Bridget McNulty

I would like this, please:

// November 24th, 2008 // 3 Comments » // Inspiration, Life (and the living of it)

The more I learn, and read, and experience life, the more I think that we really do have power over what it is we want in life.

The law of attraction might have been introduced to most of us through cheesy motivational movies, but it is powerful, and strong, and waiting to be used… I often advise friends who are stuck in a bad job or relationship to write a list of what it is they’re actually looking for – what traits they want in a mate, what kind of work they want to fill their days with. And while I am extremely happy with both my work and love situations at the moment, there are a number of other things in my life that I would really, really love.

The most tangible of these is a SMEG dishwasher. Oh, how I long for a SMEG dishwasher! I have always hated washing up (I despise the way it makes my hands smell), and dishwashers of any description are beautiful, beautiful things. But can anything compare with a SMEG? I think not. Especially not a bright red one.

So here I am, asking the Universe to send me a SMEG dishwasher. I would like one of these, please. As soon as possible, but preferably before the end of the year. Thank you very much.

(I’ll keep you updated on my SMEG progress! I’m hopeful.)

PS – Just read about Cosmic Ordering on another blog, and had to throw this in – http://www.thecosmicorderingsite.com/

You just type up whatever you want and send it… Not quite sure where! But this is what they say when you send it: “Your cosmic orders are ready to go. Before you press the submit button, look over each of your orders in turn. Lightly imagine how they will actually feel for you when they are fulfilled. When you are ready submit your order to the Universe by clicking on the button below. Once submitted, do not be anxious about their delivery, leave the universe to manifest your cosmic orders in its own creative way.”

And that’s the point, isn’t it? It’s about opening ourselves up to things coming to us in creative ways. Maybe I’ll win it, maybe someone will give it to me, maybe it will appear on my doorstep. I don’t mind how my SMEG comes, as long as it arrives!

Missing out?

// October 7th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Decisions, Inspiration, Life (and the living of it)

I think one of my worst feelings ever is the feeling that I’m missing out on something…

I’m spending this week in Durban with my dad, hanging out with him while my mom is overseas spending time with my niece… It’s such a wonderful thing – being given this opportunity to spend quality one-on-one time with my dad, and really connecting with each other. Very rare. In a family of six, you usually don’t get to spend time two by two!

Anyhoo, on Sunday there was a band playing here in Durban, and I was tempted to go… but really didn’t feel like it. I wanted to stay at home and go through slides with my dad – he drove from Cape Town to London in the early 1970s and we’re going to put his slides onto DVD. So I stayed home and looked at slides and listened to my dad’s stories, and it was a great evening. But only after I’d stopped feeling like I was missing out on something! It’s so funny, even when I don’t feel like going out I get that worry that it’s going to be a really good party, and I should have gone.

But as soon as I acknowledge how I really feel – as soon as I say, “No thanks, I don’t want to,” and really believe it, that feeling vanishes.

It made me think about how often we do this, every day. How often we make a decision (big or small) and then spend hours or days worrying about if it was the right decision. I’m going to try (very hard) to stop doing that – to be fully present in myself, and in my decisions. To stop wasting time.

The end of the year is nigh!

// September 25th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // Life (and the living of it), Time

Is it just me, or does it feel like the end of the year is rushing towards us all of a sudden?
I don’t know if it’s because I’ve started making end-of-year holiday plans, or because I’ve figured out what the rest of my year will look like work-wise, but it feels, suddenly, like the year is about to end.

And I’ve already set myself an end-of-year challenge: To Keep Calm.

Every Christmastime seems to turn into a mad panic – trying to get gifts for everyone, organise holidays, go to various parties and Have Fun all the time. But usually I’m so exhausted from what that year has brought that all I want to do is curl up at home with a book! So this year I’m going to approach the festive season (from a distance) with a deep sense of calm. I’m finally going to do what all those magazines tell you to, and start buying presents earlier than mid-December. I’m going to remain balanced. I’m going to give myself enough time off that I can actually enjoy all the festivities, instead of feeling strung out and tired like last year’s Christmas tree lights! I’m going to instill that sense of balance that I’ve had all year into the Crazy Time of Year.

And yes, Christmas is still 3 months away (today, in fact!) and that’s a quarter of a year. And there are so so many things that are going to happen before then. But just knowing that this end-of-year won’t be a mad downhill rush towards the festive season is making me calmer already!

