Nayu's News #36

Hi everyone! Thanking for bearing with me over the past two weeks - I prefer to have one of these posts once a week, but life often takes off in a different direction. I've been reading, watching anime, puzzles - the usual. I want to explain one of my tweets today. 

This is Dia, the final Shugo Chara to character transform with Amu in one of my favourite anime, Shugo Chara. I've just watched the episode where Dia brings out the radience within Amu, bringing about Amu's strongest transformation. Before you think I'm wandering in a different direction to my tweet, I'm not. 

Today's been like most days since NN #35, I haven't been up for blogging or editing. Sure I was disappointed. Yesterday I'd done 1 hour of editing. 

 I alternated 15 mins of blogging with 15 mins of editing. I made so much progress in that hour - despite not getting past the first page of my draft. I'm learning it is all about focus - I got more done in that hour than if I'd continued alternating those 15 minute editing/blogging until lunch time.It's true what they say about quality over quantity.

Today I'd expected and hoped to do the same 2 hours work, followed by lots of reading then anime. When I woke up I knew that was't happening, as I felt peaky. So I may have overdone things a little yesterday by reading right up until an hour before bed...

...the books just kept saying 'read me!' I had to read them! Anyway, as payback for reading too much yesterday I couldn't do what I wanted today. I did read all morning - that was fun! However, I'd said to myself that if I didn't feel better by lunch, no more reading for me. Anime only. So I got to lunch. 

 (These are the girls in the anime Aria the animation, all having lunch together (bar Athena who is not in this shot)

I wasn't feeling better. As much as I wanted to keep on reading, I knew what my body needed was rest. So reluctantly I put my books down. 

 

I don't want to stop reading!  (I think this is Shinku from the anime Rozen Maiden. I made up the caption)

I grabbed a pile of anime, settled down on the sofa and got watching. First up was Winx, which made me smile but didn't shift my mood. 

I watched an episode of Alice Academy, which is weird but funny. 

That didn't really perk me up much either - it's an anime I can't watch every day as I need a lot of cuteness between episodes. So I went for my current favourite, Shugo Chara. 

 I watched it, I smiled, I laughed, I got cheered up the best way possible. I got tears in my eyes at the parts where Amu and the others have personal realisations which changes they way they look at the world. Anime is how I boost myself up. I call it research for my wips, because all the different forms of attack, defense (if fighting is involved), how friends cheer each other up and even how they upset each other are all elements in my stories. 

It was during the episode where Dia leaves Utau (Dia was Amu's, but Amu didn't believe in herself, so Dia went 'bad' and shifted to Utau who knew what she wanted). 

I love the Dia that Amu sees and the others don't. - isn't she cute?

She only pops out a few times in the series, but after that first time Amu reclaims a bit of herself. It's a really uplifting episode, which is how I came up with the following tweet: 

Fly high to chase your dreams, no matter the challenges, you have it within you to succeed. Never give up! Always smile! You can do it! 

All of us falter in life. We're human, it's in our nature to fail. Dreams often take a long, hard journey before they come true. Sometimes when you're in the darker side of dreams you wonder if it's really worth it. Whether it's worth continuing. (I did not think like this today). It can look a tough road, too scary to go on. 

But there's always something that'll pick you up and make you smile.

 For me it's usually anime. Whatever makes you remember why you're reaching for that dream, use/do it. Find that part of your heart which sparkles and makes you feel warm all the way inside, a fun, happy feeling that makes any obstacle seem easy to tackle. In Shugo Chara Elu (on the right of her evil counterpart Ilu)

 transformed with Utau when Utau found her gentler side. 

 Embrace the inner radience which Dia loved about Amu, and never turn back. 

 Amu and Dia mid transformation (above) and Amu as Amulet Dia (below)

You might slow down on the path, slow down so slow that a snail would overtake you. 

That doesn't matter. Your pick me up - whatever it is - will propel you forward!!! 

Thus ends today's pep talk. 

I promise I am now relaxing