Transitio | Mindfulness

a large gathering at the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sydney & its Harbour Bridge

February 16, 2019/in Lifestyle, Mindfulness /by Kate Kennedy

This week I had scheduled a flying visit to Sydney. Early flight in and late flight out, all in one day. I enjoy flying somewhere unfamiliar on a weekday because I sort of get to be a fly on the wall of other people’s lives. No one knows me, and I’m usually at the mercy of public transport so there’s nothing to do but watch people go about their daily lives.

Sydney, compared to where I’m from, is a completely different kettle of fish. My hometown houses around 400,000 people whereas Sydney is jam-packed full of almost 5.5 million. That means a whole lot more hustle and bustle and this small town girl feels like she’s five years old on a University campus.

Losing the love connection

February 16, 2019/in Lifestyle, Mindfulness, Sex and Relationships /by Kate Kennedy

Yesterday, I was feeling a bit off kilter. We woke up, thrown from sleep into parenting life rather abruptly. Parents out there will know the feeling, when you’re lying in bed, listening to the dulcet tones of scrapping children and wondering how close they are to clawing each others eyes out. Eventually my husband decided that intervention was decidedly necessary and got out of bed to referee and break up the brawl.

I chose a slightly less noisy path and started getting stuck into the household chores to get the day underway. Hubby and I had full days ahead, and fell into routine without needing to communicate. I took Otis (beloved border collie) to the vet and then went on to visit my parents, while Nathan was off to get the kids to sports and go buy some household stuff we needed (he’s aiming to get our lawn better than a bowling green so there’s quite the chemistry happening).

What should have started as a lazy, savour the moment kind of morning had turned into a rushed, task focussed, sprint to sundown.

a woman struggling to do work on a laptop

Challenges Schmallenges!

February 16, 2019/in Lifestyle, Mindfulness, Work /by Kate Kennedy

It’s fair to say the last two weeks have been colossal. In many good ways. But jeez, have there been some challenges along the way!

I have been working my tail off the past few months getting my new course Upsize My Happiness together (she’s a doozy but we’ll get into that another day). But the fun really started about three days out from my launch date when I received a text from my bank advising there had been suspicious activity on my credit card and to give them a call. I immediately jumped on the phone and the kind lady explained that in essence it would take around 10 days for everything to be sorted and for me to have a new credit card. This wouldn’t normally have been a problem, apart from the fact that most online advertising avenues require credit cards for payment. Shoot!

a black dog catching a tennis ball in the field

That time the tennis ball taught me something

December 11, 2018/in Mindfulness /by Kate Kennedy

It’s funny this ‘type a’ personality thing. Everything becomes achievement orientated. Obviously work is but so is home. Most Saturday mornings, I’m writing lists of everything I want to achieve for the weekend. I ask my husband “what do you want to achieve this weekend, honey?” (his internal eye roll flashes, I’m sure).

The washing becomes goal-orientated. How many loads can I get done today? If I can do five today that puts me ahead of the washing for tomorrow. What about the grocery shopping? Well, I’ve got a spreadsheet for that……….just so I can prepare a menu for the week that’s vege heavy, low sugar, low carb and with just the right amount of fat. Another (perfectionist) achievement.

Even Monopoly becomes achievement focussed. You get that living with me might be a slight bore, right?

motivated woman in glasses sitting to do work

Project du jour

October 22, 2018/in Mindfulness /by Kate Kennedy

I read an article the other day about a family that had given up their conventional four-bedroom home and, using two shipping containers, had created a new minimalist lifestyle with a vege garden, fruit trees and composting toilet to boot. The story talked about how much they loved their new ‘back-to-nature’ ways and how they couldn’t imagine going back to living the rushed existence they formally endured.

Well…….I loved it, of course! Cutesy wee log burner, bunks for the kids, artfully placed hammock, and no daily commute seemed idyllic. I mean, I often talk about (and more recently focus on) ways to live in harmony with the universe, and no, I’m not a tie-dyed shirt wearer.

I immediately launched myself into research about tiny houses, sustainable living, land options and, yes, composting toilets. My research was thorough and relentless. Spreadsheets were involved. I went so far as to speak with my husband about it. Posing questions like, “so, do we get the log burner with the cooktop or put our money into an extra solar panel?”.

The huntsman in my head

March 22, 2018/in Mindfulness /by Kate Kennedy

I’m currently sitting in Melbourne airport after checking in and now I am waiting for my flight (a whole four hours ahead of time…….I’m always super early at airports). I spent most of my week in the Yarra Valley on a Meditation Teachers’ retreat. Learning more about how to teach you lovelies how to meditate.

It’s been a pretty big step for me. I’m not well travelled and I sometimes get homesick so being away from home in a foreign country (can I call Australia that?) was a new experience.

Anyway, if you haven’t been to the Yarra Valley, it’s about an hour and a half out of Melbourne city. Sort of bush land, with a small town. The Centre I was staying at was situated in 40 acres of beautiful Australian bush. And I was scared.

You see, in New Zealand, we don’t have very large or poisonous spiders or any snakes at all and I knew before arriving there was a high probability I would come across one.

The email that made me rage and then didn’t ..

March 22, 2018/in Mindfulness /by Kate Kennedy

A while back I received an email that almost flipped me out. One of those punch-you-in-the-gut types that can send you into a spin. I went from a happy oblivious state to suddenly enraged in about 3 seconds flat. Without going into the gory details, I was being accused of something that I felt was false and unfair. Normally, in my pre-mindful days I would have phoned this chap and told him what I thought and where he could stick it. A verbal to and fro would have ensued and finally feelings of rage followed by remorse would have followed.

But that was me then. It’s not me now. Now I have the awareness to feel and see what was happening. As if I am sitting in the audience of movie (pottle of Tangy Fruits in hand) waiting for the explosion that, in this new script, doesn’t come.

How to create an inspiring morning routine

March 22, 2018/in Mindfulness /by Kate Kennedy

I’m fascinated by other people’s morning routines and learning about what sets people up for a positive day…….after all we all know what it feels like when the morning doesn’t go to plan. It really can throw our whole day off.

I’ve invested some time over the last couple of years developing a morning routine that sets me up for the day, both in body and mind. I’m not naturally a morning person (my husband can attest to this!) so I really need to make an effort to create mornings that I can look forward to and that serve me well.

A lesson in gratitude

March 22, 2018/1 Comment/in Mindfulness /by Kate Kennedy

I hate my birthday. Like, really hate it. I don’t use the H-word lightly. In fact, other than spiders, I can’t think of anything else that really sits in that category.

The whole birthday thing just makes me feel uncomfortable. I don’t have parties or celebrations because I feel bad that people have to take time out of their own busy lives and feel pressured into buying me a present and spending their hard-earned cash. It just makes me feel like a massive inconvenience to everyone. So I avoid it.

Not to mention, the excruciating attention all on me when I picture having to blow the candles out. Everyone’s eyes focussed on me, lights dimmed, candles blazing, delight on my friends’ faces hiding the fact that they’re actually thinking “hurry up and blow these bloody candles out so we can get home”.

What I’ve realised about both of these scenarios is that they’re just more examples of my mind telling me stories that either don’t exist or haven’t even occurred yet. In real-life, the people that would I would choose to invite to celebrate with me would in fact want to come to a party with me because they care about me. Moreover, they wouldn’t find it an inconvenience, they would find it a pleasure and watching me blow out candles on my cake would be something they would enjoy sharing with me.