People often ask me, "How do you manage to stay so happy at work. What's your secret?"

Surrounding myself with inspiration is a central and constant theme.

Last night I went along to see my good friend and acclaimed NZ artist Max Gimblett. He is in NZ fresh from his successful showing at the Guggenheim in New York. Marcia and James of PaigeBlackie Gallery hosted a simply divine evening where myself and a few select clients and followers of Max's work and life dined in the gallery surrounded by his new work.

Just look how colourful this particular one is! The amazing thing is that it goes with my new ColourGirl logo perfectly.



What a night of coincidences it was - just look how my friend Laurie, and Max, unconsciously matched their outfits. Can you believe that this is the first time they met! I noticed Max's shoes immediately. Aren't they gorgeous!

Max had a similar pair custom made for the Guggenheim show. "I thought, I'm going to have make a stand amongst all these well established artists, so I wore a pair of silver shoes, and was instantly noticed." he laughed.

Laurie and I definitely stood out in the gallery that night - every single other guest, apart from co-owner Marcia, was dressed head to toe in black.

Of course nothing compared to the mesmerising beauty of Max Gimblett's work.

Be sure to get along to the PaigeBlackie Gallery

Max's show White Stone Clear Water is on show 19 May until 20 June.

As you may know, Max Gimblett wrote the foreword to my book "Happy@work: job hunting for mid-lifer's +" The timing couldn't be better - another international publisher has expressed interest in helping me take the book to the world!

Click here to learn more about this exciting new development.

Labels: Career Creation, Motivation, Powerful Creativity, The Book

Victoria Beckham once said she wanted to be as famous as a British washing machine company, Persil Automatic. Now a global name Victoria has definitely achieved her goal - what's not so clear though, is whether she's famous because she's married to David Beckham or is it because she's created a brand based on her personal style.

Whatever the reasons, one thing is clear. If you want to achieve success you need to stand out from the crowd.

You might not want to be famous but odds are you'd like to boost your life naturally and effectively.

You don’t get a second chance when it comes to making a good first impression.

It’s not just what you say, but what you wear, that speaks loudly about who you are and which shapes the impression you leave. Do you, like 80% of the corporate workforce, dress head to toe in black? What does black communicate? For many people black is the colour of mourning; the grim reaper; depression; conservatism; boredom and nothing at all. Are these the messages you want to send out?

Boost your visibility. Stand out from the crowd and add colour to your corporate wardrobe.

Discover how working with the Colour Girl and creating a strong Personal Brand can help you to:

• Create powerful, lasting first impressions
• Increase your visibility and raise your profile
• Build a reputation that precedes you
• Be known as the expert in your field
• Gain and maintain a competitive edge
• Fare better in economic downturns
•Boost your confidence and self esteem
• Increase your income

The Positive Power of Colour

The other day one of my friends, aged in her early forties, told me how drab and 'blah' she felt. She put her hand up to her face and ran it across her cheeks – “I feel so old” she said sadly.

“You wear a lot of black", I said, running my eyes over her black top and trousers.

“It’s easy, I don’t have to think about it,” she said glumly.

“But how does so much black make you feel?” I persisted.

“Blah, “ she repeated, before brightly adding, “The other day I wore a fabulous green top and my five year old was so excited, as soon as we got to school he ran up to his teacher and said, 'Look at the lovely green top my mummy I wearing.’ He loves it when I wear colour, “ she added, "I just lack the confidence to know what really suits me, " she reflected.

Does this sound like you?

Everyone loves it when you wear colour. And more significantly, when you wear colours that truly suit you, you’ll feel better , your self-esteem will soar and so will your confidence too.

Whether it's the winter blues or the onset of aging whip the "blah's" into shape and wear more colour today. You’ll look years younger and who knows, it may even save your life.

Plus colourful people are successful people.


Why get professional help?

Have you ever wondered how many people appear to master the art of effortless style? Chances are they've had the help of a professional image consultant. I know I did!

10 years ago I had no idea what suited me and,like many people, dressed head to toe in black.

The colour black is a colour that only a very select few can wear confident in their knowledge that it flatters. For the large majority of people black drains them of colour making them look sickly, old, tired and dull. Is that really how you want to look and feel?

You may not be ready to toss out all your black but with help you can begin to explore other alternatives and wear a range of colours confidently. You may find, as I did, that the best colour for me was one I never, ever, dreamed I could wear. Orange and yellow have become my signature colours and people stop me in the street to tell me how fabulous I look. More importantly they tell me how wonderful seeing these colours makes them feel.

You may be wondering why you need to see a stylist or an image consultant. Times are changing. More and more people are seeking a life coach for inner transformation, a career coach to help find their best-fit career. And as competition steps up for jobs (and relationships) smart people are turning to image consultants to help give them the edge.

First impressions are lasting impressions - and you don't have much time to make one! 10 seconds at least. 30 at most!

Impressions are formed by a variety of factors - but what you wear speaks loudly of who you are. You may think people should spend time getting to know the real you, but the reality is very often they won't. Time is short and visual impressions are lasting ones.

Anyone can look great and anyone can wear colour. It's not dependent on age, lifestyle, budget or body shape. Some of my most successful outfits cost less than $10. Yesterday I bought a dress for $8 and everyone raves about it. The trick is knowing what to wear and how to wear it in a way that makes you look and feel great. Confidence plays a big part.

An image consultant can help you break free of bad habits and encourage you to find and try a new look more suited to who you are and who you want to be.

Treat yourself to a make-over now. You're worth it!

Check out the range of services, benefits and pricing at www.thecolourgirl.com or contact me via email or phone to arrange an appointment 04 972 4663 or Cassandra@thecolourgirl.com

Does lime make your feel refreshed? Does orange make you smile? Does Yellow fill you with confidence, or white with a sense of peace?

Wherever we are, whatever we're doing, colour is with us and influencing our thoughts, emotions and physical condition.

Intuitively we all sense the healing power of colour. But during times of ill-health, grief, change or stress many people feel drawn to colours only add to feelings of low energy, anxiety, depression and despair.

Few people consciously realise that throughout our lives our own personal electromagnetic field (our aura), envelopes each of us with either a vibrant or depleted array of ever-changing colours determined by what we are thinking, feeling and experiencing at any one point in time.


Why does colour matter?
Colour vibrates light and humans have a physiological response to colour. Research shows that when a person is placed in a red room, their temperature goes up and their heart rates increases (great if you need to let go of lethargy but not so great if you are highly stressed!)

Colour's ability to affect our body, mind and spirit, gives it the power to calm, excite, inspire, balance, bring about a state or harmony and to heal.

Colour even possesses a language of its own. Think of the number of times you have heard or used the expressions such as, "green with envy," "pale as a ghost," "looking off colour," "feeling blue, " or "life has lost its colour."

To a colour therapist, being off colour means that certain colours are missing from our aura or that the colours are appearing in the wrong place or to the wrong degree.


Tap into the healing power of colour and literally transform your life.

Colour is used in many forms to heal and aid the sick, diseased and the distressed.
Here are a few ways:

Visualise healing colour rays
Chromatherapy (colour therapy) is a method of treating diseases by colour. Visualising certain coloured rays is used by colour therapists to treat patients with certain illnesses. It can be used in the form of passing sunlight through panes of coloured glass or filters and by using coloured lamps. Another method used to obtain the colour for therapy is by putting water in coloured, clear containers out in the sun and allowing the sun's rays to pass through the coloured glass into the water, then the colour water is sipped.

Colour healing for medical conditions should only be done by people who are expert in knowing what colour or what mixture of colours is needed for a certain patient with a certain illness.

Red for example is the fire of heat, fire, passion and anger. Because it is a stimulating and energising colour it is used effectively in the treatment of diseases like low blood pressure, rheumatism, and advanced cases of tuberculosis.

Each colour and colour combination has its own vibration - as do people - and making it compatible with individual patient's vibrational energies requires expertise.

As well as being very distinctive visually, each colour has its own feeling and taste. So while one colour would be a good treatment for one patient it may cause problems for another. Over exposure to certain colours may also result in side effects.

