treasure is everywhere

Hello Readers Recently some friends of mine were ripping up the old floor boards from their boat. They merrily set about putting the old boards into the trash. I studied the boards and found that where the glue had been spread to stick the boards onto the floor of the boat some amazing graphic designs had emerged. The photo you can see is the edge of one of those boards on the gravel driveway. The textures and patterns are quite exquisite! Needless to say, I managed to rescue some pieces and christmas presents are being created out of rubbish!! People are often discarded by society in a similar way. We need to take time to really appreciate the beauty of old age, of difference, of the worn and torn, being open to the fact that treasure is right in front of us. Blessings to you and yours in this holiday season. may the hope of the bright morning star shine brightly in your hearts. Sandy

falling back into trust

Once upon a time there was a little person...a child. The child learned that the world was not a safe place. When she grew to adulthood she thought that she needed to control everyone and everything around her to make sure that her world was ok. She held the reins. She was hypervigilent looking to see where the next threat would come from. Then she met kindness. Kindness came and stood right in front of her and said that it was ok to let go. She didn't believe kindness and tried to control kindness so that it could be dealt out to her in exact measures at the prescribed times. A knowable resource, to help her get through life. Kindness said, "Thats not how it works. Kindness is a gift. I am here for you but you can't ever know the extent of that, unless you let go of control and choose to trust." Trust feels like a risk. I am choosing to take that risk. I am falling back into the arms of kindness today. When you hold anything too tightly it will be squashed and limited in what it can give you. In relationships, the rich and wonderful opportunity to receive from another person is lost if we attempt to control the journey. I hope that this is food for thought and that you can mindfully sooth yourself enough to let go of those you are controlling. I am letting go and falling back into the arms of kindness today. Blessings Sandy

Restoration

Hello Readers 'Restoration' is such a beautiful word. Is has implications of mending that which is broken, healing hurts, bringing the beauty back to something/some-one who has become hidden behind the wears and tears of life. For the last month or two I have been working on a restoration project on the villa where I work. It has involved a process of bringing the front of the house back to the bare wood, filling the holes and gaps, sanding off the bumps and rough edges. One day as I was working I found underneath the paint the number 20, in large numerals, stamped onto the wood. It had been hidden under there for many many years. The house had been moved from elsewhere onto this spot. I was intregued about the origin of that number. My work as a therapist is very similar to this process at times. Often as people use the creative process in therapy, it helps them to expose the 'bare wood', the essence, the deeply known insights that are usually hidden underneath the grind of daily life, uncovering the beauty and the reality of what is there. Sometimes surprising gaps are discovered and how these have affected the person over the years begins to make sense. Nothing is judged. It just is. Some people decide not to 're-paint'. This enables them to start a life that is more authentic and honest. The wonderful outcome of this is that their connections with others are no longer based on a persona and at last intimacy is possible. Go well with these thoughts. Peace Sandy

Hope

Hello, my friends Over the last couple of years a few people have talked to me about 'hope'. Hope is present centred...and future oriented. To some has become equated with magical thinking. They become angry or frustrated at the thought of passively waiting for a hoped for outcome and have little respect for those that live in that way. Others equate it to faith in a higher power who is engineering their lives and working all things for good. These opinions have caused me to stop and think about the meaning for myself. I was in a group once where the person leading asked us to distil what we felt the purpose of our life was into one or two words. I came up with the words, "Hope-bringer". This was years ago and today those words still resonate with me. My desire is to convey to people that they can connect with their essence, their potential, their beauty, their creativity and the flame of life within. They can begin to live mindfully in the present moment and to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. Is hope still relevant? I believe so!! I hope for you. Sandy

Connecting the dots

Hello there I wonder who will stumble onto this blog today. Right now I am unsure what will emerge as I write. I am going to let whatever emerges to emerge and trust that, for this moment, it is just right. I don't know about you, but my brain keeps wanting to 'connect the dots', to make conclusions, to arrive somewhere, rather than being content to be on a now moment by now moment, journey of discovery. As I wonder about that, I notice that if I pull myself gently back to the present, I can be aware of the task of writing this blog. It can be approached as a fixed point goal (Skeates, 2009) or an emergent process. If I allow it to be emergent, my stress in doing it, disappears. What is becoming clear to me as I write? That I want to simply be here with you, where ever you are in the world. So that you know you are not alone. You are connected to me across the miles and I care what is happening to you. Also that whatever I have learned in my 56 years of living, I want to make available to you. That is my emergent insight. I have discovered the reason for this blog. Connecting the dots is not always possible on a cognitive level because we have only our thoughts and memories to draw upon. Real insight, in contrast, happens when we connect with the deeper truth, found in our hearts. Bless you on your own journey of discovery. Peace and love, Sandy

Why Wonderful Women Were on Waiheke!!!

What a wonderful weekend we have just had. 7 women together in a lovely house on Waiheke Island for a Creative Retreat. It was a rich, wonderful experiential, beautiful time of connecting as a group and processing as individuals, in a safe and respectful environment. We painted, talked, walked, ate together and even danced a little Flamenco on Saturday evening! We laughed, we cried. We learned to play the spoons. We found our voices. we learned that mindfullly eating a strawberry was a deeply moving and wonderful experience. We wove strands of our lives together, the shadow...and the light, into a beautiful carpet where we were connected to each other. We learned how to disengage from the perpetual narrative and be present to the now. I will never forget it. Why don't you join us next time. Let the flame burn brightly in your soul. Peace and love, Sandy

Let me introduce myself

Hello My name is Sandy Fabrin. I work as a therapist in Auckland, New Zealand. I have an interest in helping people, by using creativity to gain healing insights and to promote well-being. In my work as a therapist, I have noticed that so many people are ruled by fear. The restrictions and limitations that were originally imposed by family and society have become self-imposed. You, also, may feel that you have been attempting to break free of similar limitations. What could you be like if you gave full expression to who you are; if rather than being afraid of what others thought you began to give express your authentic self? Actually you are the only person on earth who can do that. It would be such a shame if the world never got to meet the real you...the full expression of you. I wish you well on your journey. Start small. Begin today. Express more of yourself in your words. Use your appearance. Use your work. Use your music. Deliberately shine. Peace to you. Sandy.

Under Spanish skies, last November

Creative expression and healing

Hi there I am preparing for a weekend creative retreat on Waiheke Island close to the city of Auckland, New Zealand, where I live and work. I am expecting 6 or seven women to attend. It is exciting to know that what happens there will unfold in a way that is beyond my control, even though I will be facilitating. Each woman's creative process will be unique and the insights of each person will be theirs. I love it that each choice that they make creatively is their chosen expression and in that way unique and precious. It feels like an amazing privilege to have the opportunity to help people to deepen their connection with the now moment and to teach a non-judgmental acceptance of 'what is'. Tonight I attended a meeting of about 250 creative people and one of my daughters was a guest speaker. She spoke about the creative process and how every line that she draws as an illustrator, is a continuation of the same line she has been drawing forever. As we give creative expression to ourselves, whether by art, cooking, decorating, writing etc we are giving to the world. We are speaking and expressing our unique message that every single person on earth has. We give voice to what we are about. An expression of our essence. Our DNA. Together we form a choir that resounds around the earth. Healing comes as we give expression to who we are and peace comes as we accept without judgment the expressions of others. Join me in this amazing journey, if you will. Peace and love Sandy

The unfolding now moment

Hello to all who may have found this blog. I warmly welcome you. It is dusk at this moment in Auckland, New Zealand. The street lights have come on and the leaves of the trees have become silouetted against a pearl grey sky. I wish to make the most of this moment as it won't come my way again. I am amazed at the richness and the wonder of the actual now moment when I remember to actually be in it in a connected way. Often I am in my head, (as I heard on a podcast today, in a virtual reality) instead of the 'experiential now' with all of the beauty and sensory experience that it has to offer. It still takes intentional attention for me to remain in the moment but I wish to make it my way of being in the world. I am devouring the sights and the smells, the tastes, the sounds and the feeling of this moment as I would in a foreign city that I was visiting. Curious and open and engaged. I don't want to miss a thing. Join me on my travels if you will. Peace Sandy

