How kind are you to yourself?

Lately I have been reading a chapter each day out of Jack Cranfield’s ‘The Success Principles’ along with Dale Carnegie’s ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’. It is multi tasking at it’s best I think! Most interesting to me though is that while many of the topics overlap at the base of it all it seems to be the need for having the confidence to keep moving forward and a belief in yourself that you can put all the good advice they have into action.

For me this is probably the hardest part of running a business and making the most of everyday. I’m sure hat many of you reading this can relate too. After all my ‘great ideas’ occur there is often that little voice that whispers ‘ but what about ….’ and continues to list numerous reasons why I can’t follow through. While my little voice is not nearly as obnoxious or as loud as it was (thanks White Chestnut from Bach Flower Remedies for that ) it is still there. I find that getting getting out in nature each day helps quiet it too along with reminding myself of all the things I am proud of about myself. Little affirmations which I repeat to myself each day as I walk to help keep them at the forefront.

Enjoying some sunshine, nature and adventures

That little voice often knocks us down rather than builds us up and it is tireless. It doesn’t seem to give up which is why we can’t give up in building ourselves up either. Becoming mentally healthy and resilient is a daily job and hard work I know however it is also important to help have a happier and healthier life. We often endeavour to be kind to others but how kind are you to yourself on a daily basis? So, inspired by a writing prompt I thought I would share a simple exercise that you can do today. A simple exercise to help remind you just how awesome, unique and amazing you are.

Step one: Get some paper and a pen, old school I know but getting off here will help you to focus on the task rather than flicking over to another tab when procrastination calls.

Step two: Write the letters of your name down the left hand side of the page. Each letter should take up a few lines.

Step three: Create an acrostic poem from the letters of your name of all the things you are good at and/or love about yourself.

Step four: Have fun and keep your poem of all the great things about you somewhere for future reference.

My Acrositic Poem about what I love about me

If you’re anything like me it will take you a while to get into a good mindset to write anything down! This is where being off line with pen and paper can help; it will give you headspace for the good stuff to come in. The good stuff is there, honestly, it just may be a little hidden from view. at the moment. No need to be modest here or to worry about any ‘tall poppy’ syndrome as this is for you and you alone. It is a reminder to look at when that little voice gets overwhelming or just pipes up too much.

Enjoy focusing on you and all the things you love about yourself. It is an opportunity to recognize those great things about you and to be kind to yourself 🙂

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Prioritizing

As we venture into the second to last full week in our home before jumping on our bus I am beginning to feel the squeeze.  It has been, and continues to be, a juggle in trying to maintain normality for the kids in a house which is gradually being depleted of its belongings, allowing viewing for renting our home out, prioritizing what goes for good, what goes on the bus or gets stored and getting all those little jobs (you know the ones that always get put off) completed in the bus and around the house.

The name is on and we are close to flying off just like the Toroa (Albatross)

 

 

In so many ways it is lovely having less around to clean, tidy or wade through and yet in someways I am feeling a sense of loss at the way life used to be …. with lots of reminders of our life surrounding us at every turn.   There are things that we will hold onto and store, then there are of course those things that we are not attached to at all which are easy to let go of …. for the rest of our possessions they need to give evidence as to their usefulness in our upcoming bus-life or worthiness of being stored.  Everything is being prioritized at  this point in time and put into rank.

We have sold up everything (except for 10 tea-chest sized boxes) and moved  twice before this so we didn’t have a house full of clutter by any means.  It is amazing though how much sneaks into a home, even when you think you are doing a pretty good job at keeping it out.  ‘Have house, will fill’ seems to be human’s subconscious manifesto!  Most of our belongings were those that had made the final cut before and thankfully we do have a place to store some of the important things that we know we want to keep but don’t need on the bus.  For the rest …… well the next two weeks will tell 🙂

Hope this finds you enjoying the things that matter and letting go of the rest.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Trusting your intuition

Trust your intuition.

Go with your gut.

Follow your heart.

Do what feels right.  

How often have you heard these, or similar sayings? How often have you truly put those words into action when they are said to you?

Interestingly enough these messages have come up for me twice this past weekend from two very different sources and it made me realise that while I have ‘trusting my intuition’  high on my values list it is often the one that gets the least time given to it.

Trusting my intuition that just hanging out as a family was what we needed regardless of other activities we could be doing.

Too often I worry what other people may say. I look for other’s approval. I talk more than doing as a safe way to stall the all important action of ‘ trusting my intuition’ and ‘doing what feels right’.  I believe I will offend or upset someone.   I convince myself that I won’t be good enough. I question whether that intuitive voice in my head may actually be wrong.  Sound familiar?

It is easier to go with the flow for sure.  It is easier to do what others are suggesting or doing however very rarely does it ever make us feel as happy and calm as when we do what feels right for us.  It is only in those moments when we honour ourselves by listening to our inner voice – the nice one that is not the critic 🙂 – and taking action which is in line with our beliefs, our intuition and our gut that we shine.

We learn more and we become more just in taking that time to listen to our own wisdom and actually follow it with action.

Hope this finds you listening to your intuition, trusting it and taking action on it.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz