Are you living a life full of passion? When you wake up in the morning do you have a spring in your step because you are inspired to get out of bed and make the most of your day?
Or do you feel like you're only half way there?
Do you have hidden desires to develop a skill, hone a craft, grow your own vegetables, write a book, travel, or develop your career? Dig down deep and tap into the you that you really desire to be. Find out what you really want to be known for, or labelled as, or having achieved - depending on what is important to you. I always like to read other people's obituaries, and think about how I would like my own to read - which can sound quite morbid - but it helps me to work backwards and figure out the small steps that I can take everyday towards living the life I dream of.
I felt like I was only halfway there, and I didn't really have any interests besides reading and food! (and at that stage, singing along to the radio - this was before I went back to uni!) Then I decided to start taking steps towards living a more authentic life - that is, one that truly reflected the person that I believed I could be. When I starting acting on this, it was amazing how much less I wanted to hang in the kitchen at night time!!
Instead of watching TV which was often accompanied by eating as a hobby - I started devoting some time each night after all of the children were in bed to researching my area of interest. Whether it be surfing the net, reading a book, writing down ideas or dreaming big! It was amazing how once I started planting the seeds, they started to grow.
I created a vision board of all of the things I wanted to get eventually and especially of outfits I wanted to wear when I felt fit and healthy! It was amazing to look back at it almost two years later and discover that a long time after looking at it, I had actually accumulated almost all of it and had achieved the picture of health in those pics!
Soon the life that I wanted began to evolve - on the inside and the out! I had started actively pursuing a different road - and it feels so good!
Of course this is an example on a larger scale. Maybe there are small tweaks that you can make to your life to include some more time to pursue your passions - open your mind and you never know where the journey will take you!
This has a huge effect on your self-esteem and creating a positive outlook, which in turn changes the way you feel about yourself, your health and what you put in your body to nurture your health.
So this week - don't forget to
1. Keep being conscious of what your body is trying to tell you,
2. Create a new ritual - that hopefully replaces a time of the day where you normally choose foods that make you feel yuk!
3. Devote some time in your week to pursue your passions
Have a great week - and enjoy your journey!
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Time out Together!
Well, it doesn't happen very often, but my husband and I are going on a date night! With three children and him away quite a bit for work, time alone together is like gold! Especially on the weekend! As you can tell from all of my exclamation marks - I'm quite excited!
Time out together is really important to get back in tune with each other - it's a great chance to talk about things besides the usual "can you pick up some milk on the way home?" type conversations that can end up forming a large part of the everyday together.
For those reading who don't have a significant other - time out with close friends or family is just as important!!
So if you haven't got plans already this weekend - find time to satisfy your soul with some quiet time with loved ones, it can make the world of difference to the beginning of the new week - you can start feeling happy that you've caught up with people that matter to you - fresh for the week with a positive state of mind!
Have a great weekend!
PS. Keep tuning in to your body and how you feel after eating certain things, and let me know what you've noticed, I find it interesting to hear other people's experiences!
Time out together is really important to get back in tune with each other - it's a great chance to talk about things besides the usual "can you pick up some milk on the way home?" type conversations that can end up forming a large part of the everyday together.
For those reading who don't have a significant other - time out with close friends or family is just as important!!
So if you haven't got plans already this weekend - find time to satisfy your soul with some quiet time with loved ones, it can make the world of difference to the beginning of the new week - you can start feeling happy that you've caught up with people that matter to you - fresh for the week with a positive state of mind!
Have a great weekend!
PS. Keep tuning in to your body and how you feel after eating certain things, and let me know what you've noticed, I find it interesting to hear other people's experiences!
Thursday, 1 March 2012
Perfection
So - I'm really passionate about the topic of my blog - so much that I realize I can ramble on and then get embarrassed that I have prattled on for so long!
In my excitement about starting this blog, I had huge desire to do it "perfectly!" That is - write everyday - no fail. This is because I know what it's like when you follow a blog, that if the email doesn't land in your inbox one morning, you feel a little disappointed, and even cranky that they haven't posted today - especially if you rely on it for motivation!
So at this point I apologise if I've already disappointed you!
So then I was thinking about it, and I realised that it can be difficult some days to try and figure out when to fit in doing a new post. This is very similar to when you start a new "health regime!"
You know the feeling - when you start, you're so excited that you want to do it so well, you want to do it perfectly!
Inevitably a day comes when no matter how hard you try, there is no way that you could achieve "perfect" status. For example, you go to a friends house for dinner, and you there's no alternative, you have to eat the "non-compliant" food on your plate.
So, I committed to blogging because I wanted to help a friend and I thought it could be useful for others too - those that I know and those that I don't!
However, life happens, and I have realised that while you may be struggling to find time to be kind to your body - which is a routine that I've gotten used to now and is as common in my day as brushing my teeth or any other personal hygiene routine - I'm struggling to find time to commit to being regular with my posts.
It doesn't take long, only 10 - 20 minutes - and I feel all the better for having done it! I also LOVE getting feedback - to know that my effort was worth it, and that it helped someone - just like the buzz you get from moving your body!
My point is - while you are trying to find your "groove" with exercising or eating things that make you feel good (for longer than a few minutes!), I'm still trying to work out what "routine" suits me!
Hopefully I'll have adjusted soon, and it will be as easy and normal as brushing my teeth or taking a shower!
Have a great day!
In my excitement about starting this blog, I had huge desire to do it "perfectly!" That is - write everyday - no fail. This is because I know what it's like when you follow a blog, that if the email doesn't land in your inbox one morning, you feel a little disappointed, and even cranky that they haven't posted today - especially if you rely on it for motivation!
So at this point I apologise if I've already disappointed you!
So then I was thinking about it, and I realised that it can be difficult some days to try and figure out when to fit in doing a new post. This is very similar to when you start a new "health regime!"
You know the feeling - when you start, you're so excited that you want to do it so well, you want to do it perfectly!
Inevitably a day comes when no matter how hard you try, there is no way that you could achieve "perfect" status. For example, you go to a friends house for dinner, and you there's no alternative, you have to eat the "non-compliant" food on your plate.
So, I committed to blogging because I wanted to help a friend and I thought it could be useful for others too - those that I know and those that I don't!
However, life happens, and I have realised that while you may be struggling to find time to be kind to your body - which is a routine that I've gotten used to now and is as common in my day as brushing my teeth or any other personal hygiene routine - I'm struggling to find time to commit to being regular with my posts.
It doesn't take long, only 10 - 20 minutes - and I feel all the better for having done it! I also LOVE getting feedback - to know that my effort was worth it, and that it helped someone - just like the buzz you get from moving your body!
My point is - while you are trying to find your "groove" with exercising or eating things that make you feel good (for longer than a few minutes!), I'm still trying to work out what "routine" suits me!
Hopefully I'll have adjusted soon, and it will be as easy and normal as brushing my teeth or taking a shower!
Have a great day!
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
The Definition of Insanity ...
I love Tuesdays - they're usually the only day truly to myself without running around (well, generally) and so I get a lot of work done on things that are close to my heart! My passions! So understandably, I want to maximize the time in my day!
When I come home from dropping the kids off, I like to come home to a clean kitchen with maybe a load of washing that has just finished so that all I have to do is hang it out and then I can focus on me for a bit. Or I may even skip the coming home, and instead take a "free pass" and go out and about all day doing what I need to for me (usually NOT shopping - unless it's for books!)
However - in anticipation of the whole school day ahead of me (free of children that is!) - I tend to get a little greedy and try to cram too many of the household jobs in before school while trying to convince Mini-Master-of-the-House to get dressed, and Little Miss Princess-in-the-Middle to eat, while the Ring Leader of the pack is watching the clock and giving a running commentary on how long until we have to be out the door, while tapping her foot, and micro-managing her siblings!
My love for that clean kitchen feeling is so great that I tend to only leave myself 10 minutes to have a shower, get dressed and - with a lick of "icing" on the face - out the door!
Inevitably - we're late, blood-pressure is high - especially in eldest as she is concerned that she is not there early to catch up with her friends and get in a lot of chatter before the quiet of class time - and guilt factor is high - ALL because of my love for the clean kitchen!
I say all of this because today I realized that I have been doing this school routine for 7 years now - one would think it would have dawned on me a little earlier - I do the SAME thing everyday - just one extra little job!! I promise!! - before walking out the door, and each day I continue to screech into the school grounds at the last possible minute, and promise myself that I won't do it tomorrow!
Then the light bulb came on - it's a matter of priorities - and obviously my clean kitchen is higher on the list than getting the children to school calm, and on time - or even early! Gasp!
My reflection brought to mind the saying "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing every day and expecting a different result!"
Clearly my priorities are around the wrong way - I definitely don't enjoy the daily adrenaline rush of being late! - so I need to restrain myself tomorrow morning from cleaning up as I go, in the effort to get out the door faster! So it got me thinking.....
Are your priorities in order?
I'd love to hear your stories! Don't be shy!
When I come home from dropping the kids off, I like to come home to a clean kitchen with maybe a load of washing that has just finished so that all I have to do is hang it out and then I can focus on me for a bit. Or I may even skip the coming home, and instead take a "free pass" and go out and about all day doing what I need to for me (usually NOT shopping - unless it's for books!)
However - in anticipation of the whole school day ahead of me (free of children that is!) - I tend to get a little greedy and try to cram too many of the household jobs in before school while trying to convince Mini-Master-of-the-House to get dressed, and Little Miss Princess-in-the-Middle to eat, while the Ring Leader of the pack is watching the clock and giving a running commentary on how long until we have to be out the door, while tapping her foot, and micro-managing her siblings!
My love for that clean kitchen feeling is so great that I tend to only leave myself 10 minutes to have a shower, get dressed and - with a lick of "icing" on the face - out the door!
Inevitably - we're late, blood-pressure is high - especially in eldest as she is concerned that she is not there early to catch up with her friends and get in a lot of chatter before the quiet of class time - and guilt factor is high - ALL because of my love for the clean kitchen!
I say all of this because today I realized that I have been doing this school routine for 7 years now - one would think it would have dawned on me a little earlier - I do the SAME thing everyday - just one extra little job!! I promise!! - before walking out the door, and each day I continue to screech into the school grounds at the last possible minute, and promise myself that I won't do it tomorrow!
Then the light bulb came on - it's a matter of priorities - and obviously my clean kitchen is higher on the list than getting the children to school calm, and on time - or even early! Gasp!
My reflection brought to mind the saying "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing every day and expecting a different result!"
Clearly my priorities are around the wrong way - I definitely don't enjoy the daily adrenaline rush of being late! - so I need to restrain myself tomorrow morning from cleaning up as I go, in the effort to get out the door faster! So it got me thinking.....
Are your priorities in order?
I'd love to hear your stories! Don't be shy!
Monday, 27 February 2012
Focus - Create a New Ritual
Happy Monday! I hope your week is off to a flying start!
So last week your focus was on how you feel after eating a number of different types of foods. No doubt some made you feel good, and some made you feel lousy!
While continuing to observe how you feel after eating different foods (and hopefully you've found that you naturally make different choices as a result of listening to your body rather than turning up the music and drowning out the noise in your head!) I want you to identify your weakest point in the day or week, where you tend to eat anything and everything in sight as a result of feeling stressed, anxious, run down or tired.
If you know it's a particular day (eg. Friday as you're out at sport until late after all day at work) then I want you to think about that day in advance and when you feel low in energy and why you think that is - tiredness or is it blood sugar related as you may not have eaten in the last 2-3 hours?
If it's tiredness, is there anyway that you can squeeze in some activity like a walk (nothing super high intensity - so no special clothes really required!) after school while waiting for children from various activities?
If it's blood sugar, can you make up a snack box the night before to take some of your feel-good foods in?
I often find that I get really hungry and tired around 3.30pm - 4.30pm, and I could easily curl up and go to sleep then and there. But if I have a snack, especially one that includes some protein like chicken strips, tuna or a good fat like a handful of almonds, my mind is sharp again and I'm raring to go!
Then dinner time on this kind of night is ALWAYS a killer! That's when the "stuff it - I'm going to eat whatever I want, and start again tomorrow" mindset can switch back into gear if we're not careful. So to prevent this - I have a plan.
I always plan to have Thai on Thursday night. The busiest day of my week! I love thai - and I where I used to go heavy on the rice, and not so much on the chicken, now I only order the chicken stirfy dish, and no rice - as I feel WAY better at bedtime when I don't have a gutful of gluggy rice to digest! Rice at lunch is different - but when associated with Thai - I could only ever have a mountain of it on my plate - no less!
But - my favourite ritual of all - is my nightly cup of tea after dinner. I rarely have dessert these days - if I do it's a piece of fruit - as this used to be my biggest weak spot. I could get through a day fine, but then eat a weeks worth of food after dinner! So, to give my mind a distraction from the fact that I'm choosing to eat light at night, I implemented my tea ritual.
To keep it interesting I choose different types of herbal tea - roasted dandelion blend (try the tea bags - but only with full cream milk - tastes eew without it!) is my favourite, but I've recently discovered dandelion chai from the health food shop, and a good old favourite is peppermint tea - which I almost always have if I had a heavy dinner as the peppermint aids with digestion. It's worth trying different brands of the same flavour until you find one you like.
I used to have a really pretty cup that broke, so I do need to replace that. Maybe i'll even get a nice new little pot just for the fun of it! It's just the ritual of having a cup of tea, after doing all the jobs, and I've had a shower that signals to me "aahh... it's switch off time!" which is super relaxing.
Well, don't let this weeks task daunt you - or get too excited and try to be "perfect" every day. Just focus on those few key points in the week where you feel you could improve, and replace what you have been doing with a new ritual - like a snack box - or a chill out walk - or enjoy your nightly cup of tea!
Enjoy your journey!
So last week your focus was on how you feel after eating a number of different types of foods. No doubt some made you feel good, and some made you feel lousy!
While continuing to observe how you feel after eating different foods (and hopefully you've found that you naturally make different choices as a result of listening to your body rather than turning up the music and drowning out the noise in your head!) I want you to identify your weakest point in the day or week, where you tend to eat anything and everything in sight as a result of feeling stressed, anxious, run down or tired.
If you know it's a particular day (eg. Friday as you're out at sport until late after all day at work) then I want you to think about that day in advance and when you feel low in energy and why you think that is - tiredness or is it blood sugar related as you may not have eaten in the last 2-3 hours?
If it's tiredness, is there anyway that you can squeeze in some activity like a walk (nothing super high intensity - so no special clothes really required!) after school while waiting for children from various activities?
If it's blood sugar, can you make up a snack box the night before to take some of your feel-good foods in?
I often find that I get really hungry and tired around 3.30pm - 4.30pm, and I could easily curl up and go to sleep then and there. But if I have a snack, especially one that includes some protein like chicken strips, tuna or a good fat like a handful of almonds, my mind is sharp again and I'm raring to go!
Then dinner time on this kind of night is ALWAYS a killer! That's when the "stuff it - I'm going to eat whatever I want, and start again tomorrow" mindset can switch back into gear if we're not careful. So to prevent this - I have a plan.
I always plan to have Thai on Thursday night. The busiest day of my week! I love thai - and I where I used to go heavy on the rice, and not so much on the chicken, now I only order the chicken stirfy dish, and no rice - as I feel WAY better at bedtime when I don't have a gutful of gluggy rice to digest! Rice at lunch is different - but when associated with Thai - I could only ever have a mountain of it on my plate - no less!
But - my favourite ritual of all - is my nightly cup of tea after dinner. I rarely have dessert these days - if I do it's a piece of fruit - as this used to be my biggest weak spot. I could get through a day fine, but then eat a weeks worth of food after dinner! So, to give my mind a distraction from the fact that I'm choosing to eat light at night, I implemented my tea ritual.
To keep it interesting I choose different types of herbal tea - roasted dandelion blend (try the tea bags - but only with full cream milk - tastes eew without it!) is my favourite, but I've recently discovered dandelion chai from the health food shop, and a good old favourite is peppermint tea - which I almost always have if I had a heavy dinner as the peppermint aids with digestion. It's worth trying different brands of the same flavour until you find one you like.
I used to have a really pretty cup that broke, so I do need to replace that. Maybe i'll even get a nice new little pot just for the fun of it! It's just the ritual of having a cup of tea, after doing all the jobs, and I've had a shower that signals to me "aahh... it's switch off time!" which is super relaxing.
Well, don't let this weeks task daunt you - or get too excited and try to be "perfect" every day. Just focus on those few key points in the week where you feel you could improve, and replace what you have been doing with a new ritual - like a snack box - or a chill out walk - or enjoy your nightly cup of tea!
Enjoy your journey!
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Feel good fun!
Why do I always do that? I spend the week getting up early and moving my body because I love how I feel afterward, and I know it's a habit fit people have and so if I want to be fit - then I must move! Granted I move differently now to how I used to pre-30kg+, but all the same - it's the feel-good factor that gets me now!
Come the weekend - I have a goal to do certain active things but I put it off ... almost all day. It was only 25 minutes worth of weights and jumping jacks, jump squats etc, but I felt on top of the world once I did it, once I broke a sweat I felt great!
Given the dreary drizzly weather that we've been having, I felt really cooped up. So going into my shed and turning on the party music in a child free zone really helped change my outlook, change my energy levels and made me feel good about myself.
Tomorrow my challenge is to try and do a pilates DVD before anyone is up, but I can't guarantee anything as I'm looking after a baby nephew tonight! If not, it will be later in the day, but with today fresh in my mind, I will be more enthusiastic!
Off to chill out ... have a great night!
Come the weekend - I have a goal to do certain active things but I put it off ... almost all day. It was only 25 minutes worth of weights and jumping jacks, jump squats etc, but I felt on top of the world once I did it, once I broke a sweat I felt great!
Given the dreary drizzly weather that we've been having, I felt really cooped up. So going into my shed and turning on the party music in a child free zone really helped change my outlook, change my energy levels and made me feel good about myself.
Tomorrow my challenge is to try and do a pilates DVD before anyone is up, but I can't guarantee anything as I'm looking after a baby nephew tonight! If not, it will be later in the day, but with today fresh in my mind, I will be more enthusiastic!
Off to chill out ... have a great night!
Friday, 24 February 2012
Nurture your soul
Yay for Friday! You've got to love the weekend! This is the first weekend in about 5 weeks that I won't be rushing around like a mad woman, so I will be savouring the sleep-ins and lazy moments. Cooking up a batch of steaming soup in the current rainy winter-like weather that we're having sounds like a good idea too. I've been guilty of trying to pack to much into each day frequently lately, so this weekend I've got a mission: relax! (I even manage to make that sound stressful!)
What are you up to?
Despite the madness that your weekend may hold - try to find at least 5 minutes to 30 minutes for you in each day - to find some peace and quiet for you.
Whether that be just simply a cup of tea in your favourite place (I set up a new "love nest" which is just a small table with two chairs right outside our bedroom on the back deck which is perfect for this - weather permitting!) or maybe reading your favourite escapism style novel/magazines.
Going for a walk with a destination in mind is fun also - for example, walking to the local markets, or to your favourite cafe for a coffee - it's a great way to start the day!
Take a small amount of time to nurture your soul and it will pay HUGE dividends - you'll feel much more balanced and calm - which for a lot of us means that you're less likely to find us in the pantry!
Have a great weekend!
What are you up to?
Despite the madness that your weekend may hold - try to find at least 5 minutes to 30 minutes for you in each day - to find some peace and quiet for you.
Whether that be just simply a cup of tea in your favourite place (I set up a new "love nest" which is just a small table with two chairs right outside our bedroom on the back deck which is perfect for this - weather permitting!) or maybe reading your favourite escapism style novel/magazines.
Going for a walk with a destination in mind is fun also - for example, walking to the local markets, or to your favourite cafe for a coffee - it's a great way to start the day!
Take a small amount of time to nurture your soul and it will pay HUGE dividends - you'll feel much more balanced and calm - which for a lot of us means that you're less likely to find us in the pantry!
Have a great weekend!
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