Archive for the ‘Dicko’s Diary’ Category

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WOW!!!  For the first time in my life I had my period without pain… The first time ever I haven’t had to take pain killers or get the hot water bottle out! AMAZING!  I honestly can’t believe it… This is one massive achievement for me! And I can’t believe I reached my goal within the first 3 weeks of going Paleo. I really didn’t expect it to happen so soon. I had at least 6 months in my head. I guess the fact that I already eat a close to paleo diet probably meant I was almost there anyway. It’s now been a little over 2 months since going Paleo and both times I’ve been without pain…. Whoo Hoo!!!

That photo there is me with Wheat Belly – this is what happens to me when I eat wheat… Nope I’m not pregnant and I’m not sticking it out either…

Anyway, so if you remember from my previous blog post I decided to go Paleo to reach my health goals – my main one being to get rid of my endometriosis. I was already eating a close to Paleo diet without all the wheat & grains and stuff but just hadn’t upped my fat intake. So the biggest changes I have made have been the increase in saturated fats by introducing coconut oil, macadamia oil, more olive oil, nut butter, more eggs and a slight increase in my meat intake. I don’t have a strict 100% paleo rule as I still like to enjoy the odd drink or 5, and a bacon & egg roll on the weekend doesn’t go astray either! So even with not being “Paleo Perfect” it has obviously been enough to make a difference as not only have I reached a massive milestone I have also noticed a bunch of other stuff with this way of eating too, like…

I feel fuller for longer
I don’t need to eat as much at mealtimes
I don’t get cravings during the day
I don’t need or want for processed and refined carbs or sugars
I only need to eat 3 – 3.5 times a day (breakfast seems to fill me up forever)
I never feel like snacking
I have more energy (didn’t think this was possible for me)
I have more mental focus/clarity
I’ve even dropped a dress size

So as you can imagine I’m pretty impressed with these results and I’m now on a mission to reach my next goal which is to get my cycle to 28 days.  At the moment I think it’s at about 20-23 days. So sucky!! I’m on such a mission to get rid of this endometriosis once and for all. I really want to have kids one day and having had miscarriages in the past I really don’t want to go through the heartache of all that ever again. I was told I lost the babies because my womb wasn’t strong & healthy enough to hold onto the pregnancies because of my “out of whack” hormones but who knows right?! It could’ve been anything. Either way I’m not taking any chances I just want my body to be super healthy. Babies or no babies.

So to get to my next goal I’m going to give the Whole30 Program a go. It’s going to be 100% Paleo for 30 days. No 80/20 rules this time *YIKES!!* Yep, 30 days of no processed or refined carbs or sugars at all. No grains. No dairy. No legumes. No alcohol. No white potatoes. Nothing processed whatsoever. Bring on that 28 day cycle and all the other changes I’m sure I’ll see along the way. The Whole30 starts for me in early Jan so will keep you posted on the results.

Ciao for now!
Dicko Xxx

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I really only have one major goal in life and that is to get to the ripe old age of “whatever” with a smile on my face, love in my heart and rip snorting health!! Cheesy I know but it’s a true story. Pain, un-happiness and un-health REALLY SUCK and I just don’t want to EVER go back there. So this is the shit that’s really important to me. As they say out of your greatest struggles come your greatest of strengths. All that bad shit happens for a reason right?!

Def: Rip Snorter…. One that is remarkable for strength, intensity, or excellence.

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Yep, RIP SNORTING HEALTH! That is what I want…

You see, I don’t care for things and stuff because at the end of the day it’s all just dead stuff! The older I get the happier I become, and the less stuff I have in my life…  I mean the only reason we want the things and the stuff is because of the way we think it will make us feel but we can actually have that feeling without all the meaningless stuff…. Another true story!

Anyway the last couple of years have been all about my business.

I’ve worked so friggin hard.

I’ve created something out of nothing.

I’ve made sacrifices in many areas of my life, I’ve gone days without eating or sleeping, I’ve taken chances, I’ve neglected my friends & family, I’ve made mistakes, I’ve failed, I’ve felt completely lost, alienated & alone, I’ve been completely stressed out, there have been times when I just wanted to run away, hide under rock and wished that all of my problems would go away. I’ve been on the verge of losing it all – financially & emotionally. But at the end of the day I’ve won. I’m still here and my business is alive and filled with people that I love. And I have become stronger because of it all. And I know that for as long as I’m in business that I’m going to continue to go through challenge after challenge because if I’m not it means that my business isn’t growing and if my business isn’t growing it is dying. And I never intend on giving up on my business. If I fail I fail. So be it. I am willing to lose it all! But I will never give up! A few years ago I set a goal to never work for someone else ever again and I intend on doing whatever I can to keep that goal.

NOW…

In saying all that you can see that the last couple of years haven’t really aligned with my “Life Goal”. I admit that I have totally neglected my self, health and sanity!! Quite the hypocrite right?!

Yep telling people to put themselves first when I’m not even doing it myself. So 2012 is going to be different. It is going to be all about me. I am making a promise to myself to put all that is ME before my business and my clients. Sorry gorgeous girls & guys!

I must admit though I’m kinda freaked out by this goal. I mean I’ve spent so long building my business I feel like I’m going to be neglecting it. But in reality  if I keep neglecting myself, my business will die in the arse anyway because it’s not something I can sustain long term. I WILL burn out. And deep down I know that if I put myself first I will be able to deal with all those challenges I mentioned above a whole lot better.

So my goal for 2012 is to get out of my head and into my heart and do all the things that will really connect me to my soul…. SO I’ve made a list. Don’t ya just love a list?! Check it out….

Feel the Love!

Meditate Daily
Find my inner silence
Express gratitude
Keep a journal
Get  dancing… lots! (Dancing makes me so friggin happy!)
Explore my surroundings more – smell the roses Dicko!
Go camping every 4-6 weeks (diarising NOW!)
Watch the sunrise & sunset more often
Be by the water more often than not (water is a big soul soother for me)
Beach Walks (earth me)
Bush Walks (earth me)
Give MORE – I already give back to the community but I want to give even more and I believe in giving without telling a soul… so you won’t hear any more about this one…
Travelling – this used to be a given before I worked for myself  but now it has fallen by the way side so need to get back into it.
Taking photos of things that make me happy (keeps me present)

So this is just some of the stuff that really makes me happy, present and connected to my soul. I’m not going to share EVERYTHING with you!

Now since setting this nice fluffy fu-fu goal I have since read a little book call “The Flinch” and I’ve realised I can’t truly reach LOVE without facing my FEARS! Arrrrrrgh so 2012 is also about facing my big fat fears so I’ve made another list. Fuck I love a list….

In Your Face Fear!

Public Speaking (hope I don’t pee my pants)
Sky Diving (hope I don’t poo my pants)
Bungee Jumping (“)
Run a marathon (hope I don’t fall flat on my face)
Do a big arse triathlon (“)
Learn to ocean swim (hope I don’t drown or get eaten by shark)
Holiday on my own
Shooting videos for my business (I friggin hate being the centre of attention)
Starting another business or 2 (ideas are brewing)
Climb a mountain (shite)
Write a book (WTF)

Now I’m sure I’ll continue to add to this list as time goes by and will update you when I do. I don’t know if I’ll get through all of them this year but I thought I’d just put it out there – the things that I love and the things that either scare the shit out of me or I’ve just never got around to doing.

So what would you really love to achieve in 2012? What would make you REALLY HAPPY? Forget about everyone else. Forget about work. Forget about pleasing everyone else. What do you want for you?

Put yourself first for once in your life… I am!

Love Dicko xxx

Ok so I’ve been hearing heaps about this Paleo way of eating for about 6 months or so now but wasn’t quite ready for it when I first found out about it. Although I don’t eat a lot of refined or processed carbs I just couldn’t quite get my head around eating meat & fats for brekky…. eeewww!!

Anyway… since then I’ve been following a group on FaceBook called The Fat Files who have inspired me to give it a go with all their recipes and great information about the Paleo way of life. Basically the Paleo Diet or Caveman Diet is all about eating real, natural foods like meat, fish, vegetables, wild fruits, eggs and nuts and cutting out things like dairy, sugar, grains and legumes. Check out this article for the full run down The 15 Rules of The Paleo Diet.

Now I don’t intend on being a full-on square bear and eating only Paleo 7 days a week. Where’s the fun in that right! So I’m allowing myself to eat and drink whatever the hell I like when I go out for dinner or have a night out. Besides it’s party season and I’m a big believer in the 80/20 rule! If I don’t see the results I’m looking for then I will tighten things up.

Speaking of results my number one reason for doing this is purely for my health. My big fat goal is to completely eradicate my Endometriosis as I know it’s still hanging around a bit and also get rid of my period pains. I used to have horrible pain for about 3 weeks of my cycle before I cut out wheat, dairy and most other grains but now I’ve got it down to about 24 hours. I’m not doing this to lose weight or change my body shape. I’m actually extremely comfortable in my own skin and feel very sexy with the way I look. In saying that though I know that my body fat percentage will drop considerably and I’ll really tone up so I’m going to take before and after shots so that you can see my progress. Now I’m not one for posting near naked shots of myself on the interwebs so I’m really stepping out side of my comfort zone with this one…. Eeeeeeekkk!!  I’m even posting my before shots before I get to the otherside…. aaaarrrrgh!!  Be brave Dicko – ok here goes…

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I don’t intend on taking measurements or weighing myself that’s just not who I am. And I don’t need big guns or six-pack abs. For me it’s all about how I feel, my energy levels and how healthy I am (as in lack of colds, flu, viruses, pain etc). There’s nothing quite like feeling strong, confident in my body and so freakin energised that half the time I can’t keep up with myself

Now in terms of my exercise I usually workout 3 times a week with a one hour PT Session with my trainer and then I do two 20-30 minute training sessions a week on my own. I try and get a 5km run in too. Although I don’t do a scheduled workout every day I am moving around heaps during the day with my clients. I don’t believe you need to “workout” every day, 3-4 times a week is more than enough. But you do need to be exercising every day which can be stuff like walking, dancing, swimming, getting out in the surf, gardening, SEX! You know just MOVING!! Just make sure you’re moving for at least an hour a day which is only like 4% of the day.

Anyway I’m off to a dance class now but stay tuned as I’ll be making a Video Blog (if I ever figure out how to use this damn iMovie) of my Workouts and Diet so you can see just how simple it is to incorporate healthy living into a busy lifestyle.

Over & Out!
Dicko x

Pain was the story of my life. My cupboards used to be filled with pills, potions and concoctions. For almost 30 years I lived in an altered state of being. I mean how could I really be me if I was dosed up on codeine, hormones and other drugs. And if I was taking so many painkillers how come I was still in so much pain? The pain got so bad that I could barely stand. I remember driving one day and having to pull over because I thought I was going to pass out from the pain. My arms went numb and my body went into convulsions. I couldn’t even get myself home.

That was it! I’d had enough. Enough of the drugs, enough of the Dr’s and so called specialists. I’d just had enough. I felt pathetic – I mean I could barely even hold myself up. So I gave up! I surrendered to the pain. I made a decision then and there that there would be no more drugs. There would be no more Dr’s. There would be no more surgeries.

I stopped listening to everyone else’s advice because at the end of the day someone’s advice is just his or her opinion. No matter who they are. It is their own truth based on their own experiences, their own history, their education and beliefs. So I started to listen to my truth as I was forced to deal with the pain instead of sedating it. I realised my body was screaming out for help and so it became my learning tool. I gave it what it needed and I began to evolve instead of just revolving. I had finally broken this vicious circle of mine. My body knew what it needed and food became my medicine, along with exercise, relaxation and truly nurturing my body with love and respect.

Pain used to be something I just lived with. It was a given. I now realise that pain is not normal. That pain along with sickness and disease is my body’s way of communicating that something is no right.

I have made a promise to myself to never shut out the pain again.

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Shit Happens Right?!

Wrong! Shit doesn’t just happen you’ve got to make it happen.

Ok, so if you’ve been following my blog posts you will know that I went through a pretty shit time a while back with a bunch of stuff like depression, illness, an eating disorder and whatever else. You will also know that I’ve done a shit load of work on myself to get to where I am today – HAPPY, FABULOUS & REAL!

So how does one person go from living a life of fear, not knowing who she really is and being so utterly down on herself thinking that life isn’t worth living, to…. being able to see the positive in EVERYTHING, thinking that life is pretty fucking amazing and realising that going through all that shit was the best thing that ever happened?

The answer is quite simple really….. I went through a process. The process of change!

Everything’s a process right?!  Even getting depressed is a process. It’s not something that just happens.  You don’t wake up happy one day to wake up depressed the next. Just like you don’t wake up thin one day to wake up 20 kilos heavier the next.

It’s all a part of a process!

There’s no easy way out, there’s no magic pill or overnight solution. But there is one thing – you can make a decision right now. That’s it! Just one decision can change your life forever.

So whether you want to be fitter, slimmer, happier, more in love, wealthier, whatever it is you must go through the process of change. You can’t just sit there and hope that things will get better because believe me they don’t…

You’ve got to make shit happen!

Now although I didn’t know it at the time but the steps that I have outlined below are the exact steps I went through to pull myself out of depression. So if you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, of listening to your same old excuses, of living a life less ordinary and you know that you need to make some BIG changes to sort your shit out then believe me when I say it is all worth it. You just gotta go for it!

Step 1:  Figure It Out!

The first step of change is all about awareness right? So you’ve got to figure out what it is that actually needs to change.  What is really keeping you stuck in that rut of yours? It’s time to dig deep, get completely honest with yourself and uncover some home truths. Yes it may not be pretty and you may not like what you find but if you don’t start being completely honest with yourself then you will continue to stay stuck.

Once you’ve figured it out take full responsibility for it. Everything that has happened to get you where you are today is a direct result of all the actions and choices you have made. This may not be something you want to hear and I sure as hell didn’t want to believe it but now that I have my head around it, it is so utterly powerful that it gives me full control of my life.

Step 2:  Do Whatever It Takes!

So once you’ve uncovered the thing that you need to change most you need to do what ever it takes to change it. It’s not going to happen on it’s own so sit down and put together an action plan of how you can actually change it. When you put pen to paper you may be quite surprised as to what actually reveals itself.

Tip – figure out what it is you want to change and then do the exact opposite of what you’re doing now.

AND DON’T EVER GIVE UP!!!

Step 3: Just Stop Already!

Stop whinging and whining. Stop making excuses. Stop talking yourself deeper into that rut of yours. If you stop and listen to what you are actually saying to yourself you might be very unpleasantly surprised…

If you have “money issues” what’s the bet you’re saying stuff like… I’m always broke, I can’t afford it, I’m strapped for cash, I wish I could win lotto, one powerball!!!

If you are overweight (now I hear these everyday)… I’m a big fatty, I hate my wobbly bits, I’m so unfit, I hate my legs/hips/knees, I’m never going to reach my goal weight, I just couldn’t get out of bed this morning, I’m too busy at work, , I didn’t get home til….

You get the picture right. So what are you going to do about it?

Your thoughts become things right, you know it’s that whole law of attraction thing. You keep talking to yourself that way and the longer you will stay that way.

It’s time to stop what you’re saying right now and start a whole new language.

When I got really clear on what it was that was actually keeping me stuck in a state of depression I realised it was my mindset. I was soooooo negative it was ridiculous. I hated the world and everything in it. I could not see the good in anything. I hated people for being so happy – couldn’t they see how unhappy I was how dare they be so happy around me. OMG can you believe I even thought that way. Well I did. So that was exactly what I set about changing, my mindset! And it was no easy task but I persisted until I became the person I wanted to be… happy, positive, grateful, compassionate, loving, honest, the list goes on.

Step 4:  Get Angry!

Get angry, get sad, get totally honest with your feelings. Stop covering them up with cake, chocolate, wine, shopping, sex, drugs, tv or whatever it is that works for you.

Most of us were taught from an early age not to show our emotions like sadness or anger. That these emotions are bad. There is no such thing as good or bad emotions. They are all just emotions which all need to be expressed as we feel them. When we don’t feel them we don’t honour our true selves, we become dishonest by hiding what really is.

“The healing is in the feeling”.

When you express your feelings they just dissolve.  It took me a while to get my feelings of anger and sadness out and what I realised was that the anger was just there to hide my sadness. Behind all anger is a lot of sadness so just remember that when you came across angry people (especially men). All they really need to do is cry ALOT!

The best piece of advice I can give you for this one is to get help – whether it be a good friend who can give you unconditional love & support, a life coach, a counsellor, a psychologist, you need to find the person who can help you with where you are at right now. There are so many people out there that can help you. You just have to find them.

Step 5:  Let Shit Go!

Forgiveness is one of the greatest lessons I ever learned. When I think about what forgiveness has done for my life it truly makes my heart sing. And the best thing about forgiveness is you don’t even need to know how to do it. You just need to let go. Let go of all that shit you’re holding onto so tightly. It doesn’t matter who did what or why whatever happened to you happened. All that stuff is in the past. It serves no purpose anymore. It holds no power over you. You are the only person giving it power by not letting it go. You don’t need to do anything, you don’t need to say anything to anyone, you don’t need to physically do a thing… You just need to let go.

After you’ve forgiven the people you need to forgive in your life you need to then forgive the most important person of them all – yourself. Forgive yourself for not knowing how to deal with all that shit. Forgive yourself for being the person you needed to become to get through whatever you needed to get through. Forgive yourself completely.

“You can’t change what happened in the past but you can change your perception of it”.

GET REAL, GET HAPPY & GET OVER WHAT WAS so that you can be the person that you already truly are!

Loves
Dicko x

I used to think that being strong, being resilient, being so utterly tough was my greatest of strengths… I’ve now  come to understand that it is also my greatest weakness.

I’ve learned that being weak, being vulnerable and surrendering to what really is, is the strongest thing you can do.

This is my biggest life lesson and one that I continue to learn…. Or don’t!  It is the thing that sticks with me that I can’t quite seem to get my head around. I’ve mastered forgiveness, I’ve mastered happiness – you’d think I’d being able to master true inner strength right?! I guess that’s why they call it a life lesson…

So I know all this stuff right. I know what I need to do to get there. But there’s a difference between knowing and doing. Sometimes it’s easier to just get on with shit, to ignore what the universe is really trying to tell you and to toughen up and just get on with it.

So the universe has stopped me in my tracks again literally for about the 3^rd time in as many weeks. I obviously didn’t get it the first couple of times but I’m listening now (sometimes I just have to do shit in my own time. Is anyone else like that?) and I know exactly what it’s trying to tell me. STOP! BE STILL! JUST BE!

So now I’ve had some time to be still (physically) I’ve been having a think about what inner strength really means to me. So I’ve come up with Dicko’s path to enlightenment…

♥ Be still (mentally & physically)
♥ Saying no and being ok with it
♥ Giving up my vices that hold me back from really being me
♥ Putting myself before all others and not feeling guilty about it
♥ Being ok with being authoritative when I need to be
♥ Speaking only the truth (even to myself)
♥ Let go of control & expectations
♥ Trusting myself & the universe
♥ Get out of my head and into my heart
♥ Getting angry or sad instead of toughening up and getting on with it
♥ Nurturing myself

Ok so this list could probably go on forever but these are the things that really stand out for me. So I guess it’s now time for the doing, time to put the knowing into action and just fucking do it!

Lots of loves
Dicko x

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Back in 2004 I decided to take part in an INBA (International Natural Body Building Association) competition. At the time I was overweight, depressed and seriously needed a kick up the butt to sort myself out. I wasn’t really eating very well – coffee for breakfast, coffee for morning tea, sausage roll or some other disgusting takeaway for lunch and not much for dinner. I felt fat and horrible and I was totally unmotivated but I knew that if I let it get any worse I would just spiral out of control.

So I needed a big goal – something I could put my all into.

At the time I was going out with a guy who was a Personal Trainer – he’d gotten me into shape before so I knew exactly what to do but I needed something bigger to pull me out of this hole I was in.

At the time he was training another girl for a Body Building comp and I had seen him prepare and compete before too. So I decided that that was what I wanted to do but I wasn’t so keen on getting big and ……………………………………………..buff. So, the Sports Model Category it was.

Right! The decision was made and I was in my zone.

14 weeks out and I had to get from 33% body fat to about 15%. I weighed in at about 65kgs and was told I would need to get down to about 54kgs to reach my target of 15% body fat.

My boyfriend handed me my nutrition & workout plan and off I went. I became an eating and training machine!

In the first month I was training hard every second day and walking for an hour on my in between days. Then my training increased to 5 days a week plus the walking. Some days I really don’t know how I did it as I was in a crap job working 12-15 hour days. I remember some nights I wouldn’t get home until 9pm after starting at 6am and then having to go a walk.

Because I was working such long days I remember taking one look at my Nutrition Plan and saying to my boyfriend (the PT) “how the hell am I going to find the time to eat all that in one day?” The answer – MAKE TIME! So I did… simple really! Right?!

It was tough! Mentally tough. My body coped really well – I was the fittest, strongest and healthiest I’d ever been. I was never sore no matter how hard my training got. But having to get through 3 months without any of my vices (like wine, beer, cheese & biccies) now that was hard.

I can’t really explain in words how it mentally challenged me but it did. I wanted to give up so many times but every time I pushed through it just made me stronger.

I started seeing my whole body in a completely different light. I was fascinated by how it was changing and how my body had just turned into this absolute machine. The more I fed it the more it burned and the more I trained the more my body shape just kept changing. This is when I really fell in love with fitness.

My training consisted of heavy weights and walking. That was it! I was supposed to run or something like that but I absolutely hate running and I wasn’t about to start now.

In 3 months I went from 33% body fat and 65kgs to 18% body fat and 56kg. I didn’t quite make it to the 15% mark – probably that daily coffee & sugar and the no running thing! Whoops!

I ended up coming in 4th overall out of 8 of us. Not bad for a first timer.

But it was more than that.  What I got out of the experience had nothing to do with the way I looked at the end of it but everything to do with discipline, inner strength and belief in myself.

Plus I got to learn about my body and exactly how it works. And still to this day I see my body in an entirely different light – it is like a machine and I know that what I put into it is exactly what I get out of it. I no longer look in the mirror and think oh my bum looks big in this or I wish I was thinner. Now when I go off the rails and put on a few kilos (yes it still happens as my eating reflects my emotions) I know that all I need to do is get back on track with my eating. When I’m in a bad space emotionally I under eat (not over eat) and I still put on weight. It’s that whole metabolism thing right – the more you eat the the more you burn or eat more, weigh less.  I don’t even bother looking at upping my training because I know that if I’m not eating properly then the training part is pretty pointless.

My clients often tell me that now they are exercising more they are finding that they are hungrier than ever. I explain that your body is like a furnace right – the more you stoke that thing the more fuel it needs so don’t be afraid to fire up that sucker. Eat more, weigh less I say!

That is why a diet will never work.

Now I have to apologise for not having my before photos on this blog. When I split up with my boyfriend I didn’t even think that one day I would be a personal trainer and I would be writing this story so they are probably still on his computer somewhere or maybe even gone forever. But trust me when I say that they were truly UGLY! I mean sausage rolls for lunch… Not Nice!

Note: No supplements or protein shakes, just real food and a bit of the sweet stuff too. Oh and my daily coffee which I was not giving up for anyone. Actually no I lie I did take a Chromium supplement for my incessant sugar cravings – something I had never encountered before this.

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Dear Diary….

When I think about what helped me the most when getting through depression it really boils down to just one thing. And come to think of it it’s the same one thing that has got me through all of my health problems too.

And it’s this one simple piece of advice…

I invested time and money in myself.

Yep, I made it all about me and I didn’t give up until I found what worked.

I remember the day it all changed for me too. One of my work friends new what I was going through and she lent me one of her books “You Can Heal Your Life” by Louise Hay. That combined with a piece of advice from another very dear friend at the time; “you can learn from all of your mistakes” was what started me on my learning journey.

It really is amazing how just one small thing can set you on an entirely different path.

I started learning from everything in life instead of beating myself up over the little stuff…. Because in the scheme of things it’s all little stuff.

From then I read so many books – I’d never been into books before but now I was addicted. It was what worked for me. I’d go to the bookstore and stand in front of the “Self Help” section and I’d choose whichever book felt right for me. I’d take what I need from each book and then I’d apply it. Some of the stuff I didn’t agree with or maybe it was just that I wasn’t ready to hear it so I’d just leave it and pick out the bits that did make sense. I’d even read some of the books over and over again. Eventually I went to a couple of workshops that took me even further with my healing process. One thing would end up leading to another. Actually it’s quite amazing how it all works and how everything happens with perfect timing.

The same goes with my health – I spent hours along with hundreds if not thousands of dollars (actually it would easily be thousands of dollars) trying to find the right specialists that I trusted to help me with those lifelong health issues until eventually I found what worked for me.

Not ever do I regret spending so much time & money creating a happier and healthier life for myself.

I actually feel that I have gained out of all this not only because I am now healthier and happier but more importantly I have now found my passion in life of helping others on their path to better health, wellness & happiness.

We don’t all need to spend thousands of dollars just to get better all you need to do is just find someone who has gone through the same thing as you and they may be able to help you in some way or connect you to the right person. All you need to do is be open to allowing help in your life and the right people will come along at just the right time.

Lots of love
Dicko x

PS:  This blog was inspired after someone read my blog about my cure for my migraines and mentioned that they could not afford to go to a Kinesiologist or Chiropractor. My advice or answer was “can you afford not too?”.

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Dear Diary

What the frig is life all about? I used to ask myself this question constantly when I was going through my “life changing journey”. Actually, come to think of it I’m still going through my life changing journey, it’s one that never ends for me. And I enjoy every moment of it and learn something new about myself (and life) every single day. It’s heaps of fun and brings me so much joy!

So, my life-changing journey began on the same day that I came so very close to ending it all. I was stuck in the deepest, darkest hole you could imagine and could not see a way out. I just wanted the earth to suck me in and then I would never have to worry or face the challenges of the world ever again. In the darkest of moments I somehow found the strength and courage to live. That was the day I decided I didn’t want to die.

And so the hard work of turning my life around began…

It was really hard work to begin with and I would get so frustrated as to why I couldn’t just be happy again. I would constantly wonder what life was really about, what purpose did it serve and did I serve in the world? I read numerous books on happiness and personal development, I saw psychiatrists and counsellors, I began meditating, I looked at what I didn’t like about me and went about changing the way I thought and looked at the world. I started seeing the positive side to everything when once all I could see was the negative. And I remember I just kept thinking when is all this stuff going to work?

