Tuesday 8 November 2016

Declutter Your Space


I often talk to my two best friends about the importance of decluttering and I thought this would be a perfect topic for my blog post.

We’ve all experienced clutter in the home or in the workplace. In my house, the most cluttered space is the bedroom chair; jeans, tops, t-shirts, socks, all get thrown on to the same little space. I find myself watching the clothes accumulate until the moment where nothing else can fit on the pile and it’s only then that I take the initiative to sort the clothes out! But what a lovely feeling I get when it’s done! Suddenly I can see the chair again and calmness fills the room. Does this sound familiar?

In contrast though is my desk, this is the place where I work and I need a clean and tidy space to do so. It’s such a nice feeling to sit down each morning to a declutted space. My message today is that I honestly believe a clear space can create a clear head.

So next time you find yourself surrounded by clutter, spend a few moments decluttering and see how it makes you feel!

Friday 2 September 2016

Sky's The Limit!


Your imagination is one of your greatest assets! We all have the ability to think and create whatever we want in our imagination. However, often when we start to dream about what we want, our negative self-talk voice can interrupt the flow of thoughts by telling us we will never be able to achieve our dreams. But why should we listen to this voice? Don’t be afraid to use your imagination. Life is short and you only get one so remember the sky’s the limit! What are you dreaming today?

Friday 12 August 2016

Don't Suppress Negativity


Every week at some point you will experience a negative emotion. Perhaps you’ll feel sad, angry, anxious or fearful. There are of course many different reasons as to why we feel negativity, but it’s how you deal with those feelings that determine how long they last.

I used to think that the best way to deal with negative emotions was to try and escape them. However, I have since realised that it can be very damaging to suppress your negativity. Imagine an issue that gets you down time and time again. You can cover it up very easily just by the distractions you encounter every day-but all you are doing is pushing it away from the surface-and it will at some point reoccur presenting you with the same negative feelings over and over again unless-of course- you deal with it.

So how do you deal with it? Well we don’t want to confront negativity with negativity! So here’s the hard part….next time you feel a negative emotion, instead of trying to push it away, try and embrace it. Show compassion towards it. Focus on the feeling and breathe with the feeling. Notice the parts of your body that feel tense or uneasy as you experience your negative emotion. And remember, nothing’s permanent. The feeling will pass.

I’ve been working hard on this one, and believe me you will become better at dealing with your negative emotions. You’re just re-wiring your way of dealing with negativity.

Wednesday 27 July 2016

Leave Your Tunnel of Mishaps Behind You


Do you ever have those days where everything is going wrong? Perhaps you slept through your alarm, you burnt your toast, your train got cancelled, you were late for work …you experienced a snowball effect of mishaps right in front of your eyes…ah poor you!! Do you then find yourself at 10am thinking, ‘this is going to be such a rubbish day’ simply because of a few mishaps? Well next time you feel like this, remember that there are still many hours left in your day, and therefore a lot of time to experience some really positive moments. Don’t give up on your day so easily, don’t accept that that’s the way it is going to be today! Move out of the mishap tunnel into the open space that allows positivity to sweep back in to your life. Enjoy your day.

Saturday 25 June 2016

What Do You Do When Things Don't Go Your Way?


There are two options here:

1-You dwell on the negatives, which can result in self-pity or at worse, cause you to give up!

OR

2-You draw on something positive and pick yourself up. In this case, you can start exploring ways to move forward.

We all face difficult situations in life but it is ultimately up to us to decide how we want to react to them. So if it’s a job you didn’t get, a trophy you didn’t win, or an argument you lost, pick yourself up and don’t waste another moment trapped in the cycle of negativity.

I’m sure some of you might be thinking but how do I do that? Well a great starting point is to make a list of all the things you are grateful for in your life. This might be for the comfortable bed you slept in, or for the neighbour who said good morning to you. Often it is the little things that go unnoticed that we forget to acknowledge.

I’d like to leave you with a quote by Robert Collier which I believe sums up today’s blog post:

‘All power is from within and therefore under our control’.

Friday 3 June 2016

Charlie's 5 Motivational Tips...

As a self-employed Musician I enjoy being my own boss and not having to report to anyone. There are many benefits to this lifestyle, and I feel very grateful to be in this position. I'm also very fortunate that I find it easy to motivate myself but I know it's not easy for everyone so in today's blog post, I wanted to share with you 5 strategies I use for staying motivated:

1-Be thankful: 

Start your working day with gratitude! Although you may not feel like it first thing on a Monday, remind yourself of all the wonderful things you have in your life. Believe it or not many people would love to be doing what you're doing!

2-Pat yourself on the back:

Too often, we rely on others to compliment us, to say well done or well tried but when was the last time you told yourself that? Whether I have a productive day or not, I always try and say something positive to myself and yes that really does involve patting myself on the back!

3-Set clear goals:

I love setting myself goals, it not only gives me something to focus on but it’s another excuse to pat myself on the back! It’s important to remember that even if you don’t achieve a particular goal, at least you tried! How amazing is that? You didn’t succumb to the fear of not reaching your goal.

4-If it's not working, move on:

When you find yourself struggling to work through something, it’s not necessarily a good idea to push through, indeed by doing so, you may end up procrastinating. But by stepping aside from that task-even momentarily-it allows you to recharge your batteries and return with fresh eyes.

5-Immerse yourself fully:

We all have those days where we can’t be bothered to do something and inevitably we can switch off. But what happens if you stay switched on even during something you don’t want to be doing? Well it takes a lot of energy for sure, but it makes for a much more worth while experience. You can even start to feel enjoyment and you’ll most probably be happier for it. At the end of the day anything you do in life is what you make it!







 

 

Monday 16 May 2016

Are You Living In The Present Moment?


Too often in life we find ourselves contemplating the future and reflecting on the past. While this is a necessary aspect of life, sometimes it can have a detrimental effect because all the while we’re giving time to the days gone by and the days yet to arrive, we are taking ourselves away from the present moment. Simply being in the moment is a wonderful feeling and something I believe we can all achieve if we let ourselves!

I’ve been making a real effort to keep myself in the present moment and I’m really noticing the benefits: I feel like I am living my life to the full! Even if I am simply reading a book or playing the piano, I am completely absorbed in that task, totally focused, happy and present. I find my mind doesn’t wander so much; I am beginning to lose certain fears I had been holding on to such as worrying about getting ill or concerned that I won’t reach my personal goals.

In a nutshell, I feel more relaxed and content.

A good way to start living in the present is to try some mindfulness exercises. I wrote a blog post about it just the other week:

I’ll leave you now with a nice quote from Omar Khayyam:

‘Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life!’

Happy Monday.

Monday 9 May 2016

Tuesday 3 May 2016

Do You Make Time For Your Friends?


In today’s busy world, it is sometimes easy to forget to make time for the people you care about. Why? Because often we take our closest friends and family members for granted and we just assume that they will always be there for us.

But I believe friendships need to be maintained and worked on and we must not become complacent with our friends. I’ve realised this more since a number of my closest friends have moved overseas. Luckily with technology and social media it’s pretty easy to stay connected but how often do we actually connect?

It’s easy to feel we don’t have enough hours in the day to get everything we need to do done, but the truth is we do if we really make the effort! Try and find 5 minutes a day to say hi to a friend you haven’t connected with in a while, such a small gesture can really go a long way!

Monday 18 April 2016

Mindfulness at Breakfast

Recently I've noticed I've been making breakfast at 100mph! It's like I'm trying to win a race-I mean I am competitive afterall-but I feel it's got a little silly now. So I thought to myself, why not slow down a little? Instead of multi-tasking the kettle, the milk and the bread, why not do one of these tasks at a time. The irony was that by slowing down I was able to prepare my breakfast in what seemed like no time at all.

While pouring the milk on to my cereal, I really focused on the milk leaving the bottle and landing on my cereal. I listened to the sound of the milk making contact with my cereal and was aware of the smells around me. Such a small, trivial task was turning in to something really worthwhile. Sounds a bit weird you might think, but why not try it!

The idea of doing a task mindfully not only makes you more aware of what you are doing but enables you to be fully present in the moment which in today's busy world is a hard thing to achieve. I've started applying this principal to other things such as house work, checking emails and walking to the shops and I'm really beginning to notice the benefits. I would love to hear your thoughts about approaching tasks in a mindful way. Why not give it a go tomorrow when you make your breakfast!

Monday 11 April 2016

PMA Charlie's Book Review


Over the years I’ve read many books to help me stay focused, positive and happy. I thought it would be a nice idea to share some of my favourites with you:

1: ‘Go for it’! by Helen Exley.

 This lovely presented pocket book contains 11 chapters full of positive affirmations and quotes by inspirational people. Here are a few of my favourite quotes:


‘All our dreams can come true-if we have the courage to pursue them’. (Walt Disney)

‘The great danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we achieve it’. (Michaelangelo).

‘If we wait till we’re ready, we never do anything’. (Eleanor Roosevelt).


This is a book I take with me on my travels due to its size. I like to read a chapter as soon as I wake up, It really motivates me for the day ahead!

  
2:  ‘Indestructible self-belief’ by Fiona Harrold

From the author of ‘Be Your Own Life Coach’, ‘Indestructible self-belief' guides you through seven chapters of self-awareness, which will leave you feeling more optimistic and positive towards life. Each chapter begins with a quote, here’s my favourite from chapter 7- ‘Building an identity’:

‘It is not because things are difficult we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult’ (SENECA).

At the end of each chapter there is ‘work section’ where you can answer various questions about yourself and your thoughts. I always find putting pen to paper is a really positive way to express how you are feeling. It’s one thing just to read a book, but when you become interactive with it, you take your thinking to a new level!

I find this book really useful when I suffer from ‘negative self-talk’, and I also like the fact you can dip in and out of the chapters depending on what subject is most relevant to you at the time.


3: You Can Be Happy No Matter What’ by Richard Carlson

The core message in this book is that happiness does not come from external circumstances but instead from inside us. This concept is by no means new but the way Richard Carlson presents this idea is easy to understand and can really improve your mindset.

The book contains 11 chapters. Part I explores five principles in detail; the principle of thought, moods, separate realities, feelings and the present moment. While part II looks at how we apply these principles in every day life.

What I enjoy most about this book is the simplicity in which the ideas are discussed. Although the author goes in to each principle in a lot of detail, the ideas are simple and easy to absorb.

When I read books I find it helpful to underline sentences which resonate with me. Here is one of my favourites from this book:

‘A related formula for success: When you focus your attention in this moment, instead of moments that are over or yet to be, you’ll maximize your productivity, creativity, and ability to accomplish your goals’.


4: ‘Feel The Fear And Beyond’ by Susan Jeffers


The sequel to ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’, Susan Jeffers follows one wonderful book with another that continues the message from the first in more detail and allows the reader to embark on a journey of self-discovery.

After I read ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’, I was hooked on the ideas presented by Susan Jeffers and thus was so excited to buy the sister title and I was not disappointed! Out of all the books I’ve read, this is the one that has helped me grow in confidence more than any other. A book full of exercises and inspirational letters from readers, you can’t help but feel more positive with each page you read! 

My favourite chapter-‘Replace the chatterbox’-focuses on the negative self-talk voice we all have within us, and fun ways in which we can try and replace this voice with a more positive one. The author suggests that we give our ‘chatterbox’ a name and sets us the following goal: ‘Observe when it is there, laugh and say hello, and then tune in to a higher way of thinking’. 

I love the idea of laughing at ourselves and learning not to take our ‘negative voice’ too seriously! Amazing things can happen when you learn to stop responding to your chatterbox. Try it!


I hope you've enjoyed reading my book reviews. Feel free to share your favourite books with me to!

Friday 8 April 2016

How often do you open the door?


Have you ever found yourself wondering why something that you wanted in life just wasn’t happening? Perhaps you sent an email to someone and you didn’t get a response, or maybe you left a voice message and your call wasn’t returned. What did you do? Did you sit there and feel sorry for yourself or did you consider trying harder, persisting and not giving up!

Perseverance is everything in life and if you really want something then you have to go and get it. Waiting for something to arrive or someone to enter your life will end up frustrating you. If you want to make a success out of something then open your own doors and create your own opportunities. Don’t rely on someone else to do it for you. Take action today!

As the great Winston Churchill said: ''Success always demands a greater effort.''

Monday 4 April 2016

3 Minute Affirmation Video (Volume 2)

I feel very blessed to be living by the sea and thought it would be a nice idea to record the waves as a back drop to my second installment of positive affirmations. Hope you enjoy the video!

3 Minute Affirmation Video (Volume 2)


Friday 1 April 2016

Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously!


How many times a week do you say; ‘I haven’t got time to this’ OR ‘I’m too busy to do that’? I’m guessing at least once or twice. We’re all guilty at times of feeling like our lives are too important to make time for other things.

But, the truth is if we took ourselves a little less seriously we would most probably find time to do the things we feel we haven’t got time for!

So next time you catch yourself feeling a little too important for life remind yourself to lighten up!

Tuesday 29 March 2016

What Are You Grateful For?


How often do you say thank you? Believe it or not, these are two of the most powerful words we have at our disposal. Often, when we say thank you it is merely an automatic response to something. But when was the last time you said thank you and really meant it? One of the greatest principals I’ve learnt is that of gratitude and it is something we can all practice on a daily basis.

Here are 10 things I’m grateful for:

1-I am grateful for my friends and family
2-I am grateful to be self-employed
3-I am grateful for my talents
4-I am grateful for running water
5-I am grateful for a free health service
6-I am grateful to live by the sea
7-I am grateful I can travel easily
8-I am grateful for my eye sight
9-I am grateful for my hands
10-I am grateful I can vote

Some of the things on my list are obvious but the more you look around, the more you will see things to be grateful for. We take so much for granted in our lives and don’t always find time to reflect about the wonderful things we have in life.

So what are you grateful for today?

Saturday 26 March 2016

The Positive Alphabet Game


Often, when I go running I like to play ‘The Positive Alphabet Game’-the rules are simple-I have to describe myself in three words using every letter of the alphabet. Here are some examples for the letters P, M and A:

P:      I am POSITIVE, I am PERSISTANT & I am PRACTICAL
M:     I am MOTIVATED, I am MENTALLY strong & I MOVE forward
A:     I am ASPIRATIONAL, I AIM high & I am AWARE

As you cycle through the alphabet, don’t be afraid to use negative words-afterall we have both positive and negative attributes-but often, just the act of being aware of ones negative points can help us move forward in a more positive way.

After playing this game, my mind always feels clearer and I feel more connected to myself. Often, we hear other people telling us about our ‘good’ and ‘bad’ points, but how often do we actually tell ourselves?

Try it! It’s fun and you can play it anywhere; on the train, when you’re trying to fall asleep or waiting to meet a friend. A great way to connect with your inner self!

Thursday 24 March 2016

3 Minute Affirmation Video (Volume 1)

Hi everyone,

So I decided to make a short 'positive affirmation' video using some of my favourite photos from my travels. I find it helpful to read the affirmations out loud. Hope you enjoy!

https://vimeo.com/160173115

Tuesday 22 March 2016

Welcome to my PMA blog!

Hello, I'm Charlie.

Welcome to my PMA blog! I will be sharing with you many positive affirmations- which I try to use on a daily basis- as well as techniques and strategies that I find useful to help me relax and unwind. Before I start, I wanted to share with you a little bit about myself and why I decided to create this 'PMA' blog.

From a young age I competed in many sporting events and also took part in music concerts aswel as taking practical examinations. When I was Seven, whilst on the way to my Grade 1 piano exam, I remember experiencing a strange feeling in my tummy. I mentioned this to my dad and he told me I had 'butterflies' because I was nervous. And so begun the start of this regular feeling everytime I partook in some kind of competitive sporting or musical event. Alongside my 'butterflies' I also started experiencing something else; 'Negative self-talk'. This included phrases such as 'you're not good enough', 'everyone else will be better than you', and 'you won't be able to do it'.

I was very aware of this 'Negative self-talk' throughout my school years and the one phrase that kept me going time and time again was; 'Postive, Mental, Attitude' (which my dad had taught me before my first cross-country race)! I shared this phrase as much as I could with my friends and gained a reputation for being very positive.

However, just like you I still suffer from 'Negative self-talk', and there are times where I doubt myself and spend too much energy comparing myself to others. Over the years i've tried to digest the wise words of inspirational people like Thich Nhat Hanh, Deepak Chopra, Dale Carnegie and Susan Jeffers but there are still times where I have the tendency to listen to my 'Negative self-talk' voice. I'm only human right? But I truly believe that with practice we can all calm this 'Negative voice'. Realistically, I don't think it will ever go away completely but we can learn to be aware of it and learn how to mute it and not let it take control of us.