Many years ago I was attending a conference where I had the decided pleasure of hearing the incredible, Deepak Chopra speak. It was a seminar focused on Happiness and how we can bring more moments of Happiness into our lives, and there were many speakers over the course of the day. But it was this one moment with Deepak Chopra that left an everlasting impression on me and my perception of life’s interactions. And it is a moment and concept that I would really like to share with you today. Read More

Being a woman well into her 40′s I am constantly surprised and amazed that the question of whether I have a boyfriend, have children etc etc never seems to get old. It is as if those few elements of my womanhood are all that matter.

For some reason – being a woman seems to dictate that you follow some sort of societal rule and if you do not follow along this path people seem to become quite confused and disoriented as to who you are and into which one of “their preconceived boxes” they should slot you into. It is also interesting to me how difficult some people find it to pursue a conversation with you as a single, childless, boyfriend-less woman. Read More

What if life does not have to be as it is currently dictated?

What if we could choose a different way?

What if the societal constructs that run much of the world could be rear ended and  new models and expectations built in their place?

What if there was so much more?

What if women could be seen in other ways – past their role as appendages to men,  sexual objects for the gratification of men and nurturers to all?

What if it was once a different way?

What if?

And this brings me to a wonderful book by Shirley MacLaine, that certainly poses a lot of interesting questions. The book is entitled simply: WHAT IF…

Today I would just like to share with you the final few paragraphs on Page 52

How you react to these words is fodder for your own consideration and I will not be giving my opinions here, as I feel the value in this small excerpt, as it rests in the context of this page of writing, is for you to examine your own personal response to the words.

No doubt your marital status and experience thereof will impact upon your mulling over of these words.

I found them quite thought provoking and as you can tell from my introduction they set me off on quite a few tangents of enquiry. My hope is that these word take you to your own place of self reflection and self discovery-  untainted by my own personal journey through these words. Read More

Now here is a thought for you!

What if everything that we experience in our reality is heavily impacted by what is going on in our heads?

What if our thoughts create our reality?

What if we can harness the extraordinary power and energy of our thoughts to create the life of our choosing?

What if we can alter our experience of life by simply choosing new and empowering thoughts?

By choosing to plant healthy, proactive seeds in the garden of our mind?

Well there are many people who claim this is be the case.

My favourite quote on this topic is below:

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It seems quite ironic to me that I would choose the above title for this particular blog, as for the majority of my life I have found the process of making decisions arduous and nerve wracking to say the least. In the midst of my worst years, even the simple act of ordering a meal at a restaurant would see me become quite fraught and stressed, with a regular bout of food envy in play once everyone else’s meals arrived at the table.

“ I should have had the beef”

“ I wish I had ordered the chicken”

“ I knew I should have had the lamb”

These were all regular and constant refrains – much to the consternation and aggravation of my ever-suffering dinner companions and family members.

To say I was an irritating dinner guest would have to be an understatement ha ha ha.

Move forward a few years and look at me now. I am simply full of aplomb and no regrets when ordering a meal. It is a wonder to behold.

So how did I move forward from this fear of decision-making?

How did I make the all- encompassing leap to take a chance on a steak dinner without breaking into a sweat? Read More

“ Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

-       Unknown –

All the quotes in my blog have had a powerful impact upon my own life, which is why I share them here with all of you today. And this particular quote is one of the most poignant. Sure, we have all had moments that we wish had played out differently. Things we have said. Actions we have taken. Moments that highlight our imperfections and inadequacies, rather than our strengths and our virtues.

But that is ok.

That is just how life is.

It is often these “less than ideal” situations or moments that push us to define what we truly want from ourselves. It is these moments that push us to discover exactly who we are – the light and the dark. The good and the bad. The wise and the not so wise. It is these very moments that create our identity, sense of purpose and sense of who we are. What we can do better. What we want to achieve. Where we want to head. So in my mind, we should be as grateful for these moments as we are for the ones that go swimmingly well and leave us basking in the fabulousness of who we are. Read More

It really is an incredible realisation that there is not one other living soul on the Planet who is exactly like you.

Not one other.

There is no one else who is 100% You.

I mean – how cool is that!?

What it really means is that no matter what you do in life, no matter what choices you make, no matter which path you take – you can not fail at being You.

It is simply impossible.

Nobody can be “Youer” than You!

When you think about it, that is pretty crazy stuff. In fact, it is so crazy, and wonderful that I wonder why we all take life so seriously.

I mean, how simple can it be?

All we have to do in life is be who we are, with the added bonus that there is actually no-one else in the race ha ah ah ha!

There is only one of us at the starting line.

Kaboom!

Everyone’s a Winner!

You would think that given this knowledge we would all be running around the place with huge grins on our faces. But no – quite to the contrary, we seem determined to make life so much more difficult than it is meant to be. Read More

Friendship is a many splendored thing and something that can raise you up or cut you to the core in an instant.

For most of us, especially those approaching their 40’s and beyond, there will be segments of our lives, each one dotted with the friends and acquaintances particular to that period. And then, in the most special and extraordinary of instances, there are those gem like friendships that stand the test of time and remain constant, resistant to the challenges of travel, distance, family, changing life paths and other such occurrences.

Quite recently I found myself taking stock of all the incredible and amazing people who have passed through my life, both recently, and way back into my school days. And I have to say – what a ride I have had. The person who exists today, this Christine Denny as she exists right here and now, is not only down to me – but also down to this vast myriad of people who have come in and out of the revolving door of my life experience.

I like to think of my life as some sort of Grand Hotel, so to speak, with a great set of fabulous rotating doors, leading into the lobby. You now the ones – all brass and glass and usually swinging about quite swiftly ha ah ha! Some people think the entry point looks way too complicated and precarious to negotiate, so simply walk on by, not even bothering to investigate what is on offer, and risk getting snaffled in the swiftly moving doors. Some get into the revolving door, take a peek into the lobby, go around a few times to make certain, then decide to just keep on spinning around and exit straight out the other side ha ha. Some get into the revolving door, exit into the lobby, stay a while, have a few cocktails or a delightful afternoon tea and then leave. And others move from the lobby up into one of the designer penthouse suites and take up residence for the long haul.

What is incredibly interesting to me is that some of the people I was sure would be in the penthouse for quite a while, sipping on a margarita and admiring the view. People I would grow old with. People whose friendships I was certain would last the distance.  People whose company and ideas I treasured the most. Some of these people are actually the people who have checked out of my hotel prematurely and unexpectedly. These valued and treasured parts of my life, were simply one day no longer there. Read More

Imagine a woman who believes it is right and good she is a woman. A woman who honors her experience and tells her stories. Who refuses to carry the sins of others within her body and life.

Imagine a woman who trusts and respects herself. A woman who listens to her needs and desires. Who meets them with tenderness and grace.

Imagine a woman who acknowledges the pasts’s influence on the present. A woman who has walked through her past. Who has healed in the present.

Imagine a woman who authors her own life. A woman who exerts, initiates, and moves on her own behalf. Who refuses to surrender except to her own truest self and wisest voice.

Imagine a woman who names her own gods. A woman who imagines the divine in her image and likeness. Who designs a personal spirituality to inform her daily life.

Imagine a woman in love with her own body. A woman who believes her body is enough, just as it is. Who celebrates its rhythms and cycles as an exquisite resource.

Imagine a woman who honours the body of the Goddess in her changing body. A woman who celebrates the accumulation of her years and her wisdom. Who refuses to use her life-energy disguising the changes in her body and life.

Imagine a woman who values the women in her life. A woman who sits in circles of women. Who is reminded of the truth about herself when she forgets.

Imagine yourself as this woman.

Patricia Lynn Reilly

Taken from the book: The Strength of Women

There really is not very much I can add to the profound wisdom of this passage and I thank Patricia Lynn Reilly from the depths of my being for writing it. It is funny how certain words find you at the perfect place and time and give you exactly what you need in that moment.

I happened upon the little book that contained this writing, one sunny day in a Post Office queue in Mackay, North Queensland. I have a tendency to shop in Post Offices and Airports, so it was not surprising that my eye wandered whilst waiting in the Xmas throngs. But what was surprising was that it was a book of this nature that caught my eye. It was unusual that this little book took my attention for some reason. Read More

One of my favourite things to do in the world is to sit and ponder.

Ponder life. Ponder myself. Ponder my interactions with the world around me. Ponder questions to which I may never have an answer. But nonetheless, ponder I do – as it feeds my soul and renews my energies.

It was during one such “pondering moment” that I started to meditate upon celebrity and the effects it has on our society.

In a world that celebrates celebrity and fame and so many other things, perhaps we have lost sight of our true value in the world. And that is in the interactions and impact we have on those who are closest to us. We can create such wonderful moments of joy and caring and laughter and sharing and togetherness and help and appreciation and life in every single day we are on the Planet.  And yet we seem to have lost sight of the intrinsic value in this. We seem to be oblivious to the power that lies at our very own fingertips each and every moment of every day.

Perhaps it is better to be truly, madly and deeply loved and cherished by the few who are closet to us, those who love us, and do so knowing all our flaws –  than to be idolised from afar and shallowly, by those who do not really know us, or genuinely care for us at all. Read More