My little pup Noah turns five today! I still can't believe I've managed to keep this little but hugely loving being alive for five whole years!
To all of you parents and/or pawrents, huge kudos. What an achievement it is to care for a little being that is wholly dependent on you.
We're letting Noah have extra special birthday treats today. As a toy Cavoodle, he loves to eat. Honestly, I think he’d eat himself to death if we didn’t restrict his food. Extra treats mean extra sloppy poos, which makes me want to vomit, but I guess that’s part of what you’re willing to accept for the sake of love!
Who knew this little being would melt my heart and turn me into a complete softy? He became an outlet for my love, and I’m forever grateful for the love I get to share with him.
But as a pawrent, it freaks me out knowing I’ll outlive him. It’s a bit morbid, but I know I’ve only got maybe another ten years with him, more if I’m extra lucky. Having this awareness makes me realise how important it is to live a life of presence.
It’s so easy to get caught up in chasing a life of purpose, searching for something we’re told is innate within us. And not only are we expected to discover our purpose, but we’re also supposed to master it, monetise it, share it with others, and then, even after we die, ensure it leaves a legacy.
Ooft. That’s a lot of pressure.
I went to see Elizabeth Gilbert at Brisbane City Hall on Thursday, and she spoke about a life of presence versus a life of purpose.
She reminded us that our very existence in this world is enough. She offered the perspective that the world wants to be observed and witnessed. Just look at the magnificence of nature. It reminds us how much awe can be inspired simply by watching and witnessing the world roll around at our feet in ecstasy.
Her talk about living a creative life, a life of presence, moved me in ways I didn’t expect.
Through the stories she shared from her own journey, she helped me see myself more clearly and why I crave being so much more than doing.
I’ve spent a lifetime working towards creating the future, but so much of today has been missed along the way.
It reinforced the shift I’m making through my own inner transformation. Reconnecting with myself, my nature, and my human being rather than my human doing.
She shared that she writes books because the process of writing and creating, being alone with her thoughts and imagination, brings her joy. While she enjoys what comes after the books are completed, nothing surpasses the deep joy she gets from writing them.
I feel my best when I’m going deep, whether that’s with my own thoughts and reflections or through meaningful, life-affirming conversations with others.
I can’t do shallow connections or surface-level relationships. I know it’s not realistic to go deep with everyone, but I also know I don’t have to accept a lower standard of connection within my social circle.
Honestly, I find being on my own, following my curiosity, and going down the rabbit hole more joyful than being in environments where conversations stay at the surface.
People sometimes assume that because I love deep and meaningful conversations, I must be serious all the time.
But I’ve come to realise that I do light and fun best with the people I can also go deep with. They see me clearly, and because of that, they know how to truly be present with me and with themselves.
These days, I say no to social events more than I say yes. Not because I’m anti-social, but because I enjoy my own company so much that if I’m going to be in yours, it’s because I truly value our connection. If it's not a hell yes, it’s a no.
Raising the minimum standard for where I spend my time is key this year.
I’m elevating my impact and contribution, which means I need to let go of anything that doesn’t support me in being who I want to be at the standard I want to operate at.
My board roles with Bendigo Bank and the Food and Agribusiness Network, as well as my Not-for-Profit work with the Manufacturing Excellence Forum, are where I want to level up. The opportunity to make a significant impact through strategic guidance is huge.
For years, I believed I wasn’t very good at strategy because I was so strong in operational delivery. But in the last few years, I’ve started to recognise that my ability to connect dots and create a powerful way forward is a superpower.
I’ve earmarked the weeks I’m available for corporate negotiation training so I can still work with the people I love without overloading my capacity. This way, I only have availability for the work that feels most aligned.
Choosing when I work and when I take time for myself to create, write, and expand my thinking is lighting me up in ways I never expected. I finally feel like I’m the master of my fate, the captain of my soul.
And in raising my own floor, I’m seeing the ripple effect with the people I work with. Like attracts like. I’m attracting more and more people with big visions and the appetite to do the necessary work.
I’m realising that the secret to my happiness isn’t about chasing, it’s about choosing.
And ironically, but perhaps not, it started with me choosing myself.
Getting to know who I am at my core. Choosing faith over fear. Trusting that my inner compass and my wisdom can discern the path most aligned for me.
I’m getting present to a lot of things this week.
Maybe you are too.
Maybe you’re realising that the way you spend your time, the people you surround yourself with, or the way you’ve been moving through life needs to shift. Maybe you’re recognising that what once felt aligned doesn’t anymore, or that you’ve been chasing something when all along, choosing yourself was the answer.
Wherever you are, I hope this serves as a gentle reminder that you don’t have to wait for a big moment to start living in a way that feels true to you. You can start right now.
You get to choose how you spend your time. You get to decide who you share your energy with. You get to step back, breathe, and simply be without the pressure to constantly do.
So this week, maybe the invitation is just to notice. Notice where you feel most present, most alive, most yourself. And let that awareness guide you forward.
I’d love to hear what’s been on your mind this week. Hit the comments and share if you feel like it.
Keep going and keep growing.
Love Glin x
P.S. Three wins from my week:
1. Two soul-filling nights. I loved my two trips to Brisbane this week for two different authors. Hearing Elizabeth Gilbert speak live was a bucket list moment, and being in Erika Cramer’s energy as she launched her new book Becoming Magnetic was superb. The self-proclaimed Queen of Confidence did not disappoint!
2. Creative exploration. I think I may have found the perfect person to help me bring to life a dream I’ve had for a long time. For at least five years now, I’ve wanted to create a beautiful range of stationery, especially journals. I’ve never known where to start, but this week, I got clarity. It seems I’m slowly bringing to life the dreams I once ignored in pursuit of the businesses I thought I should be building.
3. Learning confusion is an invitation to create, not solve. I’ve discovered that confusion stimulates my creativity when I stop trying to resolve it intellectually. I know I’m deeply receptive, and that means the answers don’t come from effort but from allowing. Instead of seeking a solution, I express the confusion creatively, writing, speaking, mind-mapping, moving, or creating without needing it to make sense. I’m noticing that my illumination arrives in flashes, often when I’m not focused on finding answers.
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