Step-By-Step Guide To Create Your Dream Life - Living Savvy For Women

Champagne Friday #33

Jo Bassett — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 01:18:50 +0000

A weekly tradition where we pop the cork on the week that was, celebrate what worked, reflect on what didn’t, and look forward to a sparkling new week of possibility. I hope you’ll join me and share your reflections in the comments.

What am I celebrating?

That I am rejuvenated by the smell of the ocean, the warmth of the sun and the sound of the waves on the beach. Yes, we had a beach getaway to Byron Bay on the weekend. Our only complaint – not long enough. We stayed in a 1930′s circa cottage with direct beach access, so we could watch our kids (Isabella & Nathaniel) play on the beach while me enjoyed a morning cuppa in the garden. The weekend was filled with laughter, family togetherness, gelati, walks along the beach, whale and shark spotting, shopping and for me a fantastic massage that put a glow into my cheeks.

What am I acknowledging?

That no Internet access is a blessing in disguise (again). Another week another glitch with the Internet.

This week, I decided that worrying about this was futile and looked at what possibilities this opened such as

dinner with Julia on Tuesday night. We have been saying we must catch up and last week Julia rang and asked How does next week sound to you? Thank you Julia for taking charge.

early nights to bed

focus on tasks and projects at hand and not being distracted by online happenings

Sense of urgency of getting things done. I have been content (not a word I use a lot to describe myself) to let things be and wait

What was missing?

Nothing. Still experiencing the afterglow of the weekend away (ahhhhh).

What small change can I make for next week?

Re-focus on my committment to 10 – 15 minutes of Yoga a few times a week to compliment my weekly yoga class.

Ready to pop the cork with me? I’d love to hear about your week in the comments…

Image by nImAdestiny

Spells for your dream man… and your dream life?

Jo Bassett — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:04:39 +0000

My daughter Isabella and I are big fans of the TV series Charmed (about three sisters who are also modern-day witches) and everything magical, so when I caught celebrity (and Aussie-born) white witch, Fiona Horne on Channel Ten’s The Circle, I took a few minutes to see what she had to say…

As you’ll see in the video, she demonstrated a spell to attract your dream man (or ‘the right partner’).

The spell involved :-

creating a scared space (with items that are meaningful and inspirational to you such as incense, a statue, images or crystals)
articulating clearly the qualities you desire and recording those wishes on paper
sealing that wish with your full attention and intention (through words and ritual such as lighting a candle)
repeating every night for three weeks

So, do I believe in magic?

The audience was laughing a little nervously at times, probably sceptical of the idea that you can ‘wish’ your dream man into existence.

What I noticed, aside from the ritualistic touches of candles and crystals, was that Fiona was really inviting us to make some quiet time each day to seriously reflect on what we want in our lives. In my opinion, that can never be a bad thing!

As I’ve said before creating time for quiet, conscious reflection is at the core of our personal development and evolution, and it just so happens that this small spell also incorporates three of the five steps to living savvy.

The magic of living savvy

Creating sacred space aligns with the first step to living savvy is ‘Ask’, which is about being open to the big questions in our life (such as, who would be my ideal mate?).

Articulating your dreams and recording them on paper aligns with the second step of living savvy, ‘Do’, when we give ourselves the time and space we need to discover and acknowledge our unique answers to the big questions.

Sealing your wish with awareness and intention aligns with the fourth step of living savvy, ‘Commit’, when we make a choice to try something new, take action and see what works and what doesn’t. (Casting a spell would certainly count as trying something new for many people!)

You generally find what you give your attention to…

I believe that when we get clear on what we want, and commit to that dream (by, for example, acknowledging and focussing on it every night), we’ll naturally be more alert to opportunities that will bring us closer to our goal. It’s a spell we might use to ‘snare a man’ or perhaps to find our dream home, dream job or something else…

What do you think? Do you believe in magic?

Thumbnail image by D Sharon Pruitt

Monday Bites #4

Jo Bassett — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:49:56 +0000

Living savvy is not about unsustainable overhauls – it’s about the small changes we can make to create a life that is a little more fulfilling, a little more satisfying and a little more joyful.

Each Monday I share three simple ideas I have to fine-tune my own ordinary to live extraordinary this week, and I hope you will share yours!

Send my parents a welcoming pack of goodies to celebrate their move into a new home

Give Karen the handmade (by someone’s else talented hands) gift I picked up in Byron Bay on the weekend, for her baby that will be arriving early next year

Fill my house with flowers

PS. Haven’t found an oilburner (from last week’s list) ….still looking

Image by D Sharon Pruitt

Champagne Friday #32

Jo Bassett — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 22:20:13 +0000

What am I celebrating?

The energy, spirit, freedom and sense of fun of young girls.

On Saturday Kay and I took our daughters Olivia, Isabella and their friend Isabella to Mamma Mia. We sat in the front row where we could peep at the orchestra doing their thing. At one stage I looked over at the girls and they were all enthralled with what they were seeing and singing along, not missing a word.

Here is a photo of the girls, L – R Olivia, Isabella & Isabella (she’s mine).

What am I acknowledging?

That no Foxtel (meaning no TV for us) or Internet access is a blessing in disguise. We lost both of these for almost 24 hours. On Tuesday night I was wrestling with my son before bed time, laughing and realised that I wasn’t feeling the low hum of anxiety the normally kicks in around this time of the evening. I stopped and wondered what was different? Then I realised that there was no sense of urgency to get them tucked in so I could get back into the office and onto the computer to wrap up my work (no online access, meant no work pressure). It was a wake up call!

What was missing?

The loud noise of politics. Andrew & I spoke of how much we were enjoying the break from individual Australian politicians talking at us following the end of the campaign and the (not)surprising election result. I think they are keeping quiet in fear of offending the independents & Green MP who hold their (and our country’s) future in their hands. After the initial furore that erupted on Saturday and flowed into the early week after the election result, even the media has quietened down. I guess there are so many times you can say counting continues or meetings are being held between the independents and Julia Gillard or Tony Abbott. On Monday I watched Q&A on the ABC and was reassured by the wisdom of Tony Windsor and the hope of Sarah Hanson-Young

A book to read before sleep and to take with me as we head down to Byron Bay for a weekend getaway (bliss)

I have previously committed to 10 – 15 minutes of Yoga a few times a week to compliment my weekly yoga class. I am not doing this. Not sure what is happening here or what the answer is.

What small change can I make for next week?

Select a fiction book to read and read again every night for a few minutes in bed before going off to sleep.

PS. A few weeks ago, I celebrated the simple yet meaningful things that I have discovered the women around me are doing. Remember Judith and her husband Mark who each Friday enjoy a glass or two of bubbly together. Here they, having their own Champagne Friday moment

Ready to pop the cork with me? I’d love to hear about your week in the comments…

Image by nImAdestiny

Is pushing out of our comfort zone always a good thing?

Jo Bassett — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:15:37 +0000

Last week I was talking about setting life goals – whether in the form of a bucket list or a dream catcher.

And the ‘want to try at least once in my lifetime’ list was on my mind whenThe School of St Jude tweeted a challenge: Climb Mt Kilimanjaro and at the same time support St Jude’s educational efforts for orphaned and vulnerable children in Tanzania.

They promise that climbing the highest mountain in Africa will be an exhilarating experience that will stretch me physically and emotionally. And, of course, it’s a wonderful opportunity to be a part of the fantastic mission of The School of St Jude.

I immediately thought, “This is exactly the kind of thing that should be on my list but…”

The challenge freaks me out!

Spending 13 days in the intimate company of people I don’ know…
Hiking and camping in remote locations (where do we go to the toilet!)…
Living out of just a backpack instead of a suitcase (or three!)…

These are exactly the kinds of experiences I go out of my way to avoid.

Isn’t discomfort the point?

Aren’t we told that we have to ‘push through’ our boundaries to grow? That personal development requires stretching ourselves to the limit and going outside our comfort zone? It almost seems mandatory: no pain, no gain.

And these life goal lists are often dominated by truly extraordinary, physically/emotionally taxing, fear challenging achievements: swimming with sharks, climbing mountains, jumping out of planes. Definitely out of the standard comfort zone.

Bottom line: Is it helping you grow? Is it helping you live your extraordinary life?

These are wonderful adventures, and no doubt deliver an incredible adrenaline hit, but I wonder how they much they can really help you navigate the ordinary moments, to savour the slow day-to-day process of learning and re-learning your truth, to form meaningful connections.

I brought this up in conversation with a friend and she repeated a lovely quote:

I tried moving out of my comfort zone but didn’t find it very comfortable!

What’s true for me

I’ve no doubt that for some people, these big, comfort zone crashing challenges are exactly what they need to move forward in that moment in time. But I’m also seeing the possibility that pushing way outside the comfort zone isn’t a good thing for everyone, all the time.

For myself, I want to keep my dream catcher of life goals light, without a bunch of self-imposed high expectations. Maybe one day Kilimanjaro will make into my catcher, but not right now.

However, I have added a visit to The School of St Jude to my list.

What about you? Do you have any big adventures on your list? Are they there because you really want to do them, or because you think you should?

Monday Bites #3

Jo Bassett — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:55:23 +0000

Living savvy is not about unsustainable overhauls – it’s about the small changes we can make to create a life that is a little more fulfilling, a little more satisfying and a little more joyful.

Each Monday I share three simple ideas I have to fine-tune my own ordinary to live extraordinary this week, and I hope you will share yours!

Buy oil burners so I can burn oils at home (I always enjoy the scent when I walk into a room where one is burning).

Go out & have a pedicure (cold & windy weather kept me at home with a DIY Pedi a couple of weeks ago when this first made the list).

Have a massage while having a weekend break away in Byron Bay.

Image by D Sharon Pruitt

Champagne Friday #31

Jo Bassett — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:00:27 +0000

What am I celebrating?

The openess of the women in my life who share their real life experiences of motherhood. It is not all sweet smells, laughs and sunshine.

I treasure their honesty.

What am I acknowledging?

The benefits of more rest and less resistance.

My efforts to respect and work to my limitations, actually I will change this to, my efforts to respect and work within my current capabilities.

What was missing?

Frustration and disappointment of not meeting the expectations I place upon myself.

Listening to my body and not pushing beyond my capabilities.

Effortless parenting (is there such a thing?).

What small change can I make for next week?

Continue to fine-tune the ordinary things that impact on my health and wellbeing like my diet (eating more of the right stuff), more rest and regular physical activity that keeps me moving but doesn’t cause wear and tear.

Ready to pop the cork with me? I’d love to hear about your week in the comments…

Image by nImAdestiny

Bucket list or dream catcher?

Jo Bassett — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 20:21:03 +0000

It seems like everyone’s talking about their bucket list, you know, the list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket. Even Bill Clinton has one.

The bucket list doesn’t tickle my fancy

I’ve been reluctant to make a bucket list for a number of reasons…

I don’t want to tempt fate: I said the same thing when I was talking about finding your life purpose and the popular exercise of writing your own epitaph.

I fear my goals won’t be ‘big’ enough: I look around and see people putting some incredible challenges on their list and I wonder, would mine really ‘measure up’? Even though I know comparing our extraordinary never gets us far.

I’m not excited to do it: The name ‘bucket list’ just doesn’t fire me up – doesn’t get my imagination sparking in the way I need to create something really inspiring and authentic for me.

But a dream catcher? Now that sounds fun!

When I recently read a post from Naomi Simson that referred to the bucket list as a dream catcher, I was hooked.

‘Dream catcher’ sounds light, whimsical and open-ended. It’s not weighed down by the threat of a high-stakes deadline, not looming over my life with musts and shoulds, not loaded up with expectations of success.

This is an idea I can use because there are a few things I’d like to try in my lifetime and now, in my mind, I have a place to safely catch them.

What’s fluttering on the threads of my dream catcher?

An independent headstand in yoga, surfing on a longboard and heli-skiing out of Queenstown (as inspired by Naomi), just to get started.

What about Clinton’s list?

The article quotes Clinton speaking at the 18th International AIDS Conference in Vienna:

What I’d really like to do, if I could have my wishes, I would like to live to see my own grandchildren…

And I’d like to live to know that all the grandchildren of the world will have the chance in the not too distant future to live their own dreams and not die before their time…

That’s the “A list”… There’s also a “B list” of stuff that would be fun to do but doesn’t amount to a hill of beans whether I get to do it or not.

I’d like to climb Kilimanjaro before the snows melt. I’d like to run a marathon before I give out. There’s lots of things I’d like to do but it doesn’t really matter whether I do them.

What’s important to you?

I guess that’s what it comes down to, whether it’s a bucket list or a dream catcher: knowing what’s really important to you.

Of course I can have any number of things I’d like to achieve, or at least try, in my lifetime, but I don’t want those things to become ‘have-tos’ that I feel bad about.

The real, ‘big’ goal that’s important to me is living my own extraordinary – living true to me – and keeping what I do and how I do it aligned with my values and beliefs.

I’d love to hear what you think about bucket lists and dream catchers in the comments – do they spur you on or weigh you down? How do you remember what’s really important to you?

Image by Naomi’

Monday Bites #2

Jo Bassett — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 23:00:59 +0000

Each Monday I share three simple ideas I have to fine-tune my own ordinary to live extraordinary this week, and I hope you will share yours!

1. Purchase a block and strap (used in my yoga class) so I can practice a divine pose at home that does wonders for my stiff shoulders and neck.

2. Get outside as much as possible and enjoy the blue skies and sunny days that are winter in Brisbane.

3. Bring the sweet smell of my Jasmin bush inside.

Image by Kim Siciliano Salem

Champagne Friday #30

Jo Bassett — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:01:31 +0000

What am I celebrating?

That this week has been less difficult than last week.

I think last week is best summed up by what happened during my weekly appointment with Kim, who tweaks and tweezes my eyebrows. (Yes I am obsessive about keeping my eyebrows shaped.) As I lay on her table she said, with kindness and a gentle touch, “you look tired.” I started to cry. I am not sure who was more surprised – me or Kim.

What am I acknowledging?

The resilience and complexity of the relationship between a mother and her children.

What was missing?

This week I have been missing energy, a spring in my step, patience and a feeling of lightness…

but I have also been missing back-to-back appointments, a never-ending to-do list, and pressure to complete…

this left space for me to share a cup of tea with Tony, browse in the shops (something I rarely do, I tend to shop with a clear outcome in mind), share lunch with Davina and celebrate Cat’s birthday with a couple of glasses of wine and chocolate brownie for dessert (missing out on the worry on how this would impact on my run later in the afternoon as I didn’t go).

What small change can I make for next week?

My tendency is to take an all or nothing approach – don’t start something if you’re not going to finish it, don’t try something unless you are going to give 110%.

This is why I never started watching Masterchef series, I knew that it would require a 7 day a week commitment for several weeks that I did not have time for in my life (by the time series 2 came around I had convinced myself that it was OK to drop in and catch an episode here and there).

The flip side of being committed and dedicated, especially in work, is that projects don’t get started unless there are big chunks of time available in which to finish them. Consequently I have big projects on my list that are not getting done.

I’ve been experimenting with just starting – a project or piece of writing – and not worry about finishing straight away. It’s worked well. I have been able to come back later to polish and complete, without feeling overwhelmed that I have a huge project looming over my head.

I know this is not rocket science and I know how important it is to break a project into tasks and yet I don’t do it (enough). This week I am going to be doing more of this, spending a spare 15 – 20 minutes on getting something started. In fact, that’s how I got this Champagne Friday written!

Ready to pop the cork with me? I’d love to hear about your week in the comments…

Image by nImAdestiny