Archive for Self-Belief
The Crucial First Step
M’love, I’m here to share the ultimate success tip with you.
It’s easy to overlook the wisdom in this tip, but I really want you to take it in. You’ve heard this wisdom before, but do you apply it?
And here it is. I’m using words from David J Schwartz, in his seminal book called The Magic of Thinking Big:
Here is the first step toward success. It’s a basic step. It can’t be avoided. Step One: Believe in yourself. Believe you can succeed.
Without belief in yourself, all the training and preparation in the world won’t matter. All the intelligence, all the connections, and all the *wishing* in the world won’t matter.
It really is that important. If you can just ‘get’ that believing in yourself is the first step, you’ll then take action in a huge way, and nothing will stop you.
The key is to know that you don’t need to know it all, or to actually feel good enough right now. It’s perfectly fine to move forward in an imperfect way, but with the belief that you really can ‘do this’.
Even Henry Ford knew about the power of self-belief:
If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.
Self-belief is something I coach my clients on when I work with them one-on-one – we can all do with someone being in our corner, especially when our reserves of self-belief need a little topping up.
So, how ’bout it? You can choose to believe in yourself, or not to believe in yourself. What will you choose to do?
Mirror Work for Children
When I attended the I Can Do It! Melbourne Hay House event last year, I was reminded about the power of mirror work, by the inventor of this powerful process, the inimitable Louise Hay.
The process involves looking at yourself in a mirror, looking deep into your eyes, and telling yourself that you really, really love yourself.
It helps you to begin loving yourself and is wonderful for building feelings of self-worth. (For more detail about the process, I suggest investing in the wonderful You Can Trust Your Life DVD set, where Louise demonstrates how to ‘do’ mirror work. It’s a recording of an event held by Louise and by Cheryl Richardson in London and it’s entertaining and engaging, while being intensely profound.)
I thought that it would be great for my girls to start mirror work at a young age, so that they grow up knowing that loving yourself is the foundation of happiness.
So, for their recent 10th birthdays, I gave them each a ‘Best Friend Mirror’.
I kept an eye out for pretty compact mirrors (I eventually found these pink rose mirrors at Lark online, but they don’t seem to sell them now) and made my own insert for them, explaining what they are and how to use them. I really wanted them to know that they can rely on themselves to be their own best friend, by truly accepting and loving themselves.
The insert says: ‘Best Friend Mirror – If you choose, you can use this mirror so that you can become your own best friend. Simply look deep into your eyes and say, ‘I love you, [insert child's name here]. I really, really love you.’
The girls think they’re great, and they keep them on their bedside tables.
I thought I’d let you know about this cute gift idea – if you have a young person in your midst, a gift like this might be something that could help them create a foundation of strong self-worth (a gift that would ‘keep on giving’ over the course of their lives!).
Perhaps this could be the perfect Valentine’s gift for someone you care about? Perhaps even for… yourself?
8 Ways to Actually Receive Your Goals in 2013
For those of us who like things organised into neat, orderly packages, there’s something special about being able to ‘contain’ our goals within the span of a year.
We get excited at the start of a crisp new year when we can say, ‘this year I will…’ or ‘this year I will not…’. And, at the time, we really mean it.
But please raise your hand if you’ve heard the depressing statistics revealing that most people fall off their resolution wagon before the end of January.
Don’t let that happen to you this year.
I’m going to give you eight golden tips that reveal how you CAN receive the goals you set for yourself.
But, you’ll ‘actually’ need to apply the tips! The word ‘actually’ features a lot here — you may already know a lot of these tips, but do you ‘actually’ apply them? (The act of ‘application’ could be the thing that makes all the difference for you this year.)
Here we go…
1. Actually realise that you’re worth it.
To quote Desiderata: ‘You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here’. You really are worthy. Believing this is at the core of your ‘receiving’ success. If self-worth is an issue for you (and it is for many, many people), then ‘actually’ spend time doing inner healing work.
2. Actually write down your goals.
This is a biggie. If you’re a self-development junkie you probably already know the anecdote about the Harvard grads who wrote down their goals being a gazillion times more likely to achieve them than those grads who didn’t write them down.
Writing down your goals takes them a step closer to arriving in material form. It really works. Have courage, and actually do it!
(Check out Jack Canfield’s fab book The Success Principles(TM): How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
3. Actually make a commitment and stick to it.
Look, resistance is GOING to show up. Just expect it, face it, thank it and then push on through it. You already know that long-term change is going to be a bit uncomfortable. Or even a lot uncomfortable, for a while. But if you make a commitment and then actually stick to it, come hell or high water, you can’t help but succeed. Cultivating a high ‘EQ’ helps – see Daniel Goleman’s seminal work on this, called Emotional Intelligence: 10th Anniversary Edition; Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
4. Actually practise extreme self-care.
As advocated by life coach extraordinaire Cheryl Richardson (this concept is also known as ‘exquisite self-care’, the latter being a term coined by Earth Empress Shakaya Leone). If you know you need more rest time, more reflection time, more yoga time, more nutritious food and more healthy boundary-setting, then actually make that happen. Again, you ARE worth it. How are you going to have the energy to take action towards your goals if you’re burned out?
5. Actually keep a gratitude journal.
Please do this. It makes such a difference to your vibration. Be inspired by my blog’s Gratitude Friday (or Saturday, or Sunday) posts, and gently begin to cultivate gratitude as part of your everyday life, in your regular self-talk. When you’re honestly appreciative of all that you have, watch the magic begin — even more ‘good stuff’ (including opportunities to receive your goals) starts to show up.
6. Actually create a vision board.
For many years I was afraid to create a vision board (also known as a dream board – but you can always create a booklet or scrapbook, instead), because I thought I’d feel crushed if I put my dreams out there in my field of vision and they didn’t come true. But I can’t tell you what amazing things happened once I finally got over my fear and actually created my first vision board.
7. Actually measure your progress.
This sounds a bit linear and boring, but it really works. And it can be hugely motivating. I recently gave up all forms of sugar for a period of time (including all fruit, which was a challenge), and every Sunday morning I recorded my weight and body measurements. I didn’t have a particular weight-loss or health goal, because it really was just a curious journey to see what effect sugar had on my body. But measuring results helped keep me on my sugar-free track, and spurred me on when I saw real progress being made. Sure, measuring takes a little discipline, but the payoffs are huge.
8. Actually declutter your home and workspace.
It’s such a relief to declutter even a small area. If clutter is a problem for you, actually make time this month to create headway. Positive energy will soon fill the space, and you really will find that doors will open at every turn when it comes to the other goals you’ve set for yourself. Head here for help, at a limited-time reduced investment.
So, there you have it. Eight golden tips. Will you ‘actually’ apply them? Will you ‘actually’ do what it takes to receive your goals this year? (I think it helps to start thinking of yourself as an ‘implementor’, as someone who just gets on it with it.)
The difference between a person who receives their goals and a person who doesn’t comes down to the simple (but not always easy) act of taking action, even when their resistance is strong.
You are bigger than your resistance, and I know you can do this. I want to hear all about your successes at the end of the year, OK?!
© Joanne Newell, 2013 Would you like to use this article in your ezine or on your blog or website? You certainly may, as long as you include the following at the end of the article: Joanne Newell, of Rich Radiant Real coaching, publishes the Your Abundant Life free monthly ezine, designed to inspire you to create the life of your dreams. For even more inspiration, head to www.richradiantreal.com to grab your complimentary guide called 7 Ways to Recharge Your Vibration & Attract the Riches of Life.
What’s in Your Toolkit?
Actually, do you even have a toolkit?
I’m not talking about the usual ‘hardware’ kind of toolkit — I mean the kit of tools that you keep at your disposal for when life just isn’t going the way you’d like it to. For when your attracting mojo has inexplicably turned itself off.
Comfort eating is a tool many of us use on a regular basis. It’s a way of medicating ourselves, and it sure helps reduce stress. Problem is, it’s not the best tool in the shed. Sure, we get the instant feeling of ‘decompression’ (stress relief) or distraction, but it doesn’t actually take us closer to fixing the problem. In fact, it can make us feel worse, over time.
Would you like to hear about a few tools that really do have the power to help you progress through your issues, and to help bring a sense of ease and flow back into your life? Tools that then allow you to activate the law of attraction in a positive way?
Here are just three of my favourite tools:
Tool 1: Journalling
Easy, really. This involves simply writing down how you feel, asking yourself questions, and seeing what answers flow from your pen. This allows you to articulate how you’re feeling right in the moment, and helps release negative emotions. It’s sort of like having a conversation with yourself, one in which you can be really honest.
A variation of this is to write ‘morning pages’, a process created by Julia Cameron and outlined in her beautiful book called The Artist’s Way
Tool 2: Tapping
The first time I heard about tapping, I thought it was a load of nonsense (replace ‘nonsense’ with a stronger word of your choosing). Really, it seemed ridiculous.
But when I actually tried it, I was blown away with how effective it was. In fact, I now use tapping as a tool with my clients. Basically, it combines the ancient art of acupressure with modern psychology, with you tapping (lightly with your fingers) on certain points on your body while verbalising statements about the strong emotion you’re feeling at the time.
After a few rounds of tapping you can feel a measurable difference in the intensity of emotion you might be feeling about an issue. And, as we know, if we feel strongly about something – either negatively or positively – we tend to attract more situations that create that emotion. So by taking the intensity out of a negative emotion, we reduce our ‘negative’ attraction. Good stuff starts to flow, baby!
For more information about tapping, check out The Tapping Solution.
Tool 3: Calling in Support
This is an extension of the oft-used ‘phone a friend’ option. It involves finding a support person, accountability partner or coach who really gets you. Someone who will listen while you process negative emotions and release them verbally, yet who will stop you when get to the point of wallowing unproductively. Someone who will compassionately call you on your stuff, and who will help you turn a negative situation and emotion on its head. Now THAT really is an awesome way to reignite your bliss production, and bring that attracting mojo back into your world.
See? There is an alternative to comfort eating! (Dang.) Do any of the above resonate with you? Why not give one a whirl? If it works for you, you’ll now have a new tool to add to your attraction toolkit!
Have you used any of these tools before? If so, would you like to tell us what you thought of it? If you haven’t used any of these, what tool do you use? Feel free to leave a comment, if you’d like to share.
© Joanne Newell, 2012 Would you like to use this article in your ezine or on your blog or website? You certainly may, as long as you include the following at the end of the article: Joanne Newell, of Rich Radiant Real coaching, publishes the Your Abundant Life fre*e monthly ezine, designed to inspire you to create the life of your dreams. For even more inspiration, head to www.richradiantreal.com to grab your complimentary guide called 7 Ways to Recharge Your Vibration & Attract the Riches of Life.
Do You Deserve to Live a Dream Life?
That’s a somewhat provocative question, isn’t it? I think many of us would answer ‘yes’, but do we believe it?
Here’s a better question: ‘Do you believe that you deserve to live a dream life?’.
It can be a huge stretch to believe that you deserve the moon, the stars… everything that we really want!
But, I’m telling you, if you don’t really believe you deserve or can have what you want, then you don’t set serious intentions and you certainly don’t bother taking action towards those big dreams.
You get stuck in paralysis, disbelief and inertia, and nothing of real consequence happens.
Those dreams can seem so distant, even unreachable. Perhaps you even entertain thoughts such as ‘that’s not for the likes of me’ or (insert *sigh* here) ‘it’s just not my destiny’.
If you often think this way, I have a tip that will rock your world. It’s kinda cool, and probably not what you’d expect.
