Author: HensBlooms

I believe in God, love and life! Married to my friend, mentor and rock. We have been blessed with two beautiful girls. My personal journey provides opportunities for me to empower individuals to lead better lives. I have had a real desire to work with people for a long time and have always been fascinated with human behaviour and understanding how the mind works.
I love the following quote by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. “Remember that children, marriages and flower gardens reflect the kind of care they get”

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Living Life

Just a Thought

I often wonder about the power of thoughts. Is it just a thought, are thoughts reality? I know that thoughts are not reality, yet it is so easy to allow negative thoughts to creep in and make us see it as reality. I for example at times, allow fearful thoughts to take over, making me believe something that’s not there. On the other hand, I know that even though I allow my thoughts to think of winning the lottery it just doesn’t happen that way!

Our thoughts are exactly that—thoughts. Thoughts are not our reality, and just because we have these thoughts does not mean that they’re true. The American psychologist and philosopher William James said that thoughts become perception, perception becomes reality. Your thoughts alter your reality. The world which we live in, its quality and character is nothing but a reflection of our own minds.

Whilst my thoughts become perception, those perceptions that cloud my mind and allow for thoughts to alter my reality, I should rather ponder about the positive and allow for those thoughts to cloud my mind…💭

Wonderful musing in reflection and thoughts

Clearing a clouded mind into hope and positivity

Prompting gently, washing away all negativity

 Thoughts shining through in wonderful, blissful reality

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Living Life

Consistently Changing

With the rains, good maintenance and feeding, the growth in the summer months has been vital. The shrubs and trees have spread a lot of new branches and leaves that will need to be carried through the winter months. We’ve fallen into autumn, and now is the time to do some clearing, pruning, and shaping of the shrubs and trees in my garden.

Just like autumn transitions summer into winter, I too hope for personal change that will make me a better me. Personally, I want to positively advance and develop to make a difference in my immediate surroundings, thus my world. Mahatma Gandhi said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” I take this as an encouragement to implement the right kind of changes in order to make my world a beautiful place. I’m further reminded, if we want to see a change in any environment, we should look at ourselves first. I know that I must work on myself and do the necessary clearing and maintenance to realize positive change. I am quite aware of negative change that can be brought about if we don’t care and don’t maintain, allowing the weeds to take over, allowing things to get contaminated, through regression and rot. This can be likened to accepting negative change and allowing for destruction to settle in.

Sadly, in many instances, people implement change only to destroy. Wouldn’t it be better to embrace change that brings about good for us and society? Let’s embrace change that is for the better. I hope that we’ll adapt to change that will allow us to act out of kindness. Kindness that will have a ripple effect for good, where we all live in love and peace.

Constant change for the better

Ever changing as the season

Like leaves forced, swept away

Hanging on, resisting the change

Change that comes persistently

Change that comes even forcefully

Change we will, ceaselessly

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Living Life

Soul Searching

“The soul has been given its own ears to hear things that the mind does not understand.” Rumi

Your body, your mind and soul works together and are synonymous with who you are.

We naturally take care of our body with nutrition and exercising and this incorporates taking care of our mind. When we do some soul searching, by examining our conscious, are we feeding and exercising the soul?  

Food for the body is not enough. There must be food for the soul.” Dorothy Day

Our soul, the very essence of who we are! The soul allows you to feel and just be, by allowing you to care, to love, feeding the conscience, building your mind. Through all of this it individualises you. I often do introspection, examining my thoughts and feelings, especially when I feel stuck and uninspired.

“In a world where everyone wears a mask, it’s a privilege to see a soul.” Anonymous

I prompt myself to get started and I get inspired to be:

Be kind, this can but only reciprocate

Be caring and loving, the world needs this

Be empathetic, be drawn to understanding one another

Be you, by encompassing all good

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” Desmond Tutu

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Living Life

Marching into Autumn

Here in the Southern Hemisphere, marching into autumn reminds me how march (much) I love autumn😊 Yes, you right if you guessed that it’s the beginning of autumn here in the month of March. Autumn (Fall) is usually warm and dry with days getting shorter and the temperature cooling as it gets nearer to winter. Autumn in South Africa parades in light showers that are generally accompanied by heavy clouds. During autumn, the country experiences sunshine during the day and moderate rainfalls. The nights during autumn are usually cold.

During the day I cannot help but enjoy the warm sunshine that helps to embrace the usually cold night. The spectacular, red, yellow, and brown colours are more reasons to embrace the season. I know my yard will be filled with leaves especially from the old oak tree, but that’s the beauty of autumn for me. The leaves can be quite a mess, as many would point this out, but I choose to appreciate the mess and the beauty of it all.

Continue reading “Marching into Autumn”
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Living Life

Renovate Your Inner Self

Wondering what’s happening behind those walls

Catching a glimpse as gates open and close

Occasionally you granted that extensive view

When fences are thrown down and houses are rebuilt

Some houses are standing magnificently strong

Others are being renovated, fixed, or just modernised

Are you going through a personal revamp

Or just applying some adjustments here and there

Perhaps you want to modernised by renovating the old

Enrich yourself in whatever you might need

Find that comfort as you grow magnificently strong

And look up to that glorious sky that covers us all

“It doesn’t matter when we start. It doesn’t matter where we start. All that matters is that we start.” – Simon Sinek

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Living Life

Comfort

Our losses reflected in feelings of emptiness

As we faced with piteous looks not even masks can conceal

Looks that are felt through our deep sense of loss

A loss for something or someone who is no more

When clarity hits and there’s the need to express

Approach that empty chair as if they were there

Allow it to symbolise the loss or the hope of a return

To help facing living without that something or someone

May we find comfort in what we once had

Allowing the memories to fill our lives

Giving us strength to continue to hope

Hope that cannot be taken away

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Living Life

Sanguine

In memory of Desmond Tutu – “It is through weakness and vulnerability that most of us learn empathy and compassion and discover our soul.” – Desmond Tutu

Looking back, I realise that my CV showed no record of what I did for the past year and a half during the pandemic as we lived under very strict lockdown rules. This was certainly not because of no activities on my side, even though there was no income. I’m currently working on contract, and I’m reminded that I should update my CV with all the activities during the pandemic. Most of my time was taken up with cleaning and disinfecting of almost everything. I also volunteered as a Counsellor at a non-profit organisation, and further kept busy posting on Instagram and posting blogs.

I had lost an income but gained so much through these unpaid activities. The cleaning and disinfecting part was no fun but did help in keeping my sanity. I lost my business and income and learned humility. Eating humble pie and realising at the same time how fortunate I am, helped me to see the world from different perspectives. I learned from others, how they dealt with life and many uplifting stories was shared generously. My work as a Volunteer Counsellor brought about tremendous fulfilment in helping others.

Feelings of desolation when the entire world hurts

Grieving for what once was and are no more

Feelings of optimism especially in difficult times

Knowing that you’ve lost much yet gained more

Feelings of happiness as life continues

Caring and reaching out to others, brings

Feelings of happiness and love that’s unassumed

Categories
Living Life

Joyous, Unexpected Moments

I often find myself running into a store to buy that much needed item and end up buying more than just that item. Today was one of those days but the big difference was that I went outside to my vegetable verge garden instead of a store. I went outside to pick some lettuce from my vegetable verge garden to make a salad to add to our supper. To my surprise I ended up with the lettuce plus a pumpkin, tomatoes, and some beetroot as well. I hope that others will also be surprised by what they can get from the garden which was primarily set up as food to share for anyone who needs.

“When you are an optimist, life has a funny way of looking after you.” – Simon Sinek

How stunning when life can hand you many happy surprises, or just amazing when your storms of life turn into showers of blessing. 

Here’s to wishing you joy,

Joyous moments filled with life’s pleasures,

Happiness to last a lifetime

A lifetime of happiness and blessings.

Categories
Living Life

Every Little Bit Counts

Every little bit counts

Earlier on today I did some writing in my journal and was mindful that it should be the last of capturing the date with 2021. I know though, that I will most probably during 2022 make the mistake of writing 2021 because of habit, until realisation hits and the mind accepts that it’s 2022. We often do things unintentionally but every time we try correcting, the little bit of trying becomes the new habit. My mind ponders as to how every little bit counts. If we want to love ourselves, we should just start even if not at the potential that we should. To take care of our health and live a healthier lifestyle can only be possible if we put it into practice. We can only help others when we take care of ourselves first. I have these thoughts for myself (little nuggets of encouragement) to continually try to do what’s best as I approach and enter the new year. I must start or continue to do as every little bit of good can lead to a whole lot of good and I suppose the opposite is also true.

As you enter the new and say goodbye to the old

Do good and love yourself, even if it’s just a little bit

As you take care of yourself and your health,

Do so, even if it’s a little bit for now

As you love, love unconditionally,

Do love, even if it’s just a little bit at a time

As you care and reach out to others,

Do so, as every little bit counts

May every little bit of effort become a whole lot of good, Happy New Year!

Categories
Living Life

Our Christmas Angel

Advent reminds Christians of the sacred meaning of Christmas and despite the nonspiritual preparations taking place, e.g. buying presents and going to parties, Advent  also reminds Christians to remember and prepare for the birth of Jesus. As a Christian, I too, am reminded of this. I’m also reminded of the birth of our eldest daughter, our “Christmas Angel”.

We were married for almost 2 years when we planned to become pregnant. As we did not let anyone know about our plan, we were surprised when our Priest, during a visit, prayed for us as a couple and the little one, we are about to have. We were even more surprised when the Priest could not recall that he prayed for a little one during prayers. We then happily shared that we are planning to conceive. Imagine our surprise when she arrived two weeks earlier than expected and was born on Christmas day. A lasting memory of our “Christmas Angel’s” birth was listening to the nurses joyfully singing Christmas carols whilst wheeling me into the ward in the early hours of that Christmas morning.

Continue reading “Our Christmas Angel”