Poster by keri

In front of my computer sits a notice board with a piece of paper stuck right in the middle of it. On that piece of paper, in different fonts & sizes, are ten sentences that I have affectionately coined my “Ten Commandments” — ten truths that I like to remind myself on a daily basis. They are (in no particular order) as follows:

• ONE: Fill up my skin with myself. Become empowered with my own magic!
• TWO: Always follow my dreams. Take chances!
• THREE: Have a healthy mind & a healthy body.
• FOUR: Be honest, integral & true — no matter what.
• FIVE: Love deeply. Always keep love in my heart & regularly remind people how special they are. 
• SIX: Let go of comparisons! 
• SEVEN: Put service to others first & foremost… money will always come.
• EIGHT: Live a creative, meaningful, extraordinary (not ordinary!) existence.
• NINE:  Greet each day with a smile! Be enthusiastic & laugh at any opportunity!
• TEN: Show the world who I am!

Ultimately, these commandments reflect my core values & the things that are most important to me at this point in my life. I think it’s nice to draw ourselves back to what’s ‘real’ from time to time, especially when the idiosyncrasies & annoyances of daily life tend to creep in unwittingly sometimes! I have no doubt I will add or alter some of the commandments on my list as time goes on, but for now, I’m pretty happy with their message.

Soo… now it’s your turn! What are your Ten Commandments? What are your golden rules for living & loving life?

I would absolutely love to hear them! If you haven’t previously thought about articulating these ‘truths’, now is the perfect time to put it all out there! Sometimes writing things down can be really beneficial & spark off all kinds of inspirations & motivations; it’s just about giving ourselves a moment to sift through all the chatter in our minds & pondering what really matters to us.

You are all amazing (& don’t you forget it!)

Rach xxx

For someone that has been known to have a very colourful wardrobe in the past, I was shocked & disturbed when I took a glance inside my closet yesterday and found a whole lotta grey & black… and not much else. When did my wardrobe morph from fun & bright & full of variety to corporate & booooring? Am I in a winter rut, or is this something more sinister? Have I ‘forgotten’ how to wear colour? Eeek!

Whatever the reason, it’s time to incorporate colour back into my clothing collection, and out of fear that my lovely readers might be in the same boat, I’ve come up with some creations to show you how to bring colour back into your life — and wear it with panache!

Be bold! Be bright! Be beautiful!

YAY for colour! I can feel another shopping trip coming on…

Rainbow love & inspiration, 
Rach xxx

Photo by jonSpot

“Happiness: something to do, someone to love and something to hope for.”

Happiness is an inside job. It’s not an accident that happens to some people and not to others; happiness is a predictable result created by deliberate ways of thinking and acting.

If you’re familiar with the Bright Side Lover ethos, you’ll know that living a happy life is something I’m extremely passionate about. It’s something I dedicate myself to wholeheartedly, and something I am constantly learning more and more about… so I thought I would share with my beloved readers the conclusions I have come to so far! My hope that the below tips on living a highly satisfying life will help & inspire you as you go about your business! Here goes…

Tip #1 for Living a Happier Life: Be kind to your body

1. Exercise

You’re probably not all that surprised to hear that regular exercise contributes to wellbeing. But, did you know that exercise can be a more effective treatment for depression than anti-depressants? Researchers at Duke University in the US followed the progress of patients with depression who were prescribed drugs (combined with an exercise routine), or just plain exercise, and 6 months after the program ended, it was found that the patients who relied on exercise alone were much more likely to be partly or fully recovered. Amazing news, huh?! In terms of happiness, the reason exercise is so good for us that that it brings on the release of mood-lifting endorphins — the body’s natural opiates (I’m sure you’ve heard this referred to as a “natural high.”

Exercise also keeps your brain in optimum condition as you age, lowers your blood pressure & cholesterol, eases tension & stress, improves self-esteem, assists in weight management and leads to a sounder sleep. Sounds pretty good to me!

Now, before you throw your hands up in horror, realise that, to increase happiness, the exercise you do doesn’t need to be on a huge scale! Go for a quick walk down to the shops, challenge yourself to do 3 sets of sit-ups throughout the day, gyrate to Jane Fonda circa 1982, skip on the spot, or spring clean your house! Every little bit helps!

2. Energetic Eating

Listen to your body. Take note of your body’s sensations after eating — if you feel clear, energetic and satiated, then, chances are, you are fueling your body with the correct foods! Avoid processed foods (read: junk); fill up on fresh fruit & vege; drink lots (and lots!) of water. The aim is to consistently maintain a healthy diet so you can avoid peaks and dips in your blood sugar levels… you’ll be surprised how much this affects your emotions and mental wellbeing!

Personally, if I stop exercising (which inevitably leads to bad eating for me!), I feel unmotivated, unfocused, easily stressed, and unable to have a proper nights’ sleep. Not very appealing, I can assure you! Pass the carrot sticks please…!

3. Sleep

There’s nothing better than a good night’s sleep! People who are sleep deprived are prone to obesity, mood swings, accidents, poor memory and slower reactions — so make sure you get your 8 hours! Turn the TV off, go to bed half an hour earlier than usual, and sleep your way to a clearer, happier, more productive state of being! If work stress is interfering, write your to-do list for the next day, then let it go. There’s no point mulling over everything in your mind — a disrupted sleep will only make the next day ten times more challenging.

Tip #2 for Living a Happier Life: Be thankful

Expressing gratitude is the single most important thing you can do to turbocharge your happiness.

Professor Emmons, author of “Thanks: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier”, says: “The practice of gratitude can increase happiness levels by around 25%. Second, this is not hard to achieve — a few hours writing a gratitude journal over 3 weeks can create an effect that lasts 6 months, if not more. Third, cultivating gratitude brings other health effects, such as longer and better quality sleep time.”

So — now you know that writing down what you’re grateful for fosters optimism — why not make today the day that you start your very own Gratitude Journal? I try and do this as regularly as I can, and although you may think it’s a bit of a silly concept, it actually works wonders for your mood and perspective so I urge you to give it a go! There have been several occasions where I’ve taken a few minutes out to write down 5 things I am grateful for when my day hasn’t quite been going to plan, and, honestly, it improved my mood out of sight! Sometimes when life throws you a curve ball and everything becomes a bit much (your car dies just as the biggest phone bill you have ever encountered hits your mailbox), writing a gratitude list that details the blessings in your life can really dwarf the other misfortunes into insignificance. It can also highlight the little things that you might be taking for granted.

An example entry in your Gratitude Journal might be: 1) being loved by family and/or partner 2) the sun shining 3) the compliment about my outfit from a stranger 4) that I get paid today 5) that a friend helped me out with * something * and saved me $200 in the process.

Give it a shot, and let me know if you notice a change!

Tip #3 for Living a Happier Life: Look at the Glass as Half-full

Karl Wilhelm Von Humboldt once said: “I am more and more convinced that our happiness or unhappiness depends far more on the way we meet the events of life, than on the nature of those events themselves.”

I couldn’t agree more! It all comes back to optimism and pessimism. Pessimists tend to view bad events as uncontrollable and permanent, while optimists see them as temporary and changeable. Whereas pessimists focus their energy on the “worst possible scenario”, optimists don’t get bogged down by negativity and despair; they look for the crack of light, how ever tiny that may be, that signals that the problem can be fixed and the obstacle can be overcome. And want to know the best news? Optimism can be learned!

Take the Learned Optimism test!

Tip #4 for Living a Happier Life: Whatever you put your focus on, you attract to you…

…so make sure it’s what you want, not what you don’t want! If you want to lose weight, don’t keep telling yourself ‘I’m fat’ because that is precisely what you will be putting out there!  Educate yourself to start stating things in advance. So, in the case of wanting to lose weight, continually affirm your desire by saying ‘I am my perfect weight.’Positive affirmations help you stay focused, and in order to create the life you want, you need to speak and act as if your desires and goals have already been reached. Fill your diary or notebook with uplifting phrases; take some time out to visualise your dream life. Visualisation is a very powerful and if done often, it will work! Remember: ‘Thoughts become things!”

Tip #5 for Living a Happier Life: Be mindful of your words

Words are a precious gift that we often squander carelessly. Every time you say something like ‘It’s too good to be true’ or ‘Knowing my luck…’ what you are doing is using your energy to make these statements true. The mind actually processes images — and your subconscious doesn’t know the difference between fact and fiction — so take the time to review your vocabulary and ensure your thoughts, words and actions always support and feed off each other.

