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Nature’s Little Treasures

“The more you look, the more you notice.”

This is the transcript from Season 2, Episode 4 of the Outdoors is my Therapy Podcast with my friend Krista Bjorn.

Nature’s Little Treasures

Kathryn: Hello and welcome back to The Outdoors is My Therapy podcast. I’m your host, Kathryn Walton. This is series two and each episode you’ll get to meet one of my friends who’ll share what inspires them about the outdoors. Each episode is just a few minutes long, like a little snack of information and inspiration that feeds your mind and your heart and reconnects you with the therapeutic benefits of the outdoor world.

Intentionally spending time in the outdoors each day can add amazing value to your life, including your mental health. And whilst nature is not a cure for all sorts of health issues, we do often neglect the fact that spending time in nature or connecting with nature in other ways can help us to feel better.

Why is it that we rush through the day sometimes without even a thought about the natural world around us? And how can we move from knowing that we’ll feel better if we get outside for a walk or a stretch to actually doing it? Sometimes it takes a bit of time and energy investment, but I’m here to remind you, and I’m here to remind me as well, that you open yourself up to multiple health benefits when you choose to invest and connect with nature in ways that bring you joy. The research backs up what you and I already know you stand to have improved attention, reduced stress levels, increased energy and vitality, a boosted mood and improved sleep.

Nature connection also promotes recovery from stress, and it can buffer stress in ways such as lowering your heart rate and your cortisol levels, and improving your immune functioning, and unlike a lot of things, nature is reasonably accessible for many people. And what I mean by this is that yes, you can be physically active in the outdoors and that’s great if you can be, but you can also connect with nature when you sit or lie down with a view of the outdoors.
When you have natural objects in your home or your bedroom or maybe your hospital room such as pot plants or seashells, even pets, and when you take the time to look through photos, watch videos, or view artworks that represent nature.

So if you live in a place where it’s not safe to be outside or you’re not able to go out, or maybe you are feeling unwell, there are many opportunities for you to connect with nature and enjoy the benefits, and even brief contact with nature can make a difference to your mood.

Today’s conversation is with my friend Krista Bjorn, who shares why nature is so important to her. Krista has a particular love of herbs and other plants that are beneficial for healing and nutrition, as well as adding beauty to the spaces around her. She shares her favourite place in the world and has some really practical advice about how nature can support you during stressful times and when you’re not feeling well enough to venture outside as well. We talk about how Krista learned to notice the little treasures in nature and how that led her to capture them through photography and to share them with the world.
Meet my friend Krista.

Hi Krista, and welcome to the podcast.

Krista: Hi Kathryn. Thank you so much.

Kathryn: Krista, what inspires you about the outdoors?

Krista: Oh, it is life to me, . Every day I wake up and the first thing I do is look outside at our trees and the bush and the meadows and the paddocks, and I just sit and watch the light come over the land. And I love, especially just knowing that no matter what’s happening in the world, our little piece of land is peaceful and quiet and beautiful, and that no matter what, how hard a day I have, I’m coming home at the end of the day and seeing the sunset and the incredible light and shadows of the trees, it just makes everything peaceful and happy again.

Kathryn: What’s your favourite part of your garden?

Krista: Oh, I really, really love the herbs and things that I have in my garden. So many of them are really precious to me because just looking at them brings so many memories, um, of, uh, harvesting the different berries, the roots, the leaves, the flowers for different things. And, sitting on the back veranda with friends as we pick off the tiny little flowers or scrub the roots and chop them up and get them ready for different remedies and things like that. And so when I see them, I don’t just see plants. I, I don’t just see the beauty of it, but I see, I see the healing that it can bring, to our bodies and our minds and our spirits. And so when I see them, it gives me a sense of purpose and excitement and, hope for the future, I guess. Just knowing that whether, I’ve got a headache or something, there’s something in the garden that will help us feel better.

Kathryn: Can you tell us a little bit more about how you are using those herbs and sharing them with the community?

Krista: Oh, yes. Well, I write books with all sorts of different recipes in them for people who like to make things on their own, and then I teach workshops where I show people how to actually make things from scratch. So when they show up at a workshop, I’ve got all these bowls and jars full of, dried fruits and berries and leaves and um, chopped up roots and spices that just smell amazing. So we’ll just sit there for a few hours and mix and blend and bubble and brew and make all these amazing concoctions that they can then take home.

And then there are people who don’t want to do any of the work, , and they just love, um, love to take the medicines like elderberry cordial or elderflower tea or borage infused wine or whatever it is. And so a lot of people will just contact me and just say, “Krista, can I put an order in for elderberry cordial? My kids are heading back to school and I just wanna help their immunity be as strong as possible” – that kind of thing. And so, then I’ll make up batches for them, and do that sort of thing.

Kathryn: You’ve also done a bit of travelling around the world, so you’ve seen a lot of places, you’ve lived a lot of places. What’s your favourite spot in the outdoors?

Krista: Oh, goodness. Yes. I was a food and travel writer for quite a few years, and um, I think one of my very, very favourite places on the planet is Albania because I went there not knowing anything about it at all, and it was so spectacularly beautiful with incredible mountains and, uh, crystal clear rivers and lakes and so much wilderness and these hillsides just covered with millions of wildflowers. And I just loved it there. At the time that I went, which was probably 10, 15 years ago now, um, it, it was not as advanced technologically and so it was really wild. And the places that you could go, you wouldn’t see any towns, any villages, any people, anything, um, at all. And I just loved it. I loved being out there with my friends and, um, going down side roads and ending up in crazy places and everything was beautiful.

Kathryn: That sounds just so, so beautiful.

Krista: Yes, it really was. It was like something out of a fairytale. I loved it.

Kathryn: Is there anything else that you’d like to share with us about your love of the outdoors? Krista?

Krista: Oh, I just, I love nature so much. No matter what I’m going through in my life, whether it’s stressful or, I dunno, things with covid or politics or all the things that conspire to, upset our equilibrium or make us anxious or distract our thoughts, getting out into nature. Every single time it calms me. It centers me, it settles me. It, um, it focuses me on the present and, allows me to calm and focus my thoughts so that I can do the work that I’m meant to do instead of getting distracted by the, the worries and anxieties and problems of things that I have no control over whatsoever.

Kathryn: Krista, I’m wondering if you’ve got any words for advice for people who maybe aren’t very mobile, or maybe not well enough to step outside and go for a walk outside. How can they connect with nature?

Krista: Yeah. I actually have a lot of experience with this because I’ve had some pretty epic, um, health issues and there were times that I could not get out of bed, let alone go for a walk in the woods and. So in those moments, I have really beautiful picture books of wonderful gardens and, places like Venice or Copenhagen or, just different places around the world that I can, even when I’m dreadfully ill, I can sit up in my bed and open these books and be transported to gorgeous places with incredible light and beauty and wonder and magic. Other times I will rent, or borrow DVDs from the library. I really love, um, Monty Don’s Gardens, when he travelled through France and Italy and other places. Again, those transport me and even if you aren’t mobile, even if, um, you’re going through a really hard time, we can often sit or stand or look out the window. And there’s always an option and that’s what I like to look for. A friend of mine said to me once, “Keep calm and look for options.” And that’s what I like to do.

Kathryn: One thing that I often talk with people about is finding the little treasures in nature. And Krista, I think that you are just like the queen of finding the little treasures in nature through your photography, through your Instagram account. Could you tell us a little bit about your photography?

Krista: Oh, absolutely. I didn’t start out as a photographer, but about 15 years ago, I was healing from a really traumatic situation in my life. And a friend of mine encouraged me to post one photo a day of something that brought me joy. And she said, because if you can find even one thing a day, it will motivate you to keep living, to keep healing, to keep growing, and to keep hoping that things will get better. And she was right and it brought me so much joy to, either go outside or go into my kitchen or even, um, just in my bed, look around my bedroom and look at something that made me happy. And I started noticing so many amazing things. If you just sit on the ground and just limit your vision to the things that are around you, all of a sudden you’re discovering these incredible seed pods and grasses and interesting looking sticks or a really gorgeous rock with interesting markings on it. And all of a sudden your, I guess your big picture view is, um, brought down to something really amazing. And it’s almost like a meditation that it, um, focuses your mind. It calms and settles your mind. And so that’s just how I started. I just started taking photos of things that brought me joy and through that practice, through that daily daily habit, I got better and better. And now I think my eye just naturally gravitates to beautiful things. And whether it’s a flicker of light or, um, I don’t know, or a flower or, um, even an interesting crack in the pavement that looks like, I don’t know, an animal or something. Um, the more you look, the more you notice.

Kathryn: One thing that I really love that you take photos of is droplets of water. And that I think really meant a lot to me because coming through the drought that we had that just seemed like forever

Krista: Yeah.

Kathryn: And you would share photos of your garden and when you watered the garden and, and you’d take photos of the droplets, or if we had one of those rare showers of rain or there was some dew on the leaves or on the flowers, and I, I think, you know, there’s a whole world in that one droplet of water that you can capture.

Krista: Absolutely. Oh, the drought was so painful for me as well as it was for all of us. And there were days that I would, get up and look outside and just cry because it was so desolate and thankfully I was able to get some water out of our bore and my friend calls them Krista’s Green Stripes , because I would set up one drip hose on the grass and that’s all I watered the whole time was just one stripe of grass so that we could go stand out barefoot on one stripe of green grass and that I could go out there and see droplets of water, um, when I would turn the little spray on for a little bit, and just to see that life, that water, that incredible light, when the sun comes up and shines through the droplets of water on the grass, it gave me courage to keep going.

Kathryn: Thank you, Krista for sharing so many stories from your life, connecting with nature, connecting with the outdoors, I think you’ve just shared so many little treasures with us today that will be inspiring for other people to take on board and give them, you know, a little lift on their own healing journey or on their own journey towards thriving in life. So thank you so much for that.

Krista: Oh my absolute pleasure. I loved it. Thank you.

Kathryn: Thanks for tuning into The Outdoors is My Therapy podcast. We hope you feel inspired to connect with the outdoors no matter how big or small your adventures might be. If you’re looking for more inspiration or you’d like to connect with others in the outdoors is my therapy community. Check the show notes for all the links.

You can listen to the episode “Nature’s Little Treasures” here:

LINKS

Krista’s website

Follow Krista on Instagram @ramblingtart

Contact Kathryn via her website

Grab your free Guide to a Perfect Nature Escape Day when you subscribe to the Grounded Inspiration newsletter (limited time)

Join the Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group

“Your Personal Day of Retreat: A guide to planning self-care and stress management that really works” e-book

The Million Star Motel

Throw your swag down and be captivated as you gaze up at the twinkling roof of The Million Star Motel

This is the transcript from Season 2, Episode 3 of the Outdoors is my Therapy Podcast with my friend Marco Gliori.

The Million Star Motel

Kathryn: Hello and welcome back to the Outdoors is my Therapy podcast. I’m your host Kathryn Walton. This is Series 2 and each week you’ll get to meet one of my friends who’ll share what inspires them about the outdoors. Each episode is just a few minutes long, like a little snack of information and inspiration that feeds your mind and your heart and reconnects you with the therapeutic benefits of the outdoor world.

Kathryn: Do you ever go outside at nighttime and look up at the stars? Can you see the stars where you live? Or is there too much light from the city life? And when you do look up at the night sky, what do you think about? How do you feel? I live in the bush quite a long way from town and city lights, and unless the moon is full or there’s cloud in the sky, I get a pretty good view of the night sky some of our visitors have marveled at just how many stars they can see when they come to visit us. So many more than what they can see from their city homes. So I feel incredibly grateful for where I live and for myself, I have a mixture of feelings when I look up at the stars. Definitely a bit of fear and curiosity all at the same time. I mean, how does the world even keep spinning around? How long have the stars and the planets, how long have they been there and really are they stars that I’m seeing? Are they planets or are they something else? What’s their history and what’s the future of everything I can see when I look up at the night sky? So a bit of fear and a bit of curiosity, but I also feel very grounded looking up at the night sky. It reminds me a bit of the final scenes in the Men in Black movies where the camera zooms out revealing worlds within worlds. And as Will Smith’s character, Jay says they need to know that the world is bigger than them. So looking up at the night sky, it often puts my problems in perspective. Something that felt so huge and consuming becomes a mere speck in the scheme of things, considering the size and the age of the world that we live in, it helps me to take things a little bit more lightly than I otherwise would. Watching the orange glow of the sun setting and then spending some time outside in the dark away from artificial lighting and devices that emit blue light, that also helps your brain and your body to wind down after a day of activity. So you begin to feel tired and your body and your brain is getting ready for sleep. A lot of people do report that their sleep and their energy levels improve significantly during camping holidays, and this exposure to those natural rhythms of light and dark is one of the main reasons. So here’s a tip for an all natural strategy to improve your sleep. Get outside first thing in the morning for at least a few minutes of natural sunlight. That helps to set your body clock and then as the evening approaches, watch the sun setting and spend a bit more time outside after that, looking up at the stars and the moon. But that’s enough from me for today. Today on the podcast, you are going to hear from my friend Marco Gliori, who has an absolute gift for words. Marco lives in the rural Southern Downs Region of Southern Queensland like myself. Today, he shares some of his bush verse with us, “The Million Stars Motel” and what inspired him to write this poem. Marco also chats about his favourite ways to connect with nature. So meet my friend Marco.

Marco: When the road is long and dusty and the sunset’s far off gaze, steers the weary workers home again, Then I, like all the strays, Look out on the far horizon for the travelers next motel, Some with carpet soft as spinifex, And bright pink doors as well. Rated by the stars I find them, But the slickest I must tell, Is my swag beneath the heavens, In the Million Star Motel. In the Million Star Motel, My room will always be reserved, When the neon lights that beckon, Flash like miracles preserved. Nothing fancy in the bathroom, Precious little but the view, By the incandescent campfire, Sip the billy’s bubbling brew, Shelve your finest crystal glasses, mate, They cannot cast a spell, Like the sparkle from the ceiling, In the Million Star Motel. Cabins creak upon the railway, And their rhythm shunts my mood, Trucks are hurtling down the highway, Laden down with frozen food, Foreign cars are blinding kangaroos, While searching for respite, Warm and cozy, Somewhere civilized to spend another night. I’d like to wave them over, But they’d think like bloody hell, Some are fearful of the bedmates, In the Million Star Motel. Frogs that grunt and gloat about you, Fish tails slapping by the moon, Thumping wallabies now scratching, For the green pick coming soon. Things that sting you, Bugs that bite you, Fearsome howling on the rise, Stuff that tunes your basic instincts, Prehistoric lullabies. And then when deep sleep caresses you, Your heart can’t help but swell, As the roof illuminates you, In the Million Star Motel. And tomorrow when I wake refreshed, To trek another mile, Pray contentment fills my fuel tank, And the sun reflects my smile, And a cool breeze breeds momentum, As I tell another friend, I’ve found a fine establishment, I’m pleased to recommend. Where ideals can mold a future, And your mind clears like a bell, As you buzz into reception, At the Million Star Motel. Plant the seeds of resurrection folks, What a sweet concept to sell, Healing pleasures, Free to dreamers, In the Million Star Motel.

Kathryn: I love it Marco. What inspired you to write that poem?

Marco: Two things. First of all, my dad. he’d been in a very stressful situation. For many years, he isolated himself. This is a man suffering deep emotional turmoil and never had any mates to talk to about it. He isolated himself from his family and he became very stressful to live with, but I remember looking out into the backyard of our little house in the avenue where we lived and I saw him standing in the backyard with his Roll Your Own cigarette in his mouth, just looking up at the stars and talking to himself. And I don’t know what he was thinking, but I often thought back on the times, the most treasured times we had were, uh, by a campfire at Leslie Dam fishing, um, around the barbecue sitting in the backyard when we could actually get him to laugh and celebrate life and realise that all his family loved him and all the help that he needed, uh, to find some sanity was right there. And he just didn’t seem to take those opportunities and died very young at the age of 52. So I made sure that I planned it in myself, that expectation that I would never not do something that I would give up a job at the drop of a hat if I had to. I would walk off the edge of a commitment and go and find a beach or a bit of bush somewhere, or a mate at a pub, or a friend with a cup of tea on a verandah and I would find someone to talk to. Uh, and that’s what my father gave me. I saw that I never seen anyone as lonely, but I often thought about that, how he was looking up at the stars and, and dreaming about all his opportunities and, and what he’d given away by coming out as the only one of his family to do so from Italy and he never spoke to us about it. So we still have all these unanswered questions. Many years later, and, uh, just before I wrote this poem, I’m watching a television program. It was a travel program and one of the presenters was walking through a very poor part of India, down dirt roads. And, uh, it was a, it was a village made up of mud brick and sandstone houses with no windows and shops and little hotels. And she paused talking to this one bloke because he was perched in the doorway waiting to invite people into what looked like just a mud brick type of house. And she says, “Is this a motel?” And he said, “Yes, this is a very good motel.” “Is it a really good motel? I don’t see much to do in there.” He said, “Well, you have your one star motel. You look around, he says, this is the Million Star Motel.” And it was just such a beautiful way to look at something very basic, but that’s all you needed, he was saying, to have a good time. And no, I never forget that.

Kathryn: What’s your favourite way to connect with nature?

Marco: Just put on your shoes and walk out there. And I say shoes because there’s too many prickles to go bare feet. Otherwise I would, but when I’m on the beach, yeah, bare feet up and down the beach. Always. When I go to the Sunshine Coast, I always walk up Mount Coolum or find a mountain walk to go to. Here, Girraween, Main Range National Park. Uh, Leslie Dam, sometimes I’ll just go there and walk up and down the stairs and, and round the dam itself and, uh, to get some exercise. But I think just walking with, uh, no sound bites and I can I say Kathryn, I was out at Winton recently doing a lot of walking and when Julie and I walk, we don’t walk together. Uh, unless we’re doing a mountain walk, but out at Winton, she was always walking around with a headset in and what she was listening to was your podcast. So, uh,

Kathryn: [laughing]

Marco: When I’d, uh, when I started listening to them, I was telling Julie about you and the podcast. She says, “I know I’ve got all her podcasts. What do you think I was listening to at Winton when I was walking around the streets out there?” And I’d go bush, but I, I, I love the highway. Um, Yeah, I love the highways and, and the bush and the road less traveled. So once I’ve done a walk somewhere once or twice, I’m looking for something different. So I’m reintroducing myself and my daughters to all the Main Range walks up there and the Great Divide and, uh, uh, which we all did as kids. We all did them in, in our early adulthood. And for me, it’s lovely to get back up there now. Place is looking great.

Kathryn: And things always change don’t they, out there? Different seasons, different climatic conditions, different times of the day. Yeah, just always so different. Always something new to see.

Kathryn: Thanks for tuning in to the Outdoors is my Therapy podcast. We hope you feel inspired to connect with the outdoors no matter how big or small your adventures might be. If you’re looking for more inspiration or you’d like to connect with others in the Outdoors is my Therapy community, check the show notes for all the links.

You can listen to the episode “The Million Star Motel” here:

You can also hear Marco Gliori sharing inspiration about building community through the arts and environment on the Speak Out Loud: Stories of Strength podcast here:

Connection Through Digital Technology with Carmel and Adam Wooding

Transcript from the podcast “Speak Out Loud: Stories of Strength from the Southern Downs”

SEASON 2: EPISODE 10

GUEST: Carmel and Adam Wooding, Empower Digital

PUBLISHED: 28rd March 2022

[00:00:00] Carmel: I think technology is just a tool to facilitate that connection that we as humans want, you know. We need each other. And I think technology is just a way to, to make that happen. Like we can see in online marketplaces like the Buy From The Bush, people want to support each other. And technology gives us a platform to make that happen so that people from the city can support bushfire recovery or flood recovery or drought, by purchasing handmade item from people that really need their purchases.

[00:00:25] Kathryn: Carmel and Adam Wooding join me on the podcast today to chat about how digital technology can help you to thrive by connecting you with your friends, family and community, as well as how digital technology is helping rural, regional and remote businesses across Australia thrive by connecting them with their customers and their teams. Carmel and Adam established their own business, Empower Digital, during the drought and the bush fires of 2019 in Warwick, Queensland. They also had plans to travel around Australia with their business when the pandemic changed what was possible. Their story reflects how important it is to have goals in your personal and your work or business life. But most importantly, it highlights the value of being flexible in how you work towards your goals. So the themes you’ll hear in this episode encourage you to connect and to be flexible in life and business.

Carmel and Adam, welcome to the podcast. Can you talk to our listeners about what your connection is with the Southern Downs?

[00:01:48] Carmel: Sure. Well, thank you so much for having us Kathryn. So my name’s Carmel Wooding and, um, I actually am a born and bred local Warwick girl, you know, I was raised here, went to school here, moved away after uni and moved to the Gold Coast and met Adam. And, uh, you know, the call of the Southern Downs was too strong. And after our second child was born, back we came.

[00:02:09] Adam: I’d love to first of all, acknowledge the Githabul People, um, the, the Traditional Owners of the land, that we are meeting on today. As Carmel said, I was born on the Gold Coast and before moving out here had absolutely no experience of living in the country at all. I’m a real beach boy. And so after I met Carmel and started coming and visiting Warwick, it was definitely a new experience for me coming out and visiting a country town and so as Carmel said, after our second child was born, we decided to come back and spend some time in Warwick while Carmel was on maternity leave and we had very, very strict plans that we were only gonna come and visit for 12 months. And we were definitely going to be going back to the Gold Coast. We were really sure about that, but I think, um, after I think about two weeks, I think it was, I remember Carmel and I sitting out here where we are now and just thinking, This is just so amazing, such an amazing lifestyle out here. Why would we want to go back to the crowded city? So we decided to stay in Warwick and I’ve just really learned so much and really love living out here now. And I think that for us there’s just so many opportunities and um, it’s just such a amazing way of life for us and our kids now as well. So, I don’t know if I can myself a local yet, but I, I definitely feel a lot more connected to the to this area now.

[00:03:34] Kathryn: And Carmel and Adam in 2019, you had a vision to empower small business owners to develop a stronger digital presence. And at that time, the Southern Downs Region was experiencing pretty severe drought and bushfires. And I recall Carmel, I was collaborating with you to offer some rural and regional small business owners, some education and support that they were needing at that time. What inspired you to start your business at that time? And this was pre COVID as well.

[00:04:05] Carmel: Sure. So, I’m actually an educator, I’m a teacher librarian by trade. And so, education has always really been a passion of mine. Adam has always done a lot in the digital space. So, the businesses that he’s worked for before and particularly in the, in the creation of his father’s business, Adam has always done really amazing things with small businesses in terms of getting them online, having an online store and great digital presence. So I think for us, it was kind of natural that both our passions came together. We decided we didn’t ever want to be gatekeepers and do things for people because we believe so much in empowering people and believe so much that people have the capacity to kind of be the master of their own future. They may just need help with the knowledge and skills to get there.

[00:04:51] Adam: Yeah I think that there wasn’t any conscious decision to start at that particular time, for any reason. Other than that we felt like the time was right for us to start our own thing and have our own business for our family. I had spent a lot of years um, working for my mum and dad’s business which was fantastic. They, they are so generous and, so giving and they always made us feel like we were part of that business, but we, we just felt like it was time for us to go out on our own and, and have our own thing for our family. So that’s the reason that we started at around that time.

[00:05:23] Carmel: And to be honest, Kathryn I think, um, you know, you did have a part to play in that because the opportunity came at that time for those local businesses to get support. And I think that was a real moment for Adam and I to go, Well, the need is out there for somebody to be doing this work. And I guess we were in a place where we were able to offer that to people as well.

[00:05:41] Kathryn: I also recall that at that time you had some plans to travel across Australia and that you were hoping to spend 2020 doing quite a bit of travelling. What impact did the COVID 19 pandemic have on your plans?

[00:05:56] Adam: You’re exactly right. We couldn’t have chosen a worse year to embark on a trip around Australia. No one could have foreseen what that year was going to bring but in terms of the impact for us, so we had planned to continue with our business while we were travelling. I remember that when the pandemic hit, we had about four or five projects lined up that we were planning on working on while we were travelling and everything, all those businesses, pulled out of those projects. So, at which we completely understand because it was such a turbulent time and no one knew what was going to happen. And um, we completely understand that those businesses just needed to put those projects on hold. But it was really stressful for us because all of our work just fell through and we had rented our house out so we didn’t have anywhere to come back to. So we were travelling but we had lost all of our projects. There was a couple of weeks there where it was, I found it really stressful, I think Carmel was handled it a bit better than I did, but, um, it was a really stressful time when that all started. But we fortunately made some changes to our business and started to offer some webinars and um, all kinds of different things like that. And really quickly, our business went in a little bit of a different direction and, and we were very fortunate to make new partnerships with other organisations and start focusing on helping businesses who needed to transition to online sales really quickly to make that transition. Then found a whole new market and are our business has gone into a totally different direction. That’s what we’re focusing on now.

[00:07:26] Carmel: Yeah, so, um, the plan for 2020 was to travel around Australia in a caravan with three children. Our business plan at that point was to run workshops in small regional towns and do a lot of in-person work to be honest because Adam and I are both very passionate about relationships, and very passionate about meeting people where they’re at. So when COVID hit, um, we did return to Warwick. It was about March. So we’d been on the road for about two months. And I think just the uncertainty, you really want to be close to home when, when you’re faced with that level of uncertainty. As Adam mentioned, we did, you know, have to rethink things, Well, can we make that personal connection through online meetings? And of course, we now know that we’re in the era of Zoom and Google Meet and all of those kinds of platforms that make that connection really easy. So, you know, we stayed in Warwick we got our business back on track. We kind of felt a bit more confident in the world and then we were really lucky. We were able to take off again about August, and managed to get five months of caravaning and working on the road in, um, where we got to go through the Northern Territory, did the entire coast of South Australia and the Victorian coast to Geelong before we had to come home and settle back into reality.

[00:08:31] Kathryn: So lots of adjustment and adaptation of the business but also of your own personal and family plans for travel.

[00:08:39] Carmel: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. And our family dynamic and all of those kinds of expectations as well.

[00:08:46] Kathryn: Were there any surprising benefits for yourself, for your family or for your business through all of that?

[00:08:52] Carmel: Well, as Adam mentioned, COVID actually had quite a silver lining for our business because we found very quickly that what we were able to offer people was really beneficial and value adding to those businesses. People needed to get their businesses online because people just weren’t out to purchase things in bricks and mortar stores. So the services that we offered were really in demand. So COVID actually, even though our business did go in a completely different direction, it’s actually a really solid direction for us. And, really a way of working that we’re really passionate about and something that we, we actually really love. And in terms of our family, I think it taught us all to be a lot more flexible, taught us to be a bit more resilient I guess. You’ve got to see the silver lining in things, you know. COVID’s been a really hard time for lots and lots of people. And I don’t ever want to downplay that at all, but I think for us and for our family and for our business, we’ve actually come through COVID feeling confident that, that our business has grown and we’ve been able to help other businesses as well.

[00:09:48] Kathryn: Connection to community and to each other is one of the key characteristics of a healthy and a resilient community. And we’re seeing that from the research that’s coming out of the bushfire recovery studies and so forth. Throughout the pandemic businesses and individuals have really searched for solutions to this problem of isolation and feeling disconnected and the issue of distance. And yet people who have been living and working in rural areas and regional communities are really used to dealing with these issues of distance and connection. How is technology, because that’s the industry that you’re working in, how is technology helping communities, including Aboriginal owned businesses to connect with each other and to thrive?

[00:10:38] Adam: I think that technology is playing a huge part in all those things that you mentioned. So I think that there’s so many different aspects that technology is helping in. So I think first of all, the ability for business in those communities to sell their products to either domestic um Australia-wide market or international market. So there’s amazing platforms that make it so easy for those businesses in, in those rural and um remote communities to be able to reach a global market, to be able to create a following and create an awareness of their business and what they have to offer and to be able to then sell their, products and then bring income into their local communities. So I think that technology is playing a huge part in businesses, in um regional and, um, and remote areas. And I think also the ability for people in those communities to communicate and connect to other communities or, um, other relatives or people that are in different areas by being able to have virtual meetings which I think are so powerful. And with our business, we have formed relationships with people in communities all over Australia which is just incredible and and we would definitely not be able to do that without those digital tools.

