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High5 to a NEW YOU 2020

Posted by Anjana Lala on

‘Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities’ Gloria Steinem

High5 to a NEW YOU 2020

I love the New Year or new beginnings. I get all excited to about the possibilities in life. A time for renewed hope and dreams. It is time for celebrations. Can you feel the excitement? Exhilaration? I am absolutely invigorated. I love the lightness that invoke a sense of brightness. We into the 2nd week of January 2020 already.

I am sure you have received tons of email about New Year 2020: change your life, transform your life, make it the best year ever, 5 steps to maintain New Year resolutions, 3 steps to create a new life in 2020 and many more telling you how to awesome 2020 can be. They all mean well and it’s great to have coaches, bloggers, and mentors to guide and encourage you. These emails can excite or sometimes it can create a feeling of overwhelming proportion when the mountain ahead of us appears too large to summit.

Let’s take a step back. Clear our minds of:

1) What should be and how it should.
2) All the stories you have been telling yourself since it’s the New Year.
3) Are you feeling the pressure when people ask what are the plans for 2020

Step 1 – Set your intention

Reflect on 2019. What lessons have you learnt? Are there some things that will continue in the New Year? Do you still want the same things? What do you want in life? It all starts with what you want in life. Then you have the choice in creating what you want in life. What is your deepest desires? What does your heart yearn for? It starts from the heart. Think about what it is you want. Think & Feel your intentions. Set your intention. It’s a great starting point.

Step 2 – List your dreams

Be bold and big. Write down every dream you can think of. From a dream date with your favourite movie star to owning a Ferrari. Submitting Mount Everest or going to Cordon Blue School in Paris. Travelling to Amazon jungle to volunteering for WHO. Stop analysing just write it all down. There is no wrong or right dream. If you have thoughts this is not me or this is not for me. Just ignore them for now. Select one to three dreams from the list. The ones where the music is clear and booming.

Step 3 – The BIG WHY

Now read the dreams aloud. Sensing and feeling when you read each dream out loud. Write how this dream would transform your life. For example, owning your own business can give you financial security or financial freedom. It can empower you buy your dream home. It can make you feel independent, talented, successful, have your own personal identity. Think if your dream came true, how you would feel. What would change in your life as a result of your aspirations coming alive? This is Your BIG WHY! Why do you want this dream to come alive? The BIG WHY is the key ingredient to keep you motivated and committed to the dream when you feel like giving up.

Step 4 – See Your New Life

Sit quietly and reflect as if the dream has already come alive. Live in the happiness, the success and whatever feeling the dream invokes. Picture where your friends, where you are, how does the environment and atmosphere feel. Imagine having the correct people and things to make your wish to come true. How does it look, feel, taste, and smell? Sense the dream as if it’s already part of your life. Feel the BIG Why. Listen to your body for messages for how to achieve the dream. Hear the music inside you. Release struggle and resistance. Let there be happiness, ease and flow in your visualisation.

Step 5 – Take the first step

All things are achieved one action at a time. BE BIG & BOLD take the first step.

Each day each step adds up, and just like putting one foot, one step ahead of the other on your path, soon you will be on the top of the mountain, looking down at your accomplishment with self-satisfaction and self-respect.

I’m here today to help you plant the flag in the top of your mountain, by encouraging you to take the first step. Why not you!? You were born for greatness. You were born to impact this world. Dare to leave your mark. Your Legacy! Dare to Dream. You have a dream inside of you that only you can achieve.

So, what will your first step be today?

To THE NEW YOU in Year 2020!

Cheers

Stop Suppressing Your Emotions

Posted by Anjana Lala on

December 8, 2019

You are a grown woman! Right?

You know how to manage your emotions! Wow that is great!

When you feel anger, sadness, disappointment, rejected, jealous, panicky anxious, and so on, what do you do? You run away from these emotions because they are uncomfortable. You dislike the pain its causes and you suppress your emotions.

After all, that is what you’ve have been taught since childhood

Stop crying. Shut up. Don’t talk. Stop Whining. Go to your room.

Over the years, you hold back your tears, shut your mouth and feelings. There is just no room to express these feelings. So, you spend your entire life in a self-made jail.

This is how you learned to suppress your emotions and thoughts.

Suppressing your emotions is not the best way to manage your emotions. In fact, it can hurt you the following ways:

Living on the side-lines
Lack of desire to do fun things or new things
Lack of commitment in general
Start things don’t finish anything
Disruptive sleeping patterns
Mental anxiety and fatigue
Binge on comfort food
Digestive problems
Lack of focus
Self-doubt and uncertainty
Low self-worth
Lack of healthy personal boundaries
Feeling of unhappiness
Disconnected from Self
Relationship difficulties

Hey there, don’t be glum!

Here are 3 ways that you can learn to express your feelings and thoughts:

Express all your feelings in a journal. Free form. No rules on how you should write or in what order. No editing or judgement. This can be done as a daily practice or ritual before bed or in the morning.
Find an activity to let of steam when feeling angry or upset. Attend a kick-boxing class or Zumba class.
You are human and it’s okay to have these negative feelings. You are not a bad person for having these feelings and thoughts. Go for therapy or hire a life coach make sense of these emotions and thoughts. Get curious and explore & discover way these emotions can serve in your life.

You Human

It’s time you stop suppressing your emotions & thoughts as you always have.

You are human and you will feel full range of emotions. Got That!

There is a difference between suppressing and managing your emotions. Suppressing emotions leads to a mediocre & dull life. Managing emotions leads to an empowered and exciting life.

Stop boxing yourself in a cage.

Break free and allow yourself to feel/think and express.

Your Sensitivity is Your Strength

Posted by Anjana Lala on

February 16, 2019

Sensitivity in our modern world is an uncomfortable thing. Its denial borders on amusing.

Yet in the depths of human needs, we all crave for sensitivity and care. Without it we would be lost.

Like you, I have struggled with sensitivity all my life. I still get baffled how to fit sensitivity into my world. Life gets complicated at times when navigating through life. I was influenced by a culture where sensitivity is defined as a weakness and showing emotion as a social embarrassment. I married into this as well. Culturally where it’s inappropriate to experience or express sensitivity. This is all that I knew at the time.

I also stayed in the corporate world just so that I had some form of identity and recognition. A false sense of power and strength. But it was cold place for me to be. My sensitivity screamed at me every day. Its not who you are! My soul whispered let go.

This reminds me: many years ago, a homeopath looked at me and told me to leave the corporate world. “It’s just too harsh for your soul, darling.” A sweet wise old lady. I never took her seriously. I was too busy being a corporate person. I got lost in this world. In a world of “suck it up, get over yourself, toughen up or stop being too sensitive” were the norm. My sensitivity never gave up on me. I began my journey on discovering what being sensitive meant to me.

Sensitivity is My Strength

It’s all about embracing and accepting my deep feelings. Not fighting them! All my life I repressed or avoided my feelings. Avoided the world/life, uncomfortable situations or people. It was a journey of empowering myself every time I get sensitive about a situation or person. I ask myself – what was my contribution to this event? Whose drama is this? Does it add value to my life?

This way I was not denying or repressing my emotions. I was empowering myself. Instead of getting angry or feeling guilty or stupid I found a peaceful response to my emotions. But there was still something off-balance inside me. I did not know how to take care of me. Love and nourish me. I always believed that it was the other persons job to love me and take care of me. To my astonishment it was not going be.

I slowly started on the journey of self-love and nourishment. (Louise Hay my sensitivity saviour). I found the simple truths of trust and faith. I found my port of safety and security. Where I can anchor my sensitivity. This I found in meditation and laughter yoga. Discovering an inner calmness! An inner strength!

Navigating the World

Navigating the world as a highly sensitive person (HSP) can be very traumatic. This can leave you feeling not so good about yourself. Not worthy of many things in life. Sometimes we are not aware of this behaviour. We build barriers to protect ourselves from this harsh reality of the world we travel.

To find my sense of self and remove the layers of trauma, I left my corporate job and started doing laughter yoga workshops. Taking one risk at a time. Starting with small groups of workshops. I started to feel a sense of belonging a sense of self. I got curious about being me in this world. Hey, I oscillate between being seen and hiding. Part of me is still afraid of being labelled or boxed into some cliché.

