A NOTE FROM THE UNIVERSE TO ME, AND NOW TO YOU.

So, the universe and I have been in cahoots for a while. But it always seemed like a one way (communication) street. I always wondered what it was really thinking, what the cheeky little monkey of a universe was scheming and what it had in store for me.

Enter TUT - my little connection portal to the big, badass, beautiful universe. Every afternoon at 5pm, my iPhone 'pings' and an email arrives. Direct from the universe. How do you like them apples? I love 'em. And I'm goan eat 'em all.

Every message is so scarily bang on. Exactly what I need to hear. Ludicrously divinely timed. 

Do yourself a favour and sign up. Now. I'll wait here ...

Here are a few of my favourites from days gone by -

"Being super fabulous, can only come from being a super you. And being a super you pretty much comes from using me, constantly. Life is easy, The Universe"

"There was a time in the life of every hero, champion, master, and tycoon. When they say to themselves, 'I will not wait any longer'. And no matter how near or far away their dream seemed, they began to take action, every day, no matter what. No matter what, The Universe"

"A great trick of every enlightened master, is being ever mindful that it's not what you do that brings about a miracle, but that you do it. Doing something, almost anything, in the directions of your dreams, every day, is all I need to reach you, connect the dots, and drop a few jaws. We takin' over, The Universe"

Don't you feel all sparkly? Sigh. I hang out for these notes erryday. I think they're incredible. I hope you do to.

Blessings and light from The Universe and me x 

WARM FUZZY FRIDAY - 'The Lady who Knows Whaddup' Edition

This post is dedicated to the juicy, delicious and soul driven ramblings of Ms Danielle Laporte. I fell in love with her prose when I worked my way through 'The Desire Map' a few months back. And then? I kind of dwindled. I lost my lust for good, careful and hearty words. Fast forward to a frenetic message sent to one of my spiritual gurus and girlfriend's that went a little something like this ...

"I'm craving to be stretched and pulled further. Personal growth a go-go. Any particular books you'd recommend?"

What did my girl come back to me with? Dani Laporte. In all her fiery glory. The Fire Starter Sessions. And I'm back in love.

So this post is for you Ms Laporte. Thank you for your words. And passion. And fire. And for adding fuel to mine.

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Breathe in those magical words. Breathe in all that fabulousness. Breathe in the ripe possibility. Breathe. Just, breathe. 

Blessings and a word induced soulgasm x

THE POWER OF WORDS.

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Oh Albus, you dog you. I'm prefacing this by saying that I am a bonafide Harry Potter nerd so any quote from the film will be received with total love and adoration BUT this one may just take the cake. Dumbledore, wise ole hunk o' man that he is, so eloquently described the power of our words. 

I truly believe that the power of our words extends far beyond those that fall from our lips but are just as powerful in written form. I adore words and language. I find it incredible how therapeutic it can be to journal your troubles; how humbling it can be to bust out a gratitude list; how much love and passion is evoked simply by reading a love letter (I have kept (& treasured) all three of the cards David has given me over the past seven years ... he doesn't share my affinity with words so much); how empowered you can feel after reading words of support or encouragement; how discouraged and saddened you can feel by someone's inconsiderate words; how angry you can become if someone shares words of hate or oppression. Words hold so much power. They allow us to create tangible connections with those in our lives and allow us to articulate and express the unseen. Magic.

Mantras and affirmations, words of empowerment and resilience that are written or spoken on a regular basis as a means of actioning change, are 'so hot right now'. A beautifully written post published on the Huffington Post explains - 

"The word affirmation comes from the Latin affirmare, originally meaning "to make steady, strengthen." Affirmations help purify our thoughts and restructure the dynamic of our brains so that we truly begin to think nothing is impossible."

Affirmations allow us to make conscious connections with our words which in turn allows up to achieve greater control over our thoughts, which then influences our actions, which then influences our patterns of behaviour, which then causes momental shifts in our psyche which manifest as positive (and often magical) changes in our lives.

I use a shit tonne of affirmations in my every day life and across a variety of situations. Some I have on automatic 'repeat' and others I will consciously remind myself of from time to time. I thought I would share some of these little life mantras with you in today's post. I seriously pop these tracks on mental repeat during situations that require me to refocus or reevaluate my energies.

+ Self Love - I love and accept myself unconditionally right now.
+ When I'm stressed - All is calm and well.
+ During Yoga - Breathe and surrender.
+ During a Run - I accept where I am & I am strong, I am fit and I am healthy.
+ If someone has upset me - I love you, I'm sorry, please forgive me, thank you (x50!!)
+ General life mantra - Be the change you wish to see in the world.

What are some of your favourite words? Are you a 'famous quote' kinda person; or do you prefer single words of empowerment? I would LOVE to hear from you - share you favourites in the comments below.

Blessings and a whole dictionary full o' positive synonyms x

A LITTLE TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE ...

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The past few weeks have seen me invest so much of my time, energy and love into this little baby of a blog. I have been writing more soulfully, pursuing creative ventures, planning like a mother bitch and spending more time reflecting on my intentions, hopes and dreams for this space. As such, I've spent a bit of my time trying to be a 'reader'. I have taken off my writers' hat and have tried to explore this space just as you would - reading posts, trying recipes, applying the teachings or strategies and basically seeing this space for what it is, as unbiasedly as possible. 

Although it's far from perfect - some posts are rife with spelling and grammatical errors, some posts seem to crap on about nothing, the aesthetics are a little poopy, I'm such a slop when it comes to newsletters and updates (but I'm definitely improving and this has been one of my most recent commitments) - perfection is boring and I truly believe that every single word on this blog is a true reflection of me. It has grown over the years, as have I, and I think the writing, content and energy of the posts captures this change. I am all about writing in the moment, about capturing the stirrings of my heart (or whirrings of my mind) and expressing that through my words and pictures. 

Because I've been doing oh-so-much reading in this little cave of wonders - I have rediscovered posts and have almost explored them with completely new eyes, given that it's been so long between read throughs. I have cringed at posts where I didn't write well, I have smiled at posts that I poured my heart and soul into, I have laughed at my early day references to Ryan Gosling, I have been proud of the authenticity and truth of my words, I have rediscovered information about topics that I so passionately wrote about at the time and I have been back in my kitch using recipes of old! 

I wanted to share with you all of my favourite posts from the past 16 months. Have a peruse, sit and devour them all at once, or come back to this post every now and again to revisit 'old friends'. If you're new to Bless this Mess, this could be a very timely post and you will get to explore a little of the 'behind the scenes' musings of yesteryear (or yestermonth, or yesterweek ...). 

The posts below are my proud little gems that I would love to share again with you - 

Personal 

+ A Letter to my 16 year old Self - I cried writing this. Raw and kind.

+ My First Year as a Blogger - 12 months of lessons and a labour of love.

+ The Simple Truth - my heart on my sleeve.

Recipes 

+ Vegan icecream - oh holy sheet do I revisit this bad boy regularly?!

+ Raw chocolate brownies - my best ever kitchen creation.
+ My everyday salad - seriously, everyday.
+ Green smoothie  - my first video on BTM. Andddd I love this smoothie.

Spirit

+ Mind, body and spirit - the first of my 'spiritual' posts.

+ Epiphanies and shit - recent but profound.

+ We are ALL connected - simple and true.

Health 

+ The Lifestyle Transformation Guide - hands down one of the best investments I have ever made in myself. It changed my life.

+ Runs and Rides with dad - such a precious thing that connects us even more, I truly treasure time spent with my incredible papa.

+ Yoga love - because we could all do with a little more yoga.

Enviro and Society

+ The Ocean Garbage Patch - a cause that is so very close to my heart.

+ Disparity of Wealth - my first post that wasn't orientated towards typical health and wellness, and I think I tapped into another area of passion that day!

+ Kind Cleaning - practical and crazy informative!

So that's my wrap up! 16 months of blogging and these tidbits are probably my favourite nuggets o' Emily. The power of blogging blows me away. I started the blog as a means of sharing information and connecting with likeminded people but I cannot believe how much I myself have grown in the process. This 'online diary' has allowed me to see, in a chronicled history of posts, just how much my thoughts, beliefs, passions and learnings have shifted and developed. I truly hope you enjoy reading these posts and exploring this space as much as I enjoy delivering it to you. Truly.

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What are your favourite posts - either from BTM or other sites? Share in the comments below and let's have a 'coffee and reading' sort of Sunday!

