Finding your mojo again

It is a funny thing how as we get older, we tend to let life and its stresses overcome us and distract us from the very activities that keep us sane. As we gain balance and return to some sense of normality, we continue on our journey and don't seem to pick up our sanity buffers again. We either just forget about them and then one day we start listening to some music we haven't heard for a while, and wonder when did we decide to stop listening to this in the first place?
I've had a few moments like these over the years. Slowly, I'm learning to pick up my sanity buffers again and retain them this time. I don't recall giving myself permission to dump them in favour of stress, but yet I know it happened along the way. What is lovely however, is rediscovering the joy of why you liked doing something in the first place.
While on facebook I noticed this great link to 'finding your voice again' by Tara Sophia Mohr. It echoes what has sometimes occurred in my own life, in relation to art, and is worth reading. It's good to question your mindset and give yourself a chance to reset it if you find it isn't working for you. Finding your mojo again is part of living a happy life.
LINK - http://taramohr.com/2011/01/getting-your-voice-back/

Getting in the right frame of mind

It's Monday. Most people associate the day Monday with going back work, school, beginning a tough week...generally it is quite negative. I woke up thinking 'another week' and then thought, 'what if this week was fantastic?'. Not a common thought I know, but what if? What if this was the most amazing week and it turned out Monday became the best day ever?
How could I repeat it if Monday suddenly became associated with the opportunity to have a great week? Perhaps by just waking up and considering the first thought that came into my head, I could alter the whole perspective process on this day. So today is an experiment. It is Monday. I'm thinking positively and resisting the urge to say 'urgh, Monday' and going with the 'great! Monday!' vibe instead. Let's see what happens! : )

Do you see things clearly?

Check out the link and see what you think about it. Isn't it funny how many times perception comes up when dealing with coaching? Life really is about how you perceive things to be. You create your own reality and continue to see what you what to see, what you put your attention on.
Is it any surprise then when you step outside for a moment to see the bigger picture, that you end up with an 'AH HA!' moment? It is easy for life to get in on us and blur our vision to the point where we can't see what is really in front of us. Some days it is crystal clear, and in those moments of clarity life is wonderful. With conscious effort though, taking the time to see the full picture as much as possible would help those sweet moments of clarity become more frequent. Helpful reminders in the link attached, at least remind you that it's easy to sleepwalk! : )

Happiness is Contagious

www.imcontagious.com
This little site came to my attention recently via a link sent by a friend. The original link was focusing on how the media have a strong tendancy to lean on the side of fear when reporting the news. This is evident in the curious answer of a news reporter to a question about when was the last time a story of hope similar to the Chilian miners had so much coverage. His response was, Apollo 13...back in the 1970s.
It is a curious thing that often good news isn't reported. It tends to be more about what jobs are going down the shoot and then kind of leaps on from there. Imagine how much more energy you could generate for yourself by hearing some news that focused on hope and happiness?
Either way, one daily thought on a happy note might be a good place to start! :)

Being an Artist

Born like an Artist - by a Norwegian artist called IdaEva (Jellyvampire.deviantart.com)

A rare little jem of a comic, which simply, beautifully and gently embraces the ups and downs of realising your artistic mind. Creativity is a wonderful thing, and all too often we either suppress it or ignore it or try to fit it into a shape that simply doesn't work.
Visit the link to give your soul a rest and enjoy! : )

Poetic approach to changing habits

I came across this beautiful little story/poem on a site recently and had to share.

There’s A Hole In My Sidewalk

(Autobiography in Five Chapters)
By Portia Nelson
(1) I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost ... I am hopeless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

(2) I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I'm in the same place.
But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

(3) I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in ... it's a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

(4) I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

(5) I walk down another street.

Life happens when you're busy making plans

It's been January since I last blogged on this spot. I had a number of amazing plans for the site, for the blog and for advertising my business. In fact, the year was planned for great things, ranging from really pushing my coaching to branching out and learning new skills and developing existing ones.
The sky, so to speak, was the limit.
Then a close family member became ill. They'd been ill for some time, but were managing to get through their routines, their life and their daily existence with a good sense of gusto. In January it just went rapidly downhill. February, they finally passed away to a new journey and hopefully new adventure.
In the blink of an eye all the lovely plans just became null and void. Life and family became the focus. There was no room for business, no room for hobbies and no room for plans. The future was put on hold. It was simply a case of living day to day with doing the best you can and dealing with the various emotions creeping up from grief.
On top of all this, suddenly living arrangements changed. A move of house was on the cards, an unplanned move. The energy hadn't fully returned and this now demanded a lot of attention and time. Throw in a husband studying an intensive course while just having changed jobs and you can see the stress levels were pretty high!
It is now the end of April, and I'm amazed how for nearly four months, I've managed to cope. Things become sharper, they become clear in terms of what is important and what isn't. In a way that clarity removes a lot of drama, excess baggage and uneccessary things that you might have ordinarily put up with.
The last while has been a roller coaster of emotions and feelings to say the least, but only now can I begin to see that the journey has developed my character. It's nice to see a clearer glade ahead where I can relax and gather my energy again and find out how this new character development fits into the bigger picture of who I am.
Sure I want to have plans, I want to plan ahead in some way and have a focus and direction. I just don't want it to be so misguided that the important things get overlooked and only focused upon when a death occurs or someones ill. I want to enjoy life, enjoy planning and just roll with it all. I'm going to start by taking a walk on the beach while the sun is still out...we'll see how the rest of it goes! : )