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Tuesday 22 November 2011

What Does Fun Mean To You?

Can you describe what the word "FUN" means to you? 
What does "FUN" feel like or look like? 
How do you know when you are having "FUN"?


During my coaching sessions I often ask the above questions. The responses I get are very interesting. Many people find it difficult to answer immediately & some people struggle to come up with any answer at all. Adult life is so often full of responsible roles, looking after others and rushing around trying to pack everything in, that sometimes we don't seem to have time for "FUN"! We can then disconnect with what it really feels like and what it really means to us.




So what do you already do that would come into the fun category?
If you can't think of anything, what have you done in the past that you would describe as fun?


Why is/was it fun?
How did it make you feel?






Does having fun mean any of the following descriptions for you?


Spontaniety
Freedom
Silliness
Outrageousness
Going with the flow
Not planning
Excitement
Laughter
Happy
Childishness
Carefree
No awareness of time
Lack of responsility


Many mothers, with whom I work, have described fun in the form of: not having to plan anything; just going with the flow especially when with their children; and seeing things through the eyes of their child. 

For me, fun means dancing, moving my body and this makes me feel happy, excited, free & in the moment. It also means playing with Megan puppy dog and talking to her in a baby voice (I try not to do that in public, but it has been known!). Laughing with good friends is fun and not worrying about what they think of me. Being very silly with my husband - something I must do more of! Rolling down hills covered in snow where we live in the French Alps - lots of fun!

What Else?...
Enjoying new experiences 
Partying with friends
Having 2 glasses of wine, trying to do the splits (fun at the time) but the consequences - not fun!!


So, are you having enough fun? If the answer is yes, great, let us know your secrets! If your answer is no, maybe you have just lost touch with what the term fun actually means to you. The next step is to try to bring it into your life more often. Start off with small things that are fun, that don't take up too much of your time. 


My Salsa classes have ended until the New Year now. If I'm not careful I won't do any until then. But what I can do in the meantime is practice once a week, in the kitchen with hubby (Matt are you reading this!!??) to just keep up those levels of fun in my life.


If you have any tips for increasing the fun in your life please let me know!

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Saturday 12 November 2011

Are You Enjoying Your Journey?

Excited, daunted, frustrated & scared! These words describe my state of mind since making the decision to give up my career and start afresh. The 12 years I spent as a P.E teacher were not exactly dire, they helped me accumulate numerous useful skills as well as giving me the opportunity to work with some great people. However, I always knew in my heart that it wasn't a long term career for me. Cutting a long story short I am now a professional Life Coach and I love it.

Starting from scratch has proven to be a very interesting ride. There is a huge part of me who wants to "get there" right now. And by "get there", I mean have all the clients, experience, qualifications & recognition which would say that "I've made it"! This side of me is to a large extent very helpful as it gives me the drive and determination to be as good a coach as I can be.
But there is also a little angel on my shoulder reminding me to "enjoy the journey" & "savour the moment".  

I was thinking about this the other day and decided to come up with a list of things which I can be grateful for right now and thus highlight the reasons why I can enjoy the journey, as opposed to wishing I was some place else.
So, my "enjoying the journey" looks like this:

  • Having the opportunity to learn new marketing & business skills
  • Having time to take a break when I like
  • Being able to organise my day as I wish
  • Spending longer meditating & visualising
  • Having time to enjoy reading the ideas and opinions of other coaches
  • Being able to search the internet to find great resources
  • Writing my blogs
  • Networking and meeting like-minded people
  • Enjoying the excitement of not knowing where this is all going to go
  • Enjoying helping people feel great about themselves and their lives!
By focusing on what we have got and what we are achieving on a day to day basis, this helps us to stay present, grounded & to cultivate a sense of appreciation for ourself. It helps us stay away from a state of negative mind chatter where we can beat ourself up for not being as successful, or as good as we think we "should" be.

I would love to hear about Your Journey and what there is to enjoy about it!

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Saturday 5 November 2011

Aaahhh.... A Cup Of Tea & A Yummy Cake! What's On Your Bliss List?

Day 6 5th November 2011
I am sitting in "Tartines De Martines", a fab, kitschy tea shop in Samoens village (French Alps). I have a magazine, a pot of herbal tea and a homestyle magazine with pretty cushions & nice recipes (that I make a mental note to make at a later date - but know that in reality it will not happen). I also have my husband sitting next to me, with his nose in a book, pretending he is some SAS hero stalking the latest terroist.
This simple activity, I can only describe as "yummy". Yummy not only because I also have a chocolate chip muffin to indulge in (yes - sugar, to those people who know me well!) but, because it is something which makes me feel warm, cosy and relaxed. Where I can just go "aaahhhh!" I have nowhere to go, nothing to do and it is really really nice.



Having a cup of tea in a nice tea shop is one of the activities I have on my Bliss List. This is a list of the things I love to do that represent to me a treat or a sense of feeling pampered and relaxed. The list also consists of anything that constitutes a break or some "me time" whether it be in a relaxing or more energetic form.




Some other things on my Bliss List are:

  • Taking a nice hot bath with lots of bubbles
  • Standing outside and looking at our beautiful view and just breathing
  • Listening to upbeat, pop music (& generally dancing to it in the kitchen)
  • Having a cuppa with a good friend
  • Having a full body massage
  • Salsa dancing
  • Browsing a book shop
  • Having lunch out on my own
  • Lying on the floor and playing with Megan puppy dog (I think it's the one time she feels that she is bigger and more in charge than me!)
  • Travelling anywhere with hubby 
  • Having a foot rub
  • Watching a girlie chick flick on a rainy day underneath a soft, cuddly throw
  • Going out for the day to somewhere new and exploring



I remember going to a workshop in the Lake District, led by an author named Gill Edwards. She talked about the importance of trying to make sure that you do something off your Bliss List every day. In this way, you get to prioritise, value and nurture yourself. In this way you ca help yourself maintain a sense of balance in the midst of what is often complete chaos or "running around like a blue a**se fly syndrome!"

What would be on Your Bliss List? Think of some easy, less time consuming things first and then build up your list with all those things which make you go aaaahhhhh!

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Tuesday 1 November 2011

Amplify Your Abundant feelings!

When faced with the realities of the world as well as being consumed by our different roles and busy schedules, it is often difficult for us adults to think and feel abundant.

Children, on the otherhand, are much more adept at tapping in to their own sense of abundance. They can be pretty good at asking for what they want and have a great sense of expectation that their wishes will be granted.

I'd like to share with you an exercise I did with my lovely yoga group this morning. It can really help you to connect with a whole host of positive feelings and thus feel a greater sense of abundance:

  • Think of something you love to do and you know makes you feel great!
  • Spend a couple of moments connecting with how it makes you feel - for example, is it joy, peace, aliveness, excitement, creativity, freedom, vitality or something else?
  • Imagine yourself taking part in your chosen activity. Imagine you are there, right now. See the colours, hear the noises, smell the scent.
  • Try to bring all of the feelings you experience, into your body as much as you can. Then try to amplify them by taking a big, deep breath in & feel your whole body expand with these good feelings.

This may be something which needs a little practice at first. But 5 minutes a day spent connecting with your good feelings will keep more of them coming your way!

Apart from my Salsa dancing which connects me with feelings of joy, fun, happiness, aliveness and letting go, I love to take a walk in nature. Here I feel freedom, space, peace & aliveness.

What activities make you feel abundant and why? I would love to hear from you.

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