Journaling is a powerful tool to raise our self-awareness.
It is a nourishing and positive self-care practice that is fun, creative and always uniquely your own.
With journaling, whatever you write is right!
Here are 13 tips to help you get journaling:
Delighted to have been invited as a guest on Colman Power's Podcast this week.
We spoke about all things coaching, retreats and improving all areas of health, wealth, love and fulfillment.
Colman was totally open about his past relationship experiences with me.... which he had never shared before about his personal life!!
So looking forward to reconnecting with Colman again at our Great Stuff Retreats in Schull, Cork on the 31st July and 24th September
Enjoy the show!
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4UxGfCJFFNqZi1b8TwReBW?si=VFq7chfuRsCWE4GcsibrwQ&dl_branch=1
So many of us are experiencing some level of change right now. In the midst of the pandemic, we are all undergoing transitions of some kind, whether that's in our career, our relationships, or our mental, emotional, physical or spiritual health. Sometimes this can lead us to feeling guilt or shame, a sense of failure or hopelessness. Somehow we feel we must have made a mistake somewhere along the way or that change is something we should resist.
But what if we’re wrong? What if these uncomfortable changes are really just growing pains, necessary for our own personal growth? When we reach the limits of an old way of being or a view that is no longer a match with this stage of our journey, it generally starts to get pretty uncomfortable. And that’s a really GOOD thing!
There is massive value in stepping out of your comfort zone and making changes to your life. Change not only creates new experiences, it also increases your confidence and nurtures your personal growth. In many cases, it can help to end stagnant situations and signal the beginning of a new life chapter.
Making the decision and taking the first step to change may be difficult to begin with. Many of us are resistant to change because we fear the unknown or feel a lack or confidence. But once you get started and witness the benefits that shaking things up brings, it naturally becomes easier. And the added bonus of making a change in one area of your life, more often than not leads to a change in another. For instance, when you improve your diet, your mindset changes. When you take time to meditate, your health improves. They are all connected!
"Remember that the only constant in life is change” ~ Buddha
Your words, whether you say them out loud or think them, influence your life and the lives of those around you. Putting effort and intention into keeping your language positive - whether you're communicating how you feel or expressing your opinion - will improve your thought patterns and in turn improve your relationships with others. It will also reduce the possibility of negative interpretations. Try listening to your own conversations to spot negativity and patterns in the type of words you might be choosing. Change your "shoulds" to "coulds" and weed out words that shame or blame yourself or others.
You will very quickly notice a positive effect on your mind as well as your body when you make healthier food and drink choices, such as drinking more water, consuming less sugar, cutting down on booze or following a varied wholefood diet. Seriously, who doesn't want to look, feel and think better?
Recently I did a course with an amazing Nutritional Therapist, and by making a few small changes in my diet, I have seen big improvements in my energy levels, my mindset and my figure! The small changes and the results that I have seen already have spurred me on to try new products, recipes and ways of cooking. Even if you know that you need to make a change in this area but you don't know where to start, the key is to take one small action - and see the benefit of that after a week or two. The motivation and confidence you gain from seeing results will set you on the path for even greater changes!
Making a change to your daily routine switches things up and creates new experiences. Try changing up your morning routine, your meal times or maybe your working hours if that's possible. Could you take a half hour a day for reading, meditation or catching up with friends? Could you listen to a podcast while walking or working out? Could you write a list of things that you are grateful for first thing in the morning instead of hitting snooze?
We have an average of 50,000 thoughts every day and 95% of them are the same things we were thinking about yesterday! Without introducing new information or routines, we become stagnant and our world becomes smaller and smaller. It's much easier to kick the can down the road and say "I'll start tomorrow" but bear in mind that if you don't start making changes, everything in your life will stay the same.
New surroundings can revive your senses, resulting in fresh thoughts, emotions and actions. At a basic level, decluttering, redecorating, changing colours, lighting and textures in your home or moving the furniture around, can actually reduce stress. If you are considering a bigger change like a city, country or continent move, it might at first seem completely impossible. First comes the dream, but once you start looking into it, researching it and talking to other people who have made a change, it will feel more achievable.
Resistance to a change of environment may come from those close to you. It is important to remember that you are doing what is right for you. To move past any judgement, remind yourself of the dream that started you on this journey. Write a list of reasons why it will work for you and stay motivated by reading this list regularly.
Most of us believe that our perfect job is out there somewhere, but more often than not we'll stop ourselves from going for it because our inner voice tells us that we need “more”.... higher qualifications, skills, youth, energy or experience. Even if we dare to believe it's possible, we can trip ourselves up by concentrating on what we don't have, rather than visualising the dream job we are hoping to attract.
If you have fears holding you back, start asking yourself questions. If you need a new qualification, which one? Where can you get it and is there a cost? A really good tool that I use with clients is asking them to write their perfect "Job Description" to include their favourite tasks, the hours that they work and the pay that they will receive and that becomes a goal. Try it for yourself! If you don't know exactly what you want, how are you going to recognise it when it shows up?!
As always, if you are going through changes in your own life and need some help, please don't hesitate to reach out, I'd love to hear from you.
Much love, Jo xxx
If you're anything like me, you have likely spent years or even decades searching for your purpose in the world, the reason why you're here on earth. You just have this deep "knowing" that you're destined to be on a different path, that's there's "more" out there for you. But what exactly is it? You might get super-excited about a new avenue for like a day, a week or a month before eventually going, "Nah, that's not it". You might even be embarrassed that you've tried so many things and still you're haven't found "it". Worse again, you might abandon ship altogether with the thought that there's likely something wrong with you for wanting "more". Trust me, we've all been there! And until you've found your soul’s purpose, there is "more" ... it's what drives you and moves you forward, even if you haven't yet identified what exactly “that” is yet.
When you know your soul’s purpose, you’re content with your life. When you're living your life on purpose, you feel a sense of flow, as if you’re headed in the right direction. Everything feels right, you feel motivated and intrinsically happy with little to no effort. When you tap into your soul’s purpose, you feel a sense of peace and harmony. When you feel like you're going against the flow or that you’re meeting roadblocks at every turn, you have quite possibly veered off your path.
Some people are really fortunate to know their true soul’s purpose from early in life, while others discover it much later on. Sometimes a soul’s purpose emerges in response to a life experience which may have been completely joyful. Sometimes your purpose becomes completely apparent as the result of a traumatic event, or like me, a series of them!
There are things, though, that don’t nurture or feed our soul’s purpose. We need to let go of what no longer serves us, whether they are thoughts, actions, emotions or old patterns of behaviour. If you’re constantly feeling drained around someone, consider letting that person go. Maybe this person is sucking the joy out of your life. If a habit is causing you more pain than happiness, it might be time to look at it. If you find yourself going around and around in a negative loop in your head, consider upgrading your mindset. Your soul is giving you messages all the time. Learn to listen to your intuition, learn how to follow it and learn how to let go. Letting go is one of the hardest things to do but you need to create space in your life for the people, places and things that resonate with your soul at this part of your journey. Every next level is going to require a different version of you … an upgrade of sorts … it is a journey after all!
If you’re at a crossroads in your life, it could be a good time to ask yourself some questions that may inspire your own soul's growth:
What am I really good at?
What lights me up?
What did I love to do as a child?
What are my core values?
Who or what in my life no longer serves me?
Have I had any wake-up calls that changed the way I view life?
What do I teach others that helps them transform their own lives?
Who are my role models and who inspires me?
Are there any coincidences or synchronicities that could serve as clues?
What are my wildest dreams and desires?
If I had six months to live, what would I do?
Finding your soul’s purpose could be viewed as a journey back to yourself, who you are at your core. It can be a scavenger hunt or a treasure hunt, you decide what feels best for you! It’s all about being self-aware, curious and asking questions that bring you closer to the place you were always meant to be, to your home within you. You are not ahead or behind on your journey, you are exactly where you are supposed to be at this moment in time. Trust and know that the right next clue, signpost, roadmap, teacher or mentor is always available to you if you remain open to it.
“If you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be.” ~ Joseph Campbell
As always, if this resonates with you or you feel that you may need some help on your own journey, please don't hesitate to reach out, I'd love to hear from you.
Much love xxx
You wake up one day and you realise that your life isn’t quite where you want it to be. You might have daydreams or fantasies of what your “ideal” life might look like, but you find that you’re going around in the same circle, repeating past behaviours or patterns, or simply just caught up in your regular day-to-day routines.
So now you find yourself here, maybe unfulfilled with just one element of your life, like your career, relationship, or health, or completely and utterly “stuck” in your life in general.
To keep it really simple, you have two options: either change something or stay the same. And we all know the definition of insanity right? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
If this is where you’re at right now, have a look at these questions and see where your answers take you:
Good nutrition and exercise solves a whole lot of problems, yet we often look in every other direction than the most obvious one. If you feel bad physically, you'll feel bad mentally. If you're in a negative headspace, it will most likely impact on your emotional health. Does the fact that you're physically stagnant have anything to do with the fact that you're mentally stagnant? It probably does. Improving your spiritual health is going to have such a positive impact on your physical, mental and emotional health. You can't untangle all of your “bodies” from each other, however making a difference in one area will certainly have a positive impact on the others.
What can you start doing to become healthier? Something achievable like improving your diet, listening to a podcast, meditating or taking a walk? The idea of getting healthy might seem like the most basic thing in the world, but improving your overall life begins with doing the most obvious things first, and then doing them consistently.
Where have you been playing it safe? When was the last time you tried something new? When did you last assert yourself and speak your mind when you knew deep down you had something to say? Feeling “stuck” isn't a result of dramatic circumstances, it happens when you have repeatedly done nothing new over a long period of time.
Possibly, like me, you grew up with the belief that "the devil you know is better than the devil you don't". You might hate your boss, but at least you know what to expect. You might not be in love with your partner any more, but co-existing is easier than starting over to find a new partner or worse again, being alone.
You can shock yourself into action when you realise that you have stayed in your comfort zone for months, years, or even worse, your entire life…..
The fear you have is the reason why you avoid change, isn't it? How do you think that I know that? Because you're human, and as humans we're hard-wired to be afraid of change. Fear keeps us “safe” and “comfortable”.
With that knowledge, get to the root of why you're so afraid of making changes in your life. Is what you're facing truly terrifying or is it just a story you're telling yourself? Has anyone else made it through a similar situation and done the things you're afraid of? If so, then it's absolutely possible for you to do so too.
There are two types of people in this world, the people who face their fears and people who don't. The difference in the quality of their lives is dramatic. We're all afraid of something, we are human after all. It takes courage to face your fears and push forward anyway, but that courage to take the first step builds confidence, with that you'll find that you're then able to take bigger steps.
What will your life look like in five, ten, or twenty years time if you continue to do the things you've been doing? Do you like what you see? It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routine and lose sight of the bigger picture.
As much as possible, I always try to zoom out and remember why I'm doing what I'm doing — when I feel like my career is progressing too slowly, when I'm doing tedious tasks in support of my goals that I don't feel like doing, when I want to quit and cry and scream and throw things (this happens!).
Pushing through the pain or discomfort, as exhausting and uncomfortable as it might be, is a sure-fire way for me to reach my goals, to create my best life filled with purpose, passion and meaning, so reminding myself what my life goals are allows me to push through and get on with it.
Time is the most valuable commodity that we have. The way you make your living is anything but inconsequential. Your work is important, because you spend a lot of your valuable time working. I'm not saying that you have to love every second of your work day, but if you don't feel like you have a purpose, a sense of contribution or regularly experience some level of enjoyment, it will ultimately cause you harm.
If you work in a soul-destroying job, that destruction can spill over into the other parts of your life... like your health, your relationship, your family life. It's possible that you can see the effects of this already if you're being really honest with yourself.
Is there a disconnect between your career and your core values? Could the situation be improved by moving in a different direction? Do you want to quit your job and start over? Can you take a part-time course? What are your options?
Figuring out what you really and truly like can be pretty difficult. Figuring out what you don't want and subsequently removing or avoiding it is much easier. If you can identify and remove most of the negativity from your life you'll be in a really good place. We often tolerate things that we hate for a greater good. We figure we can put up with something because it has a some sort of benefit. But really, what is the benefit?
I'll admit that in the past I've done jobs that I didn't love and stuck with them for the payday, but I've realised that life is too short and my health is too important to do things that I genuinely despise, so I've just stopped doing them.
Is the juice really worth the squeeze? What reward could be so great as to tolerate something you hate? I can't think of a really good answer. Can you?
You can spend time doing what you love right this minute. I love compelling conversations, so I surround myself with inspiring and passionate people. I love writing, so I write. I love learning, so I learn. I love walking with my dog, so we walk. I have a great family and amazing friends, so I love to spend time with them. I'm so looking forward to the day when we can travel more which will help satisfy my thirst for adventure outside of our current limitations.
What if you were told that your time on earth was limited? You wouldn't spend it sitting still and awaiting your final moments. You'd go do all of the things you've been putting off until you get that promotion or lose that extra stone. You may reach out to the people closest to you and spend as much time with them as possible. You would very quickly figure out the most important things to you and take action on them. One of the best ways to get un-stuck is to realise that you truly don't know how much time you have left on this planet, so aim to live your life to the fullest and die without regrets.
What are you good at? What are the skills and talents that are unique to you? How often do you get to use your strengths? Is your life or career path aligned with your positive qualities?
The problem with doing something you're not at least somewhat good at is two-fold. First, you have a cap on how good you can be, and that cap is probably mediocre at best. Second, you'll be unhappy or indifferent because believe it or not, your passion comes from your level of skill and competence, not the other way around.
You can absolutely continue to force yourself into a box that's actually not a good fit for you, but jamming a square peg into a round hole hurts, and if you do it for long enough you'll wear out the edges of your sanity.
The environment we live in has such a big impact on our overall health, so cleaning it up is a really easy way to make a positive change in your life. If you are surrounded by clutter in your home, you're pretty likely to have a cluttered mind. If you are organised, you are more likely to be productive and successful. If you listen to the news regularly, you are more likely to be fearful. If you engage with or entertain negativity or drama in your inner world, you will likely see much more of it in your overall life.
What old “stories” are you telling yourself? What “habits” do you have that are doing you more harm than good? What do you need to let go of? Who is dragging you down? What are you watching? What are you reading? Who do you follow? What are you eating? Cleaning up your act consciously is the very best first step you can possibly take in transforming your current circumstances into a life that you absolutely love to live.
Your life isn't going to magically change after reading this, but it can be a start if you take action. The little things that you do over time will make up your whole life and will lay the foundations for the bigger things to come. This is your life, I truly hope you yearn to live it, not just exist.
As always, if there’s anything in here that strikes a chord or that you would like me to help you with, please reach out… I would love to hear from you.
Much love xxx
Fear is the number one reason why people miss out on so many of the opportunities that arise in their lives … opportunities for love, friendship, becoming an entrepreneur, career advancement and much, much more. Often when we’re afraid of rejection or failure, we hold back from asking for help, phone numbers, and pay rises, even when we are worthy and deserving of every good thing that could happen to us. And because of our fear, we miss out on many experiences that could bring us joy, excitement and satisfaction. Fortunately, there are simple but powerful practices that will help you to face your fears and take your power back, freeing you up to focus on saying “Yes” to your life. Want to start using these practices?
The Fear of Change
Humans are creatures of habit. We like routines and knowing the outcome of our efforts, which alone can keep us from living up to our potential or trying out new things. So in order to overcome the fear of change, you have got to realise when change is really worth it. If the end result is of real value to you, then you won’t mind the extra time or effort put in to achieve the change. If it feels overwhelming, put together an action plan and break it down into small steps. How do you eat an elephant? One small bite at a time :-)
The Fear of Failure
When people are scared of failure, they’re usually afraid that others won’t see them as successful. So, how do you overcome it? Define what success actually means to you, what your end result would look like and how it would make you feel. It should be something that’s attainable and one that improves your life. Remind yourself that failure is relative. If you’re not able to achieve one step along the way, it’s not the end of your journey. Take time to think the situation over, then plan a new route.
