Category: Creativity

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Does it make you feel fabulous?

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Whilst surfing the web last week I read a quote online and the only thing I remember from the piece of writing was this question…

‘Does it make you feel fabulous?’

This morning started out as a normal Wednesday. A bite of cereal, a strong flat white, off to the shops to get some groceries.

When I got home, that question ran through my mind again.

‘Does it make you feel fabulous?’

Then suddenly my whole wardrobe was on the floor after I had ripped box after box, pile after pile out of it’s dark cavity.

I looked at every piece of clothing and every pair of shoes and asked myself this question.

Does it make you feel fabulous?

I realised there were T-shirts that were old that had been relegated to the ‘exercise in these’ pile, I had trackies that had been placed in the ‘wear them to bed in winter pile’ and I had a little defining moment.

Why can’t I feel fabulous when I exercise?

Why can’t I feel fabulous as I climb into bed with my husband?

I had a ‘I would prefer to have a smaller wardrobe full of beautiful items, than an overflowing one with half hearted items that are there because of obligation’ aha moment.

Obligation because I got them on sale.

Obligation because a friend gave them to me.

Obligation because I once loved them, but they no longer make me smile.

What are you holding onto out of obligation?

One of the greatest ways we can feel lighter and more inspired is to simplify the spaces we reside in.

Every time I do it, I am amazed at how great I feel afterwards.

One of my friends uncle and aunt lost their whole house in a fire yesterday. As they walked around the charcoaled remains they realised that possessions really didn’t mean that much to them, when all of them kept their lives and health in tact.

Possessions don’t define us.

I think I sometimes think popular culture tells us, whoever dies with the most stuff wins! When we think about it logically we know this is not true.

Today those bathers that are chlorine stretched, those pants that are stained and those shoes that I love but are so uncomfortable are all now in wardrobe heaven.

And I feel fabulous because of it.

#inspire15 find ways this new year to clear space for new inspiration.

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Transitioning seasons of friendship

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Seasons come

Seasons go.

My Instagram feed at the moment is full of  beach shots, icecreams and fishing spots but tomorrow the sun will be setting earlier, the brown leaves will be crunching our pavement and autumn will sneak across our small screens.

Before we even notice the season shifts but we are still acting as if it is still in full bloom. It’s awkward when people wear bikinis in the midst of winter but in summer no one even bats an eyelid.

Why don’t we have this same seasonal intelligence when it comes to friendship?

In 2014 one of my goals was to make some local friends. I have lots of close friends but in my local area I wanted some peeps who were close by, in my today.

A lot of my favourite friends are absent ones. They live over East, in New Zealand, in Perth, hours away from where I live. In my first year of novice motherhood I struggled to let go of the season that had past. Friends come and friends go, new people enter your days for particular seasons and some stay for years.

Releasing people to choose whether they are a part of your life for seasons or years is one of the greatest lessons I am learning. I believe the whole concept of a best friend for life is a Hollywood high school cultural false reality.

Do I believe in close friendships? of course.

Do I believe you can have besties for life? sometimes, but it takes a big and secure heart, to release people into new seasons and to love them just the same.

I have found some of my greatest friendships are the ones that I havn’t seen for a long time and we both act as though we have never been apart.

There is a freedom, there is an understanding, there is a deep comittment to the person and their now but a realisation that the season for being in each other’s pockets has changed.

A peace per say.

An ease.

A release into the movement and shift of life’s ebbs and flows.

When a season transitions and major life change occurs we need to take a deep breath and allow the sand to settle. The person I am today is so different to the one I was four short years ago.

I used to spend every waking moment in an office, I drove a large distance to my work place. I didn’t have children, I was available. My friendships then were very different to those who are in my everyday world today.

It doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate and love those who were in my everyday then, today it is just different. Nostalgia tells us that we need to place ourselves emotionally in it’s kingdom but moving forward and opening ourselves to change is the greatest gift we can give ourselves.

I have many precious friendships from seasons that have past, but if they are unable to be a part of my today in a mutually beneficial way it doesn’t change my love of them. I just let them go and some come back and others don’t. It doesn’t change the amazing experiences and memories we have had. It is just different.

Friends come,

friends go.

Seasons come,

seasons go.

Life moves, shifts and grows.

Are you willing to empower people to live gracefully in their new season?

Are you willing to hold friends loosely and if they move into new spaces be happy for them and love them just the same?

Are you willing to acknowledge your new season and make new friends accordingly?

These are some of my random musings this new year, not directed at any friendships in my current season but something I am learning across my days.

I want to love the ones I am with but also release people with freedom into their future.

What does your season look like today?

Do your friendships match it?

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My imperfect life.

dreams

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For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin—real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way. Something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. FR. ALFRED D’SOUZA

One of the key questions from my New Year Change Reflection questions is this;

‘What is a quote, scripture or word that sums up 2014?’

My quote that summed up 2014 was this…

broken crayons still colour.

I spent a lot of 2014 learning to be okay with imperfection. In the past I have been a someone who strives to please everyone. The funny thing was, the more I tried, the worse I got at it.

As the mother of a 2 year old and newborn, I have had to learn to be okay with mess. Somedays I feel like I am knee deep in nappies, vomit, spilled juice and food encrusted clothing. The idea of perfection and actually getting anything done is nearly impossible in the life of a novice Mum.

