wilson's prom

Chris and I celebrated our twenty year wedding anniversary this week with a trip to Wilson's Prom. It's a place like nowhere else I know. Rugged, completely untouched and strikingly beautiful. We always stay in the Eco Cabins that are run by Parks Victoria which are generally pretty difficult to book...particularly at the last minute. I took a chance about a month ago and called to see if there was anything available before Christmas and the only two days they had were 26 & 27 November - our anniversary is the 26th!

It's the perfect place to completely get away from it all. No television, no restaurants or cafes and no shopping so all you can really do is immerse yourself in nature, read and rest. We packed the esky with beautiful food, some wine and the teapot (it always feels like a treat to have real tea any time after breakfast). We had our books and cameras and the iPod speakers...and just each other (no kids). Nearly three days of absolute bliss. We walked and took photos and talked and the hours stretched on forever. The ultimate anniversary.

take a moment - breathe

One of the keys to creating everyday calm is finding moments in your day where you can stop and take the time to connect with the things that really matter.

Taking the focus off the small stuff and finding ways to reflect on the best things in life is a nice way to put things in perspective.

I thought I'd write a few 'take a moment' posts. There are lots of ways to take time out so over the coming weeks (or maybe it will end up being months) I'll share some of my ideas about how you can stop and connect with the real essence of life.

Probably the best place to begin is with the breath. I know it's pretty basic but most of us forget to breathe properly - particularly when we're stressed (even I'm guilty of this after twenty years of meditating).

So, take a moment...and start by just focusing on your breath (this is generally easier if you close your eyes). Breathe in deeply for the count of five (slow counting, don't rush it). Then hold your breath for five counts. And breathe out for the count of five. And repeat the exercise five times.

Such a simple thing to do but it is really effective. Just five slow breaths will make you feel calm.

trusting in life

'The appearance of things change according to the emotions, and thus we see magic and beauty in them, while the magic and beauty are really in ourselves.' Kahlil Gibran

There has been so much negativity in the media in recent weeks that it's difficult not to feel a sense of concern about the future of the world. The economy is slowing, the environment is in trouble, obesity, binge drinking and violence in our streets are increasing and much of this country is in the grip of a long term drought. It seems inevitable that all of us will be affected in some way.

There's definitely some validity in these doom and gloom messages. I've noticed a difference in business myself. We had fewer enquiries in October and I've heard from colleagues that many corporates are putting a freeze on non-essential training. Which means that business may be a little quiet for a period of time.

But how we approach this time is what makes a very real difference to how it affects us personally.

Around twenty two years ago I stumbled across a personal development book that a flat mate of Chris' had left behind. It was a copy of Louise Hay's 'You Can Heal Your Life' and the beginning of a journey that still has me challenging the way that I think.

Long before the film 'The Secret' was released (and with much less hype) Louise was writing about the law of attraction - the theory that 'what you put out in the world is what you get back'. According to this principle, for example, if you judge and criticise others, you'll be judged and criticised yourself. If you approach the world with love, that's what you'll attract. And in the face of adversity if you immediately anticipate that everything will become difficult for you, that's exactly how it will be.

I have to admit, I struggled to believe this initially. Being someone who has a fascination with science, I wanted facts, data, research or a formula to substantiate such a claim.

With none forthcoming, I oscillated between being dismissive and wanting to dabble. Figuring I had nothing to lose, eventually I did more of the dabbling than dismissing.

I noticed small changes in my world. Simple predictable things like approaching Chris with love generated a much better response than being irritable (but I considered this to be a no-brainer). Over the years I dabbled some more but it wasn't until I started my business that I began to see undisputable evidence that this theory really works.

I began to document what I call my client 'miracles'. One client wrote out her ideal role list and had someone literally walk into her office the following day to offer her an amazing job. Another wrote up her ideal home list after months of searching for a house and found something that week. And in my own business there have been many miracles over the years. Just last month, I set aside an afternoon to run a corporate workshop not yet requested. I pencilled a tentative booking into my diary and the phone rang the following day to confirm. Amazing!

All of these small miracles stand as a strong reminder to me - what I put out there is what I get back.

This might be a challenging time for all of us but I am choosing to see that if there's space in my diary it will be an opportunity to reflect on what is really important. It's a time when we can simplify the way we live and a chance to be creative about how we manage our finances.
We have all been through some difficulty in our lives before. Times when we felt that our backs were against the wall - and we survived.

Life is a series of peaks and troughs. If we expect it to be that way, we can be at peace with the troughs and continue to trust that everything will be ok.

Tips to help you through difficult times:

• Make a list of all of your accomplishments to date and keep them somewhere that you can easily review them every Monday morning to help you stay positive. Simple things such as 'I have a wonderful group of friends'; 'I have created a beautiful living environment' are as important as achieving huge successes in your career.
• Pay attention to what you are 'putting out there'. Turn your negative thoughts around and focus on what you are grateful for so that you attract more good in your life.
• Create some new goals for yourself that are aligned with your true values. You might like to try out our updated self coaching programs to give you a hand. Visit http://www.totalbalance.com.au/coachingproducts.htm
• And please feel free to email me your miracles. Maybe one day I'll have enough to write a book about!

on a personal note
I've saved the best miracle of all for last. Five year old Ella Bunn's dad, Jamie sent a letter last week to say that Ella was successfully operated on by Dr Charlie Teo a fortnight ago and she is on her way towards a strong recovery (see last month's newsletter for full details).
All visible portions of her brain stem tumour were removed and whilst Ella and her family have extensive rehabilitation and treatment to endure over the next two years, her future is looking bright.

Over $150,000 was raised to help Ella and her family - a big thank you to everyone who contributed.

As Jamie said, most of the contributors were people they knew but many also were complete strangers. What a wonderful reminder that there is still so much good in the world and how gratifying it is for us to connect as a community to help one another.