Doing The Work

“We can only teach people how to open the door – but they must walk through (themselves).”

~Owen Fitzpatrick

In wellness,

Susan

Susan is a Life Coach based in Seattle, WA. Her main focus is to coach people build a strong emotional container so that we can experience the fullness of life coming from a place of deep confidence. Susan also coaches clients looking to heal adrenal fatigue by using a mental meta-model aimed at breaking down old mental patterns and behaviors so that we can finally tap into our own personal power.

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Friday Focus – 4/27/18 {Trust The Path}

This week’s theme is trust.

So often I’ve heard over and over again how being confused about what next step to take can be one of the most frustrating experiences a human can go through. To feel lost, without purpose, and trying to get back up, but no North Star pointing the way. What’s a person to do?

At times like this I tell others, and myself, to trust the path you’re on.

Just trust it. Every discomfort, from the uncomfortable emotions to all the triggers, is for a bigger perspective we just can’t see yet.

I’d like to think of these moments as a gift from the Universe. As if God is saying, “let’s see if you can tackle this one” so that we can evolve to begin the next chapter.

Sometimes we need to shed a few unnecessary and un-serving layers within our psyche to finally see the path, and unfortunately this is going to take as long as it needs.

But what we have always is trust. When we trust we become open, and when we are open we become lighter, and with this lightness of our minds we open our awareness enough to have true sight about the situation.

And with this we can begin to lessen our grip on control and breathe in a sigh of relief that things are unfolding for our betterment, and our focus can be to see things with curiosity instead of fear.

Afterall, through this curiosity we just may see the ah-ha…

In wellness,

Susan

Visualizing Negative Outcomes

Are you the type of person that typically visualizes the negative outcome first? And then you wonder in a very frustrated way, “why the heck do I do that and drive myself crazy?!”.

First, give yourself compassion. There must have been a reason for your deeper more primitive self to visualize negative outcomes as a way to protect yourself.

Second, every time you do this just become aware of what your mind visualized. Oftentimes we come down hard on ourselves for doing something and we don’t reward our self for recognizing the very act itself which is an important step in grooving a new, more positive neural pathway towards mindfulness.

Third, recognize there are numerous outcomes. And in the numerous outcomes recognize which you tend to gravitate toward and ask yourself, “Does it always come true?”.

Most often than not it never does.

And in following these steps, realizing your tendency should bring you huge relief, because that’s all it is – a tendency that never comes true!

Now, to get more technical, understand how your brain projects the image or feeling. Notice if there are any sounds or voices; and notice which part of your brain they come from. Is the image always projected in the same place? Is the image in color? Are you in the image? Where are the sensations in your body?

Whenever you visualize negative outcomes, you are always projecting them from a certain place in your mind, and this is because you’ve created that neural pathway. Again, this should bring you huge relief because for the most part, that’s all it is – a neural pathway that you’ve created by repeating an action over and over again.

Fortunately, with NLP you can change the projection when it happens. Shrink the image, lower the volume, throw it out into the Universe! Use your same powerful mind that created the image to counteract the image.

If you’re the type of person that visualizes negative outcomes first I’m here to tell you it’s ok. You’re not alone and it’s not a problem with you or your brain. It’s just a matter of repeated actions, and the very same (powerful) mind that is creating the negative visualization can create an equally more logical visualization.

In wellness,

Susan

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You Have Everything You Need

“You have everything you need; a miraculous body, a phenomenal brain, and a vast and Powerful subconscious mind. Now it’s just a matter of focusing them in the right direction.”

~Marc Allen

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

The Answer You Seek Is YOU

Have you ever felt the need for someone or something to affirm your thoughts, feelings or emotions? Someone who can say, “Yes, that is totally normal.” or “It’s ok, give yourself a break! Great things are coming”.

If so, you’re not alone.

Best friends, books, online forums, and heck, even strangers are some ways in which us humans try to receive affirmation. It’s our human-ness, and dare I say it stems from our innate, instinctual need for the tribal qualities we find in deep community living and relationships that aren’t so common in this day and age. Unfortunately, the more advanced our society becomes, the more lonelier we are.

This might be one reason why everyone in the future just might have a coach, but in today’s post I wanted to focus on this need for affirmation.

First, there’s nothing wrong with the need for affirmation or frankly, you for asking. When you find the right person or people you can turn to, affirmations are a great way to ease your soul; to give you the peace and inherently deep knowing (you already have) that you are in fact, OK. The problem begins when you begin to depend on these outside resources and it becomes a crutch.

You see, this post today is to remind you of your own personal power. Your soul voice that already knows the answer.

What if I told you, you can turn inward to receive your answers? Whether through automatic writing, meditation, visualization, journeying, whatever it is that works for you, there’s a way to become still and listen to your own intuition.

Trust your own self. Trust the dormant power within. Trust your soul voice that is always speaking to your heart. Have ultimate faith in your own personal power.

And of course, when you do reach for outside help try to find a mentor, spiritual guide, coach, someone who can help you develop your own personal power. Someone who recognizes your own strength and light. Someone who understands you already have the capability to find the creative solution to your very own question.

In wellness,

Susan

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Watch What You Feed

Watch what you feed.

Whether it’s your thoughts, emotions, your body, your relationships, your own love to yourself, everything starts from somewhere and begins to gain momentum.

How are you metaphorically “feeding” all these areas of your life? What areas need more improvement and can you watch how you are feeding each area in order to identify what needs to change?

Practice meditation, cultivate self awareness, watch what you feed. After all, it all starts somewhere…

In wellness,

Susan

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Follow Your Own Inner Timing

Anodea Judith states it perfectly. We are taught from a very young age to look to the outside for approval and guidance when truly, our very own body and essence knows what’s best for us.

“Our world is full of people who tell you how to look, more, have sex, and be. This means you shape yourself by outer instruction rather than inner guidance. […] Having too many external commands takes you out of your inner temple rather than deeper within it. The ultimate point is to deeply feel your own body and breath […]. Follow your own inner timing.

~Anodea Judith

Take the time to cultivate your own personal voice, personal power, and intuition.

Listen to the small, still voice. Observe the mind. Illuminate your intuition through meditation.

We have the answer within.

In wellness,

Susan

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What Is It You Desire?

So often we focus on what is going wrong in our lives or our day… but how often do we spend time thinking of what we already have or would rather have?

I see way too many people focus on what is lacking, versus the abundance that already is, or the possibility of what is to come!

Take a moment to answer this question and don’t skip ahead 😉

  • What are the 3 words that pop into your mind with this word: Job

Pause a moment

Pause a moment

Pause a moment

Pause a moment

Pause a moment

Pause a moment

Pause….

Ok, do you have your 3 words? How easy was it to come up with the words? What were the FIRST words that popped into your head before you started analyzing for the perfect 3 words?

You see, there are categories of words that reflect your own resonance with the word “Job”. For example:

  • Words that are similar to: Sucks, 9-5, Ok, Annoying, Not Fulfilling, etc. tend to reflect all the things that are going wrong.
  • Words that are similar to: Love, Thankful, Creative, Friends, Mentors, etc. reflect all the things that are enabling you to feel gratitude and the things that are going well.

This exercise is a great way to see in which areas of your life you focus on the lack rather than the abundance/desire.

You can apply this exercise to any word and you might be surprised to see what words pop into your head. And of course, try not to analyze or change the words right away. The point here is to allow yourself to be honest with what comes up so you can pinpoint what’s truly going on.

Do you see how changing your focus can make you see and feel things differently? How one word can change your enter feeling state toward something much more positive and healthy?

Give it a shot today, focus on what’s working or what you’re sure is coming into your life and see just how different the world looks.

In Abundance,

Susan

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Patterns That Run Our Self

“Breaking the chains of your self involves learning how you imprison yourself through your thoughts, beliefs, and feelings and discovering had to change them and set yourself free.”

~Owen Fitzpatrick

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Raw Pixel

Why Exercising Your Brain Is A Must

Have you noticed the latest and hottest trend for the past few years has been how we can take care of our bodies? From the trendiest diet, lifestyle hacks, to exotic supplements that are guaranteed to have you performing like you’re 25 years old again, there’s an expert in every field promising a solution for any ailment you’ve ever experienced.

We’ve heard over and over again how important it is to exercise our body. To start lifting weights in order to prevent osteoperosis as we age, or to take tumeric so that we can decrease inflammation in the body, the list is endless!

But how about our minds? Our minds are the driving force behind how we function and why we’d want to function at all. It’s the one thing we rely on and most often, we rely on it without questioning – it’s on autopilot.

If we really understood the implications of autopilot, we’d want to recognize the importance of exercising our brain, our mind.

For reasons that are far better explained on the internet, we’ve survived millions of years due to one thing – looking out for danger. And unfortunately, while our basic needs are met, our brains have become so adapted to protecting us it’s the first thing that enters our mind. And in so doing we’ve allowed other, not so positive ways, to also enter our mind – comparing, judging, labeling, etc.

Our brains are wired to think and analyze because it wants to protect us. However, we live in different times! It’s time to recognize our thoughts as thoughts and most all of the time our brains have been habituated into thinking the same thoughts every day, all day – autopilot at work in its finest form.

If you’ve meditated for a while you know exactly what this means. You’re able to notice “Thought A” at it’s 50th time and not follow the story down another rabbit hole. You’re able to notice “Thought D” and see its very beginning stages of cycling up to “Thought A” status.

Which is why we must exercise our brains. Meditation is the most powerful tool out there. Coaching is another powerful tool in order to physically hear yourself talk and have that gentle reminder and support, verbally talking to yourself as if you’re a best friend is another powerful way in which you can get out of your head, automatic writing and burning the paper is another physical and visual way of getting it “out of your system”.

Little emphasis is spent on actually doing the work. Our minds cannot be controlled by a pill or a one-stop shop magical experience on psychedelics, and while this might help, our minds, just like our bodies, NEED TO DO THE WORK. It needs the daily exercise so that it doesn’t go off forming neural pathways in your brain that doesn’t serve your highest good.

So, what tools and techniques work best for you? What thoughts have run through your mind already this morning? Can you notice repetitive thoughts? And how do these repetitive thoughts make you feel? Do you see the causal effects?

We already know our brains, our minds, are powerful. In recognizing this we should treat our brains just as well as our bodies.

And don’t forget, this is a life long practice. Let’s do the exercise together in loving compassion for ourselves and others.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Avrielle Suleiman on Unsplash