how do you cope when it rains?

I am still buzzing from a Personal Development Workshop I was privileged to be a part of last night.

Twelve hours later I am bursting with inspiration and smiling about comments from women who, before our 3 hour gathering, were complete strangers.

The workshop was the FIRST EVER hosted by Nereeda of The Nereeda Network.

This post is not to promote her brand new business (although I believe in it 110% and absolutely encourage you to pop across to her website and facebook and insta accounts);

Or to disclose any detail of the Workshop itself.

No... this post is off the back of something I have been thinking about for a while; a topic which I was able to discuss openly with these perfect strangers last night.

W H O   A R E   Y O U R   P E O P L E  ? ?

They say "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with"

So we must choose these special people wisely.

After moving interstate last year; and then moving back again... I have come to learn about the importance of your inner circle. Those whom we surround ourselves with. The special people who get to share the BIG moments of your life; those from whom we seek support; and those with whom we can celebrate our victories.

Are your top five inspiring and challenging you?

As The Nereeda Network Workshop reminded me - "There is no rewind button on the game of life";

So it is our responsibility to choose/change/eliminate the main characters in our story to make sure we are living our best life.

There are endless motivational posters encouraging us to surround ourselves with positive people; But I think this one here says it all -

Daily Positive Quotes

And those perfect strangers? Well, I think the universe is very good at aligning people in the right place at the right time; and I have the feeling that this is just the beginning of some wonderful friendships. 

xx

know or feel

To put into words how I am feeling today is difficult, because as I type, I edit my thoughts and then they fall onto the page wrong and don't even resemble my initial thought.

What a mess.

But this quote has resonated with me because it describes where I am right now. 

here

I am currently a Work In Progress toward embracing my True Self.

My judgmental self has trouble admitting that in such a public forum.

But it is what it is.

I am breaking down barriers of what I have believed for many years and reinventing myself.

It sounds crazy.

It sounds impossible.

It's certainly not easy.

But I am doing it.

My biggest struggle is to challenge what I know to be true because those thoughts are learned, they are ingrained, they are in alignment with societal perception and they make sense to me. I have lived them for as long as I can remember.

And now I am consciously letting them go, to make room for new thoughts based on my True Self.

For me, embracing my True Self means moving beyond my self-prescribed limitations.

Pushing through mental barriers which I have in the past allowed me to give up.

Because the truth is - 
Beliefs are just thoughts we keep thinking.

So everything that I thought I knew was just habitual thinking; which means that it is entirely possible to change my thinking and develop new beliefs.

It will take some time. But only then will what I know be a true reflection of what I feel.

And then, I will be living a life that is honouring my truth.


xx

it's about the J word...

I have found myself making excuses for this little blog of late.

Along the lines of -

"It's about baking.

Sort of.

Well.. it was once upon a time..

Now it's kind of like a journal.

Except not lame.

But it's not very exciting.

You probably wouldn't be interested...."

Here's the thing - 

This blog is about my life.

It always has been.

When my life changes focus, so does the blog.

When I bake, I tell you about it.

When I don't.. well, I have other stuff to share!

My blog evolves the same way my life does. 

There used to be a plan. But plans change.

And so I adapt accordingly.

Get your shot glasses ready*...

It's a JOURNEY.

And right now, in this little game called life, I am on one hell of a ride as I discover things I never knew about myself.

I am exploring concepts and ideas that I never imagined.

I am becoming the truest version of myself than I have ever been.

Pinned HERE

So, from now on, when asked to summarise this little blog?

Well, it's just about LIFE.

Cupcakes and all.

xx

* You know - Have a shot every time someone says the word 'Journey' on a reality TV show?!... 

No? 

Ok.. Just me then.

head vs heart

Have you ever done a personality test?

You know the type - A questionnaire or other standardized instrument designed to reveal aspects of an individual's character or psychological makeup.

Often used in the recruitment process, or during a 'Team Building Day' at work.

According the Meyers-Briggs, I am an INTJ.

Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Judging

One of the rarest of the sixteen personality types.

For the most part, I agree.

 INTJs are known as the "Systems Builders" of the types, perhaps in part because they possess the unusual trait of combining imagination and reliability. Whatever system an INTJ happens to be working on is for them the equivalent of a moral cause to an INFJ; both perfectionism and disregard for authority come into play. Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel ... This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals ... Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense.

—Marina Margaret Heiss^[12]

INTJs are analytical. Like INTPs, they are most comfortable working alone and tend to be less sociable than other types. Nevertheless, INTJs are prepared to lead if no one else seems up to the task, or if they see a major weakness in the current leadership. They tend to be pragmatic, logical, and creative. They have a low tolerance for spin or rampantemotionalism. They are not generally susceptible to catchphrases and do not readily accept authority based on tradition, rank, or title.

INTJs are strong individualists who seek new angles or novel ways of looking at things. They enjoy coming to new understandings. They tend to be insightful and mentally quick; however, this mental quickness may not always be outwardly apparent to others since they keep a great deal to themselves. They are very determined people who trust their vision of the possibilities, regardless of what others think. They may even be considered the most independent of all of the sixteen personality types. INTJs are at their best in quietly and firmly developing their ideas, theories, and principles.

—Sandra Krebs Hirsch^[13]

I have always questioned Personality Testing, because I claim to have multiple personalities based on my mood - am I mad, playful, or focused when I am taking this test? 

Because I believe my state of mind will play a major part in determining my 'type'.

Specialists in the Personality Type field claim your core values will come through in a test, regardless of your mood.

Well.. it did say I like to 'disregard authority'!!

Anyway, in essence, my personality testing would have me believe that I am 100% ruled by my head. 

Not my heart.

here

So imagine my challenge, when having recently engaged a Life Coach, I was told to listen to my Truth.

Huh?!

How does my Truth fit in here?!

Simply put - my Truth and my heart are connected.

Our head is analytical; logical.

But it's also where fear resides. Our heads have an uncanny ability to convince us that anything outside our 'comfort zone' is a bad idea.

Which is when we must engage our Heart and our Truth.

I am learning that this is not always easy, after being controlled by my Head for so long.

Our Truth can determine how valid our fears are.

This is where our intuition comes into play.

With this new awareness in my toolkit I have been reading more and more about mindfulness, which is a concept I was first introduced to back in May.

The truth is, a simple understanding of mindfulness does not make for a peaceful mind.

It is a practice. And it's damn hard to begin with!

I am discovering that just because we can justify a decision with our Head, that does not automatically make it the right decision.

Think about it.

xx