Be your own cheerleader

3 ways to enjoy the magic of a new day

~ Nicky M ~ Leave a comment
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Photo via freeimages

April is still a mere infant and the sun has made an appearance this week – not bad for a school holiday!

I get excited at the prospect of a new day – fresh, clean, untouched yet by misery and full of promise. Often, we plod through the day on auto pilot not noticing the magic nor enjoying the marvel that is. Too frequently we get caught up in the mundane and forget to be grateful for what we have.

Here are my top 3 ways to ensure you get the most out of your 24 hours:

Listen to your body

What is it telling you? Do you need a day of hard work and focus, to get stuff done or do you need to unplug and relax?

Whether you want a day to yourself, a day to connect (or reconnect) with friends and family, a day spent clearing your to-do list or some time fully emerged in projects to stay ahead of the game. Listen to what your body is saying it wants to do. If your days are free, great – carve out some time to do what you need. However, if you have commitments – start with just an hour. It’s so easy to get caught up in the rat race, to lose track of what we want to do because we’re so focused on what we think we need to do.

I was lucky enough recently to have a whole day to myself – and it was just what I needed. I was feeling burnt out and needed some quiet time to clear my head. I decided to spend it doing lots of little things just for me – mini spa treatments in my bathroom, healthy lunch, a leisurely walk, bought myself flowers, drank wine while I read…you get the idea. I listened to my body and knew I needed some down time, time spent in the present not focusing on the past or worrying about things yet to come.

Action: Give yourself the gift of time.

Have a plan

Decide what needs to be accomplished and write it down, preferably the night before. List your priorities. I’m a lover of lists (in case you didn’t know) as you don’t have to hold all that extra information in your brain once it’s on the paper.

Set your intentions for the day and decide how you are going to spend your time. Break large jobs up into smaller tasks and have regular breaks. Going for a short walk, drinking water, being distracted for 10 minutes can aid increased focus and clearer thinking. Reward yourself – complete a monotonous or difficult task first, then do something a little more fun, creative or easy. Don’t focus on all you have yet to complete – just the things you are getting done. Sometimes things don’t go to plan and we have to exercise our flexibility bone – hey it happens to the best of us. Let go, move on and congratulate yourself on the things you did do – amazingly, I’m sure.

Action: Plan for what you would like to accomplish today

See each day as having potential 

It’s a new start, a clean slate, 24 hours of brand spanking newness.

Don’t ponder on yesterday. That’s over. Look forward with anticipation at what the day may bring. Start the day believing it could be great, with your glass half full, that the universe is working with you not against you.

When the sun shines, I always feel the day seems to have a lightness about it. This in turn seems to encourage a lightness in my heart as if the rays from the sun are pouring their warmth and love into all things living, creating a day filled with positvity and happiness. People seem happier, they comment on the weather and how much nicer it is when the sun’s out.

What if you could recreate this feeling just by choosing to make it so? To look for the magic in the new day, the friendly faces, to see the good stuff, the endless possibilities, the lessons to be learned, opportunities to be had, new memories to be made? What if you showed up today expecting the day to be amazing and focused on the potential it could hold?

Action: Be open to the possibilities of having a fabulous day

We all have the same 24 hours in a day (except Beyonce, obviously) – how we view them though is unique to us. Make it work for you, be productive, have some fun, find the balance.

Every. Single. Day.

Do you have anything nice to say?

~ Nicky M ~ 3 Comments

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 “If you don’t have anything nice to say…don’t say anything at all”

I overheard someone berating a child on how to speak to others recently.

It is quite true actually. We shouldn’t speak unless it’s kind, ‘all things with love’ and all that.

But lately, I’m wondering about this.

I wonder what percentage of our thoughts and words about ourselves are positive?

I wonder how often we gravitate towards the ‘this will never happen’ thought rather than the ‘why would it not’?

I wonder how often we reprimand ourselves for something we didn’t do well instead of praising ourselves for a job well done?

I wonder how often we compare ourselves to someone prettier, cleverer, taller, slimmer rather than celebrating our uniqueness?

I wonder how much of our time is spent wishful thinking instead of practising gratitude for what we have?

I wonder when people pay us compliments, how often do we brush them off instead of a simple smile and ‘thank you’?

A clever lady once said, “You become your thoughts”.

If this is true – what are you becoming?

Start to notice your thoughts and whether they are mostly positive or negative.

Catch yourself speaking negatively about yourself (out loud or in your mind) and tell yourself ‘STOP’ then re-frame it into something positive.

You don’t have to think every thought that pops into your head.

 

What would it take for your soul to sing?

~ Nicky M ~ 3 Comments
how do you want to feel
photo by freeimages

 

Radical thought, I know – I mean I’m guessing no one has ever asked you that before!

When I have a day where I haven’t experienced any magic, found any joy or felt much love it’s what I ask myself.

What would your day look like if you only made choices that were in line with what your soul desired and how different would your life be if your motivation was to create experiences that fitted in with these desires?

We are driven by deadlines, pressured by the media and spend most of ours days trying to prove our worth whilst comparing ourselves to the person next to us.

But what if you already believed you were enough?

What if, instead of running around like a headless chicken, you completed one job at a time allowing yourself to celebrate the achievements of a job well done? What if, rather than rushing onto the next purchase you spent time enjoying what you already owned? What if, next time you’re feeling bored by the day to day, you delighted in the detail and noticed opportunities for gratitude and learning?

I began to think about this and narrowed down how I would like to feel each day – contented, happy, excited, fulfilled, connected, grounded. Next I wondered what I would need to do to manifest these feelings without doing anything too radical. This wasn’t a fantasy imagine your perfect day exercise. This was a series of small actions that I could incorporate into my day easily. This was what I came up with:

~ laughing out loud ~ smiles ~ good coffee ~ gratitude ~ learn something new ~ music ~ a hug ~ creativity ~ engaging conversations ~ a quiet space ~ to feel inspired ~ glitter ~ self love ~ enough sleep ~ a hug ~ seeing something beautiful ~ family & friends ~ fresh air ~ exercise ~ books ~ remembering I am enough ~ self love ~ a project to work on ~ gift giving ~ time alone ~ something to look forward to ~ 

“Not an impossible list”, I thought after I’d finished. None of the items on my list were expensive or particularly time consuming. I’d surprised myself by realising I probably did most of these things sporadically – I just needed to do them more regularly.

What would your soul tell you if you listened to it? How would you like to feel each day? What experiences would generate these feelings?

I ask myself every morning how I want to feel. Then I make sure I do at least one thing from my list.

This is me listening to my soul. 

I am not apologising!

~ Nicky M ~ 2 Comments

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Were the words I heard recently, fiercely announced from behind a display of breakfast cereal.

A harassed looking woman was clearly trying to be ‘Super Nanny’ in the middle of a busy supermarket on a wet Saturday afternoon…unsuccessfully I might add. I gave her one of those sympathetic ‘we’ve all been there’ smiles of encouragement as I passed by.

There are times when I wish I could be that child, stamp my feet, hold my ground and not apologise for something I did or didn’t do.

How many times has someone bumped into you and you apologised, even though it wasn’t your fault?

How often do you fail to meet deadlines and apologise, even though the target was unrealistic in the first place?

How frequently have you felt taken advantage of, and apologised for your less than stellar performance, when you really didn’t want to do it in the first place?

I wonder how many of us fail to speak up when something clearly is amiss?

How many of us feel guilty for loving something even though it may be seen as not age appropriate, lady-like or not what everyone else is doing?

How many of us do things because we feel we should?

I’m guessing quite a few of us.

We receive pressure from many areas of our lives. The stresses and strains clear on many of our faces.

These pressures can leave us feeling guilty for choosing to spend time doing what we enjoy, acting a certain way or wanting things to be different.

“Let’s be proud of the quirky, sometimes inappropriate little things we do that excite us, make us smile and just make the day a whole lot easier to get through!”

I am not apologising for wearing red lipstick every day 💋 frowning when people forget their manners 💋 listening to heavy metal 💋 saying no when I need to 💋 going to bed before 9 o’clock 💋 lighting candles for no reason 💋 drinking too much coffee 💋 asking for clarity when I don’t understand the question 💋 not being able to drive 💋 nor speak a second language 💋 needing a hug every day 💋 thinking motorbikes are sexy 💋 buying heels I can’t walk in 💋 reading teenage fiction 💋 ignoring the telephone 💋 buying handbags I will never use 💋 not ironing…the list could go on and on.

This is who I am right now.

These are the things that make me, me and I’m going to continue to do them for as long as necessary.

Let’s all take a minute to release our inner four year old (tantrum optional) and share some of the little day to day things we feel passionately enough about that we’re not going to stop doing for anyone.

In your journey of self discovery, what are you not apologising for?

Nicky xo

 

Seven ways to bring a little positivity into work

~ Nicky M ~ 1 Comment

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It’s one of those days where you are surrounded by colleagues who seem intent on letting you know just how bad their life is, whilst simultaneously consuming all the good vibes in the room.

Don’t misunderstand me, I’m a good listener and always have an ear available for someone who needs it. I’m talking about the people whose glass is never half full and always, always have a drama they need to tell you about!

If you’ve encountered these lovely folks at any time you know how exhausting, boring and down right annoying they can be. You might even find you become less like your cheerful self the more time you spend around them.

Firstly, remember everyone is on a journey. From time to time we all have stuff on our mind and in our lives and sometimes we have to accept it is what it is. Depending on how much time and energy this requires, our stores can become more depleted than usual.

“It’s not the trek that smothers our spirit but the toughness of the terrain”

I said that.

Secondly, instead of focusing on the negatives look for the positives. Search out ways to improve someone’s day and in turn it will lift your spirits.

Here’s seven ideas to introduce a little positivity in your workplace:

💛 Smile every time you greet someone – it’s contagious!

💛 Grab a drink for someone else whilst making yours – always appreciated

💛 Compliment someone on a job well done – even if it’s their job!

💛 Offer a listening ear to someone who you feel needs one

💛 Give someone your undivided attention over lunch

💛 Bring in goodies for your colleagues – anonymously is always fun!

💛 Put a motivational quote on the mirror in the ladies bathroom – guaranteed to be seen

Pick one that you could do this week.

Just one small change might be all you need to help someone (and yourself) smile a little more at work..

Be known for your positivity and sparkle. Leave a shimmering trail wherever you go.