Market Australia Leadership School

You're invited to join me and hundreds of others in participating in the Market Australia Leadership School on 15th-16th October.

There are a growing number of customers who want to take proactive control of their health, wellness, beauty, anti-aging, personal and technological needs, and there are thousands of sincere, hardworking individuals in the 45-Year Plan who seek financial security and time freedom from a proven business opportunity.

To these individuals who long for a better way to shop for effective products and who long for a Plan B for their financial security, Market Australia provides viable solutions in an increasingly complex world. It represents far more than a typical business enterprise. As an UnFranchise® Owner, I commit to being a conduit to, and a provider of, these solutions.

Not interested in becoming your own boss? Then you may be interested to know how you can make money just by shopping online! The possibilities are endless with Market Australia and our leadership school event aims to show you why and how.

Let me know if you would like to purchase tickets to the Leadership School.

The Fourth Pillar

During the Cre8 Kingdom Business Conference in October, keynote speaker Michael Baer will be addressing various topics during the Conference. One of them is what he calls "The Fourth Pillar".

In his synopsis, Mike says that the Sacred-Secular Divide has warped the way we view God’s Kingdom and our role in it. The dis-integration that came with the fall has continued into today’s Christian world and effectively excluded huge portions of God’s people from recognizing the amazing ministry opportunities right in front of them. God’s desire is to integrate all facets of life under the Lordship of Christ and to use us for His glory in all of them. Based on Business as Mission, this session will focus on the four characteristics of a “Kingdom Business” and the vital role that business is meant to play in what God is doing in the world.

I'm really looking forward to the fourth pillar and the four characteristics of a "Kingdom Business".

Business And Community Growth

Over at the Kingdom Builders Business's Blog, the author talks about Kingdom Business principles for business and community growth through the model in the book of Acts.

John mentions that there were some common reasons that led to the multiplication of the business and community, including the following key elements:
(1) People meeting daily in the marketplace to hear/learn and become educated
(2) They shared food in small groups and discussed what they had learnt
(3) They went out to share with others which is multiplication of knowledge, everyone gave according to their ability.

Many believe the rule of “reciprosity”, the reward of giving (ie: whatever you give you will receive). From the Kingdom principles, giving and offerings can be regarded as seeds that will produce fruit for individuals and families worldwide.

Unpacking God's Purpose in the MarketPlace

I'm part of the team in the Cre8 Kingdom Business Conference. This year the conference will happen on Thursday 27th and Friday 28th October. After impacting over 1000 people in the last 4 events in Melbourne, this 5th event will happen in Sydney at Hills Centre, Castle Hill. The Cre8 Summit is the leading event support Christian civil, business and professional leaders and entrepreneurs to find their God-given destiny in the marketplace and empower then to be well connected leaders of character, excellence and influence. Cre8 provides focused teaching and resources on the hallmarks of business success. Attendees will connect with highly regarded leaders committed to serving Christ in the marketplace. Ongoing support is provided through Australian Marketplace Connections' network of resources and programs.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Weight Training

In order to achieve optimal health and fitness, I started doing cardio, particularly Zumba a few weeks ago, and loving it.

Now I'm seriously considering weight training along with cardio, as I've been told by experts that strength/weight training is the secret to an amazing body at any age. I used to think that weight training would make me 'big & bulky'. That is actually a myth. To get big muscles you need to train a lot, very hard and with very heavy weights and you also need testosterone. This is hard enough for men and extremely difficult for women. Resistance training, strength training, weight lifting are all similar terms meaning pushing or pulling against a force which could be water resistance, body weight or dumbbells against gravity or pulleys or hydraulics on a machine.

I also learned that muscle is denser than fat, as it stores water and energy, and we should pay more attention to body measurements or clothing size than weight. Muscle is an ‘expensive’ tissue; it raises your metabolism and burns more energy (and fat) all day, which is great for weight loss. Another fact is that protein builds and repairs muscles and carbohydrates provide exercise energy, so as we train we need to eat enough quality sources of both.

I am not actually into losing weight (as I'm not overweight at all), but I do want to be healthy, fit and well. I'd love to have firm curves, toned limbs, lots of energy and high bone density and muscle tissue which otherwise decline after mid twenties.

Health Boost & RBTI Analysis

Through facebook, I discovered this very interesting website called Health Boost.

The venue of Health Boost is actually not far from my home. Their goal is to help people experience what it’s like to really feel healthy.

When you don't feel 100%, your body is telling you that something is not right and it needs attention. Ignoring your body can lead to more serious diseases.

Have you heard about RBTI ANALYSIS? According to Carey Reams the scientist who went through extensive laboratory testing and mathematics, the Biological Theory of Ionization (RBTI Analysis) has been used in clinical practice for over 50 years and has helped many thousands of people to find perfect health.

