Believe. I really like that word, in fact I have that word sculpted in wood and laying on my kitchen counter so I see it every day when I get up in the morning and start my day.  For me, this word is all about the art of the possible, especially when life seems to be challenging me in some way.  I’ve always been inspired by words, whether in quotations, or stories or inspirations from people in my life that have made a lasting impression. Words are powerful and have a way of really dictating the way we think about ourselves, our lives and the moments that begin in the morning and continue until we lie down in bed at the end of our day. I remember someone once said to me ‘we choose our attitude every morning when we wake up’. This was a very impactful thought for me because I always thought that my day was going to be impacted by others around me and situations that I might be presented with.  I suddenly realized that no matter what was happening around me, my attitude towards my day could help shape my experience. My mother used to tell me that the best way to deal with people we come across in our lives was to shower them with kindness. What she was really saying to me was that I had the ability to choose the attitude I was going to embody in those moments.  Choosing to be positive outwardly and inwardly during times that can be challenging could not only alter how I perceive the situation but how I react to it and how others react to me. I tried using her advice over the years and found that no matter how difficult the situation was that I was in, coming from a positive place, with a positive attitude had an effect on the outcome of the situation and certainly made me feel happier.    

I met up with this concept again, many years ago when I decided to take up yoga.  I tell people often, that yoga changed my life. It not only taught me how to find a sense of inward peace no matter what the situation might be in my life, but it also brought a calm to my mind and how I perceive the world around me. I can remember during my first number of classes I was really taken with the phrase ‘let go of that which does not serve you’.  I pondered this quite a bit and really liked the concept of letting something go, like a leaf in the wind; just let it flutter away. It seems liked such a simple concept and was easy enough for me to do when I was on my yoga mat, relaxed and in this place where I was learning to get in touch with my body and my mind. I felt it was such a gentle way of releasing or saying goodbye to a thought or a feeling that wasn’t positive; that wasn’t serving me any longer. On my yoga mat, it became so easy for me to let go of the stress of a tough day at work, or another form of stress or feeling that was either part of my day, or on my mind. Sometimes I might only be letting go of that which did not serve me for the hour that I was practicing yoga, which was enough to bring me back to a positive place the next time it entered my mind.  The more I practiced this ‘letting go’ the more self-aware I became and the more I was able to really shift the way I looked at , and the attitude I had towards  my present moment, but every moment.  Sometimes, letting go of thoughts that were not positive or did not serve me gave me a new perspective on them and really opened my mind to allowing positive self-reflection and non-judgement take their place.   

Believing in myself and what I imagined for myself, has had a profound impact on my life. You could say that I have used positive imagery in ways that not only inspire me, but also act as a vision for me and for the future I envisioned for myself.   Have you ever had to deliver a speech or a presentation and have someone tell you  to imagine yourself standing in the spot or physically go see the place where you will be and imagine yourself having delivered your speech perfectly? Well this is amazing advice and certainly has the potential to put you into that moment, with a positive outlook on the outcome.  In a sense, believing in myself and creating a vision for what I wanted in my life was a big part of the driving force behind things that I was able to achieve.  I always tell clients that if you can’t imagine it and think your way into becoming it, then it can’t possibly happen. The more positive thoughts you can muster up about anything you are trying to achieve in your life, the easier you will find the journey to achievement. Your positive thoughts will become a strong vibrational energy that will play a huge part in attracting the things you are looking for. Get rid of self-doubt and negative self-talk with a positive attitude, a vision of what you want to achieve and the belief that you can and will achieve it!