A life half lived

The moment I fell in love with you, two very distinct things happened; Everything became about you & I never ever stopped.

[ranata-suzuki]

I have grown used to the silence.  Accustomed to absence. But I never let go of the thought that you are with me, always. You will always be where my heart calls home.

Ranata Suzuki

[theprocast]

It is painful to be in love. One way or another you’re always aching for something.

Ranata Suzuki

[theprocast]

MANAGING ANXIETY in the Covid-19 landscape | Tip No. 3 Limit your news time and be stringent with your sources.

Stop watching commercial broadcast news channels and clicking on clickbait news articles. We all need to keep up with what’s happening, but limit your fact checking to reputable government websites and/or the world health organisation website and limit it to once per day and for no more than 30min in total. There’s a difference between being informed and being engrossed. Being informed means learning and accepting the facts, but being engrossed means you’re obsessed and channelling too much of your mental and emotional energy into this in a potentially unhealthy way.

Yes, what’s going on in the world right now is important and to an extent it is impacting your daily life, so keeping informed and understanding how it’s going to impact you so you can take steps to mitigate the negative aspects are important… but so is living your life! More than that -living it in a meaningful, positive and healthy way.

If you’re prone to stress, depression and anxiety you know that news and social media can be a sinkhole of negativity and despair – so take from it only the bare essentials of what you need to stay adequately informed and disregard the rest. Media like this is specifically designed to draw you in and keep you. Media companies don’t sell physical newspapers anymore - your attention is how they make their money now and your focus needs to be on positive things right now.

- Ranata Suzuki

As someone who has always suffered from depression and anxiety, I’ve decided to write some tips and tricks I’m using to keep myself focused and positive during the Corona virus pandemic. I hope it’s of help to anyone who feels they need some guidance or normality at this unprecedented time. Much love to you all and your loved ones. Stay safe xo

[theprocast]

MANAGING ANXIETY in the Covid-19 landscape | Tip No. 2 Eat healthy as much as you can.

Treats and rewards are okay, and it’s natural to want to ‘nurture’ or ‘comfort’ yourself when you’re in a state of inner turmoil. But don’t give in to that fight or flight response gone wrong bad habit of stuffing yourself full of fatty & sugary foods as an emotional pick-me-up. After the high wears off, all it does is make your body feel heavy & lethargic - not to mention the negative emotional impact it can have on you afterwards. Remember that the mind and body are linked, and to nurture yourself and stay healthy you must parent yourself to some degree and ensure that your needs (not just your impulsive wants) are being met.

Don’t go on a health kick so stringent it feels like you’re torturing yourself - but don’t binge on reward and comfort foods either. Be mindful on keeping a nutritional balance as much as you can during this period as this will contribute to your overall mental, physical & emotional balance and wellbeing more than you consciously realise.

- Ranata Suzuki

As someone who has always suffered from depression and anxiety, I’ve decided to write some tips and tricks I’m using to keep myself focused and positive during the Corona virus pandemic. I hope it’s of help to anyone who feels they need some guidance or normality at this unprecedented time. Much love to you all and your loved ones. Stay safe xo

[theprocast]

MANAGING ANXIETY in the Covid-19 landscape | Tip No. 1. Maintain a routine as much as possible.

Get up at the same time, even if you don’t have to commute anywhere at the moment, go to sleep at a reasonable time and set a wake up alarm. Get dressed in the same clothes you’d wear to work or school, even if you’re not physically going in. If you’re not working or studying at all, then dedicate the same amount of time to a similarly mentally taxing pursuit. If you’ve never really been a routine person – make one up for yourself. Write your routine down, put it in your phone, set alarms and reminders. 

By all means, feel free to change your routine as circumstances change, but always have your time planned to some degree and stick to your timeline as much as possible. It may feel constricting when you first start, but after a few days it becomes comforting and gives you guidance and purpose. At a time when nothing feels normal or certain, you are taking control back and dictating your own normal and at any given day or time you know what you’re meant to be doing.

