What Do You Do When Things Don't Go Your Way?

There are two options here:

1-You dwell on the negatives, which can result in self-pity or at worse, cause you to give up!

OR

2-You draw on something positive and pick yourself up. In this case, you can start exploring ways to move forward.

We all face difficult situations in life but it is ultimately up to us to decide how we want to react to them. So if it’s a job you didn’t get, a trophy you didn’t win, or an argument you lost, pick yourself up and don’t waste another moment trapped in the cycle of negativity.

I’m sure some of you might be thinking but how do I do that? Well a great starting point is to make a list of all the things you are grateful for in your life. This might be for the comfortable bed you slept in, or for the neighbour who said good morning to you. Often it is the little things that go unnoticed that we forget to acknowledge.

I’d like to leave you with a quote by Robert Collier which I believe sums up today’s blog post:

‘All power is from within and therefore under our control’.

Charlie's 5 Motivational Tips...

As a self-employed Musician I enjoy being my own boss and not having to report to anyone. There are many benefits to this lifestyle, and I feel very grateful to be in this position. I'm also very fortunate that I find it easy to motivate myself but I know it's not easy for everyone so in today's blog post, I wanted to share with you 5 strategies I use for staying motivated:

1-Be thankful: 

Start your working day with gratitude! Although you may not feel like it first thing on a Monday, remind yourself of all the wonderful things you have in your life. Believe it or not many people would love to be doing what you're doing!

2-Pat yourself on the back:

Too often, we rely on others to compliment us, to say well done or well tried but when was the last time you told yourself that? Whether I have a productive day or not, I always try and say something positive to myself and yes that really does involve patting myself on the back!

3-Set clear goals:

I love setting myself goals, it not only gives me something to focus on but it’s another excuse to pat myself on the back! It’s important to remember that even if you don’t achieve a particular goal, at least you tried! How amazing is that? You didn’t succumb to the fear of not reaching your goal.

4-If it's not working, move on:

When you find yourself struggling to work through something, it’s not necessarily a good idea to push through, indeed by doing so, you may end up procrastinating. But by stepping aside from that task-even momentarily-it allows you to recharge your batteries and return with fresh eyes.

5-Immerse yourself fully:

We all have those days where we can’t be bothered to do something and inevitably we can switch off. But what happens if you stay switched on even during something you don’t want to be doing? Well it takes a lot of energy for sure, but it makes for a much more worth while experience. You can even start to feel enjoyment and you’ll most probably be happier for it. At the end of the day anything you do in life is what you make it!

 

 

Are You Living In The Present Moment?

Too often in life we find ourselves contemplating the future and reflecting on the past. While this is a necessary aspect of life, sometimes it can have a detrimental effect because all the while we’re giving time to the days gone by and the days yet to arrive, we are taking ourselves away from the present moment. Simply being in the moment is a wonderful feeling and something I believe we can all achieve if we let ourselves!

I’ve been making a real effort to keep myself in the present moment and I’m really noticing the benefits: I feel like I am living my life to the full! Even if I am simply reading a book or playing the piano, I am completely absorbed in that task, totally focused, happy and present. I find my mind doesn’t wander so much; I am beginning to lose certain fears I had been holding on to such as worrying about getting ill or concerned that I won’t reach my personal goals.

In a nutshell, I feel more relaxed and content.

A good way to start living in the present is to try some mindfulness exercises. I wrote a blog post about it just the other week:

http://pmacharlie.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/mindfulness-at-breakfast.html

I’ll leave you now with a nice quote from Omar Khayyam:

‘Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life!’

Happy Monday.

1 Minute Affirmation, Volume 3

Here's a short 1 minute affirmation video with sounds of the waves in the background:

https://vimeo.com/165844295

Do You Make Time For Your Friends?

In today’s busy world, it is sometimes easy to forget to make time for the people you care about. Why? Because often we take our closest friends and family members for granted and we just assume that they will always be there for us.

But I believe friendships need to be maintained and worked on and we must not become complacent with our friends. I’ve realised this more since a number of my closest friends have moved overseas. Luckily with technology and social media it’s pretty easy to stay connected but how often do we actually connect?

It’s easy to feel we don’t have enough hours in the day to get everything we need to do done, but the truth is we do if we really make the effort! Try and find 5 minutes a day to say hi to a friend you haven’t connected with in a while, such a small gesture can really go a long way!

