by Guest contributor | Mar 26, 2014 | Creative travel experiences, Travel blogger destinations
What Is Visualization?
Visualization simply stated, is using the power of our mind to paint pictures of our goals as complete. Visualizing our goals as accomplished gives our subconscious mind a picture of what we want and expect. Then it works towards making that goal a reality. When we visualize we are actually training our brain to seek what we want.
What happened to our imagination? Why were we forced to “grow up” and stop dreaming? Most people ask me how to visualize and usually follow up the question with the statement, “I’m not very good at it”, before I can even explain. The truth is everyone CAN visualize! It is simple and easy.
Why is Visualization Important?
Visualization is one of the most important tools in goal setting. We use it to program our subconscious mind to get what we want. The fact is that only three percent of the U.S. population have written goals. Once written down approximately ninety percent of those goals come to fruition.
The mind functions on different levels for goal attainment. The conscious mind selects the goals. The subconscious determines the actions needed to reach those goals. Both parts of the mind need to be in alignment and working together to attain our goals.
The subconscious mind moves away from pain towards pleasure. It uses the filters of past experiences, emotions and beliefs to judge if a new situation will bring you pleasure. Through picturing our dreams as complete, we have now activated our pleasure program and have given our subconscious the destination.
Why Does it Work?
Our subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between a real event and a highly imagined one. Athletes have been using the power of visualization for years to give them the winning edge. A golfer will “play out” the next putt going in the hole prior to even hitting the ball. Before shooting a free-throw, a basketball player will picture the ball going in the basket.
Getting started in three easy steps:
1. Write A Five Year Plan.
This can be done in many ways. The most fun and easy way I have found is to create and imagine your perfect world. Then pick a specific time in the future, I like five years, and write down how it looks to you.
- How does your perfect world look to you?
- Where do you live?
- How are your relationships with your friends and family?
- Do you have a partner?
- Where do you work or do you even work at all?
- What kind of car do you drive?
- What is your lifestyle like?
2. Visualize Your Perfect World.
I have developed two different ways to visualize as I explain in my book Fun With Visualization: A Simple and Quick Way to Skyrocket Your Success. The first way is closed eye visualization. You simply close your eyes and picture your goal as complete, painting in more of the picture every day.
The second way is open eyed visualization. This is where you can get playful and imaginative. Simply stated, it is role playing with a partner. The five year plan is complete.
Here’s How:
Talk with a friend for 10-30 minutes each night as if you were living in your dream world, as if everything you wanted has come to fruition.
- Make it real!
- Make it fun!
- This is your dream life, Live it up!
3. Commit to 30 days.
A new habit takes some time to develop! Give this the time it deserves.
Daily visualizations, along with happy emotions, are powerful tools that get results. Goals can be easily thought of as happiness we wish to create in our lives. Visualizing is simple, easy and fun! Take action and watch your perfect world move towards you.
About the author
Starr Pilmore is an author, speaker and coach, and founder of the innovative Fun With Visualization program. Have a question? Email her.
We’d love your thoughts. Please do drop us a line in the comments below :-)
by Cooper D | Mar 25, 2014 | Travel blogger destinations
Milk is a skincare range founded by former Australian Olympian Michael Klim (you know, the guy with the shaved head who won a heap of medals) and his wife back in 2008. What’s obvious about this product is the packaging, how cool is it? In the fashion world I believe it’s described it as minimalistic chic.
Milk face wash and scrub is basically a creamy based scrub which helps exfoliate and cleanse the skin. In the past I’ve tried moisturising face washes that felt like sandpaper and left my face feeling dry. Not the case with this cleanser as it contains fine exfoliating beads which I didn’t find rough on my face. Face washes are suppose draws out the impurities in your pores and cleanse your skin, which it did. It contains over 50 different nutrients, which they say help protect and moisturise your skin. All I was hoping for was that it left my skin feeling smooth, clean and soft and it achieved that.
Sometimes I get pimples from using creamy based scrubs but I had no blemishes after using it for a week. You only need to use a small amount (about the size of a pea) to cover the whole face.
Milk Ultra-light moisturiser
Milk’s Ultra-light moisturiser is creamy without feeling gluggy, it’s non-greasy and it’s easy to apply. I like how it doesn’t have a fragrance, I’m not a fan of moisturisers which have a sweet or chemical smell. Surprisingly a small amount is enough to cover your whole face and neck.
Milk’s Ultra-Light Moisturizer contains also contains over 50 different ingredients but the two that stand out for me are jojoba oil which protects against skin dehydration and Aloe Vera which acts as an anti-inflammatory, protecting your skin against breakouts and dry, red itchy patches but most importantly, it moisturises your skin and for under $15.
You can use it day and night and it also says that it contains anti-ageing properties so make sure you pay attention around the eyes and neck. I’ll have to use it for a while to see if that’s case.
It’s Australian owned and uses 100% recycled packaging.
Overall, I’m pretty impressed with the product and its packaging.
by Guest contributor | Mar 21, 2014 | Asia-Pacific, Travel blogger destinations
Australia has so many unique experiences, creating a bucket list is no easy feat. It’s like choosing your favourite child, or finding free parking in Sydney. But someone had to do it, so Check-in.com.au has given it ago, and shared with TLL.
The top things you simply must do in Australia
Visit Arnhem Land
Made up of 91,000 square kilometres of tropical wilderness, Arnhem Land is as unspoiled and remote as you can get. Its small population is predominantly Aboriginal people, whose traditional culture remains largely intact, making it a huge tick on our bucket list.
Access to Arnhem Land is so restricted that only selected tour operators who have earned the trust of traditional landowners may bring visitors in. If you’re looking for an even more exclusive affair, head to Bremer Island, 3.4 km off the north-eastern corner.
At Banunanu Wilderness Retreat (pictured), a sustainable resort with a maximum of eight guests at a time, you can join a private fishing charter. The pièce de résistance is returning to the beach restaurant made from driftwood where your catch of the day will be cooked for you.
Dive with great white sharks in Port Lincoln
C
age diving with deadly great white sharks is not only thrilling, it has a 100 per cent non-fatality rate. Adventure Bay Charters or Calypso Star Charters run shark diving expeditions from Port Lincoln and they’ll take you way out to sea to a location known for its abundance of sharks, sea lions and fur seals.
You can’t do this on a whim, it’s a full day out at sea and once Jaws is spotted, you’ll be dropped into the ocean with nothing but a metal cage to protect you. If you really can’t face the sharks, try the cheeky option of swimming with sea lions.
Cruise the Kimberley
If the Kimberley isn’t on your bucket list, then you’re going to live a long and uninspiring life!
The region is often named amongst the top destinations in the world by reputable travel sources – and we are inclined to agree. It’s one of the last true wilderness areas on Earth, with iconic outback landscapes which cover nearly 423,000 square kilometres in north WA.
One of the best ways to see the area is by cruise ship where you can get up close to the rocky shores and ochre-coloured gorges as they meet the lush waterfalls, breathtakingly blue waters and white sandy shores. Carved by millions of years of extreme tidal patterns, the coastline’s complex river systems provide access to this contrasting scenery and make travel by small cruise ship the ideal way to explore the area. Award-winning Aurora Expeditions will take you there on a 35-metre luxury catamaran with just 44 guests.
Drive the Great Ocean Road
California has the Pacific Coast Highway, but in Victoria you can get your kicks on the Great Ocean Road. Hire a car in Melbourne and take a journey along the country’s stunning south-east coastline. Drive through the iconic surf spots of Torquay and Bells Beach (this break should be on any surfer-worth-their-salt’s bucket list), then onto the laidback town of Lorne and the spectacular Twelve Apostles.
Walk through waterfalls and lush forest in Otway National Park and watch whales from historic Warrnambool. For the ‘well-heeled’ traveller, consider the Great Ocean Walk, an eight day walk from Apollo Bay to the Twelve Apostles.
Special mentions: must do in Australia
We can’t neglect: Camping on Fraser Island; Cruising the Whitsundays; Skydiving above Byron Bay; Learning to surf at Bondi Beach; Taking a journey on the Ghan; The Great Barrier Reef in Cairns.
What’s on your ‘must do in Australia’ bucket list? Share with us in the comments below, and we’ll endeavour to share some travel stories on the destination(s) with you.
by Guest contributor | Mar 21, 2014 | Travel blogger destinations
It’s just so important to get your city break packing list right! There’s nothing worse than arriving at your destination with a suitcase full of clothes and nothing to wear. Getting your city break packing list right is essential for those of us who book cheaper airfares and carry-on-only luggage too. Even more important if you’re travelling solo!
Have you ever been caught at the airport having to pay an obscene amount of money on excess luggage weight? It’s awful, and stressful.
With it being so easy to get to some places now, you don’t want your city break experience ruined by carting around unnecessary baggage. London to Amsterdam or London to Paris, even Brisbane to Sydney if you’re in the southern hemisphere – enjoy your trip by conquering your city break packing list.
City break packing list: the must-have item
As someone who has travelled extensively for my job, I was once asked what one item of clothing was an absolute travel essential for my suitcase.
My response?
A sarong!
Think about it, it’s handy for the beach as a swim suit cover-up, as a scarf, a head covering if needed, a wrap on a chilly flight, it’s completely versatile.
After packing and unpacking a million suitcases, there are certainly many things I’ve learned, sadly by trial and error, in terms of what not to do when packing your suitcase.
City break packing list – the five big mistakes
Not making a ‘what to wear’ list
It might seem excessive, but sitting down and actually planning out what outfits you’re going to need will save you a lot of room in the suitcase. Much in the same way that menu planning saves you money at the grocery store.
If it’s a work trip, remember that if you are seeing different clients on different days, parts of your outfit can easily be re-worn. If you’re on a city break for leisure, you can be much more relaxed about your attire. Let go of preciousness. Be comfortable, be happy.
Taking ‘out there’ items
Sure that wild print dress looks great on, but take items that are easier to mix and match.
Clothes that can be both dressed up or dressed down will get you more mileage and take up far less room.
Taking your shoe collection with you
Every pair of shoes you pack will add at least a kilo to the weight of your bag. Let’s face it, shoes are awkward items in suitcases, making it tricky to pack around them.
Think about exactly what you really need and what you can wear twice.
Most of the time you need a pair of versatile walking shoes or trainers, and a pair of flats or sandals or flip flops. That’s it.
Taking too much gym gear
Yes making time for fitness, especially while travelling on business trips, is important. Too much room service and social drinks can certainly add up quickly, but so can the weight of gym shoes and the extra clothing.
Think about it, will you really use the hotel gym on more than one occasion?
If so, take the gym clothes. If not, think about maybe taking a swim suit instead. Less room in the suitcase and most hotels have usable pools year round.
Taking your bathroom with you
Yes, we all love our little comforts from home. The shampoo we’re used to, the moisturiser we love the scent of. But really we know we could go a day or two without it. Don’t waste space on shampoo, conditioners and lotions which could accidentally break open in your bag and cause a whole other headache when you know the hotels will always have them available. Worst case, you can buy inexpensive version on the road and discard before returning home.
If you’re a frequent traveller and fussy about your brands, packing a travel bag of small sized toiletries and keeping it packed will make it easy for you to re-pack every time you go away as well.
What’s your input on how to compose the perfect city break packing list – what do you class as ‘essential’ to take with you? Drop us a line in the comments below.
About the author
Gwen O’Toole is an accomplished writer focusing on travel, events management and food and wine. She also published a fiction novel while spending the past eight years as a magazine editor and travelling the globe before launching The Ideas Library, a creative services and event management company. She is regularly featured in a variety of travel and leisure publications and blogs.
by Sarah Blinco | Mar 17, 2014 | Travel blogger destinations, Travel Live Learn in the media
AUSTRALIA’S MOST INSPIRING YOUNG WRITERS UNCOVERED
Last week seven of Australia’s brightest writers discovered they were winners in a national student writing competition hosted by Sugoi Media Australasia and Media Bootcamp Australia.
READ THE WINNING ENTRIES
The competition, promoted throughout high school English departments Australia wide, garnered much attention and the standard of entries was exceptionally high. Aspiring writers and media stars were encouraged to submit a piece of up to 500 words in any format (i.e. poem, interview, news story, fiction…) but the work had to relate to the theme “INSPIRE”.
Director of Sugoi Media, Sarah Blinco, says, “The judging panel which consisted of media, publishing and education professionals, was excited and surprised to receive so many high quality entries from across Australia. It was difficult narrowing down to finalists, let alone choosing winners. As it was, we extended the ‘final six’ to include a seventh outstanding and unique entry. It’s been so rewarding liaising with enthusiastic young talent. Too often media spotlights those youngsters behaving badly, and this is an excellent opportunity to promote the quiet achievers − the kids who are smart, hard working and switched on − who actually do deserve the attention.”
Each of the winners achieved their first ever published piece by being showcased on popular lifestyle website, travellivelearn.com, which receives thousands of visits from all over the world each month. They will also enjoy a digital mentoring session with an industry professional as part of their prize, in order to assist them to hone in on individual writing and media goals.
This national writing competition was hosted in conjunction with Media Bootcamp, a world-first digital mentoring and training program designed to provide extra assistance to high achieving English and media students keen on a career in communications, media, publishing, radio or PR. It’s particularly useful for students in the city who want to get a head start on their careers, and students in regional parts of Australia who lack resources and opportunities to be trained and mentored by relevant industry professionals. Media Bootcamp was developed in 2012, has already fostered exceptional young talent around the country, and has assisted a number of students into trainee roles in radio and communications well ahead of the time it usually takes to get a foot in the door of these competitive industries.
–ends–
For further information please contact info(at)sugoimedia.com.
Editors, additional links of interest:
by Sarah Blinco | Mar 13, 2014 | Travel blogger destinations, Travel Live Learn in the media
A message from Sugoi Media director and editor, Sarah Blinco…
Media Bootcamp national writing competition 2014 winners (Australia).