The good news is that a HSP can remove the layers of pain and hurt. Be surprised what you can discover about yourself. The journey is not an easy one. The tagline “You are worth it” comes to mind.

Also, this digital age desperately needs sensitive people. HSP people have the gift of connecting, caring and empathising.

I encourage you to show up as your sensitive self. Its your strength.

7 Steps to Deal with Doubt

Posted by Anjana Lala on

March 23, 2018

Life is ever changing and full of uncertainties and doubt. No matter the level of change, uncertainty is simply a part of life. Learning to embrace uncertainty is the key dealing with doubt. When we can’t embrace change and uncertainty is usually leads to feelings of doubt & disappointment . This can make life very difficult.

Doubt sabotages your chances for a happy and fulfilling life.

Doubt includes being self-critical, worrying, lack of trust & conviction, suspicious, indecisiveness, confusion and uncertainty. Most people suffer in silence. Its suffocates your confidence and undermines your abilities in life.

Yes! you can manage self-doubt but it’s a tough road and requires lots of effort. The benefits are far outweighing the effort you need to put in. You will boost your confidence on this journey and raise your self-esteem at the same time. It will be a worthy road trip. Trust me. I am speaking from personal experience with second guessing myself.

7 Steps to Deal with Doubt

Do one thing at a time. No multitasking
Set smaller goals that you can manage
Surround yourself with supporting & encouraging people
Question your incertitude if its valid or not
Everytime you make excuses or tell stories to avoid acting, write down all the possibilities if you did not have doubt
Get a mentor to hold you accountable for your goals and actions
Write down all your past successes and start believing in yourself

Learn to embrace uncertainty and doubt

You will never be able to control everything in life, as life is full of uncertainties. However, you can always keep yourself prepared to face such uncertainties, obstacles or challenges by planning well, taking quick actions, being flexible, and being patient. Once you start embracing unknown and focusing on the possibilities along with the challenges, you will certainly be become a successful and confident woman who is able to leap any barrier and have a full, rewarding life and career.

Your turn…

How do you deal with being unsure ? What’s the next smallest step you need to take to turn uncertainty into certainty?

Leave a comment below and share your thoughts with us. We would love to hear from YOU.

11 Girl Boss Ignite Your Spirit Must Read Books

Posted by Anjana Lala on

February 22, 2018

Books! Books! Books! I love books

Holding a book, smelling its woody pages, sucking up the cover art and reading the personalised preface and acknowledgments. Wow! It invokes the imagination. It tantalises the senses and teases the brain.

Every word telling a story, transporting you to different realms and dimensions. Its invigorates the soul and spirit with every turn and twist of the words building into a story. Some words silently while others loudly blatantly thrilling, exciting, teasing as it reaches the depth of our beings.

I love romantic, psychological thrillers and obsessed with self-development books. I am a sucker for motivational types and all things that help me expand. I love to marinate in inspiration through books, specifically breakdown internal barriers, help instil vision and clarity and ignite your spirit type books.

If you’re a book type gal, I invite you to be inquisitive about them below. While I haven’t read all of them yet, I personally own all of them, and am steadily making my way through the stack. Each book was purchased either through a podcast, a blog post or a friend’s suggestion – I’m finding that the combined message between them all is, so you can get out there in the world and do what matters to you in ways that work for you.

The authors are helping readers learn to live it through vulnerability, creativity, heart, accountability and community.

So without further ado, below are 11 Inspirational, Girl Boss, Ignite Your Soul, Must-Read Books:

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Playing Big by Tara Mohr
Rising Strong by Brene Brown
Leave Your Mark by Aliza Light
The Universe has your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein
The Desire Map by Danielle LePort
#Girlboss by Sophia Amenise
Make it Happen by Lara Casey
You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
Good to Great by Jim Collins
The Confidence Code by Kathy Kay & Claire Shipman

Alright girl bosses, are you feeling motivated and exhilarated?

You sure must be, because just writing this makes me want to read nonstop. Become a ferocious reader! Such Fun!

I hope you gathered some great inspiration here, possibly intrigued by a book or two. And are now starting on the incredible journey of creation, confidence, greatness, vulnerability, recognizing your self-worth, helping to create a vision for braver living, loving, and leading.

