On the beach - you can live in bliss

I received a beautiful gift from one of the children this morning - which made my day :-)

A bag full of fresh sea shells... I was quite fascinated as I haven't encountered such beautiful shells in Bahrain... Always appreciate the small moments in life - they are the most special!

Awaken your imagination

'There are some days when I think I'm going to die from an overdose of satisfaction' Dali

Another arty post I know but I feel I've been strongly feeding the creative part of my soul recently... Maybe it could be linked to the research I am undertaking for the topics I am teaching in Art this term or growing up and my brothers influence ? Dali artwork sprawled out around the house which he had painted in his school years?... Anyhow, this month is a great month to be feeling artsy in Bahrain :-) I recently found out that there is going to be an exhibition of incredible artists such as Dali, Piccaso and Rembrandt....

I am particularly excited about seeing Dali's work (spanish surrealist)... His imagination seemed to be so deep and intricate - imagine him being one of your '5 people you would want a dinner party'?! .... I think as well as Dali being an incredibly eccentric and talented individual, what inspires me as that he was so close to his mother who died from the incredibly painful disease - cancer...

Dali on his mother"was the greatest blow I had experienced in my life. I worshipped her... I could not resign myself to the loss of a being on whom I counted to make invisible the unavoidable blemishes of my soul." ... I guess I can relate because that quote is 'too close to home' ... ?

But for now, I'm going to sit back and dream like Dali did - that would be a thought...

There is no self-portrait of me

In my Art classes, I am teaching the children about an Austrian artist 'Gustav Klimt' from the 18-1900's... I was inspired when studying his personality and feelings on the world...


In the words of Klimt:


'Whoever wants to know something about me - as an artist, the only notable thing - ought to look carefully at my pictures and try and see in them what I am and what I want to do'...

The Kiss (1907)

 Klimt was fascinated with the female body form and his work was highly controversial due to erotic scenes. Interestingly enough, he never painted a self-portrait, he was simply - 'selfless'.

Mountain Dreamer

I came across this inspiring poem and felt such a strong connection whilst reading it...

The Invitation - Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.


It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.


It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain! I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.


I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.


It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithlessand therefore trustworthy.


I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty, every day,and if you can source your own life from its presence.


I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”


It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.


It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.


It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.


I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.


The poet said -
'In the spring of 1994 I went to a party-an ordinary party-and I made an effort, a real effort, to be sociable. I asked and answered the usual questions: What do you do for a living? How do you know the host? Where did you study? Where do you live? And I came home with the familiar hollow feeling of having gone through the motions. So, I sat down and did what I often do to sort out what is going on--I wrote. 
Using the format of a writing exercise that had been given to me by poet David Whyte I wrote about the party conversations--what really did not interest me and what I really did want to know about others, about myself. 
I went to the centre of the ache for something more between myself and the world and the prose-poem, “The Invitation”, poured onto the page...


Now, re-read the poem and I hope you find your connection like I did...


Life is hard. And life is wonderful. “The Invitation” is about finding what we need-the inspiration, the intimacy, the courage and the commitment to live fully, every day...

Hmmm sushi

My biggest weakness is definitely my love for sushi... Strangely enough, the word 'sushi' doesn't mean fish at all, but 'vinegar rice' :-) Su means vinegar and shi rice in Japanese! I enjoy nothing more than to spend an evening with a close friend sharing a sushi platter... One of my favorite types would definitely be the california roll... yummm!

I hope one day to learn to be able to make it myself...

Look closely at the picture above - notice anything strange?! :-)

01.01.11

My first post of the wonderful New Year of New Beginnings... 01.01.11

Last sunset of 2010

First of all, Happy New Year to all :-) ... I hope this year is beautiful, magical and you can fulfill all your dreams... I know I am going to live each day to the fullest...

2010 was not a negative year, but a learning year for me... and 'what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger'...

I finished my Postgraduate in Education in July 2010 which has enabled me to purse my dream of teaching and inspiring others... I managed to work in my chosen school and be given the opportunity to teach two years groups various subjects... It definitely hasn't been easy, I am still learning every day but I am trying my hardest to ensure this first year of teaching is a successful and memorable one in my life...

Here are a few life lessons I've learnt in 2010...

1. Always Love oneself, family and dear friends - never forget who is most important
2. Forgive and forget - anger only festers and destroys oneself
3. The past is the past - never dwell - look to the future...
4. Always smile  - there is always someone going through something far worse
5. Give whenever possible, even if it's just tipping the man washing your car... 'give and you will recieve'
6. My job is my number 1 priority - without it, I wouldn't be able to teach, inspire and scope the mind's of tomorrow....

The biggest revelation I felt this year, was when I realised that as soon as I let go of past hurt and forgave past events, I would feel complete again...
The sun was shining all along, and all i had to do was let it in.... and i did. and I felt so free...

My resolution for 2011 is to keep shining like a star... to stay true to myself... you can interpret the 'shining star' thing anyway you like but I feel it just 'sums' up the way I feel right now :-)

This year, I will not settle for anything less than I deserve, ensure my family are all in good health and happy (as this is most important), keep good friends close, and, most importantly, stay true to myself...

This year I have really learnt to understand myself, feel comfortable with myself as Lucy and not a part of someone else ... If my gut tells me something is not right, I can now strongly say, I can listen to that gut feeling and confidently go with it. I have let friends go which weren't really friends and now focus on the one's who matter... I may not have a big group of friends, but I certainly have a few very special ones scattered around the world...

Travelling is a huge passion of mine, but instead of trying to plan ahead and go crazy with travel plans, I am just going to let it flow, it will slip into place.... and I will climb Kilimanjaro one day when the time is right :-)

My plan is to look back on this entry in 2011 and be able to say with confidence that I lived up to my own expectations. I certainly plan to try my hardest :-)

I woke up this morning and heard a John Mayer song called 'Clarity' which has a song line in that I feel represents my feeling of today...

'This morning, there's a calm I can't explain...The rock candy's melted and only diamonds now remain...'