I’ve read a lot of books in my life, but there are a few that have had a profound impact on me. These books have changed my life! These books have helped me to heal, to grow, and to live a more fulfilling life – a happier life. I would like to list more but we need to start somewhere with the top 5.
I am sharing links for you to buy the books from Amazon but if you prefer to support the circular economy; this is a linkfor World of Books and you might be able to get a used book in excellent condition.
You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
If you have read any of my previous blogs and checked out my website, you will know that Louise Hay was pivotal in completely changing my life around. I first listened to her on YouTube and it was as if she was speaking directly to me! Although this book was not the first one that introduced me to the power of positive thinking, it was the most insightful. It really introduced me to positive affirmations in a big way and led me to finding out more and to eventually training to become licensed to share Louise’s timeless teachings.
You Can Heal Your Life helped me to see that I was creating my own reality with my thoughts and beliefs. Once I started to change my thoughts, I really started to see positive changes in my life. That the power of loving yourself changes everything. You could say it’s the reason I became a Positive Change Coach.
Here is the link to buy the book from Amazon but you may find a copy from World of Books too (link above).
The Power Is Within You by Louise Hay
This book is a sequel to You Can Heal Your Life, and it goes even deeper into the power of the subconscious mind. Although I adored You Can Heal Your Life, I actually preferred The Power is Within You. It taught me how to identify and change the negative beliefs that were holding me back.
As I said, it goes even deeper into the power of positive thinking than You Can Heal Your Life. It teaches you how to use affirmations, visualisation, and other techniques to create the life you want. This book has helped me to stay positive and, and it has helped me to manifest many of the things I’ve wanted in life.
Here is the link to buy it from Amazon but you may find a copy from World of Books too.
Ask and It Is Given by Esther and Jerry Hicks
What can I say about Abraham Hicks!!! Another find on YouTube and I still go back to those videos when I need to remind myself that “things are always working out for me”! This book is all about the Law of Attraction, and it taught me how to use my thoughts to attract the things I want into my life. It was another game-changer for me, and it helped me to manifest many of my dreams.
This book showed me that I am responsible for my own thoughts and emotions, and that I can change my life by changing my thinking. It helped me to overcome many of the challenges I was facing at the time. I think Abraham Hicks deserves its own blog so I’ll be sharing more soon.
Here is the linkto buy the book from Amazon but you may find a copy from World of Books too (link above).
Happy for No Reason by Marci Shimoff
This wonderful book is about the power of positive emotions, and it taught me how to cultivate a more joyful and optimistic outlook on life. It helped me to see that happiness is a choice, and that I can choose to be happy no matter what is going on in my life.
After reading the book, I then joined Your Year of Miracles where I learnt life is full of miracles even if we don’t always think so!
Here is the linkto buy it from Amazon but you may find a copy from World of Books too.
Chillpreneur by Denise Duffield Thomas
So this is the last one in my top 5 books that changed my life. It is such an easy and fun read (and listen as I often also buy books on Audible) with lots of humour. The book is about how to create a successful business without burning yourself out. It taught me the importance of taking care of myself, both physically and mentally. It also helped me to set boundaries and to say no to things that were not a good fit for me.
After reading and listening to Chillpreneur, I started following Denise and eventually joined her Money Bootcamp which has turned out to be another life changing experience!
Here is the linkto buy the book from Amazon but you may find a copy from World of Books too (link above).
These are just a few of the books that have changed my life. Don’t get me wrong, I still face challenges but I now have the tools and the presence within me to bring myself back to this moment and to be very gentle with myself as I charter those waters. I am really grateful to the authors who shared their wisdom with me, and I am so glad that I found these books when I did. They have helped me to become a happier, healthier, and more successful person.
I hope that you will check out these books if you are looking for some inspiration and guidance on your own journey. They may just change your life too.
What books have had a profound effect on your life? I would love to know ♥️
And if you would like to find out some more about working with me, follow this link and get in contact here to book in a time to have a confidential chat.
Who is Brené Brown and what is The Call to Courage?
If you have read any of my previous blogs, then you will know that I deeply admire Brené Brown. Brené is a research professor at the University of Houston, and a leading expert on vulnerability, courage, shame, and empathy. Her TED Talk on the power of vulnerability has been viewed over 50 million times, and her books have sold millions of copies.
Last night I watched Brené Brown: The Call to Courage which is on Netflix here in the UK, and it left me so uplifted. Brené explores the importance of choosing courage over comfort in a world that is often defined by scarcity, fear, and uncertainty. She shared her often very funny but poignant personal stories, research findings, and insights from her work with leaders, organisations, and individuals around the world.
One of the key messages of the documentary is that courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to move forward in spite of it and only by showing up with our vulnerability, can we be truly courageous. She argues that courage is essential for living a full and meaningful life. It allows us to connect with others, take risks, and achieve our goals.
The documentary went into a lot of detail with exploring the link between courage and vulnerability. Brené defines vulnerability as “uncertainty, exposure, and emotional risk.” Vulnerability is not weakness, but strength. It is the willingness to show up and be seen, even when we are afraid.
The Call to Courage is a timely and important documentary that challenges us to choose courage over comfort in our own lives. It is a reminder that we are all capable of great things, if we are willing to be vulnerable and open ourselves up to connection.
Here are some of my main key takeaways from The Call to Courage:
Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to move forward in spite of it.
Vulnerability is not weakness, but strength. It is the willingness to show up and be seen, even when we are afraid.
Shame is the fear of disconnection. It is the fear of not being good enough.
Empathy is the ability to connect with the feelings of another person. It is the ability to walk in someone else’s shoes.
Connection is the antidote to shame. It is the feeling of being seen, heard, and understood.
If you are looking for a film that will challenge you, inspire you, and help you live a more courageous life, then I highly recommend The Call to Courage.
And here are some of the lessons I learned from the documentary:
Courage is not something that we have or don’t have. It is a muscle that we can build through practice.
Vulnerability is not weakness. It is the strength to be open and authentic, even when we are afraid.
Shame is a universal emotion, but it doesn’t have to define us. We can overcome shame by cultivating courage and vulnerability.
Connection is the antidote to shame. When we feel connected to others, we feel less alone and less afraid.
In her work, Brené Brown has found that vulnerability is the only way to truly connect with others and experience joy, love, and belonging.
What is vulnerability?
Vulnerability is the willingness to show up and be seen, even when there is the risk of being hurt. It is the courage to be imperfect, to be honest, and to be open to feedback.
Why is vulnerability important?
Vulnerability is important because it is the foundation of all meaningful relationships. When we are vulnerable, we allow others to see us for who we really are, and this can create a deep sense of connection. Vulnerability also allows us to experience the full range of human emotions, both positive and negative.
What are the three elements of vulnerability?
Brené identifies three key elements of vulnerability – uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.
Uncertainty: When we are vulnerable, we are opening ourselves up to the unknown. We don’t know how others will react to us, and this can be a scary feeling.
Risk: Vulnerability also involves risk. When we put ourselves out there, we are opening ourselves up to the possibility of getting hurt.
Emotional exposure: Vulnerability involves emotional exposure. When we are vulnerable, we are sharing our true feelings, and this can be a very exposing experience.
How can we be more vulnerable?
Leaning into vulnerability is not easy, but so worth it. Here are some ideas:
Start small: If you’re not used to being vulnerable, start by sharing small things with people you trust. This will help you build your confidence and get used to the feeling of being exposed.
Be mindful of your thoughts and feelings: When you’re feeling vulnerable, pay attention to your thoughts and feelings. What are you afraid of? What are you hoping for?
Practise self-compassion: When you make a mistake or get hurt, be kind to yourself. Remember that everyone makes mistakes, and that vulnerability is a part of being human.
The benefits of vulnerability
The benefits of vulnerability are many. When we are vulnerable, we can:
Experience deeper connections: When we open ourselves up to others, we can create deeper connections with them.
Experience more joy: Vulnerability allows us to experience the full range of human emotions, including joy.
Be more authentic: When we are vulnerable, we are being more authentic. We are showing our true selves to the world, and this can be a very freeing experience.
Be more resilient: When we experience vulnerability, we learn to be more resilient. We learn how to cope with difficult emotions and how to bounce back from setbacks.
Vulnerability is the foundation of all meaningful relationships, and it is the key to experiencing joy, love, and belonging. And isn’t that a wonderful thing?
If you’re looking to connect with others on a deeper level, or if you want to experience more joy in your life, I encourage you to embrace vulnerability and all that it entails.
Here are some additional resources that you may find helpful after watching The Call to Courage:
Brené Brown’s TED Talk which she talked at length about during the film:
And here are Brené Brown’s books:
Daring Greatly
Rising Strong
Braving the Wilderness
Atlas of the Heart
I highly recommend watching Brené Brown: The Call to Courage if you are interested in learning more about courage, vulnerability, and shame. It is an inspiring and thought-provoking documentary that challenges us all to live a more courageous life.
And to find out more about me, here is my Meet Liz Page!
Here is the house where my mum was born, in rural West Cork, Ireland. On walking around there recently, I was suddenly struck with what she had gone through in life to become the woman she was. I am still working on breaking those family patterns that have been passed down. It’s a journey like life itself and whilst sometimes it can be so frustrating and distressing, I am now in a place where I understand who she was and am at peace with it.
If you are able to see then it is clear that the house is a ruin now but I own the land it’s on and my dream is to rebuild it one day – you never know that dream might come true. It was a simple house, but it was home to my mum and her family.
The fourth of five daughters, my mum lost her dad when she was only 7. That loss must have been terrible for her but she never spoke of it but it explains a lot of her later behaviour in life. She didn’t share many stories about growing up in that house but she remembered the smell of the peat fire and the sound of the wind in the trees as well as the garden her father planted before he passed away.
What I do want to talk about is how we can break those family patterns, however they manifest for you.
Breaking family patterns may be the most important work you do and the most challenging.
There is an expression “no one gets out of childhood unscathed”. For a long time, I didn’t really understand that it doesn’t mean you have to have gone through major trauma as a child to be traumatised.
As I keep diving deeper into my own healing journey, I’m discovering that so many of my unhelpful patterns originate in childhood as a response to wounds and traumas or even TRAUMAs. The little Liz or Elizabeth created some survival strategies for self protection.
As I grew up those patterns became really embedded and, of course, I had no conscious awareness that they were running the show.
It is NOT about blame
It’s about understanding yourself so you can break free from those patterns and live the life you want – authentic, safe and content.
It is easy to believe that in leaving our childhood homes and becoming adults, we have removed ourselves from harmful and self-perpetuating family patterns. But our behaviours and beliefs are still those that were impressed upon us during our youth by our parents, grandparents, teachers, other care givers and the generations that went before them.
We may find ourselves unconsciously repeating cycles of the previous generations, such as fear of having enough, not showing affection, and trust and abandonment issues. Passing on of negative patterns from one generation to the next is not a done deal. It is possible to break any negative family cycle so they cannot exert their influence any more. Letting that pattern go is just a matter of overcoming those values imprinted upon us long ago by replacing them with pure love, tolerance, and conscious awareness.
Just think of another expression – “it runs in the family” Here is where it can run out!
Even if you have struggled with the effects of family cycles that were a reflection of the struggle previous generations were forced to endure, you can still free yourself from the effects of your family history.
The will to rid yourself of old, dark forms of energy and introduce a new loving energy may come in the form of an epiphany, like me while I was wandering near the house my mum was born in. That awareness has come after my journey of personal development and much forgiveness for my mother. I am now in a place where I totally understand her and I feel closer to her now than I ever did when she was on this earth.
You may one day simply realise that certain aspects of your early life have negatively affected your health, wealth, happiness, and ability to live the way you want.
Only when we understand how family cycles have influenced us can we gain freedom from those cycles.
In order to truly change, you must give yourself permission to change. Breaking family patterns is not betrayal but the discovery that your ability to express your feelings and your needs grows. You will embark upon a journey towards greater well-being that can positively impact generations to come. Imagine that!
Here are some additional suggestions for breaking family patterns:
Become aware of your family patterns. The first step to breaking a pattern is to become aware of it. Pay attention to the ways in which your family’s past is impacting your present. What behaviours, beliefs, and attitudes have you inherited from your parents, grandparents, and other ancestors? Why not put on some quiet music and write everything down?
Choose to change. Once you are aware of your family patterns, you can choose to change them. This doesn’t mean that you have to forget your past or pretend that it didn’t happen. It simply means that you can choose to create a new future for yourself.
Get support. Breaking family patterns can be challenging, so it’s important to get support. Talk to a coach, counsellor, or other trusted professional. You can also find support groups and online forums for people who are working to break family patterns.
Be willing to forgive. Here is a Louise Hay affirmation that might help, “I forgive you for not being the way I wanted you to be. I forgive you and I set you free.” Remember that forgiveness also sets you free.
Be patient. Don’t expect to change overnight. Just keep moving forward, one step at a time.
Breaking family patterns is possible. With time and support, you can create a new life for yourself that is free from the limitations of your past.
I am so grateful that I now truly understand my mum and to continue to forgive her and myself!
Standing in the same spot where my mum stood as a child and to imagine her life there was a powerful and loving way to break those family patterns.
If you also have or had a difficult relationship with your mother, then my Mother Wound Healing session may help you – opening the door to understanding, accepting and healing the (sometimes) complicated relationship with our mothers.
If you need to dive deeper to understand the family patterns from the past that are affecting you now, I would recommend my 6 session Love Yourself Package. It’s a journey that will give you the freedom you have been looking for.
If this touches something in you, do book a complimentary call with me to get clear on where you are now, where you are desiring to be and what is possible for you. Here is the link to book a call.
Or do you every feel unworthy? Do you tell yourself that you’re just not worthy or not deserving?
Such a big, sticky, messy subject – our feelings around worthiness…
Let’s go through this, step by step.
Feeling worthy is a state of mind in which you believe that you are valuable and deserving of good things. It is a sense of self-acceptance and self-love. When you feel worthy, you are more likely to take care of yourself, set and achieve goals, and build healthy relationships.
Maybe that can explain why we can subconsciously block what we want – because deep down, we just don’t think we’re worthy of it.
There are many things that can contribute to feeling unworthy.
These can include and of course are not exclusive:
Negative self-talk
Trauma or abuse
Low self-esteem
Depression or anxiety
This is an ongoing journey and now again, it still hits me and I need to gently and with a lot of self-compassion, bring myself back to those feelings of innate worthiness. It’s not always easy!!
I remember the first time it dawned on me and where part of my story came from. Because it all starts with self-awareness, otherwise, how can we change?
I was walking the dog one day…. and I was questioning myself (again…) about why I didn’t feel deserving. I had been cogitating this and wondering why saying to myself Louise Hay’s fab affirmation “I deserve the best and accept it now” just didn’t feel true for me…..
Obviously, what I do is to help women see that they are always good enough and deserve the best life has to give and I thought that if I don’t feel it how can I help them. But that’s another blog for another day 😂😂
Then I went back to my simple “I am worthy” and it hit me!!
Growing up as a child, every day at school and at mass each week, we would recite all these prayers and one line that would be repeated over and over again was “I am not worthy”.
Well blow me down with a feather – no wonder I had never felt worthy…. I had been saying it to myself for frigging years, almost my whole life.
So my new walking mantra whenever I feel slightly doubtful about myself or any situation for that matter is, guess what – yes….
“I AM WORTHY”
Say it with me…
It covers everything – that I am good enough and that I am worthy just because I exist…..
If you are struggling with feeling unworthy, there are things you can do to improve your self-worth in addition to the above walking mantra “I am worthy”.
Try any or all of these:
Challenge negative self-talk. When you catch yourself thinking negative things about yourself, challenge those thoughts. Ask yourself if they are really true (most of them are definitely not). If not, try to replace them with more positive thoughts.
Set realistic expectations. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, and that’s okay. Learn to accept yourself for who you are.
Surround yourself with positive people. The people you spend time with have a big impact on your self-esteem. Make sure you are surrounding yourself with people who make you feel good about yourself. If this isn’t always possible then try to limit your time with them!
Take care of yourself. Make sure you are eating healthy, getting enough sleep, and moving your body regularly. Taking care of your physical health will help you feel better about yourself and your self-worth..
Forgive yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. If you’ve done something wrong, forgive yourself and try to move on. Holding on to guilt and shame will only make you feel worse.
Focus on your strengths. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Make a list of your strengths and focus on developing them. When you focus on your strengths, you’ll feel more confident and worthy.
Do things that make you happy. When you do things that make you happy, you’ll feel better about yourself. Make time for activities that you enjoy, such as spending time with the people you love, pursuing hobbies, or giving back to your local community.
Seek professional help. If you’re struggling to feel worthy on your own, don’t be afraid to seek professional help. A therapist or a coach can help you identify the root of your low self-worth so that you can let them go and develop new beliefs about yourself.
The most important thing to remember is that it takes time and and some effort to build a strong sense of self-worth. But it’s SO worth it (pardon the pun 🤪). When you feel worthy, you’ll live a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life but it can take small steps to get there.
Here is a link to one of my previous blogs with some very wise words from Brené Brown“
And if you want to go in even deeper, here’s a super short video on worthiness I shared a while ago:
Trust your worthiness
Remember, you are worthy simply because you exist. You are worthy of love, respect, and happiness. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, and that includes you!
If you’d like to find out how you can work with me to develop that deep sense of self-worth, why not book in a call with me so we can see if this healing work is for you? Here’s the link
Loving ourselves is definitely a journey and NOT a destination. There will be good days and there will be err not so good days. And that’s okay.
AND loving your body is even more of a journey, not a destination. It’s a process of learning to accept and appreciate your body for all that it is, the so-called flaws and all.
It’s about finding the beauty in your unique shape, size, and proportions. And it’s about celebrating your body’s strength, resilience, and ability to do amazing things.
If you’re struggling to love your body, know that you’re not alone. Many many people, especially women struggle with body image issues, and it can be difficult to overcome them. But it is possible. With time, effort, and self-compassion, you can learn to love your body and feel good about yourself.
How can you love your body more?
Here are a few tips to help you on your journey to loving your body:
Challenge your negative thoughts about your body. When you catch yourself thinking negative things about your body, challenge those thoughts. Ask yourself if they’re really true. Are you really as…. (insert the words you use here) as you think you are? The answer is probably no. Our thoughts about our bodies can be very distorted, so it’s important to challenge them and see them for what they are. They are just thoughts.
Focus on your body’s strengths. Instead of focusing on your body’s flaws, focus on its strengths. What can your body do? Is it strong? Is it flexible? Is it healthy? Make a list of all the things your body can do and read it over whenever you’re feeling down about your appearance. I’d even suggest writing your body a love letter – go to town. Your body is truly amazing.
Practise self-compassion. Be kind to yourself, just as you would be to a really close friend. Forgive yourself for your mistakes. Remember that we are all beautiful works in progress. You are worthy of love and respect, no matter what.
Find a support system. Surround yourself with people who love and support you, and who will help you to love your body too. This could be friends, family, a therapist, or a support group. Having people in your corner who will cheer you on and help you to see the beauty in your body can make a big difference. This might be where I come in – check this link out for more info.
Loving your body is a journey, but it’s a journey that is so well worth taking.
When I think how I used to hate my body and would be so full of shame because of what I told myself, I want to give my younger self (not that much younger self too) a big old hug.
When you learn to love your body, you’ll feel more confident, more happy, and more free. So don’t give up. Keep working on it, and day by day, you will start to love and accept your body more and more, “flaws” and all. And the MAGIC is when we start to do that our bodies start to change – it’s as if all the resistance starts to melt away.
Babies are born with a natural love of their bodies. They explore their bodies with their hands and mouths, and they love to be held and cuddled. As we grow older, we start to learn about the different parts of our bodies and what they can do.
As time goes on, we might start to compare ourselves to other children, and maybe become aware of body image issues. Or this might be down to watching and listening to our parents or other care givers if they made negative comments about their bodies or the bodies of others.
Maybe you were compared to others
Being compared to other children will only make a child feel self-conscious about their own bodies. Which, of course, can lead to so many body image issues in our adult lives.
It might be you were picked on or even bullied as a child by your peers for being too tall, on the larger side, for wearing glasses, the list goes on, doesn’t it? No wonder this can lead to a toxic relationship with our bodies and therefore food.
We all want to be accepted and if any of this resonated, it might be a good idea to connect with your inner child. Love that little girl, gently reassure her that she is safe and is loved and accepted just the way she is. It’s a very powerful exercise.
Children learn by watching the adults in their lives. If you have children and you want them to have a positive body image, it is important to set a good example. Make sure you talk positively about your own body and avoid making negative comments about your appearance.
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Words of Wisdom from Louise Hay
I’m sharing some of Louise Hay’s words of wisdom when it comes to loving our bodies. She absolutely believed what we constantly affirm becomes true for us. It has certainly worked for me too.
“Little babies love every inch of their bodies.
They have no guilt, no shame, and no comparison. You were like that, and then somewhere along the line you listened to others who told you that you were “not good enough.”
You began to criticise your body, thinking perhaps that that’s where your flaws were.
Let’s drop all of that and get back to loving our bodies and accepting them totally as they are.
The subconscious mind has no sense of humour and does not know false from true.
It only accepts what we say and what we think as the material from which it builds.
By repeating these positive affirmations over and over, you will be planting new seeds in the fertile soil of your subconscious mind, and they will become true for you.
Here are some examples:
I Love My Body
My body is a glorious place to live.
My body serves me so well.
I marvel at the miracle that is my body.
I choose the healing thoughts that create and maintain my healthy body and make me feel good.
I love and appreciate my beautiful body
When you practise affirmations to Love Your Body, stand in front of the mirror and repeat each new thought pattern ten times.
Do this twice a day.
You can also write your affirmations ten times during the day too if you wish.
Work with one affirmation a day.
Then if there is any part of your body you still dislike or have a problem with—use that particular affirmation daily for at least a month, or until positive change takes place.
If doubts or fears or negative thoughts come up, just recognise them for what they are— old limiting beliefs that want to stay around.
They have no power over you.
Say to them gently, “Thank you for sharing! I no longer need you.” Then repeat your affirmations again.
Where you stop working is where your resistance is. Notice the part of your body that you don’t want to love. Give this part extra attention so you may go beyond the limitation. Release the resistance.
In this way, within a short time, you will have a body you love and accept.
And your body will respond by giving you really good health.
I love and appreciate my beautiful mind.
I love my eyes. I see clearly in every direction.
I love my nose. I am the power and authority in my world.
I love my back. I am supported by life itself.
I love my hips. I carry myself through life in perfect balance.
I love my legs. I move forward in life, unencumbered by the past.”
Spring is such a beautiful time of rebirth and new beginnings isn’t it? 🌸
It’s a perfect opportunity to move our energy inwards and reflect rather than having our attention on things outside of ourselves. We can pause and take a little time to maybe let go of any patterns that really don’t serve us any more.
That all starts with awareness which is my favourite word because what happens on the other side of awareness? Yes, MAGIC 🧙♀️✨
And how about a little spring clean? 🧹
Mentally, emotionally, physically and energetically…
It’s not surprising that life is feeling pretty much like hard work right now. After over 3 months of cold, windy and rainy weather since Christmas, it can feel as if this is the first time you’ve come up for air.
Maybe, you’re craving a change? A change in your work, relationships, lifestyle, or how you take care of yourself? New beginnings?
I’m going to start off by sharing some ideas to spring clean your energy centres (the chakras). Once we spring clean our souls, then everything else falls into place. I’m also going to give you a few suggestions about making changes in the area of work if that is proving to be a bit of struggle at the moment.
These early weeks of Spring are a time for balance, rebirth, and rejuvenation. So, anything you do right now to seek balance in your life will be enhanced by this energy.
Working in alignment with nature’s vibrations boosts your spiritual efforts, and this time of reawakening is ripe for clearing and balancing your chakras and energy field. A perfect time for new beginnings…
What are the Chakras?
Your chakras are the invisible but vital energy centres that are designed to move energy between your personal field and the universal field, and, when spinning correctly and easily, these chakras enable you to replenish your energy and restore your health. Sounds good so far…
The thing is, all kinds of trauma can affect our chakras where they can become blocked or even overactive. But, we can unblock our chakras and balance them so they are working in perfect alignment.
Balanced Chakras
Blockages in your chakras are caused by traumas that aren’t fully released – emotional build-up that can be very recent or 20 or even 50 years old.
Here are 7 Ideas For Balancing And Recharging Your Chakras – a whistle stop tour!
The First (Root) Chakra
is all about grounding and feeling safe. If you can, try to take a barefoot walk in the grass or on a beach to reconnect to Mother Earth. I find it’s still too cold so I like to touch a tree with my bare hands for about 5 minutes. ❤️
Your Second (Sacral) Chakra
governs how you experience pleasure, and a common issue for this chakra is shame. Water is cleansing and so healing for the sacral chakra. Can you immerse yourself in water for twenty minutes? At the swimming pool or maybe a special bath with epsom salts and your favourite essential oils. 🧡
The Third (Solar Plexus) Chakra
is where your will and self-esteem is situated – your personal power. Wearing a vibrant yellow can help charge this chakra as can physical movement. A brisk walk outside outside in the morning sun or in the evening before sunset, can help to recharge this chakra. Here is a lovely affirmation to unblock the solar plexus too; “I am courageous. I am whole. I stand in my power”. 💛
Your Fourth Chakra is the Heart Chakra
and when it’s open, you can give and receive love easily and in a healthy way. Treating yourself how you’d love to be treated (maybe buying yourself some flowers) will help to balance the heart chakra. Also, giving and receiving hugs – you can always give yourself a loving hug too. 💚
The Fifth (Throat) Chakra
is about speaking your truth, choosing to express the real you. Journaling with total honesty can clear and charge the throat chakra and help process old traumas. Journaling is a major part of energy healing and is so powerful as I have been finding out lately! 💙
Our Sixth Chakra, The “Third Eye”
is where your higher intellect and clarity of vision reside. Daily meditation (another essential part of energy healing) helps to awaken this chakra so you can increase your intuition and inner wisdom. Listen to your spirit and recognise how that feels. As you practise, you’ll find it easier and easier to connect with the energy from your Third Eye. 💜
An Open Seventh (Crown) Chakra
is connected to the beauty you can see in the world around you. Unblock this chakra, again with a meditation practice and connecting with nature. Here you can ask your higher self for guidance. 🤍
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Now To Spring Clean Your Work Life
Take just a little bit of time to clean out your desk and your email inbox (I love doing that from time to time) – the impact of this can be huge. It creates so much mental space.
How about supporting a junior member of staff if you work as an employee? If you’re self employed, maybe find someone who has just started out in your field, so you can mentor them. It’s very rewarding to coach others and it will remind you what you like about your job or business.
Do you want to make a BIG change? Then give your CV to a couple of people you trust and respect for their comments on improving it. This means that when the right job comes up, you’re straight on the case. The same can be done if you’re a business owner with your business plan so they can make suggestions on what direction your business should be going.
I’d love to hear how you’re welcoming in the long waited for Spring. Get in contact here.
And to close my blog today, an affirmation from Louise Hay that can help boost your third eye and crown chakras!
“I trust the Universe to help me see the good in everything and in everyone.”
Much love
Liz 💌
P.S. If you want my help to work on your mindset and self-love and self-worth here’s how I can help:
♥️ Follow me and let me know the limiting beliefs sabotaging your life right now – follow this link
♥️ Here’s my page for my 21 Days To Letting Go Of The Weight digital course
♥️ Subscribe to my YouTube channel and never miss a video for inspiration and meditations – follow this link.
♥️And if you feel ready to make a commitment to working with me, energetically and financially and are ready to see if we could be a good fit, book in a call here
I know I’ve talked about living with low level or even high level anxiety in the past but it’s such an important subject isn’t it? It affects so many people in society now, from young children right through to older people who are dealing with the stresses of ageing and all that entails.
So, let’s look at some ways that can help ease the symptoms of anxiety and may even make it dissipate completely!
The following ideas might help but first of all, I invite you to immerse yourself in some self-compassion!
There is some amazing research from Dr Paul Gilbert around self-love and he found that when you train people to be loving and compassionate towards every aspect of themselves (even the parts that they don’t like), their suffering, mental anxiety, depression, shame, and feelings of inferiority are significantly reduced.
At the same time, practising loving compassion increases their ability to feel more joy and love and happiness.
Self-compassion works!
How can you be more compassionate with yourself today – right now? And above all, when you feel any anxiety start to creep into your awareness.
Let go of the judgement and having loving compassion for yourself.
What actually helps if you are living with anxiety?
Here are a few suggestions – you don’t have to try them all but if you have a toolkit of practices ready, the feeling of being out of control or being under the control of anxiety will become weaker:
Meditation
Meditation is scientifically proven to help train your mind to focus and help you redirect your thoughts. It alleviates anxiety, it improves concentration, and enhances self-awareness. I know I bang on about it but it is incredible and has changed my life SO much – follow this link for my root chakra meditation which can help you feel safe in those anxious moments.
Eat something sour 🍋
If you feel a panic attack coming on, or maybe you’re in a longer wave of anxiety, eat something sour! Maybe a slice of lemon or why not keep some lemon sweets in your bag or pocket so you can pop one in your mouth, if needed? Your brain will quickly switch from the anxious thoughts to focusing on this new, alarming sensation in your mouth.
Sparkling water technique
This is really helpful if the water is cold. Notice the condensation on the glass and feel how cold it is to pick up. Then take a sip and try to be aware of the bubbles in your mouth and how it feels when you swallow. This is a great grounding exercise that again, using all of your senses. It helps you disassociate from the anxiety. Don’t drink too quickly or those bubbles will go up your nose!
Essential oils
This is a personal favourite and I used it, yet again, today when I was going to the dentist. I rub lavender essential oil on my pulse points and into the palms of my hands (always check for skin sensitivity before doing this). I then just breathe it in. It works every time by calming me.
There is evidence that inhaling essential oils can trigger the secretion of endorphins, thereby decreasing feelings of anxiety. Peppermint oil is another popular oil as is eucalyptus which works to clear airways and mental fog and frankincense which is known to lessen anxiety by activating the limbic system to overcome your racing thoughts.
Have a shower! 🚿
Research suggests that hot showers alleviate anxiety as a result of the heat prompting our brains to release oxytocin, the “happy hormone”, which in turn reduces our anxiety.
Challenge your thoughts
If you can, in that moment, ask yourself why you are worried or fearful. Ask yourself “what is the worst thing that can happen now?” If it is a negative thought you can change, maybe you could write down a positive thought to counter it. Challenging those anxious thoughts allows you to put them into perspective. This is very powerful.
Colouring! 🎨
This isn’t something that will necessarily help in the moment, butcolouring has the ability to relax the fear centre of your brain, the amygdala. It induces the same state as meditating by reducing the thoughts of a restless mind. This generates quietness, which allows your mind to get some much needed rest.
Learn what your triggers might be so you can see the anxiety coming
How can you figure out what triggers your anxiety? I would suggest keeping a journal so that you can keep track of your feelings on paper. Good and bad. This is a great way to help you analyse what situations make you feel anxious.
Progressive muscle relaxation
You can reduceanxiety in your body by slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle. The theory behind this exercise is that you cannot have the feeling of relaxation and warm well-being in your body and at the same time experience anxiety symptoms.
EFT Tapping
Have you come across Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) before? It’s a powerful technique for so many issues but especially anxiety. The best way I can describe it is that it’s like acupressure without the needles (phew!). It combines tapping on energy meridians and making statements about the “problem” plus loving and accepting yourself. You’re not denying the anxiety but by accepting it, you can let it go. Then by making positive statements, the entire nervous system becomes calmer. EFT can clear those anxious thoughts and feelings quickly. This video by Brad Yates is great!
Deep breathing / Imagine your happy place / 54321 exercise with senses / Talk to someone / Reassure yourself / Moving your body / Get outside / Affirmations
And in the following video, I share some more suggestions when you’re feeling the anxiety build;
Help with anxiety
We are all beautifully different, so no one answer will suit all of us and that’s why I have given you lots of options to try.
What makes your anxiety worse?
This is not about making you feel bad or guilty about having any kind of anxiety. This is to empower you so you feel in control of your mind, your body and your spirit.
The following come up again and again in studies in things that can contribute to anxiety. I don’t believe we have to cut out all caffeine, for example, but if you find that this can trigger your anxiety, it is quite simple to find alternatives.
Skipping meals 🍽
Caffeine ☕️
Refined sugar 🍬
Processed foods 🍕
Junk food 🍔
Not drinking enough water 💦
Alcohol 🍷
No exercise 🏊♀️
Lack of sleep 😴
Watching the news 📺
Comparing yourself to others 😳
Ignoring the anxiety 🤦🏻♀️
One last thing if you are living with anxiety
I want to close on a real positive and to invite you to look at how you start your day… ☀️
You wake up in the morning, opening your eyes, moving your body and you’re ready to step into your day.
Before you do, just give yourself permission to be in this moment.
This is a gentle reminder that it’s so easy to jump into the day, not mentally preparing for the day but letting the day take us over.
We check the news, go on social media and all of a sudden, our minds are running around with the rest of the world.
Instead of jumping out into the world, why not allow yourself to be in your world for a few minutes in the morning?
Be in your own space.
Imagine that there is a bubble around you and there is nothing here but you.
Being in that moment can prepare you for the day ahead.
Just breathing in and out.
As you sit or lie there, is there someone or something calling you into the day?
Just bring yourself back.
A great way to call ourselves back and to be in that moment, is to be grounded.
Instead of plugging ourselves into the world around us immediately, we are going to plug ourselves in to Mother Earth.
I’d like you to imagine that at the base of your spine is a beautiful tree trunk and it’s growing down into the planet. 🌳
It’s rooting into the earth.
You’re safe – rooted into the planet.
By allowing yourself to be rooted and grounded, you can carry on your day like that.
I find if I don’t start the day like this, the day ahead becomes unrooted and ungrounded.
My thoughts become scattered.
If you’re grounded the world tends to reflect that back to you.
With this tree trunk you can also let go of any stress and anxiety that may already be coming up for you in the morning.
Relax and let yourself be calm and just sit or lie there if you’re still in your bed – in the morning is the easiest time to be relaxed and just be.
Everything around you is awakening, the sun, the plants, the animals – everything on this beautiful planet. 🌎🌏🌍
What a perfect time to feel grounded and to feel the gratitude of being alive.
We can start by noticing the breath and being thankful for the air coming into the lungs.
Notice the room that you’re in, the space that you have.
The fact that you can sleep quietly and comfortably, far more than so many human beings in the world.
There is so much to be grateful for.
We can be grateful for our friends and our family.
For your entire life.
Whatever you find you are grateful for, just give yourself the time to really feel it.
Enjoy that gratitude.
Now, if the word gratitude brings a lot of resistance for you?
Why not try appreciation? At first, I found that saying I was grateful made me feel guilty because I had so much in comparison to others. I blame my catholic guilt ridden upbringing!
Then ask yourself a question
“Am I here on this planet in this life just to get through it?”
“Or am I here to enjoy it?”
“To be grateful – to celebrate?”
Sometimes we might think that gratitude is a luxury, but for a happy and healthy life and mental space, gratitude is a necessity.
You can even have gratitude for yourself for reading this blog and taking the time for you.
You can have gratitude for being grateful.
Know that life is with you.
Life is not against you.
You are supported. 🥰
Also in the morning, you can set your intention for the day.
What direction do you want to go?
Do you want to learn and grow?
Do you want to celebrate? 💃🏻
Do you want to have fun and enjoy yourself? 🤸🏽♀️
Feel pleasure?
What do you want to bring into the world today and what would you like to get out of it?
Feeling calm and grounded and full of gratitude means you can step into the day with purpose.
You are here for a reason.
You are here for a purpose.
You matter and you are important.
Life will reflect back to you what it is you are looking for today.
Why not bring a sense of joy and lightness, not only into your life but into the lives of everyone around you.
A while ago, I set up a gratitude messenger group. It’s small and supportive and there is no pressure to post at all! For me, it works so well to keep to a gratitude practice and I just love it all.
A day is never wasted – it is the opportunity to be alive – even if you’re sick in bed. 🤧
To contribute.
To share.
To express yourself.
Every day on this planet is a miracle.
Have gratitude, appreciation and have intention.
I hope what has turned out to be a long old blog has helped you and I would truly love to hear from you and how you deal with your anxiety. For more info on how you can work with me, follow this link.
Sending you much love and remember you’re never alone with your anxiety. ♥️
Who hasn’t had their heart broken at some stage in life? Whether by a lover, a partner, a friend or other loved one. Or maybe we have lost someone and we wonder if we can ever feel the same again.
I have actually felt physical pain in my heart from feelings of lost love or rejection or abandonment quite a few times in my life.
Many of us have worked hard to build up our walls and defences, and it isn’t always easy to knock them down.
The 10 Day Open Your Heart Challenge begins with loving yourself.
There are 5 basic needs of the heart – attention, affection, appreciation, acceptance and allowing. Where do you feel that your heart’s needs aren’t being met?
No judgement – just awareness.
We can learn to cultivate these basic needs towards ourselves. It’s possible to re-teach the heart and therefore the mind, to love itself. It can appreciate and accept itself. We can learn to hold ourselves with kindness.
The life you want doesn’t show up when you’re being tough and strong and making it happen on your own.
It happens when you’re in an open-hearted, compassionate state, being true to who you really are, and in the vibration of love.
During the Open Your Heart 10 Day Challenge, we will journey to opening our heart so we can open up to the experience of feeling unconditional love for ourselves.
Each day will challenge you to expand your Heart Energy so you can receive and give more of what you’re really capable of in relationships with both yourself and others.
A lot of research has been amassed on the heart, and we now know with scientific certainty that the heart is much more than just a pump.
Your heart is actually the most powerful source of electromagnetic energy in your body. It has an electrical field that is about 60 times greater than your brain, and a magnetic field that is over 100 times greater.
Our heart affects our mental clarity, creativity, emotional balance and intuition on a very deep level.
We literally have a heart-brain, with neural circuitry that allows our heart to feel, sense, learn, remember, and even make decisions.
Becoming “heart centred” requires more than just thinking about being loving, or focusing on gratitude. It requires truly connecting to your Heart Energy. In other words opening your heart.
I am also offering a very special gift if you join me on the challenge. Once you respond that you are attending the event, your name will be added to be picked out of a “hat” at the end of the challenge.
Your name will also go in if you comment and share what your biggest takeaway was from the video for that day OR maybe if you’ll be introducing the very short practice I might suggest.
The winner will experience a very special FREE online one to one session with me where we will look at the limiting beliefs you have taken on in your life. There will be a deep dive into mirror work and you’ll become aware of what you subconsciously think you deserve! A powerful session!!
As your heart opens on this 10 day challenge, so does your intuition. Your intuition will teach you how to see and how to love. It will instil in you a renewed faith to face anything.
Not only will you open your heart and mind to abundance, you will also clear the clutter that may be blocking your flow.
Take your time, listen to what I share, create a safe and comfortable space, connect with your heart and enjoy this time.
Watch here – for this special Open Your Heart 10 Day Challenge.
And here’s a perfect affirmation from Louise:
“I come from the loving space of my heart, and I know that love opens all doors”
It’s 1st February today and although it might not be the new year, it’s still a fresh start. It’s a clean slate, a chance to create real change — inside and out.
That is such an exciting opportunity!
So, if you haven’t yet, give yourself permission to release 2022 — any false starts or so called “failures”. We’ve all had a load of teaching moments in the last year, haven’t we?
Forgive yourself for the half-finished projects… – I have!!!
… and start dreaming about what could be!
Set yourself some new light-filled intentions and start taking action towards a bigger, brighter future — use this boost of energy, enthusiasm, and motivation to your advantage.
One of the ways you can do just that is by working with me in one of 3 ways….
#1 Intentions Setting – making positive changes in 2023
During this 2 hour session, we will look at what we have learnt and are moving on from, from 2022 and setting our intentions (not resolutions) for 2023.
It is NEVER too late to draw a line in the sand and start again. 2022 was another interesting(!) year and the best way to welcome in a new year is to be thankful and accept where we are. We can then bring ourselves into the energetic flow for an abundant 2023.
#2 Letting Go Of The Weight Online Course
On this very special course, you will become more and more aware of what you need to let go of to LET GO of the weight.
Are you sick of the emotional eating and sabotaging all your efforts?
Maybe you lack self-confidence and have no energy? Or do you feel totally alone with your battle with your weight? You are NOT alone.
#3 Love Yourself Private 1 to 1 Online Coaching Package
Using different awareness exercises, I will help you to start to identify where certain patterns in life have come from. The sessions will help you to explore your thoughts and feelings, and to express them in a totally safe environment.
Each of these powerful 6 sessions takes approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours as I want you to feel that you can take your time to allow everything to surface and share anything you want.
These sessions will assist you to continue your life with more positive and exciting expectations for the future and with a deeper sense of self worth and self love. In the words of my clients, this package is “life-changing”.
Whether you work with me or not, step into this year with acceptance of what’s been so you can let it go and then into a place of allowing of what you truly deserve. ♥️
Did you make any New Year’s intentions?
For your job, business, relationships or maybe for your health and fitness?
Don’t worry if you haven’t sorted out everything yet – it’s never too late to make those positive changes 😊♥️
Maybe you have set some goals or intentions for the coming year but you’d like to revisit them so you can ignite some magic behind them!
By working with me you will:
💎 Create space just for you and connect with your vision and inner wisdom.
💎 Let go of being reactive and in survival mode and open up to receive abundance in your life
💎 Tune in with your higher self, co-create your ideal life.
Afterwards you will:
💎 Have a crystal clear vision for the coming year
💎 Feel energised and refreshed so you can let go of being in survival mode and step more fully into your power.
This work is so transformative BUT the truth is, it’s transformative for me every time I share any aspect of Louise Hay’s teachings. How blessed am I?!
I’m so honoured to hold space for the women I work with and to witness the growth that they experience.
I want to lovingly hold the door open and invite you to experience life changing work.
Are you saying YES to having the year you really truly want?
Because it’s here for you.
If you feel in your soul that this is the next right step on your path of transformation, then just reach out.
No one will prioritise your personal growth…except for you. If not now…then when?
This work may be calling your name, but it’s a big decision! I get that.
So, why not meet me on a private Zoom call and I’ll answer any questions you have about how you can work with me.
No matter what’s on your mind, I would love to meet with you face to face and help you decide if this is your next right step.
There will be no pressure, no pitching, just connecting with you to figure out what’s right for YOU.
We all have one – that inner saboteur! Whispering away inside our head and sometimes it feels non-stop or it does until we decide enough is enough. That was me. I had spent what felt like a life time letting that voice tell me all kinds of really crappy things. Telling me I was stupid, that I didn’t matter, that I was unimportant, that I was too loud, too quiet, fat, lumpy, unpopular…. I could go on. Who’s winning?
The first relationship we have in life is with ourselves. No one else goes through every experience in life with us. No matter how long we might have a partner for, we are our one permanent companion. And yet we are often our absolute worst critic. Do you agree?
If you are wondering who’s winning, you or the voice in your head, I have a lovely little exercise to remind ourselves of our magnificence and fabulousness. It’s similar to exercises I do with my clients but this is really short and so simple, you can do it in less than 5 minutes.
5 Things I Like About Myself
Start by writing down at least 5 things that you like about yourself.
Have you noticed that I haven’t said love because if it was “5 things I love about myself”, some might not even go there. So, let’s stick to 5 things you like about yourself.
Now, I don’t want you to be modest! If you’re finding it hard to come up with 5 then this exercise can really help you. I’m not talking about physical attributes but you can add them if you wish but we are SO much more than that. Our bodies are only part of who we are.
If it’s really tricky to list the 5 things, think of what you like about people in your life that you really admire, because these traits are often qualities that you possess too. Another thing that might help is to think of 5 things that voice in your head says about you and flip them to a positive!! Yes it does work 😊
This is the challenging bit – continue this process for a week, thinking of five new things you like about yourself each day.
At the end of the week, read the list aloud to yourself while standing in front of a mirror. Yes, we’re back to that mirror again! Instead of looking for the things that you dislike about yourself or what the voice in your head calls you, allow the mirror to reflect your magnificence. Because you are and fabulous too.
You may feel really daft standing in front of a mirror and reading your list out loud, but it might bring a smile to your face and start to change the way you see yourself.
For those moments when you think the voice in your head is winning
Remember, it’s when you feel the most resistant that this exercise can help you the most. Where there is the most resistance is where there is the biggest breakthrough. I was told this at my Heal Your Life training and did I have some breakthroughs!!
Modern life has taught us to look out at the world. To look outside of ourselves, instead of looking at ourselves and becoming more aware of who we truly are. No wonder, we don’t see the magnificence that we are and that which others often can see.
When we take the time to experience ourselves the way we would experience someone we love and admire, we become our best champion and cheerleader on life’s journey.
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Love Yourself Advent Calendar
If you like this little exercise, then you’ll love the Love Yourself Advent Calendar which I am hosting in my private FB group – JOIN HERE, if you’re not already a member. This special 24 day Advent Calendar will help you to honour, support and love yourself all the way up to Christmas.
The Advent Calendar will be a mixture of meditations, live videos and printables to bring more self-love into your life.
In case you’re concerned, no meditation experience is required!
Let this calendar draw you closer into what feels true to you, and invite in a healthier and happier you for a truly fabulous Christmas.
Each day is designed to encourage you to take a little time to tend to your mind, body and also your spirit if that’s your thing.
Meditation is scientifically proven to help train your mind to focus and help you redirect your thoughts. It also helps with stress management, alleviates anxiety, improves concentration, and enhances self awareness. And remember – magic ALWAYS happens on the other side of awareness!
Join me if you want to level up your brain/body/spirit connection and feel the emotional ease that comes from giving this advent calendar as a gift to yourself each day.
The invitation is yours and someone you care about – so invite them to the group too.
Take on the whole 24 days or drop in whenever it feels good for you.
Everyone can meditate and everyone can take a little time for themselves to breath, to take time out and just be.
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If you’d like to find out more about my 1 to 1 online coaching sessions, follow this link or my online course to let go of the weight, follow this link.
