Art Journaling is happiness ... #vlog #chaiwithsuzy #SuzysIlation #FridayReflections

Some years ago, inspired by YouTube art journals, I decided to start art journaling.

But the journey started in December of 2015 when I walked into a bookshop and found a set of 3 mini journals that were so cute, I had to buy them. I had no idea what I would use them for but they were just too cute to resist.

One of these became my art journal.

So grab a cuppa and join me in a flip through of some of the pages ...

On my youtube channel:    https://youtu.be/neXfXO04mac

Unfortunately I had to use still photos because the film came up with a weird shimmer that was quite hurtful to the eyes. I tried many times but couldn't make it go away. Might be the type of paper in the journal.

But regardless, I hope you enjoyed today's vlog. Let me know in a comment, which page you liked the best. 

And if you are interested in the story mentioned in my vlog, here is the link to For I Have Talked With God

I have a lot of fun with my art journaling. Art and crafts in general always make me feel happy. 

Some other things that make me happy are:

Crafting - I love making cards

Hills and Mountains - bring me a sense of peace

Board and Card games - playing with the family is fun and relaxing

Walking in nature - always exhilarating

Chai (tea brewed the Indian way) - always relaxes me

Vlogging and Blogging - challenges me to think beyond the usual

Photography and Filming - capturing moments in time I can remember forever

Farmer's market on a nice day - fun and colourful and has a high energy buzz

Ice cream - no explanations needed :)

I have to add music, how could I not. Well that makes it 11 but does it matter?


Be happy, stay happy.


Written for
#FridayReflections hosted by Everyday Gyaan and Kohl Eyed Me

Linking to
Lovin' Life
#OpenSlather
#LifeThisWeek



Warm Regards


Tweet

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

Life's Journey - (e)Xpectations

Life is like a jigsaw puzzle. Each little piece is an aspect of our journey through it. And when at last we find that last piece and fit it into place, we eventually see the meaning of this life.

UBC Day 28
The X Piece - eXpectations

Taking a few liberties with the letter X .. sound rather than the start of the word.

There are many ways to make Peace from War. One of the major contributors of "war" is eXpectations of others and one of the ways to make peace is to have none.

When we have expectations of other people and when they don't live up to that expectation then dissatisfaction sets in. Expecting things from others inevitably leads to discontent. So set expectations for yourself not for others.  But set realistic expectations and know your limits as setting outlandish expectations that simply cannot be achieved can also lead to frustration.

There are of course boundaries that we do set for ourselves and having those expectations is not only okay it is necessary. For example, foul language and smoking are not permitted in my house. I expect the kids to place their plates in the kitchen after they finish, put their clothes in the laundry basket, help me bring in the groceries, have a high level of personal hygiene, be honest, have integrity, treat people well and behave well, take responsibility for their actions etc. Remembering of course that children learn best by example!

The kind of expectations I am referring to is where we expect someone to do something for us because we think they should or we believe it is our right to expect that, or be the person we want them to be or set such high expectations that they are simply not achievable by that person.

I have heard a number of times from various people "I can't change but I expect you too". Life does not work like that. All change comes from within. If you aren't prepared to change, did you really think that I would? I have watched so many people frustrated and destroyed because their expectations of others was simply not met. Frustration and destruction has a domino effect, it starts to destroy all in its path.

And yet when you do receive, remember to receive it as a gift, honour it and be thankful. The act of honouring and thankfulness itself can be a gift returned.

When we expect something from someone or expect them to do something, we are actually expecting them to live our own life. That simply isn't going to happen. Over the last 6 years I have learned that we each come with our own destiny, our own agenda for soul learning and growth and we each have to learn it in our own way and in our own time.

Relationships are one of our greatest teachers and expectations are one of our greatest destroyers.

My happiness grows in direct proportion to my acceptance, 

and in inverse proportion to my expectations. 

~ Michael J. Fox

May your happiness grow and praying that when your time comes to make that great leap of soul learning, that it comes to you in the nicest possible way. Blessings.


The Jigsaw Pieces of my journey so far

Check out some blogs participating in the AtoZ Challenge


Written for: A to Z Challenge and The Ultimate Blogging Challenge


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.

Tweet

Warm Regards

Life's Jigsaw - Joy

Life is like a jigsaw puzzle. Each little piece is an aspect of our journey through it. And when at last we find that last piece and fit it into place, we eventually see the meaning of this life.

UBC Day 11
The J Piece - Joy

Joy is my word for 2014 and Joy I hope to find in all things I do as I hope by living in joy I will also spread joy. After all we are all interconnected.

"Happiness is not a pursuit, it is a state of being" are words that came into my head not long ago.

I take that to mean that happiness cannot be found, it's not something we can search for. We choose to live each moment in joy, to see joy in everything, to look at the bright side of life and that even when hard times hit us, we are able to live in acceptance and move through it.

