JR's TED Prize wish: Use art to turn the world inside out

It’s hard to believe that less than 4 weeks ago, we were enjoying a splendid feast at The Imperial Hotel in Delhi, 12 hours after careening around the Rajasthani desert in Jeeps? It was an amazing adventure, full of visual and other sensory treats… India never fails to impress and this time was no exception.

A farewell love letter to the city I have called my home for the past six years.

Communications are so crucial for all aspects of our daily life and yet, even with all of the hi-tech at our disposal, sometimes even the simplest of messages can go awry. At times like this we need extra patience and a dose of generosity thrown in! Let’s face it: sometimes the email goes missing or the voicemail does deliver the next day. It’s just a reminder that we are always not in control. Best response? Go with the flow.

Amy Nagatani is a 23 year old Australian Veterinary student at Murdoch University leaving on her second trip to India in December. Having spent three months volunteering in a refuge in Varanasi last year, Amy was inspired to do something to help people less fortunate than herself, and is now raising funds to buy school equipment for the impoverished children of ProjectEES school in Varanasi. Amy is one of our champion Girlo crew and she is dedicating her life to help children in India who really need it. Meet Amy and learn more about her project…

“Above all, be at ease, be as natural and spacious as possible. Slip quietly out of the noose of your habitual anxious self, release all grasping, and relax into your true nature. Think of your ordinary emotional, thought-ridden self as a block of ice or a slab of butter left out in the sun. If you are feeling hard and cold, let this aggression melt away in the sunlight of your meditation. Let peace work on you and enable you to gather your scattered mind into the mindfulness of Calm Abiding, and awaken in you the awareness and insight of Clear Seeing. And you will find all your negativity disarmed, your aggression dissolved, and your confusion evaporating slowly like mist into the vast and stainless sky of your absolute nature.”

― Sogyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

As you come to realize and understand the unlimited potential of your life, you learn more about your true nature, so you also have insight into the relative condition of what it means to be here, now. We are all in a sense ‘becoming’ something over time, but with a pure intention and humble acceptance of our negative faults we can make the changes necessary to have both wisdom and compassion. Be brave.

How often have you heard it said about someone that they’re a team player? It’s something we overlook – everything in life requires a lot of effort by a great many people working together. Each person brings something to the process. Sometimes though we can each do a bit more. Sometimes we drag the chain and let things slip. When this happens, recognize it for what it is, and get going. Remember: there is no ‘I’ in team.

It’s always the pharmacy stuff that takes up the most space in a bag.  And often a lot of it doesn’t get used but this stuff is critical.

Daily Mantra

CAMERA GEAR – A KIT FOR TRAVELING LIGHT

GIRLO ON SAFARI – THE SEARCH FOR TIGER!

Still on the topic of empathy: one of the constant things you hear is the statement: 'My family is the most important thing to me'. And it seems to be true for most people, that, when all is said and done, the one constant in everyone's life is family. But not everyone has a family. Sometimes, they have lost their parents and so it can feel tough when everyone around them seems to be enjoying an endless stream of relatives and functions to attend. Think about those who are separated from their families either through distance or for other reasons like work or study. Ask them to one of your family functions and open up both your worlds.

Islands

Women in Action Sports Photography

Yosemite

10 Questions with Klara Harden

MiniLook Kiev

It has been said many times that the 'darkest time is just before the dawn', by which we mean the brightest time is the moment of breakthrough. When you haven't necessarily got past the problem, but you can clearly see the solution: this is the a-ha moment. So while you may be feeling your way to clarity, with the way out visible, you can find the energy to push through. Be brave and see what opens up.

A Two Wave Total

There is no escaping it! We need to be ultra-conscious and careful to minimise the waste we create while we are out in the world.

Girls have always been known to be excellent communicators. It may not all be coming from our mouths either: we do it by SMS, by Facebook, by email, by tweets, IM… the list goes on. 

Coachella video

Big Little World

SAMSARA

What Are You Doing Tonight?

Snippets of India

A Year in New York

What Girls Want?

