Macadamia Nuts, a new future

When I was researching for Kate's Choice I visited a macadamia nut farm. Kate grew up on a macadamia nut farm in north Queensland just south of Townsville at Giru. Her grandfather started the farm as an experiment after living in northern New South Wales which has the best climate for growing them. Townsville and Giru are in a rain shadow so it can get very dry during the dry season. Despite the climate, Kate's grandfather and father found ways of working around the water and wet feet problem that can prevent the trees from thriving when irrigation has to be relied upon.

That's another story...

What I want to tell you about is two Canberrans who took the challenge of moving from the city to the country to go nutty. Not in the usual sense of nutty, but they opted out of their stressful life and headed for the hills in northern New South Wales to grow macadamia nuts. Carmel and Shaun felt they always had an affinity with the land, so when they decided to give up their frantic lifestyle they decided on a Macadamia farm. I'm glad they did.

From the moment I drove up into the hills I knew they lived somewhere special, and that I was going to experience that. The moment I met Carmel and Shaun, I liked them. They were friendly and eager to share about their life,  and the journey that brought them to their macadamia farm.

We strolled down to the orchard and immediately I knew why Shaun and Carmel came here. Under the canopy of macadamia trees, a calmness descended on my soul and even the gentle plopping of the macadamia nuts hitting the ground added to a sense that nature was at work and all was well with the world. As a child, my character, Kate escaped to the orchard, and in the vibrant colours of her mind she painted the leaves, the tree trunks, the ground and the sky using her imagination. It was the beginning of her interest in art. That afternoon my peace barometer shifted a little more toward the positive setting and it felt wonderful.

I understand why Carmel and Shaun decided to make their home on a macadamia nut farm; to leave their stressful life behind and to be enveloped by nature so they would be soothed back to good health and happiness. They came to the right place; peace oozed from them.

To learn more about macadamia nut farming, click here to go to the Australian Macadamia Society: 

Shaun and Carmel with their super-healthy macadamia nut trees.

Editing Kate's Choice

Today has been the most unproductive day I have had in a long while. I couldn't settle to the editing of Kate's Choice today. There's a lot going on inside this head of mine and really I must do a brain dump.

When life is a struggle, perhaps this is the solution.

It started off well enough with me proofreading a client's work, but then half an hour into that a huge wave of tiredness overcame me and I fell asleep. It wasn't because the manuscript was boring. It was one of the most interesting manuscripts I've read in a while. So what happened? I have no idea what happened. I fell asleep and slept for an hour and a half and then again this afternoon the same thing happened. Yep, I was working at my computer and I fell asleep for an hour and a half. So the sleeping fairy has been and I am now feeling alert when it is time for dinner. Maybe tonight I will be working into the long dark hours. We'll see ....

So I have marked my diary that today was 'a slow writing' day. By about ten o'clock this morning I knew it was going to be one of those days, so I put the manuscript aside and decided to put effort into research and marketing. Spending the day in this way has been beneficial to some degree, but still I struggled to stay focused.

What is really at the root of my unsettled state is me trying to make a decision on where I want to live the rest of my life. I have lived in a lot of places and I would think the decision would be quite easy. The problem is that there are too many choices and I'm a little fearful of making the wrong one. The positive in all of this is that I can write from anywhere. So what's the problem?

Going to a new community is the problem. Most people are happy in their friendly surrounds and are in sync with those wonderful people around them. Enter Laura, and the dynamics will probably change. Will they accept me for being me, the person who just wants to be like everyone else, but she likes to hide away and put words on paper or screen for days at a time and then all of sudden she comes out into the sunshine wanting to be with people after her hibernation. Sometimes I think it would have been easier being a bear. Hibernating for all those months would probably have suited me. 

Throughout my life I have learned I'm an inside outside person, meaning I like being indoors by myself writing and creating to my heart's content. Then there are the days that I want to get out into the sunshine and play with everyone. I understand I won't always sync with others in the same way. I have tried to adjust my lifestyle and be more structured in my approach to fit in with others. It has been a bumpy road where I have disappointed many and frustrated others and slowly they have fallen by the wayside. It is only my staunchest friends who have stayed loyal and worked toward understanding me. Thank you so much, dear ones. Incidentally, these dearest ones live out of town as does my son and extended family. We survive on phone calls. Are you getting the picture? If I live close to those dearest to me I just wonder how that will be. Personally, I think it would be wonderful being able to see them face to face more often.

