What are you Affirming? Your Words are Your Power

A new video on the Power of Your Words - http://bit.ly/1XUrvb4

Your Words are Powerful and can shape your life. What are you affirming and what are you creating in your life through speech and thoughts? 

This video brings awareness on using empowering words and enhancing personal success through Affirmations: http://bit.ly/1XUrvb4

Key Questions that can generate empowering answers when we are receptive:

How can I create more joy today in my life? 

How Can I love myself more than ever before?

Set your intention and go forth into your day with Positive Expectation, and then notice the signs and receive your answers.

How fast can you change a thought? - Ways to Enhance Your Personal Power

Have you ever noticed that most of our states of discomfort, displeasure or unease stem from thoughts of corresponding nature, or thoughts that generate these negative states?

When I commenced my journey of self-improvement, self-development and self-strengthening I discovered meditation, holistic healing and various modalities that are designed and intended to enhance our state of mind and thus quality of life. One of the teachers I came across was Byron Katie who pioneered a line of powerful inquiry aptly entitled The Work. Her work has helped millions of people worldwide overcome life's difficulties, tumultuous thoughts, and inner demons.

The reason I bring this up is because she, along with dozens of other empowering figures, Louise Hay for example, have harnessed the power of Self-Awareness by underscoring the notion that:

A thought is only a thought and it can be changed.

If the source of negative emotions, and thus a negative state of mind, is a corresponding thought, and a thought can be changed, then it makes sense to conclude that if we change thoughts to positive/empowering/uplifting/resourceful thoughts we will consequently experience a boosted state of being. 

Thus the question: 

How fast can you change a thought?

There are different factors involved in Thought-Creation and Thought-Change.

Thoughts that we think consistently and repeatedly become a personal mantra and take the shape of a Belief. Beliefs are potent as they shape identity, self-confidence and our map of the world.

Thoughts that are strongly held are suffused with emotion, and emotion that is interlinked with a belief and desire for action is a potent catalyst for change and taking action.

However, not all thoughts are consistently held nor do they all become beliefs.

Some thoughts are fleeting and ephemeral, emerging unexpectedly from random life situations.

Some thoughts generate a positive mood or state, while others can potential have the opposite effect. The latter can be conducive to generating unresourceful states such as fear,doubt, anger, frustration, etc.

The thoughts that combine emotion and consistent "airtime" assume MOMENTUM, and we know how that momentum goes - once you get started it takes a life of its own, and soon enough one thought trails behind the other and it grows exponentially.

This is great for the Positive ones, however not so much for the latter set.

So how do we change the set of thoughts we willingly and readily want to release?

There is no simple, easy or one single answer or technique. Everyone is different and experiences thoughts in different ways depending on the various intrinsic personality traits.

I would like to present and share a nifty NLP + Life Coaching Technique that I have applied in Coaching sessions and on myself which has resulted in great, desired results for the Client. 

It is through the use of SUBMODALITIES and METAPHOR COACHING.

Perhaps you can consider:

- How do you effectively shift unresourceful thoughts?

- What are your trick, tips and techniques?

- What is the main difference in the momentum between your positive thoughts and nnegative thoughts?

- If you could change one thought you think repeatedly that is not serving you, what would that be?

What would be its Counterpart (the opposite thought)?

Powerful questions generate powerful answers.

SUBMODALITIES and METAPHOR COACHING

In NLP, Submodalities are referred to as representational systems or modalities; the Reps systems is basically the way we individually use the five basic senses: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory and gustatory. Everyone has a more dominant use of certain reps systems. For instance, some people are more Kinesthetic which means they are more physical and absorb more experience through being involved in physical movement. If you are more visual you will be more impacted by the things you can see (perhaps you've heard the generalization that men are more visual?); some people are more auditory which is evident in musicians and people who are sensitive to changes in tonality and pick up on slight variations in a person's voice. Certainly we are all a combination of these senses however the point is that typically 1 or 2 reps systems will be more dominant.

Thus, if you can actively engage your dominant reps system you can actually generate powerful change in how you experience a situation, memory and, yes, a thought.


Life is a journey; enjoy the unfolding.

How fast can you change a thought? - Ways to Enhance Your Personal Power

Have you ever noticed that most of our states of discomfort, displeasure or unease stem from thoughts of corresponding nature, or thoughts that generate these negative states?

When I commenced my journey of self-improvement, self-development and self-strengthening I discovered meditation, holistic healing and various modalities that are designed and intended to enhance our state of mind and thus quality of life. One of the teachers I came across was Byron Katie who pioneered a line of powerful inquiry aptly entitled The Work. Her work has helped millions of people worldwide overcome life's difficulties, tumultuous thoughts, and inner demons.

