Outside the Zone of Comfort

Tales of the unexpected!

I went to a networking event on Friday 24th June at Bailbrook House Hotel (stunning grounds). It was good for a number of reasons:

• The participants all had a stand to display what they offered(so much better than just swanning around hoping to talk to someone interesting)
• Those participants with services had the opportunity to do 'freebie' taster sessions

There was bread being baked, crepes you could make yourself, cocktails shaken & stirred in the midst of education products, hand massages, jewellery and a whole range of other wonderful things. It made for a really fun atmosphere.

I was there to promote my business and also to help the event organiser - a little bit of hostessing goes a long way! And so there I was interacting and mingling when the announcement came for the next main demo... belly dancing!

One of the students from a local dance school was going to perform a short belly dancing routine and she wanted some of the audience to step up and be her 'students'. As always, you could see people melting into the walls and to the back of the room. So I decided to go a different route... straight up to the front, bag down and ready for action! My view; I was either going to make an absolute fool of myself or really enjoy the music and the opportunity! I opted for the latter...

And as always with these things once one person steps up a few more follow. So there we were, 3 students for the student, shimmying, figure 8 hip swirling and I don't know what else. It was great, we laughed and some real female bonding took place!

So what's the big deal? Well, far too often we are 'fearful' to step outside the norm, we are concerned about what others will think, we dislike the thought of not being able to do something well and so we don't do the things we want to. This little dancing session wasn't planned, I certainly wasn't dressed for the occasion but so what? Taking part created laughter and coming away from the event with a fun memory was priceless. Do I need to worry what individuals thought of me? I don't think so!

What are the things you would love to do but don't for fear of being mocked or for feeling uncomfortable? Do you really plan to live the rest of your life that way? Again, I don't think so!

Get outside of your zone of comfort, have fun, live fully and kick regret into touch!

Love Blissfully

YvonneB

“Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin!"
ANONYMOUS

“Life is not measured by the number of breathes we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.."
ANONYMOUS

Latest research says autonomy and freedom more important than money http://ow.ly/5i2rQ

A smile in the midst of a troubled world http://t.co/9StWzSg

Health Warning: Stress Can Sink Your Dreams

Do you ever have one of 'those days' (or weeks or months) that seem to bring a multitude of news you really don't want?

Well, I had one of 'those days' last week and I have to say I felt tired, worn down and stressed out, quite an unusual experience for me. Of course my first thought at the end of that day was 'What have I been focusing on or thinking about?' This is usually where I go to get my answers when things aren't coming together because I believe what I am focused on is what I manifest.

And true to my thinking I was able to see cracks in my usually positive mindset and through those cracks doubt had leaked in to dampen my sunny disposition and my dreams! Ah, the power of a thought...

So from being sunny side up with total faith in what I do I went into a mini meltdown but when I got through the other side I wondered how people coped with being in that space on a regular basis. I experienced it over a 24 hour period but what's it like over a week, a month? How do you motivate yourself to get up and do anything? How do you sleep at night with the constant pressure of dread, worry or concern?

From my point of view stress can and probably will sink your dreams... if you allow it to. There is a need to be able to deal with a degree of stress from time to time but it is your responsibility to change your mindset in order to reduce its frequency and its affect. If stress is about your reaction to a situation then clearly you have to learn how to react differently. And yes, it is possible even if it doesn't seem it in the moment.

So when stressed, ask yourself:

• What is it that is weighing me down?
• What do I need to do about it? Action is key!
• Who can help me (if required)?
• How can I better manage my reaction in the future?
• What is the feeling of stress stopping me from achieving and doing?
• Am I okay with that? (and that should be a no!) 

Getting past stressful situations allows you to refocus on the things that are truly important to you so never stick your head in the sand in the hope the problem will go away, deal with it! This will help you become more solution focused and allow you to move on. 

Don't let your dreams sink - you deserve so much more!

Live Blissfully
YvonneB

Happy Father's Day!

Making The Best Use of Your Time

Are you making the best use of your time? Or do you feel as if there are never enough hours in the day?

As a long distance commuter (when I have to travel to clients) I often spend time pre-travel deciding how I am going to utilise my train journey. If I know that I have at least one hour each way I know that I can do plenty! I'll always pack a book or my copy of Success Magazine (probably the best magazine on the planet!), my laptop so that I can access documents if needs be, and a list of any tasks that I have been wanting to do but that haven't been important enough to make it onto the daily 'must do' list.

With no distractions it is amazing just how much I can accomplish in that time. Where I once would wonder how I was going to get everything done that I wanted to, I would realise that I was on top of everything. This has now become a habitual way of travelling although I do allow time to just admire the scenery... Love Mother Nature!

So what about you? Where are you 'losing out' on time? Are you spending more time in front of the TV in the evening than you really need or want to? (Seriously, it is amazing how your intention to just watch TV for an hour can suddenly become 3 or 4) Are you spending endless hours on the phone 'gossiping'? Maybe you get up at 8am but could, if you were willing to make the most of your time, get up at 7am... that alone would give you 5 more hours per working week to do the things that would help move you forward.

And the time gained might not be for work, it might be for getting fit, writing 'that' book, spending some 'communication time' with the ones you love... just about anything.

If you really are keen on seeing how you spend your time you might want to visit Rescue Time. But beware... it may well reveal some time sucking habits you didn't want to acknowledge!

On the other hand you might just realise that you could be making better use of your time...

Live Blissfully

YvonneB

Those at the top of the mountain didn't fall there...
Author Unknown

Learning to live a blissful life!: One Step At A Time... http://ow.ly/5aMzv

One Step At A Time...

I'm gearing myself up for a summer of fitness! There is nothing I enjoy more than a morning run through the countryside to get my brain into gear. And this morning was no exception.

I had set my target of 4 miles, knowing where that would take me to and roughly how long it would take. I plugged in my headset, found my favourite tune list and got into stride. There I was jogging along, one minute taking in my surroundings and the next looking down at the ground. I was watching how one foot after the other made impact before leaving the ground to go airborne only to strike it again a moment later. It got me thinking...

Isn't this like the goals you set yourself? You know the desired outcome, the vision you have created and you get yourself prepared for the journey -the kit and resources. Then finally you get into action, completing one task at a time to get you to the vision.

And I think that, that is the key to achieving your goals; the one step at a time rule. So often you get caught up in trying to do everything at once until you have totally exhausted yourself or totally lost sight of where you were going. Watching that one step that you are currently taking helps you to stay in the 'now', focused on what you are doing and achieving in the moment.

What’s the bonus of being in the ‘now’? You get to appreciate the one thing you have done, you can express gratitude for having the resources to do it and you can confirm your ability to get you to where you ultimately want to go. 

So worry less about the size of the step and focus more on taking one step at a time... it will get you to where you want to go.

Live Blissfully

YvonneB

Like attracts like. Whatever the conscious mind thinks and believes, the subconscious identically creates.
Brian Adams

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.
A Einstein

The jump is so frightening between where I am & where I want to be. Because of all I may become, I will close my eyes & leap.
M A Radmacher