Maybe they won't like that? Eeek, I would hate to intrude on their personal time! I would hate them to think, 'Oh no, here she comes again! Lock the door!' I've decided I need to find balance in my expectations of where I want to live. I need writing time, I need family time and I need friends time. With this in mind I will continue to search for my ideal home in the shape of a writer's cottage, since it is only me and maybe my first ever cat or dog to keep me company. I've never had a cat or dog because my life was too busy. It's still busy, but now that I live alone there might just be a space in my heart for a furry friend.

Fortunately, I have a new friend who is also looking for her final place to live. On Thursday we are going out together to explore and hopefully, I will be able to say this is where I want to live. We'll see ...

Thank you for reading this far dear one. Hopefully the decision is not too far away. My lease expires in May, so I have four months to find a place. I will keep you posted on the progress.

Tomorrow is a new day...I wonder what it will bring ....

Authentic living

Live authentically and feel the difference.

Will the real you, please stand up.

I woke up this morning thinking about being authentic. For me, being authentic means trusting the voice inside of me and being confident to follow the guidance I receive. As a fiction writer, I have voices going around in my head all the time, and sometimes it is difficult to discern the voice of authority that I should follow. I'm sure you have these voices inside you, too.

I admire young people who listen to their own voice. Some have taken up the call to travel overseas living a nomadic lifestyle so that they can learn about the world and themselves. This is authenticity. They are willing to take a risk following their desires and dreams to see where it will lead them.

Are you trying to be someone you aren't? Not everyone is meant to be a doctor, a plant operator, an accountant, digital nomad, a research scientist, or doing one of a thousand other jobs available in the world. Basically, our profession is dependent on our personality style, our dreams, our natural abilities, and skills that we have learned in life so far.

I used to be an accountant, but working with numbers never quite resonated with me. However, it served me well until a rumbling started inside of me and it grew until it affected every part of my life, including my personal and work relationships. Eventually, unable to stand the discontent any more, I got the courage to really listen to the voice inside of me.

The thing that was holding me back was me! I was insecure about my abilities. After much discussion with my authentic voice, I found my passion is to write and to encourage others on their life's journey. Making the change wasn't easy. That's the subject of another post. I am now living in my authentic self, and every day, my writer's shirt is getting to be a better fit. A force much bigger than I will ever be is at work in me helping me understand who I am and how to wear that writer's shirt.

Your rumbling could also take the form of a romantic relationship that isn't working; a work colleague and you having differences; or the production line you go to every day is driving you crazy with its same old, same old and you can't see anything different in the foreseeable future if you stay there.

Listen to the disquiet inside of you. Your higher source is telling you to move on, to be truthful to yourself and your life's calling. Don't be afraid of change. Do something to make the change you crave so that you can be yourself and not live that lie any longer.

In my latest novel due for release on 3 April 2016, Kate's Choice, Kate is unsettled in her life with Dusty. When she was nineteen she made a choice from her ego, not her authentic self. Eleven years later, she is paying the price for not being true to herself. She's unhappy and wants her life to change. For Kate, fate steps in and her life takes a major turn. 

Unfortunately, in real life, we sometimes have to take fate into our own hands to change our lives. Are you courageous enough to take charge of your life to be your authentic and creative self, so that you can get the contentment and happiness you crave?

Make a conscious effort to work toward your authentic self today and point yourself to a life that is true for you. You may not want to be a writer, but there is an idea smoldering in you that needs to be set on fire. Identify your calling, be brave and go for it with all that you are. Let me know in the comments below what your passion is. I love to hear from you and help you take hold of that authentic dream.

2016 Year of the monkey

You've survived Christmas, January 1 has come and gone and you are facing a new year that's waiting to be filled with new possibilities. Every year you think the same thing. Right?

