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Book Review-Activate Your Brain

Guided Meditation to Adapt to Change

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May 182020

The pandemic and shut-down have created sudden change in our society and world. To be able to emerge from this situation in a better condition than when you entered it, the way you think about it must change. Here’s a short meditation to help you shift your attitude and look forward to a better future.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. I’d like to share a short guided meditation to help you emerge from this restrictive situation in a better condition than you were when you entered it. I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a vision strategist and hypnotherapist.

The pandemic and shut-down have created sudden change in our society and world. Many of these changes are going to be temporary and some are going to be permanent. Life is always changing, but usually it does so at a slightly slower pace. This one has happened almost overnight.

If you get stuck in fear or negativity, then it’s likely you not going to be able to respond in a productive way. When you can think differently about a situation, this causes you to make different decisions and act in a way that’s more beneficial for you. That’s what this guided meditation is designed to help you to do.

If you’d like, close your eyes. If not, just lean back, relax and listen.

Life is full of change. Any change is messy and uncomfortable to go through, but it generally leads to a better world. It’s human nature to resist change, but change happens anyway.

The sooner you can get to a level of acceptance of the change, the easier it will be for you to adapt to what’s happened. You accept the reality of change now, and make choices that improve your ability to adjust to the changes.

You shift into responding to the situation in a safe and positive way, taking care of your health and well being. You open up to new knowledge and understanding that helps propel you forward.

You have the ability to come through this situation stronger and better than before. Your inner resources find a way to create a wonderful, improved life for you.

Imagine that the situation is a transition to a new, and better reality for you. You may not understand how it could be better, but just imagine being in the future, and you feel wonderful.

Imagine looking back, into the past, and being satisfied that you have come through it happier, healthier and more whole. And now you look into the future that is brighter and better than you could ever have imagined.

Open your eyes.

A guided meditation such as this can help you keep your thoughts positive and open the way for a better life. Take the ideas from the meditation and use it every day to support you in your next steps to your future.

If you’d to achieve a 90-day goal more easily, download my free comprehensive Strategic Vision blueprint at www.Linda-AnnStewart.com/setyourcourse.html. You’ll receive the blueprint, as well as a video of that walks you through it with tips and directions to support you in you in accomplishing your goal.

Thank you for watching. Please, stay safe and stay well.

Read the accompanying article, How to Adjust to Change.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

How to Adjust to Change

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May 082020

by Linda-Ann Stewart

During the shutdown, many people felt unmoored, unsettled, anxious and depressed. Many over-achievers wandered from room to room, unable to focus on doing anything. Part of it was that their routine was destroyed, and they didn’t know what was coming next. And part of it was that they realized that life wasn’t going to go back to “normal.” There were going to be changes that they would have to adjust to. Without realizing it, they were grieving over what they’d lost, and trying to accept the changes that would become a permanent part of their lives.

Whenever there’s a change, whether good or bad, you mourn over what you’ve left behind. Grief isn’t just limited to the death of a loved one. For instance, you get a promotion, but there’s a part of you that’s yearning for the simpler responsibilities you once had. Even a smoker who quits generally grieves over giving up cigarettes, even though they’re thrilled to welcome their new found health and freedom.

With any change, there’s always a sacrifice. You gain something new while you let go of something old. The Universe always wants the best for you. But And when your new circumstances aren’t immediately better than the old ones, your feelings of grief increase. Those feelings can be addressed and understood.

The Stages of Grief

When you’re able to recognize what’s going on, then the feelings can begin to move through you. It helps to be able to identify the different stages of grief. You probably won’t go through these states in order, and may go through one of them more than once.

1. Denial or resistance. You feel shocked, refuse to believe that things have changed or resist the changes that are necessary.

2. Anger. You’re furious over what’s happened, even though you know it was no one’s fault.

3. Bargaining. You try to find ways to change the past or reduce the adjustments you must make.

4. Depression. You’re deeply sad, overwhelmed, and feel hopeless and helpless.

5. Acceptance. You come to terms with what’s happened and begin to put your life back together in a new way.

6. Meaning. You seek to find the lessons for you in what’s happened. This connects you to your inner and Higher Self, and opens you up to Universal good.

The Importance of Finding Meaning in Life’s Changes

There are always lessons to be learned from any challenge you face. When you look for what those lessons might be, you find purpose in what’s happened. That purpose can shift the situation from unhappy to manageable, and possibly even positive. You’re taking control of your thoughts about it and determining to make the best of it.

Some of the questions you can ask yourself are:

“What do I still have that I can use to rebuild my new life?”
“How has the situation changed me?”
“What do I appreciate that I have had or now have?”
“What have I learned from this that can help me moving forward?”
“What good has emerged from this?”

Finding meaning in what’s happened empowers you. It transforms the outcome of an awful situation from disabling to fulfilling. You decide how change is going to impact you and how it’s going to help you grow.

Affirmation:

The Universe always wants the best for me. When one thing leaves my life, something new enters. I allow myself to mourn what’s gone, while I welcome what’s new. As I uncover the meaning that the situation brings to me, I regain my power and purpose.

Watch the accompanying video, Guided Meditation to Adapt to Change.

As a vision strategist, hypnotherapist, and speaker, Linda-Ann Stewart helps women entrepreneurs and small business owners who feel stuck, immobilized and overwhelmed to to get clear, focused and on the fast track to the next level of their business. To achieve a 90-day goal more easily, sign up for her FREE comprehensive Strategic Vision blueprint at www.Linda-AnnStewart.com/setyourcourse.html. You can contact her at LAS@Linda-AnnStewart.com or 928-600-0452.

Motivate Yourself with this Strategy

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Mar 182020

Is there a goal you want that you haven’t put any effort towards yet? To achieve your goal, you have to motivate yourself to start taking action. But that’s easier said than done. You have to find what will make it important enough to you to get moving. And then you have to discover how to stay committed. Here’s a strategy that will solve those problems and get you on course to achieving the goal you’ve been dreaming of.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a vision strategist. I’d like to share a technique I’ve used for thirty years to help clients get themselves motivated to make massive changes in their lives. It’s called the Stick and the Carrot.

Essentially, it’s figuring out what will prompt you to get moving, and what will keep luring you forward. It’s like a cart driver using a stick to gently urge a reluctant donkey to start forward, and dangling a carrot on the end of a stick in front of the donkey to keep them moving. No, I’m not calling you a donkey. But doesn’t it sometimes feel like you’re stuck and won’t move forward? This strategy will solve that.

I suggest a technique many businesses use. To motivate yourself to do something you’re dreading, do a cost-benefits analysis. Sounds boring, doesn’t it? But it’s worked for my clients.

I ask them why they want whatever their goal is. What happens if they don’t get it and what happens if they do? Essentially, you’re figuring out what the costs are to not getting started (the stick), and then what the benefits would be to taking action (the carrot).

For the costs, or disadvantages, ask yourself, “What are consequences of staying on this same path?” “How will I feel if I don’t make this change?” And, “Where will I be in a year or two years if I don’t commit to changing?” Those would be the costs of inaction for you. Most of the time, the answers to these questions will gently whip you into taking action, even if it’s small and slow.

Now for the carrot, to lure you forward towards your rewards. To consider the benefits, turn the questions around. Ask yourself, “What are the advantages of making the change?” “How will I feel once I’ve achieved this change?” “Where will I be in a year if I do commit to making a change?” This helps you to create the vision of what you want. Done right, it will stir up anticipation, excitement and commitment.

When you use both of these, you’ll spur yourself forward and keep going. The stick simply reminds you of what will happen if you don’t take action, and the carrot is there to remind you of what’s in store for you when you do.

If you’d like to achieve a 90-day goal more easily, download my free comprehensive Strategic Vision blueprint. You’ll receive the blueprint, as well as tips and directions to support you in you in accomplishing your goal.

Thank you for watching. I hope you motivate yourself to achieve that goal you’ve been dreaming of. I know you can do it.

Read the accompanying article What Motivates You?

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Are You Resisting Your Vision?

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Dec 052019

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Do you find yourself putting on the brakes when you’re pursuing a dream, vision or goal? You could find yourself procrastinating, allowing yourself to be distracted or just feeling uncomfortable about moving forward. This is your subconscious mind causing you to resist taking the actions you need to bring your vision to life.

Your subconscious isn’t a bad guy; it’s just following previous instructions from you. If you’re feeling at all anxious or uncertain about your goal, your subconscious will interpret that as you feeling threatened about change. Since the role of your subconscious is to keep you safe, it will throw up roadblocks to maintain the status quo.