The lessons of spring

Good morning readers. I was out walking this morning. The air was crisp and cool as I breathed it in. I connected with the earth and sky in the moment. My body, my breath, my aliveness. The blessing of being alive for another day was close and wondrous. Some buds are breaking out into flower after the cool silent rest of winter. My heart is open to movement of the seasons and the call to growth to all living things...including me. What buds are ready, waiting to burst out and be seen. I choose to grow with the times...to not remain stagnant and silent. Let your buds unfurl. I can't wait to see the unfolding of you. Peace and love Sandy

The absence of fear

One day the dawn will come and with new eyes I will see. Truth will reveal itself in many-splendoured colours and no fear will silence the magnificat of my heart. Insight brings hope. Hope brings joy. Joy brings generosity. Generosity brings forgiveness. Forgiveness brings peace. Peace brings well-being. Well-being brings contentment. May you experience these things as you give expression to the insights you find, as you listen to your heart. Listen with your paints, listen with your words, listen with your song and dance. Go well, my friends. Sandy Auckland, New Zealand

My canvas is on fire

Flaming colours shouting across the waves a sudden intake of breath splendour expressed an uproar of movement rich and glorious perfection in chaos illuminating my soul making my spirit soar

Being comfortable in your own skin

Hello there, readers. Here is another message in a bottle, cast from the shores of New Zealand. I have been thinking about being comfortable in my own skin and expressing my inner-self outwardly in an authentic and congruent way. Just to contemplate this makes me feel a surge of hope and courage. I wrote myself a note and stuck it to my desk. On it is one word, "Become!" That word is giving me permission to feel what I feel, think what I think,and express my-self more fully than I ever have before. Words, actions, appearance, values, beliefs...I am not talking about imposing any of these things onto other people and it is not for others that I will become. It is answering the call of my DNA! Tiny messages in every single cell of my body that say who I am and who I will become given the right nurturing and validating environment. I am not waiting for anyone else to provide this for me. I accept who I am. I am committed to personal growth and to living a mindful life...not striving...growing organically. every breath a chance to embrace life in all of its fullness and every day a chance to live a life of creative expression. Experiencing the alchemy of creativity, transforming the mundane into gold. You may wish to join me on my journey. Peace. Sandy

survive and thrive

Hello where ever you are in the world. I am writing to you from a small group of islands in the South Pacific, called New Zealand. I attended a seminar today called "Survive and thrive". It was aimed at creatives/artists who wanted to learn from each other, exchange ideas, network and be inspired. For me it was like consuming a large feast. So much to take in. Serendipitous meetings and mind stretching concepts. Like-minded people and other-minded people. Some lovely contacts. A spirit of collaboration,wisdom and encouragement. What would the world be like if we could be like that always. The whole more than merely the sum of the parts. Living with our eyes wide open. Present to the now moment. Celebrating your existence on this gem of a planet. Peace. Sandy

sustainable mindfulness on a winters day

To whom this message in a bottle may reach. It has been about a month since I posted on my blog...a busy month. I have at last stopped to catch my breath, and notice my breath. Outside my window the rain is falling steadily, washing the trees and palms here to a brilliant lime green and the aloes hold orange torches along the driveway, thrusting them through the rainfall towards the sky. The heater by my side warms and comforts me. Its heat radiates across my back and holds me close like a comforting arm. I am grateful. I give intentional attention to a tv aerial far away. I then intentionally give attention to a ticket for entrance to the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, on my desk. My mind wants to go there and the floods of memories demand attention. I delay focusing on them and I focus on my breathing. Disciplining my mind to do what I decide. Strengthening my ability to notice and engage what I decide to. I can choose to widen my awareness or focus it. My emotions do not dictate to me. This is freedom. This morning I mindfully ate my breakfast. I had toast with ginger marmelade and coffee. I consciously chewed each mouthfull and actually tasted it. Not anxious to move onto the next thing or to find an answer to this or that question. One thing at a time, mindfully aware of the present moment and fully engaged. This is how I do winter. It is fabulous. I appreciate being alive. Peace to you today. Sandy

the mindful artist

Over the last few weeks, I have had a painting in progress. Sometimes when I have 'down time' between clients, or if I am at my office during the weekend, I engage with the paint and the canvas. Every stroke is mine. I own them. I intuitively work on the canvas, not knowing what each mark will add to the composition. I 'listen' to my impulses to place the colours here or there. I allow my pallet knife to mix different and unexpected hues as it glides and scrapes across the vista. I celebrate each colour and enjoy the smell of the oil paints. My painting rag becomes as beautiful as a coat of many colours and my easel is itself a sculpture of beauty...an instalation in my room that brings me joy. Something happens on the inside of me while I am absorbed with my craft. A contentment comes over me. I relax and breathe. I am in the moment. I am not striving to complete a prescribed or contrived idea. I am allowing whatever emerges to emerge, without judgment. I am present to the marks on the canvas. I am acceptable, I am loved, I am content.

emotional sustainability by maintaining a grateful heart

Hello there. These are some of the things that I am grateful for today. Shoes. Lentil stew with chicken and asparagus for lunch. The blessing of some really amazing friends. Daily work with clients. Friends far away in the Northern hemisphere. Freedom. New Zealand, beaches, cities, towns and sea and islands. The large comforting moon. The sun that sustains us. A room and a bed to sleep in. My children. Other people's children. Autumn. Love and acceptance. A computer that works. Our street. The house where I live. Somewhere to invite people into and make them feel welcome. Books. Shelter. Health. Warmth. The beautiful earth, our garden home. Sent with love Sandy

mindful moments

Hello there. I am really glad you found this message in a bottle Cast again from the shores of New Zealand, in the far reaches of the South Pacific. I did a mindfulness exercise with someone yesterday. We ate a grape each. Only one grape. It was an exquisite experience. We used our 5 senses to experience the colour, the texture, the taste, the smell...even the sound of the grape as our teeth chewed through it. It blows me away that every moment can be so full of rich and wonderful experience...and usually we are totally unaware that we are missing out on it because our minds are far away from our actions and existence in the present moment. Each 'now moment' has the potential for us to go deeper and deeper into the experience. Being present to the person, the activity, the task that is in front of us. Giving intentional attention to specific aspects of the now moment. This may take you out of your head (that is so used to constant worry) and back into your body, grounding you in the present moment, rather that having your emotional state dictated by thoughts of the future or the past. If you suffer from anxiety or depression, this way of life may help you. Love and peace Sandy

towards a mindful way of life

I am not planning what to post on my blog today. I am in the present moment and will allow whatever emerges, to emerge. Towards a mindful way of life. This is not a goal. It is a journey. Willingness of heart to dwell in the present moment. Open to awareness, rather than closed and concluded. Not stating how things are but experiencing how things are. Observing my unfolding and emerging thoughts and responses to now. I am becoming aware that my shoulder hurts. I move my laptop onto my lap. The clock is ticking. I am unphased by the passing of time because I dwell in the now. No longer wishing to be in a different time or space. Being fully present and alive, now. No longer thinking, "I will be happy when..." Compassionately being with myself and my surroundings. My heart is so thankful. My cup runneth over. I feast on the visual spread before me. I am content. If you are distressed or stressed, join me on this journey. Peace to your soul. Sandy

emotional sustainability

Hello to who-ever is out there reading this. This is another 'message in a bottle' cast from the shores of New Zealand, deep in the South Pacific. Here are some ideas that I have been thinking about for those of you that are feeling emotionally depleted. Life can be challenging and sometimes our circumstances make us feel stuck, depleted, tired. When we find ourselves in that state it can be very difficult to follow our dreams and to feel hope for the future. What we do in this circumstance has the power to escalate or de-escalate this state. I have been listening to some rather old Tony Robbins CDs. Here is a very simple suggestion that he makes to start with. Change your posture, your facial expression, your breathing, your movements. 1. Stand up tall right now and look upwards towards the ceiling. 2. Smile widely. 3. Breathe fully and deeply. 4. Do some sudden and emphatic movements with your body e. g. clapping. (maybe shout). Try this and you will find that it is almost impossible to feel low. Your facial muscles and body are sending you a new message. What was your level of hope before you did this exercise and what is it now. Wow. What an amazing simple exercise...and how immediately effective! I wouldn't have believed it. Those CDs looked so unappealing to me in terms of my preferred culture. I am humbled by some of the content. This is not merely pop-psychology. In my next blog I will talk about the mindful approach to living that leads to emotional sustainability. See you then! Let me know what happens if you do the above exercise several times during your day! Peace to your heart. Sandy

The wisdom of trees

Standing still Drawing from the depths Reaching expansively with wide arms Providing shelter Celebrating the sap of life Drinking deeply of ancient wisdom Obeying the call of seasons and the DNA message To become.

creativity and inner healing

Hi to those who have stumbled on or purposefully sought out this blog! I thought that I would write a few words about how utilising the creative process can bring deep healing into our lives. I find that when my 'creative juices are flowing'it is as if I step into a stream of delicious clear water that washes me, cleanses me, changes me, invigorates me, fills me. This is not necessarily about producing some sort of finished art work for others to see and admire. Not at all. This is about giving expression to my innermost being. Every mark on the canvas chosen by me, every colour a reflection of my inner landscape. I suspect that my work becomes somewhat of a validating mirror. I mirror back to myself some emotion, thought, memory etc and then I reflect on it and sometimes more insights arise into my consciousness. Even when more insights don't emerge, I am soothed and in some way met by the experience of giving expression to my inner world. Sometimes a certain internal pressure is vented. Often I come away feeling centered...as though I have encountered myself and said, "Hello." Writing a journal page has a similar effect on me...even drawing a diagram of what is happening in my internal or external world, helps me to sort out where I stand in it all. I guess I am speaking about the age-old principal of externalizing issues. This is more than merely venting. Sometimes we vent what we know at a cognitive level and that may have some benefits but creatively allowing whatever emerges to emerge, subconscious material is allowed to flow to the surface of the creative stream and be transformed along the way. My encouragement to you today is to step into the stream. Humans are creators, part of this beautiful universe and and capable of giving expression to the stream that is beyond us, moving through us and flowing to others who need it. Streams of living water. Love and blessings Sandy on a beautiful autumn day in Auckland, New Zealand

Creative exercise/all roads lead to Rome

Hello to whoever finds this 'message in a bottle', sent from the shores of New Zealand. "Open your dictionary and choose a random word. Write that word into a sentence. Take a key word from that sentence and write that into a new sentence. Repeat this 3 times. Take a key word from the last sentence and write it on your page. Read aloud what you have on your page. Write a sentence about the emotional response that you have from this passage. Take a key word from that and write it into a new sentence. repeat this 3 times. Take a key word from the final sentence. Identify where you resonate with that in your body. Where do you feel it? What is that like?" (c) Fabrin, 2012. Ask yourself, "What am I becoming aware of?" Skeates, (2009) Let me know what you discover when you do this exercise! Have a wonder-filled day. Sandy

gratefulness

Hello where-ever this finds you. In the last week a few lovely unexpected kindnesses from strangers have warmed my heart. The young man who pulled up behind my car in his and took the trouble to tell me that one of my tyres needed pumping up, the other young man who overheard me saying that I was $1 short when I dashed into a shop to buy a few things and came over to me with a handful of small change and sorted out the dollar that I needed, the beautiful elderly polynesian woman on our street who smilingly encouraged me to go up to the rubbish truck driver, when I had missed the morning pick-up. All strangers who cared enough to go out of their way to do a little kindness for a stranger. Imagine if we all did that, not only for strangers, but for those people that we interact with every day. I am not saying anything new. My heart is grateful for kindness, for shoes on my feet, for food on my table, for loving friends and family from all over the world, for the people that come to me for help and their amazing stories,for a roof over my head and for this beautiful jewel of a planet, on which we dwell. I send kind thoughts to you today. Sandy

Standing up tall.

Hello to you all, where-ever this finds you and whatever your circumstances. I have been thinking about standing up into my full self. I wonder what that means...at the same time I am learning to let go of ego...that part of me that wants to win, be right, be better than others. It is on my heart to learn how to let go, to forgive, to offer grace, and at the same time to be utterly myself and to give full expression of my essence, without overriding others. It is a delicate dance and I am not dancing very elegantly yet...but I am dancing...a little like a toddler...stepping on my own toes at times, bumping into the wall, sometimes falling down. I am happy to be dancing and I invite you to join me. On your feet! The music is playing! Stand up and let go. Accept and let it go. You are worth it! Love and peace Sandy

Creative retreat day advert!

I am writing to invite you to a Creative Retreat Day which will take you on a journey of discovery and new insights as we use clay, paint, music, drawing and writing on the theme of "Walking into Grace". This will be a very special day. Numbers limited. Facilitated by therapist, Sandy Fabrin. Please find details below. Saturday 21st April 2012 at 88 School Road Kingsland Auckland New Zealand 10.30am to 4.30pm cost: $155 Includes morning and afternoon tea and a nutritious lunch. For further information, reply top this email or phone me on 021614644 I hope to see you there, if you can make it! Kind regards Sandy If you are overseas and can't make it, I would love to put together a day program for you at a reasonable cost. Contact me!! Blessings, where-ever you are and may grace invade your circumstances and your hearts!!! Love and peace. Sandy

Here comes the rain

I am sitting on the floor by my front door. Big drops of rain are falling outside and I can hear the crickets singing and the distant sound of children's voices. We are heading into autumn here in New Zealand. I love the different seasons of the year and the different seasons of life. My 5 senses are alive to the sounds, the sights, the feel of the cool breeze blowing through my open door, the smell of wet plants and if I were to step outside the rain would taste fresh and clean on my tongue. I am in the moment. The present. The now. There is no judgment, just acceptance of what is. Flutters of emotions come and go and thoughts slide across the screen of my consciousness. It is a delicious, peaceful now. A mindful now. Try it. Love and peace. Sandy

Gathering our treasures...a remembering time.

Hello again.
It is lovely to have you join me today.
We have met in this place after many different journeys.
We bring the rich memories of the past, people we have met and places we have visited.

Just for now lets have a think about what we have encountered.
Take your time to do this.  Symbolise your memories in some way on paper or canvas.

kindness
direction and guidance
significant people
defining moments
hospitality
being "surprised by joy" on occasions
the heartaches because you deeply loved someone
the passion
seeing the reflection of our maker in the eyes of others
shining moments
moments that nourished your soul.

Remember, cherish, be grateful.
Warm your heart.
These precious memories are always available.
Do not despair.
Expect to be surprised by joy again.

Love and peace from Sandy

the inner smile

I am smiling on the inside today because I have the satisfaction of having seen a dream realised yesterday.  It feels so good to have had a vision for something and to have worked toward it steadily and then to have it happen.
And on the seventh day she rested!!! 
In nature we see little birds building a nest, bit by bit, feather by feather, straw by straw and weaving it together.
They can teach us how to be.
Sooo different from a victim mentality!!
If you have a vision, plod away and work toward it.  Building something takes time and the daily mindful attention and nurturing of that dream and nurturing of the people that your are working with.
A little every day. 
Attend, in the present moment to what you can...don't just sit and dream about what you want.
Make it happen in tiny, mindful steps.  A tiny bit every day.
Be grateful for what emerges, as you do.
Be flexible if a slightly different direction begins to emerge.
There are some things that we can only discover as we are on our way.

Go well with your dream.
Tiny steps.
These will take you a long way forward.

Love and peace from Sandy, on a sunny Sunday in Auckland, New Zealand

mark-making as a metaphor for life

Hello again. Another message in a bottle from Sandy, in New Zealand.  

Here is a little exercise that you may wish to do to empower yourself by using simple creativity.  (c) Sandy Fabrin 2012
Take a plain piece of paper with nothing on it.
Exercise choice by making a mark on it with a lead pencil.  Consider the fact that this is your mark.  No-one elses.  Make some more marks on the page.  They could be representative of something...or they could be scribble.  Keep your pencil on the page and go where-ever you choose to on the page.  Allow yourself that freedom.  These are your marks and no-one elses.
now take some colour pens or crayons and put colour deliberately where you want to on the page.  Exercise your right to take control of, and responsibility for, your marks.
Feel the power of that.
Put a symbol on the page that indicates that it belongs to you.

This is a metaphor for life.
don't be afraid to make your mark.
It is just as valuable and valid as anyone's.
I hope that you do make your mark and that you don't let anyone stop you.

Tuesdays with Sandy

Good morning, where-ever you are, who-ever you are and what-ever context you are in.
This morning I am visiting with myself.  This is something that I don't always take time to do.
I wonder who it is that I will encounter.
So often I will turn on the radio while driving, look at my computer or phone to find out who has contacted me, at the expense of encountering myself and starting my day in a centered and grounded way.
maybe you are feeling neglected.
Maybe you are lonely.
Well, don't forget to encounter yourself every day with a warm and kind greeting.
"Good morning, Sandy.  You are doing well.  I know that you can live your dream.  Be encouraged.  Make today count.  Bless you.  I see the mark of the Creator on your life."
Wow. 
That feels really great.
I don't subscribe to the notion that spoken (sometimes empty) affirmations are healing.
I do believe in being kind and compassionate to ourselves and putting to rest the cruel inner critic that can make us depressed, anxious, discouraged.
So...be kind to yourself and encourage someone else on your way today.
That blessed way is right in front of you.
Love and peace from Sandy at the start of a great Tuesday in New Zealand.

Into the starting blocks

Hello to whoever reads this blog.
Here is a tasty little picnic of thoughts.
I have a sense that in a lot of different aspects of my life, at age 55, I am only just starting.
I am conscious even today of new and different aspects of my way of being that have been less than mindful and less than considerate. 
It hurts me to admit that but coming out of denial and being faced with the realisation of the ways in which I have striven so hard to protect my own ego, sometimes at the cost of others not feeling heard or appreciated, leaves me wanting to listen with my whole being and to compassionately interact with others.
Many of you readers may have longed for authentic and intimate connection with others.
I am beginning to understand that when we are ego driven, continually living a life about self and closed to helpful observations, we can never achieve that depth of connection that we long for.
My challenge to myself and to my readers on this day is to let go of ego, and to stop the games that make you the winner and others the losers...
I want so much to share the insights that life is giving me.  Take what you need and 'eat it'. 
May your soul be nourished.
Love from our beautiful Pacific Island
Sandy
. 

making the connection between need and supply

I am going to the market on Sunday to sell some treasures that someone may want.  I am not sure what it will feel like to have my wares on display for all to see.
Does anyone else feel like this...knowing that you have treasures and a little uncertain about how they will be received by others and what value will be placed upon them?
I am becoming aware that it feels like a risk to put myself out there.
I know that I have something to give to the world.  Treasures.
How can I get them to just the right people that will value them and be blessed?
I guess this blog is about that very thing.
I will continue to throw these 'message in a bottle' blogs from deep in the south pacific and trust that they will be found by who-ever needs this connection.
Be blessed.
Sandy

a new start, a new day, a new me?

I have been thinking today...Do you know that every day can be a new start...in fact every second of the day we have choices and opportunities to consider. The big choice that I wish to make this year is to live a more compassionate and conscious life.
Actually, I don't really subscribe to the idea of New Years resolutions.  Sometimes those grand statements of intention become fixed points (Skeates, 2009) that we immediately connect with the threat of failure.
I am on a learning curve.
Meditating and reflecting on how I wish to be in this world, who I am, and why I am here.
What legacy am I leaving to those that come after me?
This is not a critique of myself but a re-assessment time.
The breath of life is in me and that is a treasure that I don't want to squander.
Maybe you can join me on my journey toward living a conscious life.
Love and peace to you where-ever this finds you.
There is hope, you can stand up again, you can find your way.
Blessings from Sandy

Time flies...

Wow...2012 and January will be over before I know it.
Is it just me or does time speed up as you get older??!!!
I have been working on illustrations today as well as seeing a few therapy clients.
It seems that I am making marks on my paper and my clients would rather erase some of what has happened in their lives from their memory...if only it were that easy!
My reflection at the end of this day of work is that whatever is in your past just is...it cannot be changed...history has been made.
The stories you tell about that history will significantly alter your perception, however.
It is very compelling to stay in the victim, 'poor me' position.  Then we can get sympathy, help, pity and stroke our needy self.  I fully agree that kindness and compassion is needed...but that those things are not the end.
If we can learn something, be deepened emotionally or spiritually by the experience, use our anger at the 'injustice of it all' as a springboard to change, to better boundary setting, to a deeper self-awareness about our light and our shadow, then we can grow tremendously in any situation.
This is my challenge to myself and to you today.
I have no idea who might be reading this bvut if any of my words seem to fit your situation, I encourage you to embrace what you need from what I have written.
Love and deepening peace to you where-ever you are.
from New Zealand
Sandy

happy accidents

Hello again.

Today I am blogging from a house on Waiheke Island which is a short ferryboat ride from where I live in Auckland, New Zealand.  It is raining here today and I am seated in a pleasant room full of friends and small children. 

In front of me is a wooden feasting table.  It is actually a giant-sized table with giant-sized chairs, I imagine similar to the ones Jack would have found when he climbed the beanstalk to the giant’s house.   The small children here are dwarfed by the size.

The table is covered with coffee cups, candles, magazines, pinecones and folded sheets, in happy disarray…signs of life and living.  Even a bowl of seaweed, collected by a passionately excited three year-old, takes pride of place. 

 In this moment I feel wealthy, not in the monetary terms but rich in friendship and the blessed sense of the mundane.

My good friend is seated nearby at her computer engrossed in her poetic musings.

Earlier today I spent an hour experimenting with the “Paint” function on my computer.  It was interesting to notice how difficult it was to manipulate the lines and I remember again that mistakes can become ‘happy accidents’ as new images emerge from the background as if by their own volition.

It occurs to me that life can be like that.  Mistakes in life can lead to accidental discoveries that extend us and help us to grow.  Even when we have made choices that we now regret, no experience need be wasted.  I have often found that the things I discover accidently, alert me to different possibilities in life that I had not previously considered. 

A friend has encouraged me to be open to these possibilities rather than being closed and fearful of embracing the change that new awareness offers.

As I embrace this, it feels like freedom…

...it feels like hope…

Who wouldn’t want to share that?

If you find this ‘note in a bottle’, maybe it is meant for you.

I am casting it into the sea, from the shores of Waiheke Island, New Zealand and I trust that the tides will find you.

message in a bottle continued...

So...supposing that you have read my first post...what comes next?  Contact me and we could email in order to plan a suitable program, just for you. If you are currently in therapy please consult your therapist first).

We can discuss what you need, your goals and what I can offer.   We could also discuss an appropriate and affordable fee then.

(e.g. Intensive: for providing a daily creative exercise, reading your self-awareness report which you would email through on a daily basis and replying with a follow-up email, 5 days a week, over 6 weeks my fee would be US$500;

 or for a one day, five hour workshop, with an online component and a Skype conversation with me US$350 for individuals or US$500 for a group of 4 people. The Skype conversation would be limited to a half hour session each in the group setting.

If the message in the bottle found you and you are interested then I look forward to hearing back from you.

Sending kindness and hope.
Sandy

Who is out there just waiting for this?

I have been sitting at my desk wondering how to get what I have, to the people that need it... Maybe thats you!

 I am a therapist who works in New Zealand, a rather small country in the south Pacific Ocean.  I had the idea of extending my online business internationally and this is my first step.

There will no doubt be people who read this who are hoping for a solution to years of distress and would love to pursue personal growth and inner-healing using creativity, in the privacy of their own space.

I would love to offer you a way to do just that.

As an experienced therapist I can 'tailor-fit' the process to the person.  Something that suits you, at your own pace and with your personal goals in mind. 

This is not an art class but a way to facilitate a journey of discovery, self-expression and healing.

We will take the difficulties the pain and the grief and transform them by encountering them in a safe and therapeutic way.

If you have stumbled upon this blog and found me it could be a serindipitous moment for you!!!

This is a little like a message in a bottle...I am in new Zealand and casting it into the sea right now.

I hope that it finds you.

Good-bye for now
Sandy