As Summer officially begins in the northern Hemisphere ~ How to fan your inner fire

 

When it comes to achieving success in life, it’s important to have a burning passion within you — an inner fire, so to speak. But what if you don’t feel particularly passionate about anything? How can you fan the flames and get yourself motivated?

Here are a few tips:

Find a role model: Identify someone who is living the life you want and try to learn from their example. What are they doing differently from you? What choices have they made that you can emulate?

Get organized: Achieving your goals is much easier when you have a plan and a roadmap to follow. Get your ducks in a row and map out a strategy for success.

Set small goals: Trying to achieve too much at once can be overwhelming and lead to discouragement. Start small and build up to bigger things.

Take action: Finally, it’s important to take consistent action towards your goals. Dreams and aspirations are great, but they won’t amount to anything if you don’t put in the work.

If you can follow these tips and fan your inner fire, you’ll be well on your way to achieving success 

1. We all have an "inner fire"

2. This fire can be fanned by practices such as regular self-reflection 

3. Other ways to fan your inner fire include writing down your goals, and taking time for yourself each day

4. It is also important to find your "purpose" in life - what makes you happy and fulfilled?

5. When you are doing what you love, your inner fire will naturally be fanned

6. Remember that it is okay to take risks and step outside of your comfort zone

7. By fanning your inner fire, you will live a more joyful and fulfilling life

1. We all have an "inner fire"

We all have an "inner fire" burning within us. This fire is what drives us to pursue our dreams and goals. It is what motivates us to get up each day and face the challenges that life throws our way. It is very understandable to think that this is a load of new age rubbish and that what motivates us is paying the bills and giving the kids their breakfast and getting them to school and then to work , and or caring for elderly  and or disabled family members ...But without that fire that burns within us nothing would get done , even if it is just smouldering , it is there !!!

Unfortunately, sometimes this fire can start to burn a little too low. When this happens, it's important to take some time to fan the flames and get yourself back on track. Here are four ways to do just that:

1. Set some goals.

When you have something to strive for, it can help reignite your inner fire. So, sit down and think about what you want to achieve. Whether it's landing your dream job, losing 20 pounds, clearing your debts , getting a new home , passing an exam or saving up for a trip , setting goals gives you something to work towards.

2. Find your passion.

Sometimes, all it takes to fan your inner fire is finding something you're passionate about. When you love what you're doing, it's easy to stay motivated and driven. So, if you feel like you're in a rut, take some time to find an activity or hobby that you're truly passionate about.

3. Take risks.

In order to achieve great things, you have to be willing to take some risks. Stepping outside of your comfort zone can be scary, but it's often necessary to reach your full potential. So, don't be afraid to take a few risks and see where they lead you.

4. Be positive.

1.Your inner fire is also fuelled by your attitude and outlook on life. So, if you want to keep your fire burning bright, it's important to focus on the positive. When you're positive, it's easier to stay motivated and upbeat, no matter what life throws your way.

2. This fire can be fanned by practices such as regular self-reflection 

The fanning of your inner fire requires regular self-reflection in order to maintain the necessary heat. Without this, the embers will eventually die out.

Self-reflection can take many different forms, but the key is to be honest with yourself. Not everything in your life will be perfect, but it is important to acknowledge both the good and the bad. This way, you can work on improving the areas that need work and continue to build on the things that are going well.

It can be helpful to set aside some time each day, or even each week, to reflect on your life. This doesn’t have to be a formal process – simply taking a few moments to yourself to think about how things are going can be beneficial.

If you find it difficult to reflect on your own, there are many other resources that can help. Therapists, books, and even articles on the internet can provide guidance and support. The most important thing is to find a method of self-reflection that works for you and that you can stick to.

Practicing regular self-reflection is an important way to fan your inner fire. By taking the time to reflect on your life, you can ensure that the fire continues to burn brightly.

3. Other ways to fan your inner fire include writing down your goals, and taking time for yourself each day

When it comes to self-improvement, it's important to keep the flames of your inner fire burning brightly. This means having clear and ambitious goals, and taking care of yourself both physically and emotionally. But how can you fan the flames of your inner fire on a daily basis?

One way is to write down your goals. This helps to crystallize them in your mind, and also makes them more real and tangible. Another way is to take time for yourself each day. This may mean spending some time alone in nature, reading your favourite book, watching TV , playing a sport  or doing something that makes you happy such as a hobby . 

For some , a belief in a religion helps to fan the inner flame as there is a desire to be the best that we can be for our higher being e.g God . I believe in God and while my life has been very hard at times , in fact for most of my life , that belief in a higher being , a father God , encourages me to want to live my best life that I can and aspire to make it better as it is my duty as part of that belief  to be the best I can be and be confident that God is there for me .

 I also have many hobbies that I enjoy , they include watching television and movies . I do enjoy comedy but I also watch a lot of documentary and factual type programmes, especially history , geography and wildlife and movies , I learn a lot from what I watch .

 I enjoy colouring for adults , I have an online gift store  and have recently discovered ai art , which I use a lot to create designs for my own lines such as print to order T shirts and jewellery and images for my blog posts and social media which includes music groups on Facebook for 1950's and onwards and country and folk music . 

There are many arguments about ai art , as to whether it should even be allowed ?, does it infringe copyright ?  , is it taking work away from 'real' artists ?  . I believe that there is room in the field of art for many different ways to create it . I am no threat to a traditional artist as I cannot draw at all , possibly due to my being partially sighted , I have a limited perception of depth , but I can create imaginative prompts for ai art and when I am writing for my blogs and want to create images for it , I am able to use the software to create images such as I did today with  cowboy and western summer solstice ,  for my country music group and I am probably not infringing on many artists copyright with a title like that !! 

No matter what you do, the important thing is to make sure you are taking care of yourself both physically and emotionally. When you do this, you will find that it is easier to stay motivated and focused on your goals. So make sure to fan your inner fire on a daily basis, and you will be well on your way to achieving your dreams.

4. It is also important to find your "purpose" in life - what makes you happy and fulfilled?

It is important to find your "purpose" in life - what makes you happy and fulfilled? This is what will help to fan your inner fire and keep you motivated.

For some people, their purpose may be to help others. They may find fulfilment in volunteering their time or donating to causes they care about. Others may feel fulfilment through their work or creative pursuits. Some people may find their purpose in their family and friends, and the love and support they give and receive.

Whatever your purpose is, it is important to make sure that it is something that you are passionate about. Something that brings you joy and makes you feel good. Because when you are doing something you love, it shows. You will be more enthusiastic and your inner fire will be more visible for others to see.

When you have found your purpose, it is important to pursue it with all your heart. Follow your dreams and do whatever it takes to make them a reality. Don't let anyone or anything stop you from living your best life. You only have one life to live, so make it count. Live each day to the fullest and pursue your passions with all your soul. And never give up on yourself. Remember, you are the only one who can control your destiny. You are the only one who can fan your inner fire. So go out there and do great things. The world is waiting for you.

5. When you are doing what you love, your inner fire will naturally be fanned

When you are doing what you love, your inner fire will naturally be fanned. The passion that you put into your work will be reflected back to you tenfold. You will feel more alive and enthusiastic about life in general. When your work fills you with a sense of purpose and meaning, it will be easier to maintain a positive outlook on life.

It is important to find a balance between work and play. If you are constantly working, you will quickly become burned out and your inner fire will start to dwindle. Make sure to take some time for yourself every day to relax and rejuvenate. Yoga, meditation, and nature walks are all great ways to fan your inner fire.

It is also important to surround yourself with people who fan your inner fire. These are people who make you feel good about yourself and who support your dreams and aspirations. These people will inspire you to be the best that you can be. They will also help you stay motivated when times are tough.

So, if you want to keep your inner fire burning brightly, make sure to do what you love, take some time for yourself, and surround yourself with positive people.

6. Remember that it is okay to take risks and step outside of your comfort zone

It is okay to take risks and step outside of your comfort zone, even if it means making mistakes. You can learn from your mistakes and they will make you stronger. It is also okay to be scared, because it means you are pushing yourself. Growth comes from taking risks and stepping outside of your comfort zone. So, don’t be afraid to take a few risks and learn from your experiences.

7. By fanning your inner fire, you will live a more joyful and fulfilling life

Your inner fire refers to your passion, drive, and determination. It is what gets you up in the morning and motivates you to pursue your dreams. If you want to achieve success in life, you need to learn how to fan your inner fire. Here are seven tips on how you can do just that:

1. Find your why.

Before you can fan your inner fire, you need to figure out what your passion is. Why do you want  or indeed need to achieve your goals? What are you willing to sacrifice to make your dreams a reality? Once you have a clear understanding of your motivations, it will be easier to stay focused and driven.

2. Set realistic goals.

It is important to set realistic goals that you can actually achieve. There is no point in setting your sights too high and then getting discouraged when you don't reach them. Figure out what you want to accomplish and then create a step-by-step plan on how you are going to get there.

3. Take action.

Once you have your goals set, it is time to take action. You need to start working towards your dreams and making them a reality. Don't be afraid to put in the hard work and hustle; it will all be worth it in the end.

4. Believe in yourself.

In order to achieve success, you need to believe in yourself. You need to be confident in your abilities and know that you are capable of achieving your goals. doubts or negative self-talk will only hold you back.

5. Be persistent.

The road to success is rarely smooth. There will be obstacles and setbacks along the way. You need to be persistent and never give up on your dreams. When things get tough, just remember why you are doing this and keep going.

6. Be patient.

Rome wasn't built in a day and neither are most dreams. You need to be patient and understand that it takes time to achieve success. Be patient and trust the process.

7. Enjoy the journey.

Don't get so focused on the destination that you forget to enjoy the journey. Take time to celebrate your accomplishments along the way. And even if you don't achieve your ultimate goal, you will still have grown and learnt a lot from the experience.

No matter what life throws your way, it is always important to keep your inner fire burning. This fire is what drives you to be the best version of yourself and to pursue your dreams. Sometimes it can be hard to keep that flame alive, but it is always worth it. These are a few tips to help you fan your inner fire:

1. Set goals for yourself and strive to accomplish them.

2. Find something that you're passionate about and pursue it with all your heart.

3. Live each day to the fullest and don't take anything for granted.

4. Surround yourself with positive people who will support your dreams and encourage you to pursue them.

5. Never give up on yourself or your dreams, no matter how hard things get.

By following these tips, you can ensure that your inner fire keeps burning bright. Pursue your dreams with everything you've got and never give up on yourself. You are capable of amazing things, so never let anyone tell you otherwise. Keep your head up and keep moving forward, no matter what life throws your way.

Valerie

5 Questions to Ask Yourself to Find Your Life’s Purpose

 

Some people seem to be born knowing what they want in life. They find their passions or their talents early and just know to go after them. If you’re struggling to work out what is you really want to do with your life, don’t give up. This may well be even more likely since Covid and the following financial crisis leading to so many losing jobs and the pattern of work changing with more people working from home , even if maybe it would not have been their choice . People are finding also , with the cost of living increase that they have less choice , less options of how they live their lives . 

 There are some simple questions you can work through to discover your life’s purpose. While it’s important to give each question proper consideration, try not to agonize over your responses. Allow your Inner Child and your intuition to guide your answers, and don’t forget to think big! Make your starting point ‘in the best of all possible worlds.’

 Use these questions to dig deep and find out more about yourself so you can set yourself on your true path. Even if you do not have a job and have a limited income, it is good to have interests that help to keep you in the loop and come across as a positive and engaged person when perhaps looking for a job .... 

 

Question 1 If Money Were No Object, What Would You Do?

If you had a never-ending magic source of money, how would you choose to spend it? Be honest – the answers are to help you, not to impress anyone else!

 Question 2 If You Could Do anything for A Whole Day, How Would You Spend it?

Think of your perfect day. It’s ok if it’s lying on a sun lounger by a pool or skiing in the Alps. Try and describe your ideal day in as much detail as possible.

 Question 3 What’s Your Passion?

What energizes you? What gets your heart racing and your imagination firing? It could be political issues, connecting with people, being creative, or playing sports. Whatever your passion is, write it down! I have an online  gift store and my passion is choosing items to offer from suppliers , designing items for print to order and writing  blogs. 

  Question 4 What Do You Really Love Doing?

Do you like nothing more than to bake or learn new gourmet techniques? Maybe you love writing or analysing or even making spreadsheets. Or being out in nature or helping other people. I love to spend time reading, especially historical fiction and some biographies  and watching television . I like to watch programmes that teach me something such as history and nature programmes and documentaries  and movies . I also still love stamp collecting and colouring for grown ups . 

 Question 5 What Was Your Childhood Passion?

