About: Haley Johnson
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- There's never been a time in my life where I haven't wanted to write. Since the first moment I learnt how, words have been my compulsion. I'd write diaries, letters, stories, poems (albeit quite terrible ones!) and then studied journalism at uni. Now I copywrite for a living and get to write everyday. So when I was given the opportunity to write for an inspiring publication like Map, one that aims to inject optimism and spirit into Brisbane readers, I was thrilled. I'm also passionate about health and wellbeing so this is my focus as a guest editor!
Articles from Haley Johnson follow:
If you’ve ever entertained the thought of writing a novel but can’t get past enemy number one, procrastination, there might be a way to bang out a book in one month. According to self-help book 
The last few weeks have been some of the most disconcerting of my life. I realised for the past five or six years I’ve let my job define who I am. Until one Friday morning in March I had a ‘nine-to-five’ job that consumed most of my day, paid the bills and gave me reason to wake up at an ungodly hour. I’ve been on fast forward since I left university. So now my time’s not filled with emails, phone calls and urgent briefs I’ve got four quiet walls whispering who are you? I now realise I wasn’t fulfilled in my previous job but was just riding the merry-go-round that was my life. It’s a growing trend that we work more, socialise less and are so time deprived that we’re not allowing ourselves to just exist. If you’ve ever been forced to confront yourself and ask what does it take to truly be happy you might be interested in the 2nd International Conference on Happiness & Its Causes. Featuring His Holiness the Dalai Lama and 50 key speakers from fields ranging from psychology to science, philosophy and religion, this two-day event is set to tackle an age-old question. 
I’ve seen this cute message on bookmarks, wallet cards, inspirational gift cards and even scrawled on the back of a toilet door once. I’ve been thinking a lot about dancing lately because I’ve been asked, as a bridesmaid at my friend’s wedding, to do the bridal waltz! It sent me into a mad panic because I’ve always had two left feet and although my partner in the bridal party says nothing embarrasses him, I’m starting to wonder if he’ll be eating his words in two days from now! I think the expression dance like no one’s watching is not so much about dancing at all, but rather about feeling free to express yourself without self-consciousness. I think this is possibly the greatest gift of all and one that I’m yet to master, so I’ll keep reading this line wherever it appears and I’ll look forward to the day when I’ll dance like no one’s watching. In the meantime it’s probably a good idea that I put on a brave face and take some dance classes so that I’m better prepared for my own wedding that’s just months away! If you’re looking for something to do on a Friday night and unlike me have the gift of rhythm head to Little Stanley Street at South Bank for free salsa dancing. It’s hosted by DJ Latin Flavour who brings the scene alive with funky Latin tunes, which together with colour and movement make a mesmerising atmosphere. If like me you’re not yet up to scratch and can’t yet dance like no one’s watching go anyway because it’s magical to watch! Visit 
If your Easter’s not taken up with sun, sand and surf this year (sob, sob) you might like to enjoy a free music festival right here in Brisbane. The Caxton Hotel is hosting The Big Arvo In Easter Music Festival on Sunday April 8 with nine eclectic Brisbane bands scheduled to lift the roof. The line-up includes My Ninja Lover, Hot Liquid Sex, Palimpsest, Elation, Dead Day Sun, Driving Conditions, Shane Wilkinson, Jazz Australis and De Jah Dan Dah. This year there’s obviously something for everyone’s taste from smooth jazz to rock, pop, electronica, beats, funk and more! So all is not lost if you’re stuck in Brisbane for Easter, especially if you’re a music lover! For more information contact Renee Armstrong on (07) 3369 5544 or visit 
The last Friday of April every year is Wish Day, a day created by the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help make wishes come true for children who have a life threatening illness. In 2006, across Australia, $250,000 was raised through merchandise sales and donations, which put huge smiles on children’s faces as they realised their wish had come true! This year there will be magical flashing wands, stylish pens and memorable magnetic frames, so if you see the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s merchandise around town make sure you give generously to this awesome cause. If you have time, you can also volunteer by holding a fundraising event or selling the merchandise around Brisbane. You can also make a donation by calling 1800 947 437 or find out more by visiting 
The 
Gone are the days when vegetarians shrieked in horror at the thought of a great Aussie barbeque thanks to stores like 
I’d never even heard of the term ghost net until I read about the Carpentaria Ghost Net Programme (CGNP), which has been established to rid the ocean of abandoned fishing nets that kill Australia’s marine life. Originally set up to catch fish, these nets are often discarded and indiscriminately destroy protected species, turtles, dolphins, whales and many other sea creatures. Sea rangers in Queensland’s north say they’ve had the unfortunate experience of finding injured turtles washed up on beaches with these nets tangled around their bodies. I was shocked to discover that the largest of these ghost nets, a Taiwanese gill net, weighed five tonnes and was four kilometres in length and 12 metres deep! This is enormous, but according to the CGNP in parts of the world these nets have been reported to be two to three times this size! The CGNP aims to clear the nets from the Gulf coastline and stop them re-entering the ocean; collect information and lobby to stop fishing nets becoming ghost nets; and build the Indigenous Rangers’ capacity to continue working on this important environmental issue long after the project is finished. If you’d like more information on this project visit www.ghostnets.com.au.
