A New Vision for 2014

In less than 30 hours, the new year will have begun. I feel that 2012 was a year of destruction (of old ways, old patterns and old relationships) 2013 was a year of transformation (finding new paths and new ways of being) and 2014, in my mind, is the year of making things happen. Of creating the reality that we actually want to live in.

In order to prepare for a year of making it happen, I feel that it’s important to have a clear vision. The clearer you are about where you want to go, what you want to do and accomplish, the better the reality you will create.

So, to begin with, I have my Vision Board, which I created with my publishing partner and long-time friend – Liz Lockwood.

vision board

Creating a vision board (or diary – I did a diary for 2013, and many of the things in there came to fruition, but that’s another blog post!) is very simple. You put pictures, photos, sketches, words etc on a board. Preferably in a place where you will see it often, so as to remind yourself to keep your activities in line with you dreams and goals. My board is currently propped up on my desk. I will probably stick it on the wall next to me. Having photos of yourself on the board is important – so that you are placing yourself in that reality.

The other thing you could do is simply sketch it. You don’t need to be an artist to do this, stick figures are fine. I watched this great TED talk the other day, where a lady called Patti Drobrowolski demonstrates how to do this.

http://youtu.be/A7KRSCyLqc4

This was my attempt at sketching my desired future!

desired new reality

So as you can see, no artistic skills required! But it was good to clarify things, to decide what I wanted.

Tomorrow is Marketing Plan day. and I plan to figure out how to market my books, and how to structure my time more efficiently. Which means that by the time January 1st rolls around, I will have in place everything I need to make things happen in 2014.

What are you going to make happen?

Is everything written in the stars (and planets)?

I recently met an astrologer, Keith Bound, through a friend of mine (Liz Chukwu, author of Kismet), who did a reading for me. I have had many readings from mediums and psychics, and also tarot and palm readings. Most of which have been quite good, and quite accurate, but this was the first astrology reading I’ve had, and quite honestly, it blew me away.

Keith had my basic information – birth date, time and place. He also knew that I helped authors to publish their work. But that was it. He then looked at my chart and recorded a 58 minute reading and sent it to me as an MP3. The first time I listened to it, I alternated between giggling and gasping, wondering how on earth he could get so much information from just my basic details.

I won’t go into detail about what Keith told me in the reading, although I will say that the overall theme is that the next 12 months of my life are going to be very exciting, with lots of big opportunities coming up. The reading came at the perfect time, as I was in need of confirmation that I was on the right track, and Keith gave me that confirmation, and the confidence to continue on my path.

Having the reading made me wonder, yet again, about fate and destiny. Do we really have the free will to choose what we want to do in our lives, or is it all mapped out ready for us from the moment we are born? Or is it even decided before we are born?

I explored this idea a little in The Elphite, where Ellie lives the same life over and over again. She tries to change things each time, but no matter what she does, there are certain things that happen regardless of her actions. But as you will know if you have read the book, she does manage to change her life when she changes her thinking.

People have asked me why I would want to have a reading that foretold the future, why I would want to know what is going to happen ahead of time, and my response to that is that I like to have confirmation that I am on the right path. I have had readings where I’ve been told that certain things aren’t going to work out, or that situations or relationships are going to be difficult. And instead of this information worrying or upsetting me, I find that it gives me the gift of being able to choose how I handle the situation when it arrives. Because as much as I hate plotting my novels and I love to surprise my readers with mad twists, in real life, I like to know what’s going to happen next.

Stay tuned, because 2014 is going to be a wild ride, and this is where you will be able to read all about it.

PS. Get in touch with Keith for a reading, it will be the best thing you’ve ever done, I promise.

Living life to the fullest

Paul Walker

I was really sad to hear the news this morning about Paul Walker dying in a car accident in California. Having been an avid fan of The Fast & The Furious, and a fan of his before that, as Varsity Blues and The Skulls were two of my favourite movies, it was awful to think that I wouldn’t see him in any future movies. (After Fast & Furious 7, which I hope they are still able to finish). Forty years old is way too young to be leaving this earth, but after talking to my partner about it, he made me realise that actually, Paul Walker has probably lived more in those forty years, than most people do in twice that amount of time.

He followed his passions, took risks, made blockbuster movies, and also supported charities, raising awareness for different causes. I get the feeling that he was the kind of person who lived without regrets. How many of us can say that? How many people die every day, having never realised their dreams, followed their passions or figured out their purpose? Too many, I think.

And so, I have decided, that 2014 is to be a year of making things happen. Of realising dreams, pursuing passion and leaving no room for regrets. 2012 was a year of destruction of the old ways, 2013 has been a year of transformation, so it makes sense that next year will be the year that it all comes together. In fact, I have been told that the next 12 months are going to be the most exciting yet for me, I will tell you more about that in my next post.

Rest in peace, Paul, and thank you for teaching us to live life to the fullest. x