Perfect

Perfect - Defined as:
- conforming absolutely to the description or definition of an ideal type
- excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement
- exactly fitting the need in a certain situation or for a certain purpose
- entirely without any flaws, defects, or shortcomings
- accurate, exact, or correct in every detail:
- expert; accomplished; proficient.

When do we start trying to be Perfect?  Is it when we are young and start school and try to get everything right so that we get some gold stars and be "good"?  Is it when we are teenagers and start comparing ourselves to other people in our class, stars on television, models in the magazines?  Is it when we start working and there is the pressure to know all the answers and act like we are great at every part of our job (especially since we try so hard at the interview to impress and 'act' like we will be Perfect for the role)?  Is it when we become Wives and fall 'victim' to the 'Perfect HouseWife Syndrome'?

I am about to become a Wife again and a big Part of me wants to be the Perfect HouseWife.

I remember years ago - years and years ago - when I bought my first home with a boyfriend, a man I thought I was going to marry.  I loved our house.  And I was keen to make it a home.  I wanted it to be Perfect.  After a few months, my boyfriend broke up with me - he said I was like 'Betty Crocker' and he wasn't ready to settle down, he wanted to travel and party and stay young - he wasn't ready.

And then years later I got married and my ex-husband was happy for me to be his Wife.  And I wanted to be Perfect.  And I struggled to be Perfect.  As a couple we were far from Perfect.  And in my Self I was searching to be Perfect, to find the Perfect career to make me happy.  And I had a lot of stuff - I remember that one of our bedrooms of our three bedroom home, the study, was a mess, and I would always quickly shut the door if we had visitors.  I hated that I wasn't Perfect.  And then the imperfections became  very clear as our marriage started falling apart and I started falling apart.  And this was a long time ago.

And now I am getting married again - and I can't wait!!!  It feels very different this time.  Last time, I remember 6 weeks before the wedding and I was worried about sending out the wedding invitations and I spent a lot of time thinking and justifying in my mind why I should get married - while my Intuition, my 'gut' feel, was yelling out to me - and I didn't take notice.  Now I pay attention to my Intuition and I am so Grateful that now every part of me knows that my marriage to be will be wonderful - our relationship is wonderful.  What I love about being with My Man most is that I can be Me.  I also love that I do not have to be Perfect.  And I love that My Man is Perfect to me.  We are both imperfectly Perfect.  We accept all Parts of each other. Our love is Perfect.  How Perfect that I can be my ImPerfect Self and be loved by My Man.

As a Coach I am always on the look out for my Clients' Perfectionists, who may be stopping my Clients from moving forward in achieving their Dreams.  In working with my Clients I help them access other Parts of Self so that they can set and achieve their Goals.

And so I ask my Self - what is the role of the Perfectionist in our lives?  What is the role of the Perfectionist in my life?  I know from my Training and experience that there is a Gift to every Part within our Self.  As I Dream about being a Perfect Wife I wonder what is the message here for me?

Just today I have been thinking about what I want to achieve before we get married - apart from having a Perfect Wedding Day.  I have set my Self some Goals that are important to me: 

- Clean my Study (so much paperwork and clutter)

- Organise my Superannuation

- Clean and organise and de-clutter my garage (again). 

Perhaps the Gift of my Perfectionist is that this Part of me is reminding me of what needs to be done to clear clutter and Create Space in my home and in my mind.  And it is easy to be motivated to achieve these Goals as I know that I will feel very happy.  I always feel good after housework - I actually enjoy cleaning.  Now it is time to make more time for our home and my personal finances - it is time to get done what is important to me -  to treat these as Priorities in my life. 

It is my Mum and Dad's 43rd Wedding Anniversary today - which is beautiful.  I feel bad that I am not the Perfect Daughter as I have had such a busy week and day that I forgot that today was their special day - and now I am justifying and finding excuses.  And I am happy that my Mum and Dad had a lovely day out today - that is most important - and so it doesn't matter if I wasn't Perfect in my own eyes - what is most Perfect is that I love my Mum and Dad so much and they love me.

I love that I have such wonderful role models of marriage from my Mum and Dad.  And I do think that my Mum and Dad are both Perfect.  And My Man and I will be Perfect in our own way, in our unique way.

And as I think about my upcoming marriage I do believe that things will be different - I want things to be different.  I know that I will feel different.  We have lived together for a year now and yet I know for me marriage is different.  Some people say that when they get married it is no different from living together.  And yet I know it will be different, I want it to be different.  Getting married for me is a very BIG deal, especially after I have been previously married and it did not work.  I believe that I will feel different.  And I want the exterior to also be different - and so I want to do a BIG clean up before we get married.  It has been challenging moving 2 x 2 bedroom homes into 1 unit - and that is just an excuse.

I think that I have been so against being Perfect, that I have been too Relaxed.  And I have loved the Relaxed Part of me - it lets me relax on the lounge and watch my favourite shows after having a busy day at work.  And now it is time to bring the Organiser Part of me onto the Stage of my life and help me achieve my Goals before I get married - and I don't have to be Perfect.

I need to remind my Self - I don't have to be Perfect.

I don't want to be like the women in 'Stepford Wives' - I just want to be My Self.

Now that I am a Life Coach, working with Clients to create a life that they Love, I often challenge my Self - shouldn't I be Perfect and have every area of my life at a 10 out of 10?  Sometimes this is what I ask my Self - and then I remind my Self that I do not have to be Perfect - that, like my Clients, I am also on a Journey and I am learning and growing.  What I can promise my Self and my Coaching Clients is that I am committed to Self-Reflection, Self-Awareness and Self-Development.  With this promise and knowing I can be less Perfect and more accepting and more loving to my Self.

Blank Canvas

I look at my Blank Canvas - it invites my Imagination - it represents a world of possibilities - a world of opportunities.  I CAN CREATE MY LIFE.  I am the Designer.  I have the power.

I close my eyes for a 15 minute Meditation.  I clear my mind by imagining the Blank Canvas.  I fast forward to 3 months - the Blank Canvas (in my mind's eye) very quickly turns to Yellow - the outside and the inside of the Canvas - bright, bright, Yellow.

I ask myself - What do I see?  What am I doing?  How do I feel?  I feel VERY Excited.  I feel Excited when I sit down with a Client for their first appointment.  I am SO Excited!  I am Excited that Clients are making themselves a Priority, to work on their life - so that they may LOVE THEIR LIFE.  That is why I am here - to help people who do not love their life - to help people SHINE.  It is that simple.

In my Meditation - I am Excited when someone first rings me on the phone - we talk briefly - I find out why they would like to see me and how they found out about me.  Word of mouth is spreading.  I Make A Difference.  People are recommending Clients to me.  I see a Yellow web (like a spider web), where I feel the Connection and Energy that is all around me and is spreading out.

I see myself with beams of light coming from me - everywhere I go - I Spread The Yellow. 

In the Meditation I see an image of my Coaching appointment diary - and it is full - 5 appointments for a Friday - and there is space - space to digest, reflect, relax, be centred and ready for each Client.  My diary is full - yet I find space and extra times and another room for all prospective Clients.

In my Meditation, I feel so comfortable and happy as a Coach - I AM A LIFE COACH.  I am living my Dream, I am living and loving my Vision.

I hear the words - "Do not fear, people will come" - "Be You" - "Be In Community".  The words "Be In Community" are strong.  In the Meditation I ask my Future Self what advice I can give to my Present Self ?  And I get a sense of me walking around and introducing myself to businesses in Cronulla - I feel drawn to hairdressers - that I need to just walk in and say "hello" so they know me and I may be of service to them and/ or their Clients.  I get a sense of just being in Community and known for my light.

In the Meditation I ask what people notice about me?  People notice that I am glowing.  I hear the words "I Am The Sun" and I have the image of rays of light coming from me - like my Business Logo - and then I have a knowing that I Am My Business Logo - the Yellow heart, the love, my Yin, my Yang, my Yin-Yang working together, in love, for the Greater Good, with sparks and rays of light and energy coming from me.

Wow - I loved my Meditation.  It was wonderful to sit in this Future space.  I write in my Journal.  Being in my Yin, my imagination and feeling in my heart, I feel that this place is Incredible, Powerful - much more than just sitting here and thinking about my Business.

Today is about having a Vision and Goals for my Coaching Business - without Goals I would not know the direction I am travelling - and I like to have Goals so that I can tune into my Intuition and see what will take me closer to my destination.  While at Cronulla I buy myself a card - I decide to write myself a Birthday card - my Birthday is 4 months away.  The card is to me and from me - I am writing to my Future Self - and by the time I read the card, I have a strong sense that my Vision would have come true.  I will give this card to my Man tonight so that he can give it back to me in September when my Dreams of a Successful Coaching Business will be achieved.  The Goal is Specific and Measureable - I want to be working with 5-7 Clients every week.  I love writing myself a card - just saying "Congratulations" to myself.

Now that I have a clear Goal and I have seen it in my mind's eye, plus I have felt the emotion and expressed it in writing - it is now time for ACTION - time to take Steps.  And so out I go into the Community, with a pile of my Flyers.  I decide that I will deliver 100 today.  Although I had originally planned on photocopying pages from the street directory and having a more ordered, logical, Yang approach to the Flyer delivery - I decide to just allow my Yin to run the show - to just listen for where my Intution guides me to go - and then Yang does the walking.  I had also planned to write down the streets where I deliver my Flyer - yet it is such a beautiful sunny day and I just enjoy feeling the warmth of the sun and love looking at the Flowers, Trees and Birds.  And everytime I put a Flyer in a letterbox I imagine sending love, light and Yellow to the household.  It is wonderful following my Yin's guidance - it takes off the pressure and makes for a relaxing time.  If the letterbox is filled with too many brochures, overflowing from a letterbox, my Yin senses that there is too much going on there right now, and my Yang agrees that I don't want my Flyer to get lost - so I just move to the next inviting letterbox.  I see a Kookaburra and that makes my heart sing and I enjoy seeing the Lorrikeets flying and splashing in a bird bath.

I had a lovely afternoon and just as I was on my way home a lady approached me and showed me a piece of paper with an address - she was lost and was trying to get to this unit.  English is the second language for this lady.  So I walk with her until we find her unit - we walk for about an hour, she had been given the wrong address and I also got her lost as we walked up and down trying to find her new home.  We had a nice walk in the sunshine.  I am happy that I had time to Spread The Yellow to this lady - that I can be genuine and live from my heart.  I am just so happy that I had space in my day to allow for the unexpected surprises.  Although we only enjoyed half conversations - I really enjoyed my time in Connection with this lovely lady from Ukraine.  That's one of my greatest delights - I never know who I am going to meet on my Journey

And then tonight I enjoy a Date with my Man.  I love being in love - I love holding hands with my Man.  If I was designing my life and I had a Blank Canvas in front of me - I would choose my Man and our life together at the Centre - my Man is my Now and my Future.

As I Imagine my Future - I feel that it is Bright and Happy and there is so much Sunshine and Yellow...

And even as I dream my dreams and Imagine my Future - I love the Now - Being and Enjoying the Now is  SO Very Important to me...

Coaching Business Starts Today

7 May 2010 - My Coaching Business Starts Today - SHINE Coaching.

Last night I went to a very special dinner - a gathering of my Friends, my Community of Counsellors and Coaches - I love these women - I love the sense of Connection I feel with them.  It was a wonderful opportunity to speak from the heart - with a genuine heartfelt caring and wanting the very best for every woman at the table.  It was a wonderful night.

I got home at 11.40pm and was so delighted to see that my Man was still up and about and had a present for me.  At 12.01am - a new day - My  Coaching Business Starts Today - my Man surprised me with a beautiful, thoughtful card and present - I love his words - and I love the pen he bought me with the words "Super Coach" engraved - my Man makes me SHINE - my heart sings.

Today I have had a great day.  I delivered Flyers to my friend's physio and also to a doctor's clinic and the womens' community centre - plus I put one of my Flyers on the notice board at Gloria Jeans.  I ran into my Cousin and also a close Friend and it was great chatting with them on my special day today.

A FANTASTIC part of my day involved setting up my Room - my Space for my Coaching.  The Room has been set up for another Healer - yet I love that there is the opportunity to bring myself to my lifework.  My Yin and Yang have been working on this Project - I have meditated on and visualised my Room, my Yin giving me Insights and Ideas and Inspiration - and my Yang getting organised and getting my "stuff" together so that I could Create my Room today.  However, when I arrived at Cronulla, I was surprised that I would be in a different room today - almost a bit disappointed - and yet once I was in the other room (that will now be my room on a Friday) it felt very right - a good reminder to me to Trust the Universe.  I had a wonderful time bringing the room to life.  The Yang, the 'to do', thinking, logical, analytical part of me, couldn't have done this on its own - feeling into my Yin, my intution, my emotional part of me was essential today.  I just followed my intution as I Created my room, looking around, feeling into what would work in this Space.  The Yang part of me was great at recording my Room set up - so that I can have a list of everything that I need to take on a Friday and a Step-by-Step Process of bringing it to life.  Here are two photos showing the original set up of the Room - and then two photos showing my Room Alive.

I choose an Angel Card - it is perfect - "Counsellor - Archangel Azrael 'You are a natural Counsellor, and many people benefit from your guidance and reassurance.' "

I was really Excited when my dear Friend, Aideen visited my Room and she gave me a "lucky $5" which is to encourage the flow of money into my Business.  We had a lovely chat and it was so wonderful being in this Space.  My Friend selects an Angel Card - another perfect card with the perfect wording - "Brilliant Idea! Archangel Uriel: 'Yes, your idea is Divinely guided... please take action to bring your idea to fruition.' "

This afternoon to clear energy and create Space for my business, I burn incense and a candle and I enjoyed a Meditation.  It was very powerful.  I had a sense of a lot of people coming to Coaching in this Room - and I felt myself in a state of Welcome and opening the door to the Space.  Did I mention that the door to this Room is Yellow - perfect!  I had a sense that Clients will flow to the Room, I could see an image of the side of a stage and there were all these people lining up and a director just letting people onto the stage one at a time - and this gave me the sense that Clients will flow to my business and that there will be a natural and steady flow of Clients.

In the Meditation I had a sense of being in the Space with my Client and that we were in the middle of the Yellow heart - that there is such a Sacredness of this Space and a strong Connection between Coach and Client.  I also saw a beautiful visual of the power of Coaching to Spread The Yellow where I am in the middle and then my Clients will be changed through Connection with me - and then others will be changed through Connection with my Clients - and so the energy will flow.  It was beautiful to see and feel into this Vision.

I also had a sense of Clients giving me Gifts to thank me for helping them - and just as they were handing me the Gifts, I could see in my mind's eye that I was holding their hands, and not accepting the Gifts, and said that my Clients give me so much - that just being in Presence with them is a Gift.

After my Meditation I write the words "I Am Here", "I Am Here", "I Am Here".  I am so very ready.  I am looking forward to working with Clients.

I am Excited to see my Business promoted in the Bookshop's Newsletter - Very Excited.  This Newsletter is distributed to 400 Customers.  I am also very Excited that my business cards have arrived and I put my cards in my business card holder (that I bought as a present to myself).

Today is the first day of my Business - and I feel very Happy.

I am looking forward to my Man getting home from work so that we can celebrate Day 1 of My Coaching Business.

When I left my Room today, I bought a beautiful book 'Gaia Body and Soul' by Toni Carmine Salerno - the artwork and words are beautiful - on the cover are the words "In Honour of Mother Nature and The Feminine Spirit". 

There are so many amazing words in this book.  I find a verse that resonates with me today:
"Believe in Yourself
for you are a wonder of creation.
Let go of fear and you'll discover a shining star.
Trust in the healing power of love.
You are an ocean of light,
Reflecting the light of the Sun, Universe and stars.
Love's flame resides in your heart,
And through this love new stars are born.
Through an explosion of love
Your glowing heart moves the ocean's tide
One eternal heart forever"

I am Inspired.

I am also given the Gift of a bookmark that had caught my eye - I love these words (and the image of this flower):
" Find the seed
at the bottom of your heart
and bring forth
a flower."

These words speak to me - as this is the Goal of Coaching - bringing a Client's light and Vision to life...


I am in the right place... I am on my path...

I Choose To Be A Coach

Spread The Yellow - I have a knowing that this is my Soul Purpose. 

Spread The Yellow is a choice.  Today, it is in the moments of laughter with colleagues, it is in the interest and enthusiasm that I show to Customers on the phone, it is in time and interest I offer to the friendly woman at the dental surgery.  I am Grateful when I feel others Spread The Yellow to me - I am touched that a friend from College sponsored me in the 'Relay For Life' - so Grateful - and I am happy to receive the small acts of loving and giving from my Man when he helps me and my Parents in organising their phone, when my Man puts hot water in my bath and when he steams broccoli for me and organises dinner.  Spread The Yellow is sharing excitement and Joy in beauty - in the simple - in our Organic Fruit and Vegetable box that was delivered again tonight - we have placed a permanent order for Monday nights - I love it - I love the surprise and I am so Excited to explore the contents and imagine all the wonderful Vegetarian dishes I will Create.

I have started reading 'Soulcraft' by Bill Plotkin (I have 3 other  books on the go - and yet I am called to start reading this book).  It is a wonderful book.  I love the definition of Soulcraft "the skill needed in shaping the human Soul towards its fulfillment in its unity with the entire Universe".  As A Coach - a Tranformational Life Coach - it is my desire to be a witness and Honour the Soul and offer Soulcraft.

It is 3 days until I start my Coaching Business. The common question I am getting asked is "Have I got my first Client organised?". Now if I was in my Corporate Business world, entirely in my Yang, I would be overthinking my Business, or racing around getting all my Marketing organised - yet in my Yin-Yang, I feel comfortable and relaxed.  My Yin-Yang is my new way of being, it is definitely new to me and I am just learning to be in this new way - trusting my Intuition, being in the flow and then taking Inspired ACTION.  I love in the first few pages of 'Soulcraft' that the author writes "I heard the Soul's call again, this time as an urgency for wilderness solitude, to look inwardly as far and as innocently as possible, and to wait until some truth rang out."  

Normally in Yang style I would be driven and writing lists and getting everything done and writing Business Plans and a Marketing Strategy - yet I want to enjoy the flow of this Journey. I was intuitively guided to the Bookstore where I will now be working, I listened to my Yin and my Yang took the ACTION necessary to confirm the agreement and pay the rent. I just want to take one step at a time and see where that leads and then another step will follow - feeling into my Intuition, my Yin being the wanderer and then my Yang will take the necessary steps.

My Yang has been working hard for his beloved Yin - the two parts of myself working together to create my business. I am Excited that I am getting my business cards and Flyers printed and I will receive them during the week. I am Excited that I will be able to put some Flyers at the Clinics of my Physiotherapist, my Chiropractor and my Doctor. I am really Excited that when talking to my Doctor last week, he was very interested in the work that I do and asked me to drop some Flyers and cards to him, that he thought he would be able to definitely refer people to me that needed Support. I am also Excited that the Owner of the Doctor's Clinic has also offered me space at the Clinic.

Wow... the Universe is Very Wonderful.  My Doctor showers me with compliments, tells me and my Man how happy I always am, and how I brighten his day. We then go to the shops and while getting groceries I see from a distance a Doctor that I used to visit years and years ago - probably over 7 years ago - what is interesting is that I had visited this Doctor a long time ago when I was suffering from Depression, when I was at the bottom of the dark hole. It is ironic, coincidental, synchronistic - that I should see both Doctors in one day and that their experience of me would be quite different.

This experience allows me to reflect on Why I Choose To Be A Coach. A long time ago, seems like a lifetime away, or someone else's life, I experienced Depression. It was a very Dark time for me and my Family. I remember the lead up to the Depression - I was in a job that I didn't feel was right for me, I lacked confidence in my role, I didn't feel comfortable at all, I didn't feel like I belonged in the workplace, my Marriage wasn't working, we had put ourselves under huge financial strain, I was an insomniac and would go days and nights without sleeping. I wish I had have worked with a Coach - or had someone to catch me before I fell down the BIG, DEEP hole. All the signs were there, I was so stressed and anxious and felt trapped. Luckily for me I had a wonderful Mum, Dad and Brother who loved me, sat with me, helped me - and two great friends who listened and sat with me in this black space. Miraculously I eventually saw some light and found the strength to live again, without medication, just time and support.

Thinking back on this time is still emotional for me. It was so difficult for my Mum and Dad and my Brother and Sister-In-Law. Sadly, my Marriage ended - although I know my ex-Husband is a very good man and our Marriage was not supposed to be. My Marriage ended because we didn't have Connection, we didn't have enough heartfelt Conversations.

I am definitely a cheerleader personality (99% of the time) - I am positive, happy, friendly, motivated, I get Excited. Had I not been through Depression, I never would have understood or had the level of Compassion and Empathy that I now have for others. My Mum and friend Ann were wonderful to me - they would just sit with me, they did not try to rush me, or talk their 'sense' into me, or give me advice, or give judgements - they just accepted me and gave me space to talk and be myself - in Counselling and Coaching we call this Unconditional Positive Regard - and allowing Attentive Silence and Space.  Had I not experienced Depression, I would have been more inclined to motivate people or cheerleader them in a new direction - and now I have learnt the power of just sitting and holding the space for someone as a witness and in Honour of their Journey.

I have always been interested in working with others, and since I was about 27 I was considering studying Psychology. I also remember around this time seeing an article in the Sunday magazine about Life Coaching and immediately I was interested and wanted to become a Life Coach. And after my experience of Depression, I know that I want to help people - I want to catch people before they fall into a black hole - help people find the steps in their lives to keep them moving. 

And not only moving, in terms of just going through the motions of life - but to live in a state of Joy and Happiness. 

I am fortunate in that I know the signs in myself - I know when it is okay to just surrender and sit with the feeling and I also know when I need to take ACTION. 

As well as being in the depth of a dark Valley, I have also been at the top of the Peak of Mountains.  I am fortunate, through hard work, to have won the major Awards at University, graduated with a High Distinction.  I was also selected by my company to live and work in Atlanta for a major Project, which was an incredible experience.  I have excelled as a Manager and Motivator with a love of bringing out the best in others.  I have done well in Sport - loving being the Club Captain of a running club and loving competing, winning and achieving places in running events.

For me now, the Peak Moments are when my Nieces were born, being hugged by them, seeing them dancing, loving them - as well as times with my Mum and Dad, especially when we receive good news that Mum is healthy and well.  Another Peak Moment was falling in love with my Man - and being in love everyday - choosing Love, honouring our Love.  I have been in some very difficult and heartbreaking relationships, I have made mistakes, I have stayed too long in the wrong relationships, and it was only when I made the decision to Honour myself, and Honour what I deserved, that my Man showed up in my life.

I Choose To Be A Coach - and I Choose To Be Authentic.  I am on My Own Journey.  And I have the training, skills and the capacity and an open heart to Support others on their Journey.

At College the other weekend, we did a great Coaching activity - which involved reflecting back on what you have loved about your career - the highlights - the pieces of Gold - while the Client speaks, the Coach writes down the responses to the questions - here are some of my highlights - which also show that my Career is moving in the right direction - I've always loved:

- Hearing people's stories

- Genuine Conversations

- Conversations - hearing about people's lives - joys, excitement, challenges

- Seeing the Greatness in others

- Creating Community

- Getting to know others

- Celebrating with others

- Creating structure for others to grow

- Believing in others

- Helping people find solutions

- Sitting with people in Connection

- Making people feel Valued

- Bring out the best in others

- Charity work

- Coming up with ideas

- Being free to make decisions

- Working with other people

- Harnessing the energy of others to Make A Difference

- Bringing people together for the Greater Good

- People

- Connection

- Nurturing

- Journeying with others rather than teaching them.

The Power of Coaching is about the relationship, about the Connection.  It is helpful and wonderful to read Self-Development books and Journal and yet there is something very magical about the Coaching space and Connection between Coach and Client.  Friends and Family are very wonderful and I am blessed to have such wonderful Support -yet the Coaching Connection offers a difference - offering a Space where there is no advice giving, no judgement, no opinions - just a space dedicated to the Client.  The Coach offers confidentiality and total Support and the freedom for someone to be themselves and just be.  The Coach walks beside a Client on their path, enables awareness of the right steps to help them walk towards their Vision, acknowledges their Client's greatness, their uniqueness, celebrates their Client's Wins.  I am Excited to Spread The Yellow in my Coaching.

I Choose To Be A Coach - I Love Being A Coach... 

I Love to see people SHINE - hearing people speak with Passion, seeing their eyes light up, people doing what they love, people loving their life.  My Passion is that through the Process of Coaching my Clients will feel:
- Successful
- Happy
- Inspired
- New
- Empowered.

Inspired To Create

I am up at 7.15am and my Yang part of me, my doing part of me, wants to get outside and move - to go for a walk.  And yet my Yin part of me wants to meditate, to go within.  So I enjoy a Meditation, and it is a wonderful way to start my day - in my mind's eye I see visions of myself and my Man having open hearts - it is a beautiful visual - I also then enter into a peaceful state - hmm... I could stay in this place for longer...

At work I am mostly in my Yang - the thinking part of me - and I am committed to doing my best - the competitive, high achiever part of me, wanting to be the best I can be.  Of course my Yin, my feminine part of me, is happy when I chat and laugh with the ladies from work - I am starting to feel I belong to the community - feeling home in myself - that I can just be myself - it is a good feeling.  My Yin still loves the walk outside during my breaks - I love smelling Jasmine flowers and I love that my Yin noticed a beautiful small white balled flower - I'm not sure of the name - found it hard to find on Google - but I think this image is the beautiful flower I saw today during my afternoon walk.

I leave work and go straight to the fruit and vegetable shop.  Tomorrow we have a community feast at work, and I am excited and Inspired To Create.  Christie, a friend from College, has definitely Inspired me - in reading Christie's Blog (and watching the movie 'Julie and Julia') I was definitely Inspired to start my Blog - and Christie's Follow Your Bliss Blog http://christiefischer.blogspot.com/ has definitely Inspired me to cook more and experiment and Create.  SO A BIG THANKS TO CHRISTIE.

As part of my College work - I have decided that one of my Projects will be to get my Yin and Yang in their brilliance, working together, with a synergy of 1+ 1 = 11, in creating delicious, healthy meals.  My Yin part of me just wants to Create.  While my Yang wants to look at recipes and write lists.  And I don't want to write so many lists, or be too stuck on exact recipes, that the Yin part of me is excluded in the process.  I am happy that I take a cloth bag to the shop - very happy - sometimes I forget and I get to the checkout and I am disappointed in myself - yet today I fill my cloth bag with a wonderful array of coloured vegetables.  To include my Yang I put a couple of things on a list - yet my Yin loves the shopping and fills the bag based on being Inspired - the colours, the shapes, the vegetables that call me.  I get home and love all the vegetables I have bought - and I just stand back and witness the beauty - waiting for my Yin to Inspire the process - hmmm... what should I create... where should I get started - I hold the creative tension...

         

And then I am Inspired to get started - I cut up my zucchini and make zucchini rounds - Inspired To Create from Christie's recipe and tips.  I taste them - zucchini, rocket pesto (bought - brand Inspire), a small piece of fresh basil leaf, 1/4 cherry tomato.  These taste delicious - raw zucchini tastes delicious - I am used to eating zucchini cooked.  Thanks Christe for Inspiring me.  I then cut up a large bowl of raw vegetables - green beans, yellow capsicum, carrot, celery and red capsicum - to be served with homous (I buy the homous, I am not as good as Christie - but I love that it is Organic - and I love that the brand is Mum's Choice! Foods to make your belly dance!  Nice!!!!)

             

Then time to think about dinner.  I maximise the power of my Yin-Yang. My Yin feels inspired to make a dish with a lot of raw vegetables - so my Yang part follows Yin's instruction - chop up, very small in bite sizes - carrots, beans, red capsicum, yellow capsicum, celery, 2 whole tomatos.  My Yin requests that Yang boil vegetable stock and then gets the couscous ready.  My Yang can sometimes fall into the thinker, working out what to eat - yet I love when the Yin part of me shows me how to feel into my intuition, my 'gut' feel.  My Yang, looking for some direction and ideas, Googles couscous, lime, raw vegetables.  I have made a couscous dish before - yet I don't want to follow an exact recipe.  My Yin-Yang reviews a few recipes and then is Inspired To Create my own.  I combine some lime olive oil, juice from 1/2 an orange, juice from a lime (my Yin grabbed this at the fruit and vegetable shop - love limes!), a teaspoon of cumin, a generous sprinkle of cinnamon - and I shake them all together - and mix them in with the couscous.  With still half an orange left, my Yin inspires Yang to chop it up and throw it in with the other vegetables.  I then blend in the vegetables with the couscous and dressing.  It all looks great - so many colours - so many raw vegetables.  I get why Christie gets so excited and is Inspired To Create.  I love Creating and Cooking.  I divide up the mixture - vegetarian for me - and then add some Tuna for my Man.  I love home-made.  I love Vegetarian.

I just loved cooking and creating tonight... loved it... and while I am definitely Inspired by others (thank you Christie and also thank you to my other friends who are vegetarian - as well as lovely Souls who Spread The Yellow by sharing their recipes on the internet), I am also SO excited that I am learning to trust myself in the process - using my Yin and Yang so that I may SHINE...  watch this space... I am SO VERY Inspired To Create...