YOU are worthy.
YOU are worthy of love.
YOU are worthy of feeling safe and feeling joy.
YOU are worthy of respect and being treated in a way that makes you feel good.
YOU are worthy of being cherished, adored and seen in each and every moment.
YOU are worthy of your true power and you are worthy of sharing it with others.
YOU are worthy of all the goodness this world has to offer – your hopes, your dreams, your desires and your wishes deserve to be honoured.
YOU are worthy of abundance, peace and contentment.
YOU are worthy of change, growth and your beliefs.
YOU are worthy of living your life in the way that calls to your soul.
YOU are worthy.

Because you are special. You are powerful and unique. You are divinity in motion. You are talented and beautiful, gifted and inspiring. You deserve to know the truth of your potential and to live the life that you desire. Step into your true worth. Embrace it. Believe it. Create it. Live it.

And, if you can’t believe it just yet, I will believe it for you until you do.

P.S. Do you know someone who needs a reminder of their incredible worth? Forward them the link to this little love note as a reminder from you.

If there is one truth I have really learned over the years, it is that the best investment you will ever make is the one you make in YOURSELF. Material goodies come and go, but the investments you make in your own happiness, wellbeing and growth offer dividends that continue paying way, way into the future.

We live in a world where investments in tangible items tend to be made relatively easily, but when it comes to making the same investment of time or money in what is best for ourselves, all too often we put it on the back burner.

This year alone I have invested in hiring my own personal coach. I’ve invested more time meditating for my own peace of mind and studying for my own growth. I’ve invested in books and e-courses, and I’ve invested in computer free nights so that I get a good night sleep. And all those investments have, and are, paying off.

A week ago I set myself a goal for the month of June. It’s BIG for me and it requires a significant investment of time, effort and courage. I’ll admit it’s stretching me, but I know that it is worth it. I’ve been through this stretching process enough over the past few years to know that it is possible to achieve much more than we often think we can. I also know that there is no better feeling than seeing fabulous results and knowing that your own effort is what made it happen.

Your health, happiness, growth and the achievement of your dreams are all determined by the amount you invest in them. And that doesn’t just mean financially. It could mean an investment of time or effort, new ways of thinking or even learning to say “no” to others so that you can truly say “YES!” to you.

I know these days that if I feel overly stressed, discontent, anxious or frustrated, then it’s time to check how much I am investing in myself. I may need to take a day off, take a meditation break, go for a walk or take a brave leap to make my vision a reality. Once I make the investment that I need to, I feel better.

You deserve to be happy and to live your life in a way that you love and that makes you feel truly alive. One of the best ways you can do that is by consciously investing in what you need for yourself – be that quiet time, support, boundaries or learning what you deeply desire to learn.

How are you investing in your health, happiness and dreams this week?

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.

Everyday we are faced with a multitude of decisions. From what we wear and eat, to the books we read and the people we hang out with. Each choice we make shapes our lives, and that is why a lot of people struggle with making them (I know I did for a long time!). If you find it difficult to make decisions at times, then this exercise is for you.

This is one of my favourite decision making techniques. It uses visualisation to “try-on” the different options you are presented with and see which feels right for you. It’s powerful, and it can help you to make both large and small decisions. Best of all, you don’t need any equipment and it can be done in just a couple of minutes, so you can use it in almost any situation.

Begin by taking a moment to breathe deeply. Give yourself permission to not make the decision until you have gone through this process. Trust that it will help you to recognise which option most calls to you on a deep level. Let your body and mind relax.

Allow your mind to wander into the future. Imagine you have already chosen one of the options available to you, and you are now living the result. How do you feel? Has this choice bought you the result you desired? Has it bought you something better? Or does it bring back feelings of another decision you made in the past where you felt let down by the result? Sit with the visualisation for a moment and really listen to your feelings about having made this choice.

If this first visualisation hasn’t given you a clear answer to your question, repeat the exercise with the second option available to you. Check in and see what your intuition is telling you here. How do the results of taking this option compare to those in your first visualisation? Does it feel like the better choice? Or does it feel somehow lacking? Try not to censor yourself. Let your imagination run free. Listen to your instinct, rather than what your mind may be telling you. What feels right for you in this instance?

