In the Middle of Stress

When you're in the middle of stress, stop for a few seconds or minutes and give yourself some breathing space.

Breathe. Breathe in through your nose for a count of three and then out through your mouth for a count of three. Pause and repeat three times.

Breathing will trigger relaxation. And this will help you put things into perspective and handle the situation with a calmer state of mind.

Thought About Contentment

Have you recently thought about contentment? Here's a thought: Contentment doesn't mean no drive, no goals. It's not a bland acceptance of life.

Contentment means having your eye on the goal, having the drive to go for what you want, but at the same time, there's a happy acceptance of everything.

Check In, Not Check Up

Are you good at regularly checking in with people? With family, friends and people at work?

Check in with people and find out what's happening and how things are going. Check in, not check-up. Checking up doesn't instil trust or create a good feeling. Whereas checking in, is less intrusive and pushy, more positive and friendly. It allows you to stay in the loop and on top of things, as well as make people feel valued and sustain relationships.

Everyday Greetings

Hi! Hola! Bonjour! Ni Hao! Ciao! Namaste! No matter where we are in the world, being greeted is like a ray of sunshine, it just lifts our spirits and gets a smile out of us. So why not bring a smile to others through a simple greeting?

The absence of a greeting may make the other person wonder if I’m upset with them or if they've done something to upset me. So as much as possible, don't wait for others to greet you, greet them first. And when you greet, make eye contact, smile and greet them by name (if you know it).

Go on, greet others around you, everyday.

Forgive Yourself

Replaying your mistakes and failures over and over again doesn’t help you nor does it change what happened. To stimulate growth and positive change, you have to forgive yourself. This helps you learn from your mistakes and failures. Find the lesson, then put a full stop to the past and move on.

Creating a Sacred Space

Would you like to have your very own sacred space in your home? Well, you can. Find a place in your home, a corner of a room, & create a space for you. You can keep it minimal or fill it with things that inspire, plants, flowers, paintings, photos, candles... Make your space sacred by making it a digital free zone & creating positive & powerful thoughts for yourself, others & the world.

Now, what will you do in your sacred space? Well, you can write, draw, read, meditate or just sit for a bit.

Starting Somewhere New

When you start working somewhere new, it can be exciting & challenging.

To get settled into your new role & fit into the new environment, confidently ask questions & learn as much as you can, not just the new skills but what's acceptable & what's expected of you. Be ready to work collaboratively with others, develop new routines & embrace new experiences.

Best of You

Do you compare yourself to others? Why? It could be because you want to gauge how you are doing in comparison, or it could be just plain force of habit.

Find out why you compare yourself to others. If what you really want is to nourish the best in you, then the best person to compare yourself to, is you. Gauge how you compare to your own potential, then you can strive to bring out the best of you.

Try Kindness

When you're feeling under pressure, you may find that kindness helps. How? When you're being kind, you'll find that the act of kindness takes a moment, whether it's picking up something someone dropped, lending a pen to someone or smiling at someone. In that moment, you're slowing down for a positive interaction and this reduces the feeling of pressure.

Life's Tall Orders

Every so often, life presents us with a tall order - a situation that seems so difficult & one that occupies our mind so completely that we just can't see over or around it.

Next time you come across one of life's tall orders, try to either: a) rise above it & take a bird's eye view, or, b) stand back & view it from a distance.

From either of these viewpoints you can look at the bigger picture, get a better perspective & see how to overcome the tall order & move forward in life.

Like the Lotus Flower

The lotus flower is a symbol of purity and resilience. Its roots are in the mud but it rises above the muddy waters, to grow into a pure, bright and beautiful flower.

Like the lotus flower, be grounded in the realities of life and let life enrich you to grow into something more beautiful.

Positive Affirmation

Notice how many times you put yourself down during the day. Include what you think and say, even words spoken in jest. Pay particular attention to how you react to your mistakes and poor choices. Instead of putting yourself down, affirm positive messages about yourself. Treat yourself gently and with respect. You deserve it. Think of yourself as a child who is learning to walk; you need encouragement – not criticism.

How to Take Criticism

The key to taking criticism constructively is taking criticism gracefully.

When criticized, pause your reaction, calm your emotions & then respond gracefully. Take criticism gracefully & better your ability to constructively deconstruct the criticism. Take the helpful tips & discard the rest.

Thank You ...gonna add that to my spiritual tool box...right next to the Q-Tips

What Will You Sacrifice to Achieve Your Goals?

It is good to have goals. To achieve our goals, sometimes there’s a sacrifice we have to pay in the short term. But even then, we can determine what we're willing to sacrifice, for how long, & what we’re not willing to sacrifice.

To prioritize what's important, sometimes we have to be flexible with our goals. But even if this delays our achievements, often, in the long term, it pays off.