And then it struck me as I lolled delightfully in my comfy little bed, that our lives are really like a boat.

They are geared naturally to take us somewhere, but unless we jump on board and set sail to harbours new, we are not going to go anywhere.

And whilst it is nice to watch your little boat sitting comfortably by the shoreline, you simply can not maximise it’s output or use it to it’s full extent, if you never actually get in it and take it for a spin in the surrounding waters.

And thus is your life.Your life is just like this little boat.

Sure it is nice and safe sitting idly by the shore’s edge, tied to the dock – but is it really fulfilling its true potential?

The answer is of course not.

You have to actively get into your life  - your little boat – and steer it to where you wish to go.

Around corners, out into deep waters, back into the shallows, out for a spot of fishing, a day out on the lake with friends, or a few hours practicing your artful manouvering to capitalise on all the boat has to offer.

This is the only way to evaluate the potential of your little boat – your life – what it is capable of and where it can take you.

You can theorise all you want, about it’s possibilities, it’s ability to float and navigate deep waters and bring joy to your life – but nothing will ever beat practical application and a hands on approach.

Life is no different.

I can certainly say from personal experience of my own little boat that I have:

* left the shore without adequate supplies and developed extreme hunger

* chosen the wrong trip for a boat my size

* upgraded to a ship too early and been out of my depth

* lost my proverbial oars into the ocean

*taken on water and and capsized

* misjudged the current capacities of the aforementioned boat and got into real trouble

* lost a few friends overboard

*navigated myself into treacherous waters which proved rather scary

But I have equally

*found the where-with-all to get out of some sticky situations

* had some marvellous afternoons quietly rocking on the water’s surface with a delightful lilt and sense of pure joy and satisfaction

* experienced some fantastic fishing trips

* learned to sail in all sized boats

* navigated my way to some pretty exotic, adventurous and fun places that only my little boat could take me

So you can see that you have to experience life personally to learn from its challenges and hone your life skills.

You have to take your boat out onto the water – and no-one else can do it for you.

Each little capsize is a lesson well learned, and a mistake – or rather misstep, that you will not make again. But if you little boat was left by the shore, you would be no better sailor and navigator today than you were a year ago, or ten years ago for that matter.

Capsizing is the sign of a life well spent.

A sign of lessons well learned.

A sign of knowledge that has been harvested and stored away for when it is needed.

So with each faltering expedition out onto the ocean in your little boat, be proud and courageous and learned. For you have succeeded in facing your fears, charting new territories and learning the inevitable lessons that come your way.

And for those seafarers amongst you, who are used to sailing out of the safe harbour, you will know the tremendous satisfaction that comes from both success and failure alike.

Success – a testament to a lesson well learned

Failure – strangely also a success, as it pin points and directs you effortlessly to the next challenge to be tackled. The next lesson to be learned and problem to be conquered.

So – you see it is a WIN WIN SITUATION.

Who knew?

We have been led to believe in this crazy world in which we live, that success is success and failure is failure.

Well nothing could be further from the truth.

Success sometimes comes with few lessons at all – so is it really success if gotten with no real knowledge and progress?

And failure? Failure can be a road to success with understanding and depth…….perhaps masking the real benefit of it’s experience.

For without initial failures and problems, you would have no appreciation of all you have achieved and even less understanding of how all the pieces in the puzzle fit together.

Failure brings with it invaluable knowledge to store for future use.

Success brings with it confidence to continue on and cast your boat a little further out into untested territories.

Both serve an invaluable purpose.

But neither can exist, if you do not jump enthusiastically into your little boat and steer it away from the safe harbour and into a brave new world.

You have been given this little boat – but only you can climb aboard and sail away into the possibility and adventures that await you.

So – for the next few days, I invite you to examine your little boat and if it is not already in the water and packed with supplies to go somewhere you have always wanted to go, I suggest you get prepared and plan to sail away for a little trip.

Choose your trip and companions wisely.

Choose the supplies you will need.

