by Erin Owen | Jun 17, 2014 | Ezine
Do you label yourself as…
- Not attractive enough to…?
- Too introverted to…?
- Not good enough to…
- Too busy to…?
Do you hold onto associations from your past that define your so-called strengths and possibilities, or weaknesses or limitations? For example…
- …because you are from a small town, you have or have not been able to do certain things in your life?
- …because you went to a certain school, you can or cannot achieve certain things?
- …because of your gender or age or skin color, you are or are not allowed to act a certain way?
Do these ideas you have about yourself limit you? If so, in what way?
If you feel that these are limitations imposed on you by the culture or society or family in which you live or company in which you work, do you accept or challenge these limitations?
I invite you to OBSERVE what is going on inside of you and around you and ask yourself:
- “what is real?”
- “what is truly “fact”?”
- “what can I consciously choose to let go of?”
- “what might be possible?”
The practice of yoga emphasizes letting go of material associations like labels and job titles. For years, I’ve been shedding layers of “fiction”—my ideas (that are not truly real) about who I am or what I’m capable of accomplishing or who I’m capable of being in my life.
I’ve recently been examining some of the declarative statements I make about myself to dig down another layer.
Running!
For example, last year I asked myself “Why do I always say that my husband is the runner and I’m the yoga person?” And I started jogging up and down the rock- and root-filled trails in the Wissahickon woods near where we live. Wow – how amazing it is to be grounded in nature, plugged fully into each moment and each breath, testing the capabilities of my physical form and my mental state.
Golf!
And this past weekend, I asked myself “Why do I take pride in being the only one in my family who does not play golf? How can my experience with this sport from nearly 30 years ago possibly determine what it might be like for me to try it out now?” And so, as a gift to my father for his 70th birthday, he and I went to the driving range to hit a bucket full of balls.
GOLF! Who knew?
I relaxed my body and quieted my mind. My body immediately remembered the grip, the stance, the head position. And I was open to the suggestions my father gave me. Each tip absorbed in my awareness, integrated into my being, resulting in better and better swings, longer and longer distances.
And what joy! What joy at hitting the ball 100, 120, 150 yards. What joy at being outside surrounded by green grass and blue sky. What joy at spending time one-on-one with my father, doing something he is truly passionate about.
What joy at letting go of another limiting belief. And who knows where it will take me?!?!
As you know, I’m continually looking for ways to improve my personal and professional performance. I prefer to experiment on myself—using my own life as the laboratory. Then, when I find a new activity or practice that delivers, I share it with you!
One of the biggest challenges you face as you age is keeping your brain fit and nimble. That requires a healthy diet, meaningful socialization, and actively challenging your brain.
I encourage you to improve the quality of your life and generate better results by engaging your mind and your brain. How?
- Learning a new skill
- Cultivating a new relationship
- Traveling to a new place and experiencing a new culture
- Tasting a new food (or a food you haven’t tried for years)
- Letting go of an old belief that is holding you back – something that will help you do all of the above!
Do it! Surprise yourself!
Be compassionate with yourself. Be ready to laugh at yourself. Ask others to encourage you and support you.
And let me know what you experience!
by Erin Owen | Jun 4, 2014 | Ezine
There are 37.2 Trillion Cells in Your Body The “raw clock speed” of your brain is 20 million billion calculations per second or 20,000,000 GHz (though it is estimated you can only do conscious calculations at the speed of 2 GHz per second), according to Cognitive Neuropsychologist Chris Westbury. Your second brain (your gut) has a mind of its own, meaning it can act autonomously and even influence behavior by sending signals up the vagus nerve to the brain.
Your vitality, your energy level, the clarity of your thoughts, your connection with creativity—ALL depend upon how well your body, including your brain and digestive system, are operating—and influence how you show up in each role you play in life.
So what are you doing to prioritize the care and feeding of your body?
What Platinum PracticesTM on your list of personal best practices support you in nourishing yourself on every level: body, mind, and spirit?
If you’re in a state of overwhelm and you most often decide that the next thing on your work “to do” list is more important than taking care of yourself, then you need to be aware of the cold, hard facts:
- STRESS is the number one killer (if you don’t understand the role of stress on the body, take a few minutes to take the National Geographic’s Stress Quiz)
- Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older (18% of the population), according to the ADAA
- Among adults age 20 and over, nearly 26 million Americans, or more than 11% of all people in this age group have diabetes
- About 1 in every 4 deaths in the U.S. is caused by heart disease, according to the CDC
- The risks for heart disease? Eating a poor quality diet, not getting any or not enough physical activity, using excessive amount of alcohol, having diabetes, and being overweight or obese
AND, the vast majority of these health issues are PREVENTABLE with simple changes in diet, physical activity, stress reduction, and—often most important—changing your mindset.
How can you improve your diet?
Eat real food, not packaged food, 80% of the time. That’s simple enough.
How can you increase your physical activity?
Move your body more than you are now. The American Heart Association recommends “at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity at least 5 days per week for a total of 150 minutes”.
How can you reduce your stress level?
- Shift your mindset (see below).
- Practice conscious breathing.
- Spend time in nature.
- Take regular breaks throughout the day (ideally one every 90-120 minutes).
What does it mean to change your mindset?
- Acknowledge your choices helped shape the reality of your current work and life
- Accept the things you cannot change, have the courage to change what you can, and cultivate the wisdom to know the difference (as the oft-quoted Serenity Prayer so wisely states)
- Simplify. Simplify. Simplify. What are you over-complicating? What can you let go of? What can you delegate to someone else who would enjoy or benefit from taking it on?
But, still… you do not do what you know you need to do. Why not?
The most common answer I hear is “I don’t have enough time.”
Reality check? You do have enough time, you just don’t know the best way to perceive time and enlist its help in supporting your most important goals.
To learn more, schedule just 15 minutes with me to talk further about your unique situation and challenges.
It’s time you took a stand for your health and well-being, your amazing capacity to do great work in the world, and took care of yourself for all those who depend upon you.
We’re all connected and I want us all to thrive to enjoy life more and get the best possible results at work and at home. Call me!
by Erin Owen | Apr 1, 2014 | Ezine
This year is powerful.
Most everyone I know—friends, colleagues, clients—are being pushed to their limits. I am too.
Are you complaining and playing the victim? Or, are you grabbing the reins and shouting for joy as you bolt forward in life?
I choose the latter. How about you?
As I shared in the January 31st post about the energy and potential that this Year of the Horse offers us, you will be tested. You ARE being tested.
That is what makes it even more important that you…
Be Mindful of the Seeds You Plant!
What do I mean by that?
Each thought you have—good or bad—is an invitation for more of that thought. If you quietly worry in your mind about money, you’re inviting more financial stress and scarcity. If you’re silently expressing gratitude for each experience, you’re inviting more of those good people, opportunities, and generosity into your life.
Each word you speak—good or bad—is an equally powerful invitation. Remember my 2nd foundational principle: Wherever you direct your attention, energy follows. If you want more positive attention from your loved ones, be sure to kindly and positively compliment them or thank them for those moments when they do listen to you or give you loving attention. Like attracts like, and you want to nurture those good seeds.
Each choice, each action—whether it be how you spend your money, or the people you choose to spend time with, or how you allocate your time during the week—speaks to the world: “I want more of THIS in my life!” So choose carefully.
Even in the toughest moments, when your limits are being tested, make sure you:
- Keep everything in perspective. What is shifting? What good changes are coming on line for you? Did you consciously or subconsciously ask for what you’re creating in your life?
- Affirm the good stuff. Express gratitude out loud to the world (the universe, to God): thank you! Express gratitude to each person in your life for how they support you, contribute to your well-being, help you to be your best.
Plant more seeds for what you want more of. Be mindful of your state of mind and your thoughts. (Use a practice like journaling or meditation to cultivate greater awareness.) Think carefully before you speak. And wisely allocate your time and make choices that support what you want more of in your life now and in the future. Do you really want to work late again? Do you really want to miss your loved one’s special event? Do you really want to skip another workout?
It’s time to… plants seeds for what you want more of in your life! With your thoughts, your words, and your actions. Bring the smallest details of your life into alignment with the bigger vision you have for your life—YOU ARE WORTH IT!<
Set-up a free 15-minute call with me to explore further how you can be more mindful about the seeds you plant with time management, relationships, career decisions, financial management, and more.
Here’s to you getting more out of life and getting better results at work by mindfully planting your seeds!
by Erin Owen | Mar 25, 2014 | Ezine
How strong are your backbones?
How clearly defined and well patrolled are your boundaries?
When you are really clear about what is okay with you, then it’s easier to draw a line in the sand and say to others: “Do not cross this line!” (In a nice way, of course.)
That line is a boundary, and your ability to clearly, consistently, and strongly uphold that boundary is a reflection of the strength of your backbone.
You can have many boundaries and many backbones.
Time management boundaries and financial boundaries are the ones that get most of us in trouble.
Struggling with Time Management?
If you say “yes” too often to requests for your involvement in projects, in community commitments, in helping your dependents do what they are fully capable of doing on their own, then you need to clarify your time management boundaries and strengthen your time management backbone.
It’s time to… let go of the idea that “it’s nice to be needed” because—reality check: you have TOO MUCH going on in your life!
Having weak boundaries and backbones drains your mental and physical energy. Can you afford to let that keep happening?
Stressing about Cash Flow and Finances?
If you do not have clearly defined savings and investment goals, if you do not have a clear idea of your monthly cash flow guidelines, if you make spontaneous purchases or find yourself saying “yes” too often to “just one more”, then you need to clarify your financial boundaries and strengthen your financial backbone.
It’s time to… put positive time and energy into what you want more of: financial security and abundance!
With clarity about your goals and what’s most important to you, you can create clear boundaries in your life. The more consistently you honor yourself, your plans, your dreams, the stronger your backbone.
Set-up a free 15-minute call with me to talk further about your boundaries and backbones here.
Here’s to YOU conserving and revitalizing your vital life force energy with clearly defined boundaries and strong backbones, so you can get more out of life!
by Erin Owen | Mar 12, 2014 | Ezine
My older son is addicted to Minecraft, an incredibly creative online game with nearly limitless possibilities.
In the beginning, we only allowed him to play in Creative mode. He could build without the threat of zombies attacking him.
But then he (and we) realized he could do even more in Survival mode, which required him to find his own resources (like seeds), so he could plant and grow his own crops for food. It also presented the challenge of evading threats from monsters and needing to survive the elements.
In Survival mode, my son has learned to be incredibly resourceful and resilient. It’s scary sometimes, but the rewards seem to be greater.
The other night at dinner, my husband posed the question: are you playing in Creative mode or Survival mode?
And it hit me: what a great question for us all!
When you have to put dinner on the table and pay the bills, you are often more motivated to be creative, resourceful, and resilient. When everything is safe and provided to you, it’s easier for your brain to become sluggish and to become lazy.
What comes to mind is the recently coined term “affluenza”—the disease of overconsumption and disconnection that comes from having everything provided to you.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m neither promoting poverty and suffering, nor trash talking wealth. (Nor am I equating Creative mode in Minecraft with affluenza!)
But, I do observe that the desire to have “more” is tightly connected with the culture of overwork in our world. The habit of working longer hours to make more money to get more stuff results in greater disconnection from oneself and those people who are most important to us. That disconnection leads to unhappiness and then a desire to have more stuff to make us feel better. A truly sad and unhealthy cycle.
So, maybe there is something to living in Survival mode. The question is: what is “just enough” and how can we ride that intelligent edge between being just comfortable enough and having too much?
I invite you to not only ask yourself whether you are in Survival Mode or Creative Mode, but also:
What helps you to feel truly alive in your life, motivated to keep striving, but—and here’s the key element—present and grateful for all who are in your life and all that you have now, in this moment?
I know what helps me to feel this way: the practices of yoga and meditation, as well as general mindfulness in each moment of the day while doing everything from observing my children play to feeling the temperature of the water when washing the dishes.
How about you? What helps you to feel this way?
I look forward to your reply!
