Monday, November 30, 2015

Music Soothes the Soul

Music Soothes the Soul
(See Jeffery Thompson, Jonathan Goldman, Steven Halpern, Tom Kenyon, & others)

Take time out to listen to music designed to help you 
heal and transform from the inside out.

Plug in and let the music do the work.



Notice what happens to your attitude and your choices now.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

What Are You Choosing?

What Are You Choosing?
(See Science of Mind by Earnest Holmes)


 We always have the opportunity to come from choice.
With so much going on around the planet at this moment in time we must ask ourselves: 

"Am I being swept up in the outer vibrational frequency and the collective unconsciousness 
or standing firm in the Law of Individual Selection, knowing God is my Source?”


Know that we all have the power to choose.  
We can choose the way we think, the way we act and the way we react or respond. 
This is the "Law of Individual Selection" at work in your world.
What are you choosing now?

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Journaling for Transformation

Journaling for Transformation

HERE's a short video of this strategy.
Becoming more authentic and aware of what we are thinking and feeling requires change. 

Change takes work and it is through self-examination and reflection that we can make sense of the situations we face and information we access. 

Journaling just 20 minutes daily has many positive benefits; if you want to use it to tackle a difficult situation you’re now facing, try the following approach:


Use the “What? So What? Now What?” Model (Driscoll, 1994) 
of exploring the events of your life to access the wisdom of the connection between your head and your heart:



What? = What happened? What was the event that you experienced? What did someone say or do?

So What? = How did the situation/event affect you? What thoughts/feelings/reactions are you left with? What else does this remind you of?

Now What? = Focusing on your actions/beliefs/feelings, if you could replay the event/situation, what would you change? What did you learn? What was the good that came from this?

Handling the Inner Critic

Handling the Inner Critic 
(And the Inner Conflict!)

We all have inner chatter -- various "voices" or parts of ourselves giving advice and direction at any given moment. Sometimes the inner critic just goes too far in its urging, though, and another part of us rises to argue with it.


Here's a quick process for quieting the inner critic in the moment, followed by a more in-depth process for handling the source of it.


Process #1

Step 1
Once you become aware of the critical inner voice, say (either within yourself or out loud, depending on where you are), "STOP!"

Step 2

Make a list of your positive qualities. Aim for at least 3. If you can't think of them easily, then maybe imagining what a close friend would say they like about you.

For example, someone I worked with recently said,

I'm adventuresome. 
I'm hard-working. 
I have great friendships.

Step 3

Tell the inner critic this:
Even though I feel this way, I also know I'm... 
[fill in with the list you made from step 2].

For example:
Even though I feel scared and don't feel confident about leaving my fiancĂ©, and I don't want to have these feelings, maybe I could start to make peace with what is happening. It's ok for me to want to protect myself and keep myself safe. I'm learning to trust myself more and more.

You're meeting the inner critic from another angle instead of arguing with it. 

(Just as in our relationships with others, no one really "wins" an argument!)



Notice what happens when you stop arguing 
with the inner critic.

Process #2

Step 1
Similar to step 1 above, say (either within yourself or out loud, depending on where you are), "STOP!" Then, LISTEN to what each side of the inner argument has to say. Write down what is happening within yourself.

Step 2

Often each side of the inner conflict has an unmet need* that it's trying to bring to your attention. This step might take a little exploration or you might already KNOW what the needs are. 

Here are some examples of needs we humans have:

Appreciation          Adventure          Belonging
To be believed in          Challenge          Creativity
Competence          Love          For protection
Safety          Power          Expression
Support          Acceptance          Connection/Community
To be heard          Respect/Respected          To be seen
Understood          Valued

*NOTE: there may be more than one need that isn't being met. Keep it simple and focus on just one at a time.


Step 3

Decide how you will meet the need. It could be as simple as giving yourself permission to have it! 

For example, you might say,

It's ok to want.... Right now, I'm choosing to do.... instead.

Or


I see now that I have a need to be valued AND I have a need to feel safe. I wonder how I can do both right now?



What happens when you stop arguing 
with yourself and find out what's at the bottom of it?