A year of change. Choosing happiness.

Embracing creativity, prioritising self-care, connecting with nature

A highlight of the year was going to Donna Nook nature reserve to see the seal pups along with the cows and bulls.

It's been a wonderful year of self-exploration and development.

Beth Kempton

’s wonderful journalling prompts during this month inspired reflection on the past year.

Slowing down, noticing the beauty and simplicity of the outdoors, provides grounding and clarity of life. Our impermanence, ever-fluid state of change.

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Last year was completely different. Feelings of being broken, lost, soul destroyed. When the new year arrived, it felt like time to prioritise my own self-care and needs. Not to be selfish or dramatic, but to implement barriers so I was no longer being taken advantage of, and to stop people-pleasing at the cost of my own mental health. Slowly over the year, my authentic self has emerged, developed, evolved. Focusing on what truly matters: giving time to personal relationships, soul nourishment, having a relationship with the outside world. Honouring the seasons, celebrating the equinoxes and solstices with wonderful wisdom and lore from

Victoria Harrison

. I used to dread the darkness of autumn and winter. However this year, I've tried to get outside most days, notice the seasonal changes in more detail, walk mindfully, and embrace the slowing down of the season, which inevitably means being still more, providing time for inner reflection (maybe that’s why I dreaded these seasons). That looming sadness hasn't been present this year which has been unexpected and lovely. Prompted again by

Beth Kempton

, this year I have spent time wondering what actually matters to me at Christmas time. Where do these traditions actually come from? (surprisingly mostly pagan). Our family has never expressed emotions, been reflective, cared about where traditions come from, so it is a new but very interesting journey. The main things I realise I enjoy are connecting with friends and family, making an evergreen wreath, lighting candles, cosy fairy lights, and celebrating the winter solstice, with the precious daylight slowly returning.

Spending time noticing. Watching the light shift and dance on the water, noticing the glossy ivy leaves that provide vibrance amongst the dullness. Being fully present when outside instead of on my phone, or stuck being distracted by thoughts and worries.

Daily meditation has been life-changing for me. That short period of sacred morning time, sat by a candle, present in the moment with relaxed breathing, allowing thoughts to come and go without attachment, and feeling a calm, positive energy wash over me, helps me stay calm, grounded and free from anxiety. I have forgiven, let go of past anger and hurts because all we truly have in life is right now. Why waste that time worrying or feeling angry? The only thing we can control is ourselves, so why not choose happiness, embrace joy, and feel gratitude for everything you have in your life. To be a good and kind person. Living by Buddhist philosophy. Letting your brain rest and be quiet, allowing ideas and inspiration to flow in.

Understanding oneself is one's duty, Don't seek happiness outside.

In life, enjoy the path, let it flow naturally. When hungry, eat, when tired, sleep. If there's treasure in the house, don't seek it. In the face of circumstances, be carefree and don't ask for enlightenment.

I’ve always enjoyed being outside, mainly by the coast. The outside provides freedom, beauty, inspiration. This year, that relationship has deepened even more as I’ve been interested in the smaller details. Observing how the rest of nature flows with the seasons. Different weathers, storms, tides, coastal erosion. I've taken photo’s for a few years now, and slowly I've developed a style I like, mainly focusing on singular objects and small details. This year I was inspired to develop my work further by documenting nature. I’m a beginner at nature journalling. But we all start somewhere right? This year, with inspiration again from

Molly Ella

and also

Susannah Fisher

's system of “I notice, I wonder, It reminds me of…” has helped me jot things down in a notebook, notice my surroundings, ask questions, learn new things. I used to worry about what people would think if I was interested in wildlife or plants, instead of materialistic things, however I no longer care about this. You’re only hurting yourself by worrying, and instead the right people will naturally find you, which substack is wonderful for.

This year, watching birds and their behaviour has been fascinating. Such complex, resilient creatures. I now love walking along the beach knowing the names of certain birds. It helps with feeling more connected.

This year I also really wanted to get back into reading. I used to love reading, and would spend hours engrossed in a book. Over the years life got busy, then social media arrived and I fell out of the habit of reading. So this year I picked a book and started with the goal of 10 pages per day. Most days I have managed to stick to this, and now I rarely use social media (except substack, although I do generally limit my time on the app, and only respond to notifications every so often) and I can now read without getting distracted. My best advice is to read whatever you're interested in. Why not! There's so many books out there your TBR list will never be empty. By reading more, it allows thoughts, questions, and curiosity to arise.

Emily Male

has some wonderful posts on reading and monthly book chats. Reading more naturally led to writing. Write about what you're interested in. With time, practice and experience, both your writing and reading skills improve. I came up with the idea of the simplicity of the outdoors to mainly write about nature. It’s not something I’ve ever done before, but I wanted to deepen the purpose of the photographs I take, which writing helps to do. To provide meaning, knowledge, inspiration.

Often, starting something new can feel overwhelming, hard, everyone else seems so much better than you. The important thing is to start. Start small. Notice what time sunrise or sunset is. Learn the identification of one plant which is local to you. Or just go outside, phone-free and look. What do you see? What do you hear? We are so insulated in our homes, but the natural world carries on regardless.

We don't all have to live the same way and do the same things. Life would be boring and monotonous if we were all the same. It's about finding something that inspires an interest in you, something you feel connected to, that gives your life purpose and meaning. To enrich the small moments. To add value to your every day. Life is for living now and making the most of every day. This doesn't mean going at 100% all the time, it's about being intentional and mindful with your time, gratitude for all you have and not being scared of choosing happiness. It feels so radical to be content and happy with your life when it's the cultural norm to not be. Being a well-rounded person, prioritising my own needs first means that as my own cup is full, that good energy can then be shared with others. Previous years I haven't felt like I've had the capacity to be creative, a good friend, a good colleague due to being busy, poor mental health, wasting time on social media, feeling like I'm not doing enough, but by slowing life down, the quality of life has improved, and I now feel I have capacity to learn and create. Once you experience true inner peace and happiness, you understand the preciousness of life, and how wonderful the world really is.

The simplicity of the outdoors soothes my nervous system. Always drawn to water, golden light, sand, pebbles, rocks. Raw elements. How birds interact with the environment, adapt and survive. The impact that humans have. The overwhelming amount of litter.

The thoughts are not really formulated, but my heart feels sad for how much anger there seems to be in the world. I don’t follow the news as it is out of my control. As a society we seem lost, everyone is in a rush, issues of poor mental health, money, housing, wars, and the list goes on. Once you embrace a slower pace of life and notice the chaos around you, so many questions arise. How nature is always there, but overlooked so often, people’s limited bandwidths not available to notice. There is so much goodness on substack, that it provides hope, and small glimmers that a different future may be out there.

Life is fluctuating, brief, can change in an instant. Embrace and hold on to the good days while they are there. Hold that energy in your heart and soul, to ride the waves of inevitable sadness, grief and hard times. I'm so grateful that this year has turned into something so positive and uplifting. 🙏

Beauty in the simplicity. The gentle hints of colour, the texture of the water, the constant of the rock, the beautiful morning light.