Changing Seasons of Life: Your Creative Journal: Creativity Builds Resilience

By Patricia Elliot

Changing Seasons of life is a book of short stories and poetry. This book will transform your way of thinking. Many of the stories were written by the author a long time ago when she was facing life challenges but she never imagined then that the most traumatic challenge would be the loss of her beloved eldest son to suicide in the summer of his life and that he would never experience his autumn and winter. Her book The Weight of Emptiness: Comfort and Hope for the loss of a loved one is an excellent read for those coping with a sudden unexpected loss of a loved one. Patricia knows only too well the power of using your creative mind and how it allows you to make the most of every situation and opportunity. We all want to live life to the full and improve our overall wellbeing. Nobody said that life would be easy. Allow Changing Seasons to awaken the creativity within you so that you can create the life you want.

‘Creativity builds resilience’ Patricia Elliot

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Dec 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781665583633

Patricia Elliot

Scottish based Patricia Elliot is an author of academic and self-help books, Inspirational Speaker, Broadcaster, Blogger, Mentor to entrepreneurs, Winner of various business awards and founder of MindCircles - a toolbox of self-help products and services to combat stress, anxiety and mental health issues. Patricia holds University degrees in Music, Law, Psychology, Education but what she values most is her degree from the University of Life. She has faced many challenges, but the most traumatic was the loss of her eldest son to suicide. She decided to share her experience in The Weight of Emptiness. Patricia has a natural affinity for people, is empathetic and compassionate, loves life and enjoys a good sense of humour. Her writing style is engaging and positive, always sensitive and encouraging. She has a positive attitude and her ability to motivate, empower and support others provide a message of hope and encouragement to her readers.

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© 2021 Patricia Elliot. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 12/30/2020

ISBN: 978-1-6655-8364-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-8363-3 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

About the author

Creativity lessens your hill!

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Creative exercise

Inspiration, wellbeing mind map

Gratitude list

Spring – health wish-list and feel-good goals

Affirmations (for the spring season)

Chapter 1 Spring Of Life

Before birth: the journey to being

Who (or what) am I?

Silent loss

The Map: through the darkness

A fleeting moment of eternity

Creative spaces

Birth to childhood

Mars: out of the cocoon

Desolate times?

Tantrums

The child

Creative spaces

Childhood stories

Piglets tale

The stradivarius

Aunty’s warning

Musty smells

The ballerina

My springer spaniel

The wood

Brave I stand

Lance!

Creative spaces

Summer – health wish-list and feel-good goals

Affirmations (for the summer season)

Chapter 2 Summer Of Life

The teenage years

First love

First love and last?

Pink moon

The infatuation

Settle down

Creative spaces

Carefree times?

Near-death experience – life awaits

Our wedding day

Chalk and cheese

Creative spaces

Working years

The chair

Conference boredom: the garden gnome

On benefits or not: the mermaid’s tail or tale?

Beware the sharks along life’s way!

The bully?

The affair? Or is it just an acronym!!

Creative spaces

Relationships

The last laugh

Creative spaces

Autumn – health wish-list and feel-good goals

Affirmations (for the autumn season)

Chapter 3 Autumn Of Life

Reflecting

Hot flushes

Not a puppet on a string?

Responsibility?

Simplicity

Tables turned

Travel back with me

Creative spaces

Winter – health wish-list and feel-good goals

Affirmations (for the winter season)

Chapter 4 Winter Of Life

Retirement or not?

The park bench

The aging face

Young at heart

The cedar tree: as nature matures……

Am i home?

It’s never too late

Body meets soul

World’s end and return as……

Creative spaces

Chapter 5 Reflections On The Seasons Of Life

Earth’s changing faces

Loved forever (the piano)

Imagination (spring)

Creative spaces

Summer heat

Summer moonlight

Creative spaces

Idyll or illusion (autumn)

Grey day (into winter)

Candlelight

Creative spaces

The winds of time

Stopped short (winter)

Nature’s path

Thistle……this’ll……. (Winter)

Bank account of memories

Apart yet together

Veiled moon

Creative spaces

Chapter 6 General Stories And Poems

Dance of the mist (self-awareness)

Wisdom meditation

Resilience and courage

The energy (courage and strength of will)

The magic

Travels of the mind (creativity)

The power of the mind

Choices

The jigsaw of life

The jigsaw

Opening night nerves

Creative spaces

Reflections

Chapter 7 Summary And Overview

Changing seasons

Living and dying

My daemon

Essential meditation

Wisdom

Light versus dark

Creative spaces

Inspiration, wellbeing mind map

Notes on your thoughts and feelings

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Patricia Elliot LL.B, M.Phil. (Psyc), PGCHE¹ is a leader with vision. She is a well-respected graduate of both Glasgow University and Strathclyde University with over 25 years’ experience in industry and academia in business, law, stress management, and psychology. At a very young age, Patricia studied and achieved LRAM and ARCM at the RSAMD in Glasgow; her instruments were piano, violin, composing, and orchestration. She was fortunate to be accepted as a pupil of ballet to a former Prima ballerina.

Patricia values her degree from the University of Life, and with her knowledge and experience, she is a sought-after Life Coach and highly popular author of self-educational books. She is an Inspirational Speaker, Broadcaster, Blogger, Vlogger, Academic examiner, and founder of MindCircles.

Her vision is to help people realise their true potential and understand that this requires resilience and courage. You may think a daunting task, but Patricia looked back over her life and thought about how she dealt with different situations, particularly challenging ones, the most recent, the loss of her eldest son, Bruce, to suicide. She has always used specific techniques and shares these in her books and MindCircles, a toolbox of self-help, self-educational products, and services. Her specific techniques help combat stress, anxiety, and mental health issues. They also improve emotional, psychological, and overall well-being and inspire and motivate individuals to enable them to create the life they want.

One technique that Patricia promotes is writing, whether in a diary or journal, also known as journaling. Creative writing is an escape and can release emotions. It can reduce stress as it helps the individual let go of negative thoughts. Creative writing helps in problem-solving and improves overall health.

Patricia takes journaling further and uses her creative imagination to write short stories and poems. She hopes that these inspire and motivate readers to use their creative imagination. Creativity builds resilience, and with resilience, individuals will move forward on their journey towards a more positive life no matter what challenges they face.

Patricia also uses her creative imagination to develop and produce MindBites mindfulness meditations: short videos with beautiful scenes, relaxing music, and her calm voice. Patricia is fulfilling a lifelong dream to help others understand that they can lead fulfilling lives.

Patricia hopes that her stories, particularly the abstract ones, spark creativity in her readers. Patricia always welcomes constructive comments from individuals and hopes that readers connect with her and feel comfortable enough to contact her through her website www.mindcircles.co.uk.

She is also delighted to include poems written by her friend Danielle McGregor. Patricia met Danielle when she tutored at the Open University residential school, where Danielle was a student. Since then, both have remained firm friends and shared their knowledge of psychology and their life experiences. Despite Danielle being younger than Patricia (by some years!), she has faced life challenges. Still, Patricia admires that Danielle’s resilience and courage help her to endure every day with positivity. It was when Danielle sadly lost her beloved Dad that Patricia learned about her talent for rhyming poetry. So when Patricia had the idea of writing stories about the changing seasons of life, she could not pass up the opportunity of asking Danielle if she would use her creativity and write some poems for this book. Patricia knows that her readers will enjoy her poetry.

Patricia has set up her MindCircles Online Life Coaching² school/course with tutorials to motivate and inspire you to be creative, build resilience, and create the life you want. Patricia will show you the techniques she has developed and enjoyed over the last 30 years that enable her to live life to the fullest. She will share these with you so that you, too, can live a positive, fulfilling life. Why not join her MindCircles community now.

Patricia has a passion for helping people, and by writing this creative book, she hopes that it ‘lessens your hill.’ ³

CREATIVITY LESSENS

YOUR HILL!

I know I am efficient

Some say super so

But why oh why

Do I not have

The strength sometimes

To say NO.

I know I have the strength

To do the best I can

Never to surrender

When things are getting tough

I also stay the pace

Even though I’m also ‘ran’

I wish for the power

Of mind and will

As well as body strength

To live in this world

For as long as it takes

To lessen everyone’s hill

Note from the author: this book contains stories and poems written in a friendly, engaging style. However, they are also creative, and some passive and active phrases in some of the stories and poetry are intentional.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many people have helped me throughout my life, in happy and not so happy times. There are too many to mention here, but I must thank those few who have gone the ‘extra mile’ for me, particularly in my times of need.

