A life tip - bring on the flowers!

Give someone - anyone - flowers of any kind at anytime. And enjoy.

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul - Luther Burbank

An InLinkz Link-up

Top five Saturdays

Preparation for Saturday night

Oh Saturday, how I once loved thee so!

My top favourite Saturday activities of years gone by.....

1. Indulging in long and lazy sleep ins
2. Brunching with friends at the latest hip cafe
3. (Clothes) shopping, pampering and primping
4. Catching up on gossip and ... the laundry washing
5. Preparing for a Saturday night of fun, adventure and excitement

My top favourite Saturday activities of today.....

1. Fantasying about a long and lazy sleep in
2. Enjoying a latte SOLO in a cafe on Lygon Street
3. Getting ALL the laundry washed and dried
4. Escaping into a social media coma 
5. Preparing for a Saturday night of binge-watching the latest hip TV series

I do not feel as excited by the thought of Saturday as I once did. But maybe not all that much has changed. 

What do you do with your Saturdays? 

I miss Saturday morning, rolling out of bed, not shaving, getting into my car with my girls, driving to the supermarket, squeezing the fruit, getting my car washed, taking walks - Barack Obama

An InLinkz Link-up

The cup of life - what's in yours?

The cup of life - ale ale ale! Do you remember this song? Check out it here for a fun reminder.

Boy it's been a rough couple of weeks for the world hasn't it? The theme of life and death has been front and centre of every media conversation and very difficult to avoid.

For me my dog went into heart failure, survived but has a much shortened life expectancy. So the question of 'what to do when my puppy's moment comes?' was explored. I required some medical tests which brought me a night of worry (and tears). I was flooded by the question 'what would happened to my daughter if I was no longer here?' Then an elderly relative was admitted into hospital with pneumonia. She has a terminal illness and the time to say goodbye is closer then it's ever been before.

Thankfully all three of us are alive and kicking and I have the luxury to ponder over these questions while so many in the world today do not.

My child sometimes asks me 'mummy when are you going to die?' My response is easy. 'I don't know darling because it's a mystery'.

The inevitability of death is something we rarely have control over. However we can have a lot of choice over how we live our lives. We have control over how we will replenish our own 'cup of life'. And it's in these difficult times that a 'full cup' can support us the most.

So I ask myself some more questions - what do I like to have in my cup? What's missing from my cup right now? What is always in my cup that I sometimes overlook?

My ideal cup of life looks something like this:

• A heap of fun times and laughter with family and friends 
• Cuddles and hugs 
• Sunshine 
• Both lighthearted and deep and meaningful conversation 
• Fresh sheets 
• Smiles and hellos 
• Chocolate
• Learning something new 
• Engaging work 
• Down time 
• Gratitude 

I could keep going! I need a lot to fill this cup of mine. 

What about you - how do you fill your cup of life?

When you have nobody you can make a cup of tea for, when nobody needs you, that's when I think life is over - Audrey Hepburn

An InLinkz Link-up

Blog everyday in May - a challenge

Last year to kick start this blog I participated in a blog challenge called 'Blog everyday in May'. The challenge was put together by Sunday Granger at LoveHappyDaily.com - a blog that has disappeared into virtual thin air.

As repetition is one of my favourite things I plan to do this challenge again. Would you like to join me?  You can play along either on your own blog or you can simply add a comment here each day. From May 1 I will have one of these linky things set up so please add your link.

This is the list of prompts that Sunday put together in 2014

Day 1 

Goal setting.  What are your plans for today?  (And/or this week?  This month?  This year?)

Day 2 

What’s in your cup?

Day 3

Write a Less/More list

Day 4

What’s a compliment you have been given that has stuck with you? Who gave it to you? When?

Day 5

Write a ‘How to’ post teaching everyone … well, how to do something! Cooking, crafting, or anything else that takes your fancy

Day 6

A favourite photo of you.

Day 7 

Where are you writing from today?

Day 8

Share a book that you’d like to read but haven’t yet.  What draws you to it?

Day 9

5 things you love on a Saturday

Day 10

A fashion, beauty or life tip

Day 11

Go for a photo walk.  (It’s a walk where you take lots of great photos and share them

Day 12

Tell us how your blog got its name (and tagline)

Day 13

Write a poem or piece of creative prose

Day 14

Make us laugh.  Share a funny story or picture.

Day 15

Create or share a poster, card or artwork that shares a message that inspires you.

Day 16

Blogging is about sharing the love.  Tell us about 5 blogs that you love reading regularly

Day 17

A day in the life.  Photo journal your day today

Day 18

10 things that make you happy

Day 19

What is your Dream job?

Day 20

Who inspires you?

Day 21

What’s on your plate?

Day 22

Share a video clip that you are loving at the moment.  It could be as simple as a song on YouTube or an inspirational speaker on TED Talks

Day 23

Write a post about a particularly good or controversial comment someone left you

Day 24

If you could have 3 people to dinner tonight, who would you invite?

Day 25

A list for the week ahead

Day 26

Invite someone to guest post for you

Day 27

Share a project you’ve been working on

Day 28

Family.  What do you love?  Best traits? What crazy genetics do you have in common?  Fave photo?

Day 29

What have you said ‘yes’ to today?

Day 30

Best advice you’ve received lately

Day 31

Gratitude

If anyone is still  in contact with Sunday please let me know. I'm really excited to revisit these prompts and I look forward to hearing how they inspire you too.

Happiness is the longing for repetition - Milan Kundera

What has meaning to you? Anzac Day 2015?

It has been a miserable day here - the greyest of grey skies, non-stop rain and a wintery temperature. Yet none of this appears to have dampened the general public's observance of ritual and tradition this ANZAC day.

ANZAC Day occurs on 25 April every year in Australia and New Zealand. Today is the 100 year commemoration of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli in 1915. And the 'hype' through out the community and media has been big. Understandably so.

Yet I have approached this day with a mixture of ambivalence and trepidation. No buying of badges for me. No chatting with the oldies. No sentimentality here. Avoidance was my plan. Denial my overriding desire.

Why? I hear you ask. Well - this is the first year my child has been fully exposed to the ceremony of this event through the instruction of the educational institution she attends.  I was worried about her sensitivity to the facts of the occasion. I wanted to shield her from the harsh realities and horrors of both our present day and our past.

But what a great learning opportunity! I hear you suggest.  Here they argue 'young children will have an opportunity to understand the importance of this national day, and its role in building peace in communities today.' My child however had a lot of questions (and shed some tears) about war, guns, young men dying and 'baddies'. And yes this did give me the opportunity to allow her to speak of her anxieties and frame the day in a more child centred way.  

But I still feel angry. Actually I'm pissed-off. 

I'm pissed off that my child has begun the journey of the loss of her innocence. 

I'm pissed off that some random fourteen year old, thousands of miles away, thought it would be a great idea to behead a police officer at an ANZAC parade. 

I'm pissed off that 100 years ago thousands of young vital men of varied nationalities - and their families and communities - lost their innocence and hundreds more lost their lives. 

And what really sits under all my heated negative feelings?  I hear you wonder. The ever constant pain of grief.  I know I am not alone in my experience. Nor does it make me un-patriotic. Simply my meaning of this national day this year is separate from the masses.  I know my response is not fixed. It will change as I do. As we all do.

How has the anniversary impacted on you in 2015?  Let me know.

What a cruel thing war is... to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors - Robert E. Lee

Hello October and why not ....... complain?

Today is the first day of October and it's well and truly Springtime here.

For me Spring traditionally is all about the Royal Melbourne Show, the AFL footy finals, blossoming trees, hay fever, celebrating birthdays and silently acknowledging the tragic passing of loved ones many years ago.

For the past three weeks (the majority of the new season so far) I have been struck with a sinus infection, a chest infection, conjunctivitis and the major source of my complaints - hay fever. Okay - none of these ailments are going to kill me yet I find myself in quite a murderous mood.  So I invite you to join me today in some harmless yet incredibly rewarding and therapeutic complaining.

Let me lead the way.

How is it possible to suffer the symptoms of hay fever (itchy eyes and a runny nose) while affected by a sinus infection and conjunctivitis?

How, how, how?!

On my fourth visit to the doctors I was prescribed a(nother) specific ointment to heal the conjunctivitis.  When I presented the prescription to the pharmacist she informed me that the ointment is in fact out of supply across the whole state of Victoria.  Why would a doctor prescribe something that is not available?

Why, why, why?

While my tears turned to anger then to very restrained composure the pharmacist stood before me (professionally) non-responsive and unmoved.

No, no, no!

How is Spring treating you so far? And what's the top of your complaints list?

I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers - L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Friends with benefits

Today I was lucky enough to spend some time with a gorgeous friend of mine (she wrote a guest post here).

We always choose to catch up somewhere with a great atmosphere and delicious food. Today we met here.  The love of the sensory is one of our shared loves.

Conversation and laughter flows.

Ideas shared and explored.

Minds and hearts meet in authentic and present connection.

I always leave our get-togethers feeling supported, inspired and revitalised. I wonder why I don't consistently make more time for this type of exchange in my life. In fact I often respond like this after meeting a friend. I am very lucky to have a number of great grown up friendships. Relationships where both support and challenge can sit quite comfortably together.  Relationships where we are predominately laughing at ourselves. Relationships where a shared desire for authentic connection and kindness override difference.

I believe the intimacy of friendship is so nourishing and nurturing....... and often undervalued and overlooked on a daily basis. I feel very fortunate to have the benefits of this type of friendship.

What does friendship mean to you? What 'benefits' do you enjoy?

P.S. I love these lyrics to Justine Clarke's song Friends

One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

"You may say I'm a dreamer..."

source:play school

When asked the question 'what's your dream job?' I wonder what first pops into your head?

Are you blank? Or do you have a clear and definite answer?

Do you see it in pictures - like a movie where you are the star?

Are you currently in pursuit of this vision or does it feel like an impossible dream?

Perhaps it isn't a specific job role but rather a set of conditions and circumstances that bring you a specific feeling.

For me a dream job is simply the pursuit of something you love or are passionate about where you receive (hopefully) appropriate remuneration. A job where 99.9 percent of the time you can't wait to get there and time seems to fly while you are doing what you do. In a dream job you feel authentic and true to who you are. You feel full and connected to your power.

And most importantly a dream job is personal - it's about you and only you. Remember the significant media discussion when Andre Agassi released his autobiography? He revealed that when he was one of the world's top tennis players he hated tennis.  A dream job is not necessarily doing what you are good at.

I feel incredibly lucky because when I am asked 'what's your dream job?' I can easily say I am doing it. Yes I would like to earn more income or maximise that income/output ratio. Yes I wish to work more hours without compromising my other responsibilities. Yes I want to work with new people in different environments. And I am also certain my idea of 'the dream job' will be dynamic - it will evolve and develop as I grow and change.

There is one particular dream job for me that I know (at my life stage) I will never accomplish. I have always wanted to be a host on Play School. Yes - the thought of hanging with Big Ted, Humpty and Jemima and really playing is my ideal. Oh well - in another lifetime perhaps?

I would love to hear where you are at in pursuing your dreams.  And let me you if you need any assistance -  I would love to help!

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life - Confucius

Buddha Inspiration

Found on Instagram.

Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be - Ralph Waldo Emerson

What's in your cup? My cup runneth over

One of my most favourite movie lines is delivered by Gena Rowlands in the movie 'Hope Floats'. As she is tucking her granddaughter Bernice into bed,

Bernice says 'I love you Grandma' and Gena says 'oh oh honey. Honey. My cup runneth over'.

(Even as I type this I feel my throat grow tighter and tears spring to my eyes. Yes I am totally vulnerable to the grandmother/granddaughter relationship).

Not being a religious person it was the first time I had heard this expression. The commonly held meaning of this phrase is I have more than enough for my needs. For me this woman says (and does) so many things in that simple phrase - joy, love, gratitude, appreciation of her darling granddaughter's kindness and character.  And I think Bernice's simple expression of love does indeed fill her grandmother's 'cup'.  In that moment Grandma has all she ever needs.

So what's is your cup?  If your 'cup' represents happiness or love what do you need to fill it - or overflow it even?

Can you list your top five cup fillers? Keep it simple yet specific.

Okay so now you have a list check it again.

• Have you listed your intellectual concepts of what makes you happy? 
• Does this list reflect what has meaning for you today, now, in this very moment? 
• Or is it a representation of you in the past? 
• Do you read your list and feel something? 
• If your list is not moving you then you need to go deeper.

Here is an example of what I mean. The top of my cup fillers list is relationships. But that is too general. I need to list who - family and friends.... No still not specific enough. My daughter. My brother. My friends. Getting closer. I need to list who specifically fills my cup and in what circumstances do I feel stimulated by these relationships. When I do that I have a dynamic and creatively valuable list.  I have the seeds for creation.


So what's in my cup today?

1. My daughter tells me she had 4 treats today and she is wondering why she received them all
2. My friend S and I sitting in Verb cafe, gorgeous surroundings, delicious fresh eggs and great conversation and sharing about our current work projects. Feeling totally met, seen and heard.
3. My brother crying as he begins to tell me about his recent trip to Hiroshima
4. My hairdresser and I laughing as he gossips about the crazy lady who lives next door
5. The excitement in my mother's voice as she describes her first day back at work

I would love to hear what's in your cup .... and I'm pretty sure if you were to leave a comment my cup would runneth over too!

Creativity takes courage - Henri Matisse

What has meaning to you? Anzac Day?

One element of the Meisner Technique that is tricky to teach is called emotional preparation (which I am not going to explain here). When introducing this acting tool I ask actors to think about and write up a list of the things that have meaning to them.

I say 'go to an area of meaning for you.....'

And invariably I stop there as the expressions on most of the faces before me clearly have no idea what I am talking about.

And so I'll say 'think about what has meaning for you......'

And still confusion.  Yes I realise I am using a bit of jargon. I am also dealing with the evidence that many of us are blindly navigating our way in the world without fully experiencing each moment. It's only when the big things happen that we discover what matters to us most.

This is the thing - what matters to you PLUS your imagination is an integral part of the acting process. This will be your fuel as an actor  (and the fuel to any creative). You need to feel your choices in your gut. Working from your head and in a purely intellectual way doesn't cut it in my opinion.

So what has Anzac Day got to do with this?

Today is a day of national and historical significance. For some they have a deep understanding and personal association with this day. For many it is a great day for the game of AFL and for others it's simply a public holiday and a long weekend opportunity to look forward to. So I ask you 'what does it mean to you?' Do you have an intellectual, socialised or politically correct understanding of this day?  Or do you feel emotionally moved by this day?

When you think about Anzac Day what do you feel?  Does your body react in someway? If it doesn't then I suggest you have an intellectual understanding and that's it. I am suggesting that it doesn't have a 'real' meaning to you - not one that will move you into creativity. And why is this important?  It is the key to authentic performance. Everyday, every moment offers you the opportunity to discover what has real emotional meaning to you versus the socially acceptable response that's from your head.

Please know that I am not having this discussion to diminish the importance of Anzac Day in anyway. I am using it to illustrate the difference between an intellectual understanding and a gut meaning.

So what about me?  I could list a number of head responses but nothing really moves me about this day until I see this

And something in me is moved. Both happiness and sadness is awoken. Aren't these women simply amazing?!  There they are sitting outside a supermarket in the freezing cold giving service.  I can never walk past ladies like these without buying something. Yet I do not stop and chat - even though a part of me wants desperately to connect with these women - because I am afraid of the depths of what I might feel. Just look at those faces. Etched with their life story. And gloriously old. Yes they are old and still living among us! 

And more of my truth is revealed. I look at them and wonder.....

what would it be like if my grandmother was still alive today? How can I still miss her so much?  

And I arrive at my emotional truth - the real meaning I feel for Anzac Day. This and my imagination fuel me and I feel incredibly moved. 

Breathe. 

So I ask you to please share your emotional meaning of Anzac Day. And consider that what you THINK has meaning for you may have no meaning at all.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, not the years condemn;

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.                                               For the Fallen - Laurence Binyon