GRATITUDE + CONSCIOUS LIVING Page 14 of 26

Notes from the Arctic #2: How I got here for free (and what that means for you)

Posted on 2015-02-23 at 8:55 am.

Greetings from inside the Arctic Circle! I am writing this at the end of the earth where I am spending time with my family, feeling grateful for the opportunity to witness the incredible beauty and breathtaking expanse of nature on display here. I am also acutely aware that this is only possible for us because of the freedom our online business gives us.

(photo courtesy of Kakslauttanen)

I have to pinch myself that I woke up this morning in a glass igloo, surrounded by snow with nothing but vivid blue sky overhead. As day turns to night, the Northern Lights move in providing the most spectacular natural display on earth.

(photo courtesy of Kakslauttanen)

I didn’t take time off work to be here. I didn’t get my boss’s permission (because I am my boss). I didn’t even have to pay for my own flight. Because this here – adventuring, exploring, researching, discovering, interviewing – is all part of my job, so my company pays the adventure bills. And that’s something I am hugely grateful for. But I’m not saying that to make you jealous – I’m saying that to make you realise that it is possible to turn your passion into a thriving business, to do good things in the world whilst making yourself happy, to create your own kind of freedom.

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In their words – why the Do What You Love e-course could be just what you need

Posted on 2015-01-22 at 1:55 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

We are always humbled and thrilled to hear how our courses have helped people change their own lives, sidestep mountains, move forwards, and find fulfillment and happiness on their own path. As we prepare for the Do What You Love course to begin on Monday 26 January, we thought we’d share some of the latest words we have received about the impact of the last class, in the words of the participants themselves.

If any of these resonate with you, and you’d like to be able to say the same within five short weeks, then join us for the online adventure of a lifetime.

Our acclaimed course Do What You Love begins on Monday 26 January and runs for five weeks. In those five weeks, everything could change for you – not least how you see yourself, others, your future and your place in the world. It’s powerful and inspiring – don’t miss it. Book your place now.

Do What You Love Interview – Oliver Burkeman

Posted on 2015-01-08 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Author and journalist Oliver Burkeman wants us all to be happier. Or at least less unhappy. Or perhaps just happy-ish if that’s more realistic. Each week in the column he writes for The Guardian, This Column Will Change Your Life, Oliver explores ideas around social psychology, self-help culture, productivity and the science of happiness.

For his latest book, The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking, he spoke with psychologists, Buddhists, New Age Dreamers, hard-headed business consultants and other experts to figure out what does work when it comes to being happy. He discovered that what they all have in common is a hunch about human psychology: that in our personal lives and the world at large, it’s our constant efforts to eliminate the negative – that cause us to feel anxious, insecure and unhappy. And that there is an alternative “negative path” to happiness and success that involves embracing the things we spend our lives trying to avoid.

So, with a fresh new year ahead of us, and our minds open to new ways of thinking, we caught up with Oliver to see what advice he could offer to help us be happier in 2015.

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New Year Happier You. Begin today.

Posted on 2015-01-04 at 9:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

A new year brings a sense of new beginnings, of possibility, of the chance to start afresh. So what kind of a year will you make it this year?

What if 2015 was the year that you became a happier version of yourself? What would that look like, and what would be different? What would have to change to become that version of yourself?

In our community of tens of thousands of people spread across the world, this is a question that has been asked many, many times. Often the answer lies in a few small but important decisions.

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New Year, New You. Begin today.

Posted on 2014-12-31 at 6:55 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

‘New year, new you’ must be the most over-used phrase in the world of magazine headlines, but there is a very good reason for that. The beginning of a new year can be a watershed. ‘Next year’ becomes ‘this year’. The time is now. If you had a bad year, that is now in the past. If you had a great year, you can step it up a level and make this one even better.

A new year is like a gift. It’s a chance to start again, and to tell yourself you have the power to decide how this year pans out. What will you do? Where will you go? Who will you spend time with? Who will you avoid? How will you behave differently so things work out differently? What different choices will you make? What will you tell yourself about what could be possible for you? And what steps will you take to make that happen?

