I love life.
I also love a challenge.
But I also don’t like making life unnecessarily hard for myself. I want to enjoy life.
So here are 3+ simple tips to make your like more easeful and less stressful / difficult / complicated.
Category: Acceptance
Last Saturday I was off to see one of my favourite movie characters and actors come to life again on the big screen as Jason Bourne. I was super excited. And then I got the call.
Rob is one of the Founders of The Practice yoga centre in Bali, that I am now a co-founder of, and he informed me that by chance he discovered that the neighbour planned to start building a 15m high, 2-storey accommodation block about 1m from our boundary, which will eventually block 50% of the view from one of our yoga studios. And he planned to start building immediately.
The landowner has a rather large block of land. He has no need to build 1m from our fence, and he was openly amused at the idea that his building, when finished would block out 50% of our view from one of our studios. Long story short. Not a nice or reasonable person and definitely not interested in us ‘working together’ so everyone benefits – like us guaranteeing him 100% occupancy rate for at least 4-6 months of the year as our preferred accommodation provider.
Yesterday I had the joy of doing a presentation in Qatar to an amazing business women’s organisation on authentic success and one of my key teachings is about co-creating your success, your happiness, your health, your destiny and your results in life.
That is, being a (very) conscious player in the results you get in life. Firing up your magnificent mind and living a life by DESIGN and not by default. Sounds like a good idea to me!
So continuing on with that theme, I want to give you 5 practical ways to become a lot luckier in your life.
I actually thought I was unlucky when I was in my late 20’s; but after doing the inner work, I had a remarkable mental shift. I not only believed I was luckier, but I started experiencing freakishly weird luck in my life. Sort of like that manifesting stuff when it came to opportunities, synchronicity and even money.
Let me just dive straight in with the first strategy…
Strategy 1: Get present
For those who are a big fan of getting gifts, I am sure you are a wee disappointed there is no ‘s’ on the end of ‘present’. The only challenge with that strategy is that it is dependent on others. We are after guaranteed outcomes, so are heading another direction. ;-)Yes. This is about doing the ‘in the now’ thing. It takes an effort, but it is possible to bring your attention fully into the activity in front of you. And the good thing about that is it stops the over-activity in your mind thinking about the past or future (where 90% of discomfort exists). It is SO calming when you become fully present in this moment. Your conversations with others are so much better. Your results are so much better. You can relax so much more.
Can I tell you a secret? This last week on my Coach Training Course was a tough one. Really tough. But also REALLY rewarding. I learned SO much. And I know I also grew a lot (though not in height unfortunately, as I am still a short, dark, handsome 165cm). Just joking! And being the cheeky so-and-so that I am. 😉
For the last 3 years, I have had this condition where before a major presentation, or course, or retreat that I am running, I would have this bizarre skin reaction on my left hand pointing finger. It would be primarily be in the front middle of the finger between the joints and look like I had leprosy (not a good look). I imagine it was some sort of stress eczema. I tried so many different techniques, strategies, tools, and therapies on it over the last 2 years to no avail. However, after and during a really challenging week last week, although I got a faint itch on the finger it did not break out in a freak show. I AM CURED!!!!
Want to know what I did differently?
Get ready for a wee lesson in how your brain works and how to not have the mental problem solving faculties of a dog (no disrespect intended at dogs for us dog lovers ;-)).
The Brain 101
I am going to be over simplistic here. For those that want a deeper dive on how best to use their brains check out The Guidebook to Optimum Health. 😉
The three basic parts of the brain and their functions are:
- Reptilian (lower) brain. Oldest party of the brain. Controls body movement, and autonomic functions in the body – digestion, breathing, etc.
Now I don’t like to throw any blame around as a general rule, but it is pretty evident that we are bombarded with ‘messages’ from advertising (LOTS of it!!!), peers, colleagues, Hollywood movies, books, magazines, friends, family, and the little voices in the back of heads that have been building up over decades.
Most of them are telling us that we are not enough. That we are not doing enough, being enough, have enough, achieved enough, etc. etc. etc.
Now I am a big fan of tapping into your full potential, as you know, but…not at the expense of the things that are most important to you.
As I highlighted above, there are many ways we can uncover in ourselves a fear of the unknown, or a fear of uncertainty. It is ok to have a little bit of ‘real’ fear to help us focus on what needs to be done, but too much fear lessens our joy, affects our health, reduces our potential, closes us to love, and causes us to miss out on the true magic life has to offer.
Tony Robbins talks about two of our basic human needs being our need for ‘certainty’ and also paradoxically a need for ‘uncertainty’. We actually need uncertainty in our lives. I believe we need it for excitement, adventure, growth, creativity, innovation, success, joy, and to tap into the full potential that resides within us, which does not operate by any small-minded rules (unless of course we know everything there is to know in the universe). 😉
So the more we can embrace, find comfort and make peace with leaning into the unknown, the greater our lives will become and the more our fear will dissipate.
Why we need ‘it’
This one has come up a lot of late with clients, but applies to us all.
Regardless of how much money you have in the bank, the quality of your relationships, the size of your (add your own word here ;-)), etc. this is applicable to us all.
The Myth
Have you ever thought, that someone ‘over there’ has it all figured out. Or has the perfect life. Or is free of PAIN, struggles and challenges. Or is SO different to you. Or has no money issues.This is a myth.
Categories
Big Gap = Big Stress
Roll the sleeves up and let’s get started on addressing your stress management tools.
What gap?
On one side there is: the observed reality
On the other side there is: what you think the reality ‘should’ be or you ‘want’ it to be
Here is a personal example:
My WANTS: I want to ride on my motorbike from home to my morning yoga class. I want it to be peaceful and free of any stress or near death experiences (perhaps a little melodramatic).