One of the funniest stories that ended 2014, was the last Tuesday before Christmas when I was on radio doing a phone interview and I invited my Dad to come and sit with my babes whilst I was on air.

My Dad is a typical Aussie retired sixty year old. My son is a typical creative, adventurous two year old. I finished my radio interview and came out expecting to see my toddler playing quietly and my newborn being snuggled softly by her Poppy. A perfect picture. A daydreamy image from a juggling, I can do it all Mother.

In reality post the interview, I walked into a war zone with my Dad sitting in the middle of the couch, smiling at me, shrugging his shoulders.

You see, my son found a large jar of tiny beads that I had been sewing onto T-shirts for some homemade Christmas presents. He was throwing them around and yelling out ‘Snow, snow, snow.’ My lounge room was covered in tiny seed beads and Maximus was dancing around reinterpreting a scene from ‘Frozen’ throwing snow around our small beach side shack. My new born was snoring softly as my dad held her. He was like ‘I’m not sure what to do?’

I just laughed and nearly 5 weeks later I am still finding little beads in every corner of our home.

An absolute mess.

A pure unadulterated memory.

A moment I will never forget.

Are you waiting for the perfect moment to live the life you have dreamed of living?

Are you waiting for the perfect circumstance to start doing something creative you have always longed to pursue?

Are you flying on the merry go round of emotions that tell you that you need to be perfect to try something revolutionary?

I am learning that there is no perfect time to write a book. There is no perfect time to launch a business. There is no perfect time for any of our dreams to begin. There will never be a perfect time, because we are always stuck in the transition between someday and somehow.

The only time you have to begin living the life you dream of living is now.

Give up that job.

Shift to that country.

Start that business.

Begin that blog.

Enrol in that course.

Say hello to that person.

Buy that house.

Sell that home.

Give away everything you don’t use.

Simplify.

Let go of…

Start in the midst of the imperfect timing and begin to dream again.

Life will always be a little complicated.

It is just how it is imperfect.

Just begin, despite it.

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Who has your back?

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IMG_1301.JPGAs we finished our barbecue dinner on the 31st of December, 2014 we realised the last sunset of the year was setting and we rushed down to the beach to immerse ourselves in the moment.

There is something so special about the turning of a New Year. I know it is just another day, just another sunset but there is something enticing about leaving something behind and saying hello to something new.

As I stood at the post office today lodging a passport application I realised it was the first day I have had to officially write 2015.

Twenty fifteen.

Two zero one five.

What could this year bring?

What opportunities await around the corner?

Whenever I have thought about the New Year, the words New Days = New Ways have been in the foreground of my dreaming landscape. I have been truly enamoured with leaving behind some bad habits and finding ways to explore lands I have never been in before. Old ways won’t lead to new paths. I know that if I do what I have always done, I will get the same results.

One of the greatest opportunities in the midst of a New Year and reflecting on what changes could be instigated is also reflecting on who will walk beside me in the journey of these goals.

I have found that I never achieve substantial change in my everyday if I am not accountable to a group of people who will support me in my endeavour.

A gang as such.

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People who have my back.

Over the last few days I have been sitting with people and hearing their dreams and desires for the coming year and one theme of reflection is in the area of people;

Friends.

Partners in crime.

Comrades in battle.

Those who will walk with you in your darkest and celebrate with you in those days of great success.

Those who aren’t threatened by you.

Those who include you.

Those who ask the hard questions somedays and on others ignore your moments of weird.

People who love people. In their awkward, in their vague moments, in their mistakes and quirks.

This coming year, don’t just reflect on what you hope this year may bring but who will walk with you towards the journey of that goal. Take time to ask those closest to you to hold you accountable to your dreams and desires and give permission so that they ask the hard questions when you seem to have lost your way a little.

There are people who are willing to do life with you. Sometimes they just look a little different than what we expect a good friend to look like. Take time to write about who your community is this coming year and find ways to grow and nurture it.

You are responsible.

I am responsible.

Friendship is nurtured and cared for. It is grown and encouraged. It is precious and vulnerable. It is often filled with unmet expectations and disappointment but it is still a very worthy pursuit in the breadth and depth of our year.

Twenty Fifteen Own it.

#inspire15

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comfort is my enemy

Comfort is my arch nemesis.

We were friends when we were younger, when I needed safety and comfort to protect and nurture my growing personality. As an adult though comfort has become my enemy and he will do everything in his power to stop me from achieving that which I long for.

My need for comfort always battles with my desire for change. I’m addicted to his snare.

I have two goals for this coming year;

One: to loose my baby weight.

Two: to get my latest manuscript published.

The only thing that will stop me from achieving these things is my need for comfort. My addiction to my old friend.

Comfort says; ‘Stay on the couch with me, watch a movie.’

My goals say; ‘Go for a walk, turn the TV off, write, email, hustle, hustle.’

comfort 2Comfort says; ‘Stay in bed where it is warm, safe and predictable.

My goals say; ‘Get up early, start the day well, use any time you have to chip away at the mountain of tasks.’

Comfort says; ‘Just have a bowl of ice-cream it wont hurt… don’t email that publisher because they might think you’re harassing them.’

My goals say; ‘Make small wise choices, be bold and courageous, start living the life you have dreamed of living.’

This year I am waging war on comfort.

comfort

He is no longer welcome in my house.

Change will never occur if I am always seeking to stay in comforts zone.

What is your arch nemesis for change in 2015?

Speak soon

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