Happy days are skating days.....sway, glide, push....such a mesmerizing mantra!

I have'nt been practicing my skating as much as I want, the last time was 2 months ago. But even with a 2 month gap between my 1st & 2nd go I noticed an incredible difference in my balance and technique. And oh the joy of it all! I wasn't planning on taking a photo of me at the end, I was knackered after rolling along the amazing Brissy river and Howard Smith Wharf for 3.5km, but a lady walked past and commented on how pink my face was, so I thought I better have a look. It's true, pink really is the colour of happiness Mind you, I went in the middle of the day and the temp was about 32 degrees...but if I don't go when I can, I don't go, so better to be skating in the heat of the day then not skating at all is now my new philosophy.

#rollerskating #fun #summer #brisbane #howardsmithwharf #pink #happiness #katiegordon

This week I'm talking about the old habits.

One of my greatest obstacles and long standing habits that I consistently have to overcome, is being a workaholic.

I've had this pattern of behaviour since I first started working at age 15. It's something I easily fall into, but In the beginning it showed itself simply as a high work ethic and I worked diligently at whatever task I was given, always eager to please!

But over the years and jobs that simply developed into being a workaholic, working long hours and working hard at my jobs.

At least these days working for myself, I can say I do truly enjoy the time I spend working. But hey, my business isn't called Dietless Working, it's called Dietless Living® and it's time to hold the mirror up to myself again and get back to doing the living part.

I love walking but I never know where to find the great walking tracks, but recently I found a great app called All Trails - so problem solved!

Last weekend for our long weekend in...

I really love cormorants, they are a bit like penguins I think in the way they present themselves and do the things they do. They always make me smile when I see them sunning themselves.
This fellow was standing in the line where those of us who were feeding the dolphin were lining up to get our fish...I think he was a bit of a regular!

#fun #nature #healthyhappylife #outsidetime #6simplesteps #katiegordon

This is one my favourite "tourist moments" from 2013 when I was hostel hopping around Europe on my own. I was in Switzerland and went night sledding. In this photo you can see the setting sun reflecting on the mountains behind me, except I didn't know it was the setting sun as the sun was no where insight and I thought it was some special lighting put on for the sledders that was of course until it went dark

There are just so many things around you that can help you get into the state of happiness fast.

At any moment of any day, especially when life feels hard, pause and take a moment to remember something that makes you happy (keep it simple: puppies, birds, flowers, kids laughing, snuggling in your comfy bed perhaps).

Or simply look outside and see the real things that are there just waiting for you to enjoy them: the blue sky, a baby laughing, kids playing, the trees, the flowers, even the weeds that grow and flourish in the sidewalk can be beautiful if you think about how they grow to full bloom even in such harsh environments.

Think happy and you will look for happy things. Did you know that what you look for you normally find?

Feelings of happiness in your mind and body are the real secret to great health as they;
Change the way you think
Which changes the way you feel
Which changes the way you perceive what is happening around you
Which changes the way you react
Which changes your...

When I decided to forget about dieting and focus on living, it changed more than my weight, it changed my life.

I'd grown up around trucks and when I was a little girl I went to work with my dad a lot and naturally I wanted to be a truck driver just like him. My father had a long history of driving international trucks in the 50’s and 60’s and in the 70’s he worked in Gove and Weipa, back before there was “fly in/fly out”, which meant we didn’t see him for a long time.

In 2012, I finally got my opportunity to make that little girl's dream a reality when I got on a project in Weipa operating a 60 Tonne rigid (which I learnt to operate on the job).

I worked on 2 more projects after Weipa; McArthur River and Maules Creek. There was a lot to love about this work, and one of them was living in a camp. Whilst most complained that they put on lots of weight as the food was all supplied, I always lost weight. I was just so happy living life that I was no...

Happiness actually isn’t very highly rated; it is highly coveted, but not highly rated in regards to the value it can add to your life.

Yet the ROI on happiness is massive!

It:
Lowers your risk for cardiovascular disease
Lowers your blood pressure
Enables better sleep
Improves your diet
Boosts digestion
Reduces stress and anxiety.
Boosts your immune system
Reduces inflammation in the body
Reduces auto immune problems
Improves blood flow through your body by releasing tension from your body
Releasing tension from the body reduces migraines, headaches and aches and pains
Improves brain function (all the increased blood flow clears thinking)
Increases mental health
Increases emotional health

All of which helps you to maintain a healthy body weight because when you feel good you make better food choices, you want to exercise more, drink less alcohol and generally you have all round better health habits because happy people make happy healthy choices.

Imagine what you could do if...

"We just become so fearful of things, we live in a state of survival and the more we want to control our environment which leads to tension."

If you're alone through the festive season:

Think about how you can turn that time to your advantage; it's a good time to do something you’ve been putting off all year. Perspective is everything, it might just be the ideal time to start that money making project you’ve been thinking about?

But if you do want more social time and people in your life:

Look through your address book and start phoning people, make coffee dates, have conversations, be confident to let them know you’d like to hang out this Christmas or find somewhere to volunteer and get your happy feelings giving someone else  a happy Christmas.

Laughter really is the best medicine:

Get quick laughter fixes on You Tube or watch funny, light movies. Leave all the heavy, depressing drama and horror on the shelf.

Beat the festive season blues with happy tunes to dance to.

Be adventurous:

Go out and have some fun somewhere and do one thing you’ve always wanted to do, especially if it’s something...

Take the pressure off of your credit card and bank account:

If people are old enough that they no longer believe in Santa, flying reindeer and elves, feel comfortable to give the gift of connection. This will relieve you of the pressure of gift preparation and the financial burdens that excessive gift giving can create. The best gift is genuine connection: having real conversations with people, listening deeply and giving the gift of loving touch. So many people are never touched lovingly and neutrally by other human beings. Did you know that we need 5 hugs a day for general well-being and happiness?

Take the pressure off of your friends and families credit card and bank account:

Let your friends and family off the hook too and let them know that this year you have everything you need but you can never get enough hugs and filling up your hug account is something you'd welcome over any silly old store bought gift.

Be choosy about what you spend your sanity on:

Embrace the fact that there...