‘Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and then go do it. For what the world needs is people who have come alive.’ Howard Thurman

Welcome

First up, I'd like to congratulate you...

On turning up for yourself. Change is difficult to make - so much so that most people are reluctant to do it, opting to stay where they are instead of moving through what can be a messy process of unearthing your vision and then building your roadmap to change. You've chosen to take action. Just this first step alone means that your journey towards an outcome has began. You being here means you are ready and committed to tackling change. Congratulations to you. And thank you for choosing me to be your partner during this exciting time. Over the next 8 modules we’ll be walking through the process of change together. I will be sharing with you the steps I have used to make real and tangible change not only in my life but also in the life of my clients, the women who have attended my workshops, retreats and shown up for the one-on-mentoring. What I have found as a woman, mother, businesswoman who has recently turned 50, is that change anywhere from about 35 years onwards is much trickier than making change in your teens and twenties. And the reasoning is very simple. By the time you’re 35 you tend to have built a framework of experiences for your life. You’ve possibly married, maybe divorced, birthed a child or children; bought a car, a house, assumed a history of debt, experienced death of loved ones, built a career. From this place, making any change means you’re not only changing your life but changing the lives of everyone and every experience you have built into your life story. Every decision you make impacts not only you but also the people around you. Of course, this can be terrifying because most people are resistant to change, preferring the comfort of certainty instead. Cue hubby, kids and friends kicking and screaming as you move through the process of change! This is why we're here. To reframe the concept of certainty, to build clarity and a clear pathway for you and to manage the change process as gently and empathetically for you and the people and scenarios that your change will impact. It sounds big, and at the outset it is. However, as we move through the process in bite size pieces we will fortify you and your vision so you are in the best possible position to pivot your life with grace. Whether the change you are hoping to make is large is small, we will work together to craft a roadmap that totally fits your skin.

Watch the video: Let me introduce myself

Making change from the inside out

This change programme is all about change made from your core or soul self first, then we move all the way through to practical and actionable steps that you can utilise as part of your every day schedule. It’s a holistic approach to change and I'm going to introduce or re-introduce you (depending on how much inner work you've done to date) to tried and true concepts aimed at instilling balance, focus and clarity into your day to day decision making process. We first build the foundation to change – fortifying your soul self, your core, your true self. Then we move through to the practical aspects of making change happen; the how to, step by step stuff. It's imperative that you do the inner work before we move through to the outer work. The most effective, long lasting and successful change engages all aspects of the self. Our aim here is to support you to make change from a place of confidence and wholeness. So often in life, we make decisions based on our conditioning, what others think is right for us, from a mind only or emotional knee-jerk perspective. From a place of being unconscious. This is called reactionary change. And change made from this place rarely ends well! The key to making real, aligned and successful change is to connect into your subconscious drivers. The deepest part of you. When you become aware of your subconscious drivers you are in a better position to make the long-lasting change that really fits your skin. This is a dive deep process. And we're going to dive in together.

Our focus is to align you. Your mind. Your body. Your spirit. So when you make this transformational change it is grounded change.

Workbook

This workbook section includes a simple Q&A aimed at providing you and me with a basic outline of whom you are. There is no specific guideline as to how you answer the questions below. There are no right or wrongs. Just answer the questions as thoroughly as you feel able. Point form is okay also. Whatever you write will give me (and you) great insight into whom you are and the journey we need to embark on to get you from where you are to where you want to go.

Note

Each box lengthens to suit the amount of words you would like to write - so don't feel limited by the box size. You can dip in and out of this exercise as many times as you would like. Remember to press 'Save For Later' to save your words after each writing session. During our time together I will be dipping into your workbooks to ensure I have a well-rounded understanding of where you're at. This is very beneficial for our video sessions. However do let me know if you feel uncomfortable with this and we can modify this process for you.

Let's start with the basics.

Now. Let’s dig a little deeper.

Daily Practice

Slow down. And breathe.

Let's begin Step 3 with a simple practice aimed at slowing you down and reacquainting you with your breath. This exercise only takes a few minutes however is an important daily step in preparing you for change. For grounding and calming you. I’ve mentioned change is a holistic process. The mind, the body, the spirit all need to be working in unison for you to be able to successfully identify the change you need to make and then to clear the pathway for successful implementation of these changes.

Most of us are hardly aware of our breath, yet it sustains every cell in our bodies and supports every life experience we will ever have. It is the most powerful tool we all have at hand for regulating metabolism, inducing calm, quelling anxiety and cleansing blocks to change. Our breath is essential to life. But if you’re like most people, you’ve likely developed unhealthy breathing habits without being aware of it. Modern living and stressful experiences often lead to shallow, tense, quick breathing that deprives the body of oxygen and contributes to fatigue, anxiety, weakened immunity, mental sluggishness, premature ageing, and other unnecessary health issues. By paying attention to your breath, you can change what’s happening in your mind and body. Conscious deep breathing has been for thousands of years to cultivate physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. And recent scientific research shows it increases vitality and longevity, while enhancing your overall health. Experience deeper states of calm and wellbeing so you can focus and move with ease towards your goals, the key is to develop good breathing habits. Although most of us haven’t been taught to breathe with wellbeing in mind, they’re simple enough for anyone to learn.It’s all about settling you down so you can be calm and focussed. When you easily reach a state of focus then you are better able to clearly see a pathway forward and become aware of the shifts (the AHA moments) as they happen. This simple exercise can be easily implemented into your daily routine in a way that completely suits you. As you practice, conscious awareness of your breath will become second nature and reaching a place of focus and clarity will easily be achieved. Choose the best place and time to practice. It could be first thing in the morning – as you wake. Lying in bed or sitting up in a chair. It could be on the bus or train as you are traveling to work. A 5-minute pause in the middle of the day perhaps. Or in the evening, once the dishes are done, the kids are in bed and the house is quiet. And, It’s best to approach every module from this place. I know it can be tricky to find your centre and your calm. Becoming consciously aware of your breath is a discipline - a work in process – a muscle that you need to exercise every day for it remain open.