The reason I bring this up is because she, along with dozens of other empowering figures, Louise Hay for example, have harnessed the power of Self-Awareness by underscoring the notion that:

A thought is only a thought and it can be changed.

If the source of negative emotions, and thus a negative state of mind, is a corresponding thought, and a thought can be changed, then it makes sense to conclude that if we change thoughts to positive/empowering/uplifting/resourceful thoughts we will consequently experience a boosted state of being. 

Thus the question: 

How fast can you change a thought?

There are different factors involved in Thought-Creation and Thought-Change.

Thoughts that we think consistently and repeatedly become a personal mantra and take the shape of a Belief. Beliefs are potent as they shape identity, self-confidence and our map of the world.

Thoughts that are strongly held are suffused with emotion, and emotion that is interlinked with a belief and desire for action is a potent catalyst for change and taking action.

However, not all thoughts are consistently held nor do they all become beliefs.

Some thoughts are fleeting and ephemeral, emerging unexpectedly from random life situations.

Some thoughts generate a positive mood or state, while others can potential have the opposite effect. The latter can be conducive to generating unresourceful states such as fear,doubt, anger, frustration, etc.

The thoughts that combine emotion and consistent "airtime" assume MOMENTUM, and we know how that momentum goes - once you get started it takes a life of its own, and soon enough one thought trails behind the other and it grows exponentially.

This is great for the Positive ones, however not so much for the latter set.

So how do we change the set of thoughts we willingly and readily want to release?

There is no simple, easy or one single answer or technique. Everyone is different and experiences thoughts in different ways depending on the various intrinsic personality traits.

I would like to present and share a nifty NLP + Life Coaching Technique that I have applied in Coaching sessions and on myself which has resulted in great, desired results for the Client. 

It is through the use of SUBMODALITIES and METAPHOR COACHING.

Perhaps you can consider:

- How do you effectively shift unresourceful thoughts?

- What are your trick, tips and techniques?

- What is the main difference in the momentum between your positive thoughts and nnegative thoughts?

- If you could change one thought you think repeatedly that is not serving you, what would that be?

What would be its Counterpart (the opposite thought)?

Powerful questions generate powerful answers.

SUBMODALITIES and METAPHOR COACHING

In NLP, Submodalities are referred to as representational systems or modalities; the Reps systems is basically the way we individually use the five basic senses: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory and gustatory. Everyone has a more dominant use of certain reps systems. For instance, some people are more Kinesthetic which means they are more physical and absorb more experience through being involved in physical movement. If you are more visual you will be more impacted by the things you can see (perhaps you've heard the generalization that men are more visual?); some people are more auditory which is evident in musicians and people who are sensitive to changes in tonality and pick up on slight variations in a person's voice. Certainly we are all a combination of these senses however the point is that typically 1 or 2 reps systems will be more dominant.

Thus, if you can actively engage your dominant reps system you can actually generate powerful change in how you experience a situation, memory and, yes, a thought.


Life is a journey; enjoy the unfolding.

Supercharge Your Resources - NLP Process for Personal Power

I recently conducted a Life Coaching session which was great fun and which generated important insights for the Client. The Client experienced key personal realizations and discovered empowering resources that had been dormant inside of her.

There was valuable learning for both Client and Coach particularly on the subject of Personal Resources.

Life is a vast ocean of possibilities.

What is a Resource anyway?

• A supply of something (such as money) that someone has and can use when it is needed; a place or thing that provides something useful. Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online 

• "Anything that helps a person or group reach a desired state or transform a problem state," (NLP University Press).

• A resource is a tool of sorts; your assets, strengths, capabilities.

We can consider resources as tools in the toolkit of self-awareness, identity and behavior. Resources influence beliefs, self-talk, attitudes, and behavior.Ultimately, a person's resources (tools) are the vital components used to find solutions, solve problems, and surpass the myriad of life's rollercoaster moments.  Having a clear understanding of our great internal resources can empower a person's sense of confidence and resourcefulness - an "I can do it" mindset.

Similarly, there may be resources you want to develop and strengthen as you know they are currently weak in yourself and which would be great assets in helping you achieve your goals. For instance, some resources people typically wish to improve upon include:

• Being assertive
• Self-Confident
• Visionary
• Effective communicator 
• Punctual
• Disciplined
• Consistent
• Flexible
• Courageous
• Committed
• Spontaneous
• And more...

Strengthening the Resources That Work For You

As the session progressed the Client identified some wonderful new resources she recently uncovered; of these new resources she chose 1 that was especially potent in improving her sense of self-appreciation, positive thinking and personal empowerment.

In order to further deepen and strengthen this wonderful new asset, we applied the Resource Supercharger Process (created by Robert Dilts), which is designed to embed this recently developed resource more richly for the person and thus ensure it can reliably support the person moving forward in life.

If this technique piques your interest, you can learn about the Resource Supercharger Process at: http://nlpuniversitypress.com/html3/R68.html.

The Resource Supercharger Process

Below I present a broad overview of the process and how it can yield potentially life-boosting results for the Client. We take Self-Compassion as a resource someone would like to enrich as it is integral to healthy self-esteem, well-being, and personal satisfaction.

The Process:

Starting in the present day, you identify the New Resource you want to strengthen and you fully associate with the emotions, actions and thoughts that stem from knowing you have this resource within you. Feel completely who and how you are possessing this resource.

Once done associating with it, you take 1 step forward into your imagined future. Over the time that passed leading to that future point, the resource has enhanced, strengthened and deepened further bringing you to the Future You with that life experience.

In this future, you experience the resource as having gotten stronger. You then imagine and associate with who you are in the future with this magnificent resource that strengthened over time.

For example, Self-Compassion having enriched over time leads to a Future You that is more assertive, confident and appreciative of self; you may value your time more, prioritize your happiness, and say "No" when appropriate in diplomatic, respectful ways.

You then step back into the Present and look over your future seeing how this resource influenced your behavior. In that Present moment, you then assume you have that deepened resource from the future actually in your Present. You then associate yourself fully with how you would live with this boosted resource Today. 

From the Present You to the Future You - You are helping yourself i.e. You have all the answers within already.

You then re-step into the future and in the Future You this resource has enriched even beyond what it strengthened in the first step - it is now supercharged!
You can associate fully in the Future You and how you would be assuming you have lived your life with this deepened resource.

In other words, you take the enhancement you experienced from the deepened resource in the first round, and then double it or even triple it in the second round. The point is to saturate yourself with the total absorption of having this resource in your self and life, and feel who you would be with that revved-up resource.


We finish by stepping back into the present and looking forward into the future to see how life will evolve now with this new knowledge and expanding resource.

This nicely highlights 2 valuable NLP Presuppositions: 

(i) we have all the resources within us already

(ii) no one is fixed or broken

In closing...

As the session came to a close it was clear that applying NLP techniques can generate tremendous clarity, satisfaction and awareness about how truly great we can be when we decide to focus on our strengths;

We stretch the boundaries of our unlimited potential;

We consider who we want to be, 

And we give ourselves the opportunity to imagine.

-Jen xx

The Path of Least Resistance - Video & Life Coaching

April 7, 2015:

 

Today's Video

On today's video of Path of Least Resistance (PLR) - http://youtu.be/YfYNsO_pf1k

I invite you to consider how it feels to ask yourself "What is the path of least resistance?" whenever we are faced with making a decision or in a situation that generates some blockage, challenge or resistance.

Once you've asked the question you can then identify how you want to feel as a result of the decision - What decision would make my life easier? What (would) make me feel better? What is the easiest course of action that will get me where I need to be? Shift my State to a more resourceful one.

Moving forward, I'd like to make a subsequent video focusing on how these decisions fit into the bigger scheme of your life. In Coaching this means "Checking Ecology" i.e. How the decision fits from a practical day-to-day perspective (how feasible is it in real  life) and also within the wider scheme of your life.

More often than not any decision you take will fit within a broader context. Here are some examples of typical situations:

• Work Example - The bigger picture is one's overall, overarching career goals, work performance and personal happiness. How does the particular decision fit with your professional, career, self-development and financial goals?
• Is the Path of Least Resistance to avoid and procrastinate a given project, and then eventually get stressed and rush to finish at the last minute? OR, is it to break the project down into parts and then gradually finishing in time with minimal stress?

• Getting stuck in traffic - The bigger picture is you want to reach home safely, low stress, in good spirits, and have an enjoyable night. 
• Assuming taking another route is not feasible, is the Path of Least Resistance to make peace with where you are and make the current conditions as enjoyable as possible? i.e. play fun music, listen to an audio book, call a friend or family member, think about what great things happened in your day and what you are grateful for. 

• Relationship/Social - Someone (a friend, romantic partner, etc.) walks out of your life and despite your efforts it just didn't work out. Or perhaps there is someone who for whatever reason does not like you. 
• The bigger picture is that you enjoy and want healthy, happy, harmonious relationships and you also value and appreciate yourself (Ask yourself if this is true for you. If does not feel true for you then there may be a deeper underlying Limiting Belief on your own value and worth). So then how does this situation and potential course of action fit into your overall aim of having happy, healthy and harmonious relationships?
• Is the Least Resistance to just allow and accept this has happened? Or, is it to continue thinking over the issue wondering why it didn't work, where it went wrong and what you could've done differently, or if you should try further?

