I had some interesting discussions last weekend about ‘mindfulness’ vs ‘meditation’. I was talking to a friend about how ‘mindfulness’ is going mainstream, whilst ‘meditation’ is often seen as ‘Eastern WooWoo’ and can trigger rejection and fear from many. And an article I read yesterday confirms that opinion. Meditation is bad and scary but mindfulness is cool and good.
Really? [Read more…] about ‘Meditation’ vs ‘Mindfulness’: A Rose By Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet?
Think You Don’t Have Time To Change Your Life? It’s Time To Think Again…
How many times do I hear it? “I don’t have time to change my life!” Whether it’s from clients, students, my family or even that voice in my head, lack of time is the most common excuse for not making changes in our lives. But what if I told you that it’s not true; that it’s just an excuse? And that changing your life doesn’t need to take any longer than drinking a cup of tea? [Read more…] about Think You Don’t Have Time To Change Your Life? It’s Time To Think Again…
Soul-Sized Living Magazine ~ May 2013 Issue
To make sure you get your copy, sign up (free!) today:
See you there!
Namaste,
[Read more…] about Soul-Sized Living Magazine ~ May 2013 Issue
Homemade Gluten-Free Crumpet Recipe
Traditional crumpets are made with wheat flour, so they’re not gluten free. And I have never seen gluten free crumpets in the shops. Add to that the fact that much of the in-store gluten free bread on offer is of dubious health value and those of us who are avoiding wheat and gluten are left with a breakfast dilemma. It’s all very well talking about ‘sprouted cracker this…’ and ‘super smoothie that…’ but what do you do when you’ve got that old breakfast craving – wanting toast or crumpets to meet that deep-seated need? That’s where homemade gluten free crumpets come in.
[Read more…] about Homemade Gluten-Free Crumpet Recipe
Are You Fed Up With Feeling Tired All The Time?
People often ask me how I get so much done – running a business, with 3 youngs boys and a small-holding to manage. I’ve got a secret to share about how I do it. And it’s time for a confession, too… [Read more…] about Are You Fed Up With Feeling Tired All The Time?
Fed Up Of Thinking Negative Thoughts? How To Use Gratitude As A Magic Wand For Positive Thinking (In Less Than A Minute A Day!)
Today I’d like to share with you a simple, yet profound, quote from Marcus Aurelius. For me, it sums up why I’m sharing the Miracle of Gratitude journey with you:
“The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.”
I remember a dear friend, about a decade ago, asking me how on earth she could shift her thoughts from negative to positive, when she had spent a lifetime training herself to think about the bad bits.
Much of my work over the past ten years has been invested in finding simple, practical, highly effective answers to her question. It’s one of the reasons I decided to spend this year creating and sharing The Miracle Of Gratitude.
The quality and ‘tone’ of our thoughts has a profound impact on our experience of life.
Telling your Monkey Mind to stop thinking thoughts that make you feel miserable doesn’t work.
Your mind can’t process a ‘negative’.
What do I mean?
I mean that if you shout at a child, “Don’t run!” it first has to imagine ‘running’ and then the ‘not’, by which time the accident has probably happened. If you tell them, “Don’t fall over!” then it first has to imagine falling over, and you can guess the rest. Instead of shouting, “Don’t run!” you could try “Walk!” Instead of “Don’t fall!” how about “Stay safe!”? Can you sense the difference it makes?
Tell your Monkey Mind, “Don’t think negative thoughts!” and it first has to imagine the “negative thoughts” bit and… you guessed it… it never gets round to processing the “don’t“!
One of the reasons why The Miracle Of Gratitude can be so powerful is because it gives you something to fill the vacuum; it gives you a structured training course for your mind, to help it gently retune from whatever its old radio station was to one that more often thinks of positive, happy, uplifting and grateful things.
It becomes like a ‘magic wand’ to help you turn your thoughts around, if they’re heading in a direction that you no longer want.
You’re not trying to ‘banish’ the sad or angry thoughts. In fact, that would just make them stronger, as we beat ourselves up for ‘daring’ to think an unhappy or unkind thought. As Carl Jung reminds us: “What you resist persists.” Give your energy – your attention – to a thought that you don’t ‘want’ and you are feeding that thought, allowing it to grow and continue. Instead, we’re simply looking to tip the balance in favour of the happy and more empowering ones, one day at a time; one thought at a time; no ‘forcing’; no ‘have to’; no ‘getting rid’; simply choosing to play with gratitude exercises and projects, one day at a time.
And what better way to do it than to tune yourself in to gratitude?
For those of you who are already joining in with The Miracle of Gratitude, I’d love to hear how you’re getting on. Perhaps you could share, via the comments box, how the daily practices have been impacting your life? Which gratitude project are you playing with? Are you still taking a moment to experience Gratitude Minutes? Do you have any insights? Experiences? Questions? Answers?
Not joined in yet? What are your favourite techniques for turning your thoughts around?
And if you haven’t had a chance to join in yet, here’s where to find out more about how to register today: www.MiracleOfGratitude.com
Namaste,
