Project Me followsa

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Get out and make things happen – project me post 936

Posted by jodene February 26, 2013 No Comments »

Something’s changing!
Things have got to change!

Yikes … there’s change.

The more I speak to people, the less alone I feel in the world. On the very rare occasion I throw out a Tweet that lets all the vulnerability hang out and I had one of those moments on Sunday. It was in the midst of a rush to get a proposal out, with the week’s events ahead just a few hours away. I still turn to food when there’s a mini meltdown, but at least this time it was only roasted corn and not a tub of ice cream.

So the Tweet was about stressing myself for no damn reason … and the responses came flooding back with so many people who do the same thing. At the same time, I kept reminding myself that I’m doing it. I’m actually, finally, really settled into what I want to do and what I am so damn passionate about.

Well then of course the fall over, butterflies galore, I could just throw up from anxiety kinda moment.

All that being said, I have kept myself going with focus and excitement. It’s been an interesting adjustment going to meeting and talking business without Greggie (figuratively) at my side and it’s also taken a while for me to realise that I don’t need to call on Greggie every two mines and that if I did, he would be there.

So I set up meetings and made plans and have been out and about, making things happen. I can feel the absolute focus on what I do and talk about social media publicity with the passion that has also helped me perfectly mold myself into the role. People get what I do and love what I do. I’m also talking more and more about the social media ambassadors and @GiddyFreedom and I are working like crazy to get our presentation ready to hit the world with our services.

#FollowSA in Cape Town last year led us to meet the amazing @MsNoble who is in Jozi with her partner in @InEntertainmint, Astrid. We met last week, a few days before we met again because neither Greggie nor Ms to cope not seeing each other. Sunday brunching and chatting very exciting plans for the future kicked off my butterflies … which started with excitement, then turned to terror and now back to blissful excitement.

Butterflies galore must be so common with Entrepreneurs and I would like one to stand up and tell me that they didn’t start their new venture without a ton of anxiety and absolute fear. Those who push through and take the grand leap of faith, end up having the time of their lives.

Some of those people are very dear to Greggie and I. @CollettDawson and @Cito1974 and #FollowSA joined forces last year to end off our year with a very special collaborative event. We have great plans to do work together, but the past few months have been about us waiting for an exciting announcement from these two. Last night was that and the launch of their new company, The Colab Network!!! It was such a proud and exciting moment and while Collett was saluted for her 21 years in her industry, I held on to what it must be like to be so rooted in a passion and then witness where that passion takes you in your life. In the past, I would have had doubts and felt a little lost, but I felt those roots deep in the ground and had one of the best nights out in ages, for so many reasons.

With friend, new and old, and each one has been a connection through Twitter.

Yesterday my oldest sis told me she just doesn’t get it … Twitter!! Neither did I until I made my first real connection … first good friend … first secure meeting … first job opportunity!

Today I had coffee with some of those amazing people I met on Twitter. @Liesldb was one of the first girl friends I met among the tweets. It was one of those easy bonding kinda friendships and now we are both flying solo (that means single), settling into exciting plans for our futures and wanting to have a whole lot of fun together.
@ChefAndrewR is just the warmest, most supportive and guys around … oh, and he cooks better than Jamie Oliver (in my personal opinion). I admire the commitment to everything he does and see exciting ways that our career paths are gonna cross. I do believe that entails eating more of his delicious food … and happily Tweeting about it.

In other news … there is something else I really want to make happen. It’s time to turn this blog on it’s head and I’ve been trying to figure out a way to do it for a while … I have a plan, but need to get some help from a techno wizz, so watch this space.

Absolutely lastly (does that make sense??) I was interviewed by @BruceMubayiwa, a Linkedin coach, about my experience and use of Linkedin. I hesitated for a moment, because I know I don’t use it nearly as much or well as I should, but once again, I threw myself out there and just went with the truth: Me and Linkedin

With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour

Looking out onto 2012 – project me post 913

Posted by jodene December 31, 2012 No Comments »

I’m sitting alone at home on the eve of the new year and despite it being an ending I didn’t anticipate, I can’t help but be totally overwhelmed with gratitude and pride about 2012. I keep on having to go back in the history of the blog or flip through photographs on Facebook to remind myself that all the exciting things that fill my mind really happened in one fulfilling year.

I spent today with my sister and brother in law, helping them move into their new home and we spoke a lot about how far they have come as young couple this year. Now that I reflect quietly on my day with them, I am so proud of how far my sister and I have come as sisters and friends. You know, when I started blogging 3 years ago, my mom asked me not to talk about my family at all because at that stage there was nothing but sibling rivalry and family feuds. All in one year there has been such a change and I can now blog freely about the majority of my family because we’ve truly blossomed into siblings who support and care deeply for each other. My dad would have been so proud to see how our relationships have blossomed.

I might have gone from thinking I had found the man I would spend the rest of my life with to ending my year back at single, but I can’t say that I won’t always be eternally grateful for all I learned about love and what I want from love in 2012. It was my first time living with someone and it was also the first experience of a genuine, long term relationship. I watched how I blossomed as a person and how I grew into my own personal relationship with love. Everyone is asking me how I’m coping with the breakup and I keep saying the same thing … I’m filled with gratitude that I took the time to find all the gifts in loving and being loved and therefore I have no regrets and will always think back on this as the year I learned about love.

For the first time in far too many years, I am welcoming in a new year with such a strong and proud relationship with my body. In 2012 I lost 14.4kg, which was one of the very reasons I started blogging #projectme in the first place. Besides the weight loss, there is long journey of understanding my addiction to food and finally making friends with my body so that I could understand what I needed to nourish me and how I sabotaged my body far too often. I can’t remember ending a year with such confidence and pride and instead of dreading starting an new year with over 35kg to lose, I’m continuing on a steady journey with 20kg not looking like an unreachable goal at all.

I truly settled into my beliefs and stopped feeling that I am lost and misunderstood in the world. With the help of my bestie, Greggie and my amazing mom, we have spent hours talking, visualising and living consciously. Of all the things that is #projectme, living with courage, consciousness and a sense of humour is the most important to me. Reflecting back, I am so proud of friendship I have built with myself and how I truly have lived my philosophies this year.

project me 2012 What would my year be without my children!! I’m mostly grateful that I obsessively talk, blog, post pics & Tweets about my 3 gorgeous cats and I don’t seem to have lost too many followers along the way. It seems cat ladies aren’t so bad after all.

To even begin and express how amazing 2012 was for Lifeology and my career would be an overflow of emotion and far too many moments to tell. From having a regular slot on Radio 2000 FM, judging for the Miss Earth SA regionals, appearing on 3 Talk or taking #FollowSA through the country to watching my Twitter following grow to almost 25 000, I am mesmerised at my success. It might not have manifested into much financial stability or peace of mind, but I learned this year that you truly need to be on the brink of giving up and knowing there is nothing else on earth that you would do to know that you don’t want to give up. That was 2012 for me … and I truly believe I learned that lesson very, very well.
I couldn’t have done it with my business partner, (who is also that bestie Greggie) Greg Arthur, by my side. 2012 pushed us to the limits and tested our own personal esteem, courage and passion but it never had to test our partnership or friendship. This year proved how very solid and focused we are and what a dynamic team we make.

The people I have met through social media, at events, through friends and out in the world have made this year truly special. My albums are filled with special moments and wonderful people and 2012 has been showered with gifts of connections, friendships and collaborations.

Before I say ‘hello 2013′, I would like to truly say a very big ‘thank you’ to 2012. You have been a great year of highs and lows, laughter and tears, celebrations and sadness. Thank you for taking me on a journey of growth and helping my build a stronger, more conscious & confident Jodene.

With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour

A moment to pause and reflect – project me post 901

Posted by jodene December 04, 2012 No Comments »

I have a bit of time before I have to head upstairs and get dressed for the final #FollowSA event for the year and I’m feeling all proud so I wanted to share instead of letting it ramble around alone in my head.

Tonight is our first collaboration event between Peace Starts and FollowSA where I got to do what I seem to be doing best. Between Greggie and I, we have truly established incredible brand relationships and have another fully sponsored event. I can’t begin to thank Fire and Ice Melrose Arch, Lovoka & Final Fade for always seeing the value in being associated with #FollowSA and helping us take our community offline to network, socialise and makes SA a better place.

Then there’s Cito and Collett Dawson from Peace Starts and their belief in our very special SA community. With our joined vision, tonight we launch #CollabSA encouraging South Africans to collaborate, collaborate, collaborate!

I’m feeling fab and am slowly learning that if I just watch what I’m eating and train when I can, I can do this! For the first time I’m wearing something body hugging to an event … and can’t wait to post pics!

The crowd is filled with incredible people that we’ve met along the way and I’m so proud of the loyal supporters both #FollowSA & #PeaceStarts has.
Then there’s Pat as the official photographer tonight and hopefully some of the pics making the local media (will keep you posted.

All in all, if nothing falls over and I’m sure it won’t … I think we’re in for an awesome night and a very important night in the life of my #projectme story!

With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour

#Peacestarts within – project me post 877

Posted by jodene September 21, 2012 No Comments »

I love trying to focus on certain days and ask myself if I will remember where I was at that particular moment. We usually remember times like where we where when the second plane hit the second tower on September 11th. I was working for my mom then and I remember my dad come flying down the stairs, white as a ghost. We stood and watched the news while he frantically dialing my sister’s hotel room … In New York! She was there for a Michael Jackson concert and … well, it wasn’t a very peaceful day in my family’s life at all.

All I wanted was to feel peace … feel at peace!

When I was invited to the press release of #Peacestarts by the founder Cito from Wonderboom and Collett Dawson and they asked if Lifeology could represent #FollowSA on the day, I was beyond honoured. The first thing I thought of was what peace means to me. Of course that’s the big questions that Peace Starts is asking each one of us and I’ve had a good few days to think about it.

I’ve come such a long way in my personal journey with self and slowly I’ve seen how life is giving me more time to give to others. It’s like the reward for finding peace within ourselves is helping others find peace in their lives too. I won’t lie … it took years. Before #projectme I don’t think I would have had once ounce of energy to comprehend the feeling of peace. So I stopped … did some work on me … and within time had enough energy to give life to #FollowSA.

With Miss Earth founder Catherine & Peace Starts founder Cito and of course … Greggie

Peace Starts did something awesome today. They launched the Pledge for Peace campaign giving everyone the opportunity to discover what peace means to them and then DO something about it.
We are then asked to create a video, take pictures, write poems or song, perform, make others perform … you name … and then post it to the Peace Starts website. It’s not just about today but every day for the year’s campaign.

If anyone knows something about committing for a year, it’s me. I was only going to be doing this blog for 1 year and here I am heading for my 4th year. So I can’t wait for the years and years to come of this incredible initiative.

My challenge has been such a person one and I intend to use the #FollowSA community to find out what peace means to them and add to this very important pledge. I just want to start by seeing a more positive attitude in my Timeline on my social platforms. I want to find a way to spread a message to people, that complaining about something or someone only creates distress within the person who is complaining and fighting with the world. That starts from inside and with a little bit of self love each day, I believe the entire psyche of the world could change.

What’s your plan?

It’s always so special seeing Miss Earth 2012 Tamerin Jardine

With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour

Time to walk the talk – project me post 864 #projectbody

Posted by jodene July 23, 2012 No Comments »

I hope I’m seen as the girl who supports the people around me, especially when they are out there doing their thing and making a difference in the world or in their lives. I know how very supported I have been and know the impact of inspiration and motivation. Lately I have been known to be very supportive of Greggie and the #FollowSA team of peeps who take part in all different types of sporting events.

There have been a whole lot of good and bad reasons why I’ve been the one supporting everyone else from the couch, but since I’ve started #projectbody, I can slowly the feel the need to get up, get out and be a part of the team.
I’m still struggling with my ankle, but waiting until some more of the weight is gone so that I can get the … weight … off it. Joni from Kilo2Kili is already helping me strengthen all my joints in preparation for a very fit lifestyle. My cardio is so much better and I’m also coming along in weight training and the results are showing. I lost an additional 2kg in the past 2 weeks and have now lost a total of 6.1kg. I can so feel it in my clothes and it’s nearly time for me to go and buy a new pair of jeans.

That’s all very exciting, but I also know how not to push myself because giving up is still not completely out of the equations. I know that one bad training experience is going to set me back a whole long way and so I’m taking it one step at a time. This realisation was coupled with a very interesting weekend, when the #FollowSA team set out once again. This time it was made up of Lifeology and Kilo2Kili with 7 entrants into the 702 Discovery Walk the Talk. When we were invited to attend the event, I knew that even 5km right now would have me in a complete state. Never mind the fact that everyone else was walking 30km … and well, let’s just say that competition isn’t my strong point.

The race happened this Sunday and I can’t tell you how extremely proud I am everyone who walked. I still can’t believe that the #FollowSA team actually did 30km and the Tweets about aches and pains still have me super proud.
While they were all walking, I was at the event watching the thousands of people (almost 60 000) getting ready to walk or heading to the finish line. I wanted to kick myself a few times for not walking, but then settled myself back into a great lesson that I have been trying to share in this blog for a very long time.

One of the greatest lesson’s I’ve had to get my head around is being goalless yet purposeful. I’ve discussed it at great lengths and living #projectbody has really given me insight into what it means to have that vision but not put limitations of time or outcome onto it. This weekend was an excellent example of it and I had already set out to support my team and then announce that next year I would be walking the 30km. The walk … well that is filled with purpose and I have no doubt in my mind that I will be fit, eager and ready to hit the streets in 2013.
The goals are what would only get me in a state from this very moment on and after seeing the toughness of the 30km, I feel totally goalless in committing to what distance I will walk next year. I have no idea how I will feel, where my fitness will be or what my mind set will be like but I know I will be out there and not just cheering my team on.

I have a step by step journey in my pursuit of health and fitness and my first major public sporting event will definitely be the walk the talk next year. The rest … well let’s just wait and see shall we.

Well done to @ohgodkknows, @kilo2kili, @BruceKCantrell @TiffanyWilson89 @GlennChatz @XavierSaer @katrinaivycope and @k2kfounder for an incredible walk and for being such an inspiration to me along my #projectbody journey!

With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour