The Importance of Rituals

What you do today is actually creating your future. The words you speak, the thoughts you think, the food you eat, and the actions you take are defining your destiny, shaping who you are and what your life will stand for.

Building rituals into your day is extremely important; taking little steps every day towards being fitter, healthier, more positive and a successful version of who you were the day before.

Practise is how you get to greatness. If you want to live a certain way, creating rituals that support the lifestyle you want, incorporating all the things you know will make you better and bring you closer to your goals, is a great way to start.

It's important to make your daily rituals something you look forward to, so that they enrich your life and you will actually want to do them. Perform these with consistency. Don't make excuses or skip them when you're too busy. Just make it work!

As you continue to practise and participate in your rituals, your attitude gradually shifts and your rituals become habits and you will begin to see the rewards and positive change that they bring. 

Your daily rituals are completely up to you, but here are a few helpful ideas if you aren't sure where to start...

- Wake up and have some hot water and lemon to kickstart your metabolism for the day

- Go for a morning walk. Whilst its brisk and a little chilly most mornings, the air is fresh and jumping into that hot shower once you're done is the ideal reward

- Commit to a relaxing bath once a week/month. Light some candles, play some music, relax

- Read a few pages of a good book before you go to bed. Have the written word be your last thing to put you to sleep, instead of tv, the internet or your phone

- Make a list of a few things that made your day amazing. Those moments when you're feeling stressed or down, re-read your list for a pick me up and remind yourself of the power of positivity

Taken from "MORE of the Fit Woman's Secret's" by Lorna Jane & my own thoughts

Images: Pinterest

Wednesday's Words

Cheerfulness and contentment are great beautifiers, and are famous preservers of youthful looks

 

- Charles Dickens



Words...

As a really thoughtful birthday gift, I was given a pack of daily affirmations.

They currently sit at my desk at work, and each day i change the cards over, to read my new day's affirmation. I grab my coffee, read my affirmation, and then get ready to go through my emails.

 

If you don't have your own daily affirmations, I thought it might be nice to share with you the ones that I read, so in turn, you now have a daily affirmation to read here.

 

I hope you enjoy

x

 

 



Chocolate Truffles!

On Friday evening, as a birthday gift, I attended a chocolate truffle making course with my lovely friend. 

Situated in Leichhardt, we indulged in a hands-on chocolate making workshop.

We learnt how chocolate was made, from the humble cocoa pod, into a fermented cocoa bean, into cocoa butter in its rawest form, and then made into the chocolate that we all know and love.

{Cocoa Butter, Fermented Cocoa Beans, Cocoa Pod}

We got to sample some newly acquired rose flavoured chocolate, which were spooned into warm milk and poured into small mugs. The perfect rose flavoured hot chocolate warm up before we got down to business.

Luckily for us, as this was a shorter workshop, the ganache filling that we would be using for the truffles was pre-prepared. 

We picked our moulds, and then lined up to learn how to pour and and fill our moulds with warm and creamy milk chocolate. My hand accidentally slipped as it was my turn, and unfortunately, I had to lick quite a large amount of chocolatey goodness off my fingers. Mmmm

Once filled and rid of air bubbles, the moulds were put into the fridge for a short time.

Then taken back out ready for the ganache filling. Choosing between Vanilla and Baileys Liquor, Dark Chocolate and Orange Liquor and Milk Chocolate and Cointreau. Some were left free of ganache to become a yummy solid chocolate heart. 

Then back to the chocolate machine to fill and top off the moulds, then back to the fridge. 

While waiting for our moulds to form, we learnt how to DIY your own piping bag and use the chocolate as artistic decorations. 

The moulds were then taken out of the fridge, twisted like an ice-cub tray and then banged onto the stainless steel table where they should all fall out of the moulds. Then of course the sampling began! 

I was suprised and impressed with how well my chocolate truffles turned out, although having the chocolate and ganache pre-prepared did make a lot of difference. Perhaps something I may not try to replicate at home, but something I am definately happy to continue eating, and such a great, fun thing to do!

Images: My Own

Course done at Kimberley Chocolates, Leichhardt 

Motivate Me

Images: We Heart It

SOS ~ Sister of Support

I came across a really great blog entry on the Lorna Jane - Move Nourish Believe website this past week. This blog post was dedicated to the notion of having an "SOS" - Sister of Support system.

After reading this article, it comes down to this... A Sister of Support supports each other with their individual goals, through thick and thin, high days and low days, and are there to lend a helping hand along the way, when we all need that little extra push.

An SOS helps put things into a greater perspective. That over thinking and self criticism you do in your head? Your SOS helps you quash that and reminds you how well you are doing on your journey to be the best you. In most instances, SOS are on the same journey, with very similar goals and ambitions, which is why you have probably attracted one another!

An SOS is there to answer those text messages and phone calls, yell at you at training to keep going, and push you to keep up with them so that you can finish the session and cross the line together. They support your healthy eating and what you are trying to achieve, and the best part is, they are often in the same boat, and you both support each other.

If you are like me, you may not have just one SOS. I have a handful. These SOS are only a text, email and Facebook group away, and never falter in motivating, and pushing us all - the very best person who wants the very best for you, is in fact the person that wants the same for themselves.

So who is your SOS? After reading this, take a few minutes to think about it, and let your SOS know how much they are in fact, your Sister of Support. Send them a text, an email. Giving someone the warm and fuzzy's costs absolutely nothing, yet is guaranteed to make their day! Send them a pic or some kind words that sums up how they make you feel, or how they help to encourage you. 

We can never have too many Sisters of Support. Rather than taking the time to bitch and moan about those whose actions you just don't understand, focus your time on those that lift you up and are just so refreshing to be around.

Remember... let your SOS know :-)

Content: Move Nourish Believe| My Own

Image: www.movenourishbelieve.com

Little Things



The Comparison Game

Comparing ourselves to friends, strangers, family and celebrities has become a guilty pleasure. 'Successful, engaged, loving life - what is she doing right, and what am I doing wrong?"

Occasionally the green eyed monster can appear. This is a fact of life, and while there's nothing wrong with a little healthy competition, or motivation to get you off your butt and be the best 'you', as a society we have started to hit the habit of comparison head on, and it's a hard habit to break!

Magazines, TV, Social Media, so many outlets that just want to rub it in your face how successful we all are. That Facebook friend with the most 'romantic boyfriend in the world' who let's face it, you can't decide if you want to de-friend or punch in the face. We get it, your boyfriend is amazing.

I recently read a great article on this nasty comparison game in the August issue of Women's Fitness. According to psychologist Jacqui Manning, 'comparing yourself to other people can make you lose sight of your own strengths and values, as you often forget to notice all the good you are doing, and only focus on what you don't have or aren't doing.'

Negative thoughts, meet negative feelings.

Psychologist Victoria Kasunic mentions in this article 'It's most common when we feel insecure or lack confidence in ourselves, but when it dominates your thinking, it's only unhelpful. Comparisons sap your energy and drain your happiness'.

Here's what you can do to try to get your head out of the comparison game.

Those that appear to have the best, happy life, are often struggling with their own issues of self consciousness or comparison monster. No person lives the complete perfect existence, but many of us work hard, every day at ourselves and our thoughts to get as close to this as possible.

Instead of thinking of yourself as a competitor, look at others and get inspired, and use that to make a positive change in your own life. Once this becomes a habit you will notice your perception drastically changing, for the good!

Images: Pinterest

Content: My Own | Women's Fitness Magazine August 2013 Edition

Pops of Colour