A Beautiful Moment

What a day - one filled with so many beautiful moments. 

We spent the day in Melbourne picking up a painting we commissioned to celebrate " our lives".  It has great meaning for our family and it feels wonderful to have created a piece of heirloom history for our family for generations to come - its all starts here.  Today was a day filled with so much energy and ease - an absolute joy.
  
On days like today it is easy to recognise the special moments and relish them for all they are worth.  The magic though is in recognising special moments in every day and special qualities in every person you meet.

So here's a challenge - as you 'live' through tomorrow, how about identifying at least 5 beautiful moments and relishing in them for just a few seconds at least. It is a great way of warming your heart and those of others and we feel wonderful after a day filled with warmth and joy today. 

And here's a peek at our beautiful new painting.

Regards
Jo    

You Can Do It! A Merit Badge Handbook Just for Grown - Up Girls

I was standing in our town's Little Bookshop this morning browsing for a gift when my eyes quickly set upon this book.

YOU CAN DO IT!  A Merit Badge Handbook Just for Grown - Up Girls.
Dare to Dream  Learn Something New  Do something Just for You.
Lauren Catuzzi Grandcolas

I added it to my puchases, farewelled Bob the Bookshop proprieter, brought the rubbish bin from the bottom of the drive AND then when  I sat down and flipped through the pages of this book realised what a fabulous purchase I had made.

It is about 500 pages (don't let this put you off) jam packed with hands- on practical advice which is set out in a really easy to read way. So you don't read it as you would a book if this makes sense.  And then as I continued to read and make sense of it all, I  realised I have purchased an entire experience with access to mentors to support me along the way.  (I paid $34.95).  They are all US based but they are there and accessible as I now look to take on some of the "to do's" in this book.

I take a look at one of the 60 badges in the book (will explain the badge bit a little later) Number 52, Get an Inner Life, and realise that it is a complete how to and checklist ie all I need to get started.  The quote, "who looks outside dreams, who looks inside wakes" Carl Jung jumps out at me and I think this is no coincidence that I opened the book here!!  Taking a deep breath and thinking 'way to go' this is amazing, I find book and website recommendations and instantly find myself surfing across the recommended sites.    

Back to the here and now and I decide to read about th author and here is what I found....

You Can Do it! was Lauren's idea, begun a year before she died on September 11, 2001, aboard UNited Flight 93.   A former Girl Scout, she saw the book as a way for women to re-create the feelings of accomplishment and community found in Scouts.  Lauren embodied the books goals.  Personally, professionally, athletically and creatively dynamic, she is remembered by her friends and family as their personal coach and champion.  She has 15 years of marketing and sales experience, started her own consulting company, and most recently served as an account executive for Good Housekeeping.  An avid biker, hiker, runner and on her thirtieth birthday a skydiver, she lived in the San Fancisco area for many years with her husband Jack Grandcolas.  With the special help of her sisters, Lauren's dream of empowering women to "go out and do it!" will now be realised.

And you have probably made the connection now about the 60 Badges that makes up the book.  These are like Scout badges for grown up girls. So I am now off to decide which badge I will go for first!!! 

Regards
Jo

                  

Dos and Don'ts of Goal Setting

I recently came across Jayne Johnson and her wonderful work in the area of goal setting - amongst others - and thought you may like it too.

I have written alot about the importance of planning and as part of this the importance of goals. And in particular about how powerful having your own to guide your year, an issue that you are working with and in fact your life can support you to achieve just about anything you set your mind too.

What drew my attention to Jayne's work was her attention to how some can sabotage goals and what steps you can take to remedy this.  So here goes, this is what Jayne says;

Do you sabotage your ability to acheive your goals?  What stops you, what can help you achieve them faster?  Here goal expert, Jayne Johnson provides you with 10 practical strategies to get you winning today.

DON'T
1. Don't let someone force a goal on your that you don't really want - follow your heart.
2. Don't let the past stop you - past goals you failed to reach have nothing to do with NOW.
3. Don't think some of your goals are not important enough, not big enough - all your goals matter.
4. Don't be rigid.  Yes, set a path, a goal, and go for it, but tiunnel vision can make you miss vital information and feedback.
5. Don't try to do everything yourself.  Be willing to delegate.

DO
1. Have a clean conscience.  When you feel guilty, you don't feel that you deserve to get the goals your'e going for.
2. Come from a place of service and helping others get what they want.  Serve first and the Universe serves you.
3. Celebrate your wins.  Reaching a goal is cause for celebration - and it leads to MORE wins!
4. Support those people who support you - flow pwer and support to them.  It creates a win / win loop of power, and everyone wins.
5. Every day make a list of what you are grateful for - express your gratitude for everything and everyone you can think of!

You can check out Jayne and more about her and her work at her website  http://www.clearingsight.com/

Regards
Jo                      

Inspiration

Inspiration is everywhere if you just take a moment to look! 

Over the last week I've been inspired by some people, events and news that have touched my world.  I share mine and encourage you to think of what's inspired you over the last week.

Firstly, it's my friends Chris and Trudy who have opened an IGA supermarket in the town of Meeniyan in South Gippsland, Victoria.  Servicing a town of approx. 500, this is an investment in rural Australia that I for one will support.  Good luck and Good business Chris and Trudy.

Our tennis team (Foster Yellow) made the grand final in mid week tennis - against odds as we started the finals in 4th position.  With everyone playing the best tennis of the season - here we are in the grand final.  A lesson for life here as it just shows that when the stakes increase so does your potential!

I watched a very proud Grade 4 accept the Student of the Week Award at our local primary school.  And then receive her mid year report where her behaviour and effort rated the highest possible.  How inspiring is this? It was a moment for her Mum to be proud.

Every year people gather for the Prom Country Challenge hear near Foster.  Distance runners, run 30 kms straight up and then back down the mountain, while many of us do the 6 kms on the flat (walking for me that is!).  It's a great event and inspires us all to get out and see our wonderful sights and stay fit at the same time.  I will endeavour to field a larger walking team this year than last.

I'm inspired by our cat Meeks who always finds the warmest and most comfortable spot in the house.  And she even finds and then steals the hot water bottle.

I'm inspired by my sister who supportsus all - family and friends to continue our journeys of life without my wonderful nephew Geoffrey.  I enjoyed our family and friends gathering on Sunday night at the Golf Club and an opportunity to recommit to the vitality of life.

And finally, I'm inspired by my Dad who now walks the block and beyond after a tricky month of heart complications and operations ending up with a pace maker and a truck load of medication.  He is a vital 83 year old once again with a renewed keeness for life.              

Find Comfort in Your Own Skin

On many occasions I have watched people in meetings, forums and at parties, dinners and conferences etc and been amazed at how comfortable some people appear and how easy these people are to be around ... and then how uncomfortable some people appear and how these people jsut aren't so easy to be around.  I have come to talk about this as how comfortable people are (or aren't as the case may be!) in their own.

It came back in to focus for me this week when I received an email from a colleague who I think sums this up beautifully.  She writes....
"Who are You?"
Truly confident people have already worked out who they are and what they stand for, and more importantly - what they will not stand for. Their personal constitution has already been written adn ratified so there is no need for pretense in any given situation.  There is very little "gap" between the public and private self.  They trust in themselves.  Confident people don't always need to be right, because deep down, they already live by their own moral code.  Similarly, confident people have no need to draw attention to themselves because they aren't particularly interested in what others think. They are too busy getting on with their own stuff.

And so the question everyone is likely to ask is so how do we set our own moral code and develop the confidence of those who have theirs already set?  These are great questions and here are a few tips that just might help...

Accept Yourself 
This is where confidence starts.  We were all born with gifts and all our gifts are different. Sure there are bits about us we don't necessarily love and even some things in our past and some decisions that we are not too proud of.  But these are the things that make us who we are.  We need to accept ourselves for who we are.  We are not perfect and nor will we ever be, so let's be confident with what we have.

Own it      
Own who you are.  No matter where you are in life, you have assets and positive strengths that you can and must own.  These are what make you great. You are valuable for who you are and the talents you have.

Stretch
We all seem more comfortable living inside our comfort zones, confidence comes when our comfort zones are stretched.  In fact once our comfort zones are stretched they never ever come back to their original size and the best part is our confidence grows and expands with it. So take a chance, learn something new and you will feel and see your acceptance of you and your world and hence your confidence grow.

Move
Healthy self esteem starts with caring for yourself and there is no better way to acheive this than with some sort of exercise or movement regime.  Daily exercise builds momemtum for a great day.  Try it!

So, it all starts from the inside out - it's an inside job!  Deep down inside and in some - very deep - tehre is a well of self esteem that knows exactly who we are and what we are all about.  It's not about the material things in our lives, its about confidence and honouring your own value and sense of self and developing an unshakeable trust in yourself.