Let someone know where you are going so you have backup should you need it

Choose the waters into which you will sail and set your departure time…….

And then GO GO GO!

SAIL AWAY and live your life.

Get in that boat.

Chart your course.

Take the chance and set your aim.

You may just discover how invigorating it is to be a willing and pro-active participant in your own life.

The captain of your own ship. A seafarer extraordinaire. An adventurer of the high seas. A fisherman on a quiet lake.

The Master of your own Destiny!

#Discover You. #Love You. #Be You

Christine

Before I continue on, please rest assured that all is well in my world and I can already see huge improvements in my health, with symptoms diminishing daily. My chronic health issue that tends to raise its head whenever I am “out of whack”, has done its job – I have taken notice and attended to my health, lifestyle and mindset. My health being that of mind, body and spirit.

So my questions to you are these:

1. Are you attending to your health on a daily basis?

2. Are you ignoring signs that your body or mind are out of balance?

3. Or are you waiting for your own personal health crisis and challenge to wake you up to a life that is not in balance?

For the past 20 years I have had a keen interest in health, well being and the power of the mind when it comes to health challenges, so today I would like to share some of these insights and developments with you.

There is a myriad of information now accessible to all, that explains the connection between your physical health and your state of mind…….and vice versa. In fact the ancient wisdom traditions, going back thousands of years knew all of this, but with the advent of modern science and our need to prove everything from a scientific stand point, this ancient wisdom and knowledge was put to the side – on the back burner if you will – and considered ” not worthy of consideration” because it could not be proven and seen through scientific demonstration.

The exciting thing now, is that much of this ancient wisdom can now be proven through scientific means and it is flying back into the forefront of modern medicine and consideration. Many of our medical practitioners are now looking for a more “wholisitic” approach that melds modern medicine with ancient wisdom traditions.

For instance did you know that:

1. Stress and lifestyle are major contributors to illness

2. A sense of community, human connection and a sense of belonging, contribute much to our wellness

3. Meditation is a key , scientifically measurable and well documented component to healing the physical body and general health and well being

4.  Many so called “incurable” and “chronic” diseases have been cured through changes in diet, lowering of stress levels, and a change in attitude to self and to life in general

5. Belief in your ability to heal yourself is crucial in bringing your body back to a state of health and balance

6. Yes – you can carry genes and a genetic predisposition to a certain illness, BUT – you have to “flip the switch” and turn the gene on to manifest the disease. Flipping the switch is done by exposing yourself to a toxic environment through poor diet, living in a toxic area, and/or thinking toxic and negative thoughts

Now – I am not a scientist and it is not for me to tell you what to believe – but what if what I am saying is true?

What if there is another element to healing that you can use to support any healing journey?

And what if the greatest healing power on the planet is simply within you?

Would you want to give it a go?

Well today – I simply want to point you in the direction of some fantastic resources and from there you can make your own choices as to what is right for you.

Having gotten my own physical body back on track, at least three times now through change of diet, the use of meditation and a change in attitude to myself and to life in general with a lowering of contributing stress factors, I can only say from my experience that there is certainly something to this.

But as with all things in life – what you choose to investigate, implement and believe is up to you.

So here are some of those great resources to get you back on a road to health and well being:

1. The Biology of Belief – by Bruce H Lipton PHD

This is a great read for the scientifically uninitiated and explains a lot about the scientific proof, research and data to support this theory. It contains stunning new scientific discoveries about the biochemical effects of the brain’s functioning, that show that the cells of our body are effected by our thoughts.

2. Mind Over Matter – by Lissa Rankin M.D

Using extraordinary cases of spontaneous healing, Dr Rankin shows how thoughts, feelings, and beliefs can alter the body’s physiology. She lays out the scientific data proving that loneliness, pessimism, depression, fear and anxiety damage the body.

3. The Connection – Directed by Shannon Harvey

The Connection is a feature documentary that uncovers the latest science in mind body medicine and proves we have much more to say about our health than we thought possible.

I have included the film trailer for this and invite you to visit the website and grab a copy of the DVD if you are unable to find a screening near you.

I was lucky enough to see the film last night in Sydney at Govindas, and have to say that it was more than thought provoking. What struck me though, is how much of the content I have heard before. But I do not say that in a ” oh – I have heard it all before way”, but rather in a ” wow – so many people are saying the same thing, there must be some merit to it all” kind of way.

But like I said – you decide for yourself.

If you are suffering from a serious or chronic medical condition, I strongly advise you to seek medical advice, before undertaking any other course of action. I am not a doctor of any sort and it is not for me to advise you in medical matters………but I am saying that perhaps you can also harness the power of your mind, a change in diet and a change of attitude to yourself and your life to accelerate and/or compliment any traditional treatments you may now be using.

And if you are not experiencing any health difficulties at this time?

I encourage you to investigate these resources anyway,  have a look and see what you think – as prevention is always the better option………let me attest to that ha ha ha!

Dis-ease is a signpost.

Dis-ease is simply your body telling you that something in your life is “out of whack”

Dis-ease is a wake up call that your body, mind and spirit are not “at ease”

Your job is simply to activate your mind, body and spirit to get everything back in alignment, so that it is reflected in good health.

Mind – Body – Spirit – it all goes together as one.

So on that note – I invite you to start your journey of self discovery, into the true power that lives within you

The true power of your mind

The true power of your beliefs

The true power of You

Discover You. Love You. Be You.

Christine

At the conclusion of his presentation there was a Q&A with the audience and a man in the audience asked in ernest:

“ But what do you do when you are speaking with someone and they will not accept that you are right and they are wrong?”

Deepak responded with what I found to be the most profound answer. And it is something that I have taken with me into my life ever since. I guess you could say that it was one of those proverbial “ aha moments”!

Deepak responded with words to the effect of: “ I guess you need to decide what is more important to you. To be right. Or to be happy.

Wow – what a concept!

Quite simply – do you have an overriding desire to be RIGHT!

Or an overriding desire to be HAPPY!

In that instant the penny really dropped for me and it struck me that many of the world’s conflicts from the most global and serious, to the most inane and petty could perhaps be solved by taking this thought on, as the basis to the decision you make.

Funnily enough, the man in the audience who asked the question seemed unable to take this concept on board and asked again: “ Yes – but what if I am right and they are wrong?”

Again Deepak responded: “ But the real question is -  is it more important to you to be right or to be happy?”

The questioner was absolutely dumbfounded by the idea of such a thing and the discussion continued back and forth – or rather around and around for quite some time, in a rather circular motion.

As many of you are probably now thinking, in our own minds we might like to have both – that is, to be declared right and then feel the warm afterglow of knowing that we are superior in our thoughts, attitudes and perceptions to the other person ha ha ha.

But as many of you will also realize, life is just not like that and we all have our own ideas about things, that we are often times quite attached to and not so quick to give up. It is in these moments that Deepak’s comments become quite profound. And I think it is a great rule to live by.

At that initiation point of conflict.

At that point when the debate has become earmarked as fruitless.

At that moment when you realize that the person you are debating with, has a differing opinion to you, that they are not willing to change or relinquish.

It is here – at this very moment – that you have a choice.

Choice A = Continue on with a determination to be heard, to be right and to be the victor

Or Choice B = ………..decide to let it go, move on and be happy!

As Deepak says: is it more important in that moment for you to be RIGHT or for you to be HAPPY?

It is such a simple concept that can perhaps have far reaching results.

And as with most things in life, simplicity can often be hiding true complexity.

At this junction I hasten to add that I am not necessarily advocating that you always give way to another person’s viewpoint, as clearly there are many instances when you must stand your ground to defend a principal or value that is intrinsic to who you are or what you aspire to.

But – I do think it could be a helpful and useful tool to subject all such occasions to what I am now dubbing ” The Chopra Test” -  by simply posing the question:

“ In this particular case and this particular instance – is it more important right now to be RIGHT or to be HAPPY?”

To defend my position –  or capitulate in favour of peace and harmony.

Only you can decide which battles to fight.

Only you can decide when to stake your claim in an argument and decide not to give ground.

Only you can decide when to sacrifice your momentary happiness in the pursuit of a value, ideal or point of view that you hold dear.

And it is not for me to define those moments for you.

My purpose right here and now is simply to share with you the profound wisdom that Deepak Chopra shared with me all those years ago.

So

Discover You. Love You. Be You.

And maybe during this Festive Season you will approach some situations with this little thought in mind…..and see where it takes you.

Till next time

- Christine -

“ 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?

The answer is relatively simple.

I finally realized [again some of my family would argue that they are still waiting for me to fully actualize this concept in my own life ha ha ha ]  – that decisions are actually the brightness in our day – not the darkness.

Decisions are what point out that we actually have options in most things that we do.

Decisions are the most acute form of power that we have in our lives.

Decisions bring colour and movement into our days.

Decisions are gold!

So – it may just be whether we are having the chicken or the fish – but no matter how small the decision is, it gives us the right to choose. To add something different to our routine. To change it up a bit. Or leave it the same.

The choice is yours.

Living in Australia I am even more cognizant of the luxuries constantly surrounding me when it comes to making decisions.  Despite being a woman – I can go where I want, when I want, whenever I choose.  I can speak my mind and choose my own clothes. I can go out where I want, when I want and with whom I want. And this is not a luxury afforded all women, children and people of the world. So apart from the colouring in of my day that making a decision affords me, I now also realize that it is a right and luxury not extended to everyone on the planet unfortunately.

So – where once I used to become frustrated by decisions. I now see them as an incredible tool to colour my life and exercise my free will. Whether that be in ordering a meal or taking on decisions of more importance.

Decisions = Choice = Opportunity = Gold.

The other thing I finally realized is that there are no bad decisions.

There are just decisions.

They do not require an adjective to describe them.

Decisions are simply a wonderful function that direct us to a new place. A new path. Or maybe back to an old, familiar well worn trajectory.

As long as you are moving, learning, travelling down one of life’s many options – all is good. If you come to realize that the path chosen is not the best for your tastes, then simply change course. Find another path. Make another decision.

If you do not wish to be at the beach anymore, then seek out a forest.

If you are tired of eating fish and chips, go get yourself a steak.

Nothing in this life is set in concrete. Everything is a variable. And this is what makes our lives exciting and challenging. This variable. This unknown. This choice. This opportunity to make a decision and take the reigns on our existence.

Imagine what the world would be like if there was no power of choice? And nothing to choose.

No variables. No change.

Imagine you were born with a certain group of friends, lived in a certain town, had certain beliefs, and you knew with a certainty that these could never change. You knew that every day would be the same, day in and day out with very little chance of new experiences coming your way. Mmmmmmm – not the optimum existence for most people I would think?

And yet we tend to complain when we have to make a decision. Or when we need to make change.

Lost friends. Lost lovers. Lost jobs.

These are not bad things at all, but merely an opportunity to seek out change. This signifies that all the lessons to be learnt here are done and dusted and you need to move on to new people and new topics.

So perhaps we do not need to mourn the passing of certain friendships and situations, but rather we can embrace the opportunity it brings. And when any sort of decision presents itself, just remember there is no right or wrong.

All decisions are simply a mechanism to direct you somewhere. When you get there you can decide if you wish to continue in that direction, double back to where you started or change course completely. So try to see them as the wonderful kaleidoscopic opportunity they represent.

Decisions are colour.

Decisions are movement.

Decisions are a grand luxury not afforded to all.

Decisions are opportunity wrapped up in a great big bow.

So – next time to have to make a decision, cast your mind back to this page, consider the entire palette at your disposal and colour your world with the hues of your choice.

De-loverly Decisions.

­- Christine-

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.

No longer available.

Clearly they no longer found me of interest, value or worth in their lives?

Clearly they had moved on to what they perceived as “bigger and better” things and people?

Clearly that meant that I was defective in some sort of way?

Having been put out with the garbage, so to speak, is not a nice feeling at all.

Clearly this sort of thing packs a real punch – and we have all experienced it.

We are left exclaiming the proverbial – “ what the? “ as we make the jump to the realization that we shall have to negotiate the rest of our life without this well weathered and trusted friend. We are left asking a whole host of questions about what we did wrong. What we said wrong.

What the hell happened?

What I have finally realized is that, not all our friendships are meant to last a lifetime.

Not everyone who comes into our life is meant to stay.

I did nothing wrong.

You did nothing wrong.

We were just meant to have these people in our lives for a shorter period of time then we anticipated.

We learned our lessons from them.

We grew and blossomed and found out important stuff about ourselves through them and their contribution to our lives.

Maybe we didn’t blossom so much on the surface and the end of the friendship was upsetting or disturbing or abusive. But if we look inward and look to the deeper elements of the friendship, we will see that we grew with this person – and they grew with us. We shared ourselves and our lessons with each other. Grabbing a nightcap in our lobby or chatting over a coffee in the café, we experienced each other and all we had to offer each other. And now – it is time to grow in another direction, with other friendships activating our tools of self -discovery.

Everyone has their very own Grand Hotel that they are running and servicing and sometimes, you just can not be a long-term guest in their hotel. Perhaps they do not have enough rooms available, as new guests have booked in?  Perhaps the guest in Suite 404 is giving them a lot of trouble, requires greater attention and you are the inevitable fall out? Perhaps they recently closed their hotel and are re-opening in a new location? Perhaps their hotel is under renovation and there is simply no room for the old furniture? Perhaps you have new requirements as a guest – you want Mexican food for dinner each night, but their restaurant only serves Thai? You want a turn down service but they do not have the capacity to offer such things?

It has taken me so long to see, that my friendships are not all about me.

It has taken me so long to see that there are many variables in sustaining a friendship or relationship of any sort and these variables exist on both sides.

In both hotels.

In both people’s lives.

Not just in my Grand Establishment.

The simple and sometimes cruel reality is that friendship is a two way street.

You can not force someone to want to be your friend.

You can not force someone to want to spend time with you.

You can not run the race of friendship on your own.

It takes two.

But here is where the magic and mystery lies.

If you look closely into those lost friendships, you will see that in 99% of the cases, when one friendship exited stage left so to speak, another friendship would have entered stage right. Most of the times, as one person leaves the lobby of your life, another person will come through the back door and decide to stay a while, order and beverage and take off their coat.

So do not despair, the next time a friendship or relationship ends. Trust in the process of life and know that someone else will be entering your life soon to take you to new experiences and new times. Someone else will enter to fill the gap. You can trust in that for sure.

Be vigilant as these new people and experiences come into view though, as if you are too busy wallowing in the loss of what and who went before, you may miss the new people and opportunities that are presenting themselves. Also be cognizant of the fact that the new person coming into your life could be you.  That’s right. The irrepressible and wonderful you, could be needing a little alone time to work on a new project or to simply be –taking stock of the journey so far and where to set off to next.

So relax.

Follow your heart.

Trust that a new horizon awaits you and take the necessary steps to get there.

Some of the most important friendships along my life path have been those that no longer exist, or those that are only nourished sporadically.

So instead of mourning the loss of a friendship – celebrate what is gave you. Celebrate what it taught you. Rejoice in the good fortune you had in meeting that person and spending time with them, safe in the knowledge that a new and exciting adventure is just outside your door, waiting to enter, when the vacancy sign is visible from the path.

So hang out the shingle to your Hotel. Let it be a Grand Hotel of your making.

But remember, that some of these guests will come and go at will, through your revolving door, and this is exactly as it should be.

Discover.

Love.

Be.

- Christine -