The power of community… When we think of community we usually think of people physically coming together. Now that we’re experiencing a global need for self-isolation that can be uncomfortable for many people as they are not used to spending time alone and away from their friends, family, and colleagues.

Spending time at home and self-isolating doesn’t have to mean feeling isolated and alone though. One of the things I’ve been observing over the past few weeks is how people are staying connected and even building new communities online.

From employees working from home to students taking their classes online, to local communities offering information and support to each other, what I’m seeing is a huge increase in people coming together in ways they would not have before.

Technology can certainly have its challenges and I think most of us have a love/hate relationship with it – we love it when it’s working and hate it when it’s not! Social media can be used to share disturbing things as well as positive things. What I am finding encouraging though is how people are finding creative ways to use it to come together. For example, I usually have lunch with the same group of friends once a month. Obviously we can’t do that in person this month so we’re going to use Zoom to get together instead. We’ll still have lunch together, we’ll just each be in our own homes.

I’ve heard of people doing this with cocktail hour or getting together in this way for coffee or for book club. My local community has a Facebook group where people share information on what’s happening – everything from what restaurants are open for takeout to where to find toilet paper. If somebody needs something they can ask and somebody will be able to help.

If you live alone and are finding it difficult because you can’t connect with family or friends, explore ways to do this online. If you don’t have anyone you can talk to and feel you don’t have any community, search for one online or create one to meet your needs.

Even if you’re an introvert (like me) you can still find your people. There’s never a need to feel alone.

I’d love to hear what things you’re doing to stay connected. Leave a comment and let me know.

Be Unstoppable!

Linda

Now is the time… We’ve talked before about managing change, particularly when it’s something that’s been forced upon us. Well, that’s certainly happening now in a big way!

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and anxious with all that’s going on all over the world, but there’s a lot you can do to help yourself and those around you right now. Here are some suggestions:

• Accept the unknown – things are changing daily right now. Nobody knows what’s going to happen next, or how long these challenges are going to last. The only thing you can do is take things day by day. You cannot know the future, and there’s no point in holding onto the past. The only thing to do is focus on each day, and each moment, which is living with presence.
  
  
• Take care of yourself – people are being forced now to consider the health of their immune system so they don’t get sick. This is something you want to do anyway. Every day ask yourself what you can do to take care of yourself.
  
  
• Look for what’s good – there comes a point when you have to switch off the news because it can take you into a downward spiral that’s difficult to come out of. Yes, you want to be informed, but focusing only on the bad news is detrimental to your health (and sanity). It may seem as though there is no good news to be had right now – but if you look for it, it’s there. Communities are coming together to help each other, groups are being setup online to keep people informed about what assistance is available, where they can buy the things they need, and where they can ask for help. Look for these groups in your area.
  
  
• Look for community – even if you live alone and you have to self-isolate, you can still find community online. You can talk to people via video chat, or by phone. There’s no need to feel lonely. Even if you’re an introvert, you still want to talk to someone from time-to-time.
  
  
• De-clutter – if you have to work from home and/or spend more time at home it’s a wonderful opportunity to do some de-cluttering. One of the best things you can do for yourself energetically is to remove items that you no longer need, use, want or love. Last weekend I took 5 boxes of stuff to Goodwill – it felt really good to let go of all that stuff. I really felt the weight of it.
  
  
• Learn something – now is the perfect time to learn something new. You can take online courses for just about anything you want to do. What’s something you’ve been putting off that you’ve always wanted to do? You could learn how to play piano, or learn a new language – or you could take one of my courses – like learning how to improve the energy of your home with the Feng Shui Success Course, or learning how to change your energy so you become unstoppable. You can check out these courses by CLICKING HERE.
  
  
• Stay fit – if you have more time at home you can dig out those workout DVD’s you haven’t looked at for years, or you can find some online fitness classes and follow along. You don’t have to go to the gym to do this.
  
