Get Happier

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Three Things Worth Enjoying

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Hello, everyone, and hi to all the new people this week. Look what’s happening in Sydney…tulips! Spring is here on 1 September and I can’t wait!

This week I wanted to share three things worth enjoying. Let’s go!

1. Consider making bread. Gluten and carbs, I know, I know, but this is so fun. I’ve written about this easy focaccia before, and if you want to feel domestic and successful, you can make it.

2. Dust off your beautiful dishes and use them. When our beloved ‘adopted’ Australian grandmother died, we inherited her set of Royal Crown Derby. Her real family was kind enough to ask if we’d like them (before they went in the Op Shop box - gah!)…and I use them on the weekends. I’m guessing there are pretty things in your cupboards, too.

3. Share some gratitude. Not just be grateful. Share “grateful.” Spread some heartfelt compliments. Tell the people you love that you see what they’re doing. Say something fun and appreciative today to a person who might not expect it. It’s an old, tired cliche because it’s true:

Everyone, everyone, everyone needs a kind word. You can give it.

Enjoy your weekend, and have fun loving all the people you’ve been given to love.

Catherine xx

PS. The fun stuff!

I share links here to things I’m enjoying. Sometimes it’s a product I’ve bought, sometimes a poem or a recipe, a quote or a thought or an activity. Or a book I’ve written. No pressure, just for fun.

Hi, I'm back!

Friends, I had the best time in my beloved Canada!

Hugged my mum a million times, celebrated her 90th birthday (we wore yellow…from The 10 Minute Fix, remember?), met up with blog readers (a treat!), saw my best friend from high school — we’ve known each other 41 years — and finished off with four days in Vancouver with my favourite cousin, who’s like a bonus sister to me. The laughing dude above is one of several in Morton Park, Vancouver.

And you?? In case you haven’t been asked today, how are you?

Where’s your heart at?

Have the winds of change been blowing your way?

Wish I could gather all of you up and invite you to my kitchen table. I’d make you lunch, probably this most delicious salad in the world, and ask you how you are.

Then I’d sit back and listen.

I’m feeling so contemplative, like I’m birthing a change but I’m not sure what it is yet.

So this is what I’m doing:

  1. Walking a lot.

  2. Putting myself to bed early.

  3. Eating leafy greens at every meal. Ridiculous, but greens make me feel happier. Kinder to myself.

  4. Wondering about my life….

Because this is true for all of us:

For me, it’s time to sit down and think about what I love and where I’m heading.

Sending so much joy your way today. I hope something unexpected and wonderful happens to you.

Love Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!





A little slice of peace...

Hello friends. The talented American artist, Morgan Harper Nichols, made this beautiful image. You can find her work and follow her here.

This morning, while my household sleeps, I’m up with a coffee thinking of you. Around the world there are upsets and worries, injustices and trials. In the midst of it all, I hope today you can stop for a moment and enjoy the life you’ve been so busy building.

If you’re struggling, my favourite quick meditation is this…

Anytime, anywhere, we can breathe, look down at our feet, and bring our awareness and busy brains into the present moment. NOW is where we live. Not in the past, or in the future. Always in NOW.

Today I’m wishing you strength and peace.

Love, Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff…

  • Have you discovered the hidden space or room in your own home? This looks like turning a garden shed into a writing shed, parking the cars outside and making the garage a home office and gym (like we did!), adding shelves to a tall kitchen broom cabinet to store your most-used handbags, or even something simple like this: a little holder for plastic lids stuck on with 3M hangers. It’s a tiny life-changer.

  • Wow, the eye serum at Aldi. All of their beauty products are fabulous, including the lipstick.

  • The best baked spinach-artichoke dip I’ve ever made.

Chat with Future You!

Hi everyone, and hello new people. I’m Catherine Greer, author and baker, mum of sons, wife for twenty-five years, living in Sydney, Australia. You’re here for a little weekly inspiration every Sunday.

Let’s get started!

