Eloise is a very special little girl who lives with her nanny in the Plaza hotel in New York City. She definitely is a real person, someone who loves learning about people who aren’t boring. You’ll be glad to get to know her as she is much wiser than meets the eye and is probably more ready for the world than many ever will be due to her frank feistiness and knack for fun.

Kay Thompson’s stories about this exhilarating creature with the charming illustrations by Hilary Knight have often been criticised, accused of fostering the adulation of a spoiled brat. But despite all criticism, Eloise keeps on rocking her world, inviting us to join her. I simply love her and as long as I can remember envied the particularity of her circumstances, living in a fab hotel with a nanny who most of the time pursues her own business, leaving Eloise to explore her world, simply breath-taking. Why do I write about Eloise?

Eloise knows how she wants things to be, orderly or disorderly, there is thought and purpose behind her reasoning, appreciating the inspiring surroundings of a stylish dwelling.

Eloise inspires to escape, to laugh out loud, invites to make friends with her. It's good to be able to sit back and not take oneself so seriously, instead better to relax in the moment and let things flow, which is what we learn from her. Things do mostly work out fabulously in the end.

As inspirational as Eloise is, and as enchanting as her life seems to be, this is not our reality, but then what is reality? It is, I have decided, what we sign up to create moment by moment.

We are too bogged down by what we call reality, believing we have to bow down to it. Why? No one asked us to do so, we just comply. The now moment is already history as it is the sum of our thoughts, emotions and decisions made in the past which have created our now, the thing we call ‘reality’.  We might be utterly satisfied with where we are, but most are not. I think, that’s a shame. Not to say we ever will reach the end of our wish list, stopping us wanting more or ‘better’. The human psyche is made to expand, develop, wanting more, this is how the world moves. How we do it and on what parameters is a different subject to reflect on. For now, let’s just stay in our world, reflecting on our attitude and execution of life, breath by breath.

Let’s make it simple, I always go back to the space we live in, space is so helpful, anchoring us, space is pragmatic, clear and precise, all is visible. Space instantly shows us what works and what doesn’t, so let's have a dialogue with your space, make friends with it. Also, space is not there to be filled to the rim, leave space for you in space.

While Eloise seemingly enjoyed free reign of her impulses, we feel bound to conventions and obligations and here is where I like to pause. Here is where we have a chance to stop and reflect. Do I want what I have, or would I prefer something else, and if so, what would that be? It's perfectly ok wanting something different than what we have. Often such reflection is avoided as it carries the stigma of failure. No, we are free to change any day, any time. Besides what was liked yesterday might have outlived its allure, so embrace the urge for change.

What if one doesn’t know what one wants or how to get it? Start small, small is good, choose to look at behaviour patterns, break them, do little things differently, make changes in the wheel of daily routines to help get going in a different direction, be observant for what feels good then go for it, leave what doesn’t.

Instead of throwing ourselves onto social media first thing in the morning or grabbing a poisoning espresso, put on music, dance around the house, 5 minutes, it vigorously lifts the vibe so the day is tackled from a better vantage point. It inspires looking for the positive in the moment, better than getting bogged down by a list of ‘must do’ and unwanted. Happiness lies in the small moments. We have the power to choose how these are shaped, one step at the time, it all matters, nothing is too small and the small, like pearls on a string, form a bigger picture. Just to emphasise, happiness is a great friend for building a strong immune system, so choose as much of it as you can master to collect, and remember, small is good, small counts, all are your choice and your choice only.   

But back to the environment we live in, my passion for space and how it influences us never ends. For example, what do we see first thing when waking up? Is it making us feel fabulous? If yes, bravo! If not, what? Do something about it. Are the curtains sagging, is the bedroom full of cluttered leftovers, even hosts an office desk reminding of work, work, work, is the carpet stained so one actually does not want to dance on it…… really? Easy, we know what to do, step by step, one by one, decisions and actions set us free .

And there is always help, I am around, supporting a clear out bringing rewards.

‘If you don’t love it, don’t have it’, is a simple yet powerful mantra. Things without purpose fester, they eat energy, stay away from creating such vampires. My hottest tip: don’t horde the not-loved .   

Instead get going, changing space helps clear the mind, helps bring new momentums in all areas of life, energy is energy. Most importantly never accept a status quo that doesn’t support wings. Wings bring happiness and from happiness we assemble strength, creating better. Taking responsibility for our thoughts, feelings and actions makes us masters of our life and in fact, we become dangerous beings. Why? Because free men and women are capable of thinking for themselves, no longer running the errants of leaders, particularly ludicrous ones.

Our living space, both home and office is friend or foe, depending where we choose to position ourselves. We do not need to have grey walls just because the interior magazines are advocating such, we can have what we want, same goes for furniture; paint the kitchen table and bake a cake, then see what life brings next.

Thank you for an interesting year together and a very Merry Christmas to you all!