Motivation Monday: Start with a smile!

Mondays can be hard, but so can any day really. When things are extremely difficult though, it can be very taxing and insanely hard to face the day ahead. The best way I find to do this though is to just smile. You don't have to smile at anyone or even do it in the mirror. Just a little smile at one corner of the mouth can help.

I try to think about the fact that I actually woke up this morning, that I have arms and legs, etc. - The smallest things can help.

If simple gratitude doesn't work, try watching a funny video, have a list of things that make you smile or laugh or even think about someone farting - I don't know, something about farts is just so damn funny!

Whatever it is that makes you smile, its really about stopping and embracing the moment and there is certainly a lot of value in moments!

KK

Motivation Monday: sing and dance

Whether anyone is watching or not!


As my singing teacher says "We were born to be heard!" (She does go on, to explain that to cry and scream are just natural to us and so should singing, but another post perhaps? Check her out here at The Mac Project)

Its so inspiring to know that we have this natural ability to raise our voice and move our bodies - whether singing or screaming, dancing or bopping, whatever your taste in music is, embrace what you can naturally do with it!

There is no better motivation for the start of the week than singing and dancing! I wake up with a playlist ready and whether I have to drive to uni or stay home and clean - I blast my (always country) music and dance like nobody is watching.... even though the dogs/cat/bird/gecko's, etc. always are watching! Sometimes there is nothing better than singing either! Singing and dancing - like exercise, releases endorphin's and therefore makes you feel good - what better to do on a Monday morning?

Sing and dance your heart out this Monday!

KK

Motivation Monday: You are the glow

What do we all want in life? Happiness? A partner? The simple life? - That's the point ~ there is always something we want!

But is 'want' the answer to how we get it? There are many theories about who, what, when, where, why and how we achieve what we want, but I believe that best thing you can do is GLOW! Own your worth, create love for yourself, live in the moment and be thankful!

Trust me, I understand how hard it can be to own your worth, but if you want anything in life, EVER - you need to glow!

To get the things you want, you need to not only believe in yourself, but enjoy every moment you are alive.

Its only as lame as you make it, but your heart pounds when you are happy for a reason ~ you're glowing! I always try to imagine that my heart is glowing and warm sparks swirl around (like Rapunzel's 'healing') when I want to feel good.

If I am grateful and feel my heart glowing, I find that, no matter what, I have what I want - in the moment, because that is all it takes!

As you may have noticed if you have watched the above video, 'the glow' is referring to the Disney princesses (we all know and love) discovering who they are and what they want. Although there is total merit in wanting to be a Disney princess... you, as yourself, gender aside, have the ability to be the glow!

So try it! Take a deep breath, close your eyes if you want, focus on something positive and use your glow!

'You are the glow!'

KK

Back to Nature

Oh wow, where have I been? I'm not referring to my geographic location, I'm referring to my head - the head that has been stagnant of ideas and words for a while now, but I have cleared the gunk and hopefully I am on the write (yeah sorry) track again....

Passion - what does that really mean? Well this blog is dedicated to my passion/s and lately I haven't been too passionate, so rather than make promises about posting so much more. I know that going out and literally 'doing' the things that bring out the passion in me. Then I will be more inclined to write about it!

I'm just so sick of living life in a blur and day to day in my house cooped up, in my car waiting or at work wondering! There is so much more to me and my life, so I'm going to share it!

Don't lose sight of your passion,

KK

Motivation Monday: Being around pets!

I certainly needed some Monday Motivation today! Nothing in my life is going wrong as such, but I have been feeling very sad, due to personal reasons. I know what to do when I have lulls like this. These 'lulls' are often times in my life that I really need, to be kicked and shoved a little, to turn around, get up and achieve something great.... and you know what really helps with this? MY PETS!

I mean look at them! Animals in general clearly light up my life (they are a passion of mine after-all!) and having these guys around me 24/7 gives me hope and they just know, that when I'm down, I need cuddles, so what do they do? Leap into my lap!

 I have had a lot of pets in my lifetime of (almost) 24 years and although they all have their individual personalities, they are all just full of love!

I have had a hard time trusting and believing in people lately - especially where 'true' love, and partnership all comes together to form this generation's idea of 'love.' I could crap on for ages about that topic, and in a way it is relevant to this blog as I am passionate about love through my stories, so I'd like to ramble on about another kind of love...

Friendship - animal friendship in this case. (Yes there are multiple 'types' of other friendships...) Friendship between an animal and a human has to be one of the most beautiful things in life.

 I have had such close bonds with all of my animals and I love them all 100% equally. They really are my pals. What do friends do?

• Comfort me when I'm down
• Kiss me when I need to be loved
• Glare at me when I've done the wrong thing
• Always willing to hang out (play)
• Always up for a roadtrip
• Listen!
• Motivate me!

