Living an Inspired Life Blog

Welcome to Living an Inspired Life

Welcome to Living an Inspired Life....

This blog has been created to offer some suggestions, thoughts, and reflections to help you to live an inspired life. Combining the latest ideas from the field of self-development with personal experiences and practical exercises to help you to get your energy and creativity flowing and to assist you with your own journey towards self-actualisation.

So why does self-development matter?

I believe we are born into this world perfect, whole and complete. As we grow up, we are naturally subjected to the behavioural patterns and values of our key carers - parents, grandparents, teachers etc. Whilst their intentions are well-meaning, this conditioning can divert us from becoming our true selves. In our search for approval and love, and ultimately in our need for survival, we will shape who we are to fit their expectations and standards. We may deny parts of our selves that do not match their representation of who they think we should be.

Imagine that we are born as magnificent and expansive castles, with hundreds of rooms. Each room represents an aspect of our personality. If we encounter disapproval or rejection of one of those aspects, we may close the door to that room and deny that part of us exists. Before too long we have closed so many rooms off, we are living as a two-up, two-down! All of our uniqueness and greatness is locked away behind closed doors.

Self-development is the process of unlocking the doors and reconnecting with our magnificence. It can be a scary process to open the door and peek at what lies behind. We may fear the darkest aspects of our personality, but in those rooms lies our creativity, uniqueness and most inspired selves. In the quest for true authenticity and to reconnect with who we really are, we need to find those locked rooms and have the courage to open the doors.

Take a moment now to fully consider which aspects of yourself you may be denying. One approach to this is to think about people that you hold great admiration for. What is it that they do so well, that leads you to respect them in this way?  Take a piece of paper and create a list of all the qualities and behaviours that you can see in these people that you admire.

Review the list. Our representation of other people is based on the way we filter and sort information. Recognising and appreciating these qualities in another person means these aspects must also exist in you. Reading through the list, try these qualities on and see how well they fit for you. For example, if you admire "enthusiasm" in another person, say to yourself "I am enthusiastic".  Do this for the whole list and notice where you have any resistance to saying I am 'x'.

Over the next few days, begin to notice any examples of you expressing these qualities. Keep a journal and in the evening, review your day for evidence. As you begin to acknowledge these aspects of your personality, you empower yourself to be more like that and in doing so, begin to unlock your  true potential.

I'll leave you with the famous quote from Marianne Wilson

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. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And 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.

Visualisation, Affirmation and Appreciation

Dear Diary. I have come to realise that being a deliberate creator in my life is about focusing on what I want and then allowing the process to unfold. Manifesting my desires in my life seems to be preceded by a feeling of alignment - an absolute knowing in my being - that something is about to happen. As soon as I have a sense of this alignment, almost instantly, what I have been waiting for appears in my life. So how do I create more alignment in my life so more good things come my way?

We all want good things to happen in our lives - whether it is something tangible like that new relationship, ideal job or dream car, or something less specific like a feeling of peace or happiness, more love and laughter, or a sense of wellbeing. Whatever we desire, we can have as long as we can bring ourselves into alignment with what we want. The only obstacle to having what we want right now, is the degree of resistance we have to achieving those desires.

Creating space for a change

Dear Diary. There always seems to be so much to do and so little time to do it in! There are so many things i want to see and do and be in this lifetime, that I find myself juggling a list of actions and often not knowing what to do next. Some of the things that I would love to introduce into my life end up at the bottom of the list in favour of the urgent day-to-day tasks. How do I change this so I have more time to do the things and create the life I really want?

Lack of time is one of the most common issues my coaching clients bring to their sessions. Despite all of the technological advances, there seems to be more "to do" than ever before. Our expectations have been raised and we live in a world that demands instantaneous results. Compare the protocol around email compared to traditional mail. Not that long ago, we would send a letter that would take a few days to be delivered and now we follow up emails if there hasn't been a response within a few hours! With the power of technology comes a blessing and a curse. We need to find a way to harness the advances of the 20th and 21st Century whilst creating space to focus on what is most important to us.

Making a difference in the world

"Dear Diary, I don't usually watch the news but last night I had it on in the background whilst I worked. Once again, I was shocked by the amount of tragedy and suffering in the world. Many of us are driven by the desire to make a difference and to make the world a better place. But when we are surrounded by so much media information on the problems of the world, its difficult to ever imagine being able to make a significant change. How can one person really make a difference?"

The news (and media in general) offers a real challenge to everyone who wants to live an inspiring life. Whilst it is important to stay abreast of current affairs, the general tendency of the media to focus on negative events can lead us to believe that the world is unsafe and unjust. If we buy into that life philosophy, it is easy to become demoralised and feel less than inspired.

Its all about Feeeeeling Good!

"Dear Diary. Over the last few days, I have really come to understand the importance of my emotions as my "inner guidance system". I am really aware that when I feel good, I am attracting more positive things into my life and when I feel bad, I can be pretty sure that I am attracting negative experiences. I have noticed significant changes to my overall emotional standpoint . I spend much more time being content and accepting of where I am whilst still being clear about what I want to create. I even feel good about some of the things that I want that have not yet arrived... I can be in joyful anticipation of what is on its way! I still experience negative emotions but my ability to recover from them is much quicker and I recognise that setbacks are only temporary. I am beginning to truly recognise that I am the creator of my own experience"

The principles of the Law of Attraction have been part of my life for some time now, and yet, I am noticing a deepening of my understanding of how our emotions provide us with our own internal guidance system to let us know when we are moving towards our goals and when we are off track. Our thoughts are our point of attraction and yet we don't need to constantly monitor our thoughts (which would be a time consuming task!), as our emotions our are feedback source to let us know what we are creating. The analogy used by Abraham Hicks is that our feelings are like our Sat Nav system, gently guiding us when we are heading in the right direction and reminding us when we are not. Those "feeling bad" emotions are the equivalent of the Sat Nav saying "turn around when possible"!

2008..Your best year yet?

Dear Diary, the beginning of a new year prompts me to reflect on what has been in the 12 months before and what I would like to create in my future. As I look back on 2007, it was definitely a year of contrast. On the positive side, I achieved many of my goals... I moved to a fabulous house, became an NLP Trainer and even achieved recognition by being named runner-up in Women in Business "Most Inspiring Female". And yet, there were still many challenges and disappointments and I know there is much more that I am capable of. This leads me to an interesting question.. "what do I need to do to ensure that 2008 IS my best year yet?"

Over the last 12 months, I have been blessed to have discovered the work of Abraham Hicks and to have deepened my understanding of the Law of Attraction. One of the metaphors they often use is the idea of our lives being like a river. Our natural state of being is to go with the flow but cultural expectations and conditioning have taught us that achieving what we want "should" be hard work and so we often find ourselves paddling upstream in a desperate attempt to create what we want. As Abraham says "nothing that you want is upstream"! If we can learn to let go of the oars and to go with the flow, the river will take us towards our goals and life becomes a journey of joyful and effortless creation.

To be free from the good opinion of others

"Dear Diary, I seem to be attracting a number of situations where the gap between my perception and the other person's viewpoint is large which is leading to less than harmonious relationships.  It is especially challenging when that gap is between how I see myself and how I am perceived by others. I seem to spend too much time and energy trying to convince people of my intentions and I want them to appreciate who I really am, now... "

In NLP we talk about each person having a different map of reality (Download maps_of_the_world.pdf). According to Miller's Magic Number we can consciously process 7 +or- 2 chunks of information (ie 5 to 9). Yet research suggests that there are over 2 million bits of information available at any one time through our senses. So how do we get from 2 million plus down to 5 or 9?

A question of trust?

"Dear Diary
Its an interesting and challenging time as I change the focus of my work and create a new business. Letting go of the old to create something new can sometimes seem scary and its easy to doubt that I will make it through this with my sanity intact. But I have been here before! Last year I had practically no paid work. For some inexplicable reason it all just stopped and I watched in horror as the finances drained away. I had irons in the fire left, right and centre but nothing happened. Just as I was about to give up, things suddenly turned around...with it came more confidence and more self-belief..I guess its all a question of trust!"

So what happens when results aren't coming as quick as you would like? For a long time, I would look for solutions that were external to myself. Seeking advice and praying to the universe for help. Not to say that these things don't help in some way but there is an alternative.

The Structure of Overwhelm

Extract from diary on 10th May 2007:

"Dear Diary Just returned from a trip to the States and its all been quite overwhelming since I got back...so much to do, so little time! The fence has blown down (not good when the house is on the market), the car wouldn't start because the battery was flat and the appointments in my diary are completely hectic... sometimes I don't know where to start... Eek!"

In a culture of having it all, overwhelm is a common side effect. Living life to the fullest is one of my values but there are times when it is difficult to see the wood for the trees with unachievable goals and unrealistic deadlines. How do you handle these periods of added stress? In my case, the mixture of new business, new relationship and moving home can leave me feeling like there is a lot to do - welcome to overwhelm!

When Blogging and Boyfriends Don't Mix!

Extract from my diary on 9th May:

"Dear Diary When I sat down on New Year's Eve to plan the year ahead and set my intentions for 2007, I was totally focused on setting up the new business. I wanted to get my blog up and running... well that was the plan until I met my boyfriend! Suddenly I find myself preferring nights cuddled up on the sofa watching DVDs and eating Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream rather than blogging. Now meeting him has brought many benefits into my life (which I won't share here) but I ain't getting any blogging done... is this an either or situation?"

Over the past few months, I guess I have come to realise the truth of the saying "change happens!". I consider myself a fully signed up member of the "change is good" club. I'd like to think I am flexible and responsive to my circumstances. Darn it, I teach this stuff... but I have to confess, sometimes the unexpected can knock me off course!

Monday 22nd January - the most depressing day of the year!

Its official.. today is the most depressing day of the year!

According to psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall, Monday 22 January is the most depressing day of the year taking into account miserable weather, mounting debt, the length of time since Christmas, and failed New Year's resolutions.

So if you are suffering from the January blues...here are some ideas for lifting your spirit and getting the motivation flowing again!