Jodene is the co-founder of:
and founder of:
Published March 23rd, 2011
If I could pick an easier route at times, I think I would jump at the opportunity. That moment always ends up being fleeting when I realise how much I would have missed out on had I changed one moment of my life.
It’s been 15 months of blogging but it’s been 7 years since I started my personal ‘project me’ … but before that it was Jodene living very unconsciously. I remember sitting with my ‘spiritual’ teacher and telling her that I wished I had unlearned all that she had taught me. My family home and business had just burned down, family issues had be ripped open like a can of worms and I looked at myself in the mirror for the first time in years only to see the damage I had done to myself. Over the last few days I have felt like that again … wishing I could shove the lid back on the journey I have consciously chosen to live.
While I was flying down to Cape Town last week, I sat next to a gentleman who had done the same metaphysics course as I did many years ago. It clearly didn’t serve him very well because he was proving how the ‘law of attraction’ doesn’t work. He said that if it did I should be a very rich lady by now and clearly I wasn’t. Similarly, yesterday I was asked why I only had 16 people at my talk in Cape Town if I believed so much in the power of social networking.
At time when my life is literally in turmoil and my family is going through the hardest thing next to my father’s passing, I have been faced with some interesting additional challenges. Surely by now life should be running smoothly? Isn’t that the impression of manifestation? That because I teach about manifestation I should be manifesting left, right and center? If I teach about sex then I should be sexually fulfilled every spare moment I have (and still finding time to sneak out for a shag between meetings)? If I teach about self worth and self esteem that I should have lost all the weight and been married with a perfect little life by now?
Is that who the world chooses to listen to? Those who make it all sound so easy and show you the pretty picture at the end of the long and winding yellow brick road that they have traveled?
Has anyone wondered why Charlie Sheen is getting the attention he is currently getting? Has anyone stopped to watch what the world is craving? Maybe it’s just me, but there are more people out there who are struggling to manifest those realities than those who have done an affirmation and ‘whoop there it is’! People are lapping up the madness and the chaos. So many of us live in chaos that if we can have confirmation that someone else is so much more far removed from reality, that we will be ok! I remember wanting a friend of mine to do one of my courses and he told me that only those who write the books on self help get rich and they only got rich because they wrote the book. I’m not agreeing with him, but I am agreeing that we all stare outwards to find the answers.
In my chaos, do you not think that I have tried to turn to every outside source I possibly could? I wish I could show you a glimmer of the frustration of waking up in the morning with the promise to have a healthy eating day and then ending it in chaos because I have no idea what healthy means to me. Should I shut down this blog and retract myself from the role of teacher because I am still amidst the chaos?
My answer is no! My realisation is that anyone who is striving to live life without the chaos has this journey very wrong. Of course there are issues that I want so badly to put to rest, but I don’t know how much I have to learn about myself before I get there. I don’t know my greatness but I know I’m great and if I need to hit rock bottom (with the whole world watching) then that is what I have chosen to do.
This space isn’t rosy right now! I have cried so much in the last few days that I can’t even put my contact lenses in my eyes. I have to sell stuff to buy a bed for my new home that I am still sharing with my mother.
Have I failed at manifestation??? Hell no!!!!
There is not one moment of this journey that I would have given up on. There is no part of me that doubts my ability and my success. I have never felt as though I have stepped off the magical journey of my yellow brick road and there has NEVER been a part of me that has wanted to quit … alright, Saturday was a bit of a quitting day, but bowl of popcorn, a cup of tea and a precious mother pulled me through.
The more I experience of ‘project me’ and the more I wonder to myself what great lessons I need to share with the world, the more I realise that I just have to keep telling the truth. I don’t have to plan seminars or wait for my first book to be published or have a Ferrari in my driveway to be the voice of manifestation.
There is no quick fix! There is no single right way! There is no formula but the one you create for yourself! There is no escaping the magical chaos of life and there is no punishment in that chaos either.
