You know, the kind who walks the high-wire (where’s the net?) while simultaneously juggling delicate crystal goblets, flaming fire-sticks and your best china?

I know mine does!

Sometimes our life seems a hair-breadth from total catastrophe. But somehow, we keep going. The balancing act never ends, the show is on an eternally playing loop.

It seems to be a common feeling… life is so busy, so demanding and so always on.

This month, over at The Calm Space, the contributors share their personal takes on the issue of balance and that high-wire act. Whilst all the writers share their own perspective and speciality on the whole balance issue, there seems to be a common thread through all the articles.

Balance is an inside job. We wont find ‘the solution’ out there somewhere. There is no magical net waiting to catch us when we lean too far off kilter… it’s up to you to find your own equilibrium.

THE CALM SPACE IS GROWING!

The Calm Space has a new contributor, writing for The Sustainability Space, Marc Lehmann. Marc is a naturalist and a minimalist with a passion for sustainability and his first article really made me stop and think.

We also welcome the beautiful photography of Amy Palko to The Breathing Space. Amy chose this amazing image for us this month because, in her own words,

“I’ve spent quite a lot of time thinking about balance and what it means to me, and also where I find it. For me, I find it when I’m out on a walk, away from the demands of housework, writing deadlines and technological distraction. So, to that end, I’ve chosen a photograph that I took on one of my walks.”

Don’t forget to download to your desktop the very special wallpaper for the month of May, created from Amy’s photo by Leah Maclean. It truly is an oasis of calm!

OK, that’s enough from me - why not pop on over and check out The Calm Space May edition for yourself?

Marc and Amy join contributors Joanna Young, Leah Maclean, Chris Owen, Angela Esnouf, Annie Hutton, Marjorie Lim (and yours truly: ). We all write for The Calm Space, an online magazine that’s like a virtual day-spa for your senses…

Slowly I grew in confidence while all the time searching for the right thing to say.

I knew, right from the start, that I was meant to do this. It was in my blood - that calling - like some ancient knowing.

At times, I came close to addiction - unable to simply walk away. There was always just. one. more.

Then life would interrupt, or I’d feel insecure and inadequate. Or I’d simply change my mind, and move in an entirely different direction.

But I kept finding a path. At times well trodden, where others had gone before. Other times, I needed a machete to slash away the undergrowth and forge my own path ahead.

And those times I struggled to find the path often led to beautiful vistas, found unexpectedly as I crest a rise, or round a corner.

Friends have helped me, held me up when I couldn’t do it alone, forever encouraging me on my journey.

Some have made sarcastic or dismissive comments about this journey of mine. They just make me stronger and more determined.

I am a very different person today to the one I was three years ago. My growth and my learning on this journey have been incredible.

I have made sacrifices, but hold no regrets.

I will stay on this path I have chosen, wandering the trails and hidden lanes, the open paddocks and the mossy streams. And I reserve the right at all times to change my path - to decide a detour has become the route. To change direction and to move with the seasons and the ebb and flow of life.

I’d love to have your company on my journey - for a moment or a lifetime, or any space in between. I know we’ll have fun.

Today is the third anniversary of The Clearing Space blog. Thank you thank you thank you.

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be

~ Abraham Lincoln

How happy are you?

On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being absolutely darn miserable, and 10 being deliriously happy) where are you at, right now?

Are you happy with that score? (pun intended: )

Yes? Terrific - have a nice day.

Oh, you’re still here?

What can you do, right now, to increase your score?

If you’re down in the dumps, sometimes you need a strategy to drag yourself point by point back up the happiness ladder. And when you’re down it’s often not the time to start thinking about that strategy.

It needs to already be thought upon, brainstormed, even written down, so that you wont forget when you’re in that hole that you’ve a couple of things to try.

It’s a bit like having a fire drill.

It often seems pointless, and certainly time consuming, when we’re busy getting on with the rest of our life. But having that semi-automatic reaction to a certain situation (like a black-hole day or a fire) can
be a life saver.

I needed a strategy for when I wake in the middle of the night.

I lie there for a while until I realise I am awake and it’s very dark, and my mind switches on and off I go. Worrying. Fretting. Imagining horrible things. (Especially if Captain Scarlett is out and driving…)

Once this had happened a couple of times I realised I wasn’t able to get myself out of the worry cycle without a premeditated plan. I’m just not awake enough to think up a strategy at that time of the morning.

So, I devised and tried a few different things. My aim was to soothe myself back to sleep quickly. I didn’t want to get up and divert myself in some way. I really need my sleep. And getting up and phoning Captain Scarlett didn’t win me any brownie points either : )

And now, I wake far less in the wee hours. Is it because strategies are to hand? I’m not sure, but I am not complaining!

Do you prepare strategies, like fire drills, ready in case of emergency? Or do you just deal with the issue when you’re in it? What works for you?

Passion is our theme for April at The Calm Space.

I’ve had a couple of funny looks from people when I mention it. Passion? Calm Space? It doesn’t really ‘go‘ does it?

Here’s why it does…

We’re all passionate women who write for The Calm Space (soon to be men too!). And I believe passion is what gives you energy, it is what gets you out of bed each morning.

A passionate life is a life full of energy, movement, light and colour. That is living.

Being calm isn’t about being dull or lifeless. And it’s definitely not about sitting in a trance all day long.

Being calm is about remaining at peace with our life, no matter the busyness and chaos that surrounds us. It’s about not getting so caught up in all we have to do, chores, goals and to-do lists, that we forget to live. It’s about being happy, most of the time. It’s about coping - or doing even better than ‘coping’.

And passion, glorious passion, is one of the ways in which we can make our life worth living. It adds spice, it fills our tank, it makes us more attractive and good to be around.

Do you think passion fits at The Calm Space?

Send us your answers: one line (50 words max), a photo, a link to a move clip or a piece of music…

Or leave us a comment at The Challenge Space (or both).

Are you in?

Sometimes what seems like a disaster bummer big disappointment, can turn into a night to treasure.

It all depends on your attitude.

We booked to go to Celine Dion’s one Brisbane performance of her Taking Chances World Tour. G booked the night through his club, which included a beautiful three-course dinner and luxury coach from the club to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre and back again. So that we didn’t have to drive home after that (and could have a wine or two with dinner), he booked a hotel room in the city for the night.

The concert was last night. After an early hair-cut, I ran around organising kids and meals and animals, school pick-ups and changing sheets for a wonderful grandmother to stay over. (And admit to wondering just a little whether it was worth all the effort I have to go to, leaving the children for a night mid-week). I packed a nice outfit, drove to town and checked into the hotel. G would join me mid-afternoon from work.

Since I had a couple of hours to myself, and the room wasn’t ready when I checked in, I walked down to the mall and did some window shopping. I was in David Jones at the Chanel counter (just looking!) when my mobile rang.

It was G.

The concert was postponed. Celine was not well enough to perform.

Oh dear.

I feel really sorry for the people that flew from Cairns and Townsville yesterday for the concert. It made our plight seem insignificant in comparison. But it was disappointing since we’d made plans and I was already in town.

But at no point was I ready to pack up and go home. It just wasn’t an option.

Sooo, I let the Chanel lady paint me beautiful. I had a coffee and a lemon tart at a nice cafe, and did some writing. I found a delicious black cashmere cardigan that I just stroked and put back on the shelf. ($499 for a cardigan? I wish!)

I went back to our (now ready) room, ran a bath and soaked till I was wrinkly (careful not to disturb my beautifully made up face).

I dressed and read a magazine and was thinking about going down to the bar for a glass of bubbly when G arrived. He took me out to the new restaurant at the Sofitel - Thyme², where we shared a beautiful dinner and a nice bottle of wine. It was nice to sit and chat with each other, especially on a Wednesday night, with no interruptions or children.

I thoroughly enjoyed the unexpected calm of our night away… it turned out to be a lot more relaxed and a lot more restorative than planned, and in the end I think that was what we both needed most. Sleep, calm, relax and being together.

Celine, I hope you are back in full health real soon, and hopefully I can swing things this end to make it to the rescheduled concert on Monday night. But if I don’t make it - I had a special night last night. Thank you.

What are you waiting for?

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

You will never be younger than you are today.

Imagine - at the end of 2008 you’ll be a year older. In 2018 you’ll be ten years older than you are right now.

There has never been a better time than Right. Now.

Seize your dreams.

In 5, 10, 20 years time - what will you wish you had done TODAY?

…

What’s stopping you?

Go!

peace.
it does not mean to be in a place
where there is no noise, trouble
or hard work. it means to be in
the midst of those things and still
be calm in your heart.

Today, as I was hanging washing on the line, I decided it was time to share a little of my ‘noise, trouble and hard work’. Some of my chaos, if you like.

A sneak peak into the midst of my life - some of the chaos I live with, learn from, laugh at - and still stay (relatively) calm.

Here are two little snippets from the midst of today. It’s noon as I write this, and I am so looking forward to seeing what the rest of the day has in store for me.

A tale of dirty uniforms…

This morning I dragged myself bounced out of bed as my husband left the house, as usual. He leaves before 6am to ‘beat the traffic’ on his commute to the office, and I start my morning routine.

First item of the day is waking up Gorgeous Girl. It’s not an easy task, and I have to be ever vigilant for pulled up covers, shut doors and “I didn’t hear you wake me’s”. My darling daughter turned 15 last week, so you’d think she’d be pretty independent and able to manage things by now, don’t you? (No sniggering allowed).

Her school bus leaves from the top of the street at 7am, promptly. So you can imagine my glee at the second third final call when she told me she’d no clean dress.

She has three school dresses (and I am thankful every day that it isn’t the blouse and horrid pleated skirt of her previous school’s uniform!) and we rotate them in the wash. During summer they really need to be washed after each wear - so theory says, one on, two in the wash and since I wash regularly, this shouldn’t be a problem.

Only… when I washed on Friday last week, apparently there was only one dress there. I didn’t wash over the weekend as I was kind of otherwise engaged (baking cakes and scones and hosting a party for a certain Gorgeous Girl…)

And yesterday I didn’t wash either, because they had forecast rain (no, we didn’t get any - why did I think to believe the forecast?)

So this morning: no dress.

You can probably guess the rest. Wails. Mutters. Gnashing of teeth. Stomping even.
And that was just me …

A tale of dead mice…

So, finally everyone is out of the house and I’m ready to do some work. A load of wash in the washing machine and another hung on the line. It’s about 10am and I am contemplating a cup of tea. Ahh, peace, lovely peace. The birds are twittering in the trees, the dogs are happily asleep in the sun. Life is good.

My phone rings.

It’s Captain Scarlet, calling from university. He stayed at a friends house overnight so he could miss that dreaded traffic as he had an early lecture this morning. And in his rush to leave home last night, he forgot to feed his pet.

So he called to ask me if I could do it for him.

No big deal, you say?

Not usually…

However…

When the pet is a python and the food is a mouse he’d taken out of the freezer yesterday to defrost… ewwwwww

And apparently the snake was meant to be fed two days ago, so it was probably going to be real hungry.

I call that above and beyond.

A Love Affair with Books is continuing throughout March at Joyful, Jubilant Learning. Each day, there is a new review posted on a book someone loves. So far, I’ve been intrigued, inspired, and motivated to add books to my ever-expanding list of books to read.

And there is so much more to come…

I cannot recommend highly enough these reviews, and the conversations they encourage. Stop on by and take a look. Interact.

You know how sometimes if you’re browsing on Amazon (oooh, what a time burner that can be), or in your favourite bookshop. You feel in need of a good book. Some inspiration, a fresh point of view, something different to widen your horizons, or something to solve a particular dilemma.

And you get frustrated… books aren’t cheap (especially here in Australia), and I don’t know about you, but I don’t think my husband would take kindly to me spending every cent I earn on books (although I could, easily). Your time is valuable too… too precious to waste on books that aren’t worth reading.

Sometimes it would be great to have a specific recommendation. Something tangible that you can sink your teeth into and say - “Yes! that’s the book I want to read next”.

That is what is so good about the annual Love Affair with Books… great people, people I trust, giving their recommendations on such a diverse range of books. I don’t think I have finished all the books I found in last year’s affair, and yet - here I am adding again!

Of course, I’d love you to read my review of A Perfect Mess: the Hidden Benefits of Disorder. How crammed closets, cluttered offices, and off-the-cuff planning make the world a better place by Eric Abrahamson and David H Freeman - it has generated some very interesting conversations.

PS I really do need a new bookshelf or five… just as the heading says!

Feeling the very opposite of calm and in control?

Does it feel like chaos surrounds you? Chaos calls you like a siren song, luring you onto the rocks hidden in the midst of a stormy sea?

You’re not alone.

But…

Try something with me.

What have you got to lose? Go on, humour me just a little…

How will you feel about this five or ten years from now?

Will you be nodding sagely?

Agreeing it was a huge learning experience?

Knowing deep in your heart that you needed this learning in order to surmount and overcome future obstacles… mountains that eventually led to your unparalleled success…

Laughing even, at how silly you were to ever doubt that it was in your best interest…

Hmmm…

It’s been a big day and I’m thinking it might be time to pop a cork on a cold bottle of bubbles tonight.

This morning, we launched the lastest edition of The Calm Space - our sixth edition! This month, we’re talking about Dreams… and I am loving the incredible variety of ideas and perspectives that comes from our amazing team of contributors - each writing on the theme of the month.

Even though we’re all talking about Dreams in some way this month, you’ll find we go from sharing our dreams with our beloved, to books to help us make our dreams come true. From dreaming big, to believing in the power of our dreams. From writing dreams to writing down dreams (and yes, it’s a subtle but distinct difference) to dreaming about free technology… From listening to dreams to breathing in dreams. There’s all that and so much more…

This afternoon, to top off a lovely day, a courier arrived at my door with a parcel. I wasn’t expecting anything so my curiousity was instantly piqued.

It was my graduation certificate from Coach U! I am officially a coach now…

What a great start to the week!

How do you manage your time?

[Wait! Let me just jump up on my soapbox here for a minute... I hate the term 'time management' - you cannot manage time! I prefer to call it Time Organisation. I'll climb back down now, let me start again...]

How do you organise your time?

How do you decide what you do in any given moment during your day?

Do you plan ahead, have it all mapped out… your diary full of ‘things to do’?

Or are you more a ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ type, seeing where mood and circumstance takes you?

Do you like being scheduled and knowing what you have on, or do you hate to plan ahead - preferring to see what options present themselves moment by moment?

I was talking to a lovely lady called Bronwynne at a dinner party recently. She is a coach and consultant for businesses who want to get the best out of their staff. One of the things she does for them is a personality profile - and apparently the traits I have mentioned above are often key to getting the best out of yourself and your staff. If you like to know what you’re doing, when you’re doing it, how long you’ll be doing it and all this three weeks ahead of time - then apparently you’ll more than likely fit into her definition of ‘precisionist’.

This intrigued me as my youngest son and I continually butt heads over this very issue. He’ll ask me on Monday morning what we are doing next weekend. He needs to know. He has always thrived on routine, on knowing what is happening ahead of time. He likes to be organised.

Me? I’m more a last minute type… most of the time. I’m not good at knowing what we’ll be doing on the weekend - you never know what last minute invitation we’ll get, or what the weather will be like, or what we’ll feel like doing. I like to leave room for the unexpected. He doesn’t.

So, we’re learning to compromise. We’re learning about the differences in how we operate and what we need.

I was intrigued to read Ariane Benefit - organising expert extraordinaire - talk over at JJL about her challenges with time management. You can read her learnings about the ah ha moments she’s had around the difference between growing a business and sustaining a business in terms of time and schedules.

The mindset that ENABLES you to succeed, is not the same mindset that allows you to REMAIN SUCCESSFUL and have a balanced life.

Click here to go read her whole post. (I’ll wait). Ariane weaves in the analogy of our time being like a bank account, with finite funds and having to ‘balance the books’ which I found very powerful. It’s my guess that Ariane is one of those ‘precisionists’ that Bronwynne talked about - needing to be in control of time in order to feel in control of her life (but feel free to contradict me, Ariane… : )

I have been reading A Perfect Mess* and in the book, the authors discuss Arnold Schwarzenegger and his success. Arnie has been able to successfully go from bodybuilder to film star to Governor and he doesn’t. make. appointments! You cannot book in a time to speak with him, because he doesn’t keep a schedule. He goes from minute to minute. Does that make you feel funny? Yeah, me too… I am totally intrigued by his story. If you want to see him, you phone. If he’s available, he’ll see you now. If not, phone another day and try again. [Obviously there are some appointments he has to keep - but the rest of the time he's open to what comes up in the moment.]

The more I learn, the more questions I have.

I’m curious today - do you prefer, like Ariane, to ensure you balance your time and ensure all parts of your life are given the attention they deserve (whilst still maintaining your success). Are you like my son, always planning ahead, needing to know what you are doing next weekend…. next month… next year? Or are you more like Arnie and prefer to live life moment by moment - after all, who knows how you’ll feel tomorrow, let alone on the weekend?

Get the details here. Review a book, Win a book and share your aloha with your love of reading.

Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere

~Chinese Proverb

I live in order to learn, and learn in order to live.

What about you?

I believe a day doesn’t go by where we don’t learn something.

And so I love the Rapid Fire Learning that happens at Joyful, Jubilant Learning each month. This month, it is my pleasure and privilege to host Rapid Fire Learning - five things I’ve learned with only five days left in the month - here.

Are you living a learning life?

We’d love to hear your learnings too… please join in, even if you keep your learnings to yourself - simply writing them down will help cement the learning for you.

Join with me in turning the learning into lifelong habits and powerful mindsets…

We’re talking about love, compassion, hearts, and all things romance at The Calm Space this month.

No, we’re not going in for the mushy, over-commercialised, sentimental c*** that is Valentine’s Day. This Thursday will be time enough for all those expectations.

Our beautiful team of contributors has taken the theme of Heartstrings and turned things on their head. Our relationship diva talks about loving yourself before you can give that love to others. Our spiritual guru gently shows us our infinite capacity to love and be loved. The most organised amoungst us shows us how to declutter by listening to our heart. Our digital diva asks about the technology you love to hate - and the stuff you simply love.

Then there is the queen of writing sharing the power of writing to brace and sustain our hearts.

Not to mention books, music, and space to breathe…

And I would be remiss indeed if I didn’t mention the wonderful prize courtesy of our own Angela Esnouf from Creating Order from Chaos - a fabulous prize to help you get organised for the rest of the year! Click on the prize button to see the details, and register to have your chance to win this and each of our monthly prizes from now on!

Why not join us for a touch of heart today?

Before me peaceful

Behind me peaceful

Under me peaceful

Over me peaceful

Around me peaceful

~Navajo Prayer

My summer holidays are over.

If you were wondering where I was, then worry no more. We’ve been resting, rejuvenating. Playing games and having fun. Lots of love and laughter. Lots of food and drink. Some sun (it’s been a rather wild and wet summer here). A little travel. A little packing and unpacking. Lots of books.

It was all over too quickly though. A week at the beach before school went back was not nearly enough time to restore the batteries. And sitting here at my computer today, I started to think about the fact that my holidays were over. Wail.

But, as you may guess by the title, I started to think it’s not an end, it’s the beginning of another year of our life. Once January is done, we’re back into the activities and chaos of family and school and work life.

The finish of holidays doesn’t have to be an ending. We can take the things we discovered as we relaxed, and bring them with us during the busiest of times.

What I am bringing with me into the new year

What this means for The Clearing Space

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

ahhh, so wise I’m not going to add anything…