Mindfulness at Breakfast

Recently I've noticed I've been making breakfast at 100mph! It's like I'm trying to win a race-I mean I am competitive afterall-but I feel it's got a little silly now. So I thought to myself, why not slow down a little? Instead of multi-tasking the kettle, the milk and the bread, why not do one of these tasks at a time. The irony was that by slowing down I was able to prepare my breakfast in what seemed like no time at all.

While pouring the milk on to my cereal, I really focused on the milk leaving the bottle and landing on my cereal. I listened to the sound of the milk making contact with my cereal and was aware of the smells around me. Such a small, trivial task was turning in to something really worthwhile. Sounds a bit weird you might think, but why not try it!

The idea of doing a task mindfully not only makes you more aware of what you are doing but enables you to be fully present in the moment which in today's busy world is a hard thing to achieve. I've started applying this principal to other things such as house work, checking emails and walking to the shops and I'm really beginning to notice the benefits. I would love to hear your thoughts about approaching tasks in a mindful way. Why not give it a go tomorrow when you make your breakfast!

PMA Charlie's Book Review

Over the years I’ve read many books to help me stay focused, positive and happy. I thought it would be a nice idea to share some of my favourites with you:

1: ‘Go for it’! by Helen Exley.

 This lovely presented pocket book contains 11 chapters full of positive affirmations and quotes by inspirational people. Here are a few of my favourite quotes:

‘All our dreams can come true-if we have the courage to pursue them’. (Walt Disney)

‘The great danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we achieve it’. (Michaelangelo).

‘If we wait till we’re ready, we never do anything’. (Eleanor Roosevelt).

This is a book I take with me on my travels due to its size. I like to read a chapter as soon as I wake up, It really motivates me for the day ahead!

  

2:  ‘Indestructible self-belief’ by Fiona Harrold

From the author of ‘Be Your Own Life Coach’, ‘Indestructible self-belief' guides you through seven chapters of self-awareness, which will leave you feeling more optimistic and positive towards life. Each chapter begins with a quote, here’s my favourite from chapter 7- ‘Building an identity’:

‘It is not because things are difficult we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult’ (SENECA).

At the end of each chapter there is ‘work section’ where you can answer various questions about yourself and your thoughts. I always find putting pen to paper is a really positive way to express how you are feeling. It’s one thing just to read a book, but when you become interactive with it, you take your thinking to a new level!

I find this book really useful when I suffer from ‘negative self-talk’, and I also like the fact you can dip in and out of the chapters depending on what subject is most relevant to you at the time.

3: You Can Be Happy No Matter What’ by Richard Carlson

The core message in this book is that happiness does not come from external circumstances but instead from inside us. This concept is by no means new but the way Richard Carlson presents this idea is easy to understand and can really improve your mindset.

The book contains 11 chapters. Part I explores five principles in detail; the principle of thought, moods, separate realities, feelings and the present moment. While part II looks at how we apply these principles in every day life.

What I enjoy most about this book is the simplicity in which the ideas are discussed. Although the author goes in to each principle in a lot of detail, the ideas are simple and easy to absorb.

When I read books I find it helpful to underline sentences which resonate with me. Here is one of my favourites from this book:

‘A related formula for success: When you focus your attention in this moment, instead of moments that are over or yet to be, you’ll maximize your productivity, creativity, and ability to accomplish your goals’.

4: ‘Feel The Fear And Beyond’ by Susan Jeffers

The sequel to ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’, Susan Jeffers follows one wonderful book with another that continues the message from the first in more detail and allows the reader to embark on a journey of self-discovery.

After I read ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’, I was hooked on the ideas presented by Susan Jeffers and thus was so excited to buy the sister title and I was not disappointed! Out of all the books I’ve read, this is the one that has helped me grow in confidence more than any other. A book full of exercises and inspirational letters from readers, you can’t help but feel more positive with each page you read! 

My favourite chapter-‘Replace the chatterbox’-focuses on the negative self-talk voice we all have within us, and fun ways in which we can try and replace this voice with a more positive one. The author suggests that we give our ‘chatterbox’ a name and sets us the following goal: ‘Observe when it is there, laugh and say hello, and then tune in to a higher way of thinking’. 

I love the idea of laughing at ourselves and learning not to take our ‘negative voice’ too seriously! Amazing things can happen when you learn to stop responding to your chatterbox. Try it!

I hope you've enjoyed reading my book reviews. Feel free to share your favourite books with me to!