Question: I am following my big dream and it’s been really hard work. I feel exhausted and discouraged, and worst of all I don’t feel I can talk about this as everyone keeps telling me to ‘be positive’ or give up. Maria

People who are not following their big dreams sometimes don’t understand those of us who are. Ask for the support you need from your friends – be really clear with them about how they can help you. Take a break from your big dream – when you are exhausted, the best thing you can do is relax and take a couple of days off from working on your big dream so you can replenish yourself and come back clear headed and chilled out.

Here’s the link to the podcast about the 3 Pillars: http://www.donnaonthebeach.com/blog/2012/01/dreams-to-reality-podcast-the-3-pillars/ – the 3 Pillars are self-care, energy and joy. If you’re not feeling cared for, you will feel exhausted and discouraged just because your self-care is low. If your energy is low, you have less to give your big dream. If you are not enjoying life…well, that sucks!

If you have a question, leave a comment below this post.

Love

Donna.x

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The 3 Pillars: Self Care, energy and joy. These 3 things are the foundation of a successful life – if you feel uncared for, depleted and you’re not enjoying life, life is so much harder! And if you want to make your big dream a reality, you need to be cared for, full of energy and enjoying your life.

To listen to this week’s podcast, click here: The 3 Pillars

Homework:
EVERY DAY ask your HEART this:
How cared for am I feeling right now on a scale of 1-10, where one is ‘not at all’ and 10 is ‘cradled in the arms of love’. If it is less than a 7, your only task is to do something to make yourself feel more cared for – do something that nourishes you.
How energetic am I feeling right now on a scale of 1-10, where one is ‘no energy’ and 10 is ‘I feel like Tigger, bouncy, bouncy, bouncy!’ If it is less than a 7, your only task is to do something to raise your energy – do something fun, get out in nature, do something you love that raises your energy.
How much am I enjoying life right now a scale of 1-10, where one is ‘I’m not’ and 10 is ‘I am totally in love with my life’. If it is less than a 7, your only task is to do something fun, something you enjoy – this is your life. ENJOY it!

You can also subscribe to this podcast on itunes here.

May all your dreams become reality.

Love

Donna.x

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It’s Wishcasting Wednesday. There is power in wishing – putting your wishes out there sets mighty forces into action…

Photo Credit: jdurham at morguefile.com

My deepest wish is that I am able to express my gifts in the most fulfilling and powerful way possible every day – my gifts of joy, laughter, life, friendship, love, passion as well as my ‘saleable’ gifts of writing, coaching, mentoring, inspiring, believing. My deepest wish is that I am able to live full out in every aspect of my life, never fearing to be fully who I am, never fearing that my needs will not be met as I do so, never worrying about money, never worrying about ‘success’, just enjoying being completely in love with my life, fulfilling my purpose, following my passion and having fun!

Get involved on Jamie’s blog, or leave a comment here about YOUR deepest wish. As you wish for yourself, I wish for you also.

Love

Donna.x

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“Beauty is not in the face – beauty is a light in the heart.” Kahlil Gibran

When the light in your heart is lit, you are beautiful. When you realise just how magnificent you are, you are beautiful. When you accept your genius, your talents, your gifts (yes, you who doesn’t think you have any!), you are beautiful. When you laugh, you are beautiful. When you understand the wonder of you, you are beautiful.

Never mind the creams, the potions, the surgical procedures that produce a pale imitation of beauty. When there is a light shining behind your eyes, you are beautiful. How do you illuminate that light in your heart? Fall in love with yourself, fall in love with your life, fall in love with the world. Just as you are, flaws and all. Just as your life is, flaws and all. Just as the world is, flaws and all!

With love and light to you beautiful one.

Donna.x

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Anyway, on the radio today T.I featuring Rhianna “Live your Life” has been playing, which starts “Stop looking at what you ain’t got and start being thankful for what you do got.” Which gives me the perfect message really doesn’t it? Especially in tough times, it’s a really great practice to stop complaining about what we don’t have, and be thankful for what we do have. It reminds me of a Lenny Henry sketch in which he talks about a tribe who greet one another with ‘how are you? And your wife and family? And your goat?’ – and that’s it because that’s all they have.

Imagine if someone were to greet you with ‘How are you? And your husband and family? And your car? And your wardrobe full of clothes? And your 25 pairs of shoes? And your widescreen television? And your electric power shower? And your tinted moisturiser? And your laptop? And your 200 CD’s? And your fridge with it’s own ice-maker? And your 43 saucepans? And…’ You’d be there for HOURS! Days, even.

So for today, even if you’re not in a place that celebrates Thanksgiving, give thanks anyway for all that you have – not just the material possessions, but the love and friendship and joy that surrounds you. And I want to thank you for reading, and for giving me an audience to play to!

Love

Donna.x

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It’s Wishcasting Wednesday. There is power in wishing – putting your wishes out there sets mighty forces into action…

How Do You Wish To Nourish Yourself?

I wish to nourish myself with love for myself, support for myself, 100% belief in myself. I wish to nourish myself with joy, laughter, self-expression, fun, dance (see the daily practice!), creativity, nature, beauty. I wish to nourish myself by caring for myself so well that I feel cradled in the arms of love. I wish to nourish myself in every way that I need nourishment…and mostly that is by backing myself 100%, trusting in me and believing that I can fly high.

Get involved on Jamie’s blog, or leave a comment here. As you wish for yourself, I wish for you also.

Love

Donna.x

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Just in case you missed any of the daily reminders on Facebook this month, here they all are in one place (feel free to bookmark this page to come back to whenever you need a reminder to laugh!):

1. The daily practice for October is…laughter! Are you going to join me in laughing every day this month?

2. Practice laughing for no reason. Just laugh. That’s the ‘purpose’ of Laughter Yoga (find the videos on YouTube) – one of my favourite things! Big breath…and HAHAHAHAHAHA. Just to laugh.

3. “May laughter fill your home, relieve your stress, and strengthen your friendships. Do not let a day go by without laughing; it is good for your health.” – Catherine Pulsifer, from SEVEN GIFTS TO GIVE TO A FRIEND

4. Here’s a video that will help if you don’t feel like laughing…http://youtu.be/HUkPGL4zQyw

5. What’s your favourite ‘crap’ joke? Here’s mine – What do you call a sheep with no legs? A cloud. Makes me laugh EVERY time! Xxx
What do you call a fish with no eyes…. A fsh
Why does Edward Woodward have so many D’s in his name?…. Cos he doesn’t want to be called Ewar Woowar

6. October Daily Practice: Laugh. Who’s your favourite comedian? Go onto YouTube and find some clips of your favourite comedian today (let me know who you’re looking up!).

7. Laugh. The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. ~e.e. cummings So get laughing today!

8. What films make you laugh? This weekend, put on a DVD of something that makes you laugh…and get laughing!

9. Laugh. Hoorah for youtube and funny clips – this is one of my fave tv moments of all time! http://bit.ly/nzBs56

10. “Laugh. I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.” ~Woody Allen

11. What’s your favourite comedy show? For Irish humour (not for those who don’t like ‘bad language’!), check out Mrs Brown’s Boys. Funny. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdSaWW9vuow&feature=channel_video_title

12. Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward. ~Kurt Vonnegut

13. YouTube is such a gift for this practice of laughter – check this out – one of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen: http://www.donnaonthebeach.com/blog/2009/03/friday-fun-japan-binocular-football/

14. What’s your favourite joke of all time? Here’s mine:http://www.donnaonthebeach.com/blog/2011/10/friday-fun-gis-a-push/

15. Dogs laugh, but they laugh with their tails. What puts man in a higher state of evolution is that he has got his laugh on the right end. ~Max Eastman

16. When was the last time you laughed until you cried? If it’s more than a week ago, that’s too long. Try harder!

17. Try this yoga laughter technique for laughing alone…let me know how you get on! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsbqDglPNsk

18. A good time to laugh is any time you can. ~Linda Ellerbee

19. October Daily Practice: Laughter. When you need to laugh quietly and alone… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvAkyoA7l4U&list=PL97C19BBBD0F7FDB5&index=3

20. Some more laughter yoga exercises – my favourite is at around 1.27 minutes – reminded me of starting my car…a good association, I can now laugh every time I start my car! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NoamivA4SY&list=PL97C19BBBD0F7FDB5&index=7

21. Laugh. A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book. ~Irish Proverb

22. The sillier we are, the easier it is to laugh. Get more silly in your life, laugh more. Today, be silly.

23. Your mission today, should you choose to accept it is to laugh, cackle, chortle, chuckle, giggle, guffaw, snicker, snigger, snort and titter. 1 point for each. 10 bonus points for doing all 10 (and you can fake it – release your inner thespian and act them all out!)

24. More laughter yoga exercises – this one is a wonderful way to start the day! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZNKf7_ZJC0&list=PL97C19BBBD0F7FDB5&index=6

25. More crap jokes: What bee can’t you hear very well? A mumble bee.
What’s the name of Zippy’s wife ? Mississippi
What’s brown and sticky??
a STICK.
What do you call a boomerang that doesn’t work?…..
……a stick
Did you hear about the cat who swallowed a ball of yarn? She had mittens!
What is long, brown and runs around the garden??

A fence.

26. “I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It’s probably the most important thing in a person.” Audrey Hepburn

27. They have to do more of these – I’m wiping away the tears of laughter! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmsh0kRKyB4&feature=related

28. This captures the joy of booking a cheap flight perfectly! http://youtu.be/uVASZ2lCY5Y

29. “It is impossible for you to be angry and laugh at the same time. Anger and laughter are mutually exclusive and you have the power to choose either.” Wayne Dyer

30. “Live by this credo: have a little laugh at life and look around you for happiness instead of sadness. Laughter has always brought me out of unhappy situations.” Red Skelton

31. It’s the last day of the daily practice for this month. Did you join in? Will you continue? Today, find any way and every way you can to laugh loud and free! And keep laughing!

With love and laugh.

Donna.x
PS Get ready for the November daily practice…it’s another fun one! Make sure you ‘like’ my facebook page to join in!

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This week’s article is inspired by the Beach Card of the week: “What would love do now? Remember that love is strong, not a doormat.”. I hope you enjoy it!

We’re on the last few days of our October Daily Practice. Did you laugh every day? There’s still time! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this practice, and I’ve got another fun one lined up for November – I hope you’ll join me!

To get a daily Beach Card, and to get reminders of the Daily Practice (and this month, links to make you laugh, rubbish jokes and quotes about laughter!), come and join me on Facebook.

- What Would Love Do Now? -

Yesterday I had a mini-meltdown. I have one about once a month, if ya know what I’m sayin’?! And although it was so tempting to force myself to stay at my desk and keep my nose firmly to the grindstone, my higher self intervened and advised me to finish early (20 minutes early, but hey, early finish is early finish!) Today, having come down off the ceiling, I can see that my highest self suggested the most loving thing I could do for myself in that situation. It answered the question “What would love do now?” Love, funnily enough, would not keep me chained to my desk when I was upset and struggling, it would let me go take care of myself so I can come back raring to go this morning.

But how often do we do what love would do for us? The way most of us treat ourselves is more ‘what would our evil stepmom do to us now’ than ‘what would love do’. Don’t you think that’s a bit sad? We are all wonderful, divine sparks of uniqueness and brilliance (yes, even you) and yet we are treated most of the time like we are naughty children. In fairness, that’s the way most of us are brought up. You just get on with it…until you no longer can. You bottle it all up, until you explode like an angry bottle of champagne. You keep on pushing and pushing and pushing…because that’s what we do with our lazy, bad selves.