Those with vision have always supported me, and I have found that since the tragic loss of my eldest son, the attribute that has helped and continues to help me the most is resilience, which thankfully I seem to have in abundance. My eldest son was supportive and provided me with information about what tips and tools I should include in my self-help, self-educational books to help people. Sadly, he was the one person who did not seem able to use his attributes to the best effect. I talk about this in my book The Weight of Emptiness⁴. However, what Bruce did have in abundance was a creative imagination. I believe he inherited this from me as I use my creative imagination to write short stories, poetry, and produce MindBites meditations.

I have so many people to thank. I thank a colleague and friend, George Runciman, who threw me a ‘lifeline’—work as an examiner for various professional bodies at a particularly challenging time of my life. This ‘lifeline’ set me on a positive path that brought further opportunities that improved and continued to enhance my life.

Thanks to my oldest, dearest friends Margaret Robinson and Morfydd MacLaren, who are always there for me with cups of tea and as good listeners. My friends and colleagues Stuart Mallinson and his wife Anne have been positive motivators, providing vital emotional support and the necessary ‘enough is enough’ words when I continue to re-write and adjust pages or chapters.

As a creative, innovative person, my head is frequently full of ideas. It has taken many years to develop and produce MindCircles, MindBites, and my Wellbeing series of books. Huge thanks must go to Walter Taylor for his never-ending patience, putting up with me for years and always ready to make changes almost at my beck and call. Thanks also to Eddie Macarthur of Stealth Studios for his valuable comments and ‘keeping me smiling’ when I am doing the voice-overs for my MindBites meditations. His talent and skills for compiling my MindBites audio and video have resulted in unique meditations.

As with all my books, I write for you all: that is, everyone, family, friends, colleagues, all who know me, have met me, lifelong friends or passing acquaintances. This book’s size does not permit me to mention and thank everyone who has supported me, but you know who you are. Special thanks to those who have shared how my wellbeing tips and techniques have helped them face life challenges. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

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INTRODUCTION

Changing Seasons of life in short stories and poetry

Just as the earth experiences changing seasons of spring, summer, autumn (or fall in the United States), and winter, so do you experience these life changes. This book looks at each of these stages in different chapters through stories and poems.

The winter season is perhaps where you start life as before birth; you lie cocooned within the darkness of the womb to emerge into the spring of life.

Some of my stories and poetry were written by me some 20 years ago. I never imagined that I would be writing about the autumn and winter of life when my beloved eldest son, Bruce, would never experience these seasons of life, leaving me too soon. Despite him only living until the late summer of his life, he would be the first to tell everyone that he experienced life to the fullest. He was a talented, creative person and wrote prose and poems, which I discovered after this death. Like mine, his work is quite abstract, but it allows the reader to use their imagination. You can read about my personal experience of the pain of losing my son to suicide in my book The Weight of Emptiness: Comfort and Hope for the loss of a loved one⁵.

Just as I experienced the loss of a loved one, so do many others whose loved ones will not experience all the seasons of life. I want them to know that using their creative minds will help them be resilient, and with courage, they can endure each day in a positive way. In doing so, they will honour their loved ones. You can read more about coping better with what challenges life throws at you in my book Resilience and Courage: The Key to Endurance⁶.

Nobody said life would be easy, and never was this more apt when I lost my gorgeous boy to suicide. This sentence started the introduction of my book Resilience and Courage: The Key to Endurance. It was this sentence that started me thinking more about life and its challenges.

The title Changing Seasons of Life sums it up as I realised that life is challenging in so many different ways depending on the time of life, what challenges we are facing, and what age we are. However, I wanted it to be more than a book. I wanted it to be your journal of creativity.

When life throws you unexpected challenges, those who cope better have a positive mindset and are resilient. One way of changing your mindset from negative to positive and building resilience is to do something creative by writing creatively or using your creative imagination. Studies on expressive or creative writing found that those who do this for even four days are healthier and happier up to three months later. So just imagine if you did this every day until it became your good habit!

I am happy for you to follow me on social media. Please read my self-help, self-educational books to find out more about my ABC proven psychological techniques to combat stress, anxiety, and mental health issues, and of course, they may already be your good habit! You may not realise it, but by using them, you are also using your creative imagination.

My intention in this book is to provide you, my readers, with stories and poems that spark your creativity. My stories reflect the different stages of life and my personal experience, but they are all fictional. Some are sad, some happy but many are abstract (decidedly ‘way-out’), forcing you to use your creative