In fact, there is a wonderful meditation I like to do with my Dance for Parkinson’s clients at the beginning of each class, but it is a meditation that can be shared, enjoyed and valued by all. So you may like to try this at home.

Firstly find a comfy chair and sit with your feet connecting strongly with the floor and your hands resting on your lap, making sure you feel comfortable with good back support and that you are nice and warm. Then simply breathe in and out really deeply, feeling all the goodness of the world pouring into you as you breathe in…….1, 2, 3 and then let all the worries and concerns you currently have leave you as you breathe out…..1, 2,3.

Repeat this action over and over.

And as you do this imagine you are a tree.  But not just any tree. A strong,  proud, formidable, powerful tree, that has been in this forest for a very long time. Your body is your trunk  - standing tall and proud, your arms are your branches, reaching out to the light and swaying gently in the breeze. And most importantly – you can feel the energy, the sunlight from above, pulsing down through your body or tree trunk from head to toe – top to bottom. Lighting you up from within and sending energy right along your trunk and branches and down into the root structure you have set up over the years.  When this energy reaches down to your feet – imagine it going out through the soles of your feet and into the floor like tree roots – anchoring you to the earth and providing a conduit for sustenance and life. Breathe in all the goodness of the world. Breathe out any negativity and let a wonderful calm come over you. Simply bask in the sunlight and breathe in all the goodness that surrounds you.

This is a wonderful meditation to ground you at the beginning of each day, or to use if you suddenly feel overwhelmed or unsettled during your day. Stay with it for 10  - 15 minutes if you can and really settle into that grounded feeling and imagine the sunlight on your leaves [ arms] and the stability you feel through your feet making such strong contact with the floor. Sending those tree roots [your life force and energy ] out into the world to keep you grounded and centred.

Why does this meditation work so well? I think it is perhaps that there are so many elements that are relatable when you see yourself as that tree.

Firstly, as human beings we all like to take root somewhere and create a sense of stability in our lives. Sending out our energy into the world, grounded through the earth, gives us a sense of belonging and these tree roots also represent what bring us sustenance. The roots we send out into our communities represent all the connections we make through different social groups, family, friends, and the like. They feed us what we need as humans – love, compassion, friendship, guidance, human interactions and a sense of belonging.

Then we have our body and our sense of self – our tree trunk. And much like a real tree it needs to be at all times both strong and centred, but also flexible to sway with the changes and winds of life.

Then we have our branches and leaves. To me these represent the seasons of our life. Sometimes in full bloom and then at other times shedding all our leaves, to cast off the old and make room for the new. The new shoots. The new leaves. The new way of being and doing. A simple and repetitive cycle that is seamless, effortless and unavoidable. It is just “how it is”. A constant cycle of casting off, resting and then rebirth.

So imagine you are just like a huge and glorious tree.

You take root, ground yourself and rejoice in your very existence. Planting roots in all directions that on one hand ground you to yourself, the earth, the forest around you and your life experience here and now. But also these very same roots feed you, nurture you with everything you need to grow, flower, expand, contract, weather the storms and sway with the winds of change.You rest in the Winter, flower in the Spring, bask in the glory of Summer, allow your leaves to fall in the Autumn, and then continue your cycle of rest and rebirth and fulfil the true potentiality of your existence.

Magical in its simplicity and design.

As this glorious tree, you breathe in all the good and release all the negativity. Constantly cycling through the positive and negative energies that surround you. Keeping all that is good and releasing back to the Earth all that is not productive or nurturing for your particular tree. You feel strong and proud and naturally able to cope with all seasons and all times. You go with the weather and all it brings easily and effortlessly. And most importantly, you have taken root and assured yourself a constant and reliable support system and root structure that runs deep to support you through it all, supplying you with constant nutrients and a physical connectedness and centred-ness to all that is.

So welcome to your very own Tree of Life.

Enjoy it.

Love it.

Feel it.

Send out your roots in whatever direction will bring you the most stability and joy.

Allow your trunk to weather all storms and bend with the winds of change that can sometimes push you around.

Produce the flowers and blossoms that best show off your unique nature.

Bask in the glory of your summer. Rest in Winter. Enjoy the frivolity of Spring. Allow Autumn it’s time and place…….being open to fully experiencing all Seasons of your life.

For through it all – you shall remain constant, grounded, swaying in the breeze and taking in all the sunlight, rain and nutrients that comes your way to give you all you need to survive and flourish and grow.

#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 -

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:

MIND IS THE MASTER POWER

THAT MOLDS AND MAKES

AND WE ARE MIND, AND THE EVERMORE

WE TAKE

THE TOOL OF THOUGHT AND SHAPING

WHAT WE WILL

BRINGS FORTH A THOUSAND JOYS

A THOUSAND ILLS

WE THINK IN SECRET

AND IT COMES TO PASS

THE WORLD IS BUT

OUR LOOKING GLASS

JAMES ALLEN – AS YOU THINK

My response to this wonderful text is a life -affirming YES!

Yes – life is in our heads and in every thought that passes through our experience. And so it follows, that it is also at our very own fingertips – and so very accessible to us all. And this is where it is so very easy for us to go so wrong.

Making the realization, that the life we are living in our heads has such a huge impact on the life that is then actualized, brought to reality and found at our proverbial fingertips, is easier said than done perhaps.

Perhaps if we spent more time cultivating our minds and harnessing the power that resides there, we would find our life experiences to be a little more rewarding and up to our expectations.

How wonderful life is when we view it the right way. How wonderful life can be when the conceptualized version of events that germinates in our wildest thoughts and dreams, can be molded into a positive stream of thought from where we can build our reality.

It has taken me so many years to realize this simple fact.

So many years wasted in negative preamble.

So many moments lost in an unharnessed grey matter.

The sayings that revolve around this one little truth are endless – but oh so true.

Our thoughts create our reality.

Like attracts like.

What we think – so we become.

To put things in their most simplistic terms – your life is what you expect it to be.

Have you ever noticed how people who love to complain about everything seem to find each other, so they can wallow together. Whilst those who have a cheerful, can-do attitude also seem to find their way to each other’s door.

And the two do not seem to mix .

It is a simple Law of the Universe. What you put out there is what you get back.

And birds of a feather certainly DO flock together!

What you think, so you shall become.

What you can conceive of can become your reality.

So – be on the pulse. Be ready to go. Be grateful. Be thankful for all that is. Embrace your emotions – all of them – the complete gamut – they all have something to offer and to teach.

Experience every inch of the spectrum and guard your thoughts wisely, as they will indeed inform your experience in your physical reality.

Breathe in the good life. See the good life. Become the good life.

Everything is for the taking and things can be whatever you want them to be. But you have to imagine it first. You have to conceive of it first.

You have to believe in it 100% first.

This is not to say that you dream of some grand existence and then sit around waiting for it to happen. Nothing could be further from the truth. But the visualizing, or imaging, or thinking, of what your ideal life would look like is definitely the first step to getting it into existence.

Once you have conceived of your vision, then you need to take the all important action steps to make it a reality. All the time “vibrating” at the level needed to attract like- minded people and opportunities to you.

To my mind you can look at this concept in three different ways.

From a scientific perspective.

From a metaphysical perspective.

From a logical perspective!

And all these perspectives seem to intersect in a rather interesting fashion.

This is a topic that is currently bringing both the scientific community and metaphysical community together.

Many scientists are talking about the power of energy and vibration. The power of the subconscious mind. For those wanting to delve into this in a more scientific manner, Bruce H. Lipton, PH.D has a wonderful book called The Biology Of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter and Miracles.

It is a great read and for the uninitiated scientists amongst us he makes the whole concept quite easy to follow from a scientific perspective. There are a few chapters that will challenge those of you who like me, are not from an academic/scientific background – but all in all it really makes everything so clear and readily understandable for all readers.

And then from a metaphysical perspective we have access to the words of Abraham [via Esther and Jerry Hicks]  who as you may or may not know speak a lot about the importance of our vibration and aligning to what we want to attract. Many forms of energy healing also talk about this magical “vibration”.

Put simply, you want to raise your vibration, so you attract the positive experiences that you are seeking into your life.

And for those looking for a simple and logical approach, take a normal social environment. If you were going out for an evening and you saw a group of really sad and depressed people sitting all hunched and huddled in a corner – would you choose to go and sit with them?

Most likely –  not. Not unless you were also feeling miserable.

In most scenarios, we gravitate to the people in the room who are looking cheerful, happy, engaged in the proceedings and looking positive. Like attracts like! The people who are wanting to have a great time and are actively participating in an activity will all flock together whilst the “ho hum” brigade will also find each other and miss every opportunity to have fun that the evening presents.

I know this for a fact as I have been on both sides of this story many a time.

So – what is the message here?

The seconds that pass by are nothing but the past. And the future is yet to come. So be present in the now. Be fully here in the now and see how the world can take on a new, fresh and exciting edge.

To be or not to be?

To live or to watch on from the sidelines?

Participate in every moment  - because you are your experience. You create your experience.  You are your life –  and no-one else can live it for you.

One of my favourite sayings is: “ If you can’t change what is happening around you, then change your attitude to it”

This is such a profound statement and again – so very true.

Sit with it for a while and let it float about in your head.

If you can’t change what is going on around you – then change your attitude to it.

Simple. Easy. Definitive.

Our perception is everything.

Our perception can be rainbows and stardust or dark clouds and lots of rain.

So check your thoughts regularly.

Watch out for unnecessarily negative preamble.

Expect things to go well.

Feel happy and centred and full of hope.

Create that space that will attract what you want towards you.

Go out into each day with a zest for life and a belief that it can be great….because it can.

Be the experience you want to have.

Feel like the experience you want to have.

And finally you will have the experience you want to have.

If you do not believe in the ability you have to create wonder in your life, how can you possibly expect anyone else around you to join you on your journey to greatness.

- 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-

-       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.

Along with this has also come the realization, that most moments that linger with me as “ gee – I wish I could do that again” – tend to be the moments I missed.

The opportunities that I didn’t capitalize upon.

The moments that came and went.

The experiences that passed me by as I either sat in indecision, or fear, or some other form of immobilization that stopped me from participating.

Some of these things were really simple things like not going abseiling because I thought my bottom would look big as I came down the side of the cliff. How ridiculous. How sad. How completely stupid. I hasten to add that years later I did have the opportunity to go Indoor Rock-climbing and this time no such worry stood in my way and I had a fabulous time.

The message here is quite simple – loud and clear.

Go out on that limb. Follow the path to new experiences.

Dare to try.

Dare to be different.

Dare to give it a go.

Why?

Because quite simply, the opportunity may not come your way again. You may miss the chance to meet some interesting people or do something new and worthwhile.

Of course – there are opportunities that present themselves daily that may represent a most unwise choice that could seriously harm yourself or the people around you and of course these are not the opportunities to which I am referring here. Anything that represents a clear and present danger to you or those around you should be avoided and declined at all costs.

What we are talking about here, are the things we let slip by that could take us on a new course, with no real danger to life and or limb. Things that float past our reality, beckoning us forth to a new adventure. Things that are on our “bucket list” perhaps but never quite happen. Things that we always dreamed of doing.

It is funny but true, that we will most likely be disappointed by the chances we didn’t take than by the ones we did. At least when you follow through on an idea, a wish, a dream, a plan – you know the results of your efforts.

But if that dream, that vision, that idea, that plan, that promise, that invitation is left unanswered – then you will never and can never know what might have been.

Would have  – could have – should have – are the most destructive and fruitless words in our vocabulary. They take you on a very short ride to nowhere.

Been there and done that are far more satisfying, even if the doing of the action cements firmly in your person that you have no intention of ever taking that course od action again. This could be said for my decision to go whale watching one wintery Sydney day. It was flat out the worst 3 hours of my life. The seas were incredibly rough and there was not a whale in sight. In fact, the only creature that made a brief appearance was a random seagull that happened past for but a moment.

To add salt to my wounds, whilst I was being violently ill over the side of the boat, making my reacquaintance with the bacon and egg roll I unwisely chose for breakfast, a Canadian couple were canoodling madly nearby. The scene was quite surreal. My sister and I beyond ill at one end of the boat whilst the Canadian Bear Grylls and his girlfriend were having a “love in” at the other ha ha ha.

Now – the point is. At least I went on that whale watching trip.

Would I do it again? Certainly not. But I am not sitting around wondering what it would have been like had I gone.

I have also been offered the opportunity to go sky diving  – twice no less.

However this is something that I have never done. And I must admit that I do sometimes sit around thinking what it would be like to jump put of a plane into oblivion at thousands of feet above land ha ha ha. So I do wonder if that is one thing I shall be disappointed in, within myself as I head to great beyond at the end of my life on the Planet.

As I said – we all have to way up in life what represents fair risk in our lives. And I am not suggesting you all run out and do crazy, risk taking activities, like sky diving or whale watching ha ha ha. I am simply recommending that you take life by the proverbial horns and get out there amongst it.

There is no longer the excuse of not having anyone to do things with, as there are oodles of social groups through which you can meet likeminded individuals and join up with them to try out some new things. Meet Up is a wonderful way to find kindred spirits of all kinds. They have groups for dancing, attending music, concerts and bands, discussing literature, watching films and documentaries that can change the world, dinner groups, drinking groups, non drinking but still having fun groups, hiking and bush walking groups, scientific groups, philosophical groups, foreign language groups etc etc . This list goes on and on -  so you can always jump on line and find some other people to enjoy some new things with you.

At the end of the day:

Only you know what is on your “bucket list “ .

Only you know what dreams live within your heart.

Only you know what opportunities you have let pass you by in the past

And only you can make a change into the future to seek, explore and discover all that you are, all that you want to do, all that you want to learn, all that you want to be and all that you want to experience.

So – make time each day to think about you. Make time each day to honour you and your dreams, your ambitions and your wishes.

Make that “bucket list” and start ticking off the items.

Make a decision to take opportunities as they come your way.

Get out and about and do some of those things you have always dreamed of doing, as one day, your time will be up.

So now – go back to the quote at the top and re-read it.

Then slowly close your eyes, listen to your heart and see what comes to your mind.

Imagine yourself dreaming, exploring and discovering.

Where is your little boat taking you?

To where are you sailing?

What adventures are you embarking upon?

What opportunities  and invitations will you not miss again?

Let your soul speak to you about what is lying dormant inside you waiting to be awoken.

Now – go – reread the quote again and I shall wait for you here. Do not open your eyes again until your heart is full of joy, full of ideas, full of excitement and full of possibilities.

Welcome back.

Now grab and pen and paper and write down exactly where you saw yourself.

Where was your soul drawing you to be?

What opportunities, activities and experiences have your name etched upon them?

Where are your sails taking you?

I can say that doing this little exercise and reading this little quote once a week or once a month can inject some purpose and drive into your life. Re-evaluate where you are at all the time, as we constantly change our minds and ideas and feelings – and that is OK too. That is simply growth.

So take the plunge and launch yourself headlong into life.

Organize those ukulele lessons. Book that trip to Machu Picchu. Catch up with that long lost friend for dinner. Accept the invitation to that seminar. Go out salsa dancing even though you are 70 and people say you are too old. Start that new cupcake business. Go hiking with a new group of like- minded people.

Just do it!

Like diving into a sea of possibility – if you don’t go in the water, you can’t experience the sweet caress of the waves or the sand beneath your feet.

As we all know. Life rewards action.

This is your time.

This is your moment.

This is your chance to move.

Discover. Love. Be.

This is all there is.

- Christine -

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.

The main culprit here is constantly comparing ourselves to others. Pushing away all the unique traits and attributes that make us who we are, in favour of “towing the line” and fitting in with some pre-ordained notion of how we should be.

And whilst I may sound like I have my own unique little life perfectly in balance, I have spent much of my time in the past doing exactly this and creating a whole world of pain and anguish for myself that just did not need to be there.

In retrospect it all seems so foolish. Because it is ha ha ha!

We are here on the planet, I believe, to simply figure out who we are and express it joyfully to the world at large, giving them the opportunity to either join in our celebration or run to the nearest hiding place.

Either option is fine as long as we are being true to ourselves and not impinging upon anybody else’s right to be who they are in the process.

True to You.

Loving You.

Unashamedly You.

That is all You need to do.

So why is it all so difficult sometimes?

Because we live in a world that is constantly trying to convince us that our little brand of who we are – that is, your little brand of You – doesn’t cut the mustard. That we don’t measure up.

Measure up to what I ask?

I prefer chutney to be honest.

Who set these standards and conformities?

How about just measuring up to your own set of rules, morals, ethics and standards?

Like I said. As long as you are not wilfully and deliberately impacting upon another person’s life and liberty in a negative way, you should be free to live your own life and run your own race.

And the benefits are huge.

So consider this.

If you can stop listening to the Peanut Gallery……. who always have an opinion on everything and a seemingly unending bucket of nuts.

You can Find you.

You can Be you.

You can Run Your own race.

And guess what?

The bonus is that you are a dead set certainty to win this race, as you are the only one in it!!!

Can you believe how easy life is meant to be.

Job Done.

Happy Days.

And with that knowledge, I ask you to go full throttle into life.

Discover you.

Love You.

Be You.

Live Your life.

Because there is only one You.

-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 -

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.

I was not there to buy a book.

I was not needing to read a book.

I just saw the book and felt immediately drawn to it.

For most of my life I have lived with a certain amount of annoyance at having been born a girl. In a world that is so heavily weighted towards men, it just seemed like an uphill battle sometimes. Apart from having to deal with a whole list if issues that come with the simple reproductive capacity we bring to the world, it just seemed like men had all the fun. Made the rules. Called the shots. Had less to worry about.

Then one summer’s day – I found this book and read this insightful passage and the world of my womanhood opened up like a brand new book, waiting to be explored and read for the first time.

The impact each verse had on me was quite overwhelming.

For the first time in my life I felt like part of an incredible Sisterhood!

Part of a wise council of elders.

Part of an incredible group, blessed with the role of giving life to the planet.

Part of a special force for good.

Part of a sensual, beautiful, loving and nurturing energy.

I actually felt glad to have been born a woman.

This was a huge leap for me, and one that has been gradually unfolding over the past few years. Whereas in my younger years I always preferred the company of men, I found myself meeting more and more incredible women.

Strong women.

Inspiring women.

Fun women.

Really funky, and cool women.

Headstrong, and opinionated women.

Compassionate women.

Women who set their own course and knew their own value.

Women who stood their ground and made their own way in the world.

Sexy, smart, empowered women who supported the other women around them.

And the oh so very wise women who took me under their wing and guided me to pastures new.

It is interesting to me that I chose two very male dominated professions on which to build my earlier life: tap dancing and drumming. Perhaps there is something in that? Perhaps I set myself a struggle that I need not have had?  But like all things in life, perhaps it was these very experiences that have informed who I am now and guided me to the work that I now find so enjoyable and empowering?

Who knows?

Time will tell?

But what I do know – in this moment – is that the passage above in pure gold!

It will no doubt mean different things to different people – and that is the beauty of the written word. It can be digested and reviewed in any number of ways subject to the readers experience and expectations.

So I invite you to go back

Sit quietly.

Read it again.

Take from this wisdom whatever it is that feeds your soul in this moment.

Revel in being a woman.

Revel in the women around you.

Find strength and courage and heart and fire in the sensuality and assuredness that is your right as a woman on the planet.

Discover You.

Love You.

Be every inch of the Woman that is You.

- Christine -

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 -

Recently I have been hearing and reading a lot of talk about Animal Communication. It just seems to be popping up everywhere and even though I do not have a pet of my own, I do have a huge love of nature and believe 100% that we are all connected to nature and all other animals on the planet. I often marvel at what close connections all my pet owning friends have with their various animals and love that feeling of unconditional love that they seem to bring with them to their owners.

For this reason, I thought I would take the opportunity to have a chat with my friend, and animal communicator extraordinaire – Faye Fletcher – and get her to answer what I assume would be most people’s questions regarding this incredible gift.

I trust that those of you with animals in your life will find this blog useful and insightful, and that it will open your mind to the possibilities of communicating with your animal in a new and exciting way.

Christine: First of all Faye, can you explain exactly what you mean by animal communication? How exactly do you speak with or communicate with someone’s pet, when you are clearly both speaking a different language?

 Faye:  Well that’s just it, we are not “speaking a different language”…… Telepathic or silent communication;   imagery, emotions and feelings are tangible senses.

 Animals use a telepathic or silent language.  They send and receive images along with their feelings and emotions.   In fact we were born with these abilities it’s just that we’ve forgotten how to use them.

 When I see a photo of someone’s animal I will “get present or still my mind” and then ask a question. The animal transmits, and I receive, very strong feelings, emotions and see pictures, in my mind, of what the animal wants to communicate.  Let’s do a little exercise to demonstrate…..

If I asked you to “describe your front door to me”  firstly, you would think I was nuts, however, give it a try………when you start describing your front door you will have a vision of it in your mind.  You will visualize it in order to describe it.  You will not be thinking about cleaning the car while trying to describe the door.  It is with this imagery in conjunction with feeling and emotions that we use to interpret what your animal is communicating to us.

Christine:    OK then. So if someone wanted to have a session with you to discover a little more about their particular pet, what would the process be?

 Faye:   They would contact me either by phone or email.  I would take them step by step through the communication process.  They would attach a photo of their pet in an email to me, or if they prefer, post it to me. 

I would make an initial connection with their pet and gather information that the person would verify as their pet.  We would set up a time that suited them and they would call me at the pre-arranged time.  At this point they can verify that I did make a good connection in which case they could ask questions and I would deliver the answers.  If a good connection isn’t made we stop and don’t continue.

Christine:   What is one of the most memorable experiences you have had connecting a person with their pet?

 Faye:  Oh boy, there have been many however one did touch my heart.  It was a little dog called Amber and her owner, Maria, lost her to illness in just 3 short weeks.  Ambers passing affected her greatly and she found it difficult to accept Amber had gone and felt particularly guilty for having her put to sleep. 

During the communication Amber had expressed her gratitude for the release because she had had enough pain and said she felt the pain Maria was going through by having her put down.  Amber said she was in Maria’s life to bring joy, love and “to fill a gap”….that Maria had lost someone in her life and Amber was there for her. I told Maria that this loss felt like an extension of Maria, “like a child”….. Maria then told me that what Amber said “hit her to the core since she did lose custody of her child”.

Something else that touched Maria was when Amber spoke about a “pink blanket” that was so special to her. Maria explained that the pink blanket is what Amber had when she was a puppy and then when she was sick before she passed.  It was what Maria had kept to remember her by.

 Maria told me that this information along with the rest of the communication was very healing and gave her the peace of mind she needed and helped ease the pain, grief and guilt that she’d carried with her for months.

Christine:  Given that this is quite a new area for most people to venture into, some people are sure to have their doubts. How can the animal’s owner be sure that the reading they are getting is authentic and not just a “generic” reading that you might give to any pet owner? What specifics are given to prove to the owner that you are communicating specifically with their pet?

 Faye:  Yes, good question.  The initial communication I do before talking with the animals owner is where I ask questions of the animal that only its human might know.

This can be anything from “why it’s human had gone away and that they didn’t like the person minding them” to small stuff like what it likes to eat.  I have had a cat tell me, when asked that question, that its favourite food was “toast”…..now that sounds odd but the human confirmed their cat did indeed love toast yet not ALL cats like toast.

 I have heard some sceptics say “well if a cat says it like/wants fish to eat that is because every cat would like fish”…..however, that is not true.  I have had 7 cats over the years and only 2 of them liked fish.

Christine:    Is there any animal that you would not be prepared to communicate with and why?

 Faye:      No.  That’s like saying “is there any person you would not be prepared to communicate with”….. The process is the same for every animal.  Some animals are quite basic in their ideas and needs and some are very communicative.

Christine:    Why do you think Animal Communication has taken a little longer to become mainstream in Australia then in some other countries?

 Faye:    I’m not sure.  We seem to take our time with new concepts here but that is changing. 

Christine:    What are the most common reasons people seek you out to communicate with their animal?

 Faye:  Some of the more common reasons are:

• Their animal has suddenly changed  behavior and the Vet has established that it is not a physical problem…..The behavior changes can have to do with the animal losing another pet or human in the family, either through death or perhaps a divorce and so the animal is grieving
• It has become very bored because of a lack of exercise or some change within the family dynamics, a new baby coming into the family, a house change etc
• The human simply wanting to know how the animal is feeling, is it happy, does it like the new animal that has been introduced to the home, why has it suddenly gone off it’s normal food….?
• Their animal has become aggressive?
• Their animal has been adopted from the pound and want to know why it behaves the way it does?

Christine:    And finally – what advice would you give to someone who is having their first ever Animal Communication session?

 Faye:    Be prepared for their animal to tell you things you didn’t even know yourself, like why:

• They don’t like where they have to sleep
• They had a nasty altercation with another animal or human that you hadn’t witnessed
• They want you to know things that are important to them

 The best thing to do is to have no expectations and be prepared to be surprised.  Having a chat with your animal can bring a real sense of understanding into your relationship because you are hearing from the animals’ perspective, not yours.

 Wow.  There was just so much information there about the entire process and what to expect.  Faye I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to join me for a cup of tea and a chat about Animal Communication.

 If you would like to have a session with Faye or discover even more about this modality, please visit Faye’s website and/or drop her an email.

Website:www.animalspeak.com.au

Email:     faye@animalspeak.com.au

Our animal friends bring such a unique and comforting energy to our world and it really is a blessing to have people like Faye amongst us who have such a passion and caring for them, that they have learned how to communicate effectively with them.

As I said at the start – I trust this blog was insightful and I look forward to bringing some other messages to you from Faye in the future.

 -Christine -