We could both see it coming a mile away, whenever we chatted I felt I was treading on egg shells trying to avoid a reaction and we disagreed on many subjects where I was ok to disagree but she could not accept it. It came to a point where I asked for a time out, told her I would rather we did not fight and that she could take as much time as needed to let go of what was irritating her.

With only days away till giving birth to her first baby I don’t think there will be a reunion of sorts. She has created and achieved what she was after, she is happy, whereas I have chosen to take the long road, a path of self discovery and personal development and I don’t think she enjoys chatting or connecting about this any more.

It’s different to dating a guy, they come and go till you meet the right one. When it’s your best friend that knowledge of always having someone to talk and share the good times, as well as the bad.

So why can’t I just let go? Why am I thinking about her? How can I just get on with it? (and yes I did delete her as a friend off Facebook).

Wondering what others have experienced, and how they have overcome breaking up with their “best friends”.

With so many great acts on the line-up in 2010 how do we fit all of our favourite bands in & what happens, at the end of the day, when we regret the band or act we missed?

As a regular festival goer I have previously stayed away from the Big day Out as, when I had attended, I felt like a cow in amongst a herd of cattle, herded into the next holding pen for a live act. Dismal sound in the main stadium, overcrowding in the than tiny Boiler Room & poor organisation of amenities, it felt like a festival run for money not for the love of music. While I was slightly well done from cooking in the blistering heat I have to say the standards of Australia’s longest run & most popular festival were high & the vibe was friendly.

The day kicked off with local up & coming act Miami Horror. Always great when the crowd sings along to the track as they did to “Sometimes”. Such a great summer track!

Karnivool let loose some of their famed prog rock with the first moving of the head to the music for the day as the body doesn’t really know what to do.

It was now that the tough choices started for me ~ Kasabian or Temper Trap? One of my favourite rock albums of the year West Ryder Pauper Lunatic or the floaty feel of the locals, Temper Trap. The latter won but we struggled with the intense heat in a crowd of people. They pleased with their smooth tunes & I’m sure from this performance, this is only the start for the Temper Trap. After ‘Sweet Disposition’ we made our way over to the main stage for the end of Kasabian. It was clear that Tom, the lead singer, was a little drained form the heat but the crowd were still loving it.

Wishing that I did now after so many great reviews, but did not get to see Passion Pit. Instead chilled out to the Aussie acts of Eskimo Joe & Hilltop on the main stage. It was more like reserving my energy for Dizzee Rascall but don’t tell anyone.

He did not disappoint with much of the 55,000 turning up to experience the distinct Dizzee style topped off with ‘Bonkers’. The crowd were pumping, jumping & moving. All in a day’s business for Dizzee and, as subsequent articles & interviews have proven he is a feisty fella. Not sure he gets our Australia humour, but we love him, loved having a hip-hop act so late in the day on the main stage.

Lily was next & she dropped in ‘everyone’s at it’. Always loved Lily, her upfront honesty & her English attitude. She says she is giving music up, but I have a felling she is simply experiencing growing pains, she will be back. Besides, the music industry wouldn’t be the same without her!

Alas, could not stay for her whole set & was instead spending my time meeting up with people. As Rage Against played in the background it was time for frozen cocktails ~ with actual alcohol in it! la de da!

Now, try convince 7 guys, who love their rock, to head to Calvin Harris to have a boogie ~ it’s not going to happen! Experienced the Mars Volta instead playing with the heavy stuff on the main stage.

The lead up to Muse was long but the familiar radio tunes of Powderfinger filled the void. They are Australia’s band having grown up with them. Their first BDO was in 1994. Seen them so many times but it’s always great to hear them again & sing along with the crowd with such well known tunes.

Since experiencing Muse in 2007 they have been my all time favourite Live act. With their absorbing visual displays, their mixture of progressive rock & classical music, singing along to their lyrics calling for an uprising and their interaction with the crowd this band gave its audience what they craved.  A spectacle, a connection, and live music that resonates. There is a reason why this band has won so many awards for its live performances!

Groove Armada were a perfect way to finish up the day in the massive hall that is now the boiler room. A nice new sound was mixed with catchy tunes that are a must in any iTunes collection.

So, as the crowds departed on the 99th Big Day Out the people, although seemingly frazzled from extreme temperatures, from dancing & enjoying the odd beverage they all had smiles on their faces, helped out their new found festival buddies & waved to the police who made sure they were on their way safely. This Big Day Out was a great day out!

Now comes the struggle. With Passion Pit played on the Hottest 100 or when Calvin Harris’ ‘I’m Not Alone’ plays on my iPhone I cringe, imagining what could have been, the dancing I could have done, the crowd feeding of the act, the energy I could have felt. I tell myself “next year, they’ll be back. I’ll see them one day”. I look forward to that day, to my next music festival!

Michelle runs FulfilThis.com, a marketing strategy company letting the world know about Social Innovation. Occasional writer for Live2U Oh, & she loves music festivals.

