Zeal ... #atozchallenge letter Z @AprilA2Z

My theme for the 2017 AtoZ Challenge is "Daily Thoughts".

Each day I will post a thought that comes to mind. The first word of the thought will correspond with the letter of the day.

Usually I write about one thought, today I'll add a few and let you ponder over them.

So here is my thought for the letter Z

farmers market Lower Hutt NZ

Zeal in everything

The last letter for the AtoZ and I made it. For a while I thought I would have to give up as I was falling behind, but I got there.

My late father was one who epitomised zeal in everything. Whatever he did, big or small, he did it with great enthusiasm and love. He was not a rich man but he did all things with a smile and for the betterment of others.

Zeal in everything is one of the great lessons he taught me.


Do you do all things with zeal? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

If you do leave a comment, please make it easy for me and add a link to your blog / post. Thanks.

Written for the #atozchallenge drop by and check out some awesome posts.

My posts so far
All roads lead to your destiny               
Be like the river       
Change occurs at every moment
Do or do not     
Expectation              
Find the Fun
Great Minds Think Alike
Help Comes
Inaction can
Journeys
Kite Flying
Live as if
Music
Now and then
Open Doors
Patience
Quieting the mind
Respond Intelligently
Success is defined
The Day Came When
Umbrellas
Variety of thoughts
When will we learn
Xtraordinary moments
You are


Warm Regards


Tweet

Follow me on
My facebook page Suzy's Ilation
Bloglovin
Pinterest Suzy Que
Google+ Suzy Que
Instagram Suzy.Ila

You are ... #atozchallenge letter Y @AprilA2Z

My theme for the 2017 AtoZ Challenge is "Daily Thoughts".

Each day I will post a thought that comes to mind. The first word of the thought will correspond with the letter of the day.

Usually I write about one thought, today I'll add a few and let you ponder over them.

So here is my thought for the letter Y

in my garden

You are exactly where you are meant to be

These are words someone said to me a long time ago. Ever since then I have pondered on these and tried to make some sense of it. After all if you are at a point in time where life is humming these words are joyful, if however you are at a point in time when life isn't that great, then what? Life is meant to be down in the dumps?

I can tell you now that at that point in time when those words were said to me, my life was down in the dumps so it certainly didn't make me feel good. But it was a catalyst to make a change in my life.

So perhaps those not so good moments are meant to be so that we can change direction and take life on to a point where it is in tune with the Universal flow, where life hums, where life is joy.

And if life didn't have the downs, how would we enjoy the highs? How would we learn to face challenges and grow?

So I conclude that the downs are required in life and that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

Here's a poem I wrote sometime ago called Lost and Found. This was written at the point where I decided that the downs in my life were moments of great change and the start of the joy and peace in my life.

Life you threw me all askew

In despair I travelled trudging on

Ignorant of  jewels yet to be born

Of experiences wonderful and new

I lost it all, those material things

I thought that I had lost my soul

Then Lord you held me, made me whole

And Your flute, it brought me joy and wings

~x~

This thought is not an easy one to accept. What do you think? Share in the comments below.

If you do leave a comment, please make it easy for me and add a link to your blog / post. Thanks.

Written for the #atozchallenge drop by and check out some awesome posts.

My posts so far
All roads lead to your destiny               
Be like the river       
Change occurs at every moment
Do or do not      
Expectation              
Find the Fun
Great Minds Think Alike
Help Comes
Inaction can
Journeys
Kite Flying
Live as if
Music
Now and then
Open Doors
Patience
Quieting the mind
Respond Intelligently
Success is defined
The Day Came When
Umbrellas
Variety of thoughts
When will we learn
Xtraordinary moments



Warm Regards


Tweet

Follow me on
My facebook page Suzy's Ilation
Bloglovin
Pinterest Suzy Que
Google+ Suzy Que
Instagram Suzy.Ila

Xtraordinary Moments ... #atozchallenge letter X @AprilA2Z

My theme for the 2017 AtoZ Challenge is "Daily Thoughts".