- Ranata Suzuki

As someone who has always suffered from depression and anxiety, I’ve decided to write some tips and tricks I’m using to keep myself focused and positive during the Corona virus pandemic. I hope it’s of help to anyone who feels they need some guidance or normality at this unprecedented time. Much love to you all and your loved ones. Stay safe xo

[ranata-suzuki]

I believe everyone should have a chance at getting a copy of The Longest Night so I am running a giveaway open exclusively to residents of countries where the book cannot be purchased & delivered from any online retailer.

The winner will be chosen randomly from all those who enter on February 9th 2020. To enter, please comment below stating which eligible country you are from. Should your country not be listed it means the book is available from an online retailer delivered to your country (feel free to ask if you can’t find one) or in a very select few cases there are postal restrictions to that country & I am unable to post a book there.

ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Costa Rica, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan,Tuvalu, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Zambia, Zimbabwe

T’S & C’S: 1. Previous prize winners are ineligible 2. Book must be posted to an address in eligible country 3. Winner must respond to call outs within 1 week or prize defaults to next randomly chosen entrant

Best of luck everyone xo

[ranata-suzuki]

So the official winner has been drawn and the prize goes to.... 

>>> Instagram user d_quintessence_ from Nigeria <<<

**HOWEVER** 

While signing a purchased hard copy for someone recently I made an error so I have cut that page out. This means I now have a second “not 100% perfect” copy to give away as it is missing 1 of the 2 title pages from the front. 

I then redrew out of the remaining entrants to choose the backup prize winner.... and that winner is...

>>> Tumblr user takas-beard from Tunisia <<<

 Could the winners please email [email protected] with a screenshot of them logged into their social media account to claim their prize! 

:)

[ranata-suzuki]

I believe everyone should have a chance at getting a copy of The Longest Night so I am running a giveaway open exclusively to residents of countries where the book cannot be purchased & delivered from any online retailer.

The winner will be chosen randomly from all those who enter on February 9th 2020. To enter, please comment below stating which eligible country you are from. Should your country not be listed it means the book is available from an online retailer delivered to your country (feel free to ask if you can’t find one) or in a very select few cases there are postal restrictions to that country & I am unable to post a book there.

 ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Costa Rica, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan,Tuvalu, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Zambia, Zimbabwe

 T’S & C’S: 1. Previous prize winners are ineligible 2. Book must be posted to an address in eligible country 3. Winner must respond to call outs within 1 week or prize defaults to next randomly chosen entrant

 Best of luck everyone xo

[ranata-suzuki]

When you walk away from a flame that is still burning for you, one of three things can happen: The cold breeze you create as you walk out and shut the door may blow it out, leaving the candle slightly burned from the experience but otherwise ready for another flame to light it one day… Your former flame could burn completely out of control , creating an inferno that completely incinerates both itself and everything surrounding it in a destructive hell-fire of hatred and loathing….. Or as you exit you could unwittingly cause a sort of vacuum, sucking the oxygen - the life force - from the room. And unbeknownst to you that flame will continue to loyally burn for you for as long as it possibly can, with the little oxygen it has left ….         …… before finally suffocating in silence

Ranata Suzuki -  Suffocating in silence 

For Chirag :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

[theprocast]

This year I have learned that there are people you can stare into timelessly. Years become numbers that surround you, as insignificant as mere raindrops.   No construct as fleeting as time can make you lose sight of someone who holds both your gaze and your heart.

Ranata Suzuki

[theprocast]

Those who do not know me, only wonder I suppose…  And of what there is to wonder, there is only one who knows.

Ranata Suzuki  

[theprocast]

I have worn so many masks, I don’t know what my real face looks like anymore.

Ranata Suzuki  

[ranata-suzuki]

The Longest Night by Ranata Suzuki, 9780646987408, available at Book Depository with free delivery worldwide.

If anyone’s interested The Longest Night seems to be discounted on Book Depository at the moment in most countries! 👍😉

[ranata-suzuki]

The worlds of music, dance and poetry collide once again and where else to display such a treasure but on YouTube! 🌺 This captivating recreation of the love story between the Sun and the Moon is the work of Dounia Chaoui (dance) & Tristan Driessens (music) and features a poetic quotation from myself. Hypnotic, melodic and dreamlike in its beauty.... Thank you for incorporating my words, it is an absolute privilege to be part of such a project 🙏

Please check out the full video on Dounia Chaoui's YouTube channel 💜

[ranata-suzuki]

It's here!! The Longest Night ... Limited Edition ..... Author Signed ......... HARDCOVER 🌻 👉 I post to anywhere in the world 🌎 👈 So even if you're in a country where my book isn't readily available, i can post it to you directly. Each copy is signed to the name of your choice and also features: * Optional dedication comments * A Longest Night bookmark * A book illustration gift card which can be either filled in from the me to you, or can be left blank for you to fill in (should the book be a gift for someone special). The set containing the book, bookmark and card range in price from $32-$54 AUD (Australian dollars) depending on your location.   Details at www.ranatasuzuki.com/TheLongestNight https://www.instagram.com/p/B5NIIc6HZ3Q/?igshid=9iz5tfjsp3v5

[theprocast]

How do you convey memories and their nuances to someone who never experienced them firsthand and more to the point – should you? Or is that part of the magic memory holds, that it is only ever shared with those who were there.

Ranata Suzuki | The bird & the book 

[ranata-suzuki]

What's the hidden symbolism behind your display picture everywhere? "A blue bird with a string attached to one of her leg carrying a book title chronicle". I'm sure it's not random! Do share the meaning with all of us if possible.

~THE BIRD & THE BOOK ~

 People ask me you know… about the bird and the book; about its symbolism, its story, its message, its meaning. But how do you explain a couplism, an in-joke, a personalised meme? How do you convey memories and their nuances to someone who never experienced them firsthand and more to the point – should you? Or is that part of the magic memory holds, that it is only ever shared with those who were there.  

 As for the bird and the book, I suppose the short answer that no one but you will ever ‘get’ is to say that it is a European Swallow… in this case a heavily laden one (as opposed to an unladen one which would make it easily recognisable for the Monty Python reference that it is).

 It carries a book called Chronicle because that’s what our back and forth emails became over time. What started with a few lines and a joke eventually grew to the point where it would be weeks between emails and take hours of dedicated writing to reply to, just to be sure we had replied to every joke and conversational thread it had incorporated into it. We had to send other emails in the meantime just to get us by; after all if we only wrote to each other in that one email chain we wouldn’t hear back for weeks, so smaller conversational threads had to be created to be able to stay in constant contact.

 And then one day I renamed the subject line “Chronicle”… and just like that another meme had formed. You said you knew instantly what it was when it landed in your inbox and you could not think of a more perfect name for it. It’s what we called it from then onward, until the end.  

  I remember jokes about messenger pigeons. We said it would be almost be faster to breed and train generations of them to carry our messages back and forth than to wait for an email response to the Chronicle (the irony in such a technologically advanced and fast paced world).  But in printed format it would have been  like an encyclopaedia, far too heavy for such a little bird to carry. What about a European Swallow we said? After all, if they can carry coconuts to Europe they’re capable of anything. 

You left. 

I kept writing. 

I never stopped writing to you. 

I wrote you a Chronicle, only it was one sided now… and the jokes it seems were all gone. 

I never sent you a single word – and so I heard not a word from you in return. The only conversational emails I had to pass the time were the old ones I would read over and over again. 

It’s funny isn’t it how the things you thought at the time were just jokes and didn’t really mean that much turned out to be everything in the end. 

I found the perfect little bird to carry my words out into the world in the half hope that they may one day reach you. 

I never stopped writing to you. 

 I love you. 

I don’t know how not to write to you. 

- Ranata Suzuki

[theprocast]

Grief is a deeply personal and solitary journey. No one can truly feel or understand your loss but you, even those who have experienced it themselves. But grief is also love, and for that reason it has a right to exist and be felt. It is the debt we owe our memories. It is the final way we love someone.

Ranata Suzuki