It differs from the rest with its efforts in sustainability, its attempt to grow organically by holding back on mainstream advertising & its focus on showcasing art.

Music
As a festival it ticked all the boxes with stand out performances from Lamb (although a little run down after weather induced travel delays), Sarah Blasko, The Bird & Mama Kin on the main stage with an amazing backdrop of the hills surrounding the valley. The Chai Temple, Tiki Bar, Dub Tent, Vic’s Disco & LyreBird entertained, grooved & moved all those dancing. And the workshops filled the void with yoga, drumming, capoeira and laughter.

Sustainability
The environmental efforts of the festival were a little disappointing. Maybe this was noticed by myself as I continue to look for ways to integrate these practices into society. The overall message became a political lecture from Blue King Brown at New Year to bring in 2010 & a smelly inconvenience with the toilets ~ sulo bins with a scoop of saw dust for each poop contained within standard frame a block of loos: the concept was great but the lack of maintenance destroyed the good intention. This isn’t to say I did not appreciate all the work that went into creating this, I can see the intention but know there is still room for development.

I attended a few of the workshops at the Eco Living village and found people very passionate in what they were talking about, but no big push for action after. I also heard disapointment from people attending, at the general society lack of hunger to do something about these issues. Come on guys, its up to us, innovative creative people, to find ways that living sustainably becomes a way of life rather than simply an inconvenience. All food for thought.

Thanks
Peats Ridge Festival was one of the funnest, most fulfilling & friendly ways I have ever spent New Years.
The  organisation was well executed (apart form waste management inc loos) and the vibe was friendly & open. This Festival has the potential to become a landmark event that connects those in the community passionate about the same issues who are also creative, in a friendly way…..See you in December 2010!

Wish list for next year:

• Meditation tent -non religious, just simply to be in the moment, away from stress of every day life.
• Focus on nutritional food sold (other than organic fruit market), perhaps workshop on this.
• Sustability entrepreneurs: opportunity for people in the space to showcase what they are doing. Non-commercial & needs to be done selectively but connects with right people.
• Development of community during year – noticed email addresses were collected but what about Facebook group for those who attended the eco-living workshops?
• Another workshop tent with more information on continuing classes after the festival.

It seems I’m not the only one who would like government to rethink their current approach. I wonder if our government will be able to change direction without recrimination. Please, pretty please….. Guess their needs to be a social push for this change…

What are your thoughts on Cap & Trade?

Recently, a conversation about the reasons & need for Social Media highlighted the reasonable belief that the tools of Facebook & Twitter were nothing more than places where people gossiped about each other and posted pointless babble about what one had for dinner. And Twitter was pointed out as the worst of all for inciting this type of behaviour.

This got me thinking about the value I have found in this tool. Since joining Twitter I have:

• Connected with key influencers, entrepreneurs & thought leaders
• Gained a clearer perspective on an individual or an organisations personality
• Had some insight into the thought processes of successful people
• Shared articles & opinion pieces relevant to topics I am passionate about
• Created or became part of tribes who share common interests
• Re-invigorated my social circle with interesting people
• Demonstrated my ethos, values & passions while carving my niche
• Participated in conversation & expressed my opinion

It is important to point out that I am aware I do most of the above points offline and I will continue to do so. Have I been able to achieve the points highlighted above on the same scale offline as I have online? Definitely not.

The main point, which keeps highlighting itself, is the benefit of mass collaboration, especially by connecting peoples ‘minds’ to strengthen the success of certain projects.

Documentaries such as UsNow discussing the power of mass collaboration, transparency & openness in politics/busness highlight the benefits. Or demonstrated examples of Kiva.org which provide micro-donation/micro-lending, collated from small amounts of money being donated by a large number of people. These loans are provided to people to start their business or to simply buy a cow to feed their village.

Andy Hobsbawm, the co-founder of Green Thing recently wrote in Reboot Britain essay:

There’s no doubt that the internet symbolises a potential global connectedness the like of which we’ve never seen. And this comes at a time when a challenge like climate change represents a global crisis the like of which we’ve never faced. The only way to tackle something that affects all of us is together, so some level of global consciousness is going to need to take place if mankind can defeat a problem of this scale.

So, do I think that Twitter and Facebook are the solution? NO

Do I believe that the tools which exist now, namely Facebook & Twitter, having brought this conversation into the mainstream, connecting people all over the world are an important step in this path to global collaboration? YES

Do I believe these communities & tribes will now start to create their own niches, will diversify, strengthen and empower those who are a part of them that to take action in areas of Environment/ Sustainability, Social Justice and Social Inclusion? YES

Yes, Social Media can be used for gossip, it is a tool that democratises and allows freedom of expression after all. However, it is up to the individual how they use and what they find.

I look forward to the continuing and evolving nature of these networks, new Social Media tools, their uses and the impact collaboration can make. After all, its not about the tool, its about how you use it!

How do you use your Social Media platforms?
What do you see is the future of Social media & community collaboration?

