a life of perfect days

RECONNECT WITH YOUR TRUTH: FROM FABULOUS, TO FEARFUL AND BACK AGAIN

2012-02-12T18:29:00.000+11:00

GUEST POST: WRITTEN BY GABRIELLE AITKEN
Read the original post here

Reflect back to when you were a young child. For me, life seemed to flow. It felt magical. I followed my heart and did what I felt like in every moment. Sing at the top of my voice. Dance freely in the lounge room. Draw beautiful pictures. Paint works of art. Play with the fairies. Search for hidden treasure in the garden. Laugh loudly when I was happy. Cry when I was sad.

I loved the wonder of life as each day bought something new and exciting. Anything was possible. I didn't concern myself with success or failure. I just played and created. Perhaps you have similar memories.

Each of us comes in to the world as a perfect being, filled with infinite joy, beauty, creativity, playfulness and imagination. We don't for one minute stop to question our beauty, intellect or abilities. Even those unfortunate enough to be born with disabilities are often not aware of their differences or potential shortcomings as a small child.

As young children, we just 'be', living in the moment. We only see beauty and possibilities in life. We are creative, capable, and connected to the divine spark of life. What a fabulous state of being!

HOW WE DISCONNECT FROM OUR TRUE SELVES

Then, life happens...

As we start to interact with the world slowly our connection to our heart, starts to fade. For some, this may start to happen sooner. For others, later. It inevitably happens to most of us. We learn that certain behaviours elicit certain responses from those around us, and soon we start to make the shift from following our hearts to being driven by ego in order to win the attention or approval of others.

By the time we reach school age we are usually well on our way to conforming with the expectations of others. Often this may be well-meaning parents, siblings and teachers who believe that they know best... but they are taking us further away from our truth.

We encounter the ups and downs of life from the birth of siblings, to the divorce of parents, to school yard bullies and bad teachers. We experience humiliation. We experience pain and suffering. We experience failure.

We are told that we must go to school, get good grades to get in to university, go to university, get good grades to get a good job, get a good job, work hard to increase our career status and earnings, buy a house, get married, start a family, save for retirement...

Before we know it we are through the first couple of decades of our life and we have long forgotten what it feels like to follow our heart. We don't even stop to reflect on whether this is the path we want to take. We're too busy earning a living!

... and chances are we have well and truly made the shift from fabulous and free, to fear-driven.

This little girl who loved to sing at the top of her voice, dance freely in the lounge room, draw beautiful pictures, paint works of art, play with fairies and search for hidden treasure in the garden, grew into a timid young woman who was too shy to speak her truth for fear of ridicule and embarrassment; felt ugly, frumpy and untrendy in her low-end variety store wardrobe (the only clothing her parents could afford); felt boring and dull next to her friends, believing that no guy would be interested in her and that she had nothing to offer anyone; felt ashamed of her body...

Driven by these self-perceptions created as a result of early life experiences, life unconsciously became about proving to my parents, myself and the world that I was worthy of being loved, intelligent, successful stylish, attractive and perfect in every possible way! So much pressure!!

This fabulous, free-spirited little girl connected to her heart was long gone!!

MAKING THE SHIFT, BACK TO OUR FABULOUS SELVES

I have learned that it is not until we become conscious of these patterns that we unconsciously fall in to, and make the shift from unconscious living to living consciously from our heart that we can reconnect with our inner fabulousness we left behind in our childhood!

Somewhere deep inside our heart is calling out to us. By learning to recognise the sound of our heart and tune in to it's whisper we can start to transform our lives in fabulous ways.

We are empowered to shift from being driven by our fears, ego and outside world to being driven by our soul. It is only then that we can truly live our best life, a life that is exclusively ours, aligned with our own unique values, passion and purpose.

As we tune in to our heart we become to realise that there is nothing wrong with failure or imperfection; that they are essential tools for learning and growth. With this realisation our fears lose their power and we move in to ours.

This shift from fabulous, to fear driven and back again is a wonderful gift, which gives us true appreciation of how amazing life can be when we live from our hearts.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This post was written by Gabrielle Aitken, Inner Beauty Stylist and inspirer of Appreciation, Respect and Love (a.k.a Aprelo). Want to know more? You can read more from Aprelo here, or connect on Facebook and Twitter.

THE SUPER FOOD SMOOTHIE REVOLUTION: YOUR STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

2012-02-09T21:27:00.000+11:00

image source

There have been a couple of times in my life, where I have made the commitment to forgo my delicious morning coffee and completely kick the habit. And every time that my coffee sabatical has been a success, there has been one key thing that has made it a work - the super food smoothie.

I have weaned myself off my coffee addiction several times through the use of nutrient rich, super food packed, alkazing and super tasty smoothies. I cannot emphasise how much it helps.

Sometimes, there comes a day, where you have to let go. You have to let go of something you really love because you know the benefits will be worth it. For me, my coffee 'situation' is no different.

I made the decision last weekend that the amped-up, highly energised and mentally frantic state that coffee put me in was simply no longer serving me. I decided I needed to make a change. So, I stocked up on my pack of supplies and as of Monday the replacing-coffee-with-super food-smoothie process began!!

SO, WHAT IS A SUPER FOOD SMOOTHIE?

There is no set definition or rule about what a super food smoothie must contain. The one key component is that it must be bursting with nutrients. I would also say that they need to have an alkalising effect on the body. Most smoothies you get these days which are loaded with milk and sugar are really not that nutritious, and also create a very acidic state in the body.

Generally you will not include dairy in a good old fashioned super food smoothie. Instead, the base may be water, nut milk or coconut water. The smoothies will also have a base of fruits or leafy greens for the high mineral content, nutrients, antioxidants and enzymes. Then, on top of that you can add in some 'super foods' which are extremely nutrient dense and high in health benefits.

When I make them I tend not to follow a recipe, I just throw everything in and see how it tastes. But generally some of my favourite ingredients include;

+ Avocado

+ Kale or baby spinach

+ Almonds

+ Sunwarrior vanilla protein powder

+ Blueberries

+ Spirulina

+ Coconut water

+ Maca

+ Chia seeds

+ Cinnamon

+ Raw cacao powder

+ Coconut meat

HOW TO MAKE A SUPER FOOD SMOOTHIE

image source

The combinations are endless, so let me share some recipes with you. Check out these amazing creations, and beautiful images from some other super inspiring, smoothie loving ladies.

Please note: I did endeavour to take photos of my very own super food smoothie. However, the images of my thick browney-green liquid taken in dim lighting at 6am just could not do my delicious smoothie justice. So, I am leaving the photo taking with the professionals! Cool?

The Glowing Green Smoothie

By Linda Wagner at Nutrition to Invigorate Mind, Body + Spirit

INGREDIENTS

+ 1-2 bananas

+ 1/2 cup frozen peaches

+ 1/2 cup frozen mango

+ A couple of handfuls of spinach

+ Water

+ Ice if desired

The Raw Chocolate Milkshake Miracle

By Sarah at My New Roots

INGREDIENTS

+ 1/4 cup hemp seeds (or use soaked almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds etc)

+ 2 heaping tbsp of raw cacao powder

+ 1 avocado

+ 1 very large frozen banana or 2 small ones

+ 2 tbsp raw honey, agave or maple syrup

+ Dash sea salt

+ 3/4 - 1 cup water

+ 4 ice cubes

The Cinnamon Cherry Blast

From Gena at Choosing Raw

INGREDIENTS

+ 1 small banana (or 1/2 large) frozen

+ 3/4 cup frozen or pitted cherries

+ 1/2 tbsp coconut butter

+ 2 tsp cinnamon

+ 1 cup almond milk

+ 3-4 ice cubes

Alkaline Green Smoothie

By The Alkaline Sisters

INGREDIENTS

+ 6" piece of cucumber

+ 3 medium kale leaves

+ 5 stems fresh mint

+ 3 stems fresh parsley

+ 1" fresh ginger

+ 1 avocado

+ 1 cup coconut water

+ Fresh juice of one lime

+ 1-2 tsp udo's oil

+ 1-2 tbsp hemp seeds

+ 2-3 drops stevia or a tsp agave

The Strawberry Kale Smoothie

From Michelle at Health Food Lover

INGREDIENTS

+ Handful (or more) of fresh uncooked kale

+ 6-10 strawberries

+ 1 banana

+ Water

+ 1 tbsp cold pressed flax oil

+ 1 tbsp lecithin granules

+ 1 tsp crush or whole almonds for garnish

The Bee Pollen Smoothie

By Sarah at My New Roots

INGREDIENTS

+ 1 cup of nut milk (or other milk)

+ 1 cup frozen blueberries (frozen are fine)

+ 1 frozen banana in 3-4 chunks

+ 1 medjool date, pitted (optional)

+ 1 hunk fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

+ 1 tsp bee pollen

The Avocolada Smoothie

By Robyn at Girl on Raw

(originally by Matthew Kenney's Raw Food, Real World)

INGREDIENTS

+ 1 ripe avocado

+ 3 cups diced pineapple

+ 2 cups coconut water

+ 3 tbps agave nectar or 2 packets of stevia

+ 3 tbps lime juice

+ 1 tbsp coconut butter or oil

+ 2 tsp vanilla extract

+ Pinch of salt

The Blueberry Superfood Smoothie

By Linda Wagner at Nutrition to Invigorate Mind, Body + Spirit

INGREDIENTS

+ 1.5 frozen banana's

+ 1/2 bag frozen blueberries

+ 1 tbsp coconut powder

+ 1 tbsp chia seeds

+ 1 tsp spirulina

+ 1 tsp maca powder

+ Vanilla stevia to taste

+ Enough water to blend, approx 1/2 cup

So, please feel free to leave a comment + tell me...

+ What is your favourite super food smoothie recipe?

+ What benefits have you experienced from drinking super food smoothies?

FOR ALL THE CRAZY OBSESSIVE WORRIERS: FREE YOUR CREATIVE IMAGINATION TO WORK FOR YOU, NOT AGAINST YOU!

2012-02-05T20:42:00.000+11:00

GUEST POST WRITTEN BY DENISE-DUFFIELD THOMAS

You can read the original post here

"Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere" -- Glenn Turner

The beauty of being a creative person, is that you have new ideas all day long - the plot for a new book while you're in the shower, the solution to world peace while you're sitting on the loo, or 1001 ways to cook a gourmet meal from the left-over food in your fridge.

The downside of being creative is that you generally open your mind to unnecessary worry because you can imagine more possibilities than anyone else.

An idle creative mind can turn against you in the most sabotaging ways; it can lead to indecisiveness, chronic procrastination or worse - getting stressed and crazy with worry about all the possible outcomes. If you don't have a satisfying creative outlet, your mind can fill with negative and self-defeating thoughts.

ARE YOU TURNING YOUR CREATIVE IMAGINATION AGAINST YOU?

Here is an example:

When I'm in an occasional self destructive mood and I'm procrastinating over a creative projects, I start to worry about my marriage and what our divorce will look like.

I get really angry over the hypothetical fights we'd have over our (largely hypothetical) assets and the custody battles over our (as yet hypothetical) children. Crazy right? We've not even been married two years yet I let myself obsess over the demise of our relationship (and it's GREAT by the way).

Does anyone else have similar thoughts?

It might be about your health, your family or your finances. But the result is the same. Thoughts like this can be very damaging to your natural spark and potential.

The teachings of the Law of Attraction tell us that we will attract what we think about the most. This can be a double edged sword for creative people, so we have to be very careful about our thoughts.

I love coaching people, but this is a very common block

What if I get really successful and then I can't handle it, and then all my friends hate me because I'm so rich and I'll feel really guilty and then I'll get a stalker who'll try and kidnap my children and basically my life will be ruined.

Can you relate?

Just... breathe...

There is nothing wrong with you. It's a blessing to be that creative! You can definitely use this to your advantage but without the melodrama and anxiety sweats.

When you find yourself going a bit craaazy, turn it in to a great learning experience. Here's a simple creative exercise you can do to trick your mind and take control of your obsessing.

THE CRAZY CAT LADY EXERCISE

Say for example, you worry about becoming a crazy cat lady, all alone in your house because you completely wasted your potential. No money, no friends and your looks are long gone. Got it?

Go in to your vivid imagination and pretend you have time travelled into the future and you're sitting down with that crazy-cat lady version of yourself. Really get in to the details and use all of your senses - what does the cat pee-stained couch smell like? What is she wearing? Feel the texture of the cat's fur who comes to sit on your lap.

When you're totally in the dream, take her gnarled old-lady hands and ask her:

+ How could I avoid this happening in my life?

+ What mistakes did you make?

+ What can I learn from this?

+ What would you do differently?

+ At what point did things go wrong for you?

+ What is the one regret of your life?

+ What advice do you have for me?

Can you see how this would calm that mind of yours and make it a totally fun exercise?

It means that you can learn the lesson without actually attracting those circumstances in to your life. You do not need to be poor in this life-time. You do not need to have bad things happen to you.

10 TIPS TO STOP OBSESSIVE WORRYING

1. GO FOR A WALK OR DO SOME EXERCISE: The positive endorphins generated during exercise make it virtually impossible to be angry, so use that time to come up with some ideas that make you happy.

2. SNAP OUT OF IT: Wear a rubber band around your wrist and if you feel yourself sliding into negative thoughts, snap yourself with the rubber band - it is a great habit breaker.

3. EXPLORE THE FEELINGS FURTHER: Be honest with what's bothering you. Are you worried about your marriage? Do you need a different job? Is it time to sort out your finances?

4. ASK YOURSELF - WHAT AM I PROCRASTINATING?: Are you letting yourself worry over something trivial because you're avoiding living your life? What are you trying to avoid?

5. DE-CLUTTER YOUR LIFE: Obsessive worrying is mental clutter, but there's a clear link to physical clutter too. So go through your wardrobe, clean your desk and do that filing. You will feel so much better.

6. DO A DREAM BOARD: A daily reminder of your goals and dreams can help you focus on what you really want and avoid attracting more of what you don't. Learn how to make one here.

7. TAKE ACTION TODAY TOWARDS YOUR DREAM: Write one blog post, take one photo or write one proposal. You can make a great living through your passions, but you have to make a step towards it. The Universe always rewards action.

8. MEDITATION: Spending even just a few minutes a day in stillness will quieten your chattering monkey mind and give you some space to really create what you want.

9. GRATITUDE: Your life is already so blessed, so by focusing on what you already have, you will b less inclined to obsess about what you don't. Remember - thoughts are things!

10. BOOK A SESSION WITH A LIFE COACH: Sometimes you can't do it alone. I've got the perfect 1:1 coaching programme for creative people who are stuck and want to move in to a new level in their life. Find out more.

NOW, TURN THAT IMAGINATION IN TO GOLD

You're obviously creative, and have got a fantastic imagination. So, why not use that creative energy for good?

Grab your journal and write a list of at least ten different creative projects that you can start. Such as;

+ Writing a book (a really trashy romantic one if you think your relationship is constantly going sour)

+ Starting a blog

+ Taking up a new creative hobby like painting or a knitting group

+ Joining a book club

+ Finding a volunteer gardening circle

+ Offering to host an exhibition at a local disused space

+ Starting a new creative business, selling something on Etsy or Smashwords

The busier you are using your creative talents, the less time you'll spend obsessing over pointless scenarios.

Love your life and give yourself permission to be creative. Imagine what you can do with all that imagination and energy?!

Tell me in the comments - what's the things you obsess about the most? What are you going to do about it TODAY?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Denise is a life coach, and author of Lucky Bitch: a guide for exceptional women to create outrageous success.

Check out her free manifesting guide at www.deniseduffieldthomas.com You can also connect with Denise on Facebook and Twitter.

PERFECT DAY TIP #4: BE A SPIRIT JUNKIE

2012-02-01T18:19:00.000+11:00

Today's Perfect Day Tip is about everyday spirituality. Spirituality for the modern world.

Gone are the days where being spiritual meant retreating in to a cave and meditating for hours on end. More and more people are waking up to the idea of everyday spirituality - bringing spiritual principles in to the moments of your day to day life in the aim of cultivating peace, flow and authenticity.

What feelings/thoughts/images does the word spirituality conjure up for you? What ever it is, let it go! We do not need to define spirituality or box it in to some stereotypical image. Spirituality does also not necessarily have to relate to anything religious either. It is an individual and personal practice that can be adapted and moulded by each individual to meet whatever it is they are needing.

This is why I love the work of Gabrielle Bernstein. I have referred so many people on to the teachings of this phenomenal lady. She totally demystifies spirituality and breaks it down for the modern day woman (or man) in to manageable practices that can lead to transformational change.

Integrating spiritual principles simply means shifting your perceptions and learning to see the world in new ways. It is not so much about what you are doing, but who you are being. Through a spiritual practice you can connect with yourself and others in a completely new way, and the way that you view the world shifts. As a result of these mental shifts, you will find that your physical, external world begins to reflect this change back to you and shifts start to occur. This practice is such a beautiful contrast to the standard action-focused way of living.

MY CORE SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES

As I mentioned, what being spiritual means to each of us is totally unique and different. But I would like to share some of the core principles that underlay my concept of spirituality. If some of these do not resonate with you, that is fine. This is about finding out what spirituality means to you.

HERE ARE MINE:

+ We have infinite potential. We can be, do or have anything we want. There are no limitations, except for the limitations that we impose upon ourselves.
+ At our core we are love. When we think from a place of fear, we are living in illusion and are not connected to our truth
+ Forgiveness heals all wounds
+ Everything is energy. We are made of energy. The energy that we give off will attract a similar energy. The energy of our thoughts and emotions alters the energy of our body and the outer world.
+ We are all spiritual beings on this planet having a human experience
+ There is a higher part of ourselves that we have access to. This is our inner guidance. It is our intuition. By tuning in and listening, we can receive guidance, messages and learning's

+ We cannot judge, blame or criticise others for things we do not like about them, as they are merely reflecting back at us the things we do not like about ourselves

+ What goes around, comes around. What you give out, you get back

+ Gratitude multiplies. Whatever you are grateful for will expand in your life
+ The world is our mirror. It reflects back to us what we put out. The outer world is a reflection of what is going on inside of us. All the people in our life are mirrors of the light and darkness that exists inside us
+ When live in flow, and we are willing to listen we will be guided to everything we need
+ We are all one. We all made of the same stuff. We are all equal. We are all connected.

+ Our purpose is to remember who we really are and to begin to create a new world around us that is filled with light, connection, love, consciousness, peace and joy
+ The universe is governed by universal laws, and by following these laws we can create a universe around us that is as exactly how we desire

When I live from this place, the world looks different. I experience more magic. Life seems to flow. Little things do not bother me. Peace comes easily. Happiness feels like my natural state.

EXPLORE WHAT SPIRITUALITY MEANS TO YOU

+ BE OPEN AND WILLING: Start by simply becoming curious. Are you holding on tightly to your set of current beliefs about the world, or are you willing to see things in a new way? Start to entertain the idea that perhaps some of the things you have come to know about the world, are not actually true. Start to explore some new concepts and try some new things on. Unless your mind is open, flexible and willing you will not be able to allow anything new in.

+ READ: Start reading new books. Simply walk in to a bookstore with the intention of gaining some new awareness of what spirituality could mean to you, and see what books you are lead too. Seriously, you will be lead. Gabrielle talks about how her first spiritual text, A Course In Miracles, literally fell or the shelf and dragged her to the counter.

+ CONNECT WITH NEW PEOPLE: Over the course of the past 10 years I have dabbled in and out of living and breathing my spiritual practice, but the times where it has been the strongest, is when I have had a community of like minded people around me. It can be intimidating at first to attempt to connect with new types of people and discuss unfamiliar topics. But if this is something you are seeking, it will help so much. Keep your eye out for local community events, meditation or yoga classes, free talks etc or simply connect with like minded peeps on the web!

+ MEDITATE: I have written about the benefits of meditation previously. But I am telling you now it is the number one way to begin to explore spirituality. Through meditation, you will find your self relax. Your mind will slow. You will be able to let go of some of your crazy, fearful thinking and reconnect with your truth. You may also begin to hear the whisper of your intuition which can begin to guide you and lead you.

+ JOURNAL: The foundations of spirituality, lie in your relationship with yourself. A spiritual connection starts with a connection with yourself. Journalling is a great tool for this! Start by free writing about your thoughts and feelings. Tune your attention inwards and let what is inside you pour out. You may even write a question, and see what answer comes forth. By taking time to connect with yourself you will be able to develop a much greater awareness of the spiritual thread that flows through your life.

So, over to you. I would love for you to share your experiences...
+ What does spirituality mean to you?
+ What are your spiritual practices

WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER: THE POWER OF TRUE CONNECTION

2012-01-29T20:29:00.002+11:00

Lately, I have been doing a lot of yoga. I get myself to class once or twice a week and I also practice at home. I have been dabbling in and out of yoga since I was 18. But something has just been pulling me to this beautiful practice lately. It has been calling at me to get myself there. To lay still and simply listen. There is definitely something larger than me right now that knows I need it.

I love my teacher. At the start and end of my class she always shares some wise words, an inspirational message or some beautiful insights. I have found that in each class, her words have resonated with me, so deeply. It is as if I am being told exactly what I need to hear.

My most recent class was no different. As I lay there in savasana, her words washed over me. She finished the class with this simple message...

"We are all one. We are all in this together"

So simple. Yet so profound.

+ We are all one -- We are all the same. We are all made of the same stuff. Whether we believe it or not, we all go through similar challenges, similar joys and similar experiences. We are not as different as we may think we are.

+ We are all in this together -- This journey. This life. This process. We are all here, just doing the best we can. We all want the same thing. Happiness. Peace. Love. Fulfilment. We are all on the path just trying to carve out a life that makes our heart sing.

Unfortunately, as a society, I think we have forgotten and completely lost touch with this simple truth.

OUR SOCIETY OF SEPARATENESS

I felt deeply inspired to expand on this teaching in a blog post because I think it is a huge one.

We live in a world where there is a lot of separateness, disconnect and competition. There is war, fighting and hatred. There is racism, sexism and terrorism. There is so much you against me, and us against them.

In the workplace, we compete against each other for promotions and pay rises. Our schools breed rivalry as we work and struggle to be better than our peers. Or politicians fight against each other for right and wrong. As women, we judge and evaluate our fellow sisters so that we can feel superior. On the roads we cut in, cut off and zig zag through traffic in the effort to get ahead of another.

All you have to do is listen to the news and you will hear stories of people against people. You against me. Us against them.

We have been taught to be so focused on ourselves. Our wants. Our desires. Our need to be better, faster, stronger, more successful etc. We have forgotten the most beautiful and powerful truth of why we are really here.

We are here to connect. We are here to love. We are here to serve. We are here to let go of all the crap that we think makes us different, and remember that we are all one. We are all the same.

CREATING CONNECTEDNESS

Creating true connection, starts with each of us as individuals. As we each change ourselves, who we are being, and how we are thinking, gradually the whole world will begin to change. It all starts with us. All great change, starts within us.

+ CONNECT WITH YOURSELF
To truly connect with another being, we first have to master the ability to connect with ourselves. I believe this is the first step.

Someone who does not know who they are, and does not feel secure in themselves, is much more likely to want to make others feel smaller in an attempt to make themselves feel bigger. This comes from a place of insecurity, separateness and fear. However, someone who is deeply connected with a strong sense of self and feels confident and certain about themselves, will feel comfortable to lift others up and see them become their best.

Take some time to really get to know yourself. Get familiar with your good and bad, your positives and negatives, your strengths and weaknesses. Through getting to know yourself you will see that we are actually not that different from each other. When you are comfortable with your own flaws, you will be less critical and aware of the apparent flaws in others.

+ BE VULNERABLE

You cannot truly connect with another human being unless you are willing to be vulnerable. When we allow other people to see who we really are, good and bad, it tears down the walls that separate us.

Anytime we are living in a false sense of self, protecting ourselves with distance and superiority, we make it impossible for anyone to get close to us. We must be willing to be raw, real, authentic with warts and all exposed. Doing this removes competition. It eliminates you vs. me. It creates a space of truth and oneness and allows two people to see each other for who they really are.

+REFRAIN FROM JUDGEMENT

"Don't judge a man until you've walked two moons in his moccasins" -- Sharon Creech.

How often do you judge another person? Label their actions as good or bad? Pass an opinion on who they are or what they have done? By doing this you are separating yourself and trying to give off the false impression that you are perfect.

When you remember that we are all one, and we are all in this together, then the need to judge another falls away. We can empathise and understand that the other person is just doing the best they can. When we can acknowledge that we too, have made mistakes and done things we are not proud of, we can let other people off the hook when they do it too.

+ SERVE

There is no better way to connect with another person, than being of service. To do this you have to get over yourself and make someone else's needs a priority. When you are of service, what you want for yourself does not matter. You are simply there to support and enable another person to get what they need. Being of service is simply about helping another.

To do this you must be humble, generous, loving and kind. It may be as simple as listening to a friend when they are in need, letting someone else take a seat on the bus, doing a favour, lending a helping hand, volunteering your time, giving away something you own.

Whatever it is, it is not about you. You have no hidden agenda. You are not afraid about anyone else becoming better than you, or getting more than you. You simply know that you are equal with this person, and that by serving them, you are in essence serving yourself.

CURIOSITY: THE PERFECT ANTIDOTE TO FEAR

2012-01-26T17:37:00.000+11:00

GUEST POST WRITTEN BY BRIDGET THOMPSON

You can read the original post here

"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity" -- Ellen Parr

"Replacing judgement with curiosity is a key element in becoming unstuck" -- Francie White

CURIOSITY IS...

+ A state in which you want to learn more about something

+ An emotion related to inquisitive behaviour

+ The tendency to ask questions, investigate or explore

+ The desire to know what is happening or has happened

It is the 'cure' for boredom, as in the quote above. It is also a cure for anxiety, "stuck"-ness and feeling overwhelmed. It focuses attention on the subject of the curiosity.

When we are anxious about the unknown, it is useful to focus our attention on what we do know. We can do this using curiosity.

CURIOSITY CAN SOOTHE FEAR

Shifting in to a curious state has the effect of pulling apart the elements that contribute to anxiety or "stuck"-ness or feelings of overwhelm, thereby reducing those emotions.

Fear and curiosity cannot exist together. Curiosity is absent when we are overwhelmed with anxiety or fear. Conversely, when we engage our inquisitive nature, fear rarely comes up.

Our natural curiosity comes out when we encounter something of interest to us.

It can be challenging to tap back in to curiosity periodically when some thing is familiar to us eg: a person, a place, a feeling etc. We may assume we know everything about this thing/person/emotions, so we miss out on discovering completely new elements and perspectives on that thing/person/emotion.

There is always more to discover.

If we stay OPEN, CURIOUS, UNASSUMING, everything in life that may feel boring or dull can become completely NEW and WONDROUS again.

Shift back over to that place of not knowing; of pure curiosity. Inquisition.

HOW TO HARNESS CURIOSITY TO OVERCOME FEAR

+ BE LIKE A CHILD

Consider a child.

They constantly ask questions, unashamedly seek answers. They don't know a lot and are not afraid to admit that. Consequently their world remains EXCITING, STIMULATING and FASCINATING. They do not get caught up in FEARS. Instead, they are always CURIOUS.

Sometimes we are ambivalent about making the changes we know will serve us, and so we get stuck.

Often we do not know what keeps us stuck. Change can slowly emerge only when we choose to actually look at the different elements of our fear or our ambivalence.

Exactly WHAT IS IT we are afraid of? Explore. Be curious.

We do not need to worry about "fixing" or "making better". Just explore what is lurking there.

+ ACCEPT WHAT IS

Curiosity can also have the effect of encouraging acceptance of what is.

A great way to change behaviours that we find problematic is to accept the behaviour and, with open curiosity, observe it to learn what drives, triggers and reasons are behind it.

+ ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

We can adjust our self talk, thoughts and language to encourage curiosity.

In areas we feel rigidly stuck in terms of our perspective, we can try reframing the situation.

For example

+ "I wonder..."

+ "Imagine..."

+ "Hmm, that makes me curious about.."

+ "Can I explore this more?"

Change is least likely to happen when someone is feeling judged or is judging themselves.

"Why" questions are usually heard as a judgement. Even when our questions come from genuine curiosity, sub consciously we still feel these as judgement. We when re-word our questions to "How..." and "What..." questions, our curiosity is elicited

Practice your curiosity today and observe the difference it makes.

Curiosity is free of JUDGEMENT, FEAR and ANXIETY

Curiosity is purely OPEN, INNOCENT and GENUINELY interested

It will truly change the everyday experience of your life, yourself, others and situations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bridget is an accredited practicing dietitian (APD) with a special interest and passion for transforming lives. Having being an overweight and bullied child herself, Bridget understands only too well how excess weight can impact on the quality of a person’s life.

Read more from Bridget on her New Leaf Nutrition website and blog. Or connect on Facebook and Twitter.

THE ART OF AUTHENTIC LIVING: HOW TO LIVE AND BREATHE YOUR TRUTH

2012-01-23T20:48:00.000+11:00

Today's post is about being-ness. It is about learning how to be the person you truly are. It is about creating your self and your life from the inside out.

A key aspect of this is authenticity. Being your authentic self. Living your authentic life. To me, this means: find out who you are, and then live it and breathe it.

"What does it mean to live authentically? Living authentically is what you're doing when you find congruence between your inner world: your feelings, values, gifts, needs, spirituality, and passions, and your outer world: your job, relationships, home, and community. When you live an authentic life, these things support and synergize each other" --Susan Piver

For years, I read about the practice of living authentically, yet I never really experienced it. I knew it as a concept. An idea. But embodying authenticity and stepping 100% totally and utterly in to your truth, is a completely different experience.

I grasped fleeting moments of authenticity when I would find myself immersed in a project, in an area of passion or in a creative task. I felt aligned. I felt like I was doing exactly what I needed to be doing in this moment. I felt clear headed and centred. It was like I was exactly where I needed to be.

While I caught the occasional glimpse of authenticity, living these principles as my daily truth felt impossible. For so long, I felt like I knew who I was on the inside, but I never felt that it was reflected on the outside in my day to day life.

It has not been until recently that I have actually began to walk my talk. To live and breathe my truth. To be who I really am. For me, living authentically means showing the world who I know I am and ensuring that every decision, every action, every word is aligned with that.

Since I have been doing this I have been feeling new emotions, experiencing magic, witnessing synchronicities. Life has a new level of flow. It has purpose and meaning. I have a goal that feels greater than I will ever be.

WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE IN THE WORLD?

Many of us are not motivated by the idea of living an authentic life and discovering our true selves. Rather we are happy to live a life that bring us superficial satisfaction, fleeting feelings of pleasure, and the love and approval of others. We play a safe game. We do what we think is right. We follow the pack. We keep ourselves comfortable.

We are very often conditioned to live this way. We are taught who we need to be in order to get love, or what we need to do to get praise. We consequently throw our own inner guidance out the window and replace it with the guidance of others. We lose touch with what we really want for ourselves. We forget who we were really born to be.

To live an authentic life we have to be willing to let all of this go. We have to let go of our old ways of being. An authentic life is about unlearning all the messages you have received from your family, your peers, your environment, and relearning your truth. It is about discovering who you really are.

WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF AN AUTHENTIC LIFE?

