EMPLOY MAGICAL THINKING: HOW TO HARNESS THE POWER OF THE LAW OF ATTRACTION

Lately, I have been changing the way that I have been thinking. I have been choosing to be more positive, more at peace with my current surroundings, more grateful for what I have, and more optimistic about the awesome, kick-ass stuff that is on it's way to me. And not surprisingly, I have suddenly noticed the outside circumstances of my life slowly but surely starting to change. Things have just began showing up. Almost magically, the situations I previously felt stuck in have started to move and shift. 

Funny that. 

As a life coach, I believe that our thoughts, our mindset, our beliefs and how we see the world, are pivotal in creating the results that we get in our life. I believe that very first step in making any form of change externally, begins with changing your mind. 

In saying that, I must be completely honest with you. I am not perfect. By any means. And although I have been studying personal development for years, and I have a huge wealth of knowledge about human behaviour, Neuro-Linguistic Programming and the power  that our thoughts have in creating our life, I still sometimes find myself in a downward spiral of negative thinking. This is all part of being human.

UNCONSCIOUS THINKING = LACK-LUSTRE RESULTS

You see, sometimes I have a tendency to go a little unconscious. We all do. We allow our mind to run on auto-pilot. We become reactive (meaning that we just go through life responding to whatever arises with a knee jerk type reaction to it) rather than proactive. When we are unconscious, we are not choosing our thoughts. In fact, it almost feels as if they are happening to us. Our mind races from thought to thought and spins out of control without any conscious control from us.

Without the conscious action of choosing thoughts that are supportive, positive and empowering, our mind can easily get caught in a downward spiral of unconstructive thinking. An undisciplined mind  can be lured in to thoughts that are negative, self-sabotaging, critical or fearful.

Consequently, the results that show up in our lives tend to reflect this. The more that we think about a problem, the more we attract more similar experiences. Plus, the more we focus on where we are, rather than where we want to be, the less likely things are to change, and the more stuck we are likely to feel.

So, how do we break this? We must start to choose how we want to think. And we must choose our thoughts, based on the results we want to get.


EMPLOY MAGICAL THINKING

We must start by employing some law of attraction thinking. What do I mean by this? Well, we must remember, that every thought is like a little magnet. And it will draw to it energy that is similar. So, when you think a negative thought, you give off a negative vibe, and you attract negative experiences. And vice versa with positive thoughts.

When you keep this in mind, you realise the importance of choosing to think positively, so that you can start to create some more positive experiences. As I mentioned, I like to call this law of attraction thinking, and here is my own creative definition of it. 

It involves;

Deliberately thinking in ways that will draw more of what you do want to you, and cause you to experience less of what you do not want. This involves, making a conscious decision about how you are going to think, what you are going to think about and what you are going to focus on. In turn, you will  start to change the results you are getting, and find that more of what you do like and do want is drawn in to your life experience.

Sounds wonderful doesn't it?

This can be your everyday experience. You can have wonderful things being drawn to you, simply by changing your thoughts and the energy you are giving off. I have been experiencing this first hand, and I can tell you, it is nothing short of magical.

HOW TO HARNESS THE POWER OF THE LAW OF ATTRACTION

1. STOP DOING SO MUCH

Often, when we have an area of our life that we a not happy with, we try and do our very best to fix it. We are convinced that if we could change what is happening outside of us, we will feel happier on the inside.

Unfortunately, that it not how it works.

What we need to do instead, is stop. Just for a moment. And listen. We need to stop trying to fix things by doing, and realise that where we need to start is with our thinking.

Start making your mindset a priority, rather than your action. Start thinking more about who you are being and less about what you are doing. Explore how you can start thinking differently today, and what new types of thoughts you need to choose in order to create the results you want. Then, once your mind is focused in the right way, you will be amazing how the external results start to follow. 

2. FEEL GOOD RIGHT NOW

Feeling good right now, even before anything outside of you has changed, is the number one way to harness the law of attractions magical powers. The law of attraction responds to your thoughts, and the energy you give off. You cannot possibly expect good things to come along, if you are constantly giving off a negative vibe, or thinking in negative ways about a situation you want to change.

I know it may seem hard at first, but you have to find ways to get happy first. You have to be happy with what you have and where you are. Tools such as gratitude and appreciation really help with this. Anytime you are feeling low, think about something you really love, adore, enjoy or are grateful for. Uncover the things that brings you joy or why not try writing a love list. Spend some time pondering the feelings that arise, and you will be amazed how your energy starts to shift.

3. SPEND TIME THINKING ABOUT WHERE YOU WANT TO BE

As I have mentioned previously, the law of attraction is responding to what you are thinking. So, the more that you think about your current situation, feel stuck, focus on all the details of it, and give it all of your attention, you are just going to continue to get more of the same. 

You have to start to use your creative imagination to dream up the new life you want for yourself. Visualise, make a dream board, write out your goals and stick them up in front of you, imagine what your future life will be like, even though it is not here yet. You have to give attention, energy and focus to the details of the future you are creating, so that the law of attraction can then respond and bring you matching experiences. 

I love this quote from Abraham which sums up this principle perfectly...

"The key to bringing yourself to a new place is to see yourself differently from the way you are. It is necessary for you to focus on the person you are becoming and distract yourself from the current situation. For as long as you are, you are contradicting the vibration of who you want to be. You cannot create a new reality, while looking at your current reality" -- Teachings of Abraham

4. REMOVE YOUR NASTY BLOCKS

The number one thing that will stop your dreams from manifesting is your inner blocks. You can do as much focusing, visualising, journalling and dream-boarding as you want, but unless you get rid of your inner blocks they will stop what you want from coming to you.

So, what is an inner block? It is a negative thought that opposes your desire. It may come in the form of doubt, fear, not feeling worthy or deserving, impatience, stress, jealousy or anything else that does not feel good. These thoughts block our happiness and take away from our ability to feel good now.

It is your job to do the inner work to clean this up. Do not allow these negative thoughts and emotions to sabotage what you want from coming to you. You need to get yourself to a place where you believe 100% that your dream is on it's way. You have to feel worthy of the magnificence of it, and know that you deserve it. You have to feel relaxed, expectant and patient. 

It is only once there are no inner, negative blocks sabotaging your dreams, that the Universe will be able to deliver them to you. When you start feeling good first, and spend time getting excited about the awesome stuff that is coming to you, the wonderful law of attraction cannot help but bring you exactly what you want.

BE YOUR OWN HEALTHY HEROINE: THE TEN FUNDAMENTALS

GUEST POST: WRITTEN BY POLLY NOBLE

I have lost count of the number of emails, facebook comments and tweets asking me, "How do I get started?" when it comes to becoming your own healthy heroine. 

Due to a downright devastating diagnosis of cancer, I was forced to ditch the junk and re-evaluate my whole life, which included moving out of my house, leaving my job and starting my own health revolution overnight. I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to do, after all, I knew of no-one that had shunned conventional treatment in favour of healing themselves naturally. But hey, I was born a Scorpio and am always up for a challenge and I certainly don't do things by halves. 

I researched everything I could on health and healing, educating myself on how to kick start my body's natural healing mechanism so I could "be well" again. I went on detox retreats, read everything I could get my hands on and studied at The Institute of Integrative Nutrition to equip myself with a deep understanding of health, happiness and spiritual wellness. 

Here I am 18 months later and I feel and look better than ever. And I mean ever! I have more energy and experience more peace and happiness that I can ever remember having. And now people want to know how I am doing it from what I drink, to what I eat, to what shampoo I use to how I experience peace despite having an "incurable" disease that has the potential to end my life at any moment...!

That job that I quit (and hated by the way) has now become one I LOVE working with amazing, interest people who want to experience health and happiness. And why not? It's your birthright! As the song "Perfect" by Fairground Attraction goes..."too many people take second best, but I won't take anything less"... And I agree. Why should you have anything less than the best? Life is to be enjoyed and it sure is too darn short to live a life that you don't love right?

I often hear people say  'Well I'm quite healthy already... I do this, and don't do that"but it's not until I start asking them question, that it becomes apparent that there is in fact SO much more that they can be doing!

So if you're not experiencing true health and happiness, then I would suggest you read through some of what I call the "fundamentals"; things that I recommend you do if you want to ignite your own health revolution and become your own healthy heroine. There are over twenty by here at my top ten;

THE TOP TEN FUNDAMENTALS 

1. GET JUICING: Juicing is a super fast way to flood your body with nutrient-dense and oxygen-rich phytonutrients. Green juice is my favourite. I love to add E3 Live for a super boost.

2. CHOOSE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ALKALINE FOODS: An anti-inflammatory alkaline diet is rich in enzymes, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants which the body loves. Opt for green drinks, green smoothies, veggies, sprouts and sea veggies instead of scary dairy, meat, fizzy drinks, alcohol and processed food.

3. DUMP THE JUNK: Reduce or eliminate sugars that come in the form of processed foods. White sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, maple sugar, molasses, sucrose, invert sugar, fruit concentrate - it's ALL sugar! It spikes your blood sugar, promotes inflammation, mines your body of minerals, stresses out your immune system and fuels candida.

4. FORGET THE FLESH: By reducing the amount of animal products in your diet, the less likely it is that you will develop chronic disease. Animal products (eggs, meat, dairy) are highly acidic and pro-inflammatory causing stress to the body. 

5. DRINK THE CLEANEST WATER YOUR CAN FIND: Try to consume 1-2 litres of the cleanest water possible per day. If you are drinking green juices which are very hydrating, you may not need as much. Try adding some MSM for an anti-inflammatory boost. 

6. DON'T STRESS IT: Stress is a major contributing factor to internal acidity which puts pressure on your body and upsets the delicate PH balance in your body. Invest in chilling out through meditation, visualisation, relaxation or doing something peaceful you love like spending time in nature. 

7. HIT THE SACK: Your body loves sleep so much that when you're sleeping, it is working. It is busy detoxing, healing and repairing. So do it a favour and get to bed between 11pm and 7am which are  it's optimal working hours. 

8. LOVE THE SKIN YOU'RE IN: You can eat the best diet in the world but if your skin is absorbing toxic chemicals every day through your potions and lotions, your body begins to stockpile them and eventually something's gonna give. Don't let it be your immune system! Go chemical-free

9. DETOX: Giving your body the opportunity to clear the crap and get back on the healthy highway is the best present you can give yourself. Not only can too many toxins overload that precious liver of yours but it can cause serious imbalances and prevent you from experiencing good mental health, happiness and peace of mind. Book yourself on a detox retreat.