And then one day it just did!

When I actually let go of trying to make it work, when I stopped asking myself that same friggin question. That is when it hit me right in the face. All of sudden I realised what life was all about.

LIFE IS ABOUT ME!

It is about being.

Being at one with myself.

Being happy, being sad, being real, being love, being mad, being peace, being joy!

Being all that is ME!

Just being!

That is it!

You know when they say the answers lie within, well they really do!

Signing this one off with lots of love

Dicko xxx

PS.  That’s a photo of me cutting it up on the dance floor in our camper on our trip around Oz!

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I used to always say if I could have just one wish it would be to never have a migraine ever again. It has now been almost 10 years since my wish was granted and I’ve been (relatively) migraine free ever since. But before I tell you about this amazing discovery let me give you an insight of what it was like to live with migraines…

I had had migraines for as long as I can remember being on painkillers from a very early age. So many missed days of school, work and life in general. If you’ve never had a migraine you probably have no idea what I’m really talking about. Imagine an axe being split through your scull over and over again or knives being poked through your eyes. It is a debilitating pain and one that is extremely hard to live with. The only thing you can do is go to bed in a very dark room, take copious amounts of painkillers and ride it out. Then add a few more days to get over all the drugs and your zombie-like state.

As time went by I grew immune to all the medication (they actually starting having an averse effect on me) so the Dr’s just upped the anti and started giving me pethidine injections instead. Then I grew immune to them too. After a car accident back in 94 my migraines hit with vengeance and the Dr’s then prescribed epilepsy tablets as a preventative medication. Of course I followed their orders – who was I to question a Dr, they’d been helping me all my life or so I thought. The new drugs didn’t do a thing and only made things worse – I became someone I didn’t really like very much. They totally messed with me and I turned into a bit of a monster. Anyway, a few years later I got to the point where I’d had enough – I’d become addicted to my painkillers and life was pretty shit!

Enter my quest for an alternative path…

After hitting my turning point, I spent the next few years trialling different therapies from physiotherapy and acupuncture to natural substances (of the legal type of course). All of which gave some relief but nothing was long term. Then one day in 2001 a friend of mine recommended I go see her Chiropractor who was also a Kinesiologist. I had never even contemplated it before as I had a fear of Chiropractors and I didn’t even know what a Kinesiologist was. But I plucked up the courage and booked in. I was on a mission!

My first appointment with Justin was truly life changing and it was more about the Kinesiology side of things more than the Chiro side. He asked my body a whole bunch of questions and it suitably responded with the answers. It was like being in a counselling session but without having to say anything. He got to the root cause of my migraines within minutes and I was shocked, literally!

He unlocked a fear that I had deep inside of me that sent me into a massive emotional reaction. My palms were sweating and I was holding back the tears. And I still hadn’t said anything – how did this guy know all this stuff about me? Because my body had been holding onto it for years and finally someone was listening. I cried my eyes out all the way home and for the next few days or so – just letting out all of what I had been holding onto.

That day was like a miracle for me – it was an instant release. For the first few months afterwards I was seeing Justin every week then we gradually cut down our sessions from there.  The only time I now get migraines is if I am completely run down, seriously hung-over, totally overstressed or I just haven’t been taking care of myself. I have gone from having weekly episodes to only a few a year if I’m unlucky. Actually I’ve had a few in the past 12 months purely through the stress of starting a business (scary stuff!).

I have found an amazing Kinesiologist in Sydney (Lyn – who is just gorgeous) since moving from Perth who has helped me get through chronic shoulder pain that my Chiro just couldn’t quite fix. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love my Chiro who usually keeps me on the straight and narrow but sometimes it goes a lot deeper than that and Kinesiology is just a voodoo kinda magic that works for me.

Yours in health & happiness!

Dicko xx

Ps. I am grateful every single day that I no longer have to go through the pain of migraines like I used to.

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