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Grateful everyday (PLUS Your free 2015 Happy List is here)

Posted on 2014-12-08 at 2:43 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

So winter is finally here in England. The dark nights are setting in early and log fires are flickering to warm our homes. I’m going to keep it short today – we just got back from a short trip to Copenhagen, where we had lots of fun and started to feel very Christmassy. The 40ft Christmas tree in our hotel lobby, and the magical lights of the Tivoli Gardens Winter Wonderland probably helped with that…

Anyway, after my recent post about having had a tough time these past few weeks, it was a brilliant way to relax and forget about everything except spending time together. I felt grateful many times on that trip – grateful that our little girl is such a good traveller; grateful that we have such beautiful places just a couple of hours away; grateful for my lovely family, who know just how to make me smile.

I’m also grateful to our brilliant team, some of whom joined us for a fun team day at the Brighton Cookery School recently. You can see what we made, and what surprising lessons we learnt, in this blog post by our editor Rachel.

If you want to take more notice of the things that make you happy in the months ahead, please feel free to download our Happy List – it’s completely free, and it’s a simple interactive PDF which allows you to note one thing every day that you are grateful for. Thousands of people used it last year and really enjoyed noticing the small and big things, and having a record to look back on. You can get yours here:

I hope you manage to find some time for yourself over the busy holiday times ahead to appreciate all that is good in your life, and that you stay warm if you are somewhere cold like us!

Beth

Do What You Love Interview – Jan Scott

Posted on 2014-12-04 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Today we are delighted to bring you an interview with yoga teacher and spiritual bathing practitioner, Jan Scott.

I was blessed to meet Jan at one of her idyllic retreats in southwest France. It was perfect. I spent the week savouring local food and wine, shopping at flea markets and brocantes, cycling around sunflower fields and beautiful countryside, doing art, making new friends, expanding my yoga practice, rediscovering my senses and reconnecting with my soul. However one thing I’ll never forget was the spiritual bath I had. I booked this experience with Jan because it sounded intriguing and I was keen to cleanse my body, mind and soul. I had no idea what to expect and I was incredibly touched by the time, thought, energy, love and intention that Jan put into every part of the process. My healing treatment was extraordinary – magical, spiritual, and completely transformative. If you ever get the chance to have one yourself, I can highly recommend it. – Rachel

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Food for thought

Posted on 2014-12-02 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Celebrity chefs, cookery shows and recipe books… everywhere we look there’s advice about what to eat and how to eat it and yet how often do we stop to listen? How often do we take the time to plan a meal, gather the ingredients and prepare them with love? And how often do we sit around the table with family, friends, or just by ourselves, and savour every mouthful?

All too often we find ourselves grabbing fast food, eating on the go, or opting for quick fix ready meals to fuel our busy lifestyles. Yet food is nourishment, not just for our bodies and minds, but for our souls too. So last week, in order to help us re-connect with food and rediscover our passion for learning, cooking, and eating, the Do What You Love team went to cookery school!

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Do What You Love Interview – Jo Klima

Posted on 2014-11-20 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This week’s interview is with Jo Klima, an Australian designer and artist who’s passionate about exploring creative projects which support our desire to live a beautiful and authentic life. Jo runs The Darling Tree, an art and design studio in Brisbane, where she spends her days creating stunning websites, custom art and pattern designs for amazing women, businesses and products.

Photo by Carter & Rose Photography

I was introduced to Jo a while ago and I loved her work so much that I commissioned her to overhaul our branding and website. She’s one of those incredible people who has an uncanny knack of just ‘getting’ what you are trying to communicate and coming up with ideas that truly represent the heart and soul of your brand.

It’s been a while since our last interview so I thought it would be nice to catch up with Jo and find out about her blossoming business and exciting new product range – leggings for darling legs! Don’t miss her generous giveaway at the end of this interview!

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Use your hands – Our review of the TEDxBrighton 2014 event

Posted on 2014-11-07 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Last Friday saw the annual TEDxBrighton event take over Brighton Dome to offer a series of inspiring talks from speakers of all backgrounds. From knife-maker to journalist, from Frog Agent to poet and from truffle hunter to novelist, there really was something for everyone!

This year’s theme was “Many Hands” and it was fascinating to get the speakers’ views on topics like collaboration, consumerism, sharing messages and knowledge, and using our hands. Most importantly, they spoke about their passion for doing what they love, with real genuine passion and we’d like to share some of it with you.

DWYL_TEDxBrighton_ManyHands2

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