But lurking deep down there is a feeling you don't understand. If you were to put a colour or shape to it you might say it's dark with big scary eyes and large teeth. It just kind of hangs there annoying the heck out of you. Right?

The feeling is called change and change is something we're not so keen on because it takes a lot of effort. Now is the time to take control of that feeling and move to a freer life. Wouldn’t it be great to be free as a monkey. Why not do that for 2016, the year of the monkey.

It's up to you. I am working towards a new project this year and it's all about equipping you to make change in your life. Sign up for my newsletter to get the secret of how you can make your life more peaceful, productive, happy and energetic. Coming soon is my new website for this venture that is going to change your life and make 2016 your best year ever.

You don't have to change jobs, and you don't have to change your family circumstances. All you need is a willingness to change. You might just be taken to a level in your life where you suddenly see your world with clearer, brighter eyes. 

Sign up now and make the life changes you've been craving. Leave old habits behind and move into a realm you never thought possible. Sometimes it's hard to make change when you are trying to walk the journey alone. I'm going to show you you don't have to be alone. Don't delay, sign up now: be the change, and be the leader in your chosen field.

So that I can serve you better, take a few seconds to let me know the biggest change you want to make in 2016, the year of the monkey and feel the freedom of fun and laughter. I don't know about you, but I feel email is a better way to communicate. It's private and we can explore those ideas at a more intimate level.  I like that one-on-one sharing and caring about each other at a depth you can't get with social media.

Do you want to be in this same place in 2017 grinding your teeth with indecision? No. Sign up now to find your unique power that's going to take control of that scary feeling and free you up for the interesting life you crave.

Exploring new horizons means more fun.

Celebrating Christmas

Kate's Choice

Christmas is here in less than two days. Every year I think about where I've been during the year and where I might be headed in the coming year. I prefer to leave my goal planning for after Christmas though when all the reminiscing about the past year has settled down with family and friends. The Christmas celebration for me is the culmination of the year's activity and time to unwind and let it go.

As an ex-army spouse, Christmas was usually associated with posting time. We would pack up our home early in December and our belongings would be sent to our new posting and then into storage while we waited for our new home. So Christmas was usually spent with extended family or friends while we travelled to our new location. That's army life.

When my then husband left the service we celebrated Christmas at home. It was a lot of fun preparing by baking, buying presents and decorating the tree with my son. We had my sister and her family over for Christmas Day and had a great time reminiscing about the year behind us. Somehow, we never wanted to talk about the year ahead and that is probably why I don't think about the coming year until after Christmas. In the army days there was always the settling in to our new home to be done and learning as much as we could about our new location.

After eleven years of marriage, my characters in Kate's Choice, Kate and Dusty understand the stress separation puts on a marriage and how living away from family can leave a hole deep inside that feels as though it will never be filled. It can be especially difficult at this time of year when the soldiers are serving overseas. My first wedding anniversary and Christmas was spent alone in Brisbane. It was the first year I lived in the city and I found it difficult to make friends. I had to change a few things about myself in order for me to meet new people. I joined as many interest groups as I could and this helped immensely. From then every time we were posted, joining interest groups and looking for work were my priorities.

Kate and Dusty's Christmas after Dusty came back from Afghanistan was difficult. Both had much to deal with personally, and in their relationships. This is the fallout of army life and it puts so much strain on a marriage. If you are with a service family this year extend patience and grace toward them. If they exhibit unpleasant behaviour, it is because there is something deep inside them that they are battling and are not sure how to deal with it. Emotionally they could be fragile. Take the time to listen to them and hear what they are saying. They could be calling out for help. I have been in the pressure cooker and said and done things I wished I hadn't. It was a call for help that those around me understood and I am so glad they practised forgiveness toward me to help me get through that difficult time.

We all make mistakes. Sometimes all we need is a listening ear. Take the time and you might just make a friend or save a life.

Have a wonderful Christmas break wherever you are and whatever you are doing. See you the other side of Christmas. By the way, if you haven't already liked my Facebook page, click here: https://www.facebook.com/authorLauraOConnell/

Merry Christmas!