A Satisfied Mind

Good Morning. 

Today we're stepping back and looking at all that's happened recently, acknowledging both what we've lost and what we've gained.

We've all lost plenty this year – collectively and individually, we're faced with that reality daily. When grieving loss or weighing up choices, changes, challenges – it's easy to quantify what we've lost or what we stand to lose. It's not always as easy to see what it is we have to gain.

I wonder what it is you've gained as a result of recent loss.

It's a pretty sobering question for first thing in the morning.

Or is it?

I find questions like this inspiring and a really important pattern disrupt whereby we're reminded of a few things. Such as the value of time, and the fact we can take it for granted and assume we have enough time to do all those important things we'd been waiting for, waiting for the 'right time'.

How about now?

What would you do if you had 3 months to live? This question sure helps put the things we value into perspective pretty quickly.

What would you do? I'd love to hear from you – send me a message on Insta @mikey.ellis or twitter @mikeyellis.13 and you can always subscribe to receive these questions on the daily.

Have an awesome day doing some of those things you'd been waiting for the right time to do.

The time is now.



Oh, and here's that book I mentioned from Alexandra Franzen. 

Good Morning!

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like life is constantly, incessantly demanding your attention? With so many invites for events, for catch ups, for meetings, for zoom calls, for donations, for your time, your energy...

It's not always easy to say no. But it feels good. And it establishes and reinforces boundaries which are essential.

This question came from a deck of cards called We're Not Really Strangers – it's a purpose driven card game and movement all about empowering meaningful connections. You can check out the deck here.

You can subscribe to these episodes to be delivered via email here.

If you like this question and think someone you know would like to hear it too, please share this with them, I appreciate that so much. 

And as always, I'd love to hear your feedback and how you're incorporating these questions into your daily ritual. 

Have an awesome day.

In this episode I introduce a new series of questions. These are questions I've asked myself and pondered, they're a wonderful insight into new perspectives, into new awareness and truths. 

I ask questions like this in the morning, perhaps you'd like to do the same. This episode is an invitation to do that. 

Enjoy the adventure! 

Eleanor Carey considers herself an ordinary person. She just so happens to have done some rather extraordinary things. Like rowing a boat across the Pacific Ocean, riding a bike across Europe and founding a company that takes people on overnight adventures to show just how easy it all can be.

We talk about how an email and following her gut ended up with her being one of a crew of three women - the youngest crew of three to ever row an ocean. Eleanor shares how that experience shaped her and how she survived after having spent the first 11 days at sea not being able to hold any food down, while rowing in 3 hr shifts, around the clock.

It's an incredible story and Eleanor is a gifted storyteller. She's also extremely humble and a resounding message I took away from this conversation is that adventure can be found a lot closer to home than we may think.

For lovers of grand adventures, of travel, of pushing the limitations of mind and body – you're going to love this conversation.


Links

You can find Eleanor on Instagram here. On twitter here and the Vokser website is here.

The wonderful documentary of Eleanor's Pacific Ocean row, 'Why Row an Ocean?' is here.


Some of the people that have inspired Eleanor:

My most significant + impactful book and doco – Losing Sight Of Shore documentary. This is the one that convinced me to row the ocean, absolutely pivotal.

Cycling Home From Siberia by Rob Lilwall book. The original book that made me cycle across Europe.

Fave adventurers to follow online:

Alastair Humphreys

Anna McNuff – Instagram and Facebook 

Best adventure podcast:

The Tough Girl Podcast by Sarah Williams

A few years ago I met Lou McCann while interviewing her for a job. The job didn't end up happening but a wonderful friendship did. Formalities aside, it was in talking with Lou that I heard about a brilliant idea she had. It was inspired, it was important and it had the potential to change lives.

So we sat down and discussed it further and I encouraged her to make it happen despite the fear. I could see how important this was to Lou and the people she would go on to support. Soon after, Moody was launched and 4 years later, we sat down to chat about how it's all played out since.

Lou wears her heart on her sleeve and doesn't hold back sharing the challenges, the doubts, fears and frustrations she's experienced through launching this business, starting a family, losing her mother and riding out lockdown in Melbourne. She also shares the reasons why this means so much to her and the motivation for it all.

It's powerful stuff. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did and find some inspiration to go do that thing you're being drawn to.
 

Check out Moody's website here.

Follow the Moody story on Instagram.

Here's a link to Royal Women's Centre for Women's Mental Heath.

A link to PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia ) is here.

And here's a link to GLOW NI is here.

It's been a while in between episodes. In the spirit of progress over perfection, doing that thing that you love even before you think it's ready or even worth sharing... here's episode 22!

Do you ever feel like you have eleventy thousand things you want to do, to say, to create, to share... and end up feeling kinda overwhelmed and doing nothing?

Me too. So that's what this episode is about - doing the thing. I share some of a beautiful text message conversation I had with a dear friend regarding the wondrous documentary, My Octopus Teacher. If you haven't seen it, stop reading this, pause the podcast and watch it immediately.

I mentioned Susan Jeffers' book, 'Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway'. It's been about 8 years since I read it but I remember it having a big impact on me. Check it out.

Something I wrote that I was reluctant to share, is this poem, 'Let's Dance'.

And if you'd like to subscribe to my newsletter that I will send out one day (trust me, it'll be worth the wait!), you can do that here. 

Lotsa love to you all!

Mikey

I appreciate you.

When was the last time you heard someone say that, and how did it make you feel?

We need to acknowledge and share appreciation now, more than ever. Appreciating something or someone and sharing that, has the power to change lives, save lives or at least help someone feel better. And that's a good thing, we need that.

It's simple, it's free, it's a win / win outcome and an antidote to the fear and overwhelming uncertainty that we're all experiencing right now.

I mentioned Eddie Jaku in this episode, check out the interview here. 

Now, go make someone's day!

I had the pleasure of working as a tour guide for Brian Duncan in his business, Uncle Brian's - Fun, Falls and Forest tour in Cairns. It was one of the best years of my life and I learned first-hand the power of moments and shared experiences.

Not only did I have a helluva lot of fun leading those groups, but I developed a deep connection with the World Heritage listed tropical rainforests of North Queensland and an insight into human behaviour across various cultures.

The experience was life changing, not just for me but for so many people who had the pleasure of spending a day on Gus the Bus. In this episode Brian shares the inspiration behind the tour, how he came to be known as Uncle Brian and shares some stories about  the characters and moments that made this such a memorable experience.

For more info on Friends of Himalayan Children, click here. 

Yesterday I had a coaching conversation with a client who was stuck making a decision. Overthinking it, catastrophising and idealising various outcomes, paralysed by what to do next. Tricky little fucker ego is hey! This was compounded by the need to make the 'right' decision according to everyone else's arbitrary and subjective judgements. 

Cue overwhelm, paralysis, frustration and anxiety. 

Can you relate? I can. 

What to do? 

Just do something, one step. And don't worry about what others think 'cause they're not thinking about you're worried they're thinking about. 

In this episode I share a few perspectives on how to approach decision making for the notoriously indecisive, and how to not worry so much about what others think for the people pleasers amongst us.