A big thank you for those who took time to like my last post. It is not easy for me to expose myself. There are parts of me that wish I didn’t have to put myself out there. There was a time in my life when I did not know what ‘joy’ felt like. Of course I experienced happy moments but when I was asked to recapture a feeling of joy, I just couldn’t do it.  Nowadays my life is so joyful and I would be quite happy to fill my days with the simple things of life … but I know that there is more to this last part of my journey than that. Never before have I experienced the strong daily promptings that remind me of the vast life experiences which have left me with a strong sense of purpose. My writing and speaking are an integral part of that and to be still relevant in the corporate space is such an unexpected joy.

As part of the writing course that I have undertaken, I have been given the task of building a platform. Gone are the days in the nineties when all I had to do was send my manuscripts to the publisher and apart from several layers of editing, they would do the rest and I could just enjoy the thrill of seeing my books on shelves, oh and receive the occasional royalty cheques. How things have changed. Now it seems the publisher wants to know what kind of a platform you have; how many Social Media contacts you engage with and how you are putting yourself out there. This is the aspect of writing that daunts me.

During this week I had one of those days that was imbued with self doubt. Was I really in line with my purpose? My days have been crowded with a project which has been particularly challenging. As often is the case on such occasions, I sent my question out there and several things happened. One occurred as I was waiting for my hair to be cut. The woman next to me struck up a conversation that was particularly pertinent. She had been struggling with severe post traumatic stress disorder following a gang rape she had experienced several years before. The hairdresser told her about my book and she was really interested. To cut a long story short, she felt that we were meant to meet on that day and thanked me for the conversation which she found helpful. She also purchased my book. Continue reading →

My head is spinning as I undertake the Hay House writing course in conjunction with Dr Jean Houston’s course, “Unlocking your Quantum Powers”. I’m sure you’ve heard me reflect upon being a late bloomer – or bloomin’ late, and so I thought I had better set about unlocking any possible powers before it is time for me to push up daisies.

When I made this proclamation to my friend John, he rolled his eyes. Funny how so many of my friends roll their eyes at my proclamations. Of course his next question was to ask what exactly are Quantum Powers and how was I going to go about accessing them. Well, I’ve only done the first session and there are six more so he will have to wait patiently. Hopefully he won’t be looking for major change. I am guessing that any changes will be quite subtle but I promise to keep you posted.

Jean does tell me that people are fascinated by Quantum Physics and the Quantum Field but no one is really sure what it is, so I am wondering if I am going to be privy to the unsolving of a great mystery. That sounds like fun. She also says that as an observer I am “…entangled with the Universe in ways that affect the reality of what is observed – As viewed, so appears.” Mmm, I get that and also reflect on the times gone by when I viewed myself as a failure and became my own self-fulfilling prophet. So better late than never! I am excited about learning more in this excellent course. Jean Houston is an inspiring woman.

On the back of my business card I blithely write, “It is never too late to find your fabulous”. I do believe that everyone has a bit of fabulous in them and I am in the business of inspiring others to not wait as long as I did. I absolutely love that I have the opportunity to do that, especially when it works and I see a butterfly emerging from the chrysalis.

It is amazing what can happen when we open ourselves up to all sorts of possibilities. I have learned not to limit my thinking to what I read and see. The year after my husband died was the worst year of my life for many reasons and there were times when I felt that I would never be normal again. I remember one day, when I was particularly low, I read that we are sometimes given signs to help us keep going. For example the appearance of foreign money or the sudden appearance of a white feather.

I really wanted a sign that life would get better but gave no further thought until I walked into the bedroom at the place I was staying and there on the floor was a Malaysian note. I have no idea how it came to be there. I didn’t dare believe that it was of any significance but when I walked out of the front door I was overwhelmed to see the lawn strewn with white feathers. Now I know that cynics will say there is a perfectly good reason for these coincidences but they certainly made my heart sing. Whatever one’s beliefs I have found that finding a white feather always reminds me to pay attention to what is happening in my life.

I hadn’t dared to think that my life could become so amazing and that the experiences of the past are just that – in the past and there is still much to do. I have recently changed direction with my writing and am now really excited about the book that I have been given to write. I do wish that I had done the writing course before I wrote ‘Sizzling’. I felt driven to write it and it is thrilling that it continues to reach the people it needs to reach, but knowing what I know now, I may have done things differently.

