ISSUE JUNE 2020
CRUSH IT
Magazine
DO YOU KNOW YOUR PURPOSE & PASSION?
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Fiona Djapouras
LIFE LESSONS
at 40
HOW THIGH GAPS CHANGED MY THINKING Anita van Rooyen
WHAT'S YOUR PERSONAL ECONOMY?
What are you worth an Hour?
Scott McMonigal
MARISSA WARREN
TRAVEL, WINE AND THE HUNTER VALLEY The Little Luxe Travel Company
HOW TO STOP
PEOPLE PLEASING AND FIND YOURSELF AGAIN Rhi Thistlethwaite
THE ANXIETY PROJECT LOU FITZ
A Thank You Note
Crush It Magazine ABN 58 166 926 905
PHOTO CREDIT - Stephanie White PUBLISHER - Leanne Taylor GRAPHIC DESIGNER - Annasophia Design ISBN 9780648385912
ENQUIRIES for Advertising or Editorial crushitmag@gmail.com We are published under copyright laws. Please do not reproduce any part of the magazine without permission as you will be breaching the law. If we feature articles from contributors, advertisers, interviews or editorials these are no necessarily the opinions or views of Crush It Magazine.
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From The Editor W
ell, here we are at our first all-inclusive women’s magazine! If you are reading it for the first time, we have been a teen mag for the last 6 issues. Why did we change it up? Our writers had so much knowledge to share to all ages we had to do it. This issue we have some amazing writers from all over Australia. They have so much to give and are excited to share with you their life experiences. Now, our mag is full of REAL women, talking about REAL issues that you can RELATE to. Who else likes the sound of that? Well, stick around while they take you on a journey of sadness, hope, resilience, strength, happiness, empowerment, and helping you live life on purpose. We also talk about fitness, anxiety & depression, travel, food and wine, mindset, money, and the current economy! At last a magazine full of REAL topics as well! Thank you for being here and supporting our Crush IT Crew who are here to help you navigate this thing called life. We are passionate about YOU! Let’s dig into this issue and enjoy the ride :)
We love to hear from you so follow us on Insta @crushitmag Facebook @crushitmagazine or hit us up at the website www.crushitmag.com.au
Your Dreams Start Here X
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Make this the start of your why.
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The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why - MARK TWAIN
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New Year, same me... BUT BETTER!
7 days to a simpler, easier and happier 2020. Because you don't have to be a 'new me' every year. WWW.AMIRANKIN.COM
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122 AS A PUBLISHER OF REAL CONTENT WE DO NOT EDIT OUR FEATURED WRITERS CONTRIBUTIONS, ANSWERS OR STORIES. IT IS THEIR OWN WRITING, THOUGHTS & OPINIONS IN OUR MAG
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THE DARK SIDE OF THE THIN BLUE LINE
L E A N N E
T
TAY L O R
o an outsider, the Australian Police Service is a well-oiled machine responsible for maintaining law and order while looking brilliant in blue. However, looks can deceive. After a memorable career, Leanne Taylor saw it all – deadly home invasions, underworld shootings and falling victim to a drug addict’s syringe. In her debut book, The Dark Side of the Thin Blue Line, Taylor shares the untold reality of her life in the police force and it’s nothing like we see on television. Taylor raises important issues about drug-related crime, mental illness, domestic violence
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and a fundamentally broken court structure. Taylor shares colourful stories while pulling no punches about the dark side of working in law enforcement. The Dark Side of the Thin Blue Line is a fresh and gutsy behind-the-scenes look at the police force filled with action, drama, suspense and humour. A must read for cop buffs, true crime readers and anyone wanting to see what the world looks like through the windshield of a police car. The book will intrigue and entertain you as you gain a new appreciation for the job of a police officer.
TO GET YOUR COPY FOR $19.95 + FREE POSTAGE GO TO www.leannetaylor.com.au
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HOW TO STOP PEOPLE PLEASING AND FIND YOURSELF AGAIN! -RHI
Over the last 6 years Rhi has been helping women from all over the world step into who they truly are through the mindset skills she has learnt along the way. From being an anxiety riddled young woman with no clue on who she was and what she stood for, she decided to start her journey to finding her true self through personal development. Since then, she has overcome her anxiety, found the love of her life and had a miracle baby. Found her passion within mindset coaching and can hand on heart say she has found herself again. Photo Credit- Amanda Campeanu
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"
HAVE YOU EVER FELT LIKE YOU HAVE LOST WHO YOU ARE? LIKE, YOU HAVE NO FLIPPING IDEA WHO YOU ARE ANYMORE?
Hey homies!
Even though I had booked in some self-love time for “Rhi, What the flip are you doing?!” I would say to myself. You wake up, get you and your household I chose to ignore it. I thought it was ready, go to work, come home, get the better to serve someone else, than household ready to sleep, then do it all serve myself. over again - and again - and again. It was getting worse after the birth of Sounds like hell, right? Well, it was and my son 2 years ago. has been my version of hell before. I just kept doing things for other people You see, I am a recovering people-pleaser. over and over again. It wasn’t like they were forcing me to I found I started to truly lose who I was do any of it, I just kept choosing to help the moment I started putting everyone's them and fill their cup up first! needs before my own. Does this sound like you? I see you “Rhi, could you do this for me?” nodding there as you read along - I “Sure, no worries” know I am not alone!
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So, how does this tie back to losing yourself? Well, you see some of the things you do for other people might be things you actually really don’t want to do. And sometimes, there are things that you would be honoured to do for those you love! It’s in the tiny moments you act from a place of “I think I should do this” rather than a place of “I want to do this.” You lose yourself because you don’t have the time of day to be YOU because you are being what someone else needs you to be. Ouch, I know.
Why do we do it? Why do we put other people’s needs in front of ours? I will leave that for another time, but in short it comes down to the fear of not being loved by the other person. Yet in those very moments, we are not loving ourselves! Crazy, right? So, how do we start to pull back the people pleasing and focus on filling our cup up first?
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Here are
3 things ! 1
Get very disciplined with allocating time for yourself. Every week, I do my absolutely best to book time in advance where I will be spending time doing something I want to do. Sitting in a cafe with a book (holy moly I cannot WAIT to do that again. #byerona) Get a massage, go for a walk, in nature, meditate. Anything that lights me up! Pick things that you enjoy doing. If you don’t know then think of things you have always wanted to try, and go do them! This is how you find yourself again homie, you have to find the things that light you up! I look at this time like an appointment I cannot cancel or postpone. If someone asks me if I am available to help, I simply say,“Sorry Sally, I am busy but I could do this or this day?” (That’s if, I want to help them) Which leads me to number 2! 12
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2
It's either a heck YES or a NO.
Your whole calendar must be full of heck yes’! Have you ever said you would go to that party, but the night of you really don’t want to go? That’s because when you said yes you were not a full on HECK I am an introvert by nature so parties YES! are really not my jam. So, I am open and I know, I know - you are probably thinking honest about it! I respect my friends and that this makes you a bad person for not family who are honest with me because going to the party. However, there are I wouldn’t want them doing something many different things you could do that they don't want to do and they are instead! the same for me in return. “Hey Sally, I won’t be coming to the party - however I would love to have a breakfast with you sometime soon to celebrate instead, would you like that? Your choice on the place!”
If they are grumpy because you put your own needs before theirs, then sorry honey - they are not your people.
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3
Creating firmer boundaries for yourself. This comes up a lot with my clients. Their parents call at stupid hours, friends rock up unannounced, clients messaging you day and night, siblings ask for money over and over again and never pay it back. It all comes down to boundaries! Now, I will say that this won’t be easy. Changing up a pattern like this might have some backlash from the other party. This is because they are so used to being allowed to call at any time, or rock up at any time - you get the idea. So, you will have to start somewhere. Maybe put your phone on airplane mode after a certain time. Or simply don’t answer. Message your friends and say, I don’t mind you coming over but can you let me know in advance? Set times in your day you respond to emails, messages etc… from your clients. Tell your sibling you can’t give them that much but you could give them half of that.
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Start somewhere.
I hope this was valuable to you! Pick one of the three above and work on improving that area first then move onto another. I will tell you I am not perfect. I let some no’s pop into my calendar from time to time and I do pay for it later. However, we are human, we are forever growing and learning! The best you can do is better than yesterday. Please feel free to hit me up on facebook and let me know what you thought of this article! Looking forward to next time. Love and hi-fives,
R hi xo.
www.instagram.com/rhiofficial www.facebook.com/rhirhiofficial www.rhithistlethwaite.com
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THE LITTLE LUXE TRAVEL COMPANY
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Photo by Timur M
W
e help seasoned travellers with a passion for food and wine experience authentic and hidden local treasures through well-paced itineraries, staying in boutique luxury hotels, with plenty of free time. Maximum group size is 12.
CARLAH WALTON Founder
The Little LUXE Travel Company P.O. Box 324 MOSMAN NSW 2088 Phone: +61 (0)414 053 844
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ The-Little-LUXE-TravelCompany-102589034456249/ Instagram: @thelittleluxetravelcompany 17
W
ith 25 years in the travel, airline and tourism industry under my belt, I thought I’d pretty much seen it all, then Corona Virus, Covid 19, Wuhan Flu (or whatever you want to call it) hit and decimated the industry I love, live and breathe within a few short weeks. To say I and approximately one million other travel, tourism and aviation workers have been rocked to our core and left high and dry is an understatement, but the sun still rises every day and life goes on.
What this has led me to is a period of reflection, digging deep, re-evaluation, and many, many bottles of wine. Actually, that was my lightbulb moment. What I do (normally!!) is organise luxury wine and food tours to the best boutique wineries in the best wine regions of the world–famous and not so famous. We’ve all heard of the Napa Valley in the USA, and the Champagne region in France, but I love exploring the “new” regions which are the rising stars of the wine and food world. I put these into amazing itineraries, stay at boutique hotels – no big chains where you’re just a number – and give my clients ah-maze-zing experiences filled with authenticity and boutique luxury. Photo by Florent B.
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We’re so lucky in this country to have really good, world-class affordable wines and my motto is, “life’s too short to drink bad wine”! I remember one of my old bosses ordered a $2000 bottle of wine – it was awful, to be honest, and I went home and had a $12 bottle of Pinot Gris which I enjoyed far more. The cost doesn’t matter – it’s what tastes good to you. Seeing as we’re all going to be travelling local for a while, I’m going to do a series of articles on Australia’s wine regions and try to stick to little boutique cellar doors that are off the beaten track, but seriously good. Let’s start with NSW and make our way around, shall we?
Photo by Caroline Hernandez
The Hunter Valley is NSW’s oldest and best-known wine growing and making region with around 150 cellar doors, accommodation options, and world-class restaurants to boot. To say the Hunter is well polished and well-oiled is an understatement. The blend of tourism experiences and working functional wine-producing vineyards is really impressive. There are some enormous names in the Hunter, but I’m going to focus on the lesser-known boutique establishments so you can get away from the tour buses. In no particular order.
Photo by Kamil Kalbarczyk
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Wine HouseIn 2008, Suzanne and Ian Little took over the Hunter institution which was the Small Winemakers Centre and recently refurbished, rebranded and relaunched as Wine House. Wine lovers have been rewarded with a fresh, modern and cutting-edge tasting experience. It's a great place to taste the wines they lovingly create through their own label, The Little Wine Company which is exploring new varieties such as Albarino, Barbera, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Vermentino and 20
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newest kid on the block Pecorino in addition to the usual Hunter favourites. They also uphold the tradition of being the launching point for so many great Hunter brands: Keith Tulloch, Margan, Thomas, David Hook, Little Wine Co, Silkman, Hart & Hunter. While there have been a few changes in the line-up of winemakers over the years the ethos remains the same – the winemakers all make their own wines.
You can feel the love at Wine House. From the moment you walk in the attention to detail and the layout of the tasting room is a standout – small, intimate, inviting and very friendly. They also have the facilities to book in for private tastings and food/wine pairings for small groups. You can taste the love in their wines, the knowledge and genuine pride the staff display during the tasting, and the really interesting varietals available – it is cutting edge stuff combined with tradition and knowledge. There is so much to write about, but why don’t you just go and experience it for yourself? You’re welcome!! www.winehousehuntervalley.com.au
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Photo by CHRIS ELFES IMAGES
@peppertreewines #PepperTreeWines
Pepper Tree Wines Ahhh, Pepper Tree. From pretty humble beginnings, this cellar door has turned into a first-class experience and was the first cellar door I ever visited in the Hunter. Founded in 1991, Pepper Tree makes consistently great wines, drawing on vineyards situated in the Hunter and Orange in NSW to prized patches of soil in Coonawarra and Wrattonbully in South Australia. You could say it’s the best of four worlds.
www.peppertreewines.com.au
a private tasting in The Vault which is separate from the main tasting area and all of the staff are not only knowledgeable, but they have a great sense of humour – I never fail to come away from Pepper Tree with not only a case or two but feeling like I’ve had a real experience, that I’m not just a number.
The GM Sandra Brown and Winemaker Gwyn Olsen are both amazing women and you can tell the place has “a woman’s I just love Pepper Tree Wines because not touch”. The member events are the stuff of only are the wines superb (and I drink them legend and are highly subscribed to so if often to ensure consistency), but the tasting (and when) you join their wine club, be sure rooms are great – lots of room, great to go to one of their member events – you selections of wine to taste, you can book won’t regret it! 22
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The Carriages Boutique Hotel & Vineyard
Now this is just as the name says, boutique. If you appreciate handcrafted, single-vineyard wines you’re likely to love The Carriages which produces just 500 cases/year of predominantly Shiraz and Chardonnay, and sometimes a lovely light Rose if the conditions are right. There is no “cellar door” as such. The tasting is done at the check-in desk for the accommodation, or maybe out the front at the outdoor setting if there are more than two of you. The owners, Alastair and Nerina, are very thoughtful hosts and the accommodation is right in the vines. They have the best suggestions of local wineries and restaurants (which is how we found Wine House!!) and combine old fashioned hospitality with respect for privacy. We love it here and I can’t recommend both the wine and accommodation enough.
www.thecarriages.com.au 23
Petersons Wines Now, this is an oldie but a goodie. There are two tasting facilities for Petersons, one at Mount View and one on Broke Road on the way into/out of Pokolbin. I much prefer the Mount View cellar door as it’s amongst the vineyards, it’s picturesque, it’s a little less crowded and if you’re a member they have a private tasting room with cheese and bikkies! Their shiraz is superb, and if you can snag a bottle or 10 of the Old Block, or Back Block Shiraz, do it. It’s the only thing my ex-husband and I fought over in the divorce!! The staff is really lovely, and if you have a few friends, ring ahead to ensure you can get in because it’s worth the trip, not only for the wine but the incredible setting and ambiance. A firm favourite, tried and true. www.petersonswines.com.au 24
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Noyce Brothers wine Wollombi is a village in the Hunter Valley that produces some really beautiful wines. The Hunter is more than Pokolbin! We stumbled across the boutique Noyce Brothers Wine just before closing time. They could’ve turned us away, but they didn’t. We had a lovely tasting in their cosy tasting room and enjoyed having the place to ourselves. They produce distinctive Hunter style wines, particularly Semillon, Verdelho, chardonnay and shiraz. Whilst this is a tasting room, not a cellar door, there is still that feeling of being “amongst it” as the décor is very “vineyard”! With accommodation and a restaurant on-site, Noyce Brothers Wine is a lovely diversion off the Pokolbin wine trail. There are several different wineries to visit in the Wollombi area, but this one is really handy to all that Wollombi has to offer, and is a great find.
www.noycebros.com.au
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Lovedale long images
Lovedale long lunch Whilst not a winery, the Lovedale Long Lunch is worth waiting for where you get to taste the wine at participating wineries and experience a progressive lunch (entrĂŠe, main and dessert) at three pre-chosen venues. This is a great day out with a group of friends and a shuttle bus between wineries is provided so no chance of getting into trouble with the law!
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www.lovedalelonglunch.com.au
ACCOMMODATION
T
here are a plethora of excellent options in The Hunter Valley for accommodation.
Self-contained, hotel-style, pubs, Air Bnb, onsite at vineyards. There are too many to review, and again, I’m very fortunate to have stayed at a number of them, but one deserves a special mention as I’ve been coming here for many years, and there’s a very good reason why. 27
The Woods “The Woods” is three exquisite accommodation houses offering style, seclusion, and luxury. The Chapel House and The Folly House each have four queen size bedrooms with ensuites, some with spa, a dreamy fountain courtyard, and BBQ. It’s my favourite place to stay in the Hunter, and I hate telling you about it because I want to keep it all to myself. Each house has ducted air-conditioning, a fully equipped kitchen, a lounge with an open fire, including all the mod cons. What I like best is that whilst you can enjoy a weekend away with friends and have great times in the common area of the kitchen / dining / lounge room, there’s no sharing of bathrooms which I gave up after my backpacking phase in my 20s – privacy is paramount! Blackwood is the newest addition in May 2018. This exclusive retreat for just two offers opulence at every detail and is the ultimate romantic getaway. There is a private plunge pool here, and it’s divine! 28
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I’m SUPER lucky to have stayed in all three of the houses and cannot tell you how much I love this place. It’s within walking distance to a gazillion excellent cellar doors and concert venues (some closer than others, but the walk after a day of tasting is good!!!), the excellent Circa 1876 at Pepper Tree is across the road and to come home to a fire with the day’s purchases and a house full of good friends is what the Hunter is all about for me.
www.thewoods.com.au
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Photo by S. Zandar
The Hunter Valley Zoo is a little known zoo in Nulkaba is a fantastic small zoo with great experiences. The meerkat experience is my favourite and due to its size, you can get up close and personal with all the animals. I didn’t want to leave the meerkat enclosure though!
www.huntervalleyzoo.com.au
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Daybreak hot air ballooning is the best, and Balloon Aloft in the Hunter offer amazing packages and groups of varying sizes. It’s a really beautiful way to see exactly how big the wine industry is in the area, along with herds of kangaroos bounding around below. A truly lovely, serene experience with a great breakfast at the end.
www.balloonaloft.com Photo by Hosea Georgeson
I
could go on for ages about all there is to see and do, stay and eat, but you need to jump in the car and get yourself there to experience it yourself. There’s too much to do it justice in one article, but I’ve just included some of my favourites to give you a head start! For more comprehensive information please visit www.winecountry.com.au
Cheers!
Photo by Toa Heftiba
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THE ANXIETY PROJECT LOUISE FITZPATRICK
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ou Fitzpatrick is your go-2 Mental Health Motivator and founder at The Anxiety Project. She provides a relatable, motivating, no-bullshit and lived experience approach to Mental Health. Lou spent over 20 years fighting her own mind shitstorm (anxiety, depression, feeling lost as f*ck, lonely, frustrated and "all the things") and has come out the other side, passionately sharing her journey and lessons with fellow anxiety sufferers who are completely over it!
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Lou provides WEEKLY support within ‘The Members’ Lounge’ and delivers x2 online 'Life Changing' Mentoring program’s every year. She spends most of her time hanging out on Instagram sharing real, raw, relatable and entertaining snippets of her life and sharing solutions to support others through their mental health journey.
