Funnel Web Spider in Spain

A few days ago before arriving here in Calpe, Spain we spent a night in Gandia on the coast (about an hour north of Calpe).

We'd parked our camper van on the side of a shady road, right next to a beautiful park. We thought we had struck our luck for 'free camping' as it was such a tranquil location.

By the time we found this location it was pushing on after 8pm, but the sun was still hot and the heat of the night had us sweltering. No air-conditioning in our camper so we left the windows wide open to allow the breeze to filter it's way in and cool our bodies, begging to breathe in cooler air.

Normally Max, Mike's 10 year old boxer dog, will sleep inside with us, curled up on his bed at the foot of the front passenger seat. Tonight was too hot for him to be inside (and us!), so Mike set up his bedding outside on the pavement next to the camper van (a practice he has done a few times when the temperature is high).

We had an uncomfortable night's sleep, tossing and turning, waking up sticky from the heat. Mike had been up an hour before me, and taken Max for a walk. Both now back, Max nestled back into his blanket and Mike is preparing to pack up a few things for our time to move forward to Calpe.

I'm inside the van, making a cuppa coffee and I hear Mike yell out to me in full Scottish accent, "Katie! Katie! Come here! Take a look at this!"

I lean out the window to witness Max standing transfixed and Mike using the dogs leash, poking at an ugly black hairy spider, on Max's rug.

"It was on the blanket next to Max! I thought it was a bit of fluff and about to pick it up! But look! It's a spider!"

The spider is now rearing back, aggressive and ready to attack. I see Mike's hand waving only inches above this spider, with just a short length of the leash brushing up to it.

"Mike, No! Get your hand away! That looks like a funnel web spider!"

I had no clue what type of spider it was. I was making this observation only on my knowledge of my home country's (Australia) most venomous spider (it will kill you with a bite!)

My skin crawled as Max was trying to get at it, and Mike was aggravating it.

"Get Max inside! Don't let him get at it! And step back from it yourself!"

With Max now inside, and me watching through the window (now with the flywire insitu) I watched as Mike flicked the rug towards the bushes. The spider went flying, landing on the pavement just before the hedge. It then scurried into the shrubs.

It was only this morning, discussing the memory, that we remembered to google the spider.

It is in fact an Andelucian Funnel Web Spider, closely related to the Sydney Funnel Web Spider.

It turns out it is the largest spider in Europe, and one of the few rare dangerous ones...

Phew! Max and Mike were protected on that one! ...AND, in Spain I will never sleep without the windows secured with at least the fly-mesh in place! I am now left imagining... "what if it had of made it's way into OUR bed? Or shoe? Or......."

Eck! *Shudder!*

Italian Dining: Food For The Soul

Food for the soul. Italian fare with insight into the soul...

Travel inspires you to compare your own personal 'reality' with what 'really is'.

As I travel around the world, I realize two things:

1) The world is incredibly small and we are all ONE.

There are not that many differences in places and people when you TRULY pay attention to what is. Whilst you can differentiate and notice fabulous colours and textures in the tapestry of life, we're all integrated into the one fabulous master piece.

2) There is so much to learn about your Divine self, reflected through the images of people and places.

When you are outside of the 'box of living' away from 'normal' influences which lull you into false illusions, often unconscious conditioning of negative beliefs, and negative or dis-empowering habits of thought, you open up even more to your greatest potential.

Food for the soul, requires being CONSCIOUS about what you choose to 'consume' in thought.

What beliefs are you 'buying' into, or being 'sold'? Are you diligent in discerning the difference between empowering thoughts and dis-empowering thoughts? Are you mentally and spiritually active through conscious habits using the power of affirmations, being selective in music you listen to, eliminating 99% of media that you watch, choosing who you engage in conversation with ...perhaps you might even need to first attend to the internal dialect 'poisoning' your mind?

How? You ask... "it's just how I think" you might say... No, it's a PATTERN of thought you have unconsciously picked up, and re-reinforced through repetitious thinking and filtering life through the lens to find 'evidence' to support your repetitive thoughts, which have now become beliefs.

Conscious CHOICE in new beliefs, repetition and finding social proof to support your new empowering thoughts will create change in your focus and therefore your actions.

What new nourishing 'food for thought' would you prefer to add to your mental and spiritual 'diet' that will empower you to SHINE BRIGHTLY with vitality - physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually...???

Tomato Throwing Festival 2009, Bunol Spain

Tomato Throwing Festival 2009

Yesterday we made it to Bunol, Spain for the Annual Tomato Throwing Festival.

What hilarious madness! The streets were flooded with truckloads of tomatoes, being thrown, flared and flung at people by one another. The tomatoes are brought in by the thousands of kilos, and most of them smelt rotten!

