Bridget McNulty

The boat of your life.

// May 7th, 2009 // No Comments » // Inspiration, Life (and the living of it)

It struck me, as I was walking yesterday evening, that life is a lot like keeping afloat in a boat. Hear me out here…

Your life is like a boat, and you get to decide what kind of waters you sail in – rough and stormy (dramatic) or calm and still (peaceful). You get to choose which companions you want on the journey, and if those companions are going to make your trip easier, or if they’re going to rock the boat. And most importantly, I think, you get to make sure you stay balanced.

I think balance means something different for everyone, and we each have our own specific Balance Challenges. Some battle to keep the depressed-happy balance, others fight for the busy-rest balance, still others need to work out the alone-together balance. Most of us have a bit of all of them in us. For me, I have to be on the alert for the giving out-taking in balance. When I’m full of energy (as I usually am) I can give and give and give, put loads of energy into my work, have enormous amounts of time for my friends, and be overflowing with love, no problem. But I often forget, when I’m in this mode, to refuel. And then I get depleted, and the balance is thrown off, and I’m rocking dangerously in my boat. So balance is key. And a tricky key at that.

Lastly, I think there has to be a compass, something to keep you pointed in the right direction, straight and strong and true. A life’s goal, if you will… For me, it’s to be my best self – who I really am. And it’s so interesting, because it’s only when I lose sight of that compass that I lose my way and throw away my balance. Because when I’m focused on being my best self I make sure to rest and refuel and recharge… I take care of my boat.

If your life was a boat, would you be more careful in it?

Tiny inspirations.

// May 5th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Cape Town, Inspiration, Life (and the living of it)

Sometimes, I think, it’s not about the grand inspirations – those things that keep us going, the dreams that fuel our everydays. Those are necessary, sure, but sometimes I think it’s all about the tiny inspirations…
I went for a walk this morning, early, and it was all misty and still, and there were dogs frolicking in the dew of the park, and squirrels scurrying around the trees. The mountain was covered in cloud, and the air felt really still and peaceful.

Tiny inspirations.

Like a cup of steaming hot tea on a chilly mid-morning, or a pair of really warm socks that make you forget the floor is cold. A line of poetry that seems to hang mid-air, or a quote that encapsulates how you feel just perfectly. A ticked-off To Do List, a paid bill, a sung song.

I think these things are just beautiful. Tiny inspirations. What do you think?

Effort vs. intention…

// April 29th, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Decisions, Life (and the living of it), Time, book launch

I’ll have to be brief this morning, because I’ve got a day of nonstop Things To Do, many of them rather lovely (if you’re in South Africa, tune into SAfm at 1.30pm for an interview I’m taking part in on blogging… should be fun!)

I just wanted to throw an idea at you, and see what you think. It’s about effort vs. intention. Esther Hicks, who I’m rather a fan of (could you guess?) says that why things come to us has less to do with how hard we try, and more to do with how much in alignment our energy is. So, for example, if you really want a new job you obviously have to pitch up to the interview and do your best, but when you go home it would be more valuable to spend some time getting your energy to a good place – feeling happy and inspired and lucky and ready to receive a new job – than it would be calling the secretary every five minutes and hanging up before you say anything!

It’s an interesting idea, I think, because it could have the most extraordinary effects if it turns out to be true… I’m going to experiment with it and let you know how it goes, care to join me?
My experiment involves a long story about how I started applying for my Irish passport renewal in February, but due to me being a dummy and smiling too much in the photos and then having to take and post new photos, and then having them get lost in the mail, I’m now scarily in danger of not getting my passport before I leave for the USA. It takes 4 weeks, I leave in 3 and a half.

Now, apparently sometimes it takes 3 weeks, so there’s hope. And I plan on calling the Irish passport people (in Ireland) today to state my case – my book’s coming out! I need to get there on time! I will make every effort to do as much as I can to get my passport in time. And then I will let go and wait for it to come to me. Because stressing about it and trying to make up things to do to make it arrive won’t work. At all.

I don’t think.

What do you think?

UPDATE: 24 hours later, and I’ve spoken to the charming Irish Embassy people in Dublin (I was stating my sob story for her and she interrupted to ask me what my novel is called and how to spell my name!) All I had to do was supply the South African office with a telephone number, and the passport could be processed. The Irish folks seem to think there’ll be no problem getting it in 3 weeks. *Phew!*

The power of intention.

// January 27th, 2009 // 7 Comments » // Inspiration, Life (and the living of it)

I had the most marvelous experience with the power of intention yesterday….

But before I begin my story, let me give you a little backstory. I’ve realised, of late, that I sometimes need a kick up the butt to change my bad habits. Allow me to elaborate…
When I was in my second year of college, I went to the mall to buy a pair of boots that would see me through the snowy winter. Two hours later, I emerged into said snowy winter carrying not one, but two pairs of shoes – neither of them boots / practical / well made. Both of them stylish.

I learnt that winter that sensible, comfortable shoes are an important part of getting through life, and since then I have (painfully) remembered that lesson any time I’ve settled for cheap, stylish shoes. It’s important to have comfortable footwear.

Zoom forward a few years and you’ll see me at the beginning of this summer, searching for a cool, stylish bikini that nobody else will have and that won’t break the bank. What do I find? A gorgeous hot pink and white number, with a cool ace of spades design and a great cut. Only problem is – it’s one size too small. But it was on sale, and I figured swimming in it would stretch it.
I figured wrong. Or, rather, it stretched, but in the wrong places, and I’ve spent the last two or three months in an ill-fitting bikini. Not fun.

What have I learnt from this? That bikinis, like shoes, should be well made and fit right.

So I decided exactly what I wanted from a bikini: I wanted it to be plain black (I’ve never had a black bikini before), well made, and halter neck.
Last night, after I watched the most enchanting movie (more on that later in the week), I felt drawn to look for said elusive bikini, and for some reason I headed straight for Woolworths (for those out of South Africa, Woolworths is a chain store with high-quality, usually expensive, rather dull clothes). I immediately saw the bikini I wanted – halter neck, good quality, reasonable price – but it was in bright orange. No good! And then I saw it… the black bikini rack. But no halter necks… Until! Out of the corner of my eye I spotted it. One halter neck bikini top in black left on the rack… And in my size! With matching bikini bottoms, and little bikini shorts for when I’m doing real exercise.

Best of all? Not only does it fit like a dream, not only is it exactly what I wanted, but it’s well made and exactly the same price as the badly-fitting bikini I’ve been in all summer.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what I like to call the Power of Intention. I saw it in my mind’s eye, then I saw it in real life. Now if only I can keep doing this with slightly larger intentions…

Be here now. And now. And now.

// January 14th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Inspiration, Life (and the living of it), Time

So I fell for all the hype and I’m reading ‘A New Earth’ by Eckhart Tolle. I know, I know, the whole world is reading it because Oprah told them to. But it is incredible! Mind-blowing. Life-altering, in the deepest sense of the word.

The one thing I keep returning to, though, is this idea that if we can just stay present in the present, that if we can just be here right now, without worrying about the past or future, that’s the space where enlightenment (and happiness and peace) can be found.

But crikey moses! It is hard to do. My mind is like a rabbit on speed.

Still, it’s a worthy goal, I think, to keep drawing our busy minds back from wherever they’ve wandered off to. I find that focusing on my senses is the best route to presence, focusing on what I feel or hear or smell or taste. For example, I was in the shower this morning, and my mind was a million miles away – thinking about this and that, planning my day in a lackadaisical way, remembering what I saw on TV last night. And then I caught myself, and brought my attention back to Now. And now was so great! It smelt like raspberries and there was hot water falling on my back and a great view out my window. I was missing out on all of that because I was so wrapped up in my head! Of course, there are times when you need to plan and think ahead, but to do that consciously, to sit down and with all your wits about you to think about the future, is far more powerful than casually letting your mind wander down future paths while you’re in the shower.

So this is my challenge for the moment: to be right here. Now. And now. And now.

I would like this, please:

// November 24th, 2008 // 3 Comments » // Inspiration, Life (and the living of it)

The more I learn, and read, and experience life, the more I think that we really do have power over what it is we want in life.

The law of attraction might have been introduced to most of us through cheesy motivational movies, but it is powerful, and strong, and waiting to be used… I often advise friends who are stuck in a bad job or relationship to write a list of what it is they’re actually looking for – what traits they want in a mate, what kind of work they want to fill their days with. And while I am extremely happy with both my work and love situations at the moment, there are a number of other things in my life that I would really, really love.

The most tangible of these is a SMEG dishwasher. Oh, how I long for a SMEG dishwasher! I have always hated washing up (I despise the way it makes my hands smell), and dishwashers of any description are beautiful, beautiful things. But can anything compare with a SMEG? I think not. Especially not a bright red one.

So here I am, asking the Universe to send me a SMEG dishwasher. I would like one of these, please. As soon as possible, but preferably before the end of the year. Thank you very much.

(I’ll keep you updated on my SMEG progress! I’m hopeful.)

