Our past is not our destiny.  We all have the power to create our future, one which is aligned with our authentic selves.  One of the most profound quotes I came across recently is written by cellular biologist, Bruce Lipton, who states “Our conscious mind trumps both nature and nurture”.  What this means is that our thoughts can override inherent and learned habits.   Whether you believe this or not, it is certainly worth considering as you open your mind to the magnitude of possibilities that exists.

We all know that thoughts can hinder our progress just as much as they can help.  The power of thoughts cannot be underestimated as evidenced in stories where people overcome great obstacles in life through conscious effort and determination.  An excellent example of this is Olympic athletes who rebound from physical setbacks to prevail in their sport.  Open your mind to creating a rewarding future for yourself.  Take control of what you can to be the authority of your own life.

Our thoughts, emotions and immune system are intertwined.  This is proven by the fact that too much stress can lead to depression and chronic illnesses.  To counter the harmful effects of stress, there is something that we can all do to improve our emotional state and immunity to diseases.  What is it?

Creativity.  Being creative is something that we are all born with and have the capacity to excel.  When I talk about creativity, I am not talking about the traditional art form that we all stereotypically associate it with.  I am talking about creativity in all of its wonderful forms, from tangible to intangible.

Creativity is the process of inventing new ideas and projects that allow us to fully express ourselves.  Whether it be writing, photography, exploring nature, acting, singing,  self-employment, or community activism, find your niche and practice it.

Maria Ann Smith experimented with French crabapple seedlings and developed the Granny Smith apple in her 60’s.  Mother Theresa helped the unfortunate and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 69.  It is never too late to find your passion and indulge yourself.  Your heart and health will thank you for it!

Everyone experiences low self-worth to some degree.  This is because we have been conditioned from an early age to relate our own sense of worthiness to certain behaviours.  To give you an example, the child who obeys rules and conforms is considered good while the child who daydreams and disregards rules is labeled as bad.  As a result, we learn to compare ourselves to others and relate achievements to worth.      

In reality, we are all equals.  We all have the same basic human needs and desires, including success.  We all have natural talents and abilities unique to each of us that needs to be acknowledged in their own special way.   

Self-worth involves unconditional positive regard.  A wonderful exercise in helping you achieve this is to find a photo of yourself as a young child.  Look at the child and speak to him or her as you would an innocent child.  Convey love, compassion, and unconditional acceptance for the child: your inner child and the essence of you.  Self-worth is all about loving yourself for who you inherently are!

Do you value yourself?  Do you respect and treat yourself as you do others?  If your answer is no, then you may be interested in joining the newest workshop for August titled “Be Your Own Best Friend” 

Self worth is a necessary foundation for improving your life.  Learn how to value and accept yourself, with unconditional love and compassion.   Break away from limiting beliefs as you gain greater confidence and a sense of control over your life.     

Like planning a road trip, you decide where you want to go.  Mind Master is your map, guiding you through the process for positive change.  Join lively and engaging discussions that will inspire you to take action and create a more rewarding and fulfilling life.  Sign up today and find out what is possible for tomorrow!

We all wear different colored lens for perceiving the world around us.  Each person’s view is unique to themselves, as those with rose-colored lens see much more beauty and joy than those with dark-colored lens who see trouble and strife.  What color lens do you wear and does it serve you well?  Is it time to change lens and try on a new and rosier shade?

Mental fitness is all about wearing the ‘right’ colored lens in life.  It is about adopting the best perspective that benefits your continued wellness.  Be aware of external influences that contribute dark views.  One example of this is the news.  Try tuning out the news for a month and fill your mind with positive, inspirational stories instead.  Life is a gift.  Make it a gift of rose-colored lens.

Processing adversity is an important part of wellness.  Unresolved pain, anger and frustration can be all-consuming and bring added stress to our daily lives.  Put a stop to obsessive thinking and worry by focusing on positive, proactive thoughts that serve your best interests.    

Resolve what you realistically have control over and what you don’t.  Free yourself from any blocked energy that keeps you from living life fully.  If necessary, forgive yourself and others for past hurts and give no power to what does not serve you well.  Strive to move forward openly and freely!

In the last post, I wrote about adversity and resilience.  I stated that resilience is a learned skill that we can all benefit from practicing.  In order to rebound successfully, it is necessary to process emotions and needs in a timely and healthy manner.

Acknowledge your emotions and allow yourself to express them in a healthy way.  Suppressed emotions have a cumulative effect that can be harmful in the long run.  Have compassion for yourself and heed your internal desires, whether it is an urge for solitude or friendly support, extra sleep, good nutrition or exercise.  Prioritize your needs so that you can move forward freely in life.  When you do this, insights often arise giving you a bigger picture perspective and lighter view of life.  Practice resilience to feel that bounce in your step!

Opposites create energy.  Think of batteries with their positive and negative polarities.  Each play a vital role in producing the energy available.  It is the same for life.  Experiences from either end of the spectrum create life force.

Adversity gives meaning to peace, sorrow gives meaning to joy and of the most profound, death gives meaning to life.  Acknowledge the significance of life’s difficulties and when you do this, you will be more readily able to relax into the natural flow of life.

Life is filled with ups and downs.  Coping well with adversity and overcoming it in a timely manner is key to mental fitness.  We can all practice being more resilient in life.  It is a learned skill that can be improved with practice.  Make good choices for yourself so that you can focus on what is really important in life:  living well!

Do you want to know the secret behind enduring motivation?  Make sure there is an element of joy in your commitments and endeavours.  Joy is the super-glue that makes motivation stick for the long-run.

Whether it is work or personal goals that have become chore-like, we can create more joy for ourselves by doing a simple assessment.  Ask yourself what enlivens you and try to incorporate that into your day and activities.  Vary your routines if possible and remember to reward yourself regularly.  If necessary, try something totally new and make personal fulfillment your goal!  Motivation will never be an issue when you feel truly satisfied within.

Moods come and go, moods swing high and low.  Moods are comprised of human emotions, the essence of life experiences.  Without emotions, life would be dull and flat.  Just as emotions bring great joy, they can also bring deep sorrow.  Moods can control our lives in undesirable ways but the good new is, we can influence the degree of our moods just by changing the way we think and our reactions to life. 

Bring awareness to low moods and what triggers brought them on.  If necessary, track prior activities by jotting them down to pinpoint specific causes.  Consciously work to minimize triggers for the future and change routines or habitual responses that do not serve you well.  Practice compassion for yourself and maintain a positive mindset that does serve you well.