I’ve just finished powering through my inbox after a big day with clients, packing and repacking, cooking quinoa and organising healthy snacks for the plane and the gazillion other things you do before a month away, and while I have that niggling feeling I’ve forgotten to do something, you know what… if I have, it’s OK. The world will keep spinning (I’m sure of it!)

The past week has whipped by in a bit of a blur to be honest, but below are some of the highlights:

The Melbourne Soulpreneurs event. Mind-blowing. I had the best time and feel honoured to have been able to hug some of my clients in person and meet some of you that read this blog. I flew home Friday exhausted after a few hours sleep, but with my heart well and truly full. Some beautiful articles wrapping up the event are here, here and here.

Booking tickets for the HayHouse I Can Do It! event in Melbourne in August, as well as the Writer’s Workshop. Have been dreaming of this one since missing last years… and can I just say, I have a feeling the second half of 2013 is going to be ‘UUUUGE!

New clients. Love ‘em.

Also: strategy sessions, chunky knitted jumpers, excitable emails, interesting opportunities, morning walks, running in the rain, learning how to crochet (well… ‘watching’ might be more accurate, but I do plan on learning soon), guzzling chlorophyll, dark grey nails and long chats with my soul sistas.

Now for something completely different: I missed yesterday’s Blogs to Bookmark but wanted to share the blog below and a couple of links before I jet off…

This Rawsome Vegan Life

1. Adore Hiro Boga and absolutely relished Build a New Body of Experience and On Desire and the Creative Kindness of Limits.

2. Don’t quit. (as an aside, I’ve downloaded Torre’s book to read on the plane, amongst 576255 others, and have a strong feeling it’ll be going straight to the start of the list!)

3. Do you manipulate or influence? Brilliant stuff by Kate Erlenbusch.

And to finish off possibly the most disjointed post I’ve written here…

WHAT’S HAPPENING WHILE I’M AWAY?

Glad you asked!

1 // I have a range of awesome guest posts going up that I know you’re going to love.

2 // Wine. Balcony. Positano. Us.

3 // I’ll be distancing myself from my inbox. This is huge for me, but much needed, and will be an “experiment” for how I’ll approach email moving forward.

4 // Terrible attempts at Italian. We downloaded an app. Yep.

5 // My new interview series will be kicking off on the blog, and I’ve got some RAD people on board.

6 // I’m going to publish some Making Me Happy/ snapshot into our trip-style posts, internet connection dependent (I will be online here and there, checking in, popping into the comments… you know, hanging around).

And with that… buona notte, babes! 

Today’s Making Me Happy is a little late because it’s all systems go at In Spaces Between HQ as I prepare for a quick jaunt to Melbourne to speak at the Soulpreneurs event tomorrow, and next week, our (belated) honeymoon to Italy where we’ll spend ONE WHOLE MONTH.

Whoa. Excitement doesn’t even cut it. This overseas trip has been a long time coming and I’m so, so ready to let the ideas that have been percolating in my mind take shape – pen to paper – but more importantly, to switch off, play with my man, have fun, feast my eyes on new sights and BE. To give myself permission to step out of Rach the Coach, Blogger, Friend, Email Writer, and be Rach the Free-Spirited, Joy-Loving, Big Dreamer That Craves Adventure. 

It’s time.

I’ve had a few chats with friends and clients lately around the idea of fun and have been reminded that life can get all too serious if we don’t actively carve out time for play and downtime, so before we launch into this week’s love list, I want to pose this question to you:

How do you have fun? (and are you having enough of it?) Share away in the comments, sweet pea, and feel free to leave your declaration to have more fun if you need.more.of.it.now.dammit. When it’s declared, it happens. Simplest formula for success out.

Sunday Hangs

I woke up on Sunday with a craving to “go bush,” so my handsome man and I jumped in the car, grabbed ourselves the best freaking vegan pizza in the world from Mandala (check it out on my Instagram if you want to drool) and… found a lemon tree.

I know, I know. Wild. Livin’ on the edge over here folks! Somebody stop us.

Speaking

{photos by Hannah Millerick}

Ahh! Soulpreneurs. WHAT A NIGHT.

Last Thursday in Brisbane, alongside 4 women I adore, I took the stage to talk authenticity and abundance in business, blogging, and y’know, life. It was EPIC.

How it went

We were blessed with an audience of curious and wonderful women (and a few men) who asked awesome questions, scribbled notes and were highly engaged, making it a true “workshop” style format, and a journaling exercise punctuated the end of the night so that everyone walked away with a “next right action” to take them ever-closer to their big dream.

How it felt

Exhilarating. Divine. Addictive! Seriously loved it.

I was super calm all day leading in – appreciated, body, thank you – and while my heart let me know I was pole-vaulting out of my comfort zone as we kicked off the night, those feelings very quickly made way for a sense of connection with the audience and the message. When you’re speaking on stage, it’s SO not about you… and I truly felt that. It’s about the audience. Always.

I adored

Meeting some of the gorgeous souls that read this blog in the flesh, and being able to wrap them up in a big hug.

Hearing women in the front row say YES! and knowing that in that moment, something had shifted. Life would be different. Brighter. Dreams: bigger.

Listening to the stories and wisdom pour out of the friends I shared the stage with.

Seeing Yvette’s beaming face all night – this woman has created something truly beautiful and powerful with Earth Events, and it’s a true joy to witness her (rapid) evolution with this biz. Sky’s the limit!

I’m excited for

Tomorrow night. Soulpreneurs Melbourne. BRING IT!

Gratitude Wall

We’ll call it “Post It Art”… and one day, it will be a Post It HEART.

I wanted to create something at home that reminded me of all the beautiful blessings in my life and my husband’s life, because as I’m sure you’re well aware, bringing our attention to what we’re grateful for attracts more of it into our lives. Gratitude is a magnet. It keeps us humming along at the kind of high vibin’, electric frequency that breeds more of the good stuff, and I plan on layering this wall with as many notes of appreciation as I can.

And now to you! What’s lighting your life right now? Drop some love (like it’s hot) in the comments. 

1. Damsel in Dior

2. Amy Oscar

3. Rebekka Seale

4. A Piece of Toast

Links I’m Loving This Week

1. This distinction between self-improvement and self-acceptance is a goodie.

2. Women and criticism: Tara Sophia Mohr shares her thoughts beautifully on the way it affects us.

3. Speaking of Tara, this post by a grandma raising her grandkids that was written as part of Tara’s Grandmother Power campaign is raw and riveting.

4. I always love Nubby’s (Shauna’s) photos and after checking out this post, I too want a backyard bar. A backyard juice bar, even. How good would THAT be?!

5. Punch fear in the mouth. 

6. And to round this out with a beautiful big exhale, check out these meditations for sunrise and sunset by Rachel Cole.

Such is life.

There are slow days, low days, days that speed by so quickly you wonder if they even happened. Days where you feel like someone has cranked the dial up to a billion decibels, where you’re unstoppable, on point, sofreakingalive. And that’s A-OK, beautiful. However you feel today, tomorrow will be different. 

I’ve been practicing the fine art of viewing All of the Days through a lens of non-judgement lately, and instead looking at the occasional slower-lower day as “a bad day,” I’ve been embracing them as an opportunity to check in and re-centre.

When something pops up for me – I’ll use a recent example, which has been feeling cabin fever-ish from sitting inside our small apartment on the computer far too much – I’ve been asking:

What can I learn? That I’m fuelled by social interaction and need lots of variety in my working week. Also: fun! Ushering more of that back in, pronto!

When am I most ‘me?’ When my life contains a healthy balance of in-person, dynamic conversation and meditative, introspective time. Ahh. There you go. 

What conditions do I crave in my life that aren’t currently being satisfied? A bigger house with a sweet office, yeah, but also, two days a week out from behind the screen and in communion with creative goddesses/change-makers (I’m thinking workshops, women’s circles, power meetings, the whole she-bang!) 

It’s about realising what works best for YOU, in any given situation in your life, then asking questions, correcting course, and moving on.

Why don’t you give it a go? Apply those q’s to a situation that feels inflamed in your life and circle back to tell me how you went!

Speaking!

Tomorrow night. Five women rocking the stage (did you hear my girl Jess Ainscough will be joining us for part of the event?) Authenticity. Abundance. Soulful business. Making a living doing the work you’re called to do. OMG, I.CANT.WAIT.

Brisbane is almost sold out (in fact, it may actually be sold out now), but if you’re Melbourne-based, don’t miss the event next Thursday 16 May. These are the kind of candid chats that spark something special (you know, like the courage to make that big, gorgeous dream a reality), so if you’re ready to leap… join us. 

Kinesiology

Kinesiology still blows me away. I can walk in to a session thinking we’re going to have a nice chat with my body about energy levels, and walk out having a fear that I’ve been carrying around for 20 years unblocked.

Mind-boggling and wonderous. Obsessed.

Meditation + Mindful in May

I’ve been meditating for years, but these days, getting still has definitely become a non-negotiable, daily practice in my life. It’s without doubt the quickest way I know to bust through bullshit, clear scramble-y thoughts and access that innate inner wisdom we all possess.

I tend to mix up my meditations depending on my mood. After a run, I might sit at the beach or at the lookout in the National Park across the road with the sun dancing on my face; other days, I’ll listen to a guided medi like Doreen Virtue’s Chakra Clearing or something from Brain Sync before bed.

To complement that big ol’ love of meditation, I’m so proud to be a part of the Earth Events team for Mindful in May, raising money for Charity Water. I’ll let you read all the details, but if you’re called to, you can ‘sponsor’ me with a donation by selecting my name in the drop down on the donation page.

Visioning

I’m in simmer-mode with my blog (and business) at the moment before I head off to Italy to let the creative juices really bubble up and the plans take shape. I have to admit that, along the way, the limbo phase has brought with it a hefty dose of impatience (yesssireee!), but I know I’m going to be mentally zinging and ready to ramp things up in a mega way.

The anticipation! The dreams about how I can best serve you and work on YOUR dreams! Ready to catapult.

PLUS…  

Honeymoon dreaming (2 weeks and counting) + my incredible husband + The Law of Divine Compensation + The Great Gatsby soundtrack (killer) + new goods from The Village Markets (follow me on Instagram to see what I bought + visual inspo galore).

I’m going to wrap up with some words from the inimitable Rumi, who said: “Gratitude is the wine for the soul. Go on. Get drunk!” 

So… let’s get drunk on love and appreciation in the comments, shall we? Share the things that are making YOU happy, I’m hanging to hear all about them.

Image: VisionCity

2. Your Highest Self

3. Nowness

4. Sas Petherick

5. Rebelle Society 

Links I’m Loving This Week

1. Gabby Bernstein talks about handling negative comments online and using them as opportunities for growth.

2. In the midst of chaos, do this. Bravo, Jia Ni!

3. Looking to scale from a one-woman (or man) show to a small team? I think you’ll dig this fantastic advice from Abby Kerr over on Oh My! Handmade.

4. If you have a penchant for peeking into the daily routines of others like I do, you’ll love this blog post from Brain Pickings, along with this one on William S. Burroughs, and for the hard-out voyeurs, this book Daily Rituals: How Artists Work (ps: look out for a new interview series I’m launching very soon that is in a similar vein!)

5. Lucy’s Tasty Tuesday dish has my mouth watering. Dinner tonight: sorted.