Your Super Power is Gratitude

One of the best life choices you can ever make is to choose an attitude of gratitude.
‘Of all the attitudes, you can acquire the attitude of gratitude is, by far, the most important and the most life changing ‘ Zig Ziglar
 

What is gratitude
Gratitude is a super-powerful emotion which raises your vibrations and aligns your energy with the energy of what you are grateful for and with what you want to create more of in your life.
 

‘The state of gratitude is one of the most profound states of mind and being that a person can feel’
Dr Robert Emmons - leading scientific expert on gratitude [University of California]
 

Gratitude is also about appreciating the little things in life and counting your blessings. It means not taking anything for granted and never under estimating the power of the words ‘thank you’
 

`‘If the only prayer you say your life is ’thank you’ that would suffice’ Meister Eckhart Tolle
`

Benefits of Gratitude
Gratitude is one of the most powerful yet underrated tools for personal and professional development. it can positively transform every area of a person’s life including - health, wealth, career and relationships. An attitude of gratitude will change your whole perceptions about life whereby you start appreciating the little things that before you may have taken for granted.
‘When you change the way, you look at things the way you look at things change’ Wayne Dyer
 

How to develop an attitude of gratitude - 7 Useful Tips:

1 Acquire the practice of saying ‘thank you’ The power of saying ‘thank you ‘is amazing and has the potential to positively transform relationships, both personal and professional, at every level.

2 Do the ‘3 Good Things Exercise’ This involves, at the end of each day, writing down and reflecting upon three good things that have happened to you. The exercise encourages you to be more aware of and to focus upon positive things as they happen.

3 Write a gratitude letter This is the practice of writing a letter of gratitude to someone that you have never properly expressed your gratitude to. A gratitude letter gives exact examples of the specific things that you are grateful to the person for. Research has shown that this practice has a massively positive impact on both the person who is receiving it as well as the person giving it.

4 Keep a gratitude jar A gratitude jar is simply any jar into which you put pieces of paper on which is written something that you and others are grateful for. It can be filled at any time and by anyone who is involved in the exercise. Opening it up and reading some of the ‘Things I am grateful for’ can be both a fun filled and uplifting experience

5 Have a gratitude rock A gratitude rock is a small rock or special stone that you keep with you in your pocket or in your wallet. It reminds you to take time to be grateful and to count your blessings

6 Write out a gratitude statement This is a statement of gratitude set in the now written as if you already have what are asking for. Doing this, aligns you with the energy of what it is that you desire.

7 Start a gratitude journal This is, by far, the most effective, popular and simple way of keeping yourself in a grateful state of mind. It involves the simple act of diarising everything, regardless of how seemingly trivial it may seem, that you are grateful for. It can be written in anything from a simple A4 notebook to an elaborate ‘gratitude journal.’

Four reasons why starting a gratitude journal is a smart life choice

1 Writing in your gratitude journal will change the way you look at life and empower you to think in a much more positive and productive way. Research has shown that having an optimistic outlook about life can totally transform every aspect of your being.
something that you have not yet received, your vibration and the vibrations of what you want will resonate and it will be eventually be manifested.

.3 Keeping a gratitude journal can help you to sleep better by reducing stressful thinking and feelings of depression. Research has shown that the thoughts you think as you fall asleep set the tone of your dreams and the quality of your night’s sleep. When you fall asleep in a calm state of mind, it is much more likely that you will have a peaceful night’s sleep.

4 Writing a gratitude journal encourages you to consciously look out for things in your life that you are grateful for and to focus on what is good. A gratitude journal can have a most empowering effect whereby you become a much more mindful, authentic and compassionate person.

​

​

LOVE - A POWERFUL FORCE

‘Love is what we were born with . . fear is what we learn’ Marianne Williamson

This ‘day of love ‘we call St Valentine‘s Day dates back to the 3rd century. Traditionally, on this special February day, people exchange gifts and send Valentine Cards as an expression of the love they have for their special one.
So, what is love and why is it so important?

Love is a most powerful emotion. It is the highest form of energy and vibrates at the highest frequency. The energy of love generates feelings of joy and appreciation – whereas lack of love produces feelings of negativity and fear.

“We cannot cease to attract to us the experiences that reflect what we are vibrating in each moment” Bentinho Massaro
True love is kind and compassionate. It is unconditional and enduring. Self- knowledge is the key to finding self- love and true love for others. Self- love does not mean being selfish. It means taking time out and seeing yourself as a unique person with potential and talent that can be shared to make the world a better place. The bottom line is that we cannot truly give love and respect to others if we do not have it for ourselves.

“When did you last take time to appreciate yourself . . to love yourself”

The idea of self- love is alien to most people but, if a person is to have a high self- esteem and positive self- belief it is necessary. Self - esteem is how much you value yourself and how happy you are with the person you are. High self-esteem and positive self-belief are the by-product of self-love.

Every truly happy and successful person has high self-esteem and have made the choice to focus on their positive qualities rather than on the negatives. They have made the decision to love and believe in themselves and to live their lives in a positive way that is reflective of their true potential.

The more love that you have for yourself the more that you will be able to give. The more you give the more love you will receive It is an amazing virtuous cycle, like a pebble in a pond causing ripples of good feeling, love and positivity.

7
You must keep reminding yourself of your uniqueness and your lovingness. You must strive to always have and sustain a high level of high self- esteem and self-belief because, by doing so, ultimately your life and the life of others will be richer and more fulfilled.
Self- love does not come naturally to many people as they have the belief that it is selfish and egocentric. This negative belief is keeping you stuck. Your ego is holding you back with fearful expectations as to the consequences of what would happen if you thought and acted in a different way. Not caring for yourself is in fact an act of selfishness and fear whereas the act of loving and caring for yourself exudes positive energy which is beneficial to all.

“ Your playing small does not serve the world there is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you “ Marianne Williamson

(In order to help free yourself from this particular limiting belief, about putting your needs first, think about the rule on aeroplanes regarding children and life jackets!)

When we start to love ourselves everything in our lives begins to work out.

USEFUL TIPS

• Accept yourself

• Forgive yourself

• Believe in yourself

• Trust yourself

• Connect to yourself

• Stop trying to be perfect

• Be guided by your emotions

• Play to your strengths

• Dare to be yourself

• Love yourself

​

In the words of Les Brown “Someone ‘s opinion of you does not have to become your reality”

​

​

​

Procrastination – the pain and the story

​

Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it ‘ Goethe

 

What is procrastination?

​

‘Procrastination is the avoidance of doing a task which needs to be accomplished - the habit of carrying out less urgent tasks in preference to more urgent ones’. It is a form of self – sabotage which can result in a person never achieving their goals or doing the things they have always wanted.

​

‘One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted’ Paulo Coelho.

​

Everybody has a dream, an idea about what they want to achieve. The fact is that most people never achieve their goals or reach their full potential. They are subconsciously holding on to a negative story about their ability to achieve whatever it us that they want in their life. They do not believe that they have the power to achieve more in their lives nor do they believe that they deserve it. The negative emotions of a procrastinator attract low vibrational energy - resulting in wasted time and missed opportunities.

‘There are many ways to avoid success in life but the most sure - fire way just might be procrastination’ Psychology Today

Why do people procrastinate?

​

Research on procrastination found that ‘while everyone procrastinates not everyone is a procrastinator ‘ [Joseph Ferrari - Professor of Procrastination, DePaul University, Chicago]

​

Even the most successful people procrastinate. It is when procrastination becomes a way of life that it can become an issue.

Chronic procrastination is a form of self–sabotage that can have catastrophic consequences and result in a life of pain and disillusionment.

 

The main causes of procrastination are fear of failure, perfectionism and lack of motivation. It has at its root negative and limiting

self – beliefs.

​

A person who procrastinates may do so because they fear the failure of making a mistake, of people’s ridicule and basically of not being good enough. They may procrastinate because they believe that, in order to be accepted or approved of, everything must be absolutely perfect. They over prepare and over think. If a person is trying to get things totally perfect they will never begin.

 

Perfectionism is, in fact, known as the ‘mother of procrastination’. A person who is a habitual procrastinator must become aware of and accept that failing is good and that perfection is a matter of perception.

Some people procrastinate simply because they lack motivation. They tend to leave things to the last minute. Although they know that it is in their best interests to take action, they choose not to.
 

Seven habits of typical 21st century procrastinators
• They access their e-mails every 5 minutes
• They allow the news feed on their computer to distract them
• They download the latest apps to their phone
• They read the notifications on Facebook
• They watch their favourite movie on Netflix
• They check their Twitter account
• They browse Amazon to check out the latest deals

 

Procrastinators will make all kinds of excuses and use any kind of delaying tactic so as to avoid doing the task in hand.

 

Dealing with procrastination:

Procrastination has been called ‘opportunity’s assassin‘, ‘the thief of time’ and compared to a credit card ‘a lot of fun until you get the bill’. In order to be successful and achieve success you must learn to master procrastination rather than let it master you.

Procrastination is a habit that is learned and that can be unlearnt. It is an attitude that can be revamped and a frame of mind that can be reframed.

​

You can deal with procrastination by recognising and understanding the emotions that you feel when faced with a task or situation that requires you to move out of your comfort zone. You can challenge the voice of doubt and gloom that sabotages your attempts to do what must be done.

​

Some useful strategies to deal with procrastination:

• Trick yourself - Give yourself a 10 minute deadline to finish the task - extend the deadline

• Remind yourself - Make a vision board, use app¬¬s, screen savers, ‘to do’ lists

• Protect yourself - Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the size of a task - break it down into small bite size chunks

• Imagine yourself - as having already achieved your goal – step into it – embrace the feeling

• Promise yourself - to become the best possible version of yourself - keep your promise

• Ask yourself - ‘Is what I am doing right now bringing me closer to my goal?’

• Stop yourself - The next time you have self-doubt-FEEL IT! DEAL WITH IT!-stop yourself listening to the voice of doom and gloom

• Empower yourself - Use affirmations – ‘Nothing can stop me now!’ ‘If it’s to be it’s up to me!’

• Reward yourself - You deserve the best

 

Procrastination is the gap between intention and action. You can choose to take action to overcome procrastination and achieve the bliss you truly deserve.

 

“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls”
Joseph Campbell

​

The Self- Empowered Woman

Do you feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff going on in your life?

 

Does it seem like your life is spiralling out of control?

 

Every woman deserves to be in control of their life, to feel good and to be happy. The fact is that you have everything you need within you to have the life you truly deserve. You have the power to be truly self- fulfilled and to become to become an awesome and self- empowered woman.

 

What is a self-empowered woman?

 

Self-empowerment for most women is the ability to love and accept themselves just as they are. A self-empowered woman has taken the time to know and understand herself. More importantly she has learnt to love and accept herself unconditionally.

 

‘Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom’ Aristotle

 

Self-awareness is the key to becoming a self-empowered woman. It involves reflecting upon what truly matters to you, and what you really want to achieve in your life.

 

At a deeper level, becoming self-aware involves asking yourself three important questions:

‘What do I want to experience in my life?’ ‘How can I grow?’ ‘What can I contribute to the world?’ Mind Valley - Vishen Lakhiani

A self–empowered woman has woken up to the truth of who she is at her source. She has moved far beyond her ego and is connected to her true essence. She has finally found the courage to listen to and trust her intuition and heart intelligence. She no longer second guesses and trusts herself to do what she believes is right. A self-empowered woman has a strong inner core and does not allow negative opinions of others deflate or define her.

 

Do not allow the opinions of others to define your reality’
Les Brown

 

A self-empowered woman has woken up to the power she has within her and knows that she has the right and the ability to achieve anything in her life that she truly desires. She is aware how important it is to always choose high vibrational emotions and positive empowering thoughts. A self- empowered woman has also learnt how to use the powerful force of the Law of Attraction to manifest what she desires in her life.

 

‘We cannot cease to attract to us the experiences that reflect what we are vibrating, thinking and believing in each moment ‘ Bentinho Massaro

 

A self-empowered woman takes full responsibility for everything that is happening and that has ever happened in her life. She accepts the fact that she is ‘at cause’ in her life and that, as she has unconsciously created the life she now lives, she can consciously create the life she now wants. A self-empowered woman knows that she is the author, producer and director of her life story.

She never plays the blame game, the victim role nor does she hold‘pity
parties.
 

A self-empowered woman has learnt to master her emotions. She knows that if she doesn’t master her emotions they will master her. When faced with challenges she chooses courage over fear.

 

‘Having courage means that you can fall but you can also get back up. There is no greater threat to cynics and critics than a woman who is willing to fall because she has learnt how to stand back up - not because it is easy but because the light in her is greater than the darkness she had to walk through‘ Dr Brene Brown

 

Having heightened self-awareness and taking full responsibility for her life increases positive self- belief and enhances the self-confidence of a self-empowered woman.

 

There are many women in today’s society who have issues about their lack of self- confidence. It is sometimes the case that women have these issues because of what the media projects as the ideal ’ look ’ or ‘ life style ’ that one must aspire to. There is a massive need for women to overcome their belief about ‘ not being good enough’ and to start realising their self-worth. Self-empowered women always challenge any negative disempowering beliefs that they may have and have learnt strategies to replace them with positive empowering beliefs.

 

A self-empowered woman has absolute clarity about what she wants in life and takes decisive action to move in the direction of her goal.

​

You can make the decision to be an empowered woman any time you choose. You must be bold, audacious and willing to step into your power. The path to self-empowerment may not always be a smooth one but it is a path that must be taken.

 

‘You may encounter many defeats but you must not be defeated. In fact it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it‘ Maya Angelo

 

There are many tips, strategies and secrets of success that can help you to find the empowered woman within you

​

 

Effective coaching questions

​

Effective questions are a great way to gain insight and develop innovative solutions in any situation.

Sharing some of my favourite coaching questions which I use to achieve amazing results.

​

20 simple yet thought provoking coaching questions -

​

 

• What do you really want?

• What is important to you?

• What does success mean to you?

• What is getting in the way of you achieving your goal?

• Where is your life out of balance?

• How are you sabotaging yourself?

• What outdated beliefs are you holding on to?

• What areas of your life need upgrading?

• What are your values and are you being true to them?

• What are you passionate about?

• What motivates you –what is your ‘why ‘?

• If you had a magic wand what would you manifest in your life?

• If you knew you couldn’t fail what would you do right now?

• On a score of 1-10 how committed are you to achieving your goal?

• If you saw someone else in your situation what would you suggest they do?

• What brings you joy?

• What can you do to bring more joy into your life?

• What would be the impact of you not changing and staying as you are?

• How liberated will it feel to believe in yourself and step into your greatness?

• What conscious decisions can you make every single day to bring you closer to your goal?

​

​

​

Reflections

 

‘We don’t see things as they are .  .  we see things as we are’  Anais Nin  

Have you ever been in a situation where you have felt over whelmed? 

We all find ourselves in that situation from time to time.  Even though we are not responsible for what happens to us in our lives we can take responsibility for our response to what happens. If we are faced with a task that we not really want to do, making  the decision to get on with it without taking a break so as to ‘get it done‘ may not be a responsible one.  You might think that stopping will hinder your progress. The fact is that working in this way can be counterproductive.

 Steve Covey   in   ‘The Seven habits of Highly Effective People’   uses the example of a person putting a ladder against the wrong wall. It is sometimes the case that we need to stand back and check that we are engaging in the right activity and   in fact thinking in the right way. It is like holding an apple so close to our face that you can only see a small part of it. Holding the apple away from you and looking at it from a different angle will give you a whole new perspective on it. In your own life taking time out from your normal way of thinking and doing things is a way of seeing your life in a different perspective. It is also a brilliant way of recharging your batteries, igniting your enthusiasm and solving problems.  Even just a day on your own away from a situation, can be of benefit as it gives  you time to reflect upon what is really going on your life, what is important to you and what it is you really  want.

  A simple change in routine, whereby you put a distance between yourself and your normal way of doing things, will change your thinking and your perceptions the result is that you will feel inspired and you will begin to see your problems as stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks. When you are in a more relaxed environment away from the normal routine you will be more inclined to think positive thoughts which in turn will result in more positive and constructive action. You will also be more inclined to focus on what it is you want in life instead of focusing in what it is you don’t want.

In accordance with  the Law of Attraction, you create your own reality by what you continually think about it is therefore massively important that you think creatively and positively about what it is you really want in your life.

 

 Have you ever thought about dusting away the cobwebs of your mind and wiping down the surfaces of your beliefs? What about those outdated scripts that you are leading your life according to, aren’t it about time that you shredded them and replaced them with new ones? In order to make real changes in your life you must have taken a good hard look at what is going in your life and decided that something is not quite right You must know that something must change and want desperately for it to happen . You must have said to yourself: ‘something must change ‘‘I must change it’ ‘I can change it ‘You must have a clear and vivid vision of what it is exactly that you want to change in your life. With the raised self awareness that occurs as a result of this shift in thinking, you will begin to realise that you are the one who is in charge of your life no one else, that you can decide to make empowering choices and move on in your life or you can decide to do nothing at all and stay stuck in your comfort zone. Having this realisation is like having a weight lifted of your shoulders. It is like someone turning a light switch on. In order to move on to the next level of your life you must also become aware of the mental junk that may be in your head that you are carrying around with you. The mental junk includes all the doubts, fears, worries, imaginings, memories and ‘the stories ‘we tell ourselves and that are swirling in our minds and which creates barriers every time we want to move on in our lives. Instead of believing that we are not capable of achieving better and feeling fear about doing anything different or better in our lives, we must change the perception we have of ourselves and believe in the massive potential we have within ourselves. With our increased self awareness we can review our attitudes and habits and breakthrough to the genius that lays within us .