  
• Volunteer – one of the best things for helping with anxiety is to find ways to help others. For example, Meals on Wheels have been looking for extra help with delivering meals, and animal shelters have been looking for more people to foster animals since they are spending more time at home.

These are just some of the things you can do. Things are changing. We might not be able to stop what’s happening right now, but what we can do is change how we respond to it. We can empower ourselves to step up to the new challenges. When you take care of your energy, raise your vibration and stay grounded, you will come through this and feel stronger and better than before.

If you have questions or particular challenges let me know. I’m here for you.

Be Unstoppable!

Linda

Just breathe… It’s easy to underestimate the power of breathing. After all, it’s something we do naturally all the time. Because it’s something that we do unconsciously we often don’t think about what benefits there might be to breathing consciously.

The only way to understand the benefits is to try it. For the next week, make a note to stop a few times each day and just pay attention to your breathing. Simply pause and put your attention on your breathing. Notice your breath coming in and going out of your body.

You only need to do this for a few breaths – I would say anything from 3 – 10. Then carry on with whatever it was you were doing. You may not notice anything immediately, and your mind will probably tell you this is a waste of time. However, when you do this regularly I think you’ll begin to feel more energized, you’ll have greater clarity, and you’ll feel less stressed.

It’s such a simple thing, yet when you do it regularly it can have major benefits for your body and your mind.

The key to doing this most successfully is to make sure your focus stays on your breathing while you’re doing it. You might find that thoughts start to creep in to take your attention away from your breathing. If this happens, just notice it and bring your attention back to your breath. It may take a little practice, but it’s worth it.
 
This technique is particularly helpful when you are in the middle of a stressful situation, or even an argument. Focus on your breathing and take a few long, slow deep breaths and you’ll find your body starts to relax a little more and you feel calmer. This enables you to handle the situation much more effectively, allowing you to respond instead of reacting.
 
If you are someone who has trouble meditating I think this can be just as good when you do it regularly, and it takes about 1 minute. If you forget, try setting a timer to remind you. Or at the very least you can do it first thing in the morning when you wake up and last thing at night before you go to sleep.
 
Try it and let me know your experience of this simple but powerful technique.
 
Be Unstoppable!

Linda
P.S. The art of becoming Unstoppable requires small steps and small shifts like this every day. The Becoming Unstoppable program is a really simple and affordable way to keep your focus and attention on doing the right things to get you there. CLICK HERE to find out more.

What you CAN do… I think we’ve all been in situations where we feel helpless, like there’s nothing we can do that will make a difference. At times like that all you can see is what’s NOT happening and NOT working and what you CAN”T do. The mind can continue on that train of thought for a long, long time.

I have learned that in situations like that there is always something you can do. That something may seem very small and it may seem as though it won’t make any impact on the huge challenge you’re facing, but it’s something.

If, instead of focusing on what you can’t do or worrying about what you can’t do, you decided to look for the 1 small thing you CAN do, it’s amazing how quickly things can shift.

If you don’t know what that 1 thing is, then ask yourself, “what is 1 thing that I can do right now that will help me/this situation?”

You might think you don’t know what that 1 thing is, but it’s more likely that you’re either not recognizing it or are unwilling to accept it.

For example, let’s say the only thing you can do right now is to walk away from a situation or person and spend some time alone. You may reject this idea as something that doesn’t solve the problem. You may feel it’s weakness or that you’re giving up. It might not even occur to you that it’s an option.

What if, in walking away and giving yourself some time away from the situation to breathe to focus on something else, and to take care of your energy, you are allowing a solution to present itself to you?

What if that simple act of stepping away gave you access to everything you need to reset and find a solution to the challenge?

Or perhaps the 1 thing you can do is to call a trusted friend and talk through your situation. You may reject that idea because you don’t want to dump your problems onto someone else, or you think that person won’t understand the situation and so cannot help you.

