8. July 2010 by admin.

Are you in the flow? Do you feel that your life is filled with purposeful and enjoyable activities? Or on the contrary, do you feel stuck and uninspired? A state of flow is achieved when the mind and/or body are engaged in a challenging and worthwhile activity. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi writes in his book that in order to create flow, some conditions need to be met: set clear goals, find a way to measure progress, learn new skills that will help you take on new challenges.

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18. May 2010 by admin.

Do you feel you are checking things off your to-do list but still don’t get a feeling of satisfaction when completed? Do you do fun things that you do not connect with? You are in action, keeping busy, getting things done,  but still feel like there is something more to life? Maybe you need some inspiration. Maybe it is not enough to check things off, but to ask yourself if those things are a reflection of your deepest values, of what matters most for you.  Where do we get the inspiration for our actions? You start by creating a vision for yourself.  Envision how would your life look like, what meaningful work would you do, who would you spend the most time with, what activities would you do for fun and relaxation, what environment would you prefer? You can put this vision in a few words or in a few images and connect with it often.  Once you have the vision, you can go a step further and create a plan that will keep all of the above in check. This way, you are not just doing things, you are taking inspired action. Pay attention to your energy levels to differentiate between the two. Taking inspired action is what helps you remain motivated through a transition/life change.

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21. February 2010 by admin.

Last night I went to a live concert of latin jazz. It was a small, intimate setting. It was amazing how much energy was in the upbeat latin rhythms, in the drums, in the dexterity of the performers, how much satisfaction in hearing the saxophone sounds join the drums at the right time. Every time I go to a live event, whether live music or live dance, the energy and the enthusiasm of the performance transfers to me as well. What activities bring you to that enthusiastic state of mind, when you feel happy to be alive?

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17. January 2010 by admin.

Time for New Year resolutions again, right? When setting goals, you can ask yourself the following questions to make sure the goals come from the heart and are aligned with your values.- What would I regret not doing?- What outrageous/silly things I want to do?- What are the opportunities right in front of me that I am not taking?

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28. October 2009 by admin.

Fall is the perfect time for indoor home improvements.  The dark forces us inside early on, the weather turns chilly and windy and rainy.  Getting busy with putting down hardwood floors seemed like a good idea… a couple of month ago! I started to plan this at the end of August. I took out the carpets in September and I thought in a couple of weeks I will have brand new shiny floors. Well, the deeper I got into the project, I realized there is more to it then meets the eye, more details that became apparent along the way. Things like washing the floors, leveling the floors, buying hardwood that matches the existing one (not available at brand name stores anymore), decisions, cutting the planks to snug around the existing moldings. I started to feel overwhelmed, discouraged and impatient. The project became a chore. I thought to myself: How can this be fun? What is the positive side of what is going on? Well, if I release the resistance I have towards the situation and accept that it will take longer to get done, maybe I can relax and enjoy it more.  Also, spending time together with my husband, working as a team, learning from him, getting things accomplished, praising each other and acknowledging the progress we make every day will be true gifts for me. Letting go of the resistance to change allows us to notice and enjoy what we appreciate in each moment.

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