Month: March 2015

Make decisions through Love

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Loving ourselves is the first and most important step towards personal development and growth. Spending time with and by ourselves, observing and understanding the landscape of our hearts and minds isn’t egotistical or self-centred, but instead a very selfless act of love and kindness. Because by knowing and working on ourselves – exploring our strengths and weaknesses, dealing with and letting go of past sufferings and future expectations, nurturing and feeding our minds and souls with self-love and compassion – we can become our best possible selves. Better equipped to love and thrive and therefore benefitting everyone we come into contact with. 8 Steps to Self-Love – Choose Grateful. Be grateful for who you are and what makes you unique. Start each day focusing on the good stuff, don’t automatically reach for your phone but instead take a moment to feel gratitude. Practice Contemplation. Whether through meditation, prayer or simply gazing at the stars in wonder. Learn to be quiet and let your soul speak. Be Honest. If we can’t be honest with ourselves, there’s little hope …

It’s World Poetry Day!

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Poetry is a wonderful form of expression and creative outlet, uniting nations with common humanity. In celebration of World Poetry Day, I wanted to share one of my favourite poem with you all. What’s yours? If by Rudyard Kipling If you can keep your head when all about you     Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,     But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,     Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,     And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:   If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;     If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster     And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken     Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your …

The Mindfulness Revolution

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No doubt you’ve heard the word Mindfulness being thrown around a lot recently, it’s the Number One wellbeing buzzword and everyone from Ruby Wax to Goldie Hawn is singing its praises. But what is Mindfulness and why is it so beneficial? In essence, Mindfulness is purposefully paying attention and being aware in the present moment. Intentionally observing (but not clinging onto) your thoughts and feelings without judgement. This can be experienced at any moment, in any situation, but is best practised in a quiet room without distractions. Meditation is a great way to begin learning the Art of Mindfulness, just 10 minutes every day (preferably at the same time each morning) can make a big difference. What does Mindfulness actually do? Mindfulness improves focus and levels of concentration. Two incredibly important skills in this information age when we’re continually bombarded with enormous amounts of information and endless digital distractions. Mindfulness provides clarity of thought. In essence, once you slow down your mind and begin to understand the landscape of your thoughts and feelings in more …

The Pros and Cons of Technology

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Computers and smartphones have revolutionised the way we live, allowing 24/7 access to emails, social media and a world of endless information. We’re better connected and more efficient than ever before but without realising it, we are also suffering from dependency, social isolation and neglecting our mental health. I started writing Technotox to raise awareness of the control modern technology has on each of our lives. To encourage a more mindful and disciplined approach to our time spent online, and to offer tips for a happier and healthier offline life, with more meaning and fulfilment. The Advantages of Technology Medical advancement and discovery A world of information at our fingertips allows easy learning and knowledge building Improved communication Better connected – allows us to keep in touch with friends and family wherever we are Improved productivity More cost efficient  The Disadvantages of Technology Dependency and addiction. More time online means less time for personal development, exploration and creativity. We are becoming less in tune with our instincts and inner voice Decreased creativity now that everything from calculations to drawings can …

4 ways to conquer negative thought

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We all experience negative thoughts – be they fleeting or circling patterns of misery, they are almost always uninvited and can affect everything from our close relationships to work life, depleting energy stores and exhausting our productivity. The same destructive neural pathways are visited, patterns emerge and habits are formed. Often there appears to be no escape. We will accept the wave of negativity and some even learn to relish in it, feeling increasingly sorry for themselves and becoming more and more isolated from reality. The good news is, with a little effort and discipline we can learn to break these patterns. Thoughts are just thoughts, they are not fact or reality. We have thousands upon thousands of them every day – random, creative, bizarre thoughts and just because we have them, doesn’t make them an accurate reflection of the way things are.   Choose Sunny Whatever the weather forecast for your inner world, unlike the outer world, we do have control over our minds. Our thoughts and moods can be influenced and we can …