Mindfulness and Wimbledon

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Being open to what is real, without judgement,  underpins a mindfulness approach. I have recently completed an 8-week mindfulness course to use alongside my counselling training.  Mindfulness is not a religion and as such can be done by those with faith and those without.

The practice encourages us to stop the incessant thinking that many of us do and to accept things without judging them. This can be difficult and promises to get easier over time.  It really encourages the habit of being in present in our experience rather than spending our days longing for yesterday or worrying about tomorrow; today is all we have.

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Wimbledon was a great example of being focused on the present moment.  The players could not spend their time only dwelling on their past achievements or their desire to lift that trophy.  All of their attention was needed, live, in the game, in the present, winning one point at a time.

Of course there is a place for memory and planning throughout our lives.  Only you will know if you have the balance right for your life at present.  Do you spend too much of your energy focused on the past, present or future for your current happiness? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts

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An A-Z for your life – Soul

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Soul

Soul is part of our heart’s connection to the depths of our being and how we are enabled to live this truth.

For me it is about colour, scenery, food, art, language, music and dance. What delights my senses, feeds my soul.   So much richness when we engage at this level.

I am not great at any of them but I love to engage with them.  Significant relationships and my faith also really connect to my inner being.  For others it may be about architecture, design and landscaping.  For some it is being a mother or father.

Does anything get to the depths of your soul?  What really makes you feel alive?

So my alphabet soup of life is almost complete.  If you would like to order the book and work through it at your own pace then simply click on the book cover on the right or go direct to http://www.ana-zforyourlife.com and order your signed copy today!

An A-Z for your life – Safety

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safety

 

In order for us to begin to look internally we really need to feel safe.  From a place of safety we can look within at who we are and reach out to others in the knowledge that we can meet with them authentically.

Safety is crucial to our personal development. If you feel unsafe in your current situation I hope you can make changes so that your circumstances become safer.  Hopefully there is someone you can speak to who can support you in this.

Safety and food are amongst our basic needs.  Abraham Maslow refers to this in his hierarchy of needs.  He suggests that once we meet these basic needs, then we can work our way through our belonging and esteem needs. He sees the pinnacle as self-actualisation when we are achieving our full potential.

The bigger picture is about helping to make the world safer for all of us.  Certainly life has always had its fair share of danger but the possibilities seem to be changing all the time.  I am unlikely to be attacked by a wild animal or die of malaria but, unfortunately, I can easily be caught up in a traffic accident.  The people we know and listen to affect how safe we feel but we can’t really hide ourselves away from reality.   For me it is about making the best judgement I can, when considering activities, associated risks and pleasure.  There is no point trying to be completely safe but not living.

Many people are keen on taking bodily risks with adrenaline fuelled activities.  The body responds to the unnaturalness of the activity (e.g. bungee jumping) but the organised nature of the event means that it is likely to be safe.  This can be seen more like the organised play I mentioned earlier.  I confess to being scared of participating in many of these activities although  recently I pushed myself beyond my comfort zone in a water park; water was inhaled!

How do you feel about your own safety?  Is it something you worry about or does it not impact on your thoughts at all?  If you live in fear how is that affecting your life?  Is there anything or anyone that could help you to feel safer so that you can participate in life more fully?

So my alphabet soup of life is almost complete.  If you would like to order the book and work through it at your own pace then simply click on the book cover on the right or go direct to http://www.ana-zforyourlife.com and order your signed copy!

An A-Z for your life – Responsibility

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Responsibility

When we are children, we are often under the control of our parents, siblings and school and we have limited power to change our environment. Once we begin to have some control over our life then we become aware of our relationships and have a sense of how our behaviour can have an impact on these.

If your early experiences make it difficult to make friends or trust people then it is possible to discuss this with someone who can help. Maybe you need to figure out what you are interested in and find other people who are also keen on your hobby. Gaining confidence with likeminded people will help you and relationships will probably get easier over time.  Intimate relationships may also need attention and again the approach is the same; explore your expectations (therapy or counselling), increase your awareness of and openness to such relationships and it will become easier. Empower yourself to take responsibility by finding out how you work and taking steps to be all that you can be. You do not have to repeat the mistakes you may have witnessed around you.

No one is perfect and you do not need to be. It always amazes me that we learn so much from age ten to age twenty and yet expect to learn very little in subsequent decades. This is not only about world knowledge but self-knowledge too. We run around looking for answers and we carry them within ourselves.

We are all affected by the world we live in and the various challenges that exist but we can still take some responsibility for our lives.  Are you blaming others for the life you now lead? How can you take responsibility to make the right choices for yourself going forward?  I have decided to take responsibility for my whole health by creating more downtime to relax my body and mind. Tell me what you are taking responsibility for.