Think back to what you loved to do when you were a kid. What did your parents have to call you away from, to come to the dinner table? What was the thing you would lose hours doing? I spent a lot of time as a child  when not at school , reading . As an only child with health issues and an elderly landlady downstairs , I was prevented from often bringing home friends to play with and games were difficult to play on my own , although my father liked to buy games for me and he and I  played them when he was at home at weekends and in my school holidays , when unusually for fathers of the time in the 60's and early 70's  , he liked to take time off work and look after me far more than my mother did . We played games including Frustration , Build a beetle and Ker plunk and I had toys such as spirograph and a viewmaster with reels of slides for it which included pictures of animals and countries of the world and famous places such as Stonehenge  . 

My father also started my stamp collection , buying my first Stanley Gibbons stamps of the world catalogue , no way would that hold any large worldwide  collections now , but if they are still published are ideal for a child's first collection . Every month he had me enrolled for two deliveries of stamps on approval and I would choose the ones I wanted and he would often give me some extra pocket money to pay for them, along with my weekly comic. 

Childhood comics were something I looked forward to every week . The choice of comic grew with me and over the years included Jack and Jill, Twinkle , Bunty  with a cut out and dress paper doll and clothes on the back page and once my teens arrived I moved on to Jackie . I still love magazines and am amazed that these days I read them on my kindle . 

 Close your eyes and remember back when you were totally absorbed in some kind of activity, maybe drawing or playing make-believe games or drawing or being outdoors.

 Once you have a good picture of what lights you up, both now and when you were a kid, you can start to see some themes emerging. Think laterally about how you can begin to focus on what’s important to you. Your life’s purpose is there in front of you.

Perhaps you could turn these interests into an income such as reviewing books , producing art , buying and selling stamps or coins , or .... writing blogs 

Valerie 

Audio ~ 

5 questions to ask yourself

We're back !!! So you don't like Mondays ? Finding Your Purpose: Questions to Ask Yourself

 

Audio

**click the link for accompanying audio article 

Its been a long time since I wrote here  and a lot has changed personally and nationally ..and indeed worldwide . I firstly wish to thank everyone who started to follow this blog and was so complimentary about it , I do hope those readers will enjoy the new posts , some with a similar focus to previously and others with a new focus ....indeed , a new purpose . My purpose with the previous blog had been to help others in similar positions to myself , maybe older , maybe with health issues , maybe with caring responsibilities, to find a job , or legitimate and successful ways to  make an income ...BUT !!! I had to make an income for myself and writing about it was not achieving that purpose . 

I decided to have a go at what many of my colleagues told me was a missed vocation when I worked in early years , which I had to retire early from on health grounds and I started an online gift store as I apparently have a reputation for always knowing that perfect gift and where to find it . 

However , things have changed a lot since I began that enterprise , we have had a worldwide pandemic and now as a result of this and war in the Ukraine , plus other economic factors such as rising domestic  prices including food and mortgages  and costs of utilities such as fuel affecting production and  transport costs , people have less money to spend and many have had to cut down massively on the amount of gift buying that they do, for individual gifts and for the holiday seasons . As a result of the pandemic , working patterns changed beyond recognition , even more high street stores , big and small names closed, shutting up shop for good ,  and while it is said that even more people are shopping online , many people have lost their jobs altogether rather than seen them change in nature and location.... Many are looking for or have found , a new purpose in life ... 

Do you know how to find your purpose? If you posed that question to several people, the majority would likely answer no. It’s because there is a world of possibilities. People are afraid to try something new out of fear of the unknown. They often don’t know how to go about looking for what they should be doing.

What you may want to do and should be doing are not always the same thing . Unfortunately , the careers that some people want are once again in these current times , as much an impossibility as they were for me in the 1970's when I wanted to teach and my mother literally beat it out of me , never to be mentioned again . She made it clear that I was NOT going to university , I was to stop jumping out of my class and being as she called me a lily livered lizard hiding away in school and I was to leave school as soon as possible and get a job . she was furious that legally I could no longer  leave at fourteen as she had done, and told me that to go to work at fourteen as she had to do , with bombs dropping around me , would give me the backbone that I lacked !! . I replied that she was the only mother I knew who did not want better for me than she had herself ...By the time this argument took place  , I had been working on Saturday and in the school holidays , in a children' s clothes shop in the famous  Kings Road  , Chelsea London . I made so many sales , many to very wealthy middle eastern families who enjoyed the British fashions for their children and the tax allowances . I was offered the chance to train as a fashion buyer , but by this time was too terrified of my mother to do anything other than start work at the nursery school  , where she as telephonist at a local  job centre , had found the job and arranged an interview for me . The headteacher  told me that she interviewed me because she wanted to see this idiot who could not phone about the job herself !!! ... Sadly , I think there may be yet again , many young people in similar circumstances to those I faced back in the 70's .... forced into jobs by their parents as soon as possible , without the maturing experience of college or university . No sooner had I started the job , albeit with training as part of it , than I was forced by my mother to get a room to rent and she was proudly telling the family ...' Valerie is independent now ' ..in fact , I almost failed my first year of the nursery nurse ( as they were then called ) course , as the headteacher reported to college that I was not sophisticated enough for work ... I was an only child of older , low income parents with significant mental health issues themselves and my mother made sure I gave her no worry , by insisting I rarely went anywhere other than what was either legally forced on her to send me ..i.e school, or somewhere I was unlikely to come home pregnant ..Sunday school ... I knew my purpose in those days ..to be independent from my parents as soon as possible and to look after them when they were old. Indeed , my mother told me that was what she had a child for .... Unless things improve in the coming years , with the financial pressures facing families again now and the lack and cost of social care for the elderly , I am sure that children will be facing such a future yet again .... 

 Meanwhile , if in a position to do so , we need first to ask if what we are doing now is satisfying. Put aside the bills and your pay check for a moment. Do you get a charge out of getting up every morning to go to work? How do you feel on Sunday evenings, assuming you start up work on Mondays? Do you dread having to get up in the morning on Monday, or does it excite you? Indeed , do you even have a job ? or is it another week of being hounded by the jobcentre that you are facing ? 

Another problem is you may feel stuck doing something in which you never wanted to do , it is nothing like any of the dreams you had when you were younger . You will  need to ask yourself what will it take to make changes to get out of your current situation and into something you enjoy. It may require going back to school or at least, training online. Luckily, there are several options available, and many of them are cheap or free.

If you find that the path is well laid out, ask yourself are you’re willing to put in the time and make an effort? If not, you haven’t truly found your purpose. You either need to continue what you are doing or find another path. Keep doing this until you are willing to put forth the effort.


Valerie 

Back to School ....We are all graded

Recently much of the news in the UK has been about the situation facing school and college students who had it not been for Corona virus would have sat exams this Spring and Summer term but had them cancelled and instead were awarded grades from a computer alogoritham system after the initial plan to base grades on tacher assessment was scrapped. The first sign of a huge problem as a result of this decision was when the first level of results were published known in the UK as A levels , the exams on which university entrance is awarded . Instead of being able to confirm their teacher predicted results and look ahead to going to university , students found themselves as a result of the computer system results with grades in many cases way below what their teachers had led them to believe they would get and as a result they lost their conditional university offers .

By the time the results of GCSE exams were published around a week later , exam results which often are the basis on which students are able or not to go on to study for A levels either at their school or another college or take up other courses of study or training , there had been huge media attention on the situation and its effects on what is becoming known as the Corona virus generation of students and many red faces and mutterings of something pretty shabby intended to be apologies from the government ministers responsible for the decisions that led to the downgrading for so many students of their expected results on which applications to universities and other courses had been made and provisionally awarded ....

However.... We are all graded right from birth when the condition of a new baby is assessed , but It can be difficult to find areas that your child needs help in.

When junior high and high school come along the grades will be more important. You can teach your child early on about the importance of grades in a positive way. Grades are not the tell-all answers to how smart a person is, but merely a guide or tool to determine how well your child understands a particular subject. Since each child is different, try not to compare one child to another. While your eldest might make an effort and get A’s, another might make just as much an effort and get C’s. Help your children to have the self-confidence to be happy with their best effort despite the grade.

However, When your child isn’t doing well and isn’t trying, you have a bigger problem. Starting your child early on about the importance of school and learning can help them make the right choices as they get older. How well they try in school can effect how well they try in the real world. Teach them the proper skills and tools to be confident in all they do and things will be easier for them. If your child is really struggling in a subject, help them to understand that everyone can’t be good at everything. Find areas that they are good in and help to feel good about what they can do well. And help them work on the areas that they aren’t as good at.It's a big wide world out there with opportunities for all in many different fields, giving almost everyone a chance to shine in something , for some it may well be the more traditional academic subjects , for others it may be some of them but not all, and for others it may be a field such as sport, art or music , we all have our talents and they all have value ....

 

Let today be the day

A New year ~ A fresh start

Make yourself a wonderful future