Easter blessings, lessons, and April goals...

Last week I was lucky enough to drive back to my hometown to spend some time with my family for one last hoorah before I really head off properly on my trip around Australia. It was a fabulous opportunity to take the van away for a few days and really test it out, get a feel for everything, and make a note of what worked and what needs adjusting. I feel really affirmed in the fact that I would like a toilet and shower added 😅

I had a beautiful few days with my sister and her little family, plenty of hugs and kisses from my niece and nephew, breakfasts with Dad, and some cuppas with aunties and grandparents. I wasn't particularly excited to see the town itself, or even to drive past my old house. But I was excited to watch the sunrise with my niece on her little trike, and the long conversations over the campfire as the sun set.

It might be controversial, but I don't really care all that much for chocolate. I'll eat it, especially if it's put in front of me, but I was always the sibling who HID their Easter chocolate from the others, and then forgot about it until it turned up months later, white and crusty at the bottom of a draw. Instead, Easter for me is about spending time with the people that you love, and on a more metaphorical level, it's a few days to rest and take stock of how the first quarter of your year is tracking.

This morning in my coaching call, I had a client who said she felt as though the mercury retrograde is kicking her arse this week. It's true, that in astrology right now there is a significant event often associated with miscommunication, forgetfulness, and disruption. So if you're feeling a little scattered, a little out of sorts, a little like a victim of your environment, you're not alone.

People all around the world are feeling this right now. And if you don't believe in astrology, then I'll just leave you with the thought that the moon determines our ocean tides; you know that massive body of water. And actually humans are made up of roughly 70% water... how can it NOT affect us in some way? For many women, the moon cycles actually sync in with your cycles, and with the natural seasons of nature and traditional harvest seasons. We sometimes forget in this age of technology and progress, that we too, are a part of nature.

On a deeper level though, I'd like to reframe this mercury retrograde, or if that doesn't fit, then this period of turbulence in your life.

How can you step into the unknown and choose to dance regardless of the outcome? How can you choose joy and playfulness, instead of anxiety?

I am still working through releasing the need to know the outcome and to control the process. I am hoping that by forcing myself to exist in the stillness of nature, it will help unravel some of the expectations that I've placed on myself over the years, and those I have been conditioned to from society. It's important to note here, that this is a choice I am making intentionally. I get to choose how I want to show up in my life, and choose how I respond to the events of it. Nobody else can force me to feel a certain way. That's on me and my own decisions.

My first night of off-grid 'camping' last night was a prime example of how this has manifested in my life. I love camping and I love being outdoors. But somewhere along the way, I have felt a need for busyness and noise and control overtake me. I was warned it would take me a few months to really calibrate myself to this new life of relaxing and enjoying, but I'm choosing to draw attention to it early on with my awareness so I can dispel that feeling of needing to be somewhere, doing something, making a plan. By choosing a different reaction in the moment, deep breathing, redirecting my thoughts, listening to something positive, noticing my emotions and reactions, I can effectively re-wire my subconscious choices for next time.

It was hard to walk away from my family and sticky one year old 'nose' kisses, but I know that this next adventure promises to be worth it. How do I know that without looking into the future?

I'm simply trusting myself and the universe. I know that I will make the best of each occasion as it rises, that I can support myself fully no matter what happens, that I can tune into nature and astrology and the energy of a place, that I have spent the time working on rewiring my subconscious mind to align with my goals. Basically, that I have my back and I have 31 years worth of evidence there to prove it. I have made it through every single day of my life so far.

So my goals for April are simple:

1. To do something that brings me joy every single day.

2. To watch the sunrise or the sunset every single day.

3. To hold space for myself- to honour my feelings and what I know that I need to feel whole and alive (working out, time in nature, journaling, & reading every single day).

4. To persist: in advertising my business, in completing my study, in daily posts on social media, no matter the outcome. I know that taking small steps forward will inevitably lead me somewhere beautiful.

I'm out experiencing some of the landscape of NSW this week on my way back to QLD. I stayed in Sofala last night beside the most gorgeous little river and woke up early to head into town for a few coaching calls. I had a pinch me moment while sitting in the sun drinking a chai latte, and now I'm pulled up at a little green park on a river writing this and people watching. I don't know exactly where I'll camp tonight and that's part of the beauty of this adventure- I'm heading in a direction and after that, I'll I'll just look for somewhere pretty to pull up for the night. I trust myself to make the right choice, and when I feel anxiety creeping in, I deliberately choose to redirect my thoughts and feelings elsewhere.

I invite you to reflect for a moment on what March looked like for you- the good, the bad, the ugly. What could you do differently? What would you like to keep moving forward into April?

If we keep just plodding along through our days without reflecting on them, we often miss the lessons that life has in store for us. If you'd like a better April, then I encourage you to write down 3-5 small goals that you could work on daily. Create a checklist on your phone, or on the fridge to keep track. Even if you only hit one of them, you're still making an improvement. I would love to hear about your April goals and please feel free to send me progress shots if that will help keep you accountable 🌸

1% better, is still 1% better.

I hope you had a fabulous holiday break, whatever that looked like for you. I'm no stranger to understanding how hard a holiday can be, but I also know how fantastic they can be, and it is my fervent hope that if yours was less than spectacular, that you at least hold hope in your heart for the future.