Back in October I was nominated for a Liebster Award by two lovely ladies, Brittany Baxter (you can read the responses to her questions here), and Naomi Arnold. To spread out the love I decided to do this as a two part series.  Thanks to Naomi Arnold from “Project Healthy Happy Me” for the second nomination and for your patience in me completing these questions.

This award is given by bloggers to bloggers like a ‘virtual high five, you’re doing awesome.’

Liebster Award Questions

+ What makes you ‘weird’ or ‘different’?

I’m sure a lot of my friends would like to weigh in on this!  I think that I am a little strange because I don’t like bird’s feet.  They creep me out.  I hate the idea of them landing on me. I can admire them from afar but if they start running for me I freak out.

+ If money wasn’t an issue, and you could go anywhere for a holiday next month, where would you go and why?

I would go to South America.  In particular Machu Picchu and a few other historical sites. I currently work as a high school Ancient History and English teacher so history is something that fascinates me.  I teach “Ancient South American Tribes” to my year ten students so I would feel like it would enhance my teaching of the subject.

+ Ask yourself now, “What would I do this week if I loved myself more?” Now describe to me what your week is going to look like.

I would not turn on the computer first thing in the morning!  I would pray, journal or read my Bible.  I would also get outside more and just ground myself, read novels for fun and write hand written notes to friends.  I would set up a beautiful sanctuary in my bathroom and soak my pregnant body in some beautiful bubbles and have some scented candles or aromatherapy oils burning.

+ What is a beautiful and uplifting lesson that you learnt from a very traumatic or stressful period of your life?

That God has given people free will and that it doesn’t matter how much we pray for that person that if they choose to not listen He’s given them to choice to do so. Also that all our wounds are used for a greater purpose and even though it sucked at the time I have been able to use what I went through to help so many other women who are hurting or have gone through similar situations.

+ What do you do for Me Time and self care?

I love a good soak in the bath while using aromatherapy and by playing meditations in the background.  It forces me to be still. (I’m not always good at that).  I also love exercise and getting outdoors.  When I’m craving ‘me’ time I’ll go for a drive to find a serene spot and I’ll go for a walk.  Often I’ll take a book with me and read.

+ How do you define beautiful?

It’s cliche’ but definitely those who have that inner beauty.  They usually have that sparkle in their eyes.  To me, beauty includes serving those around you. You’ll see me write that over and over.  Beauty is being able to say sorry when needed, to let go of grudges and to continually move forward always learning and evolving in your emotional, physical and spiritual health.

+ Why are you beautiful?

I think that I am beautiful because I have the ability to reach out to others easily and to act on my intuition discerningly.  On the physical side I do love my tanned skin (thanks to my Filipino mum for that one) and my hazel eyes with cool flecks in them (thanks to the English side which is my Dad).  I’m beautiful because I’ve survived trauma and have risen above it and used it for good.

+ What are your personal psychological resources – the strengths that you rely on to achieve your goals and to get through difficult periods of your life?

• I speak with a professional counsellor who is also a doctor a few times a year.  I think it is good to keep things in check when you have had anxiety and depression before and to hold yourself accountable.
• I am a big advocate of life coaching.  I was able to work with Claire Baker this year and next year I start working with Elle Griffin.
• Friends who are trusted mentors and aren’t afraid to tell you the good, the bad and the ugly.
• Prayer. I’m not that ‘good’ at it because I tend to block God when I am going through tough times as a bit of a coping mechanism but I do find it helps and grounds me. I need to do it more often.
• Journalling.

+ If you are experiencing ‘writers block’ or uninspired creatively, what do you do to get that ‘flow’ happening again?

I actually had that with answering these questions.  I just kept putting it off.  When it’s really bad I usually think about what my ideal clients are going through at the moment, what do they want to know, what are they asking me and then have a go at writing it. Often I’ll also have a sign or event of some sort right close to posting time in which I learn a lesson and so I then turn that into a post for my tribe.

+ What does being healthy and happy mean to you?

Healthy and happy means to let go over any guilt and unwarranted expectations I’ve placed over my own life.  Healthy means enjoying all types of food in moderation. It means to have a healthy body, mind and spirit.  Happy is the flow I feel when everything is aligned in my world. When I have surrendered and let go of the stresses in the world. Happy is being with my family and friends.

+ If you had an opportunity to just ‘free flow’ and write randomly and uncensored about yourself, what would you write?

I’d write more about my experiences with spirituality and maybe more about the lessons I’ve learnt from the trauma in my life.  For some reason there’s resistance whenever I try to write on these topics and I think it’s because I want to do it justice.

Thank you Naomi for giving me the opportunity to answer your questions.  In return I have nominated the following for a Liebster Award and if you are keen to answer my questions let me know so I can forward them onto you.

• Emma Newby from “Some Wild Darling.” (Her ‘What’s Lighting Me Up’ series every Friday is awesome).
• Liz Hynd  (She makes the best vlogs!)
• Chantal Roelofs just launched her life coaching and consulting biz here.
• Chelsea Antman from New Paradigms Collective. (This girl is so talented and is totally going places. Her writing is just so heart centred).

This will be my last post for 2014. I’ll be doing my year in review next year instead. That way I can share with you some of my goals I have set. I’ve also just moved house so I am not sure when the internet will be reconnected. (As I type I’m at the old house perched up on the kitchen bench). So I’m taking a break for the next fortnight from “The Butterfly House.” So I’ll be back on the 13th January 2015. Have a wonderful new year. What exciting adventures are you going on? Write in the comments below and please share this post if you enjoyed it. See you in the new year.

New Season

See that cute little Queenslander there? That’s our new place. We just got approved.  Last week if you read my newsletter you would have seen me lamenting about how Dave and I had rocked up to our ‘dream’ home only to have about 22 other couples applying to rent it.  It was madness.  I had my first big panic attack in years. There were people swarming all over the place. One couple even had a glamour photo of themselves attached to their rental application.

What the freakin’ weirdness?

I didn’t feel settled.  My spirit felt heightened.  I even asked Dave if we could go back later that night and pray just outside the home to try and ease my anxiety.  (We followed that up with ice cream up at Mount Cootha lookout ).

We didn’t get the house.

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Today on honour roll I will be honouring the lovely Claire Baker from “This is Lifeblood.”   This super rad lady was my life coach and has been influential in helping me grow and flourish in my God colours.  Claire is a certified coach, mentor and creative living in beautiful Perth. Her mission is to guide women who are ready to feel free, radiant, capable and open (in their lives, health, blogs and biz), to do so. She supports them – excitedly, happily, gratefully – as they transition from where they are, to where they want to be. 

Claire is also the author of She is Radiant your six week wellness adventure to get glowy and feel rad. I’ve got the guidebook and it’s awesome. Loving the recipes in there!  Her down to earth nature and honest to goodness advice is what drew me to her so today I’m willing to share her with you.  You’re going to love her.

WELCOME TO THE SISTERHOOD – CLAIRE BAKER

+ Maya Angelou once said that “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”  What changes have you gone through over the years that have shaped you as a person and have developed what you do at “This is Lifeblood?”

That is such a beautiful quote (from a beautiful woman) and I wholeheartedly agree; I’m completely obsessed with the concept that ‘we already are what we desire’at the moment. In order to BE the beautiful butterfly, in all our glorious hues, we need to heal and let go of what is blocking those colours from shining BRIGHT.

For me, this has meant honouring my desire and real need for creativity, exploration and wellness in my life. I resisted both for so long!

Fear, mostly, held me back from making these changes, but once I realised that fear isn’t as scary as I had once thought, changes such as cleaning up my diet, walking away from the party, practicing presence and mindfulness, experimenting with writing and making art, diving back into study, being honest in my relationships (and with myself), starting a business…They have not only shaped me as a person, but allowed me to BE the person I already was and always have been – in FULL colour.

+ What inspired you to start on the journey of life coaching and blogging?

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I don’t usually post twice in one week but today is a special day for me and I wanted to share it with you.  Today 5 years ago my lovely man David and I got married.  It had to be one of the hottest days in December but it was just so darn beautiful.

As you know I have had my fair share of trials in my life.  After my first marriage ended I didn’t think anyone would want to date me, let alone marry me. (Again if you want details head here). I felt like a stigma was placed over my head. I didn’t trust men after that experience and I was wounded.

Then I met David.  And he’s pretty amazing.  He treated me with respect and honour.

He even sang daggy karaoke with me even though he’s introverted.  We sang “Can’t Take My Eyes of You” by Frankie Vallie and The Four Seasons.  It’s our song.

And I may have spewed on his front lawn after a big night of drinking at an end of year hockey gig.  (In all fairness I was still messed up at that point and was trying to numb my emotions).

But he saw beyond that.

So today I want to honour my lovely husband with 5 lessons I’ve learnt from him over the years.

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The Steep Climb

It’s that time of year when things start to get a little chaotic.  It’s two and a half weeks off Christmas and a lot of us are scrambling to buy our gifts, attend all the functions, and in amongst it all we’re trying to figure out how we can do things differently in the new year.

Christmas not only can be a joyous time but for others it can be approached with sadness or fear.  Often we get to this time of year and we can start to get nostalgic about years gone by or reflect on what we haven’t achieved. It’s a steep climb.

We compare.

We criticise.

We forget about the gifts we’ve already been given.

Our personal and professional lives seem a mess. We’re discouraged. We feel weighted down.  

And I’m simply reminded that: (more…)

It’s been a week of some highs and lows.

Highs

This year I wanted to get in touch with a few of my other passions. One of them being creative writing and working with women to help them get unstuck, gain clarity and a bundle of confidence!  I’m also a high school teacher so I am a self confessed professional and personal development junkie.  In other words I value learning and then passing that wisdom onto others.

On Sunday I graduated from the “Beautiful You Life Coaching Academy.” I am officially a certified “Beautiful You” life coach having studied this heart centred and International Coaching Federation recognised course. (more…)