[00:11:55] Carmel: Yeah, I agree. And I think, just a couple of things on that, Kathryn. So firstly, you know, I think technology is just a tool to facilitate that connection that we as humans want, you know. We need each other. And I think technology is just a way to, to make that happen. Like we can see in online marketplaces like the Buy From The Bush, people want to support each other. And technology gives us a platform to make that happen so that people from the city can support bushfire recovery or flood recovery or drought, by purchasing handmade item from people that really need their purchases, not just buying them online from Amazon or whatever. The other thing I think that is important to note is while technology is amazing, we need to be aware that we’re not all at the same level of access. When we were travelling around Australia in our caravan, it became really apparent to us. Even just, you know, we had our mobile phones and, and all of that kind of, technology. However, there were places that we went that technology just wasn’t available. There wasn’t an internet connection. We couldn’t stay there. We heard a really interesting point as we were travelling. There is an indigenous community, kind of on the Northern Territory South Australian border who had no, no internet, they had no phone towers and it wasn’t until the police needed to set up the COVID checkpoints between the states that they went Oh, well, there’s no internet here. We better get some phone towers put in. So that facilitated that community being able to access technology. So I think we do need to remember that we are really blessed. Even though we’re in regional Queensland, there’s lots of places in Australia that don’t have the access to use this technology to have that connection that we have.

[00:13:29] Kathryn: So it sounds like what you’re saying is these technologies can be wonderful tools for us to connect. Accessibility can be an issue for some people. Is there anything else that you would like to share with us around digital technology and how that can help or perhaps where it’s not helping individuals to connect with each other or for communities and businesses to connect with each other?

[00:13:53] Carmel: I think for me, one of the things that really has become apparent in our business is we do have quite a number of people and look a higher number of people in regional and rural areas who just think technology is not for me. I’m too old. I’m too old school. I didn’t have the opportunity to use it in the past. It’s too hard. And one of the most delightful things about our business is seeing somebody who says in our first meeting, Oh look I’m not tech savvy, go on to run a successful e-commerce store or to have a successful presence on social media. And I just really encourage everybody that there is no such thing as I’m not tech savvy. Everything in life is a learning and technology is no different. And I think there’s just so many potential benefits, particularly for business owners, to just give it a go, dip your toe itn the water. Like you can’t break it. It’ll be fine.

[00:14:45] Kathryn: Because that is a big fear, isn’t it? That if I touch something or press that button, it’s going to break.

[00:14:50] Carmel: That’s exactly right.

[00:14:52] Adam: We’re just so fortunate to have been part of so many incredible stories and so many incredible businesses. So we’re very fortunate to work with an amazing, amazing, organisation that’s based up in East Arnhem Land. And, it’s just this incredible community that has a, has a natural spring that’s on their land. And they are just doing really innovative things. So that they’re bottling their water and selling that online Australia-wide to generate some income for their community so that they can employ teachers and build more facilities. So that’s been an incredible project that we’ve been part of. And so many other businesses around Australia in, in really rural and remote places that have used technology to transform their lives and transform their communities. So, I think technology is a really positive thing and, and has huge potential for such a big impact on rural and remote communities in Australia.

[00:15:50] Carmel: And Kathryn you mentioned about, you know, were there any negative things that I see about technology. So of course I’m an educator. I’m in the education field. And of course, I think it’s just always important for no matter who you are, no matter what age to just maintain that information literacy and remember that everything you see on Facebook, isn’t the truth. So, you know, social media and particularly with our young people, you know, there’s a lot of comparing yourself to others. There’s a lot of, What am I doing wrong in my life because their life looks so good. And it’s in the business field as well, not just in individual life. But I think again, let’s just, let’s just remember that everyone has their bad days, they just don’t post about those days.

[00:16:26] Adam: Yeah I think that you just remind me of another negative aspect as well is, which is really, really bad at the moment is people who are trying to take over other people’s social media accounts and that sort of stuff by gaining access because people have, maybe really poor passwords or not very good security measures in place. So I think we’ve come across a couple of things very recently where, because people haven’t set up very good passwords or are maybe using the same password for multiple accounts, that sort of stuff, that either their bank accounts or their social media accounts or business systems have been broken into. And so that’s caused huge problems for those businesses. So I think, that’s just another area that we come across fairly often that I think business owners need to really be making sure that they have really good passwords and really good security measures in place.

[00:17:17] Kathryn: Thanks Adam. I was going to ask do you have some suggestions on how we can manage some of those challenges with technology? Because just like when COVID came and you had to adjust and adapt and flex your plans and find solutions to those problems that you were having, we can also look at some of these other challenges we have in life like the downside of technology. How can we see our way around that? How can we flex or adapt or adjust what we’re doing to reduce the challenge that we have in that area?

[00:17:50] Adam: Yeah, I think just some practical tools that people can use. So I think that first of all businesses need to just make sure that they are keeping all of their software up to date, making sure that they’re using the latest versions of all the different apps and programs that they use. I think that it’s extremely important that businesses use a password manager to manage all their passwords. I know that can be a little bit of a process to get that set up but it’s definitely worth the time and effort to do that. It can make a very big difference. And by using a password manager, make sure that you are using a different password on every different account that you have. And I think turning on two-step authentication wherever possible is also really worthwhile to do that too. And I think just being really careful about, um, about what links that you click on and who you share sensitive information with as well is really important.

[00:18:51] Kathryn: Adam, you mentioned an organisation that you’d worked with in East Arnhem Land, helping that organisation to develop their online presence and that there were so many benefits for that organisation in being able to do that. Reflecting on that process of being involved with some of those more remote communities, how does that feel to know that you’re part of facilitating their connection with the wider world?

[00:19:20] Carmel: Kathryn that was actually a community in East Arnhem Land. And they created this business called Knowledge Water. Their community is steeped in education, but they have a transient population. So their Homeland school is always under threat of being closed. So they kind of just went, Well, what can we do? How can we change this outcome for our children? But they didn’t want their children going to school in the nearest town four hours away because they were worried about the things that kids could get up to. They really wanted them on Country. And so yes, they just developed this plan to bottle in a sustainable way, their natural spring water and sell that and use the profits from that to then, um, long-term they hope to bottle it onsite. At present it’s not. But you know, they are educating teachers from their community to become educators in the community at their local Homeland school. And think to be part of that really did show us the power of technology because these guys are really working for their own self-determination, the ability to control their own future. Um, and so many communities unfortunately do feel powerless when their young ones have to move away to get work because there is nothing on Country for them to do. And I think really for us, the ability to be involved in that project was super affirming. It was never just a job for us, you know, we’re still connected to that organisation. We plan to work with them in an ongoing capacity. We rejoice at their successes. It’s just, um, you know, I think that’s how we work. We really do get involved with the businesses because we care about their outcomes.

[00:20:46] Kathryn: That’s really beautiful Carmel. And I’m thinking too, that the business that you’ve set up for yourselves here in a regional part of Queensland, because of technology, you’re actually able to reach out to some of these more remote communities who also are now becoming more connected and being able to be part of their world, part of their community, but from a distance.

[00:21:11] Adam: Definitely. It still blows us away every day that we’re able to run our business in a regional town and connect with all these incredible organisations and businesses and communities all around Australia and do that from our home office. And we wouldn’t be able to do that without technology. And think that it was a a really good time for us to start our business. COVID has made it more normal for remote meetings to be just a part of everyday life. And I think that that has actually been a real, a really positive thing for our business because now, we can just continue to make those connections with remote businesses using technology.

[00:21:49] Kathryn: And whilst you’re building your own thriving business, supporting other businesses and other organisations and communities to thrive as well. Adam and Carmel, what’s the best way for people to contact you?

[00:22:02] Carmel: I think probably by our website. Our online presence is www.empowerdigital.com.au but we’re also on Facebook and LinkedIn, Instagram, all of the socials.

[00:22:13] Kathryn: Thanks for listening to the Speak Out Loud Stories of Strength podcast with me, Kathryn Walton. I hope this episode inspires you to get involved and to get connected with your community. You can find the transcript and any links mentioned in this episode, in the show notes and please share the podcast with your friends.
We acknowledge and pay respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual, and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Series Two of this podcast has been jointly funded under the Commonwealth and State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements 2018.

Family Adventures: Tania’s Story of Travel Around Australia

Have you been thinking about creating a family adventure? Maybe an epic travel adventure? Or perhaps you’ve already nurtured a culture of adventure in your family? In this blog post, Tania Bertram (guest blogger) shares her memories of travelling throughout regional and remote Australia with her husband and two young daughters in the late 90’s. Tania is a keen Ambassador for the Outdoors is my Therapy initiative. She knows first hand that spending time outdoors gives you the chance to switch your mind off stressing, take in the beauty of your surrounds, focus your mind and your body, and bring a smile to your face.

An Epic Family Adventure

All packed and ready to go. One of many family adventures was about to be made. The adventure actually started many months before with the decision my husband Jeff and I made to travel Australia with our 2 year old and 4 year old daughters. Travelling and camping were not new to us or our girls.

In February 1997 the old camper was hitched on the back of the old LandCruiser and we headed south. Enjoying our own company, we chose secluded, quiet spots to camp. Nature is always on display when those around it are quiet and observant.

The ups and downs of adventures

First week we encountered gale force winds as a storm tore through our camp site. The girls sheltered under the kitchen table as Jeff held the awning and I held the canvas side from ripping inwards. The next week in a remote National Park we sat in buckets of water as the temperature peaked at 48 degrees in the shade. The Grampians [part of the Gariwerd Aboriginal cultural landscape] beckoned us to explore its mountains and rocky outcrops, then a visit to the nearest emergency department to get the youngest child’s elbow manipulated back into place after a slip. Then our children’s eyes wide as 4 spoons darted in and out of a tub of ice-cream, overlooking the valley.

Awe-inspiring adventures

Hiking up a stony track at sunset we wandered around the amazing stone sculptures of Broken Hill. Further south to some sinkholes we camped near clear water pools and watched an echidna waddle on past, leaving us pondering where he was heading to. We explored remote and windswept beaches with only our footprints to keep us company while we fossicked through treasures that had been washed up.

Travelling up through the middle of our vast country we lay at night stargazing in the desert and listening to all the night animals calling. We sat on a low branch with the cool water washing over our feet, making up songs about what we saw. Redback spiders needed to be pushed aside so we could use the long-drop toilet. We swam in 38 degree artesian bore water, chilly crystal clear water in numerous gorges and warm tropical waters. It was a sheer joy every time.

Us girls put on our posh frocks, our only going out dress, and cheered as we watched a horse race event in a small outback town. At yet another remote beach we dodged the squirts of the blue ringed octopus as we walked past their enchanting rock pools. Red chasms of the Bungle Bungles [now known as Purnululu National Park] beckoned us in to explore around the next bend, listening to our echoed voices dance above us. Boab trees in the north west became hiding places for our happy girls. We joined hands and circled the tree only to reach half way.

We sat mesmerised while listening and watching whales playing in the inlets, their fluke slaps lulling us into a peacefulness that only nature can do. We saw so many historical places, natural wonders and native animals up close. Our favourite pastime was lighting the campfire and making, cooking and eating damper on sticks filled with golden syrup.

Daily life on the road of adventure

Daily chores were part of life on the road. The children would wash their undies and socks in their bathwater and hang them up to dry and some times they would wash the dolls clothes and hang them up.

I have beautiful memories of them sitting on a rug under the tree, observing in quietness. Other times they would be drawing what they saw or how they felt. I often smiled as my little family were huddled up on our laps around the campfire and Jeff would start a story with …. Once upon time there were two little sisters off exploring Australia…

Make memories while you can

Many older travellers would ask “Why do it now? Wait till they leave home!” Our answer was twofold. If we waited we may not get the chance to do it, and, we were having a wonderful family time making so many memories together. There are so many opportunities and adventures as a family.

Grow a culture of adventure in your family

We always wanted our children to know their country and the many people who make it their home. Eight months on the road began their confidence with their surrounds and their ability to fit into society, respect for their country and those who live off the land. Continued travels, to often remote locations, has given our daughters the courage and knowledge to become successful members within their communities.

Be with your children. Get down at their eye level and explore together. Explain and discuss what you all see, hear and feel. The colours and textures vary between leaves, bark and rocks. Make up stories about your children’s adventures.

Safe travels.

Tania x

Adventures In the Great Outdoors

Daisy Spoke has started some new adventures!

Welcome to Episode 1 of The Great Backpacking Adventure in which I turn to overnight hiking to learn more life lessons through an outdoor adventure lifestyle.

My best memories and my best learning about life have come from spending weekends and holidays in the great outdoors. As a child my parents whisked us away for family holidays in our caravan or tent, taking in wonderful adventures as we immersed ourselves in some of Australia’s most iconic landscapes. We took walks in the grandeur of rainforested mountains enthralled by stories of our ancestors’ pioneering days. On secret secluded beaches we discovered ocean life washed upon the shore – evidence of another world we could barely begin to imagine. Across the deserts we drove, soaking in the wonder of the sunrises and sunsets, a land of extremes in myriad ways.

My teenage years brought the opportunity to go camping with my Girl Guide and Ranger crews. As a restless sleeper, I knew then that my best sleeps came after a day in the outdoors, hiking, learning woodcraft skills, cooking over a campfire, canoeing, kayaking, abseiling, riding bikes and simply being with others who loved the adventure as much as I did.

It was no surprise then that at uni I met and married a kindred spirit of the outdoors. We spent our leisure time exploring all the usual National Parks trails within a few hours drive of the city, playing frisbee in the park, cycling the local roads and pathways, paddling on the bay and local creeks, and filling our lives with regular camping trips near and far.

As our children arrived on the scene, they too were included in our adventures which were modified to accommodate their growing needs. Nurturing their love of the outdoors has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life so far. To see their little faces eagerly joining in on walks, creek paddling and bike rides has been completely heartwarming. And to hear their excited voices asking questions, always asking questions, soaking it all in, enthusiastic about nature and adventure, curious about their world and seeing themselves as a valuable and integral part of it has been a spirited journey.

Through family illness and injury, study stresses and sporting commitments, work pressures and ties to family, friends and farm animals, we’ve kept up our habit of spending much of our leisure time in the great outdoors. Sometimes our adventures have been confined to the backyard (albeit a sizeable acreage of dry bushland) because that’s all we could do at the time. However sometimes our adventures have taken us to amazing far off places – interstate road trips with the trailer packed to the brim with camping gear. We’ve camped and hiked in awe-inspiring places like the The Warrumbungles, Mt Kaputar, the Blue Mountains, Carnarvon Gorge, Atherton Tableland, Central Australia, Birdsville, Innamincka, Gibraltar Range and Sturt National Park. By the time Miss E reached high school, she’d spent more birthdays in our tent than she had at home.

And now this year I sensed I was ready to take on a new challenge. A challenge that would combine my much-loved experiences of camping with the physical challenge of bushwalking – I decided that this year I was going to have a go at backpacking! Something I was never interested in at all until now. I mean, why would you want to carry a heavy weight on your back for hours to a campsite when you can so easily tow a trailer with everything you could possibly need (and more), and pull up right beside a campsite to unpack, in easy walking distance of the bathrooms, and with plenty of walking trails to choose from right where you are! But the inner self doesn’t always operate on logic, and I’ve learned to trust myself when I sense that I’m ready for something new. Back-flipping my thinking didn’t come easily though. I’ve done a lot of soul-searching and asking myself “why?” and I don’t really have that answer yet. But what I do have is a strong pull towards challenging myself, stretching my abilities and coping skills, and discovering new possibilities for myself, not limiting myself. Surprising as it may seem, even to me, the life learning in this backpacking adventure has only just begun!

Stay tuned for my next episode of My Great Backpacking Adventure as I take off on my first overnight hiking expedition!

Discovering mountain biking as life’s ultimate parallel universe in her middle age, Kathryn Walton shares information and reflections in Daisy Spoke that connect, inspire and self-empower women to make healthy choices for themselves. She integrates her love of physical exercise, family, nature, gardening and creative arts with her professional background in mental health social work to facilitate change with individuals, groups and communities of women who are committed to living life to the full.

8 Strategies for Handling Unease During an Adventure

Having been on the road with my daughter now for over a week on my April Adventure road trip throughout central, northern and western Queensland, and heading north through the Northern Territory to Darwin, I’ve managed to settle in and really enjoy myself despite feeling unprepared and unorganised when we started. I’ve fairly easily challenged some of my underlying fears and assumptions about travel including leaving half my family behind, not researching details about the route and destinations, not planning my return flight home when I leave my daughter in the tropical north to start her new job, being female and camping in out-of-the-way places and driving on remote roads, and the list goes on.

View from car windscreen

My latest challenge came only last night. Arriving at Elsey National Park near Mataranka I felt somewhat unsettled. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was about. The environment was not like any I’d spent time in before. It looked like a combination of wetlands and dry scrub with earth that appeared to be recently wet with rain but had since dried to a fine powder as silt does after a flood. There was a plethora of wildlife. The insects were very diverse, big and plentiful. I saw some grasshoppers that reminded me of the vivid yellow plastic toy grasshoppers you can buy in cheap toy packs from the dollar stores. The sounds of the bush here also seemed strange and haunting. I couldn’t tell the difference between bird and insect calls, or perhaps even other animals yet unseen. It was eerily quiet with only one other campsite inhabited by humans and the campgrounds extended well beyond sight in every direction. The facilities buildings were half fenced off and I was curious about this but couldn’t think of any rational reason why they would be fenced in this unusual way.

We decided on a campsite with some shade, green grass and a picnic table, and Campsite at Elsey NP before we even set up camp we had a short walk around the area. A sudden loud rustle in the bushes next to us startled me. Turning around and expecting to see a wallaby, my daughter tells me I wouldn’t want to know what made that noise. On further enquiry she tells me it was a rather large snake, and I began to seriously wonder about moving our campsite further away from said snake.

Roper River, Elsey NP My uneasiness only increased as the evening rolled on and in particular when we came face to face with another snake only a few metres from our tents. Still, I wandered why the uneasiness was there in the first place. Was I sensing a spiritual presence? Was it simply that everything seemed strange and unfamiliar? Or perhaps the absence of other humans? Was I simply tired and misreading my intuition? Was it FEAR welling up and testing my inner strength?

But how to handle this uneasiness? I decided to take some of my own advice and implemented these strategies:

I chose to “be” with my uneasiness. I acknowledged how I truly felt instead of denying or avoiding it.
I shared my feelings and concerns with my daughter, getting them out into the open instead of hiding them away and pretending they didn’t exist as I would have in the past.
I listened and looked, tuning into my surroundings in the present time, focusing on grounding myself to the moment rather than flying off into a fantastical and irrational anxiety about what might happen.
I set an intention to be open to possibilities and new experiences. Instead of being closed-minded and putting up barriers to enjoying myself, I chose to embrace the experience and adopt an adventurous mindset.
I intentionally invoked a relaxation response when I noticed my anxiety rising. I brought my attention to my breath and let go of the physical tension that I felt.
I used rational and logical self-talk such as “Just because I’ve seen a snake (or two) close to camp doesn’t mean I’m in any greater danger than if I hadn’t seen them”; “Not all snakes are deadly”; “We have a snake bandage on us at all times and an emergency signalling system if we need to use it”;
I immersed myself in the sounds of the night as I went to sleep, setting an intention of getting to know them better; an intention of curiosity, wonder and awe.
I also created an action to take during the night that however irrational it was, it really helped! It may seem funny to anyone else, and in fact it does to me now too! Whenever I stirred during the night and noticed that I’d rolled off my camping mattress or that I was touching the sides of the tent, I rolled back onto the mattress telling myself I can go to sleep safely now because no snake can bite me through the mattress even if does manage to slither its way under my tent!

Kathryn at Elsey NP And so I survived. In fact I thrived and had possibly the best sleep so far on my April Adventure. I awoke before dawn, spent a couple of hours silently meditating, embracing my surroundings and feeling entirely captivated by what seemed so haunting and difficult the day before. I feel an immense sense of satisfaction that I didn’t allow my anxiety to rule and limit me. I chose to respect it but also to stand up to it. In doing so I’ve come to know an amazing spiritual aspect of this sacred land which I may not ever understand, but I can accept it and embrace it. And when I do that, I also accept and embrace myself.

The Fearful Adventurer: 5 hacks to turn fear into adventure

I’ve always believed I operate best when I can plan ahead and organise or control the situation around me so it was with a deep breath that I set off on my current journey with barely a glance at a map. In fact I didn’t even pack my bag till the morning I left, and had so much on my mind and so many work tasks to complete that I hadn’t given the two week “April Adventure” road trip covering approximately 4200kms much thought at all.

Rainforest My Year of Adventure in fact began on New Year’s Eve as I set off on a week long road trip with my family to Melbourne and back home again traversing half the eastern side of Australia. With one daughter now settled in Victoria, I refocused my attention on developing new online programs and resources for women. I was thrilled to take my “February Adventure” to Hahndorf in South Australia to participate in and present at the Thriving Women 2018 conference. My “March Adventure” was closer to home with weekends and day trips to several magnificent National Parks, immersing myself in one of my great loves – bushwalking.

So here I am on my “April Adventure”. This journey has snuck up very quickly on me, and if I had paused for a moment to think about it, I’m sure I would have had 2 single tents a lot of “what if’s” and identified as a fearful and hesitant adventurer rather than a brave one. My April Adventure has brought up a number of ‘firsts’ for me – I’ve left half my family behind, I’m travelling with only one companion (my younger daughter) through some fairly remote parts of Australia, I’m camping in a tent by myself, I’m having to step up and make decisions I’ve not been responsible for previously, and I’m operating a business far from home and frequently without mobile reception or internet connection.

With a firm belief in stepping outside my comfort zone in order to learn and grow as a person, I chose to embrace the opportunities that my April Adventure has gifted me. And to satisfy my need for structure and predictability, I’ve created 5 hacks to manage potential feelings of overwhelm and anxiety about the ‘bigness’ of this adventure. I know you’ll find them useful too if you ever experience a sense of trepidation when stepping outside your comfort zone.

5 Hacks To Turn Fear Into Adventure

1. Break the task up into smaller tasks (or adventures) and focus on one at a time.

For me, I’ve been focusing on the day and night ahead – my next destination, my next meals, my next fuel stops – instead of worrying so much about the camp site and weather conditions at my final destination. Each day is a mini adventure in itself. Don’t miss out on these little adventures because you’re looking too far ahead.

View from car windscreen

2. Look around you, focus on the moment.

I never tire of looking out the window on road trips. The subtle changes in scenery, weather, road conditions, flora and fauna, lifestyle, language, and local industries. I absolutely love it. I wonder what it would be like to live here, to have been here hundreds of years ago, the stories of the First Nation’s people in this area, I wonder who built these roads and when and how, what do the local people do in their everyday lives…… Captivated by my immediate surroundings, I’ve found my wandering mind is creative and free, and not constrained by my fear mongering reptilian brain.

View of landscape

3. Maintain a routine

My social media posts on Facebook and Instagram during my trip have reflected a very important part of my routine that keeps my mind, body and spirit healthy – morning exercise! It’s not always possible to complete my entire routine but by taking a flexible approach I’ve kept my head and heart on an even keel.

Bushwalking

4. Listen to podcasts, Commonwealth Games news, audio books, music, anything of interest!

How lucky was it that my trip coincided with the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. Never a dull moment on the radio when we can pick up the commentary, and always opportunities to listen to pre-downloaded podcasts, training videos or catch up on a bit of blogging! Giving your attention something to hook onto prevents it from wandering away into the land of the most feared!

Reading at camp

5. Chat to people around you.

You never know your connections until you have a conversation with someone. Connections bring the world closer together, enhance empathy, and create opportunities for sharing stories and understanding. Looking outwardly minimises anxiety about our own situations and relaxes our mindsets.

Person standing on viewing platform

NOW, has anyone got any hacks to help me deal with the outback flies????!

What hacks do you have for managing the discomfort you feel when stepping outside your comfort zone?

6 Simple Steps to Smash Your Goals: Bring on the problem-solving train!

Today it’s all about smashing your goals in 6 simple steps using what I call “The Creative Problem-solving Train” model. My last blog post outlined the steps you need to take to successfully plan your goals, no matter how big or small. And today’s blog will help you to overcome the obstacles that can get in the way.

Human brains have evolved to focus more attention and energy on the problems of life than the things that are going well. So it’s no surprise that when we start to detail the specifics of our goals, our brains start thinking about all the things that will get in the way of success. Our inner chatter gets louder and louder. It itemises the multitude of reasons why we’ll never achieve our goal. And it all too often convinces us that it’s a waste of time even trying.

Don't believe everything you think! The key to managing this is to NOTICE that it’s happening. If you are are not aware of your inner chatter, you will unconsciously believe it and go along with it instead of challenging it.

Use your powers of observation to notice what’s going on inside your head, and then consciously choose how to respond to your inner chatter. This is your window of opportunity for getting on board “The Creative Problem-solving Train” that will deliver you to your destination – your goal!

So, let me introduce you to …

The Creative Problem-solving Train! Each carriage has a task to perform but remember to always drive the train from the driver’s carriage! This is where you get really clear about what the problem actually is so that you stay on track from the very beginning! The Creative Problem-solving Train is explained below in 6 simple steps so that you’ll smash your goals despite any obstacles, problems, barriers, issues or hurdles that arise.

The creative problem-solving train

The Carriages (or steps, if you prefer!)

1. Always start from the driver’s seat no matter how tempting it is to jump straight into one of the other carriages!! List all the ‘possible’, ‘probable’ and ‘unlikely’ problems, barriers and obstacles that might get in between you and your goal. Be honest and open with yourself and about your situation. It might seem counter-intuitive but don’t hold back. Bringing the issues out into the light of day and writing them down will DISEMPOWER THEM, and EMPOWER YOU towards your goal. If you notice an urge to deny or avoid the issues, write that down too. Shame, perceived laziness and fear are all barriers that can rob us of the opportunity as well as the joy of achieving goals.

2. Choose ONE of your ‘probable’ obstacles and brainstorm solutions to it. You’re not Let your ideas flow ... analysing your ideas at this stage so let go of the urge to find reasons why they won’t work. Remember to keep the CREATIVE in your creative problem-solving. Let the ideas flow no matter how crazy, impossible, or ridiculous they might seem. It’s often the ‘way out’ ideas that create a pathway to a solution, so get them all out there. Write them all down!

3. Now it’s time to do a quick analysis of the ideas you’ve thought of. Write down the pros and cons of each option.

4. Select the option that seems to be the best one, but don’t be overly focused on making the ‘right’ choice. Simply go with the one that seems the best in this moment.

What's my plan of action to deal with this issue? 5. Write down your Plan of Action so that you have a clear and concise guide to implementing your selected option.

6. Review the process. Has your selected option helped to solve the problem? Does it need Patiently persist! more time? More resources? Do you need to modify it? It’s important at this point to persist with your problem-solving rather than giving up with your goal. Persistence is a valuable skill that everyone can learn. It can make the difference between throwing your goal away, and celebrating success. If it’s clear that your selected option is not going to work, you can discard it and select a different one. Go back to Step Number 4 to choose a different idea and work your way through again. You might need to repeat these steps multiple times to find the best way forward. Combining two or more solutions might even be the most effective approach.

You can use the Creative Problem-solving Train process to work your way through all or any of the problems you’ve identified. Before you know it you’ll have a well-rounded strategy to manage everything that stands between you and your goal. If any new obstacles surface, use the same process to deal with them.

Well actually, yes I can! Blending creativity and logic is a powerful way to achieve success. Don’t allow your inner chatter stop you from getting started with your goals. And don’t let the obstacles limit you or your achievements. Follow the Creative Problem-solving Train to develop persistence and propel you forwards. Your mental health will thank you with improved self-confidence, resilience and unstoppability.

Next week I’ll share a goal with you that I’m working on for myself. Something I’ve been considering taking on for some time but haven’t because I’ve been playing it safe! But in my heart I know that I’m holding back on myself and will be disappointed if I don’t at least give it a try. I’ll lay all the obstacles out on the table (and there are plenty of them!) and I’ll use the Creative Problem-solving Train to help me develop a strategy to deal with them so that I’ll experience that sweet taste of success that comes with achieving a goal.