Category: yestember

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Day Three: Declutter

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Day Three: Declutter

“Look at you. You’re young. And you’re scared. Why are you so scared? Stop being paralysed. Stop swallowing your words. Stop caring what other people think. Wear what you want. Say what you want. Listen to the music you want to listen to. Play it loud as you want and dance to it. Go out for a drive at midnight and forget that you have school the next day. Stop waiting for Friday. Live now. Do it now. Take risks. Tell secrets. This life is yours. When are you going to realise that you can do whatever you want?”

Louise Flory

Whether it is midnight or 6 o’clock in the morning before work, the time has come to throw out some stuff.

Our external worlds often mirror our internal dispositions.

When we hold onto stuff in our everyday environments, we tell ourselves subliminally that we are not worthy of a clean space and a great home space to thrive in.

What does your bedroom look like?

Are there piles of clothes that you can never get through?

Or is it the opposite?

Is it completely boring, plain and sterile?

Today is the day to start the transformation of your everyday space and to start throwing away, creating space for beauty, peace and reflection.

Today in Australia is Fathers Day, so one tip I have for decluttering, is to hang a bag on the back of your front door and over this week everytime you lay hands on something that is cluttering your space take it to the front door and at the end of the week take it to the op shop.

Amanda

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Day Two: buy a coffee for a stranger

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Day Two: Buy a coffee for a stranger

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Today’s adventure will be easy for some and completely terrifying for others. I am asking you to go and buy a coffee for a stranger.

As you walk past your cafe of choice, buy a drink for yourself and then one for another. Whether you pay for the next person in line, or you buy a takeaway and give it to someone as you walk back to your car, it’s your choice.

You need to step out of your comfort zone today and do something for someone; someone who can never repay you.

If you are that way inclined, say a little prayer and ask for direction. Then do it.

The most important part of today’s adventure is to not over think it. Seriously, just jump in and have a go.

I am sure a smile will surface at some point in your day as you reflect on the moment you shared with a stranger.

And yes, they need to be a complete stranger!

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Day One Dare: say yes to this project.

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1. Say yes to this project.

I mean really say yes. Not a half-hearted I’m going to try or maybe we will see if this works.

I mean a real yes, boots and all! I’m telling my friends, I’m posting about it on social media…

Like really, every day I am going to seize the little opportunities and I am going to plan the parties and the barbecues and step out of my comfort zone.

Saying yes means finding someone who makes you accountable too. Phoning a friend right now and saying “I am committing to doing these random little acts of kindness for myself. Will you hold me accountable?”

Take a little photo of yourself and put it as your screen saver on your mobile to remind you. Maybe write a status on Facebook declaring the challenge you have set yourself to say yes more often.

When someone asks you out on a date or to do something that’s not really your style, just say yes.

Say yes and take time each day to reflect on where you are at and make a plan for tomorrow.

“Sometimes what we learn and who we become in the process of waiting is even more important than what we’re waiting for.”

Mandy Hale

So here is what I am asking you to do. Set aside September as an opportunity to say yes. And look out for tomorrow’s dare here and on all my social pages.
If you want to get ahead and find a list of all of them before you commit (smile), they can be found in my latest book Dear Single Self, that you can buy here in paperback version $20 delivered globally or the E-version downloadable from Amazon here.
Let me know in the comments below if you are joining us, so we can encourage one another.
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Yestember 2017

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Can you remember the first time you realised, that maybe you weren’t that good at something?

I think the older we get, the more tentative we become, aware of our failures, aware of our imperfections and moments where we just get stuck. Our relationships are the first to be affected when we are worried about what other people think.

Very quickly, we start to question and doubt our abilities. We start to shut down. Without even realising it, we have backed ourselves into a corner and played the movie forward and so often we just end up saying no.

As children, we change from these young girls, who dance freely around the kitchen whenever music is played, to women who are uncomfortable that we may look silly or childish or, even worse, fat.

As young girls, we play up to the camera, wanting someone, anyone to take our photo. We smile and we play, then one day we become shy and worried about whether we are good looking enough? Is what we are wearing okay? What will others think of us?

