Tag: Seoul Life Coach

Friday Focus – 2/9/18 {Hits Of Inspiration}

Did you know that inspiration comes to us all the time in a multitude of ways? Unfortunately, we’re too busy thinking to recognize the subtle hits of inspiration!

For example, how many times have you thought of an tantalizing idea while taking a shower, only to forget it once you’ve put on your clothes? Or, how about when you’re driving to your destination but just as soon as you turn off the ignition you’ve already forgotten what it was?

You see, we’re too busy thinking all the time. We allow ourselves to get caught up in the current of the few rotating movies we have in our minds eye; and when we’re too busy being involved with the movie, it’s no surprise we forget or even notice when creative solutions to our problems or future arise.

The key here is to notice. 

Notice the subtleties. The small quiet voice. The thought before the thought. The flash of a picture or symbol in your mind’s eye before you move on to the same ol’ thought or problem.

The second key here is to write them down.

The more you write down the subtleties the more you understand how and when inspiration hits you. In addition, you’ll begin to differentiate between normal thinking and unconscious, creative thinking.

This is a routine practice for me and I’ve come to appreciate and find joy each and every time I notice these hits of inspiration. Oftentimes they provide insight or a pathway to a part of my life whether it’s a relationship, creative endeavor, travel, career, you name it!

I’m curious, how do you find your hits of inspiration? Do you notice a recurring theme or pattern in your day to day life as to where or how this inspiration finds you?

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash

The Power Of Choice – Choosing Your Outcome

Neural pathways. It makes me sigh with how powerful, wonderful, and amazing our brains truly are.

Did you know that most of our actions, emotions, and even reactions are all due to our neural pathways?

It’s why we feel a certain way most of the time. Whether it’s the moment you wake up, the route you take to work every day, how you converse with strangers, how you react in a fight, your natural food choices, etc.

It’s our brain’s way of making things easy for us.

You see, after we’ve settled on a core belief, our neural pathways do the rest of the work! Things become automatic because it’s efficient. It works.

However, what if you wanted a higher outcome? What if suddenly what has worked for you in the past doesn’t serve your higher good anymore?

This is where the power of choice comes in.

Oftentimes we think a certain situation presented itself in such a way the action was inevitable. But no, we have a CHOICE to go the other way; we have a CHOICE to stop and think about what it is we really want. How liberating is that?

It’s the understanding that most of our habitual thoughts and actions comes from a finely grooved neural pathway. It’s in knowing that now there is a choice to begin forming a NEW neural pathway.

The practice now is in the noticing. It’s in the moment right before reacting, the thought, the urge. It’s providing space for that moment to truly feel into what it is you want.

With mindful re-patterning there is a way toward higher choices. Over time you will find it easier to be habituated toward what was once “new” to you.

May we honor this time, the power of our thoughts, and be mindful of our own power to choose the very outcome we wish for.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Matheus Ferrero on Unsplash

Follow The Fire

Have you ever felt a calling within? A deep spark of inspirtation that left you feeling as if you were meant for that? A deep feeling of wonder as you contemplate whether or not you should follow that?

Whatever that is for you – follow it! Do your version of it. Maybe it’s wanting to take a few years off to explore teaching English in another country, or maybe it’s completely changing careers to a different industry, or maybe it’s experimenting with building your own business. Whatever it may be for you… follow the fire.

You see, oftentimes we’re afriad of the unknown. And we use this fear to keep us in our comfort.

But what if following the fire allowed you to recognize your own truth more deeply? What if following the fire actually showed you the “real” side of that and dropped the illusion of what you thought it might be? OR, what if following the fire allowed you to recognize a new skill and passion within your heart that leads you to a better, fuller life?

You see, we won’t know any of this until we follow the fire. We won’t know whether or not it was truly meant for us until we try.

Does it mean dropping everything to figure it out? No, it doesn’t have to be.

What it could mean is testing your idea out. It could mean interviewing people already in the industry; it could mean a work trade or unpaid internship to get a taste of that reality; it could mean taking a 3 month sabbatical to actually TEST and see if it’s really what you thought it would be.

Don’t get caught up in the fear and what if’s. Test. Play. Discover. Because until you do, you’ll never know what’s on the other side.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Jez Timms on Unsplash

Our Finest Moments

“The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by a discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our butts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.”

~M. Scott Peck

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash

Friday Focus – 1/26/18 {The I Should Have Syndrome}

It’s easy to look back with 20/20 vision and see what could have transpired; what you think would have been a better outcome.

But one thing is for certain – we can only look back as a function of learning and trust we are now using this knowledge and experience to make the best decisions in the present to build a brighter future.

Unfortunately, what happens more often than not, is people find ways to look back guilting, blaming, or shaming themselves for what they couldn’t have possibly knew.

Just remember this – you did the best you could in that moment.

The key here is to learn from yourself and the results as the necessary and appropriate steps to move forward and take action for a future you look forward to building; because when you get stuck in the past guilting, blaming or shaming you are only putting yourself in a painful memory lock. It’s function of learning no longer exists.

So remember, trust you did what you could and trust yourself to have learned the lesson.

Most importantly, love the part of you that feels the need to hurt. Love is the answer.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash

Trust The Body

“A trembling in the bones may carry a more convincing testimony than the dry documented deductions of the brain.”

~Llewellyn Powers

Be still. Feel. Know.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Simon Rae on Unsplash

Starting With Inquiry

I wanted to talk today about the power of inquiry.

Have you ever noticed that when you begin with inquiry people pay attention? And when this inquiry is self directed, you begin to pay attention as well?

Typical statements, commentary, and self talk is, well, just that – typical. It’s expected and it’s on auto pilot. So much so that it becomes habituated. Even the responses become habituated!

But when we start by inquiring, “the beginner’s mind”, as it is known in Zen Buddhist traditions, we are met with qualities such as awe, curiosity, and wonder. And this positive resonance has a deep impact in how we approach the very thing we are dealing with, whether in the outside world or our very own inside world.

Inquiry allows for possibility.

To inquire means there is a curiosity in getting to know something or someone. It means you are open to learning. And this is beautiful.

When we approach with inquiry we are more open than ever. We begin to see things we never would have seen. We begin to feel things we never would have felt.

As an experiment, try it today! Whether it is with a difficult emotion you are encountering or headed into work and seeing old & new co-workers, start with inquiry. See what comes up before your brain goes on auto-pilot. Ask yourself:

  • What’s new here?
  • Why am I feeling this way?
  • Why am I thinking this way?
  • What can I learn from this?
  • Is there anything else I can learn from this?
  • With assumption X, can I know this to be absolutely true? (ref, Byron Katie)

And watch what happens. Observe the response, and even in the response inquire even more.

You see, when we inquire we not only allow for possibilities and higher resonating qualities within us, we are, as a byproduct, being mindful of what is in front of us as well as what actually arises.

Here’s to a bit more inquiry in our lives and seeing what newness unfolds.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Cody Davis on Unsplash

 

Following The Emotional Breadcrumb

Oftentimes it’s easy to run away from our emotions. In this day and age, it’s almost too easy to numb out.

Whether that’s picking up the phone and checking Instagram or Facebook, reaching for the bag of chips, or turning on Netflix and binge watch a whole season of GOT. The options are a many.

And while it may seem scary to actually face the demons, sometimes that’s exactly what we have to do in order to see what’s really under the covers.

Remember when you were a little kid and you ran into your parent’s bedroom saying you couldn’t sleep because there was a monster under the bed, or maybe in the closet? Then your parents (or heck, maybe you even did it yourself!) would walk you back into the room and lift the covers or open the closet? There was nothing there and you faced your demons, the so called monster.

Facing our emotions takes work, but it’s the work we must do in order to integrate ourselves fully.

When we turn toward our emotions and follow the breadcrumbs of this feeling and that feeling, we begin peeling the layers of the onion and truly understanding ourselves on a deeper level. We may discover the true reason for our emotion was actually something completely different than the situation itself! We may even discover a limiting belief causing such pain on an conscious level.

Can we trust and love ourselves during this time? Can we maybe turn side ways the first time and gently feel into it so that next time we can turn the whole way into the depths of our emotions?

And no matter the answer – may we trust and love, just a little more, where we are in this moment.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash

When You’re Lost In The Knowing

Whether you’ve been dabbling in the field of personal development for a while or whether you’re new, it becomes incredibly empowering to learn new techniques and frameworks to help make sense of ourselves and our lives. And when we practice these techniques and frameworks, our lives literally can make a 180 degree turn. How amazing is that?

However, there will come a time, possibly many, where given the knowledge and resources we have we may feel we already know the answer, yet, we don’t see a shift in the situation or our emotions.

This is when we, as I like to call it, get lost in the knowing.

Suddenly we’ve become involved in our own story. We’re so deep into wearing the detective hat, that we’ve lost our way in the vortex of our very own knowing.

Ironic isn’t it?

When this happens, I always invite myself and others to ask, “What can I learn here? What is this situation teaching me?”. Or as Matt Khan so passionately says about any situation, “Thank you for teaching me.”

When we step out of the control and into surrender, there is grace; there is self compassion. And suddenly we ease into the situation as opposed to trying to conquer the situation. Quite different isn’t it? 😉

No matter what you’re going through, just remember… this grace is precious, and it’s in each and every one of us.

 

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Becca Tapert on Unsplash