Year: 2011

Brene Brown’s tips for getting real with yourself

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As I shared a few post back, I met Brene Brown face-to-face during her Australian visit (Sunday Life column on the matter to come).

OK2 Brene Brown's tips for getting real with yourself
via Everything is Going to Be OK

Her big thing, the thing that resonated for me when I read The Gifts of Imperfection was that making a change in your life is about getting serious, deliberate. You can talk about it, think about it, half do it…

but if it really matters to you, you have to fire up and hone your actions
and bunker down and BE IT. Live it.

I asked her how she actually does it. How does she prepare for it. Run up to it. Jump to it.

Her answer:

No sugar

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the scientific reason why smiling works

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This week in Sunday Life I smile

96966 6 468 the scientific reason why smiling works

Recently reader Richard wrote to say he didn’t like that in the photos of me as a kid (I believe he’d been Facebook-stalking my family albums) I’m always scowling. Well, thank you Dick for noticing such a detail. And, heck, you’re right! I’ve always hated having my picture taken. I’m sure, Dick, you know what I mean when I say, it just feels so dumb smiling at a camera.

3A the scientific reason why smiling works
you'd frown too...

 

But then, lo, smiling at cameras became an occupational hazard (see below). Which was how I learned something quite interesting about smiling.

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some bike thoughts for a Friday

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Last week I met with Lord Mayor Clover Moore and some of her team to chat bikes.

Picture 4 some bike thoughts for a Fridayvia chicksandbikes

I have to hand it to Cr Moore. She simply wanted to get feedback from me (bikes lanes? Has to be done; the world will adjust and get over their issues with them), and pick my brain on what more they can be doing to get people on bikes (they’re doing some pretty cool stuff already…but my suggestion is to keep making it cool, accessible; not daggy). She listened and took notes.

If you have ideas, and want them heard, you might like this:

$10,000 grant for a great bike idea:

City of Sydney is giving out Matching Grants to folk with great community ideas (bikes and beyond). They are designed to support neighbourhood based groups with the purchase of materials or supplies that will assist them to facilitate small and simple projects that bring the community together.

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your thoughts on giving back

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Recently I shared a short thought on giving back … a stack of you seemed interested in finding ways to volunteer and give…so I thought I’d post some of the ideas you shared with me. Thanks to everyone who reached out. Always appreciated.

Picture 52 your thoughts on giving backvia the design inspiration

Lisa: telecross – a part of the Red Cross where volunteers are given people to call at the same time every day to make sure they are okay. Like the elderly who are lonely or unable to get around. Perfect for me as a stay at home mum with three kids.

Gavin Hardy: Bicycle Advocacy… it seems to be the recurring theme lately. I particularly like the recycling of bikes, which help kickstart small businesses in Africa.

Zetty – I started to send each of my friends a little heart with a message to tell them how I love and appreciate them. This was the beginning of what has become the Travelling Heart Project. I now have people adopting hearts and joining in the fun of spreading love from all around the world.

Penelope – I run a program in NW Tasmania called Produce to the People. We gather excess produce from people’s backyard gardens and give it to families in need in the community. We also plant snack gardens in Primary Schools so kids get to see their food grow and get unemployed youth to help build them. It can be really simple to make a difference.

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my interview on huffington post. ace!

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Huffington Post was the first blog I read. Laura Cococcia was one of the first readers of my blog to start posting comments. This week Laura, editor and publisher of The Journal of Cultural Conversation, interviewed me for Huffington Post.

96296 1 468c my interview on huffington post. ace!A lovely full circle. Here’s the interview as it ran yesterday on the site. It describes my book at the end. I think that’s what it’s about…!?

Recently, Sarah and I caught up about her views on health and wellness means, what she’s learned and a few of her own expert tips on healthy living.

Laura Cococcia: You’ve had a successful media career — from working as the editor of Cosmopolitan to hosting your own TV show — and you’re also a coach with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (INN). What prompted you to pursue this latest part of your career?

Sarah Wilson: A few years ago I got quite unwell — adrenal collapse followed by an autoimmune disease. At the time I was editor of Cosmopolitan magazine. I was forced to stop and get well. As in, truly well.

It was a wake-up call. So, I did the smartest thing I think I’ve ever done — I decided to turn my journey to get well into a career. I started my blog and started writing a column for an Australian national Sunday newspaper magazine about how to make life better. Each week I experiment with a different theory or approach — everything from e-mail detoxing to quitting sugar to adopting advice given to me by the Dalai Lama. Interestingly, he told me to not bother trying to stop the mind, to get out and live instead.

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eating for vata and chelating

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I’ve posted on the whole vata thing before – it’s an Ayurvedic diagnosis for A-types who move and talk fast, get flighty and unearthed easily, as well as, well, get toxic. You know, joint-achy and congested and bogged up.

rhubarbstew eating for vata and chelating

Me, basically.

And many of you, I suspect. I made the point in my previous post that contemporary culture has made us vata-ish.

Anyway, this time of year it’s VERY important to eat right for the vata type. That is to eat warm, mushy foods. Root veggies are great. Salads are not. A bit of sweetness is also good (root veggies satisfy this criteria, too). And so it was that I found this recipe on my new favourite food blog My New Roots (thank you to Ness at thelowflygingduck). It combines all the things we Vata’s need right now, PLUS the added bonus of coriander (cilantro).

Why coriander? What’s the big deal? Well, I recently found out I have high levels of heavy metals in my system (remember the toxic cosmetics story? Yeah, well…the toxic reading was quite extensive…I have mercury poisoning, too). To deal with this, one has to “chelate“. I’m doing it with Chlorella powder. Which

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Elizabeth Gilbert on showing up

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It’s TED”s fifth birthday. 1000 talks, 81 languages, viewed 1/2 billion times. So I went back and watched one of the most popular talks: Elizabeth Gilbert on creativity and the fear we have around…just doing it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86x-u-tz0MA&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

I’ve been talking about this over the week in Sydney with friends who are blocked. They’re creative. In all different ways. They get blocked. And it drags them down because of the pressure to be creative. So I went looking for this talk.

I like how Elizabeth talks about creating psychological constructs to keep her safe from her anxiety about her block so she can keep being creative. It’s simple and reassuring.

Elizabeth says:

Don’t be daunted. Just do your job.

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what the Dalai Lama told me…

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This week in Sunday Life I try “infinite altruism”

2011 07 03 1209 what the Dalai Lama told me...

There’s something special about His Holiness the Dalai Lama, if I can be permitted such an obviousism. Something disarming. It’s the way he answers questions like, Is being gay OK? His response to a journalist once makes me smile: “I will ask ‘What is your companion’s opinion?’. If you both agree…then it is okay'”.  It’s the way he quietly takes off his shoes while presenting to 3000 people and sits with his brown fluffy-socked feet tucked under him, as he did during his recent visit.

On Friday I met His Holiness for the third time. Each visit I’ve expected it to be a bit like Christmas – all build-up, then more of the same.

But he gets me every time.

This visit I asked if it’s better to pursue happiness or altruism. He wagged a finger at me: “Altruism! Because altruism is the easiest, fastest way to be happy.” Infinite altruism, he said was his life goal. Every morning after waking at 3.30am he consciously offers his “body and mind to the purpose of others”.

“This is what brings me my joyfulness,” he said rather significantly.

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oh, and a question…giveaways? Like?

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I’ve been wondering, and I’m just not sure how I feel, so I thought I’d ask you… how does everyone feel about giveaways on this site? That is, a company paying me to have me highlight their products so a bunch of you get stuff for free? It would be product I think readers here … Read more

little announcement

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Further to my post during the week – I’m packing up, shedding my stuff…

To this end I’m having a bit of a garage sale thingo, getting rid of books, gifts, beauty stuff, clothes. If you live in Bondi, Sydney, come along.

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