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Magic in putting pen to paper

Sep 9, 2019
2 min

Magic in putting pen to paper

I say it over and over again and I will continue to say it until I draw my last breath... There is magic in putting pen to paper. Something about the connection of brain, to hand, to flow of words on paper, activates some kind of magical transformation. Moving words, ideas and thoughts from the deepest recesses of my mind to the page creates flow in my life. It unblocks whatever is holding me back. Occasionally, I'm reluctant to come to the page, usually because I know that I

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Love is...falling into a good book

Aug 28, 2019
2 min

Love is...falling into a good book

There's nothing I love more than falling into a good book. I was one of those kids who read everything I could get my hands on...nothing's really changed. If it's got words on it, you'll usually find me reading it. My dearly beloved cleared out the mail box tonight of the 'junk' mail. He knows well enough to scan the paperwork in front of me before it heads for the recycling bin. "Do you want to read this one?" is an often asked question as the brightly coloured flyers and va

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Helpful Habits

Aug 25, 2019
1 min

Helpful Habits

Life has been a little up and down for me lately. Not enough hours in the day. Too many things to do in too short a time. Too many demands and a head that refuses to 'shut down' the busier life becomes. If you can relate--read on. This photograph reminded me of the many facets of life and how much we are supposed to 'cram' into it in any given day. How to cope? Nearly two decades ago, my only coping mechanism was alcohol. Today, I'm pleased to report that taking a drink to nu

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Choosing to live in the light

Mar 23, 2019
2 min

Choosing to live in the light

It's been a torrid week here in New Zealand. I don't like following the news, but even I would have to have been living under a rock not to have been caught up in the fallout of our country's worst ever mass shooting. It's hard to stay upbeat and grateful when atrocities like this occur in your back yard. I grew up in Manchester in England when the IRA were running their terrorist bombing attacks in England. I thought that when we moved to New Zealand I'd gotten away from the

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Wonderful Wednesday & flying umbrellas

Mar 5, 2019
2 min

Wonderful Wednesday & flying umbrellas

Wonderful Wednesday: Sometimes it's hard when you're feeling as if the world is crashing in on you to find the wonder in the world. That's why practising gratitude is so important to me. There was a gust of wind here the other day and it lifted an umbrella into the air. This little umbrella caused such a stir...laughter echoed all around as something that's not supposed to fly took flight. The simple (and unexpected) act of flight by this little umbrella made me step outside

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Stay the course a.k.a. Never Give Up!

Feb 26, 2019
1 min

Stay the course a.k.a. Never Give Up!

When I was trying to get sober, I had a line drawing on my fridge. I eventually coloured it in I loved it so much. It was a photograph of a pelican trying to swallow a frog. The frog had a hand around the pelican’s neck and wasn’t letting go! Underneath the words said, “Never give up!” There were many times in the early days of trying to stay sober when I desperately wanted to pick up a drink. That picture on the fridge was a constant reminder to me that life was worth living

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Five ways to practice self-care when you're struggling

Feb 5, 2019
3 min

Five ways to practice self-care when you're struggling

So I talked about my own struggle with self-care at the beginning of this week. Of course, it’s not only when I’m trying to get back into my yearly routine that I struggle with self-care. I’m a mother and a wife and a (sort of) employee (I’m self-employed...so my boss can be a real hard task mistress!). I’m also a sister and a daughter and a daughter-in-law and a friend and a sponsor for my 12-step girlies, so I have a lot going on in my life. It’s easy to see why (sometimes)

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How to get back on track after the holiday season

Feb 4, 2019
2 min

How to get back on track after the holiday season

It’s February already, so I tell myself I should be well back into my routine. I don’t know what it’s like where you are in the world, but here in New Zealand, it’s the middle of summer and that still makes me want to be in holiday mode. The local children may have gone back to school for the beginning of their new year, but it’s still as hot as Hades. I always feel sorry for the poor kids going back to school in February, because it’s always now that the heat of summer reall

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Today I'm grateful for...

Jan 23, 2019
1 min

Today I'm grateful for...

Today I’m grateful for my cat, Freyja. She drives me nuts at dawn when she meows at me to get up and feed her--which I ignore by the way--but it doesn’t stop her doing it. We play the same silly game every morning. I think she’s just letting me know that it’s nearly time to get up and put some fresh food in her bowl :-) After the yarling session, or even a ‘pounce’ on my feet--which is not appreciated when Freyja has sharp claws and I’m only sleeping under a thin sheet--it’s

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Gratitude is so much more than simply saying, “Thank you”

Jan 21, 2019
2 min

Gratitude is so much more than simply saying, “Thank you”

It’s been my experience that gratitude is so much more than simply saying, “thank you”. Gratitude has, quite simply, changed my entire outlook on life. It’s opened my heart to new and wonderful experiences and that’s why, as a recovering alcoholic, I try so hard to practice gratitude every day. The overwhelming feeling of gratitude that I have today for my sober life is so far away from the black hole I was living in when I struggled with my addiction. Living in gratitude is

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How I use my Passion Pulse & my daily To Do List

Jan 20, 2019
2 min

How I use my Passion Pulse & my daily To Do List

Today's blog is more of a vlog :-) I wanted to talk to you about my Passion Pulse and why my Passion Pulse and my daily journal are such a foundational part of my life. They're actually the bedrock that a large portion of my happy life and my sobriety are built upon. They are essential tools in my sobriety arsenal. These tools are about keeping my life in order. When I first got into recovery, my life was completely out of order and it was suggested to me that I write a daily

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Do you set goals and then fail to meet them?

Jan 15, 2019
2 min

Do you set goals and then fail to meet them?

That goal setting thing…yeah, that used to be me. Today, I still set some goals, but I know that I’m in a frame of mind to meet them and I know that they’re moving me towards a larger and better life for myself. I was talking to a friend last night. He happened to tell me that this time twelve months ago, he set eighteen goals for the year that’s just gone. Six months into 2018 he’d achieved only one goal from his list of eighteen! Something had to change. My friend (bless hi

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Choosing to be Happy, Healthy & Free

Jan 1, 2019
1 min

Choosing to be Happy, Healthy & Free

Welcome to 2019! Begin as you mean to go on and follow your dreams. I used to allow others to direct my life. I was merely a player, waiting for someone (anyone) to tell me what to do and when to do it. That way, when things went wrong (and they usually did...) I didn't have to take any responsibility. I could point the finger and say, "It's your fault, you made me do it." No more! Today, I do the work to make my hopes and dreams come to fruition. I am the captain of my own s

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Today's To-Do - My Gift to you

Dec 18, 2018
1 min

Today's To-Do - My Gift to you

Tis the season--or it's going to be in a week or so anyway. So, why not get a head start on organising your day? Head over here to pick up the free Masterclass that I've put together for you. There's a reason that this time of the year is called the "Silly Season" and it's because there seems to be so much that needs to be done and so little time to do it. Why don't you set aside an hour of your time to sit down with me and learn how to organise yourself so that you're not go

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Today I'm grateful for...

Dec 10, 2018
2 min

Today I'm grateful for...

Today I'm grateful for the friends and family that I have in my life. Sometimes friends and family aren’t the same thing and that’s okay. When you come from a background of dysfunction and addiction, it can be especially difficult to see friends and family in the same light. With the end of the year coming and most families coming together for all kinds of reasons, it can be especially difficult if your family don’t fall into the ‘friends’ basket of your life. There was a ti

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Crafting Clarity from Chaos

Nov 20, 2018
2 min

Crafting Clarity from Chaos

I took the time to have a cup of herbal tea with a friend recently and we started talking about the ‘chaos’ of modern life. I’m acutely aware of the fact that the holiday season is upon us. In fact, my husband mentioned to me only yesterday that he could feel the commercial frenzy increasing at a rapid rate. I only have to take a look at my email inbox to concur. There is also the added pressure here in New Zealand that the entire country ‘closes down’ for the Christmas holid

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Nov 7, 2018
1 min

Birth of my Brand New Course: Attitude of Gratitude

You tell me that you loved my Daily Hack Sheet and you couldn't get enough of my Happiness & Gratitude Journal...now check out my new course "Attitude of Gratitude". 🎉 In this BRAND NEW training you’ll learn… • That the foundation of your attitude to gratitude is your daily journal. I’ll walk you through the structured process that is the foundation of my day. You’ll be ticking some boxes and writing a couple of sentences—don’t worry. I’m not going to make you write a novel

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Routine! Routine! Routine

Oct 31, 2018
1 min

Routine! Routine! Routine

I’m all about the routine. I used to think it was boring—now it’s the bedrock of my life. In this video, I talk about my first impressions of someone who lived an organised and productive life. I thought he had no life--the truth of the matter was that I had no life. Today, my life is completely different. I make my bed. I have breakfast. I get in the shower. I do my day’s work. I eat healthy food at regular intervals. I help others. I go to my 12-step meetings. I take stock

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How Long to a New Habit?

Aug 10, 2018
4 min

How Long to a New Habit?

I don’t know about you, but when ‘the experts’ (whoever they are!) say that it takes 21 days to create a new habit, I’m not impressed. Why? Because I’m an “I want it now!” kind of girl. Why can’t I just flick a switch and change things around? How come there’s all this freakin’ hard work to be done? Who needs good habits anyway? Really, with that kind of mindset I sound like a two-year-old having a tantrum and that’s pretty much how I behaved throughout a large portion of my

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3 Steps to a New Habit

Jul 22, 2018
3 min

3 Steps to a New Habit

I don’t know about you, but I’ve struggled in the past to form new and healthy habits. I’m a great ‘starter’ but sometimes I struggle with the ‘follow through’. What I’ve discovered is that it doesn’t have to be as difficult to create a new habit as my head wants me to believe. Let’s face it, most of us want to change our behavior for the better and create new habits for ourselves. This could be getting in the habit of eating healthier and drinking more water--or simply tryin

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