Hi from Marlane Ainsworth

My only credential is I’m human

BACKGROUND

I’m Australian and live on a 20-acre property in a wetlands area on the south coast of Western Australia, a place of nature, space and peace. I’m 66 and have been married to an interesting man called Rob for forty-two years. We have five children and four grandchildren.

In my younger years I lived and studied in England and the USA. I have a BA in Liberal Arts and diplomas in Community Services and Counselling. I’ve been a janitor, assistant librarian, writer in a government department, assistant radio program producer, proofreader, book shop salesperson and potato sorter. I now work for Alzheimer’s WA, coordinating social support for people living with dementia.

MY PASSION

My passion is writing articles about mindfulness that promote positive change and personal growth in people’s lives. To me, daily life is full of opportunities to experience mindfulness. We can live differently. We don’t have to follow ingrained mental and emotional pathways.

Spending time with people living with dementia and writing about mindfulness is an intriguing mix. We’re brought up to believe our minds define us — as Descartes said, I think, therefore I am. So, what are people who can’t think, who are incapable of normal, logical thought? To say They can’t think, therefore they don’t exist doesn’t make sense. They are very much alive. There is so much to learn in this field, so many paradigms to drop about what human existence is.

If anyone has suggestions of sources of information on this subject, I’d appreciate it. I admire the work of Michael Verde, who founded Memory Bridge in 2003, and speaks around the world about communicating with people with dementia.

WRITING

I’ve had two children’s novels published by Fremantle Press which are now out of print. I usually post to Instagram once a week and post weekly on my website: https://marlaneainsworth.com. I can be found on LinkedIn and Facebook, negotiating the intricacies of liking, hashtags and tags.

I’m doing Dr Mehmet Yildiz’s challenge of writing and submitting a short article to ILLUMINATION every day for thirty days. A wonderful exercise, and I recommend it. It means getting up at 5am, but I’ve found it a magic time for words to flow.

You don’t have to wait until you’re on a meditation retreat to live mindfully. It’s a simple matter of being fully present in the moment, your attention totally focused on where you are and what you’re doing. Learn a lesson from sparrows.

This moment is all you’ve got. And when you bring mindfulness to everyday happenings you find a way through them that enriches your life, like nothing else does.

Life has taught me that each moment has meaning, and mindfulness reveals what it is.

Mindfulness isn’t hard. It’s easy! It takes the stress out of life and brings clarity and fulfillment.

Here’s a thought worth pursuing:

And by the way, do you know you have Mona Lisa eyes? People line up every day to look into yours.

I love the cross-pollination and synchronicity that happens in this publication. I’ve discovered many passionate, gifted writers and feel honoured to be in their midst.

With love to you all, Marlane