Hello beautiful friends,
You’ve probably all heard the statement:-
If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.
When we’re feeling stressed and are faced with an issue or a challenge, we often try to work it out by throwing everything at it that we know from our past.
We may also try so hard to resolve the issue that we build up a lot of stress and tension in the process.
For a while this may work and we can carry this stress. But you may come to a time when what you know doesn’t work anymore and the stress is taking it’s toll. The good news is that there IS another way, a way forward without the stress.
So next time you’re facing a challenge try this – ‘The JOYQ Way’ and when you become familiar with it, you can add this to your ways of dealing with life’s apparent, road blocks.
‘The JOYQ Way’ to cruising through your Stress.
For every issue or challenge that arises, internally or externally in our lives there is a new and unique way to resolve it because each moment in life is a new and different moment. If you can tune into yourself in this moment and these circumstances, circumstances unique to you, your situation, the way you’re thinking and feeling right now and the way all of life is lining up around you right now, and flow with THIS UNIQUE EXPERIENCE, then you will always know what to do and you’ll do it with a peaceful mind and a joyful heart. So here’s what you do:-
You step back. You open up. You let go. And you say, “I don’t know”.
To find new horizons, you have to let go of the shore.
Try stop trying to solve anything, figure it out in your head, find a solution, control, analyse or manipulate the situation. Instead let it go. And no this doesn’t mean that you’re giving up, being irresponsible or ‘dropping the ball’. Instead, you’re opening up to a new way of approaching life, rather than responding to the situation in the same old ‘knee-jerk’ way.
By letting go you’re opening yourself up to a greater perspective of this moment. You see, a whole new world of possibilities exist for us to tap into every moment. Deepak Chopra calls this the Field of Infinite Potentiality, others may speak of the Universe, your Higher Self, Spirit or Soul and Carl Jung called it the Collective Unconscious. For Star Wars fans it’s the Force!
However you relate to this, to step back away from the issue, to open your mind and let go, opens you to a world of creativity, new ideas and previously unknown resources and with that you’ll find your tensions slowly begin to unravel.
But that’s not all. As you expand your awareness, rather than seeing only the outer events, you’ll become more attuned to your inner response the the situation also. And this is the ‘key’. Now you’re getting somewhere. Remember this situation is happening to unique you, in this unique way, in this unique moment. So your solution lies somewhere in the interface between you and your life because…
Your outer life is a reflection of your inner world or in other words how you’re thinking and feeling right now is what’s creating your life RIGHT NOW. Thus,
The solution is contained in your ability to change within and find the spark of a new way of being.
Here's the process:
1. LET GO, OPEN UP, RELAX
2. Ask for help, so that you open yourself up to new ideas from... God, The Universe, your Higher Self...
3. Be aware of your inner response to the situation.
Be clear about what you’re thinking. Write it down if you need to and take the space and time to FEEL what you’re feeling. Then,
4. LET GO OF YOUR THOUGHTS especially negative thoughts.
Now thoughts are not a bad thing at all, but if you’re too caught up in your mind, then you miss all the messages from your body and from the environment around you because “Life” both within us and around us is constantly sending out signals and signposts to show us the way.
5. SURRENDER TO YOUR FEELINGS.
Feel your feelings. Let your feelings out. Don’t suppress them or hide them. Be honest with yourself. Tell the truth about how you feel and what’s happening within you. (Take time out if necessary from your usual routine to allow yourself the time to feel, to explore the story behind the feelings and to heal).
6. BREATHE DEEPLY.
7. TRUST
As you step into the unknown. The Universe always has your back but this can still get a bit scary so:-
8. REACH OUT FOR SUPPORT
If you need it- a good friend or a professional. What you need is someone who can really listen and be there without trying to cheer you up with superficial conversation, giving advice, fixing everything or being the wise teacher. This will only short circuit your process and delay your exciting new and true path unfolding.
9. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.
You have all the answers you need within you. Remember it’s your process, your unique experience and you have everything you need within you to resolve it.
10. BREATHE SOME MORE and ASK QUESTIONS
What do I need to let go of? What part of me is hanging on? What do I need to embrace right now? What else is possible?
11. WAIT …..
For your thoughts and feelings to change, spontaneously. Everything changes – golden rule of life.
let go….feel….breathe….trust….believe…..listen……
12. LOOK, LISTEN & FEEL
For the signs, the messages and the intuitive feelings that arise and resonate with you.
I love this bit! I’ve been having a grand old conversation with the Universe for years. I love the way it speaks to me.
Your signs may come to you in feelings, pictures, words, songs and nature. Books can help too. Get very clear about your question or ‘issue’ and open a book randomly, i.e. generally a book about positive psychology or inspirational quotes (although I bet you could open any book and still get some guidance). This is known as the “Field” at play.
13. REMAIN AWARE
Then the path forward will reveal itself, sometimes slowly and sometimes rapidly. You’ll know when you see, hear &/or feel something that’s important. You’ll get a feeling, an intuition or a clear idea and it will remain with you or keep coming up in a variety of ways. Then……
14. EXCITEDLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY FOLLOW THE FEELING, THE IMPULSE, THE IDEA or THE ‘ADVICE’ THAT COMES THROUGH.
15. DON’T QUESTION IT.
IT MIGHT NOT COME EXACTLY WHEN YOU WANT IT OR LOOK EXACTLY LIKE YOU WANTED IT TO LOOK, but if it feels right/light, is IS. Remember, it’s new, so it’s going to be a bit uncomfortable… even if it’s fantastic too.
16. THEN BE READY TO BE THRILLED.
Often what manifests turns out to be far better than you could ever have imagined and you’ll be wondering why you sweated over it so much and why you haven’t done this before.
AND THROUGH THIS PROCESS, YOU’VE GROWN AND BECOME SOMEONE NEW.
I suggest you read this over and over again and become familiar with the process. You can use this regularly in small doses, re-minding yourself to stop stressing and instead be still, let go and open up your awareness, even for a moment, but better still, take some time out (maybe 20 minutes to an hour) and sit in silence, following the path. With time it gets easier and easier to tune into and to flow with life.
If you’d like some help through your stress, crisis or issue, a supportive hand to help you connect with your inner world, to guide and support you through the unknown and to identify those sparks of new life as they arise then contact me. I offer a free 15 minute phone consultation for every new client.
JOY in the gaps between knowing,
