Community

The other day I was with at my Parents' home and we were reminiscing about the days when I was a Runner.  I loved Running.  I was a part of a Running Club and I loved my Community.  I loved being part of this Community.  For a long time Running was a major part of my life - my week days and weekends were dedicated to training and competing.  And I loved it.  I do miss my Running and hope to get back to Running after we have a Family.  And I also love that now I have discovered new Parts of my Self.

I was showing My Man my photos from my Running and I also found a piece of writing from 26 January 2001 - 10 years ago.  Here is what I wrote:

"MISSION STATEMENT FOR THE NEXT 100 YEARS

My wish is that all people will become actively involved in, and enjoy the benefits of, true Community.

Community is where a group of two or more people, regardless of differences, are able to accept and transcend these differences, enabling them to work effectively towards common Goals.  In a true Community, members support and encourage one another.  It is a place where there is freedom to be oneself, where ideas, opinions, sorrows, joys and Dreams are shared.

I am so fortunate to be part of the Western District Joggers & Harriers Club, which is more than just a Running Club... we are a Community... a Community that makes a difference to people's lives week in and week out.  The Running Club Community which originated in mid 1967 with only a few members now has over 200 Members.  Our Running Club meets every Saturday morning at Lake Gillawarna, Georges Hall at 7:30am.  We are a Family Blub which promotes Health and Fitness, with our Members enjoying the benefits and good feelings associated with being a part of a true Community.

My wish is that every individual becomes involved and joins a Community - such as a sporting group, a social club, a volunteer organisation, a church group, or a hobby group - any place where you can meet up with other people who may have the same interest (even if the interest is based on a desire to meet new people and enjoy new friendships).  I believe that the benefits for the individual and society of building communities are immeasurable.

My wish is that everyone can be proactive in building Communities within all their day to day relationships - within their Marriages, Families, work environments, social groups, sporting groups, suburbs, cities and countries.

As individuals we can build Communities by:

- Doing what is right;

- Being open and honest in all our interactions;

- Encouraging, celebrating and accepting our Uniqueness and different opinions, thoughts and ideas;

- Listening and being genuinely interested in others;

- Learning from one another's experiences;

- Always doing the best you can, in all you do;

- Being personally committed to continuous improvement;

- Treating others, as you would like to be treated.

God gave us the best Gift of all - the Gift of free will - the ability to choose.  Each day we make Choices.  We can choose how we want to spend our time, who we want to be, our Attitude and how we act and react.

My wish is that today, on Australia Day, 26 January 2001, all individuals make a choice to take personal responsibility and make a Commitment, to being the best they can be, and to build Communities within all their relationships.

It only takes small changes as individuals - but together we can make a big difference in building a better world.

I hope my wish comes true."

I loved reading what I wrote 10 years ago - feeling Inspired and seeing that my Values and Philosophy are still very similar.  And for the last 6 months I have consciously been aware of my feeling of a lack of Community in my life, or rather, the desire for me to regain a sense of Community in my life.  I am Grateful that I have a strong sense of Belonging with my Family and now with My Man, and yet there is a Part of me longing to again be a Member of a broader Community.  The Journey of being a Member came out when I was working with my Coach last year.  And I also know in my Heart, that some of my happiest times was when I was part of my Running Community - it is a time that brought me such great joy. 

And I am Excited that I have found a Community that I am growing to love.  I feel so at home when I go to Church on a Sunday - Kingsway Community http://www.kingsway.org.au/Welcome. There is so much Spirit within this gathering of friends.  I am made to feel so welcome and at the same time given Space so that I am not overwhelmed or rushed to give more than I can.  I have been going on and off for about 2 years and it was only recently that I started going there again more frequently after being away for about 5-6 months.  When I went back to Church I was overwhelmed with this feeling of being at home, overwhelmed with being somewhere so special, so emotional that I was moved to tears - happy tears. 

I love being in Connection each week with new people and I really love the messages each week from the Pastors.  What I love is that the Pastor is able to make the bible readings very relevant for today.  I also love that what the Pastors talk about is very much in line with my work in Coaching.  I love the Kingsway Community Churchs' Mission and Vision - Refuge for Healing, River for Refreshment, Resource for Unity.  Just the other week one of the Pastors was talking about all people being in touch with their Uniqueness  in the divine plan - I loved listening and felt so Inspired after being at Church - especially since this is an area I am so Passionate about in working with my Clients - helping Clients connect to their own sense of Uniqueness and Greatness.  I also loved when one of the Pastors talked about Community as "sharing the joy of Hope".

I loved being at Church on Sunday.  I was actually Excited to be going, as I know I always enjoy the feeling of being in this Community.  This week at Church the Pastors talked about this year being a year of "letting go".  He talked about the verse in the bible from Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)  "since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" and used the metaphor of an Olympic Runner who is trying to run with a whole crate of lead and how he will be slower versus someone who is free.  He gave examples of "Everything that hinders:
    * Unfulfilled and unrealistic expectations
    * Disappointments/hurts/offences
    * Fear and insecurities, self-esteem issues
    * Apathy/laziness
    * Busyness
    * Accumulation/material obsession/worldly goals
    * Self reliance
    * Isolation/individualism
    * Programs
    * Belief systems
    * Health/fitness issues – physical/emotional/spiritual
    * Facades/masks
    * Unhealthy relationships
    * Demarcation
    * Control/pride
    * My agenda
    * Judgemental criticism
    * Disobedience
    * Comfort
    * Bitterness/unforgiveness
    * “Rights”/title/position."
I loved how the Pastor talked about Mindsets, Beliefs and Attitudes that slow us down and trip us up, and the importance of Perseverence.  I just love that the language that is used at the Church is in line with my life and my Beliefs and my Coaching.  I just love these words in one of the Pastor's Blog "The exciting thing in all of this is the goal … which is greater FREEDOM. Imagine for a minute what it would be like to be totally free … free from ‘every weight’ that slows you down, hinders your relationships, distracts your purpose, hampers your development, obstructs your growth and holds you back from being the extraordinary person God wants you to be for Him and His kingdom … NOW. The more we can get rid of these burdens, weights and loads from our life, the better and more effective we will be …  and the more fun we will have together."

I feel very Inspired to become more involved in this Community.  Whenever I go to Church I feel Inspired to Volunteer and now I feel Inspired to offer up my Gift of Coaching.  I am not sure in what form I will be involved - I would be happy to offer some Workshops and Coaching and I am Excited that I spoke with one of the Team Leaders last Sunday and will meet her for a cuppa and see if I can be of Service.  I was also very interested to hear about the Youth Programme the Church is running and may be able to offer Coaching to one of the teenagers.  I was amazed to hear that of the Youth going to a Youth Group on a Friday night, only 20% are from Families who go to the Church, 80% of the Youth are coming on their own, perhaps connecting to a sense of Spirituality for the first time.

I am Excited to have found a Community that I love.

I am also very interested in joining in the Community of Coaches that is being led by the Vision of one of my friends from College.  We are meeting in a few weeks and I am looking forward to hearing more about the Vision and Mission of this Community.  My wish is that I can combine my interest in being involved in the Community of Coaches with my desire to be more involved in my local Community.

What I love about my Church Community is that they are Local and offer so many great Programs for the Local Community, and they are also very Conscious and Connected to the Global Community.  And I love the music, I love the music - it is a chance to rejoice and be Grateful.  Here are some of the songs from last Sunday that I loved singing
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MKAzYJcWSY
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UJtuyY8v1g (very Inspired by the words of this song)
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79055I6o-NQ

When I was a Member of my Running Club, I loved seeing friends week in and week out, being caring and supporting each other, being of Service in the Community as Club Captain, and also being of Service for the greater good (as we raised money for different charities).  My wish for my Self is that I become a true Member of a Community again, and I feel I am taking steps in the right direction.

Listen To Your Heart

It has been a busy weekend planning our wedding - tomorrow it will be 7 weeks until our big day.  Planning our wedding has been an interesting exposure to many key learning opportunities for me - one of the main reminders for me is about the importance to Listen To Your Heart. 

In planning a wedding, there are so many decisions to be made - it is actually a great exercise in decision making.  It is interesting that over the course of my life I have always viewed myself as someone who is indecisive, believing that it is a trait of me being of Libra starsign.  I have even completed management courses on decision making and yet for a long time I have struggled with making decisions, even believing that I have made so many bad decisions, wrong decisions, and I have found it humorous that I still make bad decisions after studying the process through courses and reading books.

I have previously thought that one process of decision making was to get out a piece of paper and write down all of the pros and cons, the for and against - and through this process, what seems to be the obvious decision "should" appear (this is the theory).  And yet often this is a process that just involves thinking, not always how we are feeling.  A good example of this process is when in the 'Sex and the City: The Movie' Miranda and Steve separate and Miranda is deciding if she should reconcile the marriage and she spends time writing her list.  It is interesting that this does not reveal the truth to her - it is only when she listens to herself, her heart, her own Truth that she races to meet her Husband on Brooklyn Bridge and they kiss and express how much they love each other.

Through my Coaching Course and over the last two years I have learnt the fail proof way to make decisions, it is such a simple process, a simple Truth, a Truth that I am still practicing and perfecting and a Truth I want to share with My Man, Family, Friends - very much with my Clients.  THE TRUTH - Decision Making 101 - Listen To Your Heart.

I don't know when we stop listening to our own Heart, perhaps when we go to school and we start learning all of these facts and figures and there is so much emphasis on thinking and using our minds.  Or is it when we start high school and we experience peer pressure and "try hard" to fit into the crowd.  Or is it through reading all of the magazines and watching all of these advertisements and we strive for perfection according to what "they" say - always trying to please others.  No wonder we get confused and lose a sense of ourselves.

As you Listen To Your Heart, it is definitely not a process of thinking - it is a process of feeling, listening, sitting in the quietness - what is our gut feel, what is the feeling in our body - and it is in the quietness we can hear the call of our Soul - it is in the spaciousness that we can feel Spirit rising.

One of the main areas of my Coaching work is helping Clients get in touch with their own Truth and to live from this place.  I love my work as a Coach, it is so rewarding.  It is also very important to me that I am an Integral Practitioner, that I live my own Truth and apply what I am learning.

My wedding has been a great opportunity to practice being true to my Self.  When it comes to a wedding, everyone has an opinion of how it "should" be done, what is expected - and there are so many magazines (beautiful images) that draw us in - and it is easy to get caught up with the excitement and wanting the day to be perfect.  And of course there is nothing wrong with wanting it to be perfect in our own way.

Today I had a tough moment with my Mum.  I love my Mum so much, my Mum is my best friend.  I worry about my Mum and I am so Grateful that my Mum is feeling well and that she will be with us to celebrate our special day.  Today my Mum came over to look at my dresses - I have 2 dresses that have been hanging in my cupboard as potential wedding dresses.  There is the cream lace wedding dress that is beautiful and that my Mum loves - and I like.  And there is my very special Yellow gown that I LOVE.  I showed my Mum my Yellow gown with my beautiful brooch and my beautiful shoes that I bought yesterday (I love my shoes - I finally get how Carrie in 'Sex and the City' feels so much love of shoes - it is true they make my dress more beautiful).  As soon as I put on my Yellow dress I felt magical, I felt special, I felt alive, I felt confident, I felt beautiful, I felt ME.  My Mum liked the dress - more than she had the first time she had seen it - and I felt we had turned a corner.  Unfortunately I made the mistake of trying on the other lace dress, after my Mum asked me to try it on - and then I saw the look in my Mum's eyes - she liked the lace dress more - best of all.  For me the lace dress is beautiful and yet I do not feel it is the right dress for me.  I took off the dress, put it in the bag and felt disappointed and upset, very disappointed.  My Mum also looked sad and said that she was just telling me her opinion.  I told my Mum that I loved my Yellow dress, that this was right for me, that this felt right for me.  I told my Mum that she had raised me to be an individual, to be my own person and most of all I wanted my Mum to say that most of all she just wanted me to be happy and to wear the dress that made me happy.

I felt sad that my Mum was upset.  It made me very sad.  And yet I know that wearing the dress I love on our wedding day is just a symbol of my decision to live my own Truth, to follow this sacred principle of Listen To Your Heart.  And I do believe that by listening to my Heart and following my Truth, that this is Inspired by God - forever and always encouraging me to be true to my Self, to be my Self, loving me for my Self.

After my Mum left I played one of my favourite songs - 'Who Are You Listening To' Ginny Owens
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqEbOaD3Qa8
I love these words -
"This is your life,
And yet somehow,
They decide,
What you're about,
You learn your lines,
And take your cues,
But who are you listening to?

You change your clothes,
And how you speak,
You place your hope,
In what they think,
Before you know
There's no more you,
Who are you listening to-
Have you noticed how much you fear,
All the voices you choose to hear

Who are you listening to?
Who tells you what to do?
Who rules your thoughts at night?
Whose rules define your life?
Oh, you know it's up to you,
So who are you listening to

This is your life,
You have no choice,
You will rely
On someone's voice,
And it's all right
To question who,
Who are you listening to?
Do the words that you believe
Set your soul and spirit free

There's a quiet voice,
Whispering in your heart,
It's been there all along,
It believes in you,
It will tell the truth,
Can't you hear it call?" 

I love this song.

About 10 minutes after my Mum left, I received a call from my Mum.  My Mum told me that she liked my Yellow dress - I was overcome with emotion hearing my Mum's voice and don't really remember the exact words.  I told my Mum that I loved her and my Mum said "I love you and that's why I want you (don't think it was that exact word) to wear the dress that makes you happy".  I could hear my Mum was emotional and was crying ((unlike my Mum (not very unlike me, I am often getting emotional, including now as I watch'Australia')).

Our wedding is 7 weeks away tomorrow and there are still decisions to be made and I am committed to listening to my Heart and loving My Man as we work together to create our special day - and that's another lesson for me - in relationship, the importance of staying true to my Self AND also listening to, and honouring, what makes My Man happy.  It is true that in the planning of our wedding, I am learning so much, and practicing skills that will serve us forever and always in our relationship.

It is now 12.01am Monday - now it is today - 7 weeks away will be our day.

Sad Realities

It is so devastating what is happening in Queensland with the Flood Crisis.  Yesterday I was writing about Happy Days, and today is very much about Sad Realities.  My whole blog from yesterday seems so unimportant.  Yesterday seems a world away, especially for the people of Queensland,  and for all of us, our fellow Australians, our Brothers and Sisters.  Tragedy happens every day, the news is full of Sad Realities and I often find myself moved to tears - and when it is so close to home, it becomes even more real (sadly) since there is widespread sorrow.  There is coverage on all the main channels as we watch with horror and hopeful anticipation that there will be a miracle as they look at the weather forecasts in the next few days.

Watching the footage brings tears to my eyes.  As I sit here comfortable in my lounge room, after having a nice meal with My Man and now making myself a cup of tea, it is hard to believe what is happening so close to home.  It is tragic.  Words cannot capture the enormity of what is happening.  The footage does not seem real - and as it is so real, I find myself choked with emotion. 

The statistics are rising - 10 people dead, with 5 children among the dead, 78 people missing, 75% of Queensland a disaster zone, 1,500 Queenslanders evacuated.  There are 32 new suburbs at risk with 6,500-9,000 properties in Brisbane expected to be flooded (15,000 people), a power shut down in Brisbane.  The Brisbane flood will be worse than the 1974 flood.  Statistics are terrifying and hearing the story of a 4 year old boy swept away is devastating - my Nieces age  - a beautiful child lost and taken from loved ones.  I also can't even imagine the fear being experienced with people waiting to be evacuated and others waiting to hear that their loved ones are safe.  It is unbelievable.

Julia Gillard says "Stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Queensland" and it is impressive seeing people helping each other, supporting one another.  How wonderful to see all of the charities and volunteers doing what they can - the beautiful spirit of people shines through in the darkness.  They are setting up accommodation in safe and dry environments and providing hot meals.  

It does make me think what can I do - as we sit here in NSW.  I am motivated to donate money and it is encouraging to see how much money is being raised to help support Queenslanders.  And although I am glad to be far away and safe, I feel helpless, I would be happy to be working in the evacuation centres making sandwiches or offering support to people in trauma - just to sit with people and be there in understanding.

And I can pray.

It is a reminder of how fragile life can be - despite our planning and our setting Goals for our future, life and death and tragedy can present itself to us when we least expect it.  Today I also found out that another member of our Family, a young member of our Family has cancer.  And I can pray.

Dear God,

Please be with the people in Queensland and give people strength to face this terrible tragedy.  Please keep your Sons and Daughters safe.  Please perform a miracle and ease the rain so that healing and restoration can begin.  Please inspire our local and global communities to support those affected and give what they can.  

Dear God, please offer healing to my Mum and my Cousin, that they may be 100% healthy and live a long and happy life.  Thank you God for your blessings.  Amen

It may be easy during these times of tragedy and uncertainty and sadness to question our faith and God - this would have been my energy years ago - and while I do not have the answers and I don't understand and I wish things were different - I will continue to pray and have faith. 

And as I hear that 3000 homes will be flooded in Ipswich, it is reassuring to see Kevin Rudd in Queensland - may his strength offer support to the local people.  Kevin Rudd also encourages Australians who are of "prayful mind" to offer prayers to the Queensland people.

And it is one year on from the Haiti Earthquake - devastating as they struggle to rebuild and recover.

How can we possibly imagine or totally understand as these Sad Realities tear at our heart.

Here is a song that really speaks to me - 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWUimGv_xrU&feature=related

Happy Days

I have been having some very Happy Days in the last week - new adventures, catching up with friends and finally a day at the beach -yay!!! 

After having a relaxing holiday, plenty of relaxation and sleep I headed up the Coast to visit my great friends who have recently moved to a new home.  For over a year now my friends have had a Vision to live on land and be self-sufficient, growing their own food, water tanks, solar power, remote location, no financial pressure - this has been their dream.  And how great to see them living their Vision.  My Man and I have been planning this trip up the Coast for months and after him hurting his back playing golf, I decided to venture on my own.  I met my friends in their nearest town Wingham - and how great to see them.  After getting our shopping and some local sightseeing, I was happy to drive to their home and wow, I was amazed, they live up a Mountain, right in the middle of over 500 acres of bushland - they call their home Paradise Mountain.  Once we were at the home, I couldn't believe the beautiful views in every direction - truly Paradise.

They have a Rooster called Bruce, chickens and 200 varieties of fruit trees (WOW!!!) and a permaculture garden - lucky for them, the previous owner is a horticulturist and so he has done so much.  There is such diversity in the vegetation - I enjoyed white strawberries and also heard about the unusual fruit and seeds such as an ice cream bean that tastes like ice cream, as well as so many other delights.

I loved spending time with my friends - they are great company and I felt Inspired by their lifestyle - quite incredible - their wood oven heats the water for the shower and washing up and they have beautiful fresh rainwater,  their lights are all solarpowered and they also have water from the freshwater creek for watering their gardens - no water or electricity bills and they are definitely committed to doing their bit for Mother Earth.  I loved that there was no television - silence - I loved the silence - I love silence!

I also loved our trip to Ellenborough Falls - this is one of the largest single-drop waterfalls in the southern hemisphere.  We enjoyed a nice walk down to the bottom of the waterfall - beautiful, breathtaking!!!  

A few members of our group headed down to the rocks and enjoyed the spray from the waterfall.  I would have liked to be spontaneous and adventurous but my common sense and fear of slipping on the rocks won and I stood on the sideline.  However, I was so hot walking back up the stairs, on the return  up the  valley, that I wished I had have taken the chance to go for a swim in one of the rock pools.  It was a big effort walking back up all the stairs - thank goodness for the seats along the way - we took every opportunity to sit down and rest and then gather our strength for the next round of steps.  Once upon a time, what seems like a lifetime ago now, I would have been racing up those stairs.  It was a great day with friends.

I look forward to other adventures in the countryside of my friends' new home, many more Happy Days to be enjoyed - next time we will enjoy the walk to their creek, there is a local vineyard, also a nearby cheese factory, and I am really excited to visit their nearest beach which I have been told has the most beautiful stones (and I have seen some of their collection).

Talking about the beach - another of my very Happy Days this week was when My Man and I went for a nice long walk along our local beach and enjoyed such a great swim at Darook Beach.  I love the ocean.  I love warm sunny days.  I just love being in Nature.  I especially love floating on my back in the water - love it!!!  I didn't take my camera and it was nice being so Present to the day - I love my camera and love taking photos and sometimes it seems that you miss being in the moment, sometimes.  And how great that I found this great picture on the internet - this is Darook - it is a beautiful paradise.

I definitely look forward to many more Happy Days just enjoying our local beach.  It is one of my greatest joys.

And so after a few weeks holiday it was back to work today.  I have really enjoyed having a rest - sleeping in, sometimes even having an afternoon nap - just time to relax - I couldn't believe how tired I have been over the last few weeks.  And yet today, I was happy to get up early so that I could enjoy some "me time", some quiet time, before heading to work.  I was organised in allowing time to snooze my alarm clock twice, enjoyed some quiet time reading inspiration for about 5 minutes and then went Walking to the Bay, one of my favourite places.  I love being outdoors - even when it started pouring rain and I had no umbrella, I felt happy to just be alive and out enjoying the start to the day.  I realise that it would be easy to sleep in, usually this is a much easier option and yet by making a Commitment to get up and get out before work, I can have the best chance of having Happy Days.

On my walk today I was thinking about thoughts and our ability to change our thoughts.  I am usually conscious of not getting caught up in my thoughts when I am out in Nature (as I do not want to miss the beauty that surrounds me), usually only allowing myself a certain part of the walk or a set time to allow thinking, although always open for inspiration.  I was thinking that it would be easy for me to not have a happy day at work, especially since my Team Leading role is separate to my lifework of being a Life Coach - and yet I can choose positive, happy thoughts.

I was reflecting that my thoughts are not me, they are just a perception.  And from my own experience and witnessing this in others, I see how negative thoughts just attracts more negativity - more negative thoughts or negative people - contributing to us feeling lousy, unhappy, powerless.  And I am on a mission to have Happy Days and so I came up with an easy acronym for a process to help put negative thoughts at an arm's length away:

A - Awareness - Being an observer to my thoughts can help me identify if I am being negative or holding thoughts that do not serve me - I may not speak these thoughts but even internally thinking them is keeping my mind busy and not bringing me peace.  Sometimes just an Awareness of my thoughts, "hmm, that's interesting..." can be enough to allow me to move on in a different direction, without any negative thoughts attaching to other thoughts.  The key for me is to not be caught up thinking or overthinking, the Goal for me is to be present in the moment.

R - Reframe - With recurring thoughts that do not serve me, I can Reframe them, look at it from another angle - what is another way I can think about this person, person's behaviour, situation?  I can think of at least 5 other explanations or possibilities?  I can reframe the negative thoughts to have a positive spin - at least for 2-3 new thoughts - by moving to a positive thought - positivity attracts positivity

M - ME - "If it's to be, it's up to ME" - What is in my Power?  What can I change?  I love the Serenity Prayer, "God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference".  I can reflect what is the message for me and what choices do I have to make changes within my sphere of control - this allows me to feel empowered.

- Acceptance - perhaps I can just accept this situation and let this go from my worrying and overthinking
- Alteration - I can choose a pattern breaker to alter my thoughts that are not serving me - for example, every time I have a thought that is not serving me, such as thinking about a past issue that I cannot change, I can image a bright red STOP sign to help me stop thinking these thoughts

- Affirmation - I can say a positive affirmation to strengthen new beliefs 

- Action - perhaps I can speak to someone or change something to make this situation or relationship better
- Attitude - I can choose to look at the positives and as I look at the situation in a new positive light, I will begin to gather evidence that will support these new thoughts, with the Reticular Activating System in my brain activated to support me (a good example of when the RAS is activated is when you may buy a new car - let's say a Ford Focus - your friend suggests this car to you, you buy one, and then you see them so often, much more than you ever noticed them before, it seems that a lot of new people have also just bought this new car - actually your RAS is just activated so that your attention is alerted) - so I can choose to say I enjoy my work and I will begin to see evidence that supports this belief.

I love that in Positive Psychology in defining Happiness, for a rich and meaningful life, this will involve a range of different emotions and I love that I have learnt to sit with the depth and darkness of pain and sorrow and be so present to joy in my life.  And I also believe I can be active in having Happy Days, whether that involves a walk in Nature, or simply me choosing how I choose to look at every day.  I don't want to waste my days or life, just feeling that I am in Groundhog Day or "I hate Mondays" or "I hate work" - I intend to Love My Life and be Grateful for all of the Gifts in my life.  A ritual that I love, that I intend to make time for every night, is to name 3-5 things that I am Grateful for from my day and it is important for me to thank God and Spirit - to be Grateful to God and Spirit - to pray, to reflect, to rejoice.

So here's to many and most Happy Days in 2011!!!

2011!!!

2011!!!  I love the beginning of a New Year - it is such a great chance to set a Vision for the New Year - it is always a great chance for reflection and a great opportunity for excitement. 

It has been great being on holidays this week - just a chance to relax and recharge and get ready for NOW, the New Year, 2011!!!  One of my favourite things this week has been going to the Moonlight Cinema - I love being outdoors and I love movies and so it is a perfect enjoying this setting with My Man.  We watched 'Life As We Know It' - a love story with a baby, loved it, love love stories, love babies.

This week I have also loved the chance to read a novel - wow - a story - fiction.  I have always loved  reading non-fiction, self-development books - and since becoming a Coach I now read personal development books with a broader agenda, which means I am always thinking how I can apply this knowledge for myself and to help my Clients.  And so WOW - how great it feels to not think and just read a story.  I read 'The Forgotten Garden' by Kate Morton - loved it - loved it so much that I just wanted to keep reading every chance I got - and what a great way to relax.

Another highlight this week has been planning our wedding - still a lot to do - and yet we got started.  It is exciting and there is so much to do - and I feel relaxed trusting it will all come together. 

New Year's Eve was great!!!  We went to our favourite restaurant - an intimate Japanese restaurant - great food - just the two of us.  We had been invited to a party with friends and yet we also like to enjoy a quiet night together as a great way to begin the New Year.

I loved the chance to reflect on our highlights of 2010 over dinner - so many highlights - getting engaged, starting to try for our own baby, my Mum feeling healthy, my Dad bouncing back after heart surgery, starting my own Coaching Business, My Man getting a new job (his dream job), My Man's Mum enjoying a nice holiday, time with my Nieces, time with our Families, day trips, dinners out, birthday celebrations, holiday away to Nelson Bay.  For us there have been big things - and there has been much simplicity and small things being the big things.

After a lovely dinner, we enjoyed taking a walk along the beach  I really love where we live.  And then at home I loved watching a love story and watching the fireworks.  It was nice to be at home when we enjoyed the 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 Happy New Year 2011!!!  It is great to feel so at home in our home, feeling so at home in my Self, feeling so at home with another.  How many New Year's Eve nights, how many nights was I wishing I would kiss My True Love - I have always been looking for Love - and now I can stop searching - YAHOO!!!

So here we are - 2011!!!  We enjoyed a nice lunch with Family and then a nice relaxing afternoon - a perfect start to the New Year.  And how do I want this year to be for me - where do I want to be when I am sitting here on the first day of 2012 - how will I know it has been a great year?  This time next year I will be a happy wife, a Mum, we will be living in a new home, my main work will be my lifework working one on one with my Coaching Clients and also running Workshops and Group Coaching and I will be writing books.  What will not change - the most important thing to me is time with everyone I Love - Love will always be most important to me.

I love that I have my Vision Board for my Life Design in our bedroom - it is great seeing this when I wake up everyday - it is simple and it is clear - everything that is important to me.

And I love that I am in touch with my Passions and my Values.  I have these on a board that I will also post up next to my bed - so that everyday I will remember what makes me feel alive - here I am 2011!!!

This is what it reads -

What are my PASSIONS?  What Brings Me Alive?
How would I wish to spend my last day on earth? 
Actually this is how  I want to LIVE EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE...
”And these are a few of my favourite things...”

Love - Partner, Family, Friends, Clients, Love to All - I also can’t wait to be a Mum and have our own beautiful baby

God  -  Living InSpirit - Open to Inspiration, Space for the Rising of Spirit, Belief that we are all here for a Divine Purpose - I Am Here to Love and Serve

Connection - One-on-one sharing of Sacred Space, PRESENCE with another - Seeing, Honouring, Acknowledging the Light and Gifts in another - Loving and Encouraging Uniqueness and Greatness  (Unity in Diversity, Joy of Differences and Similarities, Moment-to-Moment we can Rejoice in ‘X-Factor’ in each other - one of my favourite parts of College has been enjoying and being a Witness to the AMAZING Gifts and Uniqueness in each of us - WOW,  AND Connection even when it is hard - Conscious Acceptance and  Love of What Is...)

Coaching - I am very Passionate about Coaching  and the opportunity to help Clients feel Self-Love, learn to be true to Self and feel Empowered to Create a life that Inspires and Excites them

Nature - Birds, trees, flowers, walking through the bush, floating in the ocean

Personal Development - Learning, Reading, Studying, Self-Reflection, Growth

Balance - Being/ Doing, Life/ Work, Personal/Professional, Solitude/ Intimacy - Allowing Space in my life for new interests to emerge - looking forward to enjoy time for sewing, writing, cooking, creating

Health - Self-Care Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, Spiritually

Gratitude - Daily Reflection of all the beauty, wonders, miracles and Gifts in my life

Community - Feeling of Home and Belonging - Desire to Contribute - Feeling a sense of Love and Connection with others - Passionate about Encouraging Community to be Inclusive rather than Exclusive - Passionate about Contributing and being of Service Locally and Globally

Being Present - Mindfulness, Living in the Moment, Being Spontaneous and EMBRACING NOW,  Enjoying Now, Trusting the Flow.

And I find that by Being Present in 2011 I am able to enjoy the Gifts of every day.  Today when I am glancing out the window I am so Grateful for the Frangipani Tree that I can see - the flowers are beautiful - a Gift from God, and I have such great thanks.

And now I am so Grateful that I can make a nice cup of peppermint tea and relax with my Man.

To 2011 - to making every day a great day living a Passionate life.  To making dreams come true.  To being Me.  And so important is to Love and Serve - to live my life on Purpose - to Spread The Yellow.

2011!!!  I am ready.

White Butterflies

Has anyone/ everyone noticed that White Butterflies are everywhere right now?   I love Butterflies and I am in delight when I see them prancing and dancing among the flowers.  I especially love when I see two White Butterflies dancing together - seeing Butterflies makes my heart sing.

It is perfect to be seeing and enjoying the beauty of Butterflies - a symbol of change and transformation - timely for me and most probably true for many as we journey towards the end of 2010, towards 2011.

I am very Excited to be finished my Diploma of Transformational Coaching Course.  It has been an amazing, AMAZING Course.  I am very Grateful for my Teachers who have Inspired me and helped me be the best Life Coach that I can be and have taught me the importance of Self-Reflection as an opportunity to keep learning and growing - and Inspired me through their commitment to study. 

And I am also very Grateful that I belong to a Community of wonderful women who have made the experience of becoming a Life Coach so rich and alive and meaningful and real.

Our final weekend for our Course was a chance for Self-Reflection and Honouring, Sharing, Transition and Celebration.  I loved the opportunity to create a Journey Stick, choosing a stick from Nature and decorating it with colour, representing where we have been and where we are going to - our Past and our Future.  And I loved having the symbol of the Butterfly on my Journey Stick. 

I felt like it was the ‘Love Fest’ - so much Love, Heart-Felt Acknowledgement, Warmth, Authenticity, Presence, Connection, Community.  When I talk about Spread The Yellow, this was it - the exchange of Love, Light, Positive Energy, seeing the Light and Spirit in each other - WOW!!!  On the final day of our Course I loved that our Teachers set up a Threshold to represent this time of Transition - Completion of our study and Forward Movement to a new time in our lives. As we were walking down the stairs towards the Threshold, I was looking around at all of the beauty, aliveness, incredible-ness in each of my fellow Soul Sisters and I felt so Excited - Excited at the difference we can make in the world.  May we be the White Butterflies prancing and dancing among the flowers.

With the White Butterfly a symbol of Transformation, this is true in so many ways for me (apart from finishing my Course).  It is interesting as the last two years has highlighted the importance of Balance for me - Balance of Personal and Professional, Doing and Being, Solitude and Intimacy, Activity and Relaxing.  I am Excited that although I love Coaching and love working with people on their Journey - I am also committed to my own Journey, my own life, my own life separate from my lifework.  Two years ago I never would have guessed that I would be here planning my wedding, finally letting go of relationships that did not serve me, and being open to True Love. 

This year sharing Christmas Day together and together with our Families was very special.  Although My Man and I exchanged so many Gifts and there were so much Gift giving with my Nieces - my favourite Gift of all is that of being together - it is what I appreciate the most.  We enjoyed a beautiful, relaxing lunch with My Man's Mum and I was so happy that my Mum and Dad were also guests for lunch.  

 

And after enjoying the relaxing day, we then entered the chaos of time with my Brother, Sister-In-Law and my three beautiful Nieces - and I loved it all!!!  Presents, giggles, hugs, kisses, laughter.  And more food!

And time on the trampoline - the new trampoline that Santa brought my Nieces.  I love My Nieces - they are White Butterflies in my life - dancing and prancing and so in the moment.

For me Love and Family are the most important and I am Grateful that my Coaching Course also helped me come Home to my Self - where I feel relaxed, at peace and HAPPY.  Meditations from our Final Course at College and the experience of creating our Journey Stick, highlighted to me that I was once a person chasing Happiness, so busy being busy, busy chasing Love - now I AM HAPPY, now I AM LOVE.  Now I AM.  Now I AM ME.

It is definitely a time of Change and Transformation - the merging of our two Families and the creating of our own Family.  We are getting married in 12 weeks and there is much to do - and we are also looking forward to having our own baby - now that will be most wonderful!!! 

And I want to be like the White Butterflies - just enjoying the flowers, the sunshine, the freedom of being alive, the joy of being me, the joy of being in relationship.  We have a poster in our living area that speaks to my heart and is a great reminder of what to bring into each and every day "Live - Laugh - Love".

The ironic thing tonight is that as I am about to publish this Blog about White Butterflies, there are two small moths flying around our home, flying close to me.  I have never been a fan of moths and yet they are so similar to Butterflies (and very different) - as I am reminded by My Man.  It is interesting, Google tells me that Butterflies fly during the day and moths fly during the night - and without doubt this is symbolic of one of my other greatest learnings of the last two years - that there is Light and Dark, day and night, sunshine and rain - and I can be with all - I can be with the Paradox - I can be with Joy, I can be with Pain.  Perhaps it is true that I most delight when I am in the Light and see the Butterfly - I have a natural tendency to move towards the Positive and the sunshine - this is my nature and my strength as a Life Coach.  And I have learnt to be in Sacred Space with sorrow - I can be still and calm (rather than panic) when I am in the Dark or feel the movement of the moth.  

I am now Home in my Self - and I can take that with me wherever I Am - I have all of my Strengths and Resources - when I am at Home in my Self I am in My Yellow Heart - I Am Love, Light, Truth and Peace - this is my Soul's Home, in the quietness I feel the rising of Spirit, I am in Connection with God.  When I am Home in my Self I can see that I am the Butterfly, I am the Moth, I am All.

Manifesting My Heart's Desires

For a long time I have been reading self-development books.  I started reading these books when I was 21, I had just finished university - this is when my real education began - stepping out into the world - LIFE!  And in the last 10 years of my life I have experienced many HUGE life lessons - and I am still learning - learning everyday.

Like many people I enjoyed 'The Secret' - I read the book 4 years ago, I watched the dvd, I listened to the CDs.  I read it and thought that it sounded like a great idea - and yet it has only been in recent months that I have been a lot more focused on developing the skills of Manifesting My Heart's Desires.

A few months ago I had a wonderful conversation with a friend from the Clinic where I work - she is a Master of Manifestation.  It was around this time that I set the intention to bring my Magician Archetype onto the Stage in my life - I started this Process of learning Manifestation by Manifesting my Magician - by consciously inviting this Part of me to be more present in my life.

I started to read the great book  'Ask and It Is Given’ Esther and Jerry Hicks - this was a great book for me to read - I learnt a lot.  This book has so many wonderful words of wisdom, including:

- "... you came from a Source of love and well-being.  When you're matched up to that energy of peace and love, you then regain the power of your Source - that being the power to manifest your desires, to summon well-being, to attract abundance where scarcity previously resided, and to access Divine guidance in the form of the right people and the precisely correct circumstances."

- "there is nothing that you cannot be, do, or have"

The book talks about being in the right vibration - "The reason you have not already gotten what you desire is because you are holding yourself in a vibrational holding pattern that does not match the vibration of your desire."  Now this is a key part of what I read "Whatever you are giving your attention to causes you to emit a vibration, and the vibrations that you offer equal your asking, which equals your point of attraction.  If there is something you desire that you currently do not have, you need only put your attention upon it, and by the Law Of Attraction, it will come to you, for as you think about this thing or experience that you desire, you offer a vibration, and then, by Law, that very thing or experience must come to you.  However, if there is something that you desire that you currently do not have, and you put your attention upon your current state of not having it, then Law Of Attraction will continue to match that not having it vibration, so you will continue to not have that what you desire.  It is Law."

"Sometimes a person will say 'I'm not happy over here where I'm standing.  I would much rather be over there - over there where my body is not sick, or over there where I'm not overweight, or over there where I have more money or a better relationship'... We then explain that it is important to talk about what is believed to be 'over there' and try to find the feeling-place of what's 'over there'."

Since inviting my Magician on the Stage in my life I have been so Excited and Thankful for so many wonderful Gifts from God and the Universe.  There have been so many examples in my life recently of where I have been putting thoughts and desires out into the Universe and if by magic, so many things are appearing for me.  Recently, I had many thoughts about looking for Meditation Resources and Scripts and was Excited when one of the other girls from where I work, was talking about a great author and I looked at the books and found some great Meditation Scripts including one on building Self-Esteem, which a big area of interest for me, in terms of working with Clients.  I was also saying to My Man that we didn't have a song and it would be great to have our own song that we love - and I forgot about it (rather than searching for one) - and then one day when getting ready for work, they had a guest performance on 'Sunrise' and I loved the song - I showed My Man the 'youtube' clip - we found our song!

Just the other day I was planning to go to 'Peter Alexander' in the city (didn't have enough time in the end) and then the next day I was shopping locally and I was just about to leave and then felt Inspired to go a certain way in the Shopping Centre.  And then I was so surprised to see this new 'Peter Alexander' store - and I bought this great new pink and yellow nightie - my favourite colours, and even having yellow wattle on the nightie, I love wattle.

And a big one for me was when I put it out there that I would like to earn around $300 more per week and  I put it out there that I would be happy to take on more responsibility at work - within a few days a position was advertised at work, I applied and I was offered the job.  The great part of this job is that I will be able to bring more Coaching into the workplace.  And with some other opportunities I will be earning the extra money that I put out there to the Universe.

Also once I changed my vibration to being so Grateful and Excited about my current Clients with a trust that more Clients will continue to come to my Business, rather than focusing on the lack of a full diary of appointments, my Coaching Business has been building and I have been attracting new Clients - which I love!

Of course there is always the times when you think of someone you want to talk to or see and then you see them.  It can also work against you - I was talking at College about an ex-partner and all of the stress that it caused me - I really remembered the emotion of this chain of events - and to my surprise, I was checking my phone in the break and at the same time I received a call from this man - someone that would be unlikely to call me on a Saturday and who I hadn't spoken to in over 6 months.

I have learnt now to Consiously choose my thoughts and choose my vibration.

So how does it work - I am still learning and experiencing the power of Manifesting My Heart's Desires - I am not an expert - in fact that is why I have included so many great words of wisdom from 'Ask and It Is Given’ Esther and Jerry Hicks.  I do believe that in sending out the energy of what we desire, this connects with other energy in the Universe and draws that to us.  Likewise if someone sends something out to the Universe, this can also draw us in - like when people say "your ears must be burning" if someone is talking about you. - or just the other day I had the thought that I wanted to hear from my friend, and then realised that they had sent me an email - perhaps them sending out the energy, attracted in my thoughts.

I also believe that when we are very clear about what we want, the Universe, our Angels, God will bring opportunities into our awareness, send messages to us via our intuition.  I also love the Reticular Activating System in our brain - an example of the Reticular Activating System is when we buy a certain type of car or want a certain type of car, and then all of a sudden we see this car everywhere on the road - it has probably always been there - and now this is filtering through to our awareness.

When we are clear about what we want, and when we are totally relaxed and in the flow, we are going to notice and be drawn to that which we desire.

For me I have been practicing Manifesting My Heart's Desires by:
- being clear in what I want, consciously putting an order into the Universe
- feeling into the vibration - being positive and Grateful for all of the positive in my life and in this area of my life (a good step here is to use Visualisation and Imagination)
- letting go of the attachment to the outcome and having TRUST - I recently read about the Law of Detachment - “in order to acquire anything in the physical Universe, you have to relinquish your attachment to it” - it is all about TRUST - what is TRUST? TRUST - To Rely Unto Spirit Totally (I love this acronym - a great reminder to me).

I love this analogy that my friend shared with me about TRUST - which helps me a lot when Manifesting My Heart's Desires.  Consider you are at a restaurant with a friend and you look at the menu – there are a lot of nice things – you decide what you want – you order the fish – the trick is to TRUST that the fish is being prepared and will be delivered to you – and so you enjoy conversation and be PRESENT IN THE NOW with your friend (rather than sitting there wondering when it is going to arrive, asking the waiter when it will be here, thinking about it a lot, talking about it with your friend about when is the fish going to arrive) – the fish will come.

I love that 'Ask and It Is Given' talks about having your own unique desires and preferences and from this place, as we are unique, there is abundance for us all - once again we can just TRUST.

ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT BELIEF FOR ME is that I am also conscious that my Magician cannot work alone - I need all Parts of me to allow my Dreams to come true - other Parts of me such as my  Destroyer (to let go of what does not serve me), my Organiser (to help me with my Priorities), my Sage (wisdom for and from my Highest Self), my Creator (Action from Intuition).  My Innocence is very important, helping me work out what I truly want, what is at the Heart for me.   It is also important that I invite in my Caregiver to listen to and look after my Innocence, and also consciously bring in the presence of my Warrior to defend my Innocence and stand up for my Truth (and overcome any fears or doubts).

I imagine all of these Parts of me dancing together in Celebration as I live my Vision.

Enjoying The Highlights

Day by day, week by week, month by month - time keeps moving - I can't believe it is September 2010.  I love that it is Spring, I love the warmer weather and yet I can't believe that I am already hearing conversations about Christmas.  And as I leave work today, I say "Goodbye and have a good night", knowing tomorrow will roll around so quickly and we will all be back doing it all over again.  AND I want to avoid living my life as if it is 'Groundhog Day', as if I am repeating the same day over and over again.    

My Goal is to live in the NOW and enjoy every moment and be very much Conscious of Enjoying The Highlights of each day.  Enjoying The Highlights for me is about being very Present, to be delighted and surprised by the beauty in the world - the wonder and beauty in my world.

Friday night I was very Excited when My Man saw an Owl out the front of our Unit block.  We had just come home from Cronulla and it was dark and yet My Man caught sight of the Owl.  I love Birds and I have never seen an Owl just out and about free to be, free to fly.  I love Owls and the representation of Wisdom - perhaps there is a message from the Universe for me.

I was also Enjoying The Highlights of my Sunday.  I was delighted when I saw a beautiful Kookaburra sitting on the fence next to our garden.  We were running behind time to get to my Parent's Home and yet I quickly ran upstairs to get my camera to take a few shots of my Friend the Kookaburra.  I just love Kookaburras - I love hearing the laugh of the Kookaburra and I just love seeing them when I am out Walking.  Even this morning I was delighted to see two Kookaburras up close on my morning walk.

Yesterday was Fathers' Day and it was great to see my Dad.  It would be easy for me to get caught up in my mind thinking about my Dad seeming so much older and more fragile.  In the past I would have been in overdrive in terms of worry - and now I am Grateful to just enjoy time together.  My Dad was quiet and was just sitting watching football - definitely more quiet than normal - and I especially enjoyed just for a few minutes sitting with him and holding his hand.  I love my Dad.  I also love spending time with my Mum - she is an amazing woman - upbeat and positive and so loving to us all.

I was also Enjoying The Highlights of spending time with my beautiful Nieces.  They fill my Heart with Joy.  I loved when my 4 year old Niece, Olivia was pretending to be the teacher and my 7 year old Niece, Ashley was the teacher's assistant.  I loved being involved in my Nieces creativity, them in their role playing and imagination. I just love my Nieces.  I also love that my Nieces love My Man - I love that they always want him to be involved in their games and give him a hug.  I love their hugs.

Today I had a slight case of Monday-itis and yet I know that going out Walking in the mornings is a great way to start my day.  I love being outdoors.  When I am out Walking I am Conscious of staying out of my thinking, out of my mind, and I just wanting to be Enjoying The Highlights.  I love noticing the beautiful flowers, hearing the Birds singing, wandering among the Trees.  I love being in Nature.  I feel that I am in my 'Child of Nature' Archetype - "This Goddess Archetype feels most at home in the outside bonding and communicating with the forces of nature."  On one of the websites about Archetypes I read "Your health and well-being is affected if you are unable to spend time outside working with animals, plants and other nature spirits. Your idea of hell is likely to be working in a busy office in the centre of town." - this can be true for me.  I have a beautiful image of a Nature Goddess that I love - this is the essence of this Part of me.

I have been reading 'The Four-Fold Way' by Angeles Arrien, a brilliant book and it resonates for me, when I read, "Native peoples recognise that the most empowering and healing tool we have available to us is our connection to nature and the wilderness."  It is definitely true for me that "Nature, beauty and healing environments support my Health and Well-being".

When I am out in the morning, feeling the breeze and also the warmth of the sunshine and just being outdoors, I wish that I could be a Wanderer all day.  The Wanderer is another one of my Archetypes that I am beginning to enjoy now that I have space in my day and space in my life.  I read the definition of the Explorer/Seeker/Wanderer who "leaves the known to discover and explore the unknown. This inner rugged individual braves loneliness and isolation to seek out new paths. Often oppositional, this iconoclastic archetype helps us discover our uniqueness, our perspectives, and our callings."  In my Wanderer Archetype there is space and quiet and I am led by my Intuition.  I like these images that speak to me about the essence of the Wanderer in me - being in the Field of Sunflowers and then finding the Uniqueness and Greatness of the Sunflower in a Field of Lavender.

I love that I am learning about all of the Parts and Archetypes within me - these are my Strengths and Resources that serve me on my own Journey.  While Enjoying The Highlights for me, can sometimes be a strategy to cope with Mondayitis by focusing on the positives of my day, I am also able to get a sense of when I am living by my Values and what has Heart and Meaning for me.  I can then enlist the help of my Archetypes, the Parts within me, to bring more of these Highlights into my life - more time with Family and more time in Nature, more time doing my lifework of Coaching.  It is key for me to be in Love with my Life and be Grateful for the Gifts of each day, such as the beautiful white butterfly I enjoyed seeing on my break at work - it was just for a few seconds, and yet I felt the stirring of my Soul.  Thank you God.