Goodbye 2016 and Hello 2017 #FridayReflections #WOTY

Today is the last day of 2016 and here in New Zealand in less than an hour we will clock over to 2017.

So how was my 2016?

All in all it wasn't a bad year. Work wise it was an extremely busy year. I like being busy but I hope that in 2017 I find more time to do the things I want to do.

My writing took a backseat this year and though I did post fairly regularly, the satisfaction of having done well isn't there. Don't know why, but I just felt my writing was too fragmented. I seem to be catching up rather than planning well and a little too much free writing (probably because I was always trying to catch up). I also feel my writing needs to take on a new direction. Let's see what 2017 brings forth.

My word for 2016 was "Creative" and though I didn't do too well on the writing front, my other creative pursuits like mixed media and crafting brought me great joy. I will definitely keep up with that in 2017.

And I did a little travelling too.  Spent Christmas in Nelson in the South Island of New Zealand. Such a lovely place. Will write some more on that in another post.

What's my word for 2017? 

Creative came to me so easily as my word for 2016. But my word for 2017 seemed so elusive. I thought of a few - focus, persevere, enjoy. But none of them seemed to resonate. I thought I might have to go with no word this year as nothing was coming to mind. That unfortunately made me very uncomfortable. Words have a way of forging a path so I was determined to find one.

Then a couple of hours ago, I stumbled upon a video on Mozart. Prior to that I sent up a prayer and asked for a word. And as I listened to Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor, the word andante came flashing into my mind and would not leave.

So having looked up the meaning of andante "music tempo - at a walking pace" I decided that it was really the perfect word for 2017. 

Andante for me means, in general, slowing down the pace of life. 2016 seemed to fly by and I felt I didn't really savour the moments. Andante also signifies exercising but not at a crazy pace that puts my back out and perhaps I will pursue my desire to learn a musical instrument. On the writing front I hope I will not have to rush things and do some focussed writing.

So let's see how Andante unfolds for me.

What's your word for 2017?  Write a post or share in the comments

Wishing you all a Happy New Year. May 2017 bring you good health, success, prosperity, peace, joy and love.

Linking to:
#FridayReflections at Everyday Gyaan -  Reflect on 2016, the year gone by
#WOTY at Ramblin' with AM
New Year prompt at BlogChatter


Warm Regards


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Book Review

For the Write Tribe Festival - Rediscovering your blogging groove

Day 3 - Write a Review

I am convinced that books find me. So when a friend shared a picture from the facebook page The Afterlife of Billy Fingers, I was intrigued, And from there I was led to buy the kindle version of the book. So here is my review of that book.

Book: The Afterlife Of Billy Fingers
Author: Annie Kagan

image source: google images

What the book is about

In The Afterlife of Billy Fingers: How My Bad-Boy Brother Proved to Me There's Life After Death, Kagan shares the extraordinary story of her after death communications (ADC) with her brother Billy, who began speaking to her just weeks after his unexpected death. taken from Amazon.com

Billy described to Annie his journey back to his spiritual home and along the way he relayed some delightful insights into life and death.


My views on the book

Written in simple language, it was a very easy read. There were parts of the book particularly towards the end that seemed a bit far fetched but of course this is about the afterlife so who knows what really abounds there.

On the whole it was uplifting and inspirational, a book you could pick up and refer to again and again. I am reading the book again and I find that I am enjoying it more on the second read and the messages seem deeper and more meaningful.

Some quotes from the book to give you a little glimpse into what you might expect from it:

A shift in perspective makes the particles in your Universe dance to new possibilities

We signed up to do this dance together before we were born

Get rid of beliefs that keep you running around following rules others have set down

I enjoyed the book and its messages resonated with me as a lot of what I read was what I believe too. Maybe the Universe sent this along as confirmation of my own beliefs.

If you are on a spiritual journey, this book may provide the means to expand your mind. If you don't believe in the afterlife, it may open your mind to that possibility.  And if you are steadfast in your own beliefs then it may just be an interesting story to read and perhaps ponder over another day.

My rating: 4 stars and highly recommended.

Happy Reading

Related posts:
Day 1 - Write a List  - When Life Disappoints
Day 2 - Answer a Question -  What Would You Wish For


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Book Love

Written for the Write Tribe Festival of Words #3 Day 4 - Book Review

Many years ago when I got married, my best friend had already moved to the US. Unfortunately she couldn't make it to my wedding but she sent me a wedding card and in it she wrote these lines:

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

These are words from Kahlil Gibran's book, The Prophet, my favourite book of all time. It's one of my most treasured gifts that I got from my workmates in India when I left for New Zealand.

The book opens with the Prophet Almustafa leaving the city of Orphalese. He's about to board his ship when  he is stopped by a group of people who ask him to enlighten them on life.

The book is divided into chapters dealing with different stages of life and circumstances, human values and conditions and each chapter is written in poetic form. As I love poetry, this style of this book  appeals to me greatly.

This is a book that truly grows on you. Each time I read it, I understand the words a little bit better. One can read this as a story or take a spiritual meaning from it.

But one has to read it to experience it for oneself.

My posts so far: Day 1  Day 2   Day 3

Drop by my facebook page Suzy's Ilation and if any of your posts needs some tlc, leave a link there and I'll drop by and give it some love.

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This Elf was Serenely Rapt

It's nearly Christmas and Santa's little elves are busy checking the lists, packing up gifts. The North Pole is buzzing with activity.

Then Santa sent an SOS for a little help with a different kind of present: The Indiblogeshwari's That Tuesday Thingy Christmas Edition. And so these special elves enthusiastically volunteered to help Santa make these dreams come true.

I waited excitedly for my secret envelope to arrive and then got to work ...

It's my pleasure to introduce Dagny's blog "Serenely Rapt" which is a collection of many penned thoughts in a wide array of genres including stories (fiction and non-fiction), insights and inspiration, tributes and life. In short, Serenely Rapt is a versatile blog that provides something for everyone.

Dagny writes with such passion, be it a political viewpoint or taking a political stand, or an introduction to another blogger or a story, or a poem or just some inspiration. Each post is cleverly woven together and culminates in a pearl of wisdom.

And now and then there is an injection of humour that is very appealing. Humour used well, is very effective in telling a story, used badly is a put off. Dagny uses humour in just the right doses to describe a situation or convey a point of view.

With a mastery over vocabulary, posts portray an array of emotions and each one took me on an interesting and vivid journey, leaving me with some food for thought.

The blog is visually appealing. Clean, clear and crisp with a beautiful header that complements the name of this blog. Posts are nicely catalogued and easy to find and each post contains a well thought out picture that visually portrays the essence of the post.

I was ... serenely rapt.

This elf made it just in time. One special gift signed, sealed and delivered. But many more wishes to send off to the world ...

Wish you all Peace, Joy and Love this Christmas and always. Have a Blessed one.

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