Ask Donna: Exhausted and Discouraged

Question: I am following my big dream and it’s been really hard work. I feel exhausted and discouraged, and worst of all I don’t feel I can talk about this as everyone keeps telling me to ‘be positive’ or give up. Maria

People who are not following their big dreams sometimes don’t understand those of us who are. Ask for the support you need from your friends – be really clear with them about how they can help you. Take a break from your big dream – when you are exhausted, the best thing you can do is relax and take a couple of days off from working on your big dream so you can replenish yourself and come back clear headed and chilled out.

Here’s the link to the podcast about the 3 Pillars: http://www.donnaonthebeach.com/blog/2012/01/dreams-to-reality-podcast-the-3-pillars/ – the 3 Pillars are self-care, energy and joy. If you’re not feeling cared for, you will feel exhausted and discouraged just because your self-care is low. If your energy is low, you have less to give your big dream. If you are not enjoying life…well, that sucks!

If you have a question, leave a comment below this post.

Love

Donna.x

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Dreams To Reality Podcast: The 3 Pillars

The 3 Pillars: Self Care, energy and joy. These 3 things are the foundation of a successful life – if you feel uncared for, depleted and you’re not enjoying life, life is so much harder! And if you want to make your big dream a reality, you need to be cared for, full of energy and enjoying your life.

To listen to this week’s podcast, click here: The 3 Pillars

Homework:
EVERY DAY ask your HEART this:
How cared for am I feeling right now on a scale of 1-10, where one is ‘not at all’ and 10 is ‘cradled in the arms of love’. If it is less than a 7, your only task is to do something to make yourself feel more cared for – do something that nourishes you.
How energetic am I feeling right now on a scale of 1-10, where one is ‘no energy’ and 10 is ‘I feel like Tigger, bouncy, bouncy, bouncy!’ If it is less than a 7, your only task is to do something to raise your energy – do something fun, get out in nature, do something you love that raises your energy.
How much am I enjoying life right now a scale of 1-10, where one is ‘I’m not’ and 10 is ‘I am totally in love with my life’. If it is less than a 7, your only task is to do something fun, something you enjoy – this is your life. ENJOY it!

You can also subscribe to this podcast on itunes here.

May all your dreams become reality.

Love

Donna.x

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OnTheBeach – Follow The Energy

When I am sending my weekly article to my list, I now decide what article to send you by picking a ‘Beach Card’ and expanding on that – either with a previous article or something new…and this week the card picked is spooky for 2 reasons – one, it’s exactly what I was doing yesterday – following the (lack of) energy straight to the bath – with a good book and bubbles up to my nose! And secondly because this article was first published a year ago. Maybe there’s something in the energy of this time of year?! Let me know if this article is particularly relevant to you right now.

- Follow the Energy -

I was on a group call last night with the fabulous Joel Young about NPA – a lovely method for freeing and allowing energy. Joel was talking about following the animation – the things that have energy. You know how your energy changes and goes down when you are, say, moaning about the weather? And how it changes and goes up when you are talking about something you love to do – like holidays, gigs, nights out with friends etc. Well that positive animation is what we’re talking about.

Joel likened it to surfing a wave – following that energy. When we are trying to ‘make’ ourselves do something…we are trying to surf on a millpond! That’s why sometimes it is so difficult to get something done…and on another day, you will fly through the same task. So where is the animation for you today? Where is the energy? What are you interested in and engaged by? Not what you ‘should’ be doing, but where the energy is building with a wave ready for you to surf.

If this is something you are not used to doing, it might sound a little hard…but it just takes a bit of practice. So start to notice – where is the animation? Where is the interest? What has a a wave of energy? Go do that – follow the energy and see where it takes you. I have found that following the energy makes life 1000 times easier. When I am trying to make the energy flow, life is harder, stuff takes longer, I am constantly getting stuck and it feels bad.

Take writing a blog post for example, if I try to write when there is no energy to write, I could sit at the laptop for a week without writing anything useful! But today, now, the energy is flowing…and this has taken 10 minutes so far. What a difference! Now there are times when you’ve just got to do it, and at those times, you can build the energy – for example, to get my accounts done, I put on some loud music and raise my energy so I can ‘get it done’.

But it’s becoming rare that I will try to force myself to go where the energy is not these days. And when I do, I remember it is a very inefficient way of living! As you start to follow the energy, you will notice that just by following what wants to be done, that naturally raises your energy for other tasks so you don’t have to artificially boost the energy. Tap into that energy of life that is all around you and just watch your life get easier as you ride that wave.

- Something to Play With -

Notice where the energy and animation is and follow it, notice how life gets easier when you ride the wave of energy (or if there is no energy, you rest!). Want to share your thoughts on this article? Please leave a comment below. Or pop over to my facebook page and leave a comment there.

- Beach Card of the week -

“Where is the energy leading you today? What wants to be done? Follow the energy – it feels good.”

Love

Donna.x

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What Door Do You Wish To Open?

It’s Wishcasting Wednesday. There is power in wishing – putting your wishes out there sets mighty forces into action…

What Door Do You Wish To Open?

I wish to open the door to greater success, greater abundance, greater service to others, greater joy, greater love, greater energy. I wish to open the door to more life. I wish to open the door to my dreams. I wish to open the door to the adventure and experience that is mine to live. I wish to open the door to all the good that life has to offer me.

Get involved on Jamie’s blog, or leave a comment here. As you wish for yourself, I wish for you also.

Love

Donna.x

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What Do I Wish for My Health?

Wishcasting Wednesday is here again.

What Do I Wish for My Health?

Ah, such an easy one to answer – I wish to be vibrantly, radiantly healthy in every way. I wish for my health to be a higher priority in my life than my to do list. I wish to let go of all those things that no longer serve me. I wish for vibrant, radiant health in all areas of my life – healthy work, healthy relationships, healthy body, mind, heart and spirit. I wish for my health to be as good as it can be.

Get involved on Jamie’s blog, or leave a comment here. As you wish for yourself, I wish for you also.

Love

Donna.x

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What Do You Wish to Focus On?

Wishcasting Wednesday is here again.

What Do You Wish to Focus On?

Simply, those things with the most… The most power, the most energy, the most love, the most joy, the most life. I wish to focus on the things that will propel me forward into the life I wish for. Of late, I realise, I have been distracted by things that are not that important. My focus has been taken up by matters I cannot change and can only marginally affect. I wish to focus on those things that are mine to focus on. Those projects that I can bring into the world. Those things that bring me the most enjoyment. Those things that will most serve others. I wish to focus on what is important.

Joy. Love. Energy. Life.

Get involved on Jamie’s blog, or leave a comment here. As you wish for yourself, I wish for you also.

Love

Donna.x

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Feeling Low as Rocket Fuel

What happens to your forward momentum and enjoyment of life when you feel down? Does your low feeling suck the life out of your dreams, desires and love of life? If your answer to that is yes, you’re not unusual. Most of us have a chain reaction to feeling low – feel down, start being negative, wonder if we’ll ever get to wherever it is you want to get, have a very glum face and no energy to move forward at all. We kind of wallow in that mud of misery for a while. After some time of idling and not moving forward, we start to get some forward momentum again and slowly our mood, energy and desire reawaken.

What if you were to use disappointments, doubts and fears to fuel your forward momentum? See them as like reaching the bottom of the swimming pool, if you use the bottom to propel you upwards, you will reach the surface faster and you may even (if you get it right) appear to leap out of the water, like a fish. How? As soon as you notice that you’re feeling a bit ‘meh’, use that as a reminder to take care of yourself, or a reminder to do something that energises you, or a reminder to go have some fun, or a reminder to focus on what you want.

Rather than being ruled by your feelings, use them as cues. It’s like when you see your fuel guage on the car is low, it reminds you to go to the petrol station. As soon as you notice you are feeling empty or low or fearful or discouraged, let it remind you to refuel in whatever way feels right to you. You know yourself best, and you will intuitively know what it is right for you to do. If you’re not that in touch with your intuition, this is a cue to work on sharpening your intuitive skills (which we all have by the way – and the more you use it, the more you will hear it and the more you will understand it).

And if you’re really unsure about what to do – laughter is always the best medicine!

Love

Donna.x

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My Mojo Came Back – WOOHOO!

Folks, my mojo is BACK! Yeah baby! As you may have noticed, I’ve been competing with ‘Mr Grumpy’ for the title of ‘Grumpiest Person in the World’ for the past month or so. Ever since I got back from my holiday, I’ve been creatively dampened, uninspired, a bit pessimistic (for me), and of course, grumpy. But yesterday, the Winter Solstice, I felt my energy change. A dark, grumpy cloud lifted off my shoulders and I found myself unaccountably cheerful. Unaccountably because it’s still snowing, icy and ‘orrible weather. In recent weeks, this has guaranteed a grump!

But no longer, all of a sudden I am bursting with ideas, enthusiasm and cheer (I still don’t want to go outside for long periods but I do feel a ‘snow angel’ coming on! (seriously, I can’t tell you what a difference this is!) The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, and the longest night, and it has long been celebrated for the ‘return of the sun’. I certainly feel like spring is much closer now that hideous day is out of the way! Lol. Speaking to a client this morning, I find that it is not just me who is feeling this shift in energy.

So, I wish to send you a little of this cheer, and to wish you a Happy Solstice! May spring return to your heart and your climate (unless you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, in which case Happy Summer Solstice), may the year ahead be filled with joy and all things auspicious.

Lots of love

Donna.x

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Follow the Energy

I was on a group call last night with the fabulous Joel Young about NPA – a lovely method for freeing and allowing energy.  Joel was talking about following the animation – the things that have energy.  You know how your energy changes and goes down when you are, say, moaning about the weather?  And how it changes and goes up when you are talking about something you love to do – like holidays, gigs, nights out with friends etc.  Well that positive animation is what we’re talking about.

Joel likened it to surfing a wave – following that energy.  When we are trying to ‘make’ ourselves do something…we are trying to surf on a millpond!  That’s why sometimes it is so difficult to get something done…and on another day, you will fly through the same task.  So where is the animation for you today?  Where is the energy?  What are you interested in and engaged by?  Not what you ‘should’ be doing, but where the energy is building with a wave ready for you to surf.

If this is something you are not used to doing, it might sound a little hard…but it just takes a bit of practice.  So start to notice – where is the animation?  Where is the interest?  What has a a wave of energy?  Go do that – follow the energy and see where it takes you.  I have found that following the energy makes life 1000 times easier.  When I am trying to make the energy flow, life is harder, stuff takes longer, I am constantly getting stuck and it feels bad.

Take writing a blog post for example, if I try to write when there is no energy to write, I could sit at the laptop for a week without writing anything useful!  But today, now, the energy is flowing…and this has taken 10 minutes so far.  What a difference!  Now there are times when you’ve just got to do it, and at those times, you can build the energy – for example, to get my accounts done, I put on some loud music and raise my energy so I can ‘get it done’.

But it’s becoming rare that I will try to force myself to go where the energy is not these days.  And when I do, I remember it is a very inefficient way of living!  Tap into that energy of life that is all around you and just watch your life get easier as you ride that wave.

Love

Donna.x

PS If you have any questions or comments about this concept, leave me a comment below.

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The Ebbing Tide Wants to Flow

Can you imagine if the Tide decided that it didn’t want to ebb, it wanted to keep on flowing? Imagine the effort, the strain, the pressure, the struggle. Imagine the force of energy that would be required to stop the tide from ebbing. I’m guessing that it would be a losing battle. Eventually the tide would have to ebb, giving up exhausted. I’m also guessing it would extend the ebbing time. Instead of 6 hours 13 minutes flow, 6 hours 13 minutes ebb, the tide would waste a few hours of ebbing time trying to flow…but it would still have to ebb for 6 hours 13 minutes so the ebbing would take longer.

Now of course, this would not happen, the tide is influenced by the sun and moon, it does not have a contrary nature and for it to try to flow when the time comes to ebb would be absurd. But we humans on the other hand, are conflicting, contradictory, inconsistent, stubborn and wayward. When our time comes to ebb (when our energy is low and we ‘don’t feel like doing much’), we call ourselves lazy, idle, slow and unindustrious, and we try desperately to keep flowing. We want to be in that high energy, flowing, fast paced, creative state all the time.

Unfortunately, fighting the ebb tide exhausts us even more, drags down our energy and ensures the ebb tide will last even longer. I do this a lot. I know it’s an ebb time and there is no point heckling myself, flagellating myself, being mean to me and being contrary. BUT I wanna be flowing, I wanna be moving, I wanna be creating, I wanna be out there doing the do. So I fight the ebb. And it is a total waste of time. I am just coming to the end of an ebb now, it feels like I’ve been ebbing for ages and I’m getting frustrated…I want to flow! Is my frustration helping me flow or just extending the ebb time even longer? Yep, you guessed it…the latter. Note to self: allow self to ebb!

Modern lifestyles don’t really allow us the luxury of honouring ebb and flow, there is too much to be done, a job to be kept, family to take care of, friends to spend time with. Our society reveres industrious action, but the ebb times are just as productive – like winter, the low energy phases are times of great change underneath the surface. The more aware we can be of our natural states of ebb and flow, the more effective and productive we can be, we can use our energy more intelligently, and perhaps most importantly, we can enjoy both our ebb and our flow.

Love

Donna.x

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