If you love to read and would like to share the experience with other booklovers just like you, The Big Book Club is probably right up your alley! This South Australian phenomenon has just established a Queensland club this month and it kicks off with The Unknown Terrorist by the highly regarded Australian author Richard Flanagan.
Have you ever wondered how many steps you take in a day? The recommended steps for the average healthy adult is about 10,000 from waking until going to bed, which sounds like a marathon to me. So I decided to test it out with the free pedometer attached to the latest issue of the 
Here’s a business that takes the surprises out of dining out! Now by surprise I don’t mean the kind where you’re overwhelmed by a friend’s thoughtful gesture of taking you out. The surprise I’m talking about goes a lot more like… surprise the food is terrible or surprise there’s no vegetarian options or surprise this is the most expensive menu I’ve ever seen! Who couldn’t do without these nasty little surprises?! This website is great news for those fussy eaters among us (I’m certainly no exception) and makes sense for people with special dietary needs. So before you book your next dinner out with family and friends check out 
A poor man, Depa, once found an enormously valuable jewel.
If you’re the energetic type and like to mix fun with a bit of exercise the Slam Volleyball Festival might be for you! This year the Brisbane festival will be held in the Queensland Academy of Sport Centre (QASC) at Nathan on Saturday March 17. You can expect more than a little friendly competition though, as live music by popular Brisbane DJs, including The Stafford Brothers (Family), Baby Gee (GPO), Dope and Dusted (Monastery), will rock the event and get the after party started. There’s also a beach fashion theme and this year it’s the fantasy of uniform so let your imagination run wild! It costs $30 per person or $180 for a volleyball team to register and every competitor receives a gift pack containing a pair of Havaianas, a Vodafone bag and other freebies! 
For my first real job after graduating uni I was asked to write a one-page essay on who inspires me as part of the recruitment process. I filled that page quickly with rantings about the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso. Despite this I still managed to get the job! But seriously, this is the person who was the first Dalai Lama to spread Buddhism to the West, who continues to promote the ideal of a free Tibet and who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. He’s certainly been my therapy whenever life got me down and wrote the only book I’ve read so many times I’ve lost count – that’s The Art of Happiness. So you can imagine my excitement and surprise when I discovered he’s touring Australia in June this year! The only problem is he’s teaching only in Melbourne and the tickets to the four Buddhist Teachings and Blessing sessions are sold only as a package covering the three days for $300. So a quick calculation for airfares, accommodation and tickets soon adds up to a grand total of about $1000! But my disappointment dissipated when I realised His Holiness is holding a free public talk on ‘Compassion and Kindness’ at our very own Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Wednesday June 13! 
If you’re depressed or feeling stressed, try a workout that doesn’t require physical exertion (though many studies show exercise improves mood too) by flexing your mind muscles in the 
Wallpaper isn’t as popular in Australia as it is in parts of the UK and USA but I just love it for the vibrancy it adds to a room! Could this have something to do with my English upbringing? Possibly, but having recently built a new house I’m keen to have one wall covered in it as a feature. I was even more passionate about my cause when I discovered Mod Green Pod, a terrific business that sells environmentally and people-friendly wallpaper and fabric designs! The only problem being they are based in America! The idea for this boutique business came about when Boston based sisters-in-law Nancy and Lisa Mims couldn’t find home textiles and wallpapers that were both modern and safe. They refused to accept one without the other and this cute company was born. When you consider that conventional cotton production uses 25% of the world’s insecticides and 10% of the world’s pesticides but only takes up 3% of the world’s cropland, it’s quite astonishing. 
An Australian has won a global brief posted on 
Nutrition education website 
The perfect reversal of the age-old adage that if something tastes good it’s got to be bad for you has been turned on its head by Roger Corder’s new book The Wine Diet. The book claims that moderate amounts of red wine and dark chocolate are beneficial to health and even increase longevity. Now for the sceptics out there, you’ll be pleased to know that the author is no quack but is an internationally respected cardiovascular researcher from London’s 
Seeing red, tickled pink, feeling blue – have you noticed how often we use colour to describe our emotions? It turns out these aren’t just flowery descriptions either, because colour is reflective of and can manipulate our emotional state. Colour therapy, also known as chromotherapy, is a form of healing that has its origins in ancient Egypt. Today alternative health practitioners use colour as a healing tool to balance energy where it may be lacking in the body, whether physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually. It seems our attraction to certain types of colours may be influenced by an imbalance in our body and can even highlight certain personality traits. Scientists who have studied light acknowledge that colours can bring about emotional responses. Dr Max Lûscher’s work inspired the creation of the 
