Category: Ideas + Encouragement

Keep Calm and Carry On

Every time I see that quote I imagine the Queen sitting quite properly on her throne while the citizens in her country are surrounded by chaos. I always chuckle at the incongruity of that picture in my mind, thinking that this idea of Keep Calm and Carry On is based on complete denial of reality.

Until today.

I recently had a situation that caused immediate and overwhelming distress. It turned out to be no big deal in the end, but it was a real moment of upset. Have you ever had one of those? Things are going along just fine and then some unexpected twist in a scenario or a rather unfavorable bit of news comes your way. The emotions rise, tempers flare, panic sets in and things suddenly seem out of proportion and unmanageable.

Well today my first impulse went to panic, frustration, irritation and annoyance. I could hear myself saying “Keep Calm Kathleen” and “Breathe” – all of those things that I normally count on to help me stay in the moment.

As I started to get up to take action, I heard my inner voice say, “Be Careful.” I have heard this voice before and am acutely aware that its time to settle down.

So I walked away and gave myself some time to cool off. Yes, breathe. Already it feels better. I reminded myself to Keep Calm. A moment to reassess the situation.

And the then, Carry On. The act of continuing my work that was initially at hand was key to changing this highly charged disagreement into a peaceful settlement.

By doing the “carry on” part of my day I was actually able to give myself and the situation space and time to let my creative subconscious begin to work out a solution to the dispute. It was not a denial of reality, but rather a chance for new ideas to percolate into a resolution. With relative ease and efficiency I saw my way through the heat of the confrontation.

When we gathered together later, I chose my words with care, finding out what each person needed and offered up options to everyone. At the end of the exchange, all the parties had most of what they wanted and were able to see the situation from the view of the others.

Whew, that was close. What could have been a wreck of relationships turned out just fine with each person going away feeling satisfied.

So what were the turning points?

Keep Calm – walking, breathing and taking a moment to pause.

Carry On – complete the work at hand to let the situation settle and allow the opportunity to generate a solution.

Hmmm, maybe the Queen is right after all!

When you find yourself in the heat of the moment, try it out. Keep Calm and Carry On – see if it works for you.

Xo,
Kathleen

Take good care of yourself

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If you are like me there are so many demands being made on you. And they all need your attention right now.

But the main thing to remember is that no matter how loud each requirement, demand, distraction or entanglement becomes, if you are not taking good care of yourself you will be unable to satisfy any of them.

So start with eating well. This means something different for everyone, but you know what is best for you. You know what it is like when your body feels fit and healthy. Make it a point to get those foods into your body.

Then, of course, be sure to exercise. A walk is always a good idea – it can be a quick brisk ’round-the-block walk. If you have more time or energy, make it a hike. Or whatever exercise gets you revitalized.

Finally, get a good night sleep. Go to bed now if you can! Or at least as soon as possible. Turn off the TV and computer, put down the book and get yourself to sleep.

These three simple things will make a huge difference.

That’s it.
Eat. Move. Sleep.
And be well.

xo,
Kathleen

Have compassion for yourself. Often we find it easy to feel and extend compassion for others. We may feel sympathetic for their suffering or feel as if they might deserve compassion.

But when it comes to ourselves, we may be judgmental or harsh. We may blame ourselves or have a sense of shame instead of compassion and generosity of kindness.

Yet, a little bit of love can go a long way, especially when you give it to yourself. From there, you can extend it to others and they in turn can pass it on.

Simple idea.

And it is not hard to do when you remember.

Next time you sense that self judgment coming on, take a moment for gratitude and appreciation for the amazing person you are and have compassion for yourself.

Best blessings,
Kathleen

You have the answer inside of yourself. You know what to do. Maybe it is not always apparent because there are so many distractions and choices to make.

But here is a quick and simple tip that you can do to help sort out which direction to take.

Simplify your choices.

Instead of having a long drawn out internal conversation about should I do this or should I do that and what about this part of it and that part of it and what if and on and on and on.

Stop.

Breathe.

Simplify.

Get your two options distilled down to the heart of the matter. Simplify your choice to one or two words.

Breathe again. And notice how much easier it is to figure what to do when you get to the most simple, direct, clear core of each choice.

Give it a try and Enjoy!

Kathleen

A new perspective Consider looking at your life, your problem, your situation from a new perspective. Having trouble with that co-worker or someone in your family? Imagine the situation from a new angle, a new view.

One simple but surprisingly easy way to embody a new perspective is to quite literally look at things differently. Take a different route to work, move your desk or chair to a new place, take a walk in a different direction than you usually do.

And as you make this literal change of perspective, set your intention to have a different psychological and emotional perspective. Include in your intention the addition of compassion and a sense of amusement and I assure you things will take a new course.

Give yourself permission to be pleasantly surprised as you gain new perspective.

Enjoy!

Kathleen

You can change the world.

All you have to do is be yourself 100% right now.

Each day that you are in your present moment – right here & right now – you bring an authentic and genuine expression of yourself into the world and that is the beginning of all transformation.

Change Yourself. Change The World.
Transform Yourself. Transform The World.

Be true and honest and present in this moment. Because that action and that intention of authentic, genuine, honest 100% truth will spread in your life. And the lives of those around you.

Really really, it will.

So keep at it and every moment, every day: Be Yourself.

Blessings and love,

Kathleen

You know that tingly feeling?

Often times when we are trying to make a decision, there are many factors, variables and options to consider. There are agendas and ideas and other people to take into account. It can be over whelming and confusing at times.

But as you proceed, take a moment to pause. Stop. Listen. Notice. And you will be able to sense somewhere deep inside you that tingly sensation, a small voice, a butterfly in your stomach that is calling out, “Here! Look here for the answer!”

That smallest deepest sensation that is tapping, nagging, whispering, tingling, is your deepest truth trying to get your attention. And with awareness you can hear it and with courage you can follow it.

Trust it. Build on it and take action.

Maybe it is with a little trepidation at first, but each time you follow your deepest truth it becomes stronger and you become more confident in your choices.

Give it a try today.

Xo,
Kathleen

Choose your words with care.

When we speak to other people and particularly when we speak to ourselves, our words are powerful. Each word has the opportunity to affect an outcome. Each word can create action. Each word forms an impression, good or bad, that leads to a result of some sort.

You have seen how your words of encouragement to a friend may have helped them at just the right moment. You have experienced the spontaneous kind words from someone that gave you strength when you need it. You have heard words of inspiration that lead you to take a new action or a new direction in your life.

Words are powerful.

Now consider the words you use to speak to yourself. Usually we speak to ourselves in our head, but sometimes something is uttered out loud unconsciously. Have you ever said, “Oh, how could I be so stupid?” Or “What is wrong with me?”

We do that sometimes. We say mean things to ourselves that we would likely never say to someone else.

So how about this – try something this week. Choose something about yourself that you want to hear as encouragement, support or inspiration. And then, for the week, say it aloud to yourself at least once each day and see what happens.

You might be surprised, uncomfortable, relieved or something else. Don’t worry about how you will feel…just do it.

Here are some ideas: “Good job!” (short and simple) “I love my life” (Very Powerful if you do that every day) or even “Thank You” (when is the last time you thanked yourself)

Give it a try.

Xo,

Kathleen

My “to do” list is 5 pages long! No wonder I can get so overwhelmed.

Now some of it is just stuff that is wondering around my head that I think I gotta do.

And some of it is stuff that if I ignore will eventually go away – no harm done (do I really need to post a new picture on my profile page??)

But much of it I really truly do need to do.

So what is the best way to separate the truly essential from the merely loud? And how is it possible to stop feeling guilty for not getting everything done?

Here are 6 easy ways to help get all that jumble in your head and turn it into a practical action plan.

#1 Write everything you need to do in one place. Sometimes I have bits of notes, both on paper and digital, of all the things that pop in my head for me to get done. You know what I am talking about – back of the envelope, sticky notes, reminders on my computer.

But many fragmented lists just lead to false impressions. On the one hand is seems as if there are only a few things to do because each list has only a few things on it – micro-lists I call them. On the other hand, it is easy to feel overwhelmed with the dread of having so much to do without having a realistic assessment of what those things are.

So once a week I gather up all of those bits of notes and reminders and write everything on a single piece of paper (or 5 as it turned out this week.)

#2 Separate the list into categories by type of task such as: email, errands, phone calls, forms, writing, multi-step projects. Another way to organize the list is by due date.

#3 (my favorite) Cross off the list stuff that does not matter!!! Get rid of useless things on the list and give yourself permission to let it go.

One way to stop feeling guilty about everything that does not get done is to give yourself a boost to remind yourself how awesome you are and how much work you do already.

Add to the list what you have already done and put a check next to it for completion. It is a small but psychologically important exercise to visually see “Wow, I have gotten a lot done this week already!”

#4 Assign time allotments next to each item and put it in your schedule – when you get it done check it off. What does not get done each day can be eliminated permanently or moved over to another day.

One of the benefits of this step is to see how long things really take – not how long you think it should take. This allows you to step back, take a breather, and cut yourself some slack when you feel like you have too much to do.

#5 Star the essential really important ones and do those FIRST. Let the fun stuff take place later in the day or after lunch when there is a lag.

#6 See what can be done by other people and delegate where ever possible.

Hope this helps!  Got any other ideas of how you get stuff done? I would love to hear about it!!

Kathleen

Recap:

1. Write to do list in one place
2. Categorize by task or due date
3. Cross stuff off
4. Schedule
5. Prioritize – important and hard work gets done first!
6. Delegate