Allow me to introduce you to a part of yourself that is perfectly prepared to connect you with a deep sense of inner peace, even when you’re surrounded by chaos. If you would like a proven way to let go of struggle, self-judgment or doubt, this article is worth reading.
C.W. is your “Curious Witness.” C.W. is one of the most effective and effortless tools you’ll ever discover for transforming painful experiences into personal power and joy.
C.W. already lives inside of you. Notice that you’re analyzing the idea of a C.W. while you read this article. You’ve just proven that part of you is already playing the role of a neutral witness. This component of yourself is, and always has been, a friendly part of your core self.
When you discover how to use C.W., you develop profound trust in yourself and in the process of life. You avoid emotional roller coasters, self-judgment and judgment of your experiences.
Sound good?
With C.W., you become so curious about watching the movie of your life that you can’t wait to see how each scene turns out. You accept life on its own terms, so you’re filled with inner peace. You trust that your movie (your life) will continue to be interesting, so you have no desire or demand that it turn out a certain way. Since you have no attachment to a certain outcome, you witness your life in an impartial manner.
When you discover how to work with C.W. you observe yourself having unpleasant feelings or experiences. You don’t avoid or deny your emotions because what we resist persists. However, your emotions don’t become a primary identity. You acknowledge negative emotions and experience them as sensations in your body. You still gain the benefits of emotions, including new insights, but you’re very clear that you are not the anger, fear, or sadness that you observe yourself experiencing.
Because C.W. is a neutral, factual observer detached from emotional angst, negative feelings flow through very quickly. There’s no resistance. You easily detect misperceptions so they gently fade away. When you work with C.W., you’re blessed with an impartial umpire 24/7.
This means that you effortlessly avoid the temptation to judge your experiences as bad, unfortunate, or unnecessary. Fears of the unknown are overwhelmed by excitement concerning your next steps. Your energy is fully available to you. With the curiosity and enthusiasm of a toddler exploring a colorful new playground, you ask yourself, “I wonder what’s next?”
C.W. also calms your inner critic because you simply observe mental chatter. Instead of believing in — empowering — your critic’s negative messages, the deeper, all-knowing part of you takes over.
A wonderful and spontaneous transition occurs when C.W. consistently serves as your personal assistant. One day, you notice that you have substituted curiosity and the joy of learning for expectations that cause pain when they don’t come to fruition.
Because C.W. helps you experience life in the moment, you link with one of your best resources — your intuition. You steadily prove to yourself that you always have dependable inner guidance. Since happiness is a side effect of living fully in each moment and following your internal clues, you notice yourself smiling more often.
This one simple technique — employing a personal witness — can help you let go of struggle and judgment and adopt bliss as a new “familiar zone,” a 24-hour a day lifestyle. Are you ready to begin? Start now to connect with a deep state of inner peace that is always available to you. The easy proven process of using your C.W. is fully described in the books, “Transforming Pain Into Power” and “Joy on the Job.”
Are you ready to create a new life story? Sign up for your complimentary “Breakthrough Session” with certified coach, Doris Helge, Ph.D. at http://CoachingByDoris.com. Download free ebooks & audios, including “How to Thrive in a Wobbly World” at http://FreeJoyOnTheJobEbooks.com.
Permission to reprint this article is granted if the article is in tact, with proper credit given. All reprints must state, “Reprinted with permission by Doris Helge, Ph.D. Originally published in “Transforming Pain Into Power” & http://CoachingByDoris.com © 2010.
]]>Do you know anyone who fatigues more easily during the winter months? Is it ever more difficult to get motivated or reach your peak performance during the season of short daylight? Seasonal affective Disorder (SAD) is quite common, particularly in climates with frequent gray skies or short winter days. The surprise is that even people in sunny Florida are sometimes affected by the “Winter Blues” syndrome.
SAD is related to changes in environmental light, overcast days, or inadequate indoor lighting. SAD is not only related to blue moods. It can create health problems because common symptoms include daytime fatigue, sugar binges, carbohydrate craving, weight gain, lethargy, hopelessness, lack of interest in normal activities, and social withdrawal. Most SAD sufferers hate to get out of bed in the morning because they never feel rested.
None of this produces peak performance or joy on the job. The good news is that the condition can be corrected thoughtfully and fairly inexpensively.
Light therapy has long been considered the ideal treatment for SAD. Full-spectrum bulbs and bulbs with color temperatures between 3000 and 6500 degrees can blast the winter blahs. Some studies have indicated up to 86% of people affected by winter SAD completely overcame their symptoms when the light bulbs were used consistently.
Fluorescent lights have obtained a mixed review. Some people report that fluorescents assist with SAD, but ultraviolet light can damage eyes and skin. Fluorescents can also rob the body of B vitamins, which are essential to our sense of well-being.
I previously directed a national agency located in Washington State, an area with short winter days and overcast skies for months at a time. Staff who were affected by SAD talked openly about the tendency to feel lethargic and be susceptible to the winter blahs. Tardiness and absenteeism increased as winter drug on.
After installing full-spectrum bulbs, we noted a remarkable decrease in irritability and a significant increase in energy for a very minimal cost. Teamwork began to excel. People were much more enthusiastic and they arrived on time. Health care costs declined.
Although SAD is usually discussed with respect to depression, there are also SAD stories related to anger and aggression at work. How can exchanging a colored incandescent bulb for a low-watt light bulb transform a vicious temper into a state of serenity?
A pale purple incandescent bulb can create cheerfulness by mimicking daylight. Light works for and against us. When it’s direct, glaring, or ultra-bright, it can cause eyestrain and headaches.
Because SAD is related to daylight, it is also helpful to increase outdoor activity, especially on sunny days. Humans weren’t designed to spend all winter in enclosed buildings. Gaining additional natural exposure to sun can significantly elevate energy levels. For these reasons, I encouraged our employees to go outside during breaks and did the same thing myself. Eating a balanced diet can also be immensely helpful in counteracting the tendency toward SAD.
If you are a manager or team leader, observe what happens when you survey your staff before and after directly addressing the common problem of SAD in winter, particularly in northern climates. Increased productivity, teamwork, and greater morale will make you glad you did.
Doris Helge, Ph.D. is a certified coach and mentor coach, author of “Joy on the Job,” “Transforming Pain Into Power,” and other books published in many foreign languages. Discover more at http://MoreJoyOnTheJob.com and http://TransformPainIntoPower.com, where you can download more free tips, articles and sample book chapters. You’ll also hear podcasts about “Secrets of Happiness” and you can sign up for the only ezine that focuses on happiness at work, the “Joy on the Job Ezine.”
If sad and mad are hanging around you this winter, get coaching about the winter blues. Visit http://CoachingByDoris.com.
You have permission to reprint the above article as long as it remains intact and proper attribution is given. © 2009.
]]>“All suffering is the result of the mind clinging to its unfortunate thoughts.” - Buddha
In Mary Sullivan’s brilliant essay, “Are You a Carrot, an Egg or a Bean?” she depicts a distraught daughter explaining to her mother about how “hard” life is. It’s so hard, the daughter contemplates the option of “ending it all.”
The mother escorts her daughter to the kitchen and immediately fills three pots with water and puts them on the stove.
In the first pot she places carrots.
In the second she places eggs.
And in the third pot, she places coffee beans.
Without saying a word she lets them boil. Twenty minutes later, she turns off the burners. She takes out the carrots and places them in a bowl. Next, she takes the eggs out and places them in a bowl. Then, she ladles out the coffee and places it in a bowl.
The daughter then asks, “Mother, what’s your point?”
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water. However, each responded differently. The carrots went in strong and unrelenting; but after being subjected to the boiling water, they lost their strength. The eggs were “soft-hearted;” but after sitting through the boiling water, they became hard. Their conditions had changed them.
However, the coffee beans were unique. After being placed in boiling water, the coffee beans changed the water.
The beans actually changed the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain or adversity. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
When life leads you to your “boiling point” be as a coffee bean. Show your true nature and step into your own power to change the world around you. Change your conditions and unleash the greatness within you - expect success, express gratitude and take responsibility.
By Flo Mauri, Thinking Well Consulting, www.thinkingwellconsulting.com
Leave Comments at “Chart Your Change” blog, www.flomauri01@wordpress.com
Is your ‘to do’ list growing out of control? Not enough hours in the day? Are you working hard but feel that you’re just not getting anywhere? Then today’s show is just for you.
Join Annemarie Cross and Keith Keller as they speak to Doris Helge, Ph.D and Melbourne’s own Donna Hanson about how you can avoid burnout. Make 2010 your year by finding more balance in your life and learning how to work smarter and not harder.
Our phone lines and chat room will be open so ring in and get expert career advice for all your life and work balance questions. Remember to visit us at our Career Success Radio Community page at: www.careersuccessradio.com where as always, there are fantastic resources for Jobseekers, Career Changers, HR Professionals and Recruiters alike. Including competitions, Twitter polls, job vacancies, articles, forums, careers and of course a great place to continue building your network.
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BLAST MYTHS THAT CREATE HOLIDAY STRESS
Myth #1: People are so stressed and depressed during the holiday season that the suicide rate rises.
Truth: The rate of suicide drops during the holidays because happiness is related to feeling connected to other people. Most of us attend more social gatherings during the holidays than any other time of year.
Myth #2: You have to be superhuman to get your usual job tasks done and attack an endless holiday to-do list.
Truth: Most of us unconsciously feed each other’s anxiety like gasoline fuels a fire.
SHIELD YOURSELF FROM NEGATIVITY AT WORK
Identify and say “No thank you” to sources of negativity that have nothing to do with you.
Notice frantic thoughts and emotions. Are they yours? When did they emerge? How were you feeling before you began to feel uneasy?
We constantly create our reality with our thoughts and feelings. Imagination and emotion are generally more powerful than logic or “reality.” Your thoughts have oomph.
Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want. Because of the way humans are hardwired, focusing on your preferred outcome can trigger happiness at work.
REV UP YOUR INNATE ABILITY TO CREATE JOY ON THE JOB
Positive anticipation is like a magic potion that creates happy feelings. The mere thought of achieving a goal makes feel-good chemicals flow through your body. Prove this to yourself.
1. Notice how you feel when you plan a fun event. When you anticipate something you’ll enjoy, you activate your brain’s pleasure centers. Joy on the job can emerge before a reward materializes.
2. Close your eyes. Observe your emotions when you imagine completing a report and turning it in.
Purposely give yourself something to look forward to so you can enjoy more happiness at work.
Imagine what it would be like to enjoy your preferred outcome. Savor that sweet sensation for at least 15 seconds. You have begun to create a positive neural network in your brain that will expand over time.
Construct a new preferred highway of associative networks in your brain. An action such as touching your thumbs to your index fingers while feeling pleasurable emotions will stimulate your brain to create an automatic response you can recall at will. Repeat this anchoring process until your new highway is strong and stable. It will keep you on track as you work toward your goal.
Your rewards will be amazing as long as you also take action to achieve your goals.
Positive thinking, even when combined with the power of pleasurable feelings, will merely keep you out of the doldrums unless it is coupled with focused action. Acknowledge, without resistance, any negative emotions that emerge.
PUT HOLIDAY STRESS AT WORK TO REST
Withdraw from the fray when other people unconsciously prod each other to fret about the future. Identify sources of negativity. Don’t take on emotions and concerns that aren’t yours.
Focus on your preferred outcome. Use proven neurolinguistic programming (NLP) techniques and positive anticipation to guide you toward joy on the job all year. In this article, we explored one tried-and-true NLP technique. To discover many more, grab a copy of the book, “Joy on the Job” and sign up for coaching with “The Joy Coach.”
To discover more happiness in all areas of your life, sign up for your free “Discovery Session” with “The Joy Coach.” You’ll leave the session enthusiastic, re-energized, and with crystal-clear clarity about your next steps.
You can also download free ebooks and podcasts like “Secrets of Happiness,” “Thrive in a Wobbly World,” and “Get the Respect & Appreciation You Deserve Now,” at http://www.FreeJoyOnTheJobEbooks.com. Doris Helge, Ph.D., is 100% dedicated to your happiness and success. Discover more at www.CoachingByDoris.com or http://MastermindWithDoris.com.
© 2009. This article was excerpted with permission from “Joy on the Job” by Doris Helge, Ph.D. Permission to reprint this article is granted if the article is in tact, with proper credit given. All reprints must state “Reprinted with permission by Doris Helge, Ph.D. Originally published in “Joy on the Job,” http://MoreJoyOnTheJob.com © 2009.
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