Ouch! The weird thing is that everyone I have ever coached, and indeed everyone I have ever known responds much better to love, support, encouragement, empowerment than to being pushed to the point of exhaustion, snide comments and mean-ness. How about you? Do you respond better to loving, nurturing and confidence-building? Have you ever tried to do that with yourself? And with others? Think of a situation you are in, either just yourself or involving another person. What would love do in that situation?

And let me be VERY clear here. Love is not a pushover. Love is strong. Love is gentle but very firm. Love does not lie down and allow people to walk all over her. In an abusive situation, the most loving thing to do for yourself is GET OUT, and the most loving thing you can do for the abuser is to GET OUT. It is not loving to anyone to stay in a situation where one person is being abused and another is abusing. Love would let the abuser know that abuse is not acceptable. Isn’t that the most loving thing to do? It’s like setting boundaries with dogs, kids, friends and family. If they know your boundaries, they don’t have to try to guess what is appropriate and what is not. When strong boundaries are set (an act of love for ourselves and those around us), we can respect them (another act of love).

So what would love do in your situation? What is the most loving thing you can do for yourself today? What is the most loving thing you can do for another person today? Remembering that love is strong, gentle and wise. May love light your path ahead today and every day, may you be cradled in the arms of love all your life and may love flow through your heart, expanding your capacity to give and receive love and filling you with joy.

- Something to Play With -

In every situation you find yourself in this week, ask ‘what would love do now?’ And let me know what love would do for you – leave a comment below.

Love

Donna.x

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Did you join me last month for the September Daily Practice – feeling good? It was a good practice huh? So, this month I decided to continue in a ‘good feeling’ vein with LAUGHTER. Yep, the daily practice this month is laugh. Laugh, every day, every time you get a chance, and make a big effort to laugh lots! Join me over on my facebook page for a daily reminder to laugh, links to some funny stuff and resources to help you get laughing!

Remember when you were a young child, and everything would set you off laughing? Well, I want you to get some of that glee, merriment and hilarity back into your life in October (and if it’s fun, maybe beyond October too!). So, are you with me? Here’s what you do: Make a committment to yourself to LAUGH. Daily, often, easily. Come and join my facebook page, have a think about what and who makes you laugh and make the decision to spend time with funny stuff! And enjoy it!

Love, and laugh!

Donna.x

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Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…a few of Maria’s favourite things. Do you remember this song from the Sound of Music? “I simply remember my favourite things, and then I don’t feel so bad” – is not just a lyric from a song, it’s great advice. Your favourite things put a little spark of joy in your heart. They make you feel better when the dog bites, when the bee stings, when you are feeling sad.

Over on facebook (and sometimes twitter if it’s in less than 140 characters), I often share one of my favourite things – a shopping trolley without a wobbly wheel, music turned up loud, an empty road to drive on, sunsets, sunshine, a novel to read, a movie, being snuggled up in bed while the wind howls, laughing, blowing bubbles, the sea, stars, my dog Mollie, being with friends, paprika pringles, orange matchmakers, drumstick lollies…the list goes on.

Why do I share these things? And why do I ask what your favourite things are? Because it FEELS GOOD! Remember the September Daily Practice: Feeling Good? It feels good to think about your favourite things. It feels good to talk about your favourite things. I have a book by Cecilia Ahern called ‘If You Could See Me Now’ (one of my favourite books!) which has an imaginary friend in it who often says ‘ooh, that’s my favourite’…about pretty much everything! Do you remember being that in touch with the things you loved to do?

Most kids have this connection – most kids (and dogs) have a hundred ‘favourite’ things. And most adults, sadly, lose the ability to recognise their favourite things and to take the time to enjoy them, wallow in them, get excited about them, talk about them, be enthusiastic about them. Have you lost your ‘favourite thing mojo’? Well, if you have it is time to get it back! It’s time to dust off your favourite things – identify them, do them, enjoy them and SHARE THEM! Leave me a comment and tell me some of your favourite things! Go on, it feels good!

Love

Donna.x

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