Meditations for a World-Class Mentality with Robin Sharma

I frequently browse the internet for self help ideas. Disappointingly, a lot seem to portray the concept that life is only truly great if you make squillions of dollars, have an enviable buffed body, drive a purring sports car and party a lot. I am none of those things and don't aspire to be that person. There is nothing inherently wrong with it all, but of greater importance to me is how much effort is required to get there and will I feel deliriously happy when I do?. How much will I have to sacrifice and what will it all do to the rest of my life. At the moment, I am doing what I can to stay mentally fit and look after the relationships that I have. 

My current pleasures are:

• reading books
• watching television
• baking biscuits
• walking slowly around the shops
• my morning coffee machine coffee at home
• the security to moan to my family knowing that they won't judge and that they are doing all they can to help
• playing plants vs. zombies on my ageing iPad.

I have been following the posts of Robin Sharma for quite a time now but take it all with a grain of salt and feel his teachings are not quite for me for a range of reasons. They are interesting, not long and usually short. His websites and email deliveries are loaded with videos and recordings, usually made in an exotic hotel room. 

Sharma, a Canadian is a lawyer who quit his job and self published a book with the help of his mother. He has since self-published, "The Monk who Sold his Ferrari," and others with equally interesting titles. He has become a renowned speaker on leadership and self-mastery and talks about scaling up results, being a light in the world and shifting from victimhood. All of these lead to increasing one's mindset and increasing performance. 

Last week I stumbled upon a podcast titled, "Meditations for a World-Class Mentality," one of his personal mastery recordings. Being only 11 minutes long, I decided to listen to it.  After listening to it a couple of times, realised that I could apply the principles to my life and view of the world. He describes four principles.

1. Messy is the price of legendary.
All change is hard at first; messy in the middle and beautiful at the end.
Being great is hard work; sacrifices are required when you are ridiculed, use it to develop 'mastery.'

I am not sure what all of that means but it can be applied to my current state. I have a need to maintain my independence and at times that is difficult. Messes mark where I have started something and not finished it because I got too tired; couldn't reach or it hurt too much. It is however, vital that I continue to do as much as I can. It is demoralising to be asking for help with activities that were previously simple and not requiring conscious thought. The beautiful part is the sense of satisfaction when I have done something on my own. 

My message: Give it a go. You will never know if you don't. 

2. Stay in your lane.
What do I want my life to stand for? Make your way to the top without losing yourself along the way. Clarify what your future vision is. 

I am a creative person so I am using it to push me forward through the difficult times. Digging up garden beds is not really on the agenda so I have taken to rejuvenating my pot plants and creating succulent terrariums, which give me great satisfaction. Plants are my thing so it makes sense to stick with them. I have to continue with the things that give me pleasure.  

My message: Find something you enjoy doing and explore what you can do with it. 

3. Deal in your own craft.
Mastery lives in the details. 

Do you always leave home with your clothes freshly pressed and hair clean and tidy? It would be very easy to do the groceries in scruffy clothes and messy hair but I don't. While the effort seems too much some days, it does a lot for my self-respect to put the effort in. I feel better afterwards. 
I love photography and pictures. You will always find my blog posts filled with pictures, usually taken by other, but pictures that I like and seem to match the theme. Waterlillies by Claude Monet is a beautiful painting and I feel it makes my post more attractive and meaningful. 

My message: Do something every day that boosts your feeling of self-respect. 

4. Stay true to you.    
Live life on your own terms. Measure life based on your own scorecard. 

I continue to strive to do what is important to me. To treat others with cheerful respect. 

My message: If it doesn't feel right, think twice about doing it. It may not be for you. 

    

I suggest you listen to Sharma's recording for yourself. I have found it useful and you might too. Here is the link. 

Meditations for a World-Class Mentality

Forget the New Year Resolutions - ONE Week Until Christmas

Are you planning to make a whole bunch of New Year Resolutions? Forget it!

Why?

Because of the 40% of the population that make New Year resolutions, only a tiny 8% achieve their goals. 

Why?

Because they are unrealistic. "Become a millionaire" is unlikely to occur legally in one year if you can't afford to keep your clapped out Commodore on the road to get to the place of business where you are planning to make the $million.

Why?

Because it requires behavioural change and "rewiring" of your brain. You are who you are, good and bad. This is how you got where you are and forcing change in one aspect of your life will force change elsewhere that may not sit well with your 'self.'

Why?

Because most of them involve a huge

amount of effort that you may not have the time, energy or inclination to follow through.  

Photo by Chris of lucidtech.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrish_99/

Why?

Because a year is a heck of a long time to commit to something that you decided was too much effort or not worth doing on the 3rd of January.

 

If you are determined to make some New Year resolutions, here is a selection of weird ones that others have tried. I didn't make them. I found them on the internet. 

1. Finish a chapstick. If you manage not to lose it in the year, you have achieved something truly amazing.
2. Master a party trick. 
3. Eat less bacon. 
4. Fight crime by teaching owls to shout out "crime" at anyone breaking the law.
5. Learn how to clone Nutella.
6. Don't hang out with people you don't like. There are millions more out there. 
7. Stop worrying about what the Kardashians are doing this week. 

If you are still determined, here are my tips for making them stick.
1. Pick one (1) only. 
2. Be realistic. Refer to above for why.
3. Pick a date. The 1st of January may not be the best day to give up chocolate.
4. Share your resolution with a friend to create your own cheer squad.
5. Accept failure. Just because you ate a whole chocolate bar tonight doesn't mean the rest of the week will be a disaster.
6. Celebrate successes. If you were on a solid diet of daily chocolate, resisting on just one day is an achievement. 

Peanut Cookies

Why buy peanut cookies when you can make these in a jiffy if you have the munchies.
Another of my cheats' recipes. A packet of cake mix is always worth keeping in your pantry. 

INGREDIENTS
1 packet vanilla cake mix
1/4 cup crushed nuts (Optional- The cookies will still be great without.)
3/4 cup raw peanuts
1 egg
125g butter

METHOD
1. Mix cake mix, crushed nuts and peanuts in a bowl.
2. Melt butter.
3. Add egg to butter and mix well.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Roll teaspoons of mixture into balls and place on baking tray lined with baking paper. Leave room to spread. 
6. Bake at 180 Celsius for 15 minutes.
7. Cool on tray until firm.
8. Transfer to cooling rack and leave until room temperature.
9. Store in an airtight container. 

Why not try my other cheats' cookie recipes. They are all on my blog.

• Snickers
• Cherry Surprise
• Blondies
• Double Choc Chip
• Afghans
• Coconut rough. 

Happy Cooking!

  

Two Weeks Until Christmas

Is Christmas at your house this year? If it is, then it is time to make your house look fabulous. 

This is my friend Angela's house. It looks amazing doesn't it. Christmas lights are beautiful and I will never achieve this magnificent display but I have a few to create the festive spirit.

There is no need to knock yourself out with cleaning. A few simple tricks and cheats will create a tidy house that looks clean and inviting. 

1. Start with the entry.
Remove all the shoes, dog water dishes and dead leaves.
Hang a decoration on the front door, it will distract them from the dirty window beside the door.

2. Speed tidy with baskets and boxes.
Put all loose items that are not in their correct place in a basket or box in the room that they belong in. Clear tables, cupboards and bench tops make a house look tidy and spacious.
If they are in common rooms, take 10 minutes to quickly put items where they belong. 
Shut the bedroom door.  

3. Fluff up the cushions and throw rugs in your lounge room. It's a quick trick and will make your house look like a hotel suite.

4. Clear the junk off the fridge door. Fridge magnets are cute but make the place look cluttered and can be dirty. Shopping lists and favourite recipes can be stored in a drawer during the Christmas visits.

5. Wipe down surfaces. This one is worth the effort and will remove hairs, dust, fluff and coffee cup rings. 

6. Vacuum the common areas. Nothing makes a house look spotless more than freshly vacuumed carpets.

7. Clean the toilet. Please.

8. Hang a clean tea towel in the kitchen and clean towels in the bathroom.

9. Buy some fresh flowers or a pot plant. Plants make a house look fresh and natural.

10. Smile and fuss over your guests. They will be dazzled by your attention and won't even notice the remaining mess. 
    

Making Food and Positive Feelings

Since all this started I have done a lot of baking. Quick recipes that produce tasty results with minimum effort. I enjoy baking and it makes me feel good. 

According to this article, published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, "people who frequently take a turn at small, creative projects report feeling more relaxed and happier in their everyday lives." That's me.   

Baking is not going to cure my shoulder or magic the fatigue away but it is pleasurable and gives me a sense of accomplishment, no matter how quick the recipe is. For a short time, I concentrate on something else. Something that is fun. I suggest you give it a go and check out my recipes. They are about simple as you can get.  

Read more here: 
Feeling down? Scientists say cooking and baking could help you feel better

Hibiscus - A Life in a Day

In September last year, we visited the new water park at Springfield, between Brisbane and Ipswich. We had visited the park several times before to go walking and relax. It has beautiful gum trees, lots of open space, water features and electric barbecues. It is a lovely spot for a barbecue breakfast on a cool winter morning. 

While we were there, these beauties caught my eye. I had no idea what they were but decided I could not live without one in my garden. The flowers looked a bit like Hibiscus but the leaves were high gloss and leathery and not the usual shape. The flowers were at least 10 cm (4 inches) across. 

