WORDS OF WISDOM |
WORDS OF WISDOM |
A very simple definition of mindfulness is; to focus only on the present moment in whatever you are doing. Focus on your thoughts, your feelings and your senses, be present, be aware, be accepting.
How hard can this be? In today’s mostly fast paced, technology driven, results oriented existence with our focus on multitasking, can we make space for mindfulness? Yes of course we can, life is about options and therefore choice. Choosing to make time for finding ways to reduce stress and live a more balanced life is surely worth a go. Mindfulness can be helpful in allowing you to feel calmer, less stressed, more connected and more at peace with yourself and the world around you. Is it for everyone? No, if you are struggling with mental health issues or feeling particularly vulnerable you should consult your GP or a specialist. Depending on what floats your boat, what you want in your life and what you are willing to try in order to create a more calming, focused existence for yourself, mindfulness is a remarkable space and place to carve out for yourself.
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Have you been experiencing challenges with your levels of self-belief and self-confidence? Do you often compare yourself to others usually elevating what they have and what they have achieved far above what you believe about yourself?
How often do we compare ourselves to others whom we believe to be living in the perfect kingdom when peaking in through the tiny window to their world? Rather than stirring you up to achieve more, does this comparison grip and impair you, so much so that you do nothing but overanalyse and compare even more? Would you be surprised to know that you are not alone? We often compare ourselves to others without even realising what we are doing. Very few of us use what we observe in others as a way to actually focus on what we want for ourselves, strengthen our weaknesses or elevate our own self-beliefs. Instead the time is spent thinking negatively about how we view ourselves, about what we don’t have and how we aren’t where we want to be in life. Communication plays a huge part in our everyday lives. It influences our relationships at work, at play, with friends, family, even strangers. There is no doubt that the way we communicate is important, in particular as a way of imparting and receiving information, ultimately influencing what we give and receive out of life.
The subject of communication is of course very comprehensive but for today I will be brief. My aim is to get you thinking, if only for a moment about the way you communicate, how do you like to share and exchange this valuable commodity. A positive, great, mediocre or negative communicative experience has the power to leave you anywhere on the scale between feeling absolutely amazing and the complete opposite end leaving you feeling low and lacklustre. How much effort do you make in your daily communication? Speaking, writing, or otherwise? How do you like your communication best served? How important is effective communication to you? I have a thing, in that I really enjoy listening to others and how they communicate when speaking with each other, some might call it eavesdropping but I like to call it curiosity or research. One of the most profound questions that I’ve ever been asked was:
Are you kind to yourself? This question has contributed significantly to my own personal development, growth and to creating boundaries for myself, which I now hold in very high regard. At the time this question was asked I was spending a lot of time contributing to the well being of others and not so much time was being spent on my own well being. I have to say the question stopped me in my tracks and ever since then I am consciously kinder to myself, I have become more aware when I am not being kind to myself and so for the most part I treat myself with much more love and affection. This may sound a little odd to some or perhaps a tad egotistical but here’s what I’m thinking, if I look after myself I will be around a lot longer and have a lot more energy to continue contributing to the well being of both myself and others and who doesn’t enjoy being looked after? Here are a few questions for you: I've been studying this subject in myself and in others for some time now and I find it to be quite a topic that could be discussed to no end.
The human need to be right often causes resentment and tension, which creates and maintains damage to relationships. It is also a basis for miscommunication, arguments, fistfights and wars. We all do it, some of us know we are doing it but often it goes by seemingly unnoticed. Politics, Religion and Relationships are some of the more obvious areas that are affected, if you are looking for examples. I wrote this from the beautiful sunny Island of Guadeloupe, one of the French Caribbean Islands. Look it up and if you ever get the chance go and visit. We chose to go there for a holiday during the festive period of 2015. I love to travel as often as possible and Christmas is a great time to experience different places.
I had a very interesting experience whilst there, which inspired me to write this. One day I went for a run, a ritual of mine that I practice wherever I am, home or away. There are a lot of steep hills on Basseterre the Western Island of Guadeloupe, which for me makes running a great challenge. Also a challenge, are the stray dogs that sometimes roam freely, bark at me and sometimes follow me. I am never quite sure whether they will chase and attack or if they are just lonely and looking for company. Whilst running I took a terrible fall, which left me rather shaken. I have been running long distances including hill running for many years now and I have never had such a harsh fall. Definitions:
Struggling with self-confidence can affect each and every one of us on a day to day basis and it determines our ability to accomplish what we want in life and can affect anything from some of the smaller to the bigger challenges. What are the circumstances where you feel less confident? What happens in your mind when you start to feel this way? As a result of the way you are thinking what happens next. If you want something different at that moment in time could you change?
The key word is think. Your mindset the way you process your thoughts will determine your perspective and will also determine your level of effort in achieving any desired outcome. 13 years ago the bottom fell out of my world or so I thought after I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) an autoimmune disease. When I was diagnosed I knew very little about MS and my only thoughts at the time were that I would inevitably become disabled and end up in a wheelchair. Roll on to the present day and I am the fittest and healthiest I have ever been.
After I was diagnosed I went through a very brief period of tears, followed by “chin up” what can I do to safeguard myself against the symptoms of the disease as much as possible. I undertook a lot of research and one thing that consistently surfaced was that symptoms of MS are exacerbated by stress. In fact, stress affects the body’s ability to fight any disease. How do you reduce the amount of stress in your life when you are living with an unpredictable illness? I slowly recognised that I had a choice, whilst I cannot control all the stressors, what I am able to control is how I react, once I realised this the whole game changed. |
AuthorI'm older and wiser than I look. After many years working in the corporate world I decided to branch out on my own.......Brave eh? Categories
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