It all starts with time to create. For many of us, this is a never ending battle with what society wants us to do in order to partake in the world of modernity and what your heart wants and needs to do, in order to find comfort and peace of mind to take you through the wonderful journey of life.

We can all be slaves to the pay check or be slaves to pumping out hundreds of resumes a day to acquire the pay check - because that’s what you must do in order to pay the myriad of bills that enable us to live in a first world country they call technologically advanced, modern and proper.

Yet, with modernity comes stress, unrealistic expectations and a way of life that can be unhealthy to one’s natural creative processes and whether or not we say, “but I don’t have time” - we need to make time and make it a priority in order to keep one’s sanity.

Without attending to your natural, innate gifts, it is like cutting off a limb - it is what makes you the unique species you are. A rabbit without its ears , would it not be a guinea pig; a possum without its tail might it be a Koala. A butterfly without the ability to fly, would it even be a butterfly? The answer is no.

Your gifts and talents are unique to your soul and being. One can no more switch them off than nature can stop creating life. This is the process of natural evolution - society, modernity, mankind should not demand that you even try to forgo nature’s gift.

So the next time you tell yourself, “I don’t have time”, ask yourself, “If I don’t engage in my gifts, will it be at the detriment of my uniqueness and what makes me - me? Will I still be the me, nature intended me to be?”

​It appears the Murray Darling Basin is in strife and if we don’t take efforts to assist - to stop the constant emptying, restricting, and polluting of the water flow – families, farms, rural and indigenous communities and yes, the environment will suffer beyond what is imaginable.

Once upon a time, communities in the proximity of the Murray Darling Basin all shared water resources with nature.  Both sides found time to thrive and prolificate. There was no childish behaviour or squabbling over its use.  What nature provided so comfortably was treasured, respected in times of proliferation and scarcity.  It was a bond, a silent agreement with nature to respect and savour such an easily fleeting resource - for the sake of all - for the sake of survival. ​

Not human, animal or the environment was better or more deserving of the life-giving substance; the Murray Darling Basin provided for all. 
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Mother nature does not dictate the waters allocation or destroy its purity – only mankind takes this upon himself to upset the flow and equilibrium that is so precariously balanced; any interference in this process has disastrous consequences.  And yes, all reliant on this balance, are now paying the price for this Godly judgement.  

Large Corporations and Government bodies now side together - call the shots – service each other’s pockets - become judge and jury over the Basin’s very existence.  They too, have sealed its fate.
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Scores of wildlife have left the area or died; the environment is no longer a breeding ground for lush vegetation; farming communities have more than halved; farmers have up and walked off their land; job losses are at a record high and the next generation of youngsters will never see the Basin as it was – pristine, uncompromised and life giving.

Sharing is what nature does best, a trait mankind could adopt to ensure its survival, too.  Mankind is a passing visitor to this planet, a spectator if you like, but none the less its survival is fleeting - just like the rest of its inhabitants. Yet, nature must be preserved, maintained, and restored so it is here for the next generations.  It is not a matter of enjoyment.  It is a matter of priority - equally as needed, precious and pressing as maintenance of the Great Barrier Reef – an eco-system built on and totally reliant on preserving nature’s delicate balance.

Mankind should not even have to question this process, but it does.  It judges. It decides.  It destroys for the sake of monetary gain.  Where will it end?
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No longer can we be bystanders in the process of natures’ abuse. It is time mankind worked together for the common cause – survival for all.

It takes just one to make a difference in the world.  :)

​Learn more about the plight of the Murray Darling Basin, below.

There is nothing like life to test our resilience. It prods at us with its hot iron - pushing us forward past the pain, past the difficulties, past the disbelief. It gives us reassurance when needed, direction when required and life skills to carry with us on our journey of survival.

It takes great courage, a huge sense of self worth and understanding to move forward - as each step is one of blind belief, in life’s plan. Staying the course carved out for you, can be trying - to say the least and without laying down your plan of stepping stones, it is easy to detour off course.

...But if you find time to ponder, time to reflect, time to rest, gather your strength and give thanks for all you have - life can be a blast! Humbly, you take everything at face value - learn from it and move on - to even greater things.

     4. One might dust off the cobwebs, sharpen up the old pen - to work out what your New Year’s resolution might be - to point you toward greener pastures.  You will be surrounded by like-minded individuals, who will therefore be keen to keep you accountable and on track. That means everything if you’re going to follow through, to keep your New Year’s resolution alive and kicking.

     5. Not to mention, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on how your year went.  What were the highlights and what were the lows?  Congratulate yourself on jobs well done and give yourself a good talking to, if you haven’t quite come up to par – but don’t be too hard on yourself. One has to enjoy life along the way.

     6. Give thanks for all your blessings and the warm, kind, considerate and loving people who support your life – in highs and the lows.  Both are equally important, for without which we would not truly sample a full life.  Our helpers bring validity to our burdens; cheer and celebrate our strength, resilience and success when life shares its fruits.

Just like you, I am guilty of this misdemeanor, I tell no lies. The above photo was taken with my son a few months ago and we have not spent quality time doing something together for such a long time. We both now live separate lives, our life demands are very different; we are separated by hundreds of kilometers. That should not deter us, but at times, it does.

So over the years, I have used other means of spending time together with love ones. Having lived more than half my life overseas, one learns to adjust ones way of doing things, but it does come at a cost - massive phone bills, Skype calls, sleepless nights (time zones are not always compatible) and extra flights home to Oz. Yes extra, because by the time one forks out two and three hour calls every couple of days, one might as well buy a flight ticket home. A $600-$700 phone bill every quarter or so, racks up the pennies fast! So coming home for a week of R&R is a great way to recharge your life batteries.