This post is going to be full of random, but hopefully inspirational ramblings! Just wanted to let you know 🙂

I recently watched one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time, The Greatest Showman. I’m sure lots of you have seen it by now too and know exactly how amazing it was. A tiny piece of the movie I’m still carrying is this quote…

“The noblest art is that of making others happy.” ~ PT Barnum.

I guess these words resonate with me because I’ve always created and shared ideas, thoughts or illustrations in the hope of spreading joy and making people smile. How wonderful to think we can make others happy through our art! And what about all the stuff we ourselves can learn from the art of others too?

With a little nudge from a movie here, a tiny tap from a book there, we can actually be inspired to live our very best life.

I’m a self-confessed dream chaser, so I grab all the inspiration I can from many different art forms. Lately, I’ve been trying to get through the huge pile of unread books in my library and I’ve also been listening to the many podcasts saved on my device. It’s really nice having Oprah keeping me company on my drive or walk home – her way with the spoken word and relating to people from all walks of life is truly an art form.

For the last few years, since living through cancer twice and SURVIVING, my mantra is to live life gratefully and see where it takes me! Success isn’t just about how much money you can make, but how well you can live your life. This sums it up perfectly:

“The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people. But it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind. It needs people who live well in their places. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane.” ~ David W. Orr

Decluttering my physical space has been one of my favourite pastimes after reading Marie Kondo’s The Life Changing Magic Of Tidying and has become one of the practical ways I can be one of those ‘people who live well in their places’. However, I’ve come to realise that decluttering is going to be an ongoing process and perhaps even a lifelong one.

But maybe more importantly, it is the ‘decluttering’ of my mind – forgetting the useless stuff and replacing it with inspiration and words of wisdom instead – that has been so helpful in really clearing out the cobwebs. It’s somehow made it so much easier to take a deep breath and think more clearly than I ever have before. This may even be the key to becoming one of those ‘peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind’?! I sure hope so.

Some quiet time each morning (that is, meditation, prayer or whatever you’d like to call it) before a half hour contemplative walk for exercise has truly done wonders for me – decluttering the crap, making space for the healing, the inspiration, the magic.

Here is just a glimpse of some of the gems I’m learning:

Paul Coelho told me to have courage, listen to your heart because it knows all things and everybody is going to die, it’s how you get there that’s up to you.

Ariana Huffington told me to take time for yourself, learn from your mistakes…no experience goes wasted, success isn’t just money and power (what about wellness, what about wisdom, what about joy, what about love?), unplug, sleep/nap, give up what no longer works for you (eg. complete a project by dropping it and focus on what really matters).

Joel Osteen told me to be your best cheerleader, tell yourself ‘I am enough, I am healthy’, speak self love into your life, run your own race as you can’t run somebody else’s anyway, if you don’t distance yourself from the wrong people you’ll never meet the right people, you can’t have negative forces in your life everyday if you’re going to fulfil your destiny, God’s dream for your life is so much bigger than yours, nothing is wasted as it brings you closer to where you’re meant to be going, say nothing happens TO me it happens FOR me and ask yourself ‘Who can I make feel loved today?’ It’s the little things – a smile, quick text – that can make someone’s day.

Tony Robbins told me life is about more than yourself, everything’s better when you share it, we all feel we’re not enough and are afraid we won’t be loved because a need for love is at the core of all life and to change expectation for appreciation.

My beautiful friend Relle told me to be curious and courageous.

And then there are the other beautiful souls who have shared healing words in random places …sorry I don’t remember exactly who they are, but here’s what they told me:

– The most important day is the day you decide you’re good enough for you. It’s the day you set yourself free.

– Everything is possible.

– Believe in yourself.

– If you want to get something, give it.

– When you make a choice, you change the future.

– Enjoy the journey.

– You are here for a reason.

– If it feels wrong, don’t do it.

– Say exactly what you mean.

– Don’t be a people pleaser.

– Trust your instincts.

– Be kind …to yourself and others.

– Let go of what you can’t control.

– Stay away from drama and negativity.

– Don’t be afraid to say no.

– Don’t be afraid to say yes.

– Believe you CAN and you WILL

– LOVE

Then my precious daughter turned 21 recently and I got to write her all the things I wish I knew when I was 21. Here’s what I said:

To my brilliant, wonderful, beautiful girl,

You’re only 21 but you’ve already grabbed hold of life and had some amazing adventures. I hope you’re as excited about your future as I am because it’s sure to be filled with so many more adventures too.

I know things are a bit uncertain for you right now having just finished your studies and with so many possibilities beckoning. But have confidence babe because after showcasing a tiny snippet of your brilliance already, you’re set to only shine brighter as time goes on.

The ‘real world’ is just around the corner, but I don’t want you to be scared…it’s going to be awesome! And remember, wherever you are in the world and whatever you do, you can always come home.

Everyone says your 20’s are the best time of your life and they’re probably right in lots of ways, so be sure to enjoy all the ‘moments’…but don’t worry too much if you slip up every now and then, because it’s all a learning curve and your 30’s are going to be pretty wonderful as well, your 40’s liberating and your 50’s, well apparently 50 is the new 40!

I know you always like to have a plan. You like to know what’s happening next. You’ve pretty much always been a responsible planner ever since you were a little girl. So rest assured that you WILL work it out. Some things will need to be planned in detail for sure, but with some things you’ll have to take a leap of faith, believe in yourself and just be curious and courageous. Believe you CAN and you WILL.

You may even try different careers over the years …there’s nothing wrong with that…it makes life interesting. Don’t waste time on regrets. Just hang in there and keep following your passions. Work hard and practise gratitude daily and I promise, you will always have success and adventure to look forward to. YOU GOT THIS! Really, you have.

And if you fail sometimes, that’s okay too… don’t give up. Have a good cry, say a little prayer, then hop up off the floor, wash your face, pop on some lippy and just try, try, try again. Failure is just God’s way of pushing you in a new direction!

You’re a brave girl, kind, loyal and honest. You are amazing. You are enough.

Be happy, be grateful and never forget who and where you came from. Remember God who gave you life. Remember your family who love you. Always stay true to who you are.

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Just be you and you’ll never go wrong.

One of my favourite poems is by an Australian poet named Erin Hanson, who wrote it when she was 19 apparently. She writes:

There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask, “What if I fall?”
Oh, but my darling,
What if you fly?

Don’t be afraid to take chances my darling girl. And don’t second guess your dreams.

Every morning when you awake you get to choose – continue to sleep with your dreams, or get up and chase them. I know which one you’ll choose.

And last but not least…

Never stop dreaming,

Jennifer xo