Helloooo May!
Welcome to May
Here are some of my ramblings to welcome in the month of May.
I know this is the 2nd May and not the 1st May, but I was welcoming May in yesterday with a walk in the park with my daughter’s gorgeous Red Labrador, Isla, who loves wallowing in the mud (as you can see)!
As you can see from the photos, Dawsholm is a park in bonnie Glasgow with wild areas and woodland. I love listening to the birds twittering, looking at the shapes of the trees and the sky, ever-changing from grey with the sun trying to peep through to blue with white clouds floating by – even just being amazed at the silence so near the city.
Why the ‘title’ heading of the Yellow Gorse bush? According to Celtic folklore, if you take a small sprig of Gorse on 1st May and bring it into your home, you welcome the summer. Well, I did not have garden gloves and when I put my hand forward to try to get a sprig it was too prickly. So I decided to use (and recommended you did the same) my ABC and just imagine taking the sprig of Gorse into my home and believe summer was there.
Just have to mention my April and that it ended on a high, not weatherwise, but partywise!
I attended the ‘hen do’ of a friend who is a bride-to-be. I drove a few hours from Glasgow to Norfolk, leaving dreich Glasgow in the rain, driving through what we call ‘pea soup’ fog across the A66 – I couldn’t see a few feet in front of me! However, reaching the other end I was met with sun splitting the sky, driving passed sungold yellow fields of rape seed.
Finally, I arrived at a huge lodge which the bride-to-be’ sister had booked for all of us. The weather was kind enough for us to sit outside. We didn’t even need to cook dinner, a private chef (www.daybyalan.co.uk) did it all – with so many hors d’oeuvres before the actual dinner and many courses, all yummy (photo of food).
It was sad having to leave and drive back to Glasgow, again leaving gorgeous sunshine, meeting torrential rain when I reached Scotch Corner, the rain not letting up all the way home!
I had not met many of the ladies at the ‘hen do’ but we all connected. I had really interesting chats, some quite deep! One was about working with someone who annoys or irritates you. This reminded me of the need to be self-aware, the first of my 7 Attributes.
Remember if someone is annoying or irritating you, instead of wondering why they do this and even wanting to change them (which is impossible as you cannot change anyone else, only yourself), you need to take time to reflect on yourself – learn to be self-aware. Of course, this involves challenging your beliefs, learning how past conditioning and labels have impacted you, and much more. Doing this can be (and is) difficult, stressful, and even painful. However, when doing my exercises in my ‘Self Awareness’ book in the Wellbeing series of books (www.mindcircles.co.uk), I recommend (and know) using my ABC helps reduce stress.
Just before my walk yesterday I came upon a phrase that I think is very apt –
‘You can’t do better until you know better’
This links to my 7th Attribute ‘Know How’.
I find that walking in nature brings a new perspective on everything. I highly recommend you do this. It doesn’t have to be a long walk, just go outside preferably in a park, or near flowers and trees, or watch the sky – you feel better. Do this if you have issues or problems to solve, it gives you time out, even let go of issues you have no control over and solutions appear, even ones you least expect!
Finally, remember to smile and laugh, they cost you nothing
Virtual hugs
Patricia x