On a deep level, we always tend to know what we really want. Sometimes those answers get mixed up with our fears, concerns about missing out, thoughts of what others will think or anxiety about making the “wrong” choice. All of those thoughts are perfectly natural. This process helps you to go past them and tap into the choice that resonates with who you are, and who you want to become.

Listen to your own wise guidance and make the choice you know is the best one for YOU.

Are decisions something you struggle with? I’d love to hear how this technique works for you.

As I sat down to write this week’s blog post, I received a text message from my sister. She was listening to a political discussion on the radio, and it prompted a passionate discussion between her and I. But, this is not a blog about politics. This is a post about the carry on effect that can be bought about through protesting a point of view.

Most of us (if not all) seek peace. We believe that we have ways to achieve that. Maybe it’s through practicing the doctrine of our religion, through compassion or service. Maybe it’s through sending love out during a meditation. For some, it’s through protests and for others, violence and defense can seem like the only option.

I’m guessing that as you read that last paragraph, you looked at some options and thought, “Yeah, that’s totally me.” And looked at other options thinking, “There is no way that is the right way to go about it. What are you thinking putting that there, Kate?”

I won’t lie, I have resistance to certain actions for peace too. Some actions in its name this week actually made me physically ill and that is where I am compelled to embrace more compassion.

Our beliefs can be a huge part of who we are. We hold to them for whatever they offer us – be it the faith of a religion, the warmth of a family, the acceptance of our peers or the acknowledgment of having our feelings/sexuality/culture/religion honoured. When those beliefs are challenged, we can feel like our whole being and worth are being condemned. It is in this moment where the true quest for peace begins (and it’s not an easy one). Can we accept that our beliefs are ours alone? Can we accept that the value of our beliefs to us is the same value the other person has for their beliefs, even if they are in stark contrast to our own?

I believe very much in all of our rights to express our truth. Through open conversation, we learn and grow. But through these conversations, there is also the chance of a discussion turning into an aggressive debate. So, can we express our point of view without increasing the anger and hostility in the world? I believe it comes down to the way we express our truth, and also our acceptance of other people’s right for their truth to be something different to what we believe. I believe it also requires refraining from entering into further debates when others don’t accept our point of view, and we see that negative energy growing between us.

The wonderful Pema Chödrön writes in her book, Practicing Peace in Times of War,
“When you open yourself to the continually changing, impermanent, dynamic nature of your own being and of reality, you increase your capacity to love and care about other people and your capacity to not be afraid. You’re able to keep your eyes open, your heart open, and your mind open. And you notice when you get caught up in prejudice, bias, and aggression. You develop an enthusiasm for no longer watering those negative seeds, from now until the day you die. And, you begin to think of your life as offering endless opportunities to start to do things differently.”

It’s not until we accept that the beliefs of others don’t have to throw ours into question, or that we don’t all have to share the same view, that we begin to really glimpse the peace so many of us fight in the name of. And there is the crux of it all – we cannot fight for peace. Instead, we have to embrace it.

Earlier this year, an email newsletter from the seriously sassy Nikki Groom landed in my inbox. The piece she had written was all about beginnings and her first few lines really hit home. Immediately, I emailed her and asked if she would mind if I made them into a graphic. While clearing out my emails today, I found that her lovely reply had landed in the wrong folder in my inbox. So I am sharing them today, because I think a reminder that beginner fears are universal is pretty comforting.

As is the reminder that those feelings pass and that each time we begin a journey that aligns our lives more completely with who we truly are the rewards far, far outweigh the short period we spend feeling uncomfortable as we start.

You can read Nikki’s full post The Beginning Of Anything here.

To exciting new beginnings,

It’s funny how easy it can be to forget how far you have come when things go a little pear shaped. In stressful situations our focus is often on just getting through it. We don’t really connect with how much we have achieved at the time. As a result, when we are faced with another challenging situation we may not easily recall what we are truly capable of.

