Category: Positive Thinking

Apr11

The Antidote to Stuckness

by Cheryl Brewster

How do you feel about your stuckness?

Are you like me? Where I feel stuck is in how I judge my stuckness. Intellectually I know that stuckness is an inevitable part of life. But oh, if I’m not paying attention, how I can get caught up in hating it! I hate it because of how it makes me feel; ineffective, weak, lacking, ridiculous, hypercritical – ugh – it just feels awful! How many of us are feeling stuck with the changes that the Covid-19 virus has precipitated?

Asking productive questions to catch the blind spots of habit is a powerful antidote. If I could develop ways of catching myself when I start sinking down into the depths of despair, think of the freedom that could take place! If I used how I judged myself as a path to greater awareness, I would be practicing transcendence, the art of spiritual awakening and just plain common sense. I would be mastering the ABCs of Intuition as a form of energy management and accomplish what my heart really, truly desires, no matter what the circumstances around me.

To use pain as a productive tool of transformation defies the conditioning, apathy, stupor, even the stupidity of mankind – it calls out the deprivation that would seek to harm and vanquish the very real battle we each face in determining, will my life stand for something meaningful or will I just “surface-live” because it’s more convenient? The ultimate question, really is, will I live my life for good or for evil? Evil is a lack of love, a diminishing of life, an ignorance that demands power and control at the expense of anyone and anything else. So here we are, over the past few weeks, facing the harsh reality of a species on the brink of possible cataclysmic failure if we do not wake up, and drop our individual and collective apathy on one side and need for control on the other.

Every single one of us needs to wake up. Many of us are, yet this one thing remains… the call to drop the judgment that keeps us prisoner to suppression of our personal authentic power.

Evil is the word “Live” spelled backwards. Judging our stuckness sends us straight to experiencing hell on earth – to the irrational acronym of G-U-I-L-T: Gut-wrenching, Useless, Insidious, Lies (and) Torment.

I refuse to contribute one second longer to the virus eating away at the sanctity of mankind. Yes, I will wash my hands; and just as importantly; I will wash my mind and my emotions of disempowering, harmful voices. I will take my stand and re-frame stuckness as the Law of Opposites at play; part of the natural rhythm of life. Instead of labeling stuckness as some horrible, terrible thing, I will choose to see it as the very important impasse or right of passage that creates and grooms a new way of thinking and being in this world. Stuckness is a part of the evolutionary phase that begs the question, will I react with judgment and condemnation or will I use it to rise into a higher consciousness? What could happen if stuckness was showing me something new that I hadn’t seen before? What if stuckness is nature’s way of saying there’s a better way? And isn’t that what’s facing us on rebuilding our lives and economy during and post corona virus? Isn’t the whole message one of coming back to what’s most important? And doesn’t that point us back to values that stand the test of time and a connecting back into community; that authentic sense of self and togetherness that ensures innovation, creativity and cooperation for a healthier planet and world?

Oh! The relief that comes with the release of the need to fight, to struggle, to continually feel defeated by inner and outer challenge!

In contemplating this in mediation, I had a vision of St. Francis of Assisi who reminded me that all great leaders have learned this one very important thing – to use stuckness as a catalyst for powerful, important change. Judgment and self-condemnation leading to “less than” thinking, is the virus that has been bred into us for centuries. It is the need for power and control, manipulation and economics that twist moral values, where consumerism has replaced the God of our hearts.

Let us rip away the twin masks of blame and shame and mirror instead, the possibilities of life, healing, innovation and progress that exist through challenges and obstacles. We live in a world that so desperately needs to come back to sanity. By choosing love as a commitment and principle to live by, no matter what, we can then practice the very important Stoic philosophy of “Amor Fati,” which means to embrace fate, to accept the reality of what is and productively use all adversity and obstacles as fuel for the fire of our potential!

So how you do you feel about your stuckness? Will it feed your potential rather than smother it? Will you join me in blessing it and practicing the message of the Easter Story; the message of forgiveness, death to apathy on one side and ego-control on the other? Will you join me in the most courageous act possible; the one of self-forgiveness that leads to loving the self as much as the Divine within? If not now, when? How much longer do we need to wait?

“Your Intention to Love, no matter what, is the absolute Key to Happiness” – Robert Holden

It’s so important that we use stuckness as the opportunity that it provides; to become aware of our negativity in judging it and therefore make the switch back to sanity; to positive reinforcement and the invitation to overcome through the transcendent power of love.

Negative self-accusations and questions lead us straight to creating Hell as our personal reality. As author Robert Holden pointed out in his book Happiness “Now, in H.E.L.L., all the letters stand alone: (the) Horrific Effect (of not enough) Love (and) Laughter, (waiting to be undone). In H.E.A.V.E.N. all the letters stand together: Happiness (next to) Eternity; Abundance, Vision, (and) Ease (joined to) Now (as one).”

In this pandemic we have the opportunity and responsibility to stop creating hell on earth and literally create a new earth. It will come by our individual and collective willingness to be live in deeper alignment with the laws of nature and spirituality – the law of love in action. As WW2 concentration camp survivor Victor Frankl noted, “the last of human freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Choose well. Choose to use your own personal stuckness not as a stopping place, but a stepping stone into an attitude of grace, faith, fortitude and victory. Take Your Stand for what Inspires you and do it. Take Your Stand for what Empowers you and do it. Take Your Stand for values born out of compassion rather than consumerism. Forgive your past mistakes, embrace the wisdom they birthed, and step into a future with a fortified sense of commitment, compassion and vision. In the words of Albert Camus, find that invincible summer within yourself, that has the strength to hold the winter. Take Your Stand. There is a power inside of you that can and will handle anything thrown its way. Aware, Breathe, Connect to the Heart. We were born for these times, let us navigate them as nature intended. Let us transcend and live from this place of inner freedom that defies any and all attempts to vanquish it. Like the Easter Story, let us rise again… yes, let us rise! Intuition leads the way…. follow it.

