"The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good.
Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom."

James Allen

My story around finding peace and balance in my life, release from stress and self-connection begins and ends with Reiki.

After the birth of my second child Jemma, I found that those post baby blues were not going away, even after 6 months or so. I was not deeply depressed, just low, moody, disengaged and going through the motions of life, rather than really living and enjoying it as is my normal demeanour.

This feeling of disconnection is common for all sorts of reasons, and for me, being introduced to the wonderful world of Reiki not only shifted the problem, but also began a journey of transformation of how I thought and how I viewed the world.

You will hear much more about this wonderful discovery as this segment on Peace develops, but suffice to say, that it felt as though the light was "switched" back on within me, that I was "plugged" in again to something greater than myself, and as I explained to my husband, I was Smiling Inside again!

And so the name Smiling Inside was born, and some years later, having explored many possibilities of what Smiling Inside means to me, and to others, my business concept presents what I consider to be the three key elements for people to feel, whole, complete and peaceful.

There are so many wise and wonderful people out there, fantastic authors, amazing ideas. People following their dreams and creating their lives on their own terms. People serving others in many varied forms.

As I observe them, the ones I most admire are those individuals who are living their wisdom day-to-day. Not always the big guys telling you what they know, often the quieter individual; the grandfather happy to sit on the verandah and enjoy the view, the mother taking time out to play in the park with her children, the career woman making choices to balance work and family so that things don't fall apart, and the runner pounding the foreshore to connect with the rhythm of life. What they have in common is that they are "in the moment" and present to themselves.

Whether it be fishing, music, art, or reading, find your meditation. Everyone has their way of being at peace with themselves ... or not. There is no right or wrong way. Most of us are working at discovering what it is for us.

I am really looking forward to sharing some of these insights with you as Smiling Inside develops.

Join me, ditch the stressful thinking and connect with what is real and true. Maybe here we will find a pocket of Peace, even just for a few moments!