Browsed by
Tag: peace

How to Practice Goodwill and Preserve Your Peace

How to Practice Goodwill and Preserve Your Peace

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Hanging hearts

In my last article, I wrote about The Power of Goodwill, describing the benefits for you and others. However, having goodwill towards others doesn’t mean that you passively tolerate whatever treatment comes your way. Instead, when you practice goodwill, you initially choose to believe that the other person’s intentions are positive in some way. At least, at first.

Don’t Jump to Conclusions

When someone distresses you, it can be challenging to practice goodwill. When someone upsets you, it’s normal to go on the defensive to protect yourself. But it may not be necessary. Before you jump to a conclusion, realize something else may be going on.

For instance, if you love the color blue, and they say they hate that color, don’t take it personally. It’s just their opinion. Don’t try to be a mind reader and assume they’re calling your taste into question. In other situations, it’s possible you misunderstood their actions or meaning, or they misunderstood yours. Pay attention to their other actions to determine if their motives are benign, or not.

When People Have Malicious Intentions

But there are exceptions. When you recognize someone is attacking or trying to take advantage of you, their intention is destructive. In that case, your goodwill would be encouraging bad behavior. And that would be counterproductive for you and could make things worse. The Universal law of karma exists for this reason.

For years, someone I knew constantly, good-naturedly, needled me. But, as time went on, it wasn’t mischievous any longer, but was increasingly malicious. I could no longer attribute positive intentions to that person. As a result, I cut off all contact with them. I wasn’t angry, and I wish the person well. I just choose not to tolerate their escalating abuse.

What to Do

As much as you can, disengage from someone who is negative or whose motives are detrimental. If you can’t separate from them physically, do it emotionally. They’ve put themselves outside of your zone of forbearance. And you don’t owe them an explanation as to why you’ve distanced yourself. They probably know why. Realize that they have their issues, and they’ve been taking them out on you. But you’re not obliged to remain their target. It wouldn’t help either of you.  The Universe does not hold you responsible for another person’s problems.

When you assert your boundaries, and protect your peace, you’re practicing goodwill towards yourself. You’re opening yourself to the flow of love from the Universe. This will build your sense of self-worth and serenity. By doing so, you’ll create a well of strength and calmness to draw from for the future.

Affirmation:

The Universe constantly pours love and goodwill into my life. As I project it to others, it flows back to me from the Universe. I am Divinely guided as to when to distance myself from those who mistreat me. I can project goodwill to them from afar. I realize that by separating myself, I’m practicing love and goodwill to myself, and am protecting my peace of mind.

As a focus mentor, hypnotherapist, and writer, Linda-Ann Stewart motivates women entrepreneurs and small business owners to focus and transform their business through deliberate actions that break through distraction and overwhelm to greater success, wellbeing and prosperity.To boost productivity and reduce overwhelm, register for her FREE guide, Design Your Best Day, at https://www.Linda-AnnStewart.com/guide.html

The Power of Goodwill

The Power of Goodwill

by Linda-Ann Stewart

heart shaped Christmas wreath

For a good part of the world, the holiday season is upon us, along with its theme, “Peace on earth, and goodwill towards men.” It’s a wonderful sentiment, isn’t it? Instead of enjoying peace and goodwill only at a certain time of year, wouldn’t it be nice to experience it all year long? With some awareness and intention, we can create a lifestyle that’s devoted to promoting goodwill. And it’s well worth the effort. It can become an important spiritual practice.  

What Goodwill Means

When you have goodwill, it means that you feel benevolent and compassionate towards other people. You have a friendly and helpful attitude towards another person, desiring the best for them. Even if someone has hurt you, and you don’t want them in your life, you can still wish them well. Being able to reach this viewpoint means that you’ve been able to forgive them and move forward. You let them go to their highest good, while moving onto yours.

What Goodwill Means for You

When you have a sense of goodwill, you’re remodeling your brain to create more cells that reflect kindness.  By focusing on this attitude, you’re building more neural pathways of happiness and optimism. And as you act on your goodwill, you trigger your brain’s reward centers, which releases pleasure chemicals. The more you choose goodwill, the more goodwill you’ll feel.

Paradoxically, projecting goodwill towards others reflects back to you. When you radiate goodwill, you’re more attractive to others. The Law of Attraction will then attract more good to you. Displaying goodwill creates healthier relationships, as goodwill towards a friend or partner is vital for a positive connection. Having good intentions towards others also builds trust in yourself and your interactions with others.

How Goodwill Promotes Peace

Although peace on earth may seem out of reach, there’s a song that goes, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” Each one of us can contribute to peace on earth by having goodwill towards the men and women we meet and interact with. Like kindness, goodwill spreads, like the ripples in a pond. When we emanate goodwill, we’re expressing the love of the Universe and this allows a closer connection to the Infinite. Carry the spirit of this season throughout the year, and let it change your life and the lives of the people around you.

Affirmation:

Goodwill is always flowing from the Universe to me. I give that goodwill a channel to flow through me and into my life. No matter what the circumstances, I choose to radiate goodwill to all those around me. As I choose kindness and compassion, it reflects back into my life. Goodwill has the power to spread peace and joy and change my life and the lives of those around me.

Watch the accompanying video, How to Develop a Sense of Goodwill.

As a focus mentor, hypnotherapist, and writer, Linda-Ann Stewart motivates women entrepreneurs and small business owners to focus and transform their business through deliberate actions that break through distraction and overwhelm to greater success, wellbeing and prosperity.To boost productivity and reduce overwhelm, register for her FREE guide, Design Your Best Day, at https://www.Linda-AnnStewart.com/guide.html

Podcast Interview – Improve Your Focus

Podcast Interview – Improve Your Focus

I had a lovely conversation with Marybeth Welty of Sustainable Lifestyle Solutions on how to Improve Your Focus and Overcome Shiny Object Syndrome. As an interior designer, she helps create calm and inspiring home and office spaces. In addition to her design work, she also teaches mindfulness and leads guided meditations, both of which are dear to my heart. Her mission is to encourage healthy minds and healthy homes.

In my work with clients, I empower women to be present and aware of their choices and decisions, which comes from being mindful. As we talked about what I do, we discussed how her mindfulness training and my work intersect. It’s so important to think things through and discover new solutions from a point of peace.

In our conversation, we covered what can cause the Shiny Object Syndrome and the problems that result from it. For one thing, it creates stress, which means you can’t think clearly. In a way, multitasking is a part of the syndrome. We agreed that any benefits from multitasking are a myth. Not only do you not finish anything, but you end the day feeling exhausted. Getting distracted by Shiny Objects is a symptom that something is amiss in your business.

We talked about how focus is a skill that you can develop. Mindfulness helps to cultivate focus. And as we discussed the Shiny Object Syndrome, Marybeth was surprised that allowing yourself to get distracted means you’re training your brain to seek more distractions. Distractions and paying attention to something new lights up the reward circuit in your brain. Since it feels good, you pursue more distractions. But it ultimately sabotages you, since nothing gets accomplished.

We exchanged stories about our own difficulties with staying focused. At the end, I shared 5 steps to overcome the Shiny Object Syndrome, with first being to take some deep breaths to calm down your nervous system so you can think clearly. Once you’ve done that, only then you can seek some clarity and get focused.

Marybeth is a calming and tranquil presence. I really enjoyed spending time with her and be able to chat about subjects that are near and dear to both of us.

Sparks of Insight

Sparks of Insight

Sparks of Insight

“I am calm, poised and confident at all times, in all circumstances. At the center of my being is a core of security and assurance that all is well. I respond appropriately to stress, pressure, remaining centered and serene.”

Serenity and peace are your true nature and the core of who you are. When you tap into that center, you’re able to stay balanced no matter what happens. Instead of reacting to a situation from a state of fear, you can use all your resources to deal with it in a calmer way. This will give you a much better outcome, and increase your self-confidence.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

The Kindness Paradox: Give Kindness and Receive Joy

The Kindness Paradox: Give Kindness and Receive Joy

by Linda-Ann Stewart

How do you feel when someone is kind to you? For instance, when a friend sends you a card, gives you a compliment or your spouse does the dishes for you. Don’t you feel uplifted? And how do you feel when you do something nice for someone else? Maybe you do an errand for a friend, call to see how they’re doing, or help a neighbor carry in her groceries. Don’t you feel a sense of satisfaction? And what if you see someone be generous to a stranger? Doesn’t that give you a warm glow and motivate you to do something considerate, too?

When you see, do, or are the recipient of kindness, it releases hormones that cause you to feel good, inspired and happy. It stimulates the reward centers of the brain. Within a few minutes the hormones have stopped flowing, but by remembering the action, you can recreate the joy. Kindness is like a pebble thrown into a pond, with the ripples extending outward and touching places unseen.

The Benefits of Kindness

The paradox of kindness and compassion is the benefits it brings to the one who acts, as well as the recipient. Not only do you impact the person you’re giving to, you’re receiving good feelings in return. Remember what your mother used to say, “It’s better to give than receive”? In this case, you receive far more than you give.

Showing kindness and compassion to others bestows the following on you:

  • You’re more attractive to others, personally and professionally.
  • People like and trust you more.
  • You’re more creative.
  • Your self-esteem and self-worth increases.
  • Your optimism and positive thinking grows.
  • You feel calmer and happier.
  • Your stress, pain, anxiety, depression and blood pressure reduces.

Kindness Can Be Challenging

Sometimes being kind can be challenging. There are people who irritate you and you may want to lash out at them. But you don’t know what has happened in their life that has caused them to be annoying. These are times when being altruistic and compassionate can have the best results. You may just change someone’s life, in addition to your own.  

For instance, consider being kind in the following conditions:

  • Smile and compliment the grouchy clerk. They might have had a bad day full of grumpy customers and it’s rubbed off on them.
  • Let the aggressive driver into the lane in front of you. They may be running late to an important appointment that could be vital to their well being.
  • Don’t complain when the elderly gentleman cuts ahead of you in line at the grocery store.  He may have mild dementia and not have even noticed you were there.

In difficult situations, consider what the other person might be dealing with that’s caused them to be rude. You’re not kind just for them. You do it for you, because it’s better for your health, mentally, physically and emotionally.

Focus on Kindness

The more you focus on being kind, the more you want to be kind. And the kinder you are, the more you’ll grow that area of your brain. Pure altruism brings you all the rewards mentioned and more. As you’re being kind to others, don’t forget to be kind and compassionate towards yourself. You deserve to be treated well, too, by yourself and others.

In the Christmas season, we focus on peace and goodwill towards others. Why can’t we have this spirit all year long? Think of the life we’d all have. It begins with each one of us being kind, on a daily basis. It’s a very simple mindset that takes on a joyful life of its own.

AFFIRMATION:

Whenever I have a choice of how to respond to a situation, I choose kindness. Kindness allows the spirit of the Universe to flow through me, blessing my life and the life I impact. I cultivate a generous spirit and compassionate attitude towards myself and others. I generate peace and goodwill towards all people, every day of the year.

Watch the accompanying video, Guided Meditation for Kindness.

[suffusion-the-author display=’description’]

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