reflection-arkiv - Malix.se

Morning dip and everyday joy became the start of my day. It began in the sofa with a post that disappeared, but instead of irritation I chose gratitude and lessons learned. The swim today filled me with energy, the thoughts of my grandchildren opened both sorrow and gratitude, and the bedroom now waits to be cleaned until it smells of soap. Yesterday was a day of household chores, pride, and pain – but also joy in the little things.

morning dip and everyday joy at the lake on an autumn morning

Läs det här på Svenska->Morgondopp och vardagsglädje

Today – a Morning in the Sofa

The morning began in the sofa, with coffee beside me and the computer on my lap. I wrote an entire post – hours passed – and then everything vanished. At first I wanted to curse, blame the computer, mutter a bad word. But instead I paused and told myself: “Now you need to be a responsible adult.”

That shifted my thoughts. I realized I hadn’t saved properly and that I need to be better at always checking before shutting down. And perhaps I need to accept that words often come when I bathe, not right when I wake up. A morning lesson in patience, simply put.

Today – Morning Dip and Everyday Joy

This morning I went for a dip. My bathing sisters swam, but I floated still, letting the water carry me. I watched the trees, the sky, and all the beauty right there in that moment.

The feeling was powerful. My soul filled with light, my body with energy. Gratitude settled in: “I give myself these mornings where I wake together with nature.”

Two squirrels chased each other in the trees – lively little reminders of everyday joy. Before the swim, I even managed to record a short video for TikTok. In that video, an important insight landed: A good day is one you create yourself. I am the scriptwriter of my life. My thoughts give birth to feelings, and those feelings create the day.

Today – Thoughts of My Grandchildren

After the swim came thoughts of my grandchildren, the ones I no longer get to meet. There lives sorrow, and it hurts. But I told myself I needed to change the tone of those thoughts.

Instead, I chose to feel gratitude for the time we actually had together. Me and my son. Me and my grandchildren. All those days that were ours before he chose to shut me out as both mother and grandmother.

I carry so many beautiful memories. Memories of caring for Hugo when he was sick, holding his little hand, sitting and reading with him. Memories of Emilia, my princess – always wise, always close, a wonderful friend in a small body. And my son – whom I am so proud of. His wisdom, his words, his thoughts, shared so generously through the years.

The time that is now I cannot change. It is what it is. But I have the memories. And they fill my heart with gratitude for the time that was. This is my work: to choose gratitude for what was, and let that gratitude fill my time now.

Today – the Bedroom Waiting for Soap and Order

After the swim and those thoughts, the desire for the next project grew. Today, our bedroom will be made fresh with the scent of soap. The walls will be wiped down, the paintings dusted both front and back, perfume bottles polished, flowers refreshed. Every detail tended to, until the room feels truly clean.

I can already sense it: the lightness in my body, the bubbling joy and the deep gratitude when everything is done. Walking into a room that smells of soap is like giving myself a new beginning.

Yesterday – Everyday and KonMari

Yesterday was different. The day filled with chores. I went down to the laundry room, folded clothes and ironed what needed it. With the KonMari method, every piece of clothing has its place. It’s almost silly how happy I feel opening a wardrobe and seeing that order.

Yesterday – Pride at the School Meeting

In the afternoon, it was time for my little boy’s school meeting. I told him: “This is probably the best meeting I have ever been to.”

He hasn’t even been in school for a full year, but he has already succeeded so well in all subjects. When he asked why, the answer was simple: “You, of course. You’re the one making this work.”

Yesterday – When the Body Said Stop

After the meeting, I stopped to shop, still happy from the day. But when I placed the milk into the basket – bang! My neck gave way. The pain returned, almost like the nerve pain I sometimes feel in my legs.

At home, I cooked: fish sticks, rice with curry and salt, and my cold sauce with yogurt, mayonnaise, pickled relish, and spices. My little boy ate with joy – that always warms my heart. Myself, I finally had to give in. The neck had the last word yesterday.

Reflection

Perhaps this is what life is – a mix of swimming in the lake, the scent of soap, the pride of a child, and the pain of a neck. Everything fits into a single day, and everything is allowed to be as it is.

AHA – Between the Lines

Between the lines, the choice becomes clear. I choose not to remain in irritation or sorrow, but to see lessons, everyday joy, and gratitude. It is in the small choices, in the moments, that life truly shifts.

Your Voice: Between the Lines

I am a person who carries both joy and pain. I care for my home, my family, and myself, even when my body says stop. It’s not only the cleaning or the swim that matter – it’s the feeling that I choose to live my life, every day, in my own way. That is healing, and there gratitude is born.

A Thought on Gratitude

I often sit and wonder what to cook today. And right there, my thoughts make a somersault – because in that question lives gratitude. I get to think about what to cook, not if I can cook anything at all. There are parents wondering whether they can even serve food today. I have the privilege of choosing. And there, gratitude lives in abundance.

Closing Words

Yesterday no longer exists except in memories, tomorrow is something we may experience, but right now – in this very moment – is the only place life can be lived. It is in the now that memories can be created.
— Carina Ikonen Nilsson

Links

Internal link: The First Day of the Rest of My Life – Gratitude and Self-Love
Internal link: KonMari – folding clothes and creating order
External link: YouTube – Animal films for small children (educational and playful)

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The First Day of the Rest of My Life – Gratitude in Everyday Life

Av Carina Ikonen Nilsson

den 30 september 2025

i Morgon & tacksamhet, Reflektion & självläkning, Vardag & familjeliv, vinterbad

The first day of the rest of my life – gratitude in everyday life. This morning I woke up with that thought. Today is the first day of the rest of my life.
That thought was the very first thing that landed in me when I opened my eyes. Before I got out of bed, I felt gratitude for receiving yet another new morning to wake up in. One more day here in life – isn’t that fantastic?

Read this in Swedish ->Första dagen på resten av mitt liv – tacksamhet i vardagen

I got up. The cat was sleeping so deeply that I had to wake him. The coffee was already ready. I lit a candle in the kitchen even though I sat down in the living room. There is something about lighting a candle that gives the morning an extra calm. Maybe someone else wakes up and is met by that light. Maybe I myself, when I go to refill my coffee cup, am met by that little warmth.

A Day with Pain – But Also with Gratitude in Everyday Life

My neck still hurts, and now I also feel it over my left eye. But with Ipren, Alvedon and some tiger balm, I get a few hours of relief.

Yesterday turned out still, but in a new way. After two days in bed, it was wonderful to get going again and feel the scent of home and food. I cleaned the kitchen, cooked the meal, and let that be enough as physical work.

The Smell of Meat Patties and the Joy of Cooking

When I stood there frying my meat patties – and there were many – the whole kitchen smelled wonderful. I was careful to save the pan juices to make a really good sauce.

Yesterday I tried frying the onion before mixing it into the minced meat, but as I already knew, that’s not my thing. It has to be raw, grated onion to give the real flavor. Now I reminded myself once again. This time made it clear to me: raw onion is what I want in the mixture.

This time I also mixed in rolled oats instead of breadcrumbs. It made the meat patties extra juicy. I built up the sauce with the pan juices – and it tasted delicious.

Big Thoughts in the Small Things

Already in bed, the thought of gratitude started living in me. I felt joy that the room was warm. Gratitude for the geothermal heating that gives both warmth and hot water. Imagine that someone figured out a machine that can pull heat from a mountain!

Just being able to turn on a tap and get drinkable water is actually huge. A hundred years ago, people had to go outside and fetch water, no matter how cold it was. When I stay in that thought, I am filled with peace. Such thoughts can lift an entire day.

Like yesterday, when the little one didn’t have time to wipe the table before school. Instead of irritation, I only felt joy that he had eaten breakfast.
It really feels like the first day of the rest of my life – gratitude in everyday life makes the difference.

A Longing Made New – Maybe a Swim?

I have missed my new-old habit of bathing in the lake. I miss my bathing sisters, our little laughs, and that calm that always settles afterward.
Maybe today I will dare to try again. Maybe a swim can make the pain go away, or maybe it will make it worse. But then I will know.

Just the thought of a dip gives my body a kind of new energy, as if the lake is already calling me.
Read here how I once again picked up my morning swims -> An Early Morning Swim Filled with Gratitude

Taking Care of My Thoughts – An Old Habit Returned

It feels like I have taken back an old, important habit. I have once again started taking greater responsibility for how I handle my thoughts and how I choose my feelings.
Maybe I’ve been doing it for a long time without thinking about it, but right now I am clearer, more active. I notice how I consciously replace thoughts that don’t bring joy and how I hold on to the ones that carry me.

Because here lies the gain. I can choose – choose whether I want to live in happy feelings or in unhappy ones.
Just writing the words gives me a wonderful feeling, because I have a choice. An important choice.
And I choose happiness.

This makes me live more and more often in the feeling of well-being – despite the pain and despite the longing for my son and the little grandchildren.

A Little Star for Planning

I also want to recommend the astrological planning calendar I mentioned earlier. It will follow me through the coming year – as a compass for thoughts and small moments of reflection.

The planning calendar based on the stars applies for next year.
If you buy it via this link, you get a 30 % discount. Use the discount code Astrocalendar30.

Astrological Year Calendar. The First Day of the Rest of My Life – Gratitude in Everyday Life.

This is not an affiliate link. I earn nothing from sharing it, but just want to recommend it because I myself find the calendar interesting. The discount code gives you 30 % off if you want to try it. My thought is that the calendar will eventually help me plan breaks and choose thoughts and self-love more consciously. This may not be the author’s idea – but that’s how I plan to use the one I bought.

Between the Lines – AHA Mirror

This post is not only about meat patties and gratitude.
It reflects a conscious choice to live here and now:
that every cup of coffee, every smell of food, and every little thought can become a place of joy – despite pain, longing, and the days that cannot be changed.

And in the stillness there is also the courage to try again – maybe a cold swim that awakens body and soul.

What it says about me as a writer:
Presence. Care. Creativity in everyday life. An inner strength that dares to try and keeps choosing joy.

Questions for You as a Reader

What fills your mornings with gratitude?
Do you have a little everyday miracle – a scent, a routine – that carries you through the day?
When was the last time a small thought changed your entire day?
What would a cold morning swim give you right now?

Reflection

The simple things are often the greatest. A candle in the kitchen, the smell of fried meat patties, running water, a cycling joy in the evening light – and maybe a morning swim. That’s where gratitude lives, in the quiet miracles that make a day worth living.

The first day of the rest of my life – gratitude in everyday life makes me choose happiness every day.

Yesterday has already settled into history, where I chose happiness. Tomorrow awaits further ahead. But right now, I can choose to live in happiness – because this is where life happens.
– Carina Ikonen Nilsson

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Morning dip gratitude Kay Pollak – misty autumn lake with jetty and small island.