Blessings and muddy feet from my stroll down memory lane x

A CRYPTIC LOOK INTO WHAT'S GOIN' ON BEHIND THE SCENES.

So ... want a glimpse into what exactly is going on in the world of me? Without giving too much away because everything is in its infancy and I still twerking a few things (sans skin coloured underwear Miley...) BUT I can't quite contain all the images and thoughts and ideas that are floating through this giant head of mine.

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Did you have fun hanging out in my mind? It's pretty fun all up in there isn't it?

I would LOVE to hear from you darling readers. Firstly, what do you think am I on about? Secondly, what would YOU love to see created? What do you think you, your fellow sistas and brosnefs and ultimately the world, really needs?

Love, blessings and a shiz-tonne of cuddles x

WARM FUZZY FRIDAY - The Prelude to a Post ...

I wanted to share this post with you, initially designed and intended to be a short introduction to my typical pictorial posts that I serve you guys on a Friday. But this morning, the words came hot and heavy, and who was I to stop them and stand in the way? They wanted to be shared. So here they are, infused with a little Emily essense, and yours for the readin'. Peace x

This morning I want to share with you an eclectic mix of everything that is inspiring, fuelling, driving and propelling me forwards right now. I have enjoyed such an incredible week and such simple reasons are behind the magic of it all. Surely I should feel better after a week in Bali of shopping, drinking and laughing (and please don't get me wrong - I absolutely adore being surrounded by friends/family exploring, enjoying and experiencing together) but the sense of utter peace, joy and an inner 'glowing' that I feel right this second is indescribable. 

I feel like, over the past few months, slowly but surely and for whatever reason my spark died a little. It would come back sporadically and maybe even hang about for a few days, but these feelings were always more so invoked by my brain telling me my 'shoulds'. I didn't really allow myself to simply let go, be and feel. And I knew, as all of us do as wise little souls, exactly what I needed to do to get to where I wanted to be. Inspiration struck and I knew the steps involved. I started by reading. Simply reading. A book that I had put down about a month ago, two thirds of the way in, and I discarded it to the side because life got busy and I had 'shit to do'. I curled up on Sunday, tea in hand, and read for about 4 hours. Highlighting the passages and words that practically peeled themselves off the page, climbed up my oversized jumper and slapped me in the face.  I finished the book and felt, for lack of a better word, transformed. I feel like the girl who picked up the book was a far cry from the girl who put it back down. After that I knew my next step was to create my new vision board, to collate images and words and concepts that would perfectly capture how I want to feel and the reality that I want to create for myself (yep, this is a fru fru post!). 

Don't think that I've hippied out and spent the weekend smelling flowers and laying in the grass, although I occasionally did do this, but I still had an agenda, work to do, people to see, responsibilities etc. In truth, this week has also been one of my most productive in a long time! But as I was coming from a place of happiness, purpose, passion and peace - these trivial jobs and responsibilities came to pass so easily. My mind is sharp and clear, and my work has reflected this. I have made time each and every day for moving my body and somehow connecting to nature (enjoying the Spring sun while it's out); I have made time for daily reading whether its a chapter here and there or a good old hour lost in the words of others; I have cooked and experimented with incredible new and nutritious foods; I have connected with family and friends and 'shown up' for my loved ones around me; I have educated myself and pursued new passions; I have been silly; I have meditated; I have smiled and laughed and felt so ding-dong-dang happy that I felt I was going to BURST!

I had planned to do a simple, short and sweet, introduction to this post but these words have poured out of me as I have tapped away at the keys. So apologies for the early morning essay mi amigos, but I just wanted to share my week and my experiences with you. 

Oh and also, during my midweek shenanigans and soul searching, I found it. That big idea, that big concept and big calling that I have been mulling over and looking for, for what feels like forever. It came to me. Clear as day. So I'm-a sit quietly with my chai latte, my notebooks and my little soul and flesh this baby out. I might do another post, if I'm feeling cheeky, that better encapsulates what the frick I am going on about. My purpose and mission is so white-hot, razor sharp and incredibly clear right now that I do NOT know how it didn't find me sooner. Or, perhaps I should rephrase, how it didn't appear to me sooner. It was always there lurkin and getting its creep on in the background but, until I was ready, the universe chose not for it to reveal itself. 

Sending all the blessings, white light and other fru fru jazz to you now and always x