CONSCIOUS COMMUNICATION

Joy is in asking your family to be your biggest cheer squad in life! Conscious communication has been invaluable in our marriage and we've been practising it for many years!! There are many spaces where I've shared my vulnerabilities and now my husband naturally senses those spaces. It is so reassuring to have the belief of your family in moments of self doubt.  I've also asked for the supportive, positive affirmations I desired to hear in those vulnerable spaces. It has then been easy for Lyell to know how to support me and vice versa. For example, we support each other by using some of these phrases: "You've so got this" (BC tool), "I've got your back", "Trust yourself", "Are you choosing love or fear in this moment?" (inspired by Wayne Dyer). Sending you so much love and joy xx

PERSONAL POWER

Joy is in taking responsibility for YOU! Wow – this has been a big lesson for me! Taking responsibility means that there isn’t blame in your home. It isn’t someone else’s fault. When I was 21, there were so many spaces where I didn’t take responsibility for myself – I didn’t say ‘NO’, I didn’t teach people how to treat me, I didn’t value me and I then lived life very much from a victim mentality. I blamed my husband for choices that he did/didn’t make but it was me who gave away my personal power. Now our reality is very different. We both take responsibility for our choices. If we say we are going to do something and we don’t end up doing it, we own it. It is incredibly freeing to take back your personal power and openly communicate from a space of compassion if you haven’t followed through somewhere. There is so much more love in partnership when individuals are taking responsibility for their choices. Sending you so much love and joy xx

SHARING 'WHY' WITH YOUR CHILDREN

Joy is in sharing your ‘why’ with your children! As a teacher, the most popular question I was always asked was, “Why did you become a teacher miss?” Every school I taught in, the question was always the same; there was a deep curiosity about my choice and motivation!! I feel it is such a valuable exercise to share your why with everyone in your home – Why do you go to your job day in, day out? Or why do you choose to be a stay at home mother? Why do you work part time? Is it that you want to contribute an important message to the planet? Are you saving for a holiday, massage, time out for yourself? Are you desiring to create change in your field of work? If you’re not loving how you spend your days, also share that with your family and be so willing to receive ideas on how you could create your days to be vastly different. Family has shown me over and over again, how magical it is to receive from them – they so often have 'gold nuggets' that you may not have thought of before!! Sending you so much love and joy xx

LOVE VERSE NEED

I was recently watching a Brene Brown clip where she spoke about how compassionate people are those who set clear boundaries (can say NO). I so resonated with this because I have always been a ‘yes’ person and would end up doing things I didn’t really want to do. I had a story that it would be selfish or unkind to say no and that if I was going to be seen as a generous person then I would, of course always give. I would then feel frustrated and resentful that I was spending my time giving to someone else, when I really wanted to give to myself. I really believe that the more we can operate from a space, where we can clearly say ‘No’ then we will find that when we do say ‘Yes’ it is from a place of love rather than obligation or a thought that the other person/people need us. To say ‘No’ also requires you to hold that belief that if you are unable to give/help them, they are supported and there would be many others who could be of service. One of the greatest gifts we can give family members is the belief that they can trust themselves to create the support they need and that there is a whole universe out there who can help/love/support/give to them. Sending you so much love and joy xx

CREATING IN PARTNERSHIP

My first post for 2016 and here it is!!! My word for 2016 is JOY!! It is plastered in capital letters in my dream book for the year!! I am excited to experience more of this feeling than ever before!! So I was eager to see the film, ‘Joy’ at the cinema, hoping to discover enlightened ideas on my 2016 exploration of this theme. While I was inspired by the female character’s resilience to follow through with her dream, I felt quite perplexed with two of the messages that appear to be in many a modern day film. Firstly, the idea that creating is a real struggle and results in a great deal of financial burden when following one’s dreams. Secondly, the idea that there is very little joy to be experienced in family and overwhelming regret about what could’ve been. We all at some point experience these different feelings (I definitely have with with past health issues), however, I wholeheartedly believe that each and every one of us can create joy today in our everyday lives. Not just when we are on holidays, or on long service leave, or when there is a special celebration, or on the weekends. In this very moment, we can consciously create the feeling of joy! One way that my husband and I feel joy and connection is in dedicating a few hours a week to actively sharing what we want to individually create. We love discussing how we can individually support each other to follow our highest joys and creations, but more importantly, I feel the joy is in giving to each other’s independent visions, whether that be through encouragement, belief or ideas. May we all support each other to follow our greatest joys and value our own individual creations!! Sending you all much love and joy in 2016 xx