Jodene is the co-founder of:
and founder of:
Published November 28th, 2011
I’m Libra! I know love stories when I see them! I’ve been a sucker for them my whole life!
From day one I saw love written all over the fairy tale that would end in marriage and the promise of happily every after. It was a joy to spend some time living with my little sis and her loving husband and it paved the way to my knowing that I was surrounded by genuine love when I met Pat.
That’s why nothing would make me happier than to see my little sis win the Fairlady bride award. That’s where you come in. I would love you to take a moment to ready Geordie and Matthew’s love story, then all you have to do is ‘Like’ the page for Facebook and if you are feeling super generous, a comment would be awesome.
Because dreams do come true …
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published October 21st, 2011
I know Twitter. I strategise, plan and support people with their branding and the voice they want to get out into the world. I’ve got impressive numbers and all that jazz, but nothing will ever be more valuable to me about Twitter than a bunch of crazy girls.
I have plans. It has a lot to do with social media and a whole lot more to do with lots of bucks, but it will never be of more value than a bunch of loud and very giggly girlfriends.
Yes, awesome Twitter things happened yesterday and Lifeology were officially appointed as the social media strategists for Nkosi’s Haven and all I wanted to do was share it with the most supportive crowd of girls I’ve ever been blessed to know.
Last night was Twit inspired beyond belief and even though it was the 4th anniversary (I figured that out by default and am not that date obsessed … I hope ;p) I was in the happiest place I could be.
There’s this girl, you see and she fell in love with this boy. Wow, my blog has been laced with love stories of late … anyway … so this girl and this guy fell in love. My favourite part is when I tell you that they met over Twitter and last night was a surprise farewell for this very special friend.
Since the beginning of the week, the challenge has been for 8 avid Twitterers to not let the cat out the bag. 8 girls who Tweet about everything now have to shut the hell up! Um … well, we did it! We managed to hold our Tweet fingers still for a little over a week and surprise our dearest friend @pixelslave10.
Twitter is my income, my passion, my career and my leap of faith, but most of it, it’s the place where some of my most precious friendships began. That’s why I started #FollowSA!!! Because of the limitless possibility of a Tweet and the proof that one Twit (or 
can change your life.
I laughed myself silly! I felt my heart cry! I shared my happiness! I spoke my fears … with the most amazing bunch on Twits!
@Pixelslave10, @Dezy_D, @LizaSutherland, @KhanyisaKN, @Liesldb, @Leebs101, @LindseyKin85 and @SamRobinson25, no matter where Twitter takes me, it will always have brought me to you!
I had lunch with a friend of mine today because he needed some advice about life and the directions he should take. He has known me way before ‘project me’ and said he needed help making his life his own personal project. I reminded myself of the most important point today … to find something to be grateful for at the end of every single day.
Today, on top of the work beginning to flow in, key accounts heading my way and it being a week until I create a home with Mr Unexpected … I’m most grateful for my friend … a real bunch of Twits!
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published May 5th, 2011
Since I started blogging I’m very proud of the way I have managed to feel my way around things and get a grip on other things. I’ve been feeling around in the dark and learning the power of swapping favours and saying the right things at the right time … you know I’m talking about my wordpress blog, right?
Ok, there’s been a little feeling other things in the dark but that’s for a totally different converstation. Today it’s about the little things in life that are frustrating the hell out of me.
Here’s a reminder that I’m not in the positivity movement and don’t have to pretend that everything in life is peachy just in case I attract something negative while uttering my truth. I’m also not into thinking that speaking the frustrations makes me a miserable person. If anything, I admit my truths and do something about them!
How did this all come about? Well it’s a toss up between the “A” falling off of my keyboard this morning and it wobbling around while I type right now and the annoying call I keep getting from a certain guy who thinks sweeping things under the carpet works for me.