After much searching, I made the discovery. It is an Australian Native Hibiscus produced by a nursery called "aussie colours." According to their website (http://www.aussiecolours.com.au/), it comes in eight colours. I think the one at Springfield is an Aussie Pink, but I didn't really care, any would be great.  



I found an Aussie Delight at the local Bunnings. It is the most delicate pink and has the same huge flowers.  

The thing that has previously put me off hibiscus is that each flower lasts only a day. This seems a waste to me- to have such beauty for such a short time. 

I decided to photograph my Aussie Delight as it gifted me a flower one day. It started to open at about 10am and was completely closed by 5pm. A short life but a beautiful life. 

The day after I created this collage, my Aussie Delight gifted me another flower so I took more photos of the bud opening. 

Now I am on the lookout for some of the other varieties. 

I recommend you visit the park lands at Springfield. Here is a short video of the gardens and the water park. 

3 Weeks Until Christmas

It's back to food this week. It is only 3 weeks until Christmas and the shops are getting hectic. We do the groceries every Saturday morning, usually arriving soon after 8am and leaving at about 9:30. In and out before the rush and nobody waiting for our car park as week leave. No so this morning. By the time we got back to the car, the four wheeled vultures were circling, hunting for a car park.

The message for this week is to get organised now. Study your menus for Christmas functions. Start two shopping lists. The first one is for non-perishable items that you can buy now. The second list is for the items that you have to leave until the last minute. You can continue to add to this list until the last shop before Christmas but start now so you won't forget anything. 

What can you buy now? Most things: tins, coffee, biscuits, pet food, snacks, toilet paper. Have you ever noticed the huge amounts of toilet paper that are driven out of the supermarkets right before Christmas? Does the human body work differently at Christmas time, maybe in response to the change in diet? Who knows, but I can assure you that the toilet paper you buy today will not go stale in the next three weeks. 

Are you planning to try a recipe for the first time at Christmas? I have a habit of doing this and amazingly have not had a disaster but it is better to test recipes out ahead of time if you can. 

My Sister-In-Law is a creative and skilled cake maker and decorator. Fortunately for the rest of us who don't have the same degree of patience, dedication and skill Toni-Maree provides delicious recipes and ideas to try. Try out these truffles this weekend. Enjoy them and make more in time for Christmas. 

The Fantasy Cake Factory    

Christmas should be fun. Organise yourself so it is not all effort and stress at the last minute.  

This gorgeous bowl of gingerbread was created by Anita:
http://s125.photobucket.com/user/alongway99/library/?sort=4&page=1

Double Choc Chip Cookies

This is another of my Biscuits for Cheats creations. 

They are decorated with white chocolate drizzle but you could also use milk or dark chocolate, chocolate icing or keep them naked. 

INGREDIENTS

1 packed of chocolate cake mix

1/2 cup dark or milk choc bits

1/2 cup white choc bits

(You will need another 1/2 cup of choc bits for chocolate drizzle.)

1 egg

125g butter.

METHOD

1. Mix dry cake mix and choc bits together in large bowl.

2. Melt butter.

3. Add egg to butter and mix well.

4. Mix wet ingredients into dry mix.

5. Roll teaspoon size into ball.

6. Bake on baking paper lined tray at 180 celsius for 15 minutes.

White Chocolate Drizzle.

7. Place white choc bits in freezer bag.

8. Gently melt in the microwave- 30 sec bursts at 50% power, mixing in between.

9. Snip one corner from bag and gently pipe onto biscuits.

10 Enjoy. 

4 Weeks Until Christmas

It's Time to Find Clothes to Wear to Christmas Gatherings 

Have you already picked out your outfits for all the Christmas functions?

Time is running short.The shops are getting hectic.
Don't delay any longer. Disappointing as it may be, it is doubtful  you get thinner, more toned or more buffed in the next three weeks.
Now is the time to pick something that you feel really good in. 

So, what to wear?

My plans usually start out with an idea to wear stilettos, something figure hugging and stunning with a fancy hairdo. By the time the day finally arrives, I am rearranging my wardrobe looking for something vaguely modern to go with my kitten heels. The work Christmas dinner is an example of this. I was going to wear my blue satin, figure hugging "wedding dress" and strappy black sandals. Why is it called a wedding dress? Because so far, I have worn it to two weddings and my graduation. When the evening came, I wore my slightly Indian looking dress and matching orange wedges. Much more comfortable. Much more me. 

There are times to glam up and there are people that love to glam up and look absolutely fabulous but wear something that feels like 'you.' It is possible to still make a statement and feel comfortable. Many years ago I bought a pair of lime green jeans from the secondhand shop. I paired them with a black cheesecloth top and black sandals. Boy, did I create a stir, but I felt very comfortable and at home in my clothes. 

I studied Google for advice about what to wear to Christmas gatherings. Here is what I found.

• If you tend to be a messy eater, wear something patterned or at least not white.
• If you will be outside, wear a hat. 
• If you will be crawling around under the Christmas tree looking for presents, wear jeans, shorts or leggings.
• If you like tradition, wear red and green.
• If you want to be chic, wear a dress.
• If you love jeans, wear them and dress them up with a sparkly top.
• If you love jewellery, spend a few dollars and buy yourself some costume jewellery. The choices are endless.
• If you are planning to eat and drink a lot, wear something that gives you room to grow.
• If you will be standing a lot, pick your shoes carefully. Stilettos don't look sexy if you also have a tortured look on your face.     

Remember, Christmas should be fun, not a fashion contest. 

The Love of Plants

I have always had a passion for plants. You wouldn't know it at the moment by looking at my garden. It is dry. The grass is 'crispy'. The pots tired and the shrubs struggling to look healthy. Only some of this is due to my current woes and pains. The weather is terribly dry and summer is upon us. Watering by hand every day can only do so much and rain is sorely needed.  

For the first time in months, I spent enough time in the garden for it to be noticeable. I have tidied up the front rockery; turned over the soil; sprayed wetta soil on it and covered it in sugar cane mulch. I also planted a few new plants. It is only a little rockery but my feeling of satisfaction carried me through the day.

I will share my plant stories with the world, because plants give me beauty and I can't resist them. This is a photo of a gerbera. I bought it for John during my trip to the nursery this week. It is the most striking scarlet red with beautiful lush green leaves. Gerberas are one of John's favourites. 

So check back in often to see how my plants are growing.



  

5 Weeks Until Christmas

It is time to take stock of your Christmas decorations.

Get out your lights, Christmas tree, decorations and garden ornaments. You may have lovingly packed them up last Christmas but now is the time to see if they were worth packing away for another year. Is it time that the pine cones that you painted with 'snow' many years ago are laid to rest? 

At our home we love outside lights but they have a mysterious habit of breaking after they are packed away in the top cupboard. In the privacy of their boxes, the bulbs seem to blow and the transformers seem to divorce their lights. Countless hours have been spent searching for the broken bulb and trying to bend the rope lights in just the right place to make them light up. Buy some more! Simple. There are hundreds in the shops.  

Plastic Christmas trees are great but eventually, they lose the excitement of the festive season and just smell like old plastic. There are many more creative ways to have a 'tree.'

Go for a drive to the country for a dead branch and make a beautiful sculptural tree. 






Not much room? How about a 2D tree.

Feeling a bit crafty? Try some of these. 







Know a plumber? This is made of PVC pipe and decorations you probably already have. 

Love the natural look? Raw timber is always a favourite of mine. 











If you want something natural and signifying new life and growth, take a trip to the nursery and buy a plant you love the look of. Any plant can be decorated, from the finest of ferns to tall, invincible palms.   

Now is the time to plan and get creative with your Christmas decorations. Turn up the carols and get crafty!

  

Easy Chocolate Afghan Biscuits

This is another of my cheats recipes. 

When I was a child, my favourite biscuits were chocolate afghans. I would beg Mum to make them all the time but they have been forgotten until recently.

Here is my version based on the cheats recipe- link below.

INGREDIENTS
1 packet of cheap chocolate cake mix.
1 tablespoon cocoa (to make them extra chocolatey.)
2 cups cornflakes
1 egg
125 g butter
2 cups of icing sugar mix
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 tablespoon butter softened
125g pecan or walnut halves.

METHOD
1. Lightly crush cornflakes until they are reduced to approximately one cup in volume.
2. Mix cornflakes, 1 tablespoon cocoa & cake mix together in large bowl.
3. Melt butter
4. Add egg to butter and mix well.
5. Mix dry mix and butter/egg together.
6. Form into balls and place on oven tray lined with baking paper. They will spread so allow room.
7. Bake at 180 celsius for 15 minutes.
8. Cool slightly on tray then on a cake rack until room temperature.

Make icing
9. Sieve icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of cocoa into a large bowl.
10. Add softened butter and mix
11. Slowly dribble hot water from the tap, a few drips at a time until icing is thick, smooth and glossy.
12. Spread on biscuits.
13. Top with a nut and allow to cool. 

Note: Use melted chocolate if you don't want to make icing.      

Here is the link to my post about biscuits for cheats. There are endless possibilities. 

Fifty Fabulous Stories: Biscuits for Cheats: This is a fabulous cheat's recipe that I learnt from John. There are so many variations you can make, all from one bag of cheap ca...