Finding Inner Balance

For ages I've been trying to obtain a "balanced lifestyle" - I'd done some personal work with my mentor, Mia Munro, who asked me to define what BALANCE meant for me.

What does Balance mean for you?

For me, it was about having the right amount of juggle - between work and lifestyle, friends vs. family vs. me time vs. us time (relaxing time with hubby). Finding the right balance of "busy-ness" to "relaxation" time.  All sounds grand, right? But when you sit down to work out how much time in the day vs. the week vs. the year, how are you ever to really know and work out how balanced you are or can be?

So then I discovered that Balance for me, was a FEELING.  So long as I felt like my life was balanced, then it was - the feeling of complete calm, centredness, wholeness.  I knew I was 'out-of-balance' when life was feeling a little too kaotic - where there was too much busy-ness and not enough me time or time out.

One day, I was attending a yoga classes at Dharma Shala (Bondi) and the lightbulb went off! I love Anna's classes - she has an emphasis on mindfulness and the breath during our yoga practice. She described BALANCE as a moment. I had one of those AH-HA moments!!!

Balance can be achieved at any time, and is only ever found in a moment. 

We can find balance whenever we want. We can create balance at any time. It's only ever in a moment. Knowing that, for me, means I can make a choice. I can CHOOSE to be balanced in that present moment - any moment, really! :)

And haven't you ever felt that when your life feels balanced - life just seems all that much easier and happier?  :)

Happy Dayz!!

Head or Heart?

I took this photo at Bondi's Sculptures By the Sea which happens in November every year and runs over two weeks.  What I love about it, is how our brains are confused because it's a STOP sign, yet our clever little brains can make out the word START with the few letters that appear...  so is it a start or stop sign?

Sometimes our heads say one thing, yet our hearts say another - and then confusion or frustration might set in.  Ever happen to you?

My head tells me to write something super positive, yet my heart says, just tell the TRUTH and the rest will flow.  So that's what I'm going to do!

Like everyone, I'm not perfect.  That's the simple truth. I'm human after all!

Last week seemed rather challenging.  Anything that could go wrong, did. If I could be late for something like work or an appointment, I was. If I could give my husband the shits, I gave it to him. If I could feel emotions - which I did, I cried.  I think I cried at least once a day last week!

I would say I'm a glass-half-full rather than a glass-half-empty kinda gal. More so, I do my best to keep my glass topped up and that's when I know I'm really congruent as everything flows easily and effortlessly! Life feels GREAT! But like most people, I don't always have uplifting days - that's just life.

Upon reflection of last weeks antics, however, I realised that it's because I created my daily habits and rituals (even if it meant I would run late for an appointment!) - that allowed me to come out alright in the end.  Sometimes we just need to trust the process. What I know for sure, when I'm faced with a lot of challenges all at once, it can only mean that a change is a coming!!!

Here's what I do to keep me going:

* Daily meditation - it seemed the latest Oprah & Deepak meditation came at the right time!  I was certainly going through some personal challenges and the challenges that the meditation practice brought - Desire & Destiny - definitely CHALLENGED me!  It also allowed me to get some clarity, for example, one of the days I was able to label "frustration" and that's what was going on for me at the time.  Each day is different, as is each moment.

*Gratitude Journal - there is nothing more that helps me to get me out of a rut of downward spiralling of unhealthy thoughts than to write in my gratitude journal.  It allows me to keep being a loving human being.  It allows me to be focused on the good things in life so that I can attract and be given more of that greatness from the universe.

* Contributing to my blog and Facebook page and allow myself to be inspire by other people's pages and blogs of a similar 'happy' theme

* Present moments - Have you ever noticed your thoughts? When you're shitty at someone, do you keep thinking negative thoughts and complain and whinge about that person or do you stop yourself and start to be grateful for the lessons they might be giving you instead?  It's important to STOP everyone once in a while throughout the day and just be fully present.  Take a DEEP BREATH!  

Amazing what a simple little act like taking a deep breath can do for you and to clear the head!  Whenever I became present, I learnt lessons in those 'difficult' moments.  Lessons of personal responsibility, more letting go (of control) that I needed to do and to just allow whatever it is to JUST BE.

Ahhhh... peace :)

Celebrate!

It was my mum's birthday on the weekend - Happy Birthday Mum!!

It reminded me about how much I love celebrating my birthday and birthdays in general - I mean, why wouldn't you want to celebrate the birth of your being? Your coming into this world? It's a special day to celebrate YOU!

So it made me think of celebration in general...

How often do you celebrate?  And I don't mean just a birthday or promotion. Do you ever stop to think, I'm going to take a moment and celebrate what I've achieved in my life over the years. Have you acknowledged and celebrated what you've ever done over the year?  or even in the past few months?

I've found for me, that when I stop to reflect, acknowledge and 'celebrate' what I've accomplished so far - there's a little wave of happiness, of contentment, of love and of my life that I've chosen to live it the way I want to live it.  Sometimes we get so busy of achieving, achieving, achieving, looking to gain the next step and then the next.  Then we might get frustrated about why we're not getting to our next goal, when sometimes, we need to just stop and celebrate a little for what we've already done.

It can be really simple.  Today, I'm going to celebrate this blog - my little space of 'personal space and inspiration'.  I had been thinking of wanting to do it for so long, then I finally did and then I shared it! WOW!!! What an impact it made for me.  And even today - I'm going to celebrate that I finally got around to setting up my facebook fanpage for my blog - it's finally done! I'm happy I've done it, I'm able to cross it off the "To-Do list" and be happy it's one less thing that my mind has to consider.

And since I'm pregnant, I unfortunately can't pop open the bottle of champagne - but that's my point.  Celebration doesn't mean you have to go out and party.  It's just a little something for you, to create a little more happiness in your life.

What are you going to celebrate in your life today?

Smile!

I love the simplicity of this quote! Doesn't it just make you smile? :)

Sometimes we just need to simplify our lives to be happier. The only ones who complicate it, are us. Ourselves. Numero Uno.

What could you simplify in your life today? Tomorrow? It could be a thing, a task, a habit? Could it be to declutter? Let go of certain people who cause more pain than joy? Eat raw food so you don't have to cook?

Maybe just have a cupcake and be happy with that ;)

You Are Your Thoughts - Think HAPPY Thoughts!

When we're ill or when situations aren't going as we had expected, it's best to stay positive by thinking about all the things that could go right. 

I have learnt that our unconscious mind is fascinating and that our thoughts can sometimes bring about just that - that the universe responds to our thoughts and gives us what we 'unconsciously' think about. 

There's a saying "You are what you think about all day long". 

It's so important in certain situations to, yes, acknowledge your feelings, perhaps of fear, but more importantly to let go of that and think differently. 

Reflect on the good in your life, be grateful that you are surrounded by loving people who care about you, trust the amazing doctors out there who are an expert in their field to look after you. 

Trust yourself, be intuitive to your body. Rest up because you intuitively know it needs it, don't resist. BE trusting to the experts who might examine you. Accept this moment and allow whatever happens to happen. Whatever you resist will persist. 

Just remember, think happy positive thoughts and trust you will pull through :)