Sometimes messages sneak in the back door quietly, slipping their shoes off with nary a whisper before curling up next to you on the couch and stroking your arm. Others, they’ll smash the door down, knock over a few pot plants, kick their boots off and MAKE REALLY LOUD NOISES in case you somehow miss the fact that Hello, They Have Arrived.
I’ve heard “Get out of your head and into your heart” at least 2965 times in the past week. It’s been one of those messages that’s been showing up e-ver-y-where – offered up to me as advice, written in the pages of the books I’ve picked up off the nightstand. I heard it in a tele-seminar. My consulting gig “employer” said it this morning. It’s rolled off my tongue in coaching sessions.
Get out of your head, and into your heart.
It’s a goodie.
The head is about doing more. It gets off on over-thinking and overanalysing, perfecting and procrastinating. It makes us a slave to fear, “shoulds” and “what if’s.” It worries about what our neighbour’s doing in their grassy backyard and tricks us into believing we’ll never be enough.
The heart, on the other hand, says “You already know the answer, beautiful,” (even when the head tries to convince you otherwise). It’s intuition. Gratitude. Presence. A smouldering fire of inner confidence. Hope. Excitement. Peace. Contentment.
As my wise husband remarked when we were chatting the other day: “Really, we feel decisions.” Love that. You can think your way around the universe and back, but the honey is always in the heart.
I’ve had a few intimate tete-a-tetes with my own heart this week (we chatted about how I’d like 2013 to unfold, and it was a gooood convo, believe me) and if you take one message away from today’s post, it’s that I encourage you to pull up a chair with yourself sometime soon and find out what you really want out of this year. Create a mind-free zone.
One more time before we dive into this week’s love list:
Get out of your head and into your heart.
Dinner Dates
On Monday night I zoomed up the highway to Brisbane to have dinner at Wagaya with Claire Plush before her and her man head off on an extended overseas adventure to France, Indonesia and beyond.
Claire and I “met” online back in the early days of In Spaces Between and we’ve kept in touch on email along the way – two Sagittarian ladies looking at the world through similar eyes – and meeting her in person was seriously so beautiful. Such a gentle, gorgeous soul.
The night was all about free-flowing conversation, great food and good times and I’m thrilled we made it happen!
Site Updates + Inspired Ideas
I’ve decided to hold off on a full redesign of this lil ol’ blog until later in the year (when I might have some time to think it through properly) but my friend Jo from The Darling Tree is currently working on a little refresh for me, adding in some new pages and fixing a few of the things that have driven me nuts over the past year or so.
On the inspiration front, after a huge day at the computer yesterday, we ventured outside for a quick dinner and – as often happens when you step away from the very thing that’s holding all your attention – an inspired idea landed in my lap.
I’ve written this random brain “spark” on a bright yellow Post It and stuck it on the wall behind my computer and I’m looking forward to seeing how things take shape. You’ll be the first to know, promise!
The Secrets of the Sea
I’ll never stem my steady flow of Burleigh love. So grateful for this place. I often stop and stare at the ocean when I’m about to start (or finish up) a run, and it never ceases to amaze me how different it looks day on day – the colours, the intensity of the waves, the surfers either floating effortlessly or hooting and hollering if they’re riding a biggie.
“The voice of the sea speaks to the soul” — Kate Chopin
FUNC
Totally crazy about this new group training method created by my friend Rowena and her biz partners-in-crime!
The first time I did FUNC two weeks ago I could barely move the next day (my quads were so sore that my attempts to sit down sounded something like “Ooh, ooh, ooh, OW!”) but now that my muscles have somewhat adapted, I’m absolutely loving it. A good pain. A killer workout. Huge fan over here.
Skype
I can’t tell you how grateful I am for Skype. In fact, without it, my business would be nothing like it currently is, considering I spend most of my days conducting coaching sessions over the airwaves.
Another reason I love Skype so much? It’s the perfect way to keep in touch with all my bloggy beauties because, y’know, it’s nice to see their gorgeous faces too. In the past week I’ve chatted with Kim, Jo and Jenn and the lovely Connie and I have a date for next week (oh and Tara and I chat daily via all sorts of channels!)
Can everybody please give it up for our good friend Skype?
Lots of love:
The tennis – I’ve been half-watching while I work with my computer on my lap. The power! The fitness! The grunting! Phwoar! + meditatin’ and appreciatin’ + Joe Cocker singing (screaming) With a Little Help from My Friends at Woodstock – such an incredible performance + seeing my clients kick ass (their excitement gets me high!) + being called a “blog doula” – “You’re helping me birth my blog baby!” + acknowledging what is “enough” and what is “too much” work-wise. I do plenty of Goddess Guidance card readings for myself but I pulled two at the end of last year just before I resigned from my job that always stick in my mind: BRIGHT FUTURE and BOUNDARIES. Boom! + you guys for being your wonderful, supportive, all-round excellent selves. Humbled.
Over to you: what’s making YOU happy this week? Share in the comments below beautiful!
Big ol’ yes to all of this!
But mostly listening to your heart (and yo’ body). I had the same kinda convo with Tara this morn, I’d been debating for a while about one certain situation, and I was totally over thinking it and trying to fix it, but the second I considered just letting it go, and moving on, I instantly felt a TONNE lighter and at ease about everything. It was so strange. Like the answer was there all along but I was too busy over-thinking it all that I missed it for a while.
And hell yes to Skype. I’ve been having a few sessions with friends + clients lately, it reminds me I need to do it MORE often! So good to actually talk instead of type away all the time.
xxx
YES!! you hear your heart loud and clear and pass on its message so eloquently. thanks for sharing beautiful soul xx
YES! Ramai is a wise man, those words couldn’t resonate any more truth.
Getting away from the desk most definitely brings parcels of inspiration in all shapes and sizes. I feel like my head wants to explode and I have to write it down on whatever is around me. I have notebooks ev.ery.where!
I realised this week, well today actually, I’m setting the bar too low on myself. What is stopping me from reaching ultimate success? Why should I settle for something mediocre when it could be so much more! I’m riding the successful vibe of 2013 all the way baby.
Love the connections with Skype, something I currently fail at but will make an effort with post study.
Keep the Burleigh pics rolling in too.
Mon. Xx
“The heart, on the other hand, says “You already know the answer, beautiful,” (even when the head tries to convince you otherwise). It’s intuition. Gratitude. Presence. A smouldering fire of inner confidence. ”
Made my day. Just stunning, and overflowing with truth. Thanks :)
Love your Making Me Happy posts!
So true about creating boundaries with your time and figuring out how much work, works for you. One of the reasons I chose a freelance-y / coaching career is for the freedom :) x
Sian: That’s incredible babe, there’s nothing better than RELEASING that swirl of “chatter” and connecting to the inner well of wisdom. The answer is always there, we are so much more decisive smarter than we give ourselves credit for. x
PS: When are we going to have a Skype date? I can meet my fave dog!
Kate: Thank YOU for being here! x
Mon: He comes out with some pearlers – I think all the meditating he’s doing (he’s obsessed with Kelee meditation) has taken him to a whole ‘nother level of wise. Might start calling him The Owl.
Reading that declaration to raise the effing bar just gave me a little energy kick – NO SETTLING! We should totally have a Skype date one day sweets so I can see you in all your glowing pregnant glory! x
Erin: Big hugs – from my heart to yours! x
Alana: Yes! That’s right – and the beauty (and sometimes the “lesson”) is to really ensure that freedom is a reality, rather than a ‘nice to have.’ Learning that right now and it’s all sorts of liberating. Thanks for your comment gorgeous! x
Beautiful girl,
I know you FEEL right now that you’re creativity is being stifled a little and as if perhaps your writing is suffering- but babe- this post is beyond beautiful.
It never ceases to amaze me how you can transform a gratitude list into such a work of art. Pure poetry.
You inspire me.
Love you x
Tara: My girl, you know how much I love you but you can never say these two things too much: I love you and THANK YOU. Always. xx
Thank you for this heart-felt reminder (excuse the pun), Rach. I know we’ve chatted about those days, and sometimes weeks, where things just seem a little off kilter and it’s that little bit harder to pull yourself out of a funk. These posts always come along at just the right time. Your writing is beautiful, as always.
Big love (and hope to Skype with you soon!)
Celeste x
Cel: YES YES YES, we must make a date! Let’s chat on email, hanging for it. x
Making me happy this week:
-IIN Health Coach training program
-your beautiful blog and others blogs
-yoga with Tara Stiles on youtube
-journaling
-part time teaching job
-new apartment
Have a wonderful week! xx
Dear Rachel,
Oh gosh, I’ve been hanging out all week for this post of yours, then, bam! You articulate just what my boyfriend has been suggesting and encouraging for so long. Thank you for helping me put two and two together, and hopefully this is the start of something even better and more magical. I’ve been trying to make positive changes and receive incredible results for a while, but with posts like this, and the overall wisdom of your amazing blog, plus that flow of energy that this dialogue and passion supercharges, I think that we’re all getting towards amazing new places in the Age of Aquarius!
Your perseverance and brightness of spirit really inspires me. The hugest and most heartfelt of THANK YOUS for all that you’ve created and are creating!
I hope you and your man have an exceptional long weekend!
Best wishes,
Aoife
xx
Ps, Wagaya is absolutely exceptional! Edamame! Cloudy green tea! The gyoza!!! I hope that you felt the trip was worth it. It is a particularly special place to go with friends to connect and dream.
As always my beautiful besty, I read this with a big smile. Having just come back from an incredible journey to really start 2013 off with a bang I think I will totally go with the mantra of ‘heart over head’. That silly head often stops us from ‘taking the leap’, saying how we feel, believing we CAN do it, and so on and so forth!
One of the really powerful things I learnt about myself in the first few weeks of 2013 was, I CAN do anything I set my heart on, I AM good enough, and their ARE amazing things waiting right on my doorstep if I just open it up each day and race outside to embrace each and every one!
It’s life changing stuff and I just L.O.V.E the feeling of letting go of all the negative…. It just gives us so much more room for endless exciting possibilities!
Much love darling! Xxx
The head is the realm of the masculine, it’s logical except when it is being illogical and linear except when it is being over worked. But the hear, that is the realm of the feminine. It is where our Creatrix lives and where our feelings become our GPS co-ordinates for life.
The heart is also where the magic happens…Enjoy Beautiful Lady !!
Catherine x
I’ve been away for three weeks, but returning to your blog is like a breath of fresh air. Reminds me why I love it so much! You write so poetically, dear Rach. And loving the Burleigh pics! x