Who knows what inspirations I may have when I have succeeded in unlocking my Quantum Powers.  I can’t wait!

As life marches on I find myself being focused on how I choose to spend my time. There are so many things that interest me and so many invitations come flying across the internet, but now more than at any other time in my  life, I feel the importance of choosing wisely. My earnest desire is to complete my journey here by fulfilling my purpose.

 Recently I was asked to present at a well being expo and thanks to some inspiration from my friend Ande Kindryd, my attention was drawn to the notion of having no regrets at the end of our journey.  Ande  and I discussed  this at length and came up with three sign posts to assist us in completing a journey free of regrets – Risk, Realness and Relationships. We were inspired by Bronnie Ware’s book, “Top five  regrets of the dying” in which she  recorded reflections she had heard as a nurse in a palliative care ward.

 At the last moment I felt inspired to ask three special people to join me in the presentation, David Laws, Julie Smith and my daughter Vicki Niemeyer. I loved having them add their insights to my own and  quite quickly, we  managed to put together a booklet called “Signposts to No Regrets”. It was unedited and there were a few typos, but for some reason I wanted to give people something they could take  away and the feedback has been very  positive.

 Two years ago now, I was excited when I was contacted by Hay House Australia about my book “Sizzling at Seventy – Victim to Victorious”. They were very affirming and although it was not taken up by  them at that time, I  was told that they were interested in me and to let them know of any other projects I undertook. I had almost forgotten this invitation when I had a dream that I should send off the  booklet to see if they thought it would be  worth my while in expanding on the idea. So, having nothing to lose I followed the ‘dream’ and sent it off and then completely let it go. I would never have done  that  years ago but it now seemed the right thing to do. Several  weeks later I was thrilled to receive a reply giving me a great deal of encouragement. So my next step is to undertake the Hay House on line  writing  course in order to test the market. I feel very positive about the whole  experience. Perhaps I will become a bona fide Hay House author one day!

 Several things happened that made it okay to invest money in this project. The day after I made my decision, I received a cheque from “Lending Rights” for $2,600.00 as some of my books are still in libraries which rather surprises me. Two days later I was notified that another $1,000 was due to me for copyright. My very first publishing experience, which I shared with a colleague, was in 1997, a book published by Longman and this was the book that is still being copied after all these years.

These experiences have made me reflect on how important it is not to underestimate the footprints we make through our life – some of which leave a lasting impression. Some of these footprints we are proud of and others we would rather forget.

I love the fact that I am continually learning and growing. I was devastated by the death of my much loved husband but also feel blessed to have witnessed the passing of someone who died without regrets. We are all going to go through this process and I have always felt that it should be a dignified and peaceful one. I have no fear of death and I am sure I am not alone in thinking that living is often the hard part. These words by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross really resonate, “It is not the end of the physical body that should worry us. Rather, our concern must be to live while we’re alive – to release our inner selves from the spiritual death that comes from living behind a façade designed to conform to external definitions of who and what we are.”

This is now my journey, to assist others to follow the signposts to “No Regrets.”                

 Several years ago, my daughter taught me a valuable lesson.. In her own way she made me look at my own authenticity. I had been asked to speak to a group of professional women at a  breakfast in Brisbane. My husband was in a palliative care ward and we knew that his time was swiftly running out, but I had made a commitment and I do not take commitments  lightly.

 The night before the breakfast I was feeling very fragile and sorry for myself. I went searching for my data show which I intended to speak to at the breakfast. I panicked when I couldn’t  find it and rang my daughter for a shoulder to cry on. She very wisely commented that maybe I was not meant to use that data presentation and just maybe I was meant to speak straight  from my heart. I took some deep breaths, plunged into a lavender bath and decided to take her advice.

The following morning I fronted up to a sea of forty beautiful faces. I was given a warm welcome and silently calling on all possible powers, I began to speak. The words flowed and the audience listened. It was only in the last few minutes that I felt a few tears sliding down my face as I told this special group of women that in a few days my husband would be no longer on this mortal coil. Continue reading →

My mother passed away in her early fifties and I wondered why everybody remarked that she was too young to die. Now I realise that she was VERY young. I feel fortunate to have outlived her by a number of years. These years have been filled to the brim with learning and action – lots of laughter and many tears. Every year brings new revelations and I am thinking that by the age of ninety I may have really reached the age of wisdom.

I am grateful for the opportunities to share some of the wisdom I have gathered over the years. I will always enjoy the corporate scene and writing will always be my passion. The icing on the cake has been the opportunity to speak and run workshops. This aspect of my life is about to ramp up, particularly in 2016. Watch this space- it is very exciting.

It all begins on May 16^th at the Robina Women’s Expo. Of course it is not limited to women. I know for a fact that several men will be at my two sessions. I will be joined by a few special mystery guests and I can guarantee some high energy moments. I am really looking forward to it. Many thanks to the lovely Jo and Nicola for the invitation to be part of the weekend, they always manage to create an amazing expo.

So onward and upward – let the show begin.

What was I thinking? As a kid I would climb trees and I spent a great deal of my time on the roof, even climbing down the chimney to find out how Father Christmas did it. These days I only have to climb a  few steps up the ladder, or peer over the balcony of a two storeyed building, to experience the spinning sensation of vertigo, yet one of my grandchildren told me once that I was ‘invincible’ and that is a lot to  live up to.

 I really thought that I could conquer this fear of heights, so when I had the opportunity to do a tandem jump I didn’t hesitate to take up the challenge. I convinced myself that it would be different from  standing on the edge of a cliff or looking down from a high building. I would fly through the air like a bird and as a kid I had tried so hard to fly. Of course my efforts were disastrous and resulted in many  bruises and lots of ripped clothing. This experience would give me the legitimate feel of flying. I was convinced that I would enjoy it.

 My first attempt in January was thwarted because of high winds so I decided to wait for a few months until the winds abated.  I booked in and hoped that the weather would be kind and allow me to fly. I  wasn’t  going to go back a third time.

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The first month of 2015 is almost over and the vision board is written up. It has been exciting to look back at last year’s vision board and see that it has largely happened – well there are a few carry overs but they are in hand.

I absolutely love business diagnostic work. After all of these years I don’t really need to rely on tools but I really like the Human Synergistics tools as they provide a visual impression of what is happening for clients at the present moment. I plan to keep doing this work as long as I can and am loving the opportunities I have in store for me this year. It is especially good when you have the opportunity to work with those  who are open to change and I am meeting some super people.

I really enjoyed working with The Smith Family before Christmas as well. Meeting the lovely young people who are selflessly putting themselves out to assist others is always inspiring.

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To jump or not to jump – that is the question

I remember, as a very young expectant mum, there were people who seemed to delight in sharing stories about child birth that did not exactly leave me panting for the experience, but I wanted above all to be a mother so waited with dread for the moment that I would enter into the horrors of ‘labour’! Over fifty years later I can certainly attest that it was worth every contraction, every stitch, every leaky nipple and every effort made to reduce my stretched belly back to its almost original size.

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Another amazing month has passed and I can’t help reflect on the difference I am feeling compared to this time last year when I felt that I was just marking time. As I review my previous blogs, I remember how hard I tried to forge past the grief of losing a loved one and all the baggage that comes attached. I felt like I would never feel normal again and then one day I woke up and found that I did feel different. I had lost that awful gnawing feeling that those who have suffered depression are familiar with and was now able to view my life with more hope and an ambition to make the most of whatever life I had left.

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At last my new website is up and I had my first lesson in inserting my own blogs. It feels like my first day at school!

So much has been evolving and it is mostly exciting. I can certainly not complain of boredom. The variety of activity has been vast and there have been some wonderful highlights. One of these has been sharing four gigs with the indomitable Ande – my twin sister! As we insist that we are identical twins there is much laughter but Ande always follows up with, “Remember, nothing is black and white except us.” Nobody tells a story like Ande and we kept the audiences spellbound with our stories. There were tears and laughter as we demonstrated that although we had experienced being knocked down, we had found ways to get up again and were keen to share the notion that it is never too late to find you’re fabulous.

Our book is plodding along and I have just made a new commitment to completing three chapters by September! It’s on the wall behind my desk alongside a quote that was sent to me by a dear friend; “ A bird sitting in a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch but on her own wings. Always believe in yourself.” We all know that is easier said than done, but it is a mantra I follow.

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