visualisation

I don't believe in The Secret. I know that I wrote in a previous post that I was "embracing" the law of attraction, but that is only because I believe in the concept, in an abstract sense. I believe that being purposeful, having clear goals and direction and working towards something helps us to achieve our dreams and aspirations. I don't think that there is any magic involved at all, but I do think that it is more likely that your life will evolve the way you want it to if you can picture the way you would like your future to turn out. This way, your path will be more direct.

So these are a few, somewhat materialistic, things that I am "visualising" right now...

A bicycle

Or, to be more specific, looking absolutely adorable on a bicycle, preferably somewhere in Europe. New York will also do quite nicely.

Cute vintage caravan

For travelling around Australia with my boyfriend Andy, à la a memoir I recently read called Love and Other U-Turns by Louisa Deasey. Some friends, including Andy, have expressed their doubts about the likelihood of this ever happening...

Prism glasses

A writing career


Sarah Wilson on the Mumbo Report, talking about her covetable "portfolio career".

Like I said, I don't believe that just visualising these things will "attract" them to me. I know that I actually have to take steps to grab them for myself. But I think that it helps, in a way - if only to justify all the time I spend dreaming.

Here is some food for thought: the darker side to positive thinking, by Barbara Ehrenreich. In animation. Warning: these videos are dangerously addictive (in a good way, unless you have work to do).

And a few intriguing quotes from another Barbara, Barbara Kingsolver...

"The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance, but live right in it, under its roof."

"Your dreams, what you hope for and all that, it's not separate from your life. It grows right up out of it. "

"It's the one thing we never quite get over: that we contain our own future."

five weeks

So, I have recently finished final exams for the semester and I have a lovely, long five week break ahead of me.

What I really want to work on during my break is prioritising. I tend to want to do and be good at so many things that I paralyse myself. I want to wake up early and yet I also want to stay up late reading fashion blogs. I want to do well in my exams yet I also want to preoccupy myself with twitter and authors@Google. I want to lose weight yet I also want to sit in bed and watch Top Chef on my laptop. I want to save money yet I also want to buy clothes and makeup and books and magazines.

I recently read The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone, which is absolutely fantastic and has completely changed the way I think about food. She said something that really struck me in her introduction: that the only way she can maintain her diet is to make food her priority. And that really struck a chord with me. (By the way - I really, really love the idea of being vegan, but it's not so easy in practice. So I'm working on cutting down on meat and animal by-products, slowly but surely. I'm not going to pretend that I am entirely embracing veganism or macrobiotics, but I am determined to try).

So my priorities for this break are as follows:

1. Write.
2. Exercise.
3. Unclutter.
4. Read.

That is all. So far, it's not going so well. I am struggling to write coherently, and I have missed the gym for the last two days. My room is still full of empty boxes, ready to cart out my junk. I have read three books, if that's any consolation. So I suppose you could say that prioritising is something that I'm still working on; with the aspiration to have something to show for it before I start a new semester at uni, afresh.

16. random acts of kindness

1. Smile at everybody. 2. Ask for and remember people's names. 3. Hold the lift open for people and press the button for them. 4. Let people pass you in traffic and wave to people who do the same for you. 5. Give genuine compliments to strangers. 6. Write thank you notes to people for hosting a great party, saying something that made you feel better, giving great customer service, birthday and Christmas presents, etc. 7. Say thank you to the bus driver. 8. Give up your seat on public transport for elderly people, pregnant women, mothers with young children and people who look exhausted. 9. Let people with only a few items in front of you in the grocery line. 10. Say hello to people as you walk the dog. 11. Greet people with warmth and enthusiasm. 12. Help mothers and elderly people with their shopping. 13. Thank shop assistants. 14. Chat to people while waiting in line for the bus, shopping, lift etc. 15. Give people your unexpired bus and parking tickets. 16. Call stores to report great customer service. 17. Truly listen to people when they talk. 18. Comment on people's blogs, facebook photos and twitter updates. 19. Remember people's birthdays. 20. Participate in operation beautiful.

"We won’t always know whose lives we touched and made better for our having cared, because actions can sometimes have unforeseen ramifications. What’s important is that you do care and you act."
— Charlotte Lunsford

8. engage in a fulfilling weekly routine

Daily: Go swimming or jogging, cook, makeup & skincare regime, green tea, dance cardio, write, eat chocolate-covered strawberries, kiss Andy, early morning walk, blowdry hair, update my blog, take photographs.

Twice weekly: Yoga class, go to the beach, paint nails, go out and dress up, do food shopping, tidy my room, work, give myself a facial, pack lunches for uni, check favourite blogs.

Weekly: Read a novel, watch Mad Men & Glee, see a film, do volunteer work, download a new music album, empty my handbag, organise uni notes, bake cupcakes for my brothers.

11. improve my sleep pattern

Tips for better sleep:

* Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends. The body will get into its automatic rhythm.

* Start the day with a walk, some breathing and stretching - this will lower cortisol levels (stress hormones) from the outset and help to keep them low all day.

* Change your perception of things. Read A New Earth and The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle . Frame your world in optimism. Change your words, change your world. What you think about, you bring about, so if you’re sitting there thinking stressful, angry, frustrated thoughts, guess what you’re attracting more of... People who focus on the positive tend to sleep better and experience better health in general. Remember: thoughts are like the clouds; they float in and out - you don't have to attach to them!

* Follow a consistent exercise program. It will increase your energy levels during the day, improve your mood and help to regulate your sleeping patterns at night. Exercise in the morning or afternoon. Working out within 3 or 4 hours of sleep can make it harder to fall asleep.

* Bad digestion means bad sleep. Don’t overeat. (No more than two fistfuls of food each meal.) Eat more meals, but less in them. Chew food thoroughly. Keep stomach acidity levels in check.

* Good sleep hinges on good daily detoxification. Things that assist liver detox: vitamins from green leafy veges, wholegrains, nuts, brown rice and seeds. Things that do not: Booze, drugs, food chemicals, sugar, trans fats, smoking and of course, stress.

* Sleep promoting foods (which produce melatonin and seratonin, the hormones required for good sleep): turkey (high in Tryptophan, a pre-cursor to melatonin), bananas, B vitamins, foods with zinc and magnesium. Sleep saboteurs: Fruit, rice, trans fats, vegetable oils (they become toxic at certain levels, cook with grapeseed or rice bran oil instead of olive oil), caffeine, chemicals and additives.

* Schedule some down time every day. Stretch, take a hot bath, read, do yoga or tai chi. Stare into space!

* Stop eating all together at least 3 hours before sleep. This will prevent heartburn, indigestion and energy boosts from the food.

* No TV or laptops for two hours before bed. Too much bright light and movement.

* Caffeine is fine in small doses, but if you’re not sleeping, get smart: no caffeine (even green tea) after 5pm. Limit caffeine during the day: try for less than 1-2 cups of caffeinated beverages per day.

* If you are hungry, have a light snack but avoid protein-rich and caffeine containing foods and beverages. Try dairy products. Milk contains the sleep inducing amino acid, tryptophan. (Go organic, please! So that the milk is coming from a healthy cow ... Eat Healthy: Be Political!)

* Try such sleep aids as herbal supplements (St Mary’s thistle, witharia, passionflower, rhodiola, zyzifous, valerian root, melatonin), Rescue Remedy and herbal teas - organic, pure loose leaf ones, please.

* Play soft music, dim the lights and wear PJs every night. This kind of pre-bed ritual signals to the body you’re entering the sleep phase.

* Aromatherapy (spray, candles or oil burners) have an incredible effect on stress levels. Lavender and chamomile scents can be soothing and relaxing. Vanilla 'kills' appetite.

* Don't oversleep. Too much of a good thing can actually make you more tired. Plan for a healthy 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Set your mind as you climb into your comfy bed.

(via Zoe Foster on primped.com and Janice Taylor in the Huffington Post)

9. detox and decorate my bedroom

Although I don't have faith in the spiritual aspect of Feng Shui, it seems to be common sense that my inordinate amount of clutter is weighing me down - so I have decided to detox my room and, for once, I am going to be callous!

Things to Keep:

1. All my books. 2. Photos. 3. My favourite clothes, accessories and beauty products. 4. Journals. 5. Magazine collection. 6. Spare buttons. 7. Pieces that match my decor.

Things to Throw or Give Away:

1. Clothes I haven't worn during the past year. 2. Old schoolbooks. 3. Bank statements. 4. Anything purchased from a surf store. 5. Cheap jewellery. 5. Shoes scuffed beyond repair. 6. Beauty products I don't need. 7. Ornaments and porcelain dolls from my childhood. 8. Old birthday cards.

Things to Buy:

1. Bedding to emulate the picture above. 2. A vintage jewellery box. 3. Fiona Kate storage boxes and labels. 4. Renee home fragrance and candles. 5. New pillows. 6. DCO ice slab photo frames.

15. take pride in myself

Perfect a signature hairstyle:

Products: Fekkai ageless shampoo, conditioner and salon glaze, Aveda style-prep smoother, glossing straightener and hair potion, Bumble & bumble surf spray and brilliantine.

Tools: Aveda paddle brush, Parlux, ghd.

Perfect a signature makeup look:

Day Products: Le blanc de Chanel sheer illuminating base, MAC face & body foundation, Ellis Faas and By Terry concealer, By Terry perfecting glow compact powder, Kevyn Aucoin celestial powder in candlelight, pure powder glow in shadore and creamy moist glow in pravella, Becca mineral bronzer in duende, Nars eyeshadow in edie, Stila smudge pot in black, Nars eyeliner pencil in iceberg, Chanel inimitable mascara in black and brown, Nars eyebrow shadow in bali, Chanel lipstick in imagination, Chanel lipgloss in glass quartz.

Tools: MAC stippling brush, Nars yachiyo, ita, eye shader, brow shader and liquid eyeliner brushes, By Terry foundation, blush, powder and lip brushes, Utowa eyelash curler.

Night

Products: Le blanc de Chanel sheer illuminating base, Ellis Faas foundation, Ellis Faas & By Terry concealer, By Terry perfecting glow compact powder, Kevyn Aucoin celestial powder in candlelight, Chanel blush in rose dust, Becca mineral bronzer in duende, Nars eyeshadow in mekong, edie, night breed and kalahari, Nars eyeshadow pencil in goddess and aigle noir, Stila smudge pot in black & kitten, Nars eyeliner pencil in iceberg, Utowa eyelash curler, Mecca Cosmetica false eyelashes, YSL mascara singulier in black, Chanel inimitable mascara in brown, Nars eyebrow shadow in bali, Chanel laque in ming.

Tools: MAC stippling brush, Nars yachiyo, ita, eye shader, smudge, large domed eye, eye contour, push eyeliner, concealer, brow shader and liquid eyeliner brushes, By Terry foundation, blush, powder and lip brushes, Utowa eyelash curler, Duo eyelash glue.

Perfect a signature style

Oliver Goldsmith 'Audrey' sunglasses, Chanel nail polishes in ballerina and organdy, pretty white dresses, soft pink leather jacket, Swarovski bracelet, black patent leather handbag, cashmere scarves, Malin & Goetz lotus root fragrance, leather sandals, fuchsia wool coat, LBDs, white-gold wishbone necklace, ballerina flats, whimsy print dresses, taupe leather tote, Mystic Tan, organic cotton, Zimmermann swimsuit, cashmere-lined pink soft leather gloves, sparkly clutches, enamel and pearl pink rose cocktail ring, Renee satin shimmer dry body oil, white blazer.

(pictures via thefashionspot)

1. read one book per week.

Some books I'd like to read:

× The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
× A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks
× Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
× Sylvia Plath’s Collected Poems
× The Lover by Marguerite Duras
× Ulysses by James Joyce
× Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco
× Gould's Book of Fish by Richard Flanagan
× Engleby by Sebastian Faulks
× The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
× One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
× History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters by Julian Barnes
× The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
× Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
× On the Road by Jack Kerouac
× The Girl at the Lion d'Or by Sebastian Faulks
× A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
× The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
× Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
× Cuckold by Kiran Nagarkar
× Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
× The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
× Beauty and Sadness by Yasunari Kawabata

2010

Things to do in 2010:

1. Read one book per week. 2. Remember everybody's birthdays. 3. Grow and cultivate a pink rosebush. 4. Start taking regular yoga classes. 5. Do volunteer work. 6. Perfect five beautiful dishes. 7. Swim. 8. Engage in a fun, enjoyable, pleasurable, fulfilling weekly routine. 9. Detox and decorate my bedroom. 10. Take photographs. 11. Improve my sleep pattern. 12. Give more compliments. 13. Write. 14. Live a simple, healthy, balanced lifestyle. 15. Take pride in myself. 16. Do random acts of kindness. 17. Work hard. 18. Improve my posture. 19. Make more time for family. 20. Smile at strangers.

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art — write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself."
— Neil Gaiman