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.

Why do we perceive “celebrity” and “fame” as some sort of Holy Grail?

Why are so many of our youth now aspiring simply to be “famous”?

Why have so many of us we become slaves to celebrity? Lapping up every inane story that the tabloids put out about the people who have reached this exalted status?

Do we really care what they ate for dinner?

Do we really care what clothes they wear?

Why do we buy into the charade?

Certainly, I am someone who loves to celebrate excellence. I love celebrating all the good in the world and appreciating anyone who has  created something of beauty or merit.

But why do we undervalue some things and put others on such a ridiculously high pedestal?

Can we not celebrate the barista who makes us a fabulous coffee every morning?

Can we not value and appreciate the cleaners who keep our pathways clean and looking beautiful?

Can we not honour all the gardeners of the world who surround us with the beauty of nature?

Can we not smile in gratitude and appreciation for the teachers who educate our youth?

Can we not applaud the efforts of our nurses, firefighters and emergency personell who put their lives on the line to keep us safe?

This list goes on and on and on.

We are all heroes to someone.

We are all heroes in our own lives.

We all have the potential to impact greatly the lives of those around us, in a positive and nurturing way.

And wow – that is a gift.

We should all feel empowered and excited by our ability to effect those around us in whatever way we choose and in whatever way is applicable to our own unique abilities and gifts.

Like a little pebble thrown into the lake of our own lives, the ripples can be huge.

Life changing.

So why do we not value ourselves and the enormous ability we have to make a difference in a positive way to those close to us?

Why do we obsess over people who are not actually in our lives at all in any real and meaningful way?

Again – it is fantastic to be inspired bzy people from afar and we all have our mentors. But surely we could also value those people closest to us and realize the huge potential that exists at the very borders of our own lives to make a huge difference.

Famous or not………..

We all matter.

We can all make a difference.

We can all have an impact.

We are all the leading lady or leading man in the film that is our life.

So, now is the time for you to focus on You.

Focus on what you can do in your immediate surroundings, to make a difference.

Realize that you do matter.

You are important.

You are intrinsic to the lives of those that matter most to you.

Those who bask in your sunlight and feel the breeze of your intention each and every day.

Those people who share you time, your thoughts and your space.

Those people who know you inside out and back to front and love you just as you are.

These are the people who inform your life and whose life you influence too.

So never ever think you do not matter – because to someone you do.

Even if that person is the most important person of all – You.

So go out into your own life today and send out ripples of love and support and hope and joy to all those around you.

Because you can be sure that you really do matter to them and perhaps this is the true essence of life, that we have left fading in the shadows of our “celebrity obsessed” existence.

Discover Your Greatness. Love Your Greatness. Be Your Greatness.

- Christine -

This is a topic that I have found quite fascinating in recent times, as I didn’t actually connect the dots myself till relatively late ha ha!

As we go through life we tend to be really fond of people who support what we want to do, what we say and what we think. But the truth of the matter is, that in order for us to truly develop our ideas, concepts and goals we need to have both Mr Support and Little Miss Challenge there beside us along the way.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that without these two elements of cheer squad and opposition, it would be very difficult for us to actually figure out what we truly believe in and what avenues to pursue. What we are prepared to fight for? What opinions we will defend to the end? What matters? What is the best path for us to take to get where we are going?

This thought struck me whilst defending my position and plans during a rather robust conversation one evening. My opponent was most decisive in his opinion and was striking blow for blow as we went through our paces. I must admit that I was struggling to keep up at some stages as I was battered with statistical analysis of various types and loads of facts and figures. I guess I tend to argue a point from a more emotive, humanistic or creative/artistic standpoint and the grilling I was getting was substantive. But struggle on I did. So as this was all going on, my mind suddenly wandered off and I thought to myself – “ I really care about this project and I will keep on debating this topic.  It will work. I am sure I can make it work. I want to know more of what I think can work actually. I want to know more of what my LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE for the evening thinks. He has really brought up a lot of great points and I am going to find answers to them. Mmmmmm – I hadn’t considered that etc etc etc ”

What?

It was a light-bulb moment for sure.

In that very moment, I suddenly realized the huge advantages of LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE. Sure she can be incredibly irritating to say the least – but she gets the job done.

She gets you thinking.

She takes you to the next level.

She takes you to the place of fixing the problems before they have actually shown up on your doorstep.

Without her, you would not even have considered all those unforeseen issues.

But what of MR SUPPORT I hear you scream – is he not of equal importance.

Well – indeed he is.

If all we heard was LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE in the background criticizing every plan we had and shooting down every idea that came to us, we would curl up in a little ball and just roll back quietly down the hill to where we belong. But fortunately, life has furnished us with two equal and opposite forces that compliment each other ideally and perfectly.

Whilst LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE is doing her utmost to convince us that our plans are inconceivable, unachievable and non redeemable, MR SUPPORT will be beefing it up in the corner, assuring us that we have a perfectly splendid idea that will easily make it to the Heavy Weight Division of the World Title Bout.

The challenge here is to accept and use both lots of input to get you going full steam ahead on your mission. You simply need to recognize both aspects for the wonderful gift that they are. Acknowledge that both LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE and MR SUPPORT are both contributing vast amounts to your success.

One is giving you the confidence to go forward.

The other is giving you the forethought to look at otherwise unseen problems and an opportunity to hone your responses when attacked for your project or idea.

The perfect match.

Happy Days.

If you have LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE and MR SUPPORT in your life, you are a lucky person indeed.

So look around you, and cast your eye around for people who represent both of these aspects.

If you are surrounded by “Yes Men” – a cheer squad that never dares to question your ideas or suggest alternatives – you could be missing out on honing your vision to perfection.

And if you are surrounded by “ Nay Sayers” who constantly put you down and tell you that you have no chance of achieving your vision – you could decide not to try at all.

So having both is a healthy and natural balance that can catapult you toward your goals and dreams like nothing else can.

The heavy hitters should always be in your corner.

As soon as you see one of them walk away, make sure to go find some replacements.

LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE has so much to offer and will make sure all risks are summarily accounted for. So listen, think, adjust, be flexible and take in all she has to say. You don’t have to agree – but you would be wise to listen and consider.

And MR SUPPORT – well, he will make sure you have the confidence to step out and take the plunge, despite all the questions, judgement and antagonism thrown at you along the way by LMC. He may not always be realistic – but that’s OK – he has other skills on offer. Another agenda. Giving you self-confidence, hope and an unending energy to deliver on your project.

So go out and assemble a great team.

A balanced team.

A team with both support and challenge.

And you will be on your way.

- Christine -

Perhaps we have forgotten the true art of giving. A giving that requires nothing but an awareness of our capacity to do so. A giving that can truly impact upon another person and make their day.

The giving of our time.

The giving of our attention.

The giving of our support.

The generosity of our spirit seems to be what we are missing in today’s modern world. And we are missing out big time because the beauty of this type of giving is that it pays the biggest dividends right back to you – immediately.

It leaves the giver and the receiver both feeling pretty wonderful and most of the time, all it takes is a little bit of thought. A little bit of awareness – and perhaps a little bit of stepping out of our comfort zones and making the first move.

One instance that I remember vividly was walking down Pitt St in the heart of Sydney on a busy Tuesday afternoon. I do not usually go into the city but I was attending a seminar and was walking back from lunch. As I walked down the street an old man with a big square walking frame, came shuffling very slowly and methodically towards me.  He looked so out of place. Moving so slowly, his head bowed low with such determination. People flying past him, hurriedly eating food, talking on their phones, traffic screeching past. Everyone in their own very self-important worlds.

And there amongst this chaos was this grey haired man, just quietly plodding down the street – with no acknowledgment from anyone that he was even there. It was like he was invisible. It was like he didn’t exist. And it made me feel so incredibly sad. So incredibly ashamed of what our society has become. So desperate to make him smile and make him see that someone had noticed him that busy Tuesday lunchtime.

As people continued to rush by us, I suddenly felt an urge to simply say hello to this man as he passed by.

So I made eye contact and said: “ Good afternoon – what a gorgeous day ”

That was it. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing earth shatteringly witty or robust.

Nothing that required great intelligence, thought or humour.

Just a simple greeting.

This elegant and somewhat determined gentleman immediately looked to me .His eyes, which had been so full of sadness not a moment earlier, were suddenly lit up like a Xmas Tree! His face beamed with a smile that I will never forget as he responded: “ Yes – it is indeed a beautiful day.”

And that was it.

The end of our exchange.

He shuffled off out of sight and I continued back to my seminar

The whole episode took no more than 10 seconds.

But what an incredible 10 seconds they were.

Our two souls connected for that moment and I will never forget it.

I felt on top of the world.

Energized. Invincible. Useful.

I remember thinking to myself – now that is what life is about!

Sure – I am not always so self aware and giving. None of us is. But this day, I felt that I got it right.

So my challenge to you is to try and give – each and every day.

Give the gift of time and acknowledgement.

It may be to a stranger. It may be to a family member. It may be to a friend.

And you may just be blown away by how much joy you can feel in this one quick and easy  step.

Helping a stranger get their pram up a flight of stairs. Grabbing the other end of a suitcase for a traveller struggling to get on the bus. Saying hello to the person selling the Big Issue on the street corner. Smiling and saying hello as you pass a stranger in the street. Making conversation with your neighbours in the elevator where you live. Telling your local barista that you love his coffee and that he does a great job.

Taking your i-pod out of your ears and chatting with the person waiting at the bus stop next to you. Calling your Mum or Dad and having a chat for 5 – 10 minutes. Calling a friend you haven’t heard from in ages, to check all is OK in their world. Holding the door open for someone – just because. Giving up your seat on the bus or train for an older person or a woman with children who needs to sit. Helping someone carry their groceries. Baking cookies for the people at work.

This list could go on forever – but I am sure you are getting the picture.

We have been convinced in our consumer driven world, that we need to have money to give. That we need to buy people stuff to show them that we care.

But the simple truth is that we all have the capacity to give the biggest gift of all.

The gift of us!

Knowing that you can impact someone else’s day so greatly and with so little effort is a truly empowering thing.

So feel great about being you. You have the power to make someone else’s day. And it doesn’t have to cost you a thing.

All you need to do is look out for those opportunities and take them when you see them.

We all just want to be seen.

We all just want to be heard.

We all just want to be acknowledged .

And the Power to Connect with another human being is all yours.

So go and exercise that power.

Give the gift of you.

It will give back to you ten fold and put a smile firmly on your face for days!

Enjoy. Give. Connect.

- Christine -