Filter your life

I bought myself a fun pair of sunglasses recently, and even though they were extremely inexpensive, the lenses are great quality.  I was walking with the dogs in our paddock and the colour of the grass, trees, sky etc was beautiful.  Taking the sunglasses off, I saw that everything seemed less vibrant by comparison.

That’s when I had the thought to apply that same filter to my life.  Well, I already do to a certain extent, such as looking for the positive as much as possible (I’m only human and definitely have my grumpy days too), choosing beauty to surround myself with, and trying to be a bright ray of sunshine every day.

But why not amp it up even more?  Why not apply a golden-rose filter over everything?  There are many ways that this could be done, both with mindset and also with the things you have around you.

Setting up your environment for success is such a fun thing to do.  On a day when I feel like elevating myself, I’ll dress in my nicest clothes, wear perfume, spend extra time making my hair look good, and paint my nails.  I’ll tidy up around me, light a candle, turn on soft background music and switch on table lamps.  Even if it’s just me at home.

A flavour of mindset is fab fun too.  I’ll channel a feeling ('sparkle', 'peacefulness' or 'elegance'), a person (Aerin Lauder, a character in a favourite movie, or Martha Stewart), or a place (Paris, California or a tropical resort), and let it guide me.  It’s much better than having a to-do list, and less effort too.  I seem to get all the things done that I need to without thinking about it too much.

When you have a filter, whether it’s for a day, a project, or your whole year (like the word-of-the-year idea), it suddenly becomes clear just what your priorities and necessary actions are, without you having to dream them up.

I am playing around with a new word to take me through to the end of the year, and the right one hasn’t quite appeared yet.  But I know it will bubble up when I least expect it, and in the meantime I am enjoying gathering inspiring words in my journal.

Please let me know your word if you have one!  Or even if you don’t, what might you choose as an effervescent filter to illuminate yourself with right now?
xx Fiona

PS.  For more inspiration, go and visit my books here on Amazon.  They’d be thrilled to see you, and please let them know I say hi!
 

 

 

 

Why not be you?

Dear chic friends,

Why not be you?  I often say this to myself when I am tying myself up into knots, yet again, about why I can’t ‘just be normal’.  Why I can’t live how normal people live.  But you see, to me, normal doesn’t seem that much fun.  It seems mediocre.  It feels like settling.

I might look like I live a normal life on the outside – but on the inside, oh boy, it’s fabulous!  My imagination fuels me and it’s so much fun, and that’s how I write my books.

It still stumps me, even after fourteen books published, and in five languages too – when people ask what I write about.  You’d think I’d have words to describe the flowery flossiness that fills page after page but no!  Nothing!  That’s okay, who wants to be perfect anyway :)

So when you’re feeling less than, overwhelmed, imperfect, messy and like you’re floundering… Why not be you?  Why not lean back, take your foot off the gas, breathe in deeply and glory in the wonder that is you.

You are amazing
You have vision
You have so much to give the world

Life is an experience, not a gruelling marathon, and I can forget that, often.  Maybe you too?  Amongst all that we must get done, we get to have fun too.  We get to enjoy ourselves and yes, not be normal.  We get to dream in a fanciful way and ignite our delight that way.  We get to be different to everyone else, with pleasure.

This is something that has always had an enticing ring to it for me – being different.  I love going against the grain and running my own race.  Sometimes you can second-guess yourself but mostly it is the best fun in the world.

Think about where you are different and how you sometimes hold yourself back.  Listen to your higher self when she whispers an idea to you.  Try it out – straight away – and see how good things can get.

I’ll be cheering you on.

~~ Fiona ~~

PS.  You can see all my books here on Amazon.  They are chock-full of fluffy pink clouds to lift you up – daily! :)

September Update

My sister made me a beautiful - silk! - mask to wear when I need to.

 

Dear chic friends,

I have received some messages of concern – “where are you!” and I am sorry to have caused worry for any of you.  I am perfectly well, and don’t have the covid or anything like that.  I am just naturally quite a shy person, and sometimes don’t find it natural to be online all the time.

In a perfect world I would wrap myself up in my book writing and only pop out to say, ‘There’s a new one here!’ then scurry back into my tucked-in little nest.  But life is not like that, is it?  We all have to get out of our comfort zone and be present.

I have been writing yes, and have a new book that is currently in the editing process.  I’ve also been having a lot of thinking time, and wondering what new projects I want to do next.  I have also been considering just how my future plans fit into how I like to work best.  Also, I’ve been doing a lot of journaling and private self-development work which feels indulgent, but heck, why not.  Just writing in a notebook and seeing what comes out.  It’s free and fun and yields fascinating results.

We are coming out of winter here in New Zealand, and it’s nice to feel that spring is just around the corner.  Today is a deliciously drizzly day – so cozy!  Our country is currently in lockdown, not so bad where I live, but our biggest city – Auckland – is fully locked down and has been for many weeks.  We ‘only’ had 2-3 weeks of full lockdown here by comparison.

I sincerely hope you are well and happy, and wish you the best of the new season whether you are going into spring or autumn.  And I will continue on with my next book and hopefully have it ready for you soon!

~~ Fiona ~~

PS.  You can find all of my books here on Amazon.  I’m not surprised that ‘The Peaceful Life’ has been my most popular book since it came out.  We could all use some soothing at the moment as our worldwide phenomena rolls on.  But for many places there is light, so we cling to that.  xx

 

 

 

Creating your own happiness

Now more than ever I truly realise that we are each responsible for our own happiness. There can be very sad times and hardship, and simply being a cheery person cannot avoid these circumstances, but how resilient we are very much depends on our state of mind.

When we look for the negative things in life, nitpick, find fault in, and judge others, it is harder to be happy. I know this from experience. But when we drop the judgement, look for the good in life, are grateful for everything we have and look forward to each day as a chance for a new start, miracles seem to occur. We feel happy for no reason. Life is brighter. People are friendlier. The trees are greener! And it all starts with us.

We had recent family sadness: my father-in-law Peter passed away in April. He was one of the most enthusiastic people I have ever met. His smile was 1,000 watts and he was always positive. His funeral was so packed there were people standing at the back.

Peter moved here from the UK as a young man and forged a life for himself in a new country, was successful in his chosen career as an engineer (just like my dad, who was an engineer too) and built a beautiful life for himself and his family. If he hadn’t wanted to see the world as a merchant navy man my husband Paul wouldn’t exist, and I am so grateful that he does!

I knew Peter for eighteen years, and cannot remember a time when he was grumpy. He truly was a lesson in how to live life well, and with gusto. This wasn’t supposed to be a eulogy, but more a little reminder to live life, be happy, and appreciate every moment you are given. I know I do, every single day.

Yes, sometimes I’m not my best self and can be thoughtless or a Little Miss, but the more I practice looking on the bright side of life, the more I can appreciate. The more you do it, the easier it gets.

Sending you a big smile and wishing you a lovely weekend!

xx Fiona

PS. my books are now available as paperbacks in Australia through Amazon Australia - actually printed in Australia! This means a huge saving on shipping - yay! 

 

 

New book out: Thirty Chic Days Vol. 3!

  

 

Dear chic friends,

My newest book is finally out! I'm thrilled to let you know that the print and Kindle copies are now available on Amazon here, and the eBook is in my online store here for those of you who cannot access Amazon easily.

Thirty Chic Days Vol. 3 is all about nurturing a happy relationship, staying youthful, being your best self, and having a ton of fun at the same time.  I had such a great time writing it, so I hope you enjoy reading it!  Please let me know what your favourite parts are!

I always get fired up about my next book when I publish a new book, so I'm busy exploring topic ideas to see which one inspires me the most.

With all my best to you; I hope you are doing fabulously well :)

Lots of love, Fiona x

Half-price sale!

 

Just for fun, everything in my eStore is HALF PRICE until the end of the month.  So go and have a browse when get a moment, at:

https://payhip.com/fionaferris

And if there is anything that catches your eye, simply use the code:

HALFPRICEHAPPINESS

You will receive 50% off the marked prices and can purchase as many items as you like.

I hope you find something!  Have fun!

xx Fiona

A calm and peaceful feeling

There is no day that cannot be improved with a serene feeling.  With all the things we all have to deal with in our daily life, it is so important to give ourselves the gift of a peaceful mind.

I don’t know about you, but I have a very active mind which analyses things to an unhelpful point, and sometimes thoughts run around in circles on a loop, repeating themselves.  Especially when I wake up during the night and am trying to get back to sleep!

Cultivating a peaceful mind minimises those midnight thoughts, and helps me have a happy and content demeanour overall – even with niggles, stresses and maybe even bigger concerns in the background.

Firstly, I stop listening to all those thoughts.  Most of them are not helpful or even true.  I liken it to being somewhere with a lot of advertisements or billboards.  Do you buy every single thing they show you?  Do you go to every website listed and place an order?

Or window shopping.  I don’t buy something from every single store window I pass, and it’s the same with thoughts when your mind is busy.  You don’t have to buy each one, or any of them.  You can simply let them float by.

If there are things that come into my mind that are a real issue I have to deal with, I’ll write them down so I don’t forget.  Then I can either take action quite soon, or if I don’t have to deal with them right away, I’ll put a note on my calendar.  That way I can forget that thing quite happily and carry on being grateful for my day, my life and the glory of nature that is around me.  There is always something to notice and appreciate.

It seems so simple and basic, but I have found the best solutions often are.  I am a master at over-complicating things, and you might be too :)  Keep your thoughts simple and pure, and approach problems with a child-like mind.  Ask yourself, What are the most basic ideas for a solution?

Keep well, and be sure to prioritise your serenity today.

xx Fiona