The quote 'live the life you love' sounds pretty fabulous, doesn't it? Imagine waking up every day doing exactly what felt right, being in a constant state of joy and balance and accomplishing your true heart's desires in every way possible. It's a breathtaking vision! But it can also seem so far out of reach or near impossible. But I'm here to tell you that it's not as hard as you think, and today I'm going to share with you some of my own habits that have allowed me to live the life I love.HABIT #1: I do what I feel truly passionate about From a young age, I always had a keen interest in the relationship between food and health and how we can cultivate so many benefits for our mind and bodies simply from eating the right, nourishing foods. I loved experimenting with delicious flavours and food medleys and I loved knowing what different foods could do for your body. (I vividly remember mum telling me that I now needed to have a spoon of unprocessed bran on my cereal each day to 'aid digestion - a national health initiative nearly 40 years ago!) This fascination lead me to become a lifelong advocate of healthy eating and living. Food has been my world from cooking as a child and studying food science and nutrition at uni to cooking for one of Australia’s pioneering caterers and building a biscuit empire. And now here I am! Continuing to do what I love with a beauty business selling products made from FOODS that feed your skin from the outside in and the inside out! I believe that beautiful clean food and a healthy mind is the secret to happiness and will always lead you in the right direction, and because I've followed this mantra my entire life (I am thankful I had a 'strict' upbringing!), I am in that position again (this is biz #2) where my work has become my passion. HABIT #2: I maintain a balance Yes, it can be easy to fall off the bandwagon, become burnt out and highly stressed especially with family and work commitments. But you will never find consistent, true happiness this way, especially if you have no energy left to laugh and smile or your body is chock-ful of chemicals from bad foods and beverages and toxins from certain grooming and household products. I attribute my accomplishments in business and life to eating well and balancing my work and family life, not to mention engaging in holistic and meaningful practices. With a family and a growing business, things can get hectic. But a balance of body, mind and even spirit is essential - especially so you don't get caught in the washing machine of life! Inspired by Timothy Ferriss’ NY bester seller †œ4 Hour Work Week† I sat down in early 2011 and week by week for a couple of months wrote a business plan to work 20 hrs a week. I've pretty much stuck to this way of living ever since and it's helped me oh-so-much from operating in over drive 24/7. Removing yourself from the Try Harder (work harder / do more) cycle is imperative to creating some space in business - clarity, ideas and strategies that lift you and your team above the competition. I make sure I find as much time as possible to walk outdoors in the bush and ensure I limit stress where possible so I can feel balanced and focus on the bigger picture. The flip side of it is (& it is hard to take when you are a BHAG motivated person!) this business has been growing slowly and after my first being a fast growth biz - you'll be surprised to learn no ones thinks 'slow growth" and 'maintaining balance' is sexy! #strangeworld #whocares HABIT #3: I follow my instincts Following my gut instincts lead me to create luk beautifood: an inspiring online destination selling 100% natural sheer colour lipsticks made from skin food. I wanted to inspire, guide and educate others with a motivating recipe to nourish your (own) beauty. Had I ignored these little soul whispers, I would have never ended up creating this dream business of mine, so always pay attention to what your subconscious voice (or someone you respect!) is telling you. You might want to create a Vision Board to better understand these inner messages or simply right down the first few things that come to mind. Either way, honing in to your inner guide is a telltale sign that you are meant to be on a certain path, so don't ignore or resist your soul's calling for a second longer. HABIT #4: I find joy in hobbies I love to cook, be outdoors, tend my kitchen garden, travel (oh yes!) and spend heaps of time with my family. Without enjoyment and hobbies, we lose sight of what life is all about - love, happiness and joy! That’s what you need to do. Discover what makes you feel positive, discover what you love doing. It can be anything. From cooking, to gardening, to painting. Anything. The important thing is that it excites you. It moves you, and you start to feel more alive, which is the whole point. HABIT #5: I don't limit my dreams You really can have what you want! The reality is, even when you have kids or work commitments, you can still live a life you love. You might need to build your life around these certains pillars, but it's possible. If you feel disenchanted, perhaps it's time to explore the why and the how in your choices and lifestyle, and then focus on how you want to start feeling every day when you wake up. Once you have more perspective on what exactly makes you happy and what makes you come alive, you'll be able to create the life you love effortlessly and effectively and stop limiting your dreams. You will quite literally begin to manifest everything you thought was previously impossibly, simply by removing the mental blocks in your mind and believing in yourself and the fruition of your core truth and heart's desire. You are in the driver's seat - absolutely nothing is impossible, contrary to what you might believe or what society/friends/family/partners may have you believe. HABIT #6: I always have something to look forward to When you have a purpose, when you have a driving force getting you out of bed each day, life becomes a lot more effortless and adventurous (& easy!). One of my biggest motivators is to make this business successful so I can get back on the speaking circuit and say †˜ladies…you CAN do what ever YOU WANT!". My family and I also have a mad dream to take a year off in 2017, pull the kids out of school and tour around Australia. The next 18 months is going to be busier than it is now and I will become extremely focused (it can happen now because hubby will be picking up some of the kids school stuff so life remains on an even keel) but be worth it in the end, I just know it! HABIT #7: I have a plan Following on from having a purpose, you then need a plan. Being true to yourself and living the life you love means finding your bullseye and creating an action plan to get there. I've always had a plan since the get-go, whether that was a business plan, a travel plan or even a food plan. When you have guidance and goals, you have better perspective and clarity to start designing a beautiful life. Sure, you may not always complete everything perfectly or achieve every single goal on your plan or to do list, but the very fact that there is some sort of structure in your life there is important, as it creates the framework for which you can build your very existence upon. It also allows you to work on remote control so you don't have to think of everything all the time and it gives you confidence, not to mention a blueprint for team so your vision is shared. HABIT #8: I never dwell on the past When you accept your past and forgive people for any previous wrongdoings (which is difficult, but necessary) or not achieving what you set out to do (in business or life), you create space for real, soul-moving change within you and around you. The moment you begin to accept your past, you are ready to begin your future, the future in which you can unleash your love and creativity into the world! HABIT #9: I enjoy the little things Ah, yes. This is an important one. When life gets tough or it seems to be moving at lightning pace, we can forget to notice the beauty all around. But it's so important to enjoy the little things, for they are much more important than external objects and desires. I make it a habit of mine to take pleasure in the every day; whether it be picking fresh herbs in my garden, wiping the dirt from my kid hands after we've all played outside, drinking a green juice and feeling the goodness surge through my body (& mind...tick greens eaten!!), walking in hand in hand with hubby (still bliss after 23 years!), a customer testimonial on my website (these are the BEST!), sharing a cup of tea (you are right - it is mostly likely wine!) and a laugh with a friend or reading something inspiring at night that 'takes-me-away' from what ever happened that day. I revel in a gentle, calm existence fuelled by hard work, passion but most importantly, gratitude for the small stuff that makes it all worthwhile. HABIT #10: I never stop giving Giving to others rejuvenates the soul by feeding it. When we get so caught up in our own preoccupations and problems, we become uncentered and disillusioned. But when you do a good deed for another person and act selflessly, chances are you can generate more love, abundance and gratitude into your life on a big scale. To me, giving, is at the forefront of living the life I love. After all, we will get out of this life exactly what we put into it. If we focus on taking care of only ourselves, we will have only ourselves. Yet, if we focus on sharing our gifts, we will receive two-fold. Life is about sharing our gems with others, and isn't that a simply marvellous thing?
What are you doing to †˜live the life you love’ natural beauties? x