Showing posts with label column. Show all posts
Showing posts with label column. Show all posts
In 2018 I wrote 7 columns during the year for the Delft op Zondag newspaper to help people create a happier, healthier and more relaxed life by following my transformation plan. I've translated them from Dutch to English with small edits. I'm sharing Column number 7 which was published on December 2nd 2018.
Ending in gratitude
Gratitude is the natural conclusion of this series of columns, because in this December month it always plays a huge role in our lives. We, of course, think of completing things at the end of the year, but are also grateful for all forms of light: dear friends or family, kind employers, our pets, etc.
When we look in gratitude at what we have accomplished, there is room for joy and positivity. Gratitude makes it clear why we wanted a certain result and gives us space to easier maintain goals or tackle them. If you know why you are doing what you are doing, it’s much easier to keep it up.
Always celebrate all things that go well, especially when you are busy with changes. Every step forward is one step you have made. It is easier to look at what could have been done better or different with a kind perspective if you practice gratitude. That helps us to refine or adjust goals while feeling joy. Far more often, people look in anger or frustration at what has failed and therefore slow themselves down or get mired in pain. We grow best in a positive environment, with compliments, gratitude and love. Give yourself that, but also don’t forget to share that with others.
So take the time to thank those people or things that have helped you. With a sweet compliment or with a special gesture that will warm their hearts and yours. It can be as simple as a small card or as elaborate as a great gift, but making the effort to make a gesture is all that is needed.
Bring even more positivity into your life by making gratitude a daily habit. By keeping a gratitude diary, in which you write 1 or more things every day, you begin to feel this positive force more consciously. In the beginning it may feel uncomfortable, but soon you will notice that many positive things happen to you and that focusing on them brings even more joy.
Thank you very much for reading these columns, may the New Year ensure that you can shine with heart and soul. Do you want help with changes? Then you know how to find me and my practice.
Heart and Soul's transformation plan
Gratitude is the natural conclusion of this series of columns, because in this December month it always plays a huge role in our lives. We, of course, think of completing things at the end of the year, but are also grateful for all forms of light: dear friends or family, kind employers, our pets, etc.
When we look in gratitude at what we have accomplished, there is room for joy and positivity. Gratitude makes it clear why we wanted a certain result and gives us space to easier maintain goals or tackle them. If you know why you are doing what you are doing, it’s much easier to keep it up.
Always celebrate all things that go well, especially when you are busy with changes. Every step forward is one step you have made. It is easier to look at what could have been done better or different with a kind perspective if you practice gratitude. That helps us to refine or adjust goals while feeling joy. Far more often, people look in anger or frustration at what has failed and therefore slow themselves down or get mired in pain. We grow best in a positive environment, with compliments, gratitude and love. Give yourself that, but also don’t forget to share that with others.
So take the time to thank those people or things that have helped you. With a sweet compliment or with a special gesture that will warm their hearts and yours. It can be as simple as a small card or as elaborate as a great gift, but making the effort to make a gesture is all that is needed.
Bring even more positivity into your life by making gratitude a daily habit. By keeping a gratitude diary, in which you write 1 or more things every day, you begin to feel this positive force more consciously. In the beginning it may feel uncomfortable, but soon you will notice that many positive things happen to you and that focusing on them brings even more joy.
Thank you very much for reading these columns, may the New Year ensure that you can shine with heart and soul. Do you want help with changes? Then you know how to find me and my practice.
Heart and Soul's transformation plan
- Celebrate things that go well
- Thank someone else
- Seek gratitude in every day
In 2018 I wrote 7 columns during the year for the Delft op Zondag newspaper to help people create a happier, healthier and more relaxed life by following my transformation plan. I've translated them from Dutch to English with small edits. I'm sharing Column number 6 which was published on October 7th 2018.
The power of acceptance
During changes we often notice that our critical voice is very present: impatience and irritation are increased. We see what is going wrong in our efforts to change and that is what we want to change right now or better yet yesterday. If this voice is out of balance, the amount of negativity becomes overwhelming and our energy decreases.
So always take the time to temper your critical voice by keeping a kind perspective when looking at yourself. Any result that you are not happy with has, after all, yielded experience. There is reason we say: "We learn from our mistakes". Accept this voice, but let it always be respectful. Don’t let it insult or belittle you.
Get to know the opposite voice: the encouraging voice or the inner cheerleader. In many of us it is insufficiently developed as we haven’t received enough of it from teachers, parents or friends. We all need to have a voice that encourages us, comforts us if we have not succeeded and rejoices when there are results to be celebrated. Take the time to consciously call on this voice regularly, preferably after you have heard your critical voice.