PS – Just read about Cosmic Ordering on another blog, and had to throw this in – http://www.thecosmicorderingsite.com/

You just type up whatever you want and send it… Not quite sure where! But this is what they say when you send it: “Your cosmic orders are ready to go. Before you press the submit button, look over each of your orders in turn. Lightly imagine how they will actually feel for you when they are fulfilled. When you are ready submit your order to the Universe by clicking on the button below. Once submitted, do not be anxious about their delivery, leave the universe to manifest your cosmic orders in its own creative way.”

And that’s the point, isn’t it? It’s about opening ourselves up to things coming to us in creative ways. Maybe I’ll win it, maybe someone will give it to me, maybe it will appear on my doorstep. I don’t mind how my SMEG comes, as long as it arrives!

Missing out?

// October 7th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Decisions, Inspiration, Life (and the living of it)

I think one of my worst feelings ever is the feeling that I’m missing out on something…

I’m spending this week in Durban with my dad, hanging out with him while my mom is overseas spending time with my niece… It’s such a wonderful thing – being given this opportunity to spend quality one-on-one time with my dad, and really connecting with each other. Very rare. In a family of six, you usually don’t get to spend time two by two!

Anyhoo, on Sunday there was a band playing here in Durban, and I was tempted to go… but really didn’t feel like it. I wanted to stay at home and go through slides with my dad – he drove from Cape Town to London in the early 1970s and we’re going to put his slides onto DVD. So I stayed home and looked at slides and listened to my dad’s stories, and it was a great evening. But only after I’d stopped feeling like I was missing out on something! It’s so funny, even when I don’t feel like going out I get that worry that it’s going to be a really good party, and I should have gone.

But as soon as I acknowledge how I really feel – as soon as I say, “No thanks, I don’t want to,” and really believe it, that feeling vanishes.

It made me think about how often we do this, every day. How often we make a decision (big or small) and then spend hours or days worrying about if it was the right decision. I’m going to try (very hard) to stop doing that – to be fully present in myself, and in my decisions. To stop wasting time.

The end of the year is nigh!

// September 25th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // Life (and the living of it), Time

Is it just me, or does it feel like the end of the year is rushing towards us all of a sudden?
I don’t know if it’s because I’ve started making end-of-year holiday plans, or because I’ve figured out what the rest of my year will look like work-wise, but it feels, suddenly, like the year is about to end.

And I’ve already set myself an end-of-year challenge: To Keep Calm.

Every Christmastime seems to turn into a mad panic – trying to get gifts for everyone, organise holidays, go to various parties and Have Fun all the time. But usually I’m so exhausted from what that year has brought that all I want to do is curl up at home with a book! So this year I’m going to approach the festive season (from a distance) with a deep sense of calm. I’m finally going to do what all those magazines tell you to, and start buying presents earlier than mid-December. I’m going to remain balanced. I’m going to give myself enough time off that I can actually enjoy all the festivities, instead of feeling strung out and tired like last year’s Christmas tree lights! I’m going to instill that sense of balance that I’ve had all year into the Crazy Time of Year.

And yes, Christmas is still 3 months away (today, in fact!) and that’s a quarter of a year. And there are so so many things that are going to happen before then. But just knowing that this end-of-year won’t be a mad downhill rush towards the festive season is making me calmer already!

And what else is life for than to cultivate a calm and happy heart?

What do you intend for this week?

// September 22nd, 2008 // 4 Comments » // Life (and the living of it)

It’s a nice way to start the week, I think – setting out a few intentions, a few things you hope the week will hold for you.

I intend to have a week full of inspiring work, inner peace and laughter. I choose for everything to go my way. I look forward to seeing what this week has in store for me!

What about you?

Where are you centered?

// September 17th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Decisions, Inspiration, Life (and the living of it)

Just a brief one today, but one that’s designed to make you think (because it’s got me thinking!)
Where are you centered? Do you know?

What is it that gives you your sense of self? Is it your work? Your relationship? Your lack of relationship? Is it how you make other people feel? Your friends? The things you do every day?

It occurs to me that most of us (myself included) are off-centre… We’re focussing so hard on what we do and how we do it and who we do it with, that we neglect to focus on the one thing that really counts: who we are. I really believe that if we could just centre ourselves on who we are, on that inner core, that constant, stable something inside, things would be a lot easier for us.

Because if we’re centered on work / friends / lovers, our centre of gravity is in their hands. We have no say in the matter. Whereas if we can just focus inwards, and get our strength and our sense of self from inside, we’re so much stronger. So much more centered. So much more complete.

What do you think? Where are you centered?