Just Let Go - peeling off another layer

In one's life, just as we think we had it sorted, we discover there's another 'layer on the onion' that we need to peel off which allows us to relearn a lesson we once learnt. 

Have you ever found that to be true for any part of your life?

I feel like I'm constantly learning to 'let go' or perhaps it's just a gentle reminder that life is much better once I let go of whatever might be holding me back so that I can be happy again - or just happier!

My baby 9 weeks old (yep 4weeks since my last post) and I know I haven't kept up with my blogging! I have had every intention to continue to write weekly and when I haven't since I had my son, I was getting a little stressed out, like I was letting someone (myself?) down, putting extra pressure on myself and then feeling overwhelmed! Just imagine how happy I was feeling while I was going through the motions of these thoughts. Not very.

After talking to a friend, she made me realise I was being too hard in myself - taking care of a newborn AND learning a new skill/job being a parent is more than a full-time job, it's a 24/7 thing! Couldn't I be kinder to myself, show me a little more

Self-Love?

I just had to LET GO of all the ideas of what I thought life would be like once I had a baby, let go of what I thought I might be able to do/achieve in one day! Once that happened, it's like a weight was lifted off my shoulders! What a relief, hello HAPPINESS! 

How about you? What can you let go of in your life? What thoughts can you let go of? Not sure? Perhaps think of something that has been really bothering you. Then ask yourself, does it matter? Or how much does it matter? Next, give yourself permission to choose to LET GO - or you can choose to still hold on to the baggage! If you choose to hold on to any baggage and thoughts that come with, just check in to see what it's doing to your Heath, your Relationship with others - is that how you want to live? A life full of grudges and downhill spiral of thoughts? Are you FEELING ALIVE or sad/angry/upset/disappointed?

JUST LET GO! And a new layer of HAPPINESS begins!

Day 13: "30 Day Gratitude Challenge"

Day 13: Today I'm grateful for the change in weather

There are plenty of things we can't control and things we cannot change - we just need to accept whatever is, be.  So stop resisting and refocus your energy on what's actually working for you or what can be changed.  Much easier flow, right?

For example, the weather - we have absolutely no control over that, do we? What else can't you change?  Once we acknowledge that we can't change those things, it makes it easier for us to let that go and make a shift towards changing what we can focus on that is working for us instead.  

Today, I was grateful that the weather had dropped slightly and changed from yesterday - I found it much easier to breathe. But the weather is never consistent! The sun came out later and although I was grateful to see the sun shine, I too am grateful I went to the cinema with a friend in the afternoon to get out of the heat and into some air conditioning to be cooled down and to feel relaxed :)

Just...Let go.... :)

You Are Your Thoughts - Think HAPPY Thoughts!

When we're ill or when situations aren't going as we had expected, it's best to stay positive by thinking about all the things that could go right. 

I have learnt that our unconscious mind is fascinating and that our thoughts can sometimes bring about just that - that the universe responds to our thoughts and gives us what we 'unconsciously' think about. 

There's a saying "You are what you think about all day long". 

It's so important in certain situations to, yes, acknowledge your feelings, perhaps of fear, but more importantly to let go of that and think differently. 

Reflect on the good in your life, be grateful that you are surrounded by loving people who care about you, trust the amazing doctors out there who are an expert in their field to look after you. 

Trust yourself, be intuitive to your body. Rest up because you intuitively know it needs it, don't resist. BE trusting to the experts who might examine you. Accept this moment and allow whatever happens to happen. Whatever you resist will persist. 

Just remember, think happy positive thoughts and trust you will pull through :)

Letting go of Meditation Myths

The other day I caught up with a friend and I asked her if she had any "me-time" - her answer was yes, no...yes... I'm going to mind-read here and say the answer was probably no... 

Each of us do really know the answers as the answers can be found in our heart, but what many of us are unable to do (yet) is to tap into our hearts to be able to speak our truth.

I went on to suggest that perhaps she could find 10mins a day which she could call her "me time". For her it was her coffee - but I wonder what she's doing while she's drinking that coffee?  Was she thinking about the coffee in the moment, the smell, the taste or was her mind elsewhere thinking about the kids, what happened yesterday, what needs to be done today?  

Sound familiar?

I decided to suggest meditation to her - her answer made me realise there are many myths out there on what meditation is or does.  Firstly - just LET GO of that idea!

Here are a few myths:
- meditation is for busy people, who want to slow down: er...no, meditation is for ANYONE!

- I can't meditate because I can't sit still and my mind races on all sort of things: well that MINDSET just isn't going to get you anywhere now is it? :)

- I don't have time to meditate: that's probably an indication that CREATING A PRACTICE would do you some good!

The truth is, there are many meditation techniques out there - you just need to find the one that suits you, with your lifestyle.  Trust me, I've tried plenty! From 30mins to 1 hour practices only to give it up a year later.  I now realise I too am a busy person and dedicating a full hour meditation practice did not really suit my lifestyle.  I now practice for 10-15mins daily and you can too.

Creating a meditation practice for me is important because I know the benefits of it, plus it really did expand my awareness so that I did let go of control I didn't even know I had!  You know the times where you want things to be or turn out a certain way and then get upset/annoyed when it doesn't? ;) 

Here are just some ideas you might like to try on. Meditation allows me to be more grounded, to allow me to speak to my own heart space and in return be more intuitive. A daily practice allows me to be a better person towards others, living my life with more gratitude, awareness and to be more loving and mindful. I am able to cope with life's stress a lot better, recognise when I'm self-judging, be kind to myself and generally have even more happiness in my life than I already :)

Happy Dayz!! :)

Embrace It!

Earlier this year we were in Bali doing a 7 day surf & yoga retreat with Salt Retreats - Amazing experience by the way if you ever decide to try it! The retreat was small but the people we met were amazing - fun and just really down to earth.  One of the things I remember is one of the girls saying was "Embrace It" and I've since carried it with me.

When we allow and accept what is, we definitely feel a little more relief, release and happier.  When we try to fight against something - a situation, person etc - we tend to end up feeling more stressed, frustrated, unaccepting, controlling - the list goes on! 

A chat with my mentor, Mia Munro, not too long ago, made me realise that for a long time my journey has been about 'letting go' - yes, one might say, I too wanted to be in control of my own life (like all aspects!) - now I'm not saying don't be responsible for your own life, because you are, but if you add a little bit of 'letting go' in there with some of the 'control'...well... the feeling is just completely different.

For me, with my current circumstances, I've had my husband tell me many times "embrace it" (the pregnancy) and I'm certainly doing a lot of allowing and accepting.  Just on the weekend, I've totally just had to allow and accept that my body is changing, there is no rule when or how much it will change in whatever time frame, so I've just got to embrace it.  I'm talking about the fact that I had to go out and buy maternity pants!  Just getting into my forth month, you're only really just starting to show!  You read lots of stuff about wearing loose or stretchy clothes.  Yup that totally worked for me from the second month and I stored away my skinny jeans and lived in my leggings, but a shop with my mum found me making the switch - and oh my goodness, they felt so good! It's such a different feeling. 

Now I could be all depressed about it that I'm getting bigger, losing my petite shape and having to wear maternity wear so early on OR I could and have totally embraced it. I've shown me a little self-love and respect - more about that another time!  It makes me love being pregnant!   In fact, it's made it more fun as I get to look at a new wardrobe!  

so let's just sit with that thought for today....

What are you trying to 'control' that's not working for you?  What would happen if you allow things to be as they are, or to accept that person for who they are?  

We can't control everything - think about it - you can't tell the sun when to wake up, right?  As they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do!