As a creative and passionate cook, I really needed to numb my olfactory senses to the smell of rotten salsa!

What was most interesting to witness was to watch people get into the spirit of it, watching the inner child of each person just PLAY!

Whilst we missed the dense action (thankfully!) I managed to get into the midst of the aftermath and interview a few Aussies and New Zealanders... and still witness some of the action!

Enjoy!

Thunderstorm in Spain

Valencia, Spain.

Incredible storm brewed up in just minutes!

Wow!

Living the Dream...

I am told frequently, "You're living the dream!"

Yes, I am.

And, I want to encourage you and support you to live YOUR dream.

Also, to remind you that 'living the dream' is not all sweet smelling roses, without the odd thorn to prick you!

Not that I want to deflate the balloon of desire, or imagination. Instead, I want to remind you that everything in life is here for our opportunity to grow as Beings in Spirit.

Even when 'living the dream' there are so many lessons to learn.

Traveling the globe has MANY pros. The variety, adventure, exploration, new experiences, delightful food, meeting wonderful people......... and guess what? You CAN achieve many of these experiences and traits being in your life right where you are at now!

There are many cons to traveling also: mostly out of routine, irregular exercise, sometimes communal living, missing family and friends (and animals), being fined for an overdue account that you missed in the email, etc. There are still challenges. Some of them are the 'daily grind' that you might imagine you will 'run away' from when 'living the dream'.

My intention is to remind you that you have some wonderful experiences right in your own 'back yard'. Often, we as humans are conditioned to look 'over the fence' and imagine that the 'grass is greener' on the other side.

Well, sometimes it is.

And most of the time it is not.

It all depends on your internal sense of BEING.

See, life is all about us GROWING. And to grow, we are CHALLENGED. It is our opportunity to step up and become even GREATER, BIGGER and even more MAGNIFICENT in our lives....

What is YOUR dream? What does it look like? What can you appreciate right now in your life that you wish to bring forward into your IDEAL DREAM LIFE? ...and be thankful for all that you have right now :) .... then, the Universe delivers you with even more :)

"Think and Grow Rich" - Napolean Hill...

"Think and Grow Rich," by Napolean Hill is the foundational book to read for financial success.

How do you create a GREAT life?

One fulfilling your definition of success and financial independence or financial freedom?

Seeking out GREAT people and learning what makes them tick is a trait of successful people. They research, are constantly learning, open to listening to people who have succeeded in the area they want to master, and focus on what they want.

They also ask high quality questions... and get high quality answers.

Some of these questions asked of successful people include: What habits do they create to set themselves up to win? What do they read? Who do they shadow for greatness also? What thoughts do they regularly focus on?

There are many ways to find a mentor. Seminars, Coaches, Mentor Groups and Individuals, Audio, Web and Books.

...BOOKS are a MUST for expanding the mind. Reading high quality content on success, finance, mind-set, over-coming challenges, biographies and auto-biographies of great people fills the mind with possibilities and stretches the boundaries of your own self-limitations. These sort of books exercise the mind, like running or weights would strengthen the body.

What sort of books are you reading? What is the quality of the content you choose to put into your mind each day? How much t.v. do you watch? Is it really serving you? Could you use that time instead to read or listen to an audio program that will serve you at a higher level?

My last blog (Creating a Sea of Abundance) generated quite a few personal responses directed to me, "Where's the money!?" "I don't have any!" and many more inquiries. I thought the best way to respond is to share the magical gift of a particular book that was a Turning Point for me in my financial life some 15 years ago.

If you have not read "Think and Grow Rich" yet, now is a great time!

What we create in our inner world (through beliefs and visualization) is what we manifest in our outer world, what we call our 'reality'. "Think and Grow Rich" is possibly one of the most powerful books I have read and re-read many times over the years. It has ALL the answers, and each time you read it (and grow) you 'see' new answers each time.

There are many versions available from Amazon at a great price. You can purchase it in it's old English form or in it's up-to-date version for today's language patterns. ...Click here... for the direct link.. It is a MUST on the Winner's reading list.

Creating a Sea of Abundance

The other day, Mike and I discovered a magic location to play in an abundance of oceanic delight!

We had reached a point where we wanted to have a ‘play’ break, from both working (en route) and driving.

Mike said, “Let’s go to the beach!”

He had a fair idea it was not far from where we were parked. We were in Beausoleil, the South of France, and we were located where there was no obvious beachfront. Using his GPS, Mike could see there was ocean to the left. To look towards that direction, all we saw was houses and a train station hiding the view.

But because we set the intention, and used a resource (GPS), we also paid attention as several people walked past our camper van with beach chairs and towels, dressed in their beach gear obviously ready to indulge in the sunshine.

We followed the people along the path (the people who knew where they were going), and after winding our way through some narrow pathways and hidden terraces, we eventually walked out of an alleyway onto a beautiful pebbled beach, hidden from the main road.