Each day I will post a thought that comes to mind. The first word of the thought will correspond with the letter of the day.

Usually I write about one thought, today I'll add a few and let you ponder over them.

So here is my thought for the letter X

eXtraordinary moments are not born out of keeping with the norm

The great inventions of our time did not come about in walking the straight and narrow. They came about because some had the courage to try something new. Unafraid of failure, they dared to step out and make their dreams come true.


I love this song - This is the moment from Jekyll and Hyde that depicts that moment when life changes and the courage to take that step comes that leads to an extraordinary momentous moment.

This is the moment,

This is the time,

When the momentum and the moment

Are in rhyme!

~ Jeckyll and Hyde

Share a moment when you dared to do something different that became momentous? Share in the comments below.

If you do leave a comment, please make it easy for me and add a link to your blog / post. Thanks.

Written for the #atozchallenge drop by and check out some awesome posts.

My posts so far
All roads lead to your destiny               
Be like the river       
Change occurs at every moment
Do or do not       
Expectation              
Find the Fun
Great Minds Think Alike
Help Comes
Inaction can
Journeys
Kite Flying
Live as if
Music
Now and then
Open Doors
Patience
Quieting the mind
Respond Intelligently
Success is defined
The Day Came When
Umbrellas
Variety of thoughts
When will we learn


Warm Regards


Tweet

Follow me on
My facebook page Suzy's Ilation
Bloglovin
Pinterest Suzy Que
Google+ Suzy Que
Instagram Suzy.Ila

When will we learn ... #atozchallenge letter W @AprilA2Z

My theme for the 2017 AtoZ Challenge is "Daily Thoughts".

Each day I will post a thought that comes to mind. The first word of the thought will correspond with the letter of the day.

Usually I write about one thought, today I'll add a few and let you ponder over them.

So here are my thoughts for the letter W

Wellington New Zealand

When will we learn that war is not the way to peace.

Only peace is the way to peace.

When will we learn that we are one race, the human race.

When will we learn to take all actions with love and compassion
that benefit the many

When will we learn that all beings carry the spark of Divinity,
that we all come from the same source.

When will we learn that eventually when we return to our maker,
all we take with us is the spiritual knowledge that we gained
and the love we shared.

Which of these thoughts resonates with you? Share in the comments below.

If you do leave a comment, please make it easy for me and add a link to your blog / post. Thanks.

Written for the #atozchallenge drop by and check out some awesome posts.

My posts so far
All roads lead to your destiny               
Be like the river       
Change occurs at every moment
Do or do not       
Expectation              
Find the Fun
Great Minds Think Alike
Help Comes
Inaction can
Journeys
Kite Flying
Live as if
Music
Now and then
Open Doors
Patience
Quieting the mind
Respond Intelligently
Success is defined
The Day Came When
Umbrellas
Variety of thoughts



Warm Regards


Tweet

Follow me on
My facebook page Suzy's Ilation
Bloglovin
Pinterest Suzy Que
Google+ Suzy Que
Instagram Suzy.Ila

Variety of thoughts ... #atozchallenge letter V @AprilA2Z

My theme for the 2017 AtoZ Challenge is "Daily Thoughts".

Each day I will post a thought that comes to mind. The first word of the thought will correspond with the letter of the day.

Usually I write about one thought, today I'll add a few and let you ponder over them.

So here are a variety of thoughts for the letter V

Visions that are planted in your mind are like seeds

that need watering and care before they grow


Victory over self before victory over others


Voyage of life is filled with ups and downs
Without the downs the ups would have no meaning
Without the ups life would be too hard to bear
All things in life are balanced as is the cosmos

Vanquish with love, the demons that imprison your mind

Here's a poem I wrote sometime ago that depicts my thoughts on this

(poem link)

Let the demon of doubt vanish from my mind

Let him not start a feud with my heart
Let him no place in my existence find

Let him not tear my soul apart

For love is the key to conquer all

With faith in my heart I free my mind

The demon of doubt then begins to fall

And unlocked are the fearful chains that bind

Which of these thoughts resonates with you? Share in the comments below.

If you do leave a comment, please make it easy for me and add a link to your blog / post. Thanks.

Written for the #atozchallenge drop by and check out some awesome posts.

My posts so far
All roads lead to your destiny               
Be like the river       
Change occurs at every moment
Do or do not           
Expectation              
Find the Fun
Great Minds Think Alike
Help Comes
Inaction can
Journeys
Kite Flying
Live as if
Music
Now and then
Open Doors
Patience
Quieting the mind
Respond Intelligently
Success is defined
The Day Came When
Umbrellas


Warm Regards


Tweet

Follow me on
My facebook page Suzy's Ilation
Bloglovin
Pinterest Suzy Que
Google+ Suzy Que
Instagram Suzy.Ila

Umbrellas can ... #atozchallenge letter U @AprilA2Z

My theme for the 2017 AtoZ Challenge is "Daily Thoughts".

Each day I will post a thought that comes to mind. The first word of the thought will correspond with the letter of the day.

So here is my thought for the letter U

picture taken inside an Indian restaurant in Wellington

and then turned upside down.

Umbrellas can provide shelter from the rain, shade from the sun,

be a wind breaker, a fashion statement and also a decoration piece.

You might be wondering where this thought of mine is leading to.  Umbrellas? Where did that come from? Last night I couldn't get umbrellas out of my head and these words went around in my head as well.

I spent some time thinking about this and came up with this explanation. Often we look at things from just one perspective or in the way we are expected to. But sometimes there are many other ways of looking at things and if we explore those we may come up with an answer we did not expect and which creates something new for us. Challenge your mind to think outside the square.


Is thinking outside the square easy or hard for you? Share one of your think outside the square stories.

If you do leave a comment, please make it easy for me and add a link to your blog / post. Thanks.

Written for the #atozchallenge drop by and check out some awesome posts.

My posts so far
All roads lead to your destiny               
Be like the river       
Change occurs at every moment
Do or do not            
Expectation              
Find the Fun
Great Minds Think Alike
Help Comes
Inaction can
Journeys
Kite Flying
Live as if
Music
Now and then
Open Doors
Patience
Quieting the mind
Respond Intelligently
Success is defined
The Day Came When


Warm Regards


Tweet

Follow me on
My facebook page Suzy's Ilation
Bloglovin
Pinterest Suzy Que
Google+ Suzy Que
Instagram Suzy.Ila

The Day Came When ... #atozchallenge letter T @AprilA2Z

My theme for the 2017 AtoZ Challenge is "Daily Thoughts".

Each day I will post a thought that comes to mind. The first word of the thought will correspond with the letter of the day.

So here is my thought for the letter T

The day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud

was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

~ Anain Nin

Cat Graham who blogs at Cattitude and Gratitude posted the above quote in one of our blogging groups on facebook and I thought it was perfect for the letter T.

Even though we may be frustrated or hate the current situation we are in, taking the first step to make a change is always a hard thing to do. We have an inherent fear of the unknown and prefer the comfort zone even though it may be a living hell.

But at some point we may be compelled to take that first step, to break free from that which no longer serves us well. Either we are forced to do it because of circumstances or we just decide enough is enough or a new opportunity arises that looks like it is just too good not to miss.

Sometimes the risk pays off and sometimes it doesn't. However unless the risk is taken, we will never know. Sometimes we have to stop analysing and weighing up as the mind can be a powerful influencer and flash the fear alarms.

From experience, the risks I have taken have always been worth it. I also believe that when the time is right, an invisible hand pushes us across the line.


What are your thoughts? Have you ever been compelled to take that first step out of a bad situation? Did the risk pay off? Share in the comments below.

If you do leave a comment, please make it easy for me and add a link to your blog / post. Thanks.

Written for the #atozchallenge drop by and check out some awesome posts.

My posts so far
All roads lead to your destiny               
Be like the river       
Change occurs at every moment
Do or do not              
Expectation              
Find the Fun
Great Minds Think Alike
Help Comes
Inaction can
Journeys
Kite Flying
Live as if
Music
Now and then
Open Doors
Patience
Quieting the mind
Respond Intelligently
Success is defined


Warm Regards


Tweet

Follow me on
My facebook page Suzy's Ilation
Bloglovin
Pinterest Suzy Que
Google+ Suzy Que
Instagram Suzy.Ila

Success is Defined ... #atozchallenge letter S @AprilA2Z

My theme for the 2017 AtoZ Challenge is "Daily Thoughts".

Each day I will post a thought that comes to mind. The first word of the thought will correspond with the letter of the day.

So here is my thought for the letter S

Azaleas from my garden

Success is defined uniquely by each person

Strive to attain yours not someone else's

Each of us defines success in different ways.  This hit home even more when I was discussing futures with a loved one over the weekend.

I've often thought of what success for me means. And eventually after going through all the usual career, love, finance, fame and fortune etc I ended up with just one thought that really encompassed all of these - to be at peace with my life.

What's your definition of success?  Share in the comments below.

If you do leave a comment, please make it easy for me and add a link to your blog / post. Thanks.

Written for the #atozchallenge drop by and check out some awesome posts.

My posts so far
All roads lead to your destiny               
Be like the river       
Change occurs at every moment
Do or do not               
Expectation              
Find the Fun
Great Minds Think Alike
Help Comes
Inaction can
Journeys
Kite Flying
Live as if
Music
Now and then
Open Doors
Patience
Quieting the mind
Respond Intelligently



Warm Regards


Tweet

Follow me on
My facebook page Suzy's Ilation
Bloglovin
Pinterest Suzy Que
Google+ Suzy Que
Instagram Suzy.Ila

Respond Intelligently ... #atozchallenge letter R @AprilA2Z

My theme for the 2017 AtoZ Challenge is "Daily Thoughts".

Each day I will post a thought that comes to mind. The first word of the thought will correspond with the letter of the day.

So here is my thought for the letter R

Respond intelligently to unintelligent treatment

~ Lao Tzu

This is one of my favourite quotes. I don't always succeed but I do try to remember to respond intelligently when I am at the receiving end of unintelligent treatment.

Sometimes the most intelligent response is not to respond at all and let the person vent.


Have you been in situations where you've had to respond intelligently?  Share your experiences in the comments so we can all learn.

If you do leave a comment, please make it easy for me and add a link to your blog / post. Thanks.

Written for the #atozchallenge drop by and check out some awesome posts.

My posts so far
All roads lead to your destiny               
Be like the river       
Change occurs at every moment
Do or do not                
Expectation              
Find the Fun
Great Minds Think Alike
Help Comes
Inaction can
Journeys
Kite Flying
Live as if
Music
Now and then
Open Doors
Patience
Quieting the mind


Warm Regards


Tweet

Follow me on
My facebook page Suzy's Ilation
Bloglovin
Pinterest Suzy Que
Google+ Suzy Que
Instagram Suzy.Ila

Quieting the Mind ... #atozchallenge letter Q @AprilA2Z

My theme for the 2017 AtoZ Challenge is "Daily Thoughts".

Each day I will post a thought that comes to mind. The first word of the thought will correspond with the letter of the day.

So here is my thought for the letter Q

Quieting the mind is not an easy thing to do

Have you ever tried to meditate, clearing and quieting the mind?  I marvel at people who can meditate like that because it is such a difficult thing to do for me.

But some years ago someone said to me that meditation and quieting the mind is a very personal thing. That is what works for one not necessarily works for another. We need to find our own way of meditating. And when we find our way and connect with Spirit, then we have automatically quietened the mind.

I am very late with my post so will not ramble further.

Share your quieting the mind experiences in the comments below.

If you do leave a comment, please make it easy for me and add a link to your blog / post. Thanks.

Teaser for the letter R: Respond Intelligently ...

Written for the #atozchallenge drop by and check out some awesome posts.

My posts so far
All roads lead to your destiny               
Be like the river       
Change occurs at every moment
Do or do not                  
Expectation              
Find the Fun
Great Minds Think Alike
Help Comes
Inaction can
Journeys
Kite Flying
Live as if
Music
Now and then
Open Doors
Patience



Warm Regards


Tweet

Follow me on
My facebook page Suzy's Ilation
Bloglovin
Pinterest Suzy Que
Google+ Suzy Que
Instagram Suzy.Ila

Patience is ... #atozchallenge letter P @AprilA2Z

My theme for the 2017 AtoZ Challenge is "Daily Thoughts".

Each day I will post a thought that comes to mind. The first word of the thought will correspond with the letter of the day.

So here is my thought for the letter P

Pohutakawa flowers

Patience is a necessity

Life needs to unfold slowly

Each morning when I get off the bus, I watch the crowd surge forward towards my work building. There are those that walk briskly, there are those that are deep in conversation on their cellphones or chatting with a friend. And then there are those who walk slowly and look around.

Eventually we all meet up at the pedestrian crossing and have to wait for the lights to turn green. And then there are those that live on the edge and cross in between buses whizzing by. Eventually we all meet up at the lifts of my building. Really no need to hurry - we all meet up at the same place just a few minutes apart.  

Some days ago I decided to be more mindful of that short walk. I discovered so many things enroute - trees with hanging roots that I've passed by for the last 4 years and never noticed. Other plants along the way, and a little bench to rest on. One of these days I'll even stop and take a few pictures.

I think this quote sums up my thoughts well ...

The key to everything is patience.

You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.

~Arnold H Glasow~

Have you ever walked the same route many times and suddenly noticed something? Share in the comments below

If you do leave a comment, make it easy for me and leave a link to your blog / post.

Teaser for the letter Q: Quietening the mind ...

Written for the #atozchallenge drop by and check out some awesome posts.

My posts so far
All roads lead to your destiny               
Be like the river       
Change occurs at every moment
Do or do not                     
Expectation              
Find the Fun
Great Minds Think Alike
Help Comes
Inaction can
Journeys
Kite Flying
Live as if
Music
Now and then
Open Doors



Warm Regards


Tweet

Follow me on
My facebook page Suzy's Ilation
Bloglovin
Pinterest Suzy Que
Google+ Suzy Que
Instagram Suzy.Ila

Open Doors ... #atozchallenge letter O @AprilA2Z

My theme for the 2017 AtoZ Challenge is "Daily Thoughts".

Each day I will post a thought that comes to mind. The first word of the thought will correspond with the letter of the day.

So here is my thought for the letter O

Open doors are often missed because we stare too long at closed doors

We seem to have a talent for holding onto things. The past looks so much more appealing than the present.

So often when a door closes, we lament and try desperately to open that door. And in doing that we miss all the doors that are opening or in other words all the opportunities that are available for us. We let our past dominate and define who we are.

It's a natural thing to do to hold onto something that is our comfort zone. The future always looks scary until we are forced to step into it. Only then do we realise that we wasted a lot of time in staring at a closed door or worse still, trying hard to open it, when all along the new one that opened up was hugely better.

Sometime ago I wrote a story that depicts this concept though in quite a different context (For I Have Talked With God).

Instead of a poem today I will end with these words from Lao Tzu

When I let go of who I am, I become what I might be

Have you experienced a time when letting go of a closed door, an even better door opened up for you? Share in the comments below.

If you do leave a comment, make it easy for me and leave a link to your blog / post.

Teaser for the letter P:  Patience is ...

Written for the #atozchallenge drop by and check out some awesome posts.

