Candles and fluffy sweaters

What a neat word, energy creatures! We live in a world full of energy and we ourselves are also part of that world.

Earlier today, during a work project, I really felt how this energy clearly can change and how quickly it can happen. For a few days we have been sitting 10 people in a large office and there has been a very positive energy, despite a boring project. We've been working on it and somehow made the boring feel okay. Now, as the project draws to a close, we are suddenly told that we will not be reimbursed for the last day. Because we have worked so well, the tasks will end earlier than expected. When this news reached us in the office, it was as if the air had completely gone out of the room. You could almost feel the energy. Everyone started to work more slowly, the positive spirit just disappeared and no one felt motivated to do a good job anymore. The damage was already done when the employer found out how we, who were working, were taking it all. Despite attempts by the employer to repair the damage, it made no difference to the energy in the room.

I wasn't surprised this morning when I woke up and realised I had caught a bad cold! It's almost comical! I have had and have a huge stress load from various sources and the sum of these has broken down my immune system and after a few bad nights sleep, the cold breaks out. When I don't give my body the opportunity to rest and recover it immediately punishes me, bam! And I am grateful! Grateful because I am so sensitive and because I know how my body works.

The 6 basic principles, initiated by Paul Chek, are based on creating a balance between yin and yang. The yin principles consist of diet, hydration and sleep, while the yang principles consist of breathing techniques, positive thinking and movement. The 6 basic principles for a healthy lifestyle are described in more detail in my previous blog series: Introduction, Diet and Fluid Balance, Sleep, Positive thinking, Movement and Breathing Techniques and Discussion.

I think Christmas is the best holiday of the year! I love Christmas! I am NOT going spend my time online in front of Facebook or reading emails on Christmas Eve itself. I'm going to spend time with my husband, my kids and my niece. I'm hoping for the perfect Christmas ham, sunshine and lots of quality time together. There will be homemade food, classic games such as yatzy, cards and monopoly and of course Donald Duck. I need to see Ferdinand smelling his flowers before Santa arrives. Because Santa is important and I really hope he finds his way here because only good children live here!

Some days are completely impossible. To do lists are long and numerous, the phone rings, important emails pop up that need a quick response, the mobile phone beeps countless times, daydreams take over, meetings interrupt the writing when it's flowing best etc etc.

The ability to focus and be present is the key to good productivity, at work and in everyday life. To focus is to narrow your attention to something specific, to keep your eyes on a specific goal. It is the key to concentration, efficiency and clarity. The problem is that attention is a limited resource and distractions are all around us. There are many different things competing for our attention all the time, and that poses a bigger problem today than ever before. The brain is not built to "have too many balls in the air" all the time.

You can use your gut in many different ways, but one thing is for sure, you should never defy it. That's one of my basic principles.

A simple example from earlier today was when I came back after leaving the kids at school and preschool. As I entered the kitchen, my gut told me to check the bags from the US one more time, because that's where the missing Manuka honey lie. I don't know why my intuition was giving me these signals at the time, but I did what my intuition told me to do. And sure enough, at the bottom of one of the bags in another bag lies the honey! Just like that. As I had thought and searched before without getting anywhere. And how appropriate that it turned up just today, as the girls and I are struggling with a sore throat.