Monthly: June 2013

Jun30

5 secrets that gratitude reveals

by Cheryl Brewster

If you’re reading this article, chances are, that on most days you’re generally a positive person. Which means that you’re someone who practices an “attitude of gratitude.”  Me too, however imagine my delight when in researching this topic, I discovered 5 secrets about gratitude that I did not know before! Read on to discover the impact they can have on your life, especially as it relates to prosperity.

First of all, the research – there are many bodies of work that suggest that people who are more grateful are:

  • happier
  • less depressed
  • less stressed
  • more satisfied with their lives
  • enjoy higher levels of mental health
  • cope better with life transition

In addition, people who consistently incorporate gratitude into their lives have an aptitude for:

  • higher levels of control of their environments, personal growth, life purpose and self acceptance
  • more positive ways of coping with life’s challenges
  • seeking support from other people to reinterpret and grow from their experiences
  • more time spent in planning on how to deal with problems rather than trying to avoid or deny them
  • greater ability to avoid blaming themselves, or cope through substance use
  • better health because they choose positive rather than negative thoughts just before going to bed, resulting in a better night’s sleep

From my own experience:

  1. areas lacking in prosperity are lacking in gratitude
  2. areas lacking in gratitude are steeped in unconscious worry patterns
  3. gratitude unlocks the door of possibilities that worry slammed shut

Here are 5 keys to transforming life through Gratitude

  1. List the top 3 areas in life in which you  enjoy prosperity and contentment… what is the belief system creating these results?
  2. Now list of the top 3 areas that aren’t so prosperous and happy… what is the belief system creating these less than great results?
  3. Compare your two lists; notice the positive belief systems from the first list will be missing from the second one. Interesting huh?  Ask questions. Gratitude is the ability to feel or see appreciation: what did you learn about yourself from this exercise? What new belief systems can you apply to those areas lacking in prosperity? What levels of gratitude are missing from this second list? What would happen if you were more grateful for what you DID have in these challenging areas?
  4. Turn it around; experiment, challenge yourself, do something constructive; Commit to a daily gratitude journal to capture and integrate these insights; track what happens in the next week/month
  5. Practice random/anonymous acts of kindness to express your growing feelings of thankfulness, appreciation and gratitude;  it supports your intuition which is your ability to naturally create more harmony and prosperity in your life.

Worry is a contracting energy while gratitude or feeling appreciation is an expanding one. The capacity to make positive, consistent change as a “Conscious Changemaker,” is incredibly powerful. It alerts us to where we are taking things for granted and not staying in the present moment – the only point of power we have. It slows us down to enjoy the infinite possibilities and abundance that we are surrounded by.

Consider:

In one gratitude study, the longest lasting effects were caused by the act of writing “gratitude journals” where participants were asked to write down three things they were grateful for every day. These participants’ happiness scores  increased and continued to increase each time they were tested periodically after the experiment. In fact, the greatest benefits were usually found to occur around six months after treatment began. This exercise was so successful that although participants were only asked to continue the journal for a week, many participants continued to keep the journal long after the study was over.  (See more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gratitude)

The bottom line? Prosperity includes thankfulness, scarcity doesn’t. Where can you practice more gratitude? It will expand your world and experience of joy.

For more first hand experience on gratitude and the role it plays in Intuition, see Cheryl’s calendar of live events; Intuitive Gatherings or Teleseminars…. or contact her directly.

 

 

 

 

Jun13

Yes! Bust the procrastination habit with intuition!

by Cheryl Brewster

Are you feeling a tad overwhelmed? Or maybe a lot?!

I can SO relate and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this…. procrastination like overwhelm is a form of resistance that can easily become a habit. Unconscious, unhealthy habits will catch up with us.

The cool thing about growing your intuition, is that it’s an incredible diagnostic tool.  It will:

  • Let you know what you need to become more aware of
  • Help you identify strategies to become more effective
  • Never indulge in blame or self-recrimination
  • Offer immediate solutions
  • Help you remember your passion, so you have the energy to tackle procrastination and other bad habits

“Letting it….” That’s the key… what if we’re actually sitting on “easy,” but refusing to see our lives that way? Hmmm…. that could put a whole new twist on why we procrastinate!  Intuition needs to become a discipline of listening. And then one of action… I call that the willingness to Take Your Stand, to commit to a deeper level of the meaning of life; the willingness to do things differently.

We can all fall into the procrastination pit from time to time, but when too much procrastination shows up, it’s a red alert telling you that something is not in alignment and needs to be addressed immediately. Procrastination keeps you from enjoying true prosperity in life so it’s important to stay on top of it. Here’s a list of the top reasons why we procrastinate and what we can do about them:

1. Not having a clear objective
2. Resisting things you find unpleasant
3. Big projects that seem too daunting to start
4. An inability to make decisions
5. An Inability to prioritize
6. A fear of failure
7. Distractions
8. Vague goals
9. Trying to do too much

To get back into alignment as quickly as possible,
1. Think of your Intuition as your Inner CEO, the one with all the answers, whose expertise is guiding you to success. Take a moment to get centred, clear your mental screen, breathe, and ask it about the problem. Notice what you get. Be willing to let go of what’s no longer effective and ask for the solution or guidance to help you change your game plan

2. If there is chronic procrastination in a certain area, ask your Inner CEO for more details – this can surface internal conflicts you were not aware of, so you can course correct

3. Intuitive discernment can be a bit tricky because we may be listening to our fears rather than our internal CEO… how can you tell the difference? The bottom line is practice, practice, practice and the willingness to risk and make mistakes along the way. A general rule of thumb is that even in the midst of uncertainty, the voice of intuition will have specific solutions, it will have a sense of calm or lightness, and you will feel empowered rather than disempowered. The voice of fear will have scarcity attached to it, have heavy or harsh tone, and will leave you feeling scattered or ineffective rather than capable and hopeful.

4. Ask yourself if you will continue to allow procrastination to be more important than the your purpose, passion, goal or objective

5. Know what your distractions are and minimize them; set a timer where you will do NOTHING else but your task.

6. Be specific; Most procrastinators have a hard time defining quantities. We think everything needs to be done NOW. Define one goal; what are you going to do, when, and for how long?

7. To combat fear of failure…. mix it up, try different things: Some goals you can agree to do really “badly”; let go of perfection and needing to get it all done NOW

8. Keep your energy field clean and clear by focusing on “Your Stand” – that present tense, positive mindset that keeps you in the NOW. Meditate on it, visualize and use your clearing techniques; this helps to reduce fuzzy thinking and puts your Intuitive or Higher Self back in the driver’s seat.

9. Make your vision bigger than any obstacles that come up by knowing what inspires you and creating the time and space for it.

This is a big topic; the bottom line is to be kind, gentle yet firm with yourself; intuitive development is a process – it takes times, consistency and commitment. Like any other muscle, your intuitive muscle is made stronger through resistance. Stay positive and motivated by continually expanding your positive, high frequency energy field by visualizing and enjoying the fruits of your labour as if they are here NOW. That is you taking your stand for both prosperity and advanced intuition. And that, is what helps to bust the procrastination habit!

This blog is an excerpt from the “Self-Study Intuitive Prospecting Program.”

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Cheryl Brewster is a personal and business intuitive who employs intuitive readings and mentoring programs to assist entrepreneurs in taking their business and personal lives to the next level.