Category: Goal setting

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I see you.

i see you 4

i see you 2

Late night inter-web scrolling left me feeling a little numb last night.

I remembered this morning though, reading another parenting article which shamed me (sorry), encouraged me with three things I have to say to my child everyday, for them to be a good human.

One of which was this ‘I see you.’

What an unusual thought.

I see you.

Of course I see him. Of course I see her.

They are both in my face every waking moment and sometimes moments when I am sleep walking around as well.

These words kind of echoed and made a memory in my heart, so I have been musing over them all morning.

Today marks the first of December and I am attempting to finish the year well, by using these writing prompts to capture moments and create lasting memories with my littles.

Describe a moment from today that you want to always remember?

There are many already and it is only 8.58am.

The moment when he tasted chocolate from his first advent calendar and then proceeded to have a major melt down because he wanted number six now as well.

The deep breath she took as she floated off into her morning sleep, snuggled perfectly under the pink blanket, so soft and all-consuming.

The moment I stood in the shower, washing away the weariness of the early, early morning, feeding, playing, changing, mummy-ing, convincing, face-timing, train building, kissing, goodby-ing and texting my dearest ones.

When I found the words ‘I see you’ tumbling out of my mouth to a tantruming two-year old, who was frustrated as my attention was distracted by his newborn sister.

Everyday, Ordinary Moments, that I will one day wish back again.

Memories of a very first Christmas,

Longings for Michael Bublé playing carols over breakfast,

Moments of beauty amongst ruins…

This morning before 9am, I have contacted a friend who was holding her husbands ashes as she decides where they may rest, a friend who is away with her husband’s family as they grieve the loss of their sister, chatted over text with a friend whose birthday it is today, someone who broke up with a boyfriend last night, read an email from an older friend who lost her husband a month ago, who received the crocheted blanket I sent her. Everyday stories, that required acknowledgement and memory making.

The stories go on and on, and they linger longer.

Everyday moments, when people share their stories.

‘I see you.’

I see you friend who is hoping for a Christmas miracle,

I see you Mum who is tired from a night of broken sleep and restless baby,

I see you beautiful woman who is contemplating divorcing her husband,

I see you.

Every one of these stories is present today in my everyday moments.

Memories I don’t want to forget.

Memories, mixed with opportunities to acknowledge the stories of hurting people, hidden in everyday moments, awaiting discovery.

Seeing someone is as simple as acknowledging them in your life.

I see you this Christmas, even when you would rather forget these everyday, ordinary moments this December.

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Do you want change this New Year?

new years

change 3

change

What are your plans for the Holiday Season?

Hanging with friends and family?

Buying presents, eating lots of food, chilling out by the beach?

What about taking time for yourself and reflecting on the new year approaching and setting some change into motion?

Over the last ten years I have taken time on the 1st of January to reflect on the coming year and make changes.

Last year over 500 people joined me and they started their year reflecting and asking themselves questions towards change. I have decided to get them out to you early, so that we can be accountable and prepared.

Here is some inspiration from significant leaders throughout history and their thoughts on change…

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Barack Obama

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

Mahatma Gandhi

For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Steve Jobs

You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.

Jim Rohn

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.

C. S. Lewis

Would you like to join us?

Here is what you need to do.

Change Reflection Pages

1) Download these pages and print them out;

New Year Change Reflection

2) Make time to reflect and answer the questions. Make a date with yourself now.

3) Share this website through social media and get your friends joining us, so we can be accountable to the process.

4) Hashtag #inspire15 and lets start 2015 inspired. Here is a spotify list to help you get in the zone.

If you want help to complete these pages, contact me on Amanda@amandaviviers.com for a personal mentoring session and we can do them together.

Happy Days dear creative friends

New year is just around the corner.

Take time for yourself and set attainable goals this holiday season

Sincerely

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Failure and beginning again

failure

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At the beginning of 2014 I set myself a goal. My goal was to draw in this journal every day of this year.

Many things happened this year.

My Mr made a rule that our family was not to travel anywhere outside of Western Australia. Which for the wanderlust obsessed is a big but necessary call.

We gave birth to most delightful baby girl.

I started writing a book about being over 25 and single.

Two blogs combined and helped a lady living on the streets in Greece find a home.

I considered giving up on social media.

and so much more that was never documented anywhere.

I keep looking at my journal and each time I am a little sad at the thought of my failure.

At the same time though, I am bursting with inspiration about new little happenings that are stirring in my heart and mind.

If we don’t fail, we don’t have the capacity to begin again and it is doing so that we keep becoming that which I believe we were created to be.

Failure may be embarrassing, but I would prefer to live a life of having a go, than one that sits on the sidelines commentating.

Here I find myself at the edge of a new year season and I am so excited about the challenges and commitments I want to make again for 2015.

I am offering one day guided creative retreats for people in Perth.

A one on one experience, where you have the opportunity to take time out at the beginning of the year to reflect and decide to make changes in specific areas of your life.

If you want change, you need help and accountability.

That is what these retreats are all about. Click the photo below for more information;

Creative Retreat

My failures, might help others succeed.

Every day.

Every season.

Ever learning.

Bring on 2015, I say.

PS- don’t forget to subscribe to my blog on the front page to receive your free code for Capture 30 merry days.

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open windows

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open windows

One of the first things I do every single time I come home is open every window I can find.

Every new hotel room I inhabit, I fling open the windows as soon as possible.

It is the very first thing I do.

Place down my bag and walk straight to the window.

How about you?

We live in a tiny apartment and over the last couple of weeks we have had six adults and two children in our beautiful shack.

It was stretching but we did okay.

It doesn’t matter how big the space is, as long as the window is ajar I can cope.

It is like the window is an opening to a place of inspiration and vision.

The window is an opportunity for my wandering heart to escape.

One of my favourite scriptures this year has been this..

‘He brought me out to a wide-open place. He rescued me because he was pleased with me.’

2 Samuel 22:20

When our hearts are free and our lives are secure, the human desire is always to find ourselves in a wide open space.

We were designed to feel small under the depth and width of an expanse of beauty.

The problem is, we sometimes go through seasons that are dark, times that we want to curl up in a ball, go foetal, close all the doors, windows and turn off the lights.

Seasons of transition.

Seasons of disappointment.

Seasons of brokenness.

It is so exciting to feel like I am at last entering this wide open space at last.

The last few days have been awash with thoughts about the coming years and I am inspired.

I feel like I am standing on the edge of a precipice, ready to dive into new and amazing waters.

I feel clearer about my future than ever before.

Standing in a wide-open place.

How about you?

Do you need to open a window a little?

Allow the light in, let a curtain blow in the wind and get ready for a brand new day to appear?

Stay open, dear thirsty heart.

A new day awaits.

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Ps- Hello to all my new subscribers. I am giving away a gift of the Elf on a Shelf book for anyone who registers for my blog to come to their email, or likes my facebook page or becomes a follower on instagram.

 

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Health and wellness

spring two

Spring

spring three

Spring has well and truly sprung in our little piece of Eden.

Our lime tree that sits in a wine barrel on our tiny porch has flowers for the first time promising fruit this summer.

Little birds jump along our window sill awakening life to the sound of the morning.

And my post pregnancy body is ready to move again and get back into shape for summer.

As I read stories of friends and families who completed marathons yesterday, I am both inspired and terrified for the year ahead.

I am inspired because I desperately long to fit back into my pre-pregnancy jeans, but terrified about the eternal roller coaster of emotions that dieting and exercise bring into my days.

We have scales in our house for the first time in five years and my husband and I have a goal to lose a certain amount of weight by a certain time, with a reward at the end.

My husband is off and racing, inspired and encouraged at his progress already and I am quiet in my despair that another go, another app on my phone, another list of to do’s and I will fail again.

spring four

You see Charl is a body builder by trade, a Muay thai fighter by night and a personal trainer by profession.

I am a cake baker, a people lover, a hospitality fiend and a writer by passion.

None of my characteristics lean towards success in this area but overall health and wellness is imperative for my future and family.

Charl and I had a profound conversation last week, with the words he said still ringing in my heart.

He kindly said;

‘The problem is babe, you are so focussed on diet and exercise that you will always fail because it is not a natural part of your make up. You need to change the tone and language, to health and fitness. When you are focussed on wellness and training for life, your motivation towards change is so much more apparent.”

Health

Wellness

Training

Fitness.

That I can do.

I want to live a Healthy life, for my future, my potential, my passion and my privileges.

I want to train hard towards goals like the city to surf, because I want my children to be proud of their mum who is motivated at the school gate.

I want to choose nutrition that is about wellness and energy, allowing me to bring my best to all the areas that demand me of my time.

I want to look at my camera and not delete photos so that a record of my current shape is removed from my hard drive.

I want to live free from the shame of being overweight and unfit.

Day by day.

Choice by choice.

I want it to be a lifestyle not a fad and unfortunately the amount of years that the latest diet has plagued my fridge is way longer than the amount of years I have lived with my husband, who encourages me towards healthy living rather than strict plans that fail constantly.

Here is a toast towards wellness this spring.

Making choices that are healthy rather than starving myself away from nutrition and wellbeing.

Step by step.

Run by run.

Moment by moment.

Choosing life.

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