Tag: procrastination

Mar01

Stay Inspired in Difficulty – Part 2

by Cheryl Brewster

The Obstacle is the Path. I know this to be true. The very thing that creates confusion in my mind or terror in my gut is the very antidote to that stress. And the answer to that confusion, terror, difficulty, heartbreak, disappointment or challenge is this… it’s here to be used to my advantage.When I approach life from this perspective, I go to a whole new level of awareness and effectiveness.

How about you?

Scott Peck said that “Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult-once we truly understand and accept it-then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.”

That’s huge! Life-changing! It helps us tackle the things we don’t want to, because we have discovered an inner power that transcends our resistance, procrastination or limitations. What are 3 simple steps we can use to develop this kind of life-altering perspective?

1. Use difficulty to your advantage.
Challenge and change are unavoidable. But your perspective is totally your creation. The question is… have you created consciously or unconsciously? Awareness will course-correct perspective to help, not hinder you. It sounds simplistic, but when you “take your stand for inspiration in difficulty,” postponing peace or your sense of capability, is no longer an option. Difficulty is used to your advantage… immediately. Want proof? Identify a current difficulty and list at least 5 ways you can use it to your advantage… you’ll probably find more. Decide on the one tiny baby step you can take right now, in this moment… and then the next and the next.

2. See difficulty as your servant, not your master
What do these names have in common? Terry Fox, Rick Hanson, Nick Fugicic, Christopher Reeves, Maya Angelou, Anne Frank and Victor Frankl? That’s right, they used their obstacles, difficulties and tragedies as inner paths to freedom. Their capacity to see life from this perspective is the same path of power available to us…  Our willingness and commitment to embrace the obstacle as the path redefines us, makes us aware of points of inner power that we didn’t see before. We can start from the humblest beginnings and yet lead the most extraordinary of lives. Immediately.

3. Recognize that all difficulty is the invitation to peak performance.
This perspective cuts through emotional baggage, irrational fear, worry and stress. Difficulty is the very thing that brings out the best in us. The result is knowing we can handle the situation immediately… in the now, the present… “while” we face our shadows, worries or innermost demons.. because the truth is, the hardest battle we will ever fight is with our own thoughts and emotions…. Will we be true to what calls us and stand up for what matters? That’s the call to inner truth, self-trust and personal development and mastery. It’s what gives us the grit, courage and tenacity to do the right thing. It’s what frees us from the insidiousness of  unchallenged fears.

By staying inspired in difficulty, we drop the habit of “hoping the problem will go away,” and embrace a strength that was here all along, but wasn’t being used. Staying inspired in difficulty helps us surpass all forms of mediocrity, victimization, self-doubt and exhaustion. We stop projecting the past onto the future and begin to truly enjoy the present moment. We master the very things that once held us back.

Stay inspired. It is difficulty’s equal partner. The obstacle is the path. Begin today and if you’re stuck or not wondering quite where to start, that’s okay! Start anyway… what’s just one small step you can take right now? Take it! Nothing is more rewarding than “right action!” That’s you mining the gold in the shadow of your subconscious. It’s worth it. And it’s waiting for you!

woman_speaking_to_audienceAbout Cheryl Brewster, B.Msc., Transformational Speaker, Coach and Celebrant. 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 grow your success, please contact me for a complimentary exploratory call.   As a Celebrant, I also offer officiate ceremonies for life’s most meaningful moments.

Sep30

Decision Making with Ease

by Cheryl Brewster

At some point in time, we all hit the wall.  And it’s not pretty. It hurts. No matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to make a decision with ease. We wonder, worry and second-guess ourselves to death. Our fear of making a mistake can become a pattern of denial, delay and despair.

The upside to hitting a wall is that it always points to the doorway of new understanding. And when it comes to decision making with more ease, that doorway is mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the ability to notice what’s happening in your head so you can make better decisions. It frees you from past conditioning, fuzzy thinking, overwhelm and unconscious patterns that keep you in doubt and procrastination.

Mindfulness is a hugely important ability to foster and has gained massive respect around the world and particularly, in business. Over 22% of major business organizations include some sort of mindfulness training in their human resource offerings to staff. It reduces stress, promotes clear thinking and focus, improves health and reignites creativity.

Given the critical number of decisions we need to make each day, mindfulness is no longer an option… it’s a necessity.

Mindfulness helps with the decision making process, using the ABCs of Intuition: Aware, Breathe, Connect.

1. Aware – Be the observer.
What’s happening to you as you consider the decision you need to make?
Watch yourself.
What are you thinking, feeling, sensing?
Notice your body sensations.
Developing the habit of observing yourself can pop you out of the unconscious knee-jerk reactions that occur, especially when you feel worried about someone in your care.

2. Breathe for “one mindful minute”
It sounds too good to be true, but one “mindful minute” can save the day, let alone your sanity. Once you’ve established yourself in observer mode, stay there for one minute… don’t try to figure anything out…just be present in watching yourself. Allow the mind to settle into the breath, not carried away by thoughts, sensations or emotions, just focused on even, regular breaths. Breathing for just one minute helps you find your centre again. From here, knee-jerk reactions or emotions can be identified and set aside. Mindful breathing unhooks you from the flight/fright/freeze that is the natural consequence when feeling uncertain or threatened.

3. Connect – by asking yourself what is the next right thing?
The clarity you will receive from this very short process is astounding. It creates a laser-like beacon for you to follow. You can only ever do one thing at a time so mindfulness reminds you of the choice and power you have to do that one right thing.

This does take courage. Why? Because this process promotes change. And sometimes (or should I say often), we don’t want to change! But when change has the capacity to instantly take us out of worry, frustration, fear or guilt and back to peace and personal effectiveness, then we need to ask ourselves…

What price am I willing to pay to return to peace?

Often times, most times, it’s simply the decision to let go of past regret. Without awareness and over time, overwhelm can become a habit so we must remain diligent in paying attention to our decision making process. Are we in ease or do we keep “hitting the wall?” The doorway of mindfulness remains ever ready to show us the way. In walking through it, we overcome fear and are able to course correct much sooner.

If you’d like to learn more about Mindfulness and Intuition as a path to self development which includes making decisions with more ease, email us for your complimentary Mindfulness Report or introductory coaching session. We’d be happy to hear from you! Stay updated by signing up on the website for daily inspiration, and check out our calendar for upcoming events.

Oct10

Prosperity Thinking and Gratitude

by Cheryl Brewster

I’m so grateful for the guiding principles that have inspired my life. Introduced by Steven Covey in his popular book,  The Seven Habits of Highly Effective people, the following simple phrase is one of the most powerful intuitive tools I’ve used:

“Begin with the end in Mind.”

Take a moment and a couple of deep breaths to reflect on this concept, and perhaps you, like me, will notice the following.

Begin with the End in Mind:

  • Immediately connects you to Prosperity; that bigger picture of inspiration and possibility that is always available when you direct your focus to it.
  • Activates the flow of intelligence that dynamically transforms difficulty into “I can do it!” inspired action
  • Reveals solutions  or new directions not accesible by the logical mind
  • Brings clarity and reveals limiting beliefs that you can drop with more ease
  • Connects you to your body wisdom and visual mind’s eye, where you “just know” or “see the optimal thing to do”

As a Conscious Changemaker  building your personal prosperity from the inside out, consider these 10 Tips:

  1. Identify a current challenge in your life and focus on “the End in in Mind”; notice the ideas that “pop” into your awareness
  2. Use an intuitive journal…. write down the ideas, “knowings,” images and inspirations that appear
  3. Jot down the synchronicities that occur; how are they related to your End in Mind reflection?
  4. Use visualization to go deeper; use imagination; let the scene play out, like watching a movie.
  5. Notice that over time, positive thought and feeling really do transform fear, so this becomes a Good Habit!
  6. Use the phrase as a mantra to bring focus. It will override doubt and the gravitational pull of staying stuck
  7. Use it as a practice  to generate more personal power
  8. You will forget from time to time.  The ABC’s of Intuition will help you to remember… Aware, Breathe, Connect to the End in Mind to get back on track
  9. Practice, practice, practice!
  10. Include kindness, compassion – they accelerate the process of awakening authentic power

While intuition lies beyond the logical, rational mind, thoughts and feelings are ENERGY…. when we master our focus and feelings, we become masters of this energy…. we begin to direct it more consciously; we keep our vision on the End in Mind so that despite challenges, we take small, consistent steps forward. Those small steps comprise the big leaps possible only by being AWARE of where we are focused or distracted, so we can kindly and compassionately course correct.

We can’t underestimate the power of imagination in activating our intuition…. Einstein recalled how, at the age of 16, he imagined chasing after a beam of light and how this experiment  played a memorable role in his development of special relativity.

The Intuitive Life is comprised of benefits that begin with the End in Mind. They are many…. what are they for you? Do you, like me….

  • feel more empowered and reminded that you have personal freedom and choice?
  • remember that no matter what happens, you are tapped into optimum solution at all times?
  • build your  “commitment muscles” that over time, automatically relax those “resistance muscles”?
  • consciously, deliberately choose more fun and joy as you  awaken into your true nature?
  • feel more inspired and grateful for the abundance and prosperity that is already here?

Begin with the End in Mind truly is Prosperity Thinking and Gratitude. From that place in my heart to yours; Happy Thanksgiving!

About Intuitive Development:  As a renowned personal and business intuitive, Cheryl Brewster coaches individuals and entrepreneurs in bringing more joy and satisfaction to life and business.  See TheIntuitiveLife.com for more information on mentor programs, teleseminars and events. 

 

 

Jun13

Yes! Bust the procrastination habit with intuition!

by Cheryl Brewster

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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