For the past year I have been my mother’s sole carer, and throughout that time I’ve found myself longing to start my own business again. All my life I have had a passion for business. I started my first one with a friend at around age 7, and up until a few years ago was in partnership in an event business with my sister. Business and marketing is something I passionately adore.

This burning desire to start my own business has been a source of anguish. I was having trouble getting clear on my offering, I felt deterred by a lack of finances and I had to figure out how to accommodate certain requirements due to my personal situation. I had gotten into a space of frustration and disappointment, and we all know that solutions are unlikely to come from that place.

Recently, a series of conversations lead me to looking back at some of my previous business incarnations. Each had been started on a shoe string budget, but it was the story of the launch of the venture with my sister that was the inspiration goldmine for me.

In my late teens, my parents separated, we lost the family home and were homeless for a while. Once we rented a place, my sister and I sat and brainstormed business ideas. My mum had just become ill and at this point, creating a business was out of necessity. The idea for our venture struck like lightning and I clearly remember my sister and I getting all excited at the prospect. We didn’t have a computer nor did we have a lot of cash, but as I mentioned above, in survival situations you find a way. And we did. Our business launched with a cost of less than a dollar and we had our first client within a week.

Even I can’t believe it was possible, but it was. In truly remembering and feeling that moment, I got back in touch with that resilience, entrepreneurial spirit and creativity inside myself. I looked at where I was now with fresh eyes, and realised I had a whole hell of a lot more to work with these days. I was pumped to get started again and the ideas started flowing (you will see them here very soon!).

Each of us have our own inspiration goldmine within ourselves. Other people’s stories show us what is possible, but your experience tells you what YOU are capable of (and chances are it is much more than you think!).

Why not take some time to look back at your life and acknowledge and celebrate your achievements? Look at how you can apply what you’re learned and experienced to where you are now. Allow your own story to be your inspiration.

Earlier this week, I had my first coaching session with the fabulous Susana Frioni (If you’ve been on my social media pages for a while, you may have seen me mention her Enneagram sessions before). I went into the session hoping to clear up some directional issues I’ve been having and to gain support to keep me motivated on the path to what I want to create in my life. Alas, this wasn’t to be. Instead, I had a big lesson to learn and it’s one I really want to share.

For a while now, I have been dying to get this blog and new business off the ground, but I’ve hit several stumbling blocks along the way. This was why I turned to Susana. We began the session going through what I desired for myself, where I was now and what I could do in this moment to start creating what I wanted.  As we talked, I began to feel tension rising in my chest. I’m generally pretty aware with my body’s intuitive responses, and I have worked with them for a while but this particular tension had been with me on some level for a long while. I had become so accustomed to it (or perhaps subconsciously avoided it), that I didn’t register its signals. Susana asked me to explore that further. Within minutes I was struggling to hold back tears and our focus shifted to a deep breathing exercise.

Staying with this experience longer than I normally would, my real motivations for wanting so much to create this avenue became clearer. I wasn’t running towards a dream, I was running away from some really deep thoughts and feelings that I didn’t want to experience. As I continued to breathe and simply feel all that was there, the answers to the issues with my momentum began to unravel. I hadn’t moved forward because I was denying a certain aspect of myself and therefore was not completely present in the here and now. Without a strong and present foundation, moving forward was almost impossible. It’s just like the old analogy about building a house on sand. Yeah, that’s not really going to work.

My big lesson for the week was to find an increased level of peace with where I am now. To accept that my value is not tied to outside circumstances and that it was ok to let myself off the hook a little more. It was also a great reminder to continue to pay more conscious attention to my body, check in with any tension, connect with it and be gentle with myself. Since then, I have felt more at ease and experienced a release in the physical sensation in my chest. I’ve also made more steady progress both personally and professionally.

A couple of days after my coaching session, a Facebook friend of mine – Shane Richards of Holistic Foundations - shared this video on pain between your shoulders, in your chest and the link to a broken heart. While it is based on issues with weight lifting, the truth of it is universal. I highly recommend checking it out. (Just a little warning – there is some swearing at one point.)

Is this something you can relate to? Is something you are holding onto holding you back and is your body trying to tell you what that something is? I’d love to hear your experiences listening to your body wisdom in the comments below.