Tuesday 30 April 2013

The Daily Thirty

Here is a question, how late is too late in your day to exercise?
So far I have been a pretty good daily 30 adherent (as I should be on day one of the Daily 30 mission), I have written, (doing it right now as a matter of fact), I have played, I have worked on my business....... but somehow I have managed to get from 6am to 9pm without doing ANY exercise!

What to do? My lazy side (which has obviously been in charge for most of the day) is saying the cause is lost, at least for today.
So tell me, what are your thoughts? Is the effort more important that the possible sleep affecting impacts? Or should I know when to call it quits?

Sunday 28 April 2013

Ideas without follow through? Pointless.....

I think that since I have started blogging my subconscious has had a bit of a panic attack.
Not that I am judgemental of its' concerns, after all I do have some track record of starting projects and then realising months, if not years later that I have not given said project any thought in, well, months or years.
This panic attack has manifested in a great eruption of advice and thoughts to be extracted from my mind and recorded before this whole blogging thing is forgotten too (or so the fear goes).
Problem is, I have discovered that I have written so many things to do, with no follow through.
As soon as one idea is down in print, I have moved onto the next without so much as a backward glance, or even a dot point implementation plan.
This is not progress! This is the brain equivalent of bureaucratic red tape.
 'You must not attempt any self improvement until ALL ideas have been logged, recorded and evaluated.'
Never one to listen to the 'Man', I am rebelling and taking on one previously blogged challenge this week. Heck, if all goes well I might even try another one next week! Take that, mental volcano!
Taking inspiration from my post The best week of my life I am going to incorporate the daily 30 into my week. That's 30 minutes exercise, 30 minutes playing, 30 minutes working on my business and 30 minutes writing.
The challenge will be time, as it always is. I might have to revisit my plan to rise earlier everyday as well........


Sunday 21 April 2013

Crushing the Cranky

'choosing your mood is one of lifes super powers'

Apparently for breakfast this morning I ate a bowl of 'Cranky Cow' oats followed by a large cup of 'Don't push me!' coffee. 
Wow, I am in a BAD mood. EVERYTHING and EVERYONE is annoying me. 
My child does not know how close I was to sending him to his room for drinking milk....... and breathing loudly at the same time! Obviously this kind of behaviour cannot be tolerated!

Hmmmm.... perhaps I need have a little look at my own good self and figure out how to untie the cranky knot I can feel in my gut before I ruin everyone's day.

So what to do? Here is a list of things I am trying, in real time. I will let you know how I go. My approach is going to be from no effort (hope this one works) upwards until I have sorted my cranky mind out.

  1. Breathe slowly and count backwards from 10: Lets see..... can still feel cranky knot. Am not likely to lash out in the next ten seconds, but all bets are off after that. Probably good for emergency cranky intervention, but not longer term mood alteration.
  2. Make a masking tape line of the floor and step over it: Could not immediately find masking tape which was frustrating, ended up just putting a ruler on the floor and stepping over it. Imagined that I was crossing the line between a good mood and a bad one. Strangely enough, I do feel a bit happier. My brain is weird.
  3. Cutting out the caffeine: It strikes me that perhaps my mood and the knotty feeling inside might be related to too much caffeine this morning. Can't give you immediate results on this one, but am cutting it out for the day. Might make me serene:)
  4. Put on some music: Just opened Pandora on my iphone (best app in the world) and switched to the 'Pop' channel. Can do this because no one is home I have to pretend I have good music taste for. Wait....wait.... think I might have just smiled. :)
  5. For the first time ever.... I am trying laughing yoga: Or my version of it. Hope my kids don't hear me. (after) Well that was strange. I was really expecting fake laughter to merge into real laughter after time. Did. not. happen. Maybe this is better when you are watching other people fake laugh as well. In the end, it became apparent that making the 'ha ha ha ha' sound was helping with my breathing though so I kept it up regardless. Do feel better after some rounds of salute to the sun. 
After completing the above, I would describe my mood as optimistically neutral. I can work with that. Might even be able to watch my kids eat lunch without having a melt down.

I would love to hear your approaches to mood improvement, after all, choosing your mood is one of lifes super powers.

Sunday 14 April 2013

7 Compulsory Life Experiences

Some people have a bucket list or a stack of to do's, some people have regrets and disappointments. 
Being the bossy type, I have a list of 'compulsory life experiences'. Some of these have a cheerful tick in the 'done' box, others not so much.
Some of these experiences are once only deals, others are secret attempts to build good habits through successes. Some have nothing to do with success and a whole lot more to do with being alive. You will notice that my list is not so much about 'exactness' more about 'approach'. I believe that our imagination for what is possible can be far outstripped by reality.
Read my bossy list, then tell me your own 'compulsory life experiences'. I'm not shy about taking on other peoples ideas:)

Compulsory life Experiences


My outside home

  • Adopt a 'wilderness': I don't mean this in a 'take responsibility' kind of way, though that is fine too. I simply mean, find somewhere outside, preferably where nature still has more sway than the lawn mower and make it your place. Become familiar with its terrain, go there to relax. Begin to associate it with a 'blissed out' sensation. Maybe it is close to home, maybe it is home, perhaps it is far away and you can get there only with effort. Either way, connect with this place and build a  home for yourself outside of the four walls.
  • Follow it through to the end: I don't care what it is, for once in your life (or maybe the hundredth time) just finish something through to the end. Finish the project with as much passion and detail and commitment as you had at the start when it was shiny and new and no obstacles were on the horizon. Everyone should enjoy this feeling of completion without regrets.
  • Be healthy: Wouldn't it be a shame to move through your adult life without ever being as healthy as you can. Not once looking at your movement and your diet and your addictions. Don't be this person, make at LEAST one period of your life where you can look and say, I am at my peak health right now. 
  • Pursue a Passion: No, don't just stalk someone you fancy. That is not legal in most countries. Spend more time doing something you love. Whether it be sporty, artistic, altruistic or domestic. Just spend more time on it. 
  • Love someone: I mean actual love, not romantic love. I mean good for you and good for them, not selfish love. This needs to be experienced.
  • Focus on kindness: Life is always better with kindness, whether you are on the giving or receiving end. It is always better.
  • Go somewhere amazing as often as you can: It might not be in another country or even another city (though that would be cool), just somewhere that inspires wonder.



Thursday 11 April 2013

The side of the Mountain

Food for thought;


'To live only for some future goal is shallow. 
It's the sides of the mountain that sustains life, not the top'

                                                         - Robert M Pirsig

Admittedly this is quite an insight for the time of night I am writing this post, but it does resonate.
It is so deceptively easy to focus your eyes on the goal and miss the scenery on the way. Even more worrying, is that sometimes our eyes are on a goal that has past its used by date, or no longer relevant in our lives. What then?

So what is on the side of the mountain? 

I am pretty far from being a Zen master, or any type of guru at all (though obviously my family and friends would argue that point...NOT!), however I do think I need to have a crack at answering that question. 

Though another thought, this one courtesy of Buddha,  makes me think it does not matter so much what is on 'our Mountains', so long as we are 'awake' to experience it.
Speaking of which, all this deep thinking has made me sleepy......night night.


To increase the 'Zen' in your life, check out Zentips for more great quotes.

Monday 8 April 2013

What to forget to improve your day


Normally my penchant for forgetfulness is not that great. I forget friends birthdays, appointments, LOTS of things my husband asks me to do and a whole other array of mundane tasks.

Sometimes, just occasionally, my forgetful mind works in my favour. In honour of this I have compiled a list of 'Great moments in forgetting', hopefully I have remembered to put them all in.....


Great Moments in Forgetting:

  • Forgetting to pack my kindle charger for a weekend away: This forgetting moment speaks directly to my reading addiction. Ice Caps could melt and I still would not have tired of reading. While initially sparking panic and even hyperventilation, this forgetting opens up whole new possibilities for my time. Perhaps I could even go outside?
  • Forgetting to weigh myself in the morning: Lets just assume the best eh? Probably won't matter if I sneak a few chocolate bars today.
  • Forgetting what was said after a couple of wines: If neither of us can remember, I say it does not matter.
  • Forgetting I was cranky yesterday: Enough said, lets have a better day. I call this one 'letting go by omission'. 
  • Forgetting I have gone 'gluten free': Not great to permanently forget this one, but can be helpful when faced with fresh baked bread.....
  • Forgetting your worries: Usually achieved through total immersion in something (or someone) you love. This one can be lovely.
  • Forgetting my Camera: Recording moments for posterity is wonderful, but so is coming out from behind the lense and actually experiencing them.
There are so many times when forgetting can open up your day in unexpected ways...... just remember to appreciate what comes, or at the very least enjoy rolling your eyes in dismay.

Sunday 7 April 2013

Words I love


Joy....love....optimism....revel....wonder

I have ALWAYS been a wordy girl. For as long as I remember I have loved words and the emotions they can evoke.
I have never agreed with the old playground chant 'Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me'. Words can be so powerful, both for good and, well frankly, evil.

My favourite words use their power for good. I have had a crack at finding images from my own photography to illustrate some of my favourite words. I hope you can relate. Let me know your favorite
words (for good or for evil), or even if some different words pop up for you when you view this post.





Wednesday 3 April 2013

What to tell your inner child

Recently I seem to be reading more and more articles about wisdom people wish they had as a child, teenager or younger adult.
I get it, I do. But I also think 'I'm not dead yet' and 'it is never too late to learn'. With this is mind, here are some lessons I would like my 'inner child' to learn.


Do yourself a favour, learn this now.


  • You can ALWAYS choose your response.
  • Kindness starts with you.
  • Don't think to avoid acting, don't act to avoid thinking.
  • If it is important, be consistent.
  • Be a friend.
  • Don't empower your inner critic.
  • Know what you are good at.
  • Do what you are good at, so long as you love it.
  • Don't be put off by 'the hard yards'.
  • Foster your optimism.
  • Be gentle with other people, everyone has their own 'stuff'.

There is so much to know and so much wisdom in the world, but you have to start somewhere. Just as soon as my inner child has a handle on these points, she can do up some flash cards for me.

Starting now, what wisdom would you like to have on board?



Tuesday 2 April 2013

Humour Me :)


'You can't force funny.
But you can choose when you laugh. '

Recently, I went for a job interview, quite unexpectedly as it turns out. A 'casual chat' with a potential employer very quickly turned serious and probing. Yikes!
Mid interview, I remembered some advice from my husband, which went something like this....

 'Don't try to be funny.'

Good advice indeed for a job interview, but it got me thinking, what exactly did he mean by 'try to be funny'? One aspect of my personality I have always been confident in is my sense of humour and up until this point no one has seen fit to disillusion me on this front. Yet I was getting the sense that my life partner was trying to tell me something.... something I maybe did not want to know.

Rather than be deflated by the thought that I was not bringing the funny on the home front, I decided to work harder to make the man LAUGH. Obviously he must have been experiencing too much stress at work.

Here were some of my more inspired ideas:

The laugh list:

  • Dress as a 1950's housewife and offer slippers and whiskey when Hubby arrives home. (Then remembered I already tried this and it freaked him out... a lot).
  • Plastic wrap the toilet seat...... wait I would have to clean this up. Far too gross. Also very cliched.
Ummm.... that was my whole list.... and it was pathetic.

As usual when trying to teach someone else a lesson, I learnt a lesson myself. You can't force funny.
But you can choose when you laugh. 

Why was I so worried about making someone else laugh or whether they thought I was a comic genius? In terms of a better life, perhaps looking after my own giggles is more important.

I have decided to not torture my husband into laughing at my jokes, instead I am planning my humour resurgence in a different way. I am looking at the lighter and brighter side of life more often. It is a choice that is increasing the laugh lines around my eyes but leaving my forehead smooth.

Monday 1 April 2013

Gut Feelings

"....a link between my brain and my gut, call me crazy, but that seems about right."

I am always surprised when it occurs to scientists that there are odd and unexpected (to them at least) relationships between various ailments, symptoms and even treatments. For a significant length of time it has been evident to me that for better or for worse, various parts (if not all) of our bodies share a relationship. Indeed in the Chinese Traditional Medicine world, the idea that the body is a system of interrelated parts and processes has been assumed for longer that many countries have been in existence!




+







The spark for this train of thought was an article I read today linking various mental ills (such as depression, anxiety etc) with irritable bowel syndrome.

Hmmmm, let me see, a link between my brain and my gut, call me crazy, but that seems about right. Even popular culture seems to endorse this one, ever have a gut feeling? Ever feel sick to your stomach about an upcoming (scary) event? Ever get the shits with someone? Have you ever had a sad day and just felt 'crappy'? Okay, maybe that is enough poo references for one post.

As a person who has struggled both with anxiety and irritable bowel I am actually really impressed to have a link confirmed outside of my own suspicions (never trust someone who is both suspicious and anxious).

To me these links are clues to follow to eventual freedom from these ills.  Like a two for one offer, perhaps if you can improve one aspect of your health you will gain other less obvious wellness benefits.

As a direct result of this snippet of health gold, I am revisiting previous posts to regain motivation to improve my digestive health and perhaps reap other FABULOUS life rewards as well.

Check out these other diet related posts... I will be :)

Hunting the Cave Man
Step 1: What can I Eat?
Mark Sisson's Masterpiece