Cogito, ergo sum - I think therefore I am

It has been a long time since I took some time for me. Selfishly and exclusively. So I took myself to Bali, leaving the responsibility of family and work for a deliciously selfish week.  I didn't go to see the tourist sights. I didn't overload on shopping and fill my bag with meaningless tourist junk. I went to recharge myself, physically and mentally. That meant walking on the beach every morning, watching the swarms of surfers slipping along the swells as the sand slid between my toes. That meant walking along the tiny lanes and pulsing roads of Canggu, smiling and waving off streetwise trinket vendors and optimistic motorcycle taxis. That meant navigating the streets on the back of motorcycles, weaving between cars, buses, trucks, bikes, walking people and dogs, not to mention wild roads with live construction, open sewers and booming bars, thirsty Australian's spilling into traffic with one too many beers under their belt. That meant visiting local restaurants to eat lo...

Follow your dreams. What does that mean? Think about your heart's deepest desire, when money, health and time are not limited. What would you do? And what step can you take right now to take you closer to that experience? Now is the time to follow your dreams. It always is.

The 2nd of March.  In a couple of weeks, I will commence another lap around the sun. So it brings with it a moment of reflection. Perhaps more than a moment.... How is my experience of the year that has been? Wins... New job New mindset, and stepping up. Awareness of my health and wellbeing, and action towards higher sense of health and wellbeing. Letting go of the little things Engaging the big things, the important things Getting to know the difference between little things and big things, realising them earlier and more consciously, and having the courage to take decisive action. Facing my personal history and family trauma Losses... Innocence of early fatherhood  Pretending to be nice (not really a loss) As I reflect on the year that is to come, I'm filled with excitement and enthusiasm. I feel I am in the right place, and the right time is 'getting ripe'. I trust that I will know the time and have the courage to step when the time and place are right.

Officially the first day of autumn. Apparently no one told Sydney. Today was glorious, and the only thing to do on a glorious Saturday is beach. Not just any beach. THE beach. Bondi Beach. So we went.  And swam.  And walked. And swam some more. Glorious days are beach days. And today was a glorious day done well.

Anxiety.  I didn't think it was a thing for me.  I knew I had dealt with some bumpy situations in my life. I suppose reflecting on it - the concept of being anxious, with something or about life in general - is something that I had never really labelled.  However, when someone close to me begins to experience something that causes them to experience something they have labelled as anxiety, and experience an inability to engage and interact in the world, and I realise that the experiences that they are having reflect my own personal experiences. It is then that the value of my experience comes to the forefront of my mind. I have realised that this is common ground. I am on a first name basis with anxiety, and have faced it for most of my adult life.  I'm familiar with the territory. I've developed some coping mechanisms to help me manage.  That means I have tried and tested lots of different things, and I know what works for me. Speaking from first hand experienc...

The date had been 18 September, 1993, when the walls of the Pip and Pup coffee shop had dematerialised. The front page of the newspaper had Dave Winfield, his face smiling and the headline 3000. Since that 'time', she had been travelling almost 3 months but it felt like so much longer  Each week, every 168 hours to be exact, she had gone through the same wall melting craziness. This transit was number 12.  She had been to many different stops along her journey. 1940s New York, USA 1997 Cape Town, South Africa 2009 Tasmania, Australia November 1918, Paris, France May 1945, Berlin, Germany She showed up in seemingly random locations, and witnessed events that changed history. Never stayed for more than a week. Exactly 168 hours, actually. That was true, until tonight.