To much red energy could increase stress levels and bllod pressure for example, or add to feelings of rage. So colour therapy must be used wisely and only by those who have the knowledge to use it.



Follow this link if you are interested in learning more about chromatherapy http://health.learninginfo.org/chromotherapy.htm

Eat more colour
Some healers like to use the visualised coloured rays only but some like to help keep the colour energies around the patient. This can be done keeping the colour in the food they eat. For example blue foods are used by many therapists to help reduce stress levels in patients. For other clients with low energy may be encoruaged to eat more red - red capscisums, and red cabbage are just a few of the many red foods available.

Eat your way to improved moods. Organic fruit and veges are rich with colour energy. Bananas for example are enriched with oddles of cheerful yellow energy. Leafy spinach and other natural greens are packed with vitamins and minerals and saturated with green energy – great for packing in some more “get up and go” energy or for calming an excess of red/stress based energy. Violets and purples are the colours traditionally associated with intuition or spiritual understanding. If you are feeling a bit depleted in this area of your life munch on some purple cabbage, whip up an eggplant dip or sip on a berry smoothie for example. Violet purple foods also act as a soothing tranquiliser for frayed nerves and for those with highly strung dispositions.

Wear more colour
The clothes you wear can have a dramatic increase on the way you feel. Personally, black makes me feel sombre, depleted and depressed. Others find it strengthening and affirming. Colour is a dynamic energy force. How you feel about colour will differ depending on what is going on for you personally. If life is incredibly stressful you may feel drawn to calming greens and blues. Or you may crave neutral whites. If you really need more get up and go, however, you may prefer to wear more energy by putting on some red or any other colour that makes you feel energised and motivated.

Whip depression into shape – wear some sunshine. Warm colours like yellows and oranges are a great antedocte to the bleakers greys and blacks most often cited by people suffering from depression. Feel your way to a new improved you by wearing colours that feel uplifting, cheerful and expansive. If warmer colours are not your thing, nature provides plenty of other inspiration. Green, for example, for many people promotes feelings of comfort, relaxation and healing. In eastern philosphy green is also the colour associated with the heart chakra. If you are trying to reconnect with things you love surrounding yourself with green may be just what you need.

Live in more colour
The colours we surround ourselves with on a daily basis have a profound affect on our moods and general well-being.

Because colour can drastically affect your mood, it is important to always bear this in mind when embarking on interior design projects.

There are no hard and fast rules about choosing colours. Create your own sense of harmony by creating your own colour spectrum. It really is not wise to go for a colour purely because it is in vogue at the moment - you will soon live to regret it!

 Stick to your favourite colours or group of colours, ones which affirm who you are and how you want to feel, and build these into your overall scheme.

Using colours that you know lift your spirits will make your colour choice work for you. If you are not feeling brave enough to paint your walls, paintings, sculptures, soft furnishings and even flowers can inject some colour simply and affectively.

Smell colour

The use of essential oils can assist, sometimes greatly, with particular emotional issues. When I have headaches or feel stressed I often reach for my green based peppermint oil and dab a bit on my forehead. The headache literally melts away. Rosemary essence is also a favorite. This is commonly used by aromatherapy practitioners to treat physical and mental fatigue, forgetfulness and respiratory problems among other ailments.

Lime on the other hand is a great anti-depressive scent.

If I need a happiness boost, I reach for the expanisve uplifting aromas of orange, manderin or yland,ylang – all of which are derived from plants from the warmer colour spectrum.Happiness blends are formulated from oils known to promote happiness and feelings of joy and is excellent for those gloomy and melancholy days.

One of my favourite happiness blends is made from massage oil mixed with the essential oils of Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Peppermint, Orange, Lemon, and Lemongrass. Be sure to use 100% Grade A Essential Oils, distilled with low pressure and low temperature for aromatic and massage use.

Ideal for physical and emotional support, Lavender as a whole is an 'adaptogenic' essence with a relationship to all Body Systems. It is called the first aid in a bottle oil. Lavender produces an Anti-Allergic Essential oil, with an inherent antibiotic action. It is also an astringent as well as moisturizing to skin. It alleviates aches, pains, and swelling from arthritis to injury to headache. Lavender also alleviates motion sickness.

Emotionally, lavender helps support a calm composure and self-expression. It reduces irritability, insomnia, nightmares, apprehension, panic attacks combined with uncontrollable shaking, stress, nervous tension, hysteria and is generally balancing to the psyche, as well as the body.

Ylang ylang oil has a euphoric and sedative effect on the nervous system. It helps with anxiety, tension, shock, fear and panic.

Peppermint oil is excellent for mental fatigue and depression. It helps reduce apathy, shock, headache, migraine, nervous stress, vertigo and faintness. I often carry around a small bottle of peppermint essential oils and dab it on my forehead to ward off headaches or to give myself a "brain cleanse."

The psychology of colour

RED: is the colour of energy, vitality and power. It is used for burning out cancer, drying up weeping sores or wounds, etc., it will warm cold areas to reduce pain. Red is a powerful healing agent for healing diseases of the blood and circulation. It will help with depression. Red is not to be used on people with high blood pressure or anxiety. If you stay under the red ray too long or are exposed to red for a considerable time it will make you very agitated or even aggressive.



ORANGE: is also a colour of energy. It is used to increase immunity, to increase sexual potency, to help in all digestive ailments, chest and kidney diseases. Orange will have a gentle warming effect if used lightly. Orange, like red should not be used for too long. It is not a good colour for nervy people or people easily agitated.



YELLOW: is the colour of intellect and it is used for mental stimulation, it will help you think quicker. It is good for clearing a foggy head. To help cure dermatitis and other skin problems and again it must be used carefully because it is very stimulating and it could cause exhaustion and depression.



GREEN: Is the colour of harmony and balance. It is good for tired nerves and it helps with the heart area. It will balance the emotions and bring about a feeling of calmness. Green is a good general healing colour because it stimulates growth so it is good for helping heal broken bones, regrowth of tissue of all kinds. Green is a good colour for pregnant women to help create an atmosphere of serenity and calm. Too much green may create more negative energy if there is some already present in the person being treated.



BLUE: is the colour of truth, serenity and harmony, by helping to sooth the mind. Blue is good for cooling, calming, reconstructing and protecting. Blue will help feverish conditions, it will help stop bleeding and it will help with nervous irritations. It is very good for burns. Too much blue could leave you cold, depressed and sorrowful.



INDIGO: is the higher aspect of blue, so it will have all the attributes of blue plus it is very good for the head. It will clear a congested head to allow a clearer path for the conscious to the spiritual self. It is used for the diseases of the ears, nose and eyes. Plus it is very good for sinus. Indigo is a good astringent and it is a good purifier. Too much indigo could give you a headache and it could make you very drowsy.



PURPLE: is also a colour that will connect you with your spiritual self. It is good for mental and nervous problems. It will assist very well with rheumatism and epilepsy. Helps with pain, is used in deep tissue work and helps heal the bones. Too much purple and you don't tend to live in this world.



LAVENDER: is the colour of equilibrium, it helps with spiritual healing. It is used as a tranquilliser and it will aid sleep. It is a colour of replenishing and rebuilding. It is like a tonic for the body. Too much will make you very tired and disoriented.



WHITE: is the colour of purity. It will purify the body on the highest levels. It is the highest charging field to bring peace and comfort at the highest level. White is the best reliever of pain.



SILVER: is the colour of peace and persistence. It is the major purging colour so it is very good for removing unwanted diseases and troubles from the body. It is best for cancer of tissue and blood.

GOLD: is the strongest colour to help cure all illness. It is so strong that many people are not able to tolerate it, so people have to be conditioned to gold over a period of time.

Gold strengthens all fields of the body and spirit.



BLACK: is a colour that is not used very often but some people believe it will help bring a patient to a state of grace, and that it will help them reach the silence and the peace of God. Perhaps this explains why many religious figures were drawn to black. To much black can add to feelings of depression and isolation.