And what else is life for than to cultivate a calm and happy heart?

What do you intend for this week?

// September 22nd, 2008 // 4 Comments » // Life (and the living of it)

It’s a nice way to start the week, I think – setting out a few intentions, a few things you hope the week will hold for you.

I intend to have a week full of inspiring work, inner peace and laughter. I choose for everything to go my way. I look forward to seeing what this week has in store for me!

What about you?

Where are you centered?

// September 17th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Decisions, Inspiration, Life (and the living of it)

Just a brief one today, but one that’s designed to make you think (because it’s got me thinking!)
Where are you centered? Do you know?

What is it that gives you your sense of self? Is it your work? Your relationship? Your lack of relationship? Is it how you make other people feel? Your friends? The things you do every day?

It occurs to me that most of us (myself included) are off-centre… We’re focussing so hard on what we do and how we do it and who we do it with, that we neglect to focus on the one thing that really counts: who we are. I really believe that if we could just centre ourselves on who we are, on that inner core, that constant, stable something inside, things would be a lot easier for us.

Because if we’re centered on work / friends / lovers, our centre of gravity is in their hands. We have no say in the matter. Whereas if we can just focus inwards, and get our strength and our sense of self from inside, we’re so much stronger. So much more centered. So much more complete.

What do you think? Where are you centered?

Are you stuck on something?

// August 25th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Inspiration, Life (and the living of it), Philosophy, Time, Writing

Just a quick one today, to provoke a little thought…

In our last philosophy class, we were speaking about getting hung up on something that happened in the past, some emotionally charged issue that was impossible to let go of. Say you see someone who treated you really badly, and you haven’t seen them since the incident, and the moment you see them you feel all that anger and bile and angst rising again. What do you do?

Well, most of us think, “I have to deal with this! Why haven’t I dealt with this? Why am I still hung up on this when it happened so long ago? Why am I so angry all over again?” etc etc etc, and our minds start whirling like a merry-go-round on fast forward. Not exactly soothing.

This happens because our discursive mind (the chatterbox) is where we experienced the incident the first time, and where we experience it again – our memory throws it back into discursive mind, and it feels real, all over again. So how to escape this vicious cycle? Distraction. Do something more engaging than the thoughts, so that you can distract your mind with action. Watch a movie. Go for a run. Go dancing.

Only a short-term solution, yes. But you can’t deal with an emotionally charged issue when you’re feeling upside down, can you? It’s too late. You have to deal with it later, when you’re centered, when you’ve regained some sense of stillness. Then you’ll be able to look at it calmly and see a real solution. You’ll be able to come unstuck.

And I think that’s a pretty wonderful goal for all of us: unstuckness.

Reflections on a year of blogging…

// August 18th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // Blogs, Decisions, Inspiration, Life (and the living of it)

Yip, today, the 18th of August 2008, is my one year blogging anniversary!

A whole year of writing (almost) every day…

It’s funny, looking back on my first blog post, a year ago, it almost feels like reading someone else’s words. Take a look: http://blog.bridgetmcnulty.com/?p=3

My purpose with the blog was so firmly marketing related. It was supposed to be all about my novel, Strange Nervous Laughter, and about writing and getting it published. But after a while I suppose I strayed into other parts of my life – things I needed to talk about or get clarity on, things I wanted to discuss with a wider circle than my immediate friends. And now this blog feels like a little haven of peace and sanity in my day – a community of like-minded people who all get together (with a cup of tea in hand, in my imagination!) and think about things a little deeper than what’s on TV tonight (although sometimes, I confess, it is about what’s on TV tonight!)

It’s so interesting for me to look back, too, because of how much has happened to me since mid-August last year. Not only my book being published, and the publishing contract in the States, but my diabetes diagnosis, quitting my job, moving in with my man, living the life of my dreams, slowing down, going to Malawi, writing my next novel, the list just goes on and on.

Would I change anything if I had to go back in time? No. I might hint to that younger Bridget that when you slow down you appreciate things more, but who knows if I hadn’t got so sick if I would have made such dramatic changes? I’ve always said that things work out for the best – it’s interesting to have written proof of it, though!

So here’s to another year of blogging… a year that I hope will be filled with inspiration and meaning, realisations and discussions, love and laughter and writing and figuring out what we’re all here for. Thanks for joining me thus far, here’s hoping you stick around for the rest of the ride!