Spring into Summer

It's been lovely sunny weather here and I've been loving the fact that we can look up once more and see the sun after all the snow we've had this last winter. The daffodils are all gone over now here and I'm looking forward to seeing the summer bedding plants in bloom now. Summer's definitely coming!

It's interesting, isn't it, how people's faces and demeanours seem to change with the seasons and the weather? When I wandered round a local market recently, people were looking happier, smiling at each other and there seemed to be an all-round general atmosphere of cheer. Of course this could be helped by the fact that, here in England at least, we have a couple of weeks of bank holidays right now and another one due at the end of May! ;~}

And you'd think that moving forward into the lovely summer months would make most people happy. But sometimes that's just not the case. It's like life; we ask for the things we want and when they're knocking at our door it can sometimes feel like just a step too far to actually let them in. Sometimes having the things we want means that we have to change in some way. Maybe there's something to live up to, maybe it means a change of address or job or social circle. And who would we be without our old familiar ways to rely on?

Most of us have goals, dreams or ambitions we'd like to see fulfilled but are we really ready for them? Can you actually see yourself doing or having what you'd like to achieve? And if you can, does that picture fill you with excitement or fear? Think about it... There may be many reasons for delaying leaving your job or taking that trip.

And if you know what's holding you back (or even if you don't) one way of tackling the problem is to simply ask. Sounds crazy right? But how do you know it won't work until you try it?

Just for now, try and put your dream 'on the back burner' as it were. Enjoy the waiting for it to happen as you get on with whatever else you have to do in your life. While you're doing this, ask the universe (or whatever you believe in) to help you lose the fear you've attached to achieving this dream. Then go with the flow. If you feel an impulse to do something or call someone, check with your common sense, and if it feels right, then do it. It may be your dream knocking at the door, waiting to be let in.

If you feel stuck or need help achieving your dreams there are many good life coaches out there, or you could try reading 'Releasing Your Blocks and Achieving Your Dreams' to help you find out where you're blocking yourself.

If a workshop sounds more your sort of thing, there's always the 'Spring into Summer' workshop taking place here at Rainbows in Beverley, East Yorkshire this coming Saturday. Click on the link to go to the web site and see more then contact me if you'd like to join us.

Will you be 'springing into summer' this year?

HAPPINESS IS...

Well hello again. I've had a busy old time since we last met with another Rainbows Mind, Body and Spirit Fair and a Pamper and Healing Day thrown in for good measure too. And those, along with Reiki attunements, treatments, EFT and Meditation Groups have kept me very busy (and very happy too.)

Something I was reading recently made me think. It said that our happiness always seems to be in the future. For instance we 'will be happy' once we've got the new toy, the new home, the new, slimmer body etc. It occurred to me that we must be always wanting and waiting for things to happen. Which can't make us very happy at all, can it?

I know life's not perfect for everyone but at the end of the day, doesn't the Law of Attraction state that what we focus on will expand? Which means (to me at least) that if we're constantly focusing on the fact that we haven't got whatever we say we want then we'll be focusing on our lack and that's what we'll attract; more and more lack.

My solution to this is simple and two-fold. First of all, I try and figure out what is the essence of the thing I'm wanting. So if I want a car, what will that give me? What emotional need would that meet? Freedom to get around perhaps. And then I'll try and find another way to get that freedom so that I'm not focusing on the lack of it. Maybe the bus or train services will do. Maybe I'd get more excercise walking to places. Doing this doesn't mean that I'm giving up on the car I want, I'm just finding ways to manage without it for now.

Next, I try and enjoy just 'being here now' without whatever I want and find other good things to focus on to expand my reality. Perhaps I've had lovely cars in the past that I've enjoyed driving. Perhaps I'm getting lifts from lovely people which I'm currently enjoying. I allow myself to be grateful for all of this and by focusing on the happiness I have now, I'll be sure to attract more of it in the future. And eventually the car will come (direct experience - it did!) but I won't have wasted any time worrying about it and delaying it's progress towards me.

Basically, it's a 'be happy now' thing for me. If I wait for everything I want to come to me before I can be happy, I'll be waiting for ever and never be happy. If I can be happy now, even without some of the things I still want, not only will I feel good in myself but I'll be bringing all the things I want much closer because of it.

So think about it - What makes you happy today?

APOLOGIES...

Hello folks, and it's apology time from me. I've been so busy with things this last couple of months I've had absolutely no time to blog at all. Unfortunately a good friend said goodbye to his father recently and this has meant trips down to London and a funeral for me. No excuse, I know, but the best reason for not being here is helping out a friend, don't you think?

And as we wandered around my friend's dad's house looking at what was left of a life lived nearly ninety-five years, someone said that it didn't seem much. But that's not what it's all about really, is it? I believe that the people who are left behind that remember you kindly are the legacy you leave this world, not the goods and chattels that are so easily disposed of after you've gone. And his dad was certainly loved and respected during his life. The full church and the comments I overheard afterwards made testament to that. And thankfully, he died gently and peacefully in his sleep after living a very full and active life so that at least was a blessing.

To brighter things now... The recent fair was a great success again I think. There were some lovely comments made about it which I've posted on my web site, and I took lots of photographs too which I've now uploaded. Check out the 'MBS Fairs' page of the site to see them.

I've been organising my diary for next year too. So far there are four talks booked, eleven 'Pathways to Wisdom' workshops, eight 'Festivals and Feast Days' workshops, two Louise Hay weekend workshops' two Mind, Body and Spirit Fairs (Memorial Hall being ready, of course!) and, of course, the usual Reiki Practise Sessions and Meditation Groups. Another busy year ahead but I can't wait to get started on it!

I've also got some other lovely things I want to add to my list for this coming year but you'll have to wait to hear about those until the details are finalised.

Meanwhile, I've been learning that it's not what you have, it's who you are that really matters. So go on, decide who you want to be, then do your best to live up to that and the Universe will support you all the way.

GIVING IT AWAY...

Another week, another blog from me. It's been a busy old week here at Rainbows, doing the catching-up after my lovely holiday. But I've been glad to be back doing it again and the week was topped off for me by a wonderful 'Pathways to Wisdom' workshop on Saturday. The people who came had never meditated before and it was lovely to see how much they enjoyed being relaxed and at peace, even for a short while. Now I'm looking forward to the 'Native American Wisdom' workshop. This one runs on Saturday 11 September so book soon if you'd like to join us. More details here...

Work on the Rainbows Mind, Body and Spirit fair is still ongoing. We're going to have a very full hall this time. So much so that I've had to rearrange the tables a little to fit everyone in! There's a list of stallholders and talks and demonstrations here...

And I'm going to be on Internet TV next week too... Humber.TV are running some competitions and you can win prizes simply by watching the videos and commenting on them. Go here for an introductory video with full details of how you can be a winner. I'm going to be featuring in the first of these videos, talking about Mind, Body and Spirit fairs and if your comment is judged the best you will win a free full-hour Emotional Freedom Techniques treatment with me. Don't know what EFT is? Check it out here...

And I think that's what I've 'learned' this week. If you really want something, you have to give it first. For instance, if you want to be happy, then cause another to be happy, if you're worried about money, then give whatever you can to someone who has less than you, if you want more, then give more. This makes sense from a law of attraction point of view. After all, if I say that I can't afford to drop a couple of pennies in a collecting box for a worthy cause what am I saying? That I 'can't afford it' of course. And guess what the Universe will bring me? More 'can't affords', naturally. So give all you can to everyone you can. Do it because it feels good, not for what you can get from it, and you'll soon be on your way to your own success.

What will you give today?

MAKING IT LAST...

Hello again from Yvonne at Rainbows. It's been a busy old time for me lately but not in the work sense (well, not Rainbows work anyway.) I've been away on holiday to the lovely island of Jersey for two weeks. I spent the first week helping out on the 'Bidan family and friends' float for Jersey Battle of Flowers. 'Farmyard Fun' was a great float with a combine harvester, scarecrow and assorted animals. I ended up sitting in the middle of the float dresssed as a Jersey milkmaid. Great fun!

And if I had a penny for every flower I've applied glue to over the three days I helped out, I would be a multi-millionaire by now! The friendliness and cameraderie at the shed more than make up for any aching shoulders however, and at least I could give myself some lovely Reiki each night when I climbed thankfully into my lovely hotel bed.


Thursday's Battle of Flowers parade was fantastic. Well worth the effort all of the float-builders put in. It's a very long day (we have to be with the float by 9.00 am then go down to the Avenue for judging and then we parade from 2.30 until about 4.00.) And our last flower didn't go on the float until 2.10 am the night before, so it was a late night for us all too. But it's a great feeling pulling onto the Avenue and hearing the crowd roar as they see the various floats coming along and watching them getting jiggy with the music and clapping. However, if I never hear the Wurzels sing 'Combine Harvester' again, it'll be too soon for me!

And then there's the Friday night Moonlight Parade too, when the floats get lit up and parade again. The atmosphere's totally different this time, with darkness falling and all the floats going out of their way to make sure that the spectators have a great time. There's fireworks at the end of the parade to send them happily on their way to their beds too. A not-so-formal event and much enjoyed by spectactors and float people alike. What a busy week! You can find a small gallery of photographs of my holiday here...

After that, I was free to enjoy a lovely island holiday with trips to Mount Orgueil Castle (if you like castles, you'll love this one!) Jersey Goldsmiths, Samares Manor gardens and much more. With so much to do and see, it seems like it's gone by in a flash.

However, I did have a wonderful time as usual and I've found a very good way to make it last even longer. Simple really when you think of it. And this formula can be applied whenever you're in a situation that you don't want to end. The trick is to stay in the moment as much as you can. Don't allow yourself to think of the past or the future. Just stay happily in the present. Enjoy the moment. Savour it and you'll make it last so much longer. And here endeth the lesson for today!

What are you going to savour to make it last longer? Well go on... Tell us and let us enjoy it too.