Wednesday, 18 April 2012

AFL: Macho to Mindful


“It’s More than a Game” indeed! 

Brett Kirk
AFL (Australian Football League)  was once stereotyped as a tough macho sport, but recent years have seen the influence of humanitarian types like the late Jim Styes bring a sensitivity to the game.

I was both shocked and inspired to hear that meditation, and love and compassion toward team members is not only appreciated, but practised and promoted by recently retired AFL player Brett Kirk. 

Our view of what it takes to be a “hero” is shifting as more and more people are understanding the power of mindfulness. 

Port Melbourne, Australia




One of Jim Stynes’ favourite poems says it perfectly:

The Guy in the Glass
When you get all you want and you struggle for pelf,
and the world makes you king for a day,
then go to the mirror and look at yourself
and see what that man has to say.
For it isn't your mother, your father or wife
whose judgment upon you must pass,
but the man, whose verdict counts most in your life
is the one staring back from the glass.
He's the fellow to please,
never mind all the rest.
For he's with you right to the end,
and you've passed your most difficult test
if the man in the glass is your friend.
You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.
You can fool the whole world,
down the highway of years,
and take pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
if you've cheated the man in the glass.
~ Peter "Dale" Wimbrow Sr.


Jim Stynes’ foundation “Reach” helps troubled youth improve their quality of life and fulfil their potential.  See the below link:
http://www.reach.org.au/about-reach/meet-our-founders

Thursday, 12 April 2012

Stressed? Confess, Digress... Progress!

"If a warrior is to succeed at anything, the success must come gently, with a great deal of effort but with no stress or obsession" ~ Carlos Castaneda

Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia
It’s fair to say that most of our stress stems from worrying about what others think of us.  Whether it be our boss, our partner, our family, friends or those special people who challenge us (also fondly known as our “enemies”); we are constantly trying to gain approval to validate who we “believe” we are and what we believe we should be “achieving” in our lives. 
When I set aside the need for approval from others and focus on approving of myself, not only do I feel less stressed, but funnily enough I seem to get approval from the people I was trying to get it from in the first place.  It’s like we were brought up in a society where everything we were taught was backwards.   I feel like I’m back in primary school and it’s Opposites Day!  "I care what other people think… NOT!  It’s Opposites Day!"  [cue children laughing].
I’m not pretending I have all the answers and I know I never will, but it’s true when they say “life is a journey”
and I finally feel like I’m enjoying the ride!

If you would like to support the cause you can recommend this page below or donate here: http://www.everydayhero.com.au/sarah_walton_6

Monday, 9 April 2012

Successful Happiness


Southbank, Melbourne, Australia
What is success?  Success is not measured by achievements or by money, but by our happiness and our ability to love.  Love for others, yes.  But first and foremost love for ourselves.
What is happiness?  In society there’s this delusion that happiness comes from achievements or the accumulation of “things”. 
Following that model we often feel disappointed when an accomplishment or new “thing” fails to provide us with the happiness we expected.  Mostly it’s a short lived high followed by a low and frantically searching and working toward the next thing to give us that momentary hit of pleasure.  The cycle continues.  If we flip that around though and work on making ourselves happy first, then the things we want come to us.  

Recently I set my goals aside and focussed solely on inner peace and sharing the resulting happiness and peace with others.  Suddenly my outer circumstances started to reflect that happiness.  In less than 2 months I quit my job, started a new job with less hours, joined a course in production management so I can make my own films, created a fundraiser and this blog and committed to not drinking alcohol for a year.  Not only am I happy and living my dreams, but I’m sharing that happiness with others ...And I’m feeling pretty “successful".

If you would like to support the cause you can recommend this page below or donate here: http://www.everydayhero.com.au/sarah_walton_6

Tuesday, 3 April 2012

Sober Wilder: Party Liason

Saturday night I was out until 2am without a drop of alcohol.  I danced, caught up with friends and giggled until I actually felt drunk!

Brunswick St, Melbourne, Australia
In my early 20s I thought that if someone wasn't drinking they were boring to go out with, but I wonder if maybe it's the other way around?   When drunk we are highly likely to take on one of the following characters:

* The Slury
Slur their words or just generally speak incoherently.  Unless of course we are also drunk, in which case we are fluent in "jibberish" and understand them perfectly.

* The Broken Record
Repeat the same sentence or story over and over again.  Repeat the same sentence or story over and over again [cue record scratch sound].

* The Pacifier (AKA The Baby's Dummy)
The beer bottle or glass of alcohol acts as a pacifier (baby's dummy) and the person will suck contently on their drink (even if it's empty or the lid is still on) and not engage in conversation. 
If there are a few Pacifiers in a circle they will literally sit there drinking and not talk.  These days they are likely to be tapping away on their iPhones, checking Facebook or other unsocial behaviour.  Kinda blows the theory that drinking is social right out of the water.

 * The Cradle Rock

"...when the wind blows, drunk person will rock"... back and forth and back and forth. (On the dance floor this motion can sometimes pass for a dance move).
But "when the bow breaks, the drunk person will fall and down will come drunked, VB's and all..."

 * The Personal Space-inator
Behaves like your long lost best friend even if you've only met that night.  
"I love u too man, but could you kindly get your breath out of my face."

 * The Say it Don't Spppray it!

Best mates with the personal space-inator.  Need I say more?

I'm making light of these because they're pretty funny on reflection.  Or is it that I find drunk people funny because I'm trying to justify my own drunken behaviour?   


All I know is that Saturday night was one of the best nights I've had out in a long time and the only drink I was smashing was water...

If you would like to support the cause you can recommend this page below or donate here: http://www.everydayhero.com.au/sarah_walton_6

Tuesday, 27 March 2012

Gandhi was a Rockstar

What holds us back from making change and allowing growth?  FEAR.
Gandhi said "The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear."

Turtle Island, Bali
It makes so much sense!  If we are not afraid we have no reason to hate.  All hate comes from fear. 
Fear that we will not be liked, fear that someone will leave us, fear that someone will take our job, fear that we're not good enough... all these fears create jealousy, greed, hate. 

If we feel jealousy or resentment it's often because we want something that person has.  Jealousy can be useful as a sign we want to change.  When we recognise the fear, remove it and look at successful people with admiration, not resentment, it works to our advantage.  Once fear is removed we can genuinely be happy for someone else and it in turn brings us happiness.
And what might that happiness spark in us?  We just might get into action and go about creating for ourselves what we are admiring in the person we were once hating on.  That is part of how I got here.

Gandi was a rockstar... but so are you!

A HUGE thank you to all who have donated so far! 


If you would like to support the cause you can recommend this page below or donate here: http://www.everydayhero.com.au/sarah_walton_6
 

Sunday, 25 March 2012

The Man in the Mirror

Michael Jackson said "If you want to make the world a better place take a look at yourself and make a change"...


Seminyak, Bali
So, "I'm starting with the man in the mirror".  As of today March 25, 2012 (my 32nd birthday) I'm abstaining completely from alcohol for 1 year in an attempt to create awareness and raise money for those affected by drug and alcohol abuse.   If you would like to donate to my chosen charity Odyssey House you can do so at the bottom of this page. 
My cigarette smoking and partying days of my 20s are behind me and I'm at the point in my life where I'm focussing on achieving my dreams and my goals.  Only 6 months after quitting smoking I wrote a feature film script that made it into the finals of an international competition and I trained myself to stretch my 5 minute running record to at least 90 minutes. 

This got me thinking... Is alcohol holding me back too?  I wonder what I could achieve in a year without drinking?  Well, I'm about to find out...


Odyssey House is "Providing Opportunites for Change and Growth".
If you would like to support the cause you can recommend this page below or donate here: http://www.everydayhero.com.au/sarah_walton_6