Calm & Serene

Any time things get out of control and your stress levels go way up... just picture your favourite place. Step into the image. Take deep breaths and see yourself in the image. What can you see? What sounds are you hearing? Are the sounds loud or soft? Is it sunny and warm or cool? Are you with anyone in particular? How do you feel? Take in as much detail as possible when you are thinking about your favourite place. Begin to feel refreshed and things start to get back in perspective. 


Balance. It's all about balance. Step out of your pattern of overwhelm if that is something you tend to do and try walking away from the situation - ask yourself: 
"What's the benefit of feeling this way?" 
"What else could I feel instead?" 
"What would be a more empowering way to feel right now?" 
Slow it down and see the situation for what it is. 

Create Your Own Beauty...

Make where you spend your time a place you want to be. What makes you happy? What makes you smile? What makes you remember the good times? Something as simple as a vase of bright, colourful flowers could make you instantly happy & inspired. Make a list of the top 10 things that are making you happy at the moment and get curious about how you could integrate them into your home/work space. Think photos, posters, vases, books, art, music, fabrics etc. Have fun with it. 

The state of the space you live in says a lot about how you are feeling. What does your space say about you? Is it cramped? Tired? Busy? 

You can create whatever you want, so why not go out into the world and find those things that make you smile, bring them home and create your ideal space! 

Goals

If you reach for your goals, take the smallest step towards fulfilling your goals, then that's something to be proud of! It may take you a while to get there, it may seem like it's always just out of reach, but just keep going and keep making progress. You will get a lot further this way than if you hadn't tried at all! 

Remember, with all goals, you need to re-evaluate them every now and then, to see if they are still relevant to your lifestyle today. If a goal you've had for over 2 years hasn't been accomplished, then chances are, you don't want to achieve it anymore. That's OK! Just rework new goals to fit into the future you want for yourself and go from there. Be open to alternate pathways to get you to where you want to be, create the best way for YOU. 

Always start with the end in mind and work out the steps you will need to take to get what you want. 

Are you content?

Are you content? Contentment is the feeling we have that makes us feel truly thankful for what we have and it stops us seeking to want more. What does contentment mean to you? When will you feel content if you don't already? What would have to happen for you to feel content?

Ask yourself: What is contentment to me? 

Is it important? 

Can I be content some other way? Yes/NO? 

What has to happen for me to feel content? 

What are some small steps I can take today to make my life more aligned with my values? 

Can I let go of some un-resourceful things in my life once and for all? 

How will I know I am content in the moment? 

What evidence will I have for my contentment? 

Have fun! 

Cultivate Open-Mindedness

Are you open minded? Do you go with the flow or do you hide away from life, resisting change, digging your heels in when something new comes along? How do you respond when a new opportunity arises in your life? 
Our lives constantly change. Change is inevitable. Could being child-like in your approach to change be the most fun you've had? 

Why not challenge your thinking & get out of your comfort zone? 

The 4 keys to cultivate an open mind:

1. Be curious...ALWAYS! Keep pondering why, how, what if and never shut an idea down just because you had not thought of it before now, try new ideas out, experiment with possibility and give yourself the benefit of being flexible in your approach. Why not?

2. Positive listening - Are you really hearing what the world is telling you? Life throws up some interesting questions - Are you listening? Create awareness around your listening, hear what's really being said, listen to all sides of the story, challenge yourself, listen to as many viewpoints on a subject as you can and get the reality of any situation. It will make decisions easier, you will be more informed and able to move confidently in the right direction. Awareness creates an open mind. 

3. Embrace change - Many things we hold dear such as marriage, careers, dreams can crumble if we don't change over time. If we don't adjust to the times & continuously adapt, how can the present continue? Change makes us stronger, wiser and more adept at handling situations for the better.

4. Change something now - big or small. Today, do something totally different to cultivate an open mind- it could be going a different way to work, smiling more, improve something you do, such as your posture, your small talk, your diet. Mix it up, see what else is possible. It would improve your life vastly. Keep coming up with new and exciting ways to challenge the current way to do every day things.

Practice the above 4 steps to cultivating an open mind. Let yourself have the benefit of experience. Embrace possibility at every turn and revel in change.

Celebrate Successes As You Go!

Some goals take a while to accomplish. Yearly goals, 5 year goals etc. However, while you are being awesome and goal-getting, creating the life you desire, never forget to celebrate your success along the way. Create mini-milestone celebrations. Enjoy the process of achievement. Get as much our of the experience of getting what you want. You will find you get further, every time, when you reward your efforts. Celebrate with friends and family, each step you take closer to your goal. Mark off the milestones in a calendar, diary or wall chart and take time to enjoy every success.

What would be Different?

Often we find ourselves saying, If only I had XYZ, then I would be ready. Or When I have a bigger house/nicer car/perfect career I will be happy. We sometimes forget the things we have achieved and already have in our lives. 

Take a moment to think: What is it that you really want? What is missing from your ideal life? 
What would be different? 

Make a list of things that would be different if you were living your ideal life. Keep writing until you cannot think of any more. 

This can take anywhere from 5 minutes to a few hours. 

For example, would the job you currently have be different? How? What exactly would be different? The people? The location? The industry? The travel time? The hours? Really get to the bottom of what you could change. It does not matter what it is, this exercise is meant to highlight all aspects of your current situation that could be different. Often we say what we do NOT want, well now is your chance to say what it is you DO want. 

If you could change where you lived, what would be different about your house? Would you move into another house? Another location? What would feature in it? Would it be in the city or the country? What colour would the house/apartment be? If you did not want to move, what would be different about your current home in your ideal life? How can you begin the transformation? What would need to happen?

Some more areas you could ask yourself what could be different:

What would be different in your: 
Education?
Friendships?
Finances?
Family?
Hobbies/Interests?
Relationships?

Once you have a list of differences, examine what is in the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. You might find that you are tolerating a lot more than you thought! 

How can you bring more of the things on that list into the life you are living? What steps could you take, starting today, to get you closer to living your ideal life?

A great way to begin is to note all the differences as if they are already happening in your life right now, make the list Present Tense e.g. I am walking to work, I save $100 a week, I see the ocean from my kitchen window, I am having lunch with a new friend, I am renewing my vows, I am in Spain, I am driving my new car, I am enrolling in my new course etc. 


Get creative, be brave and shake things up. You are the director of your life, you write the script. You can change your life any time you choose. Be curious.

Decide to Be Optimistic!

Decide to Be Optimistic! You have the power to CHOOSE. 

You have the choice to feel whatever you want to at any moment. 
What will you choose for your life? Pessimism or optimism?

Personal Challenge: 

No matter what comes your way, you will aim be positive ALL day. 

• Look at all situations with optimism even if it does not feel natural.
• Respond, do not react. Take a deep breath when faced with a challenging situation and decide how you want to feel about it then and there. 
• Aim to be genuinely optimistic in every situation no matter how big or small. It takes practice. 
• Decide that you are not affected by negativity from others, just let it go.
• Stop any negative self-talk or negative talk about others.
• If you accidentally do think something negative about yourself immediately stop yourself and correct it out loud.

Changing behavior takes commitment! Spend time cultivating optimism in your life. You could even inspire someone else as well!