Treasure Yourself (11 page)

if there was something I wanted to share or if I needed advice. Romantic relationships may come and go

but true friends will always be there for you.

I’ve learnt that the friendships that do stick are the ones that are about giving as well as receiving. If

you want a great friend you also have to be a great friend! Look yourself in the eye – would you be friends

with you? Being a great friend means being a great listener, being trustworthy and knowing when to give

advice and when to just be there. I don’t always agree with my friend’s opinions and views when it

comes to certain things and they don’t always agree with mine. And that’s okay as it makes each person in

the relationship interesting. We all have arguments with those who are close to us and it’s important to

remember not to get caught up in petty disagreements. Don’t create ‘stories’ about what happened, rather

rely on fact and be authentic and honest when dealing with any disagreement and actually see it for what it

is. Sadly, most people’s ‘stories’ about what happened become their reality and as a result things get

blown out of all proportion. See a disagreement for what it is and don’t add meaning to it. If a

relationship is something that you value then it is worth mending.

Learning to let go… I have found that throughout my life as I have changed and grown from each new

experience, some of my friends around me have also changed. At first this used to bother me, as the

people who I used to be close with were no longer in my life. What I eventually realised was that as my

values and beliefs evolved I began to attract like-minded people. Some of my friends are on a similar

journey to me and I know they are the friends I will have for a lifetime. Others are markers on the road

that point you in the right direction or travel with you for a while until you or they choose another path. I

appreciate and value both kinds as all the people in my life have added to the person I am today. I was

once told that if you wanted to see what type of person someone is, you just have to look at their friends.

It’s important to be around people who mirror the real you and not to change who you are to fit in with

other people. In the end real friends accept you for who you are and walk in when others walk out.

Getting Personal:

– What do your relationships tell you about yourself?

– How could they be different?

– What changes can you make to have better relationships?

it’s like magic…

I believe that the stronger the energy or attention you give something, the more it magnifies in your life.

Think of this in terms of light. If your focus is soft like torchlight, your achievements may be small and

unclear. If your focus is like a laser beam, then some interesting things start to happen. The greatest

achievers in this world focus their attention like a laser beam and accomplish some amazing things. How

you focus your attention will determine your experience.

You may think you’re not destined for amazing things, but life could bring you unexpected

opportunities. Think about the things that you want to have in your life: a new job, travelling to a new

country or finding your soul mate. Whenever I have a goal that I want to achieve I first determine how

much I really want it. If my desire for it is on a scale of five out of ten then I know I’m not really going to

put enough energy into getting it. But if I want it a lot, it becomes a priority or a goal that I work toward.

Use what you have… For a long time I felt ambiguous about modelling. I had a lot of preconceived ideas

about what it was like and to be honest I felt embarrassed about being a model. After all, I wasn’t finding

a cure for cancer, saving the rainforests or working for world peace! Then my dad reminded me that I

have the opportunity to use what I do right now and all that I have learned and transform that into doing

something I really think is worthwhile. I can use my profile as an international model to draw attention to

what I think is important in life, and share my experiences and journey. This helped me really embrace

what I do right now and appreciate the marvellous opportunities I have.

Two charities I am currently supporting are The Koala Foundation and Kids Helpline and I know there

will be others that I will also support.

Once you’ve begun to change the way you think and draw the things you want into your life you can

think about how what you do can benefit others around you.

The important thing to remember is that what you do doesn’t have to be some grand gesture. Something

as simple as offering love and nurturing the health and wellbeing of another living creature can have

amazing results. When I first got my dog Frankie she was a tiny, shy, shivery little thing. I poured all my

love and attention on her and within weeks she transformed into a joyful, happy and healthy puppy and

now brings happiness and love to everyone she meets. It’s not necessary to wait for some big project;

every small thing you do can have the power to transform your life. Once you start something positive, it

will ripple outwardly and has the potential to touch the lives of others.

My mum always said to me, ‘If you are going to do something, do it properly’. It’s not too profound,

really quite simple, yet this thought has been very powerful for me. It has influenced the way I approach

every area of my life. If I am going to invest my time and energy into something then I make sure I give it

my all. I know that at the end of the day I couldn’t have done a better job and that I have the full

experience of doing something the right way. Gaining confidence and welcoming challenges means you’ll

be more aware of what you want to do. Doing things half-heartedly because someone else thinks you

should means you’re robbing yourself of achieving your desires and dreams. If you give something your

full attention you will always receive the greatest benefit.

My tips for making magic:

1. Create and when creating remember: The context is decisive. What I mean by this is ultimately

whatever you create for yourself or whatever space you choose to be in, you will reap what you sow.

Like attracts like. If you choose to be positive, positive things will happen. If you choose to live in the

negative, you will attract negative things so instead focus and create good, and good things will happen in

your life.

2. Focus your intention. Choose the most important thing you want to achieve at this moment. Write it

down clearly and succinctly as though you’ve already achieved it. For example: ‘I am healthy’ has more

power than saying ‘I wish to be healthy’. ‘I am surrounded by supporting and loving friends’ has greater

power than ‘I want to be supported and loved by my friends’. ‘I am living in a wonderful apartment not

too far from work and that I can easily afford’ has greater power than ‘I want to live in an apartment not

too far from work and that I can easily afford’. The words you use are central to achieving your intention.

3. Create a vision board. Be creative with your goal. Get a large, white piece of cardboard and write

your goal at the top. Cut pictures from magazines and draw, write or stick anything else to the board that

represents your goal. I love colour so I use magazine cuttings, coloured pens and paint. Place your vision

board where you can see it all the time. My favourite place is in my bedroom, where I can look at it and

imagine all those things in my life before I go to sleep.

4. Take action now! Remember to focus all your energy on your intention. You won’t top the class if you

don’t apply yourself. You aren’t going to meet the love of your life on your couch! Nor will you land that

great job without some training and effort. Do some research on how you can achieve your goal. Take a

course or ask your family or friends to help. Whenever you have doubts, look at your vision board to

remind yourself why you want to achieve this in your life. Think about yourself having it and how this

would make you feel. Really bring those feelings to life within you; happiness, satisfaction, achievement,

joy. Close your eyes and imagine reaching your goal. This should give you the motivation you need to get

back on track.

Most importantly, know that you are worthy and that you have everything you need inside you, all the tools