Replace restrictive, negative words like ‘problem’ with positive, buoyant words such as ‘opportunity.’ ‘It’s too good to be true’ becomes ‘Good things always happen to me.’ Imagine you are strutting around, shopping for words, and you only want to choose the very best, highest quality, 100% authentic ones to fill your basket. Bypass ‘Negativity’ in Aisle 3 kittens, it’s straight to the checkout with the ‘I can’s’ and the ‘I am’s’!

Also, ask yourself questions. If you have a habit of saying ‘I can’t afford it,’ supplement this with ‘How can I afford it?’ By turning a negative statement into a question, you create an entirely different perspective on the situation and open up a whole new set of possibilities!

Tip #6 for Living a Happier Life: Create something tangible

Whether it’s cooking dinner, building a sandcastle, writing in your journal, finishing a project at work, doing your make-up or snapping interesting photo’s — find the joy in creating things. The sense of accomplishment you’ll feel as a result of ‘creating’ is so rewarding; it will give you the impetus to move forward, avoid stagnation, and continue to access irrevocable happiness on a consistent basis!

Tip #7 for Living a Happier Life: Get organised

Get rid of the clutter! Your immediate environment reflects your life, and a calmer environment = more control (and a more serene mood!). Clean out your email inbox regularly, keep on top of your filing, throw out junk. Keep your personal space well-ventilated, ordered and clean. Try to get in the habit of using the “one minute rule”— that is, never postpone any task that can be completed in less than a minute.

Tip #8 for Living a Happier Life: Find your passion

Finding something you are passionate about and doing it daily (or, even better, for a living!) has the power to completely transform your life! In my opinion, passion takes a mediocre, ordinary life and propels it forward into something truly special. It’s what makes getting up in the morning fun & exciting! When you uncover your passion, and live it daily, it will motivate you to keep going when times are tough, spur you to take consistent action, and lead you to an incredibly fulfilling and blissfully happy existence. So, how do you uncover what it is that YOU are passionate about? Here are some suggestions that will help you on your way!

Brainstorm: Grab a piece of paper and start jotting down ideas. Think about the things that inspire you; your hobbies; the things you spend hours reading & learning about. If it’s not apparent, all these ideas will give you a valuable insight into what you actually love doing already. Don’t evaluate your list or close your mind off — just write down anything that comes to mind!

Explore: Talk to other people about their passions. Surf the Net and read other people’s stories. Head to your nearest bookstore or library & glance over the book titles/ areas of interest — all these things will help you on your journey to discovering your personal passion.

Research: Once you have pinpointed your passion, look into the possibility of turning it into a viable means of making a living (and remember, with the advent of the Internet, pretty much anything is possible!) Read websites. Buy books on the topic. Find out what skills and education are needed to become a professional in the field.

Don’t forget to think big, tap into your true potential, and steer your ship confidently in the direction of your wildest dreams! It’s so worth it!

Tip #9 for Living a Happier Life: Be true to YOU!

Throw off those self-imposed shackles and let go of trying to please other people! Putting pressure on yourself by trying to live up to other people’s unrealistic expectations will get you nowhere; you’ll end up unhappy, resentful and completely unfulfilled. Hold your head up high, develop your own code, and learn to love, accept, celebrate and exalt in your own existence.  Self-love is the most important kind — commit that to memory!

Don’t judge yourself on physical beauty — it’s all subjective anyway! No two people will ever have exactly the same impression of you, so rather than living a life of comparison and inferiority, find the quirks in your personality and use them to define who you are. Cultivate an aura of confidence and dignity, and never underestimate the importance of your individuality!

Also, forgive and release the negative experiences of your past… they’re over now, so move forward with power and curiosity. The future is right in front of you, baby!  Rather than being self-conscious, be conscious of who you are… yep, that’s right — imperfect, beautiful, interesting, remarkable YOU! Adopt a spectacularly different approach and don’t apologise to anyone for it! And above all, be real!

Tip #10 for Living a Happier Life: Keep working on it

While sometimes joy descends upon us unexpectedly, you can also take control of your destiny by getting into the habit of regularly planting positive suggestions in your mind. Make forgiveness part of your daily routine; don’t hang on to crap, it doesn’t do anyone any good in the long term. Do something every day to fulfill your own needs, and when life gets you down, always look for the opportunity to grow by remaining proactive, not reactive. When it comes to your relationships, surround yourself with positive people and deepen your connections with others by listening, giving and lowering your expectations.

The most important commitment you will ever make is the one to be happy. At the end of the day, the only real measure of success is how happy you are — and by harnessing the power of your mind, learning to live your own truths, and taking action, you will be well on your way to living a life filled with happiness in its purest form!

Over to you:

What do you do to stay happy? What are the little things you integrate into your life every day that bring you pure, unadulterated joy? What ‘happiness advice’ do you give to others? Pour it all out in the comments, my sweet angels!

Heart-fulls of joy, miles of love & never-ending sparkle,

Rach xxx

I first met Erin Davis through my friend Kel (who just happens to be her older sister!), but it wasn’t until recently that I discovered how supremely talented this girl really is. At just 19 years of age, Erin has spent the past couple of years whipping up enchanting designs under her label, ‘Lilla Stezz‘, and suffice to say, her collections — comprising of anything from gorgeous, vintage-inspired floral jackets to voluminous party-dresses — are nothing short of delightful!

Woven with the essence of flirty, feminine cool, each of Erin’s garments are hand-made & possess a poetic style all of their own. My favourite pieces in her latest collection, her floral jackets, remind me of decadent tea parties in the park on a lazy spring afternoon… and, needless to say, I totally recommend you get your hands on one of her original pieces today!

I love observing and supporting people who saunter confidently down their own creative path, and in saying this, I’m genuinely excited for this talented young designer who is leaving a very special mark on the local fashion industry! 

Unfortunately, I missed the latest Lilla Stezz parade, but I  had a quick chat to the super-bubbly & sweet-as-pie Erin anyway, and this is what she had to say…

Q) When did you start conjuring up your wonderful creations? Are you formally trained?

A) As soon as I left school, so two and a half years ago.  I had no formal training.  Mum showed me the basics and then I taught myself how to do more complicated things by altering old clothes and taking clothes apart to see how they are made.

Q) How would you describe Lilla Stezz?

A) Quirky, feminine and fun!

Q) Explain the design process. How do you come up with new designs? What inspires you?

A) Well I usually have a basic idea of what I want to do.  Then I find that the ideas come to me as I go.  Fabrics inspire me a lot, I always pick the fabric first and then I think of a design. 

Q) Where is your clothing stocked?

A) At two shops on the Gold Coast — Love from Lucy in Burleigh Heads, and Wild Orchid in Surfers Paradise.

Q) What advice can you give to other designers hoping to break into the industry?

A) To start producing their designs.  You’d be surprised how willing shop owners are to stock clothes that are hand made and unique.

Q) What’s next for Lilla Stezz?

A) More parades and hopefully to be sold in more shops! 

(Photography credits: Elizabeth Walters & Jess Edwards)

Thank you so much Erin! Wishing you success, smiles & serendipity forever!

Big love,

Rach xxx

Photo by Li Gao

…in life that often bring us the most pleasure! Most of the time we just need a little inspiration, so here are some life brighteners that will have you beaming like the sunshine and pirouetting on rainbows all day long!

• Eat chocolate! Not just any old chocolate bar though — indulge in good quality Belgian truffles (if you want to experience true decadence, get your hands on some Godiva chocolates — absolutely amazing!) Or, why not scoff down a few squares of gloriously milky Swiss chocolate? Those guys REALLY know how to do it properly. When I was in Switzerland, there was literally chocolate at every turn… every day I would find little boxes of delicious pralines in my hotel room that would be replaced every time I gobbled them down! Be still my beating heart!

• Buy plants and beautiful flowers for your home! Plants can take a room from dreary to cheery in a millisecond — they just give that extra something, don’t you think? You might favour buying a pretty bunch of flowers from your local florist (the bonus is that your house will smell wonderful too!), but if you are keen to purchase something that will last a little longer, check out this list of top 10 indoor plants.

• Play on Polyvore and create outfits that will knock everyone’s socks off! Make a scrapbook or folder full of outfit ideas — could be a handy thing to have on your next shopping expedition. Time for a wardrobe makeover? Use Polyvore to get all the inspiration you need! Browse other people’s sets too… some are pure genius!

• Take a luxurious bath! Fill it with essential oils (camomile, jasmine and lavender are fantastic for relaxation), burn a scented candle, turn on some tranquil music, slap on a face mask, and let all your worries and thoughts slip away! Yep, that’s pretty much my definition of ABSOLUTE BLISS!

• Decorate a notice board. Rip out amazing photo’s and text from magazines, print out your fave online pics, grab some vintage postcards and, voila!, you have yourself a colourful work of art! We’ve actually got a huge canvas in our bedroom that has a whole bunch of quotes I have printed out in different fonts (and BRIGHT colours) stuck on top of some beautiful images. I love lying in bed looking at it! And the best thing? It cost next to nothing to create!

• Go for a stroll through the park, or along the beach. Grab a friend or go alone — take the time to truly appreciate everything around you: the birds chirping, children playing, the waves rolling in, the tranquility. Think about the way it makes you feel. I LOVE going for walks, and am fortunate enough to live across the road from one of the most beautiful beaches in Australia (yes, I may be biased!) which also has a tropical rainforesty-type headland wrapped around it… so beautiful! I always come home after my walk feeling so invigorated. Sometimes it’s all I need to shake off ‘computer overload’ — we all spend so many hours of our day in front of a computer or stuck indoors, and there’s nothing better than “getting back to nature!”

• Laugh ’til your sides hurt and the tears are streaming!

• Listen to music. And make sure it is CRANKED!

• Read a book or magazine. If you need new material, scour your local second hand book store — they are a veritable goldmine, seriously! Same goes with the library — I am such a book fiend that every time I’m in the library, I get a huge surge of happiness — there are just so many options! Total glee! (and yes, reading back on that, there’s a good chance I’m a bit of a nerd!)

• Speaking of books, why don’t you create an Amazon wishlist?

• Grab your favourite DVD and make a mini-mountain on your couch (or in your bed) with all the pillows and blankets you can find. Throw on your comfiest PJ’s and you are ready for the perfect cruisy night in!

• Practice yoga or pilates!

• Exercise! Run, skip, trampoline, ride a skateboard, do star jumps!

• Bake cupcakes! Better still, why not host a high tea with your girlfriends? Don your classiest outfit, craft your hair into an elegant chignon, and spend the day speaking in an outrageously posh British accent!

• Play dress ups. Plan outfits for special occasions. Doll yourself up — do your makeup and hair — and twirl in front of the mirror admiring your handiwork. Grab your digital camera and snap away merrily! You might like to do this with a friend instead (even better, because you can give each other makeover’s, strike crazy poses and click away ‘til your hearts content!)

• Be creative. Write letters on beautiful paper, play around with your photo’s in Photoshop, knit, make hand-made birthday cards to send to your loved ones, paint, draw, construct something, whip up amazing outfit on your sewing machine, write a poem — anything goes! Tapping into your creative side is so fulfilling!

• Sell things (or buy things!) on Ebay. Fun either way!

• Call your parents or your friends and have a long conversation full of giggles and warmth. Tell them how much you love them — give thanks for all the happiness they bring into your life! You will make their week, guaranteed! A little love goes a long way…

• Play on Flickr. Create an account, search for beautiful images and stockpile a group of favourites. Search other people’s favourites too. Hours of fun awaits you!

• Write a list of 100 and stick it in your diary or your room to be read over when you need a little pep up.

• Following on with the list theme, make a list of your “10 Favourite Things to Do” and make a pact with yourself that you will do at least one of them this week. Write the activity in big black letters on a colourful piece of paper/ cardboard and stick it somewhere you will see it often so it becomes branded on your mind!

• Read your horoscope or personality profile — I love doing this and have a personal rule that I only take the positive bits on board! (in case you are wondering, I’m a Sagittarius and an ENFP, and the profiles for these are actually very similar!)

• Eat nachos! Crisp corn chips engulfed in cheese, layered with beans and covered in HEAPS of guacamole and sour cream. Yum! The perfect meal?? Yes, I think so!

• Take wacky polaroids.

• Play on the Internet. Watch video’s and music clips on YouTube; design a logo on Logo Sauce that you can use for a future business (click the ’search’ option for an abundance of inspiration!); read and comment on blogs (yep, that’s a call out to all you lurkers out there!); and download songs and create new playlists on Last.fm or in iTunes.

• Read uplifting articles and quotes!

• Rearrange or organise something (your room, your closet, jewellery box, life!)

Tell me what you do to for an instant mood-boost!

Big love & happiness for eternity,

Rach xx