One Step!

I thought I would post something inspirational today.

An ancient philosopher Lao Tzu once said...

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step

Or is it 'with a single step' or 'begins beneath the feet'? As with anything, through time and translation there exist variations to the original. This popular phrase comes from Chapter 64 from the Tao Te Ching.

When it is peaceful, it is easy to maintain. When it shows no signs, it is easy to plan. When it is fragile, it is easy to break. When it is small, it is easy to scatter.

Act on it when it has not yet begun. Treat it when it is not yet chaotic. A tree thick enough to embrace, Grows from the tiny sapling. A tower of nine levels, Starts from the dirt heap. A journey of a thousand miles, Begins beneath the feet.

The one who meddles will fail. The one who grasps will lose. Therefore, sages do not meddle and thus do not fail. They do not grasp and thus do not lose.

People, in handling affairs, Often come close to completion and fail. If they are as careful in the end as the beginning, Then they would have no failure.

Therefore, sages desire not to desire. They do not value goods that are hard to acquire. They learn to unlearn, To redeem the fault of the people. To assist the nature of all things, Without daring to meddle

(source: www.Taoism.net and Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths in 2006)

The gist of that phrase is - To achieve your goals/challenges in life, one has to take action and start somewhere.

However, one could also interpret it as -

• Big task, baby steps,
• Where you are right now is because of the step you chose to take,
• Getting started on anything is the hardest.

There are so many useful ways that you can try to interpret those wise words and if you look at the chapter as a whole there is more. I get the following messages from it (in no particular order) -

• When things are good and running smooth, life is easy. Like cogs in a wheel, they must be oiled to maintain everything in good order
• Prevention is better than cure
• When you do not work at it, it becomes a monster and to tackle it you start from the bottom and build a strong foundation
• Do not rush and do quick fixes as the result will not be good
• Balance and harmony
• Do not complicate matters, keep it simple one step at a time.

Like everything in life, start by building a strong foundation, maintain your structure and life is good.

How true is that in life?

I think back on my life and it has gone through many mountains and valleys but there is not one thing that does not start with that one single step. Every path or destination I take has been a choice. A choice to take a step backwards or a choice to go forwards.

Take this post for example, the big task I have set myself is to blog (something I am not too comfortable with blogging at the moment). So I thought I would do something short and sweet like a picture with an inspirational quote that is meaningful to me. Did exactly that and the next thing I knew I was researching deeper and deeper into the phrase and viola! - an epic blog post.

I am no philosopher and in no way wanting to be one. However, I do have certain values in life that I hold close to my heart. So every now and again I get the urge to dig deep and meaningfully.

So, what do you see from Chapter 64?

Until next time...

Jeanne

Today and everyday ... is an adventure!

Mooka Links

It has been too long since my last blog post. Thanks to 'Julie & Julia' the movie for inspiring me to reblog. Sometimes in life we get thrown so many hurdles and too many frogs to eat, they will always be there. Well, no point looking back and beating yourself up about it, just do it and look forward.

I will try to blog more frequently even if it is only a few photos on new designs and hopefully I will post other things in my life that inspire me. Do let me know if you particularly want me to write about something of interest to you that falls within my realm, I would love to hear from you.

To start us off, today I will blog about my latest inspired collection. I called it Mooka Links. Inspired from my recent trip to Australia for my daughter's graduation. I am sure some of you might have already seen some photos on Facebook ... which reminds me I have quite a few more to process and upload!

Mooka Links set

Most people think of Opals when they think of Australia, for me I think of Mookaite. Mookaite is a form of Jasper with beautiful earthy colours which is only mined in Australia from Mooka Creek in Western Australia. 'Mooka' is an Aboriginal word which means running water. Mookaite is sometimes referred to as Australian Jasper. Mookaite is a powerful healing stone that provide stability to one's perspective of life, helping make the right decisions based on objective knowledge, (Reference http://www.healingcrystals.com/Mookaite_Jasper_Articles_16.html)

The 'Links' part of the name symbolises my personal link back to Australia as well as describing the Byzantine chainmaille linking the gemstones. I lived in Australia for nearly twenty years and most of my immediate family are there - I therefore have many fond memories of the country. Hence my inspiration for focusing on an Australian gemstone.

Mooka Links Earrings

The set is made up of a pair of Byzantine Earrings and Bracelet. What beautiful gems these are - every stone is different and unique. I just love how nature makes colours work together - who would have thought mustards, browns, terracottas, taupes, pinks and whites would harmonise so well.

Mooka Links Bracelet

The Necklace features a stunning oval golden Tigerseye (which is reversible) as the focal pendant and has an extendable back cleverly incorporated into the design in order to allow the necklace to be worn at Matinee or Opera lengths. The gemstones are carefully colour graded to draw the eye to the focal point and each gemstone is linked by a Byzantine chain to create interest and texture.

Mooka Links Extendable back

Mooka Links Necklace

Mooka Links Tigerseye Pendant

I hope you are inspired and enjoyed reading about my Mooka LInks ensemble. The techniques involved are pretty straight forward, however if you would like details or have any questions on the techniques used, please do leave a comment or send me an email. I am more than happy to share and help where I can.

You can view more details on the entire Mooka Links ensemble here.

Until next time...

Jeanne

Today and everyday ... is an adventure!