I might lose a sponsor today because I haven’t managed to keep up the positivity movement. I have fallen off the wagon, but I am still on the yellow brick road. I do enough beating up of myself and choose not to face the wrath of anyone else’s judgement, but I also understand that if the world is driven by positive results and constant success without the allowance of the odd stumble off the wagon, that I might not be able to sustain the ride. Sadly, I believe in the very thing that might be taken away from me (or I might give up) but I also realise that I don’t have the ability to do things the way they are being asked of me right now and that’s not fair of me. Right now, if I don’t allow myself to be kind to myself and if I put on rose coloured glasses, I will do more damage than good. Half of the self help books in the world might disagree with me right now … but only I know me.
I know this has been a long post, but I have so needed to hear myself say this and I thank you for listening and sharing my journey with me.
Today I am packing up my dad’s office! Of all the spaces in the house, this one is the most heart wrenching. I don’t know what it’s going to do today but chances are that I will choose to end it with an overly indulgent meal that I will cook for some very special people in my life and I will shed another few tears along the way.
In all these thousands of words, this is what I’m trying to say about living a ‘project me’ life: No matter what, I get up every single day and I tell myself the truth. I honour my emotions, I speak my fears and I watch myself do a little damage with food or hold out for the wrong guy to call me. Every single day I still do one little thing that scares me and sometimes those little things are as small as saying ‘no’ to an arrangement that I choose not to attend. No excuses and no lies! Every single day I am grateful for all that I have and all that I have the ability to have … but most of all … every single day, I take responsibility for exactly where I am and what I do or don’t have!
For that, I am most proud and I thank each and every one of you for sticking with me when I walk tall and when I fall down. It is an honour to have your yellow brick road right beside mine!
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published March 18th, 2011
It’s no secret that this girl loves to social network in the comfort of my own little space in my cyber world and it’s undeniable that my plan is working fabulously and that social networking and I are very cozy bosom buddies. It’s also a no-brainer that something had to shift if the magical fairies of manifestation are going to turn my dreams into a reality. That’s always the one part of manifestation that I trip over, stub my toes and burst out crying over … the do something different/face your fears part. Trust me, I’ve tried to invoke a miracle and defy the laws of attraction, but here I sit with a failed yet grateful for my failure story to tell.
I always say it: Throw me in front of a crowd and I am all confidence and not faking a single moment of me. Send me out into the world alone and I become the little girl, Jodene, who I don’t remember as being very brave at all. I mean, really, take away all of the cuteness (oh good, you can see it too) and I don’t see much oozy confidence in that little girl face.
At Lifeology we recommend that you do one thing each day that scares you. One thing … not days on end with scary, out of comfort zone events. Well that’s been my last few days. Traveling alone totally scares me. Horrid clouds that shake a plane silly, hopelessly scares me. Talking to strange men on non-escapable airplanes intimidates me a little (or a little more than a little). Being stranded in an airport not knowing why the plane isn’t in the sky is up there with things that unsettle me. Do I sound like a woos right about now?
Lucky for me, the things that usually freak people out is the stuff that doesn’t freak me at all. Now that I’ve given myself and my ego that little save, I can mention one more thing that I absolutely HATE doing on my own. Drum roll please … I HATE arriving at places on my own. I can go to a movie by myself and shop for ages all alone and even take myself out to dinner, but don’t make me arrive at a function all by myself. Yuk! Yes … I said Yuk!!
So after returning from Cape Town after being stranded in the airport and then thrown around the sky wall sitting next to a strange man who was offering to buy me wine … I had a ladies networking event to attend. This would be easy … phone a friend and don’t go alone. The one bit of bravery thing was done hours ago and I expected the rest of the day to go my way. I can picture the manifestation fairies chuckling at me, constantly.
It was supposed to be easy … call Hustler Girl. Right, she was busy. Beg little sis who looked hagged after a seriously hard day’s work (I tried not to care, trust me). Beg mother … ok, that was going nowhere. Sulk for 10 minutes that you business partner and best friend (same person) is a male. A cute male would look great in drag, but still a no-can-do for the networking event.
Sulk for another 5 minutes. I tried to convince myself that the airport and airplane saga was too much for me, but we all know I’m not much of a quitter … so I put on the war-paint and my big girl panties and headed to the networking event.
If you say I told you so, (not mentioning any names … Greg Arthur or a certain Robbie) you shall consider yourself unspoken to for at least 24 hours.
I will let The Venus Networks introduce itself: An on-going collaboration between brands and a group of carefully selected women, designed to ensure that the products and brands that women buy, and the information they receive, fit into their world, not the other way around.
It’s undeniable, I’m a Venus Girl and pretty damn thrilled at myself for facing the dozenth fear for the day and attending the networking function on my own. I always say that The Universe rewards bravery and my reward was being surrounded by an unbelievable crowd of inspirational women. We all had the same goal in mind … FUN of course! It was great to just be girls … girls with ideas, dreams, aspirations, visions and very big plans. You need three things when women network … food, champagne and a pen. In this era of technology don’t think any of us whipped out our Blackberry’s or find them for that matter. Thank heavens for the good old fashioned business card and some very smart Venus ideas that are only conjured up by networking women.
They say it only takes one and this was it. The one! The one moment that broke a little more shackles that tie me to the world of online networking and throws me out into the world for another very powerful form of social networking. A ‘project me’ moment of great self pride and the reward of meeting new and reconnection with familiar empowering women who are all The Venus Networks.
A special thank you to the ladies of the diligo online fashion shop for a great night, an instant connection, immediate social plans and a great concept!
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published February 23rd, 2011
Today is one of those days that I wished I had blogged about yesterday, yesterday. All of a sudden there is so much to do that I’m feeling particularly frazzled. It’s all a good thing, believe it or not, but I do wish that time would stand still for a moment so that I didn’t have to prioritize. That’s what happens when one has a big Tuesday.
I’ve mentioned the mission I’m on to get this blog out there and eventually make a living out of it, between advertising, sponsorship and project me talks. That means there had to be a little stepping out of the comfort zone and heading off to a meeting without my business partner.
Have I shared my little dream of being chauffeured around for the rest of my life? I kid you not. It’s even made it onto my vision board. So when my sister was planning grocery shopping it was a very cool plan that ended in my brother dropping me at my meeting. A little less pressure goes a long way considering I hate arriving at new place.
Here’s another little reveal. I’m not sure if I’ve mention my addiction before, but when I need to put my best foot forward I NEED to have my lipstick/lip gloss on hand. It sits on the dinner table. I walk around holding it. I have about 7 in my handbag. How totally inappropriate to apply lipstick (constantly) during a meeting? You’re wondering … and of course I didn’t, but holy moly did I NEED it.
I’m bursting with excitement at the prospects of the meeting though and praise the power of social networking.
You have to hold that thought because my little sis just looked at me with puppy-dog eyes and asked me to make her breakfast. She’s got a job interview today and clearly there are nerves … or manipulation 
Right … sister of the year is back … and as I was saying: I’m a big fan of social networking and have a little envy at the rest of the world who are further along in the concept and accessibility of social networking tools. How could I not burst with excitement at the concept of UCit that best describe themselves as: “Every day, UCit sends you exclusive offers to experience your city in true UCit style. Live more, pay less and have fun doing it. With us, what you C is what you GET.”
I have a plan to socially network with this incredible concept … despite getting all of my friend to sign up, get involved and all go for the same awesome deal so that we do magical things together. Find UCit on Facebook and Twitter.
If you are anywhere else in the world and there is a site that you can share with my international readers, the post a comment.
One day there’s mention of needing to move and today I think I’m announcing that we might have found a house. It’s been brewing for a while, but I haven’t mentioned it because I’m trying to deal with an issue or two of my own.
Firstly, I’ve decided to move with my mom and at the age of 37 I’m trying not to feel like the spinster with the cat (as beautiful as my Saphirah is). Secondly, and here’s the kicker … the house is next door to Greggie. Like we don’t have to swat away enough flies about having an unhealthy codependent best friend relationship.
The house is perfect. I have my own entrance so I will have the privacy I need. The rest will be in pics if we get it. So I kicked into ‘project me’ mode and reminded myself that there is no truth but my own. I can’t be concerned about what others may think or say because I can’t control it anyway. I know my relationship with my best friend and I have no one to explain myself to. That being said and done, we are now waiting for the guy to decide if he wants to sell or rent … hold thumbs!
As for the good reflexes and the odd picture of a lightening bolt … well yesterday Mother Nature showed me just how resourceful I am. She reminded me that when crisis strikes (like literally strikes) I don’t get frozen with fear. I kid you not … she chucked a lightning bolt that hit the electric wires and snapped them. Sitting at a stop street, my mother and I watched a live wire, sparking and spitting, heading straight for the car. I don’t get electricity so I didn’t know if that was lethal or not, but all reflexes kicked in and I did a Chuck Norris car swerve maneuver that any stunt man would have bowed to. Driving and trembling is quite and experience but then so is living and thinking. Of course I pulled up outside our possible new home, in the pouring rain, and applied lipstick … a girl needs a good shade of autumn when the world awaits her.
With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour
Published February 21st, 2011
There are many reasons for social networking but one of my favourites is meeting people who inspire me to do more, try harder, dream bigger. It has become my joy to share those people with all of you and I have been waiting to introduce you to Fred.
Here’s his story and my answers to the 10 questions he asked me. I got to ask Fred my curious questions too … so check them out on his blog (after you’ve read my answers of course! )
He is busy with his next book a mixture of poetry, short stories and photography.
He is also a motivational speaker and does seminars on Twitter 101, Facebook 101,
Email 101, Youtube 101, how to market online and how to write a blog.
He is also a IT consultant and Business Consultant.
Sometimes you can also find him doing voice over work and acting.
It’s Q & A time:
1. You are quite the blogger. What is your advice for someone starting to write a blog for the first time and which blog sites should they use?
Write about what you want to say and not what you think people want to hear. There are more blogs than stars in the sky most probably and in order to be unique and stand out you have to separate yourself from the collective and shine through with the uniqueness of who you are.
I am the greatest fan of WordPress because it has so many brilliant features that help your blog become very socially versatile in the networking sphere. You don’t have to know much got go far with it! Join blogging communities … lots of them … and make friends because you never know who knows who out there
2. Sea or Forest? And Why?
The sea! I have a very special bond with sea even though I don’t live close to it. My novel (that I am in the final stages of editing) is based on a woman’s journey to self discovery when she moves to live by the after she falls ill! Ironically … I’m scared of the sea and like to splash in the baby pools that the gods have created for kids and scaredy-cats like me!
3. If you could take one book with you to a deserted island which one would it be and why?
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. It’s the most powerful book I have ever read and there are so many profound statements that I could read it forever and never get enough of the lessons and messages within this incredible story.
4. Tell us about the latest film you just saw?
I watched Tangled last night. I’m still in awe at 3D and took my glasses home because I know that eventually we’ll own a pair. Maybe Dolce & Gabbana will bring out a range of them. It was a gorgeous movie, but then Disney always is.
5. Why is twitter so amazing?
I have made some of my dearest friends through Twittering. Beyond the sphere of the power that it has a social networking tool, it turns the world into one big cocktail party and I could mingle all day. Well, it introduced you and I, didn’t it Fred?
6. What is your advice to writers?
Just write! Don’t ever delete anything you have written and don’t underestimate the power of returning to a piece of writing at the perfect time in your life.
7. Why is South Africa such a beautiful place to live in?
As much as I envy those who have white Christmas’s and get frustrated that American Country music is not beg enough here to ever feed my thirst for it, I love being South African beyond words. The vastness of cultures, most beautiful sunshine, rainbow nation and eternal hope of the people are the roots that ground me.
8. What funny things have you have seen in your neighbourhood?
I live a few blocks from Wanderers cricket stadium so I have the time of my life after a cricket match. Drunk girls and boys staggering down the road, singing songs that make no sense and shouting for the winning team even if we got our ass whipped.
9. What is this Project me all about?
It started as a daily blog that I needed to drive me to never give up on my dreams no matter how tough life got. However, project me has been a part of my life for years. It’s my commitment to myself to live each day with courage, consciousness and a sense of humour. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought that the blog would grow to what it is today and that my life would change with each passing entry. We all have a ‘project me’ and I have now expanded my blog to include a section called ‘Your Project Me Story; where others share their stories too because you never know who needs to hear exactly what you have to say. We are all that powerful.
10. Give us 10 websites you like and why do you like them?
1. Obviously I’m on Twitter all day and use it as my tool to grow my following as well as interact with some of the most inspirational people in the world.
2. Facebook is my place to escape form it all and enjoy my time with my friends and followers. I can honestly say that it sits open at the bottom of my screen the entire day.
3. I’m a social networking tart and check my stats like crazy. I challenge myself to do better and so I am always on My Scoop which is a social networking aggregator. I can check my rankings on so many different platforms and it inspires me.
4. I use a lot of images for my blog and I’m always on Stock.xchng.
5. I follow a lot of bloggers but have some of my faves and the one dearest to my heart is my friend Nikki who has a blog called Lunatic Cafe. We met on a blog networking site and are the perfect example of the gifts of blogging.
6. My business partner, Greg Arthur, is an incredible writer and through is blog ‘Oh God Knows’ I get my inspiration to be that individual.
7. If you’re waiting for a news, sports or weather site, you won’t find it. I listen to the news once a day and then I got to my other fave places like Wisdom Quotes. I also like to drop a few of those into Twitter every so often!
8. She’s the geek is a blog that inspires women through technology. It is a South African award winning blog that motivates me daily.
9. Website marketing is as vital as it sounds. It is a blog that keeps up to date on all the tools and information about marketing on the web. With a blog, trust me I need it.
10. Youtube … I get my fix of Country Music there and have to admit that I listen to a few to many songs a day, but maybe that’s where all the inspiration comes from
PS … Fred, you’re up there with my faves but me thinks the peeps are going think I just said it as a schmoozling marketing ploy
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 December 23rd, 2010
Sometimes I sit back and wonder what other people are doing at that moment. I even find myself wondering where the man that I am going to share my life with is at that very moment. I wonder if he will remember what he is doing at a specific moment and if I had to ask him a few years later. I do it with friends and sometimes with strangers. I’ve even found myself wondering what famous people are doing while I’m lying on the couch daydreaming. Continue reading
Published October 22nd, 2010There is always the one thing that pushes for the final decision and the big announcement even though everyone around seems to know what the outcome is going to be. I have been mortified at the responses of my friends when I tell them that I am continuing to blog ‘project me’ on a daily basis for yet another year.
Clearly I was the last one to figure it out, but I’m still making the big decision as though it were up for serious contemplation. I have had enough time to think about it and contemplated many scenarios of the future of ‘project me the blog’ because the journey is never ending. Continue reading
Published July 28th, 2010Today literally feels like 3 days in one, but then again this year feels like it should have been spread over at least 3 years and it’s just over half way.
My morning began with needing to get my totally non punctual mother to my permanent make-up appointment on time. She was having a facial while I was having ink seeped into my eyelids by a fine needle and a buzzing machine. Does that sound painful enough? I hate being late. It does something to my blood and it is only perpetuated at the thought of having my eyes tattooed. I could feel my blood boiling inside, only for my precious mother to tell me that I’m driving like Michael Schumacher. Parents!! Continue reading
dreams, friends, Greggie, Jodene, Project Me, sex, social networking, soul, tattoo, teaching, thava, twitter, workaholic, writing | 
7 CommentsPublished July 23rd, 2010All a girl really needs to do is vent a little.
There is something very healing in throwing all the toys out the cot and then kicking them around a little before throwing them against walls and maybe aiming at a head or two that seems to calm the insanity.
So much for thinking that I wasn’t as conscious and ‘fixed’ as I really am. I mean really … what part of me still works all hours of the night and has to prove something to myself or my best friend and most amazing business partner? Continue reading
Published July 5th, 2010Thank you to She’s the Geek for the acknowledgement of my contribution to empowering women in technology. This is the interview that marks a very proud moment in ‘project me’:
