You can't be neutral on a moving train.

 

There’s a lot going on in the world at the moment, in fact, there’s a lot going on in Australia at the moment. Every single day I learn about a new injustice, environmental disaster, humanitarian crisis, huge loss of Aussie jobs, friend in peril, impending doom etc. . . .

 

It’s so easy to become overwhelmed with all the issues, charities, and calls to action. They seem to be growing exponentially at the moment! You may feel like the world is caving in and it’s all too hard. You might become paralysed and feel unable to do anything of consequence so you just do nothing at all.

 

One thing’s for sure, you can’t be neutral on a moving train . . .

 

We’re all in this together. We are all put on this ever-evolving planet for a reason. If you’re not sure what yours is try thinking about what really gets your goat, or on the other end of the chain, what really excites you. For me it is (in no particular order) animal welfare, environmental issues, wildlife conservation, spreading kindness and positivity, taking excellent care of myself and looking out for the people who I love.

 

You don’t have to donate all your earthly possessions or give up your day job to become a full time campaigner. It can be as easy as clicking a “like” button on Facebook, signing an online petition, sending someone an encouraging text message, forwarding on an email or even sharing this blog with somebody. If you feel strongly about something, if you feel it really pulling at you, go out and do something about it. Anything. Do whatever you can to make a change. It doesn’t have to be big to make a difference. As Mother Teresa said “do small things with great love”.

 

After all, it might just be what you have been put on this earth to do.

 

Happy Friday J

 

Photo The Old Ghan Railway, South Australia © Renee Chamberlin 2014.

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You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

 

It’s been a bit of a rocky ride for me recently with lots of “up’s” and “down’s” hence no blog posts for two months. Not that I’m making excuses but it can be hard to find inspiration to write when you’re stressed, grieving, lost, confused, etc. especially when your aim is to uplift and inspire others! So this post signifies my getting back on the bandwagon, slowly etching my way back to happiness, joy and peace and sharing beautiful, natural wisdom with you.

One of the most important things when riding life’s waves is remembering to look after yourself. Being gentle with yourself, taking the time to do things just for you and giving yourself the space to recover from painful experiences. Many people find this very hard (including me!) but it is absolutely possible to give yourself permission to take time out when you need it.

When you learn to really love yourself, you never have to feel alone. This is partly speaking from experience but to be honest, I still firmly have my training wheels on in this area! For many of us it’s not an easy task but it is possible and it does make a huge, positive difference in your life.

Today, being Valentine’s day, I am lucky to be supported and loved by an amazing man, who has hung in there with me through thick and thin. He has been my rock, my support, my soft place to land. Some of my family and friends though, don’t have a partner to spoil and share this Lover’s day with. I know sometimes it can be hard and so I wanted to send a message to all of these beautiful people today . . .

Just so you know, you most definitely loved.

And regardless of whether or not somebody else is romancing you today, why don’t you do something to spoil yourself? You’re worth it J

Happy valentines day!

Photo © Renee Chamberlin 2014.

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Enjoy the journey

 

I wrote this poem during a morning commute to work. The journey would take 1 hour at the best of times but with the traffic you could add at least half an hour of stop start frustration. Once in these situations you really only have two choices: to be stressed, angry and frustrated at your situation or to find a way to pass the time in an enjoyable way. Some days I get dragged into the muck of bemoaning the situation, however most days I choose the latter, usually listening to an audio book I am interested in.

On this day, I put on my favourite music, turned it right up, opened the windows and sunroof and smiled my way to work. It felt so much better!

At one point, I passed a bus full of commuters and couldn’t help but notice that most of the passengers were wearing earphones and sullen expressions. I wondered what was going through their heads? What was going on in their lives? Do they endure this apparently awful experience every week day? Did they really choose to be there? Not one person on that bus appeared happy or even slightly content!

I would have loved to see just one of those commuters crack a smile. Even better, like in the You Tube clips, what if one person decided to start a contagious round of laughter? How would that change everybody’s day?

The truth is we always have a choice. In every moment of every day we can choose how we feel and how we react to the situations we find ourselves in. We can choose to become zombie clones, just going through the motions day in and day out. Or, we can choose to find a way to truly live life, to enjoy the journey, even if you are stuck on a bus in peak hour traffic!

What do you choose?

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Be good to yourself. If you don’t take care of your body, where will you live?

Keeping a blog is a bit of a luxury. It takes time, energy and brain space to write something worthy of posting for the world (or even just your family and friends) to see. And, it has been quite a while since I have had the energy and brain space to write a blog post.  

Back in March, I was struck down by a mystery virus. More than a month of obligatory rest and healthy eating had me back at work. I launched in head first, at break-neck speed, working long hours and catching up on everything that had accumulated during my convalescence.

Hand’s up if you can see where this is going?

You’re absolutely correct.

It appears this was by no means the correct strategy as I have been struck again by the virus. It went dormant (or latent in medical terms) for a while and then resurfaced recently to take advantage of my body one more time.

Point taken.

So what’s the moral of the story?

In this day and age, a good and proper rest is really hard to achieve. When we have a variety of smart phones, tablets, TV’s, laptops and other electronic distractions lying around, it takes good discipline, and a firm decision to take exceptionally good care of oneself, to get genuine rest.  And this, by the way, is all the Doctor could offer me to deal with the situation.

Also, our brains often override the signals our bodies send us because there are so many things we just have to get done. So if we’re working on an important deadline, and we start to feel tired or the brain goes a bit fuzzy, we persevere at our detriment.

Second time around, I have learned my lesson. I have been listening to my body, spending much more time in bed and have also sought second and third opinions from other health care professionals who were able to give advice on additional steps I could take to kick this bug once and for all.

So, this week I am due back at work and I fully intend to approach it from a different, and more sensible, angle.

Wish me luck!

If you have any great advice on taking good care of yourself, please post it here. Thanks J

Photo Rainbow Lorikeets © Renee Chamberlin 2013.

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There is more to life than increasing its speed.

Hands up if you feel like you need a weekend to recover from your weekend? 

All too often these days pack way too much into each and every day, forgetting to slow down in every moment or even having a “chill out” day every once in a while. So if you’re reading this on Monday wondering how you’re going to get through another hectic week, this post is for you!

It’s a comment I hear all too often from friends, family, neighbours, colleagues, acquaintances . . .

“Life is just so busy these days, I never seem to have enough time to do the things I want to do!” and yet, if you look at how you spend your time, I guarantee you it’s not all 100% necessary (i.e. vital to your ongoing survival and wellbeing).

As a Gemini, I am totally guilty, often falling into the trap of checking emails and Facebook too many times in one day or taking multi-tasking to a whole new (and very unhealthy) level when productivity plummets.  Sometimes at work I get so busy that I catch myself breathing shallowly or even holding my breath.  This is not a good sign! It’s an extreme case of being “disembodied” or so busy in the head that your body is forgotten; and it’s harmful to your health and wellbeing.

The good news is it’s a situation that’s easily improved.  You are in control of your life and recognising that the speed of your life is exponentially increasing is the first step toward slowing it all down to a more comfortable, and sensible pace.  The second step is making a pact with yourself to do something about it.  After that it’s actually quite easy. If you’re not sure where to start there are some suggestions below.

When was the last time you spent a day doing absolutely nothing?  And I mean nothing? Phone and computer turned off, no chores or social engagements, no plans. Just doing what you feel like doing when you feel like doing it?  Can you even remember?  I know I’m well overdue for a day like this, so am booking it in the calendar for next Sunday J

Hope you have a magnificent week and remember to slow down, just a little.

Some further information/tools to assist you:

Photo: Remember to breathe  http://bit.ly/1e6gxfs

     -> Print this and put it where you will see it or make it your wallpaper.

12 ways to simplify your life . . .  http://on.fb.me/18GOjAM

     -> Some excellent advice from the very wise Dr Wayne Dyer.

What highly successful employees and entrepreneurs do to create more time for their lives.  http://bit.ly/1e6hB2N

     -> Some more excellent advice from the life coach of life coaches Cheryl Richardson.

The Chopra Centre free online guided meditations  http://bit.ly/16d1fj7

     -> If you haven’t tried meditating this is one way to start, it really helps you to slow down!

 

Photo Pacific Black Duck © Renee Chamberlin 2013.

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Your well-being is the most important determinate for the future of your family and the world.

Two weeks ago I took time out to visit extended family in Melbourne and to attend a conference for my own self development. It’s always grounding to spend cherished time with family, especially when they are so far away and catch-ups are rarer than you would like.

The conference had me reinvigorated, inspired and keen to put what I learned into practice. I met some wonderful people and learned many profound lessons; one is the quote from today’s post and many more I will share through this blog in time to come.

On my last morning staying with my Dad’s side of the family, my beautiful cousin Rachael was leaving for school.  As we said our goodbyes I gave her a big hug and she said to me “thank you for being happy”. Wow! Talk about teenage wisdom. Rachael, that means more to me than you will ever know!

Up until then, I had been thinking hard about what I could buy for my husband as a present to say thank you for supporting me and “holding the fort” while I was away. I am always grateful for being given the freedom to follow my dreams, even when that means taking time out, and spending our money, to do things that interest me.

Rachael helped me to realise that I didn’t have to buy anything. Simply coming home a better and much happier person was the greatest gift I could give him!

There are times when I battle with the guilt that arises when making a decision to do things just for me. I have many friends who are the same (you know who you are!). But it’s not selfish and you’re not doing something just for you, because when you look after yourself you become a much better Wife, Friend, Cousin, Teacher, _________________ (. . . Mother, Sister . . . fill in the blanks for yourself).

So do the world a favour. What is one thing you can do for your own well-being this week? Now, go out and do it - guilt free J

Thank you!

Photo Seals South of Bruny Is © Renee Chamberlin 2013.

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The question is are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book?

 

Last week was an amazing week, the highlight being an evening with Sir David Attenborough.  He has some amazing stories to tell, one of the most special being his encounter with Dian Fossey’s wild Gorillas in Rwanda. He was in absolute awe of how these huge, powerful creatures were so gentle when interacting with him.  It reminded me of my own life-changing experience . . .

I was very fortunate to do my high school work experience at SeaWorld. It was a wonderful time, but also not exactly the type of ride you might think.  Yes, there was the glamorous side of the job: observing training sessions with dolphins, conducting health checks and feeding penguins. There was also a large proportion of the day spent doing less than desirable tasks such as scrubbing algae off pond fixtures, “breaking out” the boxes of frozen fish for the next day’s feeds and scrubbing down the stainless steel food preparation areas. Just to be clear, I am in no way complaining, just pointing out that this job which so many people desire is not all fun and cuddling dolphins.

On the very first day, the keepers taught us that dolphins aren’t exactly the sweet, gentle animals they’re made out to be. They can be very cheeky and like to give a little nip here and there with those exceptionally sharp teeth that are designed to hold on to slippery fish and squid. We were warned not to be tempted to touch the dolphins if they approached us while we were working near the pools on our own.

Another day, I was sent to scrub the algae off the side of the stage in the show arena.  This pool was open to the animals to access even if there wasn’t a show taking place. They watched with curiosity while I worked and even tried to “offer” behaviours in case I had a fish handy to throw them as a reward. 

Then along came Mia. Mia was the only false killer whale at Seaworld and she was absolutely beautiful.  I fell in love with her from the very first day. One of Mia’s favourite things was to rest her chin on the side of the stage with her mouth wide open and the keepers would stroke her on her very large tongue. And this is exactly what she wanted me to do.

I stared into her huge mouth and couldn’t help but notice her many, sharp teeth. There was absolutely no way I was going to put my hand in there! I imagined what might happen . . . Mia closing her mouth over my hand, pulling me to the bottom of the pool and holding me there until I drowned. With no keepers around and that very stern “no patting” warning in the forefront of my mind I looked at her and said “no way Mia”. 

But she wouldn’t give up. I noticed there was a gap between her front teeth about the width of two fingers. Against my better judgement, I decided to place my forefinger and middle finger in the gap, as a sort of compromise, hoping not to get caught out by the keepers. What happened next I will remember forever. Mia ever so gently closed her huge mouth around my two fingers in the gap between her teeth and just held them there for what seemed like an eternity. It was as if she had recognised my fear and took what I was able to offer her.

. . . Animals possess much greater insight and intelligence than we give them credit for.  It is for this, and many other reasons, that each species we lose from our planet is an absolute tragedy.  It is also every person’s responsibility to do what we can to conserve them all, even the ugly, small, annoying or little-known ones. So please go about your week remembering who you share the earth with, and do what you can to lighten your impact.

     Thank you!

Photo Elephant © Renee Chamberlin 2013.

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