Tools for staying motivated - getting past the baggage

Have you had those times where it feels as if nothing will change?  Well that's how some people feel at the start of the year feeling stuck before they have even had a chance to draw breath and think of the direction they want to go in.     

 

Things are changing all the time, you have to remind yourself that this is only a temporary feeling.  What we need to focus on is that the way we respond to the situation/s.  Different responses can often give us very different results, ie: we walk around with a scowl and we get back a scowl or worse, or if we put a smile on our faces we can get a smile back. 

We often talk about baggage that we can carry that weighs us down with the regrets of the past,  the bag in a different light can also symbolise all the equipment and tools we need to help us in any given situation.  If you imagine life like an adventure and along your path you get to pick up tools/lessons that will assist you in the different challenges that you may face along the way. You have to learn which tool will fit your situation and use it correctly.

Our bag contains lessons from life, that you have picked up along the course of your existence.  Lessons learnt the hard way and some though making good decisions.  The lessons where you took the risk and it worked out or it came crashing down but you were able to learn valuable lessons about yourself.  Some of the equipment in our bag take the form of advice and fears that have been inherited, and some you need to let go off as they were the fears and doubts that others have in their own lives and serve no purpose in yours.   

There are so many lessons that we already know ourselves but we never put them into practice. When we think of the advice we can give others to support and cheer them up about their situation, telling them about their talents and gifts, we often forget that these words of wisdom can be used on ourselves as a 'pick me up'.  So where do we begin?

Think about all the things you take for granted.  I started making a weekly list of all the things that I am grateful for in my Friday Gratitudes posts after seeing a video by Ann Voskamp as a reminder to myself that what ever the circumstances - its only temporary, here are some that I have posted:

Laughter

Flowers

Jacket Potatoes

My Son

My mothers joy 

God - my faith 

Mixed media 

Keep going with your own list, and see how many you can come up with.  If we remind ourselves how much we take for granted and start appreciating more, we begin to look at our situation differently and will even see ways in which we can make changes.  Begin to look deeper, see which things that you can work on in your life..

Think about how you become de-motivated,  what are the triggers, and then put in place a couple of the ideas that can stop those feelings in their tracks.  These become your resources, so next time you think about your baggage make sure you identify the tools and lessons you've learnt along the way that can make a positive impact on your life. Blessings for the week! 

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52 Weeks of Colour - Trust

Do not fear your inner truths, you have to trust the process.  The more we reflect on situations, circumstances and events in our lives we find out new revelations and get closer to an understanding of what really makes us tick.  

As we take the time to get to know ourselves the pieces of the puzzle start to make sense and it is these pieces of the puzzle  that make up your beautiful life. We have to own the choices that we make,we make choices all the time, which ones will you make about your life today?

Quote

 We must not allow other peoples’ limited perceptions to define us.  ...Virginia Satir

Scripture

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

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Family - Creating in Faith

Growing up in a family as the middle child of 3 had its ups and downs.  Sometimes it felt that you were always too young to do what your older sister was doing but always too old be included in my younger brothers activities.  As we have grown up the age gap seemed to decrease. 

I remember my brother having a birthday party every year from the age of 5 to around 11 years.  For me though, being born in August people were always on holiday so I wouldn’t get to organise anything. My sister would organise his parties and we would all help out with the games, it was lovely to see my brothers little friends running around him (he was a popular young man!) and mum would cook and make these amazing birthday cakes.  That was often one of the highlights, mums cooking - she would make a cake for each of us for birthdays and every other celebration and the tradition only stopped when she started to get ill, but each of us has tried to embrace one of the traditions within our families

As I have grown older with a family of my own the idea of the traditional family has changed and while you might not be blood related to them whether they are step family or adopted you love them just the same.  You can find in many different communities or groups that you join people who you just 'click with' and you get on as if you have known each other for life.  There is a connection, a bond, you might not be blood related but support and encourage each other as if you were.

As a Christian, the members of the church are my family and we are called to support and encourage one another.  It can sometimes seem challenging where the different backgrounds and experiences produces different ways of looking at things.  But we are all here because of the grace of God and we are called to do for others as we would do for ourselves, we have to question just how much we love ourselves and is that passed on or do we carry too much baggage? 

When we grow up in a nurturing and supportive environment as children we can in turn create that supportive environment in our own homes and more importantly in our communities recognising the connection that we have with each other in our communities and further afield around the world.  We might not be blood relation but our dreams and goals requires the participation of someone somewhere who connects with us enough to play a role in our success. 

What does the thought of family stir up for you, and how have we redefined the traditional sense of family to fit into our lives today?

...with God all things are possible.. Mark 10:27 

Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because he always lives to intercede for them....Hebrews 7:25 

She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family

    and portions for her female servants Proverbs 31:15

Come join the group - Creating in Faith, show us how you will be incorporating the words and scriptures and reflections in your art this week.  Step out and be a blessing and you will also be blessed!

How massage helped me tap into my creativity

How often have you taken a route then realised that you were were walking down the wrong road?

In 2001 I graduated from University, having done a Complementary Therapies Health Sciences degree.  I came out feeling that the next stage of my life should be sharing the benefits of massage and alternative medicine.  Starting my own business as a massage therapist was where I thought I wanted to be.  My focus and drive helped me write a business plan and take the steps I needed to set up.

Along the way I couldn't understand why I wasn't more driven, or excited about the prospects only to  realise that my motivation to become a massage therapist centred around the guilt I had felt with my father who at the time had been dead nearly 10 years. 

I felt hadn't spent enough time with him when he was ill, and knowing that massage was something that could have helped improve his health and well being. I launched myself into the course, wanting to help others the way I couldn't help my dad.  But deep inside I had always wanted to be an artist and saw my desires sacrificed to make way for the guilt. While doing the massage It didn't make me feel better, I still anguished over how selfish I had been in my early 20's and the lack of help that I given my mum as she looked after dad. It has taken many years to come to terms and see that I did what I could at the time. 

Making the switch and becoming an artist has taken great effort to silence the internal critics that tell you that you are not enough.  Each day that I commit to my creativity I grow stronger as an artist and begin to hear what my true voice sounds like.  Not wanting to push massage out of the way altogether, I began to approach it in a different way, knowing that I could still help. While still relating to the power of touch, the benefits of essential oils and the inner and outer benefits that not only giving but receiving a massage can bring I started to run sessions for the elderly that attended the same Day Care centre as my mother.  The weekly sessions lasted for 4 years, and we are looking at a way forward for this year.  I combined simple shoulder, neck and hand massages, small groups of 6, where we listen to music, chat and reminisce leaving the session feeling pampered and relaxed.  For many elderly attending the centre the only physical contact they have on any given day is the escort that picks them up in the morning.  And the isolation and loneliness felt by our elderly is echoed in the news papers daily.

As I reflected and worked through my original motivations, I have dealt with the guilt I felt and ultimately accept myself for who I know I can be, I am still able to use the massage without pushing aside my creativity.  Receiving massages is equally important, and as an artist you have to ensure that you take regular breaks and have some 'you time' and maybe even use an oil blend that can tap into your creativity, unwind and maybe look at your journey in a different way.

How has guilt driven you, think of those things that have impacted on your journey, and where you find yourself now. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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