If you don’t pay attention, it can be easy to get bogged down in a day to day routine which grinds you down into boredom, and frustration. Then one of Life’s little extra challenges gets thrown your way (major unexpected expense, illness, death* – not you of course) and you’re suddenly feeling like your whole life is total shite. ( Yes, deliberately misspelt – just imagine I’m saying it in an Irish accent.) Living in your personal power is about perspective and taking responsibility for what you can change, and at the very least, that is always your attitude.
*[Now, I’m not dismissing the impact of the death of a loved one. I’ve had five separate deaths in the past 18 months to deal with, so I know attitude makes a huge difference to the impact. For me it has been about focussing on all of the good memories, what I’ve learnt from them, being grateful for the years I had with them, allowing them to be still part of my present in conversation and thought, and most of all, self-care, being gentle and nurturing with myself. Admittedly, self-care is a work in progress!]
If you’ve ever travelled overseas, noticed the homeless in your area (they are there), or even watched TV, you’ll know there are millions who would LOVE to have your problems. There are millions who would LOVE to live your worst day in preference to their every day. You may have heard this before, but take a moment to think about what that really means. When I did, these travel memories came flooding back, and perhaps they’ll help add a different perspective for you too.
Bouncing in the back of a truck sliding along a mud track through a village in the Republic of Congo, feeling literally drained from a stomach bug, I noticed the village’s sole source of income was a large bunch of green bananas and a bag of charcoal for sale. I suddenly realised my backpack, housing my few clothes and sleeping bag, cost more than the whole village’s annual income.
Sitting by the side of a dusty road in Malawi, chatting with a local as we waited in vain for a lift up to the Zomba Plateau, him asking what our staple food was in Australia, for example, rice or maize? How could I even begin to explain the extent of choice in our supermarkets, takeaway shops, cafes and restaurants? The tonnes of food thrown out each day? Confess to the billion dollar weight loss industry? (There was no lift all day so I had to ask to sleep in a nearby home, then walked up the 30km the next day.)
In the Annapurna region of Nepal, visiting a bare cement slab school with no electricity where students from far away villages boarded in huts they built themselves: simple plank beds, pitch black with no windows, and dank water pooled on the floor.
Dodging huge potholes in roads near Goroka, PNG, that could have been repaired had not the money disappeared into corrupt official pockets. Being grateful each time now I am delayed by road works – well, not always grateful, but definitely more patient than I ever was before!
No matter how stuck you feel, there is always at least one way out, it might just be you are too stressed or overwhelmed to see, and have the confidence to make those changes you need. Ask for help from someone who can help, be open to trying a different way, and start paying more attention to the wise, kind you inside, and less to the nasty voice that keeps you stuck and feeling like shite.
Read more on the why, what and how in Chapter Five “Reclaiming Your Personal Power including Financial Freedom” in my book “The Face Within”. Check out the other blog posts here too.
Join me on a free Personal Power Series webinar, the next is Monday 3 November 2014
Contact me to discuss how we can work together to clear your head trash and get your life back the way you really want it.
Leave a Reply