My posts so far
All roads lead to your destiny               
Be like the river       
Change occurs at every moment
Do or do not                      
Expectation              
Find the Fun
Great Minds Think Alike
Help Comes
Inaction can
Journeys
Kite Flying
Live as if
Music
Now and then


Warm Regards


Tweet

Follow me on
My facebook page Suzy's Ilation
Bloglovin
Pinterest Suzy Que
Google+ Suzy Que
Instagram Suzy.Ila

Now and Then ... #atozchallenge letter N @AprilA2Z

My theme for the 2017 AtoZ Challenge is "Daily Thoughts".

Each day I will post a thought that comes to mind. The first word of the thought will correspond with the letter of the day.

So here is my thought for the letter N

taken at the Cadbury factory in Dunedin, NZ

Now and then a little indulgence is therapeutic

Initially I thought about something philosophical and spiritual but somehow that didn't seem right. And then looking through my archives I came across the above.

We are forever striving to be perfect - the perfect weight, the perfect job, the perfect relationship. We are so caught up in the pursuit of perfection and the drive to get there is so great that we often forget that life is meant to be savoured and enjoyed.

And so a little indulgence now and then is very necessary.

A little indulgence now and then

Is a therapeutic thing

Cake and icecream or blobbing out

Or a nature walk in Spring

In the pursuit of perfection

We often lose our way

Need to stop and smell the roses

Indulgence will surely pay

~x~

How do you stop and smell the roses, what's your idea of indulgence?  Share in the comments below.

If you do leave a comment, make it easy for me and leave a link to your blog / post.

Teaser for the letter O: Open doors ...

Written for the #atozchallenge drop by and check out some awesome posts.

My posts so far
All roads lead to your destiny               
Be like the river       
Change occurs at every moment
Do or do not                       
Expectation              
Find the Fun
Great Minds Think Alike
Help Comes
Inaction can
Journeys
Kite Flying
Live as if
Music


Warm Regards


Tweet

Follow me on
My facebook page Suzy's Ilation
Bloglovin
Pinterest Suzy Que
Google+ Suzy Que
Instagram Suzy.Ila

Music is ... #atozchallenge letter M @AprilA2Z

My theme for the 2017 AtoZ Challenge is "Daily Thoughts".

Each day I will post a thought that comes to mind. The first word of the thought will correspond with the letter of the day.

So here is my thought for the letter M

taken at the Saturday Farmers market in Wellington

Music is a moral law

It gives soul to the Universe

Wings to the mind

Flight to imagination

Charm and gaiety to life

and to everything

~Plato~

I think Plato summed it up very nicely on a generic basis. On an individual basis, that is for myself, music connects me to my soul, to the Universe, to the great Spirit.

There are so many genres of music. On different days, in different moods the genre and type of music changes. Some days I like my Indian music, some days English and other days in foreign languages. Some days it's bollywood some days it's Gujarati songs. Some days I like devotional some days instrumental. Sometimes it's piano, sometimes the violin.

Whatever I choose on the day, music is sure to make me feel good.

M    meditative and mesmerising

U     universal and uplifting        

S     sublime and soul satisfying

    I      inspirational and illuminating

C     captivating and calming     

Today I feel like some instrumental piano so sharing Richard Clayderman's La Vie En Rose (one of my favourite songs).



And a Gujarati folk song Mehendi Te Vavi - very popular as a garba song. Garba is a traditional dance from Gujarat. Watch the audience dance some garba steps (approximately halfway through).

Shreya Ghoshal in Wellington NZ


Music means many different things to different people. What does it mean to you? Share in the comments below.

If you do leave a comment, make it easy for me and leave a link to your blog / post.

Teaser for the letter N: Now is ....

Written for the #atozchallenge drop by and check out some awesome posts.

My posts so far
All roads lead to your destiny               
Be like the river       
Change occurs at every moment
Do or do not                           
Expectation              
Find the Fun
Great Minds Think Alike
Help Comes
Inaction can
Journeys
Kite Flying
Live as if


Warm Regards


Tweet

Follow me on
My facebook page Suzy's Ilation
Bloglovin
Pinterest Suzy Que
Google+ Suzy Que
Instagram Suzy.Ila