RBTI Analysis is used to measure the residues and components in samples of urine and saliva. This enables us or any other trained practitioner to see at a glance where your body is out of balance and how to design a program to help you achieve optimal health.

A similar system is used in naturally based agricultural practices to enhance crop yields with healthier fruit, vegetables and livestock. Developed and refined over many years it has been successfully used to assist the health of babies, children, teenagers, adults and senior citizens. RBTI Analysis allows your practitioner to target the area of greatest need. gives an accurate assessment of the way in which your body is functioning. From this assessment a series of steps that are individually tailored for you are recommended to help you bring your body into balance. Returning your body to balance leads you back to wellness.

It sounds interesting although I personally haven't tried it. I may go and check it out sometime.

Optimal Health & Fitness

Tiffany, a friend of mine, has started a new blog called "A healthy life style", which inspires me to update my blog. Both of us have recently started with Zumba.

Along with Zumba, I will be starting Transitions Lifestyle System, which is a comprehensive lifestyle system designed to help people achieve their weight management goals and be healthy!

Transitions is an extensive plan that covers everything anyone will need to get fit and trim, not just a set of foods one can or cannot eat. In fact, a big part of the Transitions Lifestyle System is helping people make healthy choices while still eating a normal, diverse diet! It provides a total-system approach that promotes healthy food choices, behavior modification and menu plans.

My goal is to achieve optimal health through Zumba, Transitions & healthy lifestyle. I'm really excited about this new venture!

New Beginnings

I've recently become independent business owner of Market Australia through Peregrine Sojo Pty Ltd, which is my online company. I'm so happy to be with a company that offers great products and services, and authentically lucrative way of doing business with integrity. We combine the Internet with the power of people to ensure the most efficient and friendliest customer experience.

We have a Proven Vehicle for Success!!!! We are looking for serious business people to partner with us, who want the ongoing income they desire and deserve. We have a few businesses that people can major in: Motives by Loren Ridinger (cosmetic and skincare), Isotonix (vitamins, minerals & antioxidants supplements with superior delivery system), Transition Lifestyle System (Health Management), Webcentre (Websites). We teach, manage and support all new business partners all the way. The vehicle is Market Australia’s UnFranchise® Business Development System.

If you are interested to know more about this UnFranchise System, please feel free to contact me.

The OPC3 Supplement That Our Body Needs

We are closer to the end of the line once we feel a lot of our actions are deteriorating and this is the main concern when the aging process advances to levels we can’t handle. Within the realms of a human being we see aging as a natural part of life. What makes it difficult to accept is when the aging process begins to move at a rapid pace often times accompanied by various maladies and diseases. This is where we stop and try to meditate about certain lifestyles that may have contributed in reaching this certain point in time.

The whole view about rapid aging and deteriorating health problems can be traced to the oxidation process that our body undergoes. That specific oxidation process triggers a biochemical reaction which in turn results to rapid aging and a host of diseases known to mankind. Oxidation process or oxidative stress is triggered by certain elements called free radicals. Now that you know the basic concept about the negative aspects happening in the body you need not go further in order to understand everything but the main imperative is to stop the oxidative stress process in order to have a healthier lifestyle.

Eliminating free radical damage and putting a stop to the deadly oxidative stress process includes filling your body with antioxidant properties that is usually found on nutrients carrying the vitamin C and E category. But while you can find them on a majority of fruits and vegetables the amount is as miniscule as it can be and would not even have a positive effect on the negative process. What you need is a supplement that is 70 times more powerful than vitamin c and e combined. This is the effect of OPC-3 supplements and it can stop free radicals and eliminate the oxidative stress process in a heartbeat.

But what it makes it more effective is that; if it is delivered through an Isotonix technology that makes absorption easier. You get all the nutrients you want in 100 percent form without worries of draining away a large chunk of it in the toilet. An Isotonic based formula insures the person that the needed anti-oxidants are delivered where it should go. When the body absorbs the needed nutrients it breaks and stabilizes the atoms that were damaged by free radicals making you attain a healthy state.

While anti-oxidants and OPC-3 supplements are distributed through a number of market outlets carefully deciphering the perfect choice for your personal characteristics is still important. Remember that the best brand would be in Isotonix form also readily available in the market. Once you’ve finally found the supplement of your choice taking it as prescribed gives you a great support alongside your dietary program and a healthy lifestyle. The aging process can be at times disheartening but if you know you are getting the right nutrients along with a slew of anti-oxidants then you can age with grace. The important thing is you have the necessary supplement in confidence.

You can order Isotonix OPC-3 online through http://www.shop-onlinenow.com/, or contact me directly.

Self Discovery And Fear

It's been a month since I wrote my last blog post, during the time I've done some soul searching and discussion with loved ones. I realised that I had always defined myself through achievements and results. Being forced to rest during this season gave me an opportunity to reflect and examine myself.

