Let the Festivities Begin

Along with December arrives my festive mood. Some people find gift giving to be a chore, but not me. I choose each and every present carefully before wrapping it with as much enthusiasm. I simply love giving as much as I enjoy receiving; which is why I still send out greeting cards to friends who are away.
And, it's always more fun when I make the cards myself.

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Zajedno sa decembrom stiže i moje praznično raspoloženje. Neki ljudi vide kupovinu poklona kao zadatak, ali ne ja. Ja svaki dar pažljivo biram, a onda ga pakujem sa podjednakim entuzijazmom. Jednostavno volim da dajem isto onoliko koliko volim i da primam; zbog čega i dalje šaljem čestitke prijateljima koji žive daleko. A uvek je mnogo zabavnije ako čestitke napravim sama.

Material + a warm drink for the soul

The finished products

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Just embrace it

My enthusiasm doesn't wane, it's my energy that influences the frequency of posts. At 33 weeks pregnant I find myself frustratingly sleepy even on days when I think I've had a good night's rest. I spend so many hours with my eyes shut tight, that I don't even have the time to stress over how unpredictable life can be. I only managed to complain to my husband today, and he advised me to: "Just embrace it!"

And, as soon as I did, I found myself writing this post. I don't even feel that tired, yawn.

Moj entuzijazam ne jenjava, već to moja energija utiče na učestalost postova. U 33. nedelji trudnoće moje telo je frustrirajuće pospano, čak i onim danima kada mi se čini da sam se tokom noći baš dobro odmorila. Provodim toliko vremena zatvorenih očiju da čak ni ne stižem da budem stresirana činjenicom da život može biti baš toliko nepredvidiv.
Uspela sam jedino da se požalim mužu, a on je odgovorio: "Ma samo to prihvati."

Čim sam prihvatila njegov savet počela sam da pišem ovaj post. A ni ne osećam se više toliko umornom, zev.

Happy Day

Here are some photos to brighten up your day; your week.

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Nekoliko slika da vam ulepša dan; početak nedelje.

Beauty is everywhere

It's Sunday. It's the first day of December. Let's start the last month of the spectacular 2013 with an affirmation to brighten up your day.

Affirmations are best applied if you say them aloud while standing in front of a mirror, looking into your own eyes.

"Beauty is inside me and all around me. I always see the beautiful in everything that surrounds me." - Sinisa Ubovic

Have a splendid day!

photo credit 

Nedelja je. Prvi dan decembra. Započnimo poslednji mesec u spektakularnoj 2013. afirmacijom koja će vam ulepšati dan. 

Afirmacije se najbolje primenjuju ako ih izgovarate naglas pred ogledalom dok sami sebe gledate u oči.

"Lepota je u meni i svuda oko mene. U svemu što me okružuje uvek nalazim ono najlepše." - Siniša Ubović

Uživajte u danu!

Say "Yes" to Life

A couple of years ago I was in the darkest of places when survival instinct kicked in. It pushed me in, what turned to be, the rightest of directions - towards myself.

In the midst of the storm there was a moment of clarity when I asked myself what kind of a person I wanted to be. This was the answer I got: strong, loving, forgiving, kind, happy, always smiling, and above all positive. At that particular time I seldom exhibited the aforementioned traits. I was as negative as a person can be - with a constantly bleak vision; blaming myself, blaming others, blaming life.

It took absolute determination to say "Enough" to the negative, and change my life around. It began with a simple word - YES. I made a conscious effort to focus on the good instead of the bad, to see qualities rather than flaws, to see beauty rather than ugliness - in my life, in other people, in circumstances and events.

I had an old rag with random words written on it. Without thinking much about what I was doing, I cut out the word "Yes", and put it on the coffee table in my living so that I could look at it every day and let it reprogram my brain.

That is how how I began; how I was reborn. Maybe that's the reason why this is one of my favourite sayings:

"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity" - Albert Einstein.

A lot has happened since that first moment of my new life, I even moved, yet I still have that cutout word "Yes" sitting where I can see it.

Namaste.

("Da" means "Yes" in Serbian)

Pre par godina našla sam se na vrlo mračnom mestu, kada mi je proradio instinkt za preživljavanje. Gurnuo me je u, kako se ispostavilo, najpravijem od svih pravaca - ka meni samoj. 

Usred oluje koju sam živela, pojavio se trenutak jasnoće u kom sam se zapitala kakva to osoba ja, u stvari, želim da budem. Ovo je odgovor koji sam dobila: jaka, puna ljubavi, osoba koja oprašta, koja je ljubazna, zadovoljna, uvek nasmejana, i iznad svega pozitivna. U tom momentu sam retko kad ispoljavala pomenute osobine. Bila sam negativna koliko se negativan može biti - sa stalno sumornom vizijom budućnosti; kriveći sebe, kriveći druge, kriveći život. 

Bila je potrebna apsolutna odlučnost da kažem "Dosta" negativnosti, i da preokrenem svoj život. Sve je započelo jednom jednostavnom rečju - DA. Svesno sam se potrudila da se fokusiram na na dobro umesto na loše, da u vidim vrline radije nego mane, da vidim lepotu umesto ružnoće - u mom životu, u drugim ljudima, u situacijama i događajima. 

Imala sam jednu staru krpu na kojoj su bile ispisane razne reči. Bez previše razmišljanja o tome šta radim, isekla sam reč "Da", i stavila je na stočić u dnevnoj sobi gde mogu stalno da je vidim. Dozvolila sam joj da mi reprogramira mozak. 

Ovako sam ja počela, ovako sam se ponovo rodila. Možda je to razlog zbog kog mi je ovo jedna od omiljenih izreka:

"Usred nevolje leži prilika" - Albert Ajnštajn

Mnogo toga se dogodilo od tog prvog momenta mog novog života, čak sam se i preselila, ali taj isečak sa rečju "Da" i dalje držim na veoma vidljivom mestu. 

Namaste.

Trust the Process

The hardest lesson I've had to learn was to trust the process; to believe in the positive outcome without having any proof that it's coming. This is important for two reasons:

1. Life is not very fun if you spend it constantly worry about whether your dreams are going to come true. 
 and
2. We get what we focus on. 

This second one is really true. It's not mambo jumbo. I've experienced the incredible magic of life numerous times. I don't need to know how things will come about - just like I don't need to understand the inner mechanics of a car to know it will start when I turn the key. I just have to trust the process and know that it will happen. And you need too.

Try this out: just make a wish, forget about it, and in the meantime, enjoy yourself. There is no point in wasting your energy on trying to understand the process that will grant you your wish; on worrying whether it will come true; or worse, on imagining what your life will be like if it doesn't come to be. None of that matters, because, after all, your heart's desire is about to materialize.

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." - Dr. Martin Luther King.

Namaste.

Najteža lekcija koju sam morala da naučim je da imam vere u proces; da verujem u pozitivan ishod iako nemam nikakav dokaz da on dolazi. Ovo je važno iz dva razloga:

1.  Život nije mnogo zabavan ako ga stalno provodimo brinući da li će se naše želje ostvariti.
i
2. Dobijamo ono na što smo se fokusirali.

Ovo drugo je stvarno istina. Nije mambo džambo. Iskusila sam ovu neverovatnu magiju života nebrojeno puta. Ne moram da razumem kako će se stvari desiti - isto kao što ne moram da razumem unutrašnju mehaniku automobila da znam da će se upaliti kada okrenem ključ. Samo treba da imam vere u proces i da znam da će se desiti. I vi isto morate da verujete.

Probajte ovo: samo zamislite želju i zaboravite na nju. Univerzum će se pobrinuti da se ona ostvari, a vi u međuvremenu uživajte. Nema smisla da trošite svoju energiju pokušavajući da razumete proces; da brinete da li će se vaša želja ostvariti; ili još gore da strepite kakav će vam život biti ako se vaši snovi ne ispune. Ništa od toga nije bitno, jer na kraju krajeva, ono što ste poželeli se sprema da se materijalizuje.

"Načinite prvi korak u veri. Ne morate da vidite celo stepenište, samo načinite prvi korak." - Dr. Martin Luter King

Namaste.

Where to begin?

       It's always best to begin at the beginning. In some other aspects of life there can be many different starting points. When it comes to personal growth - there is only one: a decision to change.

Sometimes this aspiration comes from the unconscious. A person is driven by a force unknown to them to seek out a solution for their predicament - because it is usually a predicament that invites adjustment of circumstances.

If you're here, you've already made that first step, so, congratulate yourself.

What you must know is that a change occurs gradually, and requires patience and determination. It involves adopting a new set of habits that differ from the old ones - because it is the old way of thinking and living that has brought dissatisfaction your way.

Whenever you start to doubt yourself again, whenever it seems like the road ahead of you is difficult, just remember these wise words:

"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got." - Henry Ford

And you, me, and everyone else on this planet wants to go from unhappy to happy.

Namaste.

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Gde početi?      

       Uvek je najbolje početi na početku. Neki aspekti života dopuštaju više različitih početnih tačaka. Kada je reč o ličnom razvoju - postoji samo jedna: čovek mora doneti odluku da se promeni.

Ponekad ova težnja dođe iz podsvesnog. Nepoznata sila nagoni osobu da nađe rešenje za svoju nevolju - jer najčešće je to nevolja koja priziva izmenu okolnosti.

Vi ste već napravili taj prvi korak, pa stoga čestitajte sebi.

Ono što treba da znate je da se promena dešava postepeno i zahteva strpljenje i odlučnosti. To uključuje usvajanje novih navika koje se razlikuju od vaših dosadašnjih - jer upravo je stari način razmišljanja i doneo nezadovoljstvo u vaš život.

Kad god počnete opet da sumnjate, kad god vam se učini da je put pred vama težak, setite se ovih mudrih reči:

"Ako uvek radiš ono što si uvek radio, uvek ćeš dobijati ono što si uvek dobijao." - Henri Ford

A vi, ja, i svako drugi na ovoj planeti želi da pređe iz nesreće u sreću.

Namaste.

About

I have known adversity; I have felt worthless, a loser, a complete failure. I had hit rock bottom and have dwelt there for a while. Yet, I found the straw to hold on to; the light at the end of the tunnel; my inner strength. I lifted myself up, I resurfaced, and I shine. I continue to grow, to expand myself. This is the road that will lead me to becoming the best possible version of myself. I live bliss.

And, I want that for you; for every single being on this planet. I want you to be inspired you; to exude positive energy; to go beyond what you thought was possible.

<3

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Poznajem nesreću; osećala sam se bezvrednom; gubitnikom; potpunim promašajem. Dotakla sam samo dno i obitovala tamo neko vreme. Ipak, pronašla sam slamku za koju sam se uhvatila; svetlo na kraju tunela; moju unutrašnju snagu. Izdigla sam se, isplivala sam, i sijam. I dalje rastem, proširujem se. Ovo je put koji me vodi ka najboljoj mogućoj verziji sebe. Živim blagostanje.

I, sve ovo želim za vas; za svako biće na ovoj planeti. Želim da i vi budete inspirisani; da odašiljete pozitivnu energiju; da dostignete ono što ste mislili da je van vaših mogućnosti.

S ljubavlju,

Contact

Get in touch; share your thoughts, wisdom, troubles, experiences.

Pišite; podelite svoje misli, mudrosti, nevolje, iskustva.

nessalomiva@gmail.com