Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you all. Yes I know, we are at Day 25 of 2019, and wow has that time whizzed by. Has anybody got that sense that life and days are just whizzing by with 11 months to go before next Xmas. I trust that everyone had a magic festive season and that you got some much needed rest and family time, with a little bit of adventure and magic thrown into the mix.

2019 is a brand new exciting year. Fun fact – did you know that universally we are in a 3 year (2+1+9=12, 1+2=3). What does that mean you ask? It means that we are in for a deeply creative and transformational year. It is all about joy, creativity, communication, emotional sensitivity, expression, socialising, a year of potential fun where we should be thinking about putting “fun” into work, relationships, finances and health and wellbeing. You are only limited by your thinking!

With this in mind, I have taken some time myself over the past couple of weeks as to what that means to me, and whilst I don’t have it all figured out and maybe I won’t ever, I think that is the magic of what’s ahead, the unlimited planning.

So what have I done so far ..

A gift given to me at end of 2018, a book entitled – 366 days with Wisdom – A Strong Wish to Move Up in Life by Venerable Master Hsing Yun.
It is one of those books, bound by leather, that provides wisdom for every day of the year covering areas such as Encouragement, Wealth, Career, Personality, Family, Society, Emotion, Life, Living, Interpersonal, Introspection and Cultivation. It is an opportunity to read a page a day, providing thought provoking words and actions that you can choose to take onboard. My commitment is to read every day, and so far 25 days into 2019, I have done just that. And each new day is as thought provoking as the day before!
Exercise – ok this one I have been a little slow on the uptake. However, something that I have been looking forward to is Monday, 28 January. Why? I get to start back up at my beloved yoga sessions. Yoga in 2018 was a God send and helped me so much last year. 2019, Yoga is going to help me to be better and stronger, with these sessions providing ‘me’ time, dedicated meditation time with sound therapy.
Adventures – well that is regularly. I remember reading “make sure you go somewhere new at least once a year”. Now in Sharon’s world, doing that once a year just did not sit right with me. I thought maybe once a month .. but as it turns out, it has been at least once a week. Ah huh, and how do you ask .. simply by putting in the destination in my navigation map in the car and going in a different direction to what my car Abby says, as she dutifully recalculates, tries to tell me to do a u- turn or go around a roundabout which I ignore. Eventually she catches on that I’m not listening and gives me a new direction.
Learning and Education – so like with my trips, processes at work like Agile allows you to course recorrect often. Over the past couple of weeks I have put time aside to learn .. allowing my mind to wander, doing e-learning on a variety of areas, mainly on Agile, Socialising, Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence, and some IBM product stuff like Cloud and AI. There is a miriad of things to learn. It is just making that commitment to put time aside and understanding that it is ok to take time to learn. I have had it drilled into me recently .. make yourself relevant, take time to learn. Some of you may also feel the same way as me, where it can be so overwhelming, balance between a busy role and job, personal life, and to throw learning in the mix, how in the heck am I going to remember any of it if I don’t use it, speak it regularly. I guess what I’ve worked out, is learn, read regularly, talk often, know your resources, try and incorporate some of it in something you are doing, take an interest and eventually something sticks. Doesn’t have to be much, but enough to get by until you need to have or know more.
Family – I have done plenty of that, spending time with family. I got to reconnect with my siblings, my bonus daughters and grandkids, my nieces and nephew, Aunt and Uncle, Hubby and my 2 boys over an 11 week stint in Queensland. Now back in Sydney, I am back getting into reconnecting with family and friends here and rearing to get back into the swing of life interested to see what’s next!

So with my experience with the Corporate Services Corps behind me, it has opened some doors of opportunity. Something that I am learning, is to embrace each opportunity as much as I can. Some will be great, some will be a little less desired, but also great, as everything I say yes to is an opportunity of learning, of growth, of possibilities, of magic! I noticed recently that our experience in San Francisco had been now officially added to the public page for people to read up on which is a little exciting. We are part of history! We are part of helping to inspire others .. hopefully.

So in the words of Venerable Master Hsing Yun

Speak kind and gentle words everyday
Do beneficial deeds everyday
Only when we begin to act today, we find success.

So what do you have planned for 2019? Let the Inner Child out and have some fun. In the words of Spielberg “How do you define a big kid, you have to be responsible, but you don’t have to loose being a big kid .. that’s what keeps you young and keeps a smile on your face! “

This posting are my own opinions and don’t necessarily represent anyone else’s positions, strategies or opinions.

Some pics of my adventures in the past 3 weeks …

Bribie Island, Queensland Port Macquarie .. a beautiful NSW coastal townSpringfield, Brisbane Port Macquarie Bribie Island Temple at Rochester, Brisbane Fort Bribie, Bribie Island Temple at Rochester, Brisbane Bribie Island Fireworks at Port Macquarie Fort Bribie Bribie Island Night Market at Springfield– Australian Singer from Sunshine Coast.. Andrea Kirwin .. fabulous voice and a beautiful soul