The Life Stylist Coach

I’m thrilled to share I did my first podcast interview as a guest with the lovely Michelle Parsonage on her ‘Your 2nd Act Podcast’ 💖 In short I loved the experience and especially the authentic curiosity Michelle weaved into her questions. Thank you Michelle for being my first on my 50 Firsts journey 🎉

I’m thrilled to share I did my first podcast interview as a guest with the lovely Michelle Parsonage on her ‘Your 2nd Act Podcast’ 💖 In short I loved the experience and especially the authentic curiosity Michelle weaved into her questions. Thank you Michelle for being my first on my 50 Firsts journey 🎉

50 Firsts No.21 – May Gibbs’ Nutcote Cottage.

When you’re effortlessly immersed in an activity without negative mind-wandering, you’re in “flow”. It’s been 15 years since I first wanted to visit this children author’s enchanting cottage. My kids were little and despite “best intentions” we never got there. Then randomly while visiting a new café for the first time, I noticed a May Gibbs’ Cottage street sign. I took it as a ‘sign’ and without hesitation it was on my ’50 Firsts’ list!

I took my daughter and her friend to visit Nutcote Cottage the following Sunday. As we arrived, I felt a wash of gratitude that I was finally visiting after all these years. We easily spent a few hours getting lost in the rich history coupled with the playfulness of the iconic Snugglepot and Cuddlepie characters. It was a step-back-in time experience that engaged our senses and curiosity. I felt like I’d been here before – only to find out that the Australian film ‘Ladies in Black’ was filmed in the cottage, a movie I had recently seen.

Being in the flow state (or being “in the zone”) brings a feeling of energised focus and a sense of being intrinsically rewarded. You no longer feel self-conscious and negative thoughts are dampened. It’s a term used a lot in sport and business to suggest everything is as it should be, you are operating at the peak of your powers - but it doesn’t always have to be in the realm of the ‘9 to 5’.

The flow “zone” happens effortlessly in the everyday, moments with family where connection ‘just happens’, finding a car park where there were none, or an experience that “just worked”. The entire experience at the cottage was simple, authentic, fun, creative and connecting, all of which are my core values. When we understand and nourish our personal values, we thrive and experience “flow”.

How often do you experience “flow” moments in your day? If you’re looking to get more out of life and experience more authentic joy, please visit https://bit.ly/Fiftyfirsts to discover the possibilities.

And if you’ve been inspired by this post, you may see value in sharing it to your own Facebook friends.

50 Firsts No.47 – Self-Care Day

The Best Possible Self exercise is one of the most widely used positive psychology strategies to boost well-being and identify your authentic self. I designed an entire self-care day around exercise, good food and friendships to connect with my best self.

I started the day walking across the Harbour Bridge, followed by a game of tennis, a walk with friends at Barangaroo, a nurturing lunch, spa and massage at the 5-star Langham Hotel (which has been on my bucket list for over 10 years).

I regularly schedule time for self-care however, carving out an entire day isn’t something I often do. With 4 kids, a business and a husband who travels for work – it would be easy to say “I’m too busy” or “I don’t have time”. However, I know what fills my cup and what’s important to me.

Self-care isn’t just about looking after ourselves on holidays, it’s about regular proactive self-care to keep our mind, body and soul working to support us through the challenges everyday.

It’s crucial to have a measure of what the best version of me feels like. What I particularly loved about this experience was that it engaged my values of simplicity, authenticity, fun, connection, healthy living, openness and creativity. It was no wonder it was a satisfying and uplifting day for me. It felt like I’d been away for a week. The memories and boost to my well-being were arguably benefit enough however, being able to pour from an overflowing cup is the greatest gift and a more accurate measure of success to me.

Like most, if you struggle with carving out time for yourself and need support to implement self-care strategies to discover your best self, please visit https://bit.ly/Fiftyfirsts to discover the possibilities.

And if you’ve been inspired by this post, you may see value in sharing it to your own Facebook friends.

50 Firsts No.18 – St Mary’s Cathedral Thanksgiving Mass.

Faith can provide an enhanced sense of purpose, direction and meaning during times of challenging life change. This year my intention was to attend a mass at St Mary’s Cathedral in the city. Thankfully it came to fruition when my son was invited to represent his school at the Marist Schools Sesquicentenary Mass.

The cathedral was full of teachers, students, Bishops, Priests, musicians and singers with the principal celebrant being Reverend Anthony Fisher, Archbishop of Sydney. The music was rich, the choir uplifting and the reflection time in Archbishop Anthony’s Homily was fulfilling and meaningful. Participating in this 150th birthday celebration of Marist Education was convincingly a highlight for me this year.

This was the first experience to help me build my confidence in sharing how meaningful my faith is to me. It’s been empowering to own what matters most to me without limitations of what other people think. The more I engage with what is meaningful to me the greater my vitality and overall well-being. Feeling comfortable in my own skin is my definition of success. This is how I feel when I attend mass. I feel complete freedom to be who I am and who I’m not and owning my story as I move forward with my values reminding me of my ‘why’.

Meaning is different for everyone. If you’re curious to find meaning and freedom to be yourself both in your personal and professional life and ultimately find your ‘why’, please visit https://bit.ly/Fiftyfirsts to discover the possibilities.

And if you’ve been inspired by this post, you may see value in sharing it to your own Facebook friends.

50 Firsts No.30 – Bobbi’s Pole Studio.

Obstacles are magic opportunities to become better versions of ourselves. They reveal old thought patterns, judgemental beliefs, and a fixed mindset which all sit comfortably in our blind spot until we hit the obstacles. Pole Dancing was never something on my bucket list but thankfully I took a ‘call to action’ when I saw a free class advertised, as I got more than what I bargained for. Physically I thought I was capable, but it was the mental anguish that tested me.

Almost instantly I was having a tug-of-war with my thoughts of ‘what will people think’. After speaking with friends who didn’t share the same prejudices as me, my mind opened like a parachute. Other people saw a positive side to pole dancing, so maybe I could also. First obstacle conquered.

I then struggled to find someone willing to join me, however, the day before the class, my neighbour randomly mentioned a pole studio in conversation. I invited her to join me and without hesitation she said ‘yes!’ Second obstacle conquered.

The obstacles didn’t stop there. We navigated through the class being booked out, heavy traffic, limited car parking, trouble finding the studio and when we finally arrived - the only 2 poles available were at the front of the class.

I was less than comfortable. The other pole dancers in the room looked so much better than me. My loudest thoughts were about ‘not being good enough’ and ‘what will people think’.

The class had started so we didn’t have time to dwell in the chatter – we grabbed our poles and got straight into it.

We had so much fun! I gained a new-found respect for the strength, flexibility and confidence required in this acrobatic sport.

It’s sometimes easier to wave the learning away rather than examine it. Pole Dancing taught me so much more than how to climb up a pole. The self-discovery resulting from conquering the obstacles and embracing a growth mindset rewarded curiosity and empowering new choices.

We all get stopped by obstacles such as not feeling good enough or what will people think. If you’re looking for strategies to overcome these obstacles, please visit https://bit.ly/Fiftyfirsts to discover the possibilities.

And if you’ve been inspired by this post, you may see value in sharing it to your own Facebook friends.