Tag Archives: joy

My Embarrassing Affirmation Confession

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Image from thebeginwithinblog.com

You affect your subconscious mind by verbal repetition ~ W. Clement Stone

Affirmations are a known powerful tool for change, and are used by many people for creating positive shift and personal growth.  Louise Hay has made affirmations a modern-day medicine for the soul. (You can sign up for her daily affirmations here)

An affirmation is a simple statement, said in the present tense, that affirms positively a fact or situation that is desirable in your life.  You state that thing as if it is already happening, and you repeat that statement many, many times, to imprint the message in your subconscious mind, so that this thing becomes true for you.

Here are some common examples:

Image from affirmart.blogspot

Image from affirmart.blogspot

Image from alexafalk.blogspot

I must admit that when I first heard about affirmations I was quite sceptical.

Stating something as a truth and then repeating that statement often, even if it hadn’t yet shown up in my life, seemed a little daft.  If nothing else, I felt  fake to be claiming things that weren’t actually true for me yet.

But the experts agreed that affirmations could change your life. What did I have to lose by a little positive thinking?

And this is where my embarrassment comes in…

I created a test affirmation.

I didn’t affirm that I choose health.  I didn’t affirm that every day in every way I am getting better and better.  I didn’t even affirm that great wealth is mine now.

No.  My affirmation was pretty much a deliberate act of ‘New-Age Thinking’ defiance.  There was nothing spiritual or enlightened about it at all. I chose it because I expected it to fail miserably.

This is what I chose:

Everything I want is always on special

That’s right. I affirmed that whenever I wanted to buy something, the Universe would provide it for me at a discounted rate.

Image from l3electronics.com

I thought this was hilarious when I made it up. It seemed like the silliest idea in the world. But I dedicatedly repeated my affirmation whenever I thought about it – which was often seeing it made me laugh so much, and seeing I was going through a pretty rotten time financially back then.

And here’s the second part of my embarrassing confession…

It worked!

If I needed chocolate, my favourite brand was on special. Pasta? Reduced to clear! Holiday? Stay ten nights, pay for five.

The more I affirmed, the more noticeable it became until one day I just accepted this statement as my new reality.  Everything I want is always on special.

I’m so well known for this affirmation now among my family and friends that they expect this miracle to roll out for me too! I recently went to the shop to buy some ice-cream for dessert, taking a friend with me. “I knew this would be on special,” she said as she took a tub of heavily discounted premium deliciousness. “I should come shopping with you more often!”

We needed a holiday. A few days ago my husband and I booked a cruise. Why a cruise? We got 78% off the advertised rack rate. And then got a room upgrade!

Image from maritimeheritage.org

When we went to book the airfares QANTAS was having a one day sale, and  a return ticket from Brisbane to LA was ridiculously discounted. The travel agent couldn’t believe our good timing. We just smiled, looked at each other and repeated Everything I want is always on special.

Affirmations work. I have plenty of others that I use now too, but my first ever affirmation is still my favourite.  It might not be ‘spiritual’ but it’s lots of fun, and it affirms to me that I live in an abundant and benevolent Universe.

Here are some others that I love:

Something wonderful will happen to me today (I love to affirm this when I first wake up – it sets the tone for my whole day!)

All good things come to me

I am surrounded with kind and helpful people

My creativity flows, and my good ideas are endless

My body is returning itself to health. Healing and well-being are my natural energies

If such simple thinking can change your life, and bring positivity and joy, maybe it might be worth you trying some affirmations for yourself. The video at the bottom of this post has some good ideas for affirmations too.

I’m holding you in that good space – wishing you well, wishing you love, joy, health and abundance.  Bless xx


A Joyful Heart is Magnetic to Love

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“Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.”

There is nothing as radiant and attractive as a joyful heart. Joy is heart centred, and is the spiritual expression of happiness. It is centred in deep gratitude and awareness, even though it can be generated by the most simple of things.  It is all about smiling from the inside, breaking open with infectious enthusiasm and zest for life, love and gratitude and rainbow sparks shooting from your eyes, laughter and kindness and feeling abundant and benevolent towards the world…

Activity:

This is a gorgeous activity, and one of my favourites.  I call it “Bliss Bombing”.  Take yourself to a public place, like a mall, coffee shop, or a bench in a park near where people are walking by.  Sit somewhere unobtrusive.  When someone walks past, shoot a radiant shower of sparks from your heart to theirs and silently bless them with love.  You can even send joy and love from your heart to trees, animals, plants, bus-loads of commuters and overhead planes.  You might  want to say to yourself, “I bless you with love.  Know joy today.”  If anyone catches your eye, just smile.

Feel your open heart begin to tingle with energy and joy.  In that place of energetic connection look around you at the world and you will see that it IS brighter and more beautiful.  YOU contributed to that shift. It’s okay to let your face crack open from smiling!  Expect an outpouring of feel-good emotion. ♥

Journalling:

Embark on a rampage of appreciation.  Take yourself somewhere that pleases you: propped in bed on comfy pillows, a local coffee house with a hot beverage at your elbow, a park, an art gallery – anywhere that soothes and feeds your soul.  Take a moment and breathe in that comfort, and allow yourself to feel connected to your heart. Feel grateful for each breath, for where you are right now, for the time of day, and the weather, for the goings-on around you. Let the worries of the day fade away.  Say to yourself, “I choose to recommit to myself.  I choose to see the joy in life.”

In this place of connection open your journal and begin with the words, “I am aware of small miracles and wonders around me everywhere.  In fact right now there is…  ”

 

Meditation:

Sit quietly and close your eyes.  Feel your heart beating.  Feel the blood whizzing around your body in your veins.  Feel your breathe coming into your lungs, and out again.  Notice how this is automatic.  Your body is healing and breathing, heart pumping, ears listening, skin feeling, mind noticing.  You are a living breathing miracle.  Feel how amazing you are.   Let gratitude, wonder and peace flood your heart.

PS – Remember to leave a comment, so you can be in the running to win my beautiful Heart Chakra healing necklace.  Details and picture here

A heart-centred week!

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“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.”

- Dalai Lama

This week I’m going to focus on all things to do with the Heart Chakra. We’re going to have a heart-centred week. Starting tomorrow there will be activities, meditations and journalling techniques to help you to explore, heal and connect with your heart centre, and to attract more love into your life.  I’ll also be doing work for you in my own daily healing meditations

In this space of greater connection with our hearts we have increased self love and self worth.  We can attract loving relationships with others, and we move to a more positive emotional space.

Working with the energies of the heart also increases our intuition and psychic connection.

At the end of this week I shall also be giving away a beautiful Heart Chakra healing necklace, that uses crystals chosen specifically for their ability to work with the heart, including bloodstone, nephrite, jasper, green aventurine, prehnite, hematite and pearls.

To have a chance to win the necklace you just need to leave a comment after one of this week’s blog posts.

I hope you join me for this heart-centred week! Life is precious.  Live from the heart. Love and Light, Nicole xx

6 February update:  The winner of the necklace is Suzie Cheel.  Congratulations!

The gift of impermanence OR Live like you’re dying…

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A few years ago I suffered a heart attack.  It was induced by a virus, and it absolutely floored me.  I ignored the symptoms the evening they began, and it was not until late the next day that I took myself to hospital.  As I lay in Accident and Emergency with doctors and nurses fussing round me, and then as I lay on my own, wired up to all manner of machines in a curtained cubicle I had this sudden realisation – This is serious and I might actually die!  I wasn’t afraid of dying.  What bothered me were my regrets.

I lay in that cold room, and counted the hours as they slid by.  One thing blazed in front of me the whole time – I hadn’t spent enough time just hanging out with my husband, and I hadn’t written a book. My life had been brought into stark focus.  The two things that mattered the most to me were the things to which I’d devoted the least energy.

There was no ignoring my heart as it kicked and bucked and clenched. I was lucky there as no lasting damage, and i came home to begin my recovery.

Almost a year later to the day I got a small paralysis tick in my ear. At the time it was a mild inconvenience.  But that tiny beastie sparked off cardiomyopathy in me. I now have a big fat heart. It’s improved over time, but my heart still tweaks me now and again. I’m affected by heat, and find it hard to carry loads or walk up steep hills.

Sounds bad, doesn’t it? I don’t think of it like that.  I think of it as a constant reminder to live with the right priorities.  Since my heart attack I have now written three completed manuscripts and am working on a fourth.  I had two of them shortlisted for the QWC Hachette Manuscript Development Program. I spend plenty of time with my husband, and other people I care deeply about, and much less time with people who don’t matter.

We’re all going to die.  We don’t know when this crazy ride might end for ourselves or someone we love.  I’ve learned the value of life, and I actively seek joy and cultivate gratitude.  My wish for you, as we move into 2012, is that you find your priorities and fill your life with what matters to you.