Bliss...a journey

Practical ways to claiming your monkey mind - Step 2

2010-06-24T09:00:02+02:00

A few months back, December of last year, I wrote the first of 2 blogs, providing you with steps on claiming your monkey mind or quieting your mental chatter. If you haven't read that yet, do so now by clicking here and then come back to read step 2 of the process!

In the first step, I spoke about beginning to notice your habitual negative thoughts. Without recognizing the things that hold us back, we can do nothing to change them.

We tend to only have a handful of themes or topics for our negative thoughts that just seem to change form. We could feel really insecure about our bodies for example and could have many different thoughts throughout the day just under this particular issue. What are the general topics inside your head that seem to repeat themselves? Write them down now.

So now we have an idea of what we are thinking about. Now it is time to start doing something to shut them up! Here are some tips to help you do just this. Read through them, try some out and then commit to using just one technique for a week and see the impact. Come back and choose another until you find one that works for you.

Grounding yourself energeticallyWhen I am able to reconnect to my physicalness, to start noticing my body or what is around me in the moment. This immediately quiets my mind. The easiest technique I have found is to imagine roots of a tree (mine are vast and intricate!) extending from the bottom of my spinal cord. These roots extend down into the earth and attach themselves to the core of the earth. Just doing this and feeling the energy shift is often enough to not only quiet my mind, but get present in the moment.
Brain dump This technique is helpful in two ways. By writing down the thoughts in your head, you both release yourself from the burden of carrying them around but often you also find solutions to your current challenges. Start with writing down a question on the top of the page (word document or a piece of paper). The other day my brain dump title was So how can I make an impact to myself and others?
Stop fighting my thoughts A lot of times, we lie in bed and just feel completely trapped, imprisoned by the thoughts in our head. A friend of mine described it in this way:
i go, go, go, do, do, do...
i sleep with the tv on so i don't lay in bed all night long thinking of all the things i need to accomplish...
i'm not talking big things either...
buy diapers, this work thing, that bill thing...
eventually i crash, become totally unproductive, recharge and the cycle begins again...
go, go, go, do, do, do....
be still, inhale, exhale, go somewhere peaceful...
2 seconds pass, peaceful! i need to be at the grocery store, the daycare, work, cleaning my home...
ok, focus, inhale, exhale,
but make it quick cause you still need to be at the grocery store, the daycare, work, cleaning my home...

What do you think the thoughts are that she is thinking underneath all the action, the doing, the movement? Only she knows for sure, but getting in touch with those feelings underneath our productivity addiction is hugely important. So for my friend, once she recognized these core thoughts/beliefs, it would be time to accept them. The thing is is that we have all these thoughts each day that don't feel good...and we fight them, we don't want to feel bad, we want to feel good, so we shove them down somewhere, get busy with stuff and hope they go away. The bad new is not only do they NOT go away, the fester and get bigger.

So, find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed. Ground yourself using the technique above and then welcome in these negative feelings. Let them be a part of you too! They are just thoughts, just emotions, they won't kill you or harm you in any way. Allow yourself to really feel this emotion (one at a time). Yield to it, embrace it, let it be with you. And when you feel it beginning to lessen, release it, just let it go. Do this until they are gone. By doing this, the power these thoughts have over you is released and your mind is soothed.
Recognize the impact your thoughts have on what shows up in your life If you don't know this already, we live in an energetically based world. Everything and everyone is vibrating - protons, neurons and electrons moving at lightning speed. But what most people may not know is that our thoughts have an energetic vibration as well. Modern neuroscience and quantum physics illustrate this link but we all have personal experience, if noticed, that support this idea. How many times, have you woken up on the wrong side of the bed and your day just gets worse and worse? Same for the opposite state of mind, you wake up positive and energized and you have one positive encounter after another throughout the day. If you stop and take notice of how the energy of your thoughts impact your world, you would perhaps take choosing your thoughts and being in charge of your mind a bit more seriously.

Try it with a child. Notice how your energy impacts them. Not insomuch as what you say, but just your general mood. When my child is having a meltdown, I ground myself and stay calm and content, not getting sucked into his drama. The tantrum is gone in record time. He feeds off the energy coming from my thoughts and emotions. When I don't manage to stay in a good place and I do join him in melt down land, the tantrum seems to never end, gets worse and negatively impacts the rest of the day. Again, he feeds off my energy - my thoughts.

Start noticing how your thoughts impact your reality. You do have control of your mind, know this. It is simply about cultivating skills and habits that make is simpler to create the life you desire.

Many blessings!

Why is she so darn happy all the time?!

2010-06-16T11:22:03+02:00

A new, lovely friend of mine here in Fujairah (UAE) said to me the other night at a party...

"We haven't had a person as happy as you move here in a long time!" A compliment for sure!

And granted, I haven't had so much fun with a group of women in a really long time! I have been blessed to have landed into the most fabulous set of ladies you could know - who wouldn't be happy?

But the thing is I am really, really happy - unrelated to my external circumstances and it this feeling seeps into my very core. That is not to say I don't have my bad days, everyone around me knows that! The thing is is that I have cultivated a deep understanding of who I am on the inside and I manage my outside life to reflect what is most important to me. When I feel the strain and stress of what life throws at me, I know how to find relief, to find the meaning in the emotions I feel and to realign myself to the creative flow of life.

Ok, I have always been an extrovert, but I haven't always been so comfortable with myself. This I learned through consciously committing to a process of expansion, of growth, of becoming. Of course my chosen profession helps - having a key role in a person's inner growth rubs off on you. I believe we are all connected and being in a space where new awareness's are being created, has a sort of infections effect!

So what have I learned and what do I practice that allows me to live from this authentic place?

I believe that my happiness is vital to my very existence, but even more important for my children.
I believe I am the conscious creator of my life and that by getting clear about what I want and believing it will come to be without a shadow of a doubt - absolutely anything is possible.
I wake up and choose to have a great day
I see the beauty and divinity in everything

I believe that effortlessness and flow of life is possible, achievable and right under my very nose at every moment of everyday

I trust my intuition for absolutely every decision I make

I forgive myself and accept the parts of me that I may not be so proud of (no, I am not always chipper....)

I don't believe that I have to know the answers to every dilemma I have in life, I live co-creatively with the Universe and so allow that energy to often provide me with the answers I need.

I feel and communicate love every single day

I do not take into consideration the thoughts of others in defining who I am and how I feel

I know how to let go of pent up negative emotion or any thought or feeling that is holding me back from being me

I use my feelings as a sign post for things I must learn or take notice of - both good and bad

I will forever be evolving and expanding as long as I live and this really excites me!

I believe there is so much more wellbeing in this earth than the opposite, no matter how much the media wants to convince us otherwise

I have very few fears or limitations in my head

I have learned to quiet my mind

Wow, that was a long list...I couldn't seem to stop myself!

I write this to you for a purpose.

Don't you hear people say..."it isn't realistic to be so happy" or "I am just trying to stay afloat, happiness isn't even on my radar!" or even "happy people piss me off, don't they see the misery of the world!"?

What I think these people are really saying is..."I don't know what true happiness feels like and I honestly don't how toBE happy."I think people resist happiness or seem to protect their right to be unhappy because that feels normal. It feels normal to be unhappy - after all everyone sort of is.

As a society, we are collectively not taught about emotional health and wellness - the "hows" of a truly happy life. This entails learning new life skills! It is about recognizing the power of your thoughts and begin to learn to manage them, it is about seeing that emotions are our allies and our guides and know when to let go of emotion that does not serve us, and filling our days with activities that leave us feeling proud. It is about cultivating an inner source of wisdom and awareness that will elevate you from being a victim of your circumstances to the creator of your life.

Questions to contemplate:

How does your thinking hold you back? How does your mind limit you?
Do you listen to your intuition? When you do, what are the quality of those decisions?
Look back on the decisions you have made today. Have the choices you made left you feeling proud? What could you have done differently?
Imagine what a truly happy life would look like for you. What would it feel like? What would be different? What would be the same? Write down this vision and hang it in a visible place.
What do you believe in that empowers you?

To your happiness (insert raised glass!),

Sigrid

Learning my own lessons...

2010-04-08T07:20:27+02:00

It may be a bit bizarre for many, but I see my life experiences always in the context of what it can teach me and ultimately what it can teach others. I think we all have way way more similar life experiences (internal ups and downs), want very much of the same things in life and get stuck in very many of the same ways.

So where I am now is so filled with polar extremes! On one hand things are going so well, and I couldn't be more pleasde with the move, our new home and life. This place, although more different that where I have come from you could not get, seems to suit me.

And on the other hand, I don't think I have ever experienced more stress in such a short period of time. From the packing up of our house, the actual journey (insane), the strange experience of Dubai initially - overwhelming, the living in a hotel for 2 weeks, the double injury of our son, all the million details of settling in the our new home and now the supreme intense neediness of my children.

I feel at this moment like the worst mother in the world.....I have not taken my own advice - the advice I wrote from my heart to you in the hope that it will shine some light on your own journey...I have not taken.

In my last post I wrote about how important it was to fill yourself up with activities - time and focus that is intended to provide you with a sense of balance and connection with YOU and how these simple acts can so buffer you from the impact of negative stress in your life. I even committed to 30 minutes a day doing something important to me. I didn't do it. Instead I either surfed the net, had a few cocktails, or went to bed early - nothing of real meaning and nothing that filled me up....really.

So here I am on this Thursday at 9am totally empty...In this place I am unable to truly connect with my children, be truly present with them and fill their needs, any slightly wrong move on my husbands part ends up to be lethal for him, and I have zero creative energy to figure out how to get myself out of this pit....

What should I do?

I am actually asking myself here - my true self...give me a second for the old intuition to kick in....

A couple things pop up...

Accept this place - settle into in it. I become calmer, my head-chatter gets quieter
I just came down from explaining to my girl what what going on with her mama in a way that she could understand. This helps close any gap between us. I was also very clear about what I needed right now (15 more minutes by myself to finish this blog).
I have this huge need to organize food for the family. Gunnar is leaving this Saturday for 2 weeks and getting dinners organized would be a dream...
Getting thankful! I have my cleaning lady coming today to clean my house which I cannot express my joy over, and my children are lovely and healthy and my husband rocks and is so beautiful and my house is spacious and full of light and next week I will be starting back with my work which is such a luxury...so lots to feel good about.

Ok, so feeling a lot better! Wow....what a relief....nice to be out of that place!

We are all so busy with the "doings" of life each and every day. But how much of this doing-ness is truly meaningful - that fill us up with a grounded sense of connectedness, that make us happier, more joyful people.

I am thankful for this pit of YUCK I was just in...and thankful for being able to pull myself out of in. I TRULY now commit to that 30 minutes of ME time each and everyday. It is simply a necessity.

Have a fab weekend!

Many blessing...

Stop to fill yourself up

2010-03-27T07:16:35+01:00

I read this this morning and felt inspired...

"Your Vortex of Creation, the Source within you (your Inner Being), is undeviating and dependable. When you make your way to your Vortex of Creation through that thoughts that you choose -- you will always be replenished. A balanced, good-feeling life requires that you return often to drink from the Source."

The Vortex, pg 182 (Esther and Jerry Hicks)

For the last month, if not more, things have been pure chaos...moving a home must be one of the most stressful things that happen in a person's life. The act of packing up the odds and ends that make a home, deciding what to pack, what to store, organizing everything essential for yourself and the kids....has left me feeling at the mercy of the move rather than empowered or energized by it.

And I don't know if one can experience what I have experienced of late and not feel stressed and drained by it all. The beauty of this stress is that it is situational...it doesn't run deep. I know it is temporary and will soon be replaced by feelings of grounded security and familiarity.

And yet even with this knowing, I feel off....I feel disrupted by my current reality instead of focusing on the possibilities and what I have the power to create.

Reading the expert above from the Hick's latest book, The Vortex, reminded me what now must be foremost on my list of to do's....to drink from, or rather revisit my connection to Source. What does that mean in practical terms? It means consciously creating routine, ritual around the activities that fill me up with this feeling state. Specifically it is writing, reading and meditating - each activity serves a purpose of alignment with what it feels like to be authentically me.

Starting today I will commit to at least 30 minutes a day with this "work". What I will then experience is a greater sense of balance, patience, joy, creativity, hope, faith, love and playfulness - the REAL me!

To think about:
How do you connect with your inner world? Do you have activities that you do on a regular basis that fill you up with positive good feelings of balance and joy? If not, what could be something you could start with today that could provide you with more of this in your life? Such activities could include: connecting to nature, sitting in silence, a hot bath, meditation, reading books that inspire (check my amazon recommendations on the right hand side of this blog), cooking, anything creative....

If you were to commit to creating a routine around one such activity what would it be? How do you think it would benefit your life? Write to me with your experiences!

Many blessings...

Life is so surreal....

2010-03-10T05:20:12+01:00

So it has been a week since we packed up our stuff, stored all of our furniture and said goodbye to our lovely friends and family. My little family and I set our course for adventure and that is certainly what we are getting.

Moving to a new place is one thing, but a whole new culture gives you a fish out of water feeling that is hard to completely cope with.

The place we have moved to, Fujairah - the smallest Emirates in the UAE, is a sleepy town compared to the larger and busier Emirate, Dubai. Everything here is different than in Norway....

sand vs. snow
black/brown hair vs. blond hair
sun vs. no sun
chaos vs. order

Expected differences right? I mean, I knew all that. The thing I didn't know that has been fascinating to see is the men in this region, how completely taken they are with my little boy. The men of the Arabian Peninsula wear the immaculate pressed gleaming white ankle length robes called dishdasha. When we encounter these men on our outings, so man of them will drop what they are doing and kneel down to talk with, wave at and connect to my little one. The sense of authentic compassion and interest for small children I get from these men is so fascinating to me. And struck me initially as very contradictory...I mean I would never have suspected that the strong arabic man would have any playful interest in children, but it has been the nicest surprise.

So for me it is all about not making quick assumptions about the place and the people of my new home. To let it unfold, let the surprises show themselves. I know that I will have hard days and days where my external environment will make me feel like shoving my head under the sand, but my biggest resources or tools for dealing with this often stressful experience are:

Staying grounded. When the worry, fear, feeling of being lost or misplaced comes I find my way back to the feeling of being rooted to and a part of the energy of the earth.
Being present in the moment open to life unfolding.
Looking for and connecting to lovely, positive things in moments that don't feel so lovely and positive. Taking a moment and playing with or simply appreciating my children help me feel better in any moment.
Taking time for me. The way for me to really combat stress and feel strong and happy is to take time each day for inner work, or for me it is either writing or meditation. Having an external focus all day is draining and this time for me fills me up.

Perhaps some of this is relevant in your stressful life? I hope these perspectives help!

Many blessings

What do I really need right now?

2010-02-15T11:07:01+01:00

As I assumed, life is having its way with me and I am doing what I can to jut hold on these days! But even in the chaos there is always learning...

With our move swiftly approaching, I have not ever assumed that I was going to be immune from the stress. Some days I am really on top of things and other days, on the bottom. So many details to get organized in such a short time.

But my intention with this move is for it to unfold effortlessly and with the least amount of turmoil. So when it isn't unfolding in this way...when I feel myself getting sucked into panic...what do I do?

2 things...

First I let myself be there. If I want to scream, kick and cry, I do that. Accepting that things are not always perfect, is liberating in itself. And then I ask myself what do I need and what do I want in this situation.

Whenever we feel stressed, no matter what level or grade of stress or discomfort you are feeling, this is always a sign that there is something missing in your current reality. Well, that isn't revolutionary is it? We all know that!

But what we don't often think about is getting clear about what that missing piece to our "contentment" puzzle is.We are so focused on the feeling of stress that we don't get clear about the real issue. We want relief - we are searching for it, but for most of us, this relief is elusive.

So, imagine a time, either in the past or present where you have felt really stressed. Now look underneath the stress and ask yourself what is it that you are needing or wanting?

Getting clear about this, accepting these needs/desire, and then taking action to manifest them is a simple (really it is!) recipie for managing stress.

Yesterday, after my melt down, I sat down with my husband and concretly old him wha I needed more of - a plan, a time line, structure and communication. Now we have that and the stress has melted away (for now! :-)).

How can you put this recipie in action in your life today? What would be different? What is hard about this for you? What is easy?

Need support? Have a question? Drop me a line!

Many blessings

Forgiving your kids...

2010-01-14T10:00:36+01:00

I always start the day off with the intention that "today is going to be a great day!"

I really mean it and really want it to be so. Sometimes stuff gets in the way of that though...like kids.

Kids live and react in the moment. I see my kids (and all children for that matter) with a default set for joy. That is how they wake up in the morning, generally that is! They also get thrown off that joyful track easier than adults. The irrational freak-outs over toys, or food or generally anything that doesn't match their joy-filled state.

I have to admit that I am still not in a place where their irrational and sometimes ext reme reactions to things are easy for me to handle. I get sucked in...it takes me away from my harmony within me and honestly, makes me mad sometimes. I am very much conscious of my desire to be calm, grounded and clear as a parent, but find myself loosing that anchored place and then clamoring to get back there.

So I had yet another realization yesterday. When my kids have their emotional reactions and I loose my ground and go there with them. But after all is said and done - they are calm and back to their joy default, but I am still pissed. Pissed at them for making me pissed, pissed at myself for being pis sed and pissed for not staying calm and grounded. But then it hit me - the missing link...FORGIVENESS

Stepping into forgiving them for being kids (bizarre I know!) and having kid reactions and forgiving myself for not having the "right" reaction. Forgiveness lets LOVE into the space between you and lays the groundwork for the next moment to start fresh.

I now have the "portal" to let the anger go and to reboot my emotional self back, together with my kids, to my default state of joy.

How can you bring more forgiveness into your moments?

Many blessings

Life is NOW

2010-01-06T11:04:26+01:00

Wow...2010 - I like the sound of that! I can't wait to see how 2010 unfolds for you, for me and for the world...exciting times!

I wanted to write today about living in the past. So many of us do this. We do it to such an extent often, that we don't even know we are doing it.

What do I mean by this? I mean we all get attached to the stuff that happens to us. Good stuff and bad stuff. In the extreme, some of us even get stuck there. Take my lovely mother for example. Man what a life she has lived....she was beyond beautiful when she was younger (still is I think), had all sorts of fun experiences, traveled a ton, experienced amazing love, had twins :-), lived the good life all in all. Fast forward 20 years, her husband has died, experienced major transition during this time - totally new life style, new country, and although the basic fundamentals of a fantastic, blissful life are lying at her feet....she years for the days of old.

So, I know I am not 70 - meaning I may lack her perspective. But, I consider this a waste.

When we find ourselves consumed by thoughts of the past, turning them over and over in our head, I should have done this differently, If only I could experience that again, etc, etc..., we end up disconnected from life. Our current relationships suffer, we are less able to be innovative, creative and solve our challenges, joy, love and contentment are unavailable to us, and confidence eludes us.

And it isn't just past events that hold us back from really living. It is habits created in the past that limit us as well. We tell ourselves hundreds of "truths" each day about who we are, our abilities and what we believe is possible in our lives. We limit ourselves massively by doing this. Here are some common ones:

I am not good at that
I will never really be successful
I will never be good enough
I don't deserve.....
I couldn't do that
I don't know how
There is no way that would happen
I could never dare to live my dream
This is just who I am...
I can't

No matter if the actual events of the past consume you or you are stuck in old ways of thinking...both of these stop you from truly embracing the gift of life. This gift is only available in the present moment.

Everything that happens to us has some sort of learning in it. Fear or limited thinking also has valuable information for our lives. It is important then to sit down and try to extract the learnings from these things. We all have this vast source of wisdom within us. This wisdom comes forth via our intuition and with a little practice, you can create a connection to this essential part of yourself which will always provide you with your "truths". Here are 3 steps to help you tune into your intuition or "inner guide":

1. Ground yourself
When we find ourselves with a very active mind...thinking and rethinking issues in our life, we are far from a grounded state. When your energy is grounded you are fully present or whole - physically, mentally and energetically. Your mind quiets, you sense and register the things around you, your environment. And here and only here are you able to hear your inner voice. TAKE A DEEP BREATH! There...you are grounded! Here is are bit more extensive grounding techniques for you to explore.

2. Ask your inner guide
From this grounded place, you are now able to connect with this intuitive place within you. Whenever I am stuck or can't obviously find the solution to a challenge, I ask my inner guide. Here I ask the question and then imagine it floating up into the sky away from me. I literally hand my problem off to the Universe to solve. Usually within minutes, or sometimes hours or even days, I get a clear intuitive hit relating to my question. It is always the "right" answer for me or a truth I needed to connect to.

3. Let go...
Now that you have extracted the learning or realized an important aspect to your situation, let it go. Simply allow both the tension of the situation and the feeling of resolution go. Let it leave your physical system. When you release emotional baggage, you are transported into the NOW.

4. Get mindful
Begin looking around you - notice where you are, what do you hear, what do you see, what are you feeling. Notice your breathing. Be slow with your actions - noticing your body move. What do you want to feel in the next moment...step into what is available here for you now.

We have to learn to live - this means learning to disconnect with thoughts that hold us back and embrace life. We do this by ffirstly recognize that we can be liberated, then to begin to practice the skills of living and create new, empowering habits.

Many blessing on your journey to NOW!

Obama - the world's SPARK!

2009-12-10T21:07:51+01:00

Today Barack Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize here in Norway. What an amazing day. An amazing day for the world.

I so felt the urge to talk about the negative buzz around his receiving this prize. Why are some people so bent out of shape that he won the Nobel Peace Prize?

I mean sure, we all know and he clearly recognizes, that he hasn't really done anything yet! Does he deserve it?

What it seems to me he was recognized for was for bringing forth this amazing energy shift towards hope, optimism and positivity. It is an energy that has so infused the world and ignited so much passion and positive action since his election, that if allowed to flourish could, I believe, only lead to the betterment of our condition on this earth - on all levels.

Wow! That to me more than enough reason to deserve to win this, even at this early juncture. But why are so many people pissed and debating whether or not he deserves this prize?

We live in a society where our only measurement of success is what we see, what we can touch, what we can judge. The end result is all that we care about. What about the beginnings? I was driving down the highway the other day and a Bruce Springsteen song came on and I was struck by a part of the lyrics:

"You can't start a fire without a spark"

What would we be, as a society, if we became more and more aware of appreciating "the sparks", or the beginnings in our lives and in the lives of others? What kind of fires would be started? I see:

a greater focus on creativity - learning about our own creative nature and cultivating this early on in our lives
a greater focus on our children - nurturing them and their spark - they are the essence of SPARK!
a greater ability to enjoy our lives instead of simply produce, get more, be more...
a greater focus on education

What do you see as possible -where do you see possible sparks in the world or in your life? Write your comments below!

The Nobel Committee has take a huge leap in this direction and I applaud their decision! Obama has lit the fire for a better society in so many people's hearts.

Bravo Mr. President and bravo Nobel Committee!

My message to the World

2009-12-09T12:37:11+01:00

My message to the World:

Start today and commit to taking responsibility for the way that you feel and the thoughts that you think! The achievement of everything you want to have, experience or be resting solely on your ability to take charge of your inner world. People, throughout the world, underestimate the importance of feeling good. Your only goal of any day is to take responsibility of how you feel. My dream is for people to wake up to this reality - recognizing the immense power they have and then begin consciously creating their lives from the inside out.

Let's take stress to illustrate this point....

I am going to assume that for most people on the plant, stress - the negative stress we feel or eu-stress, is considered a part of being human. It is a state of being that we have accepted as a normal, almost expected state of being. How many times do you hear these casual statements?

"Man, that was a stressful morning....!"
"My kids seriously stress me out!"
"My job is so stressful!"
"It is so stressful showing up fully at work and then rushing home to be mommy of the year!"
"I just wish I wasn't so stressed...."

The thing about stress that sooooo many of us don't get is that it is all in our mind! Not to say that things that happen to us in life are not negative in nature and deem a negative response, but the things that happen to us are ultimately neutral in nature and the stress comes from our interpretation of these events.

Loosing his job could be just the thing he needed to kick start his latent business idea and for another person it could feel like the end of the world. It is all about perspective.

You know this right?

Where people seem to get hung up is when we try to do something to find relief from these stressful feelings. Most of the stress management stuff that is out there is based on doing something different? Such stress tips range from breathing exercises, mindfulness tips, slowing down, buying a rocking chair(I really loved that one!), communicating better, exercise, eat a balanced diet, find a hobby, find support, the list goes on.

These are all fantastic tips, I use a bunch of them and yet really seem to offer only half of the picture.

What people are looking for is relief. That relief comes from cultivating the healthy inner habits of:

Guiding your thoughts.This entails learning to be the observer of your mental chatter thereby noticing when a thought comes from fear and choosing a better feeling thought. Sound easier said than done? It actually becomes quite simple when you add in the...
Ability to disempower your emotions.All thoughts are fueled by emotions. No one wants to really be stressed and it is our fighting of negative emotion that we experience as stressful - remember the things that happen to us are inherently neutral.

So, here is the recipe --->

The next time you feel stressed, stop and take a few minutes to go inside.

What is the emotion that is fueling your stress response? What are you afraid of? What are you resisting?

Take a few minutes and just stop fighting the emotion. Welcome it into your experience - really feel the quality of this emotion throughout your body. Do this even if you think this sounds scary. When you stop fighting the emotion, the feelings loose their power over you. It is a little like trigger point therapy, which is a massage technique that pushes down on tight muscles until they release. A simple an powerful technique.

From this naturally grounded, clear place you can now choose a thought that you would rather think. Don't think it about, just open up and allow your intuition to do the work welcoming in a thought or feeling that better serves you.

For example - Christmas is fastly approaching and you realize you have a lot less money in the bank than you thought....STOP...accept and welcome in the feelings of fear this generates....stay with this process until the fear subsides....now step into the feeling of trust - trust in the Universe's ability to always provide for you. You are safe....

You do not have to continue being a victim of your stress response! Take the reins of your life by learning to and practicing every day guiding your thoughts and manage your emotions. This process is intended to shift your center of control from an external one (events and circumstances are not something we ever will truly be able to control) and into an internal one (the only place you will ever experience true create control over your life). When you focus on life from this place, you will begin to see that not only will experience less stress, your dreams and goals will seem less far off and unattainable, your life will begin to feel more effortless and happier and your relationships will thrive.

It is a simple process to understand and a challenge to implement - but don't you think you are worth it? I do....!

Many blessings!