Better Life Archives - Miranda van den Heuvel

Miranda’s favorite things – Christmas 2023

Miranda2023-11-22T18:57:09+02:00November 22nd, 2023|

Christmas is around the corner and I would like to share with you a list of my recent favorite things. Maybe some will inspire you and make it onto your gift or wish list for the holiday. I have not added any books here as there was a recent list with favorite reads. FYI: NONE of these links are affiliate links. Rupi Kaur's Writing Prompts I have been a fan of Rupi Kaur for years. Her poetry books are amazing (Home Body is one of my favorites) and I discovered her writing prompt cards when [...]

Miranda’s favorite books – September 2023

Miranda2023-10-05T10:48:35+02:00October 5th, 2023|

I haven't been writing blog posts for a while, concentrating on just living my life. I have been reading quite a bit though and thought it was time to share another favorites list. Click on the picture to go straight to Amazon. If you do not want to wait for a post like this one, I write reviews of the books I read them on my instagram profile. Happy reading. The last one at the party By @beth_writes_stuff 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟(5/5) I can't remember when I picked this one up. But I was intrigued by the pl [...]

Tiny little pleasures

Miranda2023-05-23T17:35:33+02:00May 23rd, 2023|

"What lovely tulips you have", she says. "Who did you get them from?" "Me", I say, grinning. "If I have to wait for someone to buy me flowers, I'd hardly ever have any. So I buy them myself. It makes me happy to look at them" "Oh you are so right", she replies. "Why don't we do that more often? Buy flowers for ourselves, or do things for ourselves instead of waiting or expecting others to do them for us?" "I can name a hundred reasons. I never bought myself flowers before because I learned that [...]

Tiny moments of magic

Miranda2023-03-17T18:11:05+02:00March 17th, 2023|

All around me I see people going through big shifts at the moment. Can you feel it too? A job gets changed, a partner gets left, a country gets replaced by one on the other side of the planet, a book gets planned, a retirement is started early. Decisions are being made at the moment. Big ones. And while we have made those decisions ourselves, chosen the actions that go along with them, there are certain moments of doubt, hesitation and fear. Is this the right decision? Am I crazy for doing this [...]

Rhythm

Miranda2023-03-17T07:19:24+02:00February 3rd, 2023|

On my walk today, I changed the rhythm of my steps from time to time. Slow, long strides. Fast, powerful steps. Slow, mindful movements. Fast, tiny jumps. It changed not only my entire walk - and whoever saw me might have thought I was crazy - but also my perception during the different sets. Faster movement require attention to the steps, the ground and the breath. Slower movement allow a contemplation of the surroundings. As always, everything I see and experience in the woods is a metaphor f [...]

Colouring outside the lines

Miranda2023-03-17T07:19:44+02:00February 1st, 2023|

Today I had a discussion with my therapist (yes, I have a therapist) about standards. There is a part of me that has learned that the bar should be a certain height for it to be worthy, valuable and noteworthy. That bar has evolved into an intricate system of standards that needs to be upheld. Standards that say how certain things are supposed to be done (by me), by when they are supposed to be accomplished and why I am doing them at all. Obviously, when one of those three elements of such a st [...]

Invitation to make a Visionboard

Miranda2023-03-17T07:19:54+02:00January 23rd, 2023|

What’s a Vision Board? A Vision Board (also sometimes called a Treasure Map, an Image Bank, a Mood Board or Creativity Collage) is a poster board on which you paste or collage images that you’ve torn out from various magazines. The images can be very specific – like a new dream house. Or they can be images that evoke a feeling – like a picture of a woman meditating that makes you feel deeply peaceful. It’s simple. The truth behind this technique is this: When you surround yourself with images [...]

The magic of a forest walk

Miranda2023-03-17T07:20:05+02:00January 4th, 2023|

Today I had some worries and thus some emotions to tackle and walking has always helped me letting emotions course through my body. So at lunchtime, I took myself on a swift walk. It was stormy, but the wind settled into the tree tops as soon as I got into the woods. Suddenly I heard a noise I couldn’t place and it made me jump. A dog? A boar? I stopped and looked around. Nothing. I walked on and it seemed that my senses were heightened. I heard some squeaky noises I couldn’t really place eithe [...]

Numbers

Miranda2023-03-17T07:20:25+02:00December 30th, 2022|

I am participating at @bethkempton Winter Writing Sanctuary and loving it. Here's a poem inspired by the prompts about FRAGMENTS Numbers In the forest B13 the loop around my house 8 made by shapes in the bark 2022 carved by a tourist 1, 2, 3, my steps follow my breathing 10.000 thoughts slowly dissipating 4 formed by the fallen leaves I think I should play the lottery with them Numbers In the forest [...]

The water

Miranda2023-03-17T07:20:41+02:00December 29th, 2022|

I am participating at @bethkempton Winter Writing Sanctuary and loving it. Here's a poem inspired by the first day's prompt. THE WATER The water tugs at my hair my lips are turning blue It is dangerous but I'm having a boo Where will it take me will I arrive before the night It is cold but I'm warm inside The water is moving and I am lingering It is soothing but I'm almost drowning Where will I end up what am I trying to find It is a mystery but I want to stay behind The water is cleansing it w [...]