Call to Action: Make the switch from the inner hyper-critical judge to the observer mind that sees the bigger picture. Observe your life like a movie…. what could happen in this moment by committing to love rather than fear? Notice the options that surface and choose that better feeling thought to make a new choice that empowers. This is your fork in the road. It’s in the tiniest of decisions and attitude adjustments that show us the way back home.

Inspiration: Canadian Choir of Women Physicians sings RISE AGAIN (virtually)

Rev. Cheryl Brewster, B.Msc.
I empower individuals and organizations to stay inspired and keep moving forward in positive, productive ways, no matter what changes, challenges or adversities they may face.

Personal and Business Intuitive, Consultant/Training/Keynotes/ specializing in:
Intuition in Business, Radical Joy through Conflict Resolution/Communication/
Resiliency Skills, Ordained Minister/Wedding Officiant and Life Celebrant

Oct29

Stay Alive All Your Life! – Part 2

by Cheryl Brewster

What makes you come alive and stay that way, even when it’s hard; when you feel yourself shutting down and it takes pure grit to stay true to your integrity and dreams? How do you keep growing to improve personal effectiveness? Author and expert on world mythology, Joseph Campbell knew this one well:

“Suddenly you’re ripped into being alive. And life is pain, and life is suffering, and life is horror, but my god you’re alive and it’s spectacular!”

I love this!  Are you like me? I don’t particularly feel spectacular in the middle of the pain, suffering and horror that’s part of life. But I have been through it enough times, to know that indeed, there is always an equal or greater benefit; something spectacular that occurs through the process, onto the other side. It takes great courage and tenacity to live this way. The results are priceless: Mind mastery and learning how to hold our ground in the face of uncertainty. With an eye to our personal and spiritual development, instead of feeling overwhelmed and beaten, we begin to emerge with skills and mindsets that turn great suffering into great victory.

It takes time, great self-compassion, guts, and the willingness to trust and develop our intuition, to feed our resilience, and to keep the faith, even when it appears counter-intuitive.

As Campbell emphasized:
“People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive. That’s what it’s all finally about…”

Ahhh, what it’s really all about… the rapture of being alive! Business and spiritual leader, Marsha Sinetar, agrees: “It’s the “burning desire to be or do something that gives us staying power – a reason to get up every morning or to pick ourselves up and start in again after a disappointment.”

The rapture of life can only occur with a burning desire for it. How do we keep the fire stoked when it’s hard?

  1. Science proves it: “high vibe” thinking feeds the flame
    Our brains are hard-wired with a “negative memory basis” to notice potential threats and protect us from harm. Studies done by John Cacioppo, Ph.D., (Ohio State University, and University of Chicago), demonstrate that the brain reacts more strongly to stimuli it deems negative. There is a greater surge in electrical activity, meaning our attitudes are more heavily influenced by negative rather than good news. Research has also shown that a specific ratio of five (five “high-vibe” thoughts to balance out the “one low-vibe thought”) is the magic formula to balance out this negative memory bias.  Worth remembering!  Working “with” our physiology rather than judging ourselves for habitual negative thinking is empowering. It course-corrects us into the extra energy of inspired action that we need for true change and growth to occur over the long-haul. As ancient wisdom reminds us, it is our continued commitment to choose “higher vibration” thoughts to feed the flame of desire that feeds our intent, which in turn feeds our will, which feeds our behavior, and ultimately, feeds our destiny. This leveraging of our negative emotions/memory-bias into holistic, focused, resilient, “alive,” possibility thinking becomes automatic over time. And that’s huge. Now there’s hope, encouragement and something to look forward to, even when life is very hard and hasn’t turned out the way we thought it would.
  2. Give yourself credit and re-energize past successes
    What are some of the toughest times you have been through?
    What helped pull you through? What belief, inspiration or process did you use?
    How did you become a better person through this difficulty? How can you apply that to current circumstances?

    3. Have enthusiasm and clear intent moving forward
    Begin and end each day with vision, re-charge throughout and end it in reflection: spend time in the morning in visualization, prayer or meditation to re-stoke that burning desire and pre-plan how you will “Create Your Day.” It takes just one minute of mindfulness several times throughout the day to keep coming back, to build focus and follow-through. In the evening do a review; celebrate wins and also identify where you can improve. Apply the 5-to-1 ratio to rehearse how you will do things differently tomorrow…. by getting excited about our improvements, now course-correcting becomes more positive, more enjoyable. We have something to look forward to, feel more resilient and capable. Now true change is happening, so that even in the midst of our hardest challenges, we have something to hang onto, a reason to keep going, a grit, tenacity and energy that feeds us, that feeds the rapture of being alive!

Call to action: on those tough days; dig deep – bridge the gap of where you are to where you want to be by applying the 5 -to-1 ratio to this very moment… right here, right now. From this viewpoint you actually are where you want to be, only now you get to enjoy the ongoing journey as a way of life, not just sporadically. To paraphrase Campbell…. my god, you’re alive to your innermost being and reality…. and that’s spectacular… that’s what it’s really all about! Draw on the power of intuition to keep feeding the sacred flame within you – that’s its job and you can trust it to help you come alive and stay alive all your life.

 

Apr27

Getting Things Done: Heaven or Hell?

by Cheryl Brewster

Are you creating heaven or hell in your daily duties, projects and priorities?
Wouldn’t it be great to “have fun to get more done?”
We’re usually taught the opposite… that we can’t have fun, “until” it is done.

Rumi’s wisdom reminds us of the power of choice we have:
The world exists as you perceive it.
It is not what you see, it is how you see it.
It is not what you hear, but how you hear it.
It is not what you feel, but how you feel it.

  • If the world exists as I perceive it,  then “having” to get things done, can take on its own form of hell
  • Yet we do this to ourselves all the time through over and under commitment
  • However as Carl Jung says, “no tree, it is said can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell,” which means that we live in a world of paradox and it’s important to make peace with that paradox and find its sweet spot.

One way of doing that is to realize, that we have an inner stillness inside, that has never been disturbed and never can be. This inner  success mechanism is our essence… even when it “appears” not  to be.  Daily calibrating to this higher frequency inside of us, along with daily clearing of old limiting beliefs are essential to our well-being and our productivity.

  1. It’s not what you see but how you see it.
    Take a look at your “to do list” today. How you see it can be from a place of:
    …worry; I’ll never get things done (aka, stress!)
    …confusion; I don’t even know what to do/what to start first (aka, panic which leads to paralysis which leads to procrastination.)
    …frustration; how can I get anything done when I’m  not well and don’t have the energy? (aka, helplessness which leads to despair.)

I find it helpful to work with “The Law of Opposites” to come back to a more balanced perspective. As Neal Donald Walsh, author of Conversations with God notes: As soon as you decide who and what you are, everything unlike it will come into the space… you may choose to see this “opposite” as a gift bearer, bringing you a chance to experience and express peace or as a thief, stealing your peace from you.

Rather than judge ourselves for not getting enough done, or missing something, we can remember to declare our “Stand” for what we do want, so that when the opposite shows up, we see it as a gift of growth through self-inquiry. Using Rumi’s wisdom and asking, how am I really seeing this situation can now change the entire experience! Joe Dispenza teaches in his “Create Your Day” philosophy:  “The reason nothing changes is because you have not mastered self-observation.” The more we follow that self-observation, the more we can appreciate how our innate wisdom, our intuition, is guiding us into greater states of flow.

If you are finding yourself trying to be super effective only to find yourself losing ground, then take heart! Self-observation is key, and when the Law of Opposites shows up in your life, remember that it is here to HELP you! Apply Rumi’s timeless wisdom and ask your own reflective questions; here are some samples;

The world exists as you perceive it.  (Is this the world I really want to keep creating?)
It is not what you see, it is how you see it.  (Am I looking through the eyes of heaven or hell, through love or fear?)
It is not what you hear, but how you hear it.  (Am I hearing this objectively or taking it personally?)
It is not what you feel, but how you feel it.  (Am I feeling this with compassion or with loathing)?

  • Take Your Stand for what inspires you.
  • Use that inspiration when the law opposites show up
  • See the law of opposites as the gift-bearer of choice: will you see it as a way to express peace or as a thief that steals peace from you?

Our perceptions do create our realty. In each moment, we have the opportunity to take personal responsibility for more empowered living.  We begin to see where we are not victims of our circumstances… in fact, the opposite is true… we are dynamic and victorious when we use the Law of Opposites for what it’s meant for. As Neale Donald Walsch so eloquently writes: “you will rejoice because you will see “opposition” as a sure and certain sign – that you are on the journey of transformation; the road to glory; the higher path.” He echoes Rumi’s timeless wisdom with his own:

“If, at any given moment, you are being afraid, it is because you choose to be.

If you are being joyful, it is because you choose to be.

If you are being annoyed, it is because you choose to be.

If you are being harassed it is because you choose to be.

If you are being loved, it is because you choose to be.

If you are being ignored it is because you choose to be.

If you are being helped, it is because you choose to be.

If you are being hurt, it is because you choose to be.

If you are being wise, it is because you choose to be.

If you are feeling wronged, it is because you choose to be.

This list could go on forever. Indeed… it actually does.”

Call to Action: How will you use the Law of Opposites in getting things done? Email me, I’d love to hear about your experience!

woman_speaking_to_audience

About Cheryl Brewster, B.Msc., Transformational Speaker, Intuitive Consultant and Life Coach: Under every difficulty is a greater inner potential that our intuition accesses. My expertise is inspiring my clients, whether individuals or organizations to re-frame difficulty as a path to tangible, measurable, powerful results and solutions in the areas of life and business that matter most.  If you’d like to learn how my intuitive consults, coaching programs or speaking services, can support your success, please contact me for a complimentary exploratory call.   As an interfaith ordained minister,  I also offer spiritual counselling and officiate ceremonies for life’s most meaningful moments.

Feb14

Stay Inspired in Difficulty – Part 1

by Cheryl Brewster

Challenge in life is inevitable. Despair is optional. However rock-solid confidence is possible, even in times of great difficulty.

Inspiration connects us to what’s most important in life. Like an anchor in stormy harbours and rudder in rough seas, inspiration anchors, grounds, comforts and encourages us. It creates more positive-feeling states even in difficulty. Inspiration is not Pollyanna magical thinking… it contains the grit equal to challenge; it’s the force inside that compels us to take action, to drop irrational fears and be strong in our resolve.

I call inspiration the “fire of desire” that business guru Napoleon Hill talked spoke of when he said: “Strong, deeply rooted desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.” It’s the “transcends everything” part that Hill experienced in his own life and inspired in others: “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” That’s what I call true power – looking for the seed of equal or greater benefit, even in difficulty. It’s the turn-around, the fork in the road, the re-frame that turns panic into power, and chaos into order.

10 ways to foster inspiration so it’s there when you really need it:

1. Memorize
Memorize the Napoleon Hill quotes above (or something similar like a meaningful poem, sacred text, etc.)… choose something that makes an impact, that really gets your enthusiasm going! Start each morning contemplating that favourite quote or spiritual principle. As you do, you’ll be engaging your connection to the infinite, creative imagination and intuition so they can deliver “aha gems” when you least expect them.

2. Be Vigilant! Decide!
It’s impossible to be upset when you’re inspired. The truth is, stress can become a habit. If you are putting your focus on the difficulty rather than its seed of equal or greater benefit, then decide to shift your focus. Kill the ANTS! (Acronym for Negative Thought System defined by brain health doctor Daniel Amen). Use visualization; imagine seeing negative thoughts hitting a teflon coating around your mind, that they can’t stick to… it’s a way of “deciding” ahead of time, what’s allowed to stay. Vigilance in watching our thoughts ensures access to accurate intuition, not corrupted by fear or negative thinking.

3. Reflect, Re-frame and Rehearse
Go deep. Why is the particular quote or sacred text that you memorized so important to you? (Aside from a quote, it could be a value, song, a piece of art, a person you admire, etc.)  Think. Go deep. Then write about it. Why is this meaningful to you? How will you use it to meet difficulty? Invite a friend to do the same exercise and verbalize your findings with each other. Sharing reinforces the new options available to you.  Go one step further… draw two columns on a piece of paper…under one, write the word “problem” and list all of the difficulties.  Then cross the word “problem” out and start a new column with the word “project.” You’ll be amazed at the re-frame! Rehearse the new opportunities… visualization supports action!

4. Relax!
To counter-act the physiology of fight or flight, yawning immediately signals the body that it is safe. Forced yawns might feel silly but they work! Try at least 6-10 in a row. Besides, your brain always benefits from extra oxygen. Recall a favorite memory or pastime… take time out to enjoy, reflect, relax!

5. Use the Mindful Minute
Take plenty of “brain breaks” throughout the day – time yourself for a minute and go into stillness or pure imagination. You’ll be rejuvenated and create more focus. It’s been scientifically proven that even a 10-second break every 20 minutes can dramatically improve performance.

Inspiration is like….
A tasty treat for the mind and spirit.
Being equipped with an emergency preparedness kit when you really need it.
Having candles and matches when the power goes out.
The extra energy boost that helps you take action when you know you should, but don’t want to.

woman_speaking_to_audienceAbout Cheryl Brewster, B.Msc: I am a Transformational Speaker, Coach and Life Celebrant. Under every difficulty is a greater inner potential that our intuition accesses. My expertise is helping my clients, whether individuals or organizations to resolve conflict, improve communication, and increase better health, finances, relationships, connection, enjoyment and peace of mind.

Nov09

How to Bounce Back from Massive Disappointment

by Cheryl Brewster

barbaraDisappointment. Shock. Trauma.
How do we bounce back from massive disappointment?

As Conscious Changemakers in these turbulent times, we must take heart to keep ourselves empowered and focused. I’m inspired by Futurist Barbara Marx Hubbard (photo) who reminds us that “Our Crisis is a Birth!”  This is echoed in Barbel Mohr’s  use of the ancient Hawaiian prayer “Ho’oponopono” as outlined in her book Cosmic Ordering where:

• I assume the origin for every problem lies within me – therefore resolution does too
• If I tidy up inside myself, the outside world will automatically return to order because it is only an expression of my internal energy
• From this perspective, I start to feel that everything is energy and discover how this energy from the world within expresses itself in the world around me.
• I begin to experience expanded states of flow and begin to realize that nothing can happen in the world around me without a resonance existing within myself.
• Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len who brought this ancient prayer to the mainstream says we need to ask ourselves; since everything is one, how have I created this? As soon as he discovered a reason within himself he cleared it by saying: I’m sorry, I forgive myself, I love myself.

Consider the personal implications of this practice!
1. When you do it, what happens is that Divinity takes the painful thought and neutralizes or purifies it.
2.  You don’t purify the person, place, or thing. You neutralize the energy you associate with that person, place, or thing.
3.  Neutralizing this energy, takes us out of the conditions that created it, allowing for immediate peace, an expanded mindset and new, more harmonious experiences

So the first stage of Ho’oponopono is the purification of that energy.
When we think of massive disappointment in our lives, something powerfully transformative can now occur. Not only does the energy of disappointment, shock and trauma get neutralized; it also gets released! All you have to do is notice any problem you are experiencing physically, mentally, emotionally, whatever. Once you notice, your responsibility is to immediately begin to clean, to say, “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

Here’s a powerful exercise I’ve adapted from Mohr’s book The Cosmic Ordering Service:
Anxious or annoyed with someone? Ask yourself:
• If I were behaving like the other person, why would I be doing so?
• If I were to behave in this way, how would I feel in doing so?
• How could I have created this situation?
• How could I have drawn this grievance into my life?
• What feelings does this situation create within me? When you have found something, acknowledge it:
• I am sorry
• I forgive me
• I love you/I love me (you are speaking to yourself here… you love both yourself and the feeling you discover within yourself

We stand at a very important crossroads in history…individually we have to do our part to bring what is good and just inside our own minds and lives so that we can mend the tipping point in our outer world.  This is what it means to become a “Universal Human” which Barbara Marx Hubbard defines as seeing “that the meaning of our crisis is to activate our new capacities.”  Let us stand together with diligence, persistence and commitment. Doing so increases our intuition and creativity, for more empowerment and prosperity. Interested in working learning more about Ho’oponopono? Download more information here: hohoponono-for-blog and call or email us with your insights, questions and experiences.

Cheryl Brewster is a transformational speaker and coach, helping individuals and organizations to drop stress and engage more mindfully for greater results, resiliency and rapport. To learn more or to book a consult, attend an event or book her as a speaker, email or learn more at TheIntuitiveLife.com

 

Aug31

Stay Inspired – How to re-frame “failed” goals (part 2)

by Cheryl Brewster

This is part two of how to re-frame your goals… see part one before you read on. What appear to be “failed” goals are part of the structure of life; they’re unavoidable and important “pause points”. They carry with them, hidden treasures that point us in the direction of our dreams and accomplishment of our goals.

Pause Point#1: The only failure is the failure to learn
Too often we assign value, meaning, self-esteem and success to positive outcomes while assigning the opposite to less than desirable ones. Remember the story of the birth of post-it-notes? It was a glue formula that “failed” and created a multi-billion dollar product!  Success was already there, just not in the form the inventor expected. So too for you. Less then stellar results are not the end of the world, they’re important steps of progress. The only failure is a negative attitude that disregards the learning.

Pause Point#2: Tell the truth to yourself
Blind spots hold incredible treasures within them. Repeated unrealized goals are guiding you to this treasure. What are you not seeing? What are you not willing to do differently? Truth is the bridge. Humility and the willingness to see and do things differently are the toll required. This requires a positive attitude and the ability to translate what we don’t want into what we do want.

Pause Point#3: Drop irrational judgment
The willingness to see and do things differently means “letting go” of the irrational judgments that our blind spots contain. There is within each one of us, an infinite intelligence that supplies our ideas, creativity, wisdom and resources. By continually blaming ourselves or others for goals not yet achieved, we are totally unplugging from that power source! Irrational, continual, unrelenting blame or regret literally choke out prosperity consciousness. What we most fear then becomes what we most create. We inadvertently energize exactly what we don’t want! We do this both consciously and unconsciously. How do we know? By the results we are getting.

Pause Point#4: The power of 4: Forgiveness, faith, focus and follow-through
Awareness of irrational blame or judgment requires a decision to forgive… without it, we’ll never have a strong foundation to build on and the success we long for, we’ll never have. We may achieve great things, but if we don’t achieve peace of mind along with them, then they’re just that… things without greatness. Here’s a powerful 4-step process to stay on track:

Forgive: yourself and others, and refuse to let blame or regret rule your life. Be willing to let go! Blame not only hurts, it keeps us stuck.
Faith: Prosperity consciousness is the resolution to apply the immutable force within. Prosperity is not outside of us… it’s expressed from the inside out! This can be a tricky concept but it’s a vitally important one.
Focus: ONLY on the thoughts, feelings and consciousness that support your prosperity. Be committed to this as a new habit.
Follow-through: lead from your power-source; take inspired action and keep dropping judgment or fear as they come up. Cross the bridge of truth from what you don’t want to what you do want with the humility and willingness to think, feel and do things differently… let the “inner substance within” that underpins everything, flow through you. What is this substance? It’s the same intelligence that drives the force of nature, beats your heart and breaths through your lungs… you can’t get it from anywhere outside of you… it’s already here. How exciting is that?! Our only job then, is to be still enough to let it lead, and to follow with faith, focus and follow-through. How will you do that this week? Email us! We’d love to hear your experience of applying these concepts! For extra support, be sure to sign up for our daily inspiration on our home page.

Cheryl Brewster helps people become aware of their strengths and the mindsets that sabotage them. She works with both organisations and individuals to help each person create greater resilience and sustainable results in life and business. She offers keynotes, coaching and private consultations to a local and international client base.

Apr15

Goals are energy – are your “vibes” getting in the way?

by Cheryl Brewster

mindfulness affectionate attentionGoals are great – they give us a focus for getting things done. However how we feel about our ourselves is just as important as the goal itself. Why? Notice any goals/areas in your life that you have not yet been successful in accomplishing. If you felt better about yourself, would they be as difficult to accomplish?  Probably not!

Could it be that easy?
YES!
And we have our past successes to prove it.

Survey your past, and you’ll be surprised, encouraged and amazed by what you find…. your most gloriously successful, meaningful moments  occurred when you were feeling good about yourself, and made something great happen… even though the circumstances may have been difficult, when you trusted the “feel good vibe” in you – you accomplished amazing feats. You were in flow.

That’s what author Esther Hicks In The Astonishing Power of Emotions, really drills in:
“In your physical format, you tend to be action oriented; when you begin to approach your world in terms of vibration rather than action, in terms of thought rather than time/space/distance, your ability to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be will be much more efficient.”

She stresses that we must be a “vibrational match to our desires,” BEFORE we take action. This is a more “mindful” approach to goal setting because we take the time to “check-in” before-hand, rather than setting goals from a sense of duty or assumption – we tap into the evolutionary power within that is guiding us to the highest expression of ourselves. Goals like business planning, weight loss, getting organized, increasing sales, etc., become far less onerous and so much more inviting when approached from this perspective. We can meet any resistance with more grace and choose better feeling thoughts about ourselves as the inevitable resistance comes up.

3 easy steps to more mindful goals:

  1. Go inside.
    Recall a happy time in your life, when you felt confident and clear… align to that vitality and then ask…. What current priority is the most amazing to accomplish today  this week/month, etc?). Be present with the ideas, visions, intuitions that come forward. Really FEEL the great vibes, embody them. For example, sometimes it feels difficult to stay in a positive vibe, but if we recall our successful past selves, we have a proven image, and a feeling of determination – we’ve done it before (opened to flow) and we can do it again.
  2. Decide.
    High vibration thoughts generate high vibration feelings. There is no shortage of high vibration…. it’s the very life force within us… it loves, adores and appreciates us. We literally become love in action. When we “pay attention in a particular way, on purpose, non-judgmentally, to the unfolding of the experience moment to moment” (Jon Kabat-Zinn)  we are practicing high vibration living…. we are practicing mindfulness. When lower vibration/scarcity thoughts come in, they have no where to stick.  And if/when they do because we inadvertently let our energy dip by judging the experience, we simply notice, drop the judgment and put our attention back to flow.
  3. Visualize “I Did It!”
    No matter what comes up, stay focused on triumph. Just changing mindset from fear to focus is “an immediate I Did It Moment!” Consistent focus on the joy of completing our goals, over time drops old patterns and keeps us in the present moment…. we’re not hounded by fears from the past that are being projected into the future. How exciting to hold this consciousness now! What once potentially spelled dread can now spell anticipation – unseen perspectives fall open and we have access to wisdom and worlds we never had before. And that’s the joy of mindful goal-setting.. enjoying this amazing experience of creation. Mindful goal setting becomes a lifestyle, an inside-out approach to life that is far more sustaining than the “I’ll be happy when” seduction that promises but never delivers lasting confidence. Visualization is high octane to personal effectiveness and a powerful tool to reduce anxiety.

Here’s to your  “I DID IT!” moments  that will flourish as you get into the vibe that completes your goals with more ease.

As you incorporate this into your life, please share your insights with us!

In addition to leading workshops, Cheryl Brewster offers intuitive consultations for individuals and business, to enhance mindful goal-setting and  embracing change with more clarity, confidence and peace of mind.

 

 

 

 

May31

Drop Anxiety to Manifest Goals! Part Two

by Cheryl Brewster

Part two of how to drop anxiety to manifest goals, is a continuation of part one where we learned that anxiety is a choice that we may or may not realize we’re making.

Awareness reveals this choice, giving us the opportunity to gradually replace anxiety with the joy of life.  As mentioned in the last post, this is easy to say, much harder to do which is why practice, practice, practice is so important. (***Please note that this article is not a substitute for medical advice. Use sound judgment; seek medical help if symptoms of anxiety persist.)

Awareness of our feelings is critical.  In his book How to be Wealthy, Healthy and Happy, Raymond Charles Barker, who influenced many leaders including Louise Hay, said that “Feeling is the most important function of life.” New thought leader Gary Zukav says the same, noting that feelings are the force-field of the Soul, and scientist Gregg Braden agrees, stating that “feelings are prayers.”

Manifestation authors Esther and Jerry Hicks echo this: “every emotion that you feel is about your alignment or misalignment with the Energy of your Source. Your emotions are your indicators of the vibrational variance between your physical Being and your Inner Being.”

Manifestation then, is using the power of positive emotion to evoke a vibrational match with your desire. Easy to say, harder to do, so how do we actually “do” this?

1. Deciding to feel good = alignment to Source
Decide that from now on, you are choosing to feel good about yourself, your intentions and goals. It sounds so simplistic, but if you’re not feeling good about yourself and your dreams, it’s because you haven’t actually decided to yet. (Try this… in this moment, if you REALLY chose to feel better about yourself, notice what happens).  Cool huh? No decision, no feeling better.  However, the better you feel, the more you are deciding to be connected to the source of Infinite Intelligence.  This is a solid foundation towards ongoing self development and personal effectiveness. Business great Napoleon Hill emphasized this constantly and is famous for saying that “all thoughts which have been emotionalized, (given feeling) and mixed with faith, begin immediately to translate themselves into their physical equivalent or counterpart.”

2. Staying in anxiety or negativity = resistance to Source
Anxious feelings like self doubt and self sabotage will come up – decide to DROP them immediately. Feeling good is “allowing” your connection to flow (infinite intelligence), while choosing to remain in a negative vibe is resisting that flow. We get better with practice, can you be willing to keep letting go of your resistance? Start with willingness… that’s enough to begin with.

3.  Create the habit of feeling and seeing the end result before it actually occurs.
Strong emotion combined with clear visual images utilize the power of the subconscious mind. Done consistently, focusing on what we DO want, rather than what we don’t want, works. You know this from experience… so keep doing it! Feeling good now doesn’t have to wait until the goal is completed… in fact, the goal gets completed “because” we feel good now. We will always have new intentions, dreams and desires… they will never end, so the point is to “enjoy the now” as much as possible, by making that “now,” as interesting, fun, creative and fulfilling as we can.

4. Course correct as quickly as possible.
Be kind to yourself and get back on track as quickly as you can… the idea here is to be like a gun slinger….course correct as quickly as possible and drop any need to self-punish or self-sabotage. Just keep doing it again, and again, and soon your focus is always on target.

5. Use your Imagination
During those times when it feels difficult to switch from anxiousness, use your imagination… remember, the solution already exists… make room for it… use the ABCs of Intuition to slow your breathing and bring your awareness to the solution so it can “pop” in. What visual will you use? Make a movie in your mind… how does the main character triumph? Or, imagine sitting under a tree and watching all the leaves and branches holding countless solutions and possibilities… which one will it be? Remember, this is not about figuring anything out, this is about allowing something new to pop in. It may happen right away, or most likely later when you’re doing something mundane… that seems to be when most eurekas hit.

6. Stay Mindful
One of the best definitions of mindfulness comes from Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. He says that mindfulness is, “paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally, to the unfolding of experience moment to moment.” The beauty of mindfulness is that on those days, where accessing our better feelings and thoughts is not immediate and takes time, we learn to accept. Acceptance honors the experience as an unfolding, without judgment which ultimately leads to peace through surrender. Now that’s what I call a vibrational match to awareness.

Manifesting goals requires action on our part… it starts with the power of intention; choosing to feel good about ourselves reduces the resistance we may or may not know we have and leads to inspired action. Anxiety is an indicator of that resistance; by appreciating the indicator, we have a powerful tool… awareness and choosing to match our feelings to what we most desire is healing, powerful and effective.  It can sound too good to be true, however, the Law of the Universe is built on Harmony…. all we’re doing is returning to our true creative nature… and that is the most natural thing in the world. Learning how to manifest then, becomes a joyful, easy process when we decide to make it that way.

If you enjoyed this blog post, let us know! We welcome your comments and if you are interested in an Intuitive Consultation or Coaching program with Cheryl, or wish to hire her speak at one of your events, contact us at TheIntuitiveLife.com

 

Dec08

Overwhelm – Too Much To Do, Not Enough Time

by Cheryl Brewster

Are you the master or slave of time? Do you feel like you’re destined to remaining an eternal prisoner of too much to do and not enough time to get it done? Can you imagine making overwhelm your best friend? For a “twist of the sublime,” read on! This article builds on my recent blog “Growth Through Struggle,” and provides a way out for those who feel like they’re held hostage by the evil fiend of “never enough.”

Embracing overwhelm – your internal smoke detector – put out that fire!

  1. Ugh! Overwhelm can bring up painful feelings that we want to ignore but we can re-frame those feelings.
    Would you be mad at your smoke detector if it saved you from a fire? Of course not; overwhelm is the same. It’s a very effective warning system, a rude awakening letting you know that somewhere deep inside, something needs to change. So rather than resist it, resolve it. Let overwhelm do its job as a powerful “stress detector” by identifying the limiting beliefs, that left unchecked, will most definitely hamper your success. How? Take a moment to pause and acknowledge what’s really going on; a limiting belief will surface… ask it “what better feeling thought do you need in this moment?” That better feeling thought harnesses your emotional intelligence, realigns you with the integrity of your vision and reveals an immediate solution you would not have seen otherwise… follow it. If overwhelm persists, stop everything and take a 15 minute coffee break to relax – regroup and repeat the process.
  2. Use overwhelm to make better choices.
    Seen as your friend overwhelm can be your best ally; make it your enemy however, and it’s guaranteed that you’ll fall into the sticky pitfalls of paralysis and procrastination.
  3. A “positive overwhelm mindset” will feed your soul rather than drain it dry.
    Just as electricity exists with both a positive and negative charge; look at overwhelm the same the same way… it’s only negative is when it’s not being used positively. Keep choosing to find the seed of equal or greater benefit because struggle makes you stronger!
  4. Overwhelm reveals habits that need to change.
    Is there too much to do and not enough time to do it? Course correct in the moment with those better feeling thoughts for immediate priorities and commit to taking time out as soon as possible to rethink your long term goals and strategies.
  5. Left unaddressed, overwhelm leads to chronic emotional, physical and psychological pain.
    Overwhelm is an early warning system designed to help, not hurt and its sole purpose is to alert you to what matters most – the bigger picture of your life unfolding with the potential for enthusiasm, inspiration and faith to manage all uncertainty, adversity or struggle. Overwhelm is the amber light warning you to replace old habits with healthier ones. Raymond Charles Barker in his book The Power of Decision said this beautifully:

“Never judge yourself by what you have done. Judge yourself in terms of what you will do. You are not the past. You are the present becoming the future. You are a potential of Mind and this Mind knows only the now. It never sits in judgment on anyone, keeps no records and knows only the good of you.”

Embracing overwhelm to resolve the time struggle

  1. Overwhelm usually reveals a messed up relationship with time.
    Gay Hendricks’ book The Big Leap stresses that a major cause of discontent and angst is in how we view time. He says “Quit thinking time is “out there.” Take ownership of time – acknowledge that you are where it comes from – and it will stop owning you. Claim time as yours and it will release its claim on you.” That’s a huge concept to wrap your mind around… “YOU” are where time comes from!
  2. If YOU are where time comes from, then what do you want to do with it?
    When we take ownership of time, we must also lay claim to what we most want. What is your soul’s deepest desire? Robert Fritz in The Path of Least Resistance cautions us, “if you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable…you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all you have left is a compromise…the human spirit will not invest itself in a compromise.” Wow! Seen from this viewpoint, overwhelm really is your friend, alerting you to internal compromise that is inhibiting your success.
  3. When you lay claim to what you most want, you trust in the Universe’s ability to bring it to life.
    Time and desire take on a whole new meaning…if you didn’t before, in the immortal words of Napoleon Hill, you begin to “cherish your vision and your dreams, for they are the children of your soul, the blueprint of your ultimate achievement”. Synchronicity begins to play a bigger role in productivity and trust in the abundance of life keeps you focused on what you most want and off what you don’t want.
  4. Your call to action – experiment! Try this out… print this blog and review it daily for a week and see what happens.
    Does self discipline become exciting rather than onerous – do you gain clarity, become more open to change and committed to being your best? Are you willing to set aside time to plan, to begin with the end in mind, to set priorities by switching the creative, imaginative part of your brain to the side that’s practical and realistic and vice versa? Begin to eliminate low priority items. Identify your short and long term goals to resolve any “goal-conflict” and chunk projects down to doable tasks. Get coaching if you realize you’re spinning.
  5. Freedom without structure is chaos so get good at your time management structure!
    Many of us resist structure, fearing it will limit our freedom and creative expression. But the opposite is actually true.  Without good time management skills, all the optimism and positive thinking in the world won’t help us achieve the sustainable results we’re looking for. The secret as Gay Hendrick’s stressed, is to claim time as yours… to align with it as your faithful servant, not your heartless enemy. The result? Not only do you become good at time management, but your greatest enemy has become your greatest friend – overwhelm is here to help, not harm – how’s that for a “twist of the sublime?!” For extra bonus points…. use the visual below as a “juicy” way of remembering your claim to time… imagine a lemon slice, now pop it into your mouth and chew it… what happens? Notice how your saliva glands begin to work immediately even though you’re working with pure imagination?! That’s the power of our thoughts… now “choose” how you want to experience the next 24 hours… make it juicy! Create your day with deliberate intent, experiencing in advance what you truly want… remember, the human spirit will not invest in compromise!

clock lemonIf you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more about working with Cheryl as a speaker on personal effectiveness, intuitive consults or coaching, contact her at 604.781.4022 or email cheryl@theintuitivelife.com.

 

May05

Clarity through want/don’t want lists

by Cheryl Brewster

Like the ABCs of Intuition that are incredibly simple (Aware, Breathe, Connect) to stay present and focused,  writing out  lists of what you don’t want to clarify what you do want, can appear too simple to bother with.  But the benefits are huge and here’s why it’s important to use them on a regular basis:

Benefits of writing your “Don’t Want” List:

1. Instant clarity on what you do want.
2. Self discovery and self knowledge to reveal ineffective patterns and bad habits.
3. Awareness of just long these ineffective choices or patterns have been playing out in your life.
4. Empowerment by being reminded that you do have choice.
5. Awareness of things you didn’t see before.

Benefits of writing your “DO” Want List:

1. Improved vibe and mindset that increase awareness and determination.
2. Improved results by making full use of both sides of the brain   (Henriette Anne Klauser explains why in her book “Write it down, Make it Happen”)
3. Instant physiology changes that over time,  replace ineffective habits  with healthier ones.
4. Enhanced  mindfulness (staying present by paying attention in a particular way, without judgement)
5. Instant  stress reduction, increased feel good energy and  possibility thinking

The lists don’t take long, and when the “DO Want List” is read daily, with feeling, you begin more and more to engage both willpower and commitment to “Take Your Stand” for your best life.  Soon, wanting is replaced with having and your new, healthier mindset is in the driver’s seat of your life.

What is your “Old Story” and what is the “New Story” you choose to replace it with?
It’s good to write this out too in a couple of sentences or short paragraph; review it regularly and acknowledge your progress… it all starts with baby steps.

Use “in-process” statements like “I am in the process of trusting myself more more and I love it!” to help bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.  Soon, something very beautiful and wonderful begins to happen… empowerment is here immediately. Negative thinking is transformed to  peace and joy here now, because this is an “Inner Experience,” not dependent on what happens “out there.”    No more waiting…. peace, power, effective thinking and inspired, authentic action are here now because you took the time to engage in personal discovery and self development… all with two very simple lists. Again, the benefits of this very simple exercise are huge; internal mastery replaces control or attachment to things needing to be a certain way “out there.”  We become responsible and accountable for our choices. We become more intimate with our true nature and will settle for nothing less than being in integrity with that.

If you enjoyed this blog, we invite you to experiment with your don’t/do want lists and share the results with us.  Email cheryl@theintuitivelife.com and your name will be entered for a complimentary introductory Intuitive Mentoring session with Personal and Business Intuitive and Coach, Cheryl Ann Brewster.

About Cheryl Ann Brewster:
Cheryl left the corporate world to follow a “calling,” that challenged her at every level possible… she knows what it takes to trust the Self amid deep uncertainty and profound change.  She consults with entrepreneurs and business, provides individual coaching and mentoring and is a popular speaker on reducing stress, managing change and personal effectiveness in life and business. To be included in her email updates, sign up for your free bonus report on her homepage,  and also for her “Daily Inspiration” at TheIntuitiveLife.com