10. MAKE FUN A PRIORITY: Don't take yourself or your life so seriously. It is too easy to get caught up in your head and believe those stressful thoughts. Take some time out, put the to-do list on ice and do something that makes you laugh.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Polly Noble is a Holistic Health Coach & author. Diagnosed with cancer twice before the age of 28, Polly was forced to take inventory of her diet and lifestyle which sparked within her a deep desire to begin her own health revolution in order to stay well. She is a big advocate of eating clean, whole foods, drinking green juice and practicing the art of extreme self care which she encourages others to do so that they can live a life they love.  Her latest book out now is "The Cancer Journey - Positive Steps to Help Yourself Heal". Find out more at www.thecancerjourneybook.com.

Read more from Polly at her website, or connect with Polly through Facebook and Twitter. 

GET CONSCIOUS: HOW TO CREATE A LIKE- MINDED COMMUNITY

GET CONSCIOUS

I want to start off by telling you about an event I went to last night. An event run by The Conscious Club (pretty cool name huh!?) Curious what an event like this might entail? Well, let me tell you all about it.

The setting was beachside, at Bondi Pavillion, where close to 300 conscious-seeking and curious souls assembled and shuffled in to a dimly lit, packed theatre. The evening was filled with beautiful live music, a powerful and moving short film, an unbelievably informative and inspirational talk by the phenomenal Sarah Wilson (who writes a blog that I read religiously and has literally revolutionised the way that I look at sugar), a long, deep and soulful group meditation and then a delicious feast of vegetarian food and friendly chatter. 

All up, it was my kind of evening. I loved every minute of being there, and I walked out feeling aligned, open, truly inspired and like some deep, long lost inner spark had been ignited inside me. 

So, you can get a bit more of an idea of what this is all about, here some information about how it all started..

"Created by Tim Brown, Gary Gorrow and Lee Te Hira, on the basis that they and so many of their friends were tired of going to the same old pub or club, yelling at each other for a number of hours before coming home with nothing to show for it except a hoarse voice and a hangover. The guys realised that everyone is going out to clubs and getting UNCONSCIOUS, so they thoughts they would create a club where you could have a fund night out and get highly CONSCIOUS! And so was born, THE CONSCIOUS CLUB!"

Why am I telling you all this? Because I am wanting to emphasise the importance of creating a community. A community of like-minded peeps. People who inspire you, support you and make you want to become a bigger and better version of yourself. Do you have a community like that?

WHY IS A LIKE MINDED COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT?

Have you ever been in a situation, where you wanted to make a change in your life? You wanted to do something new. You wanted to create yourself in a new way, or take a new course of action. If this is the case, there is a chance that it may feel quite unfamiliar, new or foreign. You may not yet be sure if it will work, or who you will have to become in order to achieve it. You heart may be calling you to make this change, yet your head continues to bark at you, all the reasons why you cannot do it. You may not have anyone to talk to about this or to share your dreams with as the people currently in your life do not know about this other part of you, and you are not sure what they will think.

Sometimes when we start to make a change in our lives, we feel like our new dreams are like little seeds. They are new and fragile. They need love, care and protection. We need to support them to grow and grow so that they can become solid and sturdy enough to break through the surface for all the world to see. In these early stages it is easy to want to hide away these new little dream seeds from others. We fear that if we share them they may be stomped on. We feel vulnerable and uncertain about this new person we are becoming and we are not sure they we will be accepted by our peers.

This is where building a like minded community helps. In your community, you will meet other people who are in the same situation. They too will have little baby dream seeds that need to be nurtured. It is a delicate time, and in order to stay on track with this new path you are carving, you need to surround yourself with people who will carry you there.

HOW TO BUILD YOUR COMMUNITY

Wondering where to get started in finding some similar, like minded, passionate and inspiring people? Well, here are some suggestions

1. ATTEND EVENTS

You are not going to meet these new types of people in the places you regularly frequent. You are going to have to start going to some new places. Start attending events that the people who you want to meet attend. Simply type your interest in to google. Eg: 'meditation events in Sydney' or 'writing workshops in Melbourne",  or 'learn how to sew clubs' or  'health food events'. 

Keep your eye out for events in your local area. Start looking at cafe noticeboards. Pick up flyers. Read other people's blogs and follow the links to other sites that interest you. Once you start looking for them, you will be surprised how they just seem to jump out at you.

Then, when you are there. Talk to people. There is no point sitting by yourself and then scurrying off as soon as the event ends so that you do not have to connect. Have the courage to approach a stranger and spark up a chat. Then, if you are both on the same page, exchange details and make a time to meet up. It is not as 'stalker-ish' as it sounds. Most people who attend these events are usually keen to meet new, like minded people too!

2. START A BLOG

Do you have an area of interest? Something that you are passionate about? Well, why not start a blog about it!

Starting this blog is one of the best decisions I ever made. Through this site, as well as my facebook and twitter pages I have created an amazing community around me of like minded people. This is a community where we can share inspiring information, support each other, and surround ourselves with people who have a similar purpose. These peeps have become my spiritual running buddies (a term I picked up from Gabrielle Bernstein).

You will be amazed at the following you can gather by simply being willing to share yourself and your ideas. You can connect with other people who have blogs you like. Ask them if they want to write a guest post for you. Leave comments on other blogs and start to form connections with people who are writing about what interests you. I have formed amazing relationships with fellow bloggers that I treasure deeply, and which I find extremely supportive. 

3. SHARE YOUR TRUTH WITH ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN

You do not have to be at a networking event to talk about your passion. Start sharing this with anyone and anybody you meet. When people ask you about yourself, share your ideas with them. You do not have to talk surface bulls**t about what job you do, and what school you went too, blah blah. You can share yourself truthfully and authentically with anyone and everyone.

I used to be too scared to tell people that I wanted to be a life coach. I feared that they would look at me and think "As if YOU could be a life coach" Or I would hold back telling people about my latest way of eating (eg: green juice and raw chocolate pudding for breakfast) out of fear that they would think I was weird. (Trust me I have had a lot of people say that to me over the years, and I have learnt to take it as a sign that this person is NOT going to be part of my community, so I simply let them go).

You must be willing to be vulnerable and share your truth, authentically with others. By doing this you then create a space for others to be vulnerable, truthful and authentic with you too.

4. GET A MENTOR

You need people who can look up to. People who have what you want. People to model. People who will motivate you forward and show you what is possible.  A mentor will help do this. 

A mentor may be someone you know and get to spend time with, or it may be someone you admire from afar. However you do it, just find ways to immerse yourself in their work, their message and their guidance.

Wherever possible, surround yourself with people, not only who are on a similar journey, but also people who are above and beyond where you are now. Perhaps they intimidate you. Perhaps you do not feel worthy of spending time with them. Perhaps you wonder, 'why would they want to hang out with me?'. Forget all that. Just do your best to be around them. Read their work. Model what they do. Be in their energy. It is important to have people that hold you to a higher standard and show you what us truly possible. 

ARE YOU POSITIVE? HOW AND WHY AFFIRMATIONS WORK

GUEST POST: WRITTEN BY JESSICA AINSCOUGH

Read the original post here

"An affirmation opens the door. It's a beginning point on the path to change."  -- Louise Hay

I talk to myself a lot. Most of the time I do it in my head, but some times I will do it out loud. The latter is usually in the company of my dog. I'm not crazy. Not by clinical standards, anyway. I simply understand the power my words and thoughts have over my life. Constantly repeating positive affirmations has had a major effect on my life.

According to Dr. Bruce Lipton, most of your beliefs are formed when we are children. Perhaps it was said that you were stupid, lazy, selfish or shy. This affirmation would have left an imprint in your mind. And then these unwholesome statements can stay with you in the conscious or unconscious mind, only to be reinforced throughout the rest of your life. Unless you do something about it. 

AFFIRMATIONS EFFECT ON THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND

The core beliefs that we have in this moment are the result of our past experiences - things we heard, things we have seen, and things we were told. This doesn't make them real though.

The unconscious mind cannot tell the difference between a real or imagined idea, so it respond to whatever suggestions to give it. If you are constantly telling yourself that you are stupid, fat, lazy or shy - this is the reality that you create for yourself. 

The awesome and empowering part of this is that we can turn it around. Wen we are aware of the mind's powerful ability to create whatever it is that we tell it to, we can go ahead and do just that. 

By repeating positive affirmations, you can actually re-train your mind to create a reality than matches your  goals. 

By changing your perceptions, you change your reality. It all starts with the thoughts you think. Your thoughts become your feelings, these feelings become you vibration, and your vibration ultimately becomes your life. It is your vibration that determines whether you are attracting what you want in to your life or not. So, as simple as they are, affirmations can transform every aspect of our loves including our health, relationships and success.

HOW TO MAKE AFFIRMATIONS WORK

For affirmations to be effective they must be written in the first person, be in the present tense, be goal orientated and be written as though they have already been achieved.  

Your affirmations must be followed through with some kind of supporting action. You need to walk your talk. There is no point affirming that you are a Power Ranger if you are not prepared to go out and hire a coloured suit and helmet.

Here are some of the affirmations I repeat every day:

+ I have a perfectly healthy body and mind

+ I am healing now

+ I love and approve of myself

+ Abundance flows in to my life in surprising ways every day

+ Life flows effortlessly

+ All my relationships are harmonious

HOW HAVE AFFIRMATIONS HELPED ME?

My best friend was into affirmations well before I was, so when I was first diagnosed with cancer, she told me to start repeating them. And so I did. Ever since that eventful day back in April 2008, I have been telling myself " I have a perfectly healthy body and mind." At first, it was hard to believe, what with all the doctors telling me that I was going to be an amputee and most probably die before I saw my mind twenties. But I stuck with it.

Whenever I was in a machine having a scan, or waiting to see the doctor, or hooked up to a vitamin C infusion drip; I would repeat this affirmation over and over again. The affirmation was my mental anchor among the craziness of that time, and to this day I have that same statement on mental repeat. 

On a less serious note, affirmations have also allowed me to see that I am not actually a shy person. I am an introvert, sure. But I am not as shy as I have always thought I am. Simply by repeating "I love and approve of myself"  I seem to have given myself permission to come out of my shell. I am proud of my personality, I am no longer intimidates by situations where I am out of my comfort zone, and I no longer want to throw up at the thoughts of speaking in public.

ADD POWER TO YOUR POSITIVITY

Repeat your affirmations as often as possible. The more you repeat them, the deeper they will be ingrained in to your mind, and the faster they will be implemented in to your subconscious. 

You can speak them out loud, repeat them to yourself, write them down over and over again in a journal and write them on post it notes and stick them all over your house. I have mine;

+ Written on the mirror in my bathroom

+ Inside my diary

+ On my computer screen saver

+ On my vision board

+ And I even set reminders, on my phone throughout the day so I am randomly greeted with something telling me "You look beautiful today, Jessica!"

WANT TO DIVE DEEPER?

+ If you want to know more about how affirmations can change your life, I recommend buying Louise Hay's book, You Can Heal Your Life. She is the pioneer of positive thinking. 

+ Louise Hay also has a website that will greet you with a daily affirmation. 

+ As does Dr Wayne Dyer

+ If you have some time, I really recommend watching this webcast of Oprah's Lifeclass featuring Cheryl Richardson. It is brilliant!

+ Do you use positive affirmations? How have they helped you? What are some of your favourites? I would love for you to share them with me in the comments below!

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jess Ainscough is a writer, holistic health coach, and the creator of the health and wellness website, The Wellness Warrior. Via her e-books, daily blog posts, and videos, Jess’ goal is to empower people to take control of their health and show that the quality of our lives is directly linked to how we treat our body and mind. Her transformation from champagne-guzzling, Lean Cuisine-loving magazine writer to all-out nutrition nerd was made after she was diagnosed with a rare, “incurable” cancer back in 2008. Deciding she wasn’t having a bar of that “incurable” nonsense, Jess took responsibility for her condition and healed herself with two years of Gerson Therapy. Along the way, Jess developed a obsession with passing on all of her newly learnt wellness wisdom to anyone who was 

parked in front of her for long enough to listen.

Read more from Jess, at her website The Wellness Warrior, 

or connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

CREATE AN AMAZING MORNING ROUTINE

I mentioned last week that I had made a new decision. A decision to replace my yummy morning coffee, with a even yummier, nutrient dense, vitamin rich, enzyme packed super food smoothie. Since then I have not looked back. 

While the focus of last week was on weaning myself off my soy latte's and english breakfast tea, this week has been about cutting it out altogether. And while last week was all about using super food smoothies as my 'crutch' to help me make that transition, this week I am all about green juice. I have been having a fresh pressed green juice every morning this week and as a result, I feel amazing. 

What I love about making new lifestyle changes is that they tend to flow outwards in to other areas of your life as well. Since making this health change this week, I have found that other aspects of my lifestyle have changed too. I have a beautiful, new morning routine that is now more aligned with my new healthy approach and which is supporting my self-nourishing path. I am finding I am seeing everything in my life through a softer lense. I am approaching everything I do, with a more present, grounded and calm energy. It is definitely changing the way my whole day unfolds. 

What I have found, is that by choosing to make this new decision, I was in fact choosing to become a new type of person. And when you change who you are be-ing, you cannot help but naturally start to begin do-ing things differently as a result.

MY NEW MORNING ROUTINE

I want to share with you the recent makeover that my morning routine has received. Here is the old way that my morning would unfold vs. the new way...

Old morning routine:

+ Wake up at 5am

+ Blindly put on some clothes

+ Swig down a bit of coffee (yes I am ashamed to admit I drank it THAT early) 

+ Hit the gym or go outdoors for a high intensity cardio workout

+ Rush home, rush in the shower, rush to get ready

+ Grab some food out of the fridge

+ Run out the door 

New morning routine

+ Wake up at 5am

+ Walk in to the kitchen and chop up a pile of kale, cucumber, lemon, celery and ginger and make a fresh cold-pressed veggie juice, 

+ Sip on the juice as I potter around

+ Roll out my yoga mat and do 20 minutes of yoga and then sit for 10 minutes in meditation

OR

+ Head to the gym or outdoors for a light workout with a mix of cardio and strength

+ Shower and get dressed

+ Blend together some raw chocolate pudding for breakfast (recipe below!)

+ Sit at my desk and eat it while I check my emails, update my facebook and twitter

+ Walk out the door with a big, calm grin on my face.

Notice the difference? 

Well, I have.

For me, the first one =  stress! And the second one = peace.

THE BENEFITS OF A SUPPORTIVE MORNING ROUTINE

Curious about what impact changing your morning routine may have? Here is what I have experienced;

+ Without my morning adrenalin-boosting coffee injection, my whole day unfolds completely differently; I am less rushed and stressed in all I do, I have far less road rage as I drive, I am less 'reactive' to external events, I am calmer and more grounded

+ I leave the house feeling like I have already achieved some amazing things
+ I am ten-thousand times more organised

+ I walk around all day feeling super proud of myself

+ Getting up early means I have plenty of time to get organised for the day, so I always have healthy food on hand at work

+  I am more present with life. By setting my day up in this way, the rest of it flows in a similar fashion

+ I handle life's challenges with grace. Eg: As I was driving to a job interview today, a car ran in to the back of me! (yes, of all days). But you know what, it did not phase me. In fact, it did not bother me at all. I exchanged details with the guy, got in my car, drove to my interview and totally kicked butt! If this had happened a few weeks earlier I would have fallen on to the floor in a crumpled mess of nerves and emotion

+ I am less stuck in my head and more present in my body

+ On the days where I practice yoga and meditation in the mornings, I feel more in tune, more in the flow, more aligned and I hear the whisper of my intuition more clearly

+ I just feel naturally happier

So, want to know what the last juicy component is of my new morning routine? It is, raw chocolate pudding! And I eat it for breakfast.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING FOR BREAKFAST

So, I mentioned last week how well my super food smoothies were helping me with weaning myself off my long term love of coffee. Now, I have a new trick!

I have found that one of the best little helpers in weaning me off coffee has been raw cacao powder. I have not been going overboard on the stuff, yet I have needed something else that felt just as indulgent to replace my yummy morning coffee. So, what am I having instead? Raw chocolate pudding.

I love to eat it out of a little mug (above)

HERE IS THE RECIPE 

All I do is get a blender and throw in

+ One small banana

+ 1/4-ish of an avocado

+ 1 tablespoon of raw cacao powder

+ Enough water to help it blend

If you do not have a blender, just mash it all together in a bowl. Top with yummy things such as almonds, coconut, goji berries, blueberries, cinnamon. De-lish!!

So, tell me about your morning routine? I would love for you to share what works for you! Leave a comment below x

RECONNECT WITH YOUR TRUTH: FROM FABULOUS, TO FEARFUL AND BACK AGAIN

GUEST POST: WRITTEN BY GABRIELLE AITKEN
Read the original post here

Reflect back to when you were a young child. For me, life seemed to flow. It felt magical. I followed my heart and did what I felt like in every moment. Sing at the top of my voice. Dance freely in the lounge room. Draw beautiful pictures. Paint works of art. Play with the fairies. Search for hidden treasure in the garden. Laugh loudly when I was happy. Cry when I was sad.

I loved the wonder of life as each day bought something new and exciting. Anything was possible. I didn't concern myself with success or failure. I just played and created. Perhaps you have similar memories.

Each of us comes in to the world as a perfect being, filled with infinite joy, beauty, creativity, playfulness and imagination.  We don't for one minute stop to question our beauty, intellect or abilities. Even those unfortunate enough to be born with disabilities are often not aware of their differences or potential shortcomings as a small child.

As young children, we just 'be', living in the moment. We only see beauty and possibilities in life. We are creative, capable, and connected to the divine spark of life. What a fabulous state of being!


HOW WE DISCONNECT FROM OUR TRUE SELVES

Then, life happens...

As we start to interact with the world slowly our connection to our heart, starts to fade. For some, this may start to happen sooner. For others, later. It inevitably happens to most of us. We learn that certain behaviours elicit certain responses from those around us, and soon we start to make the shift from following our hearts to being driven by ego in order to win the attention or approval of others.

By the time we reach school age we are usually well on our way to conforming with the expectations of others. Often this may be well-meaning parents, siblings and teachers who believe that they know best... but they are taking us further away from our truth.

We encounter the ups and downs of life from the birth of siblings, to the divorce of parents, to school yard bullies and bad teachers. We experience humiliation. We experience pain and suffering. We experience failure.

We are told that we must go to school, get good grades to get in to university, go to university, get good grades to get a good job, get a good job, work hard to increase our career status and earnings, buy a house, get married, start a family, save for retirement...

Before we know it we are through the first couple of decades of our life and we have long forgotten what it feels like to follow our heart. We don't even stop to reflect on whether this is the path we want to take. We're too busy earning a living!

... and chances are we have well and truly made the shift from fabulous and free, to fear-driven.

This little girl who loved to sing at the top of her voice, dance freely in the lounge room, draw beautiful pictures, paint works of art, play with fairies and search for hidden treasure in the garden, grew into a timid young woman who was too shy to speak her truth for fear of ridicule and embarrassment; felt ugly, frumpy and untrendy in her low-end variety store wardrobe (the only clothing her parents could afford); felt boring and dull next to her friends, believing that no guy would be interested in her and that she had nothing to offer anyone; felt ashamed of her body...

Driven by these self-perceptions created as a result of early life experiences, life unconsciously became about proving to my parents, myself and the world that I was worthy of being loved, intelligent, successful stylish, attractive and perfect in every possible way! So much pressure!!

This fabulous, free-spirited little girl connected to her heart was long gone!!


MAKING THE SHIFT, BACK TO OUR FABULOUS SELVES

I have learned that it is not until we become conscious of these patterns that we unconsciously fall in to, and make the shift from unconscious living to living consciously from our heart that we can reconnect with our inner fabulousness we left behind in our childhood!

Somewhere deep inside our heart is calling out to us. By learning to recognise the sound of our heart and tune in to it's whisper we can start to transform our lives in fabulous ways.

We are empowered to shift from being driven by our fears, ego and outside world to being  driven by our soul. It is only then that we can truly live our best life, a life that is exclusively ours, aligned with our own unique values, passion and purpose.

As we tune in to our heart we become to realise that there is nothing wrong with failure or imperfection; that they are essential tools for learning and growth. With this realisation our fears lose their power and we move in to ours.

This shift from fabulous, to fear driven and back again is a wonderful gift, which gives us true appreciation of how amazing life can be when we live from our hearts.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This post was written by Gabrielle Aitken, Inner Beauty Stylist and inspirer of Appreciation, Respect and Love (a.k.a Aprelo). Want to know more? You can read more from Aprelo here, or connect on Facebook and Twitter.

THE SUPER FOOD SMOOTHIE REVOLUTION: YOUR STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

image source

There have been a couple of times in my life, where I have made the commitment to forgo my delicious morning coffee and completely kick the habit. And every time that my coffee sabatical has been a success, there has been one key thing that has made it a work - the super food smoothie.

I have weaned myself off my coffee addiction several times through the use of nutrient rich, super food packed, alkazing and super tasty smoothies. I cannot emphasise how much it helps.

Sometimes, there comes a day, where you have to let go. You have to let go of something you really love because you know the benefits will be worth it. For me, my coffee 'situation' is no different. 

I made the decision last weekend that the amped-up, highly energised and mentally frantic state that coffee put me in was simply no longer serving me. I decided I needed to make a change. So, I stocked up on my pack of supplies and as of Monday the replacing-coffee-with-super food-smoothie process began!!

SO, WHAT IS A SUPER FOOD SMOOTHIE?

There is no set definition or rule about what a super food smoothie must contain. The one key component is that it must be bursting with nutrients. I would also say that they need to have an alkalising effect on the body. Most smoothies you get these days which are loaded with milk and sugar are really not that nutritious, and also create a very acidic state in the body. 

Generally you will not include dairy in a good old fashioned super food smoothie. Instead, the base may be water, nut milk or coconut water. The smoothies will also have a base of fruits or leafy greens for the high mineral content, nutrients, antioxidants and enzymes. Then, on top of that you can add in some 'super foods' which are extremely nutrient dense and high in health benefits.

When I make them I tend not to follow a recipe, I just throw everything in and see how it tastes. But generally some of my favourite ingredients include;

+ Avocado

+ Kale or baby spinach

+ Almonds

+ Sunwarrior vanilla protein powder

+ Blueberries

+ Spirulina

+ Coconut water

+ Maca

+ Chia seeds

+ Cinnamon

+ Raw cacao powder

+ Coconut meat


HOW TO MAKE A SUPER FOOD SMOOTHIE

image source

The combinations are endless, so let me share some recipes with you. Check out these amazing creations, and beautiful images from some other super inspiring, smoothie loving ladies.

Please note: I did endeavour to take photos of my very own super food smoothie. However, the images of my thick browney-green liquid taken in dim lighting at 6am just could not do my delicious smoothie justice. So, I am leaving the photo taking with the professionals! Cool?

The Glowing Green Smoothie

By Linda Wagner at Nutrition to Invigorate Mind, Body + Spirit

INGREDIENTS

+ 1-2 bananas

+ 1/2 cup frozen peaches

+ 1/2 cup frozen mango

+ A couple of handfuls of spinach

+ Water

+ Ice if desired

The Raw Chocolate Milkshake Miracle

By Sarah at My New Roots

INGREDIENTS

+ 1/4 cup hemp seeds (or use soaked almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds etc)

+ 2 heaping tbsp of raw cacao powder

+ 1 avocado

+ 1 very large frozen banana or 2 small ones

+ 2 tbsp raw honey, agave or maple syrup

+ Dash sea salt

+ 3/4 - 1 cup water

+ 4 ice cubes

The Cinnamon Cherry Blast

From Gena at Choosing Raw

INGREDIENTS

+ 1 small banana (or 1/2 large) frozen

+ 3/4 cup frozen or pitted cherries

+ 1/2 tbsp coconut butter

+ 2 tsp cinnamon

+ 1 cup almond milk

+ 3-4 ice cubes

Alkaline Green Smoothie

By The Alkaline Sisters

INGREDIENTS

+ 6" piece of cucumber

+ 3 medium kale leaves

+ 5 stems fresh mint

+ 3 stems fresh parsley

+ 1" fresh ginger

+ 1 avocado

+ 1 cup coconut water

+ Fresh juice of one lime

+ 1-2 tsp udo's oil

+ 1-2 tbsp hemp seeds

+ 2-3 drops stevia or a tsp agave

The Strawberry Kale Smoothie

From Michelle at Health Food Lover

INGREDIENTS

+ Handful (or more) of fresh uncooked kale

+ 6-10 strawberries

+ 1 banana

+ Water

+ 1 tbsp cold pressed flax oil

+ 1 tbsp lecithin granules

+ 1 tsp crush or whole almonds for garnish

The Bee Pollen Smoothie

By Sarah at My New Roots

INGREDIENTS

+ 1 cup of nut milk (or other milk)

+ 1 cup frozen blueberries (frozen are fine)

+ 1 frozen banana in 3-4 chunks

+ 1 medjool date, pitted (optional)

+ 1 hunk fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

+ 1 tsp bee pollen

The Avocolada Smoothie

By Robyn at Girl on Raw 

(originally by Matthew Kenney's Raw Food, Real World)

INGREDIENTS

+ 1 ripe avocado

+ 3 cups diced pineapple

+ 2 cups coconut water

+ 3 tbps agave nectar or 2 packets of stevia

+ 3 tbps lime juice

+ 1 tbsp coconut butter or oil

+ 2 tsp vanilla extract

+ Pinch of salt

The Blueberry Superfood Smoothie

By Linda Wagner at Nutrition to Invigorate Mind, Body + Spirit

INGREDIENTS

+ 1.5 frozen banana's

+ 1/2 bag frozen blueberries

+ 1 tbsp coconut powder

+ 1 tbsp chia seeds

+ 1 tsp spirulina

+ 1 tsp maca powder

+ Vanilla stevia to taste

+ Enough water to blend, approx 1/2 cup

So, please feel free to leave a comment + tell me...

+ What is your favourite super food smoothie recipe?

+ What benefits have you experienced from drinking super food smoothies?

FOR ALL THE CRAZY OBSESSIVE WORRIERS: FREE YOUR CREATIVE IMAGINATION TO WORK FOR YOU, NOT AGAINST YOU!

GUEST POST WRITTEN BY DENISE-DUFFIELD THOMAS

You can read the original post here

"Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere" -- Glenn Turner

The beauty of being a creative person, is that you have new ideas all day long - the plot for a new book while you're in the shower, the solution to world peace while you're sitting on the loo, or 1001 ways to cook a gourmet meal from the left-over food in your fridge.

The downside of being creative is that you generally open your mind to unnecessary worry because you can imagine more possibilities than anyone else.

An idle creative mind can turn against you in the most sabotaging ways; it can lead to indecisiveness, chronic procrastination or worse - getting stressed and crazy with worry about all the possible outcomes. If you don't have a satisfying creative outlet, your mind can fill with negative and self-defeating thoughts.

ARE YOU TURNING YOUR CREATIVE IMAGINATION AGAINST YOU?

Here is an example:

When I'm in an occasional self destructive mood and I'm procrastinating over a creative projects, I start to worry about my marriage and what our divorce will look like.

I get really angry over the hypothetical fights we'd have over our (largely hypothetical) assets and the custody battles over our (as yet hypothetical) children. Crazy right? We've not even been married two years yet I let myself obsess over the demise of our relationship (and it's GREAT by the way).

Does anyone else have similar thoughts?

It might be about your health, your family or your finances. But the result is the same. Thoughts like this can be very damaging to your natural spark and potential.

The teachings of the Law of Attraction tell us that we will attract what we think about the most. This can be a double edged sword for creative people, so we have to be very careful about our thoughts. 

I love coaching people, but this is a very common block

What if I get really successful and then I can't handle it, and then all my friends hate me because I'm so rich and I'll feel really guilty and then I'll get a stalker who'll try and kidnap my children and basically my life will be ruined.

Can you relate?

Just... breathe...

There is nothing wrong with you. It's a blessing to be that creative! You can definitely use this to your advantage but without the melodrama and anxiety sweats.

When you find yourself going a bit craaazy, turn it in to a great learning experience. Here's a simple creative exercise you can do to trick your mind and take control of your obsessing. 

THE CRAZY CAT LADY EXERCISE

Say for example, you worry about becoming a crazy cat lady, all alone in your house because you completely wasted your potential. No money, no friends and your looks are long gone. Got it?

Go in to your vivid imagination and pretend you have time travelled into the future and you're sitting down with that crazy-cat lady version of yourself. Really get in to the details and use all of your senses - what does the cat pee-stained couch smell like? What is she wearing? Feel the texture of the cat's fur who comes to sit on your lap. 

When you're totally in the dream, take her gnarled old-lady hands and ask her:

+ How could I avoid this happening in my life?

+ What mistakes did you make?

+ What can I learn from this?

+ What would you do differently?

+ At what point did things go wrong for you?

+ What is the one regret of your life?

+ What advice do you have for me?

Can you see how this would calm that mind of yours and make it a totally fun exercise?

It means that you can learn the lesson without actually attracting those circumstances in to your life. You do not need to be poor in this life-time. You do not need to have bad things happen to you. 

10 TIPS TO STOP OBSESSIVE WORRYING

1. GO FOR A WALK OR DO SOME EXERCISE: The positive endorphins generated during exercise make it virtually impossible to be angry, so use that time to come up with some ideas that make you happy. 

2. SNAP OUT OF IT: Wear a rubber band around your wrist and if you feel yourself sliding into negative thoughts, snap yourself with the rubber band - it is a great habit breaker.

3. EXPLORE THE FEELINGS FURTHER: Be honest with what's bothering you. Are you worried about your marriage? Do you need a different job? Is it time to sort out your finances?

4. ASK YOURSELF - WHAT AM I PROCRASTINATING?: Are you letting yourself worry over something trivial because you're avoiding living your life? What are you trying to avoid?

5. DE-CLUTTER YOUR LIFE: Obsessive worrying is mental clutter, but there's a clear link to physical clutter too. So go through your wardrobe, clean your desk and do that filing. You will feel so much better.

6. DO A DREAM BOARD: A daily reminder of your goals and dreams can help you focus on what you really want and avoid attracting more of what you don't. Learn how to make one here.

7. TAKE ACTION TODAY TOWARDS YOUR DREAM: Write one blog post, take one photo or write one proposal. You can make a great living through your passions, but you have to make a step towards it. The Universe always rewards action.

8. MEDITATION: Spending even just a few minutes a day in stillness will quieten your chattering monkey mind and give you some space to really create what you want.

9. GRATITUDE: Your life is already so blessed, so by focusing on what you already have, you will b less inclined to obsess about what you don't. Remember - thoughts are things!

10. BOOK A SESSION WITH A LIFE COACH: Sometimes you can't do it alone. I've got the perfect 1:1 coaching programme for creative people who are stuck and want to move in to a new level in their life. Find out more.

NOW, TURN THAT IMAGINATION IN TO GOLD

You're obviously creative, and have got a fantastic imagination. So, why not use that creative energy for good?

Grab your journal and write a list of at least ten different creative projects that you can start. Such as;

+ Writing a book (a really trashy romantic one if you think your relationship is constantly going sour)

+ Starting a blog

+ Taking up a new creative hobby like painting or a knitting group

+ Joining a book club

+ Finding a volunteer gardening circle

+ Offering to host an exhibition at a local disused space

+ Starting a new creative business, selling something on Etsy or Smashwords

The busier you are using your creative talents, the less time you'll spend obsessing over pointless scenarios.

Love your life and give yourself permission to be creative. Imagine what you can do with all that imagination and energy?!

Tell me in the comments - what's the things you obsess about the most? What are you going to do about it TODAY?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Denise is a life coach, and author of Lucky Bitch: a guide for exceptional women to create outrageous success.  

Check out her free manifesting guide at www.deniseduffieldthomas.com You can also connect with Denise on Facebook and Twitter.