Ten minutes is not a lot of time, but if you gift yourself ten minutes just for you, you’ll soon see how much of a positive difference it can make in your day.
Make Today About Kindness…
Inside you is a genuine superpower, and you can unleash it today! Here’s how.
This Post Was Baked Yesterday But It Still Tastes Good
Hopefully while you are reading this I am sleeping…
Some Thoughts On Friendship
What does friendship mean to you?
Why Kindness Matters
Kindness, caring, a smile, a gentle word, a thoughtful action – they all matter, and here’s why.
The Evening Quiet
One simple bedtime ritual has changed so many things for me…
Make Today A Maintenance Day
Are you taking time to look after yourself? Today’s post is a reminder of all the different ways you can do that.
When You Know Something’s Wrong
Intuition is a combination of historical (empirical) data, deep and heightened observation, and an ability to cut through the thickness of surface reality. Intuition is like a slow motion machine that captures data instantaneously and hits you like a ton of bricks. Intuition is a knowing, a sensing that is beyond the conscious understanding […]
#AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe – Australia Day
“The land is my mother. Like a human mother, the land gives us protection, enjoyment, and provides our needs – economic, social, and religious. We have a human relationship with the land: Mother, daughter, son. When the land is taken from us or destroyed, we feel hurt because we belong to the land, and we […]
The Box Of Old Books
Among the boxes I unpacked yesterday was a portal to the past. Let me tell you about it…
The Old Boyfriend
Reunions are the first day of school all over again. Time casts away familiarity and replaces it with warm confusion. Seeing how the years have frayed the friends of our youth reminds us that we too have irrevocably changed and can never return to a state of innocence again. ― Stewart Stafford Hey, Lovelies. I’ve […]
Choosing your Guiding Word For 2023
Worrying. Not Worrying.
If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever. ― Dalai Lama XIV Hey, Lovelies. The good old Dalai Lama is usually […]
Are You Having A Slow Start To The Year?
It’s okay to start this year slow. Let me explain why…
Yesterday, I made everything different
2023 is a chance to do things differently. To BE different. What will you choose?
My free ‘Energies of 2023 Webinar’ happens today!
Ready to find your flow in 2023? Come join me for a special free webinar where I will be explaining the energies of the year ahead and how to make the best of them. Details in post.
Come Join Me For A Free Webinar!
Ready to find your flow in 2023? Come join me for a special free webinar where I will be explaining the energies of the year ahead and how to make the best of them. Details in post.
If You Are Feeling Flat Or Exhausted Right Now, Read This
It’s funny: I always imagined when I was a kid that adults had some kind of inner toolbox full of shiny tools: the saw of discernment, the hammer of wisdom, the sandpaper of patience. But then when I grew up I found that life handed you these rusty bent old tools – friendships, prayer, […]
Are You Still Waiting For Someone Else To Meet Your Needs?
With every act of self-care your authentic self gets stronger, and the critical, fearful mind gets weaker. Every act of self-care is a powerful declaration: I am on my side, I am on my side, each day I am more and more on my own side. Susan Weiss Berry Hey, Lovelies. It’s so easy […]
Do You Need To Be Self-Centred This Christmas?
Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others. Anytime we can listen to true self and give the care it requires, we do it not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose […]
The Stillness Within
Last night I sat and watched the moon in the night sky. The results of this midnight connection are quite surprising…
That Big Moon And Your Mood
Feeling out of sorts, triggered, argumentative or emotional? Here’s why…
3 Questions To Ask Your Doctor If You Suffer from Chronic Illness, including Chronic Fatigue, undiagnosed illness and Long COVID
Because doctors can’t name the illness, everyone—the patient’s family, friends, health insurance, and in many cases the patient—comes to think of the patient as not really sick and not really suffering. What the patient comes to require in these circumstances, in the absence of help, are facts—tests and studies that show that they might […]
Heroes and Vulnerability
Name one hero who was happy. ~ Madeline Miller Hey, Lovelies. As some of you know I am slogging through NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) right now, creating a new beginning, a new sub-thread and an ending for the novel I began writing in NaNoWriMo 2021. My hero is Dave. I know – not a […]
Watching Your Thoughts And Choosing To Change
Change your thoughts, change your life. ―Jeanette Coron Hey, Lovelies. As we are moving through the tail end of this energetic shift I have a little advice for you. Watch your thoughts. Then pause. Don’t act. Don’t do anything! Just pause for a second. Ask yourself if these thoughts serve you, and if they are […]
Questions To Ask Yourself As You Are Re-Adjusting
Change can be unsettling – and it can leave you feeling rubbish. Here are some simple ways to tune in to the possibilities that are open to you right now as you shift and grow.
Sometimes Rest Is Needed To Facilitate Shift
Sensitivity is a gift, but sometimes you need to manage yourself differently to other people. Now is one of those times.
Shadow Work
The shadow is needed now more than ever. We heal the world when we heal ourselves, and hope shines brightest when it illuminates the dark. ― Sasha Graham Hey, Lovelies. November is a wonderful month for Shadow Work. Have you heard of this before? Shadow Work is any work that helps you to see the […]
This Next Hard Bit Of Writing
I love writing. But also, I hate it!
Today’s A Doona Day!
Sometimes you just need to refill your tank…
Life Lessons From A Deathbed
Dying? I’m quite looking forward to it. ~ Annie D. Hey, Lovelies. A friend of mine died. I couldn’t write about it yesterday – after she passed on Tuesday night – I was still too choked with emotion. But she wanted me to write about it, so, here it is. My friend Annie died the […]
Milestones
My path has not been determined. I shall have more experiences and pass many more milestones. ~ Agnetha Faltskog Hey, Lovelies. It’s been a pretty crappy 14 months healthwise, between late stage Lyme, a misbehaving heart, an intractable UTI superbug and a myxedema crisis – but I am delighted to say that I am […]
The Ancestors In My Kitchen
My kitchen was crowded yesterday, as I cooked the dishes my grandmothers once taught me…
The Backup Plan
Even when God is your co-pilot, it pays to pack a parachute. ― Dean Koontz Hey, Lovelies. I am feeling proud of myself this morning. A while ago I decided to get someone to help me on a project, and we made a start. But communication wasn’t good, there were always excuses, and as the […]
Making Life Less Complicated
Sometimes, the best way to solve a mess is to simplify!
Peaks and Troughs
Life is just a series of peaks and troughs, and you don’t know whether you’re in a trough until you’re climbing out, or on a peak until you’re coming down. And that’s it you know, you never know what’s round the corner. But it’s all good. ~ Ricky Gervais Hey, Lovelies. In chronic illness, […]
Universal Right Timing
Coincidences link us to the unknown and weave us into it. ― Doug Dillon Hey, Lovelies. Isn’t hindsight a wonderful thing? Yesterday, after a rough night, I needed to get myself to an early-morning hairdressing appointment about 30 minutes from my home. I got Ben to drive me there, because I wasn’t up to it, […]
What it means to sit with a big question
Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke Hey, Lovelies. One of the most important gifts you can give yourself is the patience and care to sit with something that forms a big or […]
Stop Telling Me It Isn’t Fair
I have a favour to ask you today…
The Soul-Sucking Reality Of Chronic Illness
Having a chronic illness, Molly thought, was like being invaded. Her grandmother back in Michigan used to tell about the day one of their cows got loose and wandered into the parlor, and the awful time they had getting her out. That was exactly what Molly’s arthritis was like: as if some big old […]
I always said I was no good at art
Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. – Pablo Picasso Hey, Lovelies. Yesterday I made art. This is something very new for me. I have always considered myself no good at art. Childhood experiences left me terrified to even make marks on a page. But recently I put together some […]
The Usefulness Of Tears
Tears are words that need to be written. ~ Paulo Coelho Hey, Lovelies. I’ve had an unexpected companion these past few months. Tears. They sit just below the surface most days, and digging deeper rarely helps me see a cause. At first I had thought they might be illness related, but now? Now I […]
My Latest Thrill
What can be more exciting than whole new worlds?
Getting to know my other neighbours
I think the most important quality in a birdwatcher is a willingness to stand quietly and see what comes. Our everyday lives obscure a truth about existence – that at the heart of everything there lies a stillness and a light. ― Lynn Thomson Hey, Lovelies. One of the best things about living in the […]
Not Fighting It
Fighting anything takes energy, so I’ve decided that’s not a great use of what little I have…
The Quiet Birthday
In a world of noise and busy, today all I want for my birthday is quiet and a slice of good cake…
The Slow Climb Back
I think that little by little I’ll be able to solve my problems and survive. ~ Frida Kahlo Hey, Lovelies. I have missed you. Also, I have missed myself. These past two weeks have been hard. (Don’t know what happened? Go here.) It has taken time to get my new medication right, and we’re […]
Well, That Was Unexpected…
She looked as if she were about to burst into tears, but she was wonderful at catching the ball of her own mood in mid-air. ~ Rebecca West Hey, Lovelies. Well, this has certainly been the year. As you know, I live with a complex bucketful of dodgy genes, autoimmune diseases, chronic infections, post-viral […]
Owning Our HeART Space
…and then, I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is enough? ~ Vincent Willem van Gogh Hey, Lovelies. Yesterday, art happened. Ever since we moved to the treehouse, our walls have been mostly bare. We own art, but it was not on the walls. We wanted to […]
Not Everyone Peaks Early
So called ‘late-bloomers’ get a bad rap. Sometimes the people with the greatest potential often take the longest to find their path because their sensitivity is a double edged sword- it lives at the heart of their brilliance, but it also makes them more susceptible to life’s pains. Good thing we aren’t being penalized […]
This Quiet Moment – A Way To Cope Better With Life
“Feel your emotions, Live true your passions, Keep still your mind.” ~ Geoffrey M. Gluckman Hey, Lovelies. One of the skills I have honed (by necessity) over many years is coping. Yep. Coping. Here’s the definition according to the APA Dictionary of Psychology: coping n. the use of cognitive and behavioral strategies to manage the […]
Pantser vs Plotter
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go. ~ Dr. Seuss Hey, Lovelies! In preparation for my first session with my writing coach tomorrow, they have sent me notes on the manuscript excerpt and synopsis I recently submitted to them. The […]
Answering your questions about my wellbeing
Am I okay? Thanks for asking. Here’s my answer…
Is It Really Too Late?
You say it’s too late. In my opinion, only a thimbleful of situations in life are that dire. Death begins and ends that list. Everything else is simply an obstacle that must be dealt with. ~ Kathleen Baldwin Hey, Lovelies! I had some strong responses to my post yesterday. Most of them were people […]
You Never Know…
So have adventures. Go exploring. Drive around at midnight. Feel the wind running through your hair. Life is so short, my darling. And there’s no day like today. ~ Morgan Matson Hey Lovelies, Life is a precious gift, and one that can be all too brief. Before you came to this life, you had […]
Embracing Being A Beginner
The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried. ~ Stephen McCranie Hey, Lovelies. I had a beautiful session with a new client yesterday. She is approaching an exciting time in her life – the end of one career with glimpses of something new in the wings, something creative and heart-felt […]
Your Unrealised Creative Dream – What If It’s All About Timing?
There is no perfection, only beautiful versions of brokenness. ~ Shannon L. Alder Hey, Lovelies. Have you got a dream that just isn’t happening? A problem that just isn’t fixing? A situation that just isn’t resolving? Or an idea you just can’t stop thinking about? There’s something in the air right now, with the […]
Laughing, and eating sugar!
If you don’t laugh you’ll cry. ~ everyone’s Nana, Pop or wise mentor at some stage Hey, Lovelies. I had one of those work days yesterday. I started really early. I finished really late, and we managed to jam a number of emergencies into the small gaps in my day – because so many people […]
Feeling Empty
After it was over I waited for that sense of relief, but it never came…
A Poem To Lift You Up When Life Leaves You Broken And Soul Weary
Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen. ~ Leonardo da Vinci Hey, Lovelies. Poetry has always been a healing balm for me. I have books of it beside my bed. I have poems stuck to the walls of my writing room. I […]
Don’t Be Too Quick To Judge A Messed-Up Life
I have absolutely no pleasure in the stimulants in which I sometimes so madly indulge. It has not been in the pursuit of pleasure that I have periled life and reputation and reason. It has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of […]
To Find Your Flow You Need To Rest
Have you lost your mojo, or your connection to your intuition or creativity? I have a solution that’s easy to apply in daily life, and which works very effectively as a first step back to flow…
Things To Be Grateful For When Life Is Sh*tty And Hard
In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich. ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer Hey, Lovelies. I was speaking with a friend yesterday who is going through a very rough, very dark patch in her life. She has […]
Verbal Assault Is Still Assault
Another day where, for me, wearing a mask attracts abuse. Another day where a friend of mine is paying a high price for a carer not wearing theirs…
Deuteronomy, Demons, Anxiety and Yoga Barbie
When you meditate, you may clear away the information overload that builds up every day and contributes to your stress. The emotional and physical benefits of meditation can include: Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations Building skills to manage your stress Increasing self-awareness Focusing on the present Reducing negative emotions Increasing imagination and […]
Mental Health Breaks And Why You Need Them
I needed some space to lay myself out, so that I could decide which pieces I wanted to pick up. ~ Fennel Hudson Hey, Lovelies! I was scrolling through my social media feed yesterday and came upon a post from one of my favourite creatives. She was posting to let us know that she […]
The Things We Talk About In Book Club
I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library. ― Jorge Luis Borges Hey, Lovelies. We are discussing the book Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer in our Inner Circle Book Club right now. It’s a beautiful book that blends science, botany, Native American mythology, ancestral wisdom and natural history. In between […]
Some Thoughts For You On Mother’s Day
It’s Mother’s Day in Australia tomorrow. This is a post for all of you who won’t have that perfect family moment we see in all the TV commercials…
Why are you so awkward about your Spiritual Practice?
