How do you stay balanced with a busy life?
It’s essential 
to have a few “inner peace practices” that are MUSTS in your life. And, be sure to sprinkle them in throughout your day.
For example, start the day with a 10+ minute meditation or a vegetable smoothie. At lunchtime, take a few minutes – away from your desk – to eat lunch, and reconnect with your breath (make sure you don’t book yourself without a break). In the afternoon, you might take a five minute “time out” and close your eyes, lie on the floor, and give yourself permission to “do nothing” for just a few minutes. It does wonders!
Other potent “inner peace practices” include time in nature, exercise, yoga, reading, listening to something inspiring on tape or CD, journaling, focusing on what you’re grateful for, silent time, or using the “emwave.”
In the evening, make it a MUST to do something that brings you pleasure: lighting candles, nutritious and tasty meals, meaningful conversation, read, watch a movie or favorite TV show (not just any show), snuggle with your partner or make love. Honor your body by letting it have a FULL night’s sleep.
Most importantly, listen to your body and be responsive during the day. A quick walk outside, a moment refocusing on your breath, or a “time-out” for doing nothing only takes a few minutes… but will make the world of difference in the balance you experience throughout your busy life.
Filed under Inner Peace 101, Inner Peace Practices, Inner Peace Strategies | Comment (1)The Compounding Effect of Choice
Most people are familiar with the compounding effect of money, as it’s key to the long-term accumulation of wealth. Saving a few hundred dollars each month grows into tens of thousands over time. The principles of compounding also apply in every area of our lives, whether we like it or not. Internalize the simple principles in this article and adopt them for a lifetime. Doing so will allow you to more easily stay focused on what is most important to you and take the necessary action steps to realize your desires. Willingness is the key.
The compounding effect of choice is made up of two simple principles. The Mastery and Mediocrity diagram below illustrates this concept visually.
Principle #1
“It is the simple disciplines (choices), that don’t seem to make any difference at all in the moment; HOWEVER repeated over time, the compounded effect makes all the difference in the world.”
Principle #2
“It is the simple errors in judgment, that don’t seem to make any difference at all in the moment; HOWEVER repeated over time, the compounded effect makes all the difference in the world.”
Principle #1 in Action – “Simple Disciplines” – Focus on the upper side of the graph above. The x-axis on the diagram depicts the role of time, while the y-axis represents the growth in mastery or success of something important to you. This could represent progress in your profession, leadership, relationships, health, mothering, creative expression or cultivating a sense of inner peace.
Each tick mark in the diagram represents one action, or “one simple discipline” or “one simple choice.” Unfortunately, the choices acted upon in the earlier stages don’t reflect much growth for quite awhile. Much like saving a few hundred dollars each month, it doesn’t SEEM to add up to much in the beginning stages. Without referencing this graph, it may feel discouraging and you may choose to quit before reaching your desired outcome. However, if you were to continue repeating “it’s the simple disciplines (choices), that don’t seem to make any difference at all,” AND continued to take simple actions, the compounding effect would eventually kick in. You would ultimately experience the growth and success you desire. It’s simply a matter of time – AND CONSISTENT action. How often do people quit when they are nearing the finish line?
There are three important elements in the compounding effect of choice.
Filed under Fulfilling Lives, Inner Peace 101, Inner Peace Strategies | Comment (0)You set big goals for yourself. Yet, you’re equally committed to a peaceful inner world. Is it possible to have BOTH? And, if it is…what allows you to keep inspiration and productivity high along the way?
There are several keys…however,
Simply put…INNER PEACE TIMEOUTS.
An Inner Peace Timeout is a fancy way of saying — refueling your soul. It’s more than a mindless coffee break, zoning out in front of the boob tube or reading a trashy novel (though these activities have their place). It’s not about disconnecting from your busy world, but rather about CONNECTING to your inner being…that inner peace reservoir you have access to any time you choose.
There are lots of ways to take an inner peace timeout. Some inner peace timeouts refuel your soul in minutes. Depending on how “burned-out” you’ve let yourself become, you may need a much longer inner peace timeout…like an entire day or week.
But, more important than taking TIME away from work is the consciousness and presence you bring to this precious time.
For some examples of some of my favorite inner peace timeouts,
People express and receive love in different ways. Dr. Gary Chapman identifies these as “the five languages of love”.
1. Quality Time – Attention, quality conversation, time spent together doing something meaningful or enjoyable. Time is Love. Attention is love.
2. Words of Affirmation – “You are beautiful”. Words of acknowledgment, encouragement, or appreciation. “You are a giving, loving, kind, warm person. I love who you are”. Words of affirmation are words of love.
3. Gifts - From big to small. Flowers. Gifts. Cards. Cars. Houses. Jewelry. Stuffed Animals. Clothing. A gift can be a great gift of love. Some people feel most loved with a gift.
4. Acts of Service - Cooking dinner, washing the car, running an errand, cleaning the house, helping with a task, time spent in contribution to another.
5. Physical Touch – Affection. Massage. Making love. Of course, everyone has their favorite way to be touched. And, touch equals love to many.
Knowing these 5 Love Languages allows you to GIVE and RECEIVE love from others more fully. Of course, we all can appreciate and enjoy each “love language”, however there is typically one or two that make you feel MOST LOVED.
Which one is your primary love language?
How do YOU show love toward those you love?
What we tend to do for others, is often a clue to what we enjoy receiving most…
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Accepting YOU or Accepting YOUR EGO?
Ok, let’s face it. We LOVE it when everyone in our lives loves and accepts us unconditionally. That’s a true friend, right? Or is it…?
When we’re running late or irresponsible, and they don’t give us a hard time. When we’re a mess emotionally, and they listen to our “story”…over and over again, and continue to offer their support. When we’re PMS-ing (aka “being bitchy, whiney or needy” for women) or “isolating” (for men). I appreciate it when others overlook my flaws and the poor emotional states I’m in, AND still want to spend time with me, accept me and love me.
Have you ever gotten frustrated with someone, when you thought they weren’t “accepting who you are”? I’ve had that experience more than once. I thought, “Gosh, other people seem to accept me as I am, why can’t THEY?”
Then it dawned on me.
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So, you have gotten clear about WHO you are and WHAT you want. You are practicing the Art of Fulfillment. You are Strengthening your Connections and Surrounding Yourself with Beauty. You are setting goals and taking action. And still life does not seem to be cooperating.
This is where ”trust” comes in. Life Is a process – with ebbs and flows, peaks and valleys. For every bump in the road, there IS a gift for you. The gift may be a ”learning”, something to challenge or strengthen you, a new opportunity, or a chance meeting (like ours!).
Life offers us gifts every day, all day long, if we choose to look for them. As we combine our spiritual connection with an expectation that ”life IS supporting our highest good”, we can relax a bit and begin to more fully enjoy our experience here as human beings.
Enjoy your journey!
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Conscious Connections: Are you FULLY Connected?
Does this sound familiar? Hundreds of items on your “to-do” list. You feel tugged in a dozen directions. The business needs your attention. You want to spend quality time with friends and family. Your body is craving a workout. Paperwork and post-it notes are piling up everywhere. Your mind wants peace of mind. Commitments. Choices. Opportunity. Conflicts in your mind.
The recipe for overwhelm is clear.
When activity is high, it can be easy to lose connection with what is most important. We may diminish the big and little successes occurring along the way. We may not stop and fully connect with those we love – enough or at all. We may set goals and objectives haphazardly, not owning or connecting to them at the core of our being. We may avoid connecting to the underlying feelings that haven’t been expressed. We may lose connection with ourselves. Whether you fit the “busy” description, or are just casually pacing through life – STOPPING and taking the time to “consciously connect” is essential to maximizing fulfillment AND productivity.
The more consciously you are connected, the greater sense of aliveness, joy and flow you will naturally experience in your life. Take inventory by evaluating how CONNECTED you are in each of the following areas. What is your next level of connection?
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There are many components to the Art of Fulfillment …
• Creating magic moments
• Noticing life’s simple pleasures – the little things and the grand
• Being grateful
• Living your values and purpose
• Focusing on what’s already great
• Growing your connections – to self, to spirit, and to others
The Art of Fulfillment is about cultivating more happiness, more peace, more joy, more meaning, more purpose – aaaaahhhhhhh, MORE life fulfillment!!!
This key is SIMPLE. Focus on creating fulfillment – and YOU WILL attract it.
What is one “magic moment” you can create THIS WEEK? What are you GRATEFUL for? You CAN find fulfillment in looking at a flower or going to the grocery store – if you choose it. Schedule a “FULFILLMENT seeking week”. All week long focus on everything and anything that’s fulfilling to you. Discover new ones and search out others. The greater your intention to be fulfilled, the more ways you’ll find to create it.
Filed under Fulfilling Lives, Inner Peace 101, Inner Peace Practices, Inner Peace Strategies | Comment (0)While fulfillment isn’t ALL about achievement, it plays a vital role that cannot be ignored. As human beings we have an innate need to be useful, to achieve, to create, to be challenged and to contribute. AND, we NEED meaningful goals.
Work and career is a natural place to fulfill this need, especially if there are always new goals to keep us challenged. When this structure is taken away (i.e. husband supports a non-working wife with no children), the people I interviewed reported “feeling a void” – and were searching for ways to create that sense of “purposeful achievement”. Over time the need to “purposefully achieve” overpowered the sense of fulfillment which came from time freedom.
How do you get your need to “purposefully achieve” met on an on-going basis? Set yourself up to enjoy the pleasures of achieving. What achievements give you the highest level of satisfaction? Set a goal, achieve it, and thoroughly enjoy that level of satisfaction in knowing YOU DID IT!
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I’m so excited to bring Mark Victor Hansen to our Conversations with the Masters Series next week! If you haven’t registered for this yet, please do so here: www.lifecoachmary.com/markvictorhansen.htm . You won’t want to miss this no-cost call, full of New Year’s inspiration! Here’s an article Mark wrote that shares how to attain inner peace and tons of success!
How To Ask for Anything You Want
by Mark Victor Hansen
One of life’s fundamental truths states: Ask and you shall receive. Isn’t that simple? Of course it is. The world responds to those who ask. Most people in this world, however, find themselves in settled lives, never really achieving or receiving what they hold in their dreams . . . because they just never ask.
There are many good reasons to ask, and the rewards are substantial. If you’re not moving closer to what you really want, you probably aren’t doing enough asking.
Reasons Why We Don’t Ask
So, why do people stumble when they have an opportunity to ask? Five reasons, really:
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Everyday Inner Peace is about maximizing YOUR inner peace. Whatever is interfering with your inner peace is temporary, unnecessary suffering. Here you’ll find tips, strategies and inspiration to return to relaxed bliss … in minutes. Everything is better in life with an abundance of "inner peace."