The Miracle of Gratitude

Practicing gratitude is a simple, yet very effective way of re-wiring those negative connections we all have in our brains. Being thankful also helps us to step away from our own egos, to be less self centered and to reflect on our relationships with others and the world around us. 

But I've Got Nothing To Be Grateful For

Years ago, when I was first introduced practicing gratitude, I couldn't think of any reason to be thankful. I was in a bad place mentally and emotionally. I thought the world was against me. I was so consumed by my own issues and perceived problems that I didn't want to see a way out, in fact I wasn't even prepared to!

Looking back, I can't remember the specific issues that were holding me down, yet at the time they felt insurmountable. Now it seems ludicrous that I held something I now no longer remember in such high regard.

How Gratitude Changed My Life

The breakthrough happened when I was asked to reflect back on my day. The only positive thing I could think of was that my cat had come over to me to say hello. I was thankful for that and only that, because I couldn't see that anything else good had happened that day.

I was asked to stay with the feeling of being greeted by my cat and as I explored this, a very subtle yet powerful shift occurred. I felt thankful Robbie had chosen me to say hello to and humbled by his generous action. I wondered if he picked up on the fact that I might need cheering up and then I wondered why no one else had cheered me up or lent me a sympathetic ear. It didn't take too long to realize that, because I kept everything inside and hidden away, no one would have even the slightest clue that I could do with a sympathetic ear. 

Suddenly I was thankful for my loved ones, who would have been there for me had I let them. From this view point I was able to list many other reasons to be thankful - my job, having a roof over my head, my health and so on.

Goodnight, Gratitude

Now I practice gratitude regularly, it helps me reflect and reconnect with those small daily occurrences that can often mean the most. It helps me to re-frame the negative and I find I sleep better too when I practice gratitude at bed time. Every night, before falling to sleep, I make a point of sending out my thanks to those I know and love. 

Does sending out positive thoughts make a difference? I'm certain that doing anything with a good, pure and positive intention is infinitely better than doing nothing at all.

What have you got to be thankful for today? 

Mindfulness - The Multi Sensory Approach

I know you're going to enjoy the following meditation exercise I have put together for you. Multi Sensory Mindfulness is a fantastic method of achieving new levels of calm and insight.

But before we begin, lets dive into what Mindfulness is and why the Multi Sensory approach super-hacks your practice.

Why Mindfulness is so Important

Mindfulness was created in 1979 by the American professor Jon Kabat-Zinn. Mixing psychology and Buddhism, Mindfulness emerged as a stress reduction program at the University of Massachusetts.

Through regular practice and training, mindfulness helps you to become more aware of your thoughts and feelings. It helps to turn  your focus away from the past or worrying about the future, instead focusing on what's going on in the present moment. 

Taking a multi sensory approach elevates mindfulness to new heights and helps you to keep your focus for longer. When used daily, you'll start noticing more moments of mindfulness, clarity and peace of mind even when you're not practicing. 

Will Mindfulness Help Me? 

The positive health benefits associated with mindfulness have been scientifically proven. The technique promotes the production of Serotonin - also known as 'the happy neurotransmitter'. When released into our blood streams, this happy chemical lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, relaxes pain and bathes your brain in a completely natural anti depressant. Scientists at the University of Montreal observed that mindfulness has a direct impact on the brain's production of Serotonin levels, effectively melting away stress and depression.

Multi Sensory Mindfulness

There is some preparation involved before starting this technique, you will need the following items:

Cup of herbal tea or glass of fruit juice of your choice

Meditation/nature sounds playlist, CD etc

Incense

Flowers, photo or relaxing picture

Comfortable chair/cushion to sit on

Just before you are ready to begin, make sure you play your chosen soundtrack, light the incense and take a good mouthful of your drink. Keep the fluid in your mouth a little longer than normal, then swallow it down.

Slow your body and mind down as you usually would during meditation. 

Divert your attention to the flowers, photo or relaxing picture. Really focus and study as many aspects as you can. Let the thoughts come freely with no judgement. Shift into whatever it is you are feeling and explore this deeply. Perhaps a certain colour gives you a certain kind of feeling?

Now close your eyes and focus your attention on physical sensation, perhaps the touch of the clothes you are wearing, a ring on your finger or the comfortable chair/cushion you are sitting on. When thoughts other than these enter your mind, don't berate yourself, just kindly focus your attention back to your physical sensation.

Shift your attention to your taste. Explore the thoughts and feelings that arise. Where on the tongue can you taste your drink? Break down the taste into sweet and bitter notes and focus on what this might reveal.

Now focus on your chosen soundtrack. You may have heard this countless times before, but now you're going to dive deep into the soundscape and reveal all the hidden subtleties. Delve into these feelings, recognize the different sounds that cause reactions in different parts of your body.

Move your attention gently to the scent in the air and explore the thoughts and feelings you have. See if you can detect, using your sense of smell alone when a wisp of smoke is closer to you or further away and follow the natural pattern of it's movement.

Follow your usual steps to bring yourself out of your meditative state. Take a few moments to reflect on what you are feeling and how this multi sensory mindfulness technique affected you.

I find this a really effective tool in centering myself from outside influences and I always learn a little bit more about myself during each session. 

I'd be interested to learn about your experiences and reflections with the above mindfulness meditation, comment below or contact me and let me know how you use mindfulness as part of your daily routine.

How to Live a Positive Life

Why Wait For Positive Change?

I used to be the world's best 'wait-er'. I fooled myself into thinking 'change will come, just be patient'. In that regard I truly did have the patience of a saint!

Having the intention to change, to do something truly great with your life is of course a valuable first step. And it's this essential step that very often becomes the first stumbling block for many of us. Intention is invaluable, but it is never enough.

If we wait for change, what exactly are we waiting for? 

What are we hoping to achieve by waiting? 

Isn't waiting a form of self entitlement?

How To Create Positive Change

To bring about change we need action and we can not action anything while we wait.

Waiting can be a luxury we can ill afford, especially if we make the commitment to self discovery and helping others. 

Unfortunately, waiting can feel secure, a place to hibernate to when the winds of self-doubt blow too loud.

But a positive change is rarely meaningful if we want to stay comfortable. 

You have the intention, now take action, even if this means stepping outside of your comfort zone. To create positive change you need to make the choice.

What Does Positivity Mean To You?

How do you define positivity? Most people consider it a part of being, it's something that some people are and something others are not.

In actual fact positivity is something people do. It's the practice of being positive or optimistic. Again, it comes down to choice. You can chose to raise your vibration, or to continue living in state of negativity. 

Consider what positivity means to you and how might your life be different if you chose a positive approach?

A Positive Start

Instead of waiting for the right time (that never comes), start now. Make a conscious determined effort to live a positive life. 

Reflect on how you can tweak your daily routines to include positivity. For example, if you normally wake up feeling lousy, think about how you might be able to change this. Look at your night and sleep routines. Are you getting enough quality sleep? If not, how can you change this? 

Get into the habit of asking yourself, 'is what I'm doing contributing to a positive life?'. If it isn't, remove and replace with something that will.

How Positivity Changed Me

Once I made the conscious decision to live a positive life, everything seemed to fall into place. I discovered what my purpose was and I naturally started to build on and discover new skills. My physical and mental health increased as did my social life and I searched out and maintained meaningful working relationships. Life felt brighter, lighter and so much  better. Life was no longer something that happened to me. My life was directed by my positive decisions and direction.

So, don't wait, do yourself the biggest kindness and start your own positive start right now.

Think about what you can achieve when you experience your life through a lens of positivity.

The Awesome Approach.

I call my style of life coaching  - The Awesome Approach. Why? Because I help my clients reach their personal Awesome moments.

I’ve always been a helper, it’s what gives my life purpose and meaning.

Life wasn’t always like this though.

I used to be a very insecure person. I truly believed I would always be the victim of an abusive childhood. I believed my own limiting self beliefs, those nagging doubts that fed my insecurity and low self esteem. I yearned for a better life, but even if I knew how to build one, I felt undeserving.

My life changed when I took a massive step 8 years ago.

I started reading self help books and the one that impacted me the most was Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers. I took the advice and new found motivation to literally face my fears. I faced up to my boring but comfortable job and found the courage to try something new, a career in mental health.

After spending seven years working in the UK mental health system, building my interpersonal skills and confidence, I realised that although I absolutely loved my role as Project Manager, I wasn’t feeling as fulfilled as I once did. I wanted to get away from the computer screen and get back to helping and supporting people to reach their potential.  So after some serious self reflection, I took the brave (some would say foolish) step to walk away from a respected and well paid job to start my own Life Coaching practice.

I studied hard and reflected on my own personal approach to helping others. I knew that if I could turn my life around, then anyone can.

So now in 2019, I feel proud to call myself a life coach. Through my own practice I now believe more than ever in the potential of everyone. No one is truly broken, we sometimes just need a different approach to life.

An Awesome Approach.