A Peaceful Mind Issue 2 by A Peaceful Mind E-Mag

APM

She Leaves a Little Sparkle Wherever She Goes Issue 2

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FROM THE EDITOR… It seems only yesterday that we were releasing the first issue of our magazine. Gee how a month goes by when you’re a busy bee. With winter fast approaching I’m finding myself running for the door as I get home at night. As the days get slowly shorter and the nights that little bit longer, I’m constantly searching for that extra bit of comfort. For those struggling to embrace the cold, like me, I recommend a hot drink, preferably hot chocolate, some warm fuzzy socks and some me time to indulge in this months APM E-Mag.

Thank you so much for supporting our vision. I look forward to hearing your feedback and suggestions for the future. Be Kind, Courageous and Confident.

Taylah Parker Editor

(Life Coach)

Hayley Martin (Nutrition)

To tie this months E-Mag into a bundle of inspirational goodness we’ve also added travel tips, yummy recipes, encouraging message, checklists and much more, to get you on track and fully motivated this month.

We will do this through Inspiration, Information & Education.

Lauren Jobson

Make Time to Save Time

Once again our fabulous APM Expert team, through the summation of their knowledge, provide inspiration and information that will have you feeling driven and ready to spring into action.

At APM we have a clear vision; to bring Women forward in a supportive way, to enable them to speak up, achieve their goals and connect with like-minded women along the way.

Truly Letting Go Of Anxiety and Stress

Pros and Cons of the 5:2 Diet

Helen Jomoa (Fitness)

How to Create Synergy that Sticks

Maree Eddings (Energy)

Solution is King

Helen Treloar (Business)

Beyonce Only Has 24 Hours In A Day

Kirsten Basford (Marketing)

Stay fit and full this winter

Credibility Counts

Penny Votzourakis

(Customer Service)

BOOK REVIEW

What Sort of Reminder System Do You Use?

Lena Turvey (Productivity)

ADVERTISE WITH US: editor@apeacefulmind.com.au to enquire about our rates and packages.

In-house Stylist Versus Professional Stylist

Beckie White (Stylist) SEO is Dead

Julie Bourke (Technology)

WRITE FOR US: Would you love to be a guest writer for APM? We are always looking for fabulous content that is suitable for Women that Educates ~ Inspires ~ Informs and grows our knowledge and choices.

ENGAGE WITH US: Facebook

Does It Work For You? - Mary Mackillop

Joanne Clark (NLP)

Twitter

The 5th Need of The Human Ego

Amanda Mallia (The Men’s Perspective)

InspirationAL Women

Instagram Web

JOIN US: APM has launched our own charity: 2BMe Foundation. We are looking for like-minded people around Australia to join us in fund raising, service providing and supporting Australian Women and Children to improve their situation in life, education, finances and business. If you want to get involved for an hour, a day, a week or beyond… let us know at sparkle@apeacefulmind.com.au

Our APM Experts …

Lauren Jobson

Hayley Martin

Helen Jomoa

Maree Eddings

Life Coach tips and techniques to move you towards your goals in life

Nutritional advice, recipes & wellness articles to elevate your health

Fitness strategies and interesting facts to boost your vitality

Exploring energy and how it flows or blocks your personal power

Helen Treloar

Kirsten Basford

Penny Votzourakis

Lena Turvey

Business & Leadership tips & articles for SME & start-ups

The anti-marketing marketing guru magnifying your brand

Customer service advice to grow sales and client loyalty

Productivity and organisation queen bringing you tips and techniques

Beckie White

Julie Bourke

Joanne Clark

Amanda Mallia

Style your wardrobe & your life using Beckie’s secrets & suggestions

Technology is in everyone’s life! Julie helps you use it and protect it well

Bringing you NLP Success Principles through ‘Women in History’ pieces

Go behind the curtain and into the male mind with Amanda

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www.apeacefulmind.com.au

A Peaceful Mind ⏐ ISSUE 2 2015

She Leaves A Little

Sparkle Wherever She Goes… www.apeacefulmind.com.au

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A Peaceful Mind ⏐ ISSUE 2 2015

Truly Letting Go of Anxiety and Stress

Lauren Jobson – LIFE COACH Unfortunately, anxiety and stress are common labels that too many people are experiencing intensely and too often. Let’s explore what these feelings are really about and how we can truly overcome them once and for all! Firstly, let’s understand that any emotion is not a bad thing to have. Sure they don’t feel nice, so we label them “negative emotions”, but they are not a negative thing to have; rather, they are very important for us to listen and pay attention to! Feelings such as anger, sadness, fear, hurt, guilt, anxiety and stress are simply just messages from our unconscious mind to tell us that there is something for us to learn about ourselves. If we listen to these wonderful messages and understand the message in that emotion, we will then become more resourceful, which will expand our capacity to deal with more in our external environment. So what is the message that anxiety and stress is telling us? Well, anxiety is simply a future paced fear and stress is the term that career people can use for fear or anger. Let me explain further... Anxiety is just a signal from your unconscious mind that you are imagining something in your

future not going the way you would like it to go. People who suffer from severe Anxiety, I recommend working with a professional who can guide you to resolve past pain so that you can feel that your future can be very different from what you have experienced in your past. I appreciate very much that it is not so easy to imagine your future going so successfully, if you are used to certain events in your past not working out.

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Anxiety’s message is to focus specifically on what you want to have happen and to imagine the event in which you are anxious about going successfully. Listen to the recording of me guiding you through a gentle process that will help you profoundly with this. Stress is usually caused by a fear of not getting something done within a wanted time frame or feeling not good enough to get it done in the way one would like to expect of themselves (causing anger). For some people, stress is particularly heightened when there is both anger and fear attached, such as when your reputation is at stake and when part of the control of the work is in someone else’s hands and you do not trust them to do a good enough job. If this is the case, then perhaps the message from stress for you could be to look into trusting others and feeling comfortable to delegate responsibilities. If you feel stressed, you can do the same process that is in the audio for each specific thing in which you feel stressed. Listen to the audio which will take you through a beautiful process in letting go of

stress, anxiety and nervousness. I would like to reference and thank Pip McKay for the creation of Matrix Therapies ™ from which this process was developed. So if you have made too good a friend of anxiety or stress (a very very small amount of intensity of these feelings are normal and can be exciting. They can be healthy feelings that inspire and motivate you forward,) then it is time for you to just take it as a friendly message from a part of you that knows best. The messages are most likely to be; Focus on what you want to have happen! •

•

Believe in yourself and your abilities to succeed! Trust in other people’s capabilities to fulfil their tasks if you need to delegate to others. Remember, communication is the key. Remember that your past does not equal the future, so that you can experience success now! Take the time to imagine you have already succeeded and then draw upon the resources and wisdom of your future self.

Enjoy the journey of self discovery and nurture your inner wisdom.

Lauren

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Photograph; Hayley Martin | True Form Health

Hayley Martin – Nutrition

Make Time to Save Time Living the 'on-the-run' lifestyle we've all become so accustomed to, it can sometimes be challenging to keep 'on track' across all areas of our lives. Just like we plan and schedule our days to include everything from meetings at work, to social events, to a workout, we can plan our meals to ensure we’re fuelling and nourishing our bodies to get through our busy days. Setting aside some time with your nutrition each week will actually free up your time on a daily basis. No more gazing into the fridge, trying to figure out what to have for dinner, giving up and ordering take out. The point of meal planning and preparation is to make life easier for ourselves, less time in the kitchen more time for…well, whatever you need it for! This doesn’t mean you have to prepare every single meal – breakfast, lunch and dinner – for the whole week in one hit, but it will have you skipping the stops to the convenience store or reaching for the junk food.

A good way to ease yourself in is just to start with a couple of days’ meals at a time. Perhaps just focus on breakfasts if you struggle with time in the morning or maybe dinners if you work late. You can choose to dedicate a whole day to this or spread it out daily. I love to make time on Saturday afternoon to plan my weekly menu and head to the market on Sunday morning, so I’m ready for the start of the week. Also, depending on what’s coming up for that week I might, for example make up a pot of soup that I know will last a few days so I have lunches/ dinners ready to go or if it’s a quieter week make enough dinner each night to have leftovers for lunch the next day. I’m a big believer in the ‘Cook Once, Eat Twice (or Thrice)’ concept – such a time saver and waste reducer. First things first – there’s no use heading to the grocery store or market, throwing random things in your trolley and hoping for the best. That’s enough to overwhelm anybody… In order for your meal prep to work, you need to know what you’re cooking and when.

Meal prep will be different for each individual, so it’s important to find a routine that suits you and your lifestyle. It might take a bit of trial and error at first, but you’ll soon discover how to save time in the kitchen and eat healthier during the week.

Here are my tips for saving time (and money) as well as reducing food waste:

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A Peaceful Mind ⏐ ISSUE 2 2015 •

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Plan - Decide what you’re having for breakfasts/ lunches/ dinners/ snacks, check the recipes and make a list of all the ingredients required and stick to it! Aim to get your fresh produce from your local market (or get involved with a veggie co-op) and if you are venturing into supermarket, shop the outer aisles so you’re not tempted by those processed products in the middle. If you don’t already have some, invest in some good quality containers – glass or BPA-free plastic if you’re going to be reheating your food in them and also ones that are easily stackable so you’re not playing Tetris in your fridge! As you unpack your groceries, wash and either divide, chop or grate produce and keep them ‘ready to go’ in containers. You can make up large batches of stock, sauce and marinade and divide meats, freeze them and just defrost when you’re ready to use them. If you have a crazy busy day and you want to be super organised, but prepare your meals fresh on the day because no one likes soggy tomato, you can portion out snacks (berries, nuts, bliss balls, etc) into snap lock bags (remember you can wash these out and re-use) or containers. Pre chopped lunch/ dinner veggies grouped in the same container or close by each other in the fridge saves a small amount of time too. If you are going to cook in bulk (which is great for soups and slow cooked casseroles), best stick with a recipe you know so you don’t end up with a weeks worth of meals you’re not going to enjoy. And on that note - It’s so important to enjoy your food. Healthy eating should be fun and flavoursome. Experiment with different herbs

Photograph; Hayley Martin | True Form Health

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and spices, homemade dressings and marinades to give your meals a bit more zest and zing and save yourself from the artificial and sugar-filled store bought ones. Get multitasking in the kitchen – roast vegetables in the oven while you’re grilling chicken in a pan, boiling eggs and steaming veg on the stove. Keep your gourmet ‘My Kitchen Rules’ meals for the weekend or when you have some time to enjoy the cooking process. And don’t worry about it being ‘perfect’ – it’s all going to look the same in your belly!

Food for thought The more you prep, the more efficient you’ll become. You’ll find the routine that works best for you and continue to create healthy habits! What’s going to be on your shopping list this week? To your health & happiness,

Hayley

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Pros and Cons of the 5:2 Diet Helen Jomoa⏐FITNESS

As a personal trainer, my clients often ask my opinion on new fad diets such as the 5:2 diet, so when I was at a fitness conference recently, I discussed it with Dr Joanna McMillan, nutritionist for TODAY.

Here’s how it works You eat ‘normally’ for 5 days of the week and ‘fast’ for 2 days. On the fast days you eat a quarter of your recommended daily calorie quota, which is usually 500 calories for women, 600 calories for men. Simple!

Here are the Pros

insulin, the more likely your body is to store glycogen in the muscles rather than laying down fat deposits). • Your

body learns that it is ok to be hungry (many people snack continually forgetting this feeling).

• You

learn to eat when you feel hungry rather than out of habit.

• Many

people feel euphoric at the end of a fast day (nice natural high as a reward!).

•

Fasting for only 2 days is motivating because you are not abstaining all the time.

• Research

•

You can select which days you fast to suit your lifestyle.

• Aim

•

Fasting for 2 non-consecutive days does not make the body go into ‘starvation mode’ and hold onto fat (warning - fasting for longer than this will!).

•

Glycogen stores in the body are emptied which helps with insulin sensitivity. (The more sensitive your body is to the hormone

from animal studies shows that fasting animals live longer. to eat nutrient rich food when eating ‘normally’.

Here are the Cons • Difficult

to maintain over a long period (as with most diets).

• Not

suitable for certain people, such as diabetics, pregnant women etc.

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Example of food for your 500 calorie fast day • Breakfast:

2 boiled eggs 190 cal

• Lunch

: 300gsm Woolworths Macro fresh soup 170 cal

• Snack:

1 apple 60 cal

• Dinner:

10 spears of asparagus 50 cal and 1 roasted pepper 30 cal

Pretty simple really and yes it really does work, on the basis that you are actually reducing your net calorie intake. Research has shown that people, on average, only eat 20% extra on the day following a fast day. So based on the above information I would give it the thumbs up. Just be aware of something that is not in the research, by the end of a fast day you can be very grumpy indeed! So watch out if there’s a 5:2er about, it has implications for the whole family!

Helen

Photograph courtesy of Helen Jomoa

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How to Create Synergy that Sticks

Maree Eddings ⏐ Energy

IN THE PURSUIT OF ACHIEVEMENT WE MISS THE POINT. Too many people have their dreams kept on the shelf because they are in too much of a hurry to get there, when all they need to be is here. In the pursuit of achievement we miss the point. We are so busy focused on ticking the box, getting to the end of the list and winning the race that we forget what we are trying to do in the first place. Firstly, two things cannot exist in the same place at the same time. Therefore you cannot be there and here at the same time and that is the illusion that most of us fall into. It is in the process of the pursuit of the dream or the achievement where we really do have our dreams come true. COMMIT TO THE PROCESS AND LET GO OF THE OUTCOME. This is my favourite saying and one that I constantly remind my clients about. It does not matter what it is; when we have strayed off the path, when we hit drama, when clarity is beyond us, I will bet a month of Sunday's it is because you have shifted your focus and your energy to the outcome.

YOU have bought into the 'what if’s' and the 'maybes' and you either get caught up with the romance of the success of it or you are plagued with it never being good enough. Either way you have broken the synergy and you have moved to separation. When you do this, you invite your ego mind and all of its tricks and stories to enter and play havoc. YOU start to use the words like massive and enormous and you start to believe that this thing is so huge and it comes with many very serious issues, that there is no way that you could get this right. Your progress stalls, the rhythm you were in disappears, the clarity of your mission seems murky. This dream now seems a silly idea that you really had no business investing in. Let’s be clear; this dream of yours does not need to be about world peace, I am talking about our life’s dreams. Weight and fitness, career aspirations, business ideas, relationships and giving up coffee, these are things we do on a daily basis. When you commit to the process you stay in the moment, each moment building on the next until you get there. More often than not the outcome you initially thought of has been far surpassed and you have shifted more than you could ever have dreamed of. Why does this happen?

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A Peaceful Mind ⏐ ISSUE 2 2015 When you commit to the process and you process everyday you create turn up for the synergy. Everything that you need to stay in the process turns up and it comes from synergy. Firstly, synergy with yourself, the commitment and conviction that you can do it. You have a plan each day to do something. Go for a walk, drink more water, choose tea instead of coffee, and write 1000 words a day... whatever it is. You turn up and you back yourself. You don’t have all the answers today, all you need is what process you have committed to doing. Over time you create synergy with your environment. Your immediate surroundings are now set up to support your process, you have resources around you to keep you on track and you have enlisted other people to help you stay in the process. The energy that you are creating and sharing is all coming from the place of synergy. You know the feeling; we experienced this at some point.

have

all

You have such clarity that when something comes across your path you instantly know if this is going to support your process or not. An invitation, a meal, a person, an offer – you keep focused on your process. The moment you start to indulge in the outcome and you lose your rhythm your energy shifts from being in synergy to separation. YOU become separated from

Your thoughts shift from what is in front of you right now to imagined issues and challenges that you had not previously considered. Your limiting beliefs take a star role in your daily ruminations of time. So how do you stack the odds in your favour?

Here are three tips to creating synergy that sticks: 1. Know your process. You must know how you get from a to b. Lack of awareness of your process will have you being a sitting duck for the ego mind and its bag of stories. 2. Know your triggers. What is it that you know derails your process? Is it time, the longer you are in the higher the chance of you not sticking to it? Lack of resources and support? Lack of planning? Find out what it is and counteract it with a new plan 3. Celebrate your successes along the way. When we are in a process we need to acknowledge and celebrate the effort. Now this is a balance. If you are trying to change your fitness or health then avoid celebrating with food as an example. I find acknowledging commitment through a calendar that I cross off how many times I show up for something helps me stay focussed. Find a way to say well done and that also keeps you wanting to stay on track. The more synergy you create the more aligned you will be to your dreams and your desires. Stay S.E.X.I and have fun.

your dream/desire.

Maree NINE

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Solution Is king tell the customer the problem they didn’t know they had! Helen Treloar - BUSINESS For a business to be truly successful and cut through the noise of competition, buying trends, economic movements and social opinion, it must be a solution. In essence, we are all selling a solution to a problem. Marketing companies make thousands of dollars to connect your problem to a product’s solution, and it's not always a direct solution we are buying! Think of the anti aging products in the female beauty world right now. Millions of products globally all selling one solution – the promise of retaining a youthful appearance. Do they all offer the same results? Do we (the consumers) hold them accountable to their broken or misleading promises? We just keep on shopping around for the solution and we are told what the problem is. Beer ad's sell life style with mates and air fresheners sell beautifully decorated homes. The solution that sells best is the one that improves the quality of a life / lifestyle. To create the illusion or reality that your product or service will 'add perceived value' to someone's

life is the goal. When working with start-ups there is often a keenness on the owner’s part, to get selling without really knowing the true value of the solution being sold. Possibly worse than this is where business owners don't understand the consumer’s problem. We can be so consumed in the excitement of the potential of making money from something that we are passionate about, that we miss the crucial steps in scoping out the buying strategies. Let's take a clothing peg. Surely a peg is a peg is a peg? Its role is to secure clothes to a line! If it achieves this function, the job is done! The $2 Shop sells 50 pegs for $2. Why then would we go to Pegs R Us and pay $30 for a set of 50 pegs? Where the problem is securing washing on a line - the solution is a peg. What if the real buyers problem was the weather! The washing line's exposure to sunlight perishes plastic pegs and makes them brittle and rain, makes wooden pegs mouldy

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A Peaceful Mind ⏐ ISSUE 1 2015 which stains the clothes. Pegs need to be picked in every time or replaced as they perish. Now the $2 pegs are not a total solution, they are a temporary solution – and there is indeed a market for that! There is also a new group of customers looking for a longterm solution that they can leave on the line and not risk spoiling their clothes. Which customer group do you supply to? How will you reach them? What do they need to know? What is the price they will pay? When planning a start-up business or new product launch, it is essential that you work the problem AND the solution. Go further than developing a peg. Find out what different needs the peg users have. The more problems you solve, the higher the chances of your peg selling consistently and well. What fabrication, size, mechanism, colour, price and storage points create the maximum solution? When you know the problems you solve and you solve them better than the next solution, you are protecting your business against recessions and competitors. You have a quality package and you will build brand loyalty. Buyers like to stay with a provider they like and trust.

Total quality solutions are a stronger way to enter and maintain presence in any market. Place RND as a priority in your business, up front. Host user groups and quiz potential and/or actual buyers and ask them what they love, need more of, less of and in addition to… Then, in your final sales strategy, remind your customers about the problems they didn’t even realise they had!

Helen

My final point today; make your sales, packaging, delivery and service models all part of the total solution package. It doesn't end at product RND. The easier it is for consumers to engage with your products the better the experience their shopping will be. We are all buying an experience. Great product ideas alone are not a proven strategy for sales success.

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Beyoncé Only Has 24 Hours In A Day Kirsten Basford⏐ANTI-‐MARKETING

Time, it’s something that at different points we struggle with, and it’s generally of the “not enough” kind. Why do some people cruise through life with ease and grace and others look like they have just gotten out of bed? One of my biggest gripes has always been when you bump into a friend, a work colleague or anyone that you know and you ask them how they are and the response is “busy”. Why do people feel the need to say that, it’s not an appropriate response to the question. How did busy become a badge of honour? It doesn’t make you better than anyone else. Let’s role play this… KIRSTEN: Hi Jess, haven’t seen you in ages, how are you? JESS: Busy, I’m just sooo busy. KIRSTEN: Oh, better let you go then….. END OF CONVERSATION

There was no opportunity to engage, to connect. The response of busy is an old school marketing response – look at me I’m so good because I’m so busy, I’m busier than anyone else that I know so I must be super important. All Jess did was repel me. I’m not impressed and I don’t want to hang out with her or even have a conversation with someone that has better things to do. I’ve been thinking a lot about busy and why everyone around us is so busy and how this is repelling people away rather than drawing people in. I have a couple of theories but I am going to share just one here. Since moving to a regional city I have had to get used to some different ways of living. My son’s school is 30 minutes away, the local Woolworths is 10 mins away, and for the stationery addicts out there like me – the closest Officeworks is 40 minutes away. The biggest clincher to my new way of living is that the shops close at 1pm on

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a Saturday, most don’t open on a Sunday and late night shopping on a Thursday night finishes a 6.30pm – that’s mid afternoon in my Metropolitan City mind! This change in lifestyle has forced me to be organised. That’s right, I have had to get my shit totally together. I need to sit down and think about what I have to do not just that day but for the next few days. I spend time thinking, strategising and planning what needs to happen to make my family and my business run like clockwork and we don’t run out of milk or loo paper or I don’t forget to pack my sons tennis bag before I do the school pick up run (I can’t just pop back and get it!). It makes it even more challenging when I have a Sydney trip to do and I need to co-ordinate with my Drive-In-Drive-Out husband that still runs his business in Sydney (5 hours away). Since taking time out to sit down and plan, write lists, delegate and get organised something magical happened. I HAVE MORE TIME Five months ago before our move here I would have imagined that considering I run my business, have two kids (one in school and a toddler), my husband is in Sydney 4 days a week, my son is still the overscheduled city kid with after school activities and we live 10kms from the nearest town, I would have been so busy that I couldn’t cope. In fact the opposite has happened. I have had to be so organised that even if there is a change in plans, or we get rained in for 5 days (not joking, I think that Noah

needs a new Ark!) I can manage and everything is on track. With the restraints put on me with outside influences such as distance and shopping / conveniences I have had to really get organised in my personal life and also my business life. I don’t have the luxury of procrastination, which then leads to panic. With the high level of structure and planning what has resulted is an abundance of time. I feel calm and in control, everything is getting done and I can even schedule “me” time. I have time to review and reflect on my business and spend time forward planning and even course correcting. I have time to connect and engage with people, and these people want to be around me, they enjoy the connection. How is being busy affecting you? Being busy is not a good marketing strategy. It’s not attracting and engaging. Slow down, get organised and feel the time flood back. It’s time to get Anti-Busy. Jump over to my Facebook page and let me know how you are going with your commitment to get Anti-Busy.

Kirsten

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Autumn Checklist Winter’s just around the corner, and there’s still plenty to be done

Create a handmade quilt from material scraps and old clothing - Perfect for winter nights

Enjoy a family picnic - Get all your favourite foods and big rug and your good to go

Try a new recipe - Be adventurous and experiment with new flavours

Prepare some food and invite friends over for a girl’s night in - Have a wine or two

Search your closet for clothes you no longer wear - Give them to charity

In true Mary Poppins style - Let’s go fly a kite

Cook up a huge pot of homemade soup that will last you for days - Recommend a vegetable soup

Read a novel - Try something new or reread an old favourite

Capture a breathtaking view - Or perhaps something that just inspires you

Get out all your knitted jumpers and wash them - Prepare for winter coziness

Spend a day offline - No Internet, no phone, no TV. Spend it with family

Go for an early morning walk - In the crisp autumn air and watch the Sunrise

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Stay Fit and Full

Tip: Tricep dips are great for toning muscle especially when you have lost weight and want to achieve more muscle definition. www.terrain.net.au

www.trueformhealth.com.au

Ingredients: • • • • • • • • • •

1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds pinch of salt 1 cup lentils 1 big sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks 1 tablespoon tamarin pepper, to taste

What to do: In a saucepan, heat coconut oil and add onion, spices and salt and cook for a few minutes. Add the lentils, sweet potato and 120 ml of water and simmer for 30 minutes or until potato has softened. (Add a splash more water if needed, to cover.) Season the mix with tamarin and pepper and purèe until smooth(ish) and thick. We've served our soup up with a dollop of natural yoghurt and parsley to garnish... Delish!

TRICEP DIPS

Sweet Potato Soup

Photograph: Hayley Martin | True Form Health

Even though Winter is fast approaching it doesn’t mean that we can stop taking care of our bodies. So… we’ve got some exercise tips and yummy foodie goodness that you’ll love. Photograph: Helen Jomoa | Terrain Banish your batwings with tricep dips you can do anywhere (at the bus stop, sitting on your chair at work, or on a park bench). 1. Sit on the edge of a bench with your hands facing forward gripping the edge. 2. Bend your arms and lower yourself towards the floor, with your elbows pointing back and your shoulders down. 3. Push yourself back up to your starting position, making sure you are taking the weight in your arms not your thighs.

A Peaceful Mind ⏐ ISSUE 2 2015

THE CUSTOMER’S PERCEPTION IS YOUR REALITY – Kate Zabriskie

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Credibility Counts PENNY VOTZOURAKIS CUSTOMER SERVICE

We all naturally look to authority figures. A judge in a black robe or a doctor in a white lab coat, seems a lot more credible than the average citizen walking down the street. We want to find that person who exudes knowledge, expertise, and success. The same goes for our shopping experience. We would more likely buy from a well-groomed, product savvy salesperson, than a frumpy, illinformed attendant. How fast would you walk out of a business where the sales staff couldn’t even answer any significant questions about the products or services being offered? We want expert help. As a small business owner, it is our responsibility to make sure our sales professionals have been given the proper training to know our product lines well. They need to know the history behind the company, and the goals of the business. The sales staff also must be attune to the current trends, especially if the business is in fashion or technology.

As the owner, make sure you are seen as the expert. If possible, speak at trade shows or other events where your reputation can grow and your credibility can increase. Take advantage of social media to build an audience and share your expertise. Credibility counts when it comes to running a successful small business. If you and your staff are seen as go-to experts or advisors, potential customers will recognize that you and your company can be trusted with their business. Remember; People Buy People.

Penny V

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Where Should My Friends Travel in Europe

When you’re a travel blogger, you tend to get quite a few messages from random people with questions about a trip they’re planning – and I like answering them – but what is even more fun is when a good friend asks for some tips! I got this text message from my friend Susannah last week, who’s heading to Europe with her mother for two and a half weeks. They’ve both done a reasonable amount of travelling already and I love that she wants some tips to travel to “not the normal spots” – that kind of advice is the kind I love to give the most. I put on my thinking cap and have come up with a few suggestions for Susannah and her mother to consider …

Brainstorming: Susannah told me she imagined spending three or four days in four or five different places and I immediately had some ideas. Compared to travelling around Australia, it’s so easy in Europe to see some really different parts quickly and cheaply – oh for the budget airlines of Europe over here in Australia (obviously totally impractical given the lack of population but a girl can dream, right?).

Down the centre of Europe: Estonia, Poland, Hungary and Croatia My first thought when I think of “not the normal spots” in Europe is the Baltic States. I visited Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania initially on my way to Bratislava to work (coming across Russia on the Trans-Siberian to start with) and I especially loved Estonia, and have returned to Tallinn again. Estonia’s such a fun country to visit – along with Tallinn, I’ve suggested the university town of Tartu and the gorgeous island of Saaremaa – and it’s kind of unique because despite being part of the USSR, it managed to remain a bit more Western, thanks to its close connections to Finland, and it came

Guest Writer – Amanda Kendle out of the Cold War in a better position than most of the eastern bloc. I found the people of Estonia extraordinarily friendly and helpful; it’s lovely and scenic; and it’s small and easy to get around. I think Poland doesn’t get enough of a look-in on travel itineraries and that’s a shame because it’s a country with so much to offer. It’s quite big and therefore diverse. Warsaw is fascinating and definitely worth seeing but my favourite part is Krakow in the south. Such a gorgeous city, with interesting history and culture; if you’re up to it, then visiting the Auschwitz/Birkenau concentration camps is a short excursion away from Krakow, although I think everyone has to decide for themselves if these are places they want to see, as they’re pretty confronting – I had nightmares for quite a few weeks after my visit and am still haunted by some of what I saw there, but I’m glad I went. Budapest is a particularly cool capital city (who can go past the idea of swimming in a cathedral?) but rural Hungary is fantastic too. I think picking a small Hungarian town – preferably known for wine, as many are – to spend a couple of nights would be a good move. I loved the thermal baths at Heviz and that whole region around Lake Ballaton is a brilliant spot to stay. Scooting on down to Croatia from Hungary is a reasonable idea … not it’s a fabulous idea because Croatia is amazing! Everyone knows the gorgeous coastline and of course the spectacular city of Dubrovnik, a place I’d love to go back to (my Dubrovnik stay was cut short!). But my all-time favourite part of Croatia is the Plitvice Lakes National Park, one of the most beautiful, beautiful places on earth.

To read more of Amanda's blog go to http://notaballerina.com/

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APM’s Book Review by Lena Turvey

The Lost Daughter Author: Mary Williams “Six years ago I quit my well-paid job, left my fiancé and sold my three-bedroom home in Atlanta, abandoning a life of materialism and attachment to pursue one that included solitude, travel and adventure.” Mary Williams is the adopted daughter of Jane Fonda. She yearned for her selfcreated identity from a young age. She spent a lot of time identifying with other people’s idea of who she should be. The book explores her ongoing search for who she really is. This memoir reads almost like an action adventure story and is well written with descriptive language that draws you into the story so skillfully that it is hard to put it down, even at the end of each chapter. It is a strong story of overcoming your obstacles and making something of yourself with just your inner strength. No matter what life throws at Mary, she got back up, dusted herself off and did something amazing to prove to herself that she was strong and could get her life back. It wasn’t always change that was occurring to her, sometimes she would tire of her life and change it for no other

reason than she was bored. “I didn’t know what I needed to get me out of my rut, only that it had to be huge. I needed a new series of challenges to help me find the headstrong, happy person I had once been.” After breaking up with her fiancé she decided to get her original self back. “We continued to live together but I no longer felt obligated to subjugate myself to him. I began to read again. To dream again.” There is a significant period of time where she blames her various family members for her problems but she eventually finds a way to make peace once she realises the part they played in the hard times. “My birth mother was not a monster who failed me but a woman who did her best in the face of poverty, addiction and social injustice to raise her children. My anger was gone and in its place a new found respect for the woman I’d hated for most of my life. I was finally ready to go back.” Over all this book is a coming home story, triumphing over adversity and taking things to the extreme to find your own true self. Happy Reading. Lena’s Score: 8 of out 10

Lena NINETEEN

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What Sort of Reminder System Do You Use?

Lena Turvey – Productivity As a Productivity Expert I am always interested in how other people organise themselves and make the most of their time. I use a normal electronic calendar on the Mac and put in reminders for appointments and meetings if they are required. I also use the Mac App Reminders for my 'to do' list. I find these tools allow me to schedule everything I need to do and it reminds me when I need it to. I like to keep it all really simple. I tried numerous technical and whiz bang methods, but found they took more effort than the actual task sometimes. Early on in my working life I used a paper diary and a scrap of paper for my to do list. It worked for a while but once that list grew to more than one page it became hard to use and easy to lose sight of things I still needed to do from the first page.

an update on something I was supposed to have finished but had forgotten about! I remember thinking to myself that there had to be a better way, so I researched everything there was out there. There wasn’t much at that time that was free and easy to use. These days there are so many electronic tools and the paper based ones are still being developed, so we have many choices. I’d love to know what method of organisation you use and why. Have fun organising your time, systems and spaces.

Lena

Sometimes those tasks from the first page came back to haunt me when I was asked for a report or

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A Peaceful Mind ⏐ ISSUE 2 2015

To Style or Not to Style

BECKIE WHITE - STYLIST

“ What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is an instant language.” Miuccia Prada

In-store Stylist v’s Professional Stylist; what’s the difference and which should you choose? It’s an interesting conversation. In the world of fashion, the title of ‘stylist’ is being used loosely and liberally. Sales assistants are being called in-house stylists and the professional stylist’s role is being misunderstood and in some cases, misused. It's a trend that the beauty industry faced some time ago, where the word ‘Spa’ was replacing the word Salon. Yet most salons were not representing the true spa sanctuary experience. It became a quirky and new form of marketing. Is there a difference between an in-house stylist and a professional stylist? Yes! Are there similarities? Yes! Are they the same? No. So... what’s the difference between in-house styling and professional styling? An in-house stylist can be another name for a shop/sales assistant. The in-house stylist is someone who knows their own in-store products inside-out and back-to-front. They are very knowledgeable about the specific brands they have in-store and how

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each piece mixes and blends with the other. An in-house stylist recommends to the customer, which product goes with what and can put an outfit together from their product range. In-house styling can sometimes be more about sales and targets and less about what the customer truly needs and wants. Professional stylists are quite different. Firstly, they do a style consultation to find out who their customer is and what he or she wants their personal brand or style to represent? This is where the stylist and their client form a great bond of trust and insight. The stylist then looks at their client’s body shape; working out which styles will suit best. Next comes the wardrobe makeover. (This is my most favourite part.) This enables the client to have an opportunity to throw out some older pieces they no longer want and keep pieces that work for them. This is a very insightful process for the professional stylist as it allows them to plan and work out what pieces their client’s wardrobe is missing in order to achieve their desired outcome. Have you ever bought a piece of clothing, only to get it home and discover you already have something very similar, if not identical? This is because we have a part of our brain that is called the RAS (reticular activator system) where our brain always looks for same - same. A professional stylist helps stretch their client’s RAS and shows them other options to complete their wardrobe styling.

Once this is all established, the professional stylist researches many different shops and hunts out the best products and clothing styles for their customer. They put together multiple outfits from minimal pieces. Professional personal stylists have no hidden agenda when shopping, they have no sales targets or budgets to reach. They work purely with your style brief, body shape and budget in mind, always working to achieve their client’s desired outcomes. Our style starts with the clothing we choose to wear and extends past our wardrobe, to our physiology and our choice in just about everything, demonstrating what we value and how we value ourselves. A great personal stylist helps you look and feel the best version of you. Once you have worked with a personal stylist you will notice an immediate impact on how you interact with yourself and the world around you. Shopping with a personal stylist is smart shopping and saves you money and time. I guess the big question that you may be asking is, can both types of stylists work together to benefit you, the customer? The answer is YES. Stylishly yours

Beckie

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SEO IS DEAD Julie Bourke⏐ Technology

Google has just rolled out another update. Some websites have been blacklisted and dropped from Google searches entirely in recent months. Has this happened to you? Even more reason to fix your SEO – pronto! SEO or ‘Search Engine Optimization’ is the process of getting traffic organically (free) from the search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing. It is made up of a combination of factors: links, keywords and great content. Google regularly rolls out new updates to their algorithm that crawls and categorises the internet over and over

again. These robots are termed “spiders”. These spiders crawl through your site, clicking on buttons, filling in forms and testing out all links. You will notice one has been if you get one of your contact forms filled in with garbage. The easy way to overcome dummy form posts is to have a Captcha image (those images where you have to put copy into a text box - annoying but necessary). Links to and from quality sites including social media are vital. Whenever you post on Facebook etc use a link back to your site rather than posting the whole article. The idea is to drive traffic to your website. Not have them

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A Peaceful Mind ⏐ ISSUE 2 2015 stuck on social media browsing aimlessly. Other quality sites could include suppliers and large blog sites. If you can write articles and have them submitted ensure your site is linked in the article. These are called back-links. You link to the article from your site and the article links back to your site.

You could have the best content in the world on your page and still not get picked up by Google. So what’s the key? People. Google are looking to see how many people you have clicking on, commenting upon and sharing your content and quickly builds a reference list. The more interactions you have, the more authority you gain in that particular niche.

The next step is researching and thinking about keyword phrases. Keyword phrases are a group of keywords that are specific to your niche. Always, when writing your content, keep your target keywords in mind. These keywords should be highly specific and targeted.

The old adage “build it and they will come” unfortunately does not work in this day and age. You need to get the right people onto your site and interacting, otherwise your site will be invisible to the search engines.

Google still provides a free tool for keyword research called Keyword Planner. You will need to set up a free Adwords account to access it and start your research.

Ask for comments, provide incentives to share and have strong call to actions on each and every page.

For example, imagine you are a high-end shoe store selling Christian Loboutin shoes. You could target the word “shoes” and have 1000 hits per day but are they looking for your Christian Loboutin product? These are not quality hits, they are tyre kickers. A better keyword phrase would be “Christian Loboutin ladies shoes” these searchers practically have their wallet out ready to buy. Think about your ideal customer and what they are looking for. Then use this in the

Basic SEO is not rocket science. It can be challenging and a pain at first but you will quickly get the hang of it and reap the benefits of improved search rankings. Having said all that, a qualified SEO consultant can take your business to the next level, but only if you’re ready. Are you ready?

headings and content on the page. If you can get the ideal customer to your site with links and keywords, then keep them on your site with great content you are winning. This is possibly the most important step of SEO; great content, but that’s not the ‘be all and end all’.

Julie

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JOANNE CLARK ⏐NLP

Does it Work for You?

NEURO LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING

O “Never see a need without doing something about it.” ~ St. Mary Mackillop

n some occasions in my life I have found myself caught up, immersed in getting everything done. You

know those times when it seems there are not enough hours in the day or days in the week and time is whooshing by. When the obstacles seem insurmountable and despite the massive investment of time we are not making much progress. It can become disheartening to have taken action and then get to the point where you realise that despite your efforts the outcome remains elusive. It can seem that the path is littered with obstacles that have appeared on our way to achieving our dreams. Invariably, those who achieve their dreams have faced these obstacles and overcome them. So the challenge is to see the obstacles that are in your way for what they are; bumps on the road to your success. Some you need to overcome and some are just distractions that you should let go. Combined, this simply means that when we have a clear outcome to shoot for, and we have been taking massive action to achieve it, we also need to keep our eye on progress and develop a heightened awareness of whether we are on track to achieve our outcome. If what we are doing is no longer getting us to where we want to be then it is time to adjust and change our behaviour.

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ST. MARY MACKILLOP

Mary Mackillop; a formidable Australian pioneer if ever there was one, is a great example of someone who saw the obstacles and then changed her behaviour to ensure she stayed on the road to achieving her vision. Aged 18, and blessed with a fine education, Mary Mackillop worked as a governess looking after and educating her aunt and uncle’s children on their estate near Penola in South Australia. Here, rather than seeking simplicity, she invited all the poor children of the neighbourhood to receive the benefits of education. So began her extraordinary journey. Often lonely and frequently filled with great personal sacrifice, this journey continued because of the smiling children she had vowed to teach Her passion for educating brought her into contact with the parish priest, Fr Woods. Upon witnessing the value of her selfless work, her devotion to it and the following she had developed, Fr Woods invited Mary to open a more formal school at Penola in an old stable. This became the first ever religious institute founded by an Australian. Here, Mary and the other sisters, who had formalized themselves into the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, lived according to their ‘Rule of Life.’ This decreed a dependence on divine providence, with no

educational needs of the children existed and to live among the communities they served to develop profound bonds. These first and last provisions resulted in clashes with church powers as, to date, sisters had always lived in convents and “divine providence” in fact meant begging. The increasing ire of local clergy occurred coincidentally with Mary’s increasing popularity and spectacular success due to her commitment and belief in an education for all.

Image Reference: www.abc.net.au

possessions, a willingness to go where the

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Image Reference: www.sosj.org.au

The church hierarchy began a campaign to discredit her and attempted to have her ex communicated. Having the awareness to threat to her life’s work, and understand the the determination to do whatever it took to continue this work, the 31-year-old Sister Mary embarked on a solo life-changing pilgrimage to Rome to have her ‘Rule of Life’ granted papal approval in 1873. Never over-awed by the grand capitals and architecture so foreign to the from Melbourne, Mary young woman made her submissions to Pope Pius IX and was then requested to wait for a response. However, guided by her saying, ‘never see a need without doing something about it’ and unable to remain stationary work to be done, Mary when there is remained focused on building her Order whilst waiting for the Papal decision. She continued her travels through France, Germany, Italy and Ireland and along the

way gathered 15 additional postulants to assist with her work back in the Australian bush. Over a year later, the decision was handed down approving Mary’s central government structure of her institute and the ‘Rule of Life’. The new Constitution was adopted unanimously upon her arrival back in Australia in 1874 and Mary was elected the institute’s first Superior General, thus stymieing the heads of the church in their efforts to gain control of her work. Mary would time and time again show this sensory acuity and behavioural flexibility with a stalwart focus on her outcomes while listening to the concerns of her detractors. The legacy that Mary left this country was a testament to her focus on her goal of education for all, and her willingness to see it through – no matter what. Make today your day.

Joanne

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Boost Yourself

A Peaceful Mind ⏐ ISSUE 2 2015

BOOST YOUR ENERGY

If you want to start your day with a big boost of energy, try starting with this smoothie. It’s loaded with healthy fruits and veggies like watermelon, which helps dilate blood vessels to promote blood flow. Also, it has coconut water – one of the most hydrating liquids out there. Another positive aspect of coconut water is that it reduces blood pressure, which can make you lethargic. The best part is this recipe yields a big batch, so you can make it once, freeze it, and drink it all week long. Ingredients 500g pineapple 500g watermelon 1 litre coconut water ½ cup spinach ½ cup blueberries 1 green apple Blend all of the ingredients together in a juicer, pour into 1 cup servings. You can store or freeze extra smoothies to drink later. Enjoy!! Source: Dr. Oz

BOOST YOUR JOY There is a simple formula to purposeful happiness and fulfilment…

SMILE BOOST YOUR MIND Expanding your knowledge and awareness also expands your options in life. More than ‘knowing it’ when we step outside of our comfort zone and try new things, we can ‘be it’ or ‘experience it’. New experiences influence our emotions and give us more evidence that ‘we can’. New things to try… • Join a new interest group • Start a new exercise habit • Add a new vegetable to your diet and meal plan • Read about something you are interested about • Talk to people about your ideas and curiosities • Become a volunteer • Mentor someone your skills and experience will benefit • Take a course • Attend a seminar • Set new goals

Help Someone Be GrATefuL Contribute

SHOW Kindness

A Peaceful Mind ⏐ ISSUE 2 2015

The 5th Need of The Human Ego - The Need to Look Good

Amanda Mallia - Men

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A Peaceful Mind ⏐ ISSUE 2 2015 That dreaded question, the one that causes men to cringe, the one our happiness hinges upon; “Babe… How do I look in this?” Stuck between a rock and a hard place, he swallows before answering, completely aware that every second counts. “You look great honey!” His response, regardless of the answer, is often distorted or morphed into how we actually feel about ourselves in that very moment. The guy doesn't stand a chance. The fear of judgment on both sides is inevitable. So ladies, why even ask the question? The lingering fears of our ego can cripple our success or hinder moments of opportunity. I introduce you to the fifth need of the human ego;

My experience is that there are plenty of good men who are remarkable; they live to please. These men; •

•

Love us unconditionally, even when we fail to love ourselves Look for ways to give us connection when we reject vulnerability Comfort our ego when we harshly judge our insecurities Simplify our chaos in a world that’s demanding Gently encourage our growth and independence Nurture our limitations personally and professionally Desire us, live to devour us and crave the excitement of being ravished by us in return. This is their greatest fantasy, yet we often fail to let go completely.

‘The need to look good.’ Working with men, one question is often asked; “How do I get her to see how beautiful she is to me?” or “How do I show her I love all of her, including her flaws, the parts she doesn't like about herself?” Ladies, we are our own greatest critics. We look at ourselves with eyes of judgment, noticing everything we dislike, rather than that which we like.

Your ego is completely safe in the presence of a good man. You are free. I assure you, your man loves you for you. It’s not the clothes, your hair, the accessories, the handbag, shoes or makeup; it’s YOU, all of you! Next time you feel the urge to judge yourself and ask for advice from external sources, check in with your own heart. Notice how beautiful you are, notice how much you matter to him – just the way you are. Live Intelligently.

Amanda THIRTYTHREE

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CELEBRATING CREATIVITY

5 keys to supporting creative children Guest Writer - Shiona Long

It is a gorgeous Saturday morning, perfect writing and coffee time while my youngest struts her stuff at NICA – The National Institute of Circus Arts. Every Saturday we make a pilgrimage from Ballarat to Prahran, Melbourne. As a music teacher, coach and mum of creative, sensitive, gifted individuals, I have come to the conclusion that most traditional schools can’t provide what creative young people need. Rather than lament the reality, I prefer to embrace the opportunities this provides. We can all notice the ‘spark’ in our children and provide them with the environment they need to thrive. It is worth the effort Remember there is a creative joyous child in each of us! These principles do not apply just to parents or teachers. Apply them in your own life and notice the difference they make!

Here are FIVE KEYS to Support Creative Kids 1.

Celebrate their MANY ideas.

“Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland. Creative individuals have more ideas than they can possibly act on in one lifetime. Celebrate this attribute AND give them permission to collect ideas without taking action on every one. Provide them with tools to 'capture' their inspirations. Journals are great!

Key Statement – I LOVE how many ideas you have. Great Question – Which idea is ‘speaking’ to you at the moment? Help them trust their intuition. The ideas with the most energy are the ones to take action on.

Play is the key.

Give them freedom to explore their ideas through play. While they are playing, their skills and confidence are growing. Most importantly, their heart is leading the way. Key Statement – I LOVE watching you do what you love. Great Question – What are you discovering about yourself? Effort and passion are an unbeatable combination. Help them notice how they are growing.

Surround them with inspiration.

There is a reason my daughter goes to NICA. It is inspiring just walking in the door. Even if this level of commitment is beyond your means, you can still make some magic happen. Christmas and birthday presents to concerts, sports games or workshops are perfect gifts for creative kids. Following idols on Instagram is the 21st Century poster. Key Statement – I LOVE that you have people that inspire you. Great Question – What have you noticed in _______ that you could model for yourself?

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A Peaceful Mind ⏐ ISSUE 2 2015 What we notice in another is possible for us. Help your kids make this connection. It also reinforces mastery of any skill requires effort.

1. Buy yourself a special journal and start capturing those creative sparks of inspiration. Choose the one with the most ‘energy’ to take action on.

Let them make mistakes, fall and fail.

2. Notice how your skills develop as you play. Less deadlines, more time to develop your ideas.

On Friday night one of the Cirque du Soleil Russian Bar Flyers missed a trick. It was no big deal. The orchestra played the music again, the team regrouped and this time – SUCCESS. Biggest cheer of the night.

3. Surround yourself with inspiration – books, people and activities. Buy yourself gifts of inspiration. You deserve it. 4. Creativity is messy. Give yourself permission to ‘muck up’. Notice how your best ideas ‘emerge’ through the creative process.

Give your children permission to make mistakes and cheer them on when they succeed. Key Statement – I LOVE how persistent you are. Key Question – What did you do in a similar situation that could be useful now? Linking past successes to present challenges helps your children see that they have the resources to overcome difficulties. This is very empowering.

Believe in them, even when they don’t believe in themselves.

Sometimes the BIG dream seems unattainable. Acknowledge their fears, disappointment and their frustrations. Avoid the tendency to minimize the hurt. Creative individuals don’t stay down for long. Their passion is too strong, the next idea is coming and their ‘heart’ will see them through. Key statement – I appreciate how much this hurts. I believe in you. Great Question – What support do you need right now? This question shows that you care AND gives permission to ask for support. Something so many of us struggle with. :-) Your Turn… Parents would do anything for their children. Will you give yourself the same opportunities?

5. Believe in yourself and your vision, even in the darkest moments. Be your own best friend and remember there are always people you can reach out to for support. You are a gorgeous, creative, intuitive soul; it is time to embrace this side of you! Shiona Long helps gifted and creative individuals find the courage to express their unique voice in the world and make a difference doing what they were born to do. As a consultant and trainer Shiona works with teachers and schools helping them understand and provide for the creatively gifted students in their care. Shiona’s willingness to be real and vulnerable gives the clients she supports, permission to search deep within their own soul for ‘the key’ that will bring them the most meaning and fulfilment. Her joyful and sensitive energy fused with her quest for excellence optimise her attitude to life. www.shionalong.com www.performersheart.com.au

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Ten in Ten 10 Questions with 10 seconds to Answer Customer Service Guru – APM Customer Service Expert; Penny Votzourakis

1. BEST ADVICE “Everything in moderation” well except dancing, laughing and chocolate!

2. PASSIONS Food, friends and family. (They go hand in hand, I’m Greek)

3. ARE YOU A WHY, WHAT, HOW OR ‘WHAT IF’ PERSON? Good question can I be all of them I can’t choose. I guess it depends on the situation.

4. FAVE BOOK? Business: Buyology Personal: The Shadow Of The Wind

5. PERSON WHO INSPIRES YOU MOST? This has always been a difficult question for me. There are many; anyone who is courageous enough to stand up for what they believe. Oh and I forgot lately its Amal Clooney, she is smart, beautiful, the best dresser I know and is fighting for the reunification of The Parthenon Marbles. I guess she has it all.

6. WHICH FAMOUS PEOPLE (LIVING OR DEAD) WOULD YOU INVITE TO DINNER? Coco Chanel and Deepak Chopra

7. WHAT SKILL / TALENT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE (THAT YOU DON’T CURRENTLY HAVE): So many; which one to choose! To be able to shut my mouth and not give my opinion at times.

8. WHAT FIRES YOU UP AND GETS YOUR EMOTIONS RUNNING? Children being treated badly; poverty when there is such waste in the world and the fact that we are harming our planet for future generations.

9. YOUR ADVICE TO WOMEN? Love yourself before you love anyone else - you must come first. This will make you a better mother, wife and friend.

NEWS… CHARITY APM has founded a charity specifically to bring opportunity to Australian Women and Children. 2BMe Foundation will raise funds to connect those who are focused and committed to improving their own life circumstances, to the resources that enable them to do so. www.2bmefoundation.org.au We look forward to bringing you more news about what we are doing and how you might get involved very soon.

WRITERS WANTED Do you LOVE to write and believe you a story to tell that inspires or educates women? APM love to share – and your submission will be received with gratitude and excitement.

10. A TV SHOW THAT YOU LOVE & WHY? Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries – Her outfits (I know there is a pattern here) and I love a strong, independent woman with lots of money!

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