Let me let you in on a secret. The philosophy of ‘palm trees and margaritas’ comes naturally to me but the practice of it doesn’t. That might make you think I am guilty of not walking my talk, and I can see why, but I still think the opposite is true.
I have been a bit of an over-worked basket case lately and it’s when we are feeling like that, and it is normal for most of us from time to time, that we should consciously make plans for ‘palm trees and margaritas’.
I know it is a few weeks before I can fundamentally change my work commitments so in the short term I have been making some minor adjustments to the way I normally live and then letting my mind wander on plans for the future.
There is no doubt about it. Small things make a difference in putting our days and weeks back in our own control. Have a look below in ‘tips’ at how simple and small some of the things I’ve been doing are.
Empowered living means making sure there is time in our lives for palm trees and margaritas*, however we define them.
The plan for this newsletter is to give you five minutes of reflection time on the last Friday of each month. And so it is. How was your May? Did you make time for ‘palm trees and margaritas’?
I love to hear (and publish) your stories of how you are living your life. Please get in touch and share yours.
Karen Morath
karen@mpowercct.com
www.palmtreesandmargaritas.com
May 2008
* Life can’t be all palm trees and margaritas, but there are worse game plans.
The book Palm Trees and Margaritas - Finding Your Oasis in a Busy World is out now, go to www.palmtreesandmargaritas.com to buy your copy.
TIPS
This month’s tips all come from changes I have made, encounters I have had or things I have done this month while trying to escape basket case status.
1. Make an effort to actively listen to music, especially if it means you are giving yourself a break from listening to or watching news or current affairs. Music you love can make you feel great – an easy non-chemical mood enhancer. The news has been very sad lately.
2. If you truly don’t think you can handle doing another thing, walk for half an hour and feel layers of stuff peel off your brain.
3. Do something with your family you haven’t done before. This month we had a couple of (extra) teenagers staying with us. It messed up our usual dynamic, revealed the cracks and forced us to be more flexible than usual. I don’t think we’ve ever been closer. Or more exhausted.
4. We bought an earthenware water purifier (about $120) that converts the rusty-pipe flavoured and coloured water the taps in our old house produce into clear, clean tepid drinking water and we’ll never buy bottled water again. It is a simple solution to a problem that has been bothering us and it feels great.
5. Promote your friend’s latest venture (see below) or do something to help someone.
6. Buy shiny boots. Retail therapy may not be a radical new idea, but for me it is a rare pursuit and that is what made it so effective. If you are already a big shopper, consider gardening for a change of pace.
7. Plan your next big get-away. If you don’t think it will be for ages, choose a month and year and write down where you’d like to go. Get out an atlas. Google the locations. Buy a novel set in the area or a guide book. It is starting to happen now.
To enjoy list
Here are some things readers and I have recommended for others ‘to enjoy’.
1. Damien Leith’s new CD ‘Catch the Wind - Songs of a Generation’. It’s making my day over and over (see tips above).
2. Flash baked beans. Check out the Heinz gourmet range.
3. A plug – hey my friends do great work! Author Leah Bryan has written a picture book for families with IVF babies. It’s called The Baby Doctor - Explaining IVF to Your Child and is available from www.nuhousepress.com
4. Apparently Eckhart Tolle’s latest book ‘The New Earth’ is a favourite of Oprah and a couple of readers of this newsletter. I am not sure if Oprah is subscribing to ‘Palm trees and margaritas’ yet, but I did send her the book version and my hairdresser has promised to fit me in if I have to rush off to Chicago to appear on her show…
Please send your tips for things for others ‘to enjoy’ to me here.
STORIES
The midlife crisis men
I know a couple of men who are, shall we say, of a certain age. They are both married with a couple of children each and both CEOs. They don’t know each other but conversations I’ve had with each of them recently seemed identical.
Both of them were talking about wanting new cars like kids talk about showbags and Easter eggs and women talk about Prada and George Clooney.
The ‘midlife crisis car’ is nothing new of course. Their difficulties in justifying their desire for them is probably not new either, but if sleek, shiny cars are your ‘Palm trees and margaritas’, why wait?
If you do wait, how long for? Till you’re 50, 55, retired? When do they make you turn in your licence?
Another man I know sold his company for several million dollars but wouldn’t, and didn’t, buy a yellow Maserati even though he wanted to. Why? Because he was concerned about what people would think.
That’s the same problem the first two men were having. One got over it and bought the black Audi. The other is still lusting over the classic red Porsche but driving something more ‘responsible’.
Who are we living our lives for?
If you are looking for a speaker for an event this year, click here to talk to me about a ‘Palm trees and margaritas’ presentation.
REFLECTIONS
1. Does acknowledging your weaknesses or less attractive personality traits achieve anything if you don't work to improve them?
2. Kylie Minogue turned 40 this month. How old does that make you feel?