Here’s the tip: rather than overwhelming yourself with what feels ‘unbelievable’ and unattainable, for now I just want you to think about what you believe could be remotely possible for you to attract into your life within the next year. Just start with that.
So, instead of thinking that you want or need one million dollars within the next few years, what about $5000 over the next year? Or $10,000? Does that feel do-able, but pretty exciting and a little bit of a stretch?
Or, instead of expecting to have a figure like Princess Kate, how about just releasing 2kg, 5kg or 10kg or fitting into the next dress size down?
But hang on a second. As a *dream life coach*, aren’t I meant to tell you to dream those big dreams and attract everything your heart desires? That anything and everything is possible?
Well, yes, I do tell you those things. And I believe that they’re true. But if YOU don’t believe that they’re possible, and if you’ve struggled over the years to make any headway towards reaching them, you may well need to build your ‘muscle of belief’ before those dreams can become real in your life.
If you really don’t believe that your bigger dreams are meant for you and can actually become real, then the universe responds by mirroring your belief right back to you.
Take it from me (I’ve been there, done that, and own the T-shirt): taking ‘belief baby steps’ stops your subconscious feeling threatened, and gives you momentum.
Imagine the thrill of reaching a mini goal, which then bounces you up to the next goal, and then onwards to those big, overarching dreams that you’ve wanted – but which at one time you’d never really believed possible!
It really is a case of ‘from little things, big things grow’.
Just start from where you are – yes, please do dream big but then break down those big dreams into believable mini dreams.
I often take this ‘baby steps’ approach with my clients, and it really works.
In fact, I’ll also be using this approach in my upcoming ‘Create Your Dream Life’ VIP days.
These VIP Days have been a long time in the making, but I’ve wanted to invest a lot of time and love into them so that they’re a delicious, transformative yet un-daunting experience – I’m not into overwhelm, so I’ve paced the day very carefully and give you a chance to dream big yet act small (at least initially).
If you’d love to join me for an amazing day of dreaming and creatively strategising, head here to discover more.
So, here’s my coaching assignment for you: think about your big beautiful (but potentially scary) dreams and then ‘bring them back’ a notch, into the realm of the believable.
Soon you’ll be riding on a wave of ultimate belief, and those bigger dreams will begin to manifest in the most amazing, magical ways! Believe me!
My Top 7 Takeaways from ‘I Can Do It!’
A couple of weeks ago I attended the Melbourne edition of the Hay House I Can Do It! conference. I love immersing myself in positive, expansive experiences, and being with other people who share my outlook on life.
I’ve been letting the lessons from the presenters (who are some of the world’s top spiritual teachers) seep deep into my subconscious and soul, and now I’d love to share with you my seven top ‘takeaways’ from the event.
I am a huge fan of sharing new things that I’ve learned, and also of sharing the ‘reminders’ that I received about things I already knew.
I scribbled notes during the entire event, working in almost a trance-like state of concentration while I absorbed the messages and wrote the words that I knew I’d want to reflect on, and share, later. (Peak success coach Jack Canfield takes copious notes at every event that he attends – he’s a voracious ongoing learner!) As Louise Hay herself said at the event, ‘I’m a committed student; life is a continual adventure’.
But, I digress. Here are my ‘top seven takeaways’. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
1. Thank Your Bed
Louise Hay, the queen of affirmations, starts her day by thanking her bed, which makes her smile. She really, really appreciates the warmth, cosiness and comfort she has experienced overnight, and starting her day in this way means she starts a cascade of good feelings that help attract even more good into her life.
(Oh, and here’s a bonus tip. Louise also often states this affirmation: ’Life Loves Me’. Isn’t that beautiful? It helps attract good experiences, and means that no matter what happens, you feel protected and loved, and guided to what is best for you.)
2. Don’t Complain, Rush, Gossip or Create Drama
Life coach extraordinaire Cheryl Richardson reminded us that these negative activities create ‘an unhealthy, unsustainable form of energy’. They give you a shot of adrenaline, but they sure don’t serve you or anyone else. She says that avoiding these activities means that you’ll be creating what others want – ‘a high-quality life’ – and that you’ll be showing them that it’s possible.
3. Know that There is Nothing Wrong with You
Robert Holden, the author of Shift Happens: How to Live an Inspired Life…Starting Right Now!
4. What You Think, Say and Do has Got to be One
Suze Orman, author of Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny
5. Use Positive Language at all Times
Doreen Virtue says to use ’Angel Words’ (see Angel Words: Visual Evidence of How Words Can Be Angels in Your Life for more)
6. It Takes Imagination + Action to Make Dreams Become Real
Wow. Don Miguel Ruiz was amazing, and spoke so many words of wisdom. He says that we’re at a new beginning for all of humanity, and that it’s crucial to realise that WE make our dreams come true – all humans are really angels, and our wings are really our imagination. He says ‘Our greatest story is the creation of our lives’. Beautiful!
7. We are all Ambassadors of God
Neale Donald Walshe says we are all ‘God in miniature’ or ’divinity personified’. Knowing this means that we can bring light into the world with assurance and courage. We’re being called to step into spiritual leadership at this time, by ‘going first’, not by saying ‘follow me’.
I hope these messages have lifted you! If you haven’t ever attended a conference like this, I’d highly recommend doing whatever it takes to get yourself to one. There’s nothing like soaking up spiritual wisdom in a loving, safe space, and being able to transform your life from that time on.
Mwuh!
A Beautiful Message from Mayo
If you’re a subscriber to any life-enhancing ezine (including mine, of course!), you’ll know how wonderful it is to receive those regular blessings of love and wisdom, written from the heart to inspire you to live your greatest life.
Helen Elizabeth Evans writes such an ezine. In a recent edition, she told us about Mayo – a special, gentle man who not only profoundly affected the lives of others during his short life, but is also doing so now, after his passing.
I’ve asked Helen Elizabeth whether I could share her (and his) story with you, and she has generously agreed. So here it is, in her words and the words of Mayo. Soak it up, and carry its message with you throughout your day today:
Are you a touch fed up?
Yes, I definitely have my moments when I feel really fed up! I’ve even been quite depressed at times in my life and I meet a lot of depressed people these days. It makes me think about what gets us into our depressions and what gets us out. My experience is that it is about how we think!
The reality is we cannot control what happens to us, nor the behaviour of others around us, but… we CAN control how, a) we think about what happens to us and b) how we respond to what happens to us. I use the world respond deliberately as response requires a conscious behaviour choice whereas our reaction is an unconscious knee-jerk behaviour pattern.
I could share so much with you about getting rid of that feeling that life is awful, depressing or just ordinarily hum-drum, but I’d far rather let Mayo Charles Marriott inspire you!
Before I do let me share a little about him… I did my NLP Masters at a place on the Scottish borders. It was cold and wind-swept and the house we were doing our work in was old and had only the most basic facilities for a person in a wheelchair; and yet there was Mayo in his motorised wheelchair, breathing machine and full-time carer.
See him in the front of our picture here? He wasn’t able to do anything physical for himself (including feed himself) but he did not let that hold him back from growing as a person, from becoming a coach and inspiration to so many others. A couple of weeks ago we heard he had an unexpected heart attack and died 4 days later. He would have been 38 in August.
Here he is with us at the local (and very cold) Tibetan monastery we visited.
Visit his facebook page to see the tributes pouring out to him from those who knew him. Click his photo to go to his Facebook page. It’s below the following letter he left behind, which his sisters shared with his friends.
“If I died in my sleep tonight, what would I want people to think, feel and say? Thank God would not be my favourite choice! The first word I would like to use is positivity, positivity and positivity.
For a long time the feeling of not knowing how long I will live for, used to plague me before I went to sleep at night. The thought pattern went something like this “this night could be my last, so I want to make sure I am awake as long as possible, so I will keep the radio on until I wake up, if I wake up.” I guess the radio was an easy distraction from the uncomfortable thoughts of passing away in my sleep.
Anyway that was in the past, now I am cured completely! I cannot tell you when these repetitive thoughts stopped or how, but I think it was when I had a serious car accident and I was in hospital for some time. I could have easily been killed in this car accident, but amazingly I had survived with a few minor fractures and my life!
When you look at death in the face it ceases to hold any power over you, then you realise that you have to make the most of life. Nobody knows when the Grim Reaper will come knocking, I for one don’t want to know! I think positivity is very important; it is what keeps me alive and interested in all the delights that life has to offer! Don’t worry I do have bad days as well and I am not 100% positive all of the time! I cannot think of any reason why positivity is bad, it doesn’t mean being unrealistic. Think about what you have to be grateful for, do the things that give you joy and pleasure, talk to and be around positive people, you are not alone; other people are going through the difficult emotions of living.
There is an opportunity inside everybody if you look deep enough, and being disabled is no exception to this rule. It can be a tool to teach others that you can still have a great life whatever limitations you have, with the right kind of perspective and motivation.
Having a trauma (emotional or physical), getting injured in any way, or becoming disabled in my eyes isn’t the end of the world, it is the beginning of a new one in which you can find new possibilities, new goals and meaning. Even if your physical condition is getting worse, your personal development doesn’t stop. Whatever your situation is, you have always got the choice, how to think about it, how to feel about it. It is always you who chooses.
I think there is a reason why we are all here living on this planet. From my experience and those of others I have opened my heart to the spiritual essence of who we really are. Don’t look at yourself or others as a disabled or abled person. We are disabled and we are not disabled, because our soul is free, whole and perfect.
Keep positive. Live long and prosper! Mayo“
I could share with you about Mayo’s illness and suggest you might want to make a donation to fighting the disease but I know that he would far prefer to know that he inspired you to change your experience of your life, that his story made you live more fully and joyfully that you had before you knew of him…
Today I was walking hoodless without an umbrella in the rain along the streets of London and felt the joy of being alive, of being able to walk, feel the rain and get wet, the joy of the city around me, noticing things along the way I’d been too busy rushing to notice before and it was wonderful!!!
Sending you love, light, laughter and the joy of being here now!
Helen Elizabeth
Helen’s Elizabeth Evans is the UK’s Premier Life Purpose Expert & Your Signature Brilliance Decoder. Her gift is opening you up to your unique brilliance and then showing you how to integrate it with your unique soul purpose in a practical and meaningful way. Her clients describe her as a powerful alchemist and pathfinder which is testimony to the impact working with her has on them and their lives. Connect with her at www.stepintoyourlight.com or via her Facebook page: Step Into your Light.
Who Wants to be Rich, Anyway?
If you speak with the average Joe or Josephine on the street, you’ll pretty soon uncover quite a few beliefs about ‘rich people’.
According to most of us, wealthy people are:
- lucky
- greedy
- stingy
- elitist
- wrecking the planet with their hyper-consumption
- unethical
- unkind
- unloving
- non-deserving
And that’s not the half of it.
Do these beliefs sound familiar? Popular culture loves to vilify rich people through TV, books, movies, online media… there was even a fun series of ads that aired here in Australia a few years ago, mocking the stereotype of rich ladies.
So, if you say you want more money, but you believe these things to be true about rich people, then why on Earth would you want to be rich?
An interesting discussion point here is: what does being rich mean to you? Does it just mean having enough money for your immediate and future needs and wants, and money to share? How do YOU define ‘rich’?
If we turn to dictionaries, ‘rich’ is defined as having a great deal of money or assets. This implies that to be rich is to have substantially more money or assets than is normal.
I believe there’s consciousness shift happening around the world, with more and more of us realising that money can be used for good, and that rich people can actually be GOOD people.
So even if your current radar is tuned to seeing the negative traits of some rich people, you can choose to turn your focus to rich people who are doing good in the world.
What about Oprah? What about Richard Branson? What about Anne McKevitt? What about Bill Gates?
Even if you don’t always agree with the way Oprah, Richard, Anne and Bill spend their money, their intentions are great and they’ve positively affected the lives of millions of people.
And you can choose to be one of those people who does do good with money. Hey, why not?
As a rich person, you can choose to be:
- caring
- generous
- compassionate
- kind to the planet
- ethical
- warm
- kind
- loving
Isn’t it exciting to think that we can be part of a new paradigm, a community of rich people who inspire and uplift, who are decent human beings, and who know how to use the energy of money to best effect for people and the planet?
(Although, there have always been rich people who’ve given back and helped others… it’s just that we don’t always choose to notice them.)
YOU get to decide what sort of rich person you’re going to be. You don’t have to conform to any stereotypes – you can choose to live authentically and use money as a tool.
Remember, there are just as many greedy, stingy and unkind poor or middle-class people in the world – we just buy into the myth of poverty being somehow more righteous and upstanding.
You can help the world a whole lot more when you have access to money, and your own quality of life can be enhanced by having money – and that’s OK. You’re allowed to enjoy your life.
But listen, I, too, have concerns about hyper-consumption and its effects (I’ve even created a decluttering program to help you shed items that you don’t really need!). I know we need to care for the Earth, but I also see so many brilliant people coming up with inventions and processes that help neutralise our carbon footprint and, in fact, give back to the planet.
So I think we can enjoy material items and travel, as long as we’re giving back to the planet and aren’t looking for happiness through hyper-consumption.
In the end, our meaning in life comes from connection and love, and our relationships with people will always win out over material possessions and external experiences.
So, do you know what kind of rich person are you going to be?
Leave a comment and let me know!
Do You Love What You Do?
Love is in the air this month because of that special, somewhat schmaltzy, celebration known as Valentine’s Day.
I LOVE that there’s a day dedicated just to love. Do you, too?
Here’s a thought! Why don’t we use the Valentine month as a reminder? Not just about the importance of loving people, but of loving what we do in this world?
Do YOU love what you do? Really?
Do you love your work? The food you eat? The places you go? The sports you play? The hobbies you have?
Or are you just going through the motions, doing activities that you may once have loved, but now leave you feeling a little flat?
I probably don’t need to tell you that the universe responds to our vibration, and when our vibration is high (that is, we’re doing what we love and we therefore feel great), we receive experiences that match that vibration.
Maybe you could use this beautiful month of love to check in with yourself? To question how you feel about the activities that make up your days?
How do you feel about your job, for instance? Is it still fun? (Or was it ever fun?) Do you feel that you’re using your talents, and the skills that come easily to you?
I had an office job in my early 20s, and after the initial fun of starting something new, I began to feel as though I was dying on the inside. I was drifting, having deferred a university journalism degree. I thought that this job, which was in the finance industry, might be interesting and secure (and well paid).
Boy, was I wrong. I tried all sorts of things to gain a promotion (well, not EVERYTHING), but it just never happened. My colleagues were heaps of fun, but the work itself was sapping the life out of me.
I’d been planning to take a year off to go overseas with my then-boyfriend (now husband) Darren, and to come back to that job when we returned. But I remember the day when I decided that, instead, I’d go back to university after our trip. I remember sitting at my desk and feeling absolutely elated, and with such a sense of purpose, clarity and certainty. I knew I was back on the right path, and that I’d be studying something that I loved.
Thank goodness I didn’t ever receive a promotion in that office job, because otherwise I might never have taken the time to think about what I LOVED. Now I get to do work that I love, every day!
I still keep letting myself be pulled towards things that I love. I believe that our intuition – that ‘knowing feeling’ – guides us beautifully. If we listen to it.
Look, it’s OK to outgrow something. You don’t need to love the same job, food or places your entire life. Don’t hang on to an activity just because you’ve ‘always done it’.
Letting go leaves room for the things you really want to do.
So, on 14 February, why not instigate a new Valentine’s ritual, and do a ruthless ‘love review’ of your life’s activities?
This could just be a Valentine’s you’ll never forget…
PS I’d love for you to tell me what you’d love to do! Leave a comment below, or email me at joanne@richradiantreal.com. Just putting it ‘out there’ will show the universe you’re serious about doing what you love.
How to Bring Back Your ‘Bubbly’!
You know, sometimes life can seem pretty darn hard.
Everything can be going along swimmingly, and then you realise you feel completely overwhelmed. Or you have a few disappointments, and you start spiralling down into a real slump, finding it hugely difficult to summon the energy and enthusiasm to get back on track.
So, how can you bring back your ‘bubbly’? Your sparkle, your fizz, your joie de vivre?
Just wait it out and hope things will get better? Or summon up the strength to start taking positive action?
Well, you can bet that I’d recommend taking action! Yep, waiting has its virtues, but taking action will make things happen waaay faster.
Here are three powerful ideas to help you ‘course correct’, and start an upward spiral that puts you back on track. These have helped me, and I hope they help you, too.
1. Start with your health.
Often, we get stuck in a rut because we’re exhausted and overwhelmed (this has happened for me more times than I care to remember). All we really need is more sleep, more water, fewer junk foods and a bit of a breather from the number of activities or obligations we’ve taken on. So, let’s do that!
To avoid feeling that implementing healthier, empowering habits is going to add to your overwhelm, try a ‘just for seven days’ commitment – do one small, positive ‘thing’ for your health for just seven days. Believe me, you’ll notice the difference, and you may well be ‘on a roll’ and want to continue with this fabulous, healthy new habit.
2. Become all ‘Scarlett O’Hara’ and think of tomorrow as a brand new day. (Because it is.)
You don’t need to live a ‘groundhog day’ type of existence. Every day has the potential to be fantastic, even if, from where you are now, you can’t even imagine that.
Tomorrow, as soon as you open your eyes, smile and think to yourself: ‘today is going to be a good day, and I’m going to look for evidence of that!’.
Oh, a word of warning. When you do this, you may well notice that your usual ‘programming’ pops up to sabotage you. After all, your subconscious mind wants to keep you safe, and if you’re trying to implement change (even if it’s positive), it may be fiercely resistant. Just thank your subconscious for protecting you, but swallow hard and keep acting as though you absolutely expect positive results.
3. Gain a fresh perspective.
This is so effective. I even find that this technique works when I’m struggling to go to sleep (I’m a ‘night owl’ by nature, so if I haven’t done sufficient winding down before bedtime, I find it difficult to get to sleep). I sometimes notice that I’m lying on one side of my body, going over and over the things I want to remember, analysing situations… it’s exhausting, and keeps my mind spinning!
So, when that happens, I remind myself that I can change perspective and break the loop. I roll over onto my other side, jot down notes that I want to remember, and let myself recognise that I’ve chosen to break the cycle. Lying on this new side, I can start afresh and choose to start relaxing my body and mind.
When it comes to getting back your ‘bubbly’ and feeling positive about life, what if you went for a drive in the country? What if you lay down on the floor (or sat on a hill, surveying what’s below you) and thought about your life from that perspective? What if you did your grocery shopping in a different store? Or started your day with a slightly different routine?
My friend, it’s going to take a bit of a ‘push’ to get over a hump. Be gentle with yourself, but very firm. Your happiness depends on it!
If you’ve been stuck in a slump, I hope that just one of these ideas propels you back along the track to ‘bubbly’!
Note: if you try all of the above and still can’t bring yourself to a state of positivity, you might well need the help of a counsellor or psychologist. Or if you’re utterly, physically exhausted and can’t seem to regain your energy, take yourself off for a health check – see a doctor, or a natural health practitioner (such as Dr Ritamarie Loscalzo, at www.drritamarie.com).
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