Drop Your Balls and Get Juicy with Stress Management

Stress management...there are so many techniques!

Are you familiar with stress balls? The ones made of foam that you squeeze?

When I think of it I'm not sure how much stress is relieved when squeezing a ball. I mean, if you rank stress relief techniques on a scale of 1 to 10 with #10 meaning the most effective technique then I would rank a stress ball a point 5.

So, drop your balls and let's get juicy with powerful stress management techniques. There are four stress relieving strategies I use regularly. I believe everyone needs to have an assortment to choose from depending on the type of stressor, situation and time frame you're working with.

1. Generate Endorphins

Laughter can be done any time. Laughter has been proven to trigger endorphins which are the feel good brain chemicals. Endorphins help to manage pain and promote feelings of well-being. In a study by Dr. Robert Dunbar, from Oxford University, laughter that creases the eyes triggers endorphins increasing health and well-being. It's important to make sure your laughter creates a sparkle in your eyes. Get a good hearty, deep laughter going for about 15-20 minutes. I'm sure you understand why this stress management technique is one of my favourites.You don't even need a reason to laugh. You can laugh while doing the dishes, washing the laundry or driving the car. Simply start laughing. You'll be pleasantly surprised how this positively changes your day too. :) I'm a trained Laughter Yoga leader and when facilitating Laughter Yoga we use a variety of fun exercises to generate laughter.... and endorphins.



2. Thought Awareness

In your mind are thoughts that may be creating stress. Your thoughts are not truth, but are in fact a creation of society's constructs and past experiences. By keeping a thought diary you can become familiar with the thought patterns running in your mind, and then choose to change this to relieve your stress. You might like to read moire about thought awareness and keeping a thought diary on my personal development website: www.PersonalDevelopmentInsights.com.

3. Meditation

There are many different forms of meditation. My preferred forms of meditation are present moment awareness ones. In each moment you have the power to still your mind, and create your life. It's quite easy. For example, when you are eating pay attention to each bite. Choose one of your favourite foods and focus on the texture, the smell and how your mouth waters when you smell it. You might even like to close your eyes while eating. Your worries and fears only exist when your thoughts are in the past or future.... bring your thoughts to what's happening in the moment and naturally feel more relaxed.

4. Be Grateful

There are times in my life when I'm feeling really low. I'm sure most people get these down times. Have you ever felt so sad or anxious that you become numb to the world? It's a terrible feeling. Well, one powerful stress management technique I have found very helpful during these down times is to think of everything I'm grateful for. I think of the things that are special in my life. Being grateful is an instant flick of a switch thought changer from negative and down to positive and uplifting.

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Why Personal Development?

It's not pure luck that brought you to seek the meaning of personal development. Why personal development anyways? Somehow you know the struggle of life can end with one special key opening the door to a successful life.

Disappointed with how your life has panned out so far? Living a boring life, just paying the bills and going through the motions?

You certainly don’t have to! It would be an absolute shame to let life just pass by, without excitement, thrill and blissful happiness coming your way.

 
The Struggle with Life
We struggle with life. And the struggle needn’t be a struggle. The struggle starts off with clarity. Or the lack of it.

We aren't able to life a good life because we keep goofing up, stuck in the same old patterns. And obviously, we don't goof up intentionally. We goof up, because we believe in something outside of ourselves. 
 
We believe that a good life is some kind of luck (when it's not).

We believe every ill-advised and rash self-help guru that we shouldn't trust ourselves, but instead use overworked programs. We believe that healing ourselves and changing our lives is a frustrating process, and it is. Until you discover the structure of personal development. But Why Personal Development?

This website is meant to stop you from believing in the hoopla you've heard before. It's a starting point. Not all the king's ransom. It's mean to get your started on the journey towards deep inner work. So that you can become a meaningful seeker, as well as a creator. 
 
But why take all of this trouble?
Is holistic personal development so very important? Let's put it this way. If you don't dive into personal development you'll continue doing a loop and feeling stuck. Life can't improve if you do the same things. I mean, if you're dead set on forcing yourself to be satisfied with your old patterns then it doesn't matter the effort you put in.

Why Personal Development?
Most people don't bother about personal development because they think a good life is for rich and successful people. They don't feel obliged to give themselves a suitable song. When we want a good life, they think, we'll rely on others for happiness and satisfaction. They look outside themselves using a funnel to sift out the dirt they don't want to see.

