Categories
2020 Happiness Live Happy Inspiration Relationships Summer

5 ways to know a TRUE friend…

A good friend will not just tell you that it’s all going to be fine. Because sometimes it’s just not.

A good friend will turn up with cold wine and her best snacks and say that it’s not going to be fine, that it will be hard, but you will get through it.

A good friend will cancel her plans, cajole you to put your trainers on and get you running or walking that trail.

She knows it won’t fix or mend it, but that fresh air and movement will help in a subtle way.

A good friend will know that sometimes there are no words that will fix it, or make it better, but a gentle presence is reassuring in the darkness.

A good friend will check in and see how you are doing, even when there is nothing new to say.

Sometimes it’s not all going to be fine. And having someone say “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” makes you want to kill them as they inadvertently invalidate your loss.

Sometimes a platitude won’t cut it.

But words of wisdom won’t either.

Sometimes it’s just hard. The only way out is through. And a good friend will walk it with you.

That the greatest thing they can do for you is to know they cannot heal it for you, but that you will not face it alone.

I hope you have not just one, but a good strong handful of these people in your life.

Hold onto and treasure those people like gold.

 

Categories
Energy Boosters Happiness Live Happy Inspiration Reduce Stress Summer Summer time

Make A Summer Wish List With This Magic Ingredient

There is little more annoying than seeing your Facebook feed jammed with loads of smiling faces at an event you so tooooootally would have gone to, had you only known it was on and got your shizzle together to get tickets!

We are spoiled for choice with events and entertainment at this time of year stretching right through to March and April.

So for your Best Summer take half an hour out of your week now to do your prep, gather your ingredients for your your best summer and head FOMO off at the pass.

You spend half an hour prepping dinner each night; you can find half an hour to prep your best summer!

Think Memory Making.  At it’s very essence that is what will create our best summer. Experiences, both shared and individual.

What would make you look back and smile?

Who is integral to that?

Where is special to you?

What or who do you wish you make time for every year but don’t?

I do this with World Of Wearable Arts every damn year: I forget just how much I want to go until I actually see it all unfolding live and I’ve missed the boat…again!

Not this year: I am getting my booking in now and heading off the FOMO at the pass for 2020.

If all this talk of planning is bringing you out in hives, remember that there is a strange irony to the fact that when we invest a little time and energy upfront in planning the highlights, we ironically seem to have more time, not less, to be spontaneous and grab the opportunities that just come our way in the moment.

Structure magically creates space.

So make a Summer 2019/20 wish list this week.

Share it with the people that matter.

A little planning now not only sets you up for the best summer of shared experiences, but also allows you to luxuriate in one of the most delicious emotional states there is: anticipation.

Anticipation is an instant emotional wellbeing booster.  It allows you to feel good not just doing the thing but for weeks or months ahead you get a little rosy glow as well as some pre-match feel-good chat.

Putting more anticipation into life is an easy way to up your happiness quotient very quickly.

Best summer and feeling good now: what’s not to like about that?!

Categories
4 Dimensional Wellness Dream and Goals Emotional Honesty Energy Boosters Live Happy Inspiration Love the Skin You're In Love your body Positive Thought Strategy Self Care and Self Love Summer

How to REALLY get a “Beach Body”…

There is an excellent meme that continues to circle about this time of year, year after year, about how to “Get a Beach Body”. It goes like this:

  1. Have a Body
  2. Go to the Beach

Which is all well and good of course, and jolly funny, unless we are secretly having a massive crisis of confidence about our body and we just want to hide inside as the sun comes out.

Improving body image is huge huge huge: and something that is dear to my heart in my coaching Academy. Having women work through the 30-day Self Esteem course and say they have worn a swimsuit or bikini to the beach for the first time in a decade and felt good in their own skin is the most rewarding work in the world. It absolutely thrills me to see that transformation in confidence and happiness.

Everyone deserves to feel at home in their body: it is the only place we have to live so any energy spent hating it rather than loving it is time and energy wasted.

Obviously I can’t replicate a 30-day course of personal growth and transformation in the next 176 words (do waitlist for the Academy if you want the real deal, you can do that here: https://iamawellbeingwarrior.com/wellbeing-warriors/) but I will say if you start focusing on these things it will definitely help.

Do what YOU need to do to feel more confident NOW.

Not when you get to that magical weight or whatever.

What makes you feel even a smidge more confident  – right NOW NOW NOW?

That gorgeous kaftan? Get it.

A pedicure so your feet look bright and beautiful when you see them? Do it.

Stop waiting.

Move towards confidence now.

If you can’t yet love (or even like) your body for how it looks, love your body for what it can DO.

It can, and does, do so much for you.

Concentrate on your capabilities, not your aesthetics.

Celebrate them.

Be proud of them.

And build on them.

Stop focusing on what you are trying to GET from your body, and look at what you are GIVING it instead.

Stop trying to GET a result (thinner / lighter / tighter /younger / etc) and look at what you can consistently GIVE instead as a service.

Give your body kind words.

Give it fresh food.

Give it a walk around the park or a run or a swim in the ocean in the sun.

Revel in what you can give.

Take your body to the beach, feel the sand between your toes and the sun on your skin and enjoy all summer has to offer.

That link for my Academy is below – I can’t tell you how much it will make you feel good on the inside: I believe every woman deserves that: summertime or not!

Categories
4 Dimensional Wellness Energy Boosters Happiness Live Happy Inspiration Relationships Summer

We MUST catch up before Christmas!

We must catch up before Christmas!” – how often do you hear that in the last few weeks before Christmas?

When there is no actual time to do anything about it?! How many times do YOU say it, when you know there is no way you can really make it happen at that point, and you have a weirdly guilty feeling that you might just have said the exact same thing to them last year?

Okay, so sometimes this is just a social nicety that we say when we know full well we don’t want to really see them, and that they, in return, have no intention of seeing us either. Fine fine. Social niceties make the world a smoother place to navigate. We all know the game.

There are however likely a heap of people you genuinely DO want to see. And for one reason or another, your priorities have slipped over the winter and the social connection has not been there during the hunkering down period.

The quality of our life is largely defined by the quality (and quantity) of our social connections and interactions. Those connections give our life richness, purpose and meaning.

Given that is the case it doesn’t do any harm for us to put some additional intentionality and priority round it today.

Riddle me this:

  • Who, when you actually consider it, haven’t you seen this past year that you really would like to?
  • Who lights up your world? Who is worth going out of your way for?
  • Who do you ACTUALLY want to see before Christmas?
  • Who isn’t physically near you but is incredibly important to you? Can you plan a trip? Failing that can you surprise them with a Facetime or Skype call?
  • Who has made a positive impact on your life this year? Why? How do you want to acknowledge that?
  • Who do you want by your side at Christmas? Who do you want by your side at New Year?
  • Who do you keep saying you must get together, but don’t? Do you really want to see them? If so, get it sorted. If no, stop saying it.
  • Is there anyone with whom you want to clear the air or make amends with? Clear the air, and feel free for the new year. 
  • Is there a group thing where you can kill multiple birds  – by hosting or attending – to connect with three or more of the above people?
  • Can you organise an active catch up that is not just coffee or wine? A walk in the bush? Swim at the beach? Surf? Playpark with the kids? A shared activity builds more memories and connection.

 Not all connection needs to be one on one, and time-intensive.

This is a great reflection exercise, to make sure you include all the people who are truly important to you.

Your best summer will be only best summer when you have the best people at your side.

 

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