What if the simple act of talking it through with someone who is simply there to listen brings clarity to your mind and all of a sudden you know what you need to do? What if the person you talk to doesn’t need to solve the problem but can simply be there to listen in support and non-judgment to allow you to reach the conclusions you need? Perhaps as they listen they may ask some questions which allow you to see something you didn’t see before.

This has happened to me many times. Even though I thought I didn’t know what to do, these simple acts of either stepping away or finding someone who will listen as I talked things through brought new clarity and understanding and enabled me to see the solutions that were right there in front of me that I hadn’t been able to see before.

Worry drains your energy. Focusing on what you can’t do drains your energy. Focusing on what you CAN do, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, energizes you.

Be Unstoppable!

Linda
P.S. I'm creating a 6-month online program for those who are ready to put these tips into action and become truly Unstoppable. If you are interested in being a founding member of this private and exclusive community, CONTACT ME to schedule a call to see if it is a fit for you.

Acceptance and change… Many people feel that if they accept something they don’t like and don’t want then they are giving in to it. They feel they must fight against it and find a way to win. The feeling is “this shouldn’t be happening to me.”

If you’ve been in a situation that you feel shouldn’t be happening and you continue to fight against it, you may have had the experience that things keep getting worse. The harder you try to change it the more stressed and anxious you feel too.

Acceptance is not giving up. It’s simply acknowledging that “yes, this is happening,” and now you can open yourself up to solutions and possibilities. If you think about it energetically, by accepting that it’s happening, you attract solutions and by resisting you push them away because you’re so busy fighting against what’s happening that there’s no room for anything else.

Resistance brings fear, and acceptance brings clarity.

Think about Bill who is working for a company that is laying people off. He could say “this shouldn’t be happening, it’s not fair,” and he could get angry with the company and with management. Every day Bill would feel more and more stress, anxiety and anger. He would carry this with him and it would begin to affect his life at home, and his relationships.

The other alternative is that Bill could acknowledge what’s happening and the fact that he could be next to go. Then he could consider what might be the best course of action – perhaps he could be looking for another job now, before the worst happens. Or he could make the decision that it’s better to stay and see what happens. Even if he chooses to stay, he can still be on the lookout for other opportunities.

What I’ve seen happen time and time again is that someone who takes the approach of acceptance in this way will often find another job opportunity, or things will open up in such a way that leads them to something that’s even better – something they may not have thought of before.

Think of it this way – acceptance gives you energy to do what you need to do and to be in the right frame of mind to attract and notice opportunity.

Resistance, however, takes up all your energy. It depletes you and, as the saying goes: “what you resist persists.”

If you don’t like the word ‘acceptance’ because it feels like giving in, then choose another word, like ‘acknowledge.’ “I acknowledge that this is happening, now what do I want to do about it.” That’s a much more empowering way to be.

Be Unstoppable!

Linda

Take time out... When you have a long to-do list, people are counting on you, and it seems like there just aren’t enough hours in the day what do you do? If you’re like most people you push through, and force yourself to get as much done as possible. The last thing you feel you can do is take any time for yourself.

But what if taking a break (even just 5 minutes or so) to do something different, to take a walk or to sit quietly and just breathe could actually help you get more things done?

Would you be willing to give it a try? It really does work. I didn’t believe it at first either, but it does work. Give it a try.

A recent study showed that about 20% of employees no longer take a lunch break because they’re afraid their boss will think they’re not working hard enough and that they’ll be judged by their co-workers.

This can also be true for those who work for themselves, sometimes even more so. They have a lot to do, and feel that taking a break (even a lunch break) would affect their productivity.

The studies show the opposite. Taking regular breaks has many benefits, including:

• Increased productivity
• Improved mental well-being
• Boosts creativity
• Improved self-care

Plan regular breaks into your day and watch your health, well-being, AND your productivity soar.

Be Unstoppable!

Linda
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The light within... A beautiful quote. I think it’s so easy to lose touch with who you really are when you’re being pulled in so many different directions, and when you feel misunderstood or isolated. We should all help to remind each other of the beauty and strength that is in each of us.

We tend not to think of ourselves very often in terms of our strengths, or our magnificence. Instead we seem to focus on what we don’t like about ourselves, what’s not working out well in our lives and the struggles we’re experiencing.

It seems vain or selfish to think of ourselves in positive terms somehow. How do we connect with this light within us, particularly in difficult times when it’s easy to forget the good things?

Somebody shared with me recently a suggestion which I really like. They recommended writing down every day the best thing about that day. Something good that happened, something that made you feel good. You write it down on a piece of paper, fold it up and put it in a jar. Then at the end of the year you can go back and look through them as a reminder of all the good things that happened.

I think it would also be helpful to pull some of those out when you’re feeling low or are struggling. Reminding yourself of all that’s good in your life like this is a wonderful thing to do because it’s so easy to forget.

Be Unstoppable!

Linda

P.S. I’ve spoken to many people over the years who would love to take a coaching program or online course, but who just couldn’t afford the investment of time or money. I’ve been wondering for some time what I could do to help those people, and this is it, The Becoming Unstoppable Program.! CLICK HERE to read more and to sign up.

Managing your energy… When you drive your car you know when your fuel tank is nearly empty. You see it on the display and you know that it’s time to fill the car with more fuel.

Unfortunately, you don’t come with a fuel gauge, so it’s not always easy to know when your energy is depleted and you’re running on empty. That’s why it’s important to become very self-aware, so that you know your energy highs and lows, you know what depletes you, and you know when your energy needs a boost.

When you’re busy and you’re being pulled in many different directions, it’s easy to force yourself to keep going. But this is like trying to drive your car without fuel – eventually it’s going to stop, and so will you. Ideally, you don’t want to get to that point.

That’s why it’s important to check in with yourself and take regular energy breaks. You might think that you don’t have time for self-care and you’ll have to get to it later. But taking care of your energy doesn’t have to be time-consuming. In fact, the more you pay attention to it, the less time it takes.

It can be as simple as stopping what you’re doing and taking 3 slow, deep breaths – focusing on your breath as you do so. That can be enough for an energy reset when you’re busy. Or you can walk away from something for 5 minutes – even 1 or 2 minutes would help.

The most important thing is paying attention to how you feel – because how you feel is like your fuel gauge. This is how you know when it’s time to manage your energy. When you feel good, your energy vibration is high and your tank is full. When you don’t feel good (stressed, angry, overwhelmed, frustrated, etc.) it’s time to pause a moment and see what you can do to take care of yourself.

You could even ask yourself “what can I do to take care of myself right now/today?” Paying attention in this way and doing small things to manage your energy on a daily basis really pays off.

Action Step: For the next week make a point of checking in with yourself several times each day and noticing when your energy is low and you don’t feel good. Identify what you can do to give your energy a boost.
 
Let this Unstoppable Affirmation support you on your journey:

My energy is my highest priority. I lovingly take care of my energy at all times.

Be Unstoppable!

Linda

Do you tend to worry? This week’s tip is inspired by a quote I saw recently:

“Worrying is using your imagination to create something you don’t want.” – Abraham/Hicks

Even when you know this is true, it’s sometimes difficult to stop worrying isn’t it? The mind just seems to want think about every possible negative scenario.

Some people seem to breeze through life and never worry about anything, and others worry about every little detail. Worriers also tend to believe that they cannot change. I often hear “That’s just who I am, I can’t change it.” But you can change it, and if you want to stop creating things you don’t want it’s important that you do.

Although I wouldn’t say I was a chronic worrier, I certainly used to worry a lot more than I do now. I have also worked with several people who worried a lot and thought they couldn’t change, but they have.

It seems counter-intuitive, I know, to think that relaxing and letting go of a difficult situation will resolve it more effectively than worrying about it, but it’s true. But how do you do that? Here are a few ideas and suggestions that work for me and those I work with:

• Write it out – sometimes just writing about it can stop your mind from churning. Putting all your concerns down on paper can also bring clarity. You can identify what you’re really afraid of and that can help you to let it go.
  
  
• Talk it through – often, it can really help to just talk things through with somebody who will listen and not judge. They may try to offer helpful suggestions though, so if you don’t want them to do that, let them know ahead of time that you just want them to listen. It’s surprising how often things become clearer and less stressful when you talk them through with someone.
  
  
• Use this Louise Hay Affirmation - Out of this situation only good will come, for the highest good of everyone. I am safe. I find this really helps to calm the mind and body down and take away a lot of the constant thinking.
  
  
• Find things to be grateful for - When your mind is focused only on what’s not working, shifting your focus onto what’s going well and what you appreciate can make all the difference.
  
  
• Breathe – put your attention on your breathing. Slow it down and really focus on the breath as you breathe in and out. Feel it in your body. Do this several times during the day and it will help you feel calmer.

It’s really difficult for solutions to come when you are in a state of chronic worry. Calming your mind and body, focusing on what you want (instead of what you don’t) and on what you’re grateful for puts you in a more receptive state where ideas and solutions can come.

Action Step: Whenever you are particularly worried about something apply these suggestions. As you find this starts to work you’ll be able to let go of worrying a little bit at a time.

Let this Unstoppable Affirmation support you on your journey:

I release the need to worry. Life supports me and I am safe.

Be Unstoppable!

Linda

Making Difficult Decisions… Sometimes you’re faced with making a decision about something and none of the choices that you have seem ideal. You know that you don’t want things to stay the way they are, but none of the alternatives seem to be acceptable. Usually what happens is that you churn it over and over in your mind looking for a solution and becoming more and more frustrated as you can’t find one.

When you’re in the middle of something like this it can feel like you’re going crazy. You can’t stop thinking about it and anything you do doesn’t seem to help or perhaps even makes things worse. There seems to be no way out.

When you’re faced with a situation like this, here are some strategies that will help:

1. You must find a way to calm your mind – writing can help, venting all your frustrations onto paper can get the thoughts out of your mind. Walking (particularly outside), spending time in nature, or exercising can also help. What will really help is to make a point several times during the day of focusing on your breathing – just notice your breath going in and out and keep your attention there as long as you can. This can stop the incessant thoughts for a while.
   
   
2. When your mind is in a calmer state, think about the choices that are available to you. You may want to write them out and list the pros and cons of each.
   
   
3. Tell yourself that there is no wrong decision. There are only choices and each choice leads to certain outcomes.
   
   
4. Now look at each of the choices and possible outcomes and see which one feels right for you. You may want to visualize yourself making each of the choices and living with what comes as a result of that choice. Pay attention to how you feel.
   
   
5. Once you’ve identified which one feels right in this moment, be clear about your reasons for making that choice. For example, you may choose to stay in a job that you don’t enjoy because you need the money. That’s a choice and you have a clear reason for making it.
   
   
6. Now you must be at peace with that choice. Whatever it is and whatever your reasons for choosing it, that is the right decision for you in this moment. Accept it and feel good about it. Don’t second-guess yourself.
   
   
7. Even if the choice is not ideal (like staying in a job you don’t like because you need the money) find things to feel good about in the situation. For example, you may not enjoy the job, but it is providing you with income and that’s something to feel good about.
   

Often we’re so afraid of making the wrong choice that we become paralyzed. The important thing is to be at peace with the choice you make. Once you’ve made it and feel good about it, you’ll be surprised at how often other options open themselves up to you – things that you didn’t think were possible before.

Let this Unstoppable Affirmation support you on your journey:

I trust myself to make decisions that are right for me. Life supports me always and in all ways.

Be Unstoppable!

Linda