Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Mondo Beyondo Dreaming List....

image by Le fabuleux destin d'Amelie (via flickr)

One of my tasks for the Mondo Beyondo course was to create a Dreaming List. It could be as long as I liked and the point was to put anything and everything on it. I then had to put the list in an envelope and leave it sealed for just over 1 week. Tonight I had to pull it out, read it and think about the things I had put on my list. I'll share them with you (they are in no particular order):

  • Meet Oprah Winfrey.
  • Open my own store called 'Give Love Get Love' with inspiring items for children.
  • Become proficient in using illustrator and other such software.
  • Spend at least 6 months living in Canada (including Whistler).
  • Buy a house in Byron Bay.
  • Earn a living from writing my blog.
  • Own a book store.
  • Take Bailey to Disneyland.
  • Meet Bono.
  • Open ivivva athletica in Australia.
  • Become General Manager of ivivva athletica/lululemon athletica (Asia/Pacific).
  • Buy Lachlan a motorbike.
  • Buy a house in Clovelly/Bronte.
  • Spend 4 weeks a year on holiday with Lach and Bailey.
  • Learn to play tennis properly (take lessons).
  • Sell my artwork.
These are definitely a work in progress. I haven't quite figured most of them out, but I'm just going to put them out there, let them sit a while and see what comes!

DREAM BIG.....

If there were ever a time to dare,
To make a difference,
To embark on something worth doing,
It is now.
Not for any grand cause, necessarily -
But for something that tugs at your heart,
Something that's your aspiration,
Something that's your dream.
You owe it to yourself to make your days here count.
Have fun.
Dig deep.
Stretch.
Dream big.
Know, though, that things worth doing seldom come easy.
There will be good days.
There will be times when you want to turn around,
Pack it up, and call it quits.
Those times tell you that you are pushing yourself,
That you are not afraid to learn by trying.
Persist.
Because with an idea,
Determination, and the right tools,
You can do great things.
Let your instincts,
Your intellect,
And your heart guide you.
Trust.
Believe in the incredible power of the human mind.
Of doing something that makes a difference.
Of working hard.
Of laughing and hoping.
Of lazy afternoons.
Of lasting friends.
Of all the things that will cross your path this year.
The start of something new brings the hope of something great.
Anything is possible.
There is only one you.
And you will pass this way only once.
Do it right.
Author Unknown

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Recurring Dream....

Image by NYClovesNYC (via flickr)

I have this recurring dream that I am on holiday in New York and its the last day I am there and for some reason I haven't gone shopping yet (I know, that couldn't realistically happen, but in my dream - or should I say nightmare - it does ; ). In particular, I'm trying to get to Soho and there isn't enough time. Believe it or not, this is such a stressful dream when I'm having it. I can't stop wondering what this means? Do I just really want to be in New York? Do I need to go shopping really badly? If anyone has any light to shed on the subject or knows anything about the meaning behind dreams, I'd love to hear from you. I know some people are spending their days contemplating really important stuff like solving world hunger and what not, but this is where I'm at tonight!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Dreaming Big......

My twin sis and I got to spend some rare time alone together this past weekend. As neither of us had had the chance to start our 'Mondo Beyondo' work last week, we decided to do it together. I haven't sat down and taken the time to just think and be still in ages and its surprising how hard it is to do when you are so used to 'doing, doing doing' all the time. I thought I would share a few of my thoughts from the first four exercises:

Lesson 1: Who inspires you to take a chance on your dreams? Whose example challenges you to be more open to your unspoken dreams? How is this person taking risks?Describe this person's vulnerability, flexibility and courage.

Chip Wilson, founder of lululemon athletica: Chip inspires me because he has given his life over to making a difference in this world and has stayed true to who he is and what he believes in along the way. He discovered what he wanted to do, and how he wanted to do it, and he wasn't afraid to voice this - even to a world that wasn't ready to hear it. To me he is the epitome of what it is to be truly successful; creating a life you love and changing the world at the same time.

Oprah Winfrey: Has had one of the most profound impacts upon the world in my lifetime. She has worked hard to be able to live a life doing what she loves and uses her voice and power to make the world a better place. Like Chip, she introuduced the notions of living your best life and serving others to a world that has been very questioning of those ideals. If I could reach the end of my life and be able to say I had even 1/1000,000th of the impact that she has had, I would be so grateful.

Lesson 2: My Secret Energy Source

Playing with Bailey, exercising, reading magazines (particularly design and fashion), coffee and long chats with friends, drawing, reading inspirational books, having a bath, being creative, ice-cream, writing down and discussing my goals, helping others, flowers, time to myself, reading different blogs, photography.

Lesson 3: Identify your core values

Dreaming big, making a difference, inspiring others, education, authenticity.
I'm looking forward to the next 5 weeks of dreaming big. These kinds of things are always the ones we put off but are the ones that have the biggest impact on our motivation and lives. If you haven't given any thoughts to these questions lately, you should try them yourself.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Re-connecting.......


Yesterday I had coffee with a friend whom I haven't seen for a while. We have known each other since we were 12 years old but usually only ever caught up a couple of time a year, through a mutual friend of ours. It was so fantastic to connect on a different level and to share how we have each grown and changed over the years. I was blown away by how similar many of our life experiences have been and how we never knew this was the case when we were growing up (our situations and the environement we were often in meant that we never really discussed the nitty gritty details of our lives). We have very similar ways of looking at the world and viewing life and it is so good to be able to share this with each other. My friend is passionate about educating girls in Nepal (hence the gorgeous photo above), and this is something I'd love to become more involved in. I'm really looking forward to renewing this friendship and being a support for each other from this point on. Here's to old but new friendships!

Monday, January 11, 2010

A Packed Weekend....

I spent the past Friday, Saturday and Sunday attending the Landmark Education Forum. It was full-on, going from 9am-10:30pm each day and night. I was lucky enough to be provided with this opportunity by lululemon, and I attended with my gorgeous lulu friend, Mel. It was so inspiring to see people from all walks of life learn so much about themselves and others and to truly feel as though they are embarking on the first day of the rest of their lives. What I got from the weekend was a much needed reminder of how simple life actually is and how complicated we make it. In two weeks time I am attending the Advanced Course, where you get to focus on what you can do with your life and the difference you can make. I'm all about making a difference, so can't wait to see what I come up with!

Monday, January 4, 2010

A New e-course for the New Year....

I've just enrolled in a new e-course called "Mondo Beyondo - An online class about Dreaming Big". It is a 5 week online class complete with inspiring lessons, real life stories, audio interviews and hands on activities that will help you take your dreams from the realms of wishing into everyday motion. Sounds like just the ticket to get moving into 2010. Join me if you are ready to dream big!

Friday, January 1, 2010

WELCOME 2010....

Here is a different take on the idea of a New Year's Resolution. I'm going to try it and I urge you to do the same. You can visit Christine's website to download the PDF that can take you through the process.

Finished....

This morning I finished reading Andre Agassi's autobiography, 'Open'. I loved every minute of it. It was so inspiring and truly amazing to be taken on the journey through Andre's life. You get such a clear vision of how he came to be the person he is today and the fact that he is so open and candid about every aspect of his life makes me admire him even more. I was particularly touched by a section at the end of the book where he describes the Andre Agassi Preparatory Academy , which is an acclaimed school he established for underprivileged kids in his home town of Las Vegas. (He has raised a staggering $85 million for this school so that he can give children the gift of education). I wanted to share his description of the school here, as it resonated so well with my own beliefs about education and empowering children to succeed.

....[The school is] a 26,000 square foot education complex with 500 students and a waiting list of 800. The $40 million campus features everything the kids could want. A high-tech TV production studio. A computer room with dozens of PC's along the walls and a big, white, fluffy couch. A topflight exercise room with machines as fancy as those at the most exclusive clubs in Vegas. There's a weight room, lecture hall, and bathrooms as modern and clean as the one's in the city's finest hotels. Best of all the place is still freshly painted and pristine, just as sparkling as it was on opening day. Students, parents, the neighbourhood, everyone respects the school because everyone owns it.

Everywhere you look are little touches, subtle details that signify this school is different, this place is about excellence, through and through. On the front window is etched one large word, our unofficial school motto: BELIEVE.

The land on which the school sits is narrow, only eight acres, but the lack of space actually suited the architects' overall scheme. They wanted the flow of the campus to symbolize a short, serpentine journey. Like life. Wherever students stand, they can turn one way and see a glimpse of where they've been, or turn the other way and see a hint of where they're headed.

It was the architect's idea to have the buildings teach, to tell stories. We told them the stories we wanted told. In the middle school we wanted enormous photos of Martin Luther King Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, and, of course, Mandela, with their inspirational words painted on raised glass beneath their portraits. Since most of our students are African American, we asked the architects to embed bricks of marbled glass in one wall, depicting the Big Dipper, and to the right one single brick of glass, representing the North Star. The Big Dipper and the North Star were beacons for runaway slaves, pointing them to freedom.

....In the upper grades, the focus is squarely on college. The kids are told again and again that Agassi Prep is only a stepping stone. Don't get comfortable, we tell them. College is the main goal. Should they happen to forget, reminders are everywhere. College banners line the walls. The main hallway is called College Street. A metal sky bridge between the two main buildings has never been used, and never will be used, until the first seniors receive their diplomas and embark for college in 2009.

Perfect inspiration for the start of a new year...........