Energy Coaching

Wow!  I live in a busy city!  Hong Kong’s lights are almost never out and I can see boats going back and forth even at the wee hours of the morning!  No wonder putting emphasis on our “busyness” has become a way of life here and in most places around our busy world. 

One of the most common responses to the greeting “How are you doing?” has become “I’m so busy.”   It’s very tempting to start a conversations with these words because most of us are indeed very busy.  The problem with this response is that it sets the tone for the rest of the conversation.  It puts emphasis on “busyness” by reminding both parties how stressful and complicated life has become.  Instead of choosing to spend a moment saying hello to a friend, we are choosing to spend even our spare moments emphasizing and reminding ourselves how busy we are.

Experiment this week with eliminating any discussion about how busy you are.  When saying hello to a friend, focus on listening how he/she is really doing.  If the conversation steers toward the “busyness” aspect of his/her life, offer to respond in a different way.  Shift the focus of the conversation to something that he/she accomplished, something that made you smile, some good news you’ve just heard.  The people you speak to will sense the permission from you to talk about something other than their own “busyness” and it will help them feel less stressed. 

So, for this coming week, everytime someone asks you how you are doing, say anything except “I am really busy”. 

I will be interested to hear from you if there were any shifts in your thinking!  Drop us a note!

With energy,

Ana

Many people make more money than they ever dreamed possible, yet are more financially stressed than ever before.  In this current financial crisis we are going through many can relate to this reality.  What a vast majority of people do as they earn more money is to continue to spend as much, if not more, than they make.  They buy a bigger home, a nicer car, go on more expensive vacations, wear more expensive clothing and so on.  They spend, spend and spend some more.  Before you insist you will never do this, consider that you probably will - unless you conciously make a vow not to.

This doesn’t mean that you cannot have nice things or that you don’t deserve them.  Keep in mind however, that you also deserve a peaceful and happy life, and that material things don’t necessarily make you happy.  Happiness comes from within, by the way you relate to what you have, not from your actual possessions.  If you can manage to keep your desires in check, to live at or beneath your means, you will discover a different type of abundance:  Peace.  You will be able to stay calm and relaxed during times such as this one we are living, or other crazy ones you might witness in the future.  That is amongst the greatest gifts of a lifetime. 

With energy,

Ana

A move is not the easiest thing in the world - especially to the other side of the planet!  However, this move got me thinking about waiting.  It is something most of us don’t really care for - waiting is a pain right?  Now, if you don’t know the place, the habits and the costumes of your new home, you will have to face a learning curve.  That has a lot of waiting involved.  

I realized that there are certain things that will come with time.  There is absolutely no way that I can hurry the process and make it happen faster.  Each one of us has our own learning curve and it obeys certain traits that we recognize in ourselves - our own pace, our own habits and our own processing time.  It’s interesting to see how my husband and I have different strengths and different ways of learning.  It has been a pleasure to witness that my own waiting has not been painful.  I am floating with time and welcoming the insights that are coming to me.  I am taking one day at the time while new habits become incorporated.  It will take time for me to feel more local.  I accept that and I decided to enjoy the “newcomer” status for now.      

In our own lives we find ourselves in new situations all the time.  Situations where the waiting game is on wheater we like it or not.  If we immerse ourselves in it and recognize that there is a learning curve, we will be able to face the new with a great deal of compassion for ourselves.  It’s not giving up - it’s simply breathing!  Going deeper into our own selves and realizing our limitations and the flow taking place.  Jumping into the river of life and letting it take you to your destination without struggle.  Ah, what a blissful river… 

With energy and bliss,

Ana

Recently, I was in one of my favorite places in the world:  Israel.  While in Tel-Aviv, I stayed in a very cozy hotel by the beach.  There was a nice restaurant overlooking the ocean and its theme was pop music.  In one of its walls it was written: 

“Sometimes, the only way to create something new is to go all the way back to the beginning.”  - It’s by Genesis the band, not Genesis as the first chapter in the Bible!  

However, I am sure there is an equivalent quote in the Holy Book because it is such great advice!  And also exactly what I needed to hear (or read in this case) at that moment.  Many times we think that going back and starting over is a sing of failure.  Sometimes we imagine that to review a certain plan or change a project is equivalent to a huge defeat.  It can also mean that we are being inflexible and stuck in our ways because of our pride.  When something is not “flying” we could benefit from changing the course a bit, review the whole game plan or even to go back to the drawing board and start over.  Why not? 

Next time you feel your intuition telling you to drop something or to start over, pay attention to it.  Sometimes it might be that you need a bit more persistence.  However, it could also mean that you need to go back to the beginning and review your strategy.  This action by itself develops flexibility, an open mind and humility; all great attributes for us to foster in our lives. 

With energy,

Ana

My husband sent me this and I thought it was a nice thing to share with you!  Hope you enjoy it.

With energy,