In my work, I hear peoples’ stories, their journey in life, where they’ve come from, where they are and where they want to be.  Sometimes people are feeling ‘stuck’ at a crossroads and not sure where to go.  Many feel they are struggling at the moment, overburdened, overwhelmed and a sense of burnout, feeling pressured to be switched on all the time.

It is important to take the time to slow down, connect with nature, switch off your phone, social media and allow yourself to receive a treatment, eat nourishing foods and recharge. This may panic some people but the more you give yourself time to recharge your energy, the easier it is to live in-flow with life and navigate any obstacles that appear.  Everyone has different challenges, it’s how we respond to them that makes the difference. 

When creating something new there is a certain amount of preparation required. Take planting seeds and the importance of preparing the ground and having fertile soil, full of all the nutrients to support growth and development. As a farmer my Granny often told us as children the importance in allowing a field to rest for a year, to rotate fields for different crops, to give the soil a chance to restore its balance of nutrients. If you keep taking without sufficient opportunity to restore balance, it will run out of its reserves. It’s the same for us. This is relevant to every aspect of life.

You may feel you don’t have the ‘work-life balance’ you desire along with a connection to who you really are.  Sometimes thinking, ‘If only I had this or did that,’ or ‘When this happens I will do what I really want to do,’ or ‘I wish I had the courage to do this/that, to take a risk….’ With a tendency to compare yourself to others, feeling they seem to have it right.  Yet, none of us have the ‘perfect’ balance, it’s about doing what you truly enjoy and when challenges appear choosing your response is key.

You can let something beat you down, lose hope and/or sight of all the good things in your life.  Or you can learn and grow from the situation. Accepting what has happened and discerning whether it’s something you need to let go off or change.

Even in the most difficult situation a positive always arises.  Sometimes it may take a bit more time to unlock the positive. There’s a call to sit with the discomfort, using the tools you have and seeking support if and when you need too.

Avoid rushing to fill the space, making yourself busier and busier or wallow in the sadness and poor me.  Be patient and trust that something good will come out of it.

Just Be

If you’re in the middle of situation and feel you’ve nowhere to go.  Sit there for a moment, allow yourself to have nowhere to go, nowhere to be, surrender yourself into the support of the ground beneath you, the chair you are sitting on and allow yourself to just be.  No distractions, no phones, observe your breath and slowly with each exhale, allow yourself to let go that little bit more.  Stay there for a few breaths, minutes or longer. Give yourself as long as you need.  When you feel ready, bring your awareness to the positives in your life, what brings you joy and delight – it can be the smallest of things such as your breath, your health, someone you love or a place you cherish.  Allow yourself to feel gratitude for these things. Trust and have faith that all will come right.

Life is too short to worry or berate yourself.  Enjoy and live each moment, surround yourself with people you love and that love you exactly as you are.  Most importantly make time for you, do at least one thing in your day that nourishes you and that you love.