The Answers are Within You
Posted on: May 13, 2013
Clients often come to me when they are facing major decisions or charting new territory in their lives. They seem to be in dilemma and unsure of what to do, but I know the answers are already there.
The pattern is that their hearts make a suggestion and then fear tries to shut it down. So, they go mental. They think and think and think. They gather data and facts and ask friends and colleagues. They seek the answers outside of themselves.
Sound familiar? I do it too. It’s a human thing…
Gathering information is a great first step, but we don’t need to get stuck there. We have all of the resources we need within to guide our life path. Our hearts and souls will lead us where we are meant to go.
So, when you need direction in your life, shift from head to heart and ask yourself, “What does my soul want me to know?”. The answers will come from the calm, solid voice of inner knowing that lies within you.
(picture credit – J Booth)
Priorities
Posted on: May 6, 2013
Here is an interesting exercise to play with:
- Write down your top 10 priorities. They might be things like family, fun, community, success, or joy.
- Now, go look at your schedule, checking account, and take a moment to think about the relationships in your life.
Are you living your priorities?
Misaligned actions and priorities create internal stress and set you up for living a life that is not what you truly want. When you sync what you do with what you value most, you will feel more grounded, peaceful, and your best life will come more naturally.
What steps can you take to be more in alignment with your priorities? You can share them by clicking “comment” above.
- In: Acheiving Goals | Authentic Living | Focus | Tools
- 13 Comments
My clients love having a process to review their weeks. They tell me that doing so creates awareness, opportunities for new choices, and allows them to formulate clear intentions for the week ahead. I wonder if you will feel the same. Here are the questions my clients use in case you would like to play with them:
- Did I live fully?
- Did I express love and kindness?
- Did I make a difference?
- Did I have fun?
- Did I Iearn something new?
- Did I stay on track with my goals?
- Did I do my best?
- Was I authentically me?
Your Turn: What do you think? Does your life feel on or off track? Please comment to share your thoughts.
- In: Authentic Living | Clutter - Living Simply | Peace | Simple Living | Stress | time | Values
- 12 Comments
One of the common concerns that my clients talk about is not having enough time. They are working very hard and feeling very, very busy. We often discover that they are operating in a time warp that is not based in reality. You can use these steps to evaluate your own relationship with time:
1. Start by exploring and writing down what you value most in life. Common core values include things like family, success, happiness, service, inner peace, religious beliefs, or love. (Contact me if you would like a free list of sample values to work with.)
2. Make a list of all of the things that you spend time on or that call for your attention. (Appointments, meetings, things you do for your children, work, connecting with others, playing on Facebook, watching TV, organizations you belong to, housework, and more) Take a moment to look over your list. How does it make you feel?
3. Now, for the fun part. Cross off everything on the list. Everything! (Do it in a way that you can still see what was written beneath.) You do not “have to” do any of these things. Take a moment to absorb this. It’s a clean sweep. There is nothing left on your schedule or to do list.
4. Set an intention for how you would like to live.
5. Create a new list that only includes things that are in alignment with your values and supports the life you want to create. Be careful not to add everything back here. This is your priority list. Everything else is an option to plug in only if it feels meaningful, is in alignment, and you have plenty of time. There is one exception. If you have not included time for yourself on the list, please add it now.
6. Double check the list for illusions like the ones below:
- Keeping you and your children busy with multiple after school activities may seem in alignment with your family values, but may really be limiting your special times together.
- Spending a lot of time working on a website or marketing in social media may seem like a necessary use of your time, but it could be preventing you from getting out and connecting with potential clients.
7. Review your new list. It should be much, much shorter than the original and feel in alignment with who you are and what you want. It should feel more peaceful and leave space for spontaneity and magic.
Doesn’t that feel better?
Don’t forget to leave a comment. I would love to hear from you.
I recently connected online with a cousin I did not know I had. She had lived outside of our family and knew very little about our shared grandmother. I happily shared information and pictures and knew that it meant a lot to her. It felt natural and easy to do and I was excited to have this new cousin come in to my life.
It was only later that I realized the deeper level of healing going on. I was giving her the gift that I had always wanted. When I was a child, my father did not talk about his parents and even today it is surprising how little I know about them. All I have are names, dates, and a few little stories. There was an empty space in the grandparent files of my heart and I would have loved for someone to tell me more.
When we do not receive something we want or need as a child we carry the feeling of that absence with us into our future lives. When it is triggered we may even feel like the child we were when we had the original experience or respond in an immature way. I have found that the act of giving is a beautiful and natural way to bring these issues full circle.
Give to Yourself: If you wanted to be loved, love yourself. If you wanted to be heard, listen to your heart. If you were kept from following your dreams, choose a dream and go for it.
Give to Someone Else: If you were treated badly or held back in some way, you can give others the opposite experience. This happens a lot with our children. I have a client who grew up with an alcoholic father and is committed to giving her children the gift of a sober and healthy home.
Give to Your Inner Child: Imagine yourself at an age when there was something missing in your life. Picture yourself as that child. You can talk to her, hug her, color with her, or play on the swings at the park. You might be surprised how healing and how much fun it is to relate with your inner little one.
There will be times, like in my story, when this happens so naturally that you do not even notice what is happening. And, there will be other times when you sense an old need and make a conscious choice to work with it. Either way, you are stepping into opportunities for healing and moving forward.
Happy Giving!
Clearing clutter and creating space in your life is one of the most empowering things you can do. A well-organized clear space is less stressful, feels more peaceful, and can energize you toward your goals.
Now, this may surprise you. A cluttered or disorganized space is an outer manifestation of a cluttered and disorganized mind. When you clear the external things, you are also supporting your mind in being able to see more clearly and be more decisive.
And, it’s not just about stuff. If you are like most people you are feeling very busy. How many of the things on your calendar that feel so important really support your core values? What do you do that limits your time with the people you love? And, speaking of people, do you have people clutter in your life, too?
So, here is the exciting part. I am revamping, revitalizing, and re-offering my Spring Clean Your Life program. It’s been a couple years since this popular program was available (under a different name) and it feels like it will be a lot of fun to play with it again.
Here is what you will get with your Spring Clean Your Life program:
- 6 weekly group phone calls that are live and interactive – I am keeping the group small enough that everyone will have time to share and receive support.
- The support of a group of people working with a shared purpose
- Weekly clutter challenges with a little accountability thrown in to keep you going
- Celebrations and acknowledgments
- And more…
I’m keeping this program very affordable and the group small, so check it out soon if you are interested.
You can contact me or click on this picture to learn more:
I would love to “see” you there!
Linda Luke Email: lifecoachlinda@gmail.com
R – Relationships
I - Inspiration
C – Career
H – Health
E – Emotional
S – Spiritual
Rate each area on a scale of 1-10 to find out which area needs a little boost to bring more richness to your life.
