I bought myself a birthday gift

What you are is God’s gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.

Hans Urs von Balthasar

Hey, Lovelies!

I’ve had a wonderful four-day weekend, taking some time to reconnect with family, and to disconnect from social media and work for a few days.

We celebrated my birthday with a simple home-cooked meal, and lots of love and laughter. And yes, I managed to drive myself safely to the Coast. It has been wonderful to rediscover driving and to begin to redefine myself with new parameters. I have had to rely on others for so long that I still need to remind myself that I can get in my car and go somewhere if I need to. When I want to. It’s a life-changing kind of freedom, and it will take a little more time to adjust to this fundamental shift in the way I live my life.

Meanwhile, I bought myself a birthday present, which I took with me on my trip. It’s a book, and I wanted to share it with you, because I believe it’s a useful tool for navigating life right now.

I first came across the philosophy and teachings of the Stoics during high school, and they have been a strong guiding influence in my life. This birthday book I gifted myself has a daily quotation from one of the classic Stoicists, followed by a short and instructive commentary on the quote that is thought-provoking and immediately useful as a reflection point in your own life.

What I love about Stoicism is its emphasis on self-awareness, self-improvement and self-management. It has helped me to develop persistence, resilience and inner strength, and I am looking forward to starting each day by reading a page from this book, and then applying that insight in my daily life.

So, now my day starts with shamanic meditation, and then yoga stretches, and then a little extra healing meditation for loved ones and clients, then quiet time with the Stoics, my journal and my thoughts for the day ahead. (And yes, I get up at 4am to fit that in, and cannot be without that routine now without missing it. We can always find time for what matters most to us.)

I hope you are managing okay. I encourage you to find a little extra time for yourself. Do what you can to support yourself and keep yourself mentally strong.

All my love, Nicole xx

Hi! I'm Nicole Cody. I am a writer, psychic, metaphysical teacher and organic farmer. I love to read, cook, walk on the beach, dance in the rain and grow things. Sometimes, to entertain my cows, I dance in my gumboots. Gumboot dancing is very under-rated.
Posts created 3051

4 thoughts on “I bought myself a birthday gift

  1. Your new book sounds lovely. I have listened to a few podcasts with Ryan Holiday and he gave me so much to think about. I am going to check out the book. It sounds like a wonderful part of a morning ritual.
    I love imagining you zipping along in your new car. So fun. And such an unexpected gift of the border closure. Sending lots of love.

  2. Ohh – I love a good book like that – what a wonderful find for your birthday.

    I am so glad you are enjoying some new found freedom – it can feel profound to those who have been restricted by illness.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Posts

Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel.

Back To Top
%d bloggers like this: