When you feel invisible… Have you ever felt that you’re invisible? Perhaps people don’t listen to you, talk over you, or seem not to hear you when you talk. Or
perhaps they seem to ignore you – talking to others around you, but not to you.

I have experienced this many times and so have many other highly sensitive and introverted people. Most of the time I didn’t think it was a problem. In fact, when I was younger I think I perfected the art of being invisible. I wanted to be invisible because I never liked to be the center of attention and I liked being in the background.

But there are times it’s not a good thing to be invisible. When you have a business, for example, you certainly want your customers to notice you. And there are times when it is downright annoying – being overlooked for promotion for example, or having someone else take the credit for work that you have done.

If you would like to stop feeling like you’re invisible, here are some things to consider:

• First you have to feel very comfortable with yourself. You may choose to be in the background because you’re very different from the majority of others and being noticed makes you feel uncomfortable. The more you own who you are, accept and embrace your differences, the less you’ll be ignored.
  
  
• Second, you must be willing to be more visible. How is it serving you to be ignored? If it’s not serving you, then instead of feeling angry about it, make the decision to change it.
  
  
• Being visible doesn’t mean you have to be someone you’re not. For example, introverts often think that if they want to be seen and heard they have to become loud and extroverted – which goes against their nature. It’s not true. You can be assertive, speak up when you want or need to, and yet still honor your true nature.
  
  
• Often we don’t want to be seen because of the belief that somehow we’re not good enough. If you feel this way, it’s time to challenge that belief.

You can be quiet and still powerful. You can be gentle and also assertive. You don’t have to give up who you are. You have a great deal to offer – and nobody can benefit from what you have to offer if you are invisible.

Action Step: Notice where and when you might feel that you’re being ignored, or when you want to be ignored. Make the decision today that you are ready to be seen and heard and know that who you are is good enough in every way.

Let this Unstoppable Affirmation support you on your journey:

I release the need or desire to be invisible. I now claim my power and my authority with love and am willing to allow myself to be seen and heard.

Be Unstoppable!

Linda

P.S.  Ask me about the Unapologetically Successful (and Sensitive) Mastermind Group, which will help you as you make the decision to take your power back and to stop being ignored or overlooked.

Seeing things differently… Isn’t it interesting how sometimes we can only see a situation from one perspective – one that doesn’t feel good? I’ve had a couple of examples over the last week where I had been seeing things a particular way for several years. It didn’t feel good and I had been trying everything I could think of to do things differently, work around the problem, or even feel better about the problem.

Eventually, I got tired of hearing my inner voice complain about what I didn’t like and I decided to open myself up to new solutions. In both situations I found I was able to have a complete shift in perspective and see things in a very different way.  These insights seemed impossible for me to see before.

How did I get there? I think the thing that helped the most was surrendering. I decided to let go of my expectations about how things should be and what should happen. Once I did that it was as if the blinders had been removed and I could see things differently.

It all seems very obvious now, and it’s hard to understand how I couldn’t see things this way before. In the work that I do I help people shift their perspective and let go all the time, but seeing your own stuff is much more difficult and takes a lot longer.

It’s a great example of how attachment to expectations can stop you seeing what’s right in front of you.

Action Step: Think of a situation you’ve been struggling with. Ask yourself if you can let go of your expectations around what should happen and how things should be. If you are willing, just let it all go and see what happens.

Let this Unstoppable Affirmation support you on your journey:
I am willing to let go of my expectations and I now open myself up to the highest and best possible solutions in all areas.

Be Unstoppable!

Linda

Where is your attention going? My husband and I were on vacation recently in British Columbia. While we were visiting Butchart Gardens in Victoria, we witnessed something that’s become all too common lately:

A woman was busy taking photos. She stepped backwards as she was lining up her shot and fell back into a pond. Fortunately, she was not injured – she was just very wet and extremely embarrassed, and she may have ruined her expensive camera. But how often have we heard lately of people falling to their deaths as they attempt to take the perfect picture?

I’ve also observed people walking along looking at their phones, often with headsets on as well. They cross the road without looking, walk in front of cars or even trains. It seems as though people are becoming less aware of what’s going on and not paying attention.

It was a good reminder to me of the importance of paying attention, because when you’re not paying attention in one area of your life, chances are you’re not paying attention in other areas.

How do you know if you’re putting your attention on the right things? By the experiences you’re having. Sometimes it’s more obvious than others – like falling backwards into a pond!

Something like that may seem like an isolated incident, but often it isn’t. When accidents happen, you keep misplacing things, or perhaps it’s just that annoying things keep happening – perhaps it’s time to stop and ask yourself what you need to pay attention to.

Action Step: For the next week, try asking yourself each morning before you start your day: What is the most important thing for me to know and pay attention to today? Notice what happens as a result.

Let this Unstoppable Affirmation support you on your journey:

I am willing to release all distractions and focus on what is most important to me and for me. I pay attention to the experiences I’m having.

Be Unstoppable!

Linda

When you need validation – I saw this post on Facebook recently and thought it would make a great Unstoppable Energy Tip:

“If outside validation is your only source of nourishment you will hunger for the rest of your life.”

If you need validation and acceptance, you must give it to yourself.  I found that as soon as I stopped needing approval and recognition from others, that’s when I started receiving it.

Action Step: Become aware of when and how you look for validation from someone else. Can you acknowledge yourself instead of needing it from that person/those people?

Let this Unstoppable Affirmation support you on your journey:

I release the need for validation or approval from anyone. The only approval I need is my own.

Be Unstoppable!

Linda

I’m sorry… Do you find yourself apologizing frequently? I know I do, and it’s okay when you make a mistake that affects someone and you want to apologize, but when you find yourself saying sorry for every little thing it can become a problem.

It can become so habitual that you apologize even when there’s nothing to apologize for, such as:

• I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to do that.
  
• I’m sorry, but I need to go.
• Sorry, can you repeat that?
• I’m sorry but I’m not available at that time.
  

If you don’t have time or you can’t do something, you really don’t need to apologize. I find myself saying things like this all the time. The word sorry seems to just slip out without my being aware of it until after I’ve said it.

Why is it a problem? Well, for a start it can undermine your confidence and authority, making you seem weak and indecisive. It can be a sign of insecurity, stress, anxiety and of being overly self-conscious.

What could you say instead? Here are some more empowering statements:

• I don’t have time to do that. Thank you for understanding.
  
• I’m not available at that time. (nothing else needed)
• I need to go now, I’ll speak to you again later.
  
• Would you mind repeating that? I didn’t quite catch it.
  

Being able to apologize for something is definitely better than someone who refuses to apologize for anything. But stop making yourself wrong by apologizing for things unnecessarily. This is something I continue to work on, and I hope you’ll work on it with me.

Action Step: Begin to catch yourself as you say sorry. Ask yourself if it’s something you really needed to apologize for. Resolve to begin using more empowering statements.

Let this Unstoppable Affirmation support you on your journey:

I release the need to apologize for the way I feel or for things I can’t control. I claim my authority and embrace my power.

Be Unstoppable!

Linda

The energy of words… It’s probably something you don’t really think about, but what you say and what you think has energy to it and determines what you attract.

So, whenever you think or say something like:

“I really like that.”
“I appreciate that.”
“This feels really good.”

You are putting out, or ‘spending’ some of your energy. The energy that you spend comes back to you, so you’ll attract more things to feel good about.

Now, what happens when you think thoughts like:

“I hate that.”
“That’s really annoying.”
“That makes me angry/frustrated/upset.”

In this case you’re putting out or ‘spending’ a different kind of energy. And, what you spend comes back to you, so you’ll attract more things that don’t feel good.

It’s really a simple concept, yet we often find it hard because the thoughts or the words seem to come without any effort.

This is why it’s important to be very mindful of what you think and what you say – because that’s the type of energy that you’re spending and it determines what will come back to you.

Action Step: Start paying attention to the energy you’re spending with your words and thoughts. How much energy are you putting out (and receiving back) that feels good and how much does not? Awareness is the first step towards change, so once you know, you can decide if you’re spending your energy in the right way for you.

Let this affirmation support you on your journey:

“I now choose thoughts and words that support me and feel good. I spend my energy wisely.”

Be Unstoppable!

Linda

Being open to pleasant surprises – how often have you planned something, but then the unexpected happens and it doesn’t turn out as you thought it would or your plans are derailed?

This happened to me last week, and when it happened, I was aware that there was a part of me that wanted to be upset about it, to have a bit of a meltdown and complain because I had these plans in place for a year and this wasn’t what was supposed to happen.

The nice thing was that there was a larger part of me that knew better. That knew being upset and having a meltdown would only make me feel worse and wouldn’t help anything. This part of me knew that all I had to do was relax into what was happening, surrender control and allow things to unfold.

And everything worked out beautifully. No, it wasn’t what I had planned, but I had a very positive and enjoyable experience. The worst things I could imagine that could have happened didn’t. I was fine. The situation worked out just fine (only different). I coped very well, even though a part of me was afraid I wouldn’t be able to.

 There are several helpful takeaways from this experience:

1. Things don’t always turn out as we planned or hoped, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
   
2. There is always the voice of doubt and panic, and the voice of calm and certainty and we get to choose which one we listen to.
3. When you surrender and allow yourself to go with the flow you can end up having a positive experience.
4. You may just surprise yourself and be capable of more than you thought.
5. Sometimes it’s nice to let go of control and allow yourself to be surprised.

It’s not that I didn’t really know these things before, but knowing and really experiencing are two different things. I learned a lot about myself from this experience.

So often we think we have to control everything and if things don’t work out exactly as we think they should then there’s something wrong. If you are a highly sensitive person and/or an introvert (like me), you probably over-analyze situations and because things can get so overwhelming for you, there is more of a need to try to control things.

You may also think that it’s impossible to change and ignore that critical inner voice that makes you want to become angry and frustrated – I promise you, it isn’t impossible, as this experience showed me.

Action Step: Think of a situation that’s not as you would like it to be. Tune in to the voice of resistance (this shouldn’t be happening) and the voice of surrender (it is happening so let’s lean into it and go with the flow). Which one are you giving more energy to? Can you give more energy to the voice of surrender and let yourself be pleasantly surprised?

Let this unstoppable affirmation support you on your journey (it’s one of my favorites, from Louise Hay):

Out of this situation, only good will come, for the Highest good of everyone. I am safe. All is well.

Be Unstoppable.

Linda

Talk about your joys… I saw a quote recently that I really like:

“Talking about our problems is our greatest addiction. Break the habit. Talk about your joys.”

It’s so easy to focus on what’s going wrong, rather than on what’s going right isn’t it? What could happen if we change that?

We know through the Law of Attraction that we attract what we focus our attention on, so it stands to reason that if we put our energy and attention on what feels good, then we’ll receive more of what feels good.

Action Step: For the next week, catch yourself every time you find yourself thinking about or talking about a problem. Notice it, and make a conscious effort to change the conversation to something that feels good.

Let this Unstoppable Affirmation support you on your journey:

I now choose to focus my energy and attention on things that feel good to me. I deserve to feel good.

Be Unstoppable!

Linda

Setting intentions… I think we often underestimate just how helpful and powerful intentions can be. As I was searching for a description for intentions, I came across this one from mindfulminutes.com:

“An intention is a guiding principle for how you want to be, live, and show up in the world—during meditation, yoga or any area of your life.”

I also like this description from meditation teacher Kelsey Patel:

“Setting an intention is activating a part of your receptivity.”

When you take a few moments to set an intention before you start your day, at the beginning of  your week, at the beginning of the month or the year, the payoff can be huge.

But we also forget that we can set intentions for the ‘little’ things every day. For example, I think we all dread having to make calls to customer service or something similar. You’ve probably had the experience of being put on hold for hours and when you do reach someone they are not helpful at all.

What if you took a few moments to set an intention before you made the call – that you would easily reach the right person and that person would be courteous and helpful, and you would receive the answers you need?

Start setting intentions for the little things – for example, if you have to drive to work, your intention might be to have a joyful experience of driving to work.

I see intentions as creating a positive inner experience for myself. Think of it as setting yourself up to succeed, to have more positive experiences, and to feel good. Remember also to express gratitude for the experiences you attract. That’s all part of the intention-setting process.

Action Step: Think of something you’re not looking forward to or even dreading – perhaps something you have to do, or someone you have to speak with. Now, set an intention that this situation will go well, that you will feel good, that only good will come out of this situation for everyone involved. Set the intention that you will have a positive experience and that it will be better than you initially thought.

If you feel like sharing, I’d love to hear of your experiences with this. Let this Unstoppable Affirmation support you on your journey:

I recognize the power of setting intentions and am learning to use them daily to set myself up for success.

Be Unstoppable!

Linda
P.S. If your intentions are not working for you, or you feel you could use some guidance with making things happen, contact me and request a complimentary 15-minute, laser focused Get Unstuck Session - to help bring you clarity and focus.

The energy of your possessions – In my recent FB Live broadcast Lisa and I talked about mindful Spring cleaning and the importance of being aware of the energy in your work and home environments. Continuing this theme, I thought it would be helpful to talk about how you are affected by the things you surround yourself with.

The things you have in your home and work space are not simply inanimate objects. Your possessions are alive with energy and with your memories and associations. They have an energetic connection to you, which means they have a direct impact on your own energy – on how you feel, on your emotions, and your sense of well-being, and they influence your ability to move forward or stay stuck.

It’s vital then that you understand the energy of the things you are choosing to surround yourself with. Here’s a simple exercise to help you.

Pretend that you’re going to be moving house. Start with one room and take a good look around at everything that’s there. Touch each item, and as you do so, allow yourself to re-connect with the energy of the item and what it means to you. Be aware of any memories and associations. Be aware of how you feel about this item and why you are keeping it.

Action Step: As you connect with each item, here are some things to consider:

• Do you love it?
  
• Do you need it?
• Do you use it?
• Does it bring you joy?
• Does this item represent who you are now, or who you want to be?
• If the answers to the above questions are no – ask yourself why you’re keeping it.
• What memories and associations does it hold for you?
• Are the memories and associations positive or negative?
• If you were moving house is this something you would definitely want to take with you?

This exercise is not only about getting rid of stuff, which hopefully you will do. It is also about really understanding the energy of what you are surrounding yourself with and how it is affecting you. Of course, once you do this you may feel the need to let some things go because you recognize that they are not serving you any longer, and if you do, that will boost your energy even more.

Let this unstoppable affirmation support you on your journey:

I now choose to surround myself only with things that I love, that support me and feel good to me. I am willing to release anything that no longer serves me.

Be Unstoppable!

Linda
P.S. Having trouble getting rid of stuff? Request a complimentary 15-minute 'Get Unstuck' session with me and together we'll create a plan for how you can move forward. Use the Contact Form to request a session and I will be in touch to schedule your session.