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Amongst other things, this is a love story.... the theme changes occasionally... this year it is fitness and learning to love yourself.

16 April 2013

N is for Nothing. Healing with Words. Day 14. #atozchallenge

nothing |ˈnəθi ng |
pronounnot anything; no single thingsomething of no importance or concern
no amount; zero.


My little deck of cards has no N word, I thought about doing Now but Eckhart Tolle has the 'Power of Now' nicely covered, he uses a cat and mouse analogy to capture thoughts when you're trying to think nothing that I use often. I thought about nurture but nothing new was coming my way. 

I asked for suggestions on facebook and within seconds my sister answered Nothing. She's such a comedian, and it was perfect, what could be better than nothing to represent nothing. 

Of course, by chance, as luck would have it, I just happened to have a poem called Think Nothing. So here it is, an edited version of a poem that a my dear friend Jo-la and I once wrote together, just passing time.  


Think nothing 
108 eyes #mandala thanks open clipart

by JM and IC


We lock ourselves out
and we try to keep warm.
We argue and possess
and we continue to fall.

My heart needs to breathe
my mind get set free.
So I gather my questions
to seek an old talking tree.

I sit and think... nothing.
Then breathe a sigh of relief,
I get all of my answers 
just from one leaf.

I hug and I kiss
and give thanks to the tree,
Then he whispers the answers
Are all inside me.



Jo-la is also an artist by nature and introduced me to mandala's, hers are great. I just looked at some of mine and they are better than I remembered, but still nothing compared to hers and the other's I've seen. Do you feel like passing time in a colourful way? Here's a link for some mandala outlines, just print and start colouring, or draw your own. Kids love them, which is one of the reasons they are good for you, too. Have you ever written a poem with a friend? It might not be a masterpiece but it's something from nothing and 'nothing is endless' you know.

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Find out how I chose this theme by reading my intro. blog A-Z challenge list. Words of change.  Use the comments to add words to the list - and I'll link your suggestions back to your blog.





54 comments :

  1. Sometimes I wish I could just think nothing! Thanks for sharing this poem!

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    1. It takes some conscious thought to think nothing, but it's easier than you think,

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  2. Clearing the mind and thinking nothing is a splendid challenge, and increasingly rough in these overstimulated times! Good post.

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    1. Thanks Sherilee, It's so true, I am looking at the screens I still have open from yesterday and your marriage post is up the top, I guess I would have had a better time coming up with a comment if I had have thought nothing first :)

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  3. No better way to close such nice poem, than by saying the answers are all inside you. Very nice. I enjoyed the read.

    Good to be here.

    Silvia @ Silvia Writes

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    1. Thank you Silvia, it still makes me smile whenever I read it.

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  4. Ive been practicing this for years. It takes time and is really ironically...quite something. My partner was Tibetan Buddhist and introduced me to mandalas years ago. I started doing group mandalas with my clients a while back...fabulous stuff came of it!Nice post. THanks.

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    1. Zoe that's incredible, I did some mandala workshops with another friend once, and the teacher was a talented artist, each mandala was a journey, and the really interesting thing was at the end she 'read' your mandala, it seems every brush stroke symbolises something.

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    2. as do colors and shapes as well as if something mimicks a particular symbol or structure (eg a number)...very cool stuff.

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    3. It really is - and I just noticed my danish word for the day over on the left is Maleri, which means painting. If I lived anywhere near you I would love to do one of your group mandala's

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    4. Maybe we could figure out a way to do one via a drawing program?

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    5. Every drawing program I have ever tried to use, produces something that 3 year old would do better... I am a shocking drawer, nevertheless I think it's a great idea, and would give it a try.

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  5. Stopping by from the #atozchallenge !
    @JLenniDorner
    Caught your "N" on the facebook post.

    Similar to dream catchers.

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    1. Thanks J... Did you read, or just stop by? Congrats on you Leibster award.

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  6. Love the poem, and the Mandala :-) My post was No-thingness.... slightly different take on nothing xx

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    1. How many have we done the same now? I can't wait to hop over and read yours now, I love the idea of nothing being empty and heavy at the same time - and the different feelings it invokes :)

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  7. Must be nirvana to have such a moment.

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  8. This is so Zen, Ida, something I'm trying to achieve this month on my blog.

    Damyanti @Daily(w)rite
    Co-host, A to Z Challenge 2013

    Twitter: @AprilA2Z
    #atozchallenge
    AZ blogs on Social Media

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    1. Im glad you like it, your blog is beautiful. It's funny you say Zen because I nearly changed the word breathed to zen'ed once :)

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  9. This was just beautiful. And sometimes we just need to think about nothing in order to answer our own questions. Nothing can calm the tempest in the head we call fear! :D

    I've never written a poem with a friend, though I did have a friend who introduced me to writing them and we shared them between us in high school (looking back, those poems were horrendous! filled with teen angst! LOL)

    <3

    Jamie

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    1. Thank you LadyJai, sometimes nothing is everything. Also I'm sure your old poems aren't as horrendous as you think, and there are plenty teenagers still writing the same sort of poems, probably always will be... :)

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  10. I agree with the tree...the answers are all inside us. Nice post, very interesting life.

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    1. Thanks Rosanna, for someone that has been rather directionless my whole life, I sure have ended up in some interesting places :)

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  11. What a beautiful collaboration. In one of my poetry classes we had an assignment where we each found a space that we were drawn to where we were to sit and meditate until a poem came to us. After that exercise we got back together, were put in groups and created a poetry video collaboration. It was a lovely exercise.

    Thanks for becoming a follower: brandysbustlings.blogspot.ca

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    1. I wish I had stories to tell from poetry or writing classes, maybe one day. It sounds like a great exercise. I love that moment when a story or poem starts to form, and before you know it you have something to work with.

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  12. Ida,
    For being on the subject of "nothing," this post was very full of somethings. I love the mandala. I have had a little exposure to mandalas, but I'm ready to color another one. I love the poem. Very peaceful. Namaste.

    SiouxsiesMusings

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    1. The ones on the link I posted are a great start. I have given a few to clients over the years and I'm always really surprised by how much they seem to gain from doing something so simple. In this techno age it's so easy to not take time to be creative. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, they mean a lot to me. Namaste *holds hands together, nods head and smiles* - p.s I loved your story about your first yoga session, very funny.

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  13. Beautiful piece of writing. It's true that we have to draw to nothingness in order to gain something.

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    1. I totally agree Me, I mean you, Me :D Thank you for your kind words :)

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  14. That's an interesting poem. You gave me something to think about today. Thanks for visiting my blog :)

    Dark Thoughts Blog

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    1. I'm so pleased you took the time to read my post too. The poem is amateur at best but, the memory particularly, makes me smile. I hope the thoughts I have been a catalyst for are at least balanced, or at best pleasant.

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  15. Wise words! Thanks for sharing this dreamy poem Ida. ^_^

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    1. You are welcome and thanks Vashti, I just know Jo-La will love reading your comment too :)

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  16. Hey I have nominated you for the Liebster blog award. Check out my blog (and the one who nominated me) for the rules if you are gonna do it. :)

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    1. Wow, that's so sweet of you - thank you.. I'll check now :D

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    2. Hi Me, I just left a comment on your blog and it seems to have disappeared, i'll check again tomorrow.

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    3. :) Welcome. And you can call me Sheethal. That's equals to Me. :)

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    4. Sheethal I checked today and the comment is there. I'll look forward to doing the blog about it after the #atozchallenge. Thanks my dear it is so sweet of you :)

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    5. ..sweet of you - to make one of my wishes come true :)

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  17. Fabulous poem Ida. It is perfect! I also like mandalas.

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    1. I learned from your fabulous post on Never giving up that it must be perfect because it's finally finished :)

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  18. I like your nothing post better than my nothing post. LOL

    ~Sha'
    http://stfu4abetterrelationship.wordpress.com/

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    1. Sha, your message was beautiful too...you get nothing for nothing :)

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  19. There are so many creative ways of looking at "nothing"--the A to Z Challenge seems to be bringing out the best of them!

    Great poem.

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    1. Thanks Golden Eagle, I have read some amazing posts about nothing(ness) - a few have commented here, they are worth checking out.

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  20. A very creative poem, Ida!

    That mandala has me a bit dizzy looking at it....

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    1. like the whirling dervishes dizzy? I think kids like getting dizzy because it alters their perception :)

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  21. I enjoyed your poem. Thanks for visiting my blog during the Blogging A to Z. Keep up the good writing!

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    1. Thanks Diane, Thanks for teaching me about writers workshops in Italy. It's not something I plan to do this year, but it's now on the my 'must try' list. :)

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  22. Loved the poem and interesting info on mandalas. Must check out the link. Thank you.

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    1. Thanks Sumita, I hope you, and your loved ones, enjoy the link.

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  23. Hi Ida - how wonderful you could write a poem with a friend and have a sister who is a comedienne - who can think of 'nothing' .. love the thoughts you put out here ..

    Cheers Hilary

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    1. Whenever I talk to my friend there is magic in the air, and my sister has made many people laugh over the years... I wrote about her in the laughter post too. Thanks for dropping by today and commenting, it's nice to know you were here and there :)

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Enjoy