Seize the day! February 2025

The older I become, the more I encourage myself to make the most of every opportunity. Finances permitting, that could be live music, poetry, and dance, exhibitions, workshops and retreats. Some of these involve stepping well out of my comfort zone – I don’t know whether Susan Jeffers’ 1987 book ‘Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway’ is currently in fashion, but it’s been a helpful way of thinking for me.

I’m designed rather well to stay *within* my comfort zone, but acknowledge that when I step out of it, the experiences I have, the people I meet, and the friends I make are surprisingly wonderful. So I need to continue working on being less fearful of the negative ‘What If?s’

I now embrace the *positive* What If?s ‘What if it turns out better than I expect?’ ‘What if it’s easier for me to do?’ And most intriguing/shocking of all – ‘What if it’s fun?’

By forming the words of the positive What Ifs? in my mind (or speaking them out loud – I love that!) I can feel my shoulders relax, and my heart rate settle. I become both more steady and more alert.

I turn to the Remedies for help – Chestnut Bud to assist me from repeating familiar patterns and behaviours, Mimulus for known fears, Aspen if I’m feeling I’m on a shoogly peg but don’t know why or how. Larch for confidence, and Gentian for recovering from setbacks.

Sorrow and Missed Opportunities. Hope and Connection.

February brought me a sharp reminder about seizing the day. You know when you think about someone, or their name comes up in conversation, and you think oh, I’ll call or WhatsApp them, or drop them a line, or go and see them. And time moves on, and that call never gets made, and the WhatsApp never gets sent. And then you hear that that person has died. Possibly without them knowing how dearly they were loved, or how much they were treasured.

I was very moved to be invited to a wonderful friend’s funeral, which was an occasion filled with love and sorrow. I never met her in real life, but we made contact through social media, and she brought wit and hilarity (as well as excellent-quality) serious stuff to my life. And – obviously not anywhere nearly as much as her family and friends do, I know – I miss her.

So I take Cerato, to listen to my inner heart, and Hornbeam to take action, and Clematis to focus on the here-and-now. Chestnut Bud so I won’t let the not-doing happen again. Pine for my feelings of guilt and shame, and Star Of Bethlehem for comfort.

And I have been in touch with friends today as I have thought of them.

With love.