Morning Dip Gratitude Kay Pollak – a Frosty Morning of Self-Love and Presence

Av Carina Ikonen Nilsson

den 25 september 2025

i Reflektion & självläkning, Vardag & familjeliv, vinterbad

A frosty morning dip gratitude Kay Pollak made this morning glow. Here I share how the stillness of nature and an unexpected traffic situation turned into a living practice of self-love and presence.

Read this post in Swedish ➜ Morgondopp tacksamhet Kay Pollak och en oväntad tacksamhetsövning

The sun streams in through the window. I sit on the sofa with double socks, a cup of coffee and a blanket. My body feels completely content – only moments ago I returned from another morning dip gratitude Kay Pollak.

A swim where every kind of beauty revealed itself.

Morning dip gratitude Kay Pollak – wooden jetty and steaming lake in frosty fresh air.

Morning Dip Gratitude Kay Pollak – Every Step by the Lake

Morning dip gratitude Kay Pollak – lone boat on misty lake at dawn.

Close your eyes and follow me: frosty grass under your feet, a lake steaming more than usual. Each step paints new images of water clearing, the jetty stretching out ahead. The small island farther out becomes sharper with every step.

The chill in the air brushes against your legs and face. The autumn air is damp yet frostily fresh, a curious mix that almost invites you to join its dance of stillness. A squirrel runs past and disappears into a tree. Everything around you is quiet and still. A man rows slowly across the lake; the farther he goes, the blurrier he becomes.

Your body slows down, your thoughts grow clearer, and the feeling in your body is now—right now—in this very moment.

What feeling does this bring to your own body? What images stay with you?
Leave a comment or send me an email – I read and answer every word.

Gratitude Returning

As I write these words, the moment comes back to me. The same peaceful feeling fills my body again. That is why these moments are worth collecting. They are the moments when I feel more than good. They make my self-love grow.

This morning dip gratitude Kay Pollak became an inner reminder that small moments can carry an entire day.

Morning dip gratitude Kay Pollak – autumn sun shining through trees and mist.

Morning Dip Gratitude Kay Pollak in My Life

Yes, I have once again immersed myself in Kay Pollak’s words. I live in his thoughts now more than I have for years. I dwell in feelings of gratitude, which makes it easy to find things to be grateful for.

And today I received an extra practice on my way home.

Morning Dip Gratitude Kay Pollak – A Car, a Risk and a Choice

A car was suddenly following very close behind me. Several oncoming cars approached. Yet the car behind began to overtake.

I chose to maintain my speed, but when I saw how close the oncoming traffic was, I slowed down so the driver could pull back into the lane quickly.

A week ago I might have honked, muttered something sharp, and stayed annoyed. But now, with Kay Pollak’s words in my mind, it was different.

“Here is someone in a great hurry. Better to help him so he doesn’t crash. It must be hard to be that stressed.”

I felt gratitude – for my own alertness, for the fact that nothing happened, and for the chance to practice replacing ‘what an idiot’ with ‘poor fellow, he must be stressed’.

Perhaps something serious had happened and he had to get somewhere fast. So I felt grateful to myself for slowing down and to the situation for giving me another chance to choose my thoughts.
Therefore this morning became a clear example of how gratitude can change everything.

Fact Box: How Gratitude Affects the Body

Reduces stress – lowers the production of cortisol.
Strengthens immunity – grateful people are more resistant to infections.
Improves sleep – gratitude makes it easier to unwind.
Boosts well-being – dopamine and serotonin, the “feel-good” hormones, increase when we consciously think grateful thoughts.

Stopping today by the lake and in the car was not just pleasant. It was pure health training for brain and heart.

A Morning Full of Small Gratitudes

Now, as I sit here, I see how many gratitudes fit into a single morning:

The steaming lake
The squirrel that appeared
The car that turned into a classroom
Kay Pollak’s words that help me live here and now

These are the kinds of moments that build self-love and inner calm. They show that gratitude can live in almost every second.

Between the Lines – My Voice

This post is about more than a beautiful morning.
It is my reminder that I can choose my thoughts. I practice letting gratitude take space, even in moments that might otherwise fill me with anger.

AHA – Between the Lines

Slowing down for a stressed driver became an exercise in compassion. It is a reminder that small choices transform big emotions. I really can choose to meet the world with an open heart.

Reflection

Writing this became yet another practice in pausing. Each memory—the water, the mist, the stressed driver—fills me again with calm and gratitude.

Yesterday has already settled into history, tomorrow is waiting further ahead.
But right now—this is where life happens.

After a morning dip, I treat myself to luxury open sandwiches and hot coffee. A small everyday feast that completes the moment.

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Kay Pollak choosing happiness – morning gratitude and reflection.

Kay Pollak – Choosing Happiness and the Morning Gift of Gratitude

Av Carina Ikonen Nilsson

den 20 september 2025

i Reflektion & självläkning, Vardag & familjeliv

Every morning is a chance to begin again. In the quiet moment with coffee and silence, the thought of choosing happiness grows – a lesson from Kay Pollak that carries me through both everyday joys and the sorrow of what never became.

Read this post in Swedish ->Kay Pollak välja lycka – morgonens tacksamhet och livets lärdomar.

I keep writing about Kay Pollak because the subject isn’t finished within me.
His message is essential: Kay Pollak choosing happiness is my daily choice.
His words – that we can choose our attitude – stay with me and awaken new thoughts.
Each morning I feel deep gratitude for one more day, or at least one more morning.
It is truly the morning I value most.

When the house is still, whether at home or in the motorhome, there’s a silence that belongs only to me. Fresh coffee in my cup, the laptop on my lap, fingers dancing across the keyboard like music. Thoughts wander back and forth until the words must come. Again and again I land in gratitude that today is the first day of the rest of my life.

The First Day of the Rest of My Life

I invite you to think the same thought.
This very moment is a unique now – a brand-new day in the rest of your life.
Do you feel how the moment expands when you see it this way?

At work I often shared this idea with young people. We imagined that every day could be the first day of the rest of their lives. At first, they didn’t know what could make a day special. Then I served the next thought on a silver platter:

Simply waking up today makes this day special.

Kay Pollak Choosing Happiness – My Daily Choice

We also talked about our own responsibility for feelings – that we can actually choose to feel happiness, even though we often choose to feel unhappiness in different forms. It wasn’t everyone’s favorite subject, but a few embraced it.

When you begin to see that you can truly be master – or mistress – of your thoughts, and dare to ask can I choose happiness now, it may not be easy. But sometimes you succeed in changing the thought and actually choosing happiness.

Imagine you are tired and something happens. You might think this only happens because I’m tired or this always happens to me. But turn the thought: Oh, this happened – interesting, what can I learn from it? How would someone else react in this moment? Or even better: If I were to choose happiness right now, how would I act?

People as Teachers

I often told the youth I met that every person crossing my path is sent to teach me something.
Some laughed and asked what they could possibly teach me – do you want to become a criminal or what? I smiled and said that I am practicing being completely true to myself. That is something I hope they too will dare to do one day.

Many of them lived behind masks created to survive. I wanted to show that life is more than survival. We owe it to life itself to live.
This may not have been part of my formal job description, but it felt essential.

I am not someone who follows rules just for the sake of rules. Yet I respect the agreements we make as colleagues. What mattered to me was that these young people met an adult who showed her true self – and believed that they, too, were enough as they are.

Daring to Live the Words

There is so much power in the words Kay Pollak shares.
They become truly great only when we dare to live them.

Life grows simpler when we put ourselves where we truly belong – when we dare to be honest, clear, and to set our own boundaries.

Sometimes we must choose to step away, to stand firm, to be exactly who we are.
For me, Kay Pollak choosing happiness is a daily reminder that life can always start anew.

Even blogging itself is, for me, an act of choosing happiness – just as Kay Pollak encourages.

Sorrow and Being Rejected

The sorrow and the situation with my son – the feeling of being rejected – live in my everyday life.
It is a deep pain, and I grieve that it is this way.
Yet here is an important but: I cannot stop living because I hurt. I cannot stop loving. I must move forward and dare to choose happiness, despite everything.

For me, this is a life lesson: I must not merely survive — I must live, experience, and dare to feel joy even when something in life is painful. Other people need to see me smile. I have many reasons to keep seeking and experiencing happiness. I owe myself that.

Of course, it is difficult to choose happiness now when sorrow is at its strongest. Yet I keep asking myself: can I choose happiness now?
Perhaps the question itself opens something new. Perhaps there is something here I need to learn about trust, courage, and self-love.
I believe sorrow itself carries a teaching – about setting boundaries, protecting what is good, and giving space to both pain and hope.

The sorrow may remain, but it must not become everything. I am responsible for continuing to seek the moments of happiness that make life alive.

Reflection

Looking back, I see how deeply Kay Pollak’s thoughts have shaped my everyday life.
His words about choosing happiness are not just beautiful phrases – they are a way of living.
Every morning is a new chance to begin again, a chance to consciously choose direction.

Between the Lines – My Words

The past cannot be relived – it has already passed and we cannot change it.
I live with that insight every day, in every post. It is a lesson I carry from Kay Pollak:

Live today, right now. Yesterday no longer exists. Right now we sow the seeds that we may harvest in the future. – Carina Ikonen Nilsson

It is here, in this very now, that we choose our path and plant what can one day bloom.

AHA – Between the Lines

This is more than a text about gratitude.
It is a lived approach – to meet each day without clinging to yesterday’s failures or worries.
To see every person as an opportunity for growth.
And to discover that the courage to be true is the very ground of joy.

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Also read: Kay Pollak – Choosing Happiness, when his words move into me.

Learn more about Kay Pollak and his books on Kay Pollak’s official site.

FAQ – Questions I’m Often Asked About Kay Pollak and Choosing Happiness

What does “choosing happiness” really mean?
For me it doesn’t mean being happy all the time. It’s an attitude – consciously choosing thoughts and actions that open a path to joy, even in hard times.

How can someone begin to live more in the present?
I start with morning stillness. A few minutes with coffee and silence become a daily reminder that today is the first day of the rest of your life.

How does sorrow affect this choice?
The sorrow of rejection never disappears, but it doesn’t have to fill all space. I see it as a teacher reminding me to keep living and loving – not just surviving.

Can we really choose our feelings?
We can’t control every feeling, but we can choose which perspective we feed. That is where freedom and power lie.

Kay Pollak – Choosing Happiness, when his words move into me
Category page: Reflection & Self-healing

Kay Pollak’s official website

Kay Pollak Choose Happiness – Words That Have Become Vital in My Life

Av Carina Ikonen Nilsson

den 19 september 2025

i Reflektion & självläkning, Vardag & familjeliv

Kay Pollak choose happiness – two words that have become important in my life.
Here I share how his ideas on personal responsibility help me in everyday life: from messy breakfast mornings to the deeper pain of distance from my son and grandchildren. It’s a story about pausing, choosing your response, and creating your own joy.

Read this post in Swedish ->Kay Pollak välja lycka – när hans ord flyttar in i mig

At home we have paused our Storytel subscription for a while, which means I now listen to podcasts instead. Podcasts don’t paint long, poetic pictures like a book, but they give me something else – other people’s words and experiences. And sometimes that is exactly what I need.

Yesterday I chose my all-time favorite. I’ll write his name even though my husband might shake his head if he happened to read this: Kay Pollak. His voice has followed me for many years, and my husband has heard plenty of quotes from him.

Who Is Kay Pollak?

For those who don’t know: Kay Pollak is a Swedish author, lecturer and film director.
He is known for his thoughts on self-leadership, joy and inner freedom, expressed in books like Att välja glädje (Choose Joy) and Att växa genom möten (To Grow Through Encounters). He also directed the internationally acclaimed film As It Is in Heaven.

In his talks and books, he returns again and again to the same core insight:

We cannot decide what happens to us – but we can choose how we react.

It sounds simple. But for me, it has been life-changing.

Kay Pollak Choose Happiness in Everyday Life

When I first started listening to Kay Pollak, I learned to pause in the moment.

Sun rays breaking through dark clouds – symbol of Kay Pollak choose happiness and taking responsibility in life’s challenges.

Take a normal morning: I come home from work and find the kitchen counter full of crumbs, a butter pack left out. I used to get furious and take it personally – as if I were just the cleaning lady in my own home.

But when I let Kay Pollak’s words settle in, I could stop and think:
They must have had a stressful morning. How wonderful that the kids still had time for breakfast.
Maybe my husband was simply exhausted last night.

And you know what? It was so much easier to feel happy on the mornings when I thought kinder thoughts.

The same with my daughter on those days when she woke up in a storm and pressed every trigger I had. In the past I would react immediately. But when I saw the tiredness behind her frustration, I could choose another way to respond – exactly what she needed: a mother who looked beyond the behavior.

The Greatest Test – My Son and Grandchildren

This insight reaches far beyond morning routines.
The distance from my adult son hurts. I miss my grandchildren. Sometimes part of me wants to put blame somewhere. But deep down I know I never want to give him guilt. I want to love him – and I do. I wish him every happiness, even if I’m not part of his children’s lives.

I cannot control his choices. I can only choose my own attitude.
Choose to live.
Choose to be happy – even with longing in my heart.

Happiness as an Active Choice

It may sound unusual, but I truly believe I can choose whether to be happy or unhappy. Happiness is not just a feeling that happens to us. It is a choice I make again and again, in big and small things.

I can fill my life with what gives meaning – writing, painting, morning swims, and the community of those who are here.
That is my responsibility.

I cannot take responsibility for other people’s reactions,
but I can take responsibility for how I relate to them.

Questions for You

How do you think about choosing happiness in your own life?
Have you experienced how a different response completely changed a tough situation?
Is there someone whose words have moved into your life the way Kay Pollak’s words have into mine?

Feel free to share in the comments – your words might spark new thoughts for someone else.

Between the Lines – My Voice

Behind these words lies a quiet gratitude. I see how my patterns have been shaped by both inheritance and choice – and how freedom can begin in a single thought.
Taking responsibility for your own life is not about carrying everything alone, but about choosing how to meet what happens.

Reflection

In every choice of thought there is a small freedom. To pause, to breathe before the word or reaction comes, can change an entire day. This is not denying grief but carrying it with gentler hands. Kay Pollak’s words remind me that life can indeed feel lighter when I choose a softer response.

AHA – Between the Lines

Happiness is not something someone else can give. It is my own creation – in dishes left on the counter, in children who sometimes push away, in the deep longing for those I love. I can grieve and still choose joy. In that tension between pain and the will to live, freedom arises.

Yesterday has already laid itself to rest in history, and tomorrow waits somewhere ahead. But right now – this is where life happens.
– Carina Ikonen Nilsson

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FAQ – About Kay Pollak and Choosing Happiness

What does Kay Pollak mean by “choose happiness”?
He teaches that while we cannot control what happens, we can choose our response. By pausing and seeing situations differently, we can create more joy.

How have you applied his thoughts?
By pausing in everyday moments – like facing a messy kitchen or a child’s bad morning mood – and choosing a calmer response that leads to peace instead of conflict.

Can you really choose happiness when life hurts?
Yes. It doesn’t mean pain disappears. It means acknowledging grief without getting stuck. I carry the sorrow of distance from my son, but I choose to live and find joy.

Where can I learn more about Kay Pollak?
Check out his books such as Choose Joy (Att välja glädje) and To Grow Through Encounters (Att växa genom möten), available in bookstores, audiobooks and podcasts.
You can also visit Kay Pollak’s official website for more inspiration.

Veckostatistik malix.se – Musik som bro och USA som ny publik

Av Carina Ikonen Nilsson

den 18 september 2025

i Malix

weekly stats malix.se music – Thåström live feeling and music as a bridge — Thåström i Karlstad Magiskt

Den här veckostatistik malix.se musik-rapporten blev en varm överraskning. Jag log när jag såg att Thåström i Karlstad inte bara blivit en läsarsuccé – den har också lockat nya vänner från andra sidan Atlanten. Musik och ord reser längre än jag kunnat tänka.

Det gör mig både glad och lite rörd.

Read this in English ->Weekly Stats malix.se – Music as a Bridge and the U.S. as a New Audi

När siffror blir känslor

Bakom varje kurva i statistiken finns människor. Någon stannade upp mitt i sin dag för att läsa, någon annan kanske delade en länk eller skickade ett sms till en vän. Det är mer än diagram och grafer – det är möten som sker tyst, mellan mina ord och deras tankar.

Veckostatistik malix.se musik – inlägg som sjunger vidare

Thåström i Karlstad – konsertrecension blev en milstolpe. Det var mer än en konsert – det var ett möte mellan musik och minnen.
En mamma, farmor, mormor – vardagsankare, kärlek, saknad, styrka fortsätter att leva sitt eget liv och påminner mig om de starka kvinnorna som bär min historia.

Musik och familjeband är som två sidor av samma mynt – båda berättar om hjärtslag som aldrig slutar.

Världen på besök

Det som började vid mitt köksbord hittar nu vägar långt utanför Sverige. Fler läsare än tidigare kommer från USA, och fler återkommer genom sparade länkar och prenumerationer. Det känns som om orden bygger en bro, från Karlstad till Kalifornien, från mina minnen till någon annans vardag.

Små steg som räknas

Även de minsta tecken på annonsintäkter känns viktiga. De visar att de långsamma stegen, de små förbättringarna i varje inlägg, gör skillnad. Det handlar inte om summorna, utan om riktningen.

AHA – mellan raderna

Musiken blev en bro. Jag skrev om Thåström för att minnas en kväll, men texten hittade människor jag aldrig mött.
AHA: När jag skriver från hjärtat, utan att jaga resultat, öppnas dörrar långt bortom min egen karta.

Min lärdom

Det är i de ärliga, levande orden som kraften bor. Statistiken visar riktning – men det är känslan i texterna som bär dem vidare.

Callout till dig som läser

Vad i mina texter får dig att stanna? Är det musiken, vardagen, resorna eller kanske de små reflektionerna? Skriv gärna en rad i kommentarerna.

Stöd & prenumeration

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Prenumerera: Här

Gårdagen har redan lagt sig till ro i historien, morgondagen väntar längre fram. Men just nu – det är här livet händer. – Carina Ikonen Nilsson

Weekly Stats malix.se – Music as a Bridge and the U.S. as a New Audi

Av Carina Ikonen Nilsson

den 18 september 2025

i Malix

This week’s insights felt like a warm surprise. Seeing Thåström in Karlstad resonate so widely – and draw readers from across the Atlantic – shows how music and words travel beyond what I could picture.

It’s both humbling and joyful.

Read this in Swedish. ->Veckostatistik malix.se – Musik som bro och USA som ny publik

When numbers turn into connections

Behind every curve in the stats are people pausing in their day to read, maybe share, maybe quietly reflect. It’s more than graphs – it’s silent meetings between my words and their lives.

Posts that Keep Singing

Thåström in Karlstad – concert review became a milestone.
A Mother, Grandmother, and Anchor – Love, Absence, and Strength keeps touching hearts.

Music and family ties tell the same deep story: rhythms that never stop.

A Global Audience

What started at my kitchen table now travels far beyond Sweden. More readers return, and many come from the United States. It feels like words build a bridge from Karlstad to California, from my memories to someone else’s everyday life.

Tiny Steps that Matter

Even small signs of ad income carry meaning. They show that steady, patient work on each post creates real movement. It’s about direction, not amounts.

AHA – Between the Lines

Music built a bridge. I wrote about Thåström to remember one evening, but the post found people I’ve never met.
AHA: Writing from the heart opens doors no plan can draw.

What I Learn

True growth isn’t in numbers but in the pulse of genuine words. Stats guide me, but feelings carry the stories farther.

Callout to Readers

What keeps you coming back – music, everyday reflections, travels, or something else? Share your thoughts in a comment.

Support & Subscribe

Support the blog: Donate via PayPal
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Yesterday has already settled into history, tomorrow waits further ahead. But right now – this is where life happens. – Carina Ikonen Nilsson

Autumn’s Quiet Days

Av Carina Ikonen Nilsson

den 17 september 2025

i Reflektion & självläkning, Vardag & familjeliv

The morning is still dark as the smell of coffee fills the living room. At first, I felt the words had dried up, but as the candles flicker, thoughts begin to move again. In this post I share a quiet autumn morning, the final garden chores, and reflections on how feelings and thoughts sometimes play tricks on us.

Read this post in Swedish ➜ Höstens stilla dagar

Autumn Morning in Stillness

It is still dark outside, the clock barely past dawn. Coffee steams in my cup while one lamp and two small candles light the room. I’ve been up for a while, but only now opened my laptop. It feels as if the words have run out, as if I am writing the last lines here for a while. Autumn has sighed its first breath, and I imagine its yellow leaves drifting even onto this blog.

But maybe that’s only a feeling. As if time has paused and the air itself stands still.

Thoughts Moving at a Slow Pace

The days go by. I do ordinary things. The ambitions I had before autumn quietly slid into a slower rhythm of not-doing. I feel stuck at home. Morning swims have paused, evening walks happen only on nights when I have the strength to join my husband – and not even every time. Perhaps illness is slowing me down, or maybe it’s simply time for rest.

The Greenhouse and the Garden’s Rest

Today promises sunshine, and I plan to tidy the greenhouse. I’ll pick the last ripe tomatoes, cut down the plants and spread the soil from the pots onto my garden beds as preparation for next year. Pots will be washed, the rain barrel emptied, and the greenhouse allowed to rest through winter.

young cucumbers sprouting in the greenhouse

I wonder if I am starting too soon. When do seasoned gardeners do this? Still, I want it done now, to avoid standing in January realizing something was left undone.

Tips: Autumn Tasks for Your Garden

As autumn settles in, a few small steps help your garden thrive next year:

Harvest the last crops – tomatoes, beans, apples, and root vegetables.
Cut back and clean – remove old plants and weeds so the soil can rest.
Cover with leaves or compost – to nourish and protect the soil.
Plant garlic and spring bulbs – garlic planted in September or October will reward you next summer.
Protect sensitive plants – cover roses, dahlias and others with leaves or spruce branches.
Empty rain barrels – so they don’t freeze and crack.

Small, calm steps that make a big difference in spring.
For more inspiration, see
Odla.nu – Autumn in the Garden or
Nelson Garden – Autumn Garden Tips (Swedish pages, easily translated in your browser).

Summer Memories and Next Year’s Dreams

This summer brought the quiet joy of growing things. Tomatoes tasted of pure summer, cucumbers were a delight to pick, and lettuce grew in abundance – maybe too much. Next year I’ll plan better and start seedlings at the right time. Soon I’ll plant garlic and pre-sprout onions. Our potatoes weren’t many, but they were delicious.

We also planted two apple trees: Ingrid Marie for its wonderful flavor, and Astrakan, which carries memories from the film The Emigrants. I hope both trees survive the winter.

Thoughts and Feelings That Play Tricks

Quite a lot of words for someone who just felt empty of them. Maybe it was only one of those fleeting feelings that sneak in when darkness still rests outside the window. Thoughts can be tricky. They whisper that everything has stopped and that the air stands still. But it isn’t always true.

Often they are just shadows of worry or tiredness, echoes of a restless night. Sometimes they play pranks, mixing up a quiet pause with an ending. Perhaps the real strength lies in seeing that not every thought has to become a truth. In that space—where you breathe and let the thought pass—new words, new steps and new days can quietly begin.

Reflection

This morning reminds me that stillness is not an end. Even a slow start can hold seeds of something new. Maybe it is in the pause that the next chapter quietly forms.

Between the Lines – My Voice

Beneath the words lives a longing for balance. A rest that is not escape but preparation. A reminder that nature knows when it’s time to gather strength.

AHA – Between the Lines

Perhaps this is really a story about more than greenhouses and autumn. When I thought my words had gone silent, they were still breathing inside me like a quiet rhythm. It’s as if nature and writing remind me that everything can move at its own pace. Pauses are not endings; they too are part of creation.

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A Flower, Ocean Laundry Detergent and Small Everyday Choices

Av Carina Ikonen Nilsson

den 10 september 2025

i Reflektion & självläkning, Vardag & familjeliv

Small steps that make a difference. A smile from a neighbor, Ocean laundry detergent in everyday life, or a solid shampoo bar instead of plastic bottles. Here I share how small choices in everyday life can matter – for the environment and for ourselves.

Read this post in Swedish En blomma, Ocean-tvättmedel och små miljöval i vardagen

Hello and welcome! How lovely that you’ve found your way to my blog today. I want to share a quiet morning, a flower that lit up my day, and my small steps toward a more sustainable lifestyle.

A Quiet Morning

It’s just after five. The cat has been let out, my coffee is beside me, and the only light in the room comes from the computer screen. I love this early morning moment when everyone else is still asleep. It gives me the chance to enjoy the silence, to be here on the blog, and to rest in my own thoughts.

Today I only have one planned meeting on the schedule. The rest of the day is open – and that feels good.

Orange cat resting on green grass, symbolizing a calm morning with Ocean laundry detergent in everyday life in mind.

My cat, always the first one out at dawn, starting the day with me.

A Flower That Lit Up the Day

Yesterday I went to the flower shop. My neighbor across the street had a birthday, and I wanted to surprise her with a small flower. When I knocked on her door and handed it over, her smile changed everything about my day.

It’s strange how small gestures can create big ripples. A flower, a smile – and suddenly the day feels brighter. We should all do more of those little things for each other. They give as much to the giver as to the receiver.

Red squirrel sitting on a branch among green leaves, capturing a surprise in everyday nature.

Nature around us always brings surprises – sometimes all it takes is to look up. Photo by my husband Tommy Nilsson.

Memories from the Swedish Fair

On the same trip, I stopped by our small local pet and nature shop in the village. They sell the laundry detergent my sister and I once discovered at the Swedish Household Fair many years ago.

Back then it was new – environmentally friendly from the start and especially good for people with allergies. As far as I know, the company is still based in Kungsbacka, and their products remain sustainable and safe. Perhaps a little more expensive, but so worth it.

Ocean Products – Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent from Sweden

Ocean is a Swedish brand producing environmentally friendly products for laundry, cleaning, and hygiene. They are biodegradable, made in Sweden, and free from phosphates, zeolites, and animal testing. Many of their products are labeled Bra Miljöval (Good Environmental Choice) and Svanen (the Nordic Swan), and recommended by the Asthma and Allergy Association.

Read more about their products here: Ocean – About the Products

One example is Ocean Dubbeldryg, one of the most concentrated detergents in the world. It lasts for over 600 washes and reduces climate impact by up to 80% compared to regular detergents. For me, it feels good to know that something as ordinary as laundry can also be an active environmental choice.

Small Steps That Make a Difference

Those of you who have followed me for a while know that I often carry an environmental mindset with me. I may not contribute much in the bigger picture, but I do what I can.

A long time ago, I stopped buying disposable napkins and sewed our own cloth napkins to use at home. We walk – we don’t drive – regularly down to the recycling station in our village to drop off our waste. And this summer, we collected rainwater in barrels and buckets to water the greenhouse through a solar-powered drip system.

Ocean laundry detergent is part of that. It gives me a smile – not only because it’s good for the environment, but also because it reminds me of that day with my sister at the fair, when we tasted samples, discovered new products, and enjoyed ourselves.

Wild teasel plants growing in nature, reminding us that even the simple has its place in balance.

Even what looks wild and simple has its place in nature’s balance. Photo by Tommy Nilsson.

Solid Shampoo Bars Instead of Plastic Bottles

Another small step I’ve taken is using solid shampoo bars. At first, I bought them simply to avoid all the plastic bottles. But I’ve discovered that my hair actually feels cleaner when I wash it with these bars.

And I can promise you – there are truly fewer plastic bottles when you stop buying liquid shampoo. A shampoo bar lasts for several months, around 90 washes. My hair also stays clean longer, so I only wash it twice a week.

It’s not a huge thing, but it’s something. And it’s exactly in these small steps that I find a way to contribute – right here at home.

Reflection

It’s easy to underestimate small steps. But perhaps that’s exactly where we can begin – with a smile, a cloth napkin, or an eco-friendly laundry detergent. When we see the value in the small, we also feel part of something bigger.

Between the Lines – My Voice

Between the lines is my longing for simplicity. I want to live close to what feels genuine – nature, care, and the stillness of early mornings. For me, these small choices are a way to create meaning in daily life, both for myself and for the people around me.

AHA – Between the Lines

AHA! What seems small – a flower, an eco-friendly choice – can actually be big steps. Not only for the environment, but also for your own inner well-being.

Internal Link to the Oskar Series

Want to read more? Here’s yesterday’s post in the Oskar series:
The Oskar Series – Part 5: Circle Time and the Unwritten Rules

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You’re also welcome to subscribe to the blog: Follow Malix.se here

Yesterday has already settled into history, tomorrow is waiting ahead. But right now – in my small choices for the environment and everyday life – this is where life happens. – Carina Ikonen Nilsson

Moon and the Eclipse 2025

Av Carina Ikonen Nilsson

den 8 september 2025

i År inlägg 2025, Reflektion & självläkning, Vardag & familjeliv

Early this morning, the cat woke me up. The fever still lingered, but my thoughts drifted to the Moon and the Eclipse 2025, which yesterday cast its shadow across the sky. The cat reminded me of both his presence and his hunger. When I gave him food, he wrinkled his nose and made it clear he could find something better outside. I stayed inside, sipping my coffee slowly.

Read this post in Swedish. ->Månen och förmörkelsen 2025 – magi i vardagen

The Cat and the Early Morning

The cat knew exactly what he wanted. He got food, but it didn’t please him. He chose freedom instead, while I stayed behind with my coffee. In that moment, I thought about how life often works this way – we face everyday moments in our own way, but the universe keeps moving out there, entirely beyond our control.

Fever and Dreams

I am still sick. Yesterday I spent most of the day on the couch, watching movies and only getting up for food. The fever haunted the night with strange dreams. It felt like my body was burning while my mind struggled to understand.

Maybe it wasn’t just the fever. Perhaps it was also the moon, which was partially hidden in the eclipse. The Moon and the Eclipse 2025 brought with it both unease and something new.

Chasing the Moon and the Eclipse 2025

My husband, who loves photography, had waited all evening for the moon. When he realized it would soon be lost to the shadows, we decided to go out. At first, we saw nothing. The sky was quiet and dark. But just as we were almost home again, there it appeared – pale yet clear. We turned around so he could capture it properly.

The Moon and the Eclipse 2025 – When the Moon Became Magic

When I saw the Moon and the Eclipse 2025 last night, I felt something greater.
I sat in the car and watched the moon change from minute to minute. The light became a thin line, like a glowing tube across the sky. My husband photographed it, but for me, it was the moment itself that mattered.

It was more than a moon in shadow. Something happened inside me, a sense that the moment carried importance. I cannot explain it, only say that it stayed with me. They say that the Moon and the Eclipse 2025 can symbolize endings and transformation. Even today, sitting here with my coffee, the feeling remains – as if the moon left its mark on me.

Here is one of my husband’s photos from that night:

Partial lunar eclipse 2025 – the moon glowing red in the night sky

Facts and Magic Around the Moon and the Eclipse 2025

A lunar eclipse happens when Earth passes between the sun and the moon, and Earth’s shadow moves across the moon’s surface. Sometimes the moon turns blood red, sometimes it is only partly hidden. Yesterday’s event was a partial eclipse, where the light was only partly dimmed.

But for people in the past, it was more than astronomy. It was magic.

In some cultures, people banged pots and pans to scare away demons believed to be “eating” the moon.
In Norse mythology, the wolves Skoll and Hati chased the sun and the moon. When they caught them, an eclipse occurred.
In many traditions, an eclipse marked a time of ritual, closure, and new beginnings.

Perhaps that is why I felt what I felt. The moon still carries something larger, something that touches us deeply.

Reflection

Sometimes things happen that cannot be explained. A cat waking me. A fever that dreams on through the night. A moon covered in shadow but still glowing with light. For me, the Moon and the Eclipse 2025 became a moment that left its trace.

Maybe this is how life speaks to us – through the everyday and the cosmic, woven together.

Between the Lines – My Voice

This is not just a story about a cat, fever, and the moon. It is about my ability to still be moved. Despite illness, despite worry, something greater reached me. I want to carry that feeling with me – as a reminder that I am still open to magic.

AHA – Between the Lines

The moon last night showed me that light always exists, even when it almost disappears. Fever will fade, worry will pass. What remains is the ability to be touched, to let something greater than ourselves speak to the heart.

Questions for You

Do you remember the last time the moon truly moved you?
Have you ever seen an eclipse and felt that it affected you in a special way?
Do you believe we still carry traces of the old rituals and beliefs about the moon?