I wrote this post for me, and anyone else who forgets the beautiful, simple, gorgeous truth that right now, in this moment everything is perfect. Let's remember together. Because here's what our …
What I Wish My Younger Self Had Known About Saying No to Going Out
The first time I went to see a therapist I was in my second year in college. Looking back, it was ground zero for getting over my shit. I thought I was incredible. I didn't even know I had …
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Finding Ease During Times of Uncertainty
How are you doing? Some of my friends are ecstatic about current political shifts and others feel a deep sense of gloom. (Interesting isn't it, how one set of events causes such different …
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Take the 5-Minute Do-Nothing Meditation Challenge
Need some calm? Want to do 5 minutes of do-nothing meditation (DNM), every day for the next 5 days? Five minutes a day is doable but still powerful. You might be surprised what a difference it …
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How to Do Do-Nothing Meditation [EXPLAINER VIDEO]
Hello spring! My daughter is extremely excited about the arrival of lady spring. Lady Spring's appearance means she doesn't have to wear shoes at school and they can play with water. And …
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Goodbye Procrastination
When it's time to step out of your comfort zone, do you find it hard to follow through? Do you waver at key moments and get distracted? Do you listen to your brain when it says, "This is scary. …
The Power of Silence: Try It Today
Do you dream of sitting on a mountain, tapping into the power of silence? It would be lovely, right? The truth is, we don't need to be in a serene environment to experience stillness. It's …
How I Felt Better When My Baby Wouldn’t Sleep
Do you like to sleep? I do. And in true new Mom fashion, it's been in short supply in recent years. For instance, it was quite a shock to find that after a 39-hour labor, I didn't get a long …
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The Weird Story of my Year of Silence (Plus a Lazy Person’s Guide to Meditation)
Are you busy? Because this article has got out of hand, just counted—it's 5,000 words. Isn't that like a book or something? And it includes stories about my enchanted homeland of New …
Interview: What’s There When You Stop Moving
I had the pleasure of being interviewed recently by my dear colleague and friend Dr Amy Johnson. We talk about the power of doing nothing, my year of silence, and seeing your mind in a …
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Stop Trying to Change All Your Thoughts [Excerpt]
[Excerpt from Whose Mind Is It Anyway? Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life.] * * * I was talking to a friend the other day who said, you know, it's so powerful knowing that I am …
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Don’t Be Fooled By Your Controlling Mind: Save Your Life and Your Relationships [Excerpt]
You know your mind is controlling, right? It'll lead you round the mulberry bush following a dream that isn't yours. Make you bossy and annoying to be around. And it's the reason we never feel like …
On Living, Dying, and Your Magnificent Wholeness
Have you ever looked at a forest and noticed how perfect it all is? How all the plants naturally fit together. Some are big, others are scraggly; some are dead, others are young. Some grow slowly …
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Pleasant and Unpleasant
Do you do this? You win an award, or you get the biggest slice of cake, and you think, this is good. Then, when something untoward happens ... like you get sick, or your boyfriend dumps …
Freedom is Knowing We’re Not Responsible For Other People’s Feelings
Do you do that thing where you put other people's needs ahead of your own? Do you sometimes think you're responsible for other people's feelings? I do. I mean did. I mean, I still do but not as …
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How to Break Bad Habits: Q&A Call with Dr Amy Johnson
Yesterday, Dr Amy Johnson and I hosted a question and answer session on how to break bad habits. We did this because a few weeks ago Amy and I talked about talked about her latest book The Little …
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Feeling Tight? Stuck? Lacking in Energy? Try This …