In these 4 weeks I have experienced a spectrum of feelings of self-discovery, and a very conscious and continual act of understanding myself in my imperfection, its familiarity and discomfort.

One of the emotions that I experienced was fear. I realised that every moment I spent swirling around in fear, I was cultivating a seed that gave rise to subsequent similar thoughts. The more I did it, the more I was set back by it. Instead of calmly processing the situation and rationally identifying solutions and ways forward, I was feeding energy into something non-constructive.

Having mental fear was like letting myself be scared by a scarecrow – it looked scary and seemed scary, but it’s actually harmless. This fear arised because my brain somehow formulated a perception these non-physical dangers are real dangers – when they are not.

Darkness Fears Light

If I could tell the world just one thing
It would be that I'm now ok
And not to worry because worry is wasteful
and useless in times like these
I will not be made useless
I won't be idled with despair
I will gather myself around my faith
for light does the darkness most fear
My hands are small, I know,
but with God all things are possible!

I Am In My Trap!

 
I am; I'm not; I am; I'm not...I guess I am suffering from depression.

In my last post I talked of how my life is beyond blue now, and how it was puzzling for me to believe. Since I was diagnosed I thought that was it, but a friend suggested that if I needed to work at being positive, optimistic and so on it could be I just got exhausted. No matter what I am living with - whether it's burnout, depression or exhaustion, I do need to find ways to cope with the condition.

I do indeed feel I'm getting sucked down into a depression. I've made an appointment to see my doctor in two weeks. That will give me more time to assess whether it's really happening and not just a glitch.

A pastor friend of mine shared with me her experience in depression,  how it was dark & certainly a wilderness. For 12 months she sat with God, cried out to him but did no ministry. That time of resting in Jesus and being patient helped her to grow deeper in Him. I spent my quiet time today just sitting, not able to read or pray. The wonderful thing is, though, that I did feel God's presence. Although I was very much within myself, I felt Him there with me, keeping me company. No feeling of hopelessness or despair. I am having some difficulty doing the things I need to do, though.


Many people have emailed, called, messaged me to catch up. As much as I am normally a very social and outgoing person, I find it hard to meet up with people right now. I feel weak and fragile - I am still in my trap. In the past, I never understood when people told me that they were shy, or experienced social anxiety (phobia), but now I am constantly struggling with it, which I find very frustrating! :( What I most want/need to do over the next little while, is to overcome this shyness / social anxiety, get out and meet up some people.

Beyond Blue

Here's my story: My life is 'beyond blue' right now!

In the beginning I thought I was burnt out as I had been involved in so many projects: work, ministries, online businesses, home study education etc.  I had lost motivation in doing things. When a friend suggested that I sounded depressed, and recommended for me to read the website of beyond blue - the national depression initiative - I pretty much self diagnosed my depression when I found out that I had most of the symptoms. This was confirmed by a specialist on Monday.

"Kitty, why are you feeling like this? That just doesn't go with your nature." A friend responded upon seeing my facebook status.

I'm always known to be a cheerful and happy person. It's puzzling to me and I am sure to many others that I would be suffering from depression.

It is generally accepted in the medical field that major depression is due to an imbalance in the chemistry of the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemical substances that carry electrical impulses from one nerve cell to another within the brain. They are released from one cell (the sender) and travel to the next cell (the receiver), where it is either absorbed or returned to the sender. The best understanding of clinical depression is that there are not enough neurotransmitters to ferry these messages across all the gaps.

This deficiency leads to a change in the person’s mood, thinking and behaviour. Serotonin and noradrenaline are two neurotransmitters that increase brain activity and improve mood. Antidepressant drugs help the brain to retain more of these substances and so stabilise the mental condition.

Call it what you will, the most agonizing fact of the condition is that pall of darkness laid upon the mind. Life and light seem beyond reach. Something intervenes: a gray mist of separation, a feeling of worthlessness, locked away from everything and everyone — including God at times.

Perhaps this is one way to distinguish between the “blues,” which afflict nearly everyone at one time or another, and the blackness of clinical depression. Clinically depressed patients cry, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”

Have you ever cried out to God in depression? If so, how did you cope with it?

All I Need Is Love

I can see the end of my sorrow
It won't be too far from tomorrow
Even though I experienced the dark night of the soul
All I need is love

I had gone through the motions
My tears could have filled the oceans
My mind had raced with notions
All I need is love

So I breathe in and I breathe out
And wonder what my life's about
On that day I can shout
All I need is love

I know He won't forsake me
His calm will overtake me
The devil won't shake me
All I need is love

ps: THANKS to those of you who have shown me your love through this difficult season of my life!

Searching

I keep on hoping one day
that good things will come true,
 
My life has many journeys
with good and bad times too.
 
Now I'm a stranger to my own self,
there are things I cannot see.
 
But I will keep on searching
for the better part of me.

Dawn On Mountain Top

Emotions from my mind
Like a roller coaster ride

This emotional pain I fear it will stay,
I want desperately for it to go away

This battle I fight, it wears me out,
The unbearable pain fills me with doubt

I'm such a worthless person, at least that’s how I feel
Please, someone tell me that this isn’t real

I used to be so cheerful and fun
But now when the day starts I wait for it to be done

I feel stuck and yuck
It seems I have no luck

The darker the night, the longer it seems to be
Darkness seems never-ending, but however dark it may be

After the night dawn will certainly come
Every night does end ... in a new light … in a new dawn

As my friend Sondy said, "If you stay on the mountain top you never get anywhere. You have to go through a valley to get to the next mountain - it's coming, Kitty, just keep walking. :)"

Yes I will keep walking knowing that I will arrive at dawn on mountain top sooner or later!

Leadershp Principles

There are 5 universally important things that all leaders do

on a daily basis:

1. Visualize their goals

2. Work on income producing activities

3. Engage in personal development

4. Cultivate the expectation of leadership

5. Mastermind with other leaders

And although I do all these things everyday, the one I found 

to have helped me the most to put my business on overdrive,

is masterminding with other leaders.

Just having other like-minded people that you can bounce 

ideas off has a tremendous effect on your how quickly you

learn and grow as an entrepreneur, so that you can help others to

fuel their passion....ignite their imagination....inspire greatness.

I'd love to leave you this quote from Blaise Pascal that I just love:

"In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough

shadows to blind those who don't.

Let us mastermind with one another so we can learn from each other.

5 Attributes (A's) of an Inspirational Leader

Dr John C. Maxwell says that the ranks of leadership are inhabited by a host of mirages: people who look impressive from a distance, but end up being disappointments. After being fooled by a few mirages, followers become jaded about leadership. That seems as true now as it ever has been. Our trust in leaders has been shaken as politicians have reneged on promises, CEOs have squandered money entrusted to their firms, and managers have advanced self-interests above all else.

To restore society's confidence with those in power, leaders have to be able to inspire. People are looking for a leader attuned to their personal needs. They want leaders who will encourage them, believe in their potential, and help them grow.

According to John Maxwell, the 5 Attributes  (A's) of an Inspirational Leader:

(1) ATTITUDE OF SERVICE
(2) AFFIRMATION
(3) ATTENTIVENESS
(4) AVAILABILITY
(5) AUTHENTICITY

Inspirational leadership can be confused with momentary charisma. Inspiring is more of a process than an event. More than a brilliant speech, it's cultivating habits of brilliance that manifest themselves regularly.

WebCentres Solutions

WebCentres Solutions offer innovative and comprehensive online solutions for both beginning and established small to medium businesses. From boutique websites to online shopping we can show you how to maintain, expand and promote your own website, saving you money on costly maintenance and increasing your business turnover.

Masters Award

Just found out that this blog has been awarded by 'Masters Degree Online' as one of the top Missionaries blog! I'm feeling both surprised and humbled!

Masters Degree Online

Spiritual Life & Purpose

The Power Of Transformation

Transform & Grow Rich Vlog - Video Blog

Day 30 Challenge - The Disciplines Of The Heart

Today is Day 30, and we’re finally here, in the last day of my 30 Day Challenge to live a better and richer life! It has been quite a month!!!


September has certainly been CHALLENGING for me personally. Here I am - a work in progress - going through an ongoing process of transformation. During these past 30 days, as you can see through my blog posts that I had gone through quite a lot of soul searching.

I have been really striving to achieve my goals in different areas of my external life. My life has to do with being well managed and goal oriented and productive, and we all want that one way or another. However, I know that deep within, the exterior is easier than the interior. Many times it's not so much about achieving external goals, but having that peace, joy and happiness within despite circmstances, and the inner peace to handle the stress of the external stuff is truly the heart of the matter. I'm challenged today to focus on the the disciplines of the heart as the foundation of the future. While today is the last day of the 30 day challenge, it’s not the end. In fact, its just the beginning.

My desire is to live a meaningful, fulfilled, siginificant, purposeful and balanced life, and I think that for us all to have a better and richer life, it's important to count our blessings, be thankful and content in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.

I would like to sincerely thank you for being a part of this journey with me during the last 30 days. Whether you have been reading my blog and commenting actively or passively, your love has been felt deeply and I appreciate each of my reader.

There are 3 months left before 2010 ends, I am trusting that the last 3 months will be the best months yet. How about you?

Day 29 Challenge - Move Ahead With Bold Faith

In more than one ways, I am in transition right now. There comes a point when I simply must "go for it." This is a point beyond commitment, a point past making a firm decision to move forward. At this juncture, it feels like taking a bold step of faith is more challenging than ever!


Hence my challenge today (the second last day of this 30-day Challenge of a better and richer life) is to move ahead with bold faith. I am committing to putting action to my faith, and believing that I am walking into a place of destiny where I have never been before. I am going to another level, and to get there, I am required to develop and exercise greater faith than ever before. We usually think of faith as abstract, something we cannot see, but I am challenged today to remove these thoughts and develop a new mindset toward faith. 

Day 28 Challenge - Passing The Baton

My action point for today's challenge is to pass the baton - "We teach what we know, but we reproduce who we are".

I am committed to passing the great and godly values to new generation who all have the potential to make a difference.

Day 27 Challenge - Living Above The Line

Today the task I set for myself as Day 27 Challenge is to live above the line. Life's challenges come at us from all angles. Our responsibility is our ability to respond. No matter how we choose to respond, our choices come from one of two places: above the line or below the line.

As a foundation for communication and personal interaction, the key to living above the line is ownership and it's about taking responsibility for one's actions. Those who live above the line and take responsibility for their actions have greater control - and therefore greater personal and financial success - because they take ownership for their current situation. They take responsibility of their education, of their relationships, and of their attitudes, affecting all areas of their lives and in the process improving their self confidence.

Living below the line is about laying blame, justifying, denying, having excuses and quitting when things get difficult, none of which contribute to building self confidence or achieving success. When people choose to come from below the line, their lives become circumstance-driven, and they have little or no control over our personal responsibilities. 

I'm committed to nurturing this powerful life skill of Living Above the Line. How about you?

Day 26 Challenge - Meditation

Do you spend quiet time regularly to practice meditation? In the beginning of 2010, I have set meditation / reflection / contemplation as one of my goals to improve my spiritual life. I have to say that although I do write on my journal now and then, I have not been disciplined in following a regular schedule.

Today as I visited a community that had just started 40 days prayer & fasting, I was reminded of the importance of meditation. Therefore, I set myself on day 26 of September the challenge to practice meditation in my daily routine, trusting that it will bring me increased clarity of my purpose in life.

I am going to use one of the methods that I learned a few years ago, which is an ancient practice - it's called Examen of Consciousness (sometimes just called Examen), and it was developed by St. Ignatious Loyola. The Daily Examen is a technique of reflection on the events of the day in order to discern our life's direction and see God's hand at work in our whole experience.

The Examen has 5 main steps:

Day 25 Challenge - Begin With The End In Mind & RPA

While reading the notes I took at the life and financial education seminar that I attended last week, I was reminded of the important concept and one of the 7 habits of highly effective people, and that is: Begin with the end in mind! And this is my action point for day 25 challenge.


One question many people ask is, "How do I turn my dreams, my goals, my desires into reality?" Successful people are clear about the final result they are after. They have accessed the power of why; they have a burning desire to achieve their result and it is tied to a clear specific goal.


Creating the action plan is simple when these elements are put together. This challenge saw me developing a results-focused, purpose-driven, action-oriented (RPA) plan for my day, week, month, and for the projects I am involved with. 

Day 24 Challenge - Let's Go! Inspired To Inspire

A friend of mine Eric Agyeman has recently launched his book "Let's Go!" (Chase Your Dreams). Eric encourages the readers to let go of their fears and reach their dreams! The book really resonates with me, and I am so glad to have the opportunity to journey with Eric in promoting his book.


Today is the start of the last week of the 30 day. The task I set for myself on Day 24 of the 30-day Challenge in September is from the 12th chapter of Let's Go! - Inspired to inspire. 

Eric challenges us to chase our dreams, as well as to help people fulfil their dreams. Dreamers are people who have been blessed and they then become a blessing onto others. Dreamers are people who are inspired and they then inspire others. When our words and actions help others to fulfil their dreams, we are blessed to be a blessing.

As Albert Pine said, "what we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal." Our lives are only fulfilled when we make a difference and contribute to others' lives.

As I am inspired to inspire, the followings are some of my action points:

Day 23 Challenge - Cultivating A Stress-Reducing Relationship

While managing stress is primarily a personal responsibility. In a relationship or marriage we can use our shared resources and efforts to help manage and absorb the worst effects.

On this 23rd day of September,  the action point for the 30-Day Challenge is for me to commit to cultivating a stress-reducing relationship. As I've been going through changes, transition and a new season lately, I realised that D is really great at helping me reduce stress, and I am so thankful for that!

The followings are some of the considerations that I believe will help deal with stress and change, as l cultivate a stress-reducing relationship:

Day 22 Challenge - Centering & Living The Contemplative Life

On a facebook discussion, a person that I really respect shared that he had been trying a centering prayer method and it has helped him a lot in terms of listening, focusing and awakening spiritual attentiveness. It's believed that awakening is about something that is inside of us, that is already there.

