finding refuge in bali

We've just had another holiday. I know. I seem to just be on one big long holiday these days.

This trip was to Bali for ten days. It was originally to search for a meditation retreat venue but having organised (and now filled) our Byron Bay retreat and with plans for a shorter retreat in Daylesford early next year (details coming soon), we decided Bali could be more holiday than research. And it was absolute bliss.

Holidays are the best form of refuge from the real world.

If you're travelling to Bali any time soon, here are a couple of things I'd recommend.

We found a great driver and it really made a difference for longer trips. His name is Wayan Sunia and his contact number is +62 812 364 9080. He's lovely and has a very comfortable air conditioned car!

We ate local food as often as we could - Made's Warung in Seminyak is great. You need to book and the phone number on the website is incorrect...call 732 130. Lotus Cafe in Ubud is a lovely place to have lunch. And for a little bit of luxury, La Lucciola in Seminyak is divine.

We took an eco bike tour from Ubud which was one of the highlights of our trip and had a massage at a local spa in Ubud (very simple but clean and the staff were beautiful).

And you have to see the sunset at Uluwatu. We found a classic little untouched warung on the side of the cliff where we sat for a couple of hours watching the surfers as the sun went down.

interesting clients: rebecca smith

Rebecca is one of those women who has packed three lifetimes into one already. She's been a lawyer, barrister, buyer at Mecca Cosmetica and she's the mother of two boys. These days, with her business partner Lisa, she heads up de nimes, a stylish little boutique in Camberwell.

The mission of their business is not just on getting your casual wardrobe looking great, but making the shopping experience a pleasure (not a trauma as many of us find it).

Rebecca's a great advertisement for her store. She has that knack of always looking incredibly stylish but still completely relaxed. It's a style I greatly admire...and (I know, I say this every time) she's one of the nicest people you could possibly meet.

What do you love most about having your own business? The overwhelming sense of satisfaction you get when you stand back and realise that your own little idea has grown into something tangible - it amazes me everyday that it has evolved into something real that other people find interesting, helpful, worthwhile.

What would you do differently if you had your time over? Trust my instincts – each and every time.

What are you most proud of professionally? That I have been able to re-invent myself rather than getting stuck. I have realised that you can start off on one path, and although it may make no sense to anyone else, you can end up on a new path, with a whole set of new skills, ideas and wonderful networks. But every stage has a purpose and helps you move forward.

Who inspires you? Strong, witty and energetic women who start something from scratch and remain polished and respectful every step of the way. Jil Toovey from the Institute of Knowledge Development is an inspiring mentor and one of my most treasured friends. She combines wit, warmth and empathy and is at the top of her game professionally.

What are you looking forward to? Figuring out what is next for me - Kate – can you help me?!

How did coaching help you? Coaching forces you to hold the mirror up – I love the opportunity to evaluate my strengths and weaknesses and how to better manage these to produce effective outcomes. I like the bird’s eye view it gives you. After a session with Kate I walk out of there feeling anything is possible. Kate manages to look at a business from many different angles, she has a wealth of new ideas and reading material at her fingertips and is testimony to her own philosophy of balance and creativity.

What’s your personal philosophy on how to live life well? Be authentic. Keep learning. Travel as often as you can so you realise that your tiny little world needs to be shaken up from time to time. Do yoga. Surround yourself with people who are warm, funny and positive and realise that when you really struggle with a relationship or a situation, it is probably not the right fit for you – and that’s ok.

the girl effect

I saw this great little clip a while ago and forgot about it...until I spotted a link on the lovely Jodie Fried's Bholu website. Great clip, great concept. More info @ www.girleffect.org.

two minutes to soothe stress

Usually when you're uptight you'll feel it somewhere in your body. You might not notice the physical sensations at the time - your focus will generally be on whatever it is that's causing you to feel stressed.

Bringing your attention into your body is a great way to help you to relax. And it only takes a couple of minutes. Give it a try now as you read the instructions.

Begin by breathing deeply - feel the breath go right into the belly and pause for a moment before breathing out slowly. Do this at least three times. Make each breath long and soothing.

Then scan across your body, from the top of your head (slowly) down across your face, neck, shoulders. Into your chest and abdomen. Notice where you're holding any tension.

Now take the breath to that place, breathe into it and let it go.

Let your body feel heavy. Relax into your chair. Feel where your body makes contact with the chair. Imagine you're sinking into your seat...let every muscle in your body relax.

Breathe a few more deep breaths.

Once you feel completely relaxed you might want to let your thoughts wander (calmly) back to your problem.

for fun

Here's a little gem that I stumbled across on a cheery blog called Meet Me At Mikes. I haven't met Pip but she's a friend of Shelley's. One of the things I love most about blogging is the interesting people you stumble across who are doing inspiring creative things.

I wish they had one of these at my station. Love it!

wake up to wellness workshop with sherry strong

My friend and colleague Sherry Strong is a Melbourne based Food Philosopher & Nutritional Strategist.

She is holding a one day workshop in South Melbourne this Sunday 27 June and she still has a few places available at a reduced price of $197.

The workshop is designed to help people who are experiencing low energy, trying to lose a few kilos, people who are facing illnesses like cancer, heart disease or diabetes or anyone who wants to be truly healthy and have amazing quality of life.

This one day workshop will cover how you can:
• Slow the ageing process
• Dramatically increase your energy
• Look years younger in one month
• Bounce out of bed happy, every morning
• Beat addictions & eliminate temptation
• Avoid ageing foods & crave life giving foods
• Achieve super healthy weight loss without dieting

For bookings contact Sherry directly on 0412 098 992 sherry@sherrystrong.com

interesting clients: greg pritchard

I've lost track of how long Greg and I have known one another but it must be getting close to four years. We met when he was working in a senior role at Macquarie Bank and contemplating where to go next with his career. Courageously, he chose to walk away from the security and kudos of employment with a prestigious brand to set out on his own.

Greg's story is one I often share (confidentially) with other male clients who feel tied to corporate roles. It's a tough decision to resign eight days after your wife has just had a baby. But that's what Greg did and three years later, I'd doubt that he'd say he has any regrets.

Greg's last comment about 'integrity being about how you act when no one is watching' sums him up perfectly. He's a great guy and a complete inspiration. He is too polite to talk himself up but I can tell you he should feel proud of his incredible work ethic and the success he's achieved with Dedication Group in such a short time. The sky's the limit for Greg. I hope his story inspires you to follow a dream.

What do you love most about having your own business? Building a sustainable business which can truly benefit our clients through successful project delivery, whilst empowering the people in Dedication Group to achieve their career goals. I love the responsibility of leading and growing something bigger than just me.

What would you do differently if you had your time over? I would have zeroed in on Dedication Group's niche much sooner. In the beginning; we were all things to all people and ended up being nothing to no-one. By narrowing our focus to only technology projects for financial markets, which was where our strength lay all along, we could connect with prospective clients more quickly and intuitively

What are you most proud of professionally? I'm proud of all the hard work and learning drilled into me over the years at Macquarie Bank and ANZ. The extreme level of knowledge, skills, experience and battle scars I achieved during that time has given me the perfect grounding for this phase of my life.

Who inspires you? I'm inspired by people who set goals for themselves and then go out there and achieve them; with no more hand-up in life but their own determination and hard work. Two names which come to mind are Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mark Bouris. Both set goals that were important to each respectively and delivered. Doing what you say you will is so important; especially when the promise is to yourself.

What are you looking forward to? I'm looking forward to growing Dedication Group. For staff, I'm looking forward to building a business that they are proud to work in. For myself, I am looking forward to pushing my boundaries to learn and succeed in areas I never thought I could achieve; such as business development to large corporates.

How did coaching help you? Coaching allows me to get in touch with the path I know is right for me; but sometimes is forgotten or not clear. Whether it's a business challenge or revisiting personal goals and life priorities; Kate's coaching style provides a safe, confidential and totally supportive environment where I can move forward with confidence.

What’s your personal philosophy on how to live life well? As the saying goes; integrity is how you act when no-one is watching. So too, the multitude of promises to yourself and your loved ones; such as eating right, exercising, and treating others with love and respect. If you keep those little promises; the big ones will take care of themselves.

is gratitude enough?

Sometimes themes appear with my clients. Not obvious ones like everyone feeling a bit less energetic because of the cold weather - but more subtle things. This week's theme was that people feel they should be more grateful for what they have.

Gratitude is such an important part of Positive Psychology but sometimes it's not enough.

It is important to bring your attention to what's going well in your life but it's equally important to acknowledge what isn't.

Mindfulness is about learning to be present to your experience - to notice and acknowledge your feelings and thoughts (good and bad), without judgement.

In a way, this is contradictory to the experience of expressing gratitude - which many people find confusing.

There must be room for both gratitude and acceptance in our lives.

For the most part, our brains have a negative bias, so many of us have a tendency toward pessimistic thinking. Which is why practicing gratitude is important. But it's unrealistic to always be optimistic and positive. And for anyone who's spent too much time with a 'Pollyanna' type, you'll agree that it's downright annoying.

Life will always be a blend of suffering and joy.

Sometimes we need to just go with our experiences as they arise. And feel them for what they are.

By all means ask the question 'is there anything I want to change?'. But don't beat yourself up if you don't feel gratitude for every moment of the day.

Life sucks some days. And that's ok.