Ever feel like you're running on empty? Or lacking in energy? Or that everything you do makes you more tired? I used to feel that way before I realized that when I ran my life based on what …
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How to Break Bad Habits: The No Willpower Approach (Video Interview)
Do you struggle with some kind of habit you'd like to break? Do you over indulge in food or wine, or spend hours online? Do you compulsively shop or feel consumed by self doubt? Or do you do any …
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4 Tips to Finishing Creative Projects For People Who Find Finishing Hard
On Being Courageous
So for this week's inspiration, I thought it'd be fun to see what my Reach Your Big Calm inspiration cards had to say. (I'm choosing one now) ... And it is: Happy courage to you! And you …
The All-Time Best Book on How to Overcome Creative Blocks and Tell Your Inner Critic To Go Jump In A Polluted Lake
For the past month Franco and I have been holed up in Julian writing a book—working title, WHOSE MIND IS IT ANYWAY. It's no exaggeration to say we are somewhat over the moon about this. Do you …
Some Special News I Want to Share With You …
PPS: If you don't "Instagram" but would like to receive the inspirational posters, say by email, let me know below. I'll send them via email once a week if enough people are interested. (If you're …
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The Art of Mistakes: Lessons From Self Publishing
Have you ever promised something, not delivered, and found yourself apologizing, a lot? Or taken on a project and found yourself hanging onto the ledge of this wasn't what I expected? In this …
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5 Tips to Feeling Lighthearted Over the Holidays For People Who Find Holidays Hard
(This is a Christmas centered article. Please substitute whatever ritualistic holiday/family gathering makes sense to you.) Do you struggle with the holiday season? I do. I feel conflicted about …
5 Tips For Genuine Contentment That Fly in the Face of the Positivity Movement (Pt 2)
Did you read it? Part One, I mean. If you haven't, you might want to take a few moments to look now. But it doesn't matter if you don't. Even though I think you'll enjoy it. See how bossy I'm not …
The Positivity Hoax: How the Science of Happiness Got it Wrong (Pt 1)
Ever wanted to punch a positivity junkie in the head? Me neither. That would be mean. But I can see why you might be tempted. In 2000, the American Psychologist, devoted its millennial issue to …
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Dr Amy Johnson on Psychology, Spirituality, Bad Moods and How to Find Your Way
Have you met Dr Amy Johnson? Amy is one of my favorite psychologists. I spoke to her last week. We talked about all sorts, including: Why a lot of traditional self help can leave you feeling …
How to Declare War on Email and Get More Done (Lots More!)
I am constantly challenged by email. On the one hand, I love it! I am subscribed to all sorts of interesting people. Almost everything I learn online comes to me through email. I love hearing …
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Is Your Anger Messing Up Your Relationship?
Anger is a curious thing. We all know what it's like to feel annoyed with someone close to us. To have the ensuing conversation "not go well." Or to do or say things we regret. We never want …
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The Biggest Lie About Music Since Milli Vanilli
Something big happened recently. So big it made me cry. Was I crying because my cat died, or because someone yelled at me or I stubbed my toe? No. No. And no. I was crying because I'd …
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Wanted! Calm and Focused Mind.
Do you ever feel anxious or scattered or in some way disconnected from yourself? Do you have a tendency to over-think things and find yourself caught up in knots, unsure what to do next? It happens …
The Thing About Mean People
(This article is by Dr Amy Johnson) I don’t believe there are mean people. There are wounded people who appear mean. And there are insecure people who appear mean. And yet, it’s not like I …
The Trick to Reprogramming Your Mind
I received this question the other day I am serious about wanting to "reprogram" my subconscious mind so that those silly, self-limiting beliefs hit the road. So far, I've found this to be down right …
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The Ultimate Guide to Having Your First 1000 Visitors!
A couple of weeks ago the number of people who downloaded my 7 Secrets Book passed 1,000! Woo hoo! See the comma. Part of me feels nervous telling you this. As if I'm somehow shattering the myth …
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3 Reason’s to Stop Worrying About Negative Thoughts
Want to know my new thing? Rollerblading. I've just been out 'for a blade.' Woohoo! Headwind and all. It was my third trip out by myself ... and I'm happy to report there were no embarrassing …
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How to Feel Good By Thinking of Your Mind as a Banana
Do you ever get caught up in your thoughts and feel resentful or fearful - or some other feeling you don't like? I do from time to time. Yep. No doubt there. Here's a simple trick that helps me …
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A New Year’s Prayer of Thanks
It's the second day of the New Year, and I'm sitting up in bed in an old shirt, drinking parsley tea, remembering two nights ago at midnight. A group of us were down at the beach flying Chinese …
What Children can Teach Us About Trusting Our Intuition
Last year my five year old niece wanted a sled for Christmas. Now Santa probably gets thousands of requests for a sled, but how many does he get from children in New Zealand? Christmas in New Zealand …
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On Trying New Things …
Today is my 40th Birthday. Yep. And since birthday's with a zeros on the end don't come around every day, and since it's been quite a year all round, what with falling in love, getting married, …
Dear Feelings, Is It Really True What Lisa Says About You?
When it comes to feelings and what to do with them, there are two schools of thought. SCHOOL ONE: If you have a feeling that's bothering you, you should share it. "Dear Diary, my boyfriend is …
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Don’t Believe Everthing You Hear!
I had an unexpected adventure this week, and in case you like unexpected adventures as much as I do, I thought I'd share it with you. My husband and I decided to have one of our Beach Work Day's, …
Let’s Get Personal! How to Open Up to Loved Ones or Ask For Help
A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article called Understanding and Lifting Depression, for the popular Tiny Buddha site. Eek, depression. Did I really want to talk about that?!! Well, yep - turns …
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If DOING NOTHING were a Pill it’d be Worth a Fortune!
It’s only by stepping briefly away from my wife and bosses and friends that I’ll have anything useful to bring to them. Pico Iyer This quote comes from an article published late last year in …
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Giving Up Tea
I love tea. Strong milky tea. Lots of it. Or I did, until last Friday when I landed in hospital with a kidney infection. Every day last week, my beloved said "Are you sure you don't want to see a …
You Are So Right … on Time
A friend of mine's been working on a book for the past 12 years. I spoke to her about it recently and she told me it's almost finished. She said, "I know it's taken longer than I or anyone thought, …
How to Stop Monkey Mind
I received this question the other day: "How do I stop my 'monkey mind', i.e., incessant thinking & chatter inside my head?" First thing ... Do NOT worry about the fact that you have a …
How to Stop Procrastinating and Take A Leap Even When You’re Scared
In our household, we have a name for that thing you do when you walk right up to the next step you know you need to take, and then, you do something else first. We call it - "A trip to the …
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How to Have Great Ideas
Want to know how to solve a problem and open yourself up to some brilliant solution, that's perfect for you—maybe something no one has ever thought of? I used to study science. A lot of science. …
Ah, And What Exactly is Life All About?
Before I left dear old New Zealand the other day, I met a dear friend for dinner. And we got to talking about just what is the point to all of this. Which is big stuff - and made for a cracking …
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Glory Be Confusion
I'd forgotten this little nugget until recently, when I remembered it again. Forgotten. Remembered. Forgotten. Remembered. Here's to being confused when you're confused, and not confused, when …
The First 15
Stuffed Full of Reading
So you go on holiday you take a pile of books some sudoku crosswords and there are the 18 hands of Scrabble you've got going on your IPhone. You're going to laze around and do …
Been Thinking Really Hard About My Mind …
Well, not too much just enough to write a little E-book, and draw cartoons like this one about learning and change and how your mind doesn't like any of it even though it pretends it does which …
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I Hereby Crown 2012 The Year of Doing Nothing!