Reasons You Resist

There are three major reasons why you resist taking action:

1. You have the wrong vision. Although you have an idea of what you want, it may not be the right direction for you.
• You’re following a goal someone else laid out for you. For example, someone told you what worked for them, and expects it will work for you, too. What part of your dream excites you the most?
• You’re violating your values. Family time is important to you, but your goal requires you to sacrifice that time to be able to accomplish your goal. How can you adjust your vision to support your values?
• You’re out of alignment with who you are. For instance, you could be an introvert trying to become the best cold calling salesperson in the office. What best aligns with your skills and personality?

2. Fear is getting in your way. You’re afraid of the unknown or changes that might happen.
• You feel intimidated to leave your comfort zone. When you try new things, you feel uncertain and uncomfortable. But if you don’t spread your wings, your world will contract.
• You’re afraid of criticism. When you start making changes, it draws attention to you, and others may object to how you’ve changed. You don’t exist to live according to other people’s expectations.
• You’re afraid of the extra responsibility. By taking on more, you aren’t sure of your ability to handle new things. The only way to grow in confidence is to take risks and learn.

3. Old beliefs are undermining you. You were programmed with these ideas long ago and they’re still controlling you.
• You don’t feel worthy to achieve your vision. Either you don’t take any action or you sabotage yourself whenever you get close to accomplishing your dream. Adopt a new self-image that reflects the possibility that you deserve the best.
• You identify too much with your old attitudes. How you describe yourself determines the actions you take. Change the way you view yourself to be more in agreement with someone who undertakes your goal.
• You don’t feel capable. Just because you don’t know everything right now doesn’t mean you can’t learn. Each step will bring you new knowledge and confidence.

Dissolve Your Resistance

Identifying what’s sabotaging you is the first step to success. Ask, “What is my resistance trying to tell me?” Or, “What part of my vision am I resisting?” Once you know what your reason is, you can begin to overcome the resistance.

Instead of reviling your subconscious and its resistance, appreciate that it’s been so helpful. Realize that your subconscious has been trying to keep you safe. Communicate to it that this thinking is outdated and now change is needed. Adjust your attitude or actions to ease your subconscious mind’s concerns.

There is a reason behind the resistance to your dream, vision or goal. Once you discover what that is and what it’s trying to do for you, you’ll be able to work with and through the block. Ultimately, you’ll be much more successful by listening to what your resistance is trying to tell you.

Affirmation:
My subconscious mind is trying to help me at all times. But sometimes it does it in outdated ways. It’s now safe for me to move forward with my dreams. I take responsibility for my actions and the results. I’m worthy of all the best Life has to offer and am capable of far more than I know.

Watch the accompanying video, Guided Meditation to Overcome Resistance.

Sparks of Insight

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Oct 152019

When you have a setback, it can actually be beneficial. It may be that you’ve gone too far or fast for your skills, knowledge or resources. This can be a time for you to reassess, and discover what else you need to move ahead. It can also give you the space to strengthen your current position, to allow it to support you in a better way as you begin to progress, again. So, instead of focusing on what you’ve lost or lost out on, use the experience for information and insight. And ask Divine guidance to tell you what else you need to be able to move forward with ease.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Will saying an affirmation occasionally make changes?

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Sep 042019

Question: If I say an affirmation a few times a week, will it turn my life around?

Answer: Saying an affirmation a few times a week won’t undo decades of programming. Change won’t happen overnight. It takes about 30-40 days (and sometimes a few months depending on the difficulty of the issue) of CONCENTRATED focus and affirmations to turn things around.

By concentrated, I mean you can’t do the affirmations, then during the day, counteract them with old, negative beliefs. This gives the subconscious mixed messages. You have to catch those automatic, negative thoughts and turn them around to be consistent with the goal of your affirmation.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

If you’d to achieve a 90-day goal more easily, download my free comprehensive Strategic Vision Worksheet.

Sparks of Insight

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Aug 192019

“There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” Aldous Huxley

You can’t change anyone else, you can only change yourself. Even if you could, that would mean that you were taking away their free will and choice. So keep your attention on your sandbox, and stay out of your friend’s.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Sparks of Insight

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Jul 152019

There are times when you’re making changes that it seems like everything is conspiring to block you. Believe it or not, this is a signal that you’re actually making progress. When you begin to transform, you move in the opposite direction than you’ve been taking. Attachment to the old path (from your subconscious) is trying to drag you back. If you simply keep going in your new direction, the obstacles will begin to fade away. How long it takes depends on how strong the old path was. But don’t give up hope, just put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

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