In a heartbeat we are here again. The end of September and another year of writing passed. My blog turned three over the weekend. Past blog birthdays have come with some fanfare: a brand new blog design last year and so much excitement the year before that.
The mood is somewhat different this year. Yes I am excited and happy that my blog is here celebrating another year, a third year, but the fanfare? Well I think the year itself has been a little different, with a lot less fanfare so it is only right this blog celebration follows in the same way.
Today I am using this chance to make three wishes. Three wishes for the blog, my words, me and three wishes for the incredible community who gathers here to read my words. Even in moments when I am not writing and publishing I can still feel the presence of this amazing community and many times it has been a reassuring comfort to know you guys are here. Thank you.
The first wish is for curiosity. Last year on my blog birthday I wrote about curiosity and today I still believe in those words. Still believe that curiosity can be our saving grace when we feel down or defeated. Curiosity can be what turns an idea into a dream. A fleeting thought in the shower into something real. Even during times when I have felt the road has been too hard and the day too long curiosity has picked me up and danced me around the room, offering me an escape. Curiosity is the hand that turns on imagination and possibility. Curiosity makes my heart feel light even if the moment is only fleeting and the realisation of that curiosity only goes as far as my dreams at night.
The second wish is for bravery. I have hardly spoken about being brave, here or in real life conversations. But it is something I have been thinking about more and more often lately. I may not have come full circle on what I think bravery is and certainly how it fits into my life. But I know there is a need for it and without bravery it becomes the hesitation in my step. Without bravery it becomes the voice of negativity and comparison. I am not just talking about being brave with my words, our words, but being brave in life. Facing our decisions, their consequences and accepting how it all comes together to paint the picture of who we are. We are always in control of that picture. So I wish to be brave and paint the best picture I can.
The third wish may be the most important. The third wish is to always speak from the heart. There is no voice, no thought and no opinion more important than the one that comes from the heart. I am not saying it is easy, nor am I saying that we can always hear that voice. But it is the only one we should listen to. The only voice we should allow to guide us. I know when I write I try and find a quiet moment to still the voices in my mind and allow the voice in my heart to take over the words instead. When I do the flow is always better, the feeling of lightness is always there and I feel at peace with who I am.
These are the wishes I have for my blogs third birthday. Three wishes to start the next year with and three wishes to come back to if the road ahead gets a little dark or a little wearisome. These are three wishes for you too.
Now the love affair I have with books is no secret and a birthday demands some sort of celebration, even if it is only small. So to celebrate my blogs third birthday I am giving away three incredible picture books. The three books pictured in this post will be given away to three readers of this blog.
Lately I have been enjoying picture books more so than novels, finding their message and the peace I gain from reading them more beneficial than a lengthy novel. So these beautiful pop-up picture books will be yours to keep, as a way to escape into a world of curiosity, bravery and a place where the words speak from the heart.
In the comments below please let me know what has been your most favourite blog post in the past three years? Please also let me know which picture book you would like to win?
Follow always Josefa on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter – that would be nice. Share this post on your social media – that would be nice too. Leave a comment below even if you don’t want to win a picture book – I would love that the most. This giveaway is not sponsored in any way. It is simply my little way of showing gratitude to you. Thank you continuing to be part of my journey xx
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