Sometimes the greatest difficulty is LETTING GO.

 

The course of action taken upon asking "What is the path of least resistance?" is intended to facilitate and help you come into better alignment and focus with the overarching goals you have in the given area of your life.

This brings up why it's valuable to have a longer view of one's own goals and overall priorities.
Why?
Because when we have clarity on our values, priorities and overarching personal/life objectives, we can better understand which decisions and actions while align and beneficially contribute to and support those overarching values, priorities and goals.

Why does this matter?

This matters because it reflects Congruence, Internal Alignment, and personal satisfaction for the life we are living and the way life is evolving.

Next Video Idea:
I'm really looking forward to creating a new video on Momentum & Why It Feels So Good.

 

Gratitude

I am so grateful for today's insightful and fun video on "The Path of Least Resistance" and that I  have contributed to my community in this manner.
I'm really happy with the way things are evolving.
I'm really enjoying the creation process, the self-expression and expansion; sharing overall, the thoughts, ideas, development. Contributing positively into this marvelous universe.

  

Want to boost your mood, raise your vibration and feel better? 

Make a list of your own Positive Aspects, a list of things you appreciate, like, love, enjoy and for which you are genuinely grateful. You can't go wrong once you get started with your own list of positive aspects. (Resource: Abraham Hicks)

The finisher - My Positive Aspects:

- I love vacation!
- I love the morning coffee feelzzz!
- I love calm, peaceful and joyful mornings - fresh
- I am exuberant
Take the easy way out.
My dream is coming alive bit by bit and it feels divine.

My Morning Ritual - Om/Amen :-)

Today is a new, magnificent day!

Thank you, God. Thank you. Universe.

What kind of thoughts do I want to think and harness?

Where do I want to focus my attention and energy?

Lovers' Sunrise in Seychelles

Rituals....

If you think about it, our daily life and existence is composed of recurring rituals. They come in various spans of time, at different points in the day, week, month year, and can take on a life of their own. The more you do it and the more consistent you become, that ritual becomes ingrained in our self as automatic behavior(s).

For instance, there are rituals such as: how you start your day, how you prepare yourself before you go to work, the things you say or do before a presentation, the way you prepare for bedtime, ritual of going to the gym/exercising and this one encompasses the sub-ritual of how you prepare yourself pre-workout and post-workout (i.e. warm-up and cool-down).

One of the most profound rituals that has transformed my life is my Morning Ritual - the things I do when I wake up and the way my mornings unfold.

In fact, Google "Morning rituals" and you will get 2+ Million results!

Evidently, Morning Rituals are important enough that many famous and successful people have outlined their own processes:

• 25 Famous Thinkers and Their Inspiring Daily Rituals

• Huffington Post on Morning Rituals - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/morning-rituals/
• Famous and successful people with morning routines (e.g. Barack Obama, Franz Kafka, Winston Churchill, Steve Jobs, etc) - http://morning-routine.com/famous-and-successful-people-with-morning-routines/

Magnificent Morning Ritual/Routine

I gave birth to my morning ritual 2 years ago when I joined the gym and started weight training. Committing to a healthier and fitter life meant, for me, waking up early, preparing my awesomely delicious coffee, healthy food in the morning and going to the gym before work. 


It has evolved over these past 2 years from a bare-bones minimum to a more evolved [dare I say 'enlightened' :-) ] approach, now including meditations, prayer, affirmations, listening to motivational speakers, music, podcasts & making my own motivational videos on social media.

Today's Morning Ritual (25 Mar 2015):

I started my day by saying "Thank You, God. Thank you, Universe. Thank you, Source. Thank you for all that I am and all that I have. Thank you for the magnificent blessings and flowing abundance; the well-being, love and peace in my life. Thank you for my family and friends, and my work, my home, my life, everything that surrounds me. Thank you for blessing us all."

Then I meditate. 

Today I tried a new one (Youtube) to tap into a universal consciousness meant to give generate more serenity, ease and empowerment - it was wonderful.

Meditation time is part of my daily awakening; I can't go a day without it, in fact.
Some mornings I also listen to or record my own spoken affirmations - a rampage of appreciation, if you will. Inspired by and in the spirit of Abraham Hicks. I love you so much, Abraham! Thank you for coming alive in my life and everything that we've become.

I enjoy varied meditations - it can be on gratitude, feeling happy, peace, love, abundance, enhancing creativity, imagination, past lives - there are hundreds, thousands and probably millions on YouTube. Thank you, YouTube!

I feel so good and ready for my day after meditating, 5min, 10min, or even 15min if I am feeling more time-flexibility.

Then I Affirm.

Powerful Affirmations! The power of Affirming.

I listened to a 6-minute recording of my own spoken affirmations which I recorded yesterday. I've started recording my own since last month and I find it very empowering, uplifting, love-generating and positive. It is also fun!

Some mornings, if I am particularly inspired, I will record a new set of affirmations. I've noticed that they have been improving in terms of scope, strength, empowerment and joy that comes through me and my voice. It feels great to laugh at yourself in a positive way listening to your voice saying happy things to yourself.

If you want to record your own affirmations, you can simply use your phone and I recommend doing them in the morning when you are fresh, mind is clear, and you are overall energized for the new day. If, however, you are not at your best in the morning and rather have a great mood later in the day, record your affirmations at that time - the point is to do so when you are in your 'zone' and feeling awesome about yourself and about life.

I added Affirmations since January 2015, this year, after reading Louise Hay's "You Can Heal Your Life". I love that woman & I am deeply grateful for her contribution to our world community :-). 

She has changed and improved millions of lives by generating positive messages of self-love, self-appreciation and self-esteem. What a marvelously beautiful life mission and accomplishment. If you yourself are or have ever struggled with self-esteem, low confidence,self-love and inner struggles, it is worth visiting her site: http://www.louisehay.com/.

I discovered Louise Hay 1.5 years ago and she led me to beloved spiritual teacher, Abraham Hicks. Connecting with AH has helped me improve the quality of my thoughts, my relationships, my appreciation for the world, self-love, and consequently my life has improved dramatically.

~~~

After praying, meditating, & affirming (all this only takes 15-20 minutes overall) I can start my day feeling spiritually and emotionally positioned to make the best of my life today. It is worth the time invested in meditating, affirming and most certainly praying and thanking God for all the goodness of life.

Sometimes I also listen to an uplifting song of praise that really touches my heart and raises my soul's vibration.

Music is extremely powerful and it can totally get you feeling wonderful!

Time is our most valuable commodity - a non-renewable resource - so use it wisely, lovingly and reap the returns of time well invested in your self-improvement.

~~~

Morning Kitchen Ritual

After this awakening process I am really eager to proceed with the Kitchen Ritual - making the coffee, boiling the water for my lemon water + sea salt + herbs (Rhodiola, Gotu Kola, Gingko Biloba + others if required such as for Immunity). The lemon water gets the digestive juices flowing.

I take a scoop of Raw Greens powder which is Alkalizing and very beneficial as the first thing to take into your colon. If it has pro-biotics that is especially good as the healthy gut bacteria will be beneficial to your intestines and colon on an empty stomach.

I cook the egg whites, veggies (if I don't have pre-prepared from the weekend or night before).

Recently I've been focused on going to the gym on a somewhat empty stomach with the aim to optimize fat burning...It is an ongoing process.

While I am cooking and preparing I listen to Motivational podcasts and videos on Youtube to get my mind right, raise my vibration and nourish thinking positively.

~~~

Journaling Intentions

Some days I write down my intentions for the day. 

For instance: 

"It is my powerful intention to live today with an open heart, to release old fears, let go of criticism and judgments, and embrace the love in my existing relationships."

Or: 

"It is my dominant intent to focus on feeling good, to care about how I feel, and to take the path of least resistance."

Once you get started you sort of have this willingness and desire to keep writing more beautiful, empowering intentions. Indeed, it is an enriching experience because you start thinking more about what you want, how you want to behave, the kind of life you want, the way you want to feel, and the awesome day you can experience.

If you look back on your morning intentions at night you may discover that you lived your day actually fulfilling many of your intentions! 

The spoken and written word is magical and magnetic.

 ~~~

Video Blogging/Motivational Vids

Finally, I've recently been feeling super inspired to make videos with a motivational message. I infuse them with the most inspired message I'm feeling from the Universe and then I share it with my beautiful community on social media - Facebook and Instagram (for now). I'm keen to make my own Youtube channel soon. 

And then I'm off for the gym to build muscle, burn fat, get sexier and have fun!!! My Fun Zone.  :-)

~~~

Closing Words

• So, do you have a Morning Ritual? What is your routine?
• How does it make you feel, and could it be improved upon in a pleasing way?

Ultimately, RITUAL is synonymous with HABIT.   

Habits make up our character and yield our life experience.

If you are what you do, then what does your Ritual say about you and how you like to live?

Food for thought :-).

Wishing you boatloads of blessings and sunshine.

Love, Jen

xx