conscious choices

Tag Archive for conscious choices

Are You Stuck Finding Your Why?

September 21, 2016 John Uncategorized No comments

The CHI FOR YOURSELF series on finding your why is moving right along. But as we reach the mid-way point you may be feeling as though you’ve hit a wall. This process is simple but not always easy. The following tips (I think of them as bullet points) are intended to give more clarity to your journey.

Are You Stuck on Finding Your Why?

Anyone who has taken any type of self-improvement course has been told to find their why. While this may sound easy enough, it is not always simple to identify your why. This article will give you some suggestions for how you can really find your why in life.

Before you can identify your why you need to know which area of your life needs improvement. Why are you looking for a meaning to your life? Are you looking for an overall purpose, or do you need to develop a why for a specific reason? For example, you may want to uncover your why so you can lose weight or stick to an exercise regimen.

It can often be a little easier to define your why for specific reasons. If you are trying to lose weight you will want to have certain reasons for doing so. This could include wanting to look more attractive, to feel better, to be able to play with your kids or to battle a medical issue.

To uncover your why it can be helpful to understand why you are doing your current habits. With eating, as an example, why is it that you are over eating? Are you self-conscious about a certain part of your body? Are you addicted to sugar or to carbs?

Once you have this information in hand it can be easier to develop a why. If you want to kick the sugar habit start paying attention to those times when you eat more sugar. Are you feeling unhappy or alone when you do this?

Uncovering your why can be difficult and it does require that you are open and honest with yourself. But once you have a why then you can be more focused and motivated.

If you want to find your why to living a more fulfilled and happier life in general, you have to do almost the same steps. First, you need to identify what it is that is making you feel unhappy. Are you lonely, do you hate your job, or do you wish you were in a better relationship?

Once you know why you feel the way you do, it will be easier to take corrective steps. If you are feeling lonely, can you join a health or social club? If you are just plain bored, is there a hobby that you would like to start?

Even if you are currently stuck on finding your why use the above steps to uncover your true feelings. This, in return, will identify your why.

If you would like to listen to this article click on the player:

JohnK 9-19-2016

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Overheard:

“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”

~ Marcus Aurelius

Finding Your Why

September 12, 2016 John Uncategorized No comments

The CHI FOR YOURSELF series on finding your purpose in life continues with this installment called “Finding Your Why.”

Finding Your Why

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Do you have a why in your life? A reason that keeps you motivated and helps you to get out of bed each morning? If you don’t you may often feel as though you are just plodding along the path of life. All you do is go through the motions of living without having anything to look forward to.

If you don’t have a why in your life then it is definitely time to discover what yours is. Most likely you have a dream or a goal that you would love to pursue, but for some reason, you don’t.

For anyone who is attempting to achieve something or reach a goal, it is much easier to do so if you have a reason for it. This way of thinking is often associated with people who are trying to lose weight. Nothing seems to work for them until they uncover the true reason for why they want to lose weight.

Your why can be quite simple and it could be doing certain things in order to become healthier. Or maybe you why is to start an online business so you can retire with your partner from your jobs.

Your why is often associated with your health, family, and financial goals. After all without money you can’t pay the bills or buy food to feed your family.

One thing to bear in mind, as well, is that your why can change as you grow. As your life changes so do the things you need, this can give you a different purpose in life.

A younger person may have a why of saving for a new home or getting a University degree. As you age your why may change to include exercising more so you can enjoy your grandchildren.

Many people will turn to religion in order to uncover their why. No two people will ever share the same why. You may have the same goal as someone else. But you will both have different reasons for attaining them.

The best way to discover your why is to be honest with yourself. This requires letting all your skeletons out of your closet. Sit down in a quiet place and truly think about what it is you want out of life.

This is not always an easy process even when you do know your why. You may not know how to achieve it at first. Just remember to keep an open mind and start working in a small way each day to achieve your why.

(You can listen to this article by clicking on the player below)

JohnK 9-12-2016

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Overheard:

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”
~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Come and Get It: Another Great Meal Idea From Jo’s Kitchen!

September 6, 2016 John Uncategorized No comments

Your Dreams Then and Now: What They May be Saying to You

September 5, 2016 John Uncategorized No comments

Finding your why. That’s our intention in this continuing CHI FOR YOURSELF series. In today’s installment, we look at your childhood dreams and what they may be telling you all these years later. Keep dreaming!

Your Childhood Dreams

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Do you remember the dreams that you had in your childhood? The ones that centered around what you would like to do when you grew up. Did you ever follow those dreams or have they been pushed into the depths of your mind?

If you are feeling as though your life is missing something then you may want to take a look at the dreams you had as a child. If you still carry them with you, chances are they are things that you are passionate about.

Think back and let your childhood memories surface. Back then did you want to fly a plane, be a fireman or doctor, or travel to the other side of the world? Did you want to play in a band or write poetry all day?

Just a dream

Of course, some of your childhood dreams may not have been practical. Especially those based around space travel or adventures on the high seas!

Once you have uncovered your dreams, are there any that now seem more reachable? If so, then why not attempt to make one of them come true?

If you wanted to be a singer, act in a play or write a novel, why not start now and do those things? You really are never too old to try something new, and it’s never too late to take up a new hobby.

What are your current talents and gifts? Can you combine one of your talents with a dream? Maybe as a child, you wanted to travel the world on a ship. Why not write a novel based on this?

Maybe you have a talent for art and graphics. Can you combine this with an old dream? You could look into ways of helping young children become graphic artists. Or use your talents to support a local charity or cause.

Just because you have matured, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have dreams and desires anymore. Take your life experiences and mix them with your desires and create a new passion or interest in your life.

It actually takes risks and courage to follow a dream at any age. Are you prepared to finally make one of your childhood dreams come true? If you don’t take a chance on yourself, you are missing out on fulfilling your life. Remember that no one else is going to do it for you!

JohnK 9-5-2015

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Listen to the article by clicking on this player…

Overheard:

All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them. – Walt Disney

Uncovering Your True Calling in Life

August 29, 2016 John Uncategorized No comments

Here it is, another Monday, and you’re hard at work. Maybe you’re thinking about someone who seems to be blessed with knowing just exactly what to do with his or her life. Maybe you’d like to know that feeling, too. And maybe you know there’s something special you’re meant to do but you’re not sure how to go about it. CHI FOR YOURSELF continues the series into “Finding Your Why” with ideas to help you move closer to your purpose.

Uncovering Your True Calling in Life

Many people believe that they have a true calling in life. This is something that they feel compelled to do, regardless of the odds. When you have this feeling, you are driven towards taking action. But what happens when you are not confident of where your true calling may take you?

It is very easy to mistake your true calling as nothing more than a mere dream or desire. You may feel as though you were meant to do this thing but finding the opportunity to follow your dream is holding you back. It can also be a frightening experience, to suddenly give up a stable job in order to follow a new path.

Many musicians and authors felt as though they had a true calling in life. They were always drawn to words or music in such a way that they couldn’t help themselves. There are many professional musicians who didn’t have the support of their relatives. Not until a family member saw them perform and saw how the magical allure drew the audience in, did they understand the passion.

Authors are the same way. They feel as though they have to write, no matter what. They lock themselves away for days or weeks so that they can put all those words onto paper.

Even if you can’t manage to follow your true calling in life full time. There is no reason why you can’t put time and effort into it on a more part time basis. If you have that longing to write a book, then start writing it in your spare time. At least you are allowing yourself to follow your passion.

Not sure if you even have a true calling in your life? Most people do.The problem lies in recognizing it. Look toward your dreams and desires. Is there one thing that keeps popping over and over again?

If so, this could be your true calling. Examples of a true calling include becoming a doctor or nurse. Travelling to a distant country and doing mission work. Or your true calling could be raising money for a charity or working with young children or animals.

The next time you are sitting bored at your desk, let some of those dreams come to the surface. Then look for a way that you can work on one of them to make your dream a reality. Once you do, you’ll finally be following your true calling.

You can listen to this article on an mp3 file by clicking on this player:

JohnK 8-29-2016

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Overheard: “If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud.”
~Émile Zola

Susan Anderson Talks Abandonment on CHI FOR YOURSELF: Then and Now

August 28, 2016 John Uncategorized No comments

I’m sure you found last week’s interview with Susan Anderson helpful. She’s dedicated a lot of her working life on the subject of abandonment, and she’s felt so much of that pain herself! There are two interviews with Susan Anderson on this page:

This interview was recorded this past Thursday (Aug. 25th) when we discussed THE ABANDONMENT RECOVERY WORKBOOK: Guidance through the Five Stages of Healing from Abandonment, Heartbreak, and Loss. In it Susan shares some of her tools for dealing with the pain of abandonment in a number of areas. If you missed the program you can hear it by clicking on the Blog Talk Radio logo:

Here’s a list of talking points from the show:

Abandonment defined
Susan’s dealings with abandonment
How abandonment affects social status
S.W.I.R.L.
Death, rage, and abandonment
How abandonment is similar to PTSD
Overeating as abandonment
What we can do to heal right now

This interview was recorded in 2015 and it deals with Susan’s book Taming Your Outer Child: Overcoming Self-Sabotage and Healing from Abandonment. Click on the Blog Talk Radio logo to be taken to the show.

JohnK 8-28-2016

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Inner Exploration and Your Dreams

August 22, 2016 John Uncategorized No comments

Last week we posed the question “do you know where your passion is?” Today we drill down a bit more on the topic. You can read the article or listen to the mp3 which follows.

Uncovering Your Passions and Your Why

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Use the following ways to easily uncover your passions and discover your why in life. Make a list of all the things that you have always dreamed about doing. These should be all those items that you haven’t done because of a lack of money, time or they seemed to be impractical.

Use these questions to uncover your dreams:

1. What is the one thing that you are always dreaming about but haven’t done yet?

2. What did you want to do or be when you were growing up?

3. Have you ever abandoned a dream?

4. What is it that you want to do, but are afraid of doing?

Once you have identified your dreams your next step is to create a plan of action. You may have ended up with a relatively long list. If so make time to start doing a few of them each month. If you have to schedule time for them into your work calendar.

For those dreams that require more effort and time look for a way that you can attempt to do one. Your dream may be to visit an exotic country or help build a new school in an under-developed country. Look for ways to make this come true. This would be your long term passion and why.

If you don’t have too many dreams, try the same experiment with your hobbies. Write out a list of hobbies that you have done at one time, those that you currently do and those that you would love to do.

Don’t have a list of hobbies, what are the things you currently spend time on that make you feel happy and fulfilled? Look for ways to turn these into a hobby.

You may even be at a point in your life where you wish to turn a part-time hobby into a full-time one. If you enjoy art, ceramics, poetry, music, writing, dance or a particular exercise. Look to see if you can do this full time. Can you become a yoga instructor, ceramics or art teacher or write your own novel?

If your hobby or interest doesn’t transition well into a way of making you money see if you can get involved in a different way. You may love to run marathons and smaller events for a local charity. Look for a way to get involved in running that could provide you with an income.

You will be participating in your passion and this will make you feel happier with life.

This week on CHI FOR YOURSELF:

Susan Anderson, author of THE ABANDONMENT RECOVERY WORKBOOK: Guidance Through the 5 Stages of Healing from Abandonment, Heartbreak, and Loss. Thursday at 4pm Eastern, 1pm Pacific

JohnK 8-22-2016

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The Week Ahead: Healing the Heart and Feeling the Passion

August 19, 2016 John Uncategorized No comments

If you’re feeling the flood of feelings brought on by abandonment listen up! Our next CHI FOR YOURSELF guest makes her second visit to bring us tools and exercises intended to help you discover and heal underlying issues, identify self-defeating behaviors of mistrust and insecurity, and build self-esteem. Susan Anderson is the author of THE ABANDONMENT RECOVERY WORKBOOK: Guidance Through the 5 Stages of Healing from Abandonment, Heartbreak, and Loss.

Susan Anderson

She’ll be with us on Thursday, August 25th at 4pm Eastern, 1pm Pacific time at chiforyourself.com

This week CHI FOR YOURSELF began a series on finding your passion. If you missed the post you can hear it by clicking on this player..

If you haven’t done so make sure you sign up for updates from GenuLines. You can do that by putting your email address into the box at the top of the page!

…and, if you’re eating out this weekend- Choose whole grains over flour products. Something like oatmeal is more nutritious and has less fat than bagels, French toast, pancakes, or sugary cereals. For dinner, try a Thai or Chinese restaurant that serves brown rice rather than going for pizza and pasta.

Have a great weekend!

JohnK 8-19-2016

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Overheard:

” ‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”

~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

It’s Monday. Do You Know Where Your Passion Is?

August 15, 2016 John Uncategorized No comments

Are you just working or following a passion? How do you view your job? As something that brings home a paycheck, or do you consider your job to be something that you are passionate about? Many truly successful people in life are so successful because they are following their passion. They really enjoy going to work each and every day. This is because they feel that they are making a difference each time they do so. So how can you get to the point where you are performing a job that you really enjoy each day?

One way to achieve this is to look inside yourself and discover what gifts and talents you have. If you are not sure what your talents are, ask a family member. Schools today focus on teaching you the skills to get a good job, without even tapping into passion. You are taught to train for a good paying job and while fun at first, the excitement of it wears off. After a few years in your profession, you are feeling bored and unfulfilled. This is exactly why there are so many people pursuing a job that they aren’t happy with. Let’s take a look at some of the gifts and talents you may already possess.

You may be a great musician or singer, do you enjoy dancing? Do you love working with people? Or you may possibly be a great listener. Once you can identify one of your talents then you want to look for ways to use it. If you enjoy working with people, you may consider working with school children or even seniors. If you are a great listener you could become a social worker, a counselor or even a human resources person. If you can’t pursue your talent full time then think about doing it occasionally. You could also volunteer your time by using your talents. If you enjoy animals you could volunteer to help raise money for the humane society. Or raise needed equipment and tools for a local charity.

When you start to follow one of your passions you will instantly feel happier with your life. You will have a purpose in life, something to look forward to each week.
While you still may have to work to pay your bills and provide for your family. You have now found a new outlet – your passion. This could be the perfect way to improve your life, reduce stress and feel as though you are doing some good in the world!

JohnK 8-15-2016

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Overheard:

“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” —Nelson Mandela

~Nelson Mandela

Happy August! Recipes for Good Food and Good Mood

August 1, 2016 John Uncategorized No comments

We’re into a new month, and I don’t want to let too much time slip by without touching base with you. When I was growing up people used to call August the “dog days”. Not very flattering to dogs (who are some of MY favorite people!) Hot, humid days usually meant less activity at the kitchen stove. I want to kick off this month of August by calling on Jo Eager to bring us a quick and simple recipe that’s tasty and doesn’t require turning on the stove!

The next edition of CHI FOR YOURSELF is in the planning stages. I’ll only say that it deals with healing from heartbreak, loss, and abandonment. Details to come.

Some points to keep in mind with the start of the new month: