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Green...are you feeling it?

Catherine Greer

Friends, hello! Hi new people…it’s Catherine from Small Steps Are Perfect and The 10 Minute Fix writing to you!

42 days until Christmas! Do you celebrate?

I’m getting into the spirit of green around here. Maybe it’s the influence of my latest book cover, maybe it’s just all the gorgeous green in Aussie shops right now.

How do you feel about green?

I found this lovely faux silk blouse from Zara…

It’s such a classic. You can’t tell from the photo, but the buttons are a pretty mother-of-pearl. (Sorry, couldn’t find it on the Zara Australia website but I bought it Friday…so maybe have a hunt around?)

Other than that? Ohhhhh, I landed on a new solution for sleepless nights.

I started getting up.

Really. I just started getting up and doing a few things instead of rolling around worrying about not sleeping. It was a tip from my mum, Katie…you guys know her from “yellow” in The 10 Minute Fix! She told me once, ‘If I don’t sleep, that’s okay…I’ll be a little tired tomorrow.’

I stopped resisting my own sleeplessness (which seems to be another gift of midlife—like a softer tummy, silver hair and changing skin).

I’m trying to believe that sleeplessness can be a gift. It gives us time to reflect and ponder. And if we’re a little tired the next day, well, it’s not as hard as so many things that people have to endure. Right?

Gift: a couple of nights ago, I had a beautiful middle-of-the-night-to-me text conversation with my cousin in Canada, Jean, who is more like a sister and a girlfriend to me than a distant relation. (You read about her in Small Steps Are Perfect!)

While sleepless, I started listening to myself.

Some people meditate or pray or make To Do (and To Don’t) Lists when they’re sleepless. Lately, I’ve been doing this thing that I feel quite sheepish writing about, but it works.

Hand on heart, other hand on tummy, and say this to yourself: “I love you. I’m listening.” Then listen to your own thoughts like a kind friend. Ask yourself how you’re doing.

Essentially it’s two lines from my all-time favourite meditation from Canadian Sarah and it’s free here if you have 12 minutes to spare.

When we tell ourselves we’re listening, it somehow accesses the tender parts of us that we so rarely share with others.

I’m listening to me.

Are you listening to you?

Try it tonight if you can’t sleep.

Wish I could send every one of you a pretty green shirt along with this email. If you love green, I hope you go out and find yourself a cute one. Green treat. We’re green and growing.

Happy Sunday,

Catherine x

PS. Yayyyyy! Welcome new people. Love to tell you about my books because they’re spreading cheer around the world. Yes, I still re-read my own books because I need all the little reminders.