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Random things on my mind

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”The real question is whether you want to be happy regardless of what happens..”

 

It has been a productive, however, rather hectic start of the new year. A lot of work, as well as studies, have been taking up most of my time. But that’s the way I like it. My mind functions a lot better when it has things to do. I love reaching that flow state – when you’re in the moment, totally immersed in what you’re doing. Time passes by without you even noticing. That perfect balance can, however, be difficult to obtain. As soon as things become a little bit too stressful I tell myself;

”Breathe, and begin again.” 

Below you’ll find a few thoughts that have been occupying my mind lately:

1. Unconditional happiness

I wanted to share with you an extract from the book The Untethered Soul:

”The purpose of your life is to enjoy and learn from your experiences. You were not put on Earth to suffer. You’re not helping anybody by being miserable…..

… In the end, enjoying life’s experiences is the only rational thing to do. You’re sitting on a planet spinning around in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Go ahead, take a look at reality. You’re floating in empty space in a universe that goes on forever. If you have to be here, at least be happy and enjoy the experience. You’re going to die anyway. Things are going to happen anyway. Why shouldn’t you be happy? You gain nothing by being bothered by life’s events. It doesn’t change the world; you just suffer. There’s always going to be something that can bother you, if you let it.”

However, this doesn’t mean that you should repress negative emotions, feeling and experiences. Unfavorable things will eventually happen, you will go through struggles – it’s a natural part of sitting on this planet spinning around in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Nevertheless, your responsibility is to not let it control you; never let a negative situation consume your entire being. Instead, learn and grow from the hardships, never let them dictate you life. Don’t resist life’s events – flow with them, embrace them.

2. Never give up on deep-rooted dreams

Dreams are wonderful, and you should never neglect your soul’s true calling. The thing that keeps on popping up in your mind, the things you’re deeply passionate about – all these things that keep you alive, keep you sane; do them, and do them often. Work hard for the things you wish to achieve. Keep in mind that motivation does not breed action; action breeds motivation. Don’t be afraid to take that first, fragile step. There will most likely be plenty of road bumps along the way, however, don’t let them stop you from proceeding. Dare to listen to the whispers of your soul.

Ever since high school I’ve been deeply interested in psychology. Still, these past years I seemed to have forgot about my passion. And while it’s extremely hard to get into the psychology program at the University I though that I’ll never be able to study the subject, and therefore tucked away my dream. Luckily, I listened to my gut feeling and realized that there are of course other paths to walk; if I can’t take the average route, I need to find alternative ways. This spring I’ll be studying both Crisis & Catastrophy Psychology and Neuropsychology. Baby steps towards something I don’t even know where it will take me. However, I’ll continue to listen to my inner voice. There’s nothing as too much knowledge wisdom.

3. The beauty of nature

I’ve become more and more aware of the importance of taking care of Mother Nature. As of before I always thought that; what can I do that would actually have an impact? Of course there’s plenty I (we) can do for the planet. How would the world look like if we all thought that there’s nothing I can do that would have any sustainable impact… 

Nowadays I choose to follow a plant-based diet not only for my own health, but for the planet as a whole as well as the animals. Furthermore, from now on I’ll buy less clothes and use less plastic. There’s always something you can do in order to improve our home.

Click the link for my fundraiser for ”Låt Östersjön leva”.

With ❤

Linda

5 Positive habits that will improve your life

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”Now is the perfect time to start imagining all that you can do.”

 

It’s never too late to implement fresh, new habits into your day-to-day routine. As I mentioned in a former blog post (Five life perspectives to live by) – if you’re looking for a mini life-makeover, then, first things first, you need to start from within. In other words, start with your mental state, since most often it’s the root to all problems. If you don’t change what’s going on inside your mind – with your thoughts, who you are and the way you think about certain things – then it’s going to be very hard to find a new sense of happiness, contentment and inspiration.

Below you’ll find 5 positive habits to implement in 2019:

Patience

”Allow things to unfold naturally.”

I believe the main difference between successful and unsuccessful people is not the way they vary in their competencies, but the way they vary in their ambition, and desires to reach their potential. Persistence and patience is key, since good things usually take time.

Embrace life. Everything in life happens for a reason; whether the reason is for you to learn more about yourself, find your true nature or grow as a human being. You have to learn to accept and embrace all aspects of life; the good and the bad. Stop defining yourself in relationship to the events that happen in the moment, to the struggles, to the mental chatter going on in your mind. You’re not the events happening in your life; you experience these events, and how you choose to do that is up to you.

Questions to ask yourself regularly – Why are you doing the things you’re doing? What is the purpose behind your dreams and goals? It’s a great idea to reconnect to your why when you’re feeling frustrated and inpatient. Remember – it’s never too late to readjust your goals.

Reestablish your why and the reasons you’re doing what you’re doing. Connect with your purpose – write down why you like to do the things you’re doing, what would you like to accomplish and why would you like to accomplish it? If you end up realising that you hate what you’re doing than look at it as a tremendous opportunity to tap into yourself, to find your why again.

 

One book a month

”Read me slowly. My words will sing to you.”

Reading is a great way to unwind. It’s also a superb way to gain new knowledge and become more open-minded. I’ve always preferred reading to watching television since it’s a great way to boost the imagination. A great goal is to read one book a month – I think that’s more than attainable. If I have time I like to read a few chapters in the morning; fiction or nonfiction, depending on the mood I’m in. When do you prefer to read?

 

Journaling

”The journey to self-awareness.”

One of the best ways to become more self-aware is to write. Journal. The more aware you are of your thoughts and how they affect you, the more you realize just how powerful they are. Thoughts can completely turn a day around. They can turn a life around. Redirecting your thoughts, choosing more positive ones, when facing a negative situation can help you see the situation in new daylight. The understanding that no one can change your thoughts but you, should be enough for you to jump over to the drivers seat. You control your thoughts – don’t let them control you. However, you should never neglect your feelings, your emotions.

Let your thoughts and emotions flow through you by writing them down. Don’t surpress the negativity, don’t let it built a nest within you – let the feels out. Know that you are simply experiencing emotions. They shall pass, as they too are temporarily.

 

Life is an ongoing learning process

”Self-awareness = power.”

Mistakes shouldn’t be regarded as merely mistakes. Instead they should be considered as obstacles making us become better, enhancing as human beings. They’re barriers, helping us grow and improve ourselves. Without mistakes you wouldn’t grow. Nevertheless, this means you need to become self-aware. You need to be self-consious, and realize when you’ve made a mistake; otherwise you’ll never grow. You’ll keep on making the same mistake, over and over again, until you grasp the meaning behind it.

 

Being kind

”Be kind. Always.”

As humans we can choose to be a lot of different things. Nonetheless, the more I think about it I feel that one of the traits I consider as one of the most valuable is being kind. Other people will unquestionably remember if you’ve treated them well or not. How we choose to treat others says a lot about ourselves. Be someone people look up to. Give to others and help them be the best version of themselves too. At times it might be clever to be a bit selfish (don’t let yourself be manipulated by fools), however, you don’t have to be obnoxious to be successful.

 

What are your favourite healthy habits? Please share with me. 

❤

Linda

2019 intentions

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”Everything you need, seek and long for is already within.”

I feel it’s a beginning of a new cycle of life. Not only because it’s a new year, but I can feel fresh faced optimism floating in the air. Do you sense it as well?

I’m a firm believer in writing my intentions, goals and dreams down, preferably on a piece of paper. I guess I am more of a dreamer/planner than a doer. However, my intentions for 2019 is all about taking action and believing in myself and my abilities.

You can choose to write daily, weekly, monthly and/or yearly intentions. I prefer to write my intentions in the beginning of every month, as well as set one daily intention that helps guiding me throughout the day. Setting intentions not only makes it easier to stay focused, but it helps to keep the motivation up as well as staying more grounded and closer to one’s core self.

Below you’ll find some of my intentions for the year ahead. I’m pretty sure I’ll come up with new ones as the months go by, but for now these are the ones I’ll keep myself focused on.

2019 intentions

 

  • Cultivating an abundance mindset – there’s an abundance flowing within and without; everything I need, seek and long for is already within me. This is a mindset I encourage myself to adopt in every area of my life whether it’s love, career, health, money or opportunities.
  • Spreading kindness & compassion – I will strive my best to show loving kindness to all living beings; animals, humans and the planet. I’m inspired by random acts of kindness and compassionate people with big hearts filled with wisdom. There’s something special about humans who are caring and warmhearted to everyone; it seems like they are carrying a sense of calmness within despite with whoever they interact.
  • Planting confidence – being confident without being cocky is very attractive. Cultivating a belief in myself is on top of my to-do-list this year. We’re capable of achieving way more than we give ourselves permission to pursue. Persistence is key here, and a willingness to work hard for what you want in life.
  • Breathing mindfulness – bringing mindfulness into everything I do – whether it’s writing, studying, working, being in nature, meditating, speaking with friends and family – I can always choose to be a bit more ”there” and a little less somewhere else.
  • Embracing my sensitivity – as a highly sensitive person I’m very sensitive to the people around me and their energies. I also feel a whole range of emotions, and it’s nothing wrong with that – as a matter of fact it’s completely normal and healthy to be able to tap into one’s feelings. Nonetheless, I’ve also become to realize the importance of not holding on to emotions for too long; I simply let them pass through me, and then peacefully let them go when they have done their job. Feelings like fear, worry and doubt don’t serve us in any way, and it’s about time we let go of them once and for all. While embracing my emotions I’ve become more self-aware, and more in tune with my inner state of being.
  • Nurturing my intuition – I’ve always had a strong intuition, and I would like to cultivate it even more. I’ve noticed that the more I meditate, taking time to really listen to my body and the stillness within, the more I feel connected to my inner voice; my inner guidance system so to speak. It gives a sense of power when you notice you can trust your intuition. I think all people have an inner voice waiting for them to listen carefully, however not everyone is ready to listen to what it has to say. I challenge you to pay attention to your intuition. Trust that you have all the answers within; you possess more power than you think, darling.
  • Tapping into my spiritual side – I’m an open-minded person and I love to explore different parts of myself. After cultivating my spiritual side a bit more I’ve become to understand how calm and peaceful it makes me feel. I’ve become more content and hopeful. I truly believe we’re spiritual beings having a human experience. I also believe that there’s so much more to life than the things we can experience through our five senses. Understanding that we’re all in this together, however, experiencing life in our own unique way, makes me feel at peace.

I wish you a great start of the new year; may all your wishes come true.

❤

Linda

Dear December…

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… you set my soul on fire (and yet, you haven’t even arrived)

”With the moon and with the stars, how can we say we don’t have enough?”

 

The silent hour of night, and my heart suddenly arise. Caressing my awaken sight, while awaiting you, with blissful eyes. Watching snowflakes quietly at rest, while the moon shining its light upon us. 50 shades of snow, wherever we choose to go. Darling December, the way you transform the darkness. Even at 4 am. The world is still, sky black, mind intense. Emotions wide awake, heart half asleep, in a blissful lullaby sleep.

I hope your dreams are sweet. 

December is for love and laughter. Peace and joy. The bright-pink sky with heart-shaped clouds, peacefully passing by. It’s for warm-hearted gestures, compassion and loving-kindness. Snowflakes dancing outside our window, making every moment irresistible. Gifts wrapped up in affection, kindness and hope. It’s December, you can wish for anything.

What will you wish for?

This December is all about giving more of yourself. Give your time, your attention. Your love. Give all of you. It’s about awareness, tenderness and tranquilness. Music filled with heartbeats and pure passion. It’s about our beautiful, fragile planet, and the precious time we get to spend amongst her. Be gentle, be kind, don’t ever leave her behind.

December dear, I welcome you. One of a kind, and so perfectly designed. I sense something wonderful is about to unwind.

With you, life, a little more magical.

With you, I’m always at home.

At peace.

❤

Linda

Friday Feeling – Will Power

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”I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”

– Albert Einstein

What is your biggest talent?

Maybe you’re good with words? Good at inventing and building things? Or maybe you’re a skilled entrepreneur, or a great pastry chef? Whatever your talent might be, talent alone will never be enough. Hard work, persistence and will power will decide exactly how much of your talent that will come forth. Nature alone isn’t enough; you’ll have to nurture your gift.

Talent can, however, be seen as a vital starting point, but without the dedication and will power to develop and master your skills talent alone will never be enough. While you can be extremely gifted in a particular skill, the likelihood that you succeed decreases greatly as soon as you stop nurturing and developing your talent. Someone else with less talent working day and night cultivating their skills will most likely succeed with far greater possibility.

”Self-regulation is the process of identifying a goal or a set of goals and, in pursuing these goals using both internal (e.g. thoughts and affect) and external (responses of anything or anyone in the environment) feedback to maximise goal attainment. Self-regulation is also known as will power.” (OpenStax University, Psychology)

With this being said, I strongly agree with Mr. Einstein when it comes to the importance of being passionately curious.

But firstly, you’ll have to know what you’re good at. Here’s where self-awareness comes into play; the more you know yourself – your strengths and weaknesses – the better you can prepare for your upcoming success. Secondly, you’ll have to know how to develop your talents even more – meaning constantly educating yourself, as well as learning from others that already succeeded in your field of interest.

Last but not least, you’ll have to make an important agreement with yourself; Despite how much struggle you’re facing you’ll have to decide that you’ll never quit. This means that you’ll have to feel a great deal of passion towards what you’re doing. You see, it might take you 30 years before you’ll succeed; maybe you’ll succeed when you’re in your 60s (and you won’t experience that if you throw in the towel when you’re 25 or 45). If you want something really badly, like really badly, cause it occupies your mind day and night, then quitting is not an option. The more passion you’re feeling towards achieving your goals, the more likely it will shine through and therefore, have a greater positive effect on other human beings as well.

Now back to being passionately curious. Being passionately curious will help you on your way towards success. A curious being is not afraid of trying new things, and not afraid of thinking differently. A curious mind never stops asking questions, although it might make him or her look stupid. Stupid are the ones that don’t know, and still don’t ask for help. If you’re semi-good at something and your wish is to improve, than I strongly believe being open-minded and curious will be a tremendous help on the way.

Curiosity + Will Power = Success.

Moreover, curious people aren’t afraid to change things up, or to look beyond the path they once carved so neatly. Sometimes things don’t go our way, and it’s in those moments thinking outside the box comes in handy.

So whether your talent is running a multi million dollar business or baking cookies, it’s important to remember to always strive for progression, and to be open-minded to do things in a slightly different way.

That having been said, I wish you all a great weekend (filled with curiosity)!

 

❤

Linda

 

Moment by moment

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”Be aware;act, make a move, take a stand, take a chance. Embrace and work with what is.”

 

Every moment, peacefully passing by. What happens now, in this moment, guides us into the next. Pay attention to your surroundings, as well as your inner state, as it nourishes greater awareness, clarity and acceptance of what is. Don’t miss out on life, don’t miss what is of greatest value. Growth and transformation happen the moment you realize the richness and the depth of your potentialities. As every moment peacefully evolves, so are you. 

How to become more mindful? How to become more acceptant of what is? There are several methods helping us to cultivate a more intimate relationship with the present moment, ways for us to achieve serenity. Peace of mind. Below you’ll find some of my favourites.

Tranquility speaks

”Listen to the whispers of your soul.”

4.30 am. I forgot how peaceful it is to wake up at dawn. Complete darkness surrounding me, however, the light within keeping me safe. The early hours present a tremendous opportunity for self-reflection. Looking within, and realising that everything is exactly as it should be. Morning yoga to wake up the body, meditation to wake up the mind. Within the stillness lies the answer. The answers to all of our questions. It’s our task to listen. To be still, to be alert. To trust.

 

Become one with nature

”Watch her let go, watch her become.”

Let nature be your biggest teacher. How she unfolds; growing, letting go and becoming. Effortlessly, and calmly providing us with all her treasures. She’s delicate, yet powerful, the way she’s giving all of her. Supporting us with her beauty. Her kindness. Celebrate her. Treat her with respect. Treat all of it with respect. We are all one.

 

Choose your happy

”Do you, and flow with it.” 

The more I listen within, the less I compare myself with others. And the less I observe what others are doing, the happier I become. However, it’s extremely easy to get caught up in comparison mode. To start judging oneself for not being enough, not doing enough. It’s not about the doing, it’s about the being. It’s about surrendering to the moment and making the best out of it. The only way for us to get out of this negative mindset of comparison is to start accepting ourselves the way we are. Knowing that we are exactly who we need to be right now. Letting go of outside pressure, the need to compete with others; we are only competing with ourselves. Your only comparison should be who you were yesterday. In this moment you have the power to choose. Choose happiness. Choose love. Choose yourself, and flow with it.

 

Self-awareness

”It’s not the situation that makes us unhappy; it’s our thoughts about the situation that makes us unhappy.”

The more aware we are of our thoughts and how they affect us, the more we realize just how powerful they are. Thoughts can completely turn a day around. They can turn a life around. Redirecting your thoughts, choosing more positive ones, when facing a negative situation can help you see the situation in new daylight. The understanding that no one can change your thoughts but you, should be enough for you to jump over to the drivers seat. You control your thoughts – don’t let them control you. However, you should never neglect your feelings, your emotions. Don’t ever surpress the negativity, don’t let it built a nest within you – let it out, let it pass through you. Know that you are simply experiencing these emotions. They shall pass, as they too are temporarily.

 

”Out of stillness grows mastery. There’s no place like within.”

 

❤

Linda

Beautiful minds

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”If you only knew all the things you’re capable of… Darling, imagine all that you could do!”

 

We’re amazing creatures. We’ve travelled to the moon, cured illnesses, developed micro processes, written master pieces, created astonishing art and breathtaking architecture. The human mind is impressive. You’re impressive. Don’t you ever forget just how extraordinary you are.

Cultivating the power within will help you reach goals more easily. It will help you create a life filled with happiness, love and abundance. A life blooming with opportunities.

With cultivating the power within I mean having trust and faith within yourself; a deep trust that you’re capable of achieving all of your desires. You see, it all starts with believing in yourself. You have to rewire your thoughts if that’s what it takes – shift the way you perceive yourself, and become aware of the words you use to describe yourself. If you’re constantly doubting yourself, and your ability to accomplish certain things you’ll have difficulties proceeding and succeeding, and most likely your life will become stagnant.

With that being said, in order for you to keep growing it’s crucial that you start believing in yourself. Don’t be afraid to fail, and don’t be afraid of making a fool out of yourself. Keep learning, keep educating yourself, and strive to always do your best. And if at first you do not succeed, or you believe you failed miserably, there’s a big change that no one will even notice. According to the ”spotlight-effect” you believe that people are noticing you all the time, but they aren’t – they’re busy noticing themselves;

”Because we are so focused on our own behavior, it can be difficult to arrive at an accurate assessment of how much–or how little–our behavior is noticed by others. Indeed, close inspection reveals frequent disparities between the way we view our performance (and think others will view it) and the way it is actually seen by others.” (Gilovich, T.; Medvec, V. H.; Savitsky, K. (2000). ”The spotlight effect in social judgment: An egocentric bias in estimates of the salience of one’s own actions and appearance”.)

On the basis thereof, maybe it’s time for you to just go for it. If thoughts like ”what will others think of me” or ”what if they judge me” are restricting you, then, let this be a sign, or a reminder that it’s time to let go. It’s time to let go of unnecessary thoughts that do not serve you, in fact, they are doing nothing but holding you back. Now is the time for your creative mind to bloom!

I recently watched a documentary called ”The Creative Brain: How Insight Works” (BBC) due to an assignment I had in the psychology course I’m attending. The documentary explained what goes on in the brain when people have moments of creativity, what creativity is and how to become more creative.

”Change things up.”

According to the documentary, one way to become more creative is to engage in new and unexpected experiences, as it can boost your creativity. Unexpected and unusual experiences help you think more flexible and imaginative. Therefore, seek out new knowledge, disrupt your daily routines with fresh ideas and different ways to do things, break cognitive patterns – give yourself room for creativity; the effects of changing your routines changes your brain.

”Occupy your body, but your mind can wander freely.” 

Another thing mentioned was, that if you want to become more creative it’s best not to be too focused, at least not all the time. ”Mind wandering” has a long history in creativity, but now researchers are starting to understand just why it’s so effective.

Researches have studied brain scans when people let their mind wander and they have noticed a distinct change in one area of the brain; the frontal lobe, right above the eyes – a kind of temporarily sleep mode. When the frontal lobe is slightly pulled back ideas are flowing more freely, and some of the ideas from the subconscious can come into the conscious awareness more easily. We can get there in different ways whether it’s through meditation, walking in nature, taking a bath or exercising. There are various ways to down regulate the frontal lobe temporarily, and therefore allow creative ideas to flow more easily.

 

You have a beautiful, astonishing brain, mind and soul. Your goal should be to nurture and polish all of your unique talents and traits. Darling, believe in yourself. Now is the perfect time to start imagining all that you can do.

❤

Linda

 

What’s your reason for being?

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”Wherever you are, be there.”

 

Who are you? I’m not asking for your name, or where you were born. I’m not asking about your profession, or your field of study. I’m not asking about what has happened to you in the past. And I’m not asking about your family, or who you’re dating. I’m asking about you. 

Who are you?

Finding oneself being lost in life, lost in translation, happens to all of us at some point in our life. If you’re feeling lost, then it’s exactly where you need to be right now. Be thankful to life, for always having your back. Be thankful for the path you’ve travelled; the way it has moulded you, and strengthened your sense of Self. Be thankful for where you are at this moment.

With every breath; die with the past, surrender to the future, and awaken to the sound of your present heartbeat.

The beauty of life lies in the simplest of things. You don’t have to feel obligated to write a list filled with material goals that you maniacally have to achieve at a certain point in your future life. The main goal of today could be to simply get back to yourself, to find your own power. To feel happy and alive, and to understand that your true strength always stems from within. To seek out the smallest, yet the most precious, things in life; like waking up with a smile on your beautiful face, with compassion and trust within your heart, and power and strength within your soul.

The best way to light up yourself is to light up another human being. Understand that you’re not alone, and that we were put on this earth to serve each other. Help each other. To love a little more. To love a little deeper.

You’re not walking this path alone, although at times you might feel complete loneliness haunting your body. You’re not lost, and you’re not alone. You’re exactly where you need to be. There are 7,5 billion humans on earth, and this number does not include the animals, the dogs.

Your heart might be locked, in order for you to protect it from further damage, but trust me, you’re not alone. Dare to open your heart again, if just for a few seconds. Breathe a tiny amount of air into it, and little by little while you sense your breath, you’ll see just how far it will expand. Give your heart your fullest attention, your fullest support, and it will provide you with everything you’ll ever need.

Life. It will present you with life.

❤

Linda

 

Let yourself be

Let yourself be subject to heavy tear-fall, like the rainforest of Amazon.

Let yourself bloom, like an early spring day.

Let yourself rest, like the ground underneath the softest, lightest crystal snow.

Let yourself sparkle in all your true colors, like the golden sun during sunset.

Let yourself be carried by your strength, like the winds of a tornado.

Let yourself be still, like the dawn of a new day.

Let yourself trust in new beginnings, like the birth of a new season.

Let yourself speak up, like thunder and lightning.

Let yourself grow, like the tiniest seed.

Let yourself feed others with life and inspiration, like the greenest, thickest forest.

Let yourself be limitless, like the midnight sky filled with stars.

Let yourself breathe in all your beauty, your true authenticity,

while being open to the abundance flowing within you,

like me,

each and every newborn day.

– words by nature

 

October intentions

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”Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”

– Lao Tzu

Every once in a while it’s good to take a seat in the passenger seat, and take time to reflect; catch up on your thoughts, behaviours, intentions and goals. Writing down clear intentions in the beginning of each month is a great way to tap into yourself, your wants and desires. After declaring your monthly intentions you’re ready to take inspired action. If you commit to your intentions by taking aligned action, you’ll likely end up where you want to go (or somewhere even better). 

”Vivid as the ocean, infinite as the sky, colourful as the leaves go by. Take a glimpse at nature, a glimpse at the stars; remember, your true power is always found within, and beneath, your scars.”

 

1. Patience

(is also a form of action)

”Just let it naturally evolve”

Or like Buddha once said; ”Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life.” Show gratitude for what you have, for where you are at the exact moment. It might not be your most desired state of being, however, refusing the present moment won’t make you feel any better. Accept where you are; the good and the bad. Know that everything will happen in its time. Have patience. Trust the process, and most importantly trust yourself.

You might be feeling stuck, or experiencing the same things happening over and over again. If you found yourself stuck in a rut try changing things up – learn a new subject, speak to strangers, try out a new hobby -do something unfamiliar, something that makes you feel all excited again. If you constantly follow the same routines and thought patterns you most likely will end up where you’ve always been. Challenge yourself, challenge your thoughts. Both meditation and yoga are great ways practising patience.

Never give up on yourself. By practising patience you drizzle yourself with compassion.

 

2. Be aware of your thoughts

”I am the master of this moment; what I seek I already am.”

When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. These are powerful words. Only you have the power to change your thoughts. You can change them right now, right this very second. When you notice there’s a negative thought pattern floating around in your mind – simply become aware of its presence, thank it for showing up, and then choose to let it go.

Holding on to old grudges, pain and limiting beliefs will only make you suffer more. Sometimes holding on to old belief-systems might seem convenient and safe (how stupid that might sound). However, all things new and unknown might be scary at first; even adopting new thoughts, since they might feel so foreign and weird. Even here it’s important to practise patience. Don’t punish yourself for having negative thoughts – simply be aware of them, and make the decision to let them dissolve into thin air. Don’t let them take over -you posses the power to let them go.

 

3. An abundance mindset

”I say yes to abundance in all its forms.”

To choose an abundant mindset is to be aware that there are plenty of love, money, success and opportunities for all of us in this life. When your neighbour receives good news it doesn’t mean that there’s less for you. There’s enough for everyone to go by. With an ”everything is possible” attitude you’ll notice that small miracles can happen each and every day.

When you let abundance flow through you, you’ll notice how effortlessly it flows to you. The more you give, the more you receive – that’s how the law of attraction works. Show gratitude, kindness and compassion; and these things will begin to show up more and more in your daily life. Practise showing kindness to the people that are mean to you, or that treat you wrong – most likely they are the once that need it the most.

 

4. Let calm be your superpower

”Self-control is strength. Right thought is mastery. Calmness is power.”

Choosing to stay calm in a situation that otherwise would have made you panicky and restless is a tremendous way to practise taking back your power.

Becoming anxious and nervous in a stressful situation has a lot to do with our biology; the body taps into the fight or flight mode, in other words the sympathetic nervous system is activated when we are faced with high-arousal situations. The fight or flight response allows the body access to energy reserves so it might fight off a threat or run away to safety (Psychology, Openstax University, s. 87-88).

It’s clear that such a response would be critical for our ancestors, who lived in a world full of real physical threats, however many of the stressful situations we face today are more psychological in nature. For example you might become stressful when you have to stand up and make a speech in front of your co-workers or before an important job interview. You’re in no real physical danger in these situations, however, you’ve evolved to respond to any perceived threat with the fight or flight response. If you’re constantly faced with psychological threats (persistent and repeated exposure to stressful situations) you’ll suffer negative health consequences, such as impaired function of the immune system. While the sympathetic nervous system is involved in preparing the body for stress-related activities, the parasympathetic nervous system is associated with returning the body back to its day-to-day operations (Psychology, Openstax University, s. 87-88).

Practising calmness is therefore easier said than done. However, with awareness you’ll become better at handling stressful situations – breath calmly, be present and stay focused. Don’t let your mind wander to places where the worst-case-scenario is put on repeat. Practising being mindful in the moment will have great advantages when you found yourself in a high-arousal situation.

 

5. Your health is your greatest wealth

”My body is there for me every day, keeping me alive and healthy. I show it my deepest appreciation.”

Your body is not immortal. It’s not a machine that will go on and on without being taken care of. Treat your body with respect – show it kindness and compassion. Fuel it with healthy energy; don’t deprive yourself of food, and don’t over-eat. Strive to find the perfect equilibrium for you and your body. 

Remember your body needs movement; stretch your muscles, go for long walks in nature, break a sweat at the gym. Aim at 10,000 steps a day. Be grateful for your body, and all that it was born to do. If you’re lucky and have two legs – be grateful for being able to walk. If you’re lucky and have two arms – be grateful for being able to hold your child or pet, type on a computer, make art or carry the groceries from the food store. Be grateful for being alive.

 

With that being said – it’s not what you do; it’s how you feel. Focus on high vibe feelings such as positivity, love and gratitude. Have faith in yourself and the future. Amazing things will happen as soon as you allow them to happen – be prepared, be open to receiving the abundance that is already flowing within your reach.

Practise patience. Don’t force things to happen; life will unfold as it’s meant to unfold.

 

❤

Linda