Slam you Andrea!

This is what you MUST learn this year!
So 2019 so far has been a wonderous fucker.
The lessons have come in thick and laid it on me.

I have danced to the beat of other people’s drums, and given far too freely; sacrificing and devaluing myself in the process.
With the emphasis on devaluing myself.

Through that experience I have cursed and hated myself for not standing up and asking for what I deserve.
But please note that I have allowed other people to do this to me and there is not one ounce of blame. I know that I am responsible for everything that happens to my life.
I have just happened to think (mostly unconsciously) very lowly of myself, and therefore others have treated me this way. They have simply been the mirror reflecting my thoughts and beliefs back at me.

But first, let me rewind.

Coming into the end of the year and evaluating my 2018 I was initially hit with a sense of failure and an almost disgust at having such an unsuccessful year.
Having almost stayed put for a year brings up interesting emotions in me that I have not challenged myself enough, that I’m settling into a comfort zone for me (which is like the worst thing I could do with my life.)

But then I forced myself to look for the learnings, the challenges and the things I’m appreciative for, and I came up with the following:

2018 summed up in one word would be: LEARNING

Some of my highlights include:

Reading 218 Books
Building up my Coaching Business from 1 client to a full case load, then (through manifesting) successfully downscaling my business
– changing people’s lives
Qualified as a Herbalist
– Identifying herbs and using in healing remedies
– Made my own organic herbal tinctures (over 40 of them) and remedies
– Sourced and dried my own tea blends (over 30 different herbs)
Writing over 70,000 words and making a monumental decision regarding my travel memoir
Maintained my environmental conservation rule not to buy household and clothing items new and sourcing second hand items instead
Volunteering at 2 Vipassana Meditation Retreats
Healing my body naturally of a systemic fungal skin dis-ease (that had plagued me for nearly 3 years)
Joining groups in: Salsa Dancing, Writing, Meditation, Women’s Spirituality and Artistic dance
Learnt and experienced the fruit and veggie industry
– How to grow, prune, thin, pick and dry various fruit and veggies and gain knowledge on Industry practices and protocols
Exploring the SW Coast of Australia
Staying in 3 Buddhist Temples in Thailand (for meditation practice) and being of service to Monks
Making all my own natural cleaning and cosmetic products
Hiking the Blue Mountains in Australia
Experiencing multiple dry, water and juice fasting and detox protocols
Volunteering for SAFE and being a Foster Mum for 8 dogs
Ridding my home of plastic
Witnessing animal agriculture practices and procedures
Removing my amalgam fillings and pulling out my root canal
Volunteering at Authentic Education Personal Development events and training courses
Going without a washing machine the whole year

Looking at that list, it’s easy to feel accomplished, but it’s a far cry from my cycling and adventure days of World Championship events and pushing my body to the limit in races all over the World (and earning substantial money from that.)

Life slowed down to a different pace and I was able to take on information and dare I say it, put down a few roots (and even literally too!)
But it generally was a year of turmoil with huge ups and downs and an overall underlying sense of unease.

I spent what people call Christmas alone, but happy, and I fasted that day (but that didn’t stop me from going to Church – I’m completely non religious however- on Christmas Eve – wait for the story about that one.)
My New Years Eve I also spent (kinda) alone – my friend staying with me who was (and me too) detoxing was in bed at 8:30pm – so I had multiple enemas and drunk 1/4 of a glass of organic Port with my herbal tinctures, cried a few tears and wrote pages of inspiration in my journal whilst contemplating my future and went to sleep before midnight.
A far cry from my prancing pony dancing wild child ‘shambles’ days. But I felt whole, complete and fresh.

But I hadn’t really made any concrete plans.
I mean, I was ‘planning’ on going overseas end of Jan, but I hadn’t established what I truly wanted (I was just going to buy a flight when I felt I’d had enough of being here and when there was a lull in my fruit and veggie garden.)
I was ‘going to’ update my chief aim and my statements around who I am and what I want, but I wasn’t quite sure what they’d be. And besides, I was putting other people’s needs ahead of mine.

so if you know anything about taking charge of your own destiny, if you don’t make plans, then someone else (who knows what they want) will make plans for you.
And that’s what I unfortunately let happen.

So a bit of a slap in the face for me this year. If you don’t value yourself, then no-one else will do that for you.
Of course I thought I ‘knew’ this. But knowing and doing is very different.
To know and not to do is not to know.

A successful life is all about taking action. Simply knowing something is not enough. It’s all about how we can move forward with the knowledge we have, be bold, take risks and put ourselves out there to line up for what we deep down want for our life.

And here it really is:

Check your freaken price tag!

What price are you putting on yourself?

Prize yourself amongst the beauties otherwise you’ll be discarded amongst the trash (and then probably end up feeling resentful for that.)

Through my in-depth work I’d done on myself last year, I’d become very ‘Zen-like’ and acceptant of what is – which had served me well (and would serve anyone well.) But I believe we must all at times step out of the present moment flow state and take control over our lives (and most importantly our mind and our beliefs) first and foremost.
Then, allow the magic to happen, to unravel and to simply be.But if we first don’t decide, then who knows where the Universe will take us. Like a ship with no rudder and no sail. At the complete mercy of the wind.

And stuff that right?
Right!

So, my core words for 2019 is to:

Define

Define my dreams, define my goals, define my boundaries, define what I will and won’t do (regardless of what other people will think of me or if they’ll be upset or angry) and define (most importantly for me) my price tag – and STOP discounting my worth!

Whilst (especially being a Life Coach) I have spent many many hours defining what I want- writing and saying it out loud again and again – in fact I have 3 pages written about what my ideal Man would be like – no wonder he hasn’t come into my life yet ha!) but the word define cues me in to verbalise my needs, wants and limits.

Do you let (some) people dictate or control your life?Do you find yourself saying yes to things you really don’t want to do?
Or saying no to things you really want to do?
Do you put others’ needs ahead of yours, not once or twice, but constantly?

I have, for far too long. And it actually feels (hideously) awful to state (unashamedly) what I will or won’t accept or do.

But honestly, I’m done with that shit.
Can you relate?

Are you done with that shit also?

Are you willing to define (and stick to!) your boundaries (what’s important to you) this year too?
Which comes to my next word for 2019…..

Allow

Which may seem like I’m almost going backwards after saying I need to be strict on my needs and wants, but hold up, hear me out. This is about being open to allowing people and things into my life – intimately. Yeah that means my strong walls will start to come down and I want to allow people to come in. Which means being vulnerable and open to life.

This also means allowing the connection of body, mind and soul and learning to listen (and most importantly honour) what I really want.

Yes that means I WILL start dating (ok start lining up guys!) and allow myself to NOT follow the plan if that is what is really best for me.

Which brings me to my next word:

Evolve

Which to me is about constant assessment, being open and learning through all the challenges and triumphs that life brings. That nothing is ever seen as a failure but simple an opportunity to grow and to step into my feminine power and strength with more certainty and ease.

So enough with all the high level, airy fairy language, so what are my 2019 goals?

-to go on at least one date a month
-to travel through at least 4 new countries
-to race at least one full/multiday adventure/multisport race
-to read at least 219 books
-to write (at least) the first draft of my memoir
-to meditate at least once per day
-to write min of 200 words per day
-to become a Detox Specialist
-to focus on myself and my own needs and be clear and unapologetic about what I want, need and desire
-to get strong and squat at least 1 1/2 x my bodyweight and do at least 8 chin ups
-to improve my flexibility and rest my chin on my knees
-to become a Rieke Master Practitioner
-to publish my Myanmar and Thailand travel diary on my website
-to do min 4 public speaking gigs
-to help a min of 10000 people to change their lives
-to buy or lease my own organic property and establish an orchard
-to blog/video a min of 1 per week
-to meet and work with Dr Robert Morse
-to establish and maintain an achievable detox and fasting schedule
-to introduce a min of 10000 people to the healing power of plants
-maintain 52kg- body weight

Obviously this is a work in progress and will evolve as I flow with life (and then I’ll define some more.)

So now, who really is Andrea?

What am I all about?
* I honour my true feelings and intuition, and value myself highly
* I am a Leader and stand strong in my beliefs, with compassion and respect to all
*I am adventurous and fun loving
*I love to learn and seek to understand
*I challenge and inspire others to see their situations differently and take action
*I am energetically and abundantly vibrant from the inside out

And that’s me in a wrap folks!

So have you got yourself some clear goals and directions for 2019?
Do you know who you are?

I’d love for you to share below.
Let’s all lift each other up and hold ourselves to a high standard.
We all deserve high standards in our life, and we all can do it.

I believe in you, and I believe in myself.

Rock on!