Photo: Stephanie White ( @stefspillsink )
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You know how you have heaps of shit going through your head whether it be anxiety, overwhelm, second guessing, feeling lost, unfulfilled, not knowing who the fuck you are anymore? And you just can’t make any sense of it, not matter how hard you try or who you talk to? Well, I help you make sense of it all, and get yourself back on track to feeling happy, confident and living a REAL life that you love. I suffered with anxiety and the shitstorm that it brings, for over 20 years. I tried everything, and I mean everything, to get on with my life, but I just kept coming back to the same position. Feeling really fricken shit, unmotivated, exhausted, and as if all I did was churn with absolutely 34
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Photo: Nancy Hanna (@nancyhannainfocus)
NO fulfillment, I felt like I had no purpose and no identity!!!!! The Anxiety Project started back in 2018 when I finally found the root cause to my anxiety!!! In an instant, MY WHOLE FUCKING LIFE MADE SENSE!!! It was the best feeling in the world. On April 12th, 2018, at 11.02am, I found the root cause to my anxiety and it has completely changed my life. I’m now on a mission to share my learnings with the world. It IS possible to beat the bastard and I want to teach people how they can. I created a 5-step program which is delivered online within a safe and private group community. Something that was also really hard when I was going through years of battling a mental illness, was the lack of
Photo: Stephanie White ( @stefspillsink )
affordable, accessible and relatable support. I have spent over $17,000 on my mental health, but the scary thing was, was that although this helped me 'manage it', it never really helped me get to the bottom of it. Until I took the time to dig deep and get honest with myself. I felt like I could never truly open up in my therapy because…. well, anxiety got in the way. I would be worried that I would be ‘judged’, taken away in a white van, blacklisted, whatever that all meant. (You know what it’s like when you have anxiety – WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOMES running through your head)
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The truth is, I didn’t realise how bad my anxiety was until I was out of it. There were SOOOOO many lessons I learnt through this ‘Uncovering’ Process. But one of the biggest ones was realising how much anxiety actually controlled my life. Now that I don’t battle with it on the daily, like I used to, I can see how much it was stopping me from being ME. I knew it was shit, but now I know how SUPER shit it was, but more importantly how fucking good it is to live without it! And since going on this big journey of mine, I have sooooo much more compassion and empathy, I didn’t think it was possible to gain this new level of compassion, empathy and openness. But it is.
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When you see things differently, you honestly just open yourself up to a higher level of connection, words cannot even describe. If I could go back in time and give myself ONE big tip, the tip would be; Spend more time learning about emotion (in a non woowoo type of way). I think we forget that the world is powered by people. People are powered by emotion, yet NO ONE teaches us about emotion. Something that is absolutely life changing.
And so where do you start in this ‘emotion learning journey’? What do you need to do in order to bypass the stigmatised layer that is out there, clouding what ‘Anxiety’ truly is? Well, I feel, from a lived experience, is that, in order to completely understand anxiety, you need to get truly honest with yourself. And it is the HARDEST thing you will EVER do, but once you do...ABSOLUTELY LIFE CHANGING! Photo: Stephanie White ( @stefspillsink ) 37
I think another big reason why ‘Anxiety’ is such a stigmatised topic, is that we forget that every single one of us is different. Yet all the coping and management strategies, the 'traditional' therapies, are a one-size-fits all. However, these traditional methods don’t work if you want to get to the BOTTOM of your anxiety (in my opinion – because I have tried them all). It just adds another clouded layer to hide the truth, to hide the deeper reason for why anxiety is there in the first place and this is where you need to get to, in order to move out of an anxious life. And the only person that can find this truth, is YOU!
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Photo: Laura (@sociallaura_ )
Louise Fitzpatrick (Lou) Mental Health Motivator & Mum The Anxiety Project
www.theanxietyproject.com.au IG: @the.anxietyproject FB: facebook.com/the.anxietyproject/ E: lou@theanxietyproject.com.au
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LIFE LESSONS & REFLECTIONS Marissa Warren
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ith 17 years of industry experience, Marissa has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and skills and thrives on a passion for helping others build a successful life and business. Combining varied business and management experience along with creating multiple businesses, these skills are transferred and shared openly and in abundance with others.
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As the owner and founder of Beyond Bronze, Marissa has created a brand philosophy that is all about feeling beautiful bronzed, the safe way. Through safe sun tanning and premium quality products, Beyond Bronze helps to deliver a flawless tan every time. Marissa has combined her passions to offer prestige products with business solutions and support, mentoring, and coaching. The brand's core values, purpose, and the "why" of passion, honesty, trust, compassion, dedication, and making a positive impact and difference to others' lives are infused into everything that is created and delivered. Marissa aims to uplift, motivate, and inspire others. Creating and living a life by design and living in a state of an abundance mindset is pivotal to Marissa and her success. Marissa is an advocate for continued development and growth and in sharing these insights with others to help them also foster a successful business, life, and positive mindset.
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D
uring times like the Covid-19 pandemic where freedom and control have been taken away and there are limitations on how you would normally live your life, it can bring a time of reflection and review over your life.
When faced with uncertainty and major instant changes, you may find that this is the time that one way to take control and create certainty, is to make changes to areas of your life that you have always wanted to do but never had the time or had other commitments to attend to. Having a global pandemic is catastrophic on its own, but if you add in the loss of a job or business and/or a family member and this can create the incentive to reflect, review and adapt to changes for a version 2.0 of yourself and a new future. Recently, I found myself in this situation in the lead up to my 40th birthday, another life milestone
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Photo credit : Shea Rouda
F
aced with having to recreate and rebuild a life that will always be very different from how it has always been and adjusting to a "new normal" of social distancing, travel restrictions and a complete change to working conditions and a major loss, this is a milestone birthday that will be memorable for so many reasons. The recent life events I was moving through has given me a not so subtle reminder about the things that are really important and what this journey of life is really all about. 43
Here are my 40 for 40 life lessons and reflections: 1. 2.
3.
4.
Life is so short and precious. Do not waste a second. Life is for living. Experience every moment and go on an adventure. You won't always have the same support, help, assistance, care, compassion, and kindness from others that you give to them.
You sometimes can't give back to others in the same way of support, help, assistance, care, compassion, and kindness they give to you.
5.
You have no control over how others behave but you have control over how you respond.
6.
Other people's issues and dramas are never yours to take on. Let them work through their own stuff and take their own journey.
7.
It doesn't matter what others do or say about you. Other people should never have the power to lessen your worth.
8.
9.
Everybody is important, special, and unique in their own way. Everyone has something to offer and a story to share if you are prepared to take the time to listen and be present with others. Never dull your shine and sparkle to stand in the shadows with another person. Everyone is deserving of shining bright and enjoying their own experiences.
10. Everything is temporary. 11. Everything always works out. 12. Everything is as it should be. 44
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13.
You only have 1 body and 1 mind. Train, treat and use them wisely. They need to get you far.
14. Laugh - as often as you can. 15. Love as much as possible. Infuse
love into your daily life, in all that you do and all those around you. Be present in all that you do.
16.
17.
18.
19.
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Always treat others with kindness, compassion, and empathy. You never know what others are going through. All that matters at the end is the quality of your relationships and how much love you give to others and how much love is around you. You don't need a lot of people around you. It is the quality of those around you that counts. You will never look back and think "I'm so glad I worked so much" or "I'm so glad I stayed in an unhappy job or relationship", etc. You will look back and think about your time with people in your life.
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20. Never settle for second best. 21. Value your worth. 22. If something doesn't align with you, give you
purpose or make you feel good, get out and stop! ASAP!!!
23. Life is too short to be unhappy. 24. Never let a moment pass you by without
saying how you feel to others. Express emotions. Be vulnerable. Hug more. Kiss more. It's these moments you will wish you had more of.
25. Always have the conversation. Talk more
openly, honestly, and deeply and listen more. You never know what path you'll go down by being open and honest with others. It's these things you will want more time to have.
26. It's ok to fail. It's your journey, so it's never a
failure. It's always a learning experience. It's also your journey and no one else's. It doesn't matter what others say about your experiences.
27. Eat all the yummy foods! Savour every
experience you can while you can.
28. Balance is key. While it can be hard to be
in complete equilibrium in all
29. Family isn't always the one you were born
into. You can create a family out of treasured friendships.
in the overall happiness of
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30. It's your life. You live it your way. As
long as you are treating others with kindness and respect, you should never feel bad about choosing you and choosing to live your life your way.
31. You will never regret the things you
did for yourself, but you will regret and resent living a life to please others. That is not the feeling you want to leave with.
32. Always take the time to listen. Even if
it is the same story you've heard a million times, one day you will do anything to hear it again.
33. Spend money wisely. It's not objects
that give satisfaction. Well, it can be, but it will be a short-lived feeling of happiness. It is the magic moments that count. Experiences and time with loved ones.
34. Travel and experience adventures
while you can and are fit and healthy enough. Never regret not seeing a place on your bucket list or taking an adventure.
35. It's true what they say. Take care of
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your health when you are younger and your health can take care of you when you are older.
36. Bad things can happen to good people. 37. People will do wrong by you. Let go of
the hurt and resentment. You don't want that toxic emotion festering in your body. It's not worth letting others control how you feel.
38. Spend as much time with the people
that make you feel good and less time or remove those that don't.
39. Some hurt and pain will always leave a
mark, but you can't let that hold you back from being open to new experiences.
40. Life will never be the same. It really is
a journey. Life is about depths, highs, and lows. It's how you can experience all the flavours. Don't be afraid to enjoy the smorgasbord. If you don't like something, you can move on from it and stay longer savouring the good parts. But just like you can't eat the same thing all the time, it's ok to move on from the good times when the time is ready. Embrace the new path and enjoy the journey.
Marissa Warren
Owner and Founder Beyond Bronze Phone: (07) 3158 2761 Email: info@beyondbronze.com.au www.beyondbronze.com.au Facebook: beyondbronzetan Instagram: @beyondbronzetan 49
HERE’S THE First THING YOU NEED TO DO WHEN
Starting Your Business N
o mucking around here. The only place to really start your business is with asking questions.
This may sound really silly, but trust me… it is vitally important. It is important because you MUST get an exceptionally clear picture of EXACTLY what you are going to do to bring in income, and how you are going to do this. You MUST ask questions. Not just any questions. It’s important to make sure you are asking the RIGHT questions. Never before has it been so vitally important to get this right, because without the right plan in place, your new business or income stream may not work. Time is of the essence for many of you, thus the reason why I’ve dedicated my time to getting this out for you. Photo credit : Jade Scholefield from Visual Branding GC
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Photo credit : Jade Scholefield from Visual Branding GC
There are quite a few questions you need to be asking. Firstly, what we need to discover, is more about you. Who you are, what it is that you love, what your passions are, and what do you already know?
energy I need to be creating right now. I’ll be enthusiastic, excited, energised, positive, loving, generous and switched on, because I am doing what I love to do, and helping people at the same time.
Take for example my business knowledge. This is stuff I know, backwards and forwards, and I know this knowledge will now help more people than ever. It is also something I am truly passionate about, and that I love to do.
Some people consider this “being in flow”, and this is EXACTLY where we need to get you to right now. So, with that in mind, get a notebook, and a pen and paper, and let’s get going.
So, naturally, by doing this, I will be firing on all cylinders, and be creating the exact
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Remember, if you don’t have all the answers right away, it’s ok. Just skip one question and come back to it. Once you start flowing you’ll be surprised at what will come up for you. If that happens, just stop, go back to the question you skipped and fill it in. Before you know it, you may know more about yourself than you even realised. So firstly, take some deep breathes. Allow your mind to clear of any negative thoughts it may be having. Think of something wonderful and exciting, something beautiful. Allow your mind to completely clear itself of any worry, or any thoughts that may be lingering. Then ask yourself…
What Do I Love Most In This World? Write down the very first thing that comes to your mind, no matter how silly your conscious mind may think it is. This is not about judging yourself. This exercise is to discover who you truly are and what you are passionate about.
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your unconscious mind to really sing to you, about its loves, it’s passions, it’s excitement, it’s joy.
Write about your joys, what makes you smile, your hobbies, your interests, the things you love to do.
THIS! This my friend is where the true answers lie. For you, for everyone, it will be different than others. That is the true beauty right now though as we can all bring something unique to this world. Providing we each know what that is.
Make a list, as long as you can. There are no wrong answers and no one need see this list but you. So write it like no one is watching. Dig deep inside yourself. Allow
Make sure you also write down what THRILLS you. What sets that fire in your belly into EPIC proportions. What makes your heart sing?
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What Skills Do I Have? Write down a list of the things you do well. It can be anything. Do not make the mistake of only writing down what you think others would approve of. Now is not the time to be holding yourself back in any way shape or form. Now is the time to be giving all that you have to give to the world. Now is the time to be showcasing every bit of knowledge and ability you have. Really, now is your ultimate time to shine. No matter what it is, there is sure to be someone out there who needs what you know. Who can benefit from what you have to share, to give, to offer, to help with? Now is the time to truly show what you are capable of, more than ever before.
Some examples you could be writing down are: Reading, Exercise, Writing, Cleaning, Cooking, Organising, Sewing, Motivating, Singing, Computer Repairs. The options are endless. They do not need to be elaborate. In fact, it could turn out that the simplest ideas you can come up with right now, could be the absolute winners. It could easily be the case where the term “Keep It Simple Stupid� comes into play right now. So, do not over complicate this. Just get it down on paper.
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Don’t hold back, and do not judge anything as silly or unnecessary. Include EVERYTHING!
Already you are starting to come up with ideas, plans for the future, things you COULD do, things that could bring you in income, things that could make a difference to others, aren’t you?
Now that you know what you love, what you are passionate about, what lights you up and brings you joy. How are you feeling? So, write these down… Get it all down, right Pretty good right? now, whilst it’s fresh in your mind. Do not let an idea stay in your head. Get it down, Excellent, then my first job here is done. no matter how silly you may still feel it is. See, it’s imperative that you feel good We’ll broaden the process yet, so anything about this “adventure”. That is what it is, right? Just a grand old adventure into a that is a bit on that side will be eliminated. That’s the next step. The next part of the world we do not know yet. roadmap, or blueprint. The most important If you can go into it knowing what you love, thing by far is to not hold yourself back. If you do not have the right mindset yet, and feel your passion, joy and excitement, then you are going to be 1000 steps ahead this could be easy to do. You will have to of anyone who doesn’t. Secondly, now that CHOOSE to do things differently now. you have a list of what you can do, your Choose to instead write it down, no matter skills and your abilities, I can imagine that you already have some ideas rolling around how silly it may seem. You just do not know what others may need and how what you inside your mind, don’t you? deem as silly, could help them.
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I really hope these two little exercises have served you well. This is an extract from my Amazon Best Selling Book – Lockdown Took My Income. If you’d like to learn more from this incredible resource you can do so here. GET THE BESTSELLING BOOK HERE
I look forward to bringing you plenty of tips and advice for starting, building and managing your businesses in future issues of the magazine. In the meantime though, go grab yourself a copy of my book. It could be the best thing you’ve done this year. Want to connect more with Maini? You can do so here. www.mainihomer.com Photo credit : Jade Scholefield from Visual Branding GC
Maini Homer FOUNDER AND CEO TALL POPPIES RISING Mobile +61 435 866 422 Website: www.mainihomer.com Email: maini@mainihomer.com
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EASTCOAST
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SURFBOARDS Based on the beautiful Central Coast of NSW ideally situated half way between Sydney and Newcastle smack bang on the coast, we live, breathe and love the surf. It’s our passion and we want you to experience the feeling of being one with the ocean. Whether sitting on your board surrounded by mother nature’s vast sky, crystal blue sea and sand or riding the wave, it’s pure bliss and a feeling like no other. Just you and the ocean-it’s your time to just be you.
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The ECS team grew up in the water with a love for the sport. It’s this devotion and attention to detail that has seen us grow from humble beginnings shaping just a few boards to where we are today. Our Founder Ryan Briggs-is head shaper and constantly evolving with new techniques and technology providing quality shapes using only the best materials sourced locally and abroad. Our CEO Clint Ledden is also hands on doing R&D, working the showroom and connecting with the local community to share his excitement for surfing with families from around the Central Coast. Remember, surfing is a family sport that everyone can enjoy and there is nothing better than spending a few hours down the beach with your tribe.
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W
e have affordable options for everyone at ECS and we won’t be satisfied till you are on the right board. Our range includes high performance short boards, summer boards, classic mals and beginner soft boards. They are sold and surfed worldwide and team riders live locally on the Central Coast, USA and several riders based internationally.
Harry Maskell is one of our local legends and team riders. He also does R&D and makes sure our customers are satisfied with their board choice. That’s why we love you to drop in to our showroom so you can see and feel the boards first hand. We aren’t happy till you are, so come on in or give us a call so we can get you on the best affordable board. Let’s start your affection for the ocean and surfing today as it’s a life long love you can’t shake!
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Web: https://ecsboards-australia.com.au/ Insta: @ecsboards_australia Harry Maskell @harrymaskell Ikit Agudo @ikit_agudo John Mark Tokong @maramatokong Philmar Alipayo @chepoxz Hannah Finlay-Jones @hannnahf_j Facebook: @ecsboards1
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ECS showroom: https://ecsboards-australia.com.au/pages/showroom Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9:00am to 4:00pm Other times by appointment. Address: 2/87 Gavenlock Road, Tuggerah, New South Wales 2259 Just off the M1, only 1 hour from both Sydney and Newcastle
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HOW TO DO A
BODY WEIGHT
WORKOUT
at Home
by Kylie 64
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THEY ARE 1 MINUTE CIRCUITS WITH 30 SECOND REST BETWEEN EACH EXERCISE
SQUATS
K
eep your weight in your heels and sit your hips back keeping your knees behind toes. Keep head up, chest up with back neutral. Ensure toes, knees, hips are in line as you squat.
Variation-
Add a jump to your squat.
Works your quads, glutes and hamstrings. 66
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K
eep your elbows pointing behind you and your body close to the chair when dipping down through this exercise.
Variation-
Legs straight in front with toes up or legs bent at 90 degrees Works your triceps, back and shoulders.
tricep Dip
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Alternate Lunge
K
eeping your legs at 90 degrees whilst performing the lunge. Ensure your knees do not pass over toes. Extend into standing position and repeat on other leg pushing off on your front foot.
Variation-
Bulgarian split squat, place your back foot on a step or chair and perform a lunge. 30 seconds on each leg. Works your quads, glutes and hamstrings.
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Glute Bridge
L
ying on a matt with a flat back and knees bent. Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips. Aiming for your shoulders, hips and knees to align and ensure your core is tight throughout.
Variation-
Single leg glute bridge. Works your glutes, calves, hamstrings and lower back.
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Cross Body Mountain Climber
E
nsure you abdominals are on and tight. In a plank position with hands under shoulders and feet hip width apart. Bring your knee from one side of your body towards the opposite elbow. Move your feet as quickly as you can.
VariationPlank
Works your abs, quads and chest.
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W
ith your feet off the ground and upper body tall, bring your opposite elbow to the opposite knee twisting between your pelvis and rib cage. Works your abs and obliques.
Bicycle Crunch
Flutter Kicks
L
ying flat on your matt with hands under the small of your back for support. Ensure your pelvic floor and core is tight. With straight legs, alternatively kick or flutter your legs. Works your lower abdominals.
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T
his total body workout is designed with variations in mind for all fitness levels. While this is a body weight workout, you can add weights as well or if you do not have a set of dumbells at home ( You can use empty milk bottles filled with water or bag of flour) Complete the circuit 1 minute for each exercise and go again trying to improve each time you do the workout. Go Ladies “Strong is Beautiful” you’ve got this!
For more fitness info and inspo follow Kylie on Insta: @kylie_pt or @transitionalhealthandfitness or visit www.thfstudio.net.au/contact-us/ I also offer 1 on 1 Personal Training either online or in the studio Call me at any time to chat 0449779418 Photo Credit-John Arano
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Fitness
K
ylie is a passionate personal trainer and group fitness instructor since 2014. Working with women with weights training exercises for progressive strength and mobility. Certified and specialising in pre and post-natal as well as women’s health and fitness to help others regain and maintain fitness and confidence as well as weight loss and agility. Kylie has competed in 7 Natural bodybuilding competitions to date. After 10+ years as a chef with a wealth of health and nutrition knowledge, in 2014 with her husband Jimmy Haskell Transitional health and fitness was born. Delivering "real results that last" in all areas of whether weight loss, muscle growth, shaping and toning, and mental health for all fitness levels. Both Kylie and Jimmy have helped over 3500 + clients change their minds, bodies, and health forever through face to face and online coaching programs.
CERTIFICATIONS:
Certificate - 3 & 4 in Fitness Certificate - in Women’s pre - post natal Certificate - 1 in Kettlebells Certificate - 1 in Bootcamp Certificate - in Principles of athlete strength and conditioning Certificate - in Exercise for children and adolescents Certificate - in Exercise guidelines for older adults
Kylie's Body building Results and Certifications September 2013ANB Newcastle & Central Coast female sports model championships, encouragement award. April 2018– ANB Central Coast championships female fitness model over 35yrs 1st place. NSW state titles fitness model over 35yrs 1st place. September 2018ANB Central Coast championships female fitness model over 35yrs 1st place. Australian National championships over 35yrs 1st place. April 2019ANB Central Coast championships female fitness model over 40yrs 1st place. NSW State titles 2nd place. October 2019ANB Central Coast championships female fitness model over 40yrs 2nd place. Australian National championships female fitness model over 40yrs 3rd place, Overall female fitness model 3rd place. female fitness model theme wear 3rd place.
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CHANGE YOUR MINDSET; CHANGE YOUR
LIFE
by Jimmy PT PART 1
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Whether it’s about losing weight, setting a new goal to achieve a new dream career, or just setting your mind to be ready to get healthier all starts with changing your mindset. Your mindset is a BIG part of the reason why you’re “here” in the first place. The mind is so powerful and what it can control or how you decide what’s possible and what’s not. That’s why if you want to achieve what you’ve never done before whether it is you deciding you are wanting to lose weight, start a new dream career or just get healthier, you need to CHANGE your mindset first. One of the big problems is we can sometimes do is focus on the NEGATIVES. What do I mean? Well, a lot of people, when they think about losing weight, starting that dream career or just getting healthier, we think about all the NEGATIVE aspects instead of the POSITIVE ones!
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The Model of
the Mind Some people will focus on the pain and sacrifice they think they’ll have to deal with to achieve their goals? To be honest with you here: If you can’t find a way to shift your focus to the POSITIVE aspects of losing weight, starting that dream or a new career, or just wanting to get healthier, you will find it hard to succeed. Your mindset from how it is right now, to visualizing how amazing you are going to look and feel once you achieve your goals can be a shift with your mind. You need to believe you can do this and I promise you, you will do it!! It starts with a true and very real belief from within yourself. So how do you shift your focus from what you might have to “give up” to what you’re going to GAIN by losing a couple of kilos, wanting to start a new career, or just get healthier? You have to start influencing your subconscious mind! See Diagram above 76
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" Your mind is a powerful thing. When you fill it with positive thoughts, your life will start to change.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
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HERE’S HOW TO SHIFT YOUR MINDSET:
Photo by Link Hoang
Step #1 Write out a Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Oriented goal (S.M.A.R.T) like... see example below, Example: (SMART) like “I, [your name], [your goal] [date] Maybe setting a reward like a holiday to help achieve that specific goal by that certain date
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NOTE: YOUR SMART GOAL MUST : Be challenging and it must be realistic at the same time!!
Step #2 Write out your S.M.A.R.T goal 10 times every single day. And DON’T write this out on a computer –you must write this out by hand. I’ve even included a printout on the next page for you to do this. Do this first thing in the morning. You’ll be able to start influencing your subconscious mind, which will help you make the right decisions that align with your goal of getting in incredible shape every day.
Photo by Trent Szmolnik
For more info on how to help your mindset or learn more please follow:
insta: @transitionalhealthandfitness www.thfstudio.net.au/contact-us/ to book in your complimentary 15min goal setting orientation call. 79
FIONA DJAPOURAS
F
iona is an Integrative Mindset Coach and a CTC Master Therapist. In both these roles, she is a champion for transformative change. Fiona works with you to uncover and develop your purpose and passion and create habits and behaviours to move you closer to your goals. Even if you feel that you are drifting along, and every day is the same as the day before, working with Fiona will re-energise you to help you step into the life to which you aspire.
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Photo by Madison Inouye
Fiona works with people in all different stages and phases of life, such as: • Business executives • Entrepreneurs • Athletes • Community leaders • Parents • Anyone wanting more fromtheir relationships
My strength is to bring structure and focus to improve your mindset and remove negative subconscious habits and behaviours. From this new place of empowerment, you can lead in a way that brings out the best in others. This type of leadership creates successful and happy communities, families, organisations. Even if you do not have the job title of ‘leader’ you still have an impact on everyone around you, and my approach will help you build long-lasting and healthy relationships. If you are ready to step into your own power and move your life to a new trajectory, then book a one-hour free coach consultation.
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S
o, you feel like every day blends into the other. Life is fine but maybe a bit ‘meh’. This may be because you are not living a purposeful life. You are not living in the optimum. The life you were meant to live is not quite where you are. My name is Fiona Djapouras and I am an Integrative Mindset Coach and CTC Master Therapist. In both these roles, I am a champion for transformative change. I work with individuals to uncover and develop their purpose and passion and create habits and behaviours to move them closer to their goals. They may feel they are drifting along, and every day is the same as the day before. Our work together re-energises them to help them step into the life to which they aspire.
Photo by Daria Shevtsova
So why does it matter if you are living life on purpose? What does this mean? People experience a dramatic improvement in their lives when they have a meaningful purpose. Purpose sets the entire context of our lives. Without a clearly defined purpose, we are just a haphazard combination of goals and non-goals and actions and non-actions meandering through space and time. A purpose is a master plan for our life. Knowing our purpose helps us define our goals. It helps us avoid getting lost in the minutia of daily life by keeping our eyes on the target. It can make life much more enjoyable and effortless. Photo by Artem Beliaikin
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You may know someone who retired but without the daily reason to get up and go somewhere, they live a lack lustre experience and merely exist. Or maybe you know someone that talks about wanting to lose weight but does not do anything to deliver on this aspiration. Defining our purpose helps us focus. Purpose is something we must uncover for ourselves. It is not something that others choose for us; rather, it is something we must discover for ourselves. It emerges from an exploration of what we value most. When we are defining our purpose in life, it is important to not worry about how we will go about achieving it.
Photo by Gabriela Palai
As long as your purpose fills you with passion, it can be simple and safe or grandiose and daring. My purpose is to facilitate transformation and help others to live a purposeful life. All my activities, intentions, and goals emerge from this basic purpose. Here are some simple tips that can help you to make the most of this time and understand who you are and discover your passion and purpose. This can be done as a family, with the kids or with the parents. You are never too late to find your purpose! To start it off, grab a journal, notebook, artist pad, anything at all that you can write down your musings. Your purpose will not just appear, but you can spend 10 minutes a day doing all or any of these activities to begin discovery. How exciting is that?
Photo by Kinga Cichewicz
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PASSION - Think of the times when you are so in the moment, nothing else matters. Those moments when suddenly 5 hours have passed, and you smiled the whole way through. Write down your thoughts about this activity. What were you doing, who were you with, what were you feeling, what started it all... all these thoughts help you to understand that origin of joy.
CHILDHOOD - What did you enjoy doing as a child? Craft, paint, study, cook, write, play sport, team sport, solo activities? If you do not remember, maybe have a chat with a family member. What do they remember you doing and enjoying?
BEST PORTRAIT - Ask others about where they see you shine? At work, in school, as a leader, anything at all. What did they think you do well? Where were you happiest? You will be surprised by their answers. I did this every year for my performance review and the answers were inspiring, sometimes surprising, and always encouraging. I did not realise which of my actions had the most impact. 84
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FUTURE SELF - Write about yourself in 30 years’ time or at your funeral. What do you want to read here? What do you want to reflect on your life?
VALUES - What values drive you? Knowing your core values helps you to know where you are happiest and why you do what you do. I use the VIA character Strengths free survey that identifies your unique profile of strengths. Knowing this information helps you to be your best self. Try this link here to do your test and I will happily help you understand your report and give you suggestions on how to work with these strengths.
Photo by Nine KĂśpfer
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Once you have spent time doing the above activities, take some paper and write or draw down key words or feelings or diagrams. Now step back and see how they interact and link. What are the common threads and themes? Eventually, they will integrate because as Charles Eames (American designer), says "Eventually everything connects" because they have YOU in common. It will start slowly but keep looking, take notes when things feel right, think through the connections that you make. Talk it out loud with a friend. To learn your purpose may feel elusive but with the right introspection, it is yours for the taking.
Make this the start of your why.
''
The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why - MARK TWAIN
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When you know why you are here on this Earth you will be intrigued, fascinated, and excited about the future opportunities that await you. And that is how you face the future with love and excitement. And this is so adaptable for children. Imagine them having the opportunity each day to find out their driving purpose at an early age. Wouldn't this be the start of something exciting? If you feel like you want help with this, all my sessions are extremely effective online as they are face to face. Or if you think this is something that would interest someone else, please share this post. Contact me and we can talk. As a regular contributor, each month I’ll be talking through areas that help to broaden your awareness of living a purposeful life. I look forward to sharing this with you and hope that it brings you enlightenment.
E: fiona@fionadjapouras.com W: https://www.fionadjapouras.com/ INSTA: fiona_djapouras FB: fionadjapouraslivinglifeonpurpose Photo by Denys Nevozhai
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BRAD PEARCE DENTAL
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Website: www.bpdental.com.au Facebook: Brad Pearce Dental Clarence Valley Dental
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F I N D YO U R S PA R K L E A M I
R A N K I N
A
mi is a Wellbeing and Emotional Intelligence Coach with BU Coaching based on the Central Coast. She is passionate about helping people to realise their full potential.. to find their sparkle! Ami specialises in working with clients to discuss where they are at right now but more importantly, where they want to be and what tools and mindset changes they can implement to live the life they really desire.
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Photo credit: Gypsy and Sage
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Ami’s free 30 page ebook is a 7 day challenge which explores a different factor of life each day such as morning routine, evening routine, what your ideal day looks like as well as physical and emotional wellbeing. Each day has a detailed description of what you can consider along with easy and actionable tasks to help you to move from plodding through life to thriving in just 7 days!
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Photo credit: Gypsy and Sage
If you are sick of feeling overwhelmed or anxious and if you’re ready to become the best version of yourself, then this practical ebook is the perfect tool.
- ARE YOU SICK OF COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS? - ARE YOU SICK OF FEELING UNORGANISED? - DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU COULD BE SHINING A LITTLE BRIGHTER?
It’s time to choose you. It’s time to put you first and align with how you want to feel. It’s time to get your sparkle back!
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New Year, same me... BUT BETTER!
7 days to a simpler, easier and happier 2020. Because you don't have to be a 'new me' every year. WWW.AMIRANKIN.COM
Go ahead and DOWNLOAD your own copy of the EBOOK, or head over to the website to read blog posts CLICK HERE
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Get FREE PRINTABLES and listen to episodes of Ami’s Podcast THE NOURISHING AMI PODCAST
SPOTIFY
Website: www.amirankin.com Instagram: @ami_rankin
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WHAT’S YOUR
PERSONAL ECONOMY? S COT T
H
M C M O N I G A L
i, I am Scott McMonigal, Property Valuer, with knowledge and experience specializing a variety of property types and geographical locations in NSW. I have bought and sold many properties over the years and had experience in many situations including dealing with tenants & owners, natural & personal disasters. I am bringing that experience to you. However, actions speak louder than words and my life motto is;
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" For Every Action There Is An Equal And Opposite Reaction
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I’m going to talk about “YOUR PERSONAL ECONOMY” now this is a concept that I have lived by all my life. I do like my mathematics, and I do think things can be broken down simply by maths, which can eliminate vagueness, waste of time situations, and measurement of things that you do every day that don’t have a $ value. Let's get straight to it.
For example, just say you earn $20 per hour after-tax and superannuation. You then have the usual situation of say a 40 hour week so therefore you’ve got $800 in money that you can spend on your commitments and then see what you have left.
I will use a number of examples to show you how it works, and how much time you spend on buying things. You will then see how much time and effort you spend on doing things that really don’t have a monetary value.
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Photo by Clay Banks
We all have costs per week to live; Phone at $25
Car at say $100 including rego and insurance
Accommodation is a BIG factor and can
be anywhere between $150 if you’re living at home and maybe up to $400 if you are paying for electricity, water, and renting by yourself. So, let’s just pick a figure of $250 a week to cover off (I'm sure it is more than that though)
Food $200 Incidental costs $50 (gyms etc)
For a single person-let us quickly add that up now. That equals $625 per week. Deduct that from our net income of $800. So, you have $175 to buy other things such as clothes, holidays, etc...
Now, let's divide that by your 40 hours and it equals $4.40. (I’ll use this figure soon) So, these figures suggest that if you say buy a new phone case for $60 are willing to work 13.6 hours this week for it? ($60 divided by $4.40) You got me? That outfit in the wardrobe that cost $440. That will cost in hours after costs 100 hours ie 2.5 weeks of work (5% of your year) But wait …it gets worse! So, then if you wear it say 10 times over the next 3 years, each time you wear it, it would of cost you $44. Scary stuff I know right? As long as you're prepared to work for it I have no problem what you buy but sometimes the things we buy don’t reflect how much it actually costs us to work for it. Food for thought. Now, before my next feature here is your homework. Homework: What’s Your Personal Economy $ amount per hour?
http://propertyvaluationsnsw.com.au/
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THE AIRPORT ECONOMIST T I M
H A R CO U R T
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he Airport Economist is your guide to doing business across the globe. Led by renowned economist Tim Harcourt, we’ll be visiting thriving markets to find out what the emerging opportunities are for doing business there, how to get your foot in the door, learn from companies who are successfully operating, as well as discover the local culture. In each episode, we’ll arm you with all the knowledge and insights you need to take your business international.
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CORONANOMICS – the Economics of COVID-19 What have we learnt so far? Corona Virus or COVID-19 is the biggest global public health pandemic in just over 100 years – since the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918 just after the First World War. Most of the media interest had been in the public health aspects of the crisis but increasingly interest is on the economic consequences of the pandemic and often the issues involved in fighting wars on both fronts, become entwined. This virus that started from the wet markets (markets selling wild animals) started
in the Chinese industrial city of Wuhan (the Chicago of Asia) and has made its way to South Korea, Iran, Italy and now the rest of the world. If trade bought prosperity to all corners of the world then this Corona Virus is taking it all ways showing the dark side of an interdependent world. And a public health challenge than none of us would have experienced before.
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It’s a public health crisis first and foremost, but in looking at the economic aspects, what have we learned so far? It’s the end of Globalisation as we know it Globalisation will never be the same. But it’s not an outright rejection but rather a re-set of Globalisation. The difference between this crisis and SARS or even the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) or North Atlantic Financial crisis is that all major economies have been hit almost at once by impact of the Corona Virus and it’s done damage to global supply chains in manufacturing and even more to people- based industries like education and tourism and other services-based exports. There’s been disruption and nations will want to rebuild with a revitalised interest in economic self-sufficiency – especially in medical equipment and technology – and never be reliant on imports in an emergency again. The fact the nation that dominates global supply chains in medical equipment is also the origin of the pandemic is not helping matters. The nation state is back. Despite the talk of supranational governance citizens are looking to their national governments to deal with the crisis. Italians looked to Rome not Brussels – the European Union (EU) has been very low profile, and in China Beijing took control from Wuhan’s city and provincial leaders once the virus started spreading. Borders have been shut – within the EU as well as to the EU and nations as diverse as New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Norway and Australia were quick to shut their borders. In Australia states have even done it starting with the island state of Tasmania followed by the Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and finally, Queensland. And public ownership of key industries is back on the agenda too. Starting with the airlines we will see partial nationalisation. It’s mooted for the UK, Europe and Asia. And the main carriers in the Middle East are already state owned thanks to the deep pockets of their government owners. And the same for ports and airports. But it may stop at bank nationalisation. But all in all, in Australian terms we are going to be seeing a bit more of the economic flavour of Ben Chifley and a little less Paul Keating. 102
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Whither foreign investment? The days of fully mobile capital are gone. And state-owned enterprises buying up distressed assets off shore. We have already seen Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announce sweeping new changes to Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) guidelines that will mean all foreign direct investment bids will be scrutinised with the threshold abolished. At first it was said this would apply to free trade agreement (FTA) partners but this was clarified to apply to all. Why FTA partners? Clearly the Treasurer was not worried about a flurry of investment from Chile or Thailand, it was clearly directed at Chinese state-owned enterprises looking to pick up distressed assets. The media photos of medical equipment being sent from Australia back to China on charter flights by Chinese owned companies didn’t help perceptions.
So, what’s the wash up? Australia has relied in foreign investment since Governor Phillip brought convicts to these shores – but we have been a trading nation well before when the indigenous people of Arnhem land traded sea cucumber with the fishermen of Makassar – and that will continue. But Australia is going to be careful to spread foreign ownership so it’s not dominated by one country, it is going to be careful about strategic assets and geo-political risk (no more Port of Darwin sales) and generally more watchful in this space. 104
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Fiscal Stimulus – go early households, go again and again?
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During the GFC, Australian Treasury Dr Ken Henry was the mastermind of the “go early, go hard, go households” approach that enabled Australia to avoid recession – one of the few western economies to do so. Now the Federal Government is looking at several stimulus packages targeting households and small business and selected industries adversely affected by Corona Virus like the arts, sports, tourism and aviation (the airlines received a $715 million package). But this is different to the GFC in that there was no social distancing or lockdown in 2008, it was purely an economic crisis, not a public health plus economic crisis. Whilst it is important to bolster the safety net and keep money in the economy a big stimulus during lock down when global supply chains are log jammed may not work. The Federal Government may choose to wait until a vaccine is found for the virus and then bring in a stimulus to help kick start the recovery. The Reserve Bank of Australia, for its part, like most of the world’s central banks, have let interest rates fall to almost zero and have bought back bonds to help put cash on in the economy.
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Labour pains - Will a wage subsidy do has vast economic implications and may even change how we work in the the trick? In a welcome move the Federal Government has brought in a wage subsidy, that allows workers to remain on the books (even if sent home) and eases the burden on employers by picking up part of the tab in terms of payroll. Countries like Denmark have implemented this with some success and it’s on the cards in the UK as well. This helps ease anxiety in the labour market and keeps workers attached to their employer without bankrupting the company. It also helps in recovery as the employer just puts the worker back on and we avoid transactions costs of firing and re-hiring. Will it do everything? Well it can’t but it is a necessary but not sufficient policy in dealing with corona virus. The constructive role played by the Trade Unions and the Minister for Industrial Relations has been a positive to come out of the crisis.
The Tyranny of Social Distance Australia’s great economic historian Geoffrey Blainey wrote ‘The Tyranny of Distance’ to describe Australia’s place in the world as well as the vast distances within our shores as well as beyond our shores. Now, half a century on, we have ‘The Tyranny of Social Distance’ which prevents people from being in crowds and increasingly in smaller and smaller groups. This may be temporary but it
post Corona economy. Will we find we can work at home, without staff meetings (thank goodness) will the reductions in traffic congestion and carbon emissions give us some guide to what may work in a future environment? This may provide a controlled experiment to how human beings adapt to change when we have to (and we may even surprise ourselves on the upside).
No more bread and circuses – Footynomics and the Arts end of the world The Tyranny of Social Distance has adversely affected anything involving crowds from our favourite sports to the arts and culture and even religion. It has revealed the economic value of sport too as the AFL and NRL, Australia’s two major football codes in terms of commercial value were very reluctant to postpone their respective seasons and it took a while for Japan to give in to the inevitable and move the Tokyo Olympics to 2021. All sports and arts institutions will be very different post Corona, and the rediscovery of outdoor pursuits (even simple ones like playing with your kids in a city park) could transform sports and recreation after the crisis.
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The post Corona economy – the financial system and a higher education Post War reconstruction of the 21st system (the expansion of the universities) and research programme (via the century During World War Two, in Australia, the Curtin Chifley Labor Government was fighting a war in the Pacific and possible invasion whilst setting up the nation for a post war world of industrial development, full employment and mass immigration. This was known as Post War Reconstruction, one of the biggest social and economic programmes the nation has undergone in its history. The changes in the war economy, with Women working in munitions factories and the like, made the planners think this could work in the peace, along with the need for a larger population and a banking and
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CSIRO). It could well be that whilst the nation and the world brings in temporary measures to deal with Corona Virus, this could also be an opportunity to remake ourselves, develop new industries and new ways of working and dealing with work, education and family life.
The global economy will never be the same again after Corona Virus and we might also find that neither will that nation and the way we deal with work, with enterprise, with play, with family and how we deal with the natural environment.
*Tim Harcourt is the J. W. Neville Fellow in Economics at UNSW Business School, UNSW Sydney and host of The Airport Economist
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and The Airport Economist Podcast
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SKILLS FOR YOUR CAREER L O R E T TA
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s an avid advocate for career fulfilment, Loretta has developed a reputation in the industry for aligning people with careers that are meaningful to them. She is on a mission to help purpose-driven professionals reconnect with their passion and gain the confidence to create a fulfilling career. WHY IS SHE ON A MISSION? Following 15 years pursuing a passion-seeking journey and securing meaningful roles, Loretta also experienced setbacks and unpredictable turns that a career journey can take you on. As a result, she has developed a unique skill set and resilience to overcome difficult times by responding and adapting positively to change. Now she can help others who have experienced similar situations she has by supporting them with their next career move. Loretta believes when purpose-driven professionals are living out their purpose they will be truly connected and joyful, spreading more love in the world and uplifting others. 110
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HOW MY BACKGROUND CAN SUPPORT YOU? A sought after resume writer with 15 years’ experience writing professional resumes and transitioning job seekers into the workforce through the delivery of government programs combined with my knowledge and background in recruitment. As a result of my extensive experience, I understand what employers want and how important it is to market your professional self forward to potential employers. I have helped many individuals uncover their unique strengths and personal brand feeling more confident in who they are and their abilities so that they can use this renewed insight to accelerate their job search.
Loretta has now built a thriving career development business known as Skills For Your Career serving clients by helping them reconnect with their passion and true self helping hundreds unemployed job seekers and mothers return to work, professionals changing careers, or professionals wanting higher-level roles, gain employment in a range of sectors. We encourage self-exploration and investing in yourself so that you can become who you truly are and achieve your career goals that are meaningful to you.
"My goal is to make you feel more empowered to market yourself to potential employers with an authentic self-confidence in yourself and your capabilities. “With a conscious belief in your abilities and a transformed level of enthusiasm, you will have a spark that no employer can resist"
– Loretta
WHAT ARE CLIENTS SAYING... "I cannot recommend Loretta Spatocco enough! Her service is truly a genuine one, she has invaluable skills and her willingness to go the extra mile to assist is amazing. I want to express my gratitude for your time, consideration and powerful support you've given me throughout the whole process." - Melissa C.
Spatocco,
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3 Tips TO EMPOWER YOURSELF DURING THE JOB SEARCH AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES.
Photo by Priscilla Du Prez
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ith the global pandemic, the way we live has had a major shake-up and we are all adapting to enforced change on every level. It reminds me of the enforced change I experienced during my career. The most recent redundancy was in 2015 and at the time, I was five weeks pregnant. I was shocked. But I didn’t panic.
Now I can help others navigate this uncertain time. Nine times out of ten by knowing how to start the job search with the right authentic energy, mindset, effort and heart attached to your job search will enable the process of attracting roles and employers which are in alignment with you. If you haven’t seen results from your job search prior to Covid-19, it may mean that you could use this quarantine time to reflect, change your focus, make new decisions and up-level your approach and your mindset towards the job search.
Why? Because what got me through other job losses was adapting and responding to change positively, maintaining optimism, gratitude, hope and trusting my intuition that my next role will reveal itself. At 6 months pregnant, I became a professional Resume Writer. This position I’ve compiled a list of tips to help perfectly aligned with my strengths, empower you on your journey and create passion, values and my new role of an aligned job search. becoming a mum. I learnt to trust the process. The unique skills, resiliency and positivity I used to overcome difficult times, comes as a result of the responding to the unpredictable turns that a career journey can take you on. It brought out major strengths and willpower to become a stronger version of myself.
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TIP #1:
SHIFT INTO AN OPTIMIST MINDSET If your mindset toward the job search and writing a resume is stuck in a negative or disempowering state, we first, need to shift this mental attitude into expecting the best possible outcome from your job search efforts.
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Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR MINDSET IS AS YOU BEGIN THE JOB SEARCH?
Let's say you're talking to a friend and you share with them how "horrible" the job search is. You are putting the focus on how it is making you feel in a disempowering way. But what if you were to reframe your thinking to saying it like this... "I'm learning so much about myself during the job search.” “I feel like every interview is an opportunity to practice my interview skills”. “I’m actually feeling more prepared for when the right role comes.” Can you feel the difference? We don’t realise how much passion we put into what we don’t want when we use negative words. By shifting your energy into a more positive light, you’re able to turn the challenges of the job search into a learning opportunity, maintain a positive attitude and confidently stay in the driver’s seat of your career journey.
"You are a beautiful passionate being, so make sure you direct your passion wisely." - Lessons from The Secret
If this sounds like you then right now you'll be aware that your mindset is negative. This can make the job search much more challenging and slow your success right down. Instead of thinking that the job search is frustrating and hard reset your mind to thinking that it is exciting, inspiring and empowering. I know that may sound hard at the moment but once you start to feel more confident in yourself, excited about pursuing the role that lights you up, you’ll see how positive words will start to serve you better.
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TIP #2:
GET CLEAR ON WHAT ROLE YOU WANT
Knowing what role you want to pursue is where your effort needs to be focused first. Why? Because then you can create a targeted and effective resume that matches your experience and strengths aligning them the role, industry and company. Working with hundreds of passionate professionals, this technique increased the chance of interview success. So knowing what role you want to pursue is crucial when creating an aligned job search. What will become a turning point is knowing how achieving this role will IMPACT your current situation.
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“There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling. It’s why you were born. And how you become most truly alive.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
Try this exercise to gain clarity on your next move:
1. What role will mean more to you than any other role? 2. Where do you want to work? 3. How will working at XYZ change your situation? With step 3, the power lies in how achieving this role will impact your situation. When the setbacks make you feel disheartened, remember your why and this will fuel your motivation to keep going.
3. How will working at XYZ change your situation?
I can support my family financially. I will have the opportunity to spend time with my children during school holidays. More significantly, I can continue to empower students to reach their maximum potential, be a positive role model for my daughter and show her to never give up on her career dreams.
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"The best way to predict the future is to create it." ~Abraham Lincoln Even if you don’t’ know what role you want to pursue, being clear about your core values and why they motivate you can support your approach to seeking employment or a role that is meaningful to you. Your value system is unique to you and every time you embark on the job search throughout your career journey this system gets activated again. Therefore, by realigning your personal and work-related values with your next career move this is how you can step into momentum and bring career fulfillment.
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TIP #3:
LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR CREATING AN ALIGNED JOB SEARCH
VALUES THAT MOTIVATE AND MAKE YOU FEEL FULFILLED: - - - -
Making a difference in society Giving back to the community Helping and offering support and guidance Expressing work/ideas through creativity
THE VALUES THAT ARE RELATED TO THE WORK ENVIRONMENT OR CAREER PATH INCLUDE: - - - - - - -
If you need further inspiration on a few more values, search stevepavlina.com and you’ll notice a list of 400 values that will help you develop a clearer sense of values that are important to you. Identifying these prior to choosing a career or whether to accept a job offer is important. It can play a crucial part in ensuring that we feel aligned with the opportunity or next move.
Photo by Jeremy Bishop
Feeling challenged Collaborating with other team members Comfortable income or a higher salary Recognition for achievements Job security Further training and support Promotion
LET’S DIVE INTO IDENTIFYING YOUR VALUES! 1. List 20 of your work-related values and core values in your notebook. Once you have analysed these values by using the link to build your list, the next step is to prioritise your top 10 and record them in your notebook.
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FINAL INSPIRED THOUGHTS Though the current job market is discouraging at the moment, moving ahead with a positive outlook is vital. I want you to know opportunities can arise out of difficult times even when you never thought it was possible. As the market shifts, the best strategy to start on now is preparation. This includes mindset, enhancing your self-awareness, gaining clarity on your next move and preparing your professional career documents. When you are ready, commit to the process and don’t give up on what is important to you. Learn to enjoy the job search and career journey. It truly is the best self-development activity you can ever do. Don’t let the journey affect your self-worth. If you know you’re putting in 100% effort into your job search, there is a demand for the work that you’re passionate about then trust the process and know your hard work will create opportunities. I hope to empower you to pursue your dream role and remind you to never give up, believe in yourself and keep going on your purposeful journey. 120
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Loretta Spatocco
Coach, Resume Career Alignment r of Skills For Your Writer and Owne of the Bring Your Career. Founder Life movement. Dream Career to
Photo by Jude beck
Feeling moved to give back, and support the community, Skills For Your Career is hosting a Two-part training series. The first part is FREE offering support with the job search, career clarity and building self-awareness via an online Facebook Workshop. It is designed to inspire, empower and support each other through this challenging time. Learn more and sign up here: https://skillsforyourcareer.com/ sign-up-for-the-bring-your-career-to-life-movement/
W: https://skillsforyourcareer.com/ FB: #coursesresumesandworkshops Insta: @skillsforyourcareer
Photo by Doran Erickson
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HOW THIGH GAPS CHANGED MY THINKING A N I TA
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or some, thigh gaps are the epitome of beauty and sacrifice… Unfortunately, many of these people also measure their self-worth by it…
There’s a clear correlation between their thigh gap and their self-worth. The smaller the thigh gap the bigger the anxiety levels. The law of inverse proportions.
No gap = no self-worth, leading to And it got me thinking about the self-loathing, intense shame and rest of us. The ones that perhaps internal hatred. aren’t driven by a thigh gap. The ones that are driven by something else Small gap = small self-worth and altogether.. and for everyone that will thoughts of “if only, then they’d” (if be something very different. only I exercised more/ate less then they’d hire me/love me more) So, does the law of inverse proportions still apply to us? In this thinking, a thigh big gap means the better person I am, the more beautiful, the more desirable.
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ALL OF US HAVE OUR OWN PERSONAL Our personal thigh gap is that space between what you want… and what you have, or what you think you can have, your expectations.
thigh gap.
live up to, including them. And so as the gap between their perfectionist ideals and the reality of life expands, so does their anxiety level.
After coaching thousands of people, But that didn’t fit with my law of and asking them about their personal inverse proportions theory… thigh gap, patterns start to emerge. Until, I realised that what ‘real’ And what I’ve noticed is this… The thigh-gappers wanted wasn’t really bigger our personal thigh gap, the the gap, it was what they believed bigger and higher our anxiety levels. the gap gave to them – love, Take the woman that feels stuck acceptance, value. All the things that in a loveless marriage that knows we ALL want, but they felt they could deep down that this isn’t how life is only have with the attainment of the supposed to be. High expectations elusive thigh gap. + low reality = big gap = big anxiety. When their ‘personal thigh gap’ Compare that to the woman who between what they want (healthy feels comfortable in who she is, self-worth and to be loved) and loves the man she’s with, deals openly what they feel their actually worth is with challenges as they arise, and (which is driven by the size of their feels safe. Low expectations + high actual thigh gap), is big so is anxiety. reality = small gap = low anxiety. For all of us, a big personal thigh gap Or the boss that demands perfection drive can unresourceful behaviours of themself and everyone around like eating disorders, cheating, them 100% of the time. Impossibly withdrawal and rage. high expectations that no one can
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The woman in the loveless marriage isn’t stuck.. She has options. Maybe her expectations of what a fulfilling marriage is are based on Disney movies or Mills and Boon romance novels and need to be adjusted, or maybe she needs to up her own levels of personal happiness and significance first so that she can be more open to re-creating connection and love. Whichever way you chose to reduce your personal thigh gap (and therefore your anxiety levels) is up to you, but it comes from changing either your expectations or changing your current life position, and you get to choose. For me, I’m happiest when my thighs are rubbing together, with the gentlest of caresses.
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Anita van Rooyen is a confidence coach and human behaviour expert who helps people to build lasting confidence, using tools that truly work, so that they can make better decisions for themselves about their job, happiness, contentment and even life itself. www.anitavanrooyen.com www.instagram.com/confidencehackers www.facebook.com/groups/ConfidenceHackers
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WHY YOU SHOULD SEEK DISCOMFORT AND HOW TO DO IT M O L L Y
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ear. Every human has a fear. You’re not the only one. It ranges from having a fear of spiders, to heights or even failure. However, what if I told you that by immersing yourself in fear, seeking the discomfort in life rather than the comfortable could change your life forever? Grow yourself as a person? Allow you to achieve what you think is impossible.
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Stepping outside of my comfort zone changed my life. Though it has been difficult, caused anxiety, made me sweat buckets (which I must admit isn’t the prettiest of sights) and even feel my heart thumping out of my chest, it has all been worth it. Why? Because without seeking discomfort, I wouldn’t have skydived, moved to a country alone, or even learnt how to speak French or submit this article. Think of a
time that you felt uncomfortable, how did it make you feel? Nervous? Scared? Well, why not change our perspective and think of how we changed after the event… we became stronger, bolder, braver than ever before - though it is overwhelming the after effects are fantastic, it gives you a sense of power and confidence. Everyone deserves a confidence boost in life, to feel worthy and empowered.
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By living in the comfort zone, it is only limiting you, when you as a human are limitless. The only way you’ll ever be able to become more than who you are is by experiencing what is outside of you. If you live in your comfort zone, you’ll settle. It will be much harder to do the ‘leap of faith’, jump into the deep end. As an infant, little did you know that you have already been living between your comfort zone and outside of it, remember trying to ride a bicycle for the first time? Learning how to swim? Or trying to make new friends? It may seem that your comfort zone holds a lot of power over you, but with some perseverance, and patience you can begin to develop the habit of getting out of it.
is presenting a new idea in your mind, which is YOU becoming aware. The second step is now to take action, by this I mean to write everything down on a to-do list, even if it’s unrelated to this fear or outside your comfort zone. By tackling the small things first will allow you to progress to the much bigger tasks which require more energy from you.
Remember to not overwhelm yourself, and take one step at a time, for one step is better than no steps at all. This will then build your confidence, so that when you’re presented with an activity or concept outside of your comfort zone it will be much easier. With time you will be able to make stepping out of your comfort zone a habit… so what is your fear? How The first step towards change, is are you going to conquer it? becoming aware. Reading this article
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ILLIRA’S BOOK
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INTRODUCTION A
s the sunrises the world silently awaits for the birth of a new day that is filled with limitless possibilities. This sacred time is one of the best-kept secrets by those who know how to harness its power, yet it is available to us all. During this otherworldly time the opportunity to manifest your deepest desires is at it’s highest. Your life is like a vast canvas stretched across the Universe, silently waiting for you to paint that first rainbow-coloured brushstroke. You are the artist of your life’s story. What will you paint?
Inspiring leaders, great achievers, world-class athletes, and spiritual seekers know how to utilise the power of the sunrise. Whether practicing for a public performance, maintaining athletic stamina, or meditating upon world peace, their ability to harness this power sets them apart. Ancient traditions speak of honouring and revering the life-giving powers of the sun, as she breathes life into our world each and every morning.
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I wrote Sunrise Rituals for Empowered Women after a life-changing event that rocked my world. It was like I’d lost my life’s compass and with it my sense of purpose and meaning. Committed to turning my life around I had to find a way to reconnect with myself, and my life’s purpose. I already had a daily meditation and yoga practice to which I added the practical elements that I share with you in this book. I developed a customised daily journal and planner to help me structure my day, prioritise my activities, and stay focused. With dogged determination I would practice the Sunrise Rituals each day, even on the days I would rather have stayed curled up in bed.
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fter about a month something changed. I began to feel more energised and excited about my future. I felt a deeper sense of connection with myself that had been missing for some time. My enthusiasm, and motivation increased so that I achieved more in my day. I became more focused and discerning about my daily priorities, and found that I was pulled away much less by distractions. I treasured my morning ‘Me-time’ where I could nourish my body and spirit, as well as lay out a practical plan for my day. By consistently practicing the Sunrise Rituals they became a habit, and a natural part of my morning routine. As a result of my commitment I developed an inspiring, crystal clear life vision, and a roadmap to achieve it.
Through this process I realised that I did have choices about how I thought, felt, acted, and my state of being, in each and every moment. I had a choice about how I perceived myself as a woman. I had the choice to love, value and honour myself just as I am. I recognised that I had the ability to choose life-giving ways to nurture and nourish my mind, body, and spirit. My daily habits would either assist or stop me from achieving my life vision, plans, and goals. As I began to experience more positive changes in my life I felt confident, motivated, enthusiastic, and empowered.
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