Smoking

I have been smoking for more than 23 years. In that time, I have stopped several times for a couple of weeks.

Apparently a person gets over the nicotine addiction within three days? 

Why is it then, that I find the first week of trying to quit, the easiest? 

It is in the second and third week of not smoking that I find most challenging. 

My conclusion; nicotine is not addictive.

(When googling this, I found many views saying it is addictive, and lots of articles stating that it is not addictive). The thing is, that I am not a scientist or chemical expert. 

I believe a person gets addictive to the action of smoking, the action of sucking. One of the first things as a new born baby does, is to suck. Their is comfort in sucking onto the mother's breast. Great love is shared between baby and mother in these early years. As toddlers we do the thumb sucking. As adults some of us takes to smoking.

I think we smoke because, we feel the need to be loved, the way our mother's loved us. I think, as smoking adults we need to realize that we are okay, we need to realize that it is okay to love ourselves, to regain our own self-respect, to honor ourselves. It is okay to be ourselves. 

I am now on 8 days of not smoking. I am at my personal difficult stage. I know that by loving myself affectively that I will be able to break this habit completely. 

I will respect my bodily temple. 

I LOVE myself.

Serve and thou shall be served

"Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others, cannot keep in from themselves." - James M Barrie

"It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself... serve and thou shall be served." - Ralf Waldo Emerson

Live

Anything, that once lived, can not die.

Abundance

Wish for other people, that which you would like for yourself!

Silphium - Aham Prema

Human beings has many things in common. The most obvious of these things are probably love. 

The ability to give and receive love, and the absolute necessity of it.

"Aham Prema" is a Shakti Mantra meaning: "I am Divine Love"

This sculpture is for sale on "Bid or Buy"

Emancipate yourself from mental slavery

Bob Marley:

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our minds.
Have no fear for atomic energy,
cause none of them can stop the time.
How long shall they kill our prophets,
While we stand aside and look? ooh!
Some say its just a part of it:
Weve got to fulfil de book.

More than one part

I love avocado pears.

When cutting this one open, a small tree revealed itself.

The growth would not been able to take place in half an avo.

It is remarkable that we, humans, sometimes regard our selves as being one part of our selves only. For example, the part of myself that is concentrating the most in writing this is probably my brain, but my brain would not be able to do this without my finger, typing. Or my eyes seeing, or the fact that I am constantly breathing, to feed it oxygen. My creative expression cannot be complete if I only use one tool, I have to use all my tools, I have to use feeling, knowledge, remembering, inspiration etc. The examples can carry on forever. We are many parts working together! When all our parts work together, we are whole, then we can grow like this small tree!

You're gonna have to serve somebody

Bob Dylan:

You may be an ambassador to England or France,
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance,
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world,
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Death

One thing is certain in life, we are all going to die.

A friend of a friend passed on in a motor car accident two days ago. 

Was she peaceful that last day on this earth? 

Am I living my truth everyday?

Living Stones

Spurts of positive energy!

"living stones"

I am grateful that I can see.

Thank you

Peaceful

I made this painting of "Peaceful", last year. At that time I was so inspired, so positive and in so much in peace. 

Today I am going to re-live being completely peaceful, knowing that everything I need for today, has been provided.

Stapelia

Yesterday afternoon, I got influenza. 

Louise Hay's affirmation is: "I am beyond group beliefs or the calendar. I am free from all congestion and influence."

This thought echoed in my head whilst taking this picture. 

The flowers of these plants are foul-smelling. The hairs and coloration mimic decaying animal matter, thus attracting flies, which act as pollinators.

It is amazing to realize that this fly and this flower, has a built-in intelligence. An intent that happens without effort.

I also realized that this fly and this flower has no ego. They just are. What happened to the human race? Why is it that we constantly get in our own way, with our own ego, instead of just living and being the way we were intended?

Today I will practice the affirmation: I am beyond group beliefs, and I am free from congestion.

Living my dream

Today I am living in the reality of my dream-life, everything I have ever wished for has already happened.

My world is filled with abundance and joy.

I am grateful. Thank you.

Immortality

The snail is carrying its house, it is carrying the symbol of immortality.

It is carrying The Golden Ratio, or phi, which is perhaps the most perfect number in mathematics. It is equal to the squareroot of 5 plus 1, divided 2. 
(Sqrt(5)+1)/2 = 1.618033988749895 
I was watching the Oprah show the other day. It was about a women that forgot her baby in the car. The baby died!

Sometimes we get so overwhelmed that we forget, who we are, and why we are here.

It happens to all of us on occasion. Today I am going to concentrate on taking deep breaths, I am going to think of the snail. The snail that moves very slowly, and conducts it's business in an effective and efficient manner. 

Kindness

"We exist because of other people's kindness"

I drive a car that I didn't invent or fabricate, I drive on roads that I didn't make, I buy food which I didn't grow, I read books that enhances my life, which I didn't write. The list is endless.

Thanking all human beings on this earth that are making my life, easier, more abundant, more meaningful.

Today I will be kinder to myself and others

Unexpected Gifts

I took this picture in Soussosvlei, Namibia.

When booking accommodation for my visit, I had this very clear picture of all the beautiful photo's I am going to take. The orange sand-dunes and the clear blue sky! Those images that's on the post cards.

Once I got over my disappointment, realizing that I it might even rain in the desert, and I am here, I focussed my attention on the beauty of the cloud formations. It did rain (very little). And I was there! 

Sometimes we think that we are not getting what we ask for, but if  we slow down and look/listen, we might find that we are getting something much better.

Listen

Listen is my latest finish work.

Listen is a reminder that all the answers to our questions are inside of us.

Media and your choices

Everyday we get bombarded of all sorts of information. When it comes from the Media it is normally negative. Nothing sells a newspaper as well as a scandal, a tragedy or some sort of a disaster.

Apparently we are in a economic recession - that is what was on the "news".

I was just wondering why the "news" did not find it interesting enough to tell the world more about the biggest South African art sale, ever. 

The Brett Kebble auction raised more than R 50 000 000, last week. The "Lost Orchid", Tretchikoff, sold for 2,9 million rand. I am not an economist, but I was wondering if this was a sign of a country that is in an economic recession?

(http://www.moneyweb.co.za/mw/view/mw/en/page62093?oid=289733&sn=Detail)

My point is: the more we concentrate on the "economic recession", the more we are going to think that we are in one. Should we all concentrate on "the country of opportunity" we are blessed to live in, "the greatest good will happen to all of us, and everybody around us".

"THOUGHTS DO ATTRACT THINGS"

Today I am Grateful

Today I am grateful for:

1. I could get out of bed and walk

2. Fed my beautiful gold fish

3. To be able to take a picture with a camera

4. Having eyes that can see

5. Access to this computer with internet

6. Being able to post it on my blog

This is only part of  the functions I was a able to do, this morning! 

What is on your list?

Choice

I started this blog because somebody told me, that all artists should have such things. Apparently it is a tool to market my paintings.

The thought of putting stuff on the world wide web, appealed to me. I was also in a very negative space in my head then. 

The only way a person can change thoughts of negativity is to change them to thoughts of positivity. This is called CHOICE. 

"Thoughts attracts things"

Subsequently I contracted myself to think of one meaningful/beautiful thing a day, and to take it one step further - post it on my blog. 

This is the best tonic, I have ever taken!

Everybody should try it. Everyday think of one thing: that you are grateful for or that is beautiful/meaningful to you. It really works.

Happy footfalls

A friend of mine recommended me to read this book: 

Astonishing the Gods, Ben Okri.

Short of quoting the whole book: 

"As he walked though, listening to his happy footfalls, he felt the world was telling him to stop looking, for then he would see beyond; to stop thinking, for then he would comprehend; to stop trying to make sense of things, for then he would find the truest grace.

Beauty

I like to surround myself with things that are beautiful - it makes me feel beautiful.

What's beautiful for me, might not be so beautiful for you.

However, I do think, that their is something like universal beauty.

Money grows on Trees

This olive tree was a birthday gift, five years ago. The tree was then only 300mm high. It is now taller than me, and bears fruit!

Christmas Cactus

Without a left side, their is no right. Without right their is no wrong. Without giving their is no receiving.

My christmas cactus is about to go into full bloom!

Wishing you a merry christmas!

True Nature

Am I living my true nature? 

Are you?

Cycles

How boring would it be, if their were no cycles?

We create change, in order to re-think, in order to grow, in order to change for the better; for ourselves!

Meaningful

Meaningful: • having a serious, important, or useful quality or purpose : making our lives rich and meaningful.

Growing

I took this picture in the Fish River Canyon.

Gratitude

I have been moping quote a bit these couple of days. It really does not make me feel good.

There was a fire on Table Mountain a couple of weeks ago. A great deal of mountain has burnt down. Berg winds were blowing and the ashes from the mountain flew everywhere. One of these ashes landed in my eye. Although I tried to wash it out myself, I could not! I started walking towards the main road trying to find somebody to help me, first the pharmacy, then the optometrist, that was not available. I eventually got to a doctor's consulting rooms, who helped me, and took it out with no problem. 

The gratitude I felt to be able to see! (I have no words).

On that same day, I bought this green carpet to remind me, how lucky I am to be able to see. 

This morning I looked at the carpet again, remembering how fortunate I am!

TODAY I SHALL BE GRATEFUL

Safe

So...I did not win the lotto last night!

I made this painting, earlier this year. I just come back from a traveling-holiday through Botswana and Namibia. (it is for sale on e-bay)

When is a person really safe? How secure are we as human beings?

A friend of mine sent me this quote last night: 

Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then you will gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer   (Rilke)

 

Getting what you want

This is my cat. I am very grateful that she has decided to live with me. She is the best tutor in my life. 

SHE ALWAYS GETS WHAT SHE WANTS!

If I do not wake up early enough, to serve her, her breakfast, she will make as much noise as possible to wake me. When she feels like drinking water out of the tap, she will call me. She demands whatever it is she wants for that specific moment in time. And she always gets it!

She is a living testimony of achievement, she is abundant in all the aspects of her life. She is teaching me with determination.

Today I am determent to win the lotto! I shall go to the shop to get a ticket knowing that I have already won. I shall relish in the feeling that I am a millionaire. I will go about my day, as if I already settled ALL debts. 

Thank you!

Peace Lilly

Okay so know I am a miracle! I know thoughts becomes things! 

I know I owe you R300 000

The Money shaman says that: "Abundance is LOVE made visible".

Here is a peace lilly from the back garden - just for you!

Orchid

Today is the fist day of a new month. Could today be the first day o my new life?

I recently broke up with my girl friend. It was the best thing that we could have done. Emotionally I know we are both feeling relieved, that we made the right decision. I really enjoy the freedom which I am experiencing living in harmony with my cat.

I bought this orchid a couple of weeks ago. I felt alienated from the house we used to share. The love I have for plants instantly transformed into a greater love for me.

Being co-owners of the house, obviously attributes to financial complexities. Logically the best thing to do, would be to sell it! It is something that I absolutely cannot do. I am also not in a financial position to pay her out immediately! I am in great conflict about this.

I believe in the law of attraction. I believe that miracles do happen. I sometimes just get very impatient the miracle of this huge amount of money I am asking for has not happened to me yet.

Today I am looking at this orchid, appreciating the miracle of it's being. Am I and this orchid connected in miraculous ways?