Walking in winter sunshine

I didn't think I would get a blog done today, even though I have had quite an inspirational week, but it is has been good. I would say that I have been in a reflective mood all week, trying to get somewhere that. I am not quite ready to be and getting quite frustrated with myself. I haven't been remembering life's a journey this week. Sometimes I want the spoilers alerts! There are two things that have helped the inspiration this week.

First a haircut. I know at first this doesn't seem very out of the norm but the fact is that I don't get my hair cut very often, and it is usually to do with a step change that I am trying to make in life. Although I am not good at going to the hairdresser, I have been going to one of the best salons in Edinburgh and to the same person for years. It is a guilty pleasure as I know  I could go somewhere cheaper but I think there is a memory there of my mum and watching the horrible hair lost she went through with the cancer. I remember that although we did manage to laugh about her wig, especially when the cat attacked it, she hated the effect of her treatment had on her body, so by getting my Hair done, it is honouring my mum's love for her hair. Whether the hair cut is going to be a step change for me, you will just have to keep reading.

The second event was a walk, having had a brilliant night with friends, we had abandon the car in ferry road last night, so we took a glorious walk down to collect it crossing the Dean Bridge and walking down Fettes avenue. The walk in winter sunshine was invigorating as the colours in the trees were amazing. Also, we covered an old writing walking route that I used to do from Grove street on a regular basis. With the leaves swirling beneath my feet, the characters of my book walked with us. The world of Breaking Portraits is coming alive again, and as nature is beginning to hibernate, I feel the need to dance like a winter leaf. It is although Edinburgh is challenging me to come out of hibernation and is giving me a diet of inspiration, and that makes me very excited.

Your dreams are your own

Okay so I've decided that an active writer doesn't keep a tidy house! Well it's my excuse for  my flat at the moment. I have had a sweet morning writing a chapter of my book and actually feel as though my senses have awoken to the book again.   I don't know why the inspiration is back, perhaps it never went away!

Sometimes I wonder whether the sheer fact that I have been writing essentially the same story for the last 10 years, whether it is time to start with something new. But then I think there must be something so strong in my imagination that makes me want to tell this story and share it with the world. I'll get there.

As promised as this blog is about inspiration, here are a number  that have helped me this week.

(1) spending time at the National Gallery and picking a painting to for a writing competition. A picture paints a thousand words.

(2) music - as ever music plays to my imagination, songs in particular this week has been Timshel by Momford and Sons, very powerful lyrics, and Bonfire heart by James Blunt.

(3) Finding the Mojo version of the Beatles's 2nd album and really enjoying it as I am normally Beatles purist.

(4) Taking Chris out for dinner at one of our favourite haunts and taking time out to be together.

As the time is ticking, I'm going to leave you with this thought " it is better to have live one day as a tiger, than a thousand years as a sheep."

Hope you have a roaring week.

I love a good quote

I turn from my own words to someone who changed the world:  Mahatma Ghandi

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

What change would you make today?

Finding inspiration

I am ashamed that this is my first blog in nine months, life has taken over in a good way and now with the wedding ring firmly on my finger, exams behind me (hopefully),  I am drawn to a dusty folder, where an unfinished manuscript lies awaiting. There has been, at times, a real doubt in my mind on whether I can or know how to finish my book as it is almost easier to have a work in progress than put a finish product out there. But I am sick of hiding behind fear, as fear can often bring about the greatest opportunities and sparkling success.

So why write a blog when I have a book to write? Simple, to write with vigour you need inspiration, in fact to do anything worth while in life, you have to be passionate so this blog is going to be about inspiration, because we all need to feel inspired in life.  The dictionary definition of inspire is:

To inspire is to stimulate activity; encourage a feeling, to make a person feel uplifted.

I don't know about you but we could all do with some of that in our lives.

Little steps

Today's crash in London demonstrates how quickly things can change and how you must make the moat of every second. My thoughts go to the families who are briefing at this time. It has been a quick week with lots going on. I made it to writing group tonight, mainly because I am beginning to get this gym routine embedded.

Writing group tonight was mainly about our magazine, which we have now published two copies of and what we do this year. We were guilty tonight of talking and not writing, which I am very good at doing. I suppose that another change I want to make this year is trying not to procasnate about things as nine times out of ten things are never as bad as. They can be in the mind. I will never not be a worrier, but I think I am going to be a measured worrier!

I think exercise helps the worrying. There always talk about exercise being good for mental health, and sometimes I think it become almost like a marketing slogan and the truth of the matter is lost. I totally believe it as exercise is something that can be something where you set your own goals and work towards them. When I'm on the treadmill, there a sense of peace and somewhere in my mind I think it goes back to learning to walk and being encourage to walk down the parallel bars! It is that profound to rip it back to that moment in my life as without the power to walk life would have been very different. my mum was there when I took my first steps, and I know she is watching each step now.

Okay so on this profound note I am going to leave it there

Trips to the gym: 5
Song of the week: protection by massive attack
App of the week: shaman (but not good for the bank balance)
Word of the week: walking.

A new year - rip up those resolutions

"Every journey starts with one single step..."

Yes it a new year so we are all walking around starving ourselves of  chocolate, alcohol and everything that has any calories and then we wonder why people get depressed in January! Christmas we binge and January we punish!

For a very long time now, due to my mum, I have always tried to have a be good to yourself January, where it is more to do with changing habits rather than punishing myself. I am going to cut out chocolate and I've started back at the gym, but I am trying to make these changes so that come February I feel better rather than saying all I did try but I failed in the first month of the year!

And what a year 2013 is going to be, marriage, exams and novel writing wrapped up in fitness, volunteering and writing. I am already excited at what might be. But before you write me off as a girl with her hand in the clouds, here's a story. My first journey to the gym this year was last Saturday, and I made a vow to myself Tuesday night I would go again. Well Tuesday came and work was as busy as ever so I went home and moaned! The night got worst when I stood on my scales and really faced my weight! There was tears, followed by the realisation that I have to take control of my life. No one is ever going to give me 10% less work so that I have time to go to the gym! I have to make time and break the cycle of last year.

So tonight, instead of going to writing group, I went to the gym and burned 200 calories in 20 mins, and it felt great and it was simple! Then because I feel refresh, I have spent time writing now so I've managed to fit everything in and catch up with myself. There is a lot of gym work to be done but like they say one step at a time.

Visits to the gym: 2!
Song of the gym:  Trouble by Pink
Months till wedding: 8.