The things that matter stay with you, seep into your skin. ~Christina Baker Kline Hey, Lovelies. I want to have a quiet chat with you today. I want to reassure you. Your spiritual practice matters. I know, you feel self-conscious about it at times. You can feel awkward and unsure, and a bit silly. […]
When It Finally Felt Like Home
The home should be the treasure chest of living. ~ Le Corbusier Hey, Lovelies. Something shifted for me in the past two weeks. Finally, the treehouse feels like home. It’s hard to define, but the shift is so strong. I am settled here. Peaceful in a way I haven’t been since early childhood. Perhaps […]
When The Rest Of The World Is Moving On…
For most people life is going back to normal. This post is for the chronic illness and disability community for whom that isn’t able to happen.
What To Do When It Just Feels ‘Off’
When you notice someone does something toxic the first time, don’t wait for the second time before you address it or cut them off. Many survivors are used to the “wait and see” tactic which only leaves them vulnerable to a second attack. As your boundaries get stronger, the wait time gets shorter. You […]
How to find Inner Peace
Peace of mind is not a goal I need achieve. It’s a place inside I never want to leave. I close my eyes, I still my thoughts and then I say ‘I will choose to live in peace today’. ~ Robert Alan Hey, Lovelies. Most of us live bombarded by situations, workplaces, devices and […]
Getting Comfortable With The Discomfort Of The Unknown
In a time of uncertainty, being able to embrace the unknown can be surprisingly liberating. Are you feeling this great rush of change too? Here’s how I’m coping…
The Source Of Today’s Happiness
Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. ~ Marcel Proust Hey, Lovelies. Something wonderful happened yesterday! My social media feed and my inbox were filled with examples of the things you have chosen or done for yourself this week in […]
Dear Cranky Old Lady And Other Abusive People Who Are Upset At My Mask Wearing
“You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.” ~ Harlan Ellison Dear Cranky Old Lady, You gave me quite a shock this week, when you turned to see me behind you in the Post Office. I was wearing a face mask. That upset […]
It’s Not A Crime To Say NO!
“When you say yes to others, make sure you are not saying no to yourself.” ~ Paulo Coelho Hey, Lovelies. This is a quick but important reminder. It’s okay to say no. It’s also okay to only say no. By which I mean that you don’t need to add a justification, an excuse, a reason […]
Friday Night Drinks
“One should never, but never, pass by an opportunity to celebrate.” ~ j d malouf Hey, Lovelies. Ben and I had a quiet celebration last night. I made gin and tonics, we ordered in food from our favourite Indian restaurant, and sat on cushions on the floor around a coffee table in the lounge […]
3 Affirmations To Support You In Difficult Times
“Sometimes, little things make a big difference…” ~ Nino Varsimashvili Hey, Lovelies. Every morning when I wake up, before I get out of bed, before I pray or meditate, before I do anything else at all, I say a little affirmation. In fact, sometimes I will chant it like a mantra. In my head, or […]
Making Space In Your Life
“Find a moment of stillness, give your heart a chance to tell you where you really need to be.” ~ Dodinsky Hey, Lovelies! Today, I want to remind you about the importance of making space. When we create space in our lives, and then sit quietly with the emptiness we have created, magic can […]
Managing global uncertainty as a Highly Sensitive soul
Wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows. Martin Luther King Jr. Hey, Lovelies, For empaths, intuitives, and Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs) the current barrage of information about the emerging situation in Ukraine, while we are dealing with an ongoing pandemic, and the usual global uncertainty, as well as our own local and personal […]
Searching For Elders
Long before I wrote stories, I listened for stories. Listening for them is something more acute than listening to them. I suppose it’s an early form of participation in what goes on. Listening children know stories are there. When their elders sit and begin, children are just waiting and hoping for one to come out, […]
Enrolment is Open for my Free 30 Day Challenge!
The idea of waiting for something makes it more exciting. Andy Warhol Hey, Lovelies! Today is the day. I have thrown open the doors for my free 30 Day Planner Challenge. This challenge is being run as a course inside my Journeymaker Academy. You can enrol here. The actual lessons start on January 28, and […]
It’s Not Enough For Me to Have the WooWoo without the Grit
To my mind, ‘magic’ is the hard-to-define quality of the things that stir up mystical feelings like amazement, curiosity, imagination, and above all wonder. Magic is that which renders something beautiful in a spiritual sense. It is that which makes one feel as if the world is more than it is presently understood to be, […]
Ready for some warm-up activities before our Free 30 Day Planner Challenge?
The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, “is to learn something. That’s the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see […]
Stupidly Adoring Cauliflower
I must have flowers, always, and always. Claude Monet Hey, Lovelies. I know, I know. Cauliflower is not what most people consider worthy of a blog post. And it’s certainly something most people don’t get particularly excited about. Except me. I have a wonderful local fruit and vegetable shop where I can order online and […]
Unexpected wonders and a need for coffee
Only the very weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature and poetry. Cassandra Clare Hey, Lovelies. Today I have only this. A favourite poem. Some lovely things I found on my morning walk. And soon, good coffee, a chapter of one of my Christmas books, and a day of planning. May you find some wonder […]
We, The Expendable
From the very depth of my being, I challenge the right of any man or any group of men, in business or in government, to tell a fellow human being that he or she is expendable. Jimmy Reid Hey, Lovelies.COVID is ripping through the Australian population right now. It’s causing panic, supply chain issues, food […]
Vale, Craig Ruddy
Sensitive people care when the world doesn’t because we understand waiting to be rescued and no one shows up. We have rescued ourselves, so many times that we have become self taught in the art of compassion for those forgotten. Shannon L. Alder Hey, Lovelies. A short post today, to honour my friend Craig Ruddy […]
Beachcombing With My Grandmother
The people you love become ghosts inside of you, and like this you keep them alive. Rob Montgomery Hey, Lovelies. With COVID raging the way it is here in Australia right now, and my dodgy immune system the way it is, the only way I am walking on the beach is if it is empty. […]
Come Join My New Year’s Eve Meditation And Manifestation Ritual
Most of us are not raised to actively encounter our destiny. We may not know that we have one. As children, we are seldom told we have a place in life that is uniquely ours alone. Instead, we are encouraged to believe that our life should somehow fulfill the expectations of others, that we will […]
Christmas as a Meditation on Kindness
People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.Give the world […]
Create A Christmas Altar for Healing and Remembrance
It has been said, ‘time heals all wounds.’ I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.~ Rose Kennedy To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.~ Thomas Campbell Hey, Lovelies. Christmas is […]
What Will People Think?
We are all wonderful, beautiful wrecks. That’s what connects us–that we’re all broken, all beautifully imperfect. Emilio Estevez Hey, Lovelies. I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine, Michael, yesterday. He called me specifically to discuss the fact that I blogged about seeing a therapist. ‘Why did you do that?’ he wanted to […]
One Of The Best Gifts I Ever Gave Myself
The best gift I ever gave myself is a gift that keeps enriching my days. It’s a gift of time and care, of comfort and support, of gentle and of hard questions, and sometimes, hard answers. It’s the way I manage life. The way I cope with the things that should break me. I highly recommend it…
When You Don’t Know Who You Are Anymore
Explore yourself in silent contemplation. You will find a breathtaking person you were completely unaware about. Hiral Nagda Hey, Lovelies, I had a strong response to yesterday’s post from people who told me that they no longer know who they are, or what they want, or what they care about. Somewhere along the way, in […]
Dear Frenemy, I Am Not Listening To You Anymore
I’d rather have an enemy who admits that they hate me, than a friend who secretly puts me down. Karen Salmansohn Hey, Lovelies. I had an interesting day yesterday. A writer friend of mine saw that I had successfully completed the NaNoWriMo challenge and messaged to congratulate me. It’s good to see you writing again, […]
There Is No Magic Pill
Need to get something done? Want to change something in your life? This is what works for me and I know it will work for you too.
The Antidote To Mean People
Don’t believe the noise. Those mean, petty, hateful voices will never be the majority. They only seem loud and pervasive, because they have the idle time to broadcast their negativity. The rest of us are too busy with real efforts to make the world a better place. Anthon St. Maarten Hey, Lovelies. It had to […]
Three Card Spread For The November Full Moon
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. H. Jackson Brown Jr Hey, Lovelies! With the Full Moon upon […]