Jodene is the co-founder of:
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Published February 21st, 2011
For those of you who don’t live in the land of the traditional South African meat dish called boerewors. It’s a sausage that means ‘farmer’s sausage’ and it’s beyond yummy. The reason why it’s so important to introduce you to it or tease my fellow South African’s with the thought of it is because boerewors is never eaten alone. It’s alway surrounded by far too many other yummy things and carbo-overload is top of the list.
Yesterday wasn’t the most eventful as activities go. Wake up … eat! Blog … eat! Watch a movie … eat! Have lunch … um! and so the day went on. I’m not directly pointing a finger at my sister and brother-in-law but they did cook all the food the whole day. Who can blame the bride who hasn’t been having the best food time before the wedding so post occasion she’s having her favourite things.
There’s no gun to my head, but the new relationship I’m forming with food, I am finally getting quantity and ‘desires’ right. NOT YESTERDAY.
It’s official … we go into autopilot of old patterns. I could actually hear myself saying to me that I didn’t want to eat that or I had had enough of eating that, but I just kept going. So I gave myself a gift … I watched the old me consume me!! I didn’t get mad or frustrated with myself. I remember this happening twice in my life before. Once when I quit smoking and once when I was obese and started to deal with it.
I remember sitting in front of the mirror and watching myself inhale smoke like an alien had landed from Mars. Even though I had smoked since I was about 16, it became totally foreign to me.
The second time it happened … well that was the last day I ever ordered 2 hamburgers, 1 packet of large chips, one tub of fried calamari and an ice cream. Yes … that was my quantity of comfort food.
Yesterday wasn’t nearly as insane but it was mad enough. It also gave me one of the greatest gifts I’ve given myself in a long time and one just as powerful as the other two moments that were life-changing. I know it was so impactful because of how I woke up this morning … fearless of ever going back!!!!
The timing is perfect because other fearful things are starting to creep up and I would usually hide behind food.
I’m not great at traveling on my own … not even to a new building a few minutes away from home. No jokes … but my dad left me in a restaurant when I was about 6 and I thought he was never coming back. There were no cellphones in those days and what seemed like nearly the whole day was under and hour … for a little girl to think her daddy forgot her. For some reason that freaked me out for all eternity and I have this crazy notion that I will get lost and never be found again! Yes … I’m 37 and it might be time to get over that.
So this week I’m going to a meeting where I am going to follow directions and find my way through buildings and next month I am flying to Cape Town all by myself too! For a girl who wants to travel the world and tell my ‘project me’ story … I thought it was a good time to start!! No addiction to cradle me …
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published February 20th, 2011
What fun things totally freak you out?
Is it just me or does anyone out there also hate the camera that’s whipped out at parties?
Does anyone else have the censorship rule with their friends about Facebook or Tweeted pics?
Who else avoids full body shots??
It’s been long awaited and very much anticipated but one day I woke up and I was ready. I was ready to accept the offer of sponsorship by Irvin Sammons Photographie. I can’t believe he’s still been keen to photography me through the year as I get my body fit, firm and fabulous. I’ve been a total nightmare every time he’s whipped the camera out and then turned into a bitch when I’ve seen the shots he’s taken. Unbelievably … I believe in him and he believes in me and so we decided that we can both make this work.
It might seem like a simple and odd sponsorship, but the camera is fast becoming one of the toughest relationships I’ve ever had to build with someone. “Look straight into the camera!” are words I used to literally hide from.
For those of you who haven’t seen what I used to look like in the eye of the camera, I will be posting a pick when I launch the sponsorship. It wasn’t pretty. Let me rephrase that … I didn’t think I was pretty.
Naturally the day was mixed with emotions of excitement, challenge and fear. Irvin was amazing to the build up but I can see that not many understand my love/hate relationship with the camera.
My poor mother gave up being a make-up artist years ago, yet she still does it for me at every important occasion. She is brilliant at what she does and always helps make me feel that one extra bit pretty. Yesterday was no different and she could feel it. It would officially be one of the first times I was consciously having full body shots. I had already decided that, no matter what, I am putting full body shots on my blog when I launch the sponsorship.
