Walk to Improve Your Wellbeing

Walk to Improve Your Wellbeing

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Walking down a path

Many years ago, I was devastated when a relationship ended. All I wanted to do was pull the covers over my head and escape. I knew that taking a walk would improve my mood, but it was an act of will to get myself prepared. As one sock went on, I thought, “Maybe I’ll just go lie down.” Forcing myself to pull the other sock on, I thought, “Maybe I’ll just go watch TV.” Lacing each shoe brought up other excuses not to go. But I persevered, took a deep breath and pushed myself out the door.

Research on depression has shown that exercise and walking is almost as effective as anti-depressants. Brain chemicals called endorphins release during exercise, and they naturally elevate mood. Studies have also shown that people who exercise have higher self-esteem, a greater sense of competence and internal control over events, and sleep better. It’s been said that if there’s a fountain of youth, it’s exercise.

Half an hour later, I was returning home with a quarter mile to go and decided to check my inner self to determine how I was feeling. Although I was still sad, I was amazed to find that I could now plan ahead. I actually looked forward to getting involved with a project waiting for me at home. My mental outlook had improved by over 80 percent. To me, at the time, that was a miracle.

Even if I feel exhausted after work, walking rejuvenates me. That’s because the tiredness is more mental than physical. Whenever I need to ground myself, clear my head, break through a writer’s block, or ruminate on a problem, I know that taking a walk will help all of those things. I sometimes say affirmations as I stroll. It’s as if the exercise starts stagnated energy moving again. Walking jumpstarts my well being on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. So, anytime you’re feeling sad, angry, blocked, or stuck, try taking a walk. I’ll bet you’ll find that it helps you clear the way for the changes you desire.

Affirmation:

My well being is important to me, and I make attending to it a priority. I know that exercise is beneficial on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. Knowing that, I find the time to exercise in the best way for my body. As I walk, deeper levels of my mind are at work finding solutions to whatever challenge I’m facing. If I’m reluctant to take a walk, I remind myself of all the benefits, take control of my own well being, and get my feet moving.

Book Review-Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy

Book Review-Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy

Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy
by David Burns, MD

Here’s a book that gives specific instructions on how to change the way you think about your life. It was created to help people erase depression, anxiety, procrastination, guilt, pessimism, as well as perfectionism, anger, stress and low self-esteem. And it works. In a study of people with clinical depression, 70-75% of them were “cured” three months after reading this book and following the exercises.

By becoming aware of what you think, and then either addressing it or disputing the reasons, you begin to change the mental processes that have sabotaged you. Many people resist writing down their thoughts, for various reasons, but doing so allows you to view them more dispassionately. No longer are you controlled by your moods or negative thinking, you are empowered to confront it and change it.

Awareness and claiming your authority are key. When you take the time and effort to pay attention to what you’re thinking and write it down, you’re taking control. Then, by responding to it rationally, more positively, you’re accepting your authority over your own thoughts. This will begin to change your life.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Sparks of Insight

Sparks of Insight

Sparks of Insight

If you criticize others for some reason, it says more about you than it does about them. Your criticism shows your mental filters, and what causes you discomfort or irritation. It also indicates what you criticize yourself about, because what people object to in others, they tend to object to in themselves. So when you feel tempted to criticize someone, stop and consider what the condemnation says about you.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Guided Meditation to Create a New Self-Image

Guided Meditation to Create a New Self-Image

Your self-image can either support or sabotage your goals. If you’ve been having trouble reaching a particular goal, your view of yourself is probably involved. Fortunately, you can change your self-image. This short guided meditation will get you started to improve your self-image regarding a particular goal.

Transcript:

Are you having trouble achieving a particular goal? If so, your self-image may not be in alignment with it. When your view of yourself conflicts with the goal you want to accomplish, you’ll either sabotage yourself or won’t be able to maintain the goal.

The good news is that you can change your self-image. It’s only a belief, and beliefs can be changed with some work. I’d like to lead you through a short meditation to get you started on improving your self-image regarding a specific goal.

If you’re so inclined, close your eyes. Think of a goal you want to accomplish. It could be changing a habit, developing a talent, changing your lifestyle or something else. But pick something specific you want to work on or that you’ve been working on.

Now, consider how your self-image fits in with it. Can you imagine yourself achieving your goal easily and maintaining whatever change it would require? Is there something in you that might undermine your progress with it? Can you identify yourself with the completion of that goal? For instance, “I am a..” fill in the blank with how the goal would change your identity. If you have any part of you that doubts you can achieve it, there’s some issue with your self-image.

Shifting from considering your self-image, think of how achieving your goal could benefit you. This is your “why.” Imagine how your life would be different once you’ve accomplished your goal. Don’t just imagine the immediate change, but how your life would be a year from now. How strongly do you want that? If you can, enhance your motivation with whatever will support your endeavor. You are worthy to be successful with this.

Once you’ve realized what your life would look like with your goal, how good it is for you, what actions do you need to take now to move towards your goal? Imagine yourself going through those steps, a little at a time.

If you can only imagine taking a baby step, that’s fine. Visualize one, feel and sense yourself doing it, while reminding yourself why you’re doing it. As you accomplish that one, visualize yourself taking the next step. How can you get comfortable with these actions?

Now, imagine it’s a year from now and you’ve achieved your goal, and it’s become a fact of your life. Imagine how elated you feel, and how you can now identify yourself with having accomplished your goal.

You may notice other changes in your life, in the way you think and feel. How do you view yourself in this future, that’s different than it was at the beginning of the goal process? How can your self-image be even better? You deserve your success.

Open your eyes. Did you notice a shift in your self-image as you went through the visualization? The meditation gives your subconscious mind a map to follow as you rehearse your new actions and responses. If you do something like this every day, you will change your self-image, accomplish your goals and improve your life.

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Thank you for watching. You do deserve all the best.

Read the accompanying article, 4 Steps to Create a New Self-Image.

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4 Steps to Create a New Self-Image

4 Steps to Create a New Self-Image

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Is your self-image in alignment with who you want to be? Do you want something greater for yourself, but you feel unworthy to seek or achieve it? Or maybe you’ve attempted to change a habit or situation in your life, and it hasn’t worked out. If so, the problem is likely due to how you view yourself. 

Your self-image is a combination of qualities that you identify with: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. They are concepts that you believe define you. For example, you think of yourself as intelligent and friendly or a failure and inept. Your self-image includes abilities, talents, strengths and weaknesses you believe you have. You see yourself through the lens of all these characteristics and they filter out everything that isn’t in alignment with them.

How Your Self-Image Sabotages You

If any of the ideas you hold contradict your goals, then your subconscious mind will sabotage your aspirations in some way. Your subconscious mind keeps you in alignment with how you think of yourself. It will conform your actions and behaviors so they agree with how you view yourself. In this way, your subconscious keeps you congruent with your self-perception.

For instance, if you think of yourself as a disorganized person, then every time you try to keep your space neat, you’ll make some kind of mess. Your beliefs affect your behaviors and your subconscious mind ensures that they align. If they don’t agree, you feel discomfort, unease and even anxiety. By trying to shift beyond your self-image, you’re stepping out of what’s familiar and safe. And your subconscious mind will create distress until you go back to your old ways.

You Can Change Your Self-Image

Your self-image is an accumulation of past childhood ideas and attitudes you’ve established over the years. All of these are simply beliefs, and beliefs can be changed. With some work, you can improve your self-image so it supports you when you take action to achieve new goals and visions.

1. Become aware of the beliefs that construct your self-image. Focus on the areas you have trouble improving. How do you identify yourself in these areas? For instance, to meet deadlines, do you describe yourself as someone who is always late? Before you can change a belief, you have to be aware that it’s a problem and what kind of issue it’s creating.

2. Why do you want to change your belief? To change it, you have to have a strong motivation that will override your natural reluctance to change. Will the shift make you healthier or happier? Write down all the benefits to having a better self-image in this area. Your motivation must be strong enough to convince your subconscious mind that it’s safe for you to pursue the change.

3. What actions do you need to take to change your belief? These could be improving what you tell yourself, making decisions based on your new identity, changing habits or something else. For example, to eat healthier, you’d think about how a healthy person would eat, and make choices from that position. This would allow you to adopt a better lifestyle overall and create new eating habits. Once you decide on these new actions and behaviors, commit yourself to follow through on them.

4. Create a new self-image that represents your aspiration. Imagine yourself a year in the future with all these changes in place. How would you think and feel differently about yourself? Tell yourself that you’re worthy of and deserve the outcome. What other changes would have resulted? What you’re doing is updating your self-image so that it supports you in your goal or vision.

You may feel uncomfortable as you go through this process, but it will be worth it. What you’re doing is changing a fundamental part of yourself to align with what you want and who you want to be. It takes courage and commitment, but it allows you to create the life you want. 

Affirmation:

The Universe perceives me to be a perfect reflection of Itself, having all the loving and good qualities that It contains. It holds the highest and best view of me. That individualized expression of the Universe is the potential of who I am and could be. I now aspire to be that person, and view myself as the Universe sees me.

For more articles on improving your self-image, read 5 Steps to Create a Greater Self-Image, When Self-Image Sabotages Positive Thinking, and Say “Yes” to Your Vision.

Watch the accompanying video, Guided Meditation to Create a New Self-Image.

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Develop Your Potential to Reach Your Dream

Develop Your Potential to Reach Your Dream

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Woman with outstretched arms and sun

Success means different things to different people. But success can also mean different outcomes depending on the person’s dream. A business person measures their dream of success by income and number of customers. When a beginner marathon runner finally stumbles across the finish line, whether he’s first or last, that’s a win to him. To the person afraid to speak in public, victory is being able to effectively lead a meeting. To others, it’s wealth and acclaim.

In every case, the person had the potential to succeed at their dream. But they had to cultivate and develop the qualities that would lead them to the result they wanted. It didn’t happen by chance. They had to become a person who could reach their vision. That meant they had to let go of some characteristics, habits and ideas, and acquire others.

So where in your life do you need to change? Who do you need to become to be successful and accomplish your dream? Here are five areas to address.

1. What characteristics do you need to develop within yourself?

The characteristics you need to develop are going to be individualized for you and customized for your dream. You won’t want ones that help you climb the Matterhorn if marketing your business is your goal. So consider your dream. Then take stock and assess what qualities you need to develop.

Once you decide which traits are essential for you to have, establish a way to learn and practice them. Choose one from your list to cultivate and start small, with baby steps. But be consistent. Exercise the attribute as much as you can. In doing so, you make it a habit. Then you can start working on the next one.

2. What do you need to identify with?

Your identity affects what you believe and how you act. If you identify with being a business person, you’re going to act differently than someone who feels they’re a teacher. It molds the way you perceive yourself and what you believe about yourself. In some ways, it forms your self-image.

Your identity isn’t concrete. It’s shifting all the time, depending on your roles and responsibilities. And you can influence it by what you choose to believe about yourself. Someone who wants to learn to draw will begin to connect with the idea of being an artist. They then start acting in a way that supports their new sense of identity by associating with artists, going to art shows and being more creative.

3. What do you need to believe to achieve your dream?

If you believe life is out to get you and that you’re a loser, you’re not going to be able to make your dream a reality. Your attitude of failure will sabotage your efforts and become a self-fulfilling prophecy. What you believe inspires and affects your actions, and a belief is simply an opinion. So you can choose to change your belief.

Discover what ideas will support your dream. Imagine that you’ve already reached it. As you explore how it feels to live your dream, what beliefs did you have to have to get there? You’ll identify beliefs about life, yourself and your capabilities that you can begin to change. One way to shift them is through positive self-talk.

4. What skills, knowledge or habits do you need to acquire?

When I wanted to use a computer and get onto the World Wide Web, I had to learn how to navigate the machine’s commands and surf the internet. They were new skills, but essential for me to reach my goal.

Once you recognize the necessary extra information or behaviors you need, figure out how to acquire them. You may need to read specific books, take courses, change your choices or your routine. As you take these steps, others may become apparent to you. Follow them through. Just don’t get stuck in the preparation stage. At some point, you need to actually take the leap into action.

5. What are you willing to do to achieve your dream?

This is probably the most important question. How strongly do you want your dream? Just day dreaming about it won’t bring it into reality. Only by committing to it will you be able to make it yours. For instance, if you want a higher paying job, are you willing to move to a new location, work a different shift or take on more responsibility? If there’s any part of you holding back, it will undermine you.

As you determine what your dream requires of you, do an internal inventory to make sure you’re ready. To accept something new in your life, you’ll have to sacrifice something old. Your life will be different. Are you prepared for it? You’ll also have to put physical, emotional and mental energy forth to bring your dream into reality. If your dream isn’t important enough to you to put in the needed effort, it’s better to know now. Take stock and decide what you’re willing to do.

As Henry Ford said, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” If what you’re doing now isn’t bringing you the result you want, you need to change.  Only by doing something different will you get results that are closer to what you want. And you can’t just change your actions. You also need to be someone different. Inner change is necessary for you to become the person who can achieve and live your dream.

Affirmation:

If I can conceive of my dream, then I can achieve it. I have all the support of the Universe in my endeavor. I am willing to do whatever I need to so that I create a new life. It’s safe for me to reach for my dream, and to make the changes necessary to accomplish it. As I put forth the inner and outer effort, I am Divinely guided in my quest.

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Sparks of Insight

Sparks of Insight

Sparks of Insight

“I trust that change is a natural part of life and progress. Change impels me to expand and  evolve into a greater experience of Life. I welcome change with a positive expectancy of a better day.”

It’s a natural human response to resist change. Even if you’re uncomfortable with the way things are, most people don’t want to make that scary step to the unknown. They don’t know what change will look like. But change is natural, and must happen for us to grow and evolve. By embracing change, and affirming that it will be positive, you instruct your subconscious mind to find the way to make it happen.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Sparks of Insight

Sparks of Insight

Sparks of Insight

What does success mean to your subconscious mind? It may not be what it means to your conscious mind. Sometimes, if you have an old concept of feeling ineffective, the subconscious will consider it a success if you reinforce that old idea. Your subconscious seeks to reinforce your old self-image, making it “right.” So what is your self-image concerning success? Do you need to update it?

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Empathy Overlooks Behavioral Consequences?

Empathy Overlooks Behavioral Consequences?

Question about affirmations

Question: How can empathy make people overlook the consequences of the actions of another person?

Answer: When we’re empathetic, we feel another’s pain. Because it hurts us, we want to fix it (their pain) and make it go away so it stops hurting us. Many times, this means that we excuse an offender, let them get away with inappropriate behavior, so that they feel better/feel better about themselves (so we think), and our pain eases. The problem with that is that they don’t learn from their mistake. We take away the motivation for them to learn from it, by excusing them. In so doing, we make ourselves part of the problem.

It’s not easy to let someone take the consequences of their actions, when we’re sensing their inner pain. But the only way many people learn is to be in enough pain to finally decide to change. In 12-Step programs, this is called “hitting bottom.” Sometimes, an intervention can help to make the alcohol/drug abuser uncomfortable enough to accept help. But during an intervention, the consequences of not accepting help have to be severe enough, and decided enough, to make them realize that they’re not going to be allowed to continue taking advantage of others.

When do we nurture and when do we let them fall flat on their face? If it’s a pattern of behavior, I think it would be time to allow them to experience some consequences. Unfortunately, most people only learn to treat others well by experiencing some discomfort for their behavior.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Guided Meditation to Focus and Accomplish More

Guided Meditation to Focus and Accomplish More

Cultivating focus is difficult in today’s world because of all the distractions. Fortunately, focus is a skill that you can develop with practice. When you visualize yourself focusing on a task, it makes that task easier to accomplish. You’re utilizing your natural ability to focus and rehearse your activity. Discover how this guided meditation can improve not only your ability to focus, but your success with any task.

Transcript:

Wouldn’t you like to learn one of the most important skills for success? That skill is focus and it’s hard to cultivate because our lives are filled with distractions from people, situations, and technology.

Fortunately, focus is an ability you have that you simply need to practice. I’d like to share a short, guided meditation that will make it easier for you to pay attention to an immediate goal or action. And it will improve your success with it. You can use this meditation at the beginning of each day or task.

First, what is your goal, desired action, task or project? Imagine that it’s something you want to work on and accomplish, just one item. Imagining doing it will make it easier to follow through on it. Visualizing also starts the subconscious mind to solve problems you might encounter.

Second, define what your motivation is to fulfill that goal, activity, or project. Why is it important to you? Dig down to the real reason, one that moves you. We’ll use that in our visualization.

Now, here we go. Close your eyes, if you’re so inclined. Take a long, slow, deep breath.

Think about what you want to accomplish, one task, today. Think of it in detail. Why is it important to you to take action on this? How will it benefit you? Consider that, and allow that motivation to grow and fill you.

Now, imagine yourself start working on your goal or task. Imagine it in detail. What does the room look like? How do you feel? What do you hear? Think, feel and imagine that it’s easy to focus on your task and bring all your resources and innovation to it.

Imagine that each step you take goes smoothly. Each step makes you  more enthusiastic to take the next one, to go further. Imagine that each action you take is easy and successful. You feel calm, relaxed, creative and engaged.

You easily find solutions for any challenges you encounter. Everything else fades away until you’re done. Imagine you stay with your task until your time is up or the work is done, whatever is right for you.

Think, feel and imagine that you’re delighted and amazed at how successful you were, how much you got done. Imagine how that success feeds into your next task or project, and propels you further.

Open your eyes. Something as simple as this visualization primes your subconscious mind to support your endeavors and create more successful outcomes. Your thoughts about a situation greatly influence its results.

You’re utilizing a natural function of your subconscious mind to program your activity, your thoughts about it, and your success. Practicing this kind of visualization, before any task, will make it flow more smoothly and easily, and you’ll accomplish more. And it will develop the habit of focus for you.

For more tips and articles on mindset, motivation and empowerment, please visit my blog, EmpoweringYourMind.com. Thank you for watching. I hope you practice this type of visualization each day, and achieve all the success you deserve. Take care. 

Read the accompanying article, Focus, the Power Behind Success.