Browsed by
Category: Video

Use Journaling for Mindfulness and Success

Use Journaling for Mindfulness and Success

In today’s world, we rush ahead to the next thing, without assessing what’s worked and what hasn’t. We don’t take a step back to recognize problems and seek solutions to them. But you can use a technique that many successful entrepreneurs and business people employ. Journaling is a proven method to help you find clarity, find solutions, improve your health and your life. Learn how to start small with this practice and begin to enjoy its benefits.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. In today’s hectic pace, it’s hard to take time to be intentional, mindful and evaluate our lives, isn’t it? But there is an easy way to find clarity, engage your creative mind, discover possibilities, solve problems, encourage and motivate yourself, as well as improve your mental and physical health. It’s something that many successful entrepreneurs and business people practice. What is this tactic? It’s journaling.

I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a vision strategist coach, and I’d like to share with you a way to use this technique to improve your personal and professional life. Most people are overwhelmed with the idea of journaling. They’re afraid it takes too much time. I was too, when I first started journaling several decades ago. But I decided to start small, just to form the habit.

To begin, I got a page a month desk calendar. I committed to just write one word each day, to describe the day, or what I was feeling, or something I’d done. By the end of the year, each square on that calendar was filled with sentences. The next year, I got calendar with a page a week. The year after that, I’d graduated to a page a day. Now, I use a book, put in my own dates, and write as much or as little as I want.

Journaling has helped me work out issues that were plaguing me, note my accomplishments, and learn from my experiences. It’s a time for me to reflect about the day, write any insights and what my plans might be and how they’re working.  

My tip for you is to start small, like I did. Get a journaling book and date each entry. Write one sentence per day. Just one. It could be how your day went, something awesome that happened to you, something you learned, something you want to improve, or whatever comes to mind. Then write something you’re proud of or have accomplished that day. That’s just two items.

When you get thoughts out of your head and onto paper (or into the computer, if you’re so inclined), it helps to see things more clearly and objectively. Your brain reprocesses the information in a different way.

Reflection and assessing helps you to better fulfill your potential and then move forward in a more positive and powerful way. You’ll be more intentional, mindful, and feel happier.

If you’d to achieve a 90-day goal more easily, download my free comprehensive Strategic Vision Guide at www.SetYourCourseGuide.com. You’ll receive the guide, as well as a training video that walks you through each step with tips and directions to support you in accomplishing your goal.

Thank you for watching. How can you start journaling your way to greater mindfulness and success?

Read the accompanying article, How to Become More Positive When Things Go Wrong.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Guided Meditation for Kindness

Guided Meditation for Kindness

Do you want to be happier, more positive, kinder and have better emotional control? Studies show that meditating on kindness and compassion can bring you all that and more. Linda-Ann leads you through a short meditation that induces a sense of compassion towards yourself and others. And you’ll also learn how you can maximize its effectiveness in your daily life.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. Do you want to be happier, more positive, kinder and have better emotional control? There’s a very simple way to do that. It’s by meditating on kindness and compassion. Within two weeks of practicing this type of meditation every day, you’ll notice an improvement in all that I mentioned.

I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a vision strategist. This type of meditation will also cause you to feel better about achieving your goals. A meditation like this will actually change your brain to cause you to be more compassionate. Isn’t that amazing?

To give you an idea of how to do it, I’m going to lead you through a very short example of this type of meditation.

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Bring to mind someone you love and care about deeply. As you think of them, imagine a warmth in and around your heart towards this person. Notice your feelings of love, caring, well being and good will towards this person. You want the best for them. Imagine a golden light surrounds your heart and contains all of these beautiful feelings. Imagine that light goes out towards that person, filling them with all these wonderful feelings.

As you do, say phrases like the following to yourself, feeling each one as a wish for that person:

May you be whole.

May you be well.

May you filled with peace.

May you be happy.

Take a deep breath. Now, imagine all the good wishes from that golden light directed towards yourself. Feel them. Again, repeat phrases like the following:

May I be whole.

May I be well.

May I filled with peace.

May I be happy.

Take a deep breath… and open your eyes. It feels good, doesn’t it?

You don’t have to use the phrases the I used. Find phrases that work for you. The best results happen when you do this type of meditation for 30 minutes a day. As you go through the process, you can add different types of people.

For instance, imagine an acquaintance or someone neutral, someone that you know but don’t really feel one way or the other about. Send them compassion. And then imagine someone that you’ve had a falling out with, a conflict with, or some other negative experience with. Send them good will. This meditation will help to free you from the burden of the negative emotions associated with that person.

Although the recommendation is to devote 30 minutes a day to the meditation, once you know how to do it, you can practice it at any time during the day. When you get up, you can send good wishes to your loved ones. On the way to work, you can send good will to your fellow commuters. And, eventually, when you have to deal with a grumpy boss or nasty customer, you can imagine sending them kindness. It may not improve their disposition, but it’ll do wonders for yours.

I’ll post links to a recordings that can help you. The first is a Compassion Meditation by the Greater Good Science Center that will lead you through the entire half-hour sequence. The second is a short song on Loving-Kindness,  by Karen Drucker. You can memorize the easy chant and use it during your daily life. It’s one I sometimes use when I’m walking or when I’m driving.

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

Thank you for watching. May you be filled with peace and happiness.  

Read the accompanying article, The Kindness Paradox: Give Kindness and Receive Joy .

How to Stay Mindfully Focused

How to Stay Mindfully Focused

It’s hard to stay focused and not get distracted in our frantic, fast-paced lives. But focus is the best way to achieve your goals and be productive. Focus is one of the most important skills a person can develop. Learn a simple technique to learn how to be more focused and get more done, more easily.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. In our frantic day-to-day lives, it’s hard to stay focused, isn’t it? We’re pulled in so many different directions. But being able to focus on a task or project is the way to get it done and done well. I’d like to share a simple technique for you to be able to hone your attention, to be more single-minded, and get more done, more easily. Wouldn’t that be great?

I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a vision strategist. The technique I’m going to share with you combines a couple of tactics. One is deep breathing, and the other is self-talk. Either of which is good to help calm you down and get focused. But together, they are an unbeatable combination.

Using this technique allows you to pay attention to what you want to pay attention to, to what’s important and not what’s trying to distract you. When you take care of what’s important first, you can deal with other things later.

When you want to focus on a task, first take three long, slow, deep breaths. This calms your brain and nervous system so you can focus. It also allows you to take a mental step back to make a decision on what to do next. Rather than being pushed by events, you can make a choice of what to do next. It’s the difference between reacting and responding. When you respond, you’re reclaiming your power over your actions. 

Next, engage in talking to yourself to keep yourself focused. Just saying things like, “Focus” or “concentrate” or “stick with it,” will rein in your thoughts to stay on task. You could also talk to yourself as if you’re a third person, like, “Linda-Ann, continue working on this for the next half-hour.” When you say your name, it catches your attention, doesn’t it? And you’re more likely to follow your own directions.

When you stay mindfully focused you’ll find yourself being more productive and efficient, while increasing your peace of mind. As a side benefit, you’ll also be training yourself to be more focused, so the more you practice, the better at it you’ll become. You’ll be developing a vital skill that you can use for the rest of your life, in all areas of your life.

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

Thank you for watching. How can you use this technique of deep breathing and self-talk today? Take care.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

How to Achieve Your Goal More Easily

How to Achieve Your Goal More Easily

The one thing you have control over in your life is what you think about. A positive mindset is vital for you to fulfill your goals. But beyond that is how to get your subconscious mind to help you in your pursuit of successfully achieve your goals and vision. Learn a tactic that works with your subconscious mind’s natural tendency to help you.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. I’d like to share a tip to help you achieve your goals more easily, even when life seems chaotic. I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a vision strategist, helping business women align their heart with their vision and program their life for success.

Sometimes, I know it feels like your mind is like a runaway train, and you’re at the mercy of your thoughts. But that’s not true. In the book, “A Search for Meaning,” psychiatrist and neurologist Viktor Frankl explored his experience as a WWII concentration camp survivor.

One of the insights he arrived at during his incarceration was that he might not be able to control his surroundings, but he was in charge of his mind. He had the freedom of choice of what to think about. If he can choose what to think in that tragic situation, you can choose your thoughts, as well.

So why would you want to think more positively when life seems to be falling apart? Because the way you think about a situation or condition affects how you behave and the decisions you make. Your attitude towards a challenge either opens up innovation and creativity for you to find a solution or it closes your resources down and boxes you in.

When you seek answers and a positive result, your subconscious mind will look for opportunities to help you. After mulling over a problem, haven’t you ever had the answer come to you out of the blue? That’s your subconscious mind helping you.

My tip for you is two-fold and is going to sound airy-fairy, but it’s not. This is to help you prime your subconscious mind to work for you. The first part is to imagine what your best outcome could be. What is your best case scenario? Just think that through. That gives your subconscious mind a model to follow. You’re letting it know what you want.

The second part is to ask a question. Your subconscious mind is a problem solver. That’s its role. And it doesn’t like unanswered questions. Ask something like, “How could this come about the easiest way possible?” or “What do I need to do next?” Something like that.

Do not try to answer the question consciously, or guess how it could happen. If you do, you’ll interfere with your subconscious mind’s work. When faced with a question, your subconscious mind must find an answer.

Then stay open to ideas and insights that flash into your conscious awareness, even if they may seem unlikely. The point is to stay open. What you’ll find is that one of those ideas will take you on the next step to your goal.

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

Thank you for watching. What questions are you going to ask your subconscious mind to help you fulfill your goal? Take care.

Read the accompanying article, Live in Expectancy of the Best.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Guided Meditation to a Calm Mind and Better Life

Guided Meditation to a Calm Mind and Better Life

When you’re upset, it affects your body, tensing your muscles. The reverse is also true, if your body is relaxed, then your mind is calm. You can control your state of mind through relaxing your body so you can be more peaceful. A calm mind allows you have a sense of well-being and to think more clearly. Use this meditation to access a peaceful state that can contribute to more success and satisfaction in your life.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. Have you ever noticed that when you’re upset, stressed, anxious or worried that your muscles are tense? And that you breathe shallowly, from your upper chest? Your thoughts are telling your body that you’re feeling threatened, and they’re responding to protect you.

But did you realize that when you deliberately relax your muscles and take deep breaths, your mind begins to calm down and you feel more peaceful? It’s true. What affects the mind will affect the body and vice versa. You have the power to take control over your state of mind, by affecting your body.

I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, of Heartvision Consulting. I’m a vision strategist, helping women program their business for success by creating a master plan. But I’ve also been a hypnotherapist for over 30 years. I’ve helped hundreds of people to improve their quality of life through relaxation and then to achieve their goals.

I’d like to lead you through a short meditation of deliberate relaxation that will help you find more calm, so you have a better life.

If you want to, close your eyes.

Take a long slow deep breath. Now let it out, letting it go. Take another deep breath in. Now exhale, letting it go, all the way out. Take one more deep breath. And let it go, all the way out.

Now place your attention on your scalp. Let go of the muscles there. Imagine them becoming like a floppy rubber band.

Bring your attention to your face. Relax your facial muscles.

Place your attention on your neck, and let those muscles relax.

Now your shoulders drop, loose and limp.

Your arms relax, like a rag doll.

Your chest and abdoman become soft and relaxed.

Place your attention on your back, and you let it relax, becoming like soft putty, relaxing all the way down to your hips.

And now your legs relax, all the way down to your toes.

Just relaxing your entire body from the top of your head to the bottoms of your feet.

Now imagine that you’re feeling calm, peaceful, serene, like your mind is a calm pool of water. Safe and secure. Floating with a sense of well being.

I wonder how you can create this calm, peace, serenity, safety, security and well-being in your life from this moment on? Maybe you can create it with 3 deep breaths, and a quick relaxation. Maybe you can simply remember how it felt to be at ease. No matter how, it can be easy for you now to create this calm and well being in your life. And you can bring this peace with you into your life as you open your eyes.

How did that feel? The more you practice it, the easier it becomes. The effects accumulate over time.

Whenever your mind is calm, you have a sense of well being, are able to think more clearly and make better decisions. You’re more creative, resourceful, and resilient in the face of challenges. In addition, you’re more attractive to people, both in your personal and professional lives. You’re able to feel more fulfilled and satisfied in your work. Isn’t that worth taking a couple of minutes out of every day to practice this exercise?

If you’d to achieve a 90-day goal more easily, download my free comprehensive Strategic Vision guide at www. SetYourCourseGuide.com. You’ll receive the guide, as well as a training video of that walks you through it with tips and directions to support you in being able to  accomplish your goal.

Thank you for watching. I hope you’re able to take this meditation and practice it daily to bring you a much better life. Take care.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Reduce the Overwhelm of Stress

Reduce the Overwhelm of Stress

Stress can build up to overwhelm you, or create worry or anxiety. When you’re in the middle of it, it’s hard to know what to do and which way to turn. Learn a 4-step process to take control of  what’s stressing you and find solutions.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. Is stress overwhelming you, or causing you to worry or be anxious? Right now, there’s a lot of reason for this, isn’t there? But what can you do about it? I’m Linda-Ann Stewart of Heartvision Consulting, and I’d like to share a simple tip to help you get a bit of control over what’s causing your stress.

A lot of the overwhelm you’re experiencing is because there’s so much change happening in your life. This happens when you move, change jobs, get married, have a child, or anything else that causes massive adjustment in your life. Right now, the upset is coming from outside forces. But there are still things you can do to manage your stress.

I’d like to share a 4 step process that can help you take control.

1. Make a list of all the things that are stressing you out, no matter how small. Include the items that you want to avoid, because they cause you worry and anxiety, too, don’t they?

When you get them out of your head and onto paper, it helps your mind to process them differently. It’s like you’re emptying out a very full jar of water to create space for something better. When you’re able to see them all, you can get a better perspective.

2. Once you have the list, eliminate the items that aren’t causing you much stress. They’re just the minor details that might annoy you, but you can easily handle. This is a step that helps you to gain better perspective.

3. Next, eliminate the items that you can’t do anything about. This could be things other people are doing, or not doing, or other things you have no control over. They don’t merit your attention, because you can’t impact them right now.

4. What’s left are the big items that are concerning you. Take each one, and ask yourself, “What can I do about this?” There will probably be some small actions you can take with each item. Then start taking some of those actions.  

By taking charge with this list and deciding on some actions to take, even a small ones, you’ve shifted your focus from feeling powerless to seeking possible solutions. Instead of shutting down your creative mind from stress, you’re inviting other options to surface. You created the empty jar. This will free you to start taking actions that will begin to reduce your list, and your stress. Also, when you do, more solutions will start to present themselves.

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

Thank you for watching. I suggest you take the time to create your list, and notice how you’re able to get a handle on your stress. Take care.

Read the accompanying article, 4 Ways to Manage Your Stress.

Meditation to Learn from Your Resistance to Change

Meditation to Learn from Your Resistance to Change

Resistance to moving forward is part of the human condition. Any goal worth having is going to stir up a reluctance to change. But resistance can teach you a lot, about why you’re reluctant and what you need to do to take action. Use the questions in this meditation to uncover what’s behind your resistance and what you can do to overcome it.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. Are you resisting taking an action or decision that you know would allow you to reach your goal? If so, welcome to the human race. Whenever you want to make a significant change in your life, you’re going to meet with some inner resistance to moving forward, right? Sometimes, there’s a good reason for the resistance, like you don’t have everything you need yet. Other times, it’s just a fear of change or fear of failure.

I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a vision strategist, and I’ve worked with hundreds of clients over the years to overcome their resistance to achieving their goals. Resistance has a lot to teach you, but you have to be willing to listen to what it’s trying to tell you. Asking the right questions is a way to discover what’s holding you back and how you can move forward.

So I’d like to lead you through a very short meditation to help you ask some of those questions and gain answers to help you.

If you’re okay doing so, close your eyes. If not, just get comfortable.

Imagine some area where you’re resisting change. It could be personal, like changing a habit or dealing with an ongoing issue, or it could be professional, like opening up to a new opportunity. Just choose one place where you’re resisting. Examine the issue and how you feel about it.

Now, we’re going to ask some questions. Don’t worry if you don’t get any immediate answers. Those answers may come in a few minutes or hours, when you’re doing something else entirely. Right now, it’s just important to ask the questions, and listen.

What exactly are you resisting?

Why are you resisting moving forward? Is it fear, or some other emotion? Do you need some other piece to be in place? Why are you resisting moving forward?

What would happen if you didn’t resist? If you just let go and moved forward? How would that affect your life?

What are you trying to preserve/hang onto by resisting? Is it worth it?

What are you giving up by deciding to move forward? Is it something you still want, or have you outgrown it?

What might you receive from moving forward? Is it better than what you have now?

How can you make this change less threatening? How can you let go of your resistance and make it easier to move forward?

The answers to these questions may not come right away. The answers may surface over the hours to come. Just keep your mind open to recognize the answers, and know that you can choose to act on them or not. Open your eyes.

Like I said, it doesn’t matter if you got any answers right away. The important thing is to ask and be open to the information. Your subconscious will deliver what you can accept and work with, maybe today, tonight, or tomorrow. You can take what your subconscious tells you and make decisions that are best for you.

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. I hope that the answers you get are valuable and help you resolve any resistance you might be encountering with your goal. Take care.

Read the accompanying article, Lessons from Resisting Change.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Finding Focus in Unsettled Times

Finding Focus in Unsettled Times

Focus in one of the most important skills to develop if you want to be successful, whether personally or professionally.  But because of our current crisis and disruption of our routines, focus is hard to grab onto and maintain. Here’s a couple of strategies to help you to broaden your mental bandwidth and feel more in control.  

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me.  I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a vision strategist.  I wanted to talk about how to find focus in times that seem unsettled, chaotic, or uncertain, like now.

Focus in one of the most important skills to have if you want to be successful, whether personally or professionally.  But because of our current crisis and disruption of our routines, focus is hard to grab onto and maintain, isn’t it?  Your attention is taken up with the immediate and the urgent, right? And there’s so much that’s out of your control right now, which splinters your focus even more, doesn’t it?

So, for right now, just focus on what you can control. You can control what you do, your decisions, and your response to immediate situations. Just paying attention to what you can control lowers your stress level and you have more mental bandwidth.

Next, focus on one thing at a time. Just one thing. The brain can focus only on a single task at a time. When you’re thinking about or doing too many things at one time, you’re “task switching” and that exhausts your ability to function. So when you’re doing something, focus completely on it, if only for ten minutes.

Using these two strategies, pretty soon, you’ll feel on more stable ground. And you’ll be able to pay attention to more than just what’s right in front of you. And then, amazingly, you’ll be able to start to plan for the future. 

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

Thank you for watching. What one thing are you going to focus on today? Take care.

Read the complementary article Finding Your Course in Unstable Times.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Podcast Interview-Breakthrough & Thrive Summit

Podcast Interview-Breakthrough & Thrive Summit

Last month, I was interviewed for Jamie Lynn Warber’s  Breakthrough & Thrive – Awaken Your Voice Summit. The summit empowered sexual abuse and trauma survivors to take charge of their power, healing and happiness. Jamie and I were connected through another podcast host and I jumped at the chance to reach these women with my message.

As a hypnotherapist and coach for 30 years, I’ve helped many sexual abuse survivors achieve their goals. Whether to heal from the trauma, break habits or improve their life, I discovered that they needed to improve their self-esteem to be successful. They had to come to realize that they deserved success before they could achieve it.

These women and this subject are very dear to my heart, as it is to Jamie Lynn’s, who is a sexual abuse survivor. She shared some of her story, which was touching and brave of her.  She’s incredibly heart-centered. In our discussion, we explored why self-esteem is necessary to be successful.  I also gave several strategies and exercises that listeners can use to raise their self-esteem and sense of self-worth.

It was a delightful discussion. I enjoyed talking with her so much. Even after the interview, we continued chatting for almost an hour, sharing our philosophies, perspectives and experiences. I remain in touch with her, and hope to be on future summits of hers. For now, I keep in touch with her Facebook page, Arise Empowered, LLC. If you’re a sexual abuse and/or trauma survivor, I recommend you check it out.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Podcast Interview-Mind Money Motion

Podcast Interview-Mind Money Motion

Marie Burns Mind Money Motion

Recently, Marie Burns of Mind, Money, Motion interviewed me on her podcast, which focuses on helping listeners worry less about money by keeping their mind and body healthy.  We first met at a meeting of the Arizona Chapter of the National Speakers Association. But the idea of being interviewed on her podcast didn’t arise until the COVID-19 shut-down pushed all meetings online.

Marie and I were in a virtual Zoom meeting together, when she messaged me to ask if I’d be interested in being on her podcast. I was delighted! I felt the interview would be fun as I’d get to know her better and be able to share my ideas with her audience.

In the interview, we discussed my hypnotherapy background and I explained a little bit about what hypnosis is and isn’t. Most people have misconceptions about hypnosis, and I take every opportunity to clear those away. In this instance, it led into how I realized why having a vision was so important to achieving your goals.

She asked great questions and led me deeper into explaining about mindset and focus, my specialties. Mindset is so much more than just positive thinking. And focus is necessary if you’re going to avoid distractions and stay on course. Mindset, vision and focus are all essential to success in personal and professional life, in normal and uncertain times.

Time got away from us, and the interview ended all too soon. That’s what happens when you’re having fun, isn’t it? I would have loved to have spent more time with her and gone even deeper into my topics.

The 26-minute interview, Clarifying your vision and building a strategy to achieve your goals, can be found at Mind, Money, Motion, as well as on Itunes and Csuite Network. Those links are on the same page as the interview.

I hope you check out her other podcasts, as they provide fascinating information to help you in your life. Marie wants you to enjoy less worry and more life. She’s a Certified Financial Planner, speaker, author, and hosts the podcast to provide actionable ideas for women. I was honored to have been invited into her world and hope her audience enjoys the interview.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart