linked to my writing?

Writing is a creative art, a form of self expression. I write because it helps me discover, what I think, what I feel, what I am grateful for, what I want to be in this world and how I can best serve. It is helping me discover my purpose and the true nature of who I AM.

LIHazleton.
Follow me on Twitter where I connect with other writers and all things writing. Follow me on Instagram if you love nature, dogs and other animals.

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Emerging

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Emerging is a process.

For many weeks now, I have been pondering how I will emerge from this extended period of personal isolation.

I have written previously about my contentment during the period of forced isolation and how I have welcomed the time to reflect, heal and consider my own life and how I can make positive changes in the way I live, the way I am.

If the world and all life on earth is going to thrive and survive, then we as human beings need to change because it is us who are destroying this beautiful planet.

Emergence for me is about that — change. I don’t want to ‘go back to normal’. There is no normal. I want to be the change that can help the world. I want to help create a ‘new normal’ — for my own wellbeing, for my immediate community, society and for the world.

I want to be able to see and feel that I have lived through the past seven months and grown and developed as a person. I want to emerge with compassion and love in my heart, with an energetic and joyful body and with a peaceful, calm and alert mind. I want these things not for myself in a selfish way, but because I believe if I can have wellbeing, then I can better serve my community, I can be a kinder person to myself and I will be able to reach out to others with empathy and love. My relationships will be rich and rewarding and I will find peace, joy and fulfilment.

We all make choices, almost every moment of every day, some small, some significant. Even if we do things automatically, at some level we are making choices. The change in us begins to happen when we become aware of our choices, when we become self aware and conscious.

When I consider my own wellbeing, I can recognise that many of my choices in the past, I made when I had very little self awareness. Many of my choices were not beneficial. Now, with full awareness, I can make lifestyle choices that aid my wellbeing rather than hinder.

I have spent much of my time during lockdown focussing on my own personal healing.  The word healing comes from wholeness. To be healed, is to be whole. Healing comes from within and I have been concentrating on self care, making the best choices I can to ensure I maintain homeostasis – an equilibrium in my body, mind and spirit. I have recognised that healing comes from within. With self awareness and consciousness I can heal myself, I can renew my body, mind and spirit and emerge as a new me willing to re-engage with the world in a new way.

So, what’s in store for me and what’s all this got to do with writing?

I have developed a creative life, an artist’s life, a spiritual life and a willingness to take what I have learned, what I have discovered, out into the wider world with the hope of helping others. I have plans and ideas of how I can do this. All I need now is the continued belief and faith in myself, the daily rituals I have established and the trust that I can fulfil my dreams.

As for my writing, I am pleased to have established a writing routine and to have a growing body of work, a store of stories and ideas for stories which will sustain me for years to come. I am grateful to my writing community — my writing friends with whom I have shared work and given and received feedback, Norwich Forum Writers, my writing group and the many tutors and mentors I have engaged with for their continued help and support.

As I emerge from lockdown and my time of self isolation, I hope I can do so with a lightness of being, replacing all fear with love and the sustained awareness to look after my wellbeing and to keep writing.

 

LIHazleton.
Follow me on Twitter where I connect with other writers and all things writing. Follow me on Instagram if you love nature, dogs and other animals.

 

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Rhythms of Bliss

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In recent weeks whilst in the midst of the shut down for Coronavirus, I have been spending my time absorbed in daily rhythms of bliss – practicing mediation and yoga, reading, writing, painting, communing with nature and communing with my inner self. It has been a time for reflection and an opportunity for growth and for making positive changes for how I live my life.

A wind of anxiety, a hurricane of panic is threatening to envelop the UK and the world. Now, more than ever it is important to be still, to be calm and to find inner peace. We are being encouraged to exercise daily to keep ourselves healthy in order to support our NHS. Exercise is fundamental to good health, but there is more we can do. To help ensure the immune system of our body is working as it needs to in order to keep us free of infection, we can build into our daily lives practices that still our minds and boost our immune system. Practicing yoga and mediation with integrated breathing practices strengthens the respiratory system making it more efficient and the whole approach helps to keep us calm, centered and stress free.

My hope and my wish is that everyone considers their own daily rhythms of bliss and keeps safe. Namaste.

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During these weeks, I have also been observing my patterns of behaviour and watching myself closely for any slippage … any backward step into the fear and anxiety I had been suffering since when the result of a routine scan in October last year threatened to turn my life upside down.

In the personal challenge I faced, I wrote about how I used my daily yoga practice to centre myself and transition to a state of mind where I could begin to manage the debilitating emotion of fear. I slowly realised that fear is an absence of love and with this realisation, I focussed on moving mediations to instil a practice of deep listening where I could connect with my inner self, the real me, the ‘I am’. As I looked at my greatest fears and lived through the worry, anxiety and trauma of what I was facing, I discovered unbounded blessings, compassion and gratitude for my experiences. I encountered loss and profound change, but by embracing the ensuing grief, I discovered a new way of being.

Emerging from this hugely testing period in my life, I realised it presented the opportunity for a new beginning and a new way of being in the world. I no longer needed to live with fear. As I began to focus my attention on healing, both physically and emotionally, I discovered I no longer felt any need to control my circumstances, I could let things be and trust the journey.

I have unearthed truths about myself, about my boundaries, my foibles, my behaviours, and my relationships. I have learnt valuable lessons and I am committed to ensuring I honour where I am, live in the present moment and keep focussed on what really matters, by practising self love, compassion and being open to all experience.

I live in hope. I live in trust. I live in love. I live in bliss.

 

“Bliss is not a feeling but a state of being. In the state of bliss, everything is loved. Nothing is more important than reconnecting with your bliss. Nothing is as rich. Nothing is more real”

Deepak Chopra

 

In my writing life I am taking this opportunity of being in lockdown to write flash fiction and short stories and to enter them into competitions. I am doing this with two friends from my writing group. We choose a competition we all want to enter, write our stories and peer review our work. We enter our pieces and then we keep our fingers crossed! Writing is fun, writing in stimulating and thought provoking. Most importantly, writing keeps me connected.

 

LIHazleton.
Follow me on Twitter where I connect with other writers and all things writing. Follow me on Instagram if you love nature, dogs and other animals.