Gold Coast - sunny one day ...

During the past year I have been wondering about why I live on the Gold Coast. When I decided to buy a house I didn't have any clue where I wanted to live except the climate had to be warm. During the past twelve months I've been distracted with thoughts of why I chose to live in this area and I am so glad I live here.

As a service wife, I've lived in Sydney, Wollongong, Canberra, Wagga Wagga, Brisbane, Townsville, Canungra, USA, and as part of an around Australia trip, in Melbourne for several months. I didn't handle the cold weather too well. Just ask my family. So somewhere warm was number one on the list.

I wanted to be close to the beach and the rainforest. I visit these environments when I want to let the stress of my day drain away. I wanted to feel the energy of the city and its people who aren't afraid to live life their way and get on with it. I wanted a progressive city that looks to the future; Gold Coast is hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games and to me this means they are looking forward. I don't dig sport...at all, so sport wasn't one of the reasons why I live here.

I like the great eating places and tourist attractions that I love to share with family and friends  when they come to visit from out of town. There are also the great film and theatre productions and writers whom I like to meet with, talk writing, sip coffee and swap ideas.

There are long walks along lots of beaches and I've just discovered the Botanic Gardens is a great place to start my day with a morning walk, and a coffee of course. I'm never lost for anywhere to take time away from my writing and blow the cobwebs away.

These are just a few reasons why I live where I live.  I'd love to hear why you live where you live. Leave me a comment below.

Macadamia Nuts, a new future

When I was researching for Kate's Choice I visited a macadamia nut farm. Kate grew up on a macadamia nut farm in north Queensland just south of Townsville at Giru. Her grandfather started the farm as an experiment after living in northern New South Wales which has the best climate for growing them. Townsville and Giru are in a rain shadow so it can get very dry during the dry season. Despite the climate, Kate's grandfather and father found ways of working around the water and wet feet problem that can prevent the trees from thriving when irrigation has to be relied upon.

That's another story...

What I want to tell you about is two Canberrans who took the challenge of moving from the city to the country to go nutty. Not in the usual sense of nutty, but they opted out of their stressful life and headed for the hills in northern New South Wales to grow macadamia nuts. Carmel and Shaun felt they always had an affinity with the land, so when they decided to give up their frantic lifestyle they decided on a Macadamia farm. I'm glad they did.

From the moment I drove up into the hills I knew they lived somewhere special, and that I was going to experience that. The moment I met Carmel and Shaun, I liked them. They were friendly and eager to share about their life,  and the journey that brought them to their macadamia farm.

We strolled down to the orchard and immediately I knew why Shaun and Carmel came here. Under the canopy of macadamia trees, a calmness descended on my soul and even the gentle plopping of the macadamia nuts hitting the ground added to a sense that nature was at work and all was well with the world. As a child, my character, Kate escaped to the orchard, and in the vibrant colours of her mind she painted the leaves, the tree trunks, the ground and the sky using her imagination. It was the beginning of her interest in art. That afternoon my peace barometer shifted a little more toward the positive setting and it felt wonderful.

I understand why Carmel and Shaun decided to make their home on a macadamia nut farm; to leave their stressful life behind and to be enveloped by nature so they would be soothed back to good health and happiness. They came to the right place; peace oozed from them.

To learn more about macadamia nut farming, click here to go to the Australian Macadamia Society: 

Shaun and Carmel with their super-healthy macadamia nut trees.

Editing Kate's Choice

Today has been the most unproductive day I have had in a long while. I couldn't settle to the editing of Kate's Choice today. There's a lot going on inside this head of mine and really I must do a brain dump.

When life is a struggle, perhaps this is the solution.

It started off well enough with me proofreading a client's work, but then half an hour into that a huge wave of tiredness overcame me and I fell asleep. It wasn't because the manuscript was boring. It was one of the most interesting manuscripts I've read in a while. So what happened? I have no idea what happened. I fell asleep and slept for an hour and a half and then again this afternoon the same thing happened. Yep, I was working at my computer and I fell asleep for an hour and a half. So the sleeping fairy has been and I am now feeling alert when it is time for dinner. Maybe tonight I will be working into the long dark hours. We'll see ....

So I have marked my diary that today was 'a slow writing' day. By about ten o'clock this morning I knew it was going to be one of those days, so I put the manuscript aside and decided to put effort into research and marketing. Spending the day in this way has been beneficial to some degree, but still I struggled to stay focused.

What is really at the root of my unsettled state is me trying to make a decision on where I want to live the rest of my life. I have lived in a lot of places and I would think the decision would be quite easy. The problem is that there are too many choices and I'm a little fearful of making the wrong one. The positive in all of this is that I can write from anywhere. So what's the problem?

Going to a new community is the problem. Most people are happy in their friendly surrounds and are in sync with those wonderful people around them. Enter Laura, and the dynamics will probably change. Will they accept me for being me, the person who just wants to be like everyone else, but she likes to hide away and put words on paper or screen for days at a time and then all of sudden she comes out into the sunshine wanting to be with people after her hibernation. Sometimes I think it would have been easier being a bear. Hibernating for all those months would probably have suited me. 

Throughout my life I have learned I'm an inside outside person, meaning I like being indoors by myself writing and creating to my heart's content. Then there are the days that I want to get out into the sunshine and play with everyone. I understand I won't always sync with others in the same way. I have tried to adjust my lifestyle and be more structured in my approach to fit in with others. It has been a bumpy road where I have disappointed many and frustrated others and slowly they have fallen by the wayside. It is only my staunchest friends who have stayed loyal and worked toward understanding me. Thank you so much, dear ones. Incidentally, these dearest ones live out of town as does my son and extended family. We survive on phone calls. Are you getting the picture? If I live close to those dearest to me I just wonder how that will be. Personally, I think it would be wonderful being able to see them face to face more often.

Maybe they won't like that? Eeek, I would hate to intrude on their personal time! I would hate them to think, 'Oh no, here she comes again! Lock the door!' I've decided I need to find balance in my expectations of where I want to live. I need writing time, I need family time and I need friends time. With this in mind I will continue to search for my ideal home in the shape of a writer's cottage, since it is only me and maybe my first ever cat or dog to keep me company. I've never had a cat or dog because my life was too busy. It's still busy, but now that I live alone there might just be a space in my heart for a furry friend.

Fortunately, I have a new friend who is also looking for her final place to live. On Thursday we are going out together to explore and hopefully, I will be able to say this is where I want to live. We'll see ...

Thank you for reading this far dear one. Hopefully the decision is not too far away. My lease expires in May, so I have four months to find a place. I will keep you posted on the progress.

Tomorrow is a new day...I wonder what it will bring ....

Authentic living

Live authentically and feel the difference.

Will the real you, please stand up.

I woke up this morning thinking about being authentic. For me, being authentic means trusting the voice inside of me and being confident to follow the guidance I receive. As a fiction writer, I have voices going around in my head all the time, and sometimes it is difficult to discern the voice of authority that I should follow. I'm sure you have these voices inside you, too.

I admire young people who listen to their own voice. Some have taken up the call to travel overseas living a nomadic lifestyle so that they can learn about the world and themselves. This is authenticity. They are willing to take a risk following their desires and dreams to see where it will lead them.

Are you trying to be someone you aren't? Not everyone is meant to be a doctor, a plant operator, an accountant, digital nomad, a research scientist, or doing one of a thousand other jobs available in the world. Basically, our profession is dependent on our personality style, our dreams, our natural abilities, and skills that we have learned in life so far.

I used to be an accountant, but working with numbers never quite resonated with me. However, it served me well until a rumbling started inside of me and it grew until it affected every part of my life, including my personal and work relationships. Eventually, unable to stand the discontent any more, I got the courage to really listen to the voice inside of me.

The thing that was holding me back was me! I was insecure about my abilities. After much discussion with my authentic voice, I found my passion is to write and to encourage others on their life's journey. Making the change wasn't easy. That's the subject of another post. I am now living in my authentic self, and every day, my writer's shirt is getting to be a better fit. A force much bigger than I will ever be is at work in me helping me understand who I am and how to wear that writer's shirt.

Your rumbling could also take the form of a romantic relationship that isn't working; a work colleague and you having differences; or the production line you go to every day is driving you crazy with its same old, same old and you can't see anything different in the foreseeable future if you stay there.

Listen to the disquiet inside of you. Your higher source is telling you to move on, to be truthful to yourself and your life's calling. Don't be afraid of change. Do something to make the change you crave so that you can be yourself and not live that lie any longer.

In my latest novel due for release on 3 April 2016, Kate's Choice, Kate is unsettled in her life with Dusty. When she was nineteen she made a choice from her ego, not her authentic self. Eleven years later, she is paying the price for not being true to herself. She's unhappy and wants her life to change. For Kate, fate steps in and her life takes a major turn. 

Unfortunately, in real life, we sometimes have to take fate into our own hands to change our lives. Are you courageous enough to take charge of your life to be your authentic and creative self, so that you can get the contentment and happiness you crave?

Make a conscious effort to work toward your authentic self today and point yourself to a life that is true for you. You may not want to be a writer, but there is an idea smoldering in you that needs to be set on fire. Identify your calling, be brave and go for it with all that you are. Let me know in the comments below what your passion is. I love to hear from you and help you take hold of that authentic dream.

2016 Year of the monkey

You've survived Christmas, January 1 has come and gone and you are facing a new year that's waiting to be filled with new possibilities. Every year you think the same thing. Right?

But lurking deep down there is a feeling you don't understand. If you were to put a colour or shape to it you might say it's dark with big scary eyes and large teeth. It just kind of hangs there annoying the heck out of you. Right?

The feeling is called change and change is something we're not so keen on because it takes a lot of effort. Now is the time to take control of that feeling and move to a freer life. Wouldn’t it be great to be free as a monkey. Why not do that for 2016, the year of the monkey.

It's up to you. I am working towards a new project this year and it's all about equipping you to make change in your life. Sign up for my newsletter to get the secret of how you can make your life more peaceful, productive, happy and energetic. Coming soon is my new website for this venture that is going to change your life and make 2016 your best year ever.

You don't have to change jobs, and you don't have to change your family circumstances. All you need is a willingness to change. You might just be taken to a level in your life where you suddenly see your world with clearer, brighter eyes. 

Sign up now and make the life changes you've been craving. Leave old habits behind and move into a realm you never thought possible. Sometimes it's hard to make change when you are trying to walk the journey alone. I'm going to show you you don't have to be alone. Don't delay, sign up now: be the change, and be the leader in your chosen field.

So that I can serve you better, take a few seconds to let me know the biggest change you want to make in 2016, the year of the monkey and feel the freedom of fun and laughter. I don't know about you, but I feel email is a better way to communicate. It's private and we can explore those ideas at a more intimate level.  I like that one-on-one sharing and caring about each other at a depth you can't get with social media.

Do you want to be in this same place in 2017 grinding your teeth with indecision? No. Sign up now to find your unique power that's going to take control of that scary feeling and free you up for the interesting life you crave.

Exploring new horizons means more fun.