From September, with love.

September has always been an important month for me. A time to reflect on the year so far; what I have learnt, achieved and what is coming next.

The societal norm ingrains September in school timetables as the end of summer, the start of the next academic year while also being a check point in the calendar year. Britain and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere begin preparations for the winter coming with traditional autumnal practices.
Harvests, crunchy leaves, cosy blankets…

Then we have life in the tropics. Here all of the seasonal changes are thrown out the window and kind of leaves you off balance a bit. Despite the constant climate, mentally I am still the same as before. September remains to be my month of reflection.

As I am getting older I understand more how time is speeding up, or at least our concept of time. Of course 1 year metrically remains the same, but what changes is the amount of 1 years we have to compare over a lifetime. This increases which in result creates the illusion that the 1 year is speeding up.

How can it be September already???

I utter this phrase as I turn yet another page in my diary. 2019 has flown by at a rapid pace, as like every year. However, despite the frightening speed this year is going, I do feel like I have control. It’s as if I am finally becoming the person I am meant to be. Is this what mid 20’s are all about?

Happiness looks good on you

To begin with, somehow this year I have become more in touch than ever before with my physical health and mental well-being. By opening up and being honest with myself I have gained a stronger control over my anxieties. And then there is my PCOS which I’ve fully acknowledged now and chose to learn more about.

I am far from perfect. As is everyone. However through being more aware of my diet and lifestyle, actively taking a healthy step forward, I feel better. Inside I feel good. And this shines through.

Self care has been the number 1 life lesson for me so far this year. Look after yourself, be happy and love every second of it. There is no better feeling.

In addition to nurturing myself more, I also challenged my brain and pushed myself to learn something new. I signed up to a FREE online course with Google on Digital Marketing. After completing the 40 hours of modules you even get certified in The Fundamentals of Digital Marketing. Pretty cool right? This course has reminded me how important it is to keep your brain working, to stay active and drive your self improvement.

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Write your ass off – Natalie Goldberg

And finally, I have rediscovered the power of writing. Regular writing practice not only improves your style, but also helps free the mind. As you get caught up in life it is easy to forget the magic within the world that we saw when we were children. Through writing you can unlock this magic and see things for the first time again.

I have fallen back in love with books and have been reading anything I can get my hands on. As a result, Cleo Wade’s Heart Talk has gained a permanent spot on my bedside table for daily poetry and self care inspiration. Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones has become my muse on writing for therapy.

Exploration through imagination.
My mantra – “inspire, be inspired”.
Some advice to everyone is simply write about it.

Besides the golden moments, this year has not just been a bed of roses. I have learned about the bitterness of nostalgia and how hard memories can be. The battle of old dreams crowding the present and drowning the future… But, I suppose this is what being a writer is about. Experienced emotions give purpose to our words.

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Here is a snippet of poem that was written in light of everything before September:

Distant shores
Land is stitched
together
by tides and currents - 
sand, ocean, air.
Memories and dreams
seep through her body
entering the water.
Will the message 
in a bottle
meet the distant shore?
Or will she get 
lost at sea?