self-help » Empowering Your Mind

How can I concentrate better?

Mar 032020

Question: How can I learn to concentrate better, so that my mind doesn’t wander?

Answer: Do you have a lot of pressure on you? Have you had a lot of stress? These would cause your mind to wander as a way of escaping and having a mental vacation. Have you been doing any meditation, exercise, or any sort of stress reduction techniques? That would be my first recommendation to you.

Secondly, sometimes, the mind gets tired of focusing, and needs some time away from it. Concentrating on one thing for a long period is exhausting, so if you’ve been doing that, start breaking the periods up.

This sounds odd, but simply doing meditation or self-hypnosis each day will give your mind a rest, while at the same time, they help to train your mind to concentrate better.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Be Careful of First Impressions

Uncategorized, Video No Responses »

Feb 122020

Within a few moments, you assess whether someone is authentic or not. But the first impression you get of someone could be misleading, and it’s hard to overcome. It’s human nature to want your assessment to be proved right. But not paying attention to signals that contradict your impression can lead to heartache.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. I’m Linda-Ann Stewart and I’d like to share a tip about first impressions and how they can be misleading.

Recently, I listened to a podcast interview of a business coach. From his description and promotional materials, I was already inclined to like him. But as he spoke, I felt there was something off. His actions didn’t line up with what he said his values were. As a result, I didn’t trust him.

Have you ever felt that way about someone? That they weren’t really authentic? You’re able to tell when someone is authentic or inauthentic within a few seconds. Your subconscious mind assesses body language, tonality, verbiage, etc. and decides whether a person is trustworthy or not. It’s good to trust your intuition about people.

But sometimes, your intuition can lead you astray. If you decide you like someone, your mind creates a filter and only recognizes the statements, actions and ideas that confirm your assessment. That’s how first impressions can be misleading, and they can be difficult to change.

Even if that person does things that are in direct opposition to your impression of them, your mind will discard the things that contradict your feelings. This is how you get fooled by people who then take advantage of you. It’s hard to accept, isn’t it? It was for me.

It’s human nature to not want your assessment to be proved wrong. For instance, if that person frequently tells you that they have your back, despite evidence to the contrary, you’ll believe what they say. For awhile. But eventually, the truth will out. You’ll begin to compare their words to their deeds. You’ll recognize that their words and deeds aren’t consistent. It’s challenging your first impression, and you’ll eventually change it.

Emerson said, “What you do speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you say.” The tip today is after your first impression of someone, watch to see if their actions are in alignment with what they say. Don’t just accept your intuition. Look to confirm or contradict it. Doing this helps to fine tune your instincts and your intuition. It will help it be more reliable.

Now, it takes some effort to pay attention, certainly more than just going with your first impression. But the effort is worth it, because it will save you from being taken advantage of at some point. It will save you heartache. I know this from personal experience.

I learned to do this from many, many bad experiences where I was fooled by what a person said. Despite their behaviors that denied what they said, I believed their words. Eventually, I figured out that I needed to evaluate their actions and compare them to what they said. It was a hard lesson.

If I’d gone by first impressions with this business coach, I would have been fooled by him. But because of what I’d learned, I was able to recognize that he wasn’t the person he wanted people to believe he was. How can you start doing this for yourself?

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 tips and directions to support you in accomplishing your goal. Thank you for watching. My wish for you is to listen to your intuition, while you also pay attention to what a person does. Take care.

How to Detect an Inauthentic Person

Article No Responses »

Feb 112020

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Recently, I was watching a video podcast interview of a business coach. I was inclined to like him, as his promotional materials indicated that we shared values of being heart-centered, spiritual, and purpose-driven. However, as I watched the podcast, my inner alarms were clanging. I felt something was off between what he claimed to believe and teach, and what I was actually seeing on the podcast.

There was a definite conflict between what he was saying, and how he was acting. He said all the right things, but his unconscious reactions to the discussion and questions were contradictory. They showed that his values were quite different from those he espoused. Because of that, he lost all credibility with me and my interest in pursuing any kind of business relationship with him.

Be Wary of Inauthentic People

Haven’t you ever encountered someone like that? Someone who seems to be in alignment with your values, but it’s just a mask? This can happen in your personal and professional life. You’re drawn to an acquaintance, but they’re always late to coffee or never show up. A business colleague collaborates with you, but you do all the work and they get all the credit.

If you’re not prepared, the inauthentic person can take advantage of you and leave you the poorer for it. They can undermine your self-esteem, self-confidence, self-respect and sabotage your progress in every area of your life. They can also make you doubt yourself and your perceptions.

It’s sometimes difficult to detect the inauthentic person, especially when their reputation sings their praises. Other people have been taken in by their charm. Don’t let them sway your emotions. They’re probably very good at manipulating your feelings for their purposes. Listen to your intuition and don’t get drawn into their self-promotion.

Recognizing an Inauthentic Person

Everyone hides pieces of themselves to be able to deal with their society and culture. For instance, if you’re an artist, you wouldn’t wear bohemian clothes to your job at the bank. Or when your mother-in-law visits and claims her son loves her goulash, but you know he doesn’t. It wouldn’t be good for family harmony for you to tell her the truth.

The difference is a person’s intention. A truly inauthentic person is deliberately insincere and wants to project an entirely different personality to fulfill their agenda. They may need approval, acceptance, control, status, money or power and the only way they think they can gain it is through playing a role.

Here are some behaviors that people have when they are inauthentic and untrustworthy.

They don’t walk their talk. They say one thing and act contrary to what they say. For instance, in the podcast, the coach said he wasn’t trying to sell anything and just wanted to share information. But he constantly pushed his services hard and disparaged anyone who didn’t use them.

They try to impress or intimidate you. There’s a difference between benign self-promotion and boasting that they’re better than anyone else. A person can show how their talents, skills and decisions set them apart without being a braggart. When they keep telling you how great they are, be wary.

They need flattery and attention. Wanting appreciation is normal. Needing constant praise and approval shows a lack of self-confidence. They need external reassurance that they’re accepted.

They treat people like commodities. They consider that people exist only to fulfill their wants and needs. Even though they act like they’re kind and giving, it’s very calculated. There’s always a major payoff for them.

They get defensive and aggressive. When they don’t get what they want, they attack the person who has withheld it. The coach belittled a caller who questioned his process. The coach took it as a personal attack, when the caller just wanted clarification.

Keep your distance when you meet an inauthentic person. If it’s someone in your inner circle, like a relative or coworker, minimize contact as much as possible. Unfortunately, they cannot be trusted with your confidences. When they don’t get what they want from you, they’ll lose interest and find someone else who will fulfill their need.

Trust your instincts. If you feel uneasy about someone, pay attention. You’ll notice when something is out of alignment. Let them go, and move on. Because of your new awareness, you’ll start noticing people who are genuine and sincere. These folks are the ones you can trust.

Affirmation:

The One Life within me guides and directs me into safe and appropriate relationships. I listen to the still, small voice from within that whispers to me, letting me know who is an authentic person and who is not. I bless all people, no matter who they are. But I choose to spend time and energy with those who are trustworthy, genuine and sincere.

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.

How to Manifest Your Ideal Life

Article No Responses »

Feb 032020

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Do you know what your ideal life would be like? I don’t mean that you’ve won the lottery and are living the life of a multi-millionaire. That would be nice, I know. But I mean a life that is realistic and that you can create for yourself through your thoughts and actions.

You’ve already created the life you have now, through your thoughts, beliefs and behaviors. These have either been programmed in the past or were of your deliberate choosing. The Law of Attraction took that programming and brought you the life you now have. To create your ideal life, take charge and mold your life into what you want it to be.

As you consider your ideal life, you develop clarity about what it would consist of. Contemplate a life that delivers all you need to be happy, healthy and fulfilled. Although it needs to be realistic, don’t aim too low. Really dream about a life that would bring you joy. Once you’ve begun the process, it’s time to get specific.

Six steps to create your ideal life:

Create the vision. Your vision gives your subconscious and the Law of Attraction a destination. It’s where you want to end up. As you develop your vision, consider how your life could flow smoothly. Imagine that all you need is provided. Reflect on what you want in the way of harmony, health, travel and relationships. What kind of schedule do you want to keep? This is the time to really dream.

Focus on one area. If you try to work on too many goals at the same time, you spread your energy too thin. Your subconscious and the Law of Attraction will get overwhelmed. You’ll be able to advance a little bit on some of them, but it will be so small that you’ll get discouraged. Instead, pick an area that you really want to change, and focus on that first. You’ll reach it much sooner and then be able to move on to your next goal.

Develop the steps. What do you need to do to create your ideal life? Break your steps down into mini-steps, making them easy to accomplish. How much of it can you achieve in 90 days? Make that your goal. When you have a vision, it may seem too distant and unattainable. Breaking your vision into 90 day goals makes it much more approachable and doable. Then attend to your immediate goal every day, accomplishing one task toward its achievement. This convinces your subconscious and the Law of Attraction that you really are dedicated to your goal.

Construct a visualization. Visualization isn’t just “seeing” something in your mind. Write out your vision completely, as if you’re scripting it. Include how you act and feel with it being accomplished. This gives your subconscious and the Law of Attraction a model to follow. As you do, you may discover that you want to change some habits or attitudes about yourself or your vision. Also script how you accomplish your next step. With this visualization, you’re rehearsing your actions, which make it easier to follow through with in life. Read your script every day.

Check your progress. As you move forward, you may get detoured or distracted. This is normal. Life happens. Every week, take a few minutes to evaluate how far you’ve come and whether you’re still on course. If not, adjust your course to get back on track. Plan out your week, and schedule your next steps. Continually committing yourself to your vision means that you will accomplish it and empowers the Law of Attraction.

Celebrate your achievements. No matter how small the accomplishment, give yourself a mental pat on the back. It feels good to acknowledge that you’ve taken a step. This rewards you for your efforts and encourages you to keep going. Since you want more of those positive feelings, you’ll stay focused on your next step so you continue to feel good.

As you work through these steps, you’ll discover information and resources that you need. Your focus allows you to notice ideas that you would have ignored before. You may also discover you need to shift your priorities or give up outgrown ideas or relationships to accomplish your vision. You deserve your ideal life. Open the door to receive it.

AFFIRMATION:

The Universe supports my endeavors and helps to keep me focused and on course. I deserve the best life that Life has to offer. I now envision it and give myself permission to open the door to succeed. The Universe empowers me to take each step, knowing that each step brings me closer to my ideal life.

Read the accompanying video, Guided Meditation to Create Your Ideal Life.

Guided Meditation to Overcome Resistance to Your Goal

Video Comments Off

Dec 112019

Resistance to achieving a goal is natural. It’s a response of your inner mind to your feeling uncertain about the change that comes with achieving a goal. When you’re committed to a goal, but the resistance persists, it can be discouraging. This guided imagery meditation can begin to dissolve your resistance to moving forward and getting on course.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a vision strategist. I’d like to share a short meditation to help you overcome any subconscious resistance to your goal, vision or dream.

Resistance is natural. It means that you’re leaving your comfort zone, where you feel secure. The subconscious wants to keep you safe, so it creates anxiety and resistance in the form of procrastination, negative self-talk and the like. I’m sure you know what it is for you, right?

Well, though it doesn’t feel like it, your subconscious is performing a service for you. It’s helping you decide if your goal is more important than the uncomfortable feelings that will surface to keep you in place.

If you are committed to your goal, you can use this guided imagery meditation to convince your subconscious of your intent.

If you want, close your eyes. Imagine an image for your resistance, in whatever way your resistance manifests. It could be procrastination, fear, self-doubt, an old belief or something else.

Your image could be literal, or it could be symbolic, like a locked door, an anchor or a wall. It could also be simply a sense or feeling or a sound. Accept whatever image comes to mind. Imagine it bright, strong, and big and close to you.

Now shifting your attention to one side or the other, beside it, imagine an image for your goal, vision or dream. Again, it could be literal, like you accomplishing your goal, or it could be symbolic, like a sunrise. It could be a sense of satisfaction or the sound of people clapping. Accept whatever image comes, but imagine this one is faded, weak and small and a little bit of a distance from you.

Realize your resistance is trying to keep you safe. But it’s doing it now in a way that’s not helpful. You are committed to your vision, dream or goal, and are willing to face the uncomfortable feelings that might rise as you move forward. As they surface, you remind yourself that they’re just your subconscious being concerned for you.

As you understand this, the image for your resistance begins to fade, to weaken, to become smaller and recede away from you, into the distance. It’s served its purpose and knows it’s ok for you achieve your vision, goal or dream. As it fades, your image for your goal begins to become brighter, stronger, and bigger and comes closer to you. It fills your world.

You know the actions you need to take to make this goal, vision or dream a reality. You feel confident and eager to now take the steps necessary to move forward. You take this confidence with you throughout the day and days to come.

Open your eyes.

This meditation won’t do all the work to get you on course. It’s a big part of it, but you actually need to take definite actions, specific ones to move you forward. Actions convince your subconscious of your sincerity and dedication, and ease its concerns about your safety. With that, your subconscious will minimize its resistance and it will help you to achieve your goal.

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 tips and directions about the 4 vital areas that support you in accomplishing your goal.

Thank you for watching. What actions can you take right away that will begin to dissolve your resistance? Take care.

Read the accompanying article, Are You Resisting Your Vision?

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Sparks of Insight

Sparks of Insight Comments Off

Dec 092019

When you are having trouble getting positive about your life, write out how you’d like your life to be. Don’t be concerned with the details of how those things could happen, just script out what you’d like it to look and feel like. Feel how it is to have it the way you want. Get excited and enthusiastic. As you’re creating the script, you may come up with some ideas of what to do to move it along. Get those down, and then pick one to act on. Emotion is what gets things moving, and positive emotion opens the floodgates for the Universe.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Are You Resisting Your Vision?

Article Comments Off

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.

Assumptions Don’t Serve You

Article Comments Off

Nov 072019

by Linda-Ann Stewart

People make assumptions all the time. There’s even a cliché for it. “When you assume, you make an ‘ass’ out of ‘u’ and ‘me.'” Not very classy, but it makes the point. It means that you suppose that you know all the facts when you form an opinion, when you don’t. And you aren’t questioning that maybe you you’re missing evidence on which to formulate your conclusions. You’re building a house on quicksand and don’t know it.

For instance, I’ve had a lot of people comment on my name, Linda-Ann. Many of them assume that I’m called by my first and middle name because I grew up in the south. They’re basing their assumption on some facts. Fact: I grew up in the south. Fact: Many men and women in the south are called by their first and middle names. Conclusion: That’s why I hyphenated my name to Linda-Ann.

The facts are true, but the conclusion is false. It’s missing another fact. I go by that name because, when I was young, my two best friends on my street were also named Linda. Everyone was confused when we played together. We never knew which of us was being referred to when someone called, “Linda!” said, “Linda did that” or, “Linda, stop that!” To tell us apart, our folks and friends started using both our first and middle names.

Facts Are Important

People draw the wrong conclusion because they don’t have all the facts. None of us know everything about another person or a situation. We can’t read someone’s mind. That’s why it’s dangerous to assume you know why someone did or said something to you. You draw a conclusion based on faulty or incomplete information. It doesn’t serve either you or the person you’re evaluating, because you’ve probably made an incorrect assessment. And you make flawed decisions and take actions accordingly.

For instance, you could think that you lost a sale because you didn’t deal with the prospect’s questions well enough. Instead, it could be that it just wasn’t the right product or service for them. Or you could assume that a friend is angry at you over something you said. But it could be that what you said triggered an unhappy memory and they’re just trying to process the emotions that have surfaced.

Unfortunately, assumptions lead to creating whole stories around the supposition. And those stories become real to you. They can keep you stuck, affect relationships, further miscommunication, and block opportunities and progress.

Reasons We Assume

There are a lot of reasons why we leap to an incorrect conclusion. Here are just a few.

It’s easier. Not taking the time to discover the truth means you don’t have to make any changes. For instance, you could decide that getting in shape is simply too hard, when you really don’t want to make the effort.

It’s expedient. It’s a shortcut to a decision about a situation or person. You want a quick answer and don’t want to take the trouble gathering information. If you act on your choice, it could lead you in the wrong direction, damaging relationships and your future.

It feels powerful. When someone jumps to a conclusion, it makes them feel like they have some control over the situation. Feelings of control reduce stress, so this is a way for them to ease inner anxiety.

It’s out of fear. You could be afraid of what you might find out, so drawing a conclusion feels safer. Unfortunately, it’s the more dangerous road to travel because it closes doors.

Gain Clarity for a Better Life

A way to gain clarity about your assumptions is to question them. What facts or evidence do you have that support them? Or that refute them? Do you have all the facts or evidence? What can you do to gain more? You can ask for more information and reevaluate your conclusion for accuracy. It feels risky, but people are usually delighted that you care enough to make a decision based on all of the facts.

Assumptions aren’t helping you. Instead, they’re hindering you. When you realize that, you open doors to much greater possibilities for a better life. Letting go of your suppositions, and checking the evidence, improves your mood, relationships and actions. Take back your power and find clarity, which will lead you to wiser decisions.

Affirmation:

I let go of my assumptions about myself, situations and other people. Instead, I take the time to seek out the facts and become clearer on what’s truly going on. The Universe guides and directs my inquiries; bringing me information I need on which to form a clear opinion. As I do, doors to a greater life full of harmony and joy open for me.

Watch the accompanying video, Are You Seeing Clearly?

Reduce Stress and Anxiety Quickly and Easily

Video Comments Off

Oct 102019

Stress and anxiety can quickly escalate and send you spiraling off course. But there’s a simple technique you can do in two minutes that will reduce stress, anxiety, and improve your overall health. Learn this technique and a couple of tips that will make it more effective so you’re able to stay on course and achieve your goals.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. I’m Linda-Ann Stewart and a vision strategist. I wanted to talk about a natural way to reduce stress and anxiety that takes about two minutes to begin working. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? I can attest that it does work.

Recently, I was scheduled for a medical appointment immediately after my regular checkup with my primary provider, making it a two-fer. But the later one had to be coordinated between two offices and there was some confusion between them. The morning of the appointments, I called to see if the confusion had been cleared up. It hadn’t. Great, huh?

After another couple of more calls, it still wasn’t handled. As you can imagine, I was getting more tense and anxious the closer the time came for me to leave, and still no resolution. My blood pressure and heartrate were soaring, just what you want before a checkup, right?

Finally, I made a call a few minutes before I was to leave for my regular medical checkup, planning on rescheduling the second appointment, but I discovered that it had finally be straightened out.. Whew! Except, I was sure my blood pressure was going to be through the roof when I saw my primary provider in about half an hour.

To lower my stress, my blood pressure and my heart rate, I sat and took long, slow, deep breaths for a couple of minutes. That’s about all the time I had before I had to leave. At my regular appointment, my blood pressure was within a couple of points of my normal. It was such a relief!

When you take long, slow, deep breaths, it releases chemicals that reverses the stress response, and it only takes a couple of minutes for it to happen. When I say deep breath, I don’t mean [raise shoulders and breathe]. That will actually increase the feelings of stress and anxiety.

Instead, breathe from your belly. Push your belly out as you breathe in. Then pull it in to force the air out. If you haven’t done this before, it feels counterintuitive and awkward. But it’s the way you breathe when you’re sleeping.

To best activate this relaxation response, breathe in to the count of 4, and breathe out to the count of 8. Just do that cycle 10 times, and you’ll start noticing you’re feeling calmer. It’s a physiological reaction.

To make it even more effective, breath in through your nose, and out through your mouth, as if you’re gently blowing out candles. It’s called “pursed lip” breathing and more efficiently empties the lungs. This allows more space for oxygen to enter when you inhale.

This breathing technique will allow you to think more clearly, to communicate better and make better decisions, improve your memory and immune system, reduce inflammation and symptoms of depression, in addition to easing stress and anxiety. It’s better than any pill. Just a minute of it will begin to ease performance anxiety.

I know it seems too easy, but try it. If you’re especially uptight, do the cycle, inhale 4, exhale 8, 25 times, which would be about 5 minutes. I know it works from my personal life, because this recent issue isn’t the only time I’ve used it. And I’ve also taught it to my clients, and it’s helped them stay on course to their goals.

If you’d like some help in getting on course and programming your business for success, apply for a Complimentary Coaching Consultation.

Thank you for watching. You have the ability to take charge of your stress and anxiety and have a more harmonious life. I hope you practice this technique for your health and well being. Take care.

Read the accompanying article, How to Stay On Course with Your Priorities.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Older Entries