Well my, oh my it’s the 20th day of 2018 already and we’re past the half way mark for the first month of the new year.
I wanted to stop by and say ‘hello’ as I have always loved sharing my thoughts with you here. Last year was an incredibly busy one for me where my routine needed to be re-aligned with my priorities, looking after my mother, attending to my wonderful clients and of course making time to nurture myself and see to my family too.
This year things will be a little different, I have lots to share with you in the coming weeks which I’m super excited about but for today I just wanted to focus on this thing called ‘time.’
How often do we find ourselves saying, ‘I haven’t got time… for this … or for that?’ I have certainly said this many a time. We can’t possibly always manage to achieve everything we set out to achieve, and let’s face it there’s no point beating ourselves up over it. The question is, ‘how are we spending our time and are we doing it at the expense of the things that mean the most to us in our lives?’
It’s when we begin to continually feel weighed down and frustration kicks in as all that we set out to accomplish hasn’t been ticked off our list that we need reconsider our ways and take action – ‘continually’ being the operative word here…
Deepak Chopra, a world renowned guru in the world of mindfulness describes this as ‘Time Sickness’ irrespective of whether we’re under achieving or meeting our goals – he says that either way we’re caught in a trap, a time trap and it’s not a healthy way to be.
Why? Because we have become the victims of our own mind. Modern day living has taken time to an extreme. We’re constantly watching the clock and racing – racing against our own ‘self created expectations and impositions.’
How often do you find yourself speeding from one task to another or one place to another without any respite in between?
Perhaps one of these signs ring bells with you?
- You experience moments when you feel as if you’re losing your mind frantically searching for your car keys only to realise that they’ve been in your hand all along
- Or you pick up a cup from a kitchen cupboard without consciously looking at what you’re doing, only to find that you’ve knocked another one down and smashed it in the process?
- Maybe you’re having a conversation face to face or by phone while texting only to discover that neither makes sense!
I’ve been there, done that and perhaps at some stage you have too, but do you see what I’m getting at?
Jon Kabat-zinn, an American Professor of Medicine Emeritus and a creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School says that mindfulness is a gateway in to the full dimensionality of being human and alive.
How wonderful is that, he describes it as a gateway in to the full dimensionality of being human and alive and without it, he says that we are missing out.
He continues by saying that
‘If you missed the look in your child’s eyes, then you’ve missed it
If you’ve missed the look in your lover’s eyes the next day, then you’ve missed that
If you’ve missed the beauty of sitting under the trees, you’ve missed that too
If you add the many moments over a number of years then you may end up missing
the most wonderful moments of your life
Who are you going to blame for that?
Who tells us that we don’t have time … when all we have got is time
… and this forms the essence of living a fully awakened life’
If you’re already beginning to feel that January is racing by, the remains of last years’ to do list is beginning to weigh you down, the loved ones you want to be with you haven’t had time for, the exercise you planned to do but haven’t quite got round to starting, then it may be time to press the pause button and take time out to align yourself with the adjustments you are choosing to create in 2018.
Think about areas of your life you can tweak, for example, can you cut back on the time you’re spending on work brought home, or on minutes that turn in to hours on social media or repetitive household chores that can wait?
Replace what you’ve identified with a more self-nurturing routine at set times of the day in order to create new habits.
The reassuring thing is as Deepak says that time sickness can be cured because we created it.
Why am I talking about this? You see, here’s the thing, there is a huge correlation with what’s going on in our mind with what’s being reflected in our bodies, both good and bad.
When we experience acute symptoms like a fever or a cold, it’s tangible and we all know how to address this easily and get over our symptoms. But here’s the thing, inflammation is the product of constant low grade stress year in year out which may lead to no obvious symptoms in the short term, but if allowed to accumulate over a long period of time it leads to a weakened immune system which in turn leads to chronic health conditions such as cardiovascular conditions, hormonal imbalances, auto-immune conditions and much more …
In reality there are many factors to consider – work, social, family and financial pressures are high in the 21st century.
All the more reason why we need to maintain our inner high vibe by attending to our well-being daily before we become entrenched in life’s vicious cycle.
So here I’ve outlined some thoughts to help you do the inner work and manage and shift the paradigm so that you find your flow and get back on to the pedestal of your life.
Create awareness
Make time to pause and become aware of your thoughts … and remember that you are not your thoughts. By becoming the observer of your thoughts you will become aware of that constant nagging voice. This awareness allows you to resist being dragged down by it and remain in control. You can choose to turn down the volume of your ‘false self’ and tune in to the awareness of your soul, your higher self, instinct, intuition, spiritual GPS whatever you prefer to call it, as once you begin following this you will take control, elevate your thinking and feel empowered to move forward.
Strip away the old conditioning in order to bring in the new
Break free from your past conditioning and live in the now by bringing your attention to your present reality – not the past and not the future and notice what you are thinking and feeling right now in this moment. A good way to start this process is by bringing your attention to your breath.
Release the mindset that time is running out
Instead align yourself with time and see it as an expanse there for you to embrace and take advantage of. It’s unlimited, it’s vast and there is so much potential for you to achieve what you are aiming for.
Create new healthy habits
The more we put off making changes the more entrenched we become. Habits turn in to physical pathways in the brain which lead to greater balance, control and success in life. Think about the new habits you want to introduce in to your life each day that will enhance your wellbeing.
Align yourself with time not against it
Decide what you value and dedicate yourself to doing it with focus and commitment. When you’re being present you’ll stop feeling burdened with indecision as in the present moment there is only clarity … being present is about getting real.
Establish a healthy relationship with sleep
Calm and centred rest is the easiest and most cost effective method to reset your biorhythms. Biologically sleep renews the mind and body by reducing fatigue and mental and physical impairment. It is the most naturally healing period of the 24 hour cycle. During the various stages of sleep the brain clears chemical debris which allows us to function more efficiently during the day.
Be in contact with the most important people in your life everyday
Whether this is in person, by phone or by other means. By engaging with life in a more skilfull way we are reclaiming our power to deal with things before they get out of hand.
Focus on fulfilling conversations
When you’re having conversations throughout the day, listen and speak and engage with intent. This leads to fulfilling meaningful conversations that cut out the frustration of not being seen, heard and understood.
Finally consider meditating
Meditation is possibly the second most powerful healing therapy after sleep and there’s more and more research available to prove this. The inward time of meditating helps us balance the chemicals in the brain, heal the mind and body.
Some will say that they simply can’t sit still and do that, well a good place to start is to sit and simply focus on the breath, close your eyes and inhale for five counts hold for five and exhale out for five counts, commit to doing this for 2 minutes then gradually increase and notice your whole attention focus on your breath, then repeat. Notice how your breathing slows down and you become more still.
Simply align yourself with time and make it your friend, make it your healer
Allow yourself to breathe in and reflect on what each stage of your life has taught you. Celebrate what you have overcome and who you are today.
It’s time to own your creative genius in 2018 and shift the paradigm… consider time as the vast ocean of opportunity that allows you to tap in your own unlimited power so that you can design the life you desire.
So, next time you find that inner voice distressing you over the day to day rigmarole of life or challenges you with, ‘What have I achieved in my life so far?’ just remember, you are timelessness, you are expansive, you are everything you are meant to be right now and more …
… and finally the priorities I had last year are still there, nothing has changed, if anything they’re growing, but probably the biggest shift that transpires for me personally, is the greater inner work I’ve committed to do on myself.
Here’s to your amazing health and life in 2018 and beyond. Remember, the best is yet to come!
See you again soon!
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