When was the last time you took a moment to praise, admire, celebrate & thank your body for being the extraordinary vessel to carry you through this lifetime?
I truly believe it is imperative for your personal growth and self-mastery to honor your body consistently, which I perceive to be the temple for my Soul. How you choose to do so is entirely up to you & there's no right or wrong way to do it, it's all about doing it.
Here are a couple of my favorite ways to honor & praise my body.
#1. Move your body, get into a physical flow of movement & have fun while doing so. Go for a hike, a brisk walk, dance anytime anywhere, train whatever sport or activity that interests you. Being active has so many health benefits and the more active you are the more you will love, accept and appreciate the incredible body that you have. Don't take your body or your mobility for granted, instead make the conscious effort to admire what your body is capable of.
(Photo by @ninauhlikova (Nina Uhlíková) on Pexels)
#2. Hydrate & nourish your body. Although this seems so basic, it also can be easy to forget to drink water or replace water for other beverages however, drinking lots of water (alkaline water if possible) each day is the key to staying healthy, youthful, vibrate & improve your overall health. Remember the average human body is up to 60% water, so make sure to drink up, beautiful.
(Photo by @catscoming on Pexels)
#3. Treat yourself to the spa or create your own spa experience at home. It doesn't have to be fancy to be effective so if it means keeping it simple like drawing yourself a hot bubble bath with Epson salt once a week, do it.
(Photo by @cottonbro on Pexels)
What does it mean to you to have a human experience in your precious body? I challenge you to ponder that question and to implement new ways to celebrate your body in all its glory.
Thể Oanh pronounced like Tey'One or Oanh 'ONE' for short, is an Oracle who serves as a Spiritual Guide, Image Consultant & Multidimensional Transformation Coach. She helps her clients gain unwavering confidence to consciously create a balanced life they love by becoming Spiritually aligned, looking sophisticated & feeling sexy. Do you feel inclined to get one on one guidance to help you take your life to the next level? Book your laser coaching session today: https://theonecoachsolutions.com/clarity-and-confidence-blueprint/
Oanh is Vancouver's new HHW Branch Director.
Connect with her today:
Like so many people, I have a voice inside my head that tells me all the things I can’t do, it points out my failures consistently and it seems to take great pleasure in pointing out all the ways that I am not capable.
It can be so easy to either simply believe that voice or to hustle and spend all my time trying to prove that voice wrong.
But that is an exhausting way to live, isn’t it?
To always feel like you’re running behind, to always assume something is wrong with you or the way you are doing things and like you are doing everything you can but still falling short.
I have to reflect on why so many of us live that way…why so many of us will endure massive amounts of discomfort and pain and blame and shame instead of simply stepping into our power!
Because the truth is we are all more powerful than we could ever imagine - we just happen to bury that knowledge so deeply that we don’t feel like it’s true.
It reminds me of the beautiful Marianne Williamson quote:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.”
So why are we afraid of our own power? Of our own light?
We are so attracted to the light of others but hide our own away.
The truth is: I don’t know why we live this way, and my guess is that for each one of us the answer is a little bit different.
I also know that answering the why is not as important as simply focusing on the work of accepting our own light, our own power and even our own connection to the divine.
So this month I refuse to be distracted by the question “Why do I do that?”
And instead, I choose to focus on what embodied power looks like, feels like, sounds like and on the impact I can make on others as I live in my own power.
Because the truth is:
“As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
So let’s spend our time on liberation, our own and others - until living in our power and in our light becomes the natural state of the world!
Download your May Affirmation here:
Meg is a Life Coach, Hypnotherapist, and Podcast Host (The Art Of Being H(YOU)man) that is passionate about walking with people who want more out of life than just the status quo!
She believes that life doesn’t have to work out exactly the way we think it “should” in order to be enjoyed and that people don’t have to be perfect in order to be loved.
She believes that we all have the voice of truth inside of us but sometimes it can be hard to hear. And most importantly that we must live between the tension of accepting the things we cannot change and taking massive action on the things we can!
Meg creates spaces where women can slow down and process all the things that are influencing and controlling their lives - their everyday thoughts, emotions, and the stories they have been telling themselves.
Spaces where they can look at their inner world, gain valuable insight and then reclaim their personal authority, and make conscious decisions that transform the way they experience their lives!
Through one on one coaching, group coaching and workshops Meg helps women show up in the world with more love, and less ego, more compassion, and less judgment, more vulnerability, and less shame, more emotional agility and less fear!
Meg lives in BC with her husband of 22 years, two teenage boys and their little dog Charlie.
To learn more about Meg visit her website www.megheppner.com
Hooray! Life is getting back to the (somewhat) way we once knew. We can go out again, see people, make plans!
If you're like me, while this is all good news, it also means a little re-learning how to do life again.
Life with a limited social calendar, although not fun at all, meant the focus on business was through the roof for many.
So how do we invite all things joyful back into our lives while we aim to maintain our focus on our passions, purpose and the empires we are creating?
We need to get re-aligned with our center. Our heart's desire. Our motivated, productive, force of a woman within.
She's in there, in fact, I myself just found her again a couple of weeks ago. Here's how to do it - 3 great ways!
1. Drop the Victim Mindset. "I can't because", "It's hard because", "they did this and now...". If you find yourself going down the rabbit hole of blaming something or someone else for why you have lost you focus - time to put an end to that now.
Although being in the Victim Mindset may FEEL like it's helping you and teaching someone else a "lesson", it’s actually holding you back. I talk all about it here!
It's time to take full responsibility and SHRUG off anything that doesn't feel aligned with you. Someone's words, an unexpected bill, unnecessary bickering - literally and physically shrug it off and see a more empowered you replace the victim you.
2. Get ready to go out, even if you're not. Alright, so some people may not be jumping back into seeing all the people and doing all the things just yet.
Even still, if you're working from home and wanting to move to the next level of your business - get your VIBE on the next level by getting ready. It's tough to level-up in the same clothes you got cozy and slept in last night.
Doing your hair, your makeup, getting dressed and even putting shoes on makes a MAGICAL difference - even in how you read/respond to email. I encourage you to try it out for a week and notice the difference.
3. Put yourself into the joy zone & get to work!
I find that sitting myself down and remembering why I started doing what I do in the first place helps me really re-align with my truth and passion around what I'm doing.
What brings you joy about the work that you do? Find THAT again.
Tidy up your space, put your favourite working music on, open up the blinds and sit down in your space with focus and intention. Also, leave that phone in another room. Anything important that can be done on your phone, can likely be done on your computer - minus the distraction and urge to check Instagram 18 times a minute.
At the end of the day - good feelings, bring about good energy, and more good feelings. Productivity is a great feeling that will come when you've created space for it and set the tone. When you show up as the next version of you, the universe hears you and responds with more goodness all around.
Feeling aligned but need a little help on the business side of things? Our June cohort of the Beautiful Business Program is open for applicants! It may be a fit for what you're looking to accomplish.
In Happiness & Health,
Natalie Colalillo
Founder & CEO Happy Healthy Women
Instagram: @happy_healthy_nat
Every day as I go out to explore my neighbourhood I am bombarded with the sounds, scents, and evidence of spring. Mother Earth is waking up and it truly is a beautiful thing to observe!
In its beauty, there is so much opportunity, creativity and chaos. During winter while the world was asleep and resting there was peace and quiet. But now all has changed!
As much as I love the changes - as much as I have longed for them, I find a part of me is resisting it too!
A part of me is longing to go back to sleep, a part of me is saying the peace and quiet were perfect and a part of me resents them being pulled away from me...
...and it’s made me reflect on how I handle change.
I would love to tell you that I am amazing at handling change - that I always go with the flow, ready to face the uncertainty of the future with grace and style.
But that won’t be the truth. The truth is I love consistency, I love routine and sameness and I love the idea of knowing what each day will look like! If I am totally honest, I really adore the feeling of being in control!
And so even though I long for adventure and even though I value growth, a part of me always hesitates when it’s at my door!
And in that hesitation I find myself telling so many unhelpful stories!
I tell myself that the change and the growth will be harmful, and painful.
I tell myself that nothing will be the same now - as if that’s a bad thing!
And I begin to look for danger: What might not go “right?” What am I going to lose?
What might be uncomfortable?
And so every day I remind myself of this month's affirmation:
“I trust the new things that life is bringing me are gifts for my benefit.”
Albert Einstein famously said that each person must make an important decision in their lives. They must decide whether the universe is friendly or unfriendly.
For so many of us, our natural tendency is to believe the universe is unfriendly - thanks to our ancestors and their need to run from the sabre tooth tiger we are always looking around at what can harm us, what might put us in danger. That’s normal and natural.
But it is not the most beneficial!!
It doesn’t allow us to be our highest self.
It doesn’t allow us to live out the more beautiful world we know is possible!
If we can make the shift from seeing what the world brings us as dangerous, to seeing everything as a gift for our benefit the way that we experience our lives can be completely different!
We can begin to anticipate and look forward to the changes, we can lean into the opportunities, and we can rest in the comfort of an abundance mindset!
So if you are tentatively looking forward to the gifts of spring - the newness, the creativity and the chaos - use this month's affirmation to embrace the experience!
Download your printable affirmation here:
Meg is a Life Coach, Hypnotherapist, and Podcast Host (The Art Of Being H(YOU)man) that is passionate about walking with people who want more out of life than just the status quo!
She believes that life doesn’t have to work out exactly the way we think it “should” in order to be enjoyed and that people don’t have to be perfect in order to be loved.
She believes that we all have the voice of truth inside of us but sometimes it can be hard to hear. And most importantly that we must live between the tension of accepting the things we cannot change and taking massive action on the things we can!
Meg creates spaces where women can slow down and process all the things that are influencing and controlling their lives - their everyday thoughts, emotions, and the stories they have been telling themselves.
Spaces where they can look at their inner world, gain valuable insight and then reclaim their personal authority, and make conscious decisions that transform the way they experience their lives!
Through one on one coaching, group coaching and workshops Meg helps women show up in the world with more love, and less ego, more compassion, and less judgment, more vulnerability, and less shame, more emotional agility and less fear!
Meg lives in BC with her husband of 22 years, two teenage boys and their little dog Charlie.
To learn more about Meg visit her website www.megheppner.com
I saw this quote by the awesome Brendon Burchard on Instagram today that I LOVED, really resonated with, and felt called to share:
"When you are standing in your full power, you are not a complainer."
Ohhhhh Friend! This sparked so much for me as I thought back to the days where I used to BATHE myself in a Victim Mentality. Ever been there? Maybe you're like: "I'm there right now and everything sucks". If so, you're not alone - but you should definitely read on!
A victim mentality refers to a state of mind in which a person feels helpless and as though the world is against them.
I was DEEP in this. So deep, that I would sit at my little pity party for one blaming this, that and all the things for why my life wasn't going as planned. As you can imagine - the only things that ever came of those days were more friction and frustration. Then - I got coaching, did some personal work, and learned how to shift that mindset into one that empowers me. That's when things opened up and everything started working IN my favor.
Here are 6 big things I learned that helped me make the shift...and a little further down, a resource that you'll love if you're feeling the need to step into a more empowered state as well.
1. Being a victim is a LEARNED HABIT that most of us grow up with.
2. There are many ways to be a victim, and if we do it in one area of our lives, chances are we do it in others.
3. To break free of the Victim Mentality takes work, and requires an attitude shift - but it's certainly possible.
4. Being a victim is not our natural way of being. It is not abundant, life-giving or free.
5. Victim Mentality is something we accept for ourselves and we can decide to live by a higher standard.
6. As long as we accept it, there will be those out there accepting that we are the victim as well, and strengthening our victim mindset right along with us.
The thing is, if we are comfortable in the Victim Mentality, we will use it so many ways when it comes to our physical, mental and emotional well-being. It becomes a crutch that actually hinders our growth.
The good news is - overcoming it and stepping into an empowered state will serve you, your relationships, your health and your business SO much more.
Oh, and that resource I promised you: One of my favorite pieces from Dr. Wayne Dyer that gives a simple way to start de-victimizing yourself. Take 5 minutes to listen to this and feel instant freedom - The Art of the Shrug.
In Happiness & Health,
Natalie Colalillo
Founder & CEO Happy Healthy Women
Instagram: @happy_healthy_nat
Making decisions is one of the most empowering things we can do for ourselves. In fact, feeling truly satisfied with our life starts with making intentional decisions.
When we operate on autopilot we are living based on decisions that we have made in the past. From simple things such as the way we like our coffee, to more complex things like who we spend our time with–once we repeat these things several times, they start to become “our usual”.
This is really great when it comes to healthy habit formation because removing the decision making actually keeps us on track. We decide once and then begin to repeat the same thing intentionally each day until the action becomes automatic.
What we need to be cognisant of is the fact that living based on decisions we made in the past might not be conducive to the life we want to live now.
The things we started out doing on purpose can become unintentional over time and then we start to see unintentional results in our lives.
When you think about changing something in your life (which involves making a decision), what comes up for you?
Do you have thoughts like:
Take a moment to consider if these thoughts are true. They may feel true. Especially if they have become ingrained in your belief system by thinking them repeatedly for several months or years.
When we are young, our parents, teachers and other trusted adults make most of our decisions for us. In this way we are conditioned by the people around us and by society. We take on values and ideologies and start living from a place of “shoulds”. The result is that we begin to perceive our options as limited, almost like living in a bubble.
Everything starts being filtered through our worldview and if we don’t take a moment to stop and see the bigger picture, then we miss the opportunity to see a world of limitless possibilities.
Taking a step back gives us the space to think consciously about our lives and our decisions, so that we can start living with intention.
Are you open to taking your power back?
To start making decisions with thought and deliberation?
If the answers is yes, here are some power thoughts to get you started:
I challenge you to do a life audit. To look at each area of life and ask yourself, “would I choose this again”.
You may be surprised at how satisfied you are with your life just the way it is.
Whitney Coupland is a Certified Health and Life Coach. In her coaching practice, Whitney works with those who want to improve their health while still enjoying their life. You can connect with Whitney by visiting her website WhitneyCoupland.com, booking a free consultation or finding her on Instagram @WhitneyCoupland_
Photo By: Brigitte Tohm
What do you think about when March rolls around and Spring is in the air?
When I hear the birds singing, & see the flowers begin to bloom, when the days become longer and I know the animals start to come out of hibernation, I feel a sense of wonder that inspires me to dive deeper within. And by doing so, I've been inspired to write this blog.
Photo By: Ray Hennessy
Why is it important to listen to your heart?
Let's answer this question by analyzing the alternative choice.
We live in an era of high technology & instant gratification, giving us the ability to access the world wide web at our finger tips, so we can retrieve all the answers to our burning questions. When in doubt, ask Google, right?! This seems to be the trend & at times can be useful, however, does this trend serve us on a deeper level? Or do we inadvertently give away our power by taking the easy route and googling anything and everything.
The evidence is clear when you begin to type out your search to find the most popular questions being asked, such as, "What is the meaning of life" or "What is my life purpose?" Although, it can be helpful for some people to get hints from google with these deeper questions, I do feel like this also takes away peoples opportunity to do their own soul-searching or critical thinking. By relying more on technology or an outside source to answer our deep questions, we end up losing touch with our heart and our inner being, which is where your wisdom is accessed.
Photo By: Tim Marshall
Remembering to tune into your heart, & listening attentively, could mean the difference between learning your own lessons or making someone else's mistake. All because you didn't take the time to listen to where your heart was guiding you towards.
At the end of the day, we all have choices to make, and each choice leads us down a different path, a different timeline of your life. Do you want to walk down a path led by the beat of your heart? Or do you want to walk down a path led by the opinions of others?
And, so I ask you, why is it important to listen to your heart?
Blessed Be.
Thể Oanh pronounced like Tey'One or Oanh 'ONE' for short, is an Oracle who serves as a Spiritual Guide, Image Consultant & Multidimensional Transformation Coach. She helps her clients gain unwavering confidence to consciously create a balanced life they love by becoming Spiritually aligned, looking sophisticated & feeling sexy. Do you feel inclined to get one on one guidance to help you take your life to the next level? Book your laser coaching session today: https://theonecoachsolutions.com/clarity-and-confidence-blueprint/
Oanh is Vancouver's new HHW Branch Director.
Connect with her today:
Let me provoke deeper thinking amongst the masses.
Every single Soul who enters this Earth, has been blessed with a gift, the gift of giving.
It's up to each Soul to rediscover what their here to offer the world more of because what you have to give, matters. You matter, what you think matters, what you say matters, what you do and do not do matters.
Don't dim down your light or hold back your love, receive love & give your love freely because the world needs more love.
With Love & Light.
Thể Oanh Oracle
I talk about this often - in our masterminds, on coaching calls, on LIVES - The importance of building a BRAND and not just a business if you're wanting to grow and scale a company. I know - sounds a little obvious! However, when you really dig into the mindset piece around this, it makes a huge difference in so many ways, but especially to your bottom line.
Here are 4 reasons why business owners need to focus on building a brand, not just a business:
1. The WHY of the organization. When operating as a business, you're operating as an organization that markets a product, service or opportunity. When operating as a BRAND, your business has a deeper reason to keep moving forward and create an impact. The WHY of your business shines through, and gives customers something to connect to. It also allows your business to make an impact.
2. Your brand is the reason people buy - or don't. A brand builds connection and a reason for people to agree or disagree. Yes - color, logos, and websites all have a role to play in this, but more importantly, its about people connecting to your messaging, your mission and your values. A brand gives your business personality, heart and a reason for people to connect. It's a little like online dating. A profile may look great - but if on a first date there's no commonality, no connection, no spark...there likely won't be a second!
3. Brands get noticed, businesses get ignored. Have you ever followed a business or someone IN business that posted offer, after offer, after offer? Chances are your following didn't last long and you got bored of being sold to.
Brands are about connection, connection, connection. The more a brand focuses on connecting, the less they have to make "offers". There's a different vibe when a company is focused on the best for their clients versus when they are simply looking to make more sales. When a brand goes above and beyond to care about the customer experience, they build loyalty and that goes much further than promotional content.
4. Brands allow businesses to pivot. You and your business are ever changing, and a brand builds a foundation so that you're able to shift products and services while still maintaining a consistent message and feel. When you DO pivot in your business after you've built a solid brand, fans will continue to buy what you produce. These are your Super Fans.
There's definitely way more to consider around building a brand, and it's why we have an entire session set aside for this in The Beautiful Business Program. It's essential for the growth and scalability of an organization.
If you've been feeling a little like "I can't find clients", or "we need to make more sales"...it may be an indication that your business could use a shift in focus toward building a brand, connection and customer loyalty.
And yes, I'm always here to help those wanting to take their business to the next level. Let's connect!
In Happiness & Health,
Natalie Colalillo
Founder & CEO Happy Healthy Women
Instagram: @happy_healthy_nat
Character strengths are the building blocks of positive psychology approaches (Peterson & Seligman, 2004). Instead of focusing on one’s shortcomings and dysfunction, an awareness is cultivated of using and developing their strengths to stimulate the helpful behaviour and attitude required for productive change (Niemiec, 2017).
Although others also count, the character strengths of creativity, perseverance, forgiveness, self-regulation, and hope play a determining role in successful and sustainable habit change.
#1 - Hope
Firstly, the motivation to pursue a habit change is inherently based on hope, and optimistic future-mindedness that provides sufficient incentive and expectation of a reward to invest effort in achieving it.
#2 – Perseverance
By definition, habits are routines or patterns of behavior that are ingrained and difficult to change. Most often, they are attached to their own incentives, such as avoiding discomfort or pain, seeking distraction, and looking for external validation. Therefore, success requires perseverance and the ability to moderate and control one’s impulses and emotions (self-regulation).
Persistence in overcoming obstacles and restarting after failures is the mainstay of any worthwhile change process, while resisting the urge to give up and revert back to one’s old ways.
#3 - Forgiveness
Acceptance and forgiveness of one’s weaknesses is vital when facing and managing setbacks, relapses, and sticking points. Without the capacity of self-forgiveness, building and sustaining new habits is onerous and less likely to succeed. In other words, self-forgiveness gives us the capacity to pick ourselves up, face criticism, and defy the odds.
#4 - Creativity
While other character strengths may also play a role in building healthy habits such as perspective, honesty, zest, kindness, gratitude, and social intelligence, the fourth and final strength highlighted here as integral to most instances of personal change is creativity. This means to be adaptive and inventive when identifying and trying new solutions to old, established problems, like unhelpful habits. By seeing and doing things in different ways, one can circumvent or break through sticking points and blocks and “trick” the mind to adopt the new habit more readily.
Recommendations
By doing a few simple exercises every day, a person can develop the character strengths that will enable them to form and sustain habits more successfully. Research has shown that regular practice of just one activity from the list per character strength will have a significant impact on each character strength, with an amplified effect on habit formation.
Hope
Perseverance
Forgiveness
Creativity
Conclusion
If you do some of these things for a few weeks, you are highly likely to notice the positive change in your character strengths of Hope, Perseverance, Forgiveness, and Creativity. Together, in harmony, your ability to introduce and sustain new habits will also increase and you will be more adaptive and resilient to changing external demands.
References
Linley, P. A., Maltby, J., Wood, A. M., Joseph, S., Harrington, S., Peterson, C., Park, N., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2007). Character strengths in the United Kingdom: The VIA Inventory of Strengths. Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 341-351. DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2006.12.004
McGrath, R. E. (2014). Character strengths in 75 nations. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 10(5), 407–424. DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2014.888580
Niemiec, R. M. (2017). Character strength interventions: A field guide for practitioners. Boston, MA: Hogrefe.
Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. New York: Oxford University Press.
Swart, J. (2020). What do the character strengths of coaching students tell us? Wisdom Magazine, 2. Retrieved from URL.
Amritha is a Forensic Scientist-turned-certified Health and Habits Coach. She helps working professionals break bad habits and build new sustainable ones. They learn to stop procrastinating and take small consistent actions towards managing their time and productivity.
Amritha is enthusiastic about sharing her wisdom as a trailblazer at South Surrey, BC
Join her free Facebook group here where she answers your questions and you learn and grow with like-minded people.
Connect and chat with Amritha on FB and IG at @lifecoachap
Just over two years ago, I left a government job where I made close to $90k a year to start my own business.
At that time, I thought “Sure, I’ll need to learn a few new things but give me a year and I’ll easily be earning that again.”
Wow! Was I wrong!
I had no idea just how big the learning curve – not only in skills but in mindset – would be.
I’m not alone.
Almost every other new entrepreneur coming from corporate life that I know has gone through or is going through something similar.
According to the Dunning-Kruger effect this is normal!
The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias that says people with a low ability at a task they are passionate about tend to overestimate their competence.
For those without former full-time entrepreneurial experience, this typically plays out like this:
You start your business with high confidence and low competence, thinking:
“How hard can it be?”
Shortly thereafter, you realize “Holy Hell Batman! This is really f*cking hard! I don’t know WTF I’m doing!” (perhaps, not in those exact words, but you get the drift) and your confidence plummets to a new low.
At this point, many entrepreneurs give up and go back to some ho hum full-time job and silently wonder what would have happened if they’d stuck with it.
But that isn’t me, and that isn’t you either!
Instead, you keep moving forward, trudging through the muck and frustration and self-doubt and failures and setbacks until, bit by bit, things start to click...
things start to work…
you start to feel welcomed by people…
people start coming to you…
you make some real money…
and low and behold, once again you feel…
CONFIDENT!
You’ve made it out of the Valley of Despair and are now on the Slope of Enlightenment and headed toward new business Nirvana – a.k.a. the Plateau of Sustainability (cue the angels singing).
After two years of full-time entrepreneurship (and a lot of reboots), I feel like I’ve finally made it to this slope.
I’ve gotten clear on what I offer, to whom, and how I invite people to work with me in a way that aligns with who I am.
Things feel easier…
But to get to this point, I had to go through the Valley of Despair and, as Rodney Atkins sings in his famous song, “If you’re going through hell, keep on going.”
And the way to do that, like the turtle in the race with the hare, is to be consistent, to be persistent, and to keep your eye on the prize!
You got this!
June Morrow helps emerging coaches step out of isolation and into authentic connections with marketing, messaging, and communications that inspire them and their audiences.
Get her free training How to Find Clients When Social Media Isn’t Doing It For You.
Learn more at JuneMorrow.com.
One of the hardest truths to accept is that we are more powerful than we could ever imagine!
Instead, we often seem to hold on to the idea that we are not capable, that we are somehow flawed in some important way, or that we must simply submit to whatever is expected of us!
Believing those things can often keep us in situations and circumstances that are safe and comfortable. But life is meant to be more than simply safe and comfortable!
Life is meant to be explored and enjoyed, life is meant to give us the opportunity to grow and stretch, it is meant to give us the opportunity to see what the human spirit is truly capable of!
But that can only be our reality when we step into our power - when we realize that we are the authors of our story and the creators of our own experiences!
So how do we begin the journey of writing our own story?
We begin to write our own stories when we validate our feelings, experiences, needs, fears, and desires.
All too often we walk through life dismissing ourselves.
We say we ‘shouldn't’ feel a certain way, or we ‘shouldn’t’ need this or that.
We deny our fears by say hiding them by being busy and distracted.
We second guess our experiences by casting doubt on what we saw or heard - opting instead to believe the version others tell, making them feel comfortable and supported.
All this leads to living a life that doesn’t feel like ‘ours.’
So today begin to be the author of your own story, begin to check in with yourself and acknowledge what you are feeling, experiencing, needing, fearing, and desiring, begin by validating that anything that comes up for you as important information that you need in order to create the life you want to have!
“Great Stories Happen to those who can tell them” - Ira Glas
Own the fact that your life is yours to create - and as you observe your life and begin to tell your stories realize that you have the power to tell the story in a way that empowers you, that creates opportunities for you, that challenges you to be and do your best!
Your story can be a great story!!
XOXO
Meg
Meg is a Life Coach, Hypnotherapist, blogger and Podcast Host (The Art Of Being H(YOU)man) that is passionate about walking with people who want more out of life than just the status quo!
She believes that life doesn’t have to work out exactly the way we think it “should” in order to be enjoyed and that people don’t have to be perfect in order to be loved.
She believes that we all have the voice of truth inside of us but sometimes it can be hard to hear. And most importantly that we must live between the tension of accepting the things we cannot change and taking massive action on the things we can!
Meg creates spaces where women can slow down and process all the things that are influencing and controlling their lives - their everyday thoughts, emotions, and the stories they have been telling themselves.
Spaces where they can look at their inner world, gain valuable insight and then reclaim their personal authority, and make conscious decisions that transform the way they experience their lives!
Through one on one coaching, group coaching and workshops Meg helps women show up in the world with more love, and less ego, more compassion, and less judgment, more vulnerability, and less shame, more emotional agility and less fear!
Meg lives in BC with her husband of 22 years, two teenage boys and their little dog Charlie.
To learn more about Meg visit her website www.megheppner.com
Whether it’s taking on a project like starting a blog on a new platform or implementing a new way of eating for your health, getting started can feel overwhelming. You’ve likely heard it before: “getting started is the hardest part”. But why?
The way that we think about starting something new is very powerful. Our thoughts are what create our feelings, and because as humans we act based on emotion much of the time, those sentences running through our brains carry a lot of weight. If we allow our brains to run on autopilot, the thoughts that naturally arise may not be the ones that are best for helping us move in the direction we want to go. And so, we can end up with unintentional results.
We want to think thoughts that elicit a feeling in our body that will have us take action toward our goals. The feeling of overwhelm is not one of those productive feelings.
So what kind of thoughts are causing such overwhelm? Things like:
I don’t know where to start
There are so many things to consider
I want to make sure I get it right
I don’t know the steps involved
This is going to be so time-consuming
Should I bother
Is it worth it
I don’t have the (tools, resources, expertise) that I need
I’m not ready
Maybe this can wait
Let’s break these thoughts down into a few categories:
Confusion:
Thoughts like “I don’t know” leave us feeling confused and not sure how or where to start. Confusion can lead to things like over-researching, information overload, and analysis paralysis. What confusion doesn’t do: help us move forward with confidence.
Some great questions to ask yourself when you are feeling confused:
What if I did know?
What is my best guess?
What would I tell a good friend in this situation?
What would my coach or mentor say?
These questions can get your brain focused on possible solutions.
Perfectionism:
Thoughts like: “there’s no point in doing this if I don’t get it right” are sign you may be on the perfectionist train. Perfectionism has it’s benefits, such as, producing quality work and doing a great job for our clients. However, it can be paralyzing and prevent us from getting our value out into the world.
Everyone has to start somewhere, and when we start something new, there will always be room for improvement. Having the courage to put yourself out there and do something new is where it begins.
Some useful thoughts to use when you are feeling like a perfectionist:
Even my B grade work has the potential to change someone’s life
Imperfection is relatable and can work in my favour
Indecision:
We often don’t realize that when we fail to make a decision, we are in fact deciding to stay where we are. Questions like: “should i bother?”, “is it worth it?”, or “is this the right time?” can really hold us back. These thoughts provoke feelings of anxiety or even complacency, which are not useful in brining us closer to our desired outcomes. Indecision takes up mental space and sucks our energy. Give yourself a deadline, make the decision, and relief will follow.
If you find yourself in indecision, a useful thought is:
Any decision I make will give me clarity on what I truly want
Confusion, perfectionism and indecision lead to the thought “this is too much” which creates overwhelm. You may notice that you are fidgety, unfocused, or that your breathing has become shallow. These physical signs give us insight into what is going on in our brains and the types of thoughts we are thinking.
So, what can we do about it?
Starting is the hardest part, but, if we can get our brain working for us rather than against us, then we are off to the races!
Whitney Coupland is a Certified Health and Life Coach. In her coaching practice, Whitney works with those who want to improve their health while still enjoying their life. You can connect with Whitney by visiting her website WhitneyCoupland.com, booking a free consultation or finding her on Instagram @WhitneyCoupland_