This idea from @EmandFriends is GREAT if you’ve been helping yourself this year to do all the things (walk and work out, make good choices, be on your own side).

But if you haven’t, here’s the good news: you have 7 MONTHS LEFT IN 2022.

Try this quick exercise. I call it Future You.

I was lucky enough to share it with a dynamic group of women from Ireland last week in a journalling workshop, and wow, I loved them! Such fun, engaging, vibrant women—Ireland is now on my travel list!

  1. Imagine it’s December 31.

  2. Sit down and pull up a chair for Future You. Really. Imagine Future You is sitting across from you. (See the photo above? I’m imagining Future Me in that empty leather chair. Future Catherine’s feet are up. She’s wearing shorts because it’s summer…)

  3. What does Future You say to Today You? Is she grateful you didn’t give up? Is she thankful you started in June?

It helps me remember that I’m doing things now FOR ME.

Because Future Catherine will walk around the corner seven months from now. Future AnnaMarie and Adele and Carolyn and Katie and Leslie and Faith and Francis and Annette and Corinne and Maura will, too.

It’s ME who’s going to be there in seven months’ time, and I will benefit so much from what Today Me does. Or not.

Future You will be waiting for you.

Happy Sunday, everyone. I hope you love this little Future You exercise. Even my husband likes it, and he’s a hard-core logical guy…

Love Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff! And a favour, please!

Hope is the thing with feathers…

Hi, my friends.

I know so many of you are American, and the events of this past week are horrific. I keep imagining a circle of mothers standing with other mothers from around the globe, protecting children. I know, too, that thoughts and prayers aren’t enough. Please know that we’re here taking deep, slow breaths with you. 💔

Emily Dickinson, beloved American poet, wrote this line: “I am out with lanterns, looking for myself.”

It sounds dramatic and metaphorical, but in real life she was writing a funny letter about moving and losing some of her possessions.

Still, what a brilliant line.

I often feel like Emily, as if I need a lantern to go out into the world and look for myself.

I keep changing over the years, reinventing myself and growing. I know you do, too.

  • Have you ever imagined introducing 16-Year-Old-You to your Present Self?

  • Do you remember yourself as you walked into the first day on your first job? (Mine was in a shoe store, and I was fifteen.)

  • What would the conversation be like if Pandemic You had tea and chatted with you right now?

We change.

And yet, as wise women we continue to grab lanterns and look for ourselves.

At the end of my life, which I hope won’t come for decades yet, I want to be a person who always looked for joy. For growth.

My promise to myself this year, at 56, is to gain skills in all the little things:

  • I want to learn how to bake croissants.

  • I want to make a painting that’s beautiful. (Hard for me!)

  • I want to learn an instrument. (Gah! Scared of this one!)

  • I want to dance and sing more. Plan a family holiday. Write another book. Make a friend from one of my unexpected, unusual, new pursuits: a new dancing friend?

We have this beautiful day, and it’s good to have simple dreams.

What are yours? What do you love? Who do you want to become?

It’s all waiting for you, with your very next YES.

Enjoy your Sunday. Sending my love all around the world. I cannot stop thinking of those little American faces, and I hope you and your loved ones find peace.

Love Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff…

It's Always Best To Say...

Hi friends! Happy weekend!

You guys know I love to dance, right? I come from a family of kitchen-dancers. My Dad was an excellent dancer and so is my mum; we were all twirled and two-stepped around the kitchen dance floor as kids and all six of us (only five now…) have the moves. We can two-step anywhere, to anything!

Recently I started line dancing, which is so much fun. But midweek I noticed in-person Zumba was back on at my local community centre.

I wanted to go! And yet, I was a little scared to go. Did I really want to try a new class in the morning, and sweat and not know anyone and mess up all the steps?

But then I was chatting with my sis-in-law and she reminded me of this important truth:

I went.

Did I love the class? No, not really. It surprised me that I didn’t love it. The music was Egyptian-bellydance-techno-pop and the songs went on for an eternity. In the end, I decided I probably wouldn’t go back.

But now I know.

Seems incredibly simple, but is there something you can say YES to this week?

You might find you love it. It may open a door for you.

Happy Sunday, everyone. I hope you snuggle up, or get out there and SHINE.

Love Catherine x

  • Oh! Read this twelve-part story on @humansofny if you believe listening and speaking can change the lives of underserved kids. Way back when I was a teacher, I was a debating coach! Debating programmes in schools have the power to change a country.

  • For our rainy Sydney day—the most beautiful, evocative poem!

  • Is it always you who sighs and gets out the vacuum cleaner? Me too. But I finally got a robot-vacuum. I’m such a huge fan of this one—great price and quiet! Thin enough to fit under furniture. Even the dog likes it. Every morning I run around the house thinking, “Someone is vacuuming and it’s NOT ME.” Brilliant. It picks up everything.

A simple tip to help with worry...

Happy Easter weekend, beautiful friends!

I hope you’re enjoying the extended break like I am. The sun is shining in Sydney, the Easter baskets are filled, my family is sleeping in and I’m here, laptop on knees, ready to bring you a little joy.

Thank you for being here on your weekend.

I appreciate you…and I hope these thoughts make you breathe a little easier, especially if you’re facing some worries today.

Here’s a beautiful reminder from Corrie Ten Boom.

Truth is, I was up in the night worrying. Twice. For at least two hours in total. So here’s what I do now, and it might be helpful for you.

I’ve downloaded Insight Timer on my phone (a free app - search in the App Store) and when I can’t sleep, I listen to this Sleep Meditation by Bethany Auriel-Hagen. It’s long enough that I usually fall back asleep part way through.

For me, if I can get out of my own thoughts and worry-loop by listening to someone else talk, I can usually fall asleep.

Like Corrie wrote, we only have enough strength for today—not two days.

Enjoy your Easter weekend. I hope you have a beautiful time loving all the people you’ve been given to love.

See you next Sunday,

Catherine xx

PS. The fun stuff!

  • I made this cheesecake. It’s sooooo easy. Ready?

  • Make your favourite no bake pie crust. (I used 2 cups almond flour, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and 1/2 cup melted butter. You could use graham cracker crumbs, etc.) Press it in a pie plate.

  • Soften (important!) and whip until fluffy 2 (large) packages of cream cheese + 1 cup white sugar. (I use the sugar substitute below. This one is GREAT with a 1:1 ratio…not all are as good!) Pour into the crust and bake for 20 minutes at 180C / 350F.

  • Mix 1 cup sour cream with 2 Tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Pour on top of hot cheesecake and bake for another 10 minutes.

  • Let cool. I sprinkled with dried edible flowers.

More fun stuff—had a beautiful conversation with the Lead Your Day podcast. The topic? How to love our age. Link is here if you want to listen in…

2 Quick Relationship Tips That Really Work

Hi everyone!

I’m away on a weekend getaway in country New South Wales with my favourite guy…yay! I hope you have something wonderful lined up in your world.

Are you ready for Two Helpful Tips to smooth out all your relationships?

Let’s do it.

  1. From Small Steps Are Perfect: Don’t Ask “Why didn’t you…?”

2. Remember that most people (most of the time) need a little more love.

I hope you enjoy your weekend. Mine will involve coffee, rainy walks and watching someone I love compete in a race.

Love, Catherine x

PS. I have an exciting announcement coming soon!! Stay tuned.

No grit, no pearl...

Hi everyone, happy Sunday, and hello to all the new people today!

We have a busy day ahead—lots of housework and garage-cleaning and book revisions and yep, weights to lift—so I’m dropping in quickly with something that stopped me in my tracks this week. Maybe it’ll help you, too.

As much as I would love to grow in times of good luck, blessings, prosperity and fun, I normally grow when my butt’s been kicked by the world with a big old failure and a whole lot of “No”.

Wish you were here so I could ask you…is it the same for you?

I grow under pressure. It’s the same with our fitness and bodies as it is with the rest of our lives. The blister lets us know the shoes don’t fit; the “no” forces us to keep looking for the next yes; lifting the weights makes us stronger.

Remember this old saying?

While my wish for you—for everyone—is safety and health and success exactly how you want it, the truth is probably that we need more grit, not less.

Our grit helps us grow…and grit doesn’t just mean our determination; it’s also irritation, failure, blocked doorways, a twistier (sometimes harder) path than we’d hoped for.

I’m trying to be grateful for the grit in my life right now.

I’m trying to grow from it, to learn what I need to learn, and to keep walking forward anyway, even when life isn’t easy (or lucky or fast).

I hope you are, too. I hope your grit is making you the most beautiful, the biggest, the most lustrous pearl.

Thinking of you today; wish you were here in rainy Sydney, Australia.

Love, Catherine x

PS. The FUN STUFF…

When Life Feels Like a Disaster-piece

Hello, friends.

Last week, while my husband was driving, we pulled up behind this dog-in-car. The bulldog looked a little like how I felt that day. Worn out, ground down. Covid. Separation. War. Bad news, bad news, bad news. I know.

So here I am, doing what we’re all doing around the world: turning on the lights wherever we can.

How?

Don’t marinate yourself in the bad stuff.

Yes, we need to be aware, but there’s a point when awareness becomes doom-scrolling and doom-watching and life feels like a disaster-piece.

In my book, Small Steps Are Perfect, I promise all of us this:

It’s all true.

Every chapter in that little powerhouse of a book tells a story or reminds us to TURN ON THE LIGHTS.

Words heal. Books inspire. It’s so much more impactful to give a book than a bottle of wine to a dinner party host, and so many women (most of us?) curl up in bed with a book every night.

Sending love today. And asking for a quick favour: if you haven’t got your copy of my book, will you consider getting one…or giving one to someone who needs a little hope?

Find Small Steps here in America, here in Canada, here in the UK and here in Australia or from a local online bookshop here!

It’s my way of shining light in the world.

Love, Catherine x

PS.

Useful stuff today!

  • For a family member whose story you want to capture, the people at Tales will create a professional (private, if you wish) podcast episode to listen to forever.

  • A little beauty hack — these tiny razors. Love em!

  • Autumn’s here in Australia — love the look of these snakeskin boots!

  • Considering taking a break from alcohol? My beautiful cousin, Jean McCarthy, Recovery podcaster, has a new book, Prepare to Be Alcohol-Free.

The 50-50

Hi friends.

Today, around the world, we’re watching pain unfold in The Ukraine. Join me in wishing for comfort for all the trembling hearts.

The photo above is an Australian warship, the kind my husband used to navigate during his career as an officer in the Royal Australian Navy. I snapped it on Wednesday; we took a trip midweek to our favourite beach and saw the ship moored there.

It reminded me again that life is 50-50.

Fifty percent good for everyone, and also fifty percent tough.

This is true for me, for you, for Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos and Sara Blakely.

Today we all have our worries, worries that we don’t often share with each other. We sit like an iceberg—so much more is below the surface than above.

If you’re worried and your heart is especially heavy, please remember that the other fifty percent will come back to you.

You will feel more joy.

You will find relief again.

You will see a way forward, find an idea, consider a new perspective, give yourself some happiness through small things; you’ll put on a favourite sweater, go for a walk at twilight, listen to a piece of music you love.

We need to remember that 50-50 is the way that life unfolds for everyone. Treat others gently when you can, and take care of yourself today.

Sending so much love around the world.

Catherine x

PS.

A few uplifting things for you today…

  • The most delicious Rocky Road, handmade with love in every bite—from the lovely family-owned Aussie business, Beachside Kitchen Food Company. They offer beautifully packaged boxes, celebration blocks, gift cards and online delivery Australia-wide. These are my go-to treats as hostess gifts when we go to a dinner party. Take a look here!

  • An intriguing autobiography from Agatha Christie. Even if you’re not a fan, it’s such an amazing read.

  • Super fun sunnies! I’ve got these and they came in the most amazing packaging—with a lens cleaner, a little bag, and best of all, they were carefully wrapped.

  • Pearl hoops. I have something similar from a local Aussie shop from last season. Love wearing pearls.

This Was So Embarrassing!

Hi friends!

Oh man, I am such a lunatic sometimes. If you know me in real life, you know I love to dress up and have fun. I buy a few pieces here and there (faux fun rings, for example) that cheer me up. Well, a couple of weeks ago, I decided I need some flare “leather” pants.

I ordered a great pair online…and was so excited to open the package. They were perfect! High waist, nice flare, perfect size.

Then I turned them over to reveal CUT OUT BUTT CHEEKS.

I am 55.

Honestly, I laughed until tears streamed down my face.

“I guess you won’t be wearing those,” my husband said when he came into the room to see why I was cackling.

Uh, nope. No, I will not. Even though I believe all of us should LOVE OUR AGE and wear what makes us feel good, those pants—shall we say?—were just not me.

Yes, the tag promised “Fit for you” but even so…..no.

However, it did give me some time to think about what we wear, and what our clothes say about us.

  • Little kids adore seeing pretty dresses. When our boys were tiny, they were delighted by mum-in-a-dress. Try it—it’s such an easy way to make people smile.

  • If a friend comes over for lunch, I enjoy dressing up to show that I appreciate her visit.

  • Whenever we have a quick “family celebration”—you read about this in The 10 Minute Fix—I always change into a fun outfit, earrings, perfume, fun shoes. If you’re at home, heels are easy and fine to wear and you can slip them off in a minute.

I dress for me, to lift my mood.

I dress to give other people a lift sometimes.

It’s something to think about: can your clothes cheer you up (and cheer up other people)?

We’re so lucky to have these options, aren’t we? We might as well use them.

Enjoy your weekend!

Love Catherine xx

PS.

  • You guys, this shoe stretcher for tight shoes is so good. What a game-changer!

  • Definitely not linking to those butt-cheek-less pants but if you really really want some, haha, email me. I will tell you about my favourite new $12 shoes above. Aussies, you can order online here. They fit medium - wide, which is great as so few shoes do! The treads are very rubbery and non-slip.

  • Why do I link to affordable (not expensive) treats? So many of you have mentioned you’ve had tough times with jobs and businesses during Covid. I’m thinking of you and hope I’m helpful!

  • Also…I hope this note made you laugh and didn’t offend! I wasn’t trying to be cheeky ;-)

What Kind of Body Do You Want?

Hi everyone! Isn’t this the greatest dress tag you’ve ever seen? I couldn’t resist holding it up to my crinkly lines and freckles / age spots and snapping a photo because it’s true about me.

“PERFECT IS BORING. The slight crinkles in my “fabric” are a natural characteristic. Love me longer by following my care instructions.”

This year, I decided to love my body. Here’s what that means to me.

1.Embracing ALL of me: my past decisions, my current habits…then sitting with those habits and asking, “Which no longer serve me?”

2. Taking myself for big, long walks.

3. Accepting what is. Wow, I cause myself angst and pain when I struggle against reality. Remember this Byron Katie quote from The 10 Minute Fix?

4. Asking a really basic question: I’m treating my own body this way, but is this how I would help someone else? Here’s a favourite page from Small Steps Are Perfect.

5. Using gratitude. Whatever is happening in my world or yours, whatever the state of our health, we are here now. There are steps we can take to feel better. We have some agency over our own decisions. And there’s a new day tomorrow. And tomorrow.

What kind of body do you want?

How do you take care of yourself?

For me, the answer is this: give my body love and attention. Treat it like I’d treat another person I’m responsible for.

Happy Sunday! Enjoy your weekend.

Love Catherine x

PS.

A British friend told me this... 🇬🇧❤️🇬🇧

Hello friends and new friends—so many new faces this week!

It’s Catherine Greer writing to you from summery Australia. Wish I could fly you all here to walk this beautiful beach with me. It’s my favourite place in the world…Hyams Beach in New South Wales. Take a peek and follow me on Insta for pretty pics now and then.

Here’s a story for you: on Tuesday I had a zoom chat with a friend who lives in England. We were talking about a problem I’ve been having lately, and she offered some ideas to fix it.

But the brilliant part? Here’s how she helped. Instead of telling me what she thought, she phrased it as a gentle question.

Like this:

Maybe you lovely women from the UK say this all the time, but WOW. So smart.

That phrase is golden.

  • Imagine saying to your teen, “I wonder if you could plan your weekend so you can get your assignment done AND see your mates?”

  • Or to your partner, “I wonder if you’ve thought about spending more time together.”

  • Or to a colleague, “I wonder if our client expects…”

Yes, yes, I know there’s a time to be direct. I know we’re empowered to speak freely and share our thoughts. I understand that everyone is big on boundaries and saying what they mean, and I get it.

But.

But!

Sometimes gentleness is the better way. What about those times when, like water cutting through stone, we can be soft and listen and suggest improvements in a way that someone else can hear?

I treasured how my British friend spoke with me. I felt loved and seen. I felt respected. I thought about it for days afterwards, and wanted to share with all of you.

If you have a tricky conversation coming up, consider leading with “I wonder if….” You’ll know if this approach is right for you. Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn’t.

Happy Sunday, and I hope this little nugget helps you like it helped me. One of my goals this year is to be more tactful, more gracious…because everybody benefits from kindness and respect. I’m working on it…

Enjoy your weekend!

Love, Catherine x

PS.

A Pet Peeve

Happy Sunday from Australia!

If you’re new to LoveOurAge.com, welcome — it’s Catherine Greer writing to you (author of The 10 Minute Fix and Small Steps are Perfect).

This photo above is my life: beautiful beaches, sun, and also SHARKS. Gahhhhh! Metaphorically, can you relate?

Life is mostly good, with some sharks lurking.

Yesterday, I woke up in a bad mood: worry + fear. I felt sorry for myself, struggled to believe that something good was going to happen, and just generally felt hopeless.

Here’s my pet peeve: moods are like sharks.

My bad moods love to be fed. So do yours.

  • Feeling crummy about progress on your latest book, Catherine? Feed me: put on a cosy pair of trackies and watch Netflix.

  • Feeling worried, Catherine? Feed me: let your mind run around in circles like a toddler with a Sharpie.

  • Concerned about your kid’s study habits, Catherine?: Feed me: complain to your husband about it (instead of supervising your child).

The problem is that when I feed my moods, they increase.

That’s why we have to do the OPPOSITE of what we feel like doing. We all know this is true. But it’s hard.

Here’s my SIMPLE solution.

It’s a Latin phrase that starts to solve almost every problem.

Ready?

I feel the mood or the feeling (worry, fear, disappointment). Then I go for a walk. That’s it.

Feel the mood (but don’t feed it). Then walk.

Walking unpicks the tangled knot of my troubles. It always has. I’ve used walking this way since I was a little girl. Sad? Walk. Worried? Walk. Fearful? Walk.

You can do this, too: consider taking a walk instead of feeding your moods.

Even if it’s a walk inside your own home, when you’re walking you will ALWAYS feel a little better.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. Let’s have some fun, rest when we can, and walk if we’re worried.

Love, Catherine x

PS.

First, thank you for loving and supporting my books! New friends, find them here:

Have you followed TheNewHappy.com — such a beautiful account on Instagram here:

I Have A Confession To Make...

I haven’t taken down our tree.

I plan to do it today, but my record is leaving it up until February….so….can we still be friends? I know most people are tired of the holidays and aim for a fresh start early in January, but I love the twinkle and the magic of sitting with a coffee by the Christmas tree.

That’s me :) And you? You have your things, too. Instead of hiding them, how about dusting them off and letting them shine?

In case you’re feeling a little shaky while everyone around you seems to be zipping ahead with all their powerful, new 2022 resolutions, here’s something to consider.

Ready?

If no one’s told you lately, please let me be the first to say … it’s the quirky things about you that are memorable and lovely.

We are not all the same.

We don’t have to do anything perfectly — we just have to do what we love.

Enjoy your Sunday, and promise me you’ll do something that gives YOU joy, and reminds you that you’re unique and worth loving just as you are now. Today. (No changes necessary!)

Love, Catherine x

PS

  • New friends, hello and welcome! I want to tell you about my books because—honestly—they’re worth it and they’ll cheer you on. They’ll sit beside your bed and be the best little (quick) pick-me-up, I promise. Start with The 10 Minute Fix and then Small Steps Are Perfect. And yes, that’s my towering stack of reading beside my bed. I love reading! Books give us everything…and ask for nothing in return but to please us. xx

  • How about a cute, inexpensive monogrammed necklace—to remind yourself that you’re cheering for YOU in 2022? I love this cutie!!! You need one. Just $12 to celebrate YOU.

  • I got new trainers! (I have tricky feet: wide + pain from an old running injury). Youch. If you’re like me, these are amazing….they’re men’s New Balance in wide width and they’re cute and comfy.

  • A poem I adore…“Housekeeping” by Natasha Tretheway, exploring domestic duties in the past.

A Simple Way To Feel Happier

Happy Sunday! A warm welcome to all the new people this week. I’m Catherine Greer, Sydney-sider, beach walker, compulsive baker….and author of some best-loved books, including the upbeat and encouraging The 10 Minute Fix and Small Steps are Perfect.

New Year, same me—and I’ve been thinking about how to get on with things without so much worry.

Acceptance is the key, right? Be where our feet are, accept what is, and move forward.

So I’ve been thinking about the things in my life that are finite, and the activities that are infinite.

Certain tasks are infinite games (they’ll go on forever): healthy eating, working out, managing our own thoughts. This can be so irritating to admit!!

We have to do them FOREVER, on repeat. There’s no end to the game.

  • We’ll always have to manage our thoughts (which love to run away from us and be negative, right?)

  • We don’t get a break from taking care of our own health. (I sometimes pretend to take a break, but the consequences follow me regardless. Hello, Christmas goodies that I’m still carrying around with me! You were worth it, but it’s time to slow down now…)

I will never “arrive” with health or fitness or keeping my thoughts on track. Neither will you. Infinite games, my friends, so we might as well acknowledge them, do them, and (in my case anyway! Argh!) stop complaining about it.

Making peace with our infinite games makes life easier.

Have a beautiful week wherever you are! I hope you stay safe, rest when you need to, and find some small joys today.

Love Catherine x

PS.

  • It’s summer in Sydney, and I’ve loved wearing this dress — perfect to throw on at the beach or pool. Pockets! Heavier fabric. Long, loose and elegant.

  • James P. Carse wrote a philosophical book called Finite and Infinite Games and Simon Sinek built on James’ ideas in a business / leadership book called The Infinite Game. I haven’t read either yet, but just applied to idea to my own life. What’s infinite and finite in yours?

What Are Your Thoughts For Your New Year?

Hello friends and welcome to Love Our Age in 2022! It’s Catherine Greer writing to you (author of The 10 Minute Fix and Small Steps Are Perfect). For all the new people this week, you’ll get an upbeat note like this every Sunday morning (from Australia, where I live!) or Saturday night if you live overseas. So happy you’re here.

Don’t you love this graphic above?

Wow. All those colours representing how we might have felt about our days in 2021…the blues, the greys, the yellows. And all these empty days we hope to fill in 2022 with memories and love. I’m sure you’re thinking about your new year—what a gift—and what you plan to do with it.

I am.

My year will be filled with writing, with more books out in the world, with some copywriting here in Sydney, with nudging our youngest son through high school to a strong finish when the Aussie school year ends in November 2022. I’m looking forward to gratitude, to celebrating my life (warts and all), to being with family while I’m a mum of a teen.

But here’s one thing I’m NOT going to do.

I won’t be trying to get smaller. I’m going to grow—in confidence, in experiences, in love, in fun, in playtime and laughter, in health and in doing what I love.

I hope you’ll join me. Let’s all take a deep breath and remember this:

Let’s Love Our Age together in 2022: be bigger, better, louder, more grateful, offer the world more to love, and love the world right back.

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.

For all of you, a favourite poem by the brilliant Maria Ferguson from her one woman show, Fat Girls Don’t Dance.

Dreaming of a White (Sandy Beach) Christmas

Hello, friends and welcome new people! It’s Catherine Greer from The 10 Minute Fix and Small Steps are Perfect (new book!). So happy you’re here this weekend. If you’re new, an intro:

  • I’m married and we live in Sydney. I’m Canadian and Aussie — first half of my life in Canada, second half in Australia.

  • We have two young adult sons (one in Year 12 and one studying Law Commerce at Sydney Uni).

  • I love growing older and wiser! I let my hair go silver at 49, adore baking, lift weights grudgingly, have the sweetest puppy, don’t Facebook but I am on Instagram and I’m an author.

This beautiful white sand beach above is my favourite place in the entire world, a three hour drive from Sydney.

Here’s what I’ve got for you today — a bit of a truth bomb.

Ready?

We are so good at criticising ourselves, and we are so bad at loving ourselves.

We tell ourselves we’re too much AND too little, but let me offer you a virtual coffee (or tea) and offer this perspective.

I just wanted you to know that today.

Enjoy your weekend. Rest up, relax a little, be the joy.

Love Catherine x

PS.

For the new people…thank you for being here!

  • A favourite skirt if you’re Aussie (you can order online): it’s a lovely linen blend and surprisingly slimming. Mine is cream and I pair it with a black top.

  • A favourite poem: American poet Billy Collins’ “Forgetfulness.”

  • If you want to get all your girlfriend & sister gifts in one fell swoop, I would be so honoured if you’d consider my books. They’re $19.99, pretty and encouraging. If you’re posting gifts, they send as a letter with slightly more postage…easy! (Look at my towering stack of bedside reading….and yes, I still read and re-read my own books for all those good ideas.)

America – Small Steps Are Perfect and The 10 Minute Fix

Canada – Small Steps Are Perfect and The 10 Minute Fix

Australia – Small Steps Are Perfect and The 10 Minute Fix or shop local here.

United Kingdom – Small Steps Are Perfect and The 10 Minute Fix

Whoa. This is beautiful.

Hi everyone, and hello new friends — it’s Catherine from The 10 Minute Fix and Small Steps Are Perfect (new book!) dropping by on your weekend.

When I get newsletters, I like to SEE who is writing to me…so I took a dozen selfies for all the new people, but when I went to pick one where my eyes weren’t closed — ha! — my photo roll was FULL OF NATURE and I had to share.

  • a jacaranda tree and Jacaranda Snow (my first picture book!)

  • a red bottlebrush (called Grevillea)

  • white flowering something-I-don’t-know

  • bush walk in our suburb down a sandy path

I am so lucky.

Nature. Does it recharge you, too?

Deep breath, my friend: today is an excellent day to open your front door and look around. Notice what you’ve been given:

  • a city streetscape

  • an ocean view

  • a back garden

  • christmas lights

  • snow

  • A rainy Sunday?

I used this inscription to begin Small Steps Are Perfect — it’s Van Gogh, and his words are every bit as beautiful as his paintings.

It’s time to appreciate where we are.

Tiny little things matter.

Holidays are a perfect time to look carefully at what’s right in front of us. I hope you have time to enjoy what you see outside your own door, and chat with or hug the people you’ve been given to love. We are so lucky to be here, aren’t we? Very small things are the best.

Happy (peaceful) Sunday. I’m thinking of you.

Love Catherine x

PS.