Big events bring us great joy, but little things bring us great joy as well. There is joy in receiving as well as in giving. We live in joy when we think joy. 

Your joy comes from how you think, the choices that we make in life

~ Joyce Meyer

Think joy. Celebrate joy. Be happy.

Written for: A to Z Challenge and The Ultimate Blogging Challenge


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.

Tweet

Warm Regards

UBC Day 11 True Happiness

Day 11 Ultimate Blogging Challenge

Oprah's 9th Question

Your True Happiness

Without thinking too much about it, describe in as much detail as possible your perfect happiness.

A couple of weeks ago I had the most profound experience in the form of a message from the Universe:

"Happiness is not a pursuit, it is a state of being"

So keeping that message in mind, my true happiness lies in accepting my life in its totality, the way it was, the way it is, the way it will be.

image source: google images

“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” 

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have a happy day.



Check out these awesome bloggers who are also taking part in the UBC challenge:
  Shilpa  Kajal  Richa  Jairam  Sheethal  Kathy  Swati  Michelle  Nabanita

My previous UBC Jan 2014 posts here

Oprah's questions roundup: Q1  Q2  Q3  Q4 Q5  Q6  Q7  Q8


Drop by my facebook page Suzy's Ilation and if any of your posts needs some tlc, add it to the goodwill thread there and I'll drop by and give it some love.

Tweet

Warm Regards

UBC Day 3 My Younger Self Is Delighted

Day 3 Ultimate Blogging Challenge

Inspired by Oprah's 11 Things A Woman Should Write Down Before The Year Ends and having read some awesome posts by some bloggers I thought I would do my own.

But I thought I'd do it a bit differently and dedicate a post to each question.

So here is Question 1:

What Younger You Would Like About Present You

What would make 14-year-old you delighted, if not disbelieving?

I think my 14-year-old-me would probably be delighted to know that I am happy with myself just the way I am.

I was an awkward, chubby, shy, quiet, timid 14 year old. I was teased about my weight and called all kinds of fairly cruel names. Over the years I lost a lot of weight, gained it back, lost it again, gained it back and it went backwards and forwards.

But in 2013 I had my aha moment - The Gods love me chubby and take every opportunity they find to sabotage my efforts to get slim.  I exercise, I eat healthy but the Gods want me chubby. So here I am chubby and at ease with that.

I can see my 14-year-old-me grin from ear to ear and I can hear the Gods sing:

"Don't go changing to try and please us, you've never let us down before ... We love you just the way you are" ~ adapted from Billy Joel's Just the way you are.

image source: google images 

Have a happy day.

Check out these awesome bloggers who are also taking part in the UBC challenge:
  Shilpa  Kajal  Richa  Jairam  Sheethal  Kathy  Swati  Michelle Nabanita

My previous UBC Jan 2014 posts here


Like my facebook page Suzy's Ilation and if any of your posts needs some tlc, add it to the goodwill thread there and I'll drop by and give it some love.

Tweet

Warm Regards

Laughter

Laughter is the topic for this week at GBE2





I thought I would pen down my thoughts on laughter through some quotes that got me nodding in agreement. So here they are:

At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities 
~ Jean Houston
If you believe in collective consciousness then this idea will resonate with you. When we all laugh, we create higher levels of positive energy, which in turn raises the spiritual levels of the Universe - my belief anyway - so your laughter is beneficial to everyone.


Everybody laughs the same in every language because laughter is a universal connection 
~ Yakov Smirnoff
I often encounter this on my travels. Even if language becomes a barrier, laughter is truly universal. Even a smile makes a connection.


I'm happy that I have brought laughter because I have been shown by many the value of it in so many lives, in so many ways.
~ Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball is one of my favourite actors. Her "I Love Lucy" series is a favourite in my house. Each night we watch a Lucy episode - highly recommended to end the day on a happy note.


I have observed over the years that people gravitate more towards happy people who smile and laugh a lot. And because laughter should be shared, here are some clips that are my favourite.






Sending a virtual smile and laugh your way.

Warm Regards


Linking to

Question of the day - What is your happiest childhood memory

 


And what makes it so special?




This is a real easy one to answer.

I was six years old when my dad bought me a puzzle book. I can't remember the book but have a vague recollection of stick figures.

Each night after dinner we would sit together and solve a page of puzzles.

Doing puzzles with him was so much fun and my dad was so kind.  He was the kindest man I ever knew.

Why is this so special?  Because this was my time with dad - just him and me. After solving a page of puzzles, I always skipped to bed, I was so happy.

I love doing puzzles and I think it's because of those puzzles I did with dad as a six year old.

Over the years and right until he died, he and I often did puzzles together. Sudoku was our favourite, still is for me.

I narrated this story at his funeral because it is special to me.

Dad, someday when we meet again, we'll do those puzzles together.


Please share your memories.