Whilst I was relaxing in the crystal clear water, enjoying the sunshine kissing my skin, I had a revelation.

Like water and air, which naturally surrounds us and for which most of us take for granted, money is equally in abundance for us to access as a resource too.

You breathe unconsciously, in the automatic flow of life. If you consciously resist the urge to breath, you will notice, with very rapid feedback from your brain telling you that you need oxygen, to take a breath!

Water is also a resource we all have a way to access. First, to drink (fulfilling a need). Secondly, to swim in and play in (fulfilling a want).

Like money, we need a certain amount for our survival, and when we become adept at becoming resourceful in sourcing out larger pools of money (just like finding the beach) we can enjoy the added benefits of playing in it too!

Money is a sensitive issue for many people. There are a lot of beliefs associated with money, both consciously and (mostly) unconsciously. If you are holding a negative belief (usually several) or a conflict of beliefs about money, you are limiting the flow of money (which is just energy) being attracted into your life.

Beliefs can be insidious, if you are not purposely designing them to support your life, your goals, your dreams, your financial situation, your relationships, etc.

Without conscious attention, the majority of our beliefs are ‘inherited’ from parents, family, teachers, friends, role models, even t.v. shows and media. There is often a heavy bombardment of negative beliefs about all areas in life, including money.

When I was growing up, I heard many limiting beliefs about money. Such as “money doesn’t grow on trees,” “money doesn’t come from thin air!” “We can’t afford it,” “we don’t have enough money,” “it’s selfish to have more than others,” and many, many more negative beliefs.

What if those beliefs instead were (and now are for me), “money DOES grow on trees!” “Money can be plucked from thin air!” (I can feel the vibration of resistance from some of you now), “HOW will I find a way to afford this?” “Where can I resource even more money for what I want?” And…“It’s selfish to waste my gifts both of value for service and for limiting my creation of money.”

Think about the last statement. If, as a human being, we are of the belief that we shouldn’t have more than someone else, who am we really benefiting? Who is that serving?

If instead, we now create an ever-increasing abundance of money (one form of energy), whilst continuing to add even greater value to people’s lives for either (and) our services and products, then we’re not only supporting ourselves and loved ones (and not leaning on social hand-outs), but we are manifesting our greatness we’re here on the earth for.

The extra benefits are we’re adding value in more tax paid to support the system for those who (hopefully) genuinely need the helping hand, and we can be even more generous with charity both with the resources of time and money.

So, with an abundance belief of there is ALWAYS MORE THAN ENOUGH (and plenty more) FOR EVERYONE, wouldn’t the mindset of the world’s population shape the abundance for the circle of life, with even greater strength?

Take a moment to consider your personal beliefs about money...

What beliefs are you 'passing on' to your children and sharing with loved ones? Are your beliefs supporting you or limiting you? Where did you hear those beliefs from in the first place? Is it possible, the beliefs may be outdated or incongruent with life, and your life today? Who have been your role models of influence around money? Who would you like to emulate instead?

Dreams.. Desires.. Designing YOUR life!

How often do you dream about what you REALLY want? Do you visualize it daily? Are you open to looking (and receiving) the flow of opportunities when the 'window' (doors, gates, and many other 'portholes' in guises) opens up for you?

Are you ready to take a 'leap of faith' or are you holding yourself back with fear?

F.E.A.R.

Fantasized
Experiences
Appearing
Real

"All fear is self-created by imaging some negative outcome in the future" - Jack Canfield (one of my great mentors - whom I've met and interviewed).

What would you like to be/do/have, but perhaps are holding yourself back with a fantasized experience, a false illusion?

• Would you like to leave the job you hate to explore your passion?
• Would you like to ask that girl you have your eye on out on a date?
• Would you like to book that dream holiday, and perhaps even go on your own?
• What about delegating some (or many) of your personal and business tasks to free up your time and life for your greatest abilities and joys?

These all require you to create a vision of success for what you want, and to take (massive and effective) action!

When you hold in your mind a picture of your ideal outcome, you create a very different internal conversation with yourself than you do if you are imaging all the worries and possible disasters. (Just reflect on your own life right now: how often have you thought of the worst case scenario - and it never happened!).

When you create supportive thoughts for your goal, you ACT DIFFERENTLY. Your behavior and actions you take move you in alignment with what you want... because you are BEING congruent with your thoughts, feelings and behavior.

Guess what? There is a Universal Law Of Attraction that works every single time, for each and every wonderful one of us Beings. It appears to work in favor for some more than most. But the truth is, the same Law works for ALL of us ALL the time.

If you have in your mind's eye a desired want - but carry in your heart a load of F.E.A.R. the 'pulse' you set off is incongruent and the F.E.A.R. will carry more 'weight'. Therefore you are signaling to the Universe a much stronger magnetic force of what you DON'T want.

You MUST focus on what you want with a heart felt full of belief and desire, of JOY, GRATITUDE and LOVE. Holding your desire with faith that it WILL manifest for you.

Now here is the critical KEY. The true secret to this process. When you are in alignment with your thoughts and feelings you will take ACTION in the direction of your goal.

Let me share a little of my earlier life with you.

I've ALWAYS dreamed to travel the world. For the last 15 months I have been globe-trotting full-time (in mini-retirement!).

However, I first traveled around the world (on my own) for 8 1/2 months when I was just 19 years old!

When I was 15 I held and announced a STRONG dream. I told my family, "I will travel around the world before I am 20."

That announcement was met with a lot of negative feedback - "You can't do that!" "You can't afford that!" "That's not possible."

Of course, the responses I was getting from family members was based on THEIR BELIEFS and their MODEL OF THE WORLD.

Their responses only fueled my desire and commitment to my goal even further.

1. I focused on people who HAD ALREADY ACHIEVED what I desired to do.
2. I also BELIEVED it was possible for me.
3. I took immediate action and the first thing I did was create a poster to inspire me. I drew a big thermostat. I had decided (based on research and an educated budget) that I would require $10,000. (Remember, at that time I was 15!)

I posted that visual up on the back of my bedroom door. I then took my next steps of massive action and found or created work opportunities. As I saved chunks of money I also coloured in on my poster the next $50, $100, $1000... As you can imagine, as that visual grew in my experience, the stronger the desire became and the faster it took me to manifest my goal.

Now being in high school and only 15 years old, you can imagine that it took me many years to save the money. I also had some other goals along the way which had that money flow out of my savings (a scooter, a one-month volunteer trip to the Philippines to work on a mission, and a motor-bike, amongst other things). But as I had set my goal "before I am 20" the momentum kicked in as my 'time critical' goal was closing in on me.

By the time I was 19 years old I saved over $12,000 for that trip and when the opportunity opened up for me I had leapt at it. I organized my life and in less than a month I was on my journey.... I brought into BEING a goal I had visualized for more than 4 years.

*** *** ***

What is your dream? What action will you take today? Will you take the leap of faith, right now?
What excuses are you now willing to let go of to bring into being your greatest dreams?

Go on... start with simply IMAGING... what will your life be like when you achieve your dream? Who does it require you to become? What do you need to do? Right now! Who has already achieved what you want, so you can model their success?

Inspirational messages in Florence, Italy

Inspirational message. From Florence, Italy.

Be INSPIRED by these beautiful images and inspirational messages to encourage you to live the life of YOUR dreams. YOUR Passion. Design YOUR life.


I've been touring Europe by camper van now for the last month and am having a blast. I'm inspired by the history of Europe and the energy that emanates from the earth here is connecting deeply with my soul.

Being an adventurer and a 'Global Butterfly' I have now been touring the world for 27 months. That's not a typo. Or an exaggeration. The last 15 of those months I have been in 'mini-retirement' having replaced my earned income as a Paramedic with a passive income. And whilst traveling, I've DOUBLED THAT within a year of quitting my job! It's been a conscious decision, and one I actually made many years ago. It's also been an incredible journey including every continent except Africa - so far!

I wish to inspire and encourage you that it is absolutely possible to design your life on YOUR terms. Including how and when you get paid - passively if you design your life with this ability, so you can use your time for your highest desires.

For me: that's traveling the world, capturing magic memories through photography and video, writing, cooking (when I get the use of a 'cucina' (kitchen) facilities), exploring, meeting people and just having a series of great laughs ....every single day.

I consider my life as a blessing, with deep gratitude.

I was not born into a family with a silver spoon in my mouth. Far from it. Bless my parents, but money was more often scarce than immediately available (that was the conditioning and illusion).

Possibly, like you, I often heard responses to my 'fun' requests (let alone the bigger dreams) of "money doesn't grow on trees," "What?! do you think I'm made of money?" and many other 'false illusions'.. these are only conditioned thoughts!

Thoughts repeated create BELIEFS. Beliefs determine your actions. Your actions determine your RESULTS. What are you consistently thinking about?

With the opportunity to live my life on my terms, by CONSCIOUSLY creating and designing it to my speculations, comes a personal responsibility to teach you how I did it. I am now working on several projects to not only inspire you (and me), but also help you leverage your life to understand and connect with the personal empowerment you too can access.

Thought I'd share a FANTASTIC book by Timothy Ferris - "The 4-Hour Work Week" that has been a huge influence and empowering factor to shift my life from the '9-5' realm (or in my case 10-hour and 14-hour shifts) to the global traveler with passive income that is my life today.... automate your life!