…lies within you!
Do you ever look in the mirror and smile at yourself with a big cheese-eating grin and think “mmmmm I could just kiss you. You are SO delicious?”
Or do you notice when you’ve survived a couple of challenging days, that not only are you still right side up, but you are also feeling proud of yourself?
Ever think to give yourself a pat on the back? Treat yourself? Share how good you feel with someone else?
Or do you find yourself lost in the day to day hubub of demands and deadlines, feeling you need to spin and toil in every moment.
Even when you feel good about some accomplishment, you probably brush off feeling good about yourself, and instead grab your to-do list.
Your attention focused on what’s next!
And then wonder why you are so often out of sorts.
I’m guilty of this myself.
I forget the value of slowing down, getting still, settling in comfortably somewhere and just being.
I know resetting my batteries will enable me to be more productive.
And often I forget that…
- Noticing the good in my life and uplifts my peace of mind?
- Being Aware of myself living each day contributes to sleeping well and resting easily
- Learning to listen to my mind and body can bring immediate relief from anxiety
- Creating regular alone time for myself increases my productivity and sense of happiness.
You’ve read all the studies that say gratitude makes your mind a happier place to live.
You know that when your brain is flooded with good feeling thoughts there are neuro-chemicals that cascade through your body causing you to feel satisfaction, to think clearly and feel peaceful.
But sometimes it’s hard to get to the gratitude feelings when we’re in high gear.
So what better time is there than these sultry hot summer days, to sit outside put your feet up and take a deep breath?
Try this Simple Practice of Listening.
Imagine yourself…
You are sitting in the garden, listening to all the sounds around you. You can hear people talking, a car horn beeps, a lawn mower rumbles along, in the distance there is the hum of traffic.
It’s all a bit jarring.
You close your eyes and try to find the subtlest sound there is around you.
You hear a bird tweeting, a gentle breeze rustles through the trees and shrubs, both catch your attention.
You still can hear all the loud noises but keep your concentration on choosing a subtle noise.
Listen for a sound so subtle, that you cannot be aware of it unless you focus your awareness towards it.
Consciously relax your body, feel yourself right here, right now.
Now, give yourself a moment or two to really strain toward the quieter sound and all of a sudden if you focus your awareness, the jarring noises will disappear into the distance as the subtle sound you are focusing on is front and centre of your attention.
You feel your breathing slow and your shoulders drop. This is a simple technique to train the mind to focus in on the quiet, into the spaces so that the noise of our thoughts becomes secondary.
So many people try to shut down their thoughts and thinking and complain they can’t meditate.
Because, you are trying to do the impossible…the mind ALWAYS thinks – 60,000 thoughts a day pass through our minds… we don’t have a chance to avoid them all. But we can search for and discover the quiet thats in there with all the thinking, and make that our focus.
It is a PRACTICE though, and it needs to be repeated until you find some comfort and achievement in it, and then that’s when you begin to feel the real pleasure of the silent spaces.
Remind Yourself of Your Gifts
Each one of us have gifts that are precious things.
Our gifts are not always meant to be in play all at the same time.
Some days I am a better friend, creative or nurturer than others.
Some days I get so much done I wonder if the day had 36 hours instead of 24.
Other days I can barely get through 24 hours in one piece.
Nothing wrong with that!
If you let it be OK. If you let it simply be another day.
You can always begin again, wherever you are.
You can always find something about yourself to be satisfied with if you remember to look.
You can still give yourself silence and call your gratitude to you.
The magic of gratitude and silence come when we allow our gifts to be woven loosely yet strongly into the ebb and flow of our days. When you are quiet, you can remember those gifts and the joys of your life.
So write them down regularly, speak them out loud, hold them close, share them with another.
Simply remember to commit to them in the best way that you can.
Work with me
Are you looking for the next steps and some support and guidance to help you improve your life and accomplish more of what you truly desire!
You may not know exactly what you want, you may simply have a lump in your throat, or your heart pounds in your chest, and you wonder: “What’s wrong with me? Why am I this way? Why can’t I figure this out? How much more do I have to do?”
But, you do know you’re ready for something more!
Here’s your chance to stop settling, to discover and create what it is you really want in your life.
Let’s just talk and see how we can work together, so you can discover and claim what your heart longs for .