Very interesting speech which explores the balance of the world. Great to watch when interested in Social Change.

Ok, I get it, to reduce our carbon footprint on an individual level, to change the way we live, to limit what we consume, to focus on what we can re-use, is a threat to the Social Ideal we hold so high. It is a threat to our elusive search for success where the person with the most items, the flashiest car and the biggest house wins.

But, what if living sustainably became the social ideal? What if the measure of your success was based on how well you managed the resources you already have, the energy you could save, the organic vegetables you could grow?

What if your standard of living actually improved? If the air became clearer, your diet became healthier, your sense of community became stronger and increased time with family all became a measure of your success?

The observation of our society now, of how we are developed at school and our ‘ideal’ career choices have led us to work harder than ever before.

Have you noticed the cycle of working hard all day in the office, after travelling an hour home being exhausted and sitting in front of the television all night, of being reminded all the things you don’t have on the TV and then spending your precious leisure time shopping to buy those things, to give you that ‘fulfilment’?  Coincidentally, depression and anxiety are at an all time high and, some very sad recent statistics indicated that suicide is the #1 cause of death for people under 35. Could something be broken on a societal level?

An average Australian household generates around 14 tonnes of greenhouse gas each year which constitutes 30% of  the national total of Co2 emissions. An average household disposes an astonishing 4 tonnes of waste per year (not including recycling). What happens to this?

If, as a community, we can work collaboratively on becoming sustainable, if we can create a society that rewards each other for our collective work on this, if we increase our sense of connection to those around us, it will not only improve the standard of the planet but also of our wellbeing and lives.

To me, thats something worth striving for. What about you? Any ideas on how we can achieve this?

Many of us, at some point, feel dissatisfaction with the life we have created for ourselves, with the endless cycle of 9-to-5 existence. We feel disconnected but continue to plod on as “that’s what everyone else is doing”.

Thanks to the Global Financial Crisis many have been forced into a situation of change and have used this as a chance to work out what their real purpose is. I am not talking about joining the flock on a religious pilgrimage, more asking who am I? What do I really enjoy? What are my core values? Are they aligned with what I am doing now?

Most of us have no idea what we want to do with ourselves, nor do we get any real guidance at crucial decision times during education. Now is as good a time as any to gain some clarity!

These 2 resources help immensely to reevaluate, or simply confirm, that the path we have chosen is fulfilling for us as an individual:

Personality Type Sorter: The respected Carl Jung broke down personalities into psychological types. The main benefit of completing the quick test is knowing who we are, accepting it and encouraging it to flourish. Find it here

Example: After being so positive, thriving off the energy of meeting new people, intent on seeing positive social change, it was both interesting and assuring to be notified of  the result ENFP or Champion Idealist.

Second resource:

What Colour is your Parachute: (available in most book stores)

Still the best-selling job-hunting book in the world, What Color is Your Parachute? is the most complete guide for first-time job seekers as well as second and encore careers changers. Updated every year with new examples, instructions, and cautionary advice, Parachute is, to quote Fortune magazine, ‘the gold standard of career guides’.

Of special mention is the exercise ‘The Flower” – an exercise that breaks down what you really enjoy and puts in on paper.

As a wise person once told me: If a thing turns you on you will be good at it, if it doesn’t you won’t”. If we enjoy what we do won’t this cause a ripple effect to all other parts of our life?

Have you ever spent time evaluating this? What has helped you work out why you are here? What were your results of the personality test?

A recent survey by Forrester shows the level of participation in Social Media of adults in Australia.

It states that of Australian’s aged 18-65:
- 23% are Creators
- 31% are Critics
- 14% are Collectors
- 50% are Joiners
- 64% are Spectators
- 22% are Inactives

(see Social Technographic Ladder below for what all that means)

Social Media offers effective alternative to telemarketers
Social Media tools are changing the relationship developed between the consumer and business and people in general. No longer is it necessary to blast an image or advertisement like a fisherman casting his wide net trying to catch something. No longer is there a need for the much disliked harassment of people by telemarketers.

Social Media offers the chance for direct interaction with a company. As discussed in Ease Dropping online, the relevance and accuracy of surveys or focus groups is replaced by Social Media data analysis. This offers a way of monitoring the positive and negative feedback with friends over a particular brand or topic.

Offers marketers a fresh and more effective way to connect with people
It will be interesting to see this new media morph as more and more marketers realise and take advantage of this. After all it was advertising dollars of businesses that has pushed TV/ radio and news publishers for such a long time, we can already see the changes in these mediums thanks to improvements in Information and Communications Technology.

What impact is Social Media having on you? What opportunities are now available? What changes to your daily routine? Are you already a savvy Social Media marketer or are you new to this?

Why do we do what we do and how can we do it better?

This video is an inspiration. I have never been to a seminar or read any of Tony Robbins books but after watching this video I realise why he has made such an impact on this world. He is not a motivational speaker, its more a search within yourself to understand what makes you who you are….

Enjoy and make sure you watch till the end: