The Holiday Card Project

I decided to take a part in the Deviant Art Holiday Card Project because I think its simple idea is great. Who wouldn’t like to please those who have not enough luck, pleasure or even health? Additionally, you can do that, which also enjoys you and what you consider to be your hobby.

The word charity usually involves donating money or things needed for life, more precisely for the physical part of life. But doesn’t soul feel hungry?

At school, I learned that there is a pyramid of values, the basis of which is just physical needs – food, drink, clothing, shelter. And if these are not saturated, you probably do not care about what is on the higher floors of the pyramid – values like love, belonging or self-esteem.

Traveling and aging brought me a little different experience.  With my own eyes, I saw huge number of people who were really poor, yet they lived in love and with supporting community, and I don’t think they had the problem of respect or self-esteem.

And of course, I saw and see a lot of people, who have their basic needs more than saturated, yet they didn’t open their hearts either for love or for the support of others.

I believe that donating money helps to change the physical reality of many people, which is great. But I also believe that giving joy feeds their souls and helps them accept what cannot be changed or paid for money.

And so I put my love and positive energy into a simple drawing, hoping to send pleasure and joy even across the ocean.

Thanks to the creative people in Deviant Art for inspiration and their excellent work.

Ivana

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To be connected

Following my last advice, I turn attention to the faith. Although I’m not a part of any religion officially, my heart speaks Hebrew.

I have no preconditions to it from the family, it came to me in dreams many years ago and since that I’ve confirmed a strong response of my soul and heart to the sound of the Hebrew language in various circumstances, even though I didn’t understand a single word in the beginning.

I’m still on the way of searching how to implement this fact into my daily life and not to pretend anything. Maybe I’m not fast enough and this is why the violet color sits deep in the wardrobe full of dust.

So I returned to the picture I drew a few years ago, when I was trying to catch my vision of the commandments inside of the tree of life.

I have meditated over this drawing last days and it seems to me, that each of us is a kind of smart-phone with the spiritual crown instead of antenna, constantly sending messages about true personal stuff to the whole universe with stars as transmitters.

It doesn’t matter how colorful and funny things are displayed to other people, the truth is preciously mined and sent to the attention of HaShem.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe when you get no direct answer, but the point is to keep trying and stay connected, right?

With love and apology for my Hebrew handwriting,

Ivana

Playing with the Elements, Part 2 – Air

Imagine the real air. What qualities does it have? First, it’s invisible. Second, you cannot touch it. It’s all around us and can even expand if we give it space. It’s in constant motion, never stops. So, where to look for the air parallel in our lives inside of the 4-element system?

Our mind if full of thoughts that are invisible and we cannot physically touch them. They are definitely moving constantly and sometimes they even expand exponentially. So, our thoughts belong to the element of Air. And if we talk about pollution in case of the real air, we should talk about pollution of our mind as well.

What can pollute our mind? All the useless information we often starve for! Living in the information era, we are obsessed with information and we often forget to put filters in order to keep our mind clear and healthy. Never ending stress on production and/or consumption of information is the most dangerous source of pollution in the segment of Air.

How to reduce it? Breathing and exercise (which leads to better breathing) are good ways how to clean the mind, and both belong to the Air as well. There is a wide range of breathing exercises, some of them are very aerobic, but you can be successful even with the quiet ones, based on yoga for example. Or you can walk regularly. Especially when you walk in nature, it’s a good way how to clean your mind and reduce the information overpressure.

I believe that is what you are exactly doing already. Perhaps you just didn’t realize it was compensation inside of the Air’s element.

Talking is a very similar issue. Communication also belongs to the Air, as well as all the social bonds. If we tend to overwhelm our lives by talking either in a virtual or in real world, we simply need some physical exercise again. We need to move and breathe.

If we want to achieve a balance across all the elements, we need to learn how to identify them in our lives. So, what else belongs to the Air?

All kind of invisible waves meets the condition of being invisible, untouchable and in constant motion. The sound is a good example. If you think your place is too noisy, go outside or anywhere to the silence. Breathe deeply.

The same definition and solution is valid for the electromagnetic waves. They can pollute your inner Air system and cause damage. We cannot do much, but we have to count with these omnipresent waves in total sum.

Finally, I would like to mention cooperation with the previous element. Let’s go back to the real air, for better imagination. The air is a good tool to keep the fire alive. Breathing to the fire is a way how to wake up the flames. On the other hand, too much of air means a danger for the fire. You can either kill it or spread it out of control. And that’s why is important to keep the Air in reasonable limits.

Too much thinking, talking, collection of useless information, being in noisy places or in places with huge density of electromagnetic waves can kill your joy, laugh, excitement and even your vitality. Or it could spread sparkles of your interest into million directions, so you became lost.

The Air, as well as the Fire, is a good tool, but dangerous master.

Next, I will speak about the Water and the influence of the Air and the Fire to the Water.

With love,

Ivana

In case you missed  Playing with the Elements, Part 1 – Fire

The New Year is coming

No matter what we are going to do, no matter if we like it or we are angry, the New Year is coming. I hear the clock ticking and realize the quiet power of time. There is probably no other quality in the whole Universe that has such power over us and that awakens so much passion in us.

Is it because we cannot corrupt the clock ticking and we cannot steal any extra time? We can only watch the regularity and accept or celebrate the imaginary milestones like when we officially change the number of year in the calendar. And although there are other numbering systems too, we enter the gate of 2018 tonight.

Passing milestones on the life path is always an opportunity to refresh senses and recheck directions. That’s why so many people make a list of resolutions. I have never done such a list, but I like to know how I feel where I am.

And I am glad I decided to open the door for blogging, to have a space for sharing part of myself with all of you. Thanks for reading, commenting and/or stopping by! I appreciate the time you spent with me. And believe me, I don’t regret the time I have spent with you, reading your posts. Thanks for enhancing my life, bringing me a new inspiration.

With love, Ivana

How to reach perfection?

Everybody knows that being perfect is an illusion, but each of us is trying to get as close as possible. The desire for improvement is natural, and because of this tendency we have a lot of good in our lives.

But there are people who are obsessed with perfection. They usually would not agree and immediately highlight all the imperfections they have and need to improve. As long as they live inside of their obsession and don’t bother others, it is dangerous only to them in terms of mental and later physical health.

What I consider to be a problem is a lot of people who are paralyzed by the obsession. They are standing at the life crossroads and wondering which way leads to perfection. They want to avoid mistakes so much that they prefer thinking instead of acting. These people are always waiting for some UNTIL. Until I get this and that I can’t start doing this or that. They often become collectors of certificates with zero practice.

I believe in the power of practicing. My drawings are best proof of it. People ask me how I blend the colors, if I have special pencils for it. No, I don’t. I have the most common and cheap pencils, but I patiently put on many light layers until the drawing gets rich in color.

And this is my conclusion for today. You can get close to perfection by unlimited range of imperfections. Being imperfect means that you are on the way. Keep doing!

With love, Ivana

Keep smiling, show emotions!

Living in the virtual world is full of emoticons, and some of them are really weird! It’s easy to push the key on a keyboard and send the picture with a mood because nobody can watch your face and real emotions. Do we really laugh or love as much as the emoticons show?

I don’t have anything against emoticons! I’ve been using them since Windows had not yet existed, and we had to do it with alphanumeric characters only. It has always been a way how to make a cold computer communication more human.

However, it seems to me that we have already come to a strange extreme. We are using emoticons in the virtual world abundantly and often thoughtlessly, while in the real world we carefully hide emotions and, unfortunately, often even in front of ourselves. Are we giving so much effort to make computer communication more human, that we don’t have enough humanity or emotionality for the living outside the keyboard?

So I draw a picture to remind the importance of emotions, all kinds of them. Finally I have seen what I somehow know, that emotions are like water. They are deep and strong, flowing one to another, quietly or in turbulence, usually without warning.  And to survive as humans, we need emotions as much as water. Don’t you think so?

With love, Ivana

Keeping courage

This week I drew a picture for myself, for my own encouragement and clear mind. I took color pencils into my hands and there began a strange heart to be formed, one heart from two opposite parts. There was a wide mixture of feelings – courage with hope, fight with faith, will with love, male with female. And it was their mutual cooperation which created the certainty that even impossible thing could be done.

Cooperation of the opposites is the key. In our everyday life we are naturally attracted into the groups on the basis of similarity. And it is also natural, that individual groups are opposed to each other. Sometimes it is only on a joke level and sometimes it can escalate into more serious fights. The same principle works in the big world of politics and adults as in kindergarten among children. Permanent focus on competition and rivalry gives the impression that nothing else could shape our identity.

And that’s why there must be an earthquake or other disaster from time to time. It’s an opportunity to check if malicious rivalry didn’t yet eliminate pity, mercy and solidarity. If there is still somehow kept the balance between Ego and Heart, if the common humanity is alive.

I pray in order to prefer voice of my heart to the cry of the ego and leave what is not essential. I hope to do it before some kind of disaster come also to my life. Unfortunately there are plenty of them worldwide.

With love, Ivana

P.S. I’ve been already told that the picture looks more like an ass than a heart….

Liebster Award nomination!

I am honored to get this award nomination from Jewish Thoughts, who deeply inspires my soul in her posts. I like to follow her thoughts from beginning to the final point, even though sometimes I don’t perfectly understand the subject. But I feel a kind of resonation in my heart, so it counts.

Additionally, I sincerely welcome this opportunity to know each other closer and more personally.

The rules of the award as follows:

  1. Acknowledge the blog who nominated you and display the award.
  2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger gives you.
  3. Give 11 random facts about yourself.
  4. Nominate 11 blogs.
  5. Notify those 11 blogs of the nomination.
  6. Give them 11 questions to answer.

Jewish Thoughts asked me following questions:

  1. When did you start blogging?

It is nearly one year, time is running so fast!

  1. Why do you write?

From time to time I have internal tension from too many ideas and putting them down is a kind of therapy. Doing it in English is a language practice. Finally, I love my herbs and it is a pleasure to share what I love.

  1. What is your favorite holiday or festival?

Definitely birthday and not necessarily my birthday. I consider each birth of a new life as a miracle, so it deserves to be celebrated.

  1. What is your greatest ambition?

You should ask me twenty years ago! I would give you a long list of them! Today I am more humble in ambitions as I believe that being a decent woman with open heart is a good start.

  1. If you could have any one thing what would it be?

Honestly I don’t know. I cannot remember anything in terms of things. If the thing could be a strong health, this would be my favorite.

  1. What was the best day of your life?

Speaking about miracle of the life, it was probably my birth. Otherwise I wouldn’t taste the miracles after then.

  1. What is your favorite season?

Spring, because it is kind of rebirth among seasons.

  1. Do you enjoy reading?

It depends. I don’t like reading for reading, reading as an escape from the present moment, an escape from daily life. I like reading for pleasure, especially with taste of inspiration and/or information. But I don’t aspire for hunting information which I cannot use.

  1. What is your job?

I work on myself as a consultant in the field of personality development, especially how to deal with various stress factors.

  1. What is your favorite recipe?

In principle, I am not a fan of recipes. I like to understand how things react and then create myself. That’s why I cannot make the same soap twice regardless precise documentation. I believe it is similar like weather. You can recognize when it rains, but the rain is never exactly the same. And it couldn’t be.

  1. What makes you want to wake up each morning?

I simply like to live. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining or sunshinig.

 

Now I give you the confession, I mean the random 11s about myself 🙂

  1. I’m mad for herbs.
  2. I need a space to create and sometimes it’s difficult to keep the rules.
  3. When I’m enthusiastic with some idea I need to share it, even though the others couldn’t feel as much enthusiasm. But it’s so difficult to confront the ideas with four walls only! 🙂
  4. I love Hebrew letters! I feel them like many layers’ bright spots in spiritual darkness.
  5. I love Hebrew language! The sound of it gives me strength, protection and excitement.
  6. I like drawing with colored pencils, but I’m not able to use any “wet” technique.
  7. I’m afraid to follow my inner calling in all aspects of it.
  8. I am aware of the fact that any decision based on a fear has never brought me to happiness.
  9. It’s much easier for me to give advice than to make the advice alive.
  10. I love nuts! Especially almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashew, pistachio and many others. If you pay a visit, bring some of them.
  11. You can expect some experiment from my kitchen in return 🙂

 

I would like to nominate other 11 blogs for the Liebster award with humble hope they accept it.

  1. Reflections on Existence
  2. Wildlife and Eco Gardens
  3. The Dancing Herbalist
  4. The Zero-Waste Chef
  5. Wildflower, Medicine Wolf
  6. Platyzoa, artborean
  7. Jessica Baker
  8. AquarianSoap
  9. Naked but Content in My Flower Garden
  10. Rhythm in Life
  11. Farmer Hick’s Homestead

 

And here are my short 11 questions:

  1. Coffee or tea? And which one?
  2. City or wilderness and why?
  3. Cat or dog?
  4. Book or TV?
  5. Summer or winter for holiday?
  6. Running or walking?
  7. What ice cream do you love if any?
  8. What is your favorite fruit or vegetable?
  9. What is your favorite activity for leisure time?
  10. Do you play an instrument? Which one?
  11. Are you satisfied with the location of the world where do you live?

 

Thanks for taking part in this award nomination!

Ivana

Award Nomination

I’ve been surprisingly nominated by Jewish Thoughts for this aword!

I’m writting my blog for a while, so I am really thankful for it. I’m also thankful to Okoto Enigma for creating this fantastic award.

If I’ve nominated you, the rules are as follows:

List the rules.
Put the award logo/image in your blog.
Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog. Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well. Tell your readers three things about yourself. Nominate 10-20 people. Notify your nominees. Ask your nominees any five questions of your choice with one weird or funny question (specify) Share a link to your best posts.

Next, I’ll answer to the questions of Jewish Thoughts:

  1. What’s one small thing you’re thankful for?
    Even though it is not the small thing, I’m thankful for current state of my health. Since my summer’s lyme disease I’m improving slowly, but I’m very thankful for any small progress.

2. Do you prefer books or music? Definitely books.

3. What’s your best tip for successful blogging? As I’m a blogger beginner I would like to know it as wel 🙂

4. What was the best day of your life? To be honest, it was more than one day, it was whole journey through national parks in the western part of U.S. few years ago.

5. Do you believe in a Creator? Yes I do. Even though it was a long process into depths of my heart.

And now, three things about myself:

1. I’m red-haired fan of trees, herbs and forest.

2. I like to create edible and inedible things from herbs and natural ingredients. Soups and soaps etc.

3. I love to share my space and creative products with group of my soulmates.

And now, my best favorite nominees at the moment:
1. Aquarian Soap

2. Misty Meadows

3. Reflections of Existence

4. Jessica Baker

5. The Zero-Waste Chef

And here are five questiones for the nominees:

  1. What’s your favorite plant (herb or tree) and why?
  2. Do you prefer city or nature?
  3. What’s your favorite activity?
  4. What you ask for if you catch the gold fish and your wish is valid only one day.
  5. What’s your favorite color and why?

The links to my ‘best’ posts:

Wild Rose: Beauty among thorns

Yarrow, the medicinal hero

Nettle: Excellent Blood Purificator

Enjoy!

Ivana