Therefore today I have made a decision to learn the practice of centering prayer & living the contemplative life. 

"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? I am not myself the Source of the words I speak to you: It is the Father who dwells in me doing his own work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else accept the evidence of the deeds themselves. In very truth I tell you, whoever has faith in me will do what I am doing, indeed he will do greater things still because I am going to the Father. Anything you ask in my name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14: 10)

The advice is: resist no thought, retain no thought, react emotionally to no thought, and when you notice you are thinking about some thought, return ever so gently to the sacred word (eg: silence, solitude, service). 

Day 21 Challenge - Free Of Worry

I think free of worry is a worthy goal! The scriptures say:

"Do not worry about your life..." says Matthew 6:25
"Do not worry about anything..." says Philippians 4:6
"Why do you worry?" says Matthew 6:28

Are you aware that our living is actually between our ears? I must admit I get momentarily anxious over finances, relationships, business and ministry etc. But to be free of worry, I need to be committed to the disciplines of my heart. Albert Day writes, "because of the possessiveness of the ego, the practice of generosity is very significant". Give, and it will be given to you. The principle of sowing and reaping is essentially the law of attraction: whatever you give, you will receive.

Today I am committed to be free of worry.

I want to concentrate on the real world. You know what? The real world is our inner life. If we open our eyes - to rest in our inner life and enjoy it, I believe we will become more truly human and sensitive and alive, and hence worry free!

Day 20 Challenge - An Attitude Of Gratitude

Scientists are finding that an attitude of gratitude is a powerful contributor to a happy life. Some believe that it may be the single most effective way to increase happiness.  Sometimes, it can be easy for us to think about what's going wrong, the money that's not there, the stress, or the worry.

The action point I've given myself today as Day 20 Challenge is to continuously develop & nurture an attitude of gratitude. 

"Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation." ~Brain Tracy

The followings are some of the gratitude exercises that I am committed to doing regularly:

1. Name 5 things I am grateful for every day.
2. Keep a gratitude journal to write about the good things that happened to me.
3. Express my gratitude to people who have helped me.
4. Take a gratitude walk - set aside time while I go for a walk to focus on deepening my gratitude.
5. Make a gratitude list - my goal is to list 100 things.

Below is part of my gratitude list....I'm sooo grateful for:

• The opportunities for personal and community development in my life, work and business.
• The current projects I'm working on and how they have the potential to transform lives.
• My husband, family and the supportive friends in my life.
• The internet, social media, and technology that allows me to connect with many people.
• Divine guidance and wisdom.

Life is beautiful and I'm so grateful for it! How about you? What are you grateful for in this very moment? I'd love to hear from you, so please share a few things you're grateful for in the comment box below. And make sure to FB this post so we can keep the gratitude train going!

Day 19 Challenge - Decluttering

“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” -William Morris

After a busy weekend, I came home realising that I have quite a lot of things lying around that are taking up space but has no real purpose, or that I hardly ever use.

I believe that our environment has a considerable impact on us – our state, our level of productivity, our frame of mind. Every time I clear clutter in my house / room / computer, it always brings in new ideas and clarity.

Today I've given myself the action task of starting to sweep out and clearing the clutter in my life and space, including the following areas:

Computer - organise my files and folders, clear out documents I haven't been using, declutter the items on my desktop, and uninstall applications I barely ever use.

Desk - clear away unused papers & rubbish, organise items and store things that I don't have an immediate need now.

Warbrobe & Rooms - get rid of old clothes I don't wear, and throw out the things I rarely use.

Outdated Stuff - throw away old calendars, newspapers, old textbooks, documents and anything I'm not going to use etc.

“We don’t need to increase our goods nearly as much as we need to scale down our wants. Not wanting something is as good as possessing it.” - Donald Horban

Day 18 Challenge - Improving My Emotional Intelligence

Today I've committed to the challenge of improving my emotional intelligence (EI). For those of you who are not aware, emotional intelligence (also known as emotional quotient - 'EQ') is the ability to consciously respond to a situation rather than react under the influence of our emotions at that time.

I first heard about EQ / EI when I started my internet business a couple of years ago, where my business mentor shared with me the concept. I was told that every emotion we feel has a very specific physiology (posture, breathing, facial expressions and patterns of movement) connected to it. And the physiology has the ability to perceive emotion, integrate emotion to facilitate thought, understand emotions and to regulate emotions to promote personal growth.

According to Jamie McIntyre, Co-Founder of 21st Century Education, if we are going to be emotionally intelligent, rather than reacting unconsciously, we must make a conscious decision on how we will respond to any given situation. We cannot control what happens out there in the environment around us, but we can control how we respond to the environment, and what happens inside of us.

Day 17 Challenge - Letting Go & Letting God

We humans are strange being. We have a tendency to want to 'hang on' to everything. I still have heaps of old books, old clothes, old notes, even old emails that I will probably never read again.

I was challenged today to "let go and let God". Last night, something happened and I realised that I had got involved in a particular situation that I shouldn't have, as I got this uneasiness when I sensed I couldn't handle the situation.

Have you ever noticed God has a way of reaching His people, and we don't necessarily have to get in the way? I believe that letting go and letting God rule in ALL parts of my life is an important and valuable lesson,  even this thing called the internet.

Day 16 Challenge - Exercise: Key To A Healthier Life

Aerobics in front of a screen :)

I was reminded today that we hold the power to determine our health through the food we eat and also through the exercise we do. Everyone wants to be healthy, but in order to have vital health we need to find out how to get (and stay) healthy through nutrition, food, exercise, diet and learn about better ways to take care of ourselves, from the inside out.

“The glory of young people is their strength.” ~ Proverbs 20:29

Day 15 Challenge - Money Management

‎Coco Chanel said, "There are people who have money and people who are rich."

Is having money and being rich one of the same thing? Or are they totally different?

In my previous post "Creating An Action Point", I shared that I want to be a rich woman - rich in spirit, rich in relationships, rich and healthy life experiences, rich mindset supported by financial literacy.

Day 14 Challenge - Taking Time Out

Like a lot of people I know, I have a tendency to rush, (think St Vitus' Dance). I believe that if we keep rushing, we tend to live on the surface instead of going underneath and deep! Having reflected on that fact, today I challenge myself to take some time out regularly to just rest, sit and be still, and to do things that are relaxing.

“We are at our very best, and we are happiest, when we are fully engaged in work we enjoy on the journey toward the goal we’ve established for ourselves. It gives meaning to our time off and comfort to our sleep.”
~Earl Nightingale

After some brainstorming, the followings are a list of the things I will take time out to start doing on a regular basis:

* nice relaxing dinner
* go to movies
* take photos
* write and read
* look at the sunset
* smell the flowers
* listen to music and sing songs
* walk along the beach & parks
* observe people :)

Will you join me in taking time out regularly to relax and regroup?

Day 13 Challenge - Reassess & Recommit To Our Marriage

This week (September 12-18) is Marriage Week in Australia, and it is a great opportunity for married couples to reassess and recommit to marriage. A time to see that marriage is an important relational institution that makes two people one entity - a great team. So, today D & I have decided to do something special for our marriage, as the task for Day 13 Challenge - Reassess & Recommit To Our Marriage!

"Just as two different threads woven in opposite directions can form a beautiful tapestry, so can two lives merge together to form a beautiful marriage."

We took some time out to reassess & recommit to our marriage. The following is a summary of our reflection.

(1) Communication

We felt that we need to communicate more effectively, based on our personality & expectations. We identified stumbling blocks to effective communication, including insufficient time, failing to share our feelings & failing to understand and listen to each other.

We've committed to set aside time that is good for both of us for meaningful conversations, recognise when to drop everything and listen, beware of talking only about the day-to-day nuts and bolts of life and communicate about thoughts and feelings, and to make time together to connect with each other, plan for date-night, catch-up time & holidays.

(2) Resolving Conflict

Even though we rarely have conflict or arguments, we are aware that we are very different. Anger & frustrations are inevitable at times, and we need to accept our differences by making adjustments, not expecting to change each other, seeking to complement each other, looking for each other's strengths, and support each other's weaknesses.

When conflict arises, we've committed to looking for a solution together rather than attack, surrender or bargain. We want to take whatever issue that is causing conflict from between us and put it in front of us so we can work on it together, express our views in turn and decide on the best solution for our relationship and see if it works (come back to the subject for review if necessary).

(3) Keeping Love Alive

We realised that we don't have enough fun & recreation times together. In order to keep love alive, it's important to develop our friendship. We need to find a list of activities we enjoy doing together, and to make sure we are still doing these things 5, 10, 20 years into our marriage.

We've committed to continue learning to recognise how each of us feels loved, and we re-visited Gary Chapman's excellent book "The Five Love Languages" (loving words, quality time, thoughtful presents, physical affection, kind actions). We've written down 6 specific occasions on which we have particularly known each other's love, and we both felt that was an excellent exercise. :)

"We Love Because God first loved us" ~ 1 John 4:19

Day 12 Challenge - Seek To Be Understood

In yesterday's post, I shared about my commitment and challenge to "Seek First To Understand", and today my focus is "To Be Understood". Knowing how to be understood is the other half of this important habit, and is crucial in the principle of empathic communication, and in interdependent situations.

"Seeking to understand requires consideration; seeking to be understood requires courage" ~ Stephen Covey

In seeking to be understood, it's important for us to share our hearts and present our ideas clearly, specifically and contextually - in a context of a deep understanding of people's paradigms, concerns and perspectives. Don't just get hung up on your 'own thinking'. What you present may even be different from what you had originally thought because in your effort to 'seek first to understand', you learned and grew!

I believe this habit is something we can all practice straight away. Next time you communicate with someone, you can put aside your own autobiography (as Covey puts it) and sincerely seek first to understand, then to be understood. Show understanding and respect, be discerning, sensitive, and aware as we share our different perceptions of certain ideas and situations.

I've just seeked to be understood through this post. How about you share a bit about yourself so I can understand you more?

Day 11 Challenge - Seek First To Understand

Today during a financial education seminar that I attended, I was reminded of the 5th habit from Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People", which is: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood. Right there, I knew that this principle would be the challenges for these 2 days. In today's challenge I'll be focusing on the first part "Seek First To Understand", and tomorrow (Day 12 Challenge), I'll share about "To Be Understood."

"The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of." ~ Pascal

Too many of us (including me of course), "seek first to understand' can be really challenging, because it involves a very deep paradigm shift. We typically seek first to be understood. It's easy for us to project our own experiences onto other people's behaviour. We tend to listen with the intent to reply, rather than to understand.

In order to seek first to understand, Covey suggested a very important concept called "empathic listening" - which is listening with intent to understand. Empathic (from empathy) listening gets inside another person's frame of reference. You look out through their perspectives, you understand their worldview, their paradigm and how they feel.

Today I've committed myself to working on really listening to others, seek first to understand through empathic listening through my interactions with people around me. And I'll ask for feedback in a week. Will you join with me in seek first to understand?

Day 10 Challenge - Creating An Action Plan

Jim Rohn once said, “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”

Today I've taken upon myself the challenge to create an action plan and strategies to reach my life goal - to experience the ongoing process of transformation and grow rich in all areas of my life, & help others do the same.

I want to be a rich woman - rich in spirit, rich in relationships, rich and healthy life experiences, rich mindset supported by financial literacy. This life goal is going to be an ongoing project as I believe that we are all work in progress.

The following is a list of key strategies & plan of action to achieve this life goal:

(1) Understand The Goal Thoroughly

My life goal constitutes various elements: an ongoing process, transformation, growth, all areas of my life (spiritual life, relationships, personal and community development, physical & emotional health, financial freedom), helping others by inspiring, encouraging and facilitating people to do the same.

(2) Name Obstacles To Address Them

With this life goal, I do anticipate obstacles that will stand in my way of success. Some of the obstacles include procrastination, distraction, laziness, lack of motivation, courage & skills, discouragement & disappointment. And I am committed to overcoming them in God's strength!

(3) Make Use of Existing Resources & Develop Skills

There is a wealth of knowledge and experience around me which I can resource to help me with this life goal. I am blessed to have a number of coaches and mentors who invest their time and resources to help me. I also develop skills in order to achieve specific goals by learning through online training & communities, websites, books, and friends etc.

(4) Leverage on My Environment

Our environments have an impact on our lives. In order for me to achieve my life goal, I need to optimise (and modify if necessary) my physical environment, including my office, home, computer, online and offline communities, people that I hang out with, and my routine. Eg: I now look at the vision board that I created in Day 3 Challenge and it helps me focus on my dreams regularly.

(5) Create Accountability.

This 30-Day Challenge in September is in fact a form of accountability that I have towards myself. I also have a second level of accountability beyond myself, where I share my results and issues with my friends, family, mentors and coaches - depending on the area of my life. I also join support groups and communities that are related to my goals. At the end of every week (normally on a Sunday night), I spend time on reflecting on the week and occasionally writing on my journal. I find reviewing helpful as a form of accountability and to get feedback on how I'm doing.

Do you personally have an action plan to achieve your goals? I'd love to hear about them if you do.

Day 9 Challenge - Starting A Blog Network

I was inspired by a post from Problogger in terms of buildling a blog network, as I realised that like all bloggers, one of my goals in the blogosphere is to engage with readers and bloggers through my articles.

In this post, Darren Rowse talked about 'blogging alliance' (or 'blogging buddies'), which is a small group of bloggers who’ve committed to work together for the mutual benefit of all members of the alliance. And I find that idea fascinating!

Inspired by the post on Problogger, the challenge I give myself on Day 9 is to start my own blog network with the following goals in mind:

*Start a challenge, competition and camaraderie
*Collaborative cross referencing & promoting
*Sharing great content by linking to posts from other bloggers
*Inviting guest posts to broaden and expose readers to other perspectives and topics.
*Learn from experienced bloggers
*Serve & help newer bloggers
*Keep engaging bloggers and readers

I’m looking forward to starting this network, partnership, collaboration and alliance! :) x