But most of all … it’s the SNL I can’t get rid of on my freaking blog. You can see it, right? It’s glaringly obvious, just under the Tweet button and it’s been there ever since I loaded the newest Facebook plugin. Don’t tell me to remove it because it took me ages to find a button that actually did what I want to do. Don’t tell me to get someone to help because I’m slowly learning that, no matter how much someone loves or cares about you, it’s always a mission to do that one little thing. Don’t tell me to pay someone because right now, it would have to go to the other kind of SNL as a payment exchange.
It’s always those little things that I end up wasting precious time over. So I’m annoyed. I’m annoyed that A’s pop off, SNL’s don’t go away and that friends and boys don’t think.
Friends don’t think that the only thing anyone wants is truth. Ok, all that I want is the truth. I don’t care about many other qualities besides that truth because my most valued asset is the power to choose and it’s impossible to choose from a lie.
The oldest line in the book is: “I didn’t want to hurt you!” The only thing that ever hurts someone is knowing that a friend lied to them. The truth does something different … it gives everyone the option to decide if they want to be hurt or not. So my friend kept something from me because he said he knew it would hurt me. It did hurt me but hearing via the grapevine pissed me off.
I’m this girl who truly doesn’t get the point of not just saying the truth. There really is no other option but what you really think or really mean … is there? Am I that naive?
You don’t even have to sit there and think it’s so easy for me because every day I fight things that could truly perpetuate lies. I’m tempted by someone who is in a relationship and that would make for another real SNL scenario, but this is always my benchmark in my life. If I can’t tell my best friend … and now, if I can’t blog about it, them I’m out of my integrity. Yes, I could tell my best friend that I was having an affair and we could both rationalise it that I’m single so I’m not the once cheating … but the bottom line for me is truth. If I can’t tell the truth at a party or I have to keep a secret in case the truth leaks out, then I just don’t do it. Oh … so I think I’ve spoken about boys and friends here.
Don’t lie to me and don’t make me lie … it’s as simple as that! And when I carry that around with me while trying to get A’s back on keyboards and SNL’s off wordpress blogs … well then the littlest thing just pisses me off!
PS … loving my day! Loving the sunshine on a winter morning! Loving me! Loving you! … So don’t anyone tell me to fix my attitude or think positive thoughts … ok? Good … seriously, I do love you!
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published April 19th, 2011
There is something that I am trying to figure out about my way of thinking that might be a little too unconscious at the moment. Yes, I do things like this and don’t think I can ever be faulted for thinking too much … except about the distracting things like money, which road to choose and boys. The other thinking is what creates on of Lifeology‘s greatest lessons in the mix of courage, consciousness and a sense of humour … that thing called consciousness. The silent observer of the self.
I don’t know where I would be without it because the past couple of days have been a fine line between the cup half full and the cup half empty. The only deciding factor is the consciousness to choose and I chose for it to be full. Since Sunday I have been chatting to a not-so-stranger who responded to a tweet where I was saying how very sad the word ‘settle’ is. He double checked that I meant ‘settle for’ and I agreed. Long story short … he thinks I have a refreshing attitude towards life. On some days I need those reassurances from a not-so-stranger and on other days I figure that out all by myself.
Yesterday was genuine swing between highs and lows that had that half cup swishing around like it was on the rough open seas. Extraordinary business opportunities battered around by extreme financial pressure. Unexplainable moments of creative genius smacked around by the realities of time frames.
It was the first night of the Jewish festival of passover … and this pagan girl loves the traditions but battles through the service that keeps repeating how people were slain by the mighty God. I never question what anyone believes but I just choose to believe different and expect that no one questions what I believe either.
My poor mom is horribly sick with flu, yet at the same time we were all waiting in anticipation for her cooking.
My family is magical at times like this, yet there is always the hovering of a little sibling rivalry.
The room is full with love and laughter yet it feels completely empty without the bellowing voice of my father.
And then little boys arrive with face painting pens and I remember why we are on this rocky ocean of life in the first place. A sedar table turned into human canvasses where everyone turned into giggling children as we were scribbled on with a unique picture from each precious little twin. Not bad drawing for a 5 year old … or is that just a super proud aunty?
I could say my day was crappy, but I could also say it was one of the most inspiring days I have had in years. I could look at the mess that a little boy created all over my skin or I could say that I was painted with a masterpiece.
I don’t believe that life ever goes without trials and tribulations. I don’t believe that we will ever have the power to protect ourselves from hurt or pain. I don’t believe that we will ever hit a plateau of happiness.
But I do believe that we will always have the power to colour it beautiful …
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published April 15th, 2011
I haven’t mentioned the healing process of my back in ages and then on days like today I realise that my heart is doing some healing of it’s own. There is something odd about a constant pain that eventually just becomes part of the daily part of life and with my back I have moments of realising that it isn’t normal to feel that way.
It’s doing much better and I am completely mobile without the constant panic that I’m going to snap in half anymore. I haven’t taken anti-inflammatories for a good few months and I take a pain pill a few times a months. That’s freaking fantastic from when it all began 8 months ago.
There is a niggle all the time. When I go to bed and lie down for the first time in a day, my lower back aches and then slowly settled for a good night’s rest. In the morning, I wake up to a very cranky back and there’s no jumping out of bed. I have to turn slowly, stretch slowly and get out of bed with a whole lot of patience. Then it settles into the day and as long as I don’t sit for too long or walk for too long I’m fine. However, I’m in my new home and I have to get into the swimming pool in the gym and strengthen my back … otherwise this pain is never going to leave.
Early this morning, while the back pain was still settling in, my phone rang. I would know that voice anywhere even though we haven’t spoken in well over a year. Before I go any further I need to remind you that you are dealing with a Libran. If that means nothing to you then think hopeless romantic and great believer in the fairytale of love. Despite the fact that my friends might have thought I was nuts and that it never turned out the way I dreamed, I fell in love with someone once. He lives on the ass end of the world (That would be the edge of Canada from where I’m standing) but for months on end we skyped, called and planned being together. At crunch time he thought our plan was a very bad idea and I was mortified.
I haven’t found true love yet. It’s brushed past me and I seem to attract men who really want to but can’t bring themselves to follow through. I used to be flattered when I got a regretful message a few months or years later, but now I don’t want someone who can’t stand true to how they feel. So a phone call with a lot of missing and a whole lot of I will always love you reminds me of that same nagging pain that becomes a part of every day life.
Money is frustrating at the best of times but when the wish is to buy a plane ticket and do what I do best … trust my instincts and jump in with both feet … well, maybe not having money is the safest bet right now … lol! It is how I feel though and it’s always been how I feel when it comes to him. It’s amazing because there is another man … a very special man … who has my attention now. Someone more real, more available, more accessible and a whole lot cheaper to go out on a date to explore the possibilities. The sucky difference is that the I don’t know about the guy here or how he feels if he feels anything at all and I do know about the love that is thousands of miles away.
Great way to start a Friday, right?
Can I tell you a little something about my personality? When I know, I know! I never plan great long futures and I never cast anything in stone, but I do know what I feel and I carry it through. It took longer for my back to heal because I knew I didn’t need an operation. It took a lot of tears and disappointment but I knew that I had a bond with someone and it hasn’t gone anywhere.
Maybe that means I’m not afraid of pain as much as I think I am? Or maybe I know that love and pain are both inevitable but they don’t have to be a part of the same story all of the time? Or maybe I just have a cranky back and a hopeless romantic heart?
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published April 3rd, 2011
The boxes are slowly getting less by the day, but one big stack still remains. All my books! I’m sure I’ve mentioned before that I have a passion for old books. Not just any books. The classics in hard cover only. My oldest is an 1892 picture book for boys about wildlife and I am the proud owner of a 1900 copy of Jane Eyre. Don’t get me started on my books because the list of what I have and what I dream of having is a blog worth thousands of words.
The bottom line is that I didn’t have space for them in my old house and now this house is smaller. On my vision board is a picture of a library with books from floor to ceiling and that step ladder that rolls around the room to reach the highest and furthest corners. That’s for my beautiful house by the sea one day, but what about now?
Seriously, there are about 20 boxes of books! I’ve tried to convince my mom to put them in odd places, like the kitchen but she didn’t fall for it. I pictured myself building glass cabinets in the bathroom just so I could have more shelf space. I was thinking of getting old crates and packing books in them and then turning them into beside tables (I still like that idea actually). The only thing I know is that I can’t shove them in the garage for years on end.
I’ve always been lucky with my folks and their acceptance of every passion I have had, no matter how controversial or space consuming. My mom sees how much I love these books and she’s just as adamant not to see them go into storage. And I kid you not … this has been on my mind a lot … where are my precious books going to go?
Talking about my folks, today would have been their 45th wedding anniversary and although I am less attached to dates for my own personal reasons, I can see the pull at my mom’s heart today. We are having such a special time living together and have a beautiful friendship, but it’s days like today where I’m just so proud of me for being the daughter I turned out to be. We really are each other’s support and best friend and I always used to think it was unhealthy to have a bond with a mother like I do. I also took ages to deal with the family dynamic of a bond that I know I have personally worked very hard at.
I had the same undeniable bond with my dad too. I remember arriving at the house with the oddest of things … either an old book or something witchy for my alter and he was attentive to it all. He would pat me on the back when a boy broke my heart and I could see him wondering why the hell I was telling him, but I just kept telling him everything. His jaw would clench as I shared my next risky business idea with him, but he would support me anyway.
One day I will write their story. I might be very old by that time, but it’s a love story worth telling. I don’t need it to become the next Gone with the wind (which I still haven’t found in hard cover, I might add) but it will be book that will sit on someone’s shelf, with a story that reminds us that unconditional love, love at first sight and eternal love are all possible … all in one couple and all in one lifetime!
The end!
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published March 7th, 2011I can’t even think of a picture for today’s blog. I didn’t think I would be this exhausted but I’m sure it’s the relief.
It was one of those days that was all planned out with something I have been looking forward to for months. Between the seconds that Greg answered his cellphone and passed it to me with a hint of concern in his voice, my blood turned cold. Between the seconds that my mother said “he is alright, but …” countless fears raced through my mind.
My 5 year old nephew was hit by a car.
Because the toughest lesson in ‘project me’ is making everything about me, I’ll cut through the drama and say that my brave little nephew is fine and coming home in a few hours. There are countless miracles, like the fact that the accident happened in a cul-de-sac so the car was going extremely slowly and that my sister was at a party with friends who all jumped in to help her through the initial moments while ambulances arrived. She said there was a friends husband counting every minute and telling her how far the ambulance was, so the 5 minutes it took wasn’t really the 30 minutes she felt it was.
He has no broken bones and is only complaining of a sore hand. He looks as though he went 10 rounds in a street fight and he was kept overnight for observation but woke up with all symptom normal.
As for me, I also feel as though I have gone ten rounds in a fight, but it’s all been internal battles.
When Greggie met me, everything in my life was a hysterical drama and I couldn’t cope with anything that life sent me. I literally used to crumble into a heap and things would be so chaotic that no one could determine how bad the problem really was. Years of ‘project me’ … consciousness, facing my fears, telling the truth and realising my ability to cope with life, has bought me to the point of handling fear in a much more rational manner.
Yesterday was one of the biggest tests of how far I have come. Logic kicked in and so did the realisation that life will take its course and I will be able to choose from there. But there was nothing I could do until I had more information of was there to see my nephew for myself.
I still had to choose between carrying on the plans with my friends or going to the hospital. The only reason why I considered still seeing a concert I have been waiting to see for months is because you never quite know the extent of the crisis in my family. I say that with love, but for ages you sit with no information at all and after my mom said he was fine but … I decided to rather take it one second at a time.
I chose my family … but that’s a given.
One thing I can say is that we all pull together in times of need. We never leave each other’s side, but the same old family issues bubble under. My ‘project me’ moment was dealing with them instead of carrying both fear and frustration round with me on such an uncertain day. I can’t express how big a moment it was to finally have the courage to speak with conviction and not cause a family feud.
I did burst out crying after, but that felt good to.
I don’t want children. I say it often. It’s moments like yesterday, where I see the fear in my big sister’s eyes and this fragile little boy lying in a hospital bed that I admit to myself that I’m not cut out for it this time around. I salute every mommy and daddy and grandparent out there … but not me! My big sis even passed a giggling comment confirming that this was the final ‘not for me’ straw. She’s so right. It’s still another ‘project me’ moment despite it not being what people might understand. I have had dozens of people telling me it’s the greatest gift you can give yourself and you can’t go through life not being a parent. But yesterday I had moments of greatest gifts. Every day I have moments of greatest gifts.
I’m not a ‘what if’ girl! Neither am I a ‘it could have been’ girl. I don’t hash different scenarios in my head. He might have died, he could have been paralised … no, no … there’s no place for that in ‘project me’! It is what it is! There is enough to be grateful for without having to be grateful for all that did not happen. For some reason, this realisation did something very important within me.
I’ve blogged about it before, but in these moments I always get my mother’s most focused attention and simply say “Psalm 91″. The story is long but its impactful enough for me to have traced different patterns on writing on my arm for the tattoo that is simply going to say ‘psalm 91′! Without any could have’s or should have’s … yesterday I witnessed a miracle.
Actually … what moment in life isn’t a miracle?
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 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 January 21st, 2011
I’ve seriously been trying to blog since 7am this morning. I don’t have to defend myself and say I’m the glass half full girl so it’s not like I need to slip into positive affirmation mode and cling to my dreams. Nothing has changed. My cup still runneth over with abundance and love. I don’t even feel less positive or motivated. I can see it all in front of me but today I feel like I need to carry a fly swat around with me and keep whacking at all of life’s obstacles that are clouding my day.
The beginning of the year seems so far away that I can’t remember if I told you I get together with some friends and we do an annual tarot reading. No fortune telling but rather a better understanding of who we are and who we have the power to be in this year. Everything is neutral. There’s no good or bad, but I can’t get the picture of the tower card out of my head.
I literally have my home being broken down around me and with that comes a whole lot of other obstacles that seem to be clouding the momentum to move.
I have to speak my frustration before I go any further though. I’m not big on painting life with the rosy affirmation brush of denial. I also don’t believe that seeing the truth of a situation and expressing it shows negativity if it’s expressed correctly.
It’s not like I’m saying “Oh woe is me, my life is falling down around me and it’s all sucky and the Universe is picking on me!”
Yes, there is chaos around me but I know everything happens for a reason and I’m completely grateful, unafraid and living in the moment … so stop telling me to be positive! Learn the difference between living in the truth and complaining and then we can chat.
What was I blogging about again? Oh right … life getting in the way!
I’m trying to figure out whether I should spare you the minor details or whether I should just get to the ‘project me’ part of what I’m going to do to be conscious of this little tower card that will be hanging around for an entire year?
I’m going to do what I always do! I’m going to tell myself the truth and then tell everyone else. I will deal with the consequences of my thoughts and actions and make sure I carry tissues around because it usually brings about a tear or two. I’m going to remain in the incredible space of faith and fall back onto my addiction of food (with a little more consciousness and the help of the SlimLab tablets). Then I’m going to do what I do be – be me! Write when I want to, cry when I want to, sigh when I want to, complain when I want to, drink tea when I want to and fly away on dragons when I need to.
It’s still a nowhere day, but I know that! I’m no less of the magnificent woman I am and no step back from the powerful dreams I have … it’s just a day where hammers, drills, loud generators, screaming builders, wedding plans, sibling rivalry, missing daddy, injured little nephews, sexual frustration, niggly back pain and blog glitches have all gotten in the way!
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
