18. The simplicity of humanity can create magic – Sonia Muraca

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I have just spent the last two days at a conference for Indigenous Health in Remote and Rural areas. I would have liked to have walked away from it feeling inspired and connected to the work that I do. It has in fact done the contrary. I am left feeling this way because of the system we seem to be working from. For the most part there are inadequacies and injustices that still occur in a country where there is so much abundance. I have worked in the community sector for pretty much my whole working life. For the last 20 or so years I have lived and breathed the community sector in various positions. My passion for social justice led me to the sector and one of the main reasons why I have remained in it for so long. As much as I love my job and the work that I do there is so much that doesn’t sit well with me.

My main purpose of writing my blog is to remind myself to live with a compassionate heart even on the days that I don’t want to. Right now is one of those days. Running away and living in a tree on a tropical island feels like a far more sensible choice than remaining in a system that seems to have little or no movement. As I sit on a train on my commute home I look around and see a disconnected world where humans are either on their devices or sleeping. I am no different as I am typing this with a laptop on my knee (quite possibly annoying the guy next to me with my loud typing). I know the way in which is I view the world is simply a reflection of me.

As I process and feel what I have heard for the last two days the words that I remember the most are;  brother, sister, aunty, relationships, creator, spirit, soul. These words, when I feel into them have meaning and I can once again connect to purpose. I recognise that it isn’t an easy process as my thoughts sway from “the system is f&*T” to “we are all connected, we are all one”.

As I lean more into my heart space, the guy next to me tells me to be careful as there is coffee on the floor next to me. Alas connection! Just like that. As soon as I feel into my heart space there is the magic of connection and humanity right before my eyes. So do I still want to give it all up and run away? Some days and moments most certainly yes! But for now there is reason to create change and influence in the work that we do. Is it always easy? No. Is it always fun? No. Is it always worth it? Yes. Social Justice especially for those who don’t have a voice is a huge inspiration for me. What I do know is that there is so much to do. The most important is always about connection to self and others. The simplicity of humanity can create magic. Thank you to the beautiful man on the train that reminded me when I needed to know it the most. Blessed be and so it is.

With a sprinkle of fairy dust and may magic follow your day

HUGE LOVE

 

Sonia

xxooo

15. “mise en place”

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This word “mise en place” was mentioned to me a week or so ago and I loved the sound of it. I love words so I was intrigued to know what it meant. It is generally used in professional kitchens and signifies that everything is in its place before service. The word resonated and according to wikepedia it states that “it is a French culinary phrase which means “putting inplace” or “everything in its place” I like the feel of the word and for now it also has a vibration that I want to write about. What does it look and feel like for everything to be in its place? I can appreciate that the true meaning of the word quite possibly connects better to a professional kitchen but for the sake of my blog today I am going to write about what it feels like for me.

For the last 6 or so weeks life has changed and that is OK, except with that comes a somewhat uproar of emotions at any given time. They don’t have to be good or bad they simply just need to be. What I do know is that there is a lot of new in ways in which I have not experienced before. To be perfectly honest it has thrown me a bit off balance but in a way that is allowing me to grow. I have found myself with an unsettlement in the pit of my tummy. It is nerves, excitement, and or fear? I am not sure really but whatever it is I have to know and trust that everything is in its place. If I start to identify it as being right or wrong then there is judgement and no room for growth.

When we truly feel what is going on for us then we allow love and not fear to be behind the intent of all that we do. When there is that feeling in the pit of our stomach it is sometimes easy to ignore. We can shove it down or we can explore and see what happens with it. For me there are waves of emotions that can come up at any given time. I am a sensitive being. Fortunately or not when something is going on for me I can at times be consumed by the thoughts that flurry around in my head. Not a happy or conducive place for anyone to be in. It is not to be judged rather recognised as what is being triggered and a time to heal, grow and create. If we can trust that everything is in its place then life tends to flow with grace and ease. The feeling of being stuck dissipates and we can fully surrender. For me a whole lot of overwhelm has filled my body of late and perhaps it is rightly so. The thing with that is that I can allow it to consume me or I can simply know that everything is in its place. When life is in place it doesn’t have to be a bunch of roses it can simply just be. For when we find the magic and gratitude of simplicity and connecting back to self it is then we can truly feel that everything is its place within our own hearts and soul. Blessed be and so it is.

 

With a sprinkle of fairy dust and may magic follow your day.

 

HUGE LOVE

 

Sonia

xoxoxo

69. This is a day of Divine inspiration for me.

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I turned 41 a few days ago. I love my birthday and always look forward to celebrating and of course eating cake. This year I spent it with my family and fairies in the park. It was a beautiful sun shining day and I ever so grateful for all the abundance that is bestowed in my life. This year I have begun a new tradition for myself. I have started a gratitude jar. It will remind me to write a note each day about what I am grateful for. It will then become a gift that I will receive on my birthday next year. My birthday was less than 48hrs ago and there is so much to be grateful for. If there was ever a time that I believed in divine timing this is one of them. I received great news about work yesterday and was offered a position.  I am beside myself with excitement to say the least!

So as I sat to write my blog today I reflected on the last couple of days and how inspiring they have felt for me. This is all good and well because it was my birthday, I received a job offer, and I have been around my beautiful family and friends so why wouldn’t I be inspired? What comes up more and more for me lately especially during these last few months is how do I feel inspired especially when and if I am not feeling it. This can be such a “big” question! It would be super easy to write about how I can be inspiring when I am feeling awesome but how does one find their magic when life feels challenging.

There was a statistic that I heard a few weeks ago and it continues to filter through my mind. Every 3.5 hours an Australian chooses to take their life. A statistic that sends shudders down my spine and one that I know puts a fire in my belly about changing the outcome of such a debilitating number. Don’t get me wrong I am all for positive affirmations and thoughts but when somebody is so enmeshed in their darkness how does inspiration become a part of their day when they can barely have a shower.

At the time of my own depression I did not have the awareness or the insight that I do now. What life teaches me is to pull together all the tools that I have accumulated along the way and do what works best for me at the time. What I do know is that if I am not connected to my heart space and live in my head then the potential to cascade into a plethora of darkness and doom can prevail. Depression is not wrong it is simply a place where we can learn, grow and tap into potential strength and courage that we may not have known existed.

For me Mother Nature would have to be one of the greatest gifts that I am able to receive. It is known that only 10 minutes of walking each day is the equivalent to an anti-depressant. I am not a medical expert and can only speak from experience. One of the first things I will do when I am in my head is to go for a walk and be in gratitude and admiration for the simple blessings that I am surrounded by. For me this is what shifts my energy and where I can be inspired by the force of nature. I don’t have answers for others; I am a believer that each person finds their own light in their own unique way. There is so much that I can write about this topic but for now it is about each step along the way is just as important as the desired outcome. Focus on how you want to feel each day and do what makes your heart sing, for when you are in your heart space you can be nothing but inspirational. This is a day of Divine inspiration for me. Blessed be and so it is. So it is done. Namaste.

With a sprinkle of fairy dust and may magic follow your day.

HUGE Love

Sonia

xx

64. Loving myself gives me the extra energy to work through any problem more quickly. My life is a labour of love.

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Loving ourselves, the lesson that comes up time and time again and just when I think I got it, something else comes up for me. That doesn’t mean that there is failure, it simply means that we are a work in progress and each step is towards our infinite potential and possibilities that expand each time. I went to bed last night with a bit of a cold. I woke at 2:00am this morning and felt like I had blades in my throat. More than anything I was annoyed that I was sick, again!

So when I looked at the affirmation today I was still annoyed as clearly the amount of times that I have been sick this year indicates that I do not love myself enough to be well. It is not even about drinking or consuming things that are healthy for us instead emotionally I know that my thoughts have not always been loving and gentle. In the last 6 or so months I have had a cold eat at least once a month and I know it is because of the way I have been dealing with my emotions or rather the way I haven’t been. There has been a lot of grief but amongst it there have been lots of lessons that I have learnt.

The gifts of grief and sadness is really learning and feeling the value of the life in which we live and how important each moment matters. As I sit at my computer with a very snotty nose and congested head the last thing I feel like doing is writing about the loving energy that I have for myself.  What I do know it is these moments that are about digging deep, finding the lessons and really learning from them. If we are not learning to love the glorious mess that we are then we are not truly living.

I just spoke to my dear cousin and we had a laugh in the most loving way about why I was sick yet again. I flicked through my health bible and read about colds – the words that stood out were “too much pressure to perform, scattered, refusing to listen to your body” Yup, Yup & Yup! What resonated most was my scattered energy and not being in the moment of life. Thinking, worrying too much and the irony is that I know all too well the detriment that it can cause. What I won’t do to myself is berate or judge my thoughts, feelings and instead I am sending them love. Of late my energy and direction was being consumed on stuff that does not serve my highest purpose. More importantly I am not entirely in the path of my purpose and being of service which is what is most important to me. Being stuck in your head space is crap and does not allow life to flow with grace and ease. So as much as I didn’t want to write I know that it has been a lovely lesson to just STOP with the scattered energy and be in the moment of now. To live life with a fierce loving open heart and not get caught up in the story in which I have created. Loving myself gives me the extra energy to work through any problem more quickly. My life is a labour of love.

With a sprinkle of fairy dust and may magic follow your day.

With HUGE love,

Sonia

xxo

16. I get plenty of sleep every night, and my body appreciates how I take care of it.

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(spending time with my niece :)

I have spent the last couple of days away down at the beach and have caught up on much needed rest and sleep. The last few weeks have been emotionally exhausting with the passing of my dear aunt and my body is weary and tired. The last few days have been such a blessing for some rest which has allowed my body to be amongst Mother Nature and to absorb her beautiful energy.

I know my body all too well and for me not getting enough rest as with anybody does not allow me to do the things that I love to do with grace and ease. I know that when I have not slept enough I crave sugary and fatty foods the next day, my concentration is poor and I lack motivation and enthusiasm. Sounds like pretty simply mathematics and logic to me. However there are still times when we abuse our bodies and do not take care of ourselves as they deserve.

One of the biggest triggers for me when I was unwell with mania which ultimately led to hospitalisation was that I could not sleep. This was caused by my body being under huge amounts of pressure and stress and not taking care of it as what it deserved. Hindsight is great and I did not know or appreciate to love my body and self the way I do now. So now when my body does not have the sleep that it requires I ensure that I rest and recuperate as I honour my body and all that it allows me to do. It is also about not abusing my body with toxic food, substances or alcohol as I also know all too well how this impacts your body and life. Hard lessons to learn but ones in which I am grateful for they have taught me about what I do not want in my life.

The last few nights have been pretty cool as I have been spending time with my niece and we have slept and snuggled together at night. It is times like these that I truly treasure and I have loved the relaxing nature of being away, reading and taking the time out that my body has truly required. My body deserves it. I get plenty of sleep every night, and my body appreciates how I take care of it. Blessed be and so it is. So it is done. Namaste.

 

With a sprinkle of fairy dust and may magic follow your day.

Sonia

Xoo

8. I look forward with joyous anticipation to what this day brings.

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When we live with purpose and we know that we are following our heart looking forward to what each day brings is refreshing and exciting. My blog this year is about creating change with compassion.  My life has not always looked and felt the way that is does now. Sure there are days when I drag my sorry ass out of bed with a serious case of “can’t be f*T” but these days are very far and few between. For most of the time I welcome each day with what it brings as I know there are so many wonderful things that I love to do and want to accomplish (although today in Melbourne it is raining and such a sweet day to lie in bed and read).

Having had depression for many years on and off I know the feeling all too well of not looking forward to the joyous anticipation of what each day brings. It has been over 10 years now and I have not been or had the need to be on any anti-depressant medication. This was to the contrary of doctors who told me that I would be on medication for the rest of my life. I am in no way shape of form suggesting that medication is something to be tampered with or nor am I saying that it does not have a purpose. Rather what I am saying is that everything is possible.

One of the biggest hurdles and challenges to overcome when you are living with depression is finding purpose. In the midst of your own blackness it feels like there is absolutely nothing to live for let alone wanting to get out of bed and face the day. It doesn’t justify to write in this short amount of space all about depression rather just a snippet that if you are reading this and are finding yourself feeling flat I encourage you to get out of your head space and feel into your heart. Express what it is that you are feeling to somebody that you trust, in your own words in a song, write about it, do whatever, just don’t keep it supressed inside of you. Trust me it comes up and whenever it wants to as well.

If there is one small thing that you can do for to get out of your head and that is to do something for somebody who is in a less fortunate situation than yourself. There are so many people and organisations that are in desperate need of help and volunteers and it will allow you to feel for another rather than living in your own head. Living in your own head only leads to shitty conversations with self and a big fat headache. I encourage you to do something differently because if you always do what you have always done you will always get what you have always got. I look forward with joyous anticipation to what this day brings. Blessed be and so it is. So it is done. Namaste.

 

 

With a sprinkle of fairy dust and may magic follow your day.

Sonia

Xoo

5. My body mirrors my state of mind, I am healthy whole and complete.

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Ha ha universe you are funny, as I sit here with a belly full of sugar! Having eaten the delectable panettone pretty much for the month of December (to my exercise trainers if you are reading this simply ignore the last lineJ) I’ve justified it with “it is part of tradition” “It’s Christmas” as I shovelled piece after piece down my throat. With over a month of not entirely caring about what it is that I am consuming, I feel blah. It is not about weight but rather how certain foods impact the body. I am truly grateful that my exercise sessions commence again this evening as I have missed regular exercise. It is amazing what a difference it makes to your life.

The other day in true serendipitous style I was reading about a 30 day cleanse on social media. That same afternoon I was contacted from an acquaintance that I had met many months ago to ask me how I was going. It was in fact her post that I was reading about the 30 day cleanse. Coincidence much, I don’t think so. There was a quote I read the other day that read “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear”. For me it feels like very much where I need to be right now. After having purged a whole heap of emotions, experiences and stuff through a workshop I was doing in December this feels very right for me.

So when I reflect on the affirmation for today I feel rather blah and unenergetic. I haven’t exercised for almost a month and eaten way too many foods that aren’t great for me. I know that this is totally a sign to go with it! I certainly don’t want my mind to feel blah and unenergetic! No thankyou!! On a positive note I thank my body for keeping me alive and allowing me to do all that I desire. Too often we berate our bodies when they do so very much for us. So thank you beautiful body for giving me the freedom to live the life I choose and in return I look after you in the best possible way that I know how. My body mirrors my state of mind. I am healthy, whole and complete. Blessed be and so it is. So it is done. Namaste.

 

With a sprinkle of fairy dust and may magic follow your day.

Sonia

Xoo