I was introduced to an amazing lady by email some months ago - Raquel.  We met and talked via emails and I was asked if I was interested in writing for her website (www.miraclebeginnings.com.au) and after several conversations about the website I said yes. 

This website is designed for mum's who have had difficult childbirths and need support.

When the website was launched last week I couldn't wait to have a look.  After reading the articles, stories and blogs I realised it's just not for women who have had difficult births at all.  It can be for any woman who needs support, is feeling alone and helpless or just needs a friend.

As a single mum, and living a very busy lifestyle at the moment, the chance to check out Raquel's website let me reflect on my own life.

In 41 years I think I've done a lot.  Not everything I'm proud of and not everything is fantastic, but that's life hey!  What it did help me do was be grateful and thankful.  Grateful for being fit and active, grateful for being strong and healthy, grateful for having such an awesome career, grateful for a wonderful son, grateful for my friends and family and grateful for having a 'second chance' to realise what life's all about and start living it!

All too often we get caught up in the everyday stress of life and the crap that it can throw at us and we tend to forget or set aside the really good stuff and be truly thankful for it!

So, what are you grateful for?  Your family, your friends and your health?  I ready the book "You Inc", by John McGrath who says to take time out each day and write down what you are grateful for.  Whether you write it down or think about it, you should do it. 

I swear the older we get, the quicker life goes, so cherish each and every moment of it.  Live it healthy, live it fit.  Enjoy it, embrace it and go get it!

Stay positive, stay healthy and look after yourself from the inside out. 

Life can be like an infection, but this is an infection you don't want to get rid of!  Do you want to be infected with Life!  Hell yes!

It's Friday morning at my studio.  It's 11am, 25ºC and not a cloud in the sky.  As I am side-tracked from my work (not hard with a view like I have) and I am staring out at the beautiful blue sea, a gentleman enters my studio and blocks my view (yeah I know, rude!)   

He is about 50 (although he looks much older) and is about 15kg over weight.  From a first glance he is extremely unhealthy and unfit..but that's not all.  I said hello and has he turned around to greet me he was holding a schooner of beer!!!! What the!

I said to him "Um, is that beer you are drinking?"  He replied "Yeah, you want a sip".  I cracked up laughing and he appeared to be serious!  I said "Oh no that's ok, I'll stick to my water thanks."  He replied, "Water sucks."  I rubbed my hands together and thought to myself "Ok buddy, game on!"

I walked out from behind my desk and came out and said "When was the last time you drank a glass of water?"  He said, "Now, beer's made with water."  My first reaction was to punch him, but I held back and said, "Would you do me a favour please and finish your beer as I do not allow alcohol in my studio on Fridays!"  I thought he would just walk out as he didn't seem to see the light side of it, but like a true Aussie bloke, he sculled his beer and burped! 

"Classy, now I throw a challenge to you."  "What's that?"  he said (with his chest all of a sudden puffing out to meet his beer belly).  "How about you now fill that glass with some cold water out of here (and I pointed to the water cooler in the studio).  "Yeah righto, but it's only cause you look like you could hurt me."  I chuckled.  I explained that it was not a beer tap, but just straight water from the heavens and he laughed.  He told me he couldn't remember the last time he drank a glass of water. 

He filled his schooner glass up with the water and I challenged him to drink it while we were standing there talking.  Again, like a true Aussie bloke, he sculled it.  "That was bloody horrible", he said.  "Yeah, but you drank it and you said you never drink water!"  Haha I win, goal kicked, game over, thanks for comin!

After a short conversation this guy was putting a ridiculous amount of alcohol in his body, However, instead of being a sceptic about something as simple as water, he started to ask questions.

We talked for about another 30 minutes.  I found out that my new mate Stevo was highly stressed and alcohol was his saviour.  We shared some stories and he was a pretty cool dude, he is just like so many others out there that let stress rule their lives and it's scary.  While we were talking, I filled his glass up with water and he drank it without realising it!  (haha got him!)

I asked him if he would drink a glass of water every morning when he got up and then again when before he went to bed.  I told him that by making small changes to his health, he would feel better and then maybe take a look at how he was living his life and start to make bigger changes.  He said "Aw, I'll have a crack at it." 

As we shook hands and he left the studio, I was smiling.  I'm sure Stevo was nearly sick after his water but I felt that I made a difference.  Whether he drinks the water or not, I will never know, but for that short time he talked to me, he drank 2 glasses of water and he was relaxed and 'stress free'.

So I'm now back at my desk, it's still a beautiful day and I'm writing this blog and staring out to sea.  Stevo's probably back up at the bar.  I'm waiting for my next 'Stevo' to pay a visit and hopefully make a difference to them as well.