Outfit upon outfit were tried on, removed, tried on again. Shuffling from one mirror to the next and learning in then taking a few steps out. If that was how the camera would see me then I would survive. After all, it is the first photo shoot and the whole point is to track my weight loss and shift in esteem as seen through the eyes of the lens.
I’m not the same girl I used to be and I’m not fishing for compliments either. I know my beauty and my sexy self. It’s a simple chaos with me … I can see my poor relationship with food through the lens. Every time I see a pic of me I promise myself a better eating life and then I fall off the rails at the sign of one ounce of fear or need to hide shame. But, something has changed lately. It’s a combination of things, but the fact remains. I have gotten through some of the greatest family, friends, finance and fear issues over the last few weeks and not turned to food once. I felt amazing at my sister’s wedding and it triggered a knowing that I CAN do this.
That’s when I did it! That’s when I made the call and graciously accepted the sponsorship! That’s when I put on my best, coloured up my cheeks, puckered up my lips, curled up my hair and headed to a pretty park to be photographed!
Ironically, it was cloudy and rainy … which only enhanced the beauty of the whole experience!
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published February 19th, 2011
In creating my own reality, I choose what to believe and it always becomes my truth. I spend my life saying ‘I am that powerful’, ‘you are the powerful’, and ‘we are that powerful’. One of my realities is that everything has its duality. Light has dark, love has hate, happiness has sadness.
I had one of those days filled with perfect duality. I use the word ‘perfect’ very loosely because I wasn’t feeling much perfection while weeping into a towel because tissues weren’t capable of absorbing the tears.
I woke up to the drained feeling that has been filling my days but found the determination to go to gym with pride and enthusiasm. I went from bouncing excitement that I am constantly going to gym to almost having to hold onto the rail for the last lap around the track because my body was that exhausted.
On the way home I had a long chat with myself and the encouraging speech got me fired up to get a lot off my to-do list. Sadly, I walked into the dual feeling of a destructive speech in one of those conversations that starts with ‘don’t say aything, but …’. I hate those conversations because I live in utter truth. YES … I do live in utter truth. I can’t even lie if the tea is too cold and I don’t appreciate other’s not being able to speak their truth to me.
Calm moved to rage and pride moved to shattered esteem.
I decided not to drain my business partner with the duality of my emotion because he’s on a roll and I didn’t feel it fair. Instead, from feeling engulfed with support I felt alone in the world, but that duality served a purpose too. I worked my little butt off … not out of spite and to ‘show them’ (all those who think I am failing or going to fail), but because I am a surviver and I believe enough in myself and my dreams.
My post starts with a beautiful picture and saying that a friend made just because she wanted to remind me of how much she loves and appreciates me. I stared into my own eyes and loved the light and joy that I shine into the world.
However, just a few moments prior my can opener broke and I had enough rage in those very eyes to take a knife to the can and literally stab and tear it open. If there were the need I might even have used me teeth.
One man let my down by ignoring me because I hurt him with my truth and another made my day by sending me a message that said “Keep it up girl, and never stop believing in yourself.”
One friend praised me for what I do and another said she can’t associate her business with my venture of empowering women through my Organic Orgasm talks.
I was the closest to having the most visits on my site in a day and then the furthest away when my hosting company failed me again and my site went down.
I cried with absolute self pity and then laughed with absolute self pride.
Yet, through it all I did some things I never thought I would do … I never forgot the beauty of it all. I honoured every emotion and every thought. I didn’t shy away from the hatred or anger and I didn’t try deny that I am perfect in my eyes. And when my friend sent me that beautiful gesture and perfect saying and I stared at the can I had just mutilated … I smiled at my truth that everything is (as always) exactly as it should be.
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published February 19th, 2011
Although it wan’t a “SURPRISE!!” kind of surprise, all the sweat and tears to give my little sis and her new hubby a special wedding night treat was made possible by The Peech Hotel in Melrose, Johannesburg.
I have never seen such sadness and chaos to the build up to a wedding, with the best man, bridesmaid, master of ceremonies and the marriage officer all announcing, at different stages, that they couldn’t attend the wedding. The worst of it all was when my sis’s ex-business partner took her for a ride and left her with no money about 6 weeks before her wedding.
My little sis and her incredibly caring husband didn’t deserve this and I was determined to give them as much of a fairytale wedding as possible. That would not include returning to their apartment on the night of their wedding. From the moment I sent out a call for assistance, The Peech hotel were beyond willing to help and I have no words to express my gratitude to the incredible team who made it all possible. But this isn’t my story … it’s that of my little sis and her hubby. If my sis stands on a chair, she will still be a smidgen shorter than her towering husband and their love oozes into everything they do or say, so I asked them to write about their wedding surprise because I just knew it would show you just why they deserved the time of their lives:
After spending a very emotional day with family and friends at our wedding and picking up a few odds and sodds our brother drove us (chauffeur style) to the peech hotel, which our lovely sister, Jodene, organised for us.
We were dropped off at the hotel with our overnight bags and thankfully a kind friend of Jodene’s, Twinkletoes, had checked in for us already so all we had to do was collect the keys and make our way to the room.
The staff were very courteous and helped us with all our wedding presents to the room because I insisted that I wanted to open them all before going to sleep. When we got to the front desk we found out the room number which low and behold happened to be “our” lucky number 13 and the date of our wedding and two years previous engagement.
So we plodded on to room 13 with our full wedding attire and gifts in tow. We arrived at the room and the porter opened the door to a beautifully decorated room there were red chocolate hearts were strewn all over the bed. We had a peep into the bathroom quickly which had been decorated with rose petals all over the rather large bath. A beautiful Large shower was calling our names the shower head was the size of a big dinner plate which was great for myself and my bride.
We battled a little to get out of attire due to the complicated clips and zips all over the place and I had to help my wife take out all 35 hair clips that were holding her hair in the exact place her sister had put it. We had a lovely shower and I reminded my wife that it was not necessary to dry off completely because there were amazingly soft and comfortable towling dressing gowns and they would absorb and moisture left on us.
We then proceeded to move to the bed which must have been 2 three quarter beds pushed together it was huge and extremely comfortable and we proceeded to unpack all our wedding gifts one by one obviously keeping all the cards so that we could send thank you cards to all our friends and family.
Oh I forgot to mention that we had air conditioning in the room and because my wife sweats in the middle of winter so I set it to 18 degrees.
We didn’t even get around to drinking the wine left in the room for us. We drifted off to sleep. We were planning to wake late in the morning but we are so used to getting up early these days seeing as though our home is currently a construction site, so we were up at eight in the morning. It was so nice to get dressed in a tranquil environment on the first day of our lives as a married couple and then we proceeded down to the garden area for our breakfast which there was a lovely original menu and being from the industry is hard to impress me. There was a lovely selection of freshly sliced fruits a selection of yoghurts and some yummy chocolate muffins which we almost could not finish.
My wife thoroughly enjoyed her English muffins with wilted spinach poached eggs and parmesan sauce and I devoured a bacon and cheese omelette which was great. While we were having breakfast I noticed a beautiful bottle and noticed that on it stated that you can purchase said bottles at reception. I was not worried about the cost of the bottle because it was beautiful and we needed to have something to keep to remember the wonderful experience.
We settled the bill and went back to the room to prepare to leave. We called room service to ask for a porter to help with our bags and all the amazing gifts we received. They were so quick that we almost got a fright when they knocked on the door. There were two very neatly dressed gentlemen waiting to help us with everything. We all walked down the beautiful gardens and waited for our Chauffeur to arrive.
We sat comfortably on the couches and when he did arrive we were welcomed to the doors being opened by our wonderful brother and taken home.
Thank you to The Peech hotel for making this beautiful story a memorable one to always be cherished.
About the Sponsor: The Peech Hotel in Melrose, Johannesburg
We’re located in Melrose, a chic suburb in between Sandton, Rosebank and Melrose Arch.
Sandton, the city’s business hub, is ten minutes by car. Rosebank & Melrose Arch’s shops are five minutes. The airport is 45 minutes by car or 25 minutes by Gautrain & taxi.
The hotel is opposite the James & Ethel Gray Park and adjacent to the Planet Fitness Wanderers gym (to which guests have access).
61 NORTH STREET
MELROSE, JOHANNESBURG
T: +27 (0) 11 537 9797 / F: +27 (0) 11 537 9798
E: reservations@thepeech.co.za
GPS: -26.13664, 28.058698
Follow The Peech on Twitter and join their Facebook Fanpage to keep update on all the hotel events.
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published February 18th, 2011
Nothing …
I miss teaching terribly. I realised last night, after my self discovery group with a few old students, that I’m going crazy without teaching. I’ve blamed money for my frustration for a while now but the realisation is that I’m not being me and it’s chewing away at my self esteem.
So this is it … I’m slipping into my mode of greatest existence and I’m sharing a lesson with you that I have been reminding myself of a lot over the past few days.
Do you know that there is a difference between self worth and self esteem?
Imagine a tree with its roots planted firmly in the ground. The greater the need for stability according to the environment that the tree has to endure, the greater the root.
Firm within the earth the roots grow until they know that nothing will pull it from the ground, which is directly related to our self worth. It is the deep knowing of who we are. It is the unwavering strength, courage, self love, fearlessness and determination to survive. He all have it and that is what makes us all that powerful.
Above the ground is the trunk, branches and leaves of that very firmly planted tree. The storms, winds and beating sun may cause extreme chaos for the parts of the tree that are above the earth. Storms may be so bad that branches are ripped from the tree like limbs and winds may strip the tree of all its beauty, but the tree still stands firm. That which takes the beating of life is your self esteem. You get knocked down, beaten at every turn and scared into spaces of wanting to surrender, but your roots won’t allow you.
I am not the greatest fan of the perception of positive thinking and affirmations because of the world’s idea that saying anything negative could uproot them. The most fundamental gift that we can give ourselves as to speak the truth and many times that is laced with the reality that we are slowly being poisoned by not allowing the natural cycle of life to mold us. Without rain the tree would not be fed and it would die. Without the change of seasons and having to survive the harsh winters or the sweltering summers then the tree would stagnate and eventually die too, but it doesn’t fear the harshness of life because it knows its roots.
People expect that because of what I teach and my career choice that I should be positive all of the time. I was once asked where my rich lifestyle is if I teach manifestation. I have been asked how come I haven’t managed to manifest a boyfriend if I believe in the laws of attraction and where the masses are if I know I am that powerful. For a long time I thought I was getting it so very wrong. I even spent yesterday questioning the very things I believe in myself without a shadow of a doubt. My self esteem has been pounded over the past few days and I have had to weather a horrid storm that might not have completely passed, yet through it all I worked with pride. I created a new concept, set up meetings that take me out of my comfort zone and make me braver and I had the courage to initiate meeting a man.
I might be battered and bruised but today I am a little more aware of the strength, courage, determination and power of who I am. Maybe it’s my life choice but I wasn’t born with a simple knowing of my greatness. For whatever my soul reasoning is, I am choosing to learn it through storms and blizzards that test every fiber of my self esteem and that is what makes me more of the person I am determined to be.
I will have it all and the power of manifestation, the laws of attraction and positive thinking are real and truly that powerful. However, those are the roots and if you allow them to be uprooted whenever there is a storm then you don’t realise how very powerful you are.
If I needed all this hardship, fear and chaos to get me to my point of realisation that I am at today then I am truly living the laws of attraction. When I find the man that I know I can love unconditionally it will have been because of the rising of a battered self esteem that has endured many failing love affairs and when the abundance of money washes over me it will be my friend because of the hard works and respects we have worked on as a united team.
We all have those roots of self worth that hold us firm and remind us that no matter what life throws at us, we are unwavering. Your gift is to allow yourself to weather the storm in truth and look at the cuts, bruises and tears but the watch your power to heal the too and wait for the flowers to blossom … until the torturous rains return to feed you right down to your very deepest root.
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published February 17th, 2011
I don’t believe there was rain that night…. that’s the way my story begins, 28th July, sometime during the light or the burning darkness, I was born…
The youngest of five children, I entered this ship amongst the many travellers, most of whom have been through the creation of my journey, some who have slipped in mystically, many who have continued to supply resource to my development, providing the grain I feed off , continuing to filter energy I supply around to those I love and of course don’t……..hmmmm.
Whoever put me in that uterus, had a plan I have never discovered, nonetheless, that mother and I have never held a functional bond concerning my mind, body and soul.
I was presented with this so colourful book in nursery school and never let go of the pictures that I still carry in my heart and resting on my shoulders…which I discovered when I started reading, was the story of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell.
Yeah yeah, you’re telling me you don’t agree, like you wouldn’t like Peter Pan or Tinkerbell to rest on your shoulders.
My siblings and I were taken into custody when I was a really cute, wee 4 year old, and placed in a home, due to some mental disorder both or one of my parents carried, which certified them unsuitable parents. I was only too happy.
Nonetheless, we returned ‘home’ when I was 7 and by the age of 13 I was more than ready to get out of that crazy home, I just didn’t belong in, so I returned to Arcadia…mostly left my family behind and continued inside another story for a while until I finished school.
My dream, like most others, was to put up my white picket fence, which I had already designed the patterns and colours for, so when I fell pregnant at 20 and decided to marry my long time boyfriend, I had planned my garden already, of course having been told both by Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, this story was going to be painful, I chose to create a home and family instead…a place where everyone could come for tea..Hee, hee. And so they did, my family, the cousins, the monotonous over privilaged acquaintances that find the place in my story to fit adequately, providing me the cover and comfort to be docile and hide the broken child.
After 20 years together and 13 years married, I rose out of myself to glance into my lost soul, the deepest yearning to find the missing person, which began survival of the thickest, divorce, hatred, abuse, etc etc etc…the story that s a bore, as no one soul has found the depth of ones compassion and respect for it when children are the ones looking for comfort and safety.
So, I was putting my children through the motion picture I had starred in growing up, except for the material world that had eclipsed with it, breaking the morals and values of love and parenting.
Almost 2 years into an extremely high emotional divorce, I had a car accident, with brain damage, that has left me the privilege behind the gratitude for surviving and rehabilitating, amidst fear and solitude.
What I will never have back, is the agility and sense of physical confidence I once had, due to severe nerve damage.
What I will never retrieve is the presence of a mothers love, firm discipline and nurturing which tore my children into a coma of pure survival, one I was very adapt to.
What I will always hold is the right to say what I mean, and mean what I say, through my vow to love with truth and integrity to my soul and I part…my eternity, so provoking my family to provide the plank and invite Mr. Hook to give me the push to make a choice.
I made a choice to disassociate myself from my family, as they left me feeling the pathetic, brain damaged, stupid, broken child someone left me feeling when I was 4 years old, because my choices, decisions, and actions were ones they didn’t agree with.
I have lost a mountain of dead friendships and wanna-be families.
I have in turn, held a lot of love and pain, but I do know for sure, that when I cry or share, and very little of the time expect support, its always Tinkerbell and Peter Pan sitting on my shoulder who come out for me and introduce me to other avenues, side streets, places of the least exposure, and people of little expectancy that provide my reason to wake up every morning and want to smile at the sun, hold the rain and listen to the sounds, I feel privileged to have every day.
I am making a move, that fills my body with trembles and pushes tears back all the time, but confidently know for sure, that all the things I am surrounded by in Johannesburg, hold me back and pull me down. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life hearing the blah blah in my head and waiting for the answers to come out in a cloud.
I want to leave behind the skeletons that loiter, and begin my own new book, out of a different window, with colourful raindrops and the surge of the sea…
Jo, your whole family was on this journey with me for a looong time…to you all. Thank you.
DK
Sponsor’s information: Arcadia Children’s Home
The Arcadia Jewish Children’s Home is not able to generate income in the form of fees and therefore the children are totally dependent on the facility for all their requirements – physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual.
The support of the community is essential to their ongoing care. Your donation would be deeply appreciated.
For direct deposits, our banking details:
Arcadia Jewish Children’s Home:
Bank: First National Bank
Branch: Parktown
Branch Code: 250-455
Account No: 54860054731
Swift Code : FIRNZAJJ
Please help us to identify your contribution by advising us by email or fax of any direct deposits made.
Fax: 011 640 2919
Email: pearl@jhbchev.co.za
Or mail your contribution to:
Private Bag X7, Sandringham 2131
Note from Jodene:
DK, It is with joy and pride that I launch the ‘Your Project Me’ section of my blog by introducing YOU to my followers. I can’t express how much your story and your life has touched me. My fondest memories of my childhood were growing up in the pretend world that you were my very own sister. I remember the days of Arcadia so well and I remember how you were determined, passionate about life and one of the most beautiful souls I ever knew … you still are. Although life has taken us on our own paths and the years have passed, there is no distance between the bond we will always have. You have always been an inspiration to me! Good luck with every day of Your Project Me my very dear (play-play) sister.
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published February 17th, 2011
I’ve never denied being a little wacky. Seriously, a person who blogs every day of their lives has to be a sandwich short of a picnic basket. Yes, I’m talking to all of you daily bloggers. Sometimes my wackiness is a fun distraction for my brain that works too hard and other times it’s genuine unhealthy thoughts. Mastering the art of ‘project me’ is finding my way of giggling at the latter and making it the brains distraction anyway.
What the hell am I on about? Sometimes I wonder myself. However, this particular chaos is caused by the exciting buildup to my change in hair colour (which I totally love) and the unexpected bill one my hair was done. I am a believer that you have to spend money to make it., but holy cow. Gulp … it was basically all my grocery and entertainment money for the month. Granted, I’m not a lavish spender (that’s a valid point for a dating site me thinks) and I never regret money spent, BUT I’m too scared to wash my hair.
It’s ok … you can roll your eyes like everyone else or burst out laughing like the rest but this chick is making this colour laaaaaaaaaaaaaaast! So while distracting my brain from the really scary things (which I will get to now) I have been plotting and scheming how to get away with washing my hair once a week. I kid you not … my brain does this. It’s a plan sure to fail but it’s comforting my ego that is living on a shoestring for the remainder of the month. If my plan were to work I’m thinking I could eat well for the months of March and April 
Day 1 … wash hair and wear it down.
Day 2 … I could wing another day down or hold it all together with a clamp
Day 3 … definitely another clamp day
Day 4 … pony tail
Day 5 … scraped back bun
Day 6 … scraped back super greasy bun
Your thoughts?
You’re right … let’s put my brain to better use, like taking my career to another level.
It’s been playing on my mind for so long that I’m not sitting on something insignificant with my talents but the ‘how’ of it all has been freaking me out and putting on the brakes. Thanks to my incredible friends, followers and family I have had no choice but to get over my crap and realise that it’s time to do something … anything … as shit scared as I am. I’ll tell you why I’m afraid before you even get a chance to ask. Because whenever I think of making it out there as a blogger or speaker I think of the millions of others and feel like a tiny little guppy in a very big ocean. That’s why.
I may as well stop ‘project me’ right now if I give into those fears and so I decided to do what I’ve been talking about for far too long … open ‘project me’ up to the world. Let others tell their story and watch it snowball because I would much rather hear a story from the everyday person on the street than the millionaire or guru. It’s always been my plan and I don’t know what I’ve been waiting for … so in a few hours I will be launching my first ‘Your Project Me Story’.
I posted an event on Facebook … which my dearest followers don’t all read properly but that’s besides the point … and opened it up to everyone around the world to tell a ‘project me’ story of their own. My gesture in return is to sponsor that page with a product/brand/charity or tool to market yourself. Of course it was an anxious day … waiting and wondering if anyone would reply. Wow … the response was overwhelming and I am so excited to share some magical ‘project me’ stories through the months that follow.
The day got bigger with my confirmation of the first ‘project me interview’ with an incredible social networking business man who has developed one of the best social networking tools that I feel South Africa has to offer. That’s a few days away, but in the meantime I’m on the hunt for ‘the heroes of business/sport/entertainment/charity/awareness and care the world over to tell their stories in the newly launched section of ‘project me’ too. Once again, I held my breath waiting for one of my heroes to respond to me and when I got my, “I would be honoured” I felt the snowball effect begin (in a good way).
This morning I’m still more afraid of washing all the colour out of my hair than posting my first ‘Your Project Me Story’ and that’s a good sign because I know better than anyone else that fear is the greatest fuel of all. So it’s posting blog, sending interview questions to the first of many heroes and then off to wash this greasy, tangled but very brightly coloured hair.
I hope your day is just as scary
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published February 16th, 2011
I have heard it said before that there’s something in the water, but for this blogging/writing/speaking girl, it’s in the tea.
If you have been following my blog for a while you might recall that in December my brother bought the wrong tea. The totally wrong tea. If you’ve been following you also know that I say I never complain, but I do! So I sucked it up and slogged my way through the other brand for nearly two month. Yep, if it were MY brand I would have drunk far more but I’m not one to waste stuff and everyone else in this house drinks coffee … sigh!
Then it happened. It was time to buy more tea. My brand! My tea! My Joko!!
I’m only a brand queen about two things … My Dolce & Gabbana and my Joko.
I kid you not, it’s only been a day or two but I swear something has changed. Or is it that something has returned? Last night Greggie, mom and I were talking about how I handled everything at my little sis’s wedding. I have also been on a mission to do more things with my career opportunities over the past few days. I’m ready to tackle fixing my back in a big way and I’m about to get bolder with a boy … it hit me all of a sudden that one very distinct thing had change. I had a hot cup of Joko tea in my hand.
Bring it on world! That’s how I feel today!
I am making plans to get my public speaking going in a big way. “Project Me” is about to be spoken about in the four corners of the world … although it might start in the local community hall down the road
I have things to say, people to see, places to go and a lot more ‘project me’ things to do … but I will never be without my tea again.
We all have something that comforts us and I get asked so often what the difference between passion and addiction is? I have also been spending some time with someone who has so bravely overcome addiction in their life and although we all joke about my addiction to tea … not just any tea … I am beginning to have the smallest glimmer into the life of someone where addiction consumed their every waking moment. We are all addicts in some way and some of us don’t even know it.
I don’t know whether it’s worse to live with one that you know or have to try and figure out what is consuming you so much. I remember when I admitted my addiction to food and I know the first time I saw myself in the mirror and though ‘when did I become this?’
Between the long hours of talking to someone who has braved it yet still fears it and hearing many great words of praise for ‘project me’ as I live it and blog about it, I have been pushed to do something more. Trust me … I’m shit scared!
This morning I woke up ready to get out there and speak. Ready to tell my story because of how a story has inspired me, because we all have a story to tell.
So, if you are in the Johannesburg area and you have a venue you would like to promote or would like to sponsor a ‘project me’ talk, then contact me jodene@lifeology.biz or post a comment here and let’s get out there and grow together.
I also woke up today and realised that so many people have their ‘project me’ story to tell and I’m about to launch ‘YOUR STORY’ where you get to share your gratitude to anyone or any thing that has helped you nearly as much as my tea has helped me (This is a world-wide deal so get ready to share with the world because you never know whose life could change because of you).
Now that’s a funky way to start a day Tea anyone?
PS … this is my best Joko ad and I just had to share it with the world
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published February 15th, 2011
“Love is on the way
On wings of angels
I know it’s true, I feel it coming through
Love is on the way
Time is turning the pages
I don’t know when
But love will find me again
I am not afraid
Of the mystery of tomorrow
I have found the faith deep within
There’s a promise I have made
There’s a dream I’m gonna follw
There’s another chance to begin
And it’s coming as sure as the heavens
I can feel it right here in my heart”
I remember hearing this song for the first time (or truly acknowledging it) after the man I was sure I would marry ended up falling in love with someone else and moving on to marry her. At that time the movie First Wives Club had just come out and I played this song until I had cried every tear I had left inside.
I put men on the shelf and lost myself at the same time after that heartbreak and the returning to me is how ‘project me’ truly started. Interventions of a few good friends at the time helped me see how I had allowed others to give me a reason to self destruct.
I stopped that self destruction a long time ago and have been hopeful of love for a while now. There have been some beautiful men in my life, but none with the hope of lasting.
Of course it’s all going to come flooding back with the combination of my sister’s wedding and Valentines Day within a day of each other. It’s a lot of emotions all mixed into one and it doesn’t matter that I haven’t heard this song in a good few years but the words came rushing back yesterday. It was as though there were being sung to me …
Sung to me when my friend let me down for our Valentine’s dinner
Sung to me when I got an anonymous sms and found out later it was a guy I asked to leave me alone
Sung to me when I man I was once in an intimate relationship with asked me to help mend his current broken relationship (Apparently it’s in my job description … um?)
Sung to me when my beautiful sister and her new husband returned home from their romantic wedding night
Sung to me when all my friends were posting beautiful love messages to their valentines.
Sung to me when I could hear the concern in Greggie’s voice that I was let down for the night
Sung to me when I spent hours talking to a man that hasn’t made mention of meeting after a lot of communication
Sung to me when I climbed into bed alone …. well, there’s always kitty to keep my company.
I’m not lonely or pining for love and I’m never worried that I will spend my life alone, but some days just have ‘when?’ written all over them and considering ‘truth’ is my motto in life … I had to follow my heart’s question and wonder when?
Catching the bouquet at the wedding was totally scammed by everyone there, by the way. My brother in law told my sis how far to throw and one friend shoved me forward while all the rest took a step back. I take that with all the compliment it was intended … I’ve never caught the bouquet before, so maybe the myth is true
I can’t believe how blessed I am by friends, family and blogging/tweeting ‘stranger’ (because I feel as though I know you) for making me feel so loved and special. Without knowing it, each one of you reminded me that my time is coming … that love is on the way on wings of angels!
Until then … I’m still the luckiest girl in the world, showered with love and a million reasons to smile
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published February 14th, 2011
I’m exhausted after a day that turned out to be more magical than I ever imagined it could be. I can’t believe that my little sis is married and I am thrilled to say that it was one of the most beautiful weddings I’ve ever been too … AND I caught the bouquet.
World, meet my special sister and new brother … Mr Matthew and Mrs Geordie Nicholls. Aren’t they just the cutest couple? I love the height thing that’s going and for the cutting of the cake (which was actually biting into gorgeous cup cakes) my little sis stood on a chair and was just about the same height … tee hee! What a beautiful love to watch blossom.
I was honoured to be my sister’s bridesmaid and do the toast to the incredible special couple. My sis and hubby met on Facebook and were engaged 3 months later. In the speech I started it with a pic that was posted straight onto Facebook in honour of the way these crazy kids met! I did the speech impromptu like I said I would and it went off perfectly (besides all the tears). Thanks to everyone who laughed in the right places and cried when they should have … it made it even more of a gift.
The theme of the wedding was stars and my sister, with her Virgo personality, tied everything in so beautifully. All the little personal touches showed that my sis and hubby poured their heart and soul into sharing their love with everyone who is dear to them.
I can’t thank the couple enough for inviting my most precious friends to share the wedding with them (and with me). Thank you to Twinkletoes for driving the bride to her wedding. Fancy car Mr Twinkletoes and oh so cool … literally aircon cool. Hustler Girl, thanks for helping Geords with your pretty writing and Ponky thanks for driving some special peeps to the wedding for us. Greggie … thank you for holding it all together when the seems were coming out in my frayed little life with the build up to the wedding.
It’s not always easy being single at a wedding and it’s a little tougher at that moment when the retinue is asked to join the bride and groom on the dance floor. For once it was a truly special moment for me to dance with my best friend and know that we are both wishing for the other to find true love, but in the meantime … how lucky can one girl be?
I have been anticipating how I would feel on the day and am so proud of myself for all that I am slowly blossoming into. Less is more and that goes for the bum and tummy most of all. Even I surprised myself at how great I felt but when dear friends had tears in their eyes in honour of my self worth and determination, it was beyond words. I know that I have chosen every step along the way that got me to this point, but without sponsors like RegimA (for my glowing skin that survived all the pre wedding drama) and SlimLab (that kept the binge eating away as a form of survival), I wouldn’t have felt as great as I do.
It left me with a new ‘project me’ knowing and sense of determination. Watching the love that my sister and hubby share reminded me that it’s all worth the wait and that he is out there somewhere. It bonded relationships with some family members and reminded me of just how blessed I am to have the friends I do. My back held out so well and I even got to dance the time warp and do the locomotion.
Today I feel exhausted though, but oh so worth it! So I’m doing simple things like spending time with my sis and her hubby and taking my date (mommy) out for movies and dinner for Valentines.
What a way to celebrate the cheesy day of love!
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