As young women, we cook with delight, making awful breakfasts for our Mums in bed, with burnt toast and cold coffee, all the while being so proud. As we grow older we become afraid of inviting guests over for dinner, because our food isn’t up to a master-chef standard.

We draw and scribble outside of the lines as a toddler and preschooler. Then we hear negative words, one after another; that we shouldn’t paint the sky purple, that girls must like butterflies and boys trucks, and our self-worth, year after year, becomes squashed into a place of perfection.

The little girl who decorates her room with scarves and colours, dressing up her Barbie dolls with bright colours, building teepees and forts out of rugs…becomes afraid to invite anyone over to her house because it might not look like those amazing homes on Insta- gram or Pinterest.

We start to say no to new opportunities out of fear and we progressively shut down our lives until we’re in a place of comfort. I believe there are times in our life that we just need to make a crazy change and begin to do things that we have never done before. Old ways won’t open new doors. Sometimes you just need to throw caution to the wind and say yes.

That’s what this book is designed to provoke by using the thread called Yestember: say- ing yes to things we would not normally do.

Stretching our comfort zones, meeting new people.

Seeing your life with new eyes.

“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

Isaiah 43: 19

So here is what I am asking you to do. Set aside September as an opportunity to say yes. And look out for tomorrow’s dare here and on all my social pages.
If you want to get ahead and find a list of all of them before you commit (smile), they can be found in my latest book Dear Single Self, that you can buy here in paperback version $20 delivered globally or the E-version downloadable from Amazon here.
Let me know in the comments below if you are joining us, so we can encourage one another.
Amanda
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stepping out into the big world of publishing

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finding a book publisher

I sat down this afternoon and had this cup of tea, with thoughts whirring around my head faster than the bubbles frothed in this milk. My heart was racing with a sense of purpose and potential.

Over the last few weeks I have had such a sense of clarity about the next years of my life. The kind of weeks that only come with a whisper. Maybe they have come because I journeyed the well-worn path on my knees of forgiveness and letting go.

A whisper that has been saying;

Go on have a go.

You never know this could be Divine.

Life is way too short for maybe.

One of my big decisions over the last little while has been to launch these Creative Retreats. A one day retreat facilitated by me with one person, near the ocean, creating space to dream. I have been so overwhelmed at the response with only two places left.

Another moment of clarity has been around my latest manuscript that I have been working so hard on this year. I have decided to step out into the crazy world of publishing and pursue an agent and publisher for this book The Summer of Love; single, over 25 and exhausted. The letters that my readers here wrote, all 30 of them are so inspiring. My intern read them and started to cry, my author friend read them and was like YOU NEED TO PUBLISH THIS.

So, I have taken a deep, long breath and have committed.

I am scared out of my heart. It is pumping and writhing, full of fear and trepidation.

I have been on a journey where I have self published and put my ideas out there, for you, the people who choose to come and read this blog. (which by the way this week has gone over 2 million hits for the year! WHAT! with 65,000 unique visitors this year alone.)

My first book sold out this year in hard copy and I smiled this week when a reader from France emailed asking for a book for a friend in London, as Amazon was selling a copy for $199 due to it being sold out.

Crazy Days.

I am tentatively going into places I have never gone before and who knows I may fail, but I am stepping out anyway.

If you are a praying type, pray with me. There is a song that has been popular lately that says this…

‘Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters, wherever you may lead.’

When we sing songs like this, do we think that God doesn’t hear our cry and take us into unknown territories?

An anthem that is exciting as we sing it, but are we ready to actually do it?

This could be a whole new day for Capture as I send off my book proposals and manuscript this week.

Tentatively,

With a deep breath,

I am just having a go.

These photos that I took today of Libby who fell asleep on the floor this afternoon as I drunk a cup of tea, remind me that I am influencing little people daily.

An inspired Mum, is a happy one.

And that I am.

What do you need to step out and do?

What have you been waiting for?

These are the best of days, the ones where we fearfully step out of the boat and start to see our dreams become a reality.

Till tomorrow

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Ps- If you are looking for ideas for homemade Christmas gifts this year, my e-book Capture 30 merry days is available to download today, with lots of fun and interesting gift ideas.