Palm trees and margaritas
(empowered living)

Hi there. How was your month? I made a commitment to myself when I wrote the first issue of ‘Palm trees and margaritas’ in July (by accident as it started out as an article about keeping all of the balls in the air and morphed into…whatever it is now) that I would write three issues, see if anyone liked it and decide from there whether to continue.

Well this is issue four and I am continuing, as long as you are reading and responding.

My experience with this ‘newsletter’ has been remarkable. I sit at my computer and muse about the way we are living our hectic lives. I send my thoughts out into the world and then receive the most personal and compelling reactions from the people I can now call my ‘readers’. Truly connecting with people is very powerful and valuable for both parties. I hope it continues.

‘Palm trees and margaritas’ will continue to be about life, the universe and what really matters. Empowered living means making sure there is time in your life for palm trees and margaritas, whatever your version of them may be.

*** Life can’t be all palm trees and margaritas, but there are worse game plans.

Karen Morath
karen@mpowercct.com
October 2006

Published on the last Friday of each month

TIPS

1. Take stock of everyone and everything you have around you and be grateful.

2 . I used to only give money to charities I ‘like’. Now instead of avoiding eye contact at the traffic lights with collectors for the ‘others’, I dig into my stash of coins, smile and hand them over. It’s no big deal, only a few coins, but it is a more positive human interaction than avoidance. And, what would be the benefit to the less popular charities if we all did it?

3. Laugh. The low budget Aussie movie ‘Kenny’ will do the trick if you haven’t already seen it. It’s wonderful. Or get a child to tell you a joke – here are a couple from my 10 year old son - What do you call a man with a shovel on his head? Doug! What do you call a man without a shovel on his head? Douglas!

STORIES

1. This missive is named after my idea of a metaphor for good living – a little bit of what you like in your life along with the not negotiable responsibilities. Palm trees and margaritas seemed like a fun euphemism for, well, fun.

This month I learnt that there are ‘real’ palm trees and margaritas moments and ‘virtual’ ones. I was lucky enough to enjoy both.

The ‘virtual’ one occurred with not a palm tree or margarita in sight. It was the extraordinary feeling of standing inside the front gate of Disneyland in California with my three children – a lifetime goal achieved. (It was every bit as good as we anticipated but the anticipating was pretty good too).

The ‘real’ one was a little further south on the same trip. We were in Mexico having lunch at a gorgeous open-air restaurant where margaritas were the drink of default. Even before I started my second one, a wonderful feeling of contentment overcame me. My kids were happy, we were enjoying each other’s company along with tacos and sunshine and I actually had a margarita in my hand and a view of palm trees. Empowered living indeed!

I’d love to hear some of your ‘palm trees and margaritas’ moments.

READER STORIES

Last month I asked you to let me know how you fit fun into your life. Here is what reader Marcus had to say -

“Recently I was a fluster with activity, busy making decisions on important and un-important issues, a private battle I wage daily with my administration; picking from the tree of ‘to do’ the real ripe and juicy important items, leaving the un-important to drop and later become fertiliser for the tree’s future growth, I call it environmental decision making. Amidst the activity a long time friend, from afar, emailed me enquiring if I know of any accommodation in Cabo San Lucos Mexico and could I help to source a room for him and partner, May 2007. Taking a moment I decided to commit to the quest, after some research and few well placed enquiries and a couple of odd translations I had narrowed it down to a few options. Oddly enough a few weeks back I had been reading about Cabo and its attractions, clearly my friend’s email was a sign: I must go to Cabo. Grasping my key board I hastily replied and advised the good news on the options I had unearthed and the fact that I had booked two rooms, did he mind etc, agreement was reached, dates finalised... The cocktail is prepared, May 07, Cabo, good accommodation and dear friends. I like getting romanced by an idea that unearthed itself and fell into your lap whilst you were looking the other way and then enjoying it with close friends. Do what you love. Love what you do.”

REFLECTIONS

1. How many times do you need to hear ‘thank you for waiting, your call is important to us’ before you start to wonder whether it really is?

2. How could it be that we still have businesses in Australia that require women to have their husbands present for a sales consultation? A reader assures me it’s true (and that her husband had no interest in getting home early to peruse the fabric choices for recovering the arm chairs…)

3. Aaah, the change of seasons is upon us. The past weeks I have been ‘Preen’ing grass stains out of cricket whites not ‘Napisan’ing mud splatters out of football shorts. Change is the spice of life in the suburbs!

Karen Morath is a consultant, speaker and writer. Her company M Power works with individuals and organisations to identify and fulfil their needs. Visit www.communicationempowers.com

To book Karen to speak on ‘Life can’t be all palm trees and margaritas, but there are worse gameplans’ at your next event, you can email her at karen@mpowercct.com or telephone in Australia 03 9817 4111.

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