Tag: mindfulness

Dec24

Harness the Untapped Power of Procrastination

by Cheryl Brewster

Do you find yourself running into perfectionism? Those debilitating stopping places where no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to bust through? Me too.  Instead of fighting procrastination,  the tendency to keep putting things off that I find uncomfortable, I’ve come to see it as an early warning detection system that I can use productively. In fact, procrastination can be saying that “it’s time for another adventure.”

  1. Procrastination shows up when I’m challenging myself, so yay me! It’s the confirmation and encouragement to bust outside comfort zones and the natural fear of failure inherent in change
  2. It’s the psyche’s way of inviting more creatively and authentically, not bound by old rules of perfectionism. This targets more focus and depth and I’m better able to drop the habitual “negative memory bias” of the primal brain’s need to protect at all costs
  3. Procrastination can be alerting me to low energy which needs to be rectified; it forces me to stop and ask the question; if I’m not in flow right now, what will help me get there?
  4. Procrastination can be interpreted as intuition’s call to be more present. By taking a “Mindful Minute” to check-in, I’m acknowledging and centering myself into a more nurturing state of acceptance. I get to enjoy this moment rather than dread it;  I get to change my focus from limitation to the quantum field of infinite possibilities.
  5. Procrastination is s a sure sign that it’s time to exchange judgment and self-recrimination for gratitude and appreciation, otherwise life becomes all work and no play; always striving but never arriving, and that’s not fun at all. In fact, the blessing in procrastination in many ways, is the call to more empowered states.

The research on gratitude, kindness and appreciation is astonishing and the antidote to procrastination and perfectionism. 

Thoughts of kindness and gratitude take us out of survival mode and into thriving. At the University of Zurich, a study demonstrated that when you display kindness or compassion, a hormone called oxytocin shuts down the survival centers in the brain’s amygdala. Since the amygdala is wired for four basic emotions: fear/anxiety, sadness/pain, anger/aggression and love/joy, oxytocin “cools off” the brain circuits that are wired for survival, leaving a love and joy for life. From this state, we’ve got access to expanded states of consciousness that invite flow, creativity and solutions we can’t see when we are in survival mode.

Gratitude and appreciation return us to logic of clear thinking and the ability to master unhelpful and destructive emotions.  As Nassim Taleb, a scholar on uncertainty noted, “real strength lies in the control or the domestication of one’s emotions, not in pretending they don’t exist.”

So the next time you go into the “spin cycle” of procrastination with its inherent subtle and not so subtle feelings, habits, conscious and unconscious programs, remember… every challenge contains within it, the solution. Even procrastination therefore, serves a productive purpose and the sooner we leverage it, the better we feel, the deeper we go into the joy of creativity, authentic living and the fulfillment of creative desire and accomplishment.

Call to action: the next time procrastination or fear of failure comes up for you, consider using it as your early warning detection system, alerting you to self-kindness, appreciation and gratitude to birth something new. You’ll be glad you did.

If you enjoyed this article, let us know! Share your insights and experiences as you “harness the power of procrastination” to live more creatively and authentically, with better results and greater joy.

Mar15

How to Live Your “Calling”

by Cheryl Brewster

Do you have a “calling“? That deep sense of purpose or urge within you that “must” be explored.

Are you:

  • Feeling a shift coming; a hint of something new that hasn’t quite arrived yet?
  • Already working on your passion with great enthusiasm but results are taking longer than expected leaving you with a feeling of stagnation?
  • Feeling that your life is in the doldrums… not much is happening and you’re not sure what to do?

These occasions can be very unsettling and we can begin to:

  • Doubt ourselves and the bigger picture of our lives.
  • Give up hope and slip into confusion or despair.
  • Romanticize about the good old days before we followed our passion.
  • Feel anxiety about our future, regret decisions and condemn mistakes from the past.

In short, when things get difficult or seem to have run their course, we get scared and shut down. But we need to do the opposite; we must keep our hearts open.

Gregg Levoy in his book entitled “Callings” describes this ebb and flow beautifully:
“We love to quote the philosopher and poet Goethe who said that “whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. But we forget that he also said, “To put your ideas into action is the most difficult thing in the world.”

And from poet Stanley Kuntiz: “The poem in the head is always perfect. The challenge comes when we try to convert it into language. This is especially so when we discover, as we often do that saying yes to a calling requires not just one act of heroism and risk-taking, but a prolonged period of action that can stretch into years.”

We must remember this when things get hard. We must continue to “take our stand” for our callings. Our callings have two fundamental features to them; they give great meaning to our lives… and they always come with a way through. But we must listen to that intuitive heart centre to find our way!  So how do we stay open to our callings and the new directions they take us in?

6 Simple Steps to Feed the Calling of Your Soul

1. Know Thyself!
Philosopher J. Krishnamurti reminds us that “the mind is the result of the known; it is the result of the past.” This past includes the limitations of a conditioned mind. In order to free ourselves from those limitations, we must be willing to see what’s ineffective in our thinking and release it. Observe yourself – watch how consciously or unconsciously you do things… as awareness and self acceptance increase, so does authentic personal power. These “aha” moments of, “oh, that’s what I really do” are life-changing when we follow through on them.

2. Practice Silence
An occupied mind is a busy mind, too full for anything new, original or creative. Mindfulness steeped in self-compassion keeps the heart and mind open to receive insight. Receiving equals energy – this is critical for those prolonged periods of action that our callings require. Practice silence by moving attention away from a busy, consumed mind, and instead, into the quiet, the stillness.

3. Practice “one-minute comfort breathing”
Risk taking and heroism arise from your bigger sense of self  – your “little I” will be challenged… expect that and be prepared for it.  A breathing exercise that brings immense comfort is “breathing in, I see the me that is uncertain.  Breathing out, I smile a hug into it.”

4. Use fear to your advantage
As Thich Nhat Hanh encourages, “we have the power to look deeply at our fears, and then fear cannot control us. Fearlessness is not only possible, it is the ultimate joy. When you touch nonfear, you are free.”  How do we touch nonfear? Accept yourself as you are now, while simultaneously dropping self-defeating thoughts. We tend to think we’d be free if we didn’t experience fear, but that’s just not the case! If you can be free even though you have uncomfortable feelings, then you really are free! Let’s face it, there’s always going to be something that challenges us, but when you’re not overcome by those uncomfortable feelings, you really are free. So now, we are giving birth to impertability – we begin to cultivate a mind that is beyond disturbance.

5. Practice “what if”
What’s that one thing you’ve been really wanting to do but you’ve been putting off? What will you feel like when it’s done? Just a few minutes visualizing that can free up the energy to take that one first step… and then another, and another.

6. Be strategic with intuition
What does your soul need to replenish itself? If you took just one mindful minute right now to ask that question… you would be tapping into the energy of your calling… you’d be cultivating the wisdom and strength required to do the most difficult thing possible… put your ideas into the world. And that is the joy of living your calling – Take Your Stand!

Call to Action:
Rather than judge your emotions as good or bad…. see them all as equally important. Enjoy experimenting with the steps above and share your experience with me… I’d love to hear from you. Or better yet, if you are new to my work, let’s book a complimentary 15 minute exploratory session. And if you are an existing client and it’s been a while since we’ve connected, let’s get you in for that one-on-one session or workshop to explore and rejuvenate your stand with complimentary 15 minute post session follow-up!

If you enjoyed this article, let us know! Individuals and organizations find Cheryl Brewster’s expertise as a Professional Intuitive, Transformational Speaker and Coach refreshing and timely. Her private clients experience greater clarity and confidence in taking action during transition. In her corporate workshops, Cheryl inspires focus and follow-through. To explore her work further, visit TheIntuitiveLife.com or email cheryl@theintuitivelife.com.

 

 

 

Dec29

Radical Joy: Embracing Your Shadow part 2

by Cheryl Brewster

Radical Joy means embracing the shadow parts of us that we don’t like; seeing them as potential power houses rather than shameful attributes to be hidden and avoided. Embracing our shadows frees up their creative potential to move us forward, rather than hold us back. This is why the word radical is so important. We must be diligent in pursuing our joy… we must be radical in cultivating it in our lives, which includes being radical in how we look at our shadows and their inherent repressed emotion.

Radical both as noun and adjective are defined as:
a) “of going to the root or origin; fundamental”
b) favouring drastic reform
c) a person who holds or follows strong convictions or extreme principles

When it comes to joy, going to the root or origin of joy is fundamental to our health. We must nurture it, and if we haven’t been (how many of us really do?), then we definitely need to favour drastic reform, which means getting clear and strong in our convictions.

In her book Molecules of Emotion, American Neuroscientist and Pharmacologist, Candace Pert says….
“I believe that happiness is our natural state, that bliss is hardwired. Only when our systems get blocked, shut down, and disarrayed do we experience the mood disorders that add up to unhappiness in the extreme…. My research has shown me that when emotions are expressed… are flowing freely – all systems are united and made whole. When emotions are repressed, denied, not allowed to be whatever they may be, our network pathways get blocked, stopping the flow of the vital feel-good, unifying chemicals that run both our biology and our behavior.  This I believe is the unhealed feeling we want so desperately to escape from.”

This is where intuition, faith and follow-through come in. In the spiritual awakening process that we are going through en masse, our intuition is leading us to the places that we have been avoiding…. As Eleanor Roosevelt said so wisely, many years ago “you must do the thing you think you cannot do.” Ugh! That’s hard! Yet we are being shown a better life, if we would but trust our heart’s guidance.  Faith in our natural state of being hardwired for bliss means a radical shift in perspective… it means that we must forfeit “apparent success” for the foundation of “what’s real.” Not easy. But necessary.

We must be radical in embracing our natural state of bliss which includes embracing shadow work which doesn’t feel so blissful. This is the faith and follow-through of sound spirituality and communication with self and others…. The ability to observe, to practice mindfulness and to understand and embrace and transmute previously denied emotions. If left denied, they will tear us apart and we remain ignorant of their true function… to help us integrate our humanity and our divinity.

Over time, as author Michael Singer outlines in his book The Untethered Soul, “you will come to realize that the center from which you watch disturbance cannot get disturbed… you will understand what it means to be transcendent. This transcendence can only come from embracing the shadow which eventually drops the insistence that things be different than they are. When we are willing to let that go, the inner force that sustains, feeds and guides us from deep within returns us to the ocean of energy that we came from. We will still have thoughts, emotions and a self-concept, but they will just be a small part of our experience.  We begin to stop identifying with anything outside the sense of Self and over time, we never have to worry about things ever again!”

How radical is that?! To embrace the shadow with its terrifying emotions, knowing that in doing so, we are channelling that previously stuck energy into productive pathways that are nothing less than pure freedom.

Radical? Yes! Necessary? Absolutely. Viable? Only to the extent that we are willing to experience the temporary pain of letting go of our long-held suffering. It takes time. It’s not comfortable. But it’s the most authentic life we will ever live.  Keep going. Be strong. Have faith. Listen to your heart. Purify the mind, drop the insistence that things must be different than they are, and experience the mystery of “peace that passes all understanding.”

Radical Joy is Radical Self-Acceptance… giving yourself the compassion and respect that you so desire from your world. From the inside-out, radical joy embraces the shadow for a radically different life.

Call to Action:
Rather than judge your emotions as good or bad…. see them all as equally important. As Pert outlines in her research, we do this “first by acknowledging and claiming all our feelings, not just the so-called positive ones. Anger, grief, fear – these emotional experiences are not negative in themselves; in fact they are vital for our survival…The goal is to keep information flowing, feedback systems working and natural balance maintained, all of which we can help to achieve by a conscious decision to enter in the bodymind’s conversation.”

If you enjoyed this article, let us know! Individuals and organizations find Cheryl Brewster’s expertise as a Transformational Speaker and Coach refreshing and timely. She inspires growth in empowerment and connection through creativity and transition. To explore her work further, visit TheIntuitiveLife.com or email to book a complimentary 15 minute exploratory session.

 

 

 

May02

Finding Focus in Confusion

by Cheryl Brewster

Do you struggle with finding focus in confusion? Is it sometimes  hard  maintaining the energy for your goals, dreams and aspirations? Many factors can impede our “burning desire.” Commitment, faith and follow-through to our bigger dreams and purpose are essential. They help stoke the “fire of desire” back to life when disappointments or setbacks take their toll.

One key ingredient that has surfaced from my own experience and studies in mindfulness and neuroscience is the necessity of compassion. Without a compassionate mindset we can unconsciously  berate ourselves and others for “what could have been.” Instead of building up our “fire of desire” to feed the vision of our higher mind, we can spiral into negativity, self-doubt and confusion. Decisions can become messy, difficult and anxiety-ridden.
To use confusion as a focus for clarity:

1. Begin with a Clean Slate
What would happen if in this moment…
You reflected and forgave yourself for the ways you’ve sabotaged any dreams, goals or intentions?

What would happen if in this moment…
You TRULY forgave yourself and dropped the constant mind chatter of the critical voice? How different could this moment be? How different would your life be over time?

What would happen if in this moment…
You let your resentments go and instead channeled that “victim” energy into creative insight?

2. Keep the Slate Clean
Call on the power of the ABCs of Intuition to continue dropping those super strong unconscious patterns and habits that need to go: Awareness of Behavior = Change. It will take time! However it’s worth the investment. And  it’s very exciting. Using mindfulness to drop thought and focus on the breath is the precursor to emotional intelligence; we get good at dropping intense emotion and coming back to our centre, just by focusing our attention on the breath.  The key is the willingness to be in the discomfort of change! Establish a practice of immediately redirecting negative and limiting thoughts to a “mindful minute” of tenacious peace, followed by a decisive visualization of how you are CHOOSING to respond to life.

3. Practice Mindfulness and Meditation
Research has found that mindfulness leads to calm and clarity.  Mark Robert Waldman, neuroscience researcher and author discovered that “When you intensely and consistently focus on your spiritual values and goals, you increase the blood flow to your frontal lobes and anterior cingulate, which causes the activity in emotional centres of the brain to decrease. Conscious intention is the key, and the more you focus on your inner values, the more you can take charge of your life. Thus, meditation – be it religious or secular – enables you to more easily accomplish your goals.”

4. Use Beginner’s Mind to Course-Correct with Compassion
Achieving our goals or creating new systems and sticking to them costs us something; effort – the effort to overcome resistance, to stay in alignment with what’s most important by practicing resolve. We must remember that hesitation magnifies fear while prompt, decisive action crushes it. We must resolve to manage both our memory and our imagination – mismanagement of either creates inferiority, worry and mental monsters that create and keep confusion. Ironically, our willingness to be beginners, to NOT be very good at first, provides acceptance. In that space of course correction, we fan the spark of inspiration within to feed the fire of desire to step up even in the midst of setback and disappointment.  Course correction is the art of compassion in action – it’s transformation at its finest. It’s finding focus in the confusion, finding the energy when we feel we don’t have it, starting where and are, and not stopping.

From Clarity to Confusion: for more information contact Cheryl at TheIntuitiveLife.com to learn more or to book me for a private intuitive consultation, coaching program, lecture for your organization or staff training.

 

Jul19

Stay Inspired! How to re-frame “failed” goals (part 1)

by Cheryl Brewster

What inspires you?  Inspiration is important!  It’s what comforts us in the most difficult circumstances, transforms lethargy into those great “I Did It!” moments, and also helps us deal with those disappointing “I Didn’t Do It!” moments. However, like anything else, the benefits of inspiration can’t do their work if we’re not open to its incredible power and potential.

Inspiration is food for the body and the soul – we’d starve without it.
Defined as a creative force that stimulates thought or action, inspiration is also defined as the drawing in of breath.  There is no lack of inspiration, but if we’re not deliberately incorporating it into breathing, we’re missing out on a whole lot of mental, emotional and physical fuel… we’re draining our resilience and access to our intuition and its super powers of calm, clear, accurate guidance.

What would happen if you brought more “inspired breathing” into your day? You’d not only feel better, you’d be opening up to more of your creativity, ingenuity, genius, imagination and originality. You’d be breathing new life into what appear to be “failed” goals and expanding into an even greater prosperity consciousness.

To do this, we need to acknowledge, feel and breathe into our feelings and question our assumptions.  Feelings like disappointment, regret and worry are natural and even expected. But are we overly self-criticizing with labels like failure, being lazy, weak or not good enough?  These labels can certainly feel justified given the work/achievement culture we live in. But we must ensure we are seeing clearly.  Often there are circumstances beyond our control or there’s a bigger picture we can only become aware of, after the fact. Further, the stress of unexpected events can cause repercussions we’re not even aware of, like post-traumatic stress and burn-out. These cause huge energy hits on our system…. and yet…we still actually blame ourselves for not achieving our goals!

So what to do? Finding ourselves in the doldrums of unexpected or disappointing results  is hard. Really hard. How do we stay inspired then?

Practice Mindfulness
“Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).” ~James Baraz.

Ask questions rather than judging or making assumptions:
The brutal critical voice is something we all have. It can crush our spirit – don’t let it! Mindfully ask quality questions to shift perspective:
What would inspiration do now?
As an observer, watching myself, what can be learned from this?
What is a better feeling thought I can have?
Was this a reasonable goal or did I over/underestimate inner and outer environments or time required?
Did I leave wiggle room for adjustment?
Did I re-evaluate my goal to course correct?
In hindsight, what would I do differently?
What attitude serves me best in moving forward?

Use inspiration to see the bigger picture
It sounds weird; but sometimes “not” achieving our goals can benefit us (if we’ll let it):
1. If you’re way too hard on yourself or have some other ineffective habit, not achieving your goal this time round can be a good thing. It’s the opportunity to course correct any self-limiting attitudes so you are genuinely expanding your self-awareness to create a more grounded level of success.
2. The most inspiring among us are those who found a way through crippling adversity –  you can too. Take Your Stand! Decide to pick yourself up and invest in support and self-development; none of us does this work alone!
3. Find meaning in the pain…. what comfort and wisdom will you bring another who goes through something like this? Bring it to yourself first, right here, right now.

This is part one of how to re-frame your goals… If you enjoyed this blog, stay tuned for part two, and let us know what impacted you most and how you applied these tools. (And please share, we appreciate it)!

Cheryl Brewster helps people become aware of their strengths and the mindsets that impair them. She works with both organisations and individuals to help each person take responsibility and move forward in their roles for more empowered experiences and outcomes. Cheryl offers keynotes, coaching programs and private consultations.

Jun14

Mindfulness – the Super Power You Cannot Afford to Overlook!

by Cheryl Brewster

How does Mindfulness work, how can it help you improve your life and build resiliency? Whether it’s big, little, voluntary, crisis, opportunity or adversity, change is a part of your Hero’s Journey.  When we understand how our “Reptilian Brain” works, embracing mindfulness becomes a “no-brainer” (excuse the pun) because of how it frees us from irrational fears, thoughts and habits!

Things you must know about your Reptilian Brain
(from Shawn Smith’s book The User’s Guide to the Human Mind…. amazing book….. a “must have”:
1. In its effort to solve problems, the human mind can create the very thing we fear – like an over zealous body guard/worry machine, it never stops looking for problems!
2. An anxious mind does not defer to logic and tends to remember events with a lot of emotion attached to them, making us respond as if the past is about to reoccur.
3. Emotions have a way of sneaking under our radar and driving our behavior without our awareness so we train ourselves to avoid what we “think” is coming.
4. The mind creates a “false dilemma” – either I can have the thoughts and feelings OR I can live my life (example: I must get rid of these self-critical thoughts before I can…”)
5. We attach emotional content to thoughts, symbols and memories… sometimes the memory of a painful event (or fear of something we’ve never done) evokes more distress than the actual event.
6. The primitive mind’s response to pain and fear is: avoid, avoid, avoid… it persuades us to avoid things by giving us the pain of anxiety and sadness. (geez, thanks)
7. When we approach something dangerous, the mind tries to smack us with one form of pain or the other – systems like the amygdalae are regularly dishing out punishment to keep us safe!
8. Our limbic (emotional) system and flawless recall can keep us focused on that one single fender-bender, ignoring thousands of times we’ve driven without a problem.
9. The mind’s only job is to protect us and if we’re not careful, we can start to believe what it says…. the more we allow the mind to control our behavior, the more entrenched we become in the kind of thoughts that are dominated by fear, anxiety and depression.  We can begin to see all of this like a frantic dog barking at squirrels… all of these thoughts, feelings and sensations are not threats!

So here’s the juicy part! Once we understand the reptilian brain is just trying to do its job, we can free ourselves from the death grip it has on our ideas, creativity, dreams, goals, communications, desire for authenticity and greater success and happiness in life. In understanding how and why it does what it does, we build awareness…. in that awareness we stop limiting ourselves and free ourselves from irrational fears and unhealthy, reactive outbursts. Through Mindfulness we “pop ourselves out” and even if it’s just for a few moments, done over time, even just 10 minutes a day, the effects of mindfulness are profound!

Definitions of Mindfulness:
1. Mindfulness is the ability to know what’s in your head without getting carried away by it! (Dan Harris, author of 10% Happier)
2. Mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, non-judgmentally (Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Full Catastrophe Living)
3. Mindfulness is me living an authentic life, being present and okay in the transition of uncertainty and shadow as I evolve and grow (Me… Cheryl Brewster)

Benefits of Mindfulness:
1. It’s simple, can be done anywhere and is scientifically validated to improve cognitive functioning, emotional intelligence, health and wellness, decision making and a whole lot more!
2. Mindfulness is breaking a lifetime habit of unconscious repetitive thoughts and fears – it brings us to choice and the ability to take necessary action
3. It drops regret, guilt, perfectionism, self-sabotage and stress and builds up self-awareness, self-esteem making us better communicators and healthier members of society
4. Measurable on brain-scans, mindfulness helps to create new neuro-pathways which means you are evolving your actual physical brain, let alone your ability to enjoy life more!

How it works:
1. It’s simple, can be done anywhere – – just sit straight, notice the feeling of your breath coming in and going out and focus your full attention on the feeling of the breath – that’s it!
2. Notice when thoughts come in and just keep starting over when they do
3. By withdrawing just minutes a day from the chatter of the mind and the incessant worry machine of the reptilian brain, we “harmonize” to the greater wisdom within
4. This “super power” frees us from past conditioning and can bring clarity and focus even in the transition of uncertainty by helping us stay “in the present” not the past or the future which is where the reptilian brain is accustomed to taking us.

The “empowerment” muscles that are formed are priceless…. imagine the possibilities of your Hero’s Life!   It’s as simple as ABC – Aware, Breathe, Connect to the solutions, peace and prosperity that are always present. The reptilian brain may not feel that way, but the truth is, our greatest potential can only be accessed through mindfulness. While this “sounds” easy, it takes commitment, courage and grit to ride the waves of emotion that may come up in befriending that reptilian brain and making it our ally, but it’s so worth the effort…. If you enjoyed this blog, let us know! Cheryl Brewster’s mission with TheIntuitiveLife.com is to support Conscious Changemakers in their Hero’s Journey to clarity, peace, empowerment and confidence through the ABCs of Intuition and Mindfulness. To book your intuitive consultation, coaching mindfulness training for you or your organization, contact us!

May12

What To Do When Mindfulness Gets Harder, Not Easier

by Cheryl Brewster

None of us is exempt from change.
Some of it’s hard.
Some of it’s easy.
All of it requires awareness because change usually requires a different action.

When faced with that difference we can retreat, regress, resist…. Or we can be observant, compassionate and choose better feeling thoughts that free us from “judgement stuckness.”

As we continue along the Mindfulness Journey we’ll often have those moments when the “old (primal) brain” kicks in… it’s only job is our survival and if there’s even a whiff of danger, it’s worry mechanism steps in to stop (protect) us wherever it can.

I’ve begun to look at this “temporary amnesia” as a chance to reboot my system…. One of those reboots includes writing out my “I Did It!” list for the past week (or day). It always reveals an undercurrent of power and flow that the old, primal brain just doesn’t have the capacity to see. This step is important because the more we grow in mindfulness, the more the old primal brain will kick in… good to know so we can acknowledge that like a child having a tantrum when it gets scared, our brain is sending a signal that we can acknowledge but not become paralyzed by.  In fact science proves this!

Author/neuro-science researcher Mark Robert Waldman reports that the brain rewards itself with the pleasure neurochemical dopamine every time you savor even the smallest success, and that dopamine programs the brain to work harder and accomplish more goals. He says that “business success (and to a large extent, personal success) depends on the act of writing.  Studies show that when you think about a problem or a desire, your language-based centers in your neocortex go too fast for the more ancient parts of your motivational brain to respond to. Writing slows down your thoughts, and brief phrases will stimulate your brain to take action.”

Use your whole brain – slow down, be mindful. Write!

When we add Mindfulness to the writing process we are reminded that as we switch gears from one part of the brain to the other, it really is safe to do so. It becomes “safe” to make change. This is potently true in goal setting, and by celebrating past successes, we are feeding future ones.

Take a minute…

Write out your “I Did It!” list for the past week…. You’ll be delightfully surprised… you’ll be seeing your life from another

perspective that feeds resiliency and present moment awareness. You’ll be building on your personal and business success because you’ll be feeding your brain (let alone your self-esteem).  Email us for your complimentary “I Did It! worksheet if you don’t have one yet! It goes into greater detail of how you can create an “Intuitive Storyboard” of your life that combines writing, vision-boarding, synchronicity and understanding how archetypes can both empower and impede your journey.

Are you in career transition, relationship challenges or some other change? Remember! You have the capacity to handle whatever comes your way. Just because you have a dis-empowering thought doesn’t mean you have to believe it. As Einstein said, we need to remember that the mind is the servant rather than the master and let intuition lead, THEN use the mind to support the process. As you are riding the wave of change, it may feel uncertain, even scary, but with mindfulness, the wave can re-framed. Rather than feeling overwhelmed, we can choose curiosity, creativity to find meaning. The wave is transformed to one that is teaching us mastery, filled with new ideas, inspiration and eventually, yes, even FUN!

I’m here to support you in your Mindfulness/Change Journey with personal and business intuitive consults and coaching as well as on-line and at your facility team training.
Here’s to your “I Did It! Moments!

Cheryl Brewster is a Personal and Business Intuitive, specializing in Mindfulness to reduce stress for peace, meaning and success in life and business. If you’d like to learn more about one on one consultations/coaching or group presentations, please call us at 604-781-4022 or email us. We’d love to hear from you!

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.

 

 

 

 

Mar21

Struggling to “Get Things Done?” Choose Peace!

by Cheryl Brewster

“The ABCs of Intuition,” are a form of mindfulness that I developed several years ago.  The simplicity of “Aware, Breathe, Connect” increases awareness, which expands choice. Where are we really putting our thoughts and energy? Is it effective?  As we learn to expand awareness through the breath, we learn how to drop stress. This connects us purposefully back into our inner wisdom, the home of solutions. Easy to say, harder to do.

Part of managing change effectively is knowing that no matter what happens, we can handle it. We will know what to do. Choosing peace on a daily basis is more than an affirmation. It’s a lifestyle choice. A powerful one. It’s a daily practice that frees up creative energy and best practice solutions. Choosing peace is mindfulness in action, leading to new insights, options and expanded awareness.

What happens as you make peace a purposeful, deliberate choice, in getting things done today? How will it affect your results? How will you feel about yourself and your day?

Simplicity knocks the socks off stress. It engages flow and keeps us tapped into the rhythm of life.  Imagine the power of flow in your life by daily, consistently, making peace your practice in getting things done! What would your projects look like from this perspective? How about how you communicate with others, and those tricky triggers that can come up when you least expect them?

Peace is power. It’s a commodity we don’t use as often as we could.  It leads to healthy self-image, the cornerstone result of  personal effectiveness, self-growth and development. It’s pre-requisite to true prosperity ensures long-term, authentic success. In its daily practice, we increase the value of our investment. But we can only do so, through a firm resolve and determination to stay on track, no matter what.  Easy to say, harder to do, but so worth the effort.

If you enjoyed this blog, let us know! Cheryl Brewster is a Personal/Business Intuitive, who inspires and teaches resiliency through change.  For more information or to book a complimentary session to explore using mindfulness as a part of your solutions-based outlook, call her at 604-781-4022 or email cheryl@theintuitivelife.com

Upcoming events can be viewed at www.TheIntuitiveLife.com and please sign up on the homepage to stay connected with us.

 

Feb17

Game-changer: The Difference Between a Goal and an Intention

by Cheryl Brewster

What is the difference between a goal and an intention? The answer can be a real game-changer when it comes to personal and professional effectiveness. The 5 strategies to effective intention setting are listed further in this article but let’s begin first, with understanding the differences.

A goal is a fixed outcome, while intent is the energy behind the goal; the desire, process or the “why” that gives meaning not only to the goal itself, but the experience we have in the process. Intentions are based on values, principles and “ways of being” that happen in the now, while goals are measurable, specific outcomes in the future.

The etymology of the word Intention comes from Old French (4c.) meaning “stretching, intensity, will, thought” and from Latin (12c.) “a stretching out, straining, exertion, effort; “to turn one’s attention,” literally “to stretch out.”makeithappen

Intention, then is:

  • the “juice” or the “why” behind the goal – the deeper meaning and importance, the stretching of our imagination, creativity, innovation and “what if” thinking.
  • the focus or mindset behind the goal: attention to the wow factor that excites, inspires and beckons us forward; in other words, big rather than little thinking.
  • creating something out of nothing, or totally transforming a heavy “have-to feeling” to something totally transcendent and profound, creating a greater result or experience than was previously imagined.
  • comes from the infinite intelligence or universal consciousness that has all the solutions we need.
  • the reason or “mindfulness” behind the goal. Mindfulness defined is “paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non judgmentally” (Jon Kabbat-Zin).

“Intention operates outside the boundaries of normal space and time; it is the great organizing and unifying force of the universe; infinite in scope and duration. It allows us to imagine beyond the boundaries of what local mind sees as “possible,” to think” outside the box and to believe in miracles.” – Deepak Chopra, The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire

From these perspectives, we begin to see where goals without intention can actually be limiting or even harmful:

  1. Too often, we set goals without digging deeper to define the why, importance or relevance of the goal, thereby missing out on the bigger picture and putting our energy in the wrong places. Goals lacking lustre won’t sustain themselves, setting us up for failure or negative experiences.
  2. Goal setting can reinforce a scarcity rather than prosperity mentality, (oh my gosh, how am I going to achieve this?!), trigger performance anxiety and keep us stuck in the “how-to or where do I begin cycle.”
  3. Goals without intention can carry a dangerous “all or nothing” mentality and end up hurting rather than harming. Example; a stressed-out mother who’s expecting company and needs to get the house tidy… the goal in itself is valid, but if it is achieved at the expense of yelling, screaming and scaring her kids half silly in an attempt to get everything done on time, then the goal has been achieved but at what cost? The mom has totally missed the far reaching impact of intention… values in the experience she wants to have, and principles of a healthy example to her children. The same can be said of business and sales quotas…Too much emphasis on the goal at all costs, and soon the greater potentials of creativity, innovation and flow become victim to deadlines and policies that end up hurting the company, diminishing results and even putting its existence in jeopardy. Intention then, invites integrity and greater awareness in both setting a goal and completing it with sustainable outcomes and methods that avoid burn-out and negative consequences.

Intention aligns us with our inner creative intelligence… we begin to let go of our egoic-controlling ways and surrender to the greater answers inside us… over time, the more we work with intention, the more we let this greater intelligence “take the lead” in our lives. We begin to have the revolutionary experience of realizing that we are “not” the doer, but rather the vehicle through which the great Doer (creative intelligence) moves through us.

Goal setting has its place for sure, especially in business and working with groups with a common cause. However as we work with intention, we find goals become more organic… They appear as ideas and inspirations that take on a life force of their own, literally completing themselves. They offer a reprieve to any heavy “must, have-to, resistance” feelings that traditional goal-setting can bring. If anything, intentions ensure our goals come from the heart and soul of who we are; they instill a sense of wonder and awe in their accomplishment so that even the tasks we don’t like take on a richer hue; they can even become things we’re excited about, rather than things we dread. We begin to see the correlation between mindset and intention… previously difficult or unattainable goals are seen in a new light and negative spirals go from “I can’t to I can” through creative, inspired, positive action.

In drawing on the  dependable, infinite creative intelligence that is ALWAYS here, we are assured of effective, tangible results with these 5 key action steps:

  1. Have a very clear image not only of the outcome you want to create, but what you want your experience to be RIGHT NOW.
    In other words, rather than focus on the goal, focus on the consciousness or mindset behind that goal… how would this mind of infinite possibility think? Bring that future event into the present by thinking the thoughts and feeling the feelings NOW that would create this kind of result. This is the “stretching-out” of your imagination and aligning with the power of the subconscious through thought and feeling. Examples could be:
    “I love having this mindset that gets things done in ways that effective, fun and efficient!”
    “I love what happens when creative intelligence takes the lead to accomplish these tasks!”
    “It feels so good having this “I can do it!” mindset… wow… I can and I AM doing it!”
  2. Have fun visualizing the details!
    Science tells us that the brain can’t tell the difference between imagination and reality… as you visualize this as already happening, you are firing up the cortex in your brain so this mindset becomes the norm rather than the exception… you are expanding success consciousness. The subconscious accepts what’s impressed upon it with feeling. So have fun FEELING the joy, excitement and passion of accomplishment now. Mind first; ideas become physical matter through visualization. You know this intellectually so don’t fool yourself… knowing and doing are two different things!
  3. Act as if your goal has been achieved already and repeat, repeat, repeat this amazing feeling throughout the day!
    The conscious mind needs to be reminded that the creative intelligence inside now has the lead… all things are truly possible… this kind of consistent focus, with with repetition action yields cumulative results. Since your self image is determined by what the subconscious has accepted as true, you are power-housing your self image… you begin to truly own your own value…you have not only accomplished this goal, gotten a result; you have changed at your core… you have created and reinforced success habits that are in alignment with your values and integrity.
  4. Kill the ANTS! (Automatic Negative Thinking System) 
    Coined by Dr. Daniel Amen, known as the Brain Doctor, recognize the army of ANTS (Negative Thoughts) that are released from the limbic system when you are stretching your comfort zones…. First, Identify the ANTS (Automatic Negative Thoughts) and talk back to them – i.e. challenge them, get rid of them! Exterminate the ANTS:
    ANT 1:  Always / never thinking (no one, everyone, every time, everything)
    ANT 2:  Focusing on the Negative (seeing only the bad)
    ANT 3:  Fortune Telling (predicting the worst outcome)
    ANT 4:  Mind Reading (thinking you know what others are thinking)
    ANT 5:  Thinking with your feelings (believing negative feelings w/o question)
    ANT 6:  Guilt beating (Should, must, ought to, have to)
    ANT 7:  Labeling (attaching negative labels to yourself or others)
    ANT 8: Personalizing (thinking other’s behaviors have something to do with you)
    ANT 9:  Blaming (fault finding and not taking responsibility for self)
  5. Create Your Day and Celebrate It!
    Nothing is more inspiring than waking up each morning and creating your day from this place of Inspired Intention. A wonderfully light mindset begins to emerge… it’s like reminding ourselves… “oh right, I can really live my life like the adventure that it is.” Too often we allow ourselves to get bogged down and distracted rather than keeping a very clear intention of “how” we want to live.  Goal setting definitely has its place, but if not initiated by our creative intelligence, it becomes just another “to do” on a very long list of potential life-sucking demands.  By creating your day in the morning with intention, imagination and inspiration, things happen, synchronicity occurs, challenge that once drained your soul now feeds it, and obstacles that were once difficult take on an “I can do it!” attitude. Celebrating these mindsets, goal accomplishments and attitude changes are important too… they’re like internal soul markers in the sand… lines drawn that say, “see this?! I did it!” Whatever the reward is, it’s important to have it in mind at the beginning of Intention or Goal Setting and enjoy looking forward to it.  Can you imagine living each day with this type of mindset, built up over time, intending, celebrating and enjoying the many riches of this extraordinary life!

We don’t all start out living our lives this way… I know I didn’t! Each day is a decision to live from the divine within… Intention setting and accomplishing goals takes practice, effort and a willingness to surrender into something far greater than our current experience. It can be extremely challenging, but it’s so worth the effort, the “juice” that fuels the action, and that’s the true Game-Changer: The difference between a Goal and Intention!

If you enjoyed this article or have insights, questions or success stories that you’d like to share, contact us!  Cheryl 2009

Cheryl Brewster is a Personal and Business Intuitive who inspires Conscious Changemakers to bring their unique greatness into the world. In her coaching and workshops, she teaches intention setting, the power of synchronicity and intuition in life and business and brings a refreshing approach to business groups and entrepreneurs committed to making a difference in their worlds.  Learn more at TheIntuitiveLife.com