One day last week I went to an event, the theme of which was “The Art of Being Happy.” With a title like that, how could I resist?
This was a blogging event organised by Kids Business and was a great opportunity to be inspired, get motivated and try some new products.
Of course, it will be no surprise to you, that I spent a lot of time at the Brumby’s stand, taste testing a lot of their festive fancies, all in the name of research, you understand. I tried and I tasted and I can report that everything is absolutely delicious. Is there such a thing as too delicious?
I may or may not have become instantly addicted to these white chocolate cherry balls. Imagine a white chocolate cherry ripe and you’re half way there. Yum-me!
Lucky for my waistline, I eventually had to step away from the cake table and take a seat to listen to the panel of speakers, who were both motivating and inspiring all at the same time.
Jo-Ann spoke about how giving to others and working with charities can impact personal happiness. Jo-Ann volunteers for the Nappy Collective which collects unused, unwanted disposable nappies and gives them to families in crisis or need. Nappies aren’t a luxury item, they’re a necessity and they’re expensive. I love that every nappy donated to this worthy cause goes on a baby’s bottom. There is absolutely no waste (excuse the pun!) This quote is my favourite.
Ain’t that the truth?
Stacey the life coach talked about happiness being a life choice and her words really resonated with me. She mooted the idea that happiness is not a destination, it’s a journey and that each of us actively needs to take part in our own journey. I was nodding along so hard, I’m surprised I didn’t get whiplash. The one thing I really took away from Stacey’s spiel is that we are each responsible for our own happiness. If you wait for other people to make you happy, I hate to break it to ya, but you’ll be waiting to infinity and beyond. We each hold the key to our own happiness. We just have to find it!
I loved that Rhian’s presentation begin with this quote.
True story.
Although I loved sticky beaking all the cool products and having motivational speakers light a fire in my belly, the bit I loved most was connecting with other bloggers.
Put it this way, if I was a kid, I would have taken my autograph book. It was like a who’s who of my blog feed. So many online friends in one room, IN REAL LIFE.
However, as I have a thing (like a gripped by fear thing) of meeting new people and being in big groups, I had mixed feelings about the situation which was kind of uber terrifying and uber exciting all at the same time. But I figured as I’d already “met” these peeps online, it wasn’t like being in a room full of strangers, I was amongst friends, just friends I hadn’t met in real life yet.
There were so many fan girl moments. I would have loved to have captured them all on camera but I didn’t. However, I couldn’t resist a happy snap with the beautiful Bianca from Bigwords. Actually, she’s from Adelaide, but you know what I mean.
Of course, there were some old friends too. It was such a pleasant surprise to catch up with Trish.
And I made new friends too. Here I am with Sarah, Lucy and Lauren.
As it happens, Lucy, Lauren and I are all graduates from the Clever Cookie School of Blog. As Lucy had flown in from Melbourne, Lauren had flowin in from Brisvegas and I had trained it in from the other side of town, we thought it only fitting that we should have an impromptu interstate graduation get together.
So I totally hijacked their plans and became their trusty tour guide and third wheel for the evening. We celebrated in style with cocktails in Orbit Bar, where we got to see sky high views of all of Sydney in all of an hour from the comfort of our own seat. Did I tell you that this bar is on the 47th floor and it revolves? All the cool!
The girls did good with the dinner reservations at the super trendy Bowery Lane which as fate would have it, is next to my work and I didn’t know. In my defence, my office doesn’t have windows and I am such a hard worker, I don’t have time to leave the building but even so, this is a massive oversight on my part. I will have to rectify this situation forthwith by spending a lot of time there in the coming weeks and months, but on that night we had burgers, wine and good times.
Lauren and Lucy are as sweet as the things they cook up on their blogs, only sweeter. Not only are they supremely talented, they’re altruistic too! They have just released their own Homemade Christmas Gifts ebook and are donating all proceeds in November to the Ovarian Cancer Australia and Mater Little Miracles. Who needs Donna Hay when you have these two lovely ladies?
Stacey was right. Happiness is about the journey; it’s about enjoying the experiences and the people you meet along the way. That day at least I think I mastered the art of being happy.
