Christmas Edition 2022 

picture: Little Sisters Studio

Hello, Silly Season

Summer, what are you doing?

Just been in Sydney rugged up in bubble jacket and beanie.

Meanwhile, Christmas comes around with comforting regularity.

My favourite is the garish street decorations transforming surburbia into fairylight heaven.

Here’s one from our street. Good 'ol Christmas.

Unassuming suburban home by day, Vegas-like extravaganza by night.  

At Bunnings, Christmas shopping the other day.

“Are you looking for something?” asks the young assistant.

"I'm looking for hubby."

Without skipping a beat she responds "He's either in the garden section” (pointing right) “or down in tools” (pointing left).

My goodness she knows him better than me!

Locating him in Gardening, I tell him he's been accurately typecast. The same girl (she looks about 12 as do most youngsters as you get older) is on checkout as we leave. Nish to her: “I bet you'd be in the clothes shop” (based on my habits, of course).

“Not me" she snaps as she beeps up our purchases. "You'll find me tearing around on my motorbike."

Go girl.

My special gift for you this Christmas: Gretchen Rubin's 

Four Tendencies Quiz.

It's free and takes about 10 minutes.

What type are you when it comes to meeting expectations? 

Gretchen Rubin is a super-smart, best-selling habits and happiness author. Her clever personality framework, The Four Tendencies, asks:

How do I get myself—and others—to do what I want?

Find out how to harness your strengths and manage your weaknesses. Each of us fall into one of the four: Upholder, Questionner, Obliger or Rebel.

Identifying your Tendency helps:

• make decisions
  
• achieve goals and meet deadlines; start or stop habits
• interact better with others
• understand why you react the way you do

Knowing the Tendency of a friend, colleague or family member can help you understand them as well.

There's no “best” tendency. Obligers at the largest group at 41% of people. Rebels are the smallest at 17%. Questioners come in at 24% of people and Upholders at 19%. Which one are you?

Quizzes | Gretchen Rubin        Podcast

Getting Started: The Four Tendencies | Gretchen Rubin

Beat the Xmas Blues

Open Pasture Meditation (for kids ... okay, adults too)

I've been a fan of Mira Binzen since my days with Mindfulness in Education, bringing self-calming and coping strategies to primary school classrooms. Her 5-minute Open Pasture Meditation shows us how to observe our thoughts rather than being led by them.

"Meditation is your secret weapon", explains Mira, "it’s your superpower, and it’s not as hard to do as you may think."

Checkout her mini-ebook about kids' anxiety, her Anxious to Awesome program and her youtube channel Global Family Wellness.

Stressy things:

• In-store Christmas muzak (is it just me, or does it sound tinnier than ever?)
• Making airline bookings online ... and nervously hitting the "pay" button.
• Sending out Zoom links. Accidentally sent the Posture Clinic link for the Wednesday group back to the previous Sunday group. Discovered in time, thankfully.
  
• Uber: will it find me? Am I waiting in the right spot?

Oops ...

I'd like to say it's a Christmas indulgence, but actually it's year round. Portioning out a stingy serve of Meredith’s Marinated Goat Cheese (yuuummm) for breakfast then hoeing straight into the jar as I return it to the fridge. 

That's all folks.

Thanks for opening and reading. Great to have your company.

Enjoy the remainder of 2022. It's neeearly over.

Big hugs, Shakti

find previous Newsletters here