oh the places you'll go

Here's a little treasure from our clever friends at Holstee. Follow their blog...they find and create the most beautiful things. And if you've never read the original version of the Dr Seuss book, go out and buy a copy. It's lovely....I gave a copy to Elsa when she turned 18.

harvest

After blogging about the Economics of Happiness last month and posting the clip on Facebook, I had one lovely follower give me some tips about growing my own tomatoes.

I have to confess, I had some help. Chris' mother bought us a healthy looking tomato plant which was covered in flowers and for Christmas, Chris and the girls planted it into a half wine barrel, complete with beautifully rich organic soil, a marigold and some basil and parsley - and a dripper so it gets watered automatically. I couldn't have chosen a more perfect gift.

And look! Those are my own tomatoes. In that short space of time the fruit ripened and was ready to eat. They were sweet and delicious and it was completely satisfying knowing we'd grown them ourselves.

Metaphorically, I sowed lots of lovely seeds last year. The other one that has just come to life is a beautiful new website, designed by the clever and very talented Andrew Englisch. It's called The Change Project. It's an online resource centre to help people create positive change in life.

It's been so well received by the people who have seen it so far - I hope you like it too. There are some free downloads (MP3s and an eBook) available on the home page and there'll be lots of new blog posts (at least a couple of new articles each week). We'll be running eCourses and events and you'll find a range of natural therapists and coaches on the site from all over Australia.

Drop by and have a look and let me know what you think!

the economics of happiness

Yesterday morning I caught the train into the city as I do every Tuesday and Thursday morning. I sat in a seat away from the window to catch the sun. As we pulled into the next station, I moved across so someone could sit next to me and as she sat down, the woman turned and smiled and said 'thank you'.

I rarely chat to people on trains or planes. I savour the time to myself. I read or listen to music or just daydream. But yesterday my companion and I struck up a conversation.

One thing led to another and she told me about a film that a friend had introduced her to on the weekend called 'The Economics of Happiness'. Who would have thought that a stranger on the train would tell me about something so engaging that I am now working out if I can possibly get to Berkeley, California next March to attend the conference.

Here's a preview. I hope you feel as inspired as I do.

what success really looks like

Ah...how true. From http://www.facebook.com/ThingsAreBeautiful. Love your work.

life is short

Here's another absolute gem. The Holstee Manifesto is a call to action to live a life full of intention, creativity, passion, and community. From the clever guys at Holstee.

 

on gratitude

The lovely Cate from The Wellbeing Corner shared this little clip on her blog recently. I thought you'd enjoy it too. It's beautiful.

 

defining your values

While I was away in Byron, I revisited my personal values. If you've never worked on your values, the best way to start is by creating a mind map. Use a big sheet of paper and lots of coloured textas or pencils. These help you to connect with the creative part of yourself. Put on your favourite music and allow yourself plenty of uninterrupted time.

What exactly are values?
Your values are your heart's deepest desire about how you want to live your life. They can describe how you want to be or they can be personal qualities you want to espouse.

Grouping your values
The image above is actually my second mind map. The first one was much more scattered and random. It included words that I found meaningful such as 'fairness' but ultimately, I found other ways to express the same value that resonated more for me. In this second mind map, I grouped the values from the earlier mind map into four main areas (inner harmony, health, creativity and connection). Collecting your values into no more than five simple categories makes them easier to remember.

Resist the urge to be perfect
You'll see that I've included some 'how' words as well in the creativity section (these are marked with a little cross). Technically, these aren't really correct - values are supposed to be more about how you want to 'be' rather than what you want to 'do'. But I resisted the urge to be perfect (something I find so difficult!). I was going to redo it but chose not to because I wanted you to see that it can be messy and imperfect and you can veer slightly off track but it will ultimately still serve the same purpose.

Are you aligned with your values?
Once you've refined your values, check in with them and see how you're tracking. My values don't change much but periodically I know that I'm more aligned with some and less aligned with others. What jumped out at me most this time was my need for 'space'. This is something I don't have a great deal of at the moment and an area that needs some attention. Another reason for me not redoing the mind map was that it was going to take time away from other things (essentially creating less 'space').

What are your values? And are you aligned with them?

byron bay retreat

As soon as I arrived at Sangsurya to run this year's retreat, I remembered how much being there feels like an escape. The bush setting immediately connects you with nature. The birdsong, the lush garden and the ocean in the distance set a scene of complete calm.

We were blessed once again with a beautiful group of women. All with open, generous hearts. So it was just as wonderful as last year. 

After it was over, Meg and Chris joined me in Byron Bay so we've just spent five days lazing about in the sun. We walked and read and Chris took beautiful photos.

And every day a humpback whale and her calf splashed about just off the shore.