Day 48 - the "event" cycle

I find the lead up to events really fun…until about 2 hours before. Then I seem to hit a wall, feel like a nap and have a little hissy fit. Then at the event I'm pumped and have a ball. Until it gets past my bedtime then I get exhausted!! 

It's an interesting cycle. I love the preparation. Sometimes I think that's why I would be good at event management. Organise the event for someone else!! Nah…I do enjoy them! 

Thank god for family to step in and help calm you when clothes don't look right, to make you eat, to bounce ideas off and help you prepare! :) 

I had a blast when I got to my event tonight…160women all dressed in pyjamas dancing crazily around a hall to raise money for cancer research. Lots of money was raised for a beautiful event. Makes the hissy fits and frantic organising all worth it! :)

Getting through events and realising that your hard work and time was worth putting into it, is an amazing feeling. I think that at times we focus a lot on the little details - 'micro-managing' the problems that will iron themselves out over the course of the event. But the focus should be on the overall event. When I was preparing tonight, I was fluffing about…then I put together my display (beautifully of course) and was worried if I had enough things on display, was anyone going to look…etc Then I stopped and really looked around…at the bigger picture…there were 160 (ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY!!!) women all together laughing, drinking, telling dirty jokes, partying and making friends. All in the name of cancer research. When I looked at it that way, I stopped worrying about the little things, and really wanted the whole night to be a success. Which it was! :) 

I have to keep this one short (as technically I'm already into day 49!!) because I'm knackered! :) 

…Until Tomorrow xox

Day 47 - The Highs

I have had an amazing day today and feel like everything is falling into place. What changed for me, is instead of thinking about what 'could' happen, to what 'will' happen. I changed my focus from maybe one day I will get to where I want to be…to actively working at steps to get to smaller goals. So my big dream is to have an animal farm…my smaller one is to go to Africa, and smaller still is to build my businesses to be sustainable. WOW! So exciting. 

Small daily productive steps. I saw a beautiful positive speaker one day that said:

"It's simple, but doesn't mean its always going to be easy" 

This was in regards to developing a Nutrimetics business, but I have applied it to many areas of my life. If things are simplified…life is much more enjoyable. 

All good things in life take time…and work. But it's celebrating the little wins and successes..so that when you do experience the 'lows' they don't seem so bad. And some days (like sitting with the low) you need to 'high five' yourself and sit with the highs as well. It's being so excited and passionate and pumped by what you are doing, that people are attracted to you and everything just happens! 

I am babbling I know. I'm tired, I'm happy, and I've had a busy good day! It's a hugely grateful day!! :)

So HIGH FIVE yourself tonight!! :)

…Until Tomorrow xox

A reminder that 'life is a roller coaster' And your growth happens the most when you struggle.

Day 46 - "The Lows"

Life is a roller coaster  How often do we hear that? And what exactly does it mean? Life has highs and lows. We all know how to ride the highs, and love the feeling of everything working well and going to plan! But how do you deal with things when they don't go right? The "lows" of life? 

Knowing that life will pick up and you will get to the 'high' again is said so often. It can be easier said than done sometimes, right? Dealing productively with the lows, knowing they will be over seems to allude most of us at times..we either give up on what we are working at, think that everyone is against us and it's all too hard, perhaps it's not for you or the best excuse…I don't think I'll try because I'll never be good at it. 

Dealing with lows will define how you progress. Will you continue on to success? Or will you stop and change path - or give up? If you're why and reason is big enough, your determination will push you to get back on top. If you can pick yourself back up and realise when things don't go to plan, you will either work harder (and more wisely) to get to where you want to be) or realise there is a new plan in pace for you.  

What has helped me the most are:

1. Having a dream to work toward

2. Allowing yourself to have 'low' moment 

3. Reading positive quotes 

4. Surrounding yourself with positive people

5. Doing something fun for yourself

6. Breaking things down into small steps

7. Have a bath!

8. Write it all down.

..amoung a few!

There's many things you can do to help work towards the highs again. But the biggest thing is realising that things do get better.

…Until Tomorrow xox

Day 45 - Commitment

Commitment. Why does that scare people so much? What about that word incites feelings of stress, worry, fear and 'lack of freedom'? Relationships is the first thing that pops into my head when I think of committing to something. But really when you think about it, commitment comes in many forms, and probably scare us in different ways. 

We commit to things regularly - a new job (a contract?), a coffee date with a friend, fitness goals, making dinner, - even what tv show to watch - and for some people committing to watching it on a regular basis. I like the quote above because I think commitment is a conscious decision to see something through. 

Why should commitment be seen as a negative thing?! I mean I am committed to maintaining my fitness and I see that as a hugely positive thing. And when you are committed to something, does not mean that you are committed to that for the next 100years with no ability to change your path or your mind. But when we live in limbo - lost and drifting, because we are scared to commit to something or anything. Even if you find you've committed to something and feel that it's not working for you, you can stop, reassess and move on. It's what people do ALL THE TIME with jobs / careers. 

If we take the example of a relationship..you start with the commitment to go on a date, then a commitment to continue dating, a commitment to see someone regularly , a commitment to formally 'date' etc. So when we break it down the term "commitment" is really irrelevant as you have a lot of small commitments to get to where you currently are. When you commit to going on a date with someone - you haven't committed to marry, move in and spend the rest of your life with them! You're allowed to take it step-by--step and see where things go.

You do need to commit to having a go though! How will you ever know if you don't?! And when you are passionate about something you are committed to each step with so much energy that the wording of it is irrelevant. 

So next time the term "commitment" makes you nauseous or panicky, think about what exactly you are committing to! Is it a lifetime of something with no ability to change? Or is it a small step toward something that might grow into something bigger?! Oh, this can also be applied to all areas of your life…not just relationships! 

…Until Tomorrow xox

Day 44 - Exercise your mind

Health, wellbeing, beauty, feeling good…

When we think about this, we tend to focus A LOT on what we eat / put into our body, and exercising and keeping fit. Some thought is put into caring for your skin (if you don't know how let me know!!) but not as much as keeping fit and eating healthy. But least of all is what we put into our minds. 

I caught myself wasting time and found myself loosing energy with the silly games on your phone - I liked this initially after my accident, as I could 'zone out' and not think about ANYTHING! But as I started to improve, I made decision a - I want to put useful things into my brain. It would be interesting to see if there is a decline in ability since we rely on our phones so much - for entertainment, for maths, for communication, for time wasting…!! I know that long division has suffered…I asked mum today what 42 x 8 was, she paused for a moment then said "336"…pretty impressive…most of us would be reaching for the calculator on our phones!!

So leaving behind our naughty time wasting technology, what else do you do to look after your mind? I spoke the other day about meditation and mindfulness. I just watched an amazing show on ABC1 about an inspiring man who has started a charity to assist training for African rangers against poachers. That's what made me stop and think - even what we watch on TV impacts on our mental clarity and 'enrichment' (I talk about this a lot with dogs!). 

I have deleted the games off my phone - unless they serve as a mental exercise (like scrabble, or memory games). And aim to watch more informational shows..things to keep me thinking, stretching my mind. 

Of course we need to chill out and sometimes not stretch our mind - just like we need to have a 'rest day' from the gym or a 'cheat meal' from our healthy dinner. We should definitely consider better choices about what we put into our bodies on all levels. Time to break some bad habits…get rid of the calculator, watch a documentary, play a mind game, have a discussion with a  friend that stretches your mind...

Definitely food for thought…haha…excuse the pun!!

…Until Tomorrow xox

Day 43 - Facing your Fears

Today I had another MRI on my neck. This was by far one of the scariest ones. It reminded me of being on the spinal board and hence the accident itself - even though it was 2 ½ months ago.. I had my lovely mum and dad that came with me to support me and the help from a little tablet. I got through it, after a little hiccup and recomposing myself..then visualising my dream of being in Africa. Yes for that 30min MRI I was in Africa - the hot sun, sand everywhere, blue skies, mosquitos, beautiful animals, hiking boots…yep I was painting the full picture. 

Facing your fears - whether they are a physical one - like mine today; being confined in a machine and not able to move, or of something specific; flying, spiders or something abstract like failure, others judging you, is challenging. And no matter how many times you  face your fears, they will always be challenging and some require ongoing work. Some you face are on a daily basis or some are once every so often.

The courage needed to face your fears comes from within - no one can make you do it. But what's important to remember is that it's ok to ask for help - and that people are willing to help you in whatever way they can, to help you face your fears and overcome them. I know today I couldn't of done it without the support of my family and the lovely texts from my friends…and my stubbornness that "It's only an MRI and will be over soon". 

There is an amazing book "Feel the Fear and do it anyway" - definitely worth a read. How exhilarating is it to do something that you have been putting off? It could be asking someone to catch up, applying for a new job, doing something you have never done. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone in a small way everyday will lead you to start living and really finding awesome results in your life. 

What are you going to do tomorrow to push your boundaries? 

…Until Tomorrow xox

Day 42 - A blank page

Blank page. That's what I am staring at now. I was staring at the page trying to figure out what to write about tonight, I'm a bit tired from an amazing day with Nutrimetics.

Then I looked at it from a different angle…and as we know sometimes looking at things from a different point of view change the outlook completely! My blank page tonight was an amazing opportunity to write about anything. I've dedicated myself to writing something everyday for 365days, and I will write something. It's a journey, it's not always going to be easy, but there are many topics to explore. 

A blank page is an opportunity to write your own story, have your own adventure. This can also be a metaphor for life. On a daily basis. Each morning you wake up - refreshed, and have a blank page for the day. You can choose what you want to write about on it. It's proven that your first words and thoughts of the day will shape how your day goes. So if you think happy, positive "believe and achieve your dreams" thoughts - you are much more equipped to be able to handle what the day throws at you. 

For example, I completed my 12minute meditation this morning and thought about my dreams. I got to my Nutrimetics seminar and got all of my things out of the car and bent down to pick something off the ground and my smoothie (which was in my bag on my shoulder)  spilt all down my back on my work clothes. Before I went to go in. Sheesh! Don't you hate it when that happens!! Instead of thinking "this is going to be one of those days" or getting really stroppy - I laughed, cleaned myself up the best I could and went into the seminar…and had the best day. It was so great, I forgot all about it…until I got home and realised I had some pithy orange bits still on the back of my jacket! 

And yep…I laughed and laughed!! 

Attitude, how you see something and in return how you deal with it. Do you see an obstacle in your day and let it stop you from achieving your dream? OR do you see an obstacle, and a solution and work out how you will climb over it and keep moving? 

More food for thought!! :)

…Until Tomorrow xox