The camera lies, and appearances not always what they seem. If what you see is telling you something, remember that it could just be what you think you see... Read more!

Travelling without moving is something we can all do. We can read about a new destination, we can plan for it, and we can research it... Read more!

Time is the one thing that makes us all equal. How we utilize the time we have separates the do-ers from the rest of the pack... Read more!

Independence is a term that is interesting to define. Being completely independent in modern life is actually impossible. For example: even if you.. Read more!

Responsibility is one of the words that gets bandied about as you get older and life starts becoming a tad more serious.  But taking responsibility is extremely empowering.. Read more!

Two ears and one mouth would indicate we are meant to do twice as much listening and half the talking. It’s cute, but is it true?.. Read more!

Lea. Longboarding. Mt.Keira. video

Influencers video 

Endless roads video

iceland girl video

‘Never give up’ is something of a cliché but sometimes giving up can be a positive. Giving up trying to help someone who doesn’t want your help is one example.. Read more!

On July 23, 2011, nine-year-old Rachel Beckwith was killed in a tragic car accident on highway I-90 near Seattle, Washington. Watch now!

ASR Reef

Costa Rica: Get Living

20 Seconds of joy

Systems work because they’re systems. They can be dull and hard to set up and they need consistent effort, but the sneaky thing about a system is that it makes things easier in the long run... Read more!

We are all receivers and transmitters. Give more, get more: this is one of the key universal laws. If you want a lot, then you’d better be prepared to give a lot... Read more!

Make the road your home, by taking your home on the road! Create a sense of being a global citizen by having a few things with you that always make you feel completely at ease in any space you find yourself... Read more!

Everyone wants to be more creative: we feel more energized and more in tune when we express and produce something. To be more creative though sometimes we need to do nothing... Read more!

You know the old saying ‘Follow your dreams?’ It’s not always finished with ‘But be prepared to change your dream as necessary’!.. Read more!

Get up with intention: Start each day with a positive thought – you can make a powerful statement of intention about the day to come... Read more!

Communication is so easy to do and so easy to get wrong. We all say thousands of words daily, but what are we really saying? Being direct, honest and clear in our communications.. Read more!

Be ready but flexible. In the course of the yoga of life, the stretches and the strains are all part of the deal... Read more!

All my writing is about the recognition that there is no single reality. But the beauty of it is that you nevertheless go on.. Read more!

“Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me... Read more!

“The world doesn’t need another person who’s just arrogant, and who just feels entitled. I want my daughter to stay focused and stay committed to the idea .. Read more!

“To see the whole of anything there must be the space of freedom.. Read more!

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them.. Read more!

“To be successful the first thing to do is to fall in love with your work... Read more!

“And the truth is, if you don’t risk.. Read more!

If you find yourself hearing too many conflicting or negative thoughts, meditation can be a great tool to re-balance your mind.. Read more!

Feeling out of sorts? Stressed or overwhelmed by life? Mapping your way to wellness can put you back in control. Think of all that’s bothering you make a list and work your way through it... Read more!

Give yourself time it’s a gift to you. Time is spaciousness for creativity to arise and manifest. The time to sit, the time to reflect.. Read more!

DAILY MANTRA: Past imperfect, and present tense? Relax – your future is ahead of you and you can start again any time you want.  Read more..

The act of writing is one of the personal expression and it also one of freedom. We gain the abilty to bring light to and.. Read more!

Today is the tomorrow you were dreaming of yesterday. Read More!

Procrastination. Its the devil we all know yet ultimately it is really fear: Fear of the unknown...

To be the best friend to someone that we can be is a commitment. A best friend forgives foibles, overlooks shortcomings and accepts, even cherishes, idiosyncrasies.

Amnesty International is a longtime favourite charity of Girlosophy, and in our opinion it is one of the most important organisations in the world. So much so, we gave it special mention as our top charity that is changing the world for the better in our latest book, Girlosophy - INSPIRE. 

Rice dishes are so great for energy and risotto is a classic. A really easy dish, risotto is quite peaceful to make. Whether your by yourself or cooking for a dinner party, risotto is another mainstay that will keep you and your flatmates happy!

Long winters without soup are lonely ones indeed. Don’t be put off by what looks like the longest shopping list ever, this minestrone is a cracker!

Girlosophy is giving away 10 copies of the amazing new Ebook The Fourth Passenger by Mini Nair from Momentum Books. Want to know what its about?

Ingetje Tadros is an inspiring woman who left her Dutch homeland  at the age of just 17 to travel the world. Having travelled the world Ingetje really started chasing her dreams to be a famous photographer kind of late in life... We are so glad that she did! Ingetje's beautiful photographs of cultures from all over the world show compassion and a deep, respectful understanding of the tribal people she captures through the lens.

Ingetje has made her home almost as far away from her Holland as you can get - in Broome, Australia!  We caught up with her this week to see if she had any advice for all the aspiring photographers in our Girlosophy community.

Red apples contain creatine – the great muscle building amino acid! Creatine is in many artificially produced muscle-building powders that weight-lifters use. Why not go straight to the source! Carrots contain beta-carotene and other fabulous anti-oxidents.

There are so many juicing recipes, it is impossible to list every combination. What we can recommend is that you can make virtually any juice to your personal taste by working out how much you need of each ingredient. Boost your immune system by using particular combinations for your daily needs. Drinking fresh juices is one of the greatest things you can do to energize your body on an ongoing basis. Get into dark greens: broccoli, spinach, watercress and sprouts. These contain incredible amounts of vitamins and are easily absorbed by the body in juice from. Drink your greens and you’ll feel the energy lift!

This smoothie has more than a hint of the Caribbean about it. All you need after having this drink is a hammock by the ocean...

In light of our 'Awesome India' Competition we are discovering all kinds of fantastic Indian Artists.  We've written before about Australian artists we love, like Gabriella Hirst but we have to admit we didn't know all that much about Indian artists.  We undertook some serious research and here are three young Indian artists that we think you should know about, as they are just fantastic! 

Last week we launched the Girlosophy 'Awesome India' Competition,  where you and your bestie have a chance to win a trip to India with Girlosophy - now all we can think of is India!

One of our favourite charities WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) has organised a special charity program to help pooches all over the world - its called Collars not Cruelty. Millions of dogs are killed globally as a result of a fear of rabies, but by buying a collar from WSPA you can help contribute to mass vaccinations and help create a world where no animals have to suffer. 

Get snap happy! Girlosophy is giving away this very cute Lomography Diana Mini Camera paired with a roll of Color Negative 100 Iso film ready for your first Lomo lo-fi photography experience. The set also comes with a copy of the Diana Mini "Shoot Forever" book, instruction manual, Lens Cap & neckstrap, with a total value of $90A.

Try and be fair when you write about people. This is good practice for day-to-day dealings in any case.

Here at Girlosophy we are taking our love of travel to the next level and offering a magical trip to India for girls! A trip has been organised leaving November 23 2012 for over 18s. This special offering, a world first, includes photography workshops, trips to conservation projects, exotic locations, luxury accommodation and engaging with desert communities in Rajasthan.

Cleaning is an essential part of the religion in many cultures.  In the Hindu culture of Bali, for example, the sweeping of the ground and subsequently making offerings to the Gods is a daily ritual that is faithfully observed.  To the Balinese, the cleaning and clearing of the old energies (dead leaves and debris) is “bhakti”, which means it is a devotional manner of worship that cleanses the area to receive the fresh energies from the Gods.

The latest book in Anthea Paul's Girlosophy series, Girlosophy – INSPIRE was born from the idea that girls can use their creative sources - in particular art and photography - as an empowering tool. 

However, whenever, wherever you're traveling this book is your guide to the crucial travel must-haves, must-sees, and must-dos before, during and after the trip.

Think of a person who created something amazing and the chances are they used a Moleskine journal or notebook to make it happen. 

You will have already put some thought into what you will wear on the plane and while you are traveling in general, however planning outfits for take-off and landing is something that is often overlooked by many people. 

Meditation is one “ritual” you can use to prepare for writing. Over the years many colleagues and friends who write for a living have lifted the lid a little on what they do to get themselves ready for the screen or notebook.  

With practice and time, you’ll become an expert and will have learned how to dodge problems before they arise. Good luck and many happy returns!

There’s an old saying that goes something along the lines of ‘life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.' So true! 

25 year old Dr Dominique Hespe has been working as a doctor in Broome (on the north West Australian coast). We ask her about her work there.

Short trips allow you to refine your traveling style – discover whether you are a massive over-packer (you know who you are!) or whether you’re the type to travel lightly.

If you are a real girl living life to the fullest, you need tons of energy to get what you want from your body and to maintain high levels of energy. 

Getting anything that’s worthwhile is always full of wrong turns, dead ends and, sometimes, dark despair.  But that serves to make it all the sweeter when you finally arrive.

If intimacy with your ‘self’ is the key to developing intimacy with others, then writing down some of the details about yourself can be very positive and therapeutic.

If you aspire to continuity within your journal, diary or blog, an essay might just fit the bill.  Pick a subject and let it rip. You’ll soon be a blogger on a mission.

There’s something un-sexy about email. It’s kind of bland and lacks passion. Let’s face it: no matter how you use them, emoticons are a pretty lame way of showing your feelings.

Are you considering writing about your own life?  We all have stories. It’s bringing them to life that can be the challenge.

The great thing about writing is that there is no limit to how much you can write if you have a strong enough desire.  

When you criticize your body, you actually feed it negativity, which is not good for you energetically. The way we think, feel about and feed our bodies is a pure reflection of the self-love we have… or don’t have.  

One of the less known things about travelling is that you tend to attract the same level of experiences as you put out with your energy. 

As the birthplace of spirituality and the roots of the Hippy movement, India is without doubt one of THE great travel destinations.

Everyone knows that breakups suck. Whether you initiate it or not it’s never a pleasant event. You may feel semi-ok about it if you made the decision to breakup. But what if you didn’t?

No way to sugar coat it: betrayal sucks. You’ve been deceived, lied to, ripped off, you’ve trusted for no good reason and you’ve been had. Ouch. 

Breaking up or breaking down? The aftermath of any relationship breakup is a good opportunity to check out the mysterious workings of your own personal computer. 

Sometimes getting our bearings isn’t as easy as we’d like it to be.

Je t’aime, Ti amo, Saya Cinta Kamu, Ich liebe dich… Ah yes, the look of love is in their eyes but what on earth are they truly saying?  

One thing we all agree on though is that there is adventure and then there is outright risk. To be clear: we’re not into taking unnecessary risks. Limiting risk in any situation is therefore entirely sensible, that is: doing whatever you can do to stay safe while you’re out there ‘getting your True Grit on’

Buying local handicrafts is a great way to support local businesses and it shows you care as well.

One of the best parts of traveling is the visual stimulation of being in a completely new place. Taking photographs is always fun in such a fresh and unknown environment.  

We want all girls to make a pact to dare to be different. Reconstruct your own definition of beauty.  Don’t buy into ‘the look’ as physical beauty is a poor standard by which to judge anyone. Real, natural and unique is the kind of beauty that never goes out of fashion.

There are many ways to get in a muddle when you’re traveling. And that’s why Girlosophy’s mantra is that travel plans should always be regarded as flexible! 

Training your brain is relatively easy. Conversly, not controlling our unruly thoughts can lead to unfocused outcomes at work or even in your hobbies...

At Girlosophy we like to stay in touch with girls around the world with pretty cool jobs. Meet Annabel Christina Youssef, a 25-year-old Flight Attendant. Annabel has been in the skies for 8 months (so far), and lets us in on how she got to be there…

Paperwork is a fact of traveling and while it takes some getting used to, doing it efficiently and honestly is part of the deal!

You don’t need much to be a writer.  Ask any journalist or novelist about the use of a drink coaster or ticket stub for notes and quotes. 

Writer’s block. It can be a blessing (at least you’re not writing rubbish!) or a curse (you’re on deadline and feeling the pressure to perform).