So let’s begin the exercise.

Sit with both feet flat on the floor and your hands comfortably resting in your lap. Or if you are lying down – lie flat on your back – with your arms away from your body, palms facing upward. Ensure you are not touching anything around you. And ensure that your spine is gently supported by lying in a place that is comfortable. Now. Close your eyes. All you need to do is listen to the instructions which will bring you to a place of gentle, conscious awareness.

Begin by taking a moment to connect in with the breath. Take one deep breath in through the nose and draw the breath into your abdomen - one, two, three, four. Breathing out through the mouth - one, two, three, four. Releasing all of the air from your abdomen. Breath in - one, two, three, four. Breathing out - one, two, three, four. Breathing in - one, two, three, four. Breathing out - one, two, three, four. Then return the breath to a soft and undulating rhythm. Slowly breathing in, then slowly breathing out. Become conscious and aware of your inward breath. Breathe in - one, two, three, four. Now become aware of your outward breath - one, two, three, four. Maintain soft breath. Try not to force a breath and be careful not to hold on. Just a fluid inward and then outward breath in a soft and gentle rhythm is what you’re looking for with the aim of releasing stress from your mind and blockage from your body.

Now. Breathing in, become aware of the mind - your thoughts. Breathing out - I gently pay respect to the thoughts running through my mind and I let them pass me by – as if they have been carried away on the breeze. Breathing in - I observe my thoughts. Breathing out - I release my thoughts on the breeze. Now, return to quiet. To stillness. The aim is to develop a practice of gentle focus. The keyword here is practice. The mind learns to focus via the discipline of practice. We need the mind to learn the practice of focus to enable clarity of vision and then successful actioning of this vision.

Now. I’d like you to work on your vision. By vision, I mean vision, not with the physical eyes. This is vision with the mind's eye. Vision with the imagination. Remember that all change begins firstly in the imagination. One must see the new reality you are hoping to create first of all in the mind. The mind is the creative engine room – the place where you create for yourself the pictures in the mind of the new life and new conditions you wish to create for yourself. This is accessed via imagination. And imagination is accessed via meditation. Quiet. Stillness. You must first create the conditions for yourself so you are still enough to see. Allow your thoughts to create images in your mind. Be clear with the thoughts you are generating.What are the drivers for these thoughts? In this instance, the thought is designed to generate stillness. So use thought to generate images of stillness in your mind. Once you generate the stillness in your mind then your body and your spirit will follow. All of what you see before you in the world first began with a thought. This thought then turned into a picture or a vision in the mind. Then the vision became circumstance. Then the circumstance became real. Remember you are the driver of all things that are happening in your reality. Once you understand the connection between your thought and your reality – you will begin to harness your power and channel your focus to deliberately creating your world.

Life can get in the way of change – don’t you find. You feel that you’d like to make change, you know deep down in your soul that you NEED to make change – but something or someone or circumstances as a whole are taking you away from the change you know you need to make. To create real and lasting change you need to ensure you are open to making the changes. That’s the first step. It’s a commitment and it’s a mindset. This programme is about ensuring that your mindset is on track so you can actually make real and tangible change.

Now return your awareness back to your body, and the space around you. Slowly open your eyes. And remember to take conscious breath through your day.

Workbook

What was your agitation point?

Generally, people seek change because life, in its present form is no longer serving them to the point where the alternative (not making change) is not an option. Often they can't pinpoint the exact cause of the need to change as it can be layered and complex. But something in life is causing agitation and change is required so the agitation will cease. Generally, people take action towards change because they have reached a point of no return. It's their personal tipping point to change. The agitation is no longer bearable and so reaching out for an alternative is a way to ease the agitation.

So let’s talk a little about why you are here in this context? What is the agitation that you are experiencing in your life that has delivered you to this place, to the place of needing to change. I’d like you to take the time to reflect on what experience have brought you here. Can you pinpoint them?

Ask yourself. these questions Why am I feeling agitated with my life. What aspect of my life stands out Why am I unhappy with my current situation? Why do I feel so uncomfortable? Why do I not feel well?

Is it a lack of money that is creating the agitation within you? Is it the desire for more abundance that has delivered you here? Is it the feeling that you are not living your best life? Are you unhappy in your relationship? Are you hoping to express yourself in a more creative way but can’t find the tools to make it happen? You know you have more to offer but don’t know how to take the first step? You’re feeling insecure?

Lots of questioning I know! However, we need to ask the questions to get to the core of the agitation that's driving your desire for change

Begin writing your thoughts in the box below. Consider this to be a free writing exercise. Write whatever comes to mind. And try not to hold back. This is the place to open your heart and let it pour out of you. We'll discuss this tipping point in our video session and everything you write will help us to see where you sit on the change scale.

Now. Digging a little deeper.

Describe how you feel in this situation. What is it about this scenario that instills this feeling of agitation. What emotion is driving the agitation. Loss. Anger. Fear. Insecurity. Unwell. Off balance as examples.