+ Embodying your truth: You live so completely and utterly in line with your truth, that you never doubt yourself. You honour and trust yourself so completely that you can follow what is right for you whether or not other people like it or agree with it.

+ Living from your heart space: This means that everything you do is motivated by love and comes from a space of love. Your heart is what guides you. You follow your bliss.You can not be authentic if fear is running your life.

+ Being on purpose: You know exactly what you are meant to be doing with your life, and you are doing it. You are connected to a larger meaning in your life rather than the simple day in and day out actions of surviving. You are here to serve.

+ Intuition: You are connected to your inner self. You have an inner awareness. You can connect with your body, your soul and your self, and hear the guidance that comes from the higher part of you. You act on your inspiration.

+ Knowing yourself: You have a beautiful and keen self awareness. You are willing to peel back the layers of your self and discover what is who you really are and what is not. You are comfortable getting familiar with the wonderful aspects of yourself, as well as the deep, dark and not so nice aspects.

+ Courage: You have such a commitment to your authentic life that you are willing to do whatever it takes. Overcome any fear. Triumph over any challenge. Take any risk.

HOW TO LIVE MORE AUTHENTICALLY

+ Identify your passions: Do you know what you are passionate about? Honestly. Do you know what excites you, inspires you and ignites your little heart? To live authentically, you have to be living in line with your passion. So, if you do not know what you are passionate about I suggest you sit down and start to find out. Get out of your head, listen to your heart and hear what it is telling you.

+ Journal: Journalling is a fantastic tool to help unveil your passions. Start by simply sitting down and free writing, without judgement. Write lists about all the things you love to do. Write about your ideal life. What would be the most amazing way you could spend each day of your life? What are those things that you do, where time just passes? What makes you come alive?

+ Become self-aware: Self awareness is a undervalued principle. Yet, it is the first step to creating beautiful and powerful change in your life. Start to get curious about yourself. What are your beliefs? What are your values? How have you become the person you are? Take some time to introspect. What decisions have shaped your life? What experiences have defined your life? It is impossible to live an authentic life, if you do not know who you are.

+ Choose love: Living authentically will require you to relinquish all of the fear based thinking you have been indulging in. You must choose to love yourself and make decisions based on what you love. You will be required to step out in to the world and in order to do so you will have to let go of the fear that has been keeping you small. Think in loving, support and limitless ways rather than fearful, negative and limited ways.

+ Take inspired action: As you start to connect with your authentic self, you will realise it is not enough to simply know who you are. You have to experience who you are. This means taking new actions and creating experiences in the outer world that match who you are. As you connect with yourself you will feel inspired to act in new ways. It will be these new actions that will begin to define yourself in a new way and change how you are living your life.

+ Let go of others opinions: You are going to have to give up on putting other peoples opinions before your own. You will have to stop worrying about what other people will think. You cannot live an authentic life if you are continuously trying to mould yourself to the preferences of others. To play a big, true, real life you must march to the beat of your own drum and know that the people who truly love you will you support you no matter what.

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind" -- Dr Seuss

So, over to you! I would love to hear more about your journey...
+ Do you feel you are living an authentic life?
+ If so, what practices have you used to help get you there?
+ If not, what do you need to do to get you there?

PERFECT DAY TIP #3: EAT KALE (A NUTRITIOUS + DETOXIFYING SUPER VEG!)

2012-01-19T19:52:00.000+11:00

Kale. It is a wonder vegetable. In fact, it changed my life. This puppy is one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet, and since I began eating it my health has totally transformed.

I first came across kale through my dear friend Nicci from Miss Organic. She would deliver a massive bunch of this curly-leafed green to me each week. For a while there, I was not quite sure what to do with it. I thought it was pretty, and that it looked super healthy, but I had no idea how to prepare it or eat it. After getting a few tips, doing a lot of googling, and plenty of trial and error I was able to develop a repertoire of ways to prepare it, and I have since grown to love this little vegetable.

SO WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT KALE?

+ Kale is extremely high in Vitamin K, Vitamin C and Vitamin A

+ It is packed with fibre and antioxidants

+ It also contains calcium, iron and B1, B2 and B6

+ Due to the high vitamin K content it has a wonderful anti inflammatory effect on the body

+ The amazing phytonutrients in this pretty plant help to prevent cancer

+ It is full of nutritious minerals and creates has an alkalising effect on your body

HERE IS HOW I EAT KALE!

I JUICE IT...

This is my kale before I juiced it up! This combo has kale, cucumber, lemon and ginger. Just a word of warning with this one - the flavour of kale can be quite intense due to the high chlorophyll content. So, if you are a beginner in the world of juicing kale, I highly recommend you add in an apple or 2 until you get used to the flavour. It has taken me quite a long time of kale juice drinking to work up to having without fruit.

I SAUTE IT...

Rip the leaves off the stem and cut it in to bite size pieces. Saute in a little bit of coconut oil (or olive oil if you prefer) until it has wilted. Then whisk together a couple of eggs and pour over the top. Cook it all together until the eggs are done and then serve on some yummy gluten free bread.

I CHOP IT...

Rip the leaves off the stem and then cut the leaves up in to bite size pieces. Mix it in with some other lettuce leaves or baby spinach and top with avocado! Then use it as a side accompaniment to any dish you want!

I STIR IT THROUGH...

Kale is delicious when it is mixed in with lots of other yummy + healthy superfoods as well. This dish blends together my 3 favourite things - kale, quinoa and avocado! I simply cooked up the quinoa and while it was still warm I stirred through through the kale and then topped it with avocado and a boiled egg. Delish!

I BLEND IT...

Add kale to a fruit smoothie (minus the milk) and blend it up! You do not have to make yours as green as this. It is fine to just add in a handful of kale leaves with a banana or mango. I also like to add in some superfoods like goji berries, chia seeds, maca powder or coconut!

WANT MORE KALE RECIPE IDEAS?

Here are some recipes from other kale lovers...

+ Over at My New Roots, check out these amazing looking Kale Chips

+ The oh so inspiring Linda Wagner shows you how to eat kale raw with her favourite salad

+ Sarah Wilson has a great range of kale recipes here including a kale and olive gluten free pasta!

+ Gina from Choosing Raw demonstrates how to make a yummy hummus and kale wrap

+ Tom and Ali from Nourishing Meals have an amazing looking harvest green smoothie

So, over to you...

+ Are you a kale lover?
+ What is your favourite way to eat it?

QUIT YOUR FUTURE TRIPPING! : HOW TO LOVE YOUR 'NOW'

2012-01-17T19:19:00.000+11:00

With all this new year goal setting flying around, I am finding myself getting caught up in a severe case of future tripping. My mind is completely overwhelmed with all of my future goals, and as a result it is taking me away from simply enjoying this delicious present moment.

I have a bit of the grass is greener mentality. The grass over there seems so luscious and beautiful and as a result it makes the grass here look totally dull and boring.

Sure, there is nothing wrong with feeling super psyched about all the exciting things you want to manifest this year. However, trouble arises when you find that your future fantasising leads you to feel totally and utterly dissatisfied with where you are now.

This pretty much sums up exactly what is happening to me. Let's see if you can relate....

(above: my new affirmation!!)

MY FUTURE TRIPPING WOES

At the moment I have a day job. I enjoy my job. There is nothing wrong with it. However I do not love my job. The main aim of this job at the moment is to pay the bills so that I can support myself in my transition to start up my own business. Each day after work, I literally rush home so that I can start work on what I am really passionate about. In the evenings after a long day at the office, I do not watch tv or sit on the couch. I work. I write on my blog. I work with coaching clients. I study. I connect with my like minded peeps in the world wide web. I meditate. I read. I brainstorm about my future plans and I design and develop all the exciting components of my dream job. And I love it.

Basically outside of work, I do what I love. And I love it so much that sometimes I cannot sleep. And then, I wake up and I go back to my reality and it feels like a slap in the face. In comparison to where I want to be, where I am now seems totally boring and uninspiring.

So, herein lies my problem. How do we remain happy day in day out with where we are in our lives, while also allowing ourselves to get ridiculously caught up in all the delicious details of our future?

The answer?

We have to learn to love our NOW, while at the same time being excited about what is coming

LOVE YOUR NOW

This is the trick. You have to find a way to love, enjoy, appreciate and adore everything about where you are now and what you have now, while you wait for all your awesome future stuff to come to you.

This requires a delicate balancing act. It is a balance between...

Appreciating everything you already have + Loving the present moment + Making every day the best it can be

While also...

Focusing on the end goal you are working towards + Dedicating huge amounts of your physical and mental energy to your future outcome + Feeling super excited and eager about where you are going

Now you get why it can be challenging, huh!

HOW ON EARTH DO I LOVE MY NOW? (I hear you ask!)

I want to share with you what I do to bring myself back to the present moment. This stuff is tried and tested and it really helps. So if you too have a case of the future trips, try out these hot tips...

+ Open your eyes: Personally, when I future trip, I am 100% percent stuck in my head. Often I find myself getting quite lost in the future world in my head. Life becomes one big daydream. When this happens I stop, open my eyes, and focus on something in my immediate environment. Start to actually look at what is around you and in front of you. We miss so much beauty and magic that is right in front of us when we are in our heads

+ Make peace with where you are: Stop resisting it. Stop complaining about it. Stop noticing all the things wrong with it. Simply accept it. This is your reality in this moment. Make peace with it.

+ Remember, life is a journey: Yes, it sounds cliche but it is actually true. There is so much involved in the journey you are taking as you move towards what you want. Life is not purely about getting things. It is about who we become in the process. The reason things take time, is because we first need to go through the process of becoming the person we need to be in order to be able to handle what we are getting.

+ Find the positives: When we are unhappy in a situation, the main reason is because we are focusing on all the things we do not like about it. I have no doubt that if there is an area of your life that you are wanting to change or move away from, you spend most of your time thinking about what is wrong with it, rather than what is right. True? So, start finding the positives. Start looking for what is great about where you are. Trust me, there are things. Search for them. The more you focus on the positives, the more positive your situation will become.

+ Learn a little patience: In this day and age, we all want everything at the click of a finger. We are no longer prepared to wait. Patience, as a quality, is actually a beautiful skill to practice. The gift of being patient is that it makes you slow down. We are all so rushed these days. But having to wait for something, makes you stop. You are forced to stop and wait in a situation where you would normally trying to make things happen as fast as possible. Have a little faith in the divine timing that is going on, and practice a wee bit of patience.

So, over to you! I want to know...

+ What area of your life are you future tripping in?
+ What practices do you use to help you love your now?

LOVING ME, LOVING YOU: IT IS ALL ABOUT RADICAL SELF LOVE!

2012-01-15T16:53:00.000+11:00

GUEST POST: WRITTEN BY VIENDA MARIA

Read the original post here

"You must love yourself before you love another. By accepting yourself and fully being what you are, your simple presence can make others happy" -- Unknown

It is my understanding, from what I have observed, experienced and learnt about life so far, that all negative, unhappy, unkind, insensitive thoughts, words and actions stem from a lack of love. And in order to create more love in our lives, firstly we must start with loving ourselves.

RADICAL SELF LOVE

I love the term radical self love, which I believe was coined by Gala Darling, as it so eloquently encompasses exactly what we must feel for ourselves. Radical self love is knowing, understanding and accepting oneself fully. It means that we allow ourselves to be exactly who we are, reverie in it even. We support ourselves without question and stop criticising ourselves. We stop the banal chatter in our minds and drop the beliefs that we are underserving, unloveable or unworthy of all the good we would like in our lives.

Radical self love means that you know that, by the mere fact that you exist, you are worthy of love, of success, of wealth, of friendship, of beauty, of safety, of fun, of anything and everything that you dream of, and aspire to be...

Why is self love so important? Because what you feel, think and believe about yourself is exactly what you get. If you think you are wonderful, unique and deserving of the best, that is what you will get. If you believe that you are unworthy, unlucky, and always finish last, then that is what you will get.

WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT?

Countless books have been written on this topic and the one that I continuously recommend is by Louise Hay, called, You Can Heal Your Life. Not only does Louise tenaciously describe how and why radical self love is so important, she also gives and entire step by step guideline on how to change your thoughts and belief patterns. One of my favourite parts of her book no less, is that back pages which explain common physical ailments that are reflected and can be changed by our thought processes.

Not only is self love important as a realm of creating your own Universe, it is important in the relationships you create with others. No one will ever be able to love you more than you love yourself, so you must love yourself first in order to be able to let others love you. And the more you love yourself, the easier it is to love others. Suddenly your world opens up into a myriad of magic and compassion, and anything and everything becomes possible for you.

"I'll tell you, the more I think, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people" -- Vincent Van Gogh

HOW TO PRACTICE SELF LOVE

The best way I can think of how to describe how to practice self love, is to treat yourself as you would your best friend. Somehow, somewhere, we have learnt to put ourselves last, to put up with less than we would like or expect. So start pretending you are someone external to yourself, someone you truly love and admire, and treat yourself as so.

Would you allow your best friend to stay in a relationship that is obviously detrimental to them? No! Would you allow your best friend to behave in ways that makes them sick, sad, tired or unhealthy? No! Would you allow your best friend to be in situations or with people that made them feel bad? NO!! So, why would you allow these things in your life?

Now is the perfect time to make those changes. Every day show yourself how much you love yourself, by protecting yourself, nourishing yourself, pampering yourself and giving yourself the best that you can. Start thinking positive thoughts about yourself and your body. Compliment yourself and watch in awe how the world around you begins to change to reflect your new perspective.

image source

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This post was written by Vienda Maria. Vienda is a philosophising wordsmith and life coach who lights up when she helps others realise their full potential. Want to know more? You can read more from Vienda Maria here, or connect on Facebook and Twitter.

PERFECT DAY TIP #2 : EXERCISE AT SUNRISE

2012-01-11T20:06:00.001+11:00

This is the second post in the Perfect Day Tip Series. If you missed the first post, you can read it here.

Up until 6 months ago I was not a morning exercise person. Not at all. In fact, I had a massive resistance to the idea of exercising in the mornings and I had a whole bag full of excuses about why I could not do it.

Although I had a pretty consistent fitness routine in the afternoons, I found that when life got busy or I got tired, this was the first thing to get the chop. So, to overcome my "I'm too busy" sabotage strategy, I thought it would be a great idea to get up early and squeeze in my exercise before work.

For months, I really wanted to start to exercise in the mornings. I would think about it, set goals around it, and try to force myself to wake up for it, but it never happened. I always had so many valid reasons why I couldn't - too tired... not enough time... it's too hard... too cold... too hungry...blah blah....

(above: a pic from one of my morning runs)

SO WHAT CHANGED?

Fast forward to now, and I pretty much never exercise in the afternoons anymore. Why? Because I love doing it the mornings so much!

So, want to know how I did it? Want to know how I changed myself from a 'chronic morning exercise procrastinator' to someone who jumps out of bed at 5am ready to go?

Well, I'll tell you!

HERE ARE MY HOT TO TROT, MORNING EXERCISE TIPS...

+ DECIDE

A lot of people like the idea of exercising in the mornings, but actually getting their butt out of bed and doing it is a whole other story. I clearly remember the evening I actually decided I was going to do this. I was totally committed.

Before that it was just kind of a wishy washy desire. Once I decided it was going to happen, I became completely dedicated to doing whatever it took to make it happen.

+ PLAN

Before I did anything, I started by planning everything that I would need to do to get it happening (trust me, you will be waaay too disorientated in the morning to try to plan any of it then!)

What to plan...

+ What time you will get up

+ What time you will get to the gym/park etc for your exercise

+ How long you will exercise for and what you will do

+ What time you will finish

+ How long you will need to get ready for work

+ PREPARE

Before exercising in the mornings, I would prepare everything I needed the night before.

What to prepare...

+ Your clothes, shoes, and accessories (eg: ipod, hat)

+ Your gym bag

+ Your food for the next day*

*Now this is completely up to you. Personally, I was often in a bit of a rush to get ready for work, and I wanted to make sure I had healthy food after my workout. So I whipped my food up the night before.

+ CREATE A HABIT

I wanted to create this whole morning exercise thing, as a new habit for myself. I wanted it to become something I did easily. For me personally, I knew that if I only did this every now and then, I could easily fall back in to procrastinating on it and using the same old excuses. To succeed, I knew I had to make this part of my daily routine.

To create a rock solid habit..

+ Do it everyday (except Sunday mornings of course!)

+ Wake up at the same time everyday

+ Do it in a similar way everyday

STILL NOT CONVINCED?

Well, maybe this will inspire you...

SOME OF THE (MANY) BENEFITS OF MORNING EXERCISE INCLUDE..

+ You get to revel in that amazing post-exercise-buzz all day long

+ It gives your metabolism an amazing kick-start

+ You can enjoy everything you eat even more because you know you have totally earned it

+ Your exercise is over and done with, so you do not need to think about it for the rest of the day

+ You will feel super proud of yourself

+ You will have a rockin' hot sexy body to show off as a result! What better reason is there than that?

So, over to you! Tell me...

+ What is your exercise routine?

+ Are you a morning exercise lover?

DOING TOO MUCH? : WHY LEARNING TO 'BE' IS YOUR KEY TO SUCCESS

2012-01-09T20:08:00.000+11:00

GUEST POST: WRITTEN BY GABRIELLE AITKEN

"In the being the doing is done" -- Cass Phelps

Why is it that we feel like we have to be "doing" in order to be achieving?" I've lived much of my life this way; either rushing around like a madwoman on a mission to achieve this goal or that; or on the very rare occasion (such as when on holiday, in the instance of illness or just due to pure exhaustion), feeling guilty for not rushing around like a madwoman on a mission.

It's almost like, from the moment I popped out into the world in this lifetime, I had the urge to do, do, do. Through much self-analysis I have several theories as to why this is the case, which I won't bore you with. Suffice to say, for as long as I can consciously remember, and even going back beyond conscious memory as recounted by my parents, I have been on a mission to do this, that or the other.

ARE YOU DO-ING TOO MUCH?

I was never one of those kids who was content in front of the television for hours on end. I had to be doing something productive, from sending new Barbie concepts to Mattel, to writing and illustrating story books, to studying to get straight A's. As I got older it was running marathons and half marathon triathlons, studying an MBA, climbing the corporate ladder, starting a business...

There is absolutely nothing wrong with such pursuits per se, and I am still a believer that, generally speaking, one's time is probably better spent somewhere other than watching mindless television for hours on end (although I have come to appreciate that this too can have it's time and place). It's when we use such goals and pursuits to define our sense of self that we start to enter risky territory.

For many years, I have started the New Year with a list of goals that I plan to accomplish in the year ahead; a checklist for living my life by. And then I've applied the ferocity of a bat out of hell to tick them all off by the year end. What's more my sense of accomplishment and self-worth has been directly proportional to what I have or haven't achieved in any given year.

THE POWER OF BEING-NESS

Somewhere along the way I seem to have missed the lesson on how to 'be'. In actual fact, I think that as western society, we have long forgotten the simple art of being; of allowing ourselves the time and space to connect with our inner selves and bask in our inner beauty. We tend to define ourselves by what we do, not simply by who we are when we strip our roles and accomplishments away.

The New Year, I have not sent any goals ("shock horror" I hear those who know me gasp). Instead, my new philosophy is "inspired being". Don't get me wrong. I don't intend to sit on my butt and do nothing all year. However, over the last 12 months I have been learning that much to my amazement and dismay, to quote Cass Phelps, "in the being the doing is done"

In other words, if we give ourselves the rest, time and space, we can open ourselves up to tune in to the magic of the Universe. We move from a state of "pushing to achieve" to "allowing" our lives to flow with ease...and ironically can actually achieve a whole lot more in the process. What's more, the things that we do achieve are more likely to be aligned with our soul purpose and create a deeper sense of fulfilment and satisfaction.

By spending time each day journaling, in meditation, walking in nature, resting and simply sitting and being (sans TV) - all things that I would have once considered lazy and a hindrance to my pursuit of "more important" goals - we can unleash out inner creativity and inspiration, and generate the impetus to effortlessly conceive and complete whole projects or works of art in record time. In a state of inspired being it no longer feels like we have to work hard to achieve our goals, it simply flows out of us.

Why didn't I get onto this sooner?!! I finally think I'm getting the hang of what it means to be a human being rather than a human doing!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This post was written by Gabrielle Aitken, Inner Beauty Stylist and inspirer of Appreciation, Respect and Love (a.k.a Aprelo). Want to know more? You can read more from Aprelo here, or connect on Facebook and Twitter.

PERFECT DAY TIP #1: BUILD YOUR MEDITATION MUSCLE

2012-01-08T10:07:00.000+11:00

I don't know about you, but I am totally and utterly psyched for 2012. I think this is going to be a rocking year and I can definitely feel an electric energy in the air already.

For me, this is a year of many new beginnings. It is the year that I will be following my heart, letting go of what is familiar and embracing a life full of daring moments. I am stepping up and playing full out and I am willing to do whatever it takes to make my dreams a reality.

So, what does this mean for a life of perfect days? Well, I also have a lot planned for this little blog of mine, so watch this space! Firstly, if you have not yet noticed, the blog has undergone a new year makeover. I hope you enjoy the brighter colours and new layout.

This year, I will be bringing you a new energy, a fresh approach and more content, more frequently. You will still get your usual dose of inspiration + wisdom + tips for a wonderful life. But it will now come to you in some different and exciting ways.

You will also be hearing from other people, rather than just me. I have lined up a handful of fantastic contributors who will be bringing you inspiring and thought provoking content to help you make 2012 your best year yet.

So, here is your first sneak peak. This is my new series of posts which will become a regular segment on the blog: PERFECT DAY TIPS.

Seeing this blog is all about living a life of perfect days, I thought why not create a series of posts full of tips to create your most beautiful and perfect day. I will be sharing photos, advice, recommendations as well as practices that I use in my own life to make each day, the best day possible.

Some of these tips may resonate with you, and some may not. But each of them are there to be tried, tested and explored. They are practices that I know work for me, and that I hope will work for you too.

So, without further adieu, here is the first tip for you...

PERFECT DAY TIP #1: BUILD YOUR MEDITATION MUSCLE

A lot of people encounter a bit of a block when it comes to meditation. Many people feel that they cannot possibly sit still for even a few minutes. Or even if they can sit, they find it impossible to quiet or slow their mind enough to actually meditate.

Here is the deal: meditation is not about being perfect. It is simply about creating some time and space for yourself.

People also often wonder if they are doing it right. Or they say "how will I know that I am actually meditating?" Again, the point of meditation is not to adhere to any particular method and there is not right or wrong way.

THE PURPOSE OF MEDITATION IS TO:
+ Slow your mind
+ Reconnect with your body
+ Become aware of your breathing
+ Create quietness
+ Embrace stillness
+ Detach from your thoughts

HOW TO BUILD YOUR MEDITATION MUSCLE:
+ Practice: Simply start by making time to sit in quietness for 5 minutes each day. Some good times to do it are in the morning after you wake up or before bed. Do not worry if your mind is whirling at a thousand miles an hour. Just start by building the habit of sitting in stillness each day.
+ Use guided meditations: I love to use guided meditations with music and some audio as I find it easiest to slow my mind when I have something to focus on. I use Gabrielle Bernstein's meditations (see pic above) which you can download them here.
+ Focus on your breath: As you are meditating you will likely catch yourself getting caught up in your thoughts. If this happens just gently bring your attention back to your breathing. Put your attention on the sensation of air coming in and out of your nose, or of your belly moving in and out.
+ Gradually increase your time: Once you feel comfortable sitting for 5 minutes, try sitting for 10. Then once you a comfortable with 10, sit for 15. Like any new habit, it takes practice. But if you can persevere you will find that over time it will become much easier.

So, let me know how you go! I would love to hear your experiences.

+ Do you have a regular meditation practice?
+ What methods/techniques do you use to help you?

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU!: 5 JUICY STEPS TO ACHIEVING YOUR 2012 GOALS

2012-01-05T12:24:00.000+11:00

1. REFLECT

If you have not yet had a chance to reflect on 2011, then I suggest to make yourself a cuppa, get comfy, and do it. Everybody has a different method that they use to reflect. Personally, I like to journal. Yet, some people would rather just review things in their mind. It is totally up to you how you do it, but it is definitely a must before you sit down to work on your new years goals.

Think back over 2011 and ask yourself these questions

+ What did I achieve?
+ What were the highlights?
+ What am I most proud of?
+ What is my biggest learning?
+ How did I grow and/or change?
+ What would I have done differently?
+ What did I not achieve in 2011, that I want to achieve in 2012?

This exercise not only makes you remember all the fantastic things you have experienced and created throughout the past year, but it also helps you get clarity on where you are now, and how you want to move forward from here.

2. SET S.M.A.R.T GOALS

I was having a conversation with my boyfriend the other day about our goals for 2012, and I realised something. I realised that not many people know how to really write a goal. You ability to achieve your goals will be compromised if you are not clear on how to set them.

I highly recommend you use the SMART Model when setting goals

Specific
Measurable
Action-oriented
Realistic
Time based

You also want to write the goal as if it has already happened

EXAMPLE:
A poorly written goal is: I want to lose weight

A SMART Goal is: It is now December 31st 2012 and I weigh 65 kg's. I perform half an hour of cardio training and half an hour of strength training 5 days per week, and I feel fantastic.

3. CREATE NEW RITUALS

I picked up this tip from watching a short clip on goal setting by Tony Robbins. You can check it out here.

Look at where you are now, and ask yourself 'What rituals (or habits) have got me to this place?" Then think about where you want to be, and ask yourself "What rituals or habits will get me there?"

You see, if you want different results, you are going to have to start doing things differently. Makes sense right?

Ponder these questions

+ What new habits do you need to create?
+ What habits do you need to let go of?
+ What do you need to do differently?
+ What rituals will take you where you want to go?
+ What rituals will take you away from where you want to go?

4. MAKE A VISION BOARD

A vision board can be created on a pinboard using photos, pictures or images from magazines. Or it can be done on your computer using a slide show of photos or images or using a program such as Picassa.

Rather than explaining the how to create one of these magical little tools, I thought you might like to see how these amazing ladies are doing it;

+ Jess Ainscough from Wellness Warrior gives an awesome step by step guide here

+ Denisse Duffield Thomas from Lucky Bitch explains it so well here

+ Rachel Magahy from In Spaces Between has a beautiful example here

Then, once you have your vision board, place it in an area where you will see it daily. Repetition is key. Whenever you look at it imagine yourself living a life where all these dreams have already come true. Connect with the feeling of having it on a daily basis.

5. LET GO

Here is the clincher.

After working hard to create your goals, make your vision board and take lots of new actions, no doubt you will be wanting some return for all your efforts. But here is one thing you must find a way to do, and that is let go.

You have to loosen your grip on that outcome you want so desperately. You have to take a deep breath and relax about where you are. The more you watch and wait and become impatient about whether or not your results are coming, the more you are going to get in the way of their manifestation.

Instead cultivate a calm expectation. A knowing. A strong sense of belief that these dreams you desire are on their way to you. Know they are done.

When you set your goals with a sense of certainty, you can afford to wait for their manifestation, because it is not about IF they are coming. It is simply about WHEN.

So just chill out. Be light hearted and playful about it all. Love where you are now and enjoy all the fabulous things that are already great about you and your life. When you give off an energy of happiness and a feeling of already being complete, the Universe cannot help but bring you even more to make you feel happy about.

Now over to you...

In 2012, one of my goals is to connect with YOU, my reader, even more. So, I would love to hear from you.

+ What goals have you set for 2012?
+ What steps will you be taking to achieve them?

HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON TIPS: 4 SECRETS TO CREATING HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIPS

2011-12-13T00:30:00.000+11:00

The area of relationships can be one of the most challenging facets of life to master. It can also be one the most beautiful.

Relationships provide an opportunity for you to connect with another person and gain an insight in to their experience of the world. We all see the world differently which is why relationships can be challenging. It is in relationship with another, whether it be intimate or not, that you are able to learn the most about yourself. It is through your relationship with another that you get to experience yourself in a certain way.

We are all different in each relationship we enter. In some we are loving, in some we are cold, in some we are authoritative and in others we are extremely vulnerable. Relationships allow you experience different parts and aspects of your personality, and they are a beautiful space for you truly connect with another human being.

All day every day we a forming and experiencing different types of relationships with a variety of people. Some relationships are plutonic, some are intimate, some are professional and some are genetic. Either way, we come in contact with a huge amount of different people and experience many different depths of relationships with others.

We have a choice what part of ourselves we will bring to these relationships, although at times it may not feel that way. We may sometimes think that someone 'makes' us feel a certain way, or we cannot help but get angry/upset/distant when we are around a certain person. Sometimes people just push our buttons and we feel like we react uncontrollably. But this is not true. We always have a choice how we are going to act in every moment. It is up to us to choose to either react in a loving way or a hateful way.

This is the key to relationships. It is about choosing who you are going to be. And then being that way, regardless of what the other person does. It is about refraining from judgement, criticising, blame, arrogance, and selfishness. It is about learning to open yourself up, to be authentic, vulnerable, loving, accepting and forgiving. At the end of the day it has nothing to do with that other person, and it has everything to do with who you are choosing to define yourself as in this moment.

4 SECRETS TO CREATING HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIPS

1. ASK YOURSELF HOW CAN I GIVE?

Sometimes I feel like we have really lost touch with what this holiday season is all about. As children, we are taught to believe that Christmas time is all about what we can get. What gifts will we get? What chocolates will we get? How much will we get? etc.. Then as we get older, this mentality of continuously trying to get as much stuff as we can, seems to pervade every area of our life. While, I completely believe in graciously receiving all the gifts (both tangible and intangible) that the world has to offer, I also feel that things have become a little unbalanced.

This holiday season, why not try shifting your focus from what you can get, to what you can give. Take the focus off yourself, and off all your needs and wants, and put your attention on others. How can you be of service? What gift can you give to someone that will truly warm their heart? How can you contribute in a way that will help and assist another person?

When you approach any relationship with the mentality of giving rather than getting, your experience of that relationship will completely transform. Try making this shift in focus in each of the various relationships you have. It may be with your partner, your parents, your friends or your work colleagues. Rather than thinking purely about what you want to get from these relationships (eg: love, affection, attention, gifts, generosity, praise) instead think about how you can offer these to someone else.

2. PRACTICE THE ART OF REALLY LISTENING

Around this time of year we tend to spend a lot of time with various different people. We might be at work functions, at family dinners, at lunches with friends or at our partners family do's. It is a time to get together, celebrate, connect, catch up and share experiences together. As part of this, it is likely that you are going to be involved in many conversations. You may have to make small talk with your boss at your work Christmas lunch, you may get stuck in a long conversation with a grandparent about everything that's happened in your lives in the past year, or you may have the chance to reconnect with a friend that you have not been able to see in months and have an awesome chat. No matter how it happens, the holiday season will involve a lot of connection and conversation.

When you're in these situations, how often do you really listen? I mean, really listen? Truly listening to someone means being 100% present for them. It means that all your attention is squarely on them and you are concentrating on what they are saying and totally taking it all in. How often do you really sit and place that much focus on another person? Instead what we normally do is politely nod along while meanwhile we are often thinking about a thousand other things. We may be preparing our next comment or point in our heads, thinking about ourselves and how we look or feel, or even completely daydreaming and thinking of something else.

I encourage you try to really listening to the people who are talking to you this holiday season. If you have ever experienced the feeling of having someone be 100% present and there for you while you are talking, you know it feels pretty special. This is another tool that completely transform your relationship with a person, and enable you to authentically connect in a whole new way.

3. LET GO OF PAST GRUDGES

Get really honest with yourself for a moment, and answer this question. Is there anything that has happened in the past that you are carrying around in the present and holding against another person? Answer honestly. Are there any past issues that you have with another person that are still bothering you? Do you feel resentment towards anyone? Are any of your current relationships being affected by a grudge you are holding against that person? Do you have anything bothering you that has not yet been resolved and instead you are carrying it around inside you like a dead weight?

When you spend time with friends, family members and other loved ones, you want to be able to be present with them and simply experience your relationship with them in this moment. But how often (especially in family situations) do we have old past hurts, problems, issues, resentments, judgements or grudges that we are letting get in the way of the relationship. Rather than being able to simply enjoy the presence of the people we love, we spend the whole time stuck in our heads letting old stories take us out of this special, present moment.

Do you realise that when you do this, the only person you are hurting is yourself? You are simply poisoning yourself with negative thoughts. You are draining your energy with disempowering thinking. You are putting a wedge between yourself and someone who you deeply care about. I know that you care about them, because if you did not, you would have let go of the resentment years ago. I love this quote from Buddha --"Holding on to anger is like holding on to a hot coal with the intention of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."

So, why not this year, try letting the past be what it is; the past. It is gone. Been. Done. Over. Let go of petty problems. Let go of old issues. Drop the drama. Release the story. Forgive the person. If there are issues that need to be addressed then it is up to you to find the courage to have the tough conversations. I do not mean yelling and making that person wrong. I mean stepping up to have a real, heart driven, honest conversation about how you're feeling. Do whatever needs to be done to let go of past grudges to you can enjoy the special moments now.

I think this recommendation from Walter Anderson is beautiful -- "If you're angry at a loved one, hug that person. And mean it. You may not want to hug - which is all the more reason to do so. It's hard to stay angry when someone show you that they love you, and that's precisely what happens when we hug each other"

4. APPRECIATE THE POSITIVE ASPECTS

I believe that all of us have in us, the capacity to demonstrate a full rainbow of different personality traits and qualities. We all have the capacity to be sad or happy, mean or kind, outgoing or shy, generous or stingy, friendly or cold, angry or peaceful, weak or strong, confident or insecure, and the list goes on. I am sure each of us have had moments in our life where we have shown aspects of our personality that we were not overly proud of. Depending on the specific situations and environments we find ourselves in, the various parts of ourselves will be displayed.

Would you prefer that the people in your life remember you for all the great qualities and traits that you posses and express, or all the not so great ones? And isn't it the best feeling ever when someone notices a great quality about you and appreciates or acknowledges it? It makes you feel pretty damn spesh huh!

The same applies to the other people in our lives. Think of a person who you do not overly like, or who you do not really enjoy spending time with. If I asked you to describe them, I have no doubt your list of their negative personality traits than would outweigh the positive. But going back to what I said earlier, it does not mean that this person only possesses negative traits. What it does mean however is that seeing that is all you are focusing in about that person, then that is all you continue to experience of them.

This holiday season I encourage you to start to notice the positive aspects of all the people you come in contact with. I am sure there are people in your life (possibly members of your family) that you at times may have a love/hate relationship with. But keep in mind that the more you focus on all the things you do not like about that person, the more you will notice them. And vice versa. The more that you take the time to notice the positive aspects in someone's personality, or their strengths or the great things about them, the more you will notice and experience those qualities.

TAME YOUR INNER CRITIC: 5 STEPS TO MASTERING YOUR SELF-TALK

2011-12-03T08:17:00.001+11:00

Lately, I have started to become extremely curious about self-talk. You know, that little voice that chatters on and on in our heads all day.

Since beginning my training to become a Life Coach, I have already coached with a few clients, assisting them to move from where they are, to where they want to be. And what I have discovered is that the key factor which seem stops people from achieving what they want, is unsupportive self talk.

It is very easy to hear when this little negative voice creeps in to our coaching sessions. All I have to do is listen to the language that the client is using. As they talk to me, I can begin to gain insight about how they talk to themselves too.

Unsupportive self talk is when the things we tell ourselves completely sabotage or block us from achieving what we want. It is all those limiting, critical, dis-empoweing and just plain negative thoughts that make us feel as though we cannot do what we want.

What I have fast been discovering is that it is all about the way we talk to ourselves which determines whether we are successful/happy/living the life of our dreams or not. This means that the focus of our coaching sessions are far less about what the person needs to do to get what they want, but rather how they need to think, what they need to beleive and how they need to talk to themselves.

So, since I have been pondering this topic a lot lately, I thought I would share it with you all here on the blog! And while I am at it, I also thought I would share 5 easy steps that you can follow to begin to tame your inner critic and transform your self-talk in to a tool that supports and empowers you.

5 STEPS TO TAME YOUR INNER CRITIC

STEP 1: ACKNOWLEDGE IT
What do you do when your inner critic starts to beat up on you? How do you handle that negative or dis-empowering voice? The two main strategies that people often use are;

1. Ignore it in the hope that it will eventually shut up
2. Think positive thoughts over it in the hope you will drown it out

While both of these strategies may work to some degree, what you will find is that both tactics will simply cause your inner critic to get even louder. It will try even harder to get it's point across. So, what do you do? You listen to it. Listen to what that inner critic has to say. Then, acknowledge the thoughts by saying 'thank you'. Simply thank your inner critic for it's contribution and then let it go. Every time it yells another limiting belief at you, say 'thank you'. Continue to do this every time these thoughts arise. Say 'thank you' and then let them go.

The reason this works is two fold. Firstly, your inner critic simply wants to be heard, so by acknowledging it, you have given it permission to express what it wanted to say. The second reason is that by looking that negative thought square in the face, you actually take away a lot of it's power. It becomes much easier to let a negative thought go, once you can appreciate that it exists without allowing it to have any emotional control over you.

STEP 2. DETERMINE IT'S PURPOSE
When your inner voice is talking to you, ask yourself - Is this voice coming from a place of fear or a place of love? If it is coming from fear it's aim will be to protect you, keep you safe and stop you from stepping outside your comfort zone. If the voice is coming from love, it's purpose will be to support you, empower you and encourage you to be the very best you can be.

Deep down, your inner voice always has your best interests at heart. Really it does. Even when it is barking unsupportive, critical or fearful thoughts at you. When your inner voice is negative and is telling you that you cannot do something, it is because it is trying to keep you safe. Its main aim is survival. It does not want to risk putting you in a situation that is deems as 'dangerous'. It does not want to see you fail, it does not want to see you lose anything, and it definitely does not want to feel unloved. So, it will tell you whatever it needs to to keep in the same and familiar bounds of your comfort zone.

Taking this view point helps you feel some level of understanding and compassion for this inner voice. When this voice is trying to keep you safe, it is often coming from a place of fear. Fear of not being loved, fear of not belonging or fear of not being good enough. When you can begin to see it this way, the fearful inner heckles start to lose their power.

The trick with this, is to decide that rather than spending your whole life being driven by fear, you instead want to be driven by love. You want to be driven by self-belief, by empowerment, by passion, by a love and respect for your self, and by the desire to become your best you. It is up to you to develop the ability to decipher the difference between your inner critic and your inner cheerleader, and then choose which one you will listen to.

STEP 3. DETACH FROM IT

The reason that it often feels like your inner critic has a lot of power of you, is because you are so emotionally attached to it. You cling to every word it says and hold it as the truth. Do you know that you do not have to believe everything you think? Just because there is a voice in your head, telling you that you cannot do something, does not mean it is the truth. You can choose which thoughts you believe and which ones you let go.

Many of us are very attached to our thoughts. We believe our thoughts are who we are. When we feel something, we identify with that feeling eg: I AM scared, or I AM an un-confident person, I AM unsuccessful. Rather than instantly identifying with all the thoughts that pop in to our head, we need to start looking at them differently. We need to see them as what they are - thoughts. They are random ideas popping in to our head, and just because we think them, does not mean they are real.

So start to look at your thoughts from an objective viewpoint. Start to evaluate your thoughts. Look at them as ask, is this a thought that is going to take me where I want to go, or is this a thought that is going to stop me? If it is a thought that is going to stop you, then challenge it. Ask yourself 'is this true?' and 'how do I know it is true'. Then, let go of the thoughts that are not supporting you, and begin to consciously choose new and more empowering ways of thinking.

STEP 4. CHOOSE A NEW THOUGHT

You have a choice what you think. Yes you do. It may feel sometimes that our thoughts just happen. That they just plop in to our head. But we actually choose our thoughts, and we choose to sustain them by continuing to think them.

If you stop thinking a thought, it will eventually disappear. Your thoughts only continue to replay in your mind because you continue to support their existence by thinking them.

So, why not choose your thoughts deliberately? Choose to only think thoughts that will take you where you want to go. Choose the thoughts that make you feel good. Choose the thoughts that support you, that support your goals, and support you in becoming the person you want to be. Choose a thought that is driven by love, rather than fear.

It is extremely difficult to make progress towards a goal if the whole way you have a voice in your head telling you that you cannot do it. To achieve any big goal, you need your mind on your side. It has to be your allay. It needs to be your cheerleader. So, decide today to start thinking differently. Decide to only believe thoughts that take you where you want to go and support you to become the person you want to be.

5. SLOW DOWN
In the past, I had a complete and utter monkey mind. My thoughts were erratic and over reactive. I was often stuck in my head as an obsessive over thinker who would frequently wind myself up in to fits of anxiety. These days, I am constantly surprised by the number of people who tell me how calm I am. I am often told what a wonderful 'energy' I have. And my boyfriend says that I have what he calls ' the Connie zen'. While I still have moments where my thoughts go to crazy-town, I have progressed in leaps and bounds in the ability I have to manage my thoughts and my emotional state.

Do you know what the number one thing is that has helped me transform that crazy thinking in to calmness, peace and flow? Meditation. Now, I now you hear me bang on about meditation all the time, but really, you cannot underestimate the amazing power this practice can have on your life.

The reason meditation helps your master your inner voice, is because it slows down your thoughts. Sometimes our minds are going so freaking fast, that we honestly have zero conscious awareness of what we are even thinking about. The only way to begin to pull back the reigns on your negative thinking, and begin to plant the seeds of positive thinking, is to slow down the rate at which you think.

Meditation creates distance between you and your thoughts. You are able to observe them like clouds drifting across the screen of your mind. Your emotional attachment to these thoughts reduces also, and it allows you to objectively determine whether the thoughts you are thinking are serving you or destroying you.

Meditation can take form of sitting and focusing on your breathing, walking in nature, becoming immersed in a creative project and feeling a sense of flow, or listening to guided meditations and audio's. Whatever slows your mind, serves as a form of meditation. So, I encourage you to find your version of it, so that you can begin to harness the magic of this amazing practice.

LIFE SUCCESS 101: KEY LEARNINGS FROM MY JOURNEY AS A LIFE COACH

2011-11-24T11:56:00.001+11:00

For those of you who follow a life of perfect days on Facebook, you may have heard me talk about some training I have been doing over the weekend just passed.

I am currently training to become a Life Coach, and I just spent 3 days in my first of many face to face training sessions. In case you're wondering what it is that I have been harping on about in all of my Facebook status updates, I want to share with you in this post, more about my journey and my learnings so far.

The decision to embark on this journey did not come lightly for me. I eluded to the process I went through to make this big decision in a previous post titled Daring Moments, where I had to find the courage to overcome many of the fears that had previously stopped me making this commitment. I never once doubted how much I wanted this, however I still spent many years doubting my ability to do it.

As a reader of this blog, I am sure that you can clearly see how passionate I am about principles of creating a happy and fulfilling life. I love nothing more than sharing inspiring information with others that assists them to learn and grow in themselves. Becoming a Life Coach, seems like the obvious career choice for me, as it means I can turn my hobby in to a career, and spend every day of my life teaching and sharing the very thing I write about on this blog.

But isn't it funny how even though I knew so clearly that this was what I wanted, that I still procrastinated on it? Why is it that when I knew deep inside me that this is what I was meant to be doing, that I spent so many years telling myself that I couldn't do it? It is amazing how often we block ourselves from doing or experiencing the very thing that will make us the happiest!

I have a strong belief that everything unfolds in our lives exactly as it is supposed to, and in every moment where are exactly where we need to be. I believe that the path I have had to take to overcome my own fears and limitations in order to follow my heart's desire, has actually served as a huge blessing in my life. Without the need to overcome some of my challenges, I would not have developed such a passionate interest in the field of personal development and human behaviour. Without this journey, I would not have developed such a strong desire to assist others to overcome their limitations and find what they really want in life, just like I have.

As I continue on my journey to complete my training, I cannot even begin to imagine what amazing and enlightening information I will come across. I cannot wait to share my experiences and learnings with you here. Over the coming months, there will also be many changes unfolding in this blog, in my self and in the information and services I offer you. So watch this space in 2012 as many of my exciting ideas will begin to become realities.

In the meantime, I want to share a few key learnings that I got from the training I just completed. There was definitely a lot more than this that I got out of the weekend just passed. But I wanted to pick out these key principles to share with you, in the hope that they may open your mind and shift your perceptions just in the way they have for me.

LIFE SUCCESS 101: THE KEY PRINCIPLES

Live From Your Heart Space
Do you know the difference between living from your head and living from your heart? Do you know how it feels to be connected with your heart energy and see the world through that view?

One of the first lessons I learnt over the weekend was that you cannot be a great life coach if you are stuck in your head. I would even generalise that to say, you can not live a great life if you are stuck in your head. When you are in your head, you are often thinking about yourself. Your thoughts are self-absorbed, self-conscious and analytical and it is impossible to be truly present in this moment.

It is when you are in your heart space, that you can truly be there for another person. You are connected to your truth, and to the thoughts and feelings that serve yourself and others. This is the place where your deepest dreams and desires lay. It is where your positive, empowering and supportive thoughts come from. When you communicate from the heart, your intention is always pure. When you are present in your heart space, with another person, you are 100% there for them. All your attention is on them. You are listening to them, you are focusing on them, and you this is where you can deeply connect with them.

So how do we do this? We get over ourselves. The heart energy is about giving and loving. It is about service. Being of service to others is the greatest gift we can give. It is about being present and giving 100% of attention to where we are, here and now. You can tap in to this energy by putting your focus entirely on another person, and completely detaching from thoughts about yourself. I also use meditation to connect with my heart space. Through the act of slowing down my thoughts and directing my attention to my body and my breathing, I naturally drop in to that soft space in my heart. Other people connect with this energy through being in nature, being creative, appreciating and being grateful, or immersing themselves in something they love to do.

Embrace Uncertainty
Many of us are afraid of what is uncertain. It is unknown, unfamiliar and uncharted territory. In this space, we have no references to draw on to assist us in predicting what will happen. As a result, we often avoid that which is new and unfamiliar. Or, we approach it with trepidation. For people like me, who often encounter control freak issues, this can be a challenging concept to embrace!

What I learnt over the weekend, is that it is in the realm of uncertainty that all magic happens. There is a saying that says - if you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got. If you want to create change in your life, you are going to have to do things differently, right? It is not until we step in to the unfamiliar that we can discover our true potential.

Living in uncertainty also causes you to become grounded in the present moment. You are forced to take life one day at a time as you have no idea what is around the corner. You must approach every task one step at a time, as you do not know how the journey will unfold. It is an absolutely magical space to live from and it is a principle that must be embraced if you want to move beyond the boundaries of your comfort zone.

Say Yes, Then Work Out How
This principle has the potential to take your life from blah to wow. Seriously. This is also one of the principles that I am most committed to embracing.

Saying yes and then working out how, means committing to an outcome even if you have absolutely no idea how it is going to happen or how you are going to be able to do it. The amazing thing about this principle is that as soon as you say yes, the universe begins to conspire to figure out the how. The energy and intention you set forward when you commit to an outcome, literally causes the world to rearrange itself to make sure it happens.

The reason this principle is so powerful is because most people are living their lives in the completely opposite way. How often have you said no to something because you didn't know if you could do it? How often do you put off making a decision, until you can see how it is going to happen? We often sit around waiting for everything to be perfect before we act. We need 'all the ducks to line up' before we are willing to act.

Living with this principle requires courage, faith and a willingness to not know. Sure, it requires you to take a risk and live in the unknown, but the rewards you will experience from stepping out and embracing uncertainty will be well worth it.

Make Decisions Based On Your Desired Outcome
Here is another gem. I want you to ask yourself, how you make decisions. What does the process normally involve? I would say 99% of people make decisions based on how they feel. Eg: what they feel like eating, what they feel like doing, who they feel like seeing. The problem with this, is that making decisions this way does not always take you where you want to go, and in fact may actually take you in the complete opposite direction.

Say you are wanting to get healthier and lose weight, and you are in the process of making a decision of what to eat for lunch. You may feel like eating something deep fried, high in fat or filled with sugar because it tastes nice and will make you feel good. But, making this decision will actually take you in the complete opposite direction to your goal. So, how do you decide what to eat then? You decide based on the outcome you want to achieve. So, if the outcome you want is to lose 5kg and look healthier, then you would obviously choose something such as a nutritious salad to eat, as that would take you closer to your goal. Right?

The tough part of this principle, is that in order to make decisions based on your outcome, it means you are going to sometimes have to do things you do not feel like doing. You may not feel like eating that salad, you may not feel like going on that date, or you may not feel like calling up that company and asking for a job. But, if these steps are going to take to closer to your desired outcome, then it is imperative that you take them.

Sometimes you have to ignore that uncomfortable feeling and refocus your attention on why you are doing something. Once you have a powerful and compelling reason why you are doing it, you will be motivated to step beyond your feelings and do what it takes to achieve it.

Live At Cause
This principle is about living life at cause rather than at effect. When you live at cause you live as a creator. It is not about being in control of outside circumstances. But it is about controlling your internal response to those outside circumstances. You can choose how you think and feel and you can choose how you respond. You can choose how you will act, what you will say and what you will believe. Living at cause is believing in your power to create change in your life and alter your experience and perceptions of the world.

The trick is, that while you may be living 90% of your life at cause, it does not mean that there are not some areas where you are not stepping up and taking responsibility. Are there any areas of your life where you blame other people or other circumstances outside of you? Are there areas where you feel out of control and powerless to make a change? Are there any areas where you feel like things just happen to you or people just do things to you? Well, this is a sure sign you're living at effect.

If you can see that there are areas where you are living at effect, it is time to take your power back. Remind yourself that you have the ability to change it or create something different. You also have the ability to see it in a new light or think about it in a different way. This is all it takes to move to living at cause, and doing this will enable you to start making progress in areas where you previously felt stuck.

Be Playful And Curious
Do not take your self too seriously! Do not take life so seriously. This is a huge learning for me. There are times in my life, where I take all the fun out of an experience because I am putting so much pressure on it, or on myself. Be light and playful with all your experiences. Do things because you enjoy them. Remain present and grounded in the experience without getting stuck in your head and making it mean something more serious than it is. Life is to be sampled, experienced and enjoyed.

The other beautiful quality to cultivate is curiosity. Have a childlike curiosity about life. Become fascinated with yourself, your world and why things happen the way they do. Doing this helps you create an open and flexible mind that is not locked in to one rigid way of seeing the world. When things happen that you don't understand, ask questions and approach them with a light hearted fascination. Be willing to see things from a new perspective and allow yourself to explore options and opportunities as they arise with a curious and creative mind.

MY TOP 10 TIPS TO REVOLUTIONISE YOUR HEALTH (+ A SNEAK PEAK OF WHAT I EAT!)

2011-11-08T20:54:00.000+11:00

People always ask me what I eat. And I love telling them! I am extremely passionate about health and nutrition and I love to eat in ways that nourish and energise my body. I am always coming up with new food creations, and discovering different combinations to create new flavours. I am also fascinated by the role food plays in our body, and how it affects how we look and feel.

I must admit, I am not much of a recipe follower. Nor do I read instructions. Rather, I make food intuitively. I like to experiment with flavours and pull together bizarre combinations to create a delicious treat.

My food doesn't always look the best. But that is not the point. I eat for nutrition, and for taste, not for looks. I guess that is where I sometimes differ from other people. When I prepare food, I try to squish in as much nutritional content as I can, regardless of appearances.

MY JOURNEY TO HEALTHY-NESS

I was not always healthy. In fact, I was the complete opposite. When I was a child I lived on Coco Pops and Milo. When I was at High School my diet consisted of toast with butter and honey for breakfast, a white bread Vegemite roll for lunch, and a huge bowl of pasta with cheese for dinner. Then, once I got to Uni, I relied on staples of coffee, chocolate and hot chips to get me through. It was not until I was in my early twenties that I really began to take control of my health.

Over the past 5 years, I have completely changed the state of my health and my body. I look and feel like a completely different person. Over the years, I have tried many different styles and ways of eating, and they have all combined to help me get to where I am now. I do not stick to any particular diet or way of eating. However, what take away from all of it, are some basic principles that I believe underpinned the transformation I experienced.

10 TIPS TO REVOLUTIONISE YOUR HEALTH
(+ SOME PICS OF WHAT I EAT!)

1. DRINK FRESH JUICES + SMOOTHIES
I do not mean bottled juices or the smoothies that you get from Boost Juice bars that are loaded with sugar. I mean freshly squeezed juice (preferably with lots of veggies, not just fruit) and smoothies made with fresh ingredients and ideally dairy free.

All you need is a blender and you can whip up a fruity smoothie. And then, why not make it even healthier by throwing in some leafy greens! The fruit in the smoothie will do an amazing job at cutting through the strong flavour of the greens. You'll be amazed!

SUPER GREEN SMOOTHIE

This is one of my make-it-up-as-you-go-along smoothies!

The ingredients are; 2-3 handfuls of baby spinach + 1/4 avocado

+ 2 tsps of wheatgrass powder + 1 tsp of maca powder

+ 1 scoop of Sunwarrior Vanilla Protein Powder + a handful

of chia seeds + lots of cinnamon + water!

2. EAT FAT

I eat fat. Natural, good fat. Your body needs it. This type of fat does not make you stack on the weight. Rather it is the type of fat that is used for certain body functions and that is necessary for organs such as your brain, to work. Do not be scared of fat! I love to eat plenty of avocado, coconut oil, almonds, flaxseed oil and chia seeds. These foods are jam packed with healthy fats and Omega 3's.

3. DITCH REFINED CARBS

I do not eat white carbohydrates. They have pretty much no nutritional content and all they do is make me feel heavy and sluggish. Instead I eat whole grains. I love brown rice, quinoa and buckwheat. They are full of nutrients, gluten free and are higher in protein, fibre and flavour. Plus, they will not give you a horrid blood sugar spike and make you hungry again an hour later.

I like to eat carbs earlier on in the day (especially after I go to the gym in the morning) as they are much easier to burn off, and I find them easier to digest. My favourite grains to have at breakfast time are buckwheat and quinoa. Below are the 2 ways that I eat them!

MY FAVOURITE BREKKIE #1

Avocado on Buckwheat toast! I often have this in the mornings

after the gym with a boiled egg on top and with fresh baby

spinach on the side.

MY FAVOURITE BREKKIE #2

Savoury Quinoa! I cook up the quinoa the night before and the

next day I will mix in some avocado and put a boiled egg on top.

In this picture I have also mixed through some kale, but when I am

at work I often add cherry tomatoes and fresh spinach.

4. REDUCE SUGAR

I do my very best to only consume sugar in the form of fruit and honey. Even then, I eat these things sparingly. Unfortunately, sugar is hidden in pretty much everything these days, so to avoid it, you have to keep your eye out for it. Be aware of hidden sugar in sauces, breakfast cereals, drinks, dairy products and pre-packaged meals.

5. ADD IN GREEN FOODS + LOTS OF VEGETABLES

Whenever I am feeling a little sick or run down, the first thing I do is increase the amount of greens and fresh vegetables I am eating. It seriously makes a huge difference. At the moment, I do my best to eat something green with every meal. I do this by having baby spinach with my eggs/grains at breakfast time. Then for lunch I have a big leafy salad. And I always do my best to include green leafy vegetables with my dinner. Increasing my greens is the number one thing that I believe has changed my health.

MY LUNCH

Baby spinach + cherry tomato + mixed sprouts + avocado + tuna

+ red capsicum

6. DRINKS STACKS OF WATER

I know you have heard it a million times, yet I will say it again. Drink water! When you are dehydrated you get tired, your brain doesn't function and your skin looks dry and dull. When you are feeling hungry, drink a big glass of water first and then wait 20 minutes. You might just be thirsty rather than hungry! I keep a large glass bottle on my desk at work and I aim to drink 2 of them a day. It is much easier to get your water intake when it is sitting in front of you all day.

7. EAT IT RAW

I went through a phase of eating a lot of 'raw' food. This means fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that are not heated/cooked, as well as soaked and sprouted grains and legumes. I am no longer completely for that way of eating, however, it is important to eat living food in it's natural state that is not over-cooked.

Heating and cooking damages the structure of the nutrients in the food and also destroys many precious vitamins and minerals. It also destroys the enzymes that are needed to digest the food. Aim to eat as many of your vegetables in their raw, natural state to ensure you are getting all of their wonderful nutrients.

RAW PIZZA @ GREEN LIZARD

A girlfriend and I visited the Green Lizard Raw Food Cafe in

Sydney and sampled their raw menu. We shared a few different

dishes, including this raw pizza! A.ma.zing.

8. ADD IN SUPERFOODS

Some people are a bit anti the superfood thing. But I am not! I love anything that is jam packed with nutrients. Some of my favourites that I use regularly are; goji berries, maca powder, spirulina, coconut, chia seeds, raw cacao and wheatgrass.

MORNING TEA PICK-ME UP

I love to create yummy superfood snacks. This treat is made up of

quinoa + tahini + raw cacao + a date + coconut flesh

... and the last 2 are lifestyle tips...

9. EAT LIGHT AT NIGHT

One of the changes that I made which dramatically changed my energy was eating a lighter dinner. I wake up at 5am everyday, and I simply cannot do it when I eat a big dinner. If you go to bed with a full stomach, your body will spend half the night digesting which will take away from it's ability to restore and renew itself.

Personally, I like to sometimes just have a green juice for dinner, yet I know that is not everyone's cup of tea. Just make an effort to start cutting back on the size or heaviness of your dinner. I guarantee you will find it a lot easier to get out of bed the next day.

GREEN JUICE

My standard combo = kale + celery + cucumber + lemon + ginger

Delish!

10. PREPARATION IS KEY
In order to eat well, you need to be organised. I find that on the days where I do not prepare healthy food to take to work, I will end up eating whatever I can find!

This may mean that you have to make time in your evenings to get your lunch ready, or wake up a bit earlier in the morning. Sure, it may seem like a lot of work, but I guess it depends how much you want to be healthy. Personally, I am happy to sacrifice a few minutes of sleep to ensure I get to eat healthy, nutritious food all day.

WHAT I TAKE TO WORK!

I always ensure I have a supply of baby spinach, cherry tomatoes,

red capsicum, celery and avocado at work. Then, I also take along a

quinoa dish, boiled egg, my buckwheat bread and maybe a few

other snacks as well! It varies from day to day but I like to just

leave a little supply in the fridge at work, so I can draw on it when

I am in need of a nutritious meal.

BREAK YOUR NEGATIVE FUNK: 8 STEPS TO POSITIVE CHANGE

2011-10-30T19:23:00.000+11:00

Do you ever have moments where you feel a bit blah? Maybe these moments last for a whole day, or maybe they just come and go. Either way, when they happen, they are not much fun.

I call this a negative funk. When I get in one, I feel stagnant and I lack inspiration. My usual upbeat, positive vibe seems out of reach. Instead, I feel zero motivation, and my mind just seems to go round and round on a negative loop.

What do you do when you fall in to a negative funk? Do you allow yourself to wallow in negativity until something outside of you changes to make you feel better? Or do you look inside to figure out what is going on and commit to doing something positive and proactive to turn it around?

When it comes to what I write on this blog, I practice what I preach. Everything I write here I use in my own life. I can honestly say that I used to be one of those people that would frequently experience these funks. And when I did, I would do very little to change it. I did not know then, what I know now - that I actually have the power and ability to change my state, and eliminate my negativity if I choose.

The Cause of Negative Funks
Over the years, I have found these negative funks are more likely to arise when I am getting comfortable. When I am feeling a little lazy, I allow life to just run on auto pilot for a while. I just go through the motions, follow my habits and react to situations as they arise.

In these instances, my unconscious mind takes over and begins to run the show. The danger with this, is that many things lie in your unconscious mind that you are not even aware of. They may be old outdated limited beliefs, fears, unsupportive habits and old behaviours from the past that no longer serve you. When you live like this, it is impossible for you to create amazing new experiences and opportunities. Instead, you become stuck in a total rut and life feels like it is playing like a broken record.

Living Consciously
So, here is the good news. In order to turn around your negative funk, all you have to do is the complete opposite. You have to become conscious. What does this mean? It means, making a choice! Living consciously means you choose how you want to live and you commit to making it that way.

Living Consciously =

Consciously and deliberately choosing your thoughts
Choosing to take actions that you know will serve you
Choosing to create new habits that will take you where you want to go
Being aware of what is going on in your mind
Creating your life proactively, rather than just reacting to what is happening

How to Break Your Negative Funk!
You have the ability to break your funk, and it is as simple as choosing to become more conscious of what is going on in your head. There are also lots of practices that you can use in your life to break your funk. Here are some that I use, that will hopefully be of help to you too!

1. Make The Best Of It
I love the phrase in the photo above - Grow where you are. To me, it can be interpreted to mean, make the best of where you are. Right now, you may find yourself 'planted' in a crap job, a disempowering relationship, or with a small bank account. Rather than getting yourself all upset about how crap it is, why not focus on how you can grow. How an you make the best of where you are? How can you start to turn this around?

In order to move your life forward, you do not need to figure out how to change or fix all of the problems in your life. Instead, simply start by making the best of what you have got. Find ways to start to feel better about where you are. As your energy shifts inside you, the world you you experience it outside of you, will also begin to shift.

2. Ask the Right Questions
When I was contemplating signing up for my Life Coach training, what stopped me was the money. For many months, I worried about how I would manage to pay for it. All my focus was on the reasons why I could not afford it. Then one day, I came across an article about the power of your questions, and I realised I needed to make a change.

Instead of thinking about all the reasons why I could not afford the course, I began asking myself "How can I afford this course? and "How can I find the money for this training?" When I began to ask empowering questions, I began to receive empowering answers. Suddenly, all my concerns around paying for the course shifted. I started to get a lot of new ideas about how I could pay for the course, and I felt a calm sense of knowing that everything would work out perfectly.

3. Be Willing To Change
It is one thing to want to change in theory, but unless you are willing to do the work, nothing will happen. You must be able to open your mind to new possibilities, be flexible in your approach and allow changes to unfold in your life.

When I want to make a shift in how I am living, I repeat the mantra "I am willing to change" everyday. I take it in to the shower with me, I repeat it as I stretch in my yoga poses, and I say it in my mind as I walk to work. You have to be willing to change the way that you are thinking about something in order for anything to shift.

4. Choose New Goals
I tend to get in to a bit of a slump when I have no real direction. I find that I just react to life, rather than deliberately creating intentionally. It is important to ensure you are always growing and challenging yourself. So, you must continue to set goals that stretch you and take you to new places.

When you are working towards a new goals, you mind is focused on something positive and constructive. You must keep yourself focused and determined. This mental state helps prevent negative funks, as you are optimistically looking towards your future achievements. if you do not currently have a list of compelling and exciting goals that you are working on, it might be a good idea to sit down and write some.

5. Journal Positivity
When I want to bring more positivity in to my life, I like to carry a journal with me at all times. Whenever something positive happens in my life, or I feel good about something, or I notice something awesome, or I find something to appreciate, I write it down.

This is an extremely powerfully tool. Not only does it shift your energy to a more positive place during the day, but you will find that you start to notice the positive things in your life more easily. I also recommend reading over it at the end of the day, to boost your positive energy vibe!

6. Create a Morning Routine
The way that you start your day, has a significant effect on how the rest of it unfolds. it is important to take time each morning, to tune yourself in to a positive state.

The way I spend my morning tends to change and vary, but it always involves me getting up before the sun rises. I know this is a challenge for some people, but it is one of the most beneficial habits you can create. At the moment, I use this morning time to exercise at the gym. I never thought I could exercise in the mornings, but I am now converted and I absolutely love it.

At other times of my life, I have used this morning time to meditate, journal, set intentions for the day, review my goals and do a bit of visualisation. These practices set you up in a positive vibe for the day, and get you living consciously, deliberately and with purpose.

7. Think in Baby Steps
If you're sitting in a place of depression, anger or fear, it can be pretty hard to jump straight in to a place of joy, happiness and optimism. So, I suggest taking baby steps with your thinking.

Start by trying to think about the situation in a way which feels a little bit better that what you're thinking now. Then, add another positive thought, and then another. Add in thoughts of compassion, forgiveness, faith, love, abundance, peace, kindness and generosity. Allow yourself to get on a bit of a roll with your positive thoughts and gradually your energy will shift.

8. Ask for Guidance
Now, I am not religious, but in challenging times, I pray. I do not pray to God necessarily, nor do I beg for help. I simply talk to that higher part of me that often has all the answers. I sit quietly and I ask for guidance. I ask for support and assistance. Although this is quite a spiritual practice for me, it does not necessarily have to be. It is as simple as acknowledging that there is a greater power at play in our universe that has the ability to step in and guide us when we need it most.

DARING MOMENTS: STEP OUT OF YOUR FEAR AND IN TO YOUR LIFE

2011-10-23T19:14:00.001+11:00

A few days ago I was faced with the need to make one of those big life decisions. I was at a fork in the road. I had been procrastinating on making this particular decision for a long time, and I knew the day had come to make it. As I sat pondering my options, I weighed up the two paths that lay before me. I knew that whatever path I decided to take was going to completely change the course of my life.

The Two Paths
I thought about the first path. It was definitely the safe road. I had walked this path many times. It was familiar, certain and easy. Taking this path would allow me to continue to glide along in my life as it had been. Nothing would need to change. I would not need to be challenged. I could just keep things the same. Sure, it didn't feel overly inspiring or exciting, but that didn't mean it was not appealing. I could hear a little voice of fear whispering to me to choose this path "The other path will be so hard. Why not just keep it easy and stay where you are?" It said. "What happens if you fail?"

As I thought about the second path, little bubbles of anxiety began to rise inside me. This would definitely be the more challenging route. This path was new and unknown. It involved risks and uncertainty. I would be well out of my comfort zone and in order to handle it, I would have to stretch myself to be bigger and better than I had before. Although this path seemed scary and daunting, deep down I knew it was the right one for me. Taking this path was something I had dreamt of for years. It was the path of my heart. It was a path that involved all the things I loved to do and all the things I was most passionate about. It was the path I was born to take.

As I sat at this crossroad, I experienced what I call a daring moment. It was as if life was daring me.

"Do it!" It yelled. "Take the second path. I dare you."

And so I did. I made the decision and I followed through with the necessary action. I chose the second path. The path of my heart.

My Daring Moment
In case any of you are wondering what this path was that I decided to take, I will tell you. This week, I enrolled in a training course that will see me become an Advanced Practitioner of Life Coaching. This decision will kick start a brand new career path for me and take me to a completely different place in my life. Those who know me, know that this something I have been thinking of doing for a long time. And as a reader of a life of perfect days, you will know that the field of self development, life improvement, and happy living is a big passion of mine. I cannot think of anything better that getting to do this for a living, so that is what I am going to do! I look forward to sharing more of my journey and of course my learnings with you on this blog over the coming months.

Embrace Your Daring Moment!
Have you ever been faced with one of these moments in your life? A moment where you can decide to either embrace the daring opportunity that life is presenting to you, or let it pass you by?

In the past, I have faced many daring moments where I have chosen to back down and take the easy route. So, what made this time different? I believe there are a few key factors that will either support or destroy your ability to embrace your daring moment. Here is what helped me;

1. Connect With Your WHY
Ask yourself why it is that you would take either path. Is it because it is easier, safer, more certain? Or is it because it sets your heart on fire, ignites your passion and calls you to become a bigger and better version of yourself?

You want to choose the path that is filled with the most joy. It should feel exhilarating to you. If you really connect with your heart and what you are feeling as you think of the 2 options that lay before you, you will be able to determine which is driven by fear and which is driven by love.

If you choose to take the more challenging, yet love filled path, remain connected to your why through the whole process. Remind yourself why you have made this choice. Anytime fear comes up, once again come back to your why. Think about all the amazing positive aspects of this new path you are taking, and move forward with your beautiful end result in mind.

2. Understand Your Fears
Here is the one thing you need to know about fear. Fear = Self Protection.

If you decide to take the second path, there is no doubt that your fearful voice is going to freak out and rush in with a thousand reasons why you should not and can not do it. This fearful voice is trying to protect you and keep you safe. It wants security, stability, comfort and sameness. It does not want to see you fail, as this will risk the love and acceptance that it thinks you need.

Rather than getting all caught up in the drama of these thoughts, just take a step back. Remember, these thoughts are not real. They are simply a self-protective mechanism. Remain calm, and become aware of what is going in in your mind. Identify these thoughts and notice them. Then, all you need to do is simply say to yourself "Thank you thoughts, I know you are just trying to protect me, but I am safe and all is well and only good lies before me." And then, let them go.

3. Decide. Commit. Act
Once the decision has been made, commit yourself 100% and then follow through with immediate action. If you procrastinate, wait or decide to think about it for a bit longer, you will lose your moment. When the impulse is there you must jump on it immediately. If you wait, you will simply be giving your mind the perfect opportunity to step in and talk you out of it.

You must follow through with action before you have even a second to stop and think what you are doing. Act now, analyse later. Daring moments are lost by deliberation. It is a waste of time. Once you know this is the path for you, then you must follow through immediately.

Prior to making your decision, I do believe that you need to create adequate time and space to get clear on your decision. But unless proactive steps are taken, nothing will happen. Sure, it may feel scary. It will probably completely freak you out. That is ok. This is a good sign. It means you are taking a leap out of your comfort zone, and in to the zone where dreams are created.

4. Be Willing To Not Know
Any time you take a risk in life, you are going to have to embrace uncertainty. You are going to have to forgo your ability to predict and control the outcome. You are going to have to willing to not know how things are going to pan out.

Living this way forces you to become extremely present. When you step on to a bold new path that is filled with unknowns it is impossible to control how things will unfold. All you can do is take life one step at a time. Just take the step that lies before you in this very moment, and do not worry about anything else.

All you can do is set your intention and then show up each day and do what you can. You are not going to have the answers all at once. They will be revealed over time. You need to learn to trust the process that is unfolding, and trust that the Universe is supporting you. The amazing payoff of living a daring life, is by being willing to relinquish some of your control, you actually create a beautiful space for the Universe to step in and help you.

5. Support Yourself
Following a path that takes you out of your comfort zone can sometimes be a rocky road. It can be emotionally and physically testing. So, it is important to support yourself with positive and empowering thoughts, and to take good care of your body through these times of transition. Nurture your body with healthy foods, take adequate time out for rest and set aside time to get quiet and connect with your inner guidance.

There may be times when negative voices try to creep in to your mind to cut you down or hold you back. In order to succeed, you are going to need to be your own cheerleader. Congratulate your self on having the courage to take these steps, encourage yourself when you're facing challenges and give yourself positive reinforcement for all the actions you take along the way. Support yourself the way you would a best friend or a young child. Speak lovingly to yourself and believe in yourself, and you will be much more equipped to handle whatever your daring moment throws at you along the way.

ARE YOU BLOCKING YOUR HAPPY LIFE?

2011-10-14T20:48:00.000+11:00

It seems everybody these days is on the search for the elusive happy life. I won't deny it. I am always looking for ways to become better, achieve more and create greater happiness.

The trick to remember, is that happiness starts in your mind. Do you know you can completely shift your level of happiness in the space of about 5 minutes by changing how you are thinking? Positive, loving, empowering and happy thoughts, create positive, loving, empowering and happy feelings in the body. Simple, right?

Very often the reason we are unhappy is not because crappy stuff is happening, but rather because we are thinking crappy thoughts. If we can work to pull out the weeds in our mind and clear out the negative thoughts, what we will be left with is happiness.

Happiness is our natural state until some yucky, low level thought comes along and blocks it. So, to experience more happiness, it makes sense that we identify what these happiness-stealing thoughts are, and then we work to turn them around.

Here are some of the common ways of thinking that I think block many of us from experiencing our natural state of happiness every day.

Mulling Over The Past
The past is over. Done. Finished. Complete. There is nothing you can do to change it now. So, unless you are sitting around reminiscing about the good old times, thinking about the past is a complete waste of your time and energy.

Do you ever replay past experiences over and over in your head? You may think 'if only' you had done it a different. You may analyse the past and search for what went wrong. Unless there are valuable lessons to be learned from these past experiences, you really just need to let them go.

Getting stuck in your head thinking about the past takes you out of this special, beautiful moment NOW. In life, you get what you think about. So, if you are thinking about past failures, past sucky relationships, past job stuff ups or past hurts, you are going to create them all over again in your future.

If you are one of those people whose life feels like a broken record and the same shit just seems to keep happening, it is probably because you are spending way too much thinking about this past stuff and in turn you are projecting it in to your future experiences.

Living in the past takes away from your powerful creative energy and drains you of your ability to create a fresh, blissful and fulfilling future.

Ignoring Your Inner Callings

One of the best ways to create a happy life, is to listen to what your heart calls you to do, and then do it. I have no doubt you know what those things are that make you come alive. But perhaps you do not prioritise them or you do not think they are important.

Often we ignore that little voice that whispers to us. We often dismiss it. Maybe it is because we do not believe that what it tells us we can do, is really possible. Maybe it is because what it tells us we can have, seems to good to be true. Or maybe we have just lost faith in that little voice of intuition that often guides us to exactly what we need at any given moment.

Have you ever had a gut instinct about something, and rather than listening to it, you ignored it. Then what do you know, shit hits the fan. And you look back in hindsight and realise that listening to your inner nudges could have potentially prevented the pit fall? It happens to me all the time.

It can be hard to trust your intuition sometimes, especially when the voice of your rational mind is much louder. But by taking time to connect with yourself and learn what your heart wants for you, you can connect to your true source of happiness and move past what it is that has been blocking you.

Affirming The Bad Stuff
Every word you speak and every thought you think, is an affirmation. Yes, you heard me. Affirmations are not just motivational phrases stuck on your mirror. An affirmation is a statement to the Universe. It is a message that you are communicating about yourself. Every word and thought tells the Universe who you are and what you want to create in your life.

So, if this is the case, doesn't it make perfect sense to only say and think thoughts about what you DO want to create more of rather than what you don't? It is kind of obvious, yet that does not stop many of us telling anyone who will listen about all the things that we do not like about our life.

We may not even realise we are doing it. But each time you complain about the traffic, look in the mirror and criticise your body, bitch about your co-worker, feel crap about the amount of money in your bank account, you are sending a message to the Universe. Anytime you talk or think about something you do not like or do not want, the Universe is listening and is getting ready to bring you more of it.

Talking and thinking about what you do not want, will block anything that you do want or that you would like to experience from coming to you.

Playing Small
The reason we play small in life is because we do not believe in our selves. Why don't we set huge, scary, out-of-comfort-zone goals? Sometimes instead it is easier to take what we can get. Or maybe it is just easier to play it safe and do what you know. Either way, shrinking away from your dreams because you are scared or because you do not believe you can have them, is a sure fire way to sabotage your own happiness.

I think this amazing quote from Marianne Williamson sums up this point quite nicely...

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others"

Fretting Other People's Opinions
I think that many of us these days are living fake lives. Living life for other people. Doing the things that we think will win love and affection, rather than doing what we really want to be doing.

Sometimes you just have to go against the grain. You have to shut out the world, forget about what your parents want you do to and surrender the need to impress all your friends. You have to listen to your own voice. Your own inner calling.

It is impossible to be truly happy if you are living out someone else's dream. It is impossible to truly follow your heart, if you are concerned about what other people will think of you.

So, how about taking a risk? Why not be different? Find the courage to step out in to the world and march to the beat of your own drum. You never know, you might just find what it is that you have been looking for all along.

TAKE A DETOUR: TURN INWARDS

2011-10-02T20:30:00.000+11:00

Recently, the way that I handle life's challenges has changed. I can definitely look back over this year and see that something has shifted. In the past when I encountered tough times, I would look to the external world to help me tackle them. I believed that was where the elusive solution lay. I was obsessively attached to results and outcomes. It was all about getting the end result I wanted. The only way I knew how to solve my problems was to try and control other people, manipulate events to go my way, and fix all the things that I believed were wrong.

I was not at all in touch with my emotions and had no control over the thoughts that ran through my mind. As a result, I used external substances and experiences to numb and stuff down whatever I did not want to feel or or think about.

I often felt powerless and at effect in life. Things happened. I reacted. I did not have any additional coping strategies than this.

I believe most people today live this way. It is all we know. It is what we have been taught. Our focus remains purely fixed on the outer world and what we can do to change it. We have no idea that there is a another way. A better way. Sometimes you have to reach breaking point, and be hit down to your knees before you are willing give up your way, and ask for help.

The Detour

After years of using this outdated method and feeling like I was hitting my head against a brick wall, I finally surrendered. No matter how much I tried, worked , and struggled, I could not get the results I wanted. I began to realise how futile my attempts to change the outer world were. I instead decided to change the only thing that I had the power to - my inner world.

This process involved taking a detour. It required me to get off the well-worn track and turn down to a new path. A path inwards. This is where all true power lies, and it is where the solution to every problem can be found.

Sometimes life just keeps hitting you on the head until you wake up. This wake up call is a blessing. A blessing in disguise. It is a call that allows to discover the truth about life, and the truth about happiness.

This call causes you to crack open. To open yourself up to a new way of being and living in the world. Life no longer has to be about getting, grasping, fighting and competing. It does not have to be about making your external world perfect. You can still have all the things you want in your life, but you can learn how to create it from the inside-out, and with much more peace, effortlessness and flow.

We all want things to go our way. But life is not about that. So much happiness and joy can come being willing to accept whatever happens, and know that you will be ok, even if it all falls apart.

Change Starts Inside You

Changing the outer world starts with changing your inner world. If you can shift what is happening inside of you, then you will find the outer world with naturally begin to shift too. The solution to your problem begins with how you are thinking and feeling. By coming to a place of peace and acceptance you will allow everything to begin to flow. As you relax and open, you begin to allow solutions to come to you. When you are stressed, anxious and focusing on the problem, no solution can come.

I began to focus less on attempting to change the outer world, and more on changing me. Changing who I was. Changing how I was responding. Changing the stories I was telling. Changing the meaning I was making.

I was no longer concerned about whether or not I was having an effect on the world around me. Even though, nothing outside of me had changed, I still somehow began to feel so much better.

I realised that I could not change what was happening, but I could change how I responded to it. I could change my thoughts from being fearful, negative and critical to being loving, positive and accepting. I could change my feelings from being tense, uptight and controlling to at ease, soft, and flexible. I could change my emotions from anxious and worried to be calm and peaceful.

The point is, that it is not actually about the results. It is not about making the world look perfect. It is about changing the way you respond. It is about feeling better.

How to Turn Inward

It all starts with a willingness.

There must be a willingness to relinquish control, to be humble, to surrender. You must be willing to not know. This journey is not about having it all planed out. It is about showing up each day, and doing the best you can. There must also be a willingness to listen. Not many people listen these days. We talk a lot. We make a lot of useless noise. But not many of us really listen.

Your inner guidance will speak to you, if you are willing to listen. You will be guided to the exact book you need to read, the class you need to take or the person you need to meet. The solution to your problem will unfold effortlessly without stress or struggle.

Then you must ask. Ask for help. Recognise that there is an energy in this Universe that is here to help you. Be humble, and allow a power greater than you to step in and support you.

Many people do not ever reach this point until they have to. But I did. I had to make a change. I had no choice.

Tools for Turning Inward

Sometimes I forget to do the inner work. I will once again become seduced by the drama of the outer world. I will fuss and fight and attempt to regain control. And every time I do, I come crashing down. Things stop working. I feel off. There is no flow. There seems to be more problems than solutions.

The key is to start to use inner practices to support you before you reach breaking point. Start to integrate these practices in to your daily life. Make it how you live. Make it what you do.

I now have a tool box of inner coping strategies that I draw on. And I want to share them with you here.

1. Feel Your Emotions
Your emotions need to be acknowledged. Even the crappy ones. They need to be listened to. They need to be felt. They need to be released.

Suppressing or avoiding your emotions will not work. They will still be there inside you, just waiting for another opportunity to be expressed. Emotion is energy in motion. It needs to move through you and move out of you. It is exhausting to try to hold an emotion down inside of you. When you are stuck in a place of funky emotion, you must find a method to express it. It may involve talking to a friend, going for a walk, having a cry, doing some yoga, going to the gym. Anything that allows the emotion to move. It can not sit still.

Your emotion communicates to you. It is a messenger. Sometimes you may not even realise that you have been worrying about something, until you suddenly burst in to tears for no reason. Or maybe you have been thinking negative thoughts about a person, and then you get a crazy burst of anger and snap at them for no reason. Your emotions are an indicator of what is going on inside of you. Pay attention.

2. Quiet Your Mind
Stressful thoughts will make you feel stressed. Fearful thoughts will make you feel anxious. Fast-paced, monkey mind thoughts will make you feel overwhelmed. The easiest way to feel better, when you feel crap, is to slow down your thoughts and quieten your mind.

Through my most challenging times, meditation has been my lifesaver. Literally. I have experiences some days where I feel so overwhelmed, anxious or just plain crap, that literally nothing can fix it. On these days, all I can do is come home, sit on my yoga mat, light a candle and meditate. Nothing soothes me like meditation does.

Meditation does not have to follow any set guideline or process. It is very individual. It may be as simple as sitting still in quietness. That may be enough. You may also want to focus on your breathe or listen to calming music. Whatever makes you feel better, is perfect.

3. Let Go
Take a deep breath, and let go of whatever it is that you have been holding on to. Let go of control. Let go of resentments. Let go of fears. Let go of disempowering stories.

Give up your attachments. Stop needing to control everything. Come back to the moment and enjoy the process. Let go of the outcome.

Surrender is extremely relaxing. It is where you give up trying. You do not need to try so hard! And you do not need to work so hard. When you are in a negative space, and you try hard to make it better, you very often make it worse. It is very different to just let it go. Let go of the problem and come back to it later. Let go of the drama and let everything settle.

4. Listen for Guidance
Do not underestimate the power of your intuition. The more that you believe and have faith in it, the more you will hear it. It is a practice. It grows stronger the more you use it. It requires you to give up doing things your way, and entertain the idea that some higher part of you might just know better.Your intuition can help you solve problems. It can lead you to solutions that you may not have ever thought of.

Intuition speaks to you through inner nudges, feelings, sudden insights, coincidences and synchronicity. It may even come as a voice. It may leaves little signs and clues for you and helps you be in the right place at the right time. It connects you with the people you need to met. Whatever form it shows up in your life, does not matter. Either way, it will lead you to what you need. It will not predict your future and reveal any grand plan. It simply leads you moment to moment, step by step to a better place.

5. Be Willing to Not Know
You can not predict the future. You cannot control outcomes. You can not make other people be what you want them to be. You cannot always make things go your way. So, sometimes you have to be willing to not know. You may not always know if things will work out.

So, all you can do each day is just show up. Show up and do the best that you can. And be willing to detach from what will happen in the outer world. Just worry about your internal experience. Just make sure you head and your heart are in the right place. Just work to feel good on the inside, and then everything will start to improve on the outside.

FOLLOW YOUR BLISS

2011-09-22T19:25:00.001+10:00

Follow your bliss. It sounds simple enough. But the path to a heart-driven blissful life is not always straight forward.

To follow your bliss, you first must know what brings you bliss. Do you know? Do you know what you love to do? Do you have a love list and do you indulge in these actions regularly?

You also have to know how bliss feels to you. Think of something you absolutely love to do and pay attention to the feelings it creates in you. See if you can define it. For me, bliss creates a feeling of flow. My heart flutters with excitement. Energy bubbles up inside me. I am so present it feels like time has stopped. I am switched on and inspired. Everything in this moment feels perfect, like it happening just as it is supposed to.

Bliss comes from a connection to your heart. It is natural and effortless. It is a by product of following your truth. When you are doing what is right for you, you cannot help but feel bliss. It is like you are in exactly the right place at the right time. I believe that this is our natural state to be in. When our minds are clear and we are listening to our heart, we will encounter bliss daily and happiness with come effortlessly.

Living a life of bliss is not necessarily about trying to make your life appear perfect. It is about living with the intention of bliss. Intend to experience joy everyday even if there are things about your life that you do not like. Even when you are in situations, or with people or in places that you do not like, see if you can use your mind to create a space of bliss. Following your bliss is about choosing the right thoughts. It is about thinking positive and happy thoughts even in not-so-positive circumstances. It is about deciding to make how you feel more important than anything else.

Why Should We Follow Our Bliss?
There is something special that happens when you make the decision to make what you love, be the driving force in your life. The intention to live this way will completely change your energy and what you put out to the world. It will therefore begin to change what you get back. If your life is missing sparkles, magic and miracles, the path of following your bliss may just change that. I think that this beautiful quote by Joseph Campbell describes it perfectly.

Follow your bliss.

If you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while waiting for you, and the life you ought to be living is the one you are living.

When you see that, you begin to meet people, who are in the field of your bliss, and they open doors to you.

I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be.

The Path To Bliss
All you need to do to start to follow your bliss, is make the decision. Decide to make what you love, number one priority. Intend it. Then, just take it one step at a time.

Each day take one step. One step closer to bliss.

When you follow your bliss, you do not need a plan. You simply show up each day and take whatever step you can. When your intention is to simply experience more joy and bring in to your life more things that you love, everything just starts to naturally unfold.

When I started this blog, I did not have a grand plan, or even really know what I was doing. I simply knew that I loved to write and share information that I was passionate about. I was looking for ways to bring more of the things I loved in to my life, and I wanted to then express more of these parts of me to the world. As I took different steps each day, I found that things just started to happen. More and more people began to read what I was writing. I started to receive emails from all over the world. People would write to me and tell me how my blog had inspired them, changed their life, encouraged them to do or be more, or it simply just made them feel better. The comments I received became my fuel to continue to write and share this message with others as much as I could.

When I started the Facebook page for this blog (less than a week ago), it was yet another step towards bliss. I knew I loved sharing these messages, and I could feel an inner tug to start to share it even more through the platform of Facebook. I had actually had this thought for months, but I never acted on it. Why? Because of fear. So often our bliss-filled desires and heart whispers are shut down by our fearful mind and suppressed and ignored. Since I have been writing this blog, I have come across many people who have told me they have been thinking of writing a blog, or have always wanted to start one. But they haven't. Why?

The Blocks To Bliss
Sometimes we block our own bliss. Our heart may be calling us to take a certain path, while our head tells us to do the opposite. Other times, life just gets in the way. We are so busy trying to get everything done, that we do not even set aside time to do the things we love the most.

Many people do not take the steps to follow their bliss, as this path will often take them out of their comfort zone. It is often much easier to stay with a life that is safe, albeit mediocre, rather than daring to take the risk to follow your heart.

Anytime you choose to step past your fear and move out of your comfort zone, you are going to go through a big process of inner growth. Life to me, is not about the outer results we get when we achieve our goals. It is about the process we had to go through to get there, and the learning's we got along the way. Every time I have ignored the voice of fear, and have instead taken a step towards my bliss, I have celebrated. I have not cared whether the end result looked perfect. I have simply revelled in the fact that I had the courage to choose love over fear.

How Do We Move Past Our Blocks?
To move past the blocks, remain connected to your intention. My intention with this blog, has nothing to do with my own agenda. I am not trying to push anything, or create some persona about who I think I am. My intention has always been to simply expand on my bliss and find more ways to express it. And hopefully along the way, I inspire some other people to do the same.

You also have to stop worrying about what other people think of you. Of course, that was one of my fears too. But when you are tuned in to the intention of why you are doing something, then you are connected to a voice of love, and the voice of fear becomes quieter.

When I started my blog, I decided I was going to take a risk with my writing. I didn't want to write things just to please or impress people. I just wanted to be real and authentic, even if that meant being vulnerable and exposed. Why not? Why are we all so afraid of each other. We are all made of the same stuff, and we are all here just doing the best we can. If we could just stop worrying about what other people think for a while, we would have enough space in our heads to find out what we really and truly want for ourselves.

Are there any areas in your life, where you are being called to do something, that you know you will love, yet you are stopping yourself from doing it out of fear?

If so, identify it. Set an intention to move your life towards doing more of this thing you love. Connect with your heart. And then go out in to the world each and every day and take whatever step you can. Do whatever you can to choose love over fear, and bliss over struggle.

Tips To Connect With Your Bliss
1. Get out of your head and in to your body - I find that whenever I am blocked or stuck in a low energy space, it is often because I am stuck in my head and I am over thinking something. If this happens, take a break. Go for a walk outdoors. Go to a gym class. Do some yoga. Go for a swim in the ocean. Do whatever you need to do to switch off your mind and get back in to your body. I actually find that the majority of my blog post ideas, come to me when I am on the treadmill!

2. Get quiet and listen - Take a moment to get still and listen. Breathe and connect with yourself. See if you can hear the voice of your intuition. It is the soft, loving and supportive voice that guides you. Tune in to the energy in your heart space. Just sit and wait. Sometimes to get clarity, all you need to do is create enough space for it.

3. Connect with what you love - Start to identify what the things are that you love. Do you have ideas, dreams, inspirations that you have been ignoring. Start to write them down. Create a love list. Journal. Try new things. Experiment. Play in the world and see what it is you love to do, and then do it as much as you can.

GET THE GLOW: MY TOP BODY PRODUCTS FOR INSIDE AND OUT

2011-09-18T10:26:00.000+10:00

Learning to love and nourish your body can be challenging in today's society. Many of us can't help but compare ourselves to others and judge our bodies against the unrealistic standards set by the media.

This type of comparison causes us to label things in our body as wrong or bad. We become flaw-finders and nit-pickers. We strive for some form of perfection, thinking that when we look a certain way we will receive the love or affection we crave.

In order to overcome these unsupportive habits, we must do whatever we can to engage in behaviours that are instead self-loving and nurturing. Behaviours such as eating whole, healthy food, pampering ourselves with nourishing activities and talking to ourselves in kind ways.

I have been inspired today to share a range of products that I am currently using which help me take wonderful care of my body and support it to stay strong and beautiful. Over the years, I have moved towards a much more natural approach with how I care for myself. I have moved away from products filled with synthetic chemicals and over-powering fragrances. I have also moved away from foods that are over-processed and devoid of nutrients. In order for me to feel nourished, I need to know that the things I am putting on my skin and in my mouth are filling me up with goodness and helping my body functioning at an optimal level.

So, here is what i am loving right now.

1. I LOVE MY BODY: ORGANIC BLACK COCONUT + TAHITIAN VANILLA BODY LOTION

I love the concept behind this body cream. The directions on the bottle read "applying body lotion is a wonderful opportunity to connect with our bodies. As you apply, thank every part of your body for giving you a vehicle to experience life! If you've been chronically telling yourself that you're fat, use this time to forgive yourself and love your fat bits"

This stuff is so ridiculously yummy. Not only is the packaging gorgeous, but the smell is out of this world. Plus, it is free from nasty chemicals and is jam packed with nourishing organic ingredients.

This range of products were created by Toni Childs (as in, the singer). After she was diagnosed with a serious thyroid condition called Graves Disease, she embarked on a journey to heal herself naturally and created this products along the way. You can read more about her story here.

2. GREEN GOODNESS

Whenever I have the chance, I like to whip up a fresh, organic green juice using my Huroum juicer. My favourite combination is kale, celery, cucumber, apple, lemon, ginger and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Lately though, I have been finding that I don't always have the time to get around to juicing. So, I have been creating a bit of a cheat green drink which may not be as good as the real thing, but still provides your body with a whole heap of alkalising vitamins and minerals.

Prior to going to the gym each morning, I make myself up a green shake. I find this actually gives me a big pep up before my work-out and reduces the amount that I need to eat afterwards. At the moment I am using Vital Greens powder, Spirulina powder, Barley Grass powder, Maca powder and a squeeze of half a lemon. I shake it all up together with water and drink!

3. KARPATI NATURAL HAIR CARE: SULPHATE-FREE SHAMPOO + SILICONE-FREE CONDITIONER

I was given a sample of these hair products by my local health food store, and I fell in love with them instantly.

Over the years, I have tried a lot of natural and chemical free hair products, and I have always been less than impressed. They have either left my hair dry and dull or greasy and flat.

However, since I have been using the Karpati products, I have actually been receiving a lot of compliments about my hair. They are moisturising and leave your hair full of body. Plus, they are free of horrible harsh chemicals that most hair products contain.

The conditioner has a subtle coconut smell which leaves your hair smelling divine without that fake over-fragranced smell that most conditioners have.

4. YOGA DOWNLOAD

I love the atmosphere of yoga class, and feeling I get after an hour long session. But for some reason, I always seem to procrastinate on getting my self to a class. So, to overcome this, I have began practicing at home using Yoga Download.

Once you download the class, you can use it anytime you like. It means I can squeeze in a quick morning session, do a longer one on a Sunday afternoon, or build in a regular practice for each evening when I get home from work.

There are various styles and levels of yoga, and you can choose what length of class you want to use as well.

I have been using Yoga Download for the past 2 years now and I have found it has really strengthened by practice. It is great for beginners too as you can take it at your own pace.

5. MV ORGANIC SKINCARE: ROSE SOOTHING + PROTECTIVE MOISTURISER

Last Christmas, my boyfriend gave me a pack of MV Organic skin care products. I was blown away by the richness of each of the creams, and the amazing smells of essential oils that were used in each of them.

My favourite out of the pack was the Rose Soothing & Protective Moisturiser.

I have used plenty of rose-scented creams in the past, as I absolutely adore how they smell. Yet, I often find that they are watery and the smell of rose is quite faint. This cream is different. The texture is rich, thick and creamy and the smell of rose is sweet and strong.

A little bit of this cream goes a long way, so I will sometimes just dab it around my eyes or even use it on my neck as perfume.