Once both voices get attention, we will get a more balanced picture and that makes it easier for us to accept our path in life. Maybe you have made a detour, but then you have (possibly) seen something beautiful that you had missed otherwise or learned something important. Your path always differs from that of someone else, but that does not make it any less beautiful.
Heart and Soul's transformation plan
- Temper your critical voice
- Get to know your inner cheerleader
- Accept yourself and your path
Continue on to the next step by reading Column 7 or go back and read Column 5.
In 2018 I wrote 7 columns during the year for the Delft op Zondag newspaper to help people create a happier, healthier and more relaxed life by following my transformation plan. I've translated them from Dutch to English with small edits. I'm sharing Column number 5 which was published on September 2nd 2018.
Growing by learning
In September the summer feeling starts to wear off and the schools start again: an excellent time to start learning again. We can always grow, regardless of our age and our stage of life. Everyone benefits when knowledge is increased!
Around this time, there are many courses, workshops and other activities that start again, making it interesting to look around at what’s happening in your city. Nowadays we are even able to learn from home, including at my practice through Hart en Ziel Education (edu.hartenziel-online.nl). That way you can get started with something new at your own pace and from the comfort of your home. Learning is fun and gives a lot of satisfaction and relaxation.
Of course you can learn something new, but it can also be very worthwhile to look at your weak spots. If you find it hard to stand up for yourself, have trouble with your weight or creating balance in your life, then looking for a workshop or course that matches this is a valuable opportunity for growth. It is also reassuring to see that others also have problems with something that really bothers you in yourself.
If you have taken steps to learn and grow, then it is equally important to also celebrate that growth. A positive view of yourself helps you to tackle things over and over again. So celebrate your growth by seeing your victories. The time you finally stood up for yourself, lost that kilo of weight or that relaxed day that you enjoyed so much: celebrate them in gratitude.
Heart and Soul's transformation plan
- Access new knowledge
- Learn from your weak spots
- Celebrate your growth
In 2018 I wrote 7 columns during the year for the Delft op Zondag newspaper to help people create a happier, healthier and more relaxed life by following my transformation plan. I've translated them from Dutch to English with small edits. I'm sharing Column number 4 which was published on August 5th 2018.
Reflection invites inspiration
If you have managed to get started this summer with more peace, happiness and energy, inspiration will automatically come into play. If there is more room in our lives, because it is not completely packed, there will be room to listen to ourselves again. There is also more inspiration available from outside sources when we have time to see them.
Especially during the summer period, many nice things are organised that can inspire us. Go to a fun festival or museum, take the time to read a book or watch a movie. Try your hand at a new skill by going to an interesting workshop or take the time to do something at home by yourself. Before you know it you notice that the positive energy asks you to make changes in your life.
If you really want to be sure that the changes are right for you, take a moment of reflection. Look at your routine; what is in there what might no longer belong or what do you miss? Reflect on your goals, do you have time and energy for them, and what have you achieved already? It can be painful to see what does not work, but it also gives you opportunities to make adjustments. If you are unable to adjust if you have already lost your way to yourself, you can of course choose to call in help.
Usually we find it difficult to create something new in our lives, because it all has to be perfect or because we want to be sure that it will work or fits well in our lives. The summer period invites you to just try something new and give yourself permission to see what happens. Enjoy!
Heart and Soul's transformation plan
- Get inspired
- Take a moment of reflection
- Try something new
Continue on to the next step by reading Column 5 or go back and read Column 3.
In 2018 I wrote 7 columns during the year for the Delft op Zondag newspaper to help people create a happier, healthier and more relaxed life by following my transformation plan. I've translated them from Dutch to English with small edits. I'm sharing Column number 3 which was published on July 1st 2018.
The tranquility of summer
The holiday time is a great time to live at a slower pace. The weather is good, there is more energy and people are therefore happier. Of course, many people want to fill their vacation time with all kinds of new projects or things that they haven’t had time for. Nevertheless, I always recommend people to take that extra rest in the summer, because that is paid triple in being less likely to get ill in autumn and winter.
So if you are always so happy with that holiday feeling, then it is time to create it at home. Give yourself an extra holiday this summer by giving yourself permission to do nothing and focus on enjoying. Talk to a friend, sit in the garden with your favourite book or take a nap.
If you want to experience that peacefulness, then it is time to reduce the tempo. Many people live at a much too high pace, so they overload their bodies and always feel that they are out of time. Summer invites you to have a slower pace, especially with warmth and it’s effects on our bodies, so get a bit slower to work or go for a leisurely walk instead of hurrying. Choose slower food (BBQ) or eat at a later, so you can cook at a more leisurely pace and give yourself more free time.
With that positivity and peace it becomes easier to tackle an irritation point, so choose something that bothers you and that you really want to change. That can be a room that needs to be cleaned up, the kilos that you want to get rid of or for example the relationship that you want to improve. Take a look at other articles on the blog for EFT sentences or affirmations to get started or call to discuss your irritation point and how to tackle it.
Heart and Soul's transformation plan
- Free up time to enjoy
- Decrease your pace
- Tackle an irritation point
Continue on to the next step by reading Column 4 or go back and read Column 2.
In 2018 I wrote 7 columns during the year for the Delft op Zondag newspaper to help people create a happier, healthier and more relaxed life by following my transformation plan. I've translated them from Dutch to English with small edits. I'm sharing Column number 2 which was published on May 6th 2018.
The power of happiness
Last time I wrote about how to make a change successful and of course the first step was to create enough energy. Often, people with new energy want to get started right away, but keeping the energy level high is much more important. That is why today I will write about the biggest energy booster of life: happiness.
For many people, happiness is something that happens to you. You win something, someone gives you an unexpected compliment or you may receive a gift. That gives a nice boost, but you can also actively add happiness in your life. Do not wait for luck or happiness to find you, but actively search for it in your daily life.
An important way to make you feel happier is to think about things that you can derive happiness from. Daily gratitude is a ritual that shows you how much good you already have in your life. Gratitude for small things, such as a bird you hear whistling, but also for bigger things like friendship, love and safety helps you focus on the positive. When you practice gratitude mindfully, feelings of happiness grow and you remain more positive and energetic.
In order to make the right changes, it is important that we look critically at our lives, but that often means that people are focused on what they feel is not good enough. This makes it more difficult to be satisfied and at ease with ourselves. Satisfaction helps with quiet strong energy by focusing on what is successful, what was a good first attempt or what does go well. Regularly look around with satisfaction in your own life and notice the difference that it makes.
Finally, it is important to make yourself happy by doing and receiving fun and nice things. You can start quietly with a nice music setting or cooking something tasty, but of course by also visiting nice events or friends. Take some time to do things that are fun and happy and you will see that the other things in your life will run more smoothly as a result.
Heart and Soul's transformation plan
- Be actively grateful every day
- Learn to be satisfied
- Make yourself happy
Continue on to the next step by reading Column 3 or go back and read Column 1.
In 2018 I wrote 7 columns during the year for the Delft op Zondag newspaper to help people create a happier, healthier and more relaxed life by following my transformation plan. I've translated them from Dutch to English with small edits. I'm sharing Column number 1 which was published on April 1st 2018.
A new start
In the spring time it’s natural that the itch to tackle things starts to bug us. Nowadays it can be tough to find the necessary extra energy to get things done, because of stress, goals and expectations. For many of us, daily life can already feel like a struggle.
The next coming months I will write 7 columns as a step-by-step plan to a happier, more relaxed life, based on my work at Hart en Ziel. During sessions people not only receive knowledge, but I also help permanently change behavior. I remove old emotions, thought patterns and other blockages.
My greatest wisdom to make a great new start is not to start making plans. First you have to create the energy you need. You need to tackling time and energy wasters. Where does time go that you would rather spend differently? Do you sometimes sit behind PC, TV or phone for too long? Do you help others at the expense of yourself? Remove time wasters and you will have enough energy left to start your new life. Permanently low in your energy? Then effectively organizing your day is even more important.
Divide your new project into feasible steps. Your motivation remains high and therefore so does your energy. So don’t start project: weight loss by going to the gym five times, because starting out nobody can keep that up. Start with some information, trial lessons, better food and more sleep and then you will notice that you get used to your new rhythm faster. Increase your gym time step by step.
It makes sense that occasionally things go wrong, so allow yourself your mistakes. Reflect at the end of the day or week where your energy and attention went. If something had higher priority, and you agree with that, please be satisfied with what you have done, even if it wasn’t what you initially wanted. Have you been distracted? Choose to do something about it, forgive yourself and move on.
Heart and Soul's transformation plan
- Create enough energy by tackling time wasters
- Make a feasible step-by-step plan
- Regularly reflect on your goals and adjust your behavior or your goals
Continue on to the next step by reading Column 2.