The Fear of Uncertainty
Because fear is naturally rooted in the unknown, if we know how things would work out in the end, we actually wouldn’t worry about our decisions. Ultimately you just need to be more confident in your choices. How? Consider the information to know to be true. Is there really a risk involved? Can you mitigate that risk? If so, how? Can someone else provide more clarity? Will you be ok if it doesn’t work out? Learn how to be at peace with the end result. If it works out, great! If it doesn’t, remember that you made the best decision with the information that you had at the time. From there, you learn. There’s really no such thing as a mistake if you can look at it from another perspective, it’s really just an opportunity for growth and along the way you gained confidence in knowing that you tried something new and learned from it.
The Fear of Being Judged
Most people worry about what other people will or already do think of them. But it’s really important to remember that you have no control over other peoples perception of you. And quite honestly, the people that matter the most to you will tend to be the most understanding. Also you will find that the people who own their own mistakes recognise that everyone is bound to make them. They also understand that mistakes are the building blocks of character and can lead to many greater things with the right perspective. Listen to those people and watch how they grow. Someone’s opinion of you will only matter if you let it. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said: “No-one can make you feel inferior without your consent”.
The Fear of Rejection
Some people are afraid of rejection itself. It’s hard to step out of your comfort zone, so that may cause you not go after your dreams. If you have this fear, try writing out a list of the worst possible scenarios and then decide if it’s really and truly not worth the risk. A lot of the time you might find that your fear is actually rooted in what someone else would think of you, even a complete stranger! Another thing you can try is de-sensitising yourself to rejection, like asking for a free coffee refill at a bar or restaurant. This often helps getting over your fear in a really low-risk way, but you might be pleasantly surprised how often you get what you want because you had the courage to ask! If you don’t ask, you don’t get!!
If you find that your fears are debilitating and you aren’t having much success in facing them on your own, please don’t be afraid to reach out to me or another professional. A session may involve talking about the thing that scares you, working on the thought patterns and beliefs that keep you stuck, practising relaxation techniques and managing your anxiety as you face your fears head-on. A professional can help you go at a pace that is comfortable for you, in a healthy manner that helps you move past your fear, rather than in a way that traumatises you.
With much love xxx
THE RULES FOR BEING HUMAN HANDED DOWN FROM ANCIENT SANSKRIT
1. YOU WILL RECEIVE A BODY
You may like it or not, but it will be yours for the entire period round.
2. YOU WILL LEARN LESSONS
You are enrolled in a full-time, informal school called life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant and stupid
3. THERE ARE NO MISTAKES, ONLY LESSONS
Growth is a process of trial and error, experimentation. The 'failed' experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately works.
4. A LESSON IS REPEATED UNTIL IT IS LEARNED
A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it, then you can go on the next lesson.
5. LEARNING LESSONS DOES NOT END
There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.
6. “THERE” IS NO BETTER THAN “HERE”
When your “there” has become “here”, you will simply obtain another “there” that will, again look better than here
7. OTHERS ARE MERELY MIRRORS OF YOU
You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.
8. WHAT YOU MAKE OF YOUR LIFE IS UP TO YOU
You have all the tools and resources you need, what you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.
9. THE ANSWERS LIE INSIDE YOU
The answers to life’s questions lie inside you. All you need to do is look, listen and trust.
Much love xxx
Are you at a crossroads? Are you struggling? Do you lack direction? Do you feel like there is more to life than the one you are currently living?
Many of us spend a huge portion of our lives working, and while some are in their dream jobs, many are not. Many people live in great discomfort, carrying that feeling that their soul feels a bit dead. Who wants to live like that when there’s an alternative?
If your spirit, your essence, is not in fitting with how you spend your time - in work or otherwise - then it is understandable that you might not be operating at your peak, or even feeling good at a basic level.
Who are you? What type of person are you? What could you introduce into your life to demonstrate it? Remember, you have to decide your role in life, play it, and play it well. Nobody else is supposed to do that for you.
If your closest friends and colleagues met and compared notes about you, would they feel like they were talking about the same person? We adapt to different circumstances, sure - most job descriptions demand awareness and flexibility. But when you’re continuously playing a whole different person at home or at work, you’re not being authentic to you.
So how much of you do you know? Self-knowledge is the key to it all. If you haven’t stopped to think about what in life has meaning for you, how can you ever plan a life that includes more of it?
Much love, Joanne xx
One of the most important books that I have read in the past few years is Martha Becks “Finding Your Own North Star”. In it she talks about fear and change and finding your passion. I only wish I had this book during my marriage separation four years ago, four years that have been full of so many changes for me. I have been told so many times by so many people that I am brave, but believe me I have not felt brave. I kept making small decisions and big choices one at a time. Most of the time I did not feel courageous, I actually felt like a failure, but I kept going, not entertaining the thought for a second that I had another choice.
It was a huge shock to my system to leave Cork, my ex-husband, some wonderful friends and a lot of my regular work behind. It was what I had to do to take care of myself. I made the choice for me in order to heal, surround myself with family and friends and ultimately follow my purpose. I had often made decisions in the past based on what was better for other people but this time I had to put myself first.
Beck says that “Dante’s journey took him as low as a human being could sink, through his worst fears and most bitter truths, down to the very centre of the earth. And then, by continuing straight “downward” through the centre and beyond, he was suddenly headed up. Before him he could see “the beautiful things that Heaven bears,” things like purpose, fulfilment, excitement, compassion, and delight. He was still tired and scared, but he wasn’t sleepwalking, and he wasn’t lost. There was still a long road ahead of him, but it was the right road. And so, Dante wrote, “we came forth, and once more saw the stars.” Once you get that far, you’re on your way to Paradise.”
I did not believe at the time that things would ever get better but I was wrong. People lent me their hope when I did not have any for myself. Things have gotten so much better in many ways like having more available time for myself, my health, my family, my personal development and much less stress and financial pressure.
In her book, Beck says that “fear is the raw material from which courage is manufactured.” Maybe once I faced my fears, then I was given courage. I am not sure of the order of things, but I am glad I kept walking, just putting one foot in front of the other. I was lucky that many people supported me, kept me company and shone their light on days when I was in the dark. The process of starting again has been painful and indeed felt like being on a rollercoaster. I cannot say that it was easy but I can say that I worked really hard at it and it has been worth it.
Beck says that “an artist’s real contribution isn’t what she paints, but the way she sees.” I have been committed to rebuilding my life and to returning to the path of service to that I veered off of when I got married, albeit with many valuable life lessons on the way, however most of them I have no desire to revisit.
When I found my own North Star, I knew then where I was headed. That alone felt good. Plus my North Star feels vital, so finally aiming towards it brought more and more happiness and benefit to both myself and others. I can now dream bigger dreams and take more chances in life since if I lose my way, I’ve got a beacon to hone in on.
Everyday life was entangling for me in the past, I can absolutely see that now, hindsight is 20/20 vision and all that. It was so easy to get caught up in work routines and marital obligations that gradually overtook the course of my own life and happiness. It may have looked and felt goal-directed – make breakfast, go to work, return home, make dinner, go to bed, repeat the next day - but I guess I knew deep inside that there was no purpose to it, no fundamental aim that gave clarity, meaning and richness. Then life began to feel hollow, more about getting through than getting to, more survival than thriving.
From here on, the course of my life will be aimed at my own North Star and while I have no control of the details or the outcome, what I do know is that it is my mission and purpose to help many other people find theirs too.
With much love, Jo xxx
Anyone else fancy re-starting 2021 today??!
Here's my 21 Rules for 2021:
1. Be direct and be honest. Be the one that says what needs to be said.
2. Love insanely. Let it all out into the open. You don’t have time to hold back any longer.
3. Make yourself strong. Physically strong, Emotionally strong, Mentally strong, Spiritually strong.
4. Practice detachment and letting go. Create space for your new life to emerge.
5. Allow things to unfold naturally without forcing anything.
6. Express yourself. Be more real. Be more raw. Be more open. Be more badass. Be more you.
7. Let death be all the motivation you need to do anything you want to do. The clock is ticking faster than ever.
8. Don’t be surprised when things work out far better than you could have imagined.
9. Give as much freedom to others as you can stand, then give them more. Let them have their opinion and just keep loving them with everything you’ve got.
10. Do not allow your mind to take the wheel. Steer with your heart.
11. Make personal development your top priority and watch how quickly your life changes for the better.
12. Be the person in the room that laughs and smiles the most, showing others how to brush off the madness of the world.
13. Conserve your energy until it is time to move, then do so with gusto.
14. Stay close to the things you can control and distance yourself from those things which you cannot.
15. Teach everything you’ve learned so far. Participate fully in the growth of others.
16. Create relationships, fix relationships, find common ground, build bridges, and be there for others.
17. Learn to observe the world and the people around you, not absorb what is going on.
18. Rewrite your own rules as often as you need, the goal is maximum ease and minimum stress.
19. Let yourself cry, scream or whatever is needed in order to make sure you express your negative emotions; you are a conduit, not a reservoir.
20. Practice, Practice, Practice. Engage in your own practice every single day. Cultivate your inner peace and strength.
21. Maintain the highest possible energy vibration you can and make a point of it being infectious to others.
Much love xxx
Hello Beautiful Soul. I know I'm not the only one sensing a big difference in Thanksgiving this year, with all the restrictions and challenges we're all still facing. But hidden in between the hard times this year has brought, are priceless gifts we can be thankful for. Just like when we’re building muscular strength, growth in life can hurt. But what results from that pain can be life-changing.
When everything around us falls apart, the gifts hidden in the rubble become beautifully apparent. When the dust settles, we’re able to see the pieces more clearly, allowing us choose which pieces to pick back up - the ones that serve our highest good - and which to leave behind.
Not only does this allow us to rid ourselves of ideas, energy, habits and people that aren't good for us, it also gifts us clarity into what matters most. And that might very well be the most valuable gift of 2020. We’ve had countless moments this year when we’ve felt disappointment, but beneath the dust of all the chaos, what has shone through is a strength more powerful than we knew was inside us. So while 2020 continues to throw challenges our way, we're learning something immensely valuable: not only can we handle the challenges, we can thrive in spite of them.
My Thanksgiving looks very different this year. My heart is sad that I can’t share a table with the people I love. But I'm thankful for technology that allows us to still make memories together. I’m thankful for the gifts I’ve unburied in the rubble this year. And I am thankful for you.
Happy Thanksgiving my friend. Jo xxx
The words “20/20 Vision” have been popping into my head over and over again for the past few months. Oftentimes when we are going through something, we can't truly see it for what it is, but in highsight it all becomes perfectly clear. Looking back on certain circumstances in my life, I can now see where I've veered off course, or indeed chosen to ignore the various warning signs. However, I have chosen to forgive myself for past mistakes as I know that I did the best that I could with the knowledge that I had at the time. As Maya Angelou said “Do the best that you can until you know better, then when you know better, do better”.
From the moment we were quarantined, I had no choice but to slow down. This was challenging as I'm so used to the rush of adrenaline that comes from moving from one project to the next, checking things off the to-do list and coming up for air only when absolutely necessary. But in hindsight, it’s clear that in this slowing down, it allowed the people and things that truly matter to quietly rise to the surface.
At this halfway point through a year packed with so many curveballs and challenges, it can be overwhelming to look back, and it certainly feels challenging to see the hidden gifts when we’re in the midst of so much turmoil, grief and loss. One of the major gifts in this year for me has been the realisation that so much of what I thought was important, really isn't. What has been so clear for me is that my family, close friends and good physical, emotional and mental health are all that really matters. That is where I plan to put all of my focus moving forward.
So before I rush to put 2020 in the rearview mirror, I plan to take the last half of the year to honour what we’ve learned in the first half and integrate it into the life that I truly want to live, to step into the best version of myself, both for myself and for those in my life that know and value the gift of love and connection.
There is an inherent gift in the clarity of hindsight. This year in all of it's pain and discomfort, offered me a gift that I didn't realise that I desperately needed, the gift of “20/20 Vision”, the clarity to discern what really matters most.
