Tag: Seattle Wellness Coach

Friday Focus – 3/16/18 {It’s All About Appreciation}

This week’s Friday Focus is all about appreciation.

Perhaps it’s a sign of Spring, but these past two weeks have been particularly hectic. As if a budding flower is feeling the sudden heat of the sun, I felt a surge of chaotic energy that felt both good and tiring. And as the bud becomes the flower, basking in the sun, I am now feeling that sweet release and contentment as I gear up for international travels.

Which brings me to appreciation.

Throughout the hectic moments in our lives it can be incredibly easy to forget our true nature. We can get caught up in the small stresses and obstacles that come up. We begin to stare at our to do list or our calendar and begin to wonder, “how is this all going to get done?” or “when will this ever end?”.

That’s when I turn everything around to appreciation.

I begin to appreciate every little thing in my life. From the blankets that keep me warm as I turn to bed to the transportation I am riding to get to my next destination. I begin to truly give thanks and amplify what is already in my life.

And when I do this, suddenly the task at hand doesn’t seem so big. I begin to realize everything is happening for me.

When you can appreciate everything in your life now, then you can appreciate everything that comes. The fear or anxiety that suffocates you in the moments of chaos falls away too, instead of following you to the next thing.

Appreciation is a powerful and real energetic quality we should all invite into our lives. It changes your perspective. It raises you up. It brings you to the truth, your light, your true reality.

May we invite more appreciation into our daily lives and in each and every moment, and watch how our life magically unfolds.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Ludovic Gauthier 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

Photo by Carli Jeen on Unsplash

Delusion

“When you begin to think you have a problem, so too the delusion begins.”

There is only love,

Susan

Photo by Yoann Boyer on Unsplash

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

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

Sleep On It

We all know the importance of sleep, but do you really?

I’ve noticed for myself when I lack sleep or am on the verge of sleep but decide to push off the need to go to bed in order to work more, my decisions and thinking lack the grounded and holistic qualities I normally would have.

Since noticing this I have put an importance around nighttime rituals with a particular focus on timing. For example:

  • Tea around 8:30 PM
  • Shutting down electronics at 9pm
  • Journaling/Automatic Writing if there are recurring thoughts the mind wants to analyze
  • Meditation for 5-10 minutes
  • Reading
  • Essential oils

You see, when you prioritize your core needs to be your best self by allowing yourself a good night’s rest, thinking becomes clearer, you become healthier, decisions aren’t so clouded anymore.

Have you ever gone to bed and woke up the next morning with a whole new perspective? Feeling lighter and ready to take on the day? Possibly even thinking quite the opposite of how you were feeling the night before? This is the importance of sleep!

I always tell myself and others, “If you’re trying to rush a decision – SLEEP ON IT”.

After all, you might just discover your need for rest and quality sleep is skewing your very own perspective on any given situation.

So give yourself the rest you deserve. It just might change your life.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Logan Nolin on Unsplash

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

Photo by Amy Treasure on Unsplash

Friday Focus – 2/23/18 {There’s Nothing To Worry About}

“Your conflicts, all the difficult things, the problematic situations in your life, are not chance or haphazard. They’re actually yours. Their specifically yours, designed specifically for you by a part of you that loves you more than anything else.

The part of you that loves you more than anything else has created roadblocks to lead you to yourself. You’re not going to go in the right direction unless there’s something pricking you on the side telling you, “Look here! This way!”.  That part of you loves you so much that it doesn’t want you to lose the chance.

It will go to extreme measures to wake you up; it will make you suffer greatly if you don’t listen. What else can it do? That’s it’s purpose.”

~A.H. Almass

Every little thing that you worry about has a purpose. Look deep inside the worry and you will realize it is all for your own growth and expansion of your very own heart.

Love is the answer.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Schicka on Unsplash

 

 

How Many Times?

Have you ever counted your thoughts? Or noticed just how many times a specific thought automatically pops into your mind?

The funny part is that we do everything we can do solve “the thought” or analyze “the thought” in order to make it unimportant, not realizing there’s an equally if not more important thought that takes over. Oh the irony!

The point here is two fold:

  1. Meditation – the more you meditate the more easy it becomes to become aware of exactly how your mind operates. It’s like Joseph Goldstein once said, “If you want to understand your mind, sit down and observe it”. So simple, yet so true. Typically people misunderstand meditation as a practice to ignore or stop thoughts. However, the deeper, true practice is to sit back and be in awareness of the thought; to notice it, to say, “I see you”. When “seeing” the thought you’re recognizing it for what it is, a thought! The more you practice the more you’ll begin to observe in what patterns and reactive ways your mind tends to lean toward; and you’ll begin to notice just how habituated your thinking and so called “problem solving” skills truly are. It’s quite fascinating.
    ///
  2. There’s nothing but the present – we’ve heard this one before, but it’s true and it’s important. If we already know a thought will be taken over by another thought, aside from meditation, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to enjoy THIS present moment. I liken this to a bumpy car ride. You know the ride is going to be bumpy and you’re already on it; are you going to torture yourself by thinking how horrible it is and ask yourself, “will I survive this?”, OR are you going to stare out the window and see just how magical the world is, as well as get to know the people next to you on a more intimate level? If we don’t choose the latter we miss the beauty, magic, and love that is right in front of us when we become wrapped up in our heads thinking the thought is the most important thing!

Did I mention homework?

It’s this – begin to notice your thoughts.

You’ll be quite surprised at just how little a variety of thoughts you actually think in a day, and you will notice it’s about the same 3-5 things your mind wants to mull over again, and again, and did I mention, again?

Here’s to more clarity, simplicity, and peace of our minds.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

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

Photo by Jazmin Quaynor on Unsplash

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