The more you can embrace and express your unique truth the better your relationships will become, the more compelling your content will be, and the more engaging you will be as a speaker.

This isn’t always easy and for some people it doesn’t come naturally, but it is certainly worth the effort.

Take Action:
Speak your honest vulnerable truth. This can be big or small, in person or online. Either way, lean into it!

Books Covered:
Give Them Goosebumps - Miroslav Petrovic

If you identify as introverted, anxious, empathic, neurotic, or easily overstimulated, you may be a ‘highly sensitive person’ - a term taken from the book by the same name.

It promotes self-awareness and acceptance, as well as the reframing of those traits as a positive and necessary component of a healthy society. We need decisive people of action as well as a sensitive class of advisors to guide them. That way, the right stuff gets done.

It also provides guidance on how to navigate the world as a highly sensitive person, and how to talk with those high in that trait. Reflective listening is offered as a way to validate the strong emotions of those around us, without falling into the trap of irrationally changing things only because of the impact of those emotions on our mental state.

Take Action:
For the next five minutes, think on replacing the your internal label of ‘anxiety’ with ‘sensitivity’, then ask, ‘what does the world need right now?’

Books Covered:
The Highly Sensitive Person - Elaine Aron

Effective self-care is more than just eating cake. Ideally it should make you feel good over the long term: diet, exercise, meditation, relaxation, medication, study, and practice.

Of course, if you need to do something to survive, do it. But also consider what will help you NOT to have to do those short term fixes again.

Morning rituals can help you, as well as a list of ‘go to’ activities that work for you in different contexts (calm breathing, breaks, books, music).

Self improvement + Relaxation = Effective Self-Care

Take Action:
Write a list of five things that could be used as positive forms of self-care. Try them and if they work, keep them on a list on you. If not, cross it off and add something new to the list and repeat!

Books Covered:
The Dialectic Behavioural Skills Workbook - Matthew McKay

Well delivered and received feedback can make good projects truly great.

Learning how to navigate the ego and deliver appropriate critiques with tact, timing is a skill that can be learnt.

It can also be taught. If you are an artist, writer, entrepreneur or creative, it is vital you know how to get those around to give you feedback that you can use.

Self awareness is key:
Do you need critique or cheerleading? What about when the project is complete?
Do you want advice or general ‘feelings’ reported back?
Do you want a discussion or summary?

Timing is key:
It is important to nurture creative projects until they are able to hold their own. Too soon, and the critique could kill, too late and the project may be to solidified.

Take Action:
Take a moment to introspect on your creative process, do you need more cheerleading or critiquing?

Books Covered:
Shadows Beneath - Writing Excuses Anthology
KINK, Volume 1, erotic fiction & poetry - Zachary Phillips

Good gut health is vital for optimal performance.

Our physical and mental health can be detrimentally impacted if our gut biome falls out of balance.

Fortunately, we can take action to ensure that we are as healthy as possible:

1) Eat food that promote good gut bacteria (pre-biotics) as well as take pro-biotic supplements. This will reduce illness durations and increase our immunity levels.

2) Poop with the correct posture (legs up/squatting and relaxed). Gross, but considering how often we poop, we need to be doing it right.

3) Eat with calm. Don’t rush food, or make it a stress as doing so reduces digestive efficiency.

4) Determine what kinds of foods you struggle to digest and start gently removing them from your diets (eg: gluten, dairy etc).

Take Action:
The next time you eat, do so mindfully. Feel your body before, during and after the meal. How do you feel? Do you like the feeling?

Books Covered:
Gut - Giulia Enders

Arnold Schwarzenegger has achieved amazing amounts of success in many diverse areas; business, body building, acting and politics.

His autobiography teaches us to:
1: Aim for the top because there is space there (most people settle for the middle, thus it’s full).

2: Approach life like a happy puppy (focus on what can go right, deal with problems when they arise).

3: Visualise success (picture your future success so vividly that it feels inevitable).

Take Action:
Choose a passion and think about what the absolute top looks like. Visualise yourself there. Consider what it would take to reach the top, and what the first step would be.

Books Covered:
Total Recall - Arnold Schwarzenegger

If you control the breath you control the mind.

Calm Birth is a system designed to provide the best birthing experience possible through meditation, information and visualisations.

The lessons learnt here can be applied across all aspects of our lives.

Take Action:
Five minutes of slow breathing, 4 seconds in, 6 seconds out.

Books Covered:
Calm Birth - Suzy Ashworth

What is considered ‘normal’ may not be right for you.

Take a moment to consider the underlying and unspoken rules that dictate your decision making around relationships, work and family. You may find that there are some changes that can be made that more align with your values and desires.

Take Action:
Consider your relationships, hobbies, work, or parenting style and ask if you are living the life I want to be living? Explore potential alternative options with an open mind.

Books Covered:
Sex At Dawn - Cacilda Jethá & Christopher Ryan
The Ethical Slut - Dossie Easton & Janet Hardy