Playing the Game
July 13, 2009 by Donna
Filed under Blog posts
The Game of Life.
How are you playing? Are you fighting over ever throw of the dice, taking it all personally, giving up after a few throws, deciding that you will never win so why play, getting pissed off with other players for getting the wins that you wanted, sulking, taking it very seriously or being enormously competitive?
In other words, are you forgetting that it’s a game? Life (in my humble opinion) is FUN! We get to do some really cool stuff on this planet – dancing, laughing, horizontal exercise 
, bouncing, loving, being with friends, watching crap tv, seeing the sunrise and set, watching the seasons turn and the kids grow.
When you remember that its a game to be played and enjoyed, you can change your experience of it. Instead of it being hard and stressful, it becomes easy and fun…and you get to learn to play better rather than making the same mistakes over again. And the best thing about this game? There are no losers. You can only win the game of life.
Love
Donna.x
Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.
Why is Rest a Dirty Word?
June 9, 2009 by Donna
Filed under Blog posts
Tell me something: Why is it that we find it desirable to work so hard that we have no time for our family and friends? Why is it that we are impressed by people who are terribly busy? Why is it that our working lives are dominated by stress and tension and no one sees that as a bad thing? Why is resting, taking care of yourself, enjoying your life (without the mad, hectic lifestyle) seen as lazy, wrong or bad?
We were not put on this earth to ’see how much we could get done’. Well, you might have been, but I certainly was not. I was put here to ’see how much joy I could enjoy’, and this philosophy of ‘nose to the grindstone and never mind the consequences (ill health, stress, relationships)’ is in direct opposition to my purpose for being here. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to rest, chill, relax, have fun, take care of myself, and my to do list can wait til that mission is accomplished!
Love
Donna.x
Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.
Every Moment is a Choice
March 16, 2009 by Donna
Filed under Blog posts
How many choice points do you think you have in your life? Do you only see the “big” choice points – this job or that job, this relationship or a single life, buy a house or go to Australia. What would you think if I told you that this moment is a choice point?
And this one?
And this one?
And this moment right here?
What choices can you make in this moment?
Here’s a couple of ideas:
I guess you’re getting the gist of this. So what choices are you making? In every moment, you have the choice to change or not. There is no right or wrong in this by the way – no judgement, no blame. Just choice. So if you were to choose to do the most self-loving thing you could for yourself in this moment, what would happen? I understand that you may be at work and unable to have a long hot bath, but given the constraints you have, what would be the most self-loving thing to do?
How about if you chose to see the silver lining? What might change? Chose to do your best in this moment? Chose to LIVE? Chose to raise your energy? Chose to smile? (maybe even BEAM, chuckle, laugh, guffaw?!) You may choose to do the opposite of all of these – to see the worst, to do your worst, to exist apathetically, to lower your energy (we’re very good at that), to frown…but that’s your choice! So if that’s what you’ve chosen, I hope you’re enjoying it. (Once you get to a certain level of positivity, having a bad day can be fun too!)
What are you choosing in this moment? Let me know – leave a comment.
Love
Donna.x
Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.
OnTheBeach – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
“Let your heart be light. From now on, our troubles will be out of sight.” So sang Judy Garland in 1944. 64 years later, can you imagine a Merry Little Christmas? Can you imagine your troubles being miles away? Or is Christmas going to be just another stressor on a long list of stressors? Many people I have spoken to in the last few days are at breaking point –enormously stressed out. The cold weather, the economy, the money worries, having so much to do and so little time has brought many of us to the point of screaming.
I must admit that losing a friend, losing a car, and trying to pack in 5 weeks work into 3 while Christmas shopping, car shopping and so on has made me slightly fraught too. My shoulders are up around my ears, I am even more short tempered than usual, and I’m not sleeping (which regular readers will know is a recipe for disaster). Thinking back on Christmas’s past, this stress usually lasts until Christmas Eve, at the point when I can do no more…and when the old movies come on the telly.
White Christmas, It’s a Wonderful Life, Meet me in St Louis. Sigh. Even thinking about them makes my entire body sigh into a sofa-ready position. I love a feel-good film, it helps me to relax and enjoy my Christmas. I love the cheesiness of Christmas films, the light-heartedness that comes out of the telly and into me. I love that sense that Christmas is a little break for everyone. I love the hush that comes over the world on Christmas night, when everywhere is closed and most of us leave the freneticism of our normal lives behind just for a few hours.
Often that break is so desperately needed that we only let the relaxation in unconsciously. This year, why not decide to let your heart be light, and just for a few days, let your troubles go. You can pick them back up again in 2009 – it’s only a few days away now. We’ve all been waiting so long for Christmas (in the UK it’s been building up since August – insanely), why not decide right now to make damn sure you enjoy it as much as possible.
Once the decision is made to let go and enjoy your Christmas, make sure you back up your decision. Take a deep breath and say to yourself “I am going to have a Merry Little Christmas, my heart will be light and my troubles will be out of sight…and out of mind!” If your troubles come back to mind, tell them you will look at them again in the New Year, and that they should have a Merry Little Christmas too. You never know, you might even get used to having a light heart and decide to keep it into 2009.
Something to play with
If you were going to have a Merry Little Christmas, what would need to change this week? What can you do to ensure that your Christmas is Merry and your heart is light? Go, do it.
Want to share your thoughts on this article? Leave me a comment below.
A note from Donna
Wishing each and every one of you a Very Merry Christmas, and all the luck, love and laughter you deserve in 2009! Thank you for being with me in 2008, and I look forward to continuing to entertain, inspire and provoke thought for you in 2009. This is the last OnTheBeach for this year, but do check into my blog if you get a chance over the festive period – there you will find little festive snippets, ideas on seeing out the old year and welcoming in a faaabulous New Year. See you next year!
Can I help you to make your life even more amazing in 2009? I have a very special festive offering for you, 20% off all coaching packages – to get more details, or to apply, go to Festive Offers. If the idea of getting some coaching appeals, don’t wait, places will be limited and the offer will expire in the New Year.
To receive the OnTheBeach newsletters directly into your inbox every week, go to the sign up page.
Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.
Love’s Labour’s Lost – YAY!
November 11, 2008 by Donna
Filed under Blog posts, Donna's Life
A couple of months ago I went to see Dr Who (David Tennant) in Hamlet at the Crescent Theatre in Stratford. I discovered that he was also in Love’s Labour’s Lost – a Shakespeare play that is rarely performed (at Stratford at least). It was sold out, but you can sometimes get a ticket if you go down to the theatre on the day and there are any returns. So I’ve been thinking about doing this for months – I have LOVED every performance I have seen in Stratford, and wanted to see a play I don’t know.
This week is the last week – there’s just 2 performances left, Friday night and Saturday matinee. So today I called the box office to ask what time I’d need to get there to get a ticket, whether I’d be able to get one and other such questions. I spoke to the most lovely, helpful lady who discovered while we were talking that there was a ticket available!!!!! AMAZING! It’s a standing ticket, but I can go over and see if there’s any returns knowing that I’ll be able to see it anyway.
Ok, that’s the back story: here’s the point of my post today – 3 of the things that makes a life so wonderful is following your wants, appreciating the help you get along the way, and getting RIDICULOUSLY excited about the things that you are looking forward to! I am SO excited I can barely sit still, I am SO grateful for that lady who helped me, and I am SO glad that I followed my want…what can you do TODAY to follow a want, to appreciate something or someone, and to get RIDICULOUSLY excited about something in your life.
Oh, it’s only a play…and I might have to stand up all the way through it…but I know that this is going to be a MAGNIFICENT 3 hours in my life. I can’t wait!
Love
Donna.x
Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.
When Life Seems Jolly Rotten…
March 19, 2008 by Donna
Filed under Inspiration
…there’s something you’ve forgotten. And that’s to laugh and smile and dance and sing. (good old Monty Python)
When any situation in your life seems ‘bad’, what are you looking at? The cost, in time, money, energy? All the reasons that this is ‘bad’? What if you were to actively seek the blessings in any situation? Think of a situation you are seeing as ‘bad’. Now think of 10 blessings in this situation.
One of the most inspiring stories I ever heard was of a woman who lost her job, her husband, and discovered she had cancer, all in the space of a week! Her reaction? “I will have plenty of time to focus on getting well, and there will be no dirty socks to pick up!”
There is a bright side if you will only look for it.
Love
Donna.x
Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.
What Does Life Want From You?
March 12, 2008 by Donna
Filed under Blog posts
Most of us ask what we want from life…with varying success! Sometimes this perspective brings great joy, and sometimes it brings great disatisfaction. What if ‘what do I want from life’ was the wrong question?
What if the question was ‘what does life want from me’?
What might change?
I was pondering this, and I realised that life wants me to live joyfully, not sit at my desk ‘forcing myself’ to work. Just realising this freed me up to enjoy my procrastination!
Love
Donna.x
PS This question came from Eckhart Tolle
Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.