We all have goals! Which actually is the very point to doing nothing sometimes, because the more you do nothing the more your other non, non-doing goals get done. Like painting the house or …
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International Travel Tips for Making International Coffee
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV8q3ZihgaA&w=420&h=315] As of yesterday I'm back in NZee, which means goodbye for now Santa Monica Boardwalk mulled wine at the Venice Ale …
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The Real ‘Not Usually Spoken About’ Deal on Forgiveness
Here's how people usually teach forgiveness: They start by telling you to go get a piece of paper or an entire legal pad, depending on how pissed-off at everyone you are. Then they say, sit …
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Bob
Whenever I see this poem it reminds me of a funny friend of mine who one day when I was trying to sell my house and had this painting lying around advised me to get rid of my man-hating …
On Being the Queen (or King) of Your World
There's nothing like coming to a different country or doing some challenging thing like being by yourself for a long time without all your regular friends and dogs (Yes I still miss you) to …
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Sneaky Lisa Writes a Sneaky Poem About Poetry
Well, maybe not too many I mean, what harm are they doing. But no doubt there are a lot. And now there is one more. …
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I Love Me I Love Me I Love Me
This is one of my favourite inspirational cards (from my deck of Life Cards). Which is why I painted it up all big and with more colours and some extra words. All the I love you bits at the …
Why People Like Me Like America
I discovered Demetri Martin the same day I came across Charles Bukowski. It was a good day and a good example of why people like me like to live in America. PS: In case any immigration …
How to Learn to Draw Good
Meet Ed my very patient teacher. …
I Heart Bukowski
Just spent two hours in a cafe on Windward reading Bukowski and writing a poem about reading Bukowski. The picture above is from yesterday, when I wasn't feeling so Bukowski. …
I’m So Brainy As My Shirt, So Brainy As My …
Who’s Going To Tell The Sun?
The Good and Bad News About Spiritual Enlightenment …
A Monkey and Me, Santa Monica, California
Some people protest with placards ... me, I go home and write a sternly worded poem. This post is dedicated to monkeys being made to look like monkey's on 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, …
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Never In the History of Everything
As you know, I've been traveling - which can make it difficult to paint large colorful poems. This is why I've been having fun posting poems living in the back of my car at home. That was until …
I Am …
Silence and Such
How to Make Your Business Cards Stand Out
These little things have turned out to be the best little business cards ever. With people signing up for my newsletter then emailing me to say hi and how much they enjoy my website (thank …
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Ain’t this little piece of wisdom so the truth!
I heard this recently - David Neagle says it a lot, and I don't know if it's his saying or if it's been said for years down the ages but I really love it :) …
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A Life of Poems
Been thinking about praying, which reminds me of this poem which I always have somewhere around me - like on my wall (if I have a wall) or as a screensaver. Speaking of poetry, I found a poetry …
Just Another Pink Poem About Feminism
... Since we're talking about this whole feminism thing now. (This is actually interestingly intriguingly (ha ha) the first painted poem I ever did (as in the first time I painted a …
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And for something totally different …
A couple of years ago I did a series of poems about feminism and I thought I was finished with all that but apparently not - since this one popped up last week. And then I went to MOCA yesterday …
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Tips for Inner Peace according to Mr don Miguel Ruiz …
Nice eh. I really enjoyed this book And, by the way when he says "don't believe yourself" He's talking about the mind bit of yourself, - not the other clever bit that knows everything. Mr Ruiz …
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The Secret Blog
A friend suggested that when you start a blog you shouldn't tell anyone. It's easier to get a feel for your voice, she said, without thinking about what all your friends will think. (She also …
Doing the Big Thing …
(About the new arms and legs bit - yeah, it's not totally straight forward and you might have your own meaning, but for me, it says things are different now, you have new beliefs and habits and …
So on saturday night, down at the beach, at sunset (it was very romantic) I said …
Really. With water and everything (well, I splashed some on my face). And jumping. Been a lot of jumping recently. …
A quote a girl wrote on her new whiteboard this week …
(Thanks Mr. Wallace D. Wattles). And on the topic of these particular words, a few years ago, I'd have thought Mr Wattles was talking about striving (which I don't like so much) but now I reckon …
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I am SO on to you, you crazy ass mind …
Just a little reminder for you, and for me as well, that we can change stuff really quick if we can just remember we can. Ah, yes. Keeping it Real Simple Easy. …
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