My 20th Birthday!

I celebrated at a local winery with my family and boyfriend, then a huge night on the town at my favourite bar in St Kilda. I waited 5 weeks to celebrate as I had broken my toe the week before my birthday and my closest friends were all together for this weekend. My best friend of 16 years Phoebe, has been living in London and finally moved home to Australia and became my new roommate! Amber all over the country for Miss World and Courtney flying all over the place with Monster, so it was great to have everybody together in the one place!

Thank you to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday! Next stop... 21!

 

Donate Life Week: 19 - 26 February 2012

I just registered to be an organ donor! It was something I have been considering and researching for a while, and after discussing my decision with my family and friends, they too have made an informed decision to become organ and tissue donors! After all, just one organ donor can save or enhance the lives of 10 people, and there are around 1600 people on organ transplant waiting lists.

DonateLife Week, is Australia's national awareness week to promote organ and tissue donation. Their target is to encourage all Australians to talk about organ and tissue donation, share their stories and wishes with their families and close friends about organ donation and generate discussion.

This wish to help others becomes a reality if Australians learn about organ and tissue donation and make the decision to become a donor. Families also need to know the wishes of the potential donor. This means discussing, understanding and accepting each family member's decision. 

Australian organ transplant waiting list (4 November 2011)

Kidney      1,125

Liver         172

Heart        96

Lung         156

Pancreas  43

Intestine  3

Stomach  1

Total        1,596

Source: Australia and New Zealand Organ Registry (ANZOD).

Transplanted organs in Australia for 2011

Kidney     570

Liver     213

Heart     64

Intestine    0

Lung     157

Pancreas    26

Pancreas    9

Total     1039

Source: Australia and New Zealand Organ Registry (ANZOD) in conjunction with ANZDATA Registry

1039 organs were transplanted in 2011, benefiting 1001 transplant recipients!

Remember, the quality of care for a donor at the end of his or her life, and the wishes of their family, is always the foremost consideration of those involved, and is never compromised by the potential for organ and tissue donation...

For more information, you can visit: http://www.donatelife.gov.au/

To find out how to register in Australia as an organ donor, visit: http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead

'Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead' is a film that documents Australian Joe Cross’ extraordinary transformation from being 100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease to fit and healthy in just 60 days, which has inspired a health movement among nearly 250,000 people in America. 'Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead' is an inspiring film that depicts Joe's mission to regain his health, realizing that the only person who can save himself is him.

By fasting on only fresh, organic fruit & vegetable juices for 60 days, Joe changed his life, and wants to motivate others to do the same, through his 'Reboot Your Life' program, an online health community that provides people with the tools and motivation to get healthy. ‘The majority of Australians only eat half the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables,’ says Joe. ‘Drinking them in freshly-blended juices is an easy and tasty alternative.’

Fat Sick & Nearly Dead Trailer:

My Own 7 Day Juice Fast

After my mother and I watched Joe’s film together for the first time, we felt compelled to give it a try. After researching juice fasting and gaining clearance from our doctors, we embarked on a mission to complete a 7 day juice fast. We understand everybody is different and please note we are not obese, nor do we have any health problems – my reasons for undertaking this juice fast was to detox and bring my body back to basics, train myself to eat nutrient-rich foods, and weave juicing into part of my daily life.

My mum raised me on an abundance of organic produce so the shopping for the week was easy. The first 2 days of the juice fast were the most difficult because we were so accustomed to the physicality of eating, chewing and enjoying delicious food; the cravings were through the roof! However over the course of the next 5 days, it became easier, I no longer had cravings for foods that have no nutritional benefit to my body whatsoever.

Upon completion of our juice fast we found that our appetites had greatly decreased, I was eating half of what I would have eaten before purely because I would just feel so full and I no longer had any cravings for nutrient poor food. It was great sharing the experience with my mum, and we also found our bodies both reacted so differently to one another. To my surprise, there was not a time when I felt physically hungry over the course of the juice fast, and the fresh organic fruits and vegetables in the juices provided all the nutrients my body required. Some juices contain up to 17g of protein!It’s been 3 months since I completed my mini juice fast, and I still enjoy my fresh organic juices each morning, I love kickstarting my day with such a powerful nutrient hit!

For HEAPS of yummy juice recipe's, follow this link to Joe's Reboot Community, he gives you a comprehensive guide to how many calories are in each juice, prep time and exactly how many grams of fiber, protein and carbs you can expect in each serve!

If you are considering undertaking a juice fast, I would suggest not only watching this movie but thoroughly researching it first, and having clearance from your doctor before doing so, as we did.

‘It doesn’t matter how old you are, it’s never too early or too late to look after your health.’ - Joe Cross

'FAT, SICK AND NEARLY DEAD' PREMIERES TONIGHT, THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9 AT 11.30PM ON CHANNEL NINE.

Life is a Choice, You Choose What You Do

This week, I flew to Sydney to not only work with some AMAZING people in the industry, but also attended the National Achievers Congress! I had the pleasure of hearing great legends like Tony Robbins, Robert & Kim Kiyosaki, Donald Trump and T Harv Eker and more, speak and share their insights and strategies on business and success. I'm so grateful to have had this experience, so I have written a short summary of the conference for you all to read and enjoy, and hopefully you can take away some of the great value that it holds, like I did.

Tony Robbins explains that it's not all about positive thinking, it's about seeing things as they are, but no worse than what they are, "80% of success or failure of a business is based on the psychology of the right leader." Robbins discusses how time is the most valuable resource that we have, that everybody has exactly the same amount of time, yet every second person is complaining they don't have enough time to do what they want to do. He explains that in order to be successful, you must have a strategy. "All people are equal, but not equal in strategy, which explains why some people are more successful than others. You have to know exactly where you are and exactly where you want to be. The strategy is the link between the two that will close the gap." Tony Robbins discusses the reasons WHY people do not have what they want, "A story is a word for the set of beliefs or explanation that you have for why you don't have what you want." For example - if somebody is wanting to lose weight, they will tell you; 'oh I don't have enough time' or 'I can't lose weight it's in my genetics.' They are bullsh***** themselves. "The truth will set you free." The only thing keeping you from where you want to be, is the story you have created to protect yourself. Any limitation that you have is your own story. "If you want to change your life, you have to change your story."

Adam Ginsberg gives an insight into the Legacy Effect - how what you do in life determines the legacy you leave behind. "Everybody wants life to be easy, BUT easy come - easy go. It doesn't WORK." Start with smaller goals to build the motivation that comes from fulfilling them, which in turn causes you to believe in yourself and, in the long run, will take you to your BIG number 1 goal. 

Admitting to making more than a few mistakes, Robert Kiyosaki explains "the only way you learn and grow is by making mistakes." Kiyosaki explains his Midas Touch must-haves in business - Thumb: Strength of character, Index: Stay focused, Rude Finger: What you stand for, Ring Finger: Relationships, Pinkie Finger: The little things you do better than anybody else. 

The fashionable and moving Kim Kiyosaki, (with amazing shoes), empowered all women in the audience -  by explaining the importance of financial independence, "Don't be a PHDW; a Poor, Helpless, Defenceless Woman. It's not enough to be a woman who wants more of life, you have to be a woman who is willing to go out & take it!"

For somebody who is not experienced in investing, I got a lot of value from Peter Spann who lives by the 10.10.10. Daily Plan... He explains it as putting $10 into investing a day, $10 a day to paying off debt and $10 a day in for luxury. For example, if you invest $10 a day @ 12.5% PA, in just 10 years you will have $198,314.26. In 15 years that will have turned into $502,002.31 and in just 20 years you have $1,130,310.13 invested. Take that to 35 years and that's over $9million... Starting from only $10 per day. Spann explains that the poor spend before investing and the rich invest before they spend. In order to do this however, it's crucial to set goals. "Goals are the fuel to the fire of your determination. Dream, Believe, DO."

T Harv Eker lives by a simple set of rules, that in order to be successful, "you need to learn what to do, and do what you learn!" He explains that thoughts lead feelings which lead to actions and equals results... (T+F+A=R) In other words, thoughts and feelings are what is inside you - what nobody else can see, but without the right mindset, you won't be able to action what you want, and you certainly won't obtain the results you are after. "Your inner world, creates your outer world. You create your life, so YOU must be at the steering wheel of your life." Eker explains that complaining about your life is the WORST thing you can do for your future success, What you're thinking about will expand - you're just going to get the same results as you have always done! "The problem is your goals are not big enough. Most people aim for the ceilings in their house, and wonder why they aren't getting anywhere. If you shoot for the moon, you will at least land in the stars." The truth is, we all know that action is important... so why doesn't everyone do it? Because of fear. Eker describes most people as living in fear, and like Robbins says, it's a fear of being inadequate, a fear of rejection that stops people from even trying. "The difference between successful people is that they act in spite of fear. Poor people let fear stop them and wait for it to go away... But fear doesn't go away so they will be waiting forever!" says Eker. "It's not necessary to eliminate fear, but instead acknowledge that it is there, and to act in spite of it and do what they want anyway. People live in terror of making mistakes, because we are taught from when we are born that making mistakes is a bad thing."

The beautiful Jennifer Hawkins introduced Donald Trump, who after politely and very publicly dissing Jennifer's management, mostly spoke in humour of his extensive list of life experiences with business. His valuable advice was to LOVE what you do - because if you don't love it, you will never be good at it and NEVER give up on what you love! "Think big, focus on the positive and build MOMENTUM."

"If your life isn't where you want it to be, you are the one with the power to change it. You are the creator of your life." - T Harv Eker.

WeFeedback

I'm very proud to announce that I am now a partner of WeFeedback! A social media initiative of the United Nations World Food Programme WFP, the world's largest community for sharing food and changing lives. Follow the link to join me in the fight against chronic hunger and make a child's dream come true!

http://wefeedback.org/calculator?hash=TSSVN

WeFeedback's mission is to enlist your help and the help of your social networks in the fight against the chronic hunger that burdens families all over the world. It's easy: You choose your favorite food, put it into the Feedback Calculator along with the estimated cost, and then calculate how many hungry children this would feed. The next step is to donate exactly that amount.

WeFeedback is a new approach to fighting hunger that is social, fun and focused on the positive. We believe food is an amazing force: It is a giver of life, a canvas for creativity and a catalyst for our social lives. If together we can harness the exuberance, creativity and sense of identity people associate with food, we can tap into a powerful positive force for change.

The WeFeedback community is focused on a common love of food and the possibilities it creates to improve lives. If we can do that, then we can do a world of good – literally.

Making the world a better place starts with food. Food fuels education. Food fuels free choice. Food fuels economic independence. Food fuels peace. That’s why WeFeedback and WFP are determined to break the cycle of hunger. We need your support, join me in the fight to end world hunger!

Creating SMART Goals

The SMART Goals template was first introduced to me by life coach Natasa Denman of PRS Coaching. I have found it to be one of the most useful resources when setting goals, and am constantly referring back to this template. I hope that it can be as useful for your future as it has been for me!

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

Specific

A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six "W" questions:
j
WHO: Who is involved?

WHAT: What do I want to accomplish?
WHERE: Identify a location.
WHEN: Establish a time frame. 
WHICH: Identify requirements and constraints. 
WHY: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal. 
e.g.: A general goal would be, "Get in shape." But a specific goal would be; "Join a health club and workout 3 days a week."

Measurable

Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal.
To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as... How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?

Attainable

When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals. 

You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals you build your self-image. You see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them.

Realistic

To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Some of the hardest jobs you ever accomplished actually seem easy simply because they were a labor of love. 

Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal.

Timely

A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there's no sense of urgency. If you want to lose 10 lbs, when do you want to lose it by? "Someday" won't work. But if you anchor it within a timeframe, "by May 1st", then you've set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal. 

T can also stand for Tangible

A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing. When your goal is tangible you have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable.

PLEASE NOTE: Grace Eadie did not personally write the above article; the copy is a well known, widely used template for goal setting developed by George T. Doran in 1981.

The Shortcuts to Happiness

Nobody is happy all the time, but some are more than others. It doesn't have much to do with your material possessions or high achievement; it comes down to your outlook on life, and the quality of your relationships with the people in your life.

The happiest people in the world are the most loving, they love what they do, love everyone around them, love their work and love themselves. The best way to excel and do well at anything is to cultivate a love. Many people chase after "Success" thinking it will bring them happiness but they are often disappointed. Happiness and "Success" are two very different things.

Be Optimistic

No matter what happens, good or bad, the effect on our happiness is only temporary and we tend to rebound to our baseline level. Some people have a higher baseline happiness level than others, and that can be attributed in part to genetics, but it's also largely influenced by how you think.

Money

Make enough money to support your basic needs, your happiness is not significantly affected by how much money you make, but by your level of optimism.

Smile and Laugh

Science suggests that when you smile, whether you feel happy or not, your mood will be elevated. So smile all the time! Just anticipating a happy, funny event can raise levels of endorphins.

Be Mindful

Be in the moment. Instead of worrying about something in the future, focus on the here and now.

Forgive

In a study of college students, it was found that an attitude of forgiveness contributed to better cardiovascular health. You could say that forgiveness literally heals your heart. While it is unknown how forgiveness directly affects your heart, the study suggests that it may lower the perception of stress.

Similar Friends

 It's thought that having friends who have mutual interests and beliefs is what makes the difference. Also it has been proven that those who have a lot of mutual friends are much more likely to have higher blood pressure, cholesterol levels and stress hormones than those with several very close friends.

Alone Time

Although relationships are one of the best antidotes to stress, you still need to recharge yourself and take time to reflect.

 

Be Grateful

Reflect on the positive aspects of your life (e.g., health, friends, family, relationships, education, work, etc.) Something that was suggested to me by The Secret (Rhonda Byrne) is to list 100 things you are grateful for. It helps to put things into perspective.

Pets are also a big stress reliever because of the amount of unconditional love you have for them!