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

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

I had time to reflect today. As I write this, it’s the day before Valentine’s Day--the day when every woman (and probably a lot of men) who are involved in a romantic relationship have some kind of romantic expectation that may (or may not) be met tomorrow. Remember the Golden Rule: Expectations are premeditated resentments! February 13th is also the day that my ex-husband (and the father of my children) and I married. That relationship lasted for over twenty years of my life

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)

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

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

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

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

If you feel as if you’re hanging on by your fingertips at the moment, you’re probably not alone. The struggle is real for those of us who make the decision to abstain from alcohol at this time of the year. I had the experience yesterday of travelling back from Waiheke Island on the ferry. There are a number of vineyards on the Island and I guess a lot of companies are having functions for their staff--or maybe people are just holidaying and letting loose for the end of the ye

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

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

For as long as I can remember, I've loved the idea of having a kitchen garden. A garden where I can pop out from the kitchen door and quickly pick some greens and some herbs to enhance our meals. I'm blessed to be in the position to have gardens right outside my kitchen door. They're currently 'between seasons' but come take a look. Yours in love & gratitude, Toni x #healthyliving #Growingvegetables #Herbs #selfhelp #Lettuce #Antioxidants #Organic

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

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

Now that you’ve got this great morning routine in place and you’ve made it a habit, why would you want to review it? Good question… With your routine firmly fixed in place, you no longer have to spend a lot of energy or time thinking about what you do to start your day--you’re running on autopilot. “But that’s a good thing, Toni,” I can hear you say and you wouldn’t be too wrong, except that you still need to check in to make sure that you’re moving towards your greater long

Mornings are oftentimes busy and can even run into the chaotic range--especially if you have ‘little people’ to deal with. Ask anyone how their day has gone endeavouring to get ‘little people’ out the door and they’re quite likely to share tales of woe, abandoned breakfasts and frantically prepared lunch boxes. It’s sometimes not any better if you only have yourself to get out the door. The good news is that it doesn’t always have to be this way. With a little careful pre-pla

Have you ever noticed how tough it is to make decisions the closer you get to the end of the day? You’re too tired to decide what you want for dinner, never mind making something healthy. That’s because we all have a finite number of decisions that we’re capable of making in any one given day. That’s where making a list and prioritizing becomes the backbone of your life. Personally, I can cut out a lot of decision making by making sure that I have sound habits and routines in

As we’ve previously discussed, creating new habits isn’t easy. You could try these six simple hacks that may well make it a little easier for you. You can use them until you’ve internalized your new habit and don’t need them anymore. Can you piggyback the new habit on an established habit? If at all possible, stack your new habit on top of one that’s already firmly in place. For example, if you have a regular cup of coffee or tea at the same time every day and you’re trying

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

Contrary is a word that was often used by my parents to describe me. Some days I think that it’s as relevant as ever. Unsure of what it means? “Opposite in nature, direction, or meaning” or more particularly in my case, “perversely inclined to disagree or to do the opposite of what is expected or desired”. That last definition probably describes my life up until I decided to try and find a way to make things easier for myself! I am (still) a work in progress. So why do I use