What motivates you?

There are a few things that motivate me.

My faith is the main thing that motivates me as do my naturally optimistic nature and the love and support of friends and family.  Having faith that everything will turn out well and making small achievements towards my goals definitely keeps me motivated. My daily practice of mindfulness and the attention I give to Lily keeps me optimistic.  Having a glass half full attitude to life definitely helps.

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What are your top ten favorite movies?

1 Pretty In Pink.

2. Dead Poets Society.

3 The Sum Of Us.

4. The Man From Snowy River

5  To Catch A Thief.

6  Starstruck

7 Bridget Jones Diary

8 Love Actually

9 A Dogs Journey.

10 Pay It Forward

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What do you enjoy most about writing?

I have loved creativity and the arts since about birth.  As soon as I was a toddler, I discovered books, and that began my lifelong love of reading 📚 and writing ✍️.   What I love about it most is the personal fulfilling feeling that putting pen to paper brings. I can express my soul and use my vocabulary to express my creativity in a way that fires my imagination and mentally paints a picture for my readers ♥️.  I loved art at school, but my very favourite thing was when we got to use our reading and writing ✍️ skills by writing stories.  I can remember secretly writing my first  ” novel” when I was about 10 years old.  As soon as I discovered books I knew I wanted to write one.  Now that life has allowed writing to be my current vocation, I feel the most personally fulfilled in my entire life. That little girl who dreamed of writing books and later dreamed of being a journalist now writes ✍️ a blog and self publishes her other works of writing. My advice to my 10 year old self would be to hold onto that dream because one day it may come true.

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What do you love about where you live?

I am an Aussie girl through and through.  I live in the State of Victoria in an outer suburb of Melbourne.   I love the history of Melbourne and the beautiful old buildings with grandiose architecture that speak of the wealth in Victoria that the gold rush of the 1850s that brought incredible wealth to Melbourne and country towns like Bendigo and Ballarat.   I love little towns like Woodend and Daylesford and love the beaches, particularly Williamstown,  Barwon Heads, and Ocean Grove.  I love the beauty of the high country.

I love going out for coffee at cafes with friends and am a bit of a foodie and love a good meal with a glass of 🍷 wine. I love Melbourne’s Cafe culture and food scene. I love the charm of Williamstown.

I love the culture and history of my home.  I don’t even mind the weather, although we famously have four seasons in one day here in Melbourne. The people I love the most in the world 🌎 live in Melbourne.  It is home for now and where I hope to stay.   Melbourne is a great place to come from.

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What positive emotion do you feel most often?

The positive emotion I feel most often is 🙏🏽 gratitude.   I may not be financially well off, but what I do have I am grateful for.   I am wealthy in terms of relationships and friendships, and don’t take that for granted.   I don’t believe in keeping up with the Jonses and don’t have many expensive possessions.   I am happy with my lot in life and feel gratitude for the things I do have..

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How do you plan your goals?

I plan my goals first of all with an attainable goal and give myself a fluid time frame for achieving it.  I break it down into baby steps that I try to achieve them on a regular basis, eg daily,  weekly monthly.  I reward myself if I stick to these goals along the way.  A good example is my plan to move house sometime next year.  I am slowly decluttering my home and trying to take a small bag of stuff to the Salvos store each week or give my friends things that I don’t need that I think they would like. I regularly throw out things that I don’t need.  I don’t punish myself if I have a week that doesn’t happen, but I am kind to myself when I do achieve these baby steps.

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What is a word you feel that too many people use?

The word that I feel too many people use is  “whatever.”  It has become so common place, and people use it when they are bored or apathetic and don’t say what they really think or feel.  It is used to be dismissive and to end conversations or avoid conflict.  I would prefer someone telling me what they really think rather than dismissing me entirely with  a “whatever.””  Just like  OMG, it is used too much to control the conversation by people who are apathetic and don’t bother to properly express their thoughts.

What brings you peace?

There are a few things that bring me peace. My daily practice of mindfulness helps to bring me peace.

Patting Lily’s soft coat is very calming and peaceful.  Also, taking her for her morning 🌄 walk in the fresh crisp morning 🌄 air helps me to feel peaceful and contented.

I’ve just realised that everything that brings me peace is FREE.   It is often the most simple of things that bring us  the most joy and contentment.

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What profession do you admire most and why?

There are a number of professions that I admire the most because of my experiences in life.  I admire social workers, nurses, and teachers whom I all think are overworked and underpaid in our society.   I think of the social workers I worked alongside in mental health and of the nurses who have always treated me so wonderfully when I have been unwell.

The other professions that I really admire are those that take care of the animals in this world. I think veterinary workers are amazing, and I know I couldn’t do what they do on a daily basis. I couldn’t operate on or put animals to sleep.  I couldn’t bear to do anything to harm an animal.  I have a niece who has studied animal studies, and I firmly believe she has been put on this earth 🌎 to love ❤️ and care for animals.  People who are born with the gift to care for animals are definitely one of the professions I admire most.

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If you were going to open up a shop, what would you sell?

I know I have answered this before.  If I were to own a shop, it would be an old-fashioned children’s literature shop.  I would stock all the classics as well as modern-day literature.   I would sell teddy bears and angelic and fairy products.  I would run storytelling sessions for the children and have face painters on hand at these storytelling sessions so it becomes like a child’s party time. In fact, I would offer these storytelling sessions as an option for young childrens birthdays.  I would have authors and illustrators do book signing  sessions and meet and greet the public.

I would be spreading the word that if you love books as a small child  and are immersed in good children’s literature as a child, it will foster a lifelong habit of reading and a love of the arts.  It will help engender creativity in children.

I know this is a big dream,,, but it is a dream I love contemplating.

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