After Valentines Day

Posted by Anjana Lala on

February 15, 2018

After Valentines day, were you one of the many incredible and amazing people that had an awful Valentine’s day. I can feel your pain and hurt. Did you dread the day and felt like it was the longest day that would just not end?

Are you feeling not good enough because you did not get flowers, chocolates or gift? No one declared their undying love for you! Do you feel like there is something wrong with you? That is BS. Biggest lie that we tell ourselves. These are all the negative thoughts and feelings we have about ourselves. I have made it my passion to replace: I am not good enough with positive thoughts and vibes.

One way of doing this is using positive affirmations. If you want to up your feel-good factor and confidence I suggest adding positive affirmations to your daily routine. They must be personal, feel sacred and special for you.

I have included my top 10 positive affirmations below as encouragement to create a powerful sentence that inspires you.

I love and accept myself just the way I am today

I am powerful now. I can achieve anything I put my mind to.

I accept and approve of my body
I am intelligent, capable and competent
I believe in myself and free to be me
I trust myself to make good choices in life
I allow and give myself permission to receive good things in my life
I am completely open to new experiences in life.
I am loving lovable and loved
I am worthy of love, joy and abundance

How to use your affirmation:

Sit in a quiet place comfortably
Take a deep breath in for a count of 4.
Hold the breath for a count of 4.
Slowly exhale for a count of 6 as you say the affirmation in your mind.
Repeat this process 3 times to invite each affirmation to resonate and vibrate into your mind and body.

Observe your thoughts and feelings during the exercise. Any time you notice a negative thought pattern or feeling, repeat your affirmation. At the end of your session, repeat the breathing exercise you started with. Just breath 3 times – no affirmations. This will help internalise and reinforce your affirmations.

This entire process is to build confidence that your thoughts, feelings and your actions are in alignment.

Reflections…

Reality of life: People will come and go. Events will come and go. Day and night will come and go. But deep unconditional love for yourself will always remain with you, if you nurture and nourish it. Make it one of your most important priority in life.

Over to YOU…

How are positive affirmations working for you? Do you use affirmations in your life?

Let us know in the comment section

How to Cope with Valentines Day?

Posted by Anjana Lala on

February 13, 2018

Valentines day! Day of hearts, chocolates and flowers.

But its not all rosy for many people. It’s a traumatic and sad for many. The expectation set out by commercial establishments had people waiting in anticipation. Only to have their hearts broken. I was one of the people who fell for the glamour/illusion of Valentine’s day. My heart was ripped to pieces. Have you had a similar experience? Well let me tell you.

Do you know that you’re very special and unique? There is no other person like you. You deserve to be loved by the most important person in your life — YOU. We are celebrating the month of love starting with YOU.

(YOU MATTER YOU SMART YOU KIND YOU POWERFUL YOU ♥ HEART)

Practicing self-love can be tough for many of us, especially when it Valentines. There is so much emphasis on romantic love. It can be extremely lonely. The void and the emptiness are amplified. Your self-worth gets a knock and you feel so rejected by life.

Does that seem or sound like you? We are focusing on YOU and loving you. It’s not about being self-absorbed or self-centred, it’s about getting in touch with ourselves, our well-being and our joy. We practice self-love, so we can break through our limiting beliefs. When you love yourself so deeply and unconditionally, magic happens. The loneliness and low self-worth disappears. You get so comfortable in your own skin that you do not need love and approval from outside. You may be wondering where to begin.

Below are 21 ways to love yourself: –

Start being honest with yourself about everything going on in your life.
Accept where are right now in your life – without judgement
Connect with your inner self and higher self
Face your inner resistance, barriers and fears
Be kind, compassionate towards yourself
Forgive yourself and others
Make peace with your past
Start enjoying the things and relationships you already have
Start dreaming and doing
Start creating your own happiness – on your terms
Build and nurture relationships where you feel appreciated and loved. Where you feel safe to be open and vulnerable
Become the love you seek from other people
Pay attention to your stress/worry/tension/anxiety levels and find ways to manage the stress/worry/tension/anxiety.
Be yourself, genuinely and proudly
Nurture and nourish your body
Take care of your time, your space and your finances.
Laugh more in life
Find work and activities you love and that adds joy and meaning
Believe in your abilities
Find the positive during challenging times
Flaunt your Flawsomeness!

Reflections….

Reality of life: People will come and go. Events will come and go. Day and night will come and go. But deep unconditional love for yourself will always remain with you, if you nurture and nourish it.

“Put these things on your TO-DO list today:

Spend time doing things that help you love yourself more.
Spend time with people who help you love yourself more.”

Over to YOU…

Are you ready to start loving yourself deeply and unconditionally?

Breath of Fresh Air

Posted by Anjana Lala on

February 6, 2018

When last did you get a breath of fresh air into your life? Body? Mind?

I had the privilege of attending a Breathwork Practitioner Course last weekend. I attended the course out of curiosity and to find new breathing methods to help my Trauma/Tension Release Clients. I use many breathing techniques to help my trauma clients relax deeply and to release the repressed trauma from their bodies. My simple curiosity turned into something profound and magical.

Art of Breathing

The breathing techniques were simple in theory but when diving deep into the breathing it revealed many things about my habits and the way my body responds to my thoughts and feelings. It supports me with every thought and feeling. I yawn when I need more oxygen in my body. My breathing becomes laboured during exercising. When I am stressed my breathing becomes short and quick. I sigh when my body is highly stressed, or I am frustrated. I know you thinking yawning and sighing is being rude but its actually the body’s way to balancing itself. This level of awareness for me was so profound. I got so excited after discovering the magic of breath.

I know you wondering what is the big deal about breathing. It is a big deal. You have a natural gift that you can use to heal, energise and de-stress. Available and accessible to you anytime anywhere. Do you realise how powerful this is?

Let’s explore the Benefits of breathing deeply:

Frees the Breath
Relaxes the Body
Clears the Mind
Calms the Nerves
Boosts Energy levels
Improves Stamina
Sharper Thinking
Elevates Mood
Increases Feel Good Factor
Decreases Stress and Worry
Heightens Alertness and Focus
Improves Posture and Performance
Detoxes the Body from Toxins
Reduces Physical Pain
Improves Response to Stress and Emotions during Challenging times

Breathing correctly means supplying your body with adequate oxygen and replenishing it with fresh air.

This way you navigate life with more vigour, vitality and verve.

Just Breath – (Happy Sigh)

10 Ways to Relax after Work

Posted by Anjana Lala on

January 20, 2018

Relaxing after work is one of my goal for 2018

We into the 3^rd week of Jan 2018. I don’t know about you guys, but before the exhaustion of the commute and work pressure get you down. Here are some ideas how to unwind after work.

In 2017, I used to just bite the bullet. Convince myself that this is just life and that I had to keep going no matter what.

But over the holidays, I realized that if I want to be top my game, I need to make my overall well-being a priority. I need to make time to unwind when I get home, time to relax and de-stress.

Life was so much simpler when we were kids. But we were in a hurry to be adults. We thought adulting would be fun and free.

Adulting has been a lot harder. Relaxing is just not on the cards. I’d get home and think about all the zillion things I wanted or needed to do, so taking a breather wasn’t on the cards. So, if that sounds like your life and you need some help in the de-stressing department, here are

10 easy ways to relax after a long day at work:

Listen to Relaxing Music

Change into Comfy Clothes

Enjoy A Glass of Wine

Unplug for 2-3 Hours

Light Up Some Soy Candles

Use Essential or Aroma Therapy Oils

Take a Bubble Bath

Meditate/Do Yoga

Read A Book

Get Crafty

My favourite way to relax is listening to soothing music in my comfy cloths sipping tantalising red wine.

How do you unwind after a long day? Let us know in the comment section

High5 to a New You Year 2018

Posted by Anjana Lala on

January 16, 2018

‘Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities’ Gloria Steinem

High5 to a NEW YOU 2018

I am sure you have received tons of email about New Year 2018: change your life, transform your life, make it the best year ever, 5 steps to maintain New Year resolutions, 3 steps to create a new life in 2018 and many more telling you how to awesome 2018 can be. They all mean well and it’s great to have coaches, bloggers, and mentors to guide and encourage you. These emails can excite or sometimes it can create a feeling of overwhelming proportion when the mountain ahead of us appears too large to summit.

Let’s take a step back. Clear our minds of: