Easter - Resurrection Day

Easter is here. I love easter.

1. We get four day off.
2. The kids get to rest for 4 days - no dance, no school - Term 1 is nearly over and the kids are tired.
3. It reminds me of Easter 2007.

Easter last year I attended my first Christopher Howard seminar and I just zing every time I remember the energy generated over those 3 days. Last year it was held over Easter. Day 3 is usually called Transformation day but as it was Easter Sunday and we re-dubbed it Resurrection day. Because we had cried out our past, celebrated our achievements and celebrated who we are and set our goals for the new us. We were ready to face the world with our new thought patterns and new beliefs.

Even when I crewed in the September I still thought of it as Resurrection day. That's how embedded in my thought patterns it is. Just image what it did to thought patterns I wanted to change.

My kids love Easter because of the hot cross buns and easter eggs. I love Easter because it gives me a chance to assesses my beliefs and refocus and emerge as the person I want to be.

In a month I will be crewing again. Christopher Howard and all the crew will be back in Brisbane April 18 - 20.

I love helping people. I love seeing people breaking life long patterns and emerging happier. The energy created over the very full 3 days is astounding.

I have some free passes valued at $895.00. But Hurry. Next weekend he will be in

• Sydney March 28 - 30, 2008 Enrol Now
• Auckland April 4 - 6, 2008 Enrol Now
• Perth April 11 - 13, 2008 Enrol Now
• Brisbane April 18 - 20, 2008 Enrol Now
• Melbourne September 5 - 7, 2008 Enrol Now
• Adelaide September 26 - 28, 2008 Enrol Now

Enjoy the fun of Easter, play.

Leona

Testing your goals

"What you need to know is this: before a dream is realized, The soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realising our dreams, master the lessons we've learned as we've moved towards that dream. That's the point at which most people give up. It's the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon... Every search begins with beginner's luck. And every search ends with victor's being severely tested." - The alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Sometimes I wonder if my dreams will ever come out or whether they are not what I am meant to doing.

After reading The Alchemist I was given renewed hope that the challenges are put in the way to test whether you have the courage and the determination to keep going.

By being aware of the signs I am given. I have renewed energy that what I dream of is what I should be doing. Challenges are just that, challenges, little side steps on the way to the grand goal.

I have to be more patient with myself and clearer about what the goals are. Then a step by step plan will show the way to get there.

So if you are getting discouraged, take heart the challenges are there to strengthen your path to your dream.

Good Luck

Leona

Life lesson in ending stuff

I had an interesting perspective this morning.

I have been doing a particularly difficult 1000 piece puzzle and it has taken me several days to do. I have done all the cathedral and now, all I had to do was finish the sky. The sky was blue and slight change in shade from light blue to dark blue. What made it extra difficult was that the puzzle pieces could easier fit in several places. This took hours of individually placing each piece in place and stepping back and looking at the overall pattern to see it fits.

This morning I packed away a puzzle.

• Yes, I had the skills to finish the puzzle
• Yes, I had the patience to finish the puzzle

But

• I could use my time doing other things
• I could use skills doing other things
• I could use my patience doing other things.

So I decided by weighting up the pros and cons that I should give up on the puzzle and pack to away (or throw it away?) and move on to something else.

My life lesson: sometimes it is better to stop doing something and just move on.

I always prided myself that I finished stuff.... mmm that's sounds like another belief worth tacking.

Oh let's rephrase it - I believe I should finish stuff. Why? Why should I finish stuff?

I had figured out this morning that sometimes the "pushing yourself to finish a task" is not worth all the other consequences that go with it.

I don't mind spending a day or two on a puzzle as a bit of time out. And, now my children are older, I can teaching them how to do difficult puzzles. It becomes a family activity. I am teaching them skills of looking for shapes and recognising patterns. Which will help them looking for things in their rooms. I can always hope.

I can always find the motivation to finish things if necessary. But what about the activities that I still haven't finished, or even better, the activities that are never finish e.g. housework.

Key word here is motivation. Somehow I need to find the motivation to finish the other activities or the motivation why I am still doing stuff.

Lets analyze the first problem: Motivation to finish.

1. What is the activity?
2. Why did I start the activity?
3. Why have I not finished the activity?
4. Has something better come along to distract me?
5. What would it mean to me to finish the activity?
6. Do I need to finish this activity?
7. Can I just leave the activity in the state is in?
8. How can I reward myself to finish it?

Second problem: Why are you still doing the activity? This flows on from the questions above but with a twist.

1. Why don't I want to finish the activity?
2. Do I enjoy this activity so much that I want to keep going?
3. Does this activity pain me and yet I continue?
4. By doing this activity - what is it stopping me doing?

For example: I did enjoy doing the puzzle it was difficult but OK fun. Then it got difficult and boring. But I continued. So...

• What is the activity? the 1000 piece puzzle
• Why did I start the activity? A time out activity with the children to do while watching TV
• Why have I not finished the activity? It is getting to difficult
• Has something better come along to distract me? No not really
• What would it mean to me to finish the activity? I could see the picture complete before putting it away again
• Do I need to finish this activity? No
• Can I just leave the activity in the state is in? No I need to pack it away. I need the room.
• How can I reward myself to finish it? No reward would be strong enough.
• Why don't I want to finish the activity? I bored with it
• Do I enjoy this activity so much that I want to keep going? No
• Does this activity pain me and yet I continue? yes
• By doing this activity - what is it stopping me doing? getting on with the mending and reading list.

By analysing the whole list of pros and cons (I have not listed them all here), it showed me that I am not a failure. Although this is the first puzzle I have given up on. I am not a failure because I made a decision that it is better to end it now and move on instead of wasting time and energy in complete a task I am not enjoying.

How many activities are there that you have that you think you should finish but can't find the motivation to finish them. Do you think you should just stop and walk away?

Leona