Wednesday 1 July 2015

MIND~BODY~SOUL ... Choices, Chances, Change


Change means establishing new routines … my new far north Queensland routine  includes - 5pm on a Monday, sitting up high on Grassy Hill, in Cooktown [when working from home office]… feeling grateful, peaceful, and thoughtful … with writing journal open and words flowing from my mind to paper.

I believe that really successful people are good thinkers … good thinkers solve problems, they are never short of great ideas, and they are always focused on continual learning and exploring to create a better future. Good thinkers are generally not good followers [hmmm, yeah I know!] … because they make their own decisions, and would not allow themselves to be at the mercy of those who may take advantage of them, or try to deceive them, or expect them to follow blindly [uninformed].  Good thinkers don’t accept mediocrity, same old approaches … they enjoy stretching their minds to find new solutions.  In short, cultivating good thinking is a core strength for living a successful life.

Becoming a good thinker is not difficult … it’s about having the discipline to design your life to schedule time-out for thinking … finding a space that allows you to de-clutter, away from the trivial day-to-day interruptions, and to focus on what’s important. Many great successful people schedule ‘thinking time’ [eg: Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett, Anthony Robbins]. Mindfully focused … being intentionally present in that moment, purposeful thinking.

Take time out to enrich your MIND, BODY and SOUL … every week.

Clarity of the mind  … for me means time away from my whiteboard lists, computer screens, emails and messages … to enjoy the gentle ocean breezes and unobstructed views of lush rainforest covered mountains, blue ocean to the horizon, the last hour of late afternoon sunshine followed by peacefulness of the sunset as it slides down behind the mountain peaks.

Life seems so short now … I’ve learned that it’s so easy to let weeks, months, years slip by; without taking time to gain clarity, purpose and take control of your direction … your own journey.

Life is a journey … it’s important to enjoy the ride … every day.

Strengthen the body … well, my legs were certainly reminding me of how important it is to keep the body strong as I walked up the hill today [Yes, I did it!]. I eat healthy food, drink lots of water, and exercise daily … but I used to walk up a steep hill from my Capricorn Coast beach walk every day, up until a year ago. Oh boy! … clearly I need to conquer this big hill several times a week!  The view, the breezes, the peacefulness at the top is sooo worth it … and of course, my improved body fitness.

I also enjoy doing Yoga stretches as part of my morning walks … facing the water, breathing in energy from the wind. I just zone out and don’t care if others are watching or what they think; it is a great way to start the energy flow.

Enriching the soul … listen to your inner voice. Sure, I know you can work really hard to constantly turn negative, low energy vibes into positive ‘look on the bright side’ personal survival thinking … you know – making the most of a less than optimal situation. I’ve been there, done that … and I wasted many of my younger years trying to fix things that simply were not a good fit. Great learning to share – It’s far better to move to where you connect, where the energy flows, where you can design your life to achieve your dreams.

Life is not meant to be such hard work and it’s not - when you are passionate about what you do, love where you are, and carefully choose who you surround yourself with.

What’s the point of banging your head against a brick wall?…

I have met many women and some men, who WANT to change their current situation but are afraid … those three core fears that stop so many of us from moving forward:
~ fear of the unknown
~ fear of failure
~ fear of not being good enough [or deserving of better]
These fears cripple people from even exploring better options and seeing the choices out there … BUT, you can learn to smash these fears and take control of your life.

Sure, I’ve made many changes in my life. I’ve learned to embrace change and to keep my focus on moving onwards and upwards; so it may appear to some that I turn the page to start a new chapter fairly quickly and easily. True … once I’ve made the decision to change, I just do it – action it, move on; however, that’s not to say that change is EASY!  The hardest part is the initial realisation that in order to keep growing, you have to let go … and keep on going.  I have found this quote to be so true:

“The hardest part about letting go is finally realising that there wasn’t much left to hold on to” [unknown]

To those of you at the crossroads of change, EMBRACE IT.  Take time out to think through your options … yes, there are always choices. Then I encourage you to take the leap … all the magic happens when you move to be in the right place ... find a space where you can focus on what your mind, body and soul needs to strengthen and build, supported by people who can help lift you higher. You don’t need to have it all figured out to move forward … just take the first step.

My passion is to share these thoughts, in this beautiful environment, with other women who need time-out for mindful reflection, time to refresh their bodies, and renew their energy and flow for the journey ahead.
Stay tuned … I’m currently exploring the region for the right venue to hold an ElevateHER Womens Retreat  in far north Queensland. 

If you’d like to be on my ElevateHER emailing list … please email your details to Jilinda@workforcevitality.com.au and add ElevateHER Womens Retreat to the subject line.

Until next time,
Take some time to practice mindful thinking … J

Jilinda Lee

Change Champion Coach