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What a SUPER day it turned out to be..

So it’s after midnight but this always happens after any treatment I get as I get a bit dose of IV steroids that lasts a day or so.    The good news is I wanted to share a couple of very cool groups of super heroes, some I have never met but they have been rocks and supported me on more than one day this past six months. They are all heroes in my eyes read more on how they changed me life here..

Firstly the superheroes at the CDHB 🌟  and Surgical Day Unit 🌟 ! I counted 14 different people who came and advised me and made me feel comfortable at the odd anxious moment and completed the procedure quickly and smoothly.    Three on the anaesthetic team, two consultants, one registrar, pre-op, surgical, recovery and post op nurses.. Not to mention the behind the scenes crew I never met! It was amazing and all of them are super heroes in my mind!  Thank you.

So far (apart from the temporary insomnia ) I am feeling good .  My Rheumatoid Arthritis flare means I qualify for another round of my magic treatment, it is pretty awesome that the NZ health system and treatments have come so far and are  working for me to keep everything at bay physically so I feel we are leaping off to a great start of my 20 years of arthritis celebrations with another superhero Rheumatology and Immunology team at CDHB 🌟 .

The flip side of course is the emotional roller coaster still has its challenging days.  So here is another group of super heroes I have never met but been rocks and supported  me on more than one day this six months.

Introducing YOU App..

 

making sustainable changes on day at a time

I feel blessed that following Jamie Oliver and his food revolution campaign in May 2015 that I discovered and became a part of an incredible community through the @YOU_APP. The amazing @YOU_team along with the ever inspirational @jamieoliver and all of the people involved make it such a positive, empowering and life changing experience. Those who already follow me know that 2016, has started out pretty challenging on the health front and I know that is largely because I give and give and forget to look after myself. After six years of hard work and dream chasing my hubbie (@tutumannz) and I opened our specialised wellness studio LeapHQ, empowering others with health conditions to leap2it! and discover their own life balance, and share their good news.

It’s been an amazing year and personally it had so much to do with this APP. During our NZ winter when usually I get sick I turned YOU actions to help keep my balanced. I became the wellest (doubt that’s even a word) energised and healthiest I had been in a decade thanks all the micro actions I did. One day my dream is to meet them and give them all a big thank you hug. They hopefully know how much they positively impacted on my life and how everything fits perfectly into my LEAP philosophies for loving life, enjoying exercise, appreciating all around YOU and participating positively. This year I am going to use the APP to record a one minute diary and most importantly I am no longer going to be selfish and keep this APP to myself! The world needs more of YOU to know about it and grow this community so we all live in a healthier, fitter. stronger, and happy place.

So for 2016 I highly recommend you download https://you-app.com, follow their blog and be apart of something great 🌟 and while you we are on the subject of super heroes you can not go  past a look at Jamie Oliver’s new book Everyday Super Food 🌟  or his blog to learn more here http://www.jamieoliver.com/healthier-happier-you/

12:45am and yay! Finally a yawn x

Happy lunching northern friends

Good night down under friends

Smiles and Hugs

Cx

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What a wonderful relaxing start to this year. My first week was in the country and my bike has had a dust off and am building up kms every day. Last week was pottering and some planning before a girls weekend at the beach. Headed home today singing out loud and feeling ready for an epic year!

I love this time of year. Returning to training sessions and hearing everyone’s missions and ideas for a great year. It is an exciting month and we have so many events, tips and tricks to share. Looking forward to getting stated tomorrow.

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The best things in life are not things

True friendship isn’t about being insperable. It’s about beng separated and nothing changes. Friendship isn’t about who you’ve known the longest. Its about who walks into your life and says I’m here for you and proves it.

Today was all about friendship, about two wonderful people in our lives giving us the most wonderful gift of their time and treating us to a day trip of fairytale proportions. Foxhills was simply equisite and while the boys played a round of golf with a cart so Riwais foot wouldn’t be a bother, Anne and I had a spa treatment then headed to the Manor house for a true English High Tea. And the magic didn’t finish there….. after a quick ride home we went to dinner at Emilles. A fabulous night of laughter, amazing company and food and wine to match our good moods. It certainly was worth changing our Eurostar for and a day of magical friendship memories, mmmmmm yes and a plan brewing to meet in Asia next year to keep us all focused over the next few months. Loving the Arrghhfeckit! Tour and its only Day three.

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This last month has been ridiculously taxing on me and those around me. We are about to attempt our forth go at treatment for my RA. Meanwhile I am on double dose of steroids and antibiotics. However with my health in limbo I was reminded of three great quotes I first heard while on my Aspire course at Outward Bound last year.

1. You have the ability to achieve great things. Don’t wait for a light to appear at the end of the tunnel, stride down there and light the damn thing yourself 😉

2. How to really be alive! Live juicy. Stamp out comformity. Spend a day in your pj’s dream of gypsy wagons. Find snails making love. Develop and outstanding appetite for books. Drink sunsets. Draw out your feelings. Amaze yourself. Be ridiculous. Stop worrying. Make yes your favourite word. Marry yourself. Treat yourself like you would your bestie. Dry your clothes in the sun. Eat mangos on pavs. Keep toys in your bath. Spin yourself dizzy. Hang upside down. Follow a child. Celebrate an old person. Send a love letter to someone. Be advance. Try endearing. Invent new ways to love. Transform negatives. Delight someone. Wear pyjamas to the movies. Wear pyjamas to the supermarket. Allow yourself to feel rich without money. Be who you truly are. Believe in everything. You are always on your way to a miracle. The miracle is you!

3. Life should NOT be a journey to the grave, with one the intention of arriving safely in an attractive well presented body, but rather to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand, strawberries in the other, body throughly used up, totally worn out screaming “wahoo it was worth the ride”

So despite being up and down and inside out I decided to push to the limits and turn the damn light one! Instead of letting the negative overwhelm me I picked myself up, dusted myself of and made the decision to concentrate on living. I took a week off work and planned a retreat – not for me but for 20 of my clients. I wanted to live, leap, love and laugh… and so we headed off to Hanmer, where we did just that – entertained, loved living, enjoyed exercise, appreciated alone time, and played positively. We laughed, giggled, smiled and laughed some more. we themed it up as kiwiana to spark up memories and and easy conversation. It was a super, enjoyable weekend in the fresh and rainbows.

I love smiles and seeing a genuine smile and even better laughter woft through the air – it truly puts me in my happy place. Somehow (with a stack of help) we pulled out a kiwiana themed extravaganza and it was epic!

I witnessed my mission in life unfolding. I set out every morning to inspire one person to find and share their good news and discover their inner sparkle. When everyone left today I jumped in the shower and cried (partly cos i was tired) but mostly because I was so happy and overwhelmed by what we had achieved. i witnessed an inner sparkle and happiness it in all 20 of those who shared in the weekend … And I could not be happier.. the bonus to hear the stories, share the food, fun and laughter and watch what should be a mismatched group from school year end 1966-2002 bond as if they were never not friends. OMG it was AMAZING!. Everyone made my weekend magic. i saw the stress melt away and everyone’s shoulders relax as if a weight had been lifted. it made me feel super proud, we didn’t want it to end. We really are a tribe! as i sat back and watched them all and sipped on hot chocolate for breakfast (only at leap lol) – every ounce of hardwork, stress, late night planning, aches and pains, doubts and own frustrstions about my own health melted away.

It was a totally euphoric and in that moment I realised the weekend was going to be one of those life changing, game player moments. Kiwiana weekend extravaganzas really are good for our health! It guided me believe in me again, put those ducks back in a row and ignited the passion to continue to inspire others to find their good news which I totally know ultimately makes me uber excited and happy.

so a big and special thank you to all those who came and took part and all the little bits and bobs you did to pull it all off. A huge shout out to the Leap team Lou &.Emma. You two are amazing and thank you so much for all your behind the scenes contribution. thanks to the workers house crew Susie, Shannon, Sarah, Evan & David. Seriously couldn’t have pulled it off without you! To all the other helpers particularly on Meal Prep and then Sunday… Thank you – my wrists held up & i got a sleep in….

My biggest hug goes out to a very special hug and thank you to my amazing, patient husband an soulmate. you are always in my corner and supporting me to run with my gut and intuition, craziness often prevails and pulling off effortless can mean chaos behind the scenes, but ultimately your support really does allow me to be me and change the world one smile at a time xx

Ps both days the most amazing grey mist appear rainbows each morning, reminding me
Next time i am questioned by my peers or asked why on earth would a “sick person” in so much pain do such a ridiculous things…. I can reply….”everyone wants happiness, no one wants pain. Because you will never see a rainbow without a little rain”

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Today this pic popped up in my news feed. If I was looking for a sign this was it!

Twelve years ago I was sitting in a harbour view restaurant sharing a Monday after match lunch with two senior engineers and three key stakeholder clients. . The British Lions had just lost to the Wallabies. Dad had taught to me to always support the All Blacks or anyone playing Australia so I had worn my red suit jacket and red boots to create a great conversation starter with the five boys.

Last night the British Lions fought a hard battle down to the wire against the wallabies in Briabane and won!

Over the past few weeks I had been feeling a little incongruent and had been feeling myself slip into worrying about what others think. I was feeling compelled to conform and follow the sheep. It is so silly as I have the most wonderful group of people around me who believe in what I do, sadly a few sheep in wolves clothing had been throwing me off.

The win and atmosphere in Brisbane reminded me of one of two of my wonderful bosses/mentors I had overseas…..

1. My very British ex military, rugby mad Investment Banker who said in my last week as his project assistant – “Don’t change Cate, the world needs more honest hard working kiwis. One day you will make a great role model and remember everything I put you through. Don’t quit when it gets too hard…. Keep your chin up and fight for what you believe in!
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2. My very traditional Australian, also sport mad and talented Mechanical engineer who took me out for lunch at one of Sydneys finest during the 2001 British Lions Tour. I had led my first ever $10mill project on time and under budget. “Cate, you have changed Sydney and our sector for ever, all these blokes will think twice about saying no to having a woman on their team. The clever ones chose you while those fuddy duddys are kicking themselves for saying No. In the future you make sure you ignore the lambs, vultures, monkeys and soothsayers! Follow your instincts and dare to be different. Roar like a lion! And if you don’t study engineering you promise me you use your talent to kick ass!!

So to all those bosses out there – dish out some praise every now and then…. It may just change a life or an entire sector without you ever realising it. Who would have thought all these years later what pearls of wisdom they both had both offered me…

I am not an Investment Banker or even in finance and I didn’t go on to study Engineering but I am sure they would be both pleased to know I am kicking ass, being a role model and roaring like a lion.

Oops nearly forgot …….a huge thanks to those boys at lunch all those years ago at Aria – thank you for the banter, picking up the tab because you felt sorry “my” team lost and setting me up with a wonderful lifetime memory. Every four years when the British Lions tour I will be a reminded its ok to stand out from the crowd and Always Be Me!

Cx

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Recently many of those around me have shared their ideas on “their bigger picture” “life is so puzzling” “it’s part of the master plan”. These sayings got me thinking about my life, my language and my analogy on how everything in my life feels connected that i believe everything I have experiences has prepared ad lead me for this exact moment in time. Have you ever taken time out to think about your own belief system is, where your ideas are from, why you do things a certain way. Think about what makes you the same, what makes you unique and how you fit in. Then embrace it. Find meaning in the language you use to describe the unexplained bits of your life and see if you can find an analogy that works for you.

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Today is 1000 days since my world changed for ever. It has been a roller coaster ride and it is so so super exciting that my new world has really only just begun. May 31st 2013 marks a tonne of reasons why I shouldn’t be in business, a tonne of reasons why I shouldn’t be in Christchurch and a tonne of reasons why I should really be in both. Mother Nature dished us a cruel blow and followed it up with thousands of aftershocks. I have been blessed to continually open up the gifts of opportunity that present and make the best of what I have been given.

Today I decided to celebrate by doing a random act of kindness for every hour I was awake today. What a most magnificent day it turned out to be :

6am – Despite enormous pain I did not cancel any clients, had a dose of Vitamin P (pet cuddles) and thanked my husband for being awesome.
7am – Sent a text to Thank a LeapStar for all she has done for me
8am – Offered to do a special plan for a special lady
9am – Lent out my phone so a stressed lady could find hers
10am – Yelled across the car park and told someone that they looked fabulous in purple
11am – Hugged someone and told them they were amazing
12pm – reminded someone what a great job they do and what the mean to me then shouted lunch
1pm – thanked two local businesses for their great service
2pm – opened a gate for a lady lifting a heavy gear bag
2:30 – delivered flowers randomly to someone who just made a big life decision
3pm – visited a classroom of young children and told them how cool their teacher was
3:30 – let a grandad cross the street not at the crossing because he and the kids looked super stressed – even though I held up traffic!
4pm – delivered someone’s overdue study for marking because they were at work and weren’t going to make the deadline
4:30 – shopped for party items for a 4yro because her daddy is in hospital and her mummy is under alot of pressure
5:00 – wished a random man in the a street a happy birthday (after overhearing him say it at the bank) and then rang up and thanked the bank for its great service today and always!
5:30 – delivered some flowers and a card early for someone’s birthday to help cheer them up.
6pm – wished the team at the chemist and the doctors a magnificent weekend
7pm – thanked medical team for staying back late for me
8pm – rang the after hours duty manager to thank the afterhours nurse for all her help
9pm – thanked the on call GP for his patience and honesty
10pm – arranged for my hubbie to take some of our friends kids to the rugby tonight.
11pm – promoted a local business via Facebook
12am – posted my blog to inspire others to do many small things often and have many blessons throughout life 🙂

It was a very humbling day. in amongst all the giving i was also balancing my own trapeeze as my medical team worked with me to avoid a hospital visit. Kindess and patience won the day and this one tonne post eqc milestone that will forever carry beautiful memories. It reinforced that please and thank you are still Magic words do make a difference in someone’s day. I also have an amazing brooch and bundles of special memories now attached to it. It is made from an old map of chch so was a perfect match for me today. It will always be a reminder that smiles, hugs and random acts of kindness really do make us count our blessons :).

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Image

Many of my LeapStars have been sharing their unique and interesting hobbies and interests. Some of them are searching for a 30 day challenge to complement a 20 Week Challenge they are taking part in. For some of my very busy LeapStars thinking of something to do that resonates with them has been a challenge. Heret is a few ideas that to help you find what makes your heart sing

How I find my interest area in myself there are lot of ways find you interest area? I am going to tell you somethings I tried and have worked for me.
Think of it like research about your self.
•What are the 50 things in life you most enjoy doing? (Don’t stop until you have at least 50 things listed).
• What do people say that you’re naturally good at? That is, what do people tend to give you compliments on without you even expecting it?
• What things do you normally excel in without it seeming to be much effort at all?
• What things, when you do them, you totally lose track of time, and before
you know it, a few hours have gone past without you even realizing it?
• What topics can you talk to someone else about for hours on end without getting tired or bored of it?
• What kind of topics do you like researching or finding out about more,
without being forced to do it?
• What do you think your natural talents are?
• What topic do you think you could write about every day, knowing that there
will be no reward?

These are but a few questions to help you get started. And that’s all you should see them as…a starting point.
Finding out what you’re truly interest about could sometimes take a few weeks, months or even years. What I’ve found so far with myself, is that it’s an ongoing process, and as time goes by, I try to tweak mine further and further into the things that I’m naturally good at and enjoy doing.

It is an evolving work in progress but taking time to work on me has helped me rediscover my love of nature, travel, positivity breakaways, Vitamin P (pets), clean sheet night, citrus based smells, flowers, warm bubble baths, sunrise, sunset, camping, different cultures, quiet meditation, candles and soft lighting, custard, exotic fruits, butterflies, Africa, Unsual and endagered animals, native trees, birds, rain, sunshine, insects, bees, pigs, cats, cooking, wine, cheese, chocolate, NZ scenery, water fights, fun and laughter, hugs, smiles, quotes, inspirational women, wild weather, mother nature, technology free days, photography, small things, reading, writing, eccletic art, kiwiana, the roaring 20’s, vintage NZ, classical music, jazz music, singing, NZ produce, movies, cooking reality tv shows, date nights, board games, movie days, fresh air, swimming, helping others, public speaking, blogging, facebook and sharing positivity!
WOW what a wonderful list………………………

I look forward to hearing all about what makes you – YOU 🙂

ps you totally don’t need such a big list. This one took me years to create x