 

'Whether you think you can or think you can't..you are right' Henry Ford.

 

 Every day is an opportunity to think about what is going on in our lives and to decide if we need to make any changes or rethink our perceptions. At any time we can look again at the promises we may have made to ourselves at the beginning of the New Year and to consider if they need to be reviewed or we need to change direction. It may even be necessary to totally rethink the beliefs we have about ourselves and the attitude we have about life in general. The beliefs that we have about ourselves affect every aspect of our lives including our self esteem our aspirations and our ability to move on in our lives. Some of the beliefs that we hold will be healthy and positive whilst others will be negative, hold us back and serve no purpose. It is always  a good time for us to take a leaf out of nature’s book, to let go of the old and used and make way for the new and vibrant and by doing so, to restore balance in our lives.

 

Balance means harmony and the quest for it should include a thorough over haul and examination of all of the areas in our lives. By restoring balance in their life a person will have an enhanced belief in their ability to achieve their full potential and maybe for the first time in their life find true happiness and fulfilment. A useful way of assessing if your life is in balance is by doing a ‘life balance wheel’, by filling the appropriate sections of a ‘wheel’ a person can see at a glance which areas of their life are not in balance. Although this can done at any time, the Easter period is an especially inspiring and significant time to do it.

      

 

Warrior Women

 

We are all meant to shine and as we let our own light shine, we subconsciously give other people permission to do the same ’ Marianne Williamson

 

Have you ever thought about just how important a mother's job really is?

 

It is amazing to think that probably the most important job that anyone could ever aspire to is a job where no training is given and no experience is required. The job I am referring is that of being a mum. Being a mum is awesome. A mum holds in her hands the future and hopes of tomorrow. It is hardly surprising that some mums are overwhelmed and feel that they are not properly equipped for the job. They often decide that the best thing that they can do is to model the habits and practices of their own mum. This decision may or may not always be the best one, one depending on how positive and inspiring their upbringing has been.

 

In an ideal world a mum gives her children ‘roots ‘in a secure and happy  environment and also ‘wings’ so that they can' soar and explore' to their unlimited heights.

 

In reality it can be very difficult to do this and many of us were not given all the opportunity to stretch and grow to be the best we possibly can be.

It must  be remembered that mums can only do the best they can with the knowledge they have at the time.

 

Women of today are becoming more aware of their limitless potential and are beginning to make empowering choices in their lives. They appreciate that it is their duty to act as a positive inspiring role model to their children,  All mums have the opportunity to inspire and empower their children to reach heights that before were never thought possible. As a mum you can be a rock and a light in the lives of not just your  children but to all. You have the abilty  be strong and determined warrior women, inspiring role models and  a source of unconditional love and inspiration

 

 

Learn to love  .  .   Start to live

 

When did you last take time to pamper  yourself .  .   to have some  'me time' .   .   I'm not talking about being selfish or anything like that  .  .   I'm talking about taking time out to love and appreciate yourself.

 

Self love is the ability to focus on your strengths and see yourself as the unique loveable person that you are.

 

It is about making the choice to focus on positives rather than negatives, to always love and believe in yourself. The more love you have for yourself the more that you will be able to give. The more you give, the more you will receive. It is an amazing virtuous circle, like a pebble in a pond causing ripples of good feeling, love and positivity.

 

You must keep reminding yourself of your uniqueness and your worthiness because, by doing so, ultimately your life and the life of others will be   touched and effected positively.

 

When you learn to love yourself you will find that your level of  self esteem and self belief will soar and that you will start to live the life you truly  deserve.

 

Top ten tips to grow your self esteem:

 

• Appreciate yourself - you are  amazing

• Focus on the positive - choose your thoughts wisely

• List your achievements  -and look at them regularly

• Play to your strengths- do what makes your heart sing

• Choose positive people- your  company defines you

• Listen  to the strong encouraging voice in your head - you can do anything you put you mind to

• Repeat positive affirmations - I am worthy of love

• Realise that no one is perfect - learn from mistakes

• Remember that you are unique - dare to be you

• LOVE YOURSELF