These guys are true blue friends for sure, not many humans go to that much trouble. Animal loyalty (and sometimes arrogance in the cat's case...) is just beautiful, a true testament to who they are and the classic saying of 'treat others how you want to be treated,' and in my animals case that's, with love, happiness and entertaining goofy-ness!

And they seem to love each other just as much! They know that when I am grumpy (yes I do get grumpy...) that if they muck around, play bite me, go off gallivanting with each other (the dogs in particular) talk to me, etc. - I can't help, but smile!

 These guys are just always so happy, busy or just satisfied with life. This really motivates me to be content with my own life too, so my pets are a huge deal of motivation monday - that start of the week drawl - they'll be there!

Always smiling while their eyes are shining!

KK

Motivation Monday: Sing!

I haven't spoken about my singing journey,

1. Because it is very new to me, I have only been singing regularly for 3 years (which is nothing in learning to sing)
2. Because this is one area in my life where I honestly do not think I am good enough to say that I am a singer....
3. Because I will not sing in front of you if you ask, I will be stubborn and only sing like a screaming idiot because I am too ashamed to sing properly just in case I stuff up a little...

So I have the most amazing singing coach! My 'teach' as I call her, is lead singer of super talented, The mac project and I am always in awe of her and the band on facebook.com/themacprojectband where she posts videos of her gigs, etc. However, you wouldn't know by looking at these sites, the gorgeous personality behind my teach, who makes me feel totally comfortable (an almost impossible feat) during my weekly sessions with her. We go through ways of getting the body to respond to singing, warm ups and actual singing, eeeek!!! 

So my motivation monday is all about singing, because hey don't we all do it? Don't we all love music of some kind? Music is just in our souls. 

I actually never seriously thought about singing until I went to Uni away from my family and got a little independant, some kids go clubbing, I started singing lessons..... (true story.) I haven't studied singing at uni, just to clarify. It was my hobby, while I did full-time Zoology a two hour drive from my home town. I lived just off campus and went to my lessons at night with a company farther in town at minuetmusicstudios where I did learn a lot, but i went through a few teachers and they slowly became less and less what I needed. Then life happened and I ended up back at home. 

I surprised my mum for Christmas that year by telling her that I was learning to sing. This classically trained woman's jaw just dropped (partly because there was something I hadn't told her "I was keeping secrets now... oooooh....." and partly because I am a shy little flower who would never sing out loud...ever...)

Then my singing drifted off a little because I couldn't find the right coach, (a little like therapy...), I got pretty shy and (ironically) I mentioned to my therapist (yes I did/do therapy) that I missed singing and in a separate session that I "just love theatre, I, grew up watching musicals on video and live theatre that I just...." "Oh I like country music too..." Looking back my therapist probably just shook her head and sighed, but she told me to find a theatre company and JOIN, do goddam theatre... apparently you can... who knew??

So little ol' proactive me, found a company that night and it just so happened that auditions for their upcoming show were... next week. "Go for it!" mum said. I was somewhere between horrified and ecstatic, I was auditioning for a bloody musical, with next to no experience....

But I was loud, (I have no clue what happened there) and this happened... a-beautiful-theatrical-beginning, yes I was cast and in a main (ish) role at that.... boy have I come a log way since then. Some of my best friends are in the company and I cannot believe how lucky I am to know them..... I really want to go off on a tangent here, but that would be... uh off point.

Anyway, I somehow made a decision after the show that I really wanted to pursue musical theatre and country music, I mean I wasn't a baby ( I had written lyrics and muffled a tune to them since i could write and I believed in my songwriting too, but it did seem a bit farfetched, seeing as I was pursuing a career in animal health...) but I did always want to sing and be an actress/songwriter/director, I just assumed I couldn't... I know, doesn't sound like me right?

Whoa, this is deep s**t and I should probably go to sleep since it is 2:17 am, oops,

Sing for you, sing for your soul, even if it isn't through music, sing your song through your passion,

KK

Motivation Monday: Remember why you started.

What are you doing with your life right now? Do you feel stagnant? Lost? Broken? I know that I have had these feelings lately and its horrible. It feels like I have lost track on what I am working towards and it sucks. It really does.

Why am I here? Why am I writing my blog late at night after a day of not really going after my dreams. I spend most of my weekends making other people happy. Its sad but true, but that is going off topic.

I usually have to force myself to remember why I started all of the challenges in my life, whether or not they have been good or not-so-good challenges, doesn't matter. I have to face these challenges and I am the only one who can make the most out of the situation. Is this why we started? To breeze through? Because whatever the end result is will be easy... no I don't think so.

So when the times are tough, we really have to get some perspective and ask ourselves, and I mean really think about, why we are doing this... and why we (I) haven't given up yet.

Inspired yet? I know I am!

Take pride in what you are doing, no matter what you do, because it is in these moments that our life and who we are is defined. Don't use all of your time trying to improve yourself or be the best, savour the here and now and respect what you are doing!

KK