And there's where you're wrong (yup, wrong!), because personal development isn't about copying someone else's life or following blindly down a path that works for others. Personal development is the key to a successful life because it's fine tuning your personal toolbox exactly so it aligns to reach your dreams and goals. You can dramatically change your life by altering your thought processes and transforming sabotaging core beliefs. Invite financial success, love and serenity or peace of mind, to enjoy, cherish and value life like you've never done before!
Holistic personal development can do just that, revolutionize your thought process and permanently change your life for the better!

That's WHY PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT! You deserve a better life. Invite personal development into your life by diving into a consultation with me or buying the book to explore your inner world.

Creating Life Passionately - Lessons from a Bush Turkey

G'day Everyone,

I find myself sitting at the computer eager to follow my passion and create my dreams come true.... but am hindered by the chatter in my mind.  You see, my mind likes to think. When I'm laying in bed and my mind is filled with constant ideas and notions. When I'm sitting on the verandah eating lunch my mind dwells on what could be, what should be. And of course, it dwells on what's not... and why not.

I'm sure you recognise this cycle of constant flow of thoughts and mind chatter.  It happens to the best of us. It's just the way we've been taught in our upbringing and in society. Intellect and thought are considered important aspects to be successful.

But did you know that your heart can think too?  Deep within your being is another form of creating that comes from your whole being, not just your mind.  This powerful form of creation comes from your total abandonment in passion and excitement. In fact, you can't create without passion. It is impossible to successfully change your life without aligning yourself to what makes you feel excited in every day life.

So, how you do sit within your passion rather than in your chattering mind?

Ask yourself in every moment possible: How am I feeling right now? Is this what I truly want to be doing? Am I excited to get out of bed every morning to live my life? Am I in love with all the people in my life?

Become intimately aware of your every moment.

Take for instance, my neighbour bush turkey.  He is very active creating the biggest nest. The bigger the nest he builds the more likely he will be to attract a mate.  EVERY MINUTE of his day is devoted to creating this nest. To building the life he desires. In fact, the poor guy, has had to rake leaves over layers of wood and tin (due to construction). No matter what obstacles get in his way.... he remains determined and focused.

(Isn't he a handsome fellow. I can just imagine how cute the baby bush turkeys will be.).

His rather large nest keeps growing and he keeps gathering leaves.  Turkey's nest is outside my office/study and it's a great reminder for me to stay focused and passionate about what I want to achieve in life.  The more I focus on what I want to achieve the more refined my vision gets. The more specific my goal is, the more likely I will be able to create it.  Turkey knows he is building a nest... and so he does.

Today I'd like to encourage you to be join me and be as focused as a bush turkey on your goals. Feel the power of passion move through you to improve your life and make your dreams come true.

If you are being thwarted from achieving your dreams due to old patterns or are feeling stuck or frustrated and can't quite pinpoint what your ideal passion is... please get in contact with me for a consultation. I'm a passionate coach eager to support you on your journey via skype, phone or in person: http://www.carmenwyld.com

5 Things to GET YOU EXCITED right now.

Live life passionately.

That's my motto.

And every once in awhile I question myself... what percentage of my activities are my true passion at the moment?

Passionate people have the power to create their life. To make their wildest dreams comes true.

Can you make yourself excited about something you have to do? Do you have the inner focus to love every aspect of your life? To see the positives, rather than the negatives?

If you can generate the feelings of excitement, passion or love in every moment - miracles and synchronicities WILL HAPPEN.  And I'm not just saying they will happen once a year or once every month. They will happen every day!

When I get excited about what I'm doing in life it all starts to flow. When things start to flow for me I know I'm on the right track - creating the life I desire. 

Successful people are passionate about what they do!  To be successful in life and in business follow your passion and what excites you. Ask yourself in each moment... am I doing what's right for me? Am I doing what I enjoy in this moment? Can I see the positives of what I'm doing right now?

Now I'm not talking about having to beam all the time this radiant exciting energy...  but it has to feel right for you in the moment. 

For instance, I'm a professional counsellor and coach and have started up practice helping middle-aged women improve their life.

(I resonate with this age group. You know the age when change occurs in a woman's life. It's either your children are leaving their nest, or your parents are aging, or you've just ended a long term marriage or relationship, or perhaps you're tired of your career. You're feeling stuck and frustrated and need to find your passion and do what you love to do. You want to heal your heart and improve your life. MAKE LIFE JUICY.)

But then in comes a market research job and I suddenly find myself saying 'yes' I'll do it and am making a zillion phone calls a day to executive's answering machines getting more frustrated as the day goes on. Only one more interview completed and my mind is numb.

I'm not following my passion. I have a huge heart for helping people. How can I generate enough passion to feel excited about research? After all, it's only for a week. <I'm careful not to fall into a pit of sadness and remind myself to BE EXCITED!>  And then I day-dream about my new business venture.

Last week I had a powerful vision of a new venture that would create much excitement and help people improve their lives. oooooohhh... I'm excited!  I run it by a colleague of mine and YES! - he's in. We begin brainstorming to pull it all together successfully. It's exciting! Oh yes, very exciting. We'll launch it late October. I decide to do some research of my own.

OMG! I can just imagine how excited the 'behind the scenes' person is about the research I'm doing for the company (which I previously considered frustrating).  They too are starting a new venture.

<grin!>

I'm excited!

 I want you to ask yourself - what are you doing that makes you feel excited and passionate?  Right now. Not in 2 hours from now when you're at your yoga class - right now.

Can you see the benefits of what you are doing right now? Is your career your ideal position according to your beliefs and values? Is it the best you can get right now as you move towards your desired position? Do you benefit financially from your position? How does your family and friends benefit from your chosen career?

Ponder on these 5 questions to get your EXCITEMENT JUICED....

What would you love to be doing right now? 

What gives you the most loving/passionate feeling in life?

How can you feel more passionate and excited about your life?

What changes can you make in how you perceive your current situation to feel EXCITED?

What miracles would you like to appear that would greatly improve your life?

LOOK FOR THOSE MIRACLES EVERY DAY.

EXPECT MIRACLES.


Expecting miracles generates a feeling of excitement towards what you desire. A feeling of excitement and passion moving through your mind and body has the power to create your dreams and goals to come true.

And one more thing... SMILE WIDELY at 5 people every day. This, in itself, is a sure remedy for feeling stuck or frustrated in life.

Try it...

Through answering the five questions I'm sure you discovered at least five things that get you excited and passionate. If you're still feeling stuck and frustrated and are eager to get to the bottom of your situation please feel free to contact me for a consultation: http://www.carmenwyld.com.

Much Love,
Carmen

Would You Eat Your Cat?

It was a few months ago now when I was standing the public library browsing through books while my daughter sought her favourites.  I believe the right book can sometimes fall into your hands. You know, you’ve got that niggling question about life and suddenly a magical book appears with an enchanting title offering answers to the current complexities of life. Well, this wonderfully warm summer day I was rather baffled when the book titled, “Would you eat your cat?” fell into my hands.

Uh.

Yuk!

Uh.

Who would title a book like that?! It puts bad ideas into people’s minds.

As a cat lover and owner of a whiter than milk coloured cat with two different coloured eyes I was astonished and angry. I’ve heard the saying that you’re either a cat lover or a cat hater. And you know those cat haters… they can come up with all sorts of disgusting cat jokes. Ew!

As I’m holding this book in the library my beloved feline friend is probably curled up in a ball on my bed. 

(Which is where she was at the time, and not in this cooking pot).

OMG!

The shock passes (but not the disgust) and I open the front cover, which by the way has an adorable picture of a kitten on it (it can’t be that bad then, right?).

We have different forms of what we believe to be ideal ways of living. Our viewpoints and perspectives may vary from one moment to the next and be different depending on the circumstance and situation we find ourselves in. What we believe to be true or right could be considered as wrong from another person’s perspective. Our viewpoints, opinions, ideas and beliefs differ from another’s. If we believe this to be true we must understand there is not one that is correct.  It would be utterly ridiculous to believe one life view is the same for all.

So, if my truth has a yuk factor to the question, “would you eat your cat?” how does that compare to another person’s perspective?

In the book by Jeremy Stangroom he guides the readers to consider their moral philosophy by considering a range of questions. As we identify the way in which we judge others we gain a deeper understanding of our own moral philosophy and the issues that affect our lives. 

Have you ever been given the righteous “should” treatment by someone? You know the kind. “You should do this….” Or “You shouldn’t do that…” and they expect you to follow these ‘orders’ because they are deemed to be morally correct in that person’s eyes.

YOU SHOULDN’T EAT YOUR CAT!  The title of the book really shocked me because I am an animal lover and would not consider eating my cat. But the moral issues involved in the story says that the cat in question died of natural causes, no one was harmed by the cat being eaten and it was a situation which only involved the owner of the cat who was honouring her beloved friend after it passed away. Is there anything immoral in doing this then? 

(I'm thinking she's rather disgusted that I'm only serving up vegetables!).

We could, as we were told to, SHOULD this elderly woman who felt she was doing the right thing to honour her feline friend’s life.  Or we could consider the situation from her perspective. Was she happy and satisfied doing this? Yes. Did she do anything that would hurt another person or living thing? No. Even though we carry our toolbox of beliefs and values other people may hold different ones.

When you’re aware of your values and beliefs you can consider the shoulding, whether it comes from your viewpoint or someone else, and if it's right for you.  I was raised in a Christian Reformed Church where judging was the ‘norm’ and hence I was constantly trying to prove myself to other people and often made the choice to act like a person I wasn’t just to please everyone else.

I simply wasn’t myself.  I was living a lie. And much to my disgust I too was judging and minimalising others.... blah!... the energies behind judgements and put downs are very heavy to carry.

After many years of soul searching I found my true self and my passion in life. 

Are you feeling stuck or frustrated in life? Do you find yourself worried what others might think of you? Do you have judgemental thoughts?  If so, you might like to consider if you are following your true path or doing what you should be doing? Are you being SHOULDED by your past?

On a side note…. I wonder, how can we live our lives passionately and remain true to ourselves without conflicting with other people’s viewpoints and perspectives?  Could social morality support this?

Imagine everyone on the planet being true to themselves and following their passion. Imagine the people in your neighbourhood, your family and friends… imagine them all excited about living and extremely happy in their lives. Imagine the world without SHOULDs!  What would the world look like?

If you live life passionately… you are guaranteed, not only succeed in reaching your dreams and goals, but you will also spark a seed in the people around you which will excite them to improve their life.

I hope this Blog finds you extremely happy and satisfied in life.  If not, get in touch with me so we can discover how to get you back on track. http://www.carmenwyld.com.

All the best,

Carmen

(No cats were harmed in the making of this blog.  She just became very confused as to why she was woken up from a cozy sleep, curled on my bed, to stand in a cold pot near vegetables.)

Living on the Edge

It's not hard to do... living on the edge.

It feels as though I'm living in two worlds, balancing the desire to be in one more than the other. Yet the other world demands and wants.... the pressure on my body and soul are excruciating.  *squeezing head with both hands, trying to ease the tension*

It's not difficult, simply ridiculous.

Are you living on the edge? I think most people are, but they just don't have the nerve to announce it to the world.

Our world. Unless you've been living under a rock you would have noticed that this world of ours is going through some crazy times.

I think that's where the edge resides. Between this crazy and chaotic world of wants and demands and the other world filled with unlimited peace, love and joy.

I've heard that nature holds the key to this New Earth people are talking about.  Not sure if nature would want our toxic mind games. Passive aggressive. Judgements. Ridicule. Assumptions. Criticisms. Nature doesn't know these energy vibes.

So, where do we begin?

What will ease the pressure and stress?

What's my part?

.... and where do you fit into all of this?

 As in the words of the Buddha.... "your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it."

I'm curious. Are you living in two worlds? And how are you handling it?

Heal the Planet from Within

Feel the excitement, as WE, a team of Earth-wide citizens, work together to create a peaceful and loving world. Come join us on this dynamic journey!

The world is under a constant state of stress including the plants, animals and even us humans. We are starting to wake-up to our circumstances and realise that we need to make changes. But the only way to change the world is to heal ourselves from within. It cannot be done any other way.

How could we continue to think and act the way that we do and make significant changes the heal the world?  It's time now to become consciously aware of our thoughts, feelings and emotions and take action to change them to improve our lives... which in turns helps to heal the world.

For more information on this inner journey like us on Facebook at "Heal the Planet from Within" or subscribe to my newsletters at www.carmenwyld.com

Thank you for your support!

All the best,
Carmen