Release your potential...

Appreciation # The struggle within

For years I lived an uneventful existence. I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t unhappy either. I was just sort of stuck.
I had a good career, earned lots of money, and I had great friends and a loving family. You would think that this doesn’t sound too bad, but I felt unfulfilled and unmotivated. I repeatedly lived each day like the one before.

I looked around me and saw that everybody within my own circle of friends, relatives, and immediate family were no different. They too seemed stuck. They seemed unmotivated—like they were living their lives on automatic pilot.

I began to question why this was. Why do so many people just accept this pattern as normal, as if this is the way it is supposed to be?

I read hundreds of books on philosophy, psychology, and spirituality. I continued with this for a couple of years until I gradually I began to see things with greater clarity. I began to wake up. Then one day, out of the blue it just hit me, like a ton of bricks.

The key to unlocking my prison door was not contained in any books I read (although they did help me somewhat). It was in my ability to accept what “is” in this moment. So I now I make that choice everyday, I understand my mind is my empire, and I enjoy the challenge of learning about myself as much as other people. I live in the moment in the "is" moment..... I have enrolled in courses, I have opened my world up to change, and it welcomed me, and taught me. I am fully in control of my destiny, and I am truly loving my life, my future!

My best tips to shake up your existence is-

1. To recognize your own ability - know your circle of control
2. Choose to let go of the stagnate you and ignite your inner power, live your best life!! 3.Believe that you are more than enough!
You may find that you are not entirely grateful for what you possess. You may believe that you need more than you have right now to be happy. If this is the case, then you are absolutely right—you will need more, and you will continue to need more.
4.Love yourself!!
You have arrived. Everything you need is right here. Cut out the distractions, open your eyes, and see that you already have everything in your possession to be happy, loved, and fulfilled.It’s not out there. It never was out there. It’s in the same place it was since the day you were born. It’s just been covered up by all the external things you have identified with over the years.

Make a change worth remembering!! It can be small or it can be huge, but just make a step towards your goals....

Take the first step before more time gradually passes by while you stand still stagnating.  Your choice. Your life. Your responsibility. Your power.

Clean and clutter free.....

Appreciating # Clean mind, clean soul, clean living!

How long has it been since you cleaned out your closetMost of us stuff our closets with clothing and paraphernalia that existed in our lives at one point or another—and many of these items have been entirely forgotten.

In our society, clothing is fashion; therefore, it has a temporary moment in our lives. We add one thing after another, and then complain that there’s no more room in our closets or we have nothing to wear. We add, but we forget to subtract as we add. We are all guilty of this, including me!!

I have heard many times before that our closets can be considered symbols of our minds. A cluttered closet could mean a cluttered mind. This same theory can apply to our dresser drawers (or even our desk drawers)—most especially the top drawer, and often the bottom drawer as well.

I recently moved, and this was a wonderful time to clean out those closets. A good exercise is to clean out a closet and while doing so, say to yourself: I am cleaning out the closets of my mind. Take everything out of the closet. Examine each item and ask, “Is this item still useful?” Or, “Have I used this item in the last six months or year?” “Do I have to keep this worn item because I’m afraid I won’t be able to replace it?” In order to make room for the new (whether it’s new clothes or new thoughts and ideas), we must release the old and the outworn. This is true for physical items as well as mental ideas.

I go through my closets every six months or so, and anything I know I won’t use again either is sent to lifeline, or I give them away. It’s no longer useful to me and is taking up precious room. The dress I was in love with three years ago is now a colour I don’t like. Do I want to keep it around on the chance that I may need it one day? Not at all! I’m well aware that I’ll always be able to buy a new sweater when I need to.

I think we should all accept that "we" are the only people responsible in our world for our own growth or  lack of prosperity.

Watch how you’re feeling while you’re cleaning out those closets this week. Are you doing it with joy and anticipation of the space you’re allowing in your life, or are you stuck in the mental system of “not having” and scoffing in disbelief that there is such an abundance in this universe and it is available to everyone, including you?

Affirm: The Ocean of Life is lavish with abundance. Whenever I need anything, I know that it will be provided.

Say No, and create more YES!!!!

Appreciation # Creating opportunties for your GOALS!
“Criticism is something you can easily avoid by saying nothing, doing nothing, being nothing” ~Aristotle

"To be seventy years young is sometimes far more cheerful and hopeful than to be forty years old." -Oliver Wendell Holmes

I’ve written a lot about how important it is to say YES to your dreams. But to be part of saying YES to your dreams is learning how to say NO to what doesn’t fit into your vision.

I recently read somewhere that “The more powerful the no, the more powerful the yes.” This is a powerful statement. A statement that can be interpreted in millions of ways, what does it truly mean to say “no” when was the last time you committed to something that you were not feeling like doing?

I enjoy saying “yes” to people all the time. But as we all find out at some point we can’t say yes to everything and everyone all of the time. Sit down for a second and think about what makes you happy, are you a “yes” man/woman??

We all know people; sometimes it’s even me that fits into the category of not being able to say no! I always hear people complaining about it, saying things like “Its sooooo hard for me to say no!!” I agree life is exciting, I love life and I have a curious mind so I always want to learn new things or challenge myself. Recently I came to the realization that the goals I want to achieve in my lifetime take time, real time and energy, I realized that I had to get real with myself about how much time all these priorities take or will take in my life, it became obvious that the word ‘no’ will need to be used more in my life and hopefully after really thinking about your own life plan, it will be helpful in your life too.

As we move along our path of life, we will come across all kinds of fun and fancy distractions that will seem amazingly fun and interesting but ultimately can take us away from our goals. So today, I want you to really think about what you want and get clear about why you want it. Then, make a list of the 10 things you have to do next to achieve the things you want. Then, look at all your other commitments and start looking for opportunities to say no to things that don’t fit into your dream.

If you’re like me, and you really don’t like saying no, especially to the people you love and care about then you might need to just start with a few “no’s”, as this is all of our predicaments: how long do we want to put off our dreams? Have you put an age limit on any of your goals and aspirations?

Let’s not wait another day! Today let’s celebrate saying no! Not because we are selfish, not because we don’t care, but because it’s time for us to get about the business of making our dreams a reality.

So, what can you say no to today?

Affirmation - I create good opportunites for myself, each and every day, each and everyway!

Grateful for greatness.......

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."  ~ Nelson Mandela

Let’s spend as many moments as we can every day this month being grateful for all the good that is in our lives. If you have little in your life now, it will increase. If you have an abundance in your life now, it will increase. This is a win-win situation. You are happy, and the Universe is happy. Gratitude increases your abundance. What you think about you believe and what you believe you can achieve, think about love, love for family, love for pets, love for hobbies, love is a powerful tool.

Earlier this year my mum and I started our appreciation journal, we both found things to appreciate and would write it down, we found little things to be grateful for, at first it was funny, I appreciate a good smile, but then we really had to think about it, we even shared them with one another  (although her answers were always us kids J. Try it for yourself, you may not be able to do 365 days of appreciation but weekly, or fortnightly, just start somewhere.

Write something to be grateful about each day. On a daily basis, tell someone how grateful you are for something. Tell the shop assistant at coles, or your waiters, employers and employees, friends, family, and perfect strangers. Share the gratitude secret. Let’s help make this a world of grateful, thankful, giving and receiving…for everyone!

Remember, the heart works in two ways. As I have said before, you not only give it out, but you get it back. Let the love come in. Let yourself feel full. Move it in your mind, from heart to heart, from hand to hand. As it goes ’round and ’round and ’round, feel this circle of love.

Today I appreciate – LIFE – an honest, compassionate, caring, LIFE!

Let’s affirm: I look forward to each day. I am grateful for each moment.

Dream big, live long.....

Sometimes people refer to change as this big, global act, as something that will affect the entire world. Attitude is like that. It's the kind of change you can make every single day that can change the world. Just think -- what if we all took the time, just a few moments a day, to change our attitudes? What if we woke up tired and stressed and unhappy and we said, "Nope, I'm not going to have a bad attitude. I'm going to be positive today!"?

It seems to me that attitude has a ripple effect. One person's good attitude can cause another's. Just think about it. If you choose to have a good attitude and it spreads to another person and another and another, you really are changing the world. Some might scoff at this idea and consider it trivial. They might read this and think, How can one person's attitude change the world? Before my quest for a positive,  present life, I would have been one of those people.

Don't wait too long to learn what I'm learning. Adjust your attitude right now. Change it this minute. You'd be surprised how much you really can change the world just by changing your attitude. Changing your attitude can change your life. Changing your life can change the lives of those around you. Changing the lives of those around you can, ultimately, change the world. When you hear about changing the world, don't sit back and say you can't do anything. There is one thing you can do every single day that will make the world a better place: change your attitude.

By changing your attitude your opening yourself up to a new life, full of new experiences.

We are all naturally confident and positive people, think back to your childhood – your inhibitions were limited you were free to say and think anything you wanted, but somewhere along the way, people started opposing our actions. For some of us that meant becoming shy, while for others it meant losing their natural self confidence. The good news is that you can tap back into that confidence if you want.

As I mentioned before, we all have triggers and strategies. We have triggers that make us feel stressed and bad, and strategies to for dealing with these thoughts. A strategy could be as simple as finding a friend who taps you on your shoulder and looks into your eyes, smiling negative thoughts, strategies, and beliefs, you become your ideal self.

You have the power to easily become who you want to be. You see, you are already the person you’ve been dreaming about becoming.

Oh what a beautiful morning.....

Appreciating # Nature

I feel so lucky to get up everyday head outside and sit and have my coffee while watching the sun rise, or just enjoying being still.

Everyday its different yesterday was so overcast here in Brisbane and today the sun is peaking through the clouds.

Nothing is more peaceful, its a great time to mediate, or to write. For me this morning, I had time to play with my cat, she was enjoying the sun shining this morning.

Affirmation - I am at peace in my surroundings!



Change a little learn alot....

Appreciation # Change through affirmations

"Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights." ~ Pauline Kezer

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start,  anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." ~ Anonymous

Have you ever stopped to think how many of your important achievements in life involve change—school, jobs, relationships, births, deaths. Life is filled with crossroads, decisions, and surprises—with change. For many, change is a daunting word. It stirs up our feelings of fear or uncertainty. There are some people who actually thrive and enjoy change—seeking it out whenever they feel like their lives are too mundane/ to fill with routine. Whether you love or loath change, you have to face it at many times throughout your life. The fact is: you will have to deal with change, but how you deal with it is all up to you.

As someone who has been working on changing her life for the past year or so, I have a pretty good handle on what it means to me personally. I definitely have some firsthand experience with change. I’m going through a lot of change myself. In fact, I’m enforcing it on myself these days, encouraging myself to change my life to a positive one, one that I feel accomplished in. As I’ve been changing myself and my life, I’ve learned a lot about change. I’ve not only been through a lot of changes, but I’ve learned a lot about it.

As you probably know, change—even the good kind of change—isn’t always easy, but I’ve found that we all have the power to control how we react to change. Yes, we all have the power to interpret change in our own unique ways. And, more importantly, we all have the power to interpret change positively.

I think affirmations can make our lives less hectic and more rewarding, affirmations are a fantastic way to soothe the soul, and also help friends and family out when they need some inspiration. If you’re sick, and have ever read Louise Hays book about healing your life, you will know that all our common alignments are directly linked to our thoughts, our feelings, for example, Louise Hay states in her book that the throat represents your avenue of expression; it’s where we channel our creativity. Throat Problems can be seen as the inability to speak up for one's self or swallowed anger, or the refusal to change. Louise believes that if you have a sore throat then you are holding in angry words. Feeling unable to express the self. As Louise Hays points out you can change this through affirmations

Affirmations. I’m sure you’ve heard about them if you have been reading my blog lately. An affirmation is, simply, positive self-talk. It’s a statement about ourselves or our situation, phrased in the present tense as if the statement is already true.

Here are some of my favourite affirmations-

• I realize that stress is only fear.
• I release all fear.
• I am at peace.
• I am safe and secure.
• Freedom from stress is my divine right.
• I let go of all tension.
• I use my breath to relax.
• I breathe deeply and peacefully.
• I feel my muscles relax.
• I flow with life easily and effortlessly.
• All is well in my world.
•  I am so pleased with where I am and I eagerly look forward to the future.

Affirmations work to help us change. I’d like to share with you one method to start creating very personal affirmations.

1. Firstly identify what you are negatively self talking about,
2. Create affirmations out of those beliefs.
3. Begin using the new affirmations.
4. Watch your ideas and life change

The negative statements will gradually disappear from your mind.

If you stick with this, what’s absolutely true is that:

• When you write I down, your new life and your new thoughts begin.
• After you write it, you can start reading it.
• When you start reading it, you’ll be able to start saying it.
• When you start saying it, you start hearing it.
• When you start hearing it, you start to believe it.
• When you believe it, things begin to change.
• When things begin to change, you will understand. And believe.

Thank you for being YOU!

Saying thank you is a beautiful thing, sometimes its the hardest words in to get out, we rarely hear it enough, we rarely say it enough... compassion comes from within, sometimes those 2 words (THANK YOU) are enough to forgive everything, enough to appreciate someone who doesn't realize what they mean to you, sometimes its to let someone know you are humble for what they have done!

So I want to thank a few people,

I want to thank all my viewers, all my followers who have been kind enough to appreciate my blog,

I want to thank all those who have commented on my blog,
I want to thank all my beautiful friends, who I never see enough, but who know how much I care,

I want to thank my wonderful mother for teaching me half the things I write about,

I want to thank my siblings, for being inspirational in my life,

I want to thank my man, my lover, my friend for being kind, supportive in all that I do.....

Who do you need to thank today, find someone and let them know you genuinely appreciate having them around!!

SO...

THANK YOU

 

Affirmations -

* I flow with life easily and effortlessly.

*All is well in my world.

 *I am so pleased with where I am and I eagerly look forward to the future.

Love and Laugh...

Appreciating # Laughter and Love

Psychologists suggest that to some degree we all complain because we are looking to get connection from people who can relate to the similar life struggles we all eventually seem to face (though in some cases, complaining is a constructive way to find solutions to problems, by talking it out,  as opposed to a constant need to vent negativity). I feel there is more to it....

When we complain about everything that’s gone wrong, or everyone who has done us wrong, we’re drowning in our self-involvement, we are giving in to the power of negative speaking, and we are creating a negative mood by focusing on things that are going wrong in our life instead of the beautiful things that go so right in our life. I understand that this can’t always happen all the time but surely you all have felt this, or heard yourself complaining more than appreciating?

It’s an epidemic in our life where self discovery and the pursuit of personal gain can leave us feeling lonely and pressured to succeed. This may not be true for everyone, but I know when I get caught up complaining, nine out of ten times what I need to do is stop obsessing about the circumstances of my life, stop recognizing the need to change things, and start to focus on the positive steps towards a bright future I am indeed paving out.

It’s taken me a long time, but I’ve learned we don’t need to live life in a constant state of reaction to things that seem difficult or unfair. We don’t have to be the victims of bad coming at us. Our lives don’t have to be the sum of our problems—not if we take responsibility for putting good into the world.

That starts by fostering a greater appreciation for our interdependence, we all need love, we all need relationships, and we all need friendships. We are not alone. The world is not against us, and we don’t have to be against each other. We don’t have to let our fears, insecurities and wants boil over inside us until we’re all so stressed, and uptight, that the moment we have a moment we explode in frustration and sadness.

You can always find a negative story to tell—some situation when another person was insensitive, selfish, uncaring, unfair, or just plain wrong. You can also find an underlying struggle that doesn’t justify but might explain their behaviour, is it as easy to find fantastic or positive moments to talk about, when was the last time you answered someone who asked “How are you?” by saying “same old, pretty boring, nothing new”

If you absolutely can’t channel that inner positivity you can always find at least one good thing someone did in your day, or at least one thing that’s brightened your week?

When that stranger held the elevator open, when your colleague let you take the lead in your meeting, when someone commented on your clothing or your hair, when you friend thanks you for being you or when your mother called just to say she loves you; they’re all reminders people are looking out for you—maybe not all of them, and maybe not all the time, but probably more than you notice.

So my challenge is – it’s so easy to show or help create happiness in someone else’s life – think for a moment “What’s the kindest thing you can do for someone else?” Here’s my top 10 -

1.      Any deed done for someone else is a kind one when you don’t expect something back.

2.      Accept them for who they are and who they strive to be.

3.      Speak the truth

4.      Tell them why they make a difference in your life

5.      Give a simple well meaning smile.

6.      Spend time listening with the intent of learning. I feel like I get so much more in return for doing nothing more than enjoying their company!

7.      Thank people for just being themselves.

8.      Treat each person with respect for his or her individuality.

9.      Offer encouragement after a failure. Acceptance of even the weirdest things they possess. A tap for a job well done. A “thank you” to every simple yet life-changing encounter.

10.  Forgive.

Good luck with your search for Love and Laughter….. Start with a little dose of appreciation each day J

Be silent, and be rewarded...

I once heard the quote "Silence is the only substitute for brains" it took me a while to think how this really makes sense.

I have a friend who recently did a retreat in Bali, one of the most challenging, and unusual tasks she had to complete was the silent day this went on at this camp for 2 days, and it got me thinking. Silence is difficult for a lot of people to REALLY accomplish. So WHY do we all find it so difficult to be quiet and really listen?!

One of the best ways to get better at silence (Yes this means turning phones and computers off) is through meditation. If we train in meditation, our mind will gradually become more and more peaceful, and we will experience a purer and purer form of happiness. Eventually, we will be able to stay happy all the time, even in the most difficult circumstances. It goes the same with listening if your mind is still you are able to interpret information given to you better. Usually we find it difficult to control our mind. It seems as if our mind is like a balloon in the wind – blown here and there by external circumstances. So when we are listening, we are not really listening!

There is a real distinction between merely hearing the words and really listening for the message. When we listen effectively we understand what the person is thinking and/or feeling from the other person’s own perspective. It is as if we were standing in the other person’s shoes, seeing through their eyes and listening through the person's ears. Our own viewpoint may be different and we may not necessarily agree with the person, but as we listen, we understand from the other's perspective.

To listen effectively, we must be actively involved in our surroundings, and not just listening passively, and waiting for our turn to talk, by telling a better story or by not really interpretation what they are saying.

Sometimes the challenge in listening is being willing to give without really taking anything back. Being willing to let someone confide in you, with confidence that you are going to give them your honest opinion.

So when you are listening to somebody, completely, attentively, then you are listening not only to the words, but also to the feeling of what is being conveyed, to the whole of it, not part of it. ~Jiddu Krisnamurti

The fear of not saying anything, and really LISTENING is challenging, try it today, speak less and enjoy more.

 I often regret that I have spoken; never that I have been silent.

Roman writer and poet.

Think about it ...

XxX Interesting idea XxX

My body is my temple...

Appreciate # Our bodies our temples!

After working on our inner self now for the past few months together, I find it especially important to talk about the temple that carries us in this journey - our BODIES! We cant continue to work on our minds and not fuel the mind with goodness. I truly believe our bodies are our temple... after all we ARE what WE eat!s

The best way for us to keep fit and healthy is for us to watch what we eat and think. Our choices of thoughts and food are the major parts of either poor health or good health. People that are thinking negative or not in the right mindset, will often neglect their bodies as well, this could be through overeating, unhealthy eating/drinking, or the opposite by under nourishing or over exercising. Life has given us unlimited choices and it’s up to us to educate ourselves on what really works for us.

We’re all unique individuals and have our own special needs. So be aware of how your choice of thoughts makes you feel. When you choose angry or bitter thoughts, do you “feel” good? Wouldn’t you feel healthier and better if you chose a thought like, “All is well in my life, I am positive, My life is great".

It’s the same with foods. Do you choose foods with the pretty picture on the package, or because they are "cheap" and then feel tired and irritable a little while after you’ve eaten it? Or do you choose natural foods that build up your energy and create healthy new cells?

For the next week, be aware of your choices of thoughts and foods. You can create good health one food at a time, and one thought at a time!

Hot tip - My new favourite food is quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). It originates from the Peruvian mountains and its name means the “mother grain” or “mother of all grains.” I especially enjoy quinoa flakes. They take only three minutes to cook. They’re wonderful for breakfast. Just add your favorite berries or fresh fruit! I love yoghurts with my quinoa. 

To the Inca people, quinoa was considered their most sacred food. Considered a “food of the gods,” quinoa was also regarded as more valuable than gold. In fact, during planting time, only the Inca Emperor was allowed to sow the first seeds—and did so with tools made of gold. Today, quinoa is becoming one of the most popular superfoods. It’s a great source of protein and it’s delicious.

Affirmation - I am healthy, I am fit, I am strong

Love xXx