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<channel>
	<title>Well of Being &#187; self-acceptance</title>
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	<link>http://wellofbeing.ie</link>
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		<title>Summer &amp; Autumn Positive Living Classes!</title>
		<link>http://wellofbeing.ie/summer-autumn-positive-living-classes/</link>
		<comments>http://wellofbeing.ie/summer-autumn-positive-living-classes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 May 2016 20:32:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[sharon]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News/Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life Coach Kildare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life Coach Newbridge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[meditation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mindfulness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal growth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive living]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive living classes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self-acceptance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self-love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sharon Vogiatzi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spirituality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wellofbeing.ie/?p=360</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Due to popular demand, I will be running one Positive Living class per month over the summer months in Abbins House Holistic Centre. Dates are as follows: Thursdays 23rd June, 28th July and 25th August, 8-9pm. €12 drop-in or €30 for &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/summer-autumn-positive-living-classes/">read more<span class="meta-nav"></span></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/summer-autumn-positive-living-classes/">Summer &#038; Autumn Positive Living Classes!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie">Well of Being</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="653k5" data-offset-key="80pq3-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="80pq3-0-0"><a href="http://wellofbeing.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/smile.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-361" src="http://wellofbeing.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/smile-300x300.jpg" alt="smile" width="300" height="300" /></a></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="80pq3-0-0"></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="80pq3-0-0"><span data-offset-key="12bpf-0-0">Due to popular demand, I will be running one Positive Living class per month over the summer months in </span><span class="_5u8u" spellcheck="false" data-offset-key="12bpf-1-0"><span data-offset-key="12bpf-1-0"><span data-text="true">Abbins House Holistic Centre</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="12bpf-2-0">.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="653k5" data-offset-key="8up28-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="8up28-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8up28-0-0">Dates are as follows: Thursdays 23rd June, 28th July and 25th August, 8-9pm. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="653k5" data-offset-key="3fkgf-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="3fkgf-0-0"><span data-offset-key="3fkgf-0-0">€12 drop-in or €30 for the three classes.</span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="653k5" data-offset-key="3dae8-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="3dae8-0-0"><span data-offset-key="3dae8-0-0">I will also be running a six-week course on Thursdays, 8-9pm, in </span><span class="_5u8u" spellcheck="false" data-offset-key="3dae8-1-0"><span data-offset-key="3dae8-1-0"><span data-text="true">Abbins House Holistic Centre, Eyre Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="3dae8-2-0"> starting September 22nd until October 27th. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="653k5" data-offset-key="2b64f-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="2b64f-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2b64f-0-0">€60 for the six weeks. €30 deposit required by Thursday 15th September to secure your place.</span></div>
</div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="653k5" data-offset-key="42lmg-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="42lmg-0-0"><span data-offset-key="42lmg-0-0">These are fun, inspiring, interactive classes where you will meet like-minded people and receive tools and tips to live a happy, peaceful, fulfilling life.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="653k5" data-offset-key="7vt6d-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="7vt6d-0-0"><span data-offset-key="7vt6d-0-0">Classes include mindfulness, meditation, exercises which will challenge your thinking, unblock fears and get to know the real you.</span></div>
</div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="a4hg6-0-0"></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="a4hg6-0-0"><span data-offset-key="a4hg6-0-0">Contact me on 0871411662 for more details <img src="http://wellofbeing.ie/wp-includes/images/smilies/simple-smile.png" alt=":)" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /></span></div>
</div>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/summer-autumn-positive-living-classes/">Summer &#038; Autumn Positive Living Classes!</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie">Well of Being</a>.</p>
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		<title>My Song</title>
		<link>http://wellofbeing.ie/my-song/</link>
		<comments>http://wellofbeing.ie/my-song/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 May 2016 20:53:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[sharon]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[My Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Acupuncture Kildare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Acupuncturist Newbridge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[allowing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[appreciation]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[body]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[breathing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[childhood]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[jack harrison]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Life Coach Kildare]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[life coaching newbridge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mind]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oneness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[past]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Sharon Vogiatzi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sharon vogiatzi life coach]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[singing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[society]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[song]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[spirit]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[summer]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[unison]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[yoga]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wellofbeing.ie/?p=346</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>I welcome the first day of summer by attending a yoga and music workshop with musician and yoga teacher Jack Harrison. We lie down and begin with some breathing exercises. Jack strums his guitar, recites poetry and sings. Then he &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/my-song/">read more<span class="meta-nav"></span></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/my-song/">My Song</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie">Well of Being</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I welcome the first day of summer by attending a yoga and music workshop with musician and yoga teacher Jack Harrison.</p>
<p>We lie down and begin with some breathing exercises. Jack strums his guitar, recites poetry and sings.</p>
<p><span id="more-346"></span></p>
<p>Then he takes us through a powerful yoga sequence. No music plays now. All we can hear are Jack&#8217;s instructions and our breath.</p>
<p>My breathing deepens. I feel strong, present and peaceful.</p>
<p>Afterwards, we sit in a circle and sing. For the most part, I close my eyes and really get into it.</p>
<p>Occasionally, I open my eyes and appreciate what&#8217;s in front of me. The fantastic Jack Harrison playing guitar. And a group of people joyously opening their hearts together in song.</p>
<p>Next, Jack suggests that we sing any tune we feel like.</p>
<p>&#8220;Dissonance is beautiful,&#8221; he insists.</p>
<p>&#8220;Some of us were told as children that we weren&#8217;t good singers. I was kicked out of the school choir when I was a boy,&#8221; he laughs.</p>
<p>&#8220;But singing is easy,&#8221; he says with a smile.</p>
<p>Many of us spend our lives trying to fit in and appear normal. We&#8217;re told how to live and what&#8217;s expected of us.</p>
<p>But today for a change, we&#8217;re being encouraged to be different. We&#8217;ve been given licence to sing our own song in a way that&#8217;s right for us in this special moment.</p>
<p>We start quietly and self-consciously. But before long, we become louder and more confident.</p>
<p>I realise that it&#8217;s much easier to sing in unison. It&#8217;s actually harder to be different. But I&#8217;m determined to find my own song.</p>
<p>I go with the feeling. I put judgment aside. I allow myself to be me.</p>
<p>Somewhere between dissonance, unison and harmony, I hear my own voice. Tears prickle behind my eyes. Jack&#8217;s right, it is beautiful.</p>
<div id="attachment_5242" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5242" src="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/bird-girl.jpg" alt="bird girl" width="500" height="499" /><p class="wp-caption-text">favim.com</p></div>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/my-song/">My Song</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie">Well of Being</a>.</p>
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		<title>First Dates</title>
		<link>http://wellofbeing.ie/first-dates/</link>
		<comments>http://wellofbeing.ie/first-dates/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 2015 12:26:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[sharon]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[My Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[acceptance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[addiction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[affection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[appearances]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[attraction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beliefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[body image]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bravery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[comparisons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[connection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[couples]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[courage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[creed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dating app]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[divorce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dogs]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[eating disorder]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[family]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[first dates]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[flow]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[london]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loneliness]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wellofbeing.ie/?p=302</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>A couple of friends recommended watching First Dates, a television series that films real first dates in a London restaurant. I&#8217;ve since watched the entire first season and it&#8217;s totally addictive. As I binge on this hilarious reality TV show, I laugh &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/first-dates/">read more<span class="meta-nav"></span></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/first-dates/">First Dates</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie">Well of Being</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A couple of friends recommended watching <em>First Dates, </em>a television series that films real first dates in a London restaurant. I&#8217;ve since watched the entire first season and it&#8217;s totally addictive.</p>
<p>As I binge on this hilarious reality TV show, I laugh a lot. But I also shed a few tears.</p>
<p><span id="more-302"></span></p>
<p>I can see the beauty in every single singleton. The daters differ in appearance, creed, age, personality and life experiences. But they&#8217;re so similar too.</p>
<p>They&#8217;re all self-conscious. They all have fears and insecurities. They&#8217;ve all lived through hardship, be it heartbreak, illness, loss or rejection.</p>
<p>And they&#8217;re all holding on to hope. Hope that they&#8217;ll finally find connection, affection, partnership and love. They all want to share their lives with that special someone.</p>
<p>One man, who&#8217;s been single since his diagnosis with HIV five years ago, admits: <strong><em>&#8220;I just want to be loved.&#8221;</em></strong></p>
<p>This heartwarming show highlights how quick we are to judge our potential partners. <em>I don&#8217;t like h</em><em>is receding hairline. I prefer women with smaller bums.</em></p>
<p>Interestingly, we&#8217;re also quick to judge ourselves. <em>I&#8217;ll lie about my job because I don&#8217;t want to put him off. She&#8217;ll never agree to a date because of my height. I&#8217;m punching above my weight with her. I&#8217;m not as skinny as the other girls.</em></p>
<p>I believe that when we stop judging ourselves, we cease judging everybody else. When we love and accept ourselves, we become free to love and accept others.</p>
<p>I also believe that we get what we give. So when we give love, we receive it.</p>
<p>I have a friend who loves her dogs more than anything. Recently, I spent an evening at her home. One of her dogs burrowed his way into my arms. Later, he lay on my friend&#8217;s lap, his body splayed open, as my friend hugged and kissed him.</p>
<p>It struck me that this dog is full of love. He&#8217;s open and trusting and loving. And it&#8217;s such a good feeling to have him in your arms.</p>
<p>And my dog-loving friend is perfectly at ease with herself. She&#8217;s open and happy and loving. And when I&#8217;m around her, I am too.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s so easy to give love to a person who&#8217;s open to receiving it. And when someone gives love with unconditional abundance, being a recipient of that love feels effortless and unselfconscious.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s when the fear takes hold and the thinking starts and the barriers come up, that we block the love. We&#8217;re afraid to give love in case it&#8217;s thrown back in our faces.</p>
<p>But my advice now is to give love. Give love to yourself. To your friends and family. To your pets and your plants. To everyone you encounter.</p>
<p>Be yourself. Be open. Be present.</p>
<p>Laugh. Flirt. Have fun.</p>
<p>Give love. Accept love. Be love. And I guarantee that you&#8217;ll experience love.</p>
<p>So I&#8217;ve rejoined <em>Tinder</em>. Again.</p>
<p>P.S. When searching for an image for this article, I browsed the internet. Suddenly, I realised that I&#8217;d forgotten to type &#8220;Love&#8221; in the search bar. <em>&#8220;Have I put love in?&#8221;</em> I asked aloud.</p>
<p><em><strong>Have I put love in indeed.</strong></em></p>
<div id="attachment_4762" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/sharon-vogiatzi-life-coach.jpg"><img class="wp-image-4762 size-full" src="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/sharon-vogiatzi-life-coach.jpg" alt="reggg.com" width="600" height="600" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">reggg.com</p></div>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/first-dates/">First Dates</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie">Well of Being</a>.</p>
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		<title>Just Because.</title>
		<link>http://wellofbeing.ie/just-because/</link>
		<comments>http://wellofbeing.ie/just-because/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2015 17:14:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[sharon]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[My Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[acceptance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[achievements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[achilles heel]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wellofbeing.ie/?p=264</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>As you know, I recently injured myself while exercising. What I neglected to mention was that, prior to this, I&#8217;d regularly been getting sudden pains in my head. At the time, it struck me that I probably needed to take it easy but &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/just-because/">read more<span class="meta-nav"></span></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/just-because/">Just Because.</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie">Well of Being</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As you know, <a href="http://betterthansurviving.me/2015/09/07/the-journey-2/" target="_blank">I recently injured myself while exercising</a>. What I neglected to mention was that, prior to this, I&#8217;d regularly been getting sudden pains in my head.</p>
<p>At the time, it struck me that I probably needed to take it easy but I just couldn&#8217;t stop. I was always on the go and I was exercising more than ever. I felt tired a lot but adrenaline was fuelling me and I thought I was doing great.</p>
<p><span id="more-264"></span></p>
<p>When I hurt my Achilles tendon, I was forced to slow down. Interestingly, the pains in my head disappeared immediately.</p>
<p>I learnt a lot from the whole episode. I recognised the need for more balance in my life. It also brought home for me the fact that I had to be able to feel good about myself regardless of what I was doing or how I looked.</p>
<p>I realised that it&#8217;s all in my head anyway. I could feel good one day and shitty the next. Nothing external had changed, which perfectly proved my point.</p>
<p>However, there&#8217;s a difference between <em>knowing</em> something and <em>feeling </em>something. So when the physiotherapist gave me license to return to exercise, I did so that very evening.</p>
<p>The following morning, I was dismayed to discover that the Achilles on my <em>other </em>foot was paining me. Yet again, I had to resort to limping.</p>
<p>An acupuncturist advised me to lay off exercise for a week. I needed rest. My body, in all its intelligence, had created the pain that was making it impossible to do anything <em>but</em> rest.</p>
<p>Though I would never <em>consciously </em>ask for pain as a learning aid, I have learnt a very important lesson from all this. I&#8217;ve been doing things in order to feel good. I&#8217;ve also been doing things to avoid feeling bad.</p>
<p>Of course, it&#8217;s sensible to practise healthy behaviours that accentuate the good and eliminate the bad but it&#8217;s also worth remembering that it&#8217;s best not to rely too heavily on external routes to happiness.</p>
<p>Also, balance is key. Interesting how both my Achilles were acting up as, without the Achilles, it&#8217;s very hard to achieve balance.</p>
<p>Exercise is great. Healthy eating is wonderful. Working hard and taking action is commendable. Achieving success is admirable. But leaning too far in any one direction will upset the balance and, sooner or later, you&#8217;ll topple over and hurt yourself.</p>
<div id="attachment_4714" style="width: 620px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/life-coach-kildare-sharon-vogiatzi.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-4714" src="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/life-coach-kildare-sharon-vogiatzi.jpg" alt="favim.com" width="610" height="610" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">favim.com</p></div>
<p>I clearly need to listen to my body when it&#8217;s tired or sore. Replacing one gym session with a walk in nature would be a good idea. I deserve to take a rest.</p>
<p>And so those deeper issues of self-worth, self-love and self-acceptance make themselves known. I feel good about myself when I&#8217;m busy, when I&#8217;m doing and achieving. I feel good in my body when I&#8217;m exercising and eating healthily.</p>
<p>And I feel bad when I&#8217;m not doing all these things. I feel unworthy of love and care and acceptance. Or at least that&#8217;s how it&#8217;s always been. Until now.</p>
<p>Of course, I <em>knew </em>I should be confident anyway. I <em>knew </em>I was great. I <em>knew </em>I deserved love and care and acceptance. But now I <em>feel </em>it.</p>
<p>The other night, I asked for a sign in my dreams to show me what I need to see in order to heal. I dreamt that I called into my parents&#8217; house to collect a couple of things.</p>
<p>Nobody was home. Minutes later, my parents returned. I overheard my father sniggering to my mother: <em>&#8220;Sharon probably came here so she could sleep during the day.&#8221; </em>My mother laughed and agreed.</p>
<p>An energy rose up in me. I was about to ignore it but I decided I wanted to stand up for myself. I told my parents that they should respect me even if I <em>was</em> sleeping during the day.</p>
<p>That afternoon, the meaning of the dream dawned on me. The dream was all about me. My body had been crying out for rest but I hadn&#8217;t respected it enough to listen to its wisdom. I had ignored it and pushed it even further.</p>
<p>Until it decided to give me a taste of my own medicine. It injured me so that I could finally heal a deep trauma.</p>
<p>In its intelligence, it had injured my Achilles heels. My weakness. How I always strive for perfection just so I can give myself permission to feel good about myself.</p>
<p>This morning, I told my Life Coach that I need to love myself no matter what before I attract in a partner. He said that some man will be lucky to have me. <em>All</em> of me.</p>
<p>He told me that I&#8217;m already perfect. My &#8220;imperfections&#8221; are what are making me vulnerable. My vulnerability is pushing me to grow. And that growth is leading me to greatness. Which doesn&#8217;t take away from my present greatness.</p>
<p>So I&#8217;m listening to my body. I&#8217;m resting. I&#8217;m taking a break from high intensity exercise. I&#8217;m acknowledging my greatness. I&#8217;m believing that I deserve love and care and acceptance. And I&#8217;m feeling good <strong>just because</strong>.</p>
<p><a href="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/life-coach-kildare.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4711" src="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/life-coach-kildare.jpg" alt="life coach kildare" width="500" height="500" /></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/just-because/">Just Because.</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie">Well of Being</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>The Adventure</title>
		<link>http://wellofbeing.ie/the-adventure/</link>
		<comments>http://wellofbeing.ie/the-adventure/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2015 20:38:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[sharon]]></dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wellofbeing.ie/?p=261</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>I awake several times in pain. I might still be able to fit in a workout tomorrow morning before my flight, I try to convince myself. The following morning, I can barely put weight on my foot. I had felt the twinges &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/the-adventure/">read more<span class="meta-nav"></span></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/the-adventure/">The Adventure</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie">Well of Being</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I awake several times in pain. <em>I might still be able to fit in a workout tomorrow morning before my flight, </em>I try to convince myself.</p>
<p>The following morning, I can barely put weight on my foot. I had felt the twinges in a couple of fitness classes but had chosen to ignore them. I had pushed myself too hard and hadn&#8217;t listened to my body. <em>Maybe I need to become more balanced in my approach, </em>I muse philosophically while simultaneously huffing with resistance.</p>
<p><span id="more-261"></span></p>
<p><em>I might not be able to go to London, </em>I realise as my eyes well up. This is closely followed by another thought: <em>I&#8217;ve been feeling great exercising and now it&#8217;s being taken away from me. It&#8217;s not fair. I want to look and feel good. </em>Oh dear, there&#8217;s clearly more I need to learn here.</p>
<p>Of course, exercise is good for me and it&#8217;s important to take action and do the things that are beneficial for my physical and mental well-being. I honestly thought I&#8217;d been doing great but, now that I can&#8217;t exercise, I immediately feel less good about myself. I have formed an attachment to exercising as an external source of happiness and self-worth.</p>
<p>I know I have the potential to feel good <strong>no matter what</strong>. I just have to figure out how.</p>
<div id="attachment_4692" style="width: 620px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/life-coach-and-acupuncturist-kildare1.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-4692" src="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/life-coach-and-acupuncturist-kildare1.jpg" alt="favim.com" width="610" height="381" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">favim.com</p></div>
<p>The next few days are filled with learning and awareness. A friend comes over and I instruct her as to where to place acupuncture needles.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s interesting to have to ask for help, to be on the receiving end of such care, and to experience the magic of acupuncture when I really need it. I&#8217;m delighted to discover that I&#8217;m able to tell my friend where the energy meridians are merely by feeling where they are in my own body.</p>
<p>Afterwards I notice that, as I hobble around the kitchen, I&#8217;m repeating the mantra: <em>I am amazing. </em>I&#8217;m not forcing myself to do it. It&#8217;s coming naturally. All those affirmations I&#8217;ve been saying are clearly paying dividends.</p>
<p>I&#8217;e resigned myself to cancelling my trip to London when I ring my mother who&#8217;s a nurse. She speaks to a physiotherapist who assures her that if I collect crutches on my way to the airport, there should be no reason that I can&#8217;t fly to England.</p>
<p><em>I&#8217;m going, </em>I resolve. I feel strong and excited.</p>
<p>My friend very kindly offers to drive me. We grab the crutches and an hour later I&#8217;m making my way to Departures. I&#8217;ve never used crutches before and I&#8217;m surprised to learn how energy-consuming they are.</p>
<p>A member of staff approaches me to offer me a wheelchair. I say yes. What a weird experience!</p>
<p>Suddenly, I&#8217;m at a different level to everyone else. Most people don&#8217;t look at me. Others stare at me with what I presume to be pity in their eyes.</p>
<p>Now that it <em>i</em><em>sn&#8217;t</em> happening, I realise that men usually look at me as I walk past. This afternoon, I feel invisible to some and as obvious as a clown in Mecca to others. I certainly don&#8217;t feel very sexy.</p>
<p>I haven&#8217;t had time to wash my hair. And I&#8217;m wearing runners as they&#8217;re the only footwear that don&#8217;t hurt too much. I&#8217;m unable to drag along a suitcase so I&#8217;ve packed the bare minimum into a small backpack. <a href="http://betterthansurviving.me/2015/09/01/just-doing-it/" target="_blank">Talk about hurling myself out of my comfort zone in so many different ways!</a></p>
<p>I&#8217;m transferred from the wheelchair to a buggy then deposited at my gate. One of my favourite things to do in an airport, or anywhere really, is to go for coffee. But I wouldn&#8217;t be able to carry a cup while on crutches.</p>
<p>I hop over to a café anyway and ask the barista if she could bring a latte to my seat for me. She gladly obliges.</p>
<p>Last Christmas, I presented my friend with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401918298/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1401918298&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=bettethansurv-20&amp;linkId=HN4ESN5IZ34ZVCJZ" target="_blank">a wonderful book by Cheryl Richardson called <em>The Art of Extreme Self-Care</em></a>. Each month, a few of us meet to read a chapter together, set some goals, and find out how we got on with the previous month&#8217;s challenge.</p>
<p>A couple of months ago, we did a chapter on taking your hands off the wheel, letting go of control and <strong>asking for help. </strong>Last month, my friends asked me how I&#8217;d done.</p>
<p>I reported being aware of when I&#8217;m being controlling. I admitted that I hadn&#8217;t actually asked for help but that I hadn&#8217;t <em>needed</em> to. Now, I&#8217;m eating my words.</p>
<p>When it&#8217;s time to board, I&#8217;m escorted down to the plane and up to my seat. When we arrive in London, I&#8217;m put in a wheelchair and wheeled to the bus terminal.</p>
<p>By the time I meet my friend at Victoria Coach Station, I&#8217;m exhausted and emotional. We have a catch-up and a quiet night in.</p>
<div id="attachment_4694" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/life-coach-and-acupuncturist-kildare2.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-4694" src="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/life-coach-and-acupuncturist-kildare2.jpg" alt="katimorton.com" width="500" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">katimorton.com</p></div>
<p>The next morning, I&#8217;m ready to manoeuvre the London public transport system on crutches.</p>
<p>Hobbling slowly through a tube station when everyone else is speeding is an interesting experience. I have to be okay with going at a certain pace. I have to take it one slow step at a time.</p>
<p>The kindness I receive from people who hold open doors, carry my crutches as I make my way down the stairs, and give me their seats on the Underground is really heart-warming. I&#8217;ve never said &#8220;thank you&#8221; so much in my entire life.</p>
<p>I spend all day Saturday at a <em>Hay House: I Can Do It! </em>conference. One of the first things the <a href="http://www.robertholden.org/about-robert/" target="_blank">beautiful speaker Robert Holden</a> speaks about is self-image. Perfect!</p>
<p>Robert describes how infants, up until the age of 18 months, don&#8217;t recognise themselves in the mirror. They have not yet identified themselves with their bodies. Robert surmises that babies are still identifying with something greater &#8211; the very essence of their being.</p>
<p>This is something I need to connect with more &#8211; my soul. I am more than just my body.</p>
<p>So when I can&#8217;t exercise, when I&#8217;m on crutches, in runners, with unwashed hair, I can still love and accept myself and feel the energy of my amazing spirit.</p>
<p>Subsequently, Robert shows us <a href="https://vimeo.com/69165167" target="_blank">a lovely ad that he was involved in making.</a></p>
<p><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/69165167" width="1000" height="563" frameborder="0" title="Dove - Camera Shy" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Robert also teaches us that being too independent and trying to force things to happen exactly as we want them to is not allowing life to flow. He says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>&#8220;If we stick with independence, often we&#8217;re running on adrenaline and not grace.&#8221;</strong></span></p>
</blockquote>
<p>I sit back and allow life to flow because, right now, I can do very little else. And it feels good. I experience a sense of peace as I breathe a sigh of relief.</p>
<p>An excellent question Robert poses is the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #0000ff;">&#8220;If I could let life love me even more, what great things could happen?&#8221;</span></strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Tears spill down my cheeks as I contemplate this.</p>
<p>During the break, <a href="http://betterthansurviving.me/2015/09/01/just-doing-it/" target="_blank">remembering my vow to take myself out of my comfort zone</a>, and <a href="http://betterthansurviving.me/2013/02/19/everyone-everyone/" target="_blank">recalling how I definitely didn&#8217;t do so at the last <em>Hay House: I Can Do It! </em>conference I attended</a>, I purchase <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401946143/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1401946143&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=bettethansurv-20&amp;linkId=726JHFAPN7BL54AQ" target="_blank">Robert Holden and Louise Hay&#8217;s book </a><em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401946143/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1401946143&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=bettethansurv-20&amp;linkId=726JHFAPN7BL54AQ" target="_blank">Life Loves You: 7 Spiritual Practices to Heal Your Life</a>. </em>I then join a queue to have Robert sign my book.</p>
<p>I take this incredible opportunity to tell Robert how much I love him, how wonderful his talk was and how much I enjoy his radio show. I even get my picture taken with him. Go me!</p>
<div id="attachment_4696" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/img_5305.jpg"><img class="wp-image-4696 size-large" src="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/img_5305.jpg?w=500" alt="IMG_5305" width="500" height="434" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Pictorial evidence</p></div>
<p>I meet some lovely people at this inspiring event. One woman insists on buying me a coffee and carrying it back to the conference centre for me. And <em>Hay House </em>author Susan Lander approaches me to give me a free signed copy of<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401945376/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1401945376&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=bettethansurv-20&amp;linkId=MIHBH7RVBXQ6IOGL" target="_blank"> her book <em>Conversations with History</em>.</a></p>
<p>Despite all the learning, awareness and random acts of kindness, I decide that I&#8217;ve had enough of the crutches. It takes so much effort and energy to use them. My arms are paining me. And I want to be seen as a &#8220;normal&#8221; 35-year old woman again.</p>
<p>Thankfully, I&#8217;m reminded by <a href="http://www.tut.com/about/mikedooley/" target="_blank">inspirational author and speaker Mike Dooley</a> that everything happens for a reason. Mike likens life to a three-hour car ride.</p>
<p>Before this car ride, you decide where you want to go. You type your destination into the GPS system, or Divine Intelligence as he calls it. Then, you have to put your car into gear and drive.</p>
<p>For that three-hour journey, you may not know where you&#8217;re going. You may feel lost and the whole experience might feel weird. You may even take a few wrong turns but the GPS always recalibrates. And you don&#8217;t know if the GPS has worked until you get there.</p>
<p>Mike then describes a baby learning how to walk. The child takes a couple of steps before it keels over. The parents don&#8217;t start shouting at the child, telling him that he deserves it or that he brought it on himself. This child clearly has a desire to walk. And his parents recognise that falling down is part of the child&#8217;s journey.</p>
<p>After a great conference, yummy food, lots of adventures outside of my comfort zone, and quality time spent with friends, I leave London with a knowing that everything is unfolding perfectly. I resist nothing. I allow life to flow.</p>
<p>Before I arrive at Stansted airport, my mother texts offering to collect me from the airport. And I take her up on that offer.</p>
<p>I now have a greater understanding of how people must feel when they&#8217;re injured or incapacitated. From now on, I&#8217;m going to be more mindful of offering help to people when I&#8217;m in a position to do so as I can attest to how much it&#8217;s appreciated.</p>
<p>Today, my foot is almost all better. I&#8217;ve learnt many lessons from this injury. Some of which I didn&#8217;t want to have to learn. But learn I must if I want to move forward.</p>
<p>The GPS recalibrates and onwards I stride.</p>
<div id="attachment_4690" style="width: 410px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/life-coach-and-acupuncturist-kildare.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-4690" src="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/life-coach-and-acupuncturist-kildare.jpg" alt="tumblr.com" width="400" height="393" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">tumblr.com</p></div>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/the-adventure/">The Adventure</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie">Well of Being</a>.</p>
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		<title>Just Doing It</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2015 20:39:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[sharon]]></dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wellofbeing.ie/?p=259</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;m currently making my way through Susan Jeffers&#8217; bestseller Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway. So far, I&#8217;ve learned that there&#8217;s no point in waiting for the fear to subside before you tackle something. There&#8217;s also no sense in assuming that none of those &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/just-doing-it/">read more<span class="meta-nav"></span></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/just-doing-it/">Just Doing It</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie">Well of Being</a>.</p>
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				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;m currently making my way through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345487427/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0345487427&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=bettethansurv-20&amp;linkId=ARERKDKGAGWMJI7K" target="_blank">Susan Jeffers&#8217; bestseller <em>Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway</em></a>. So far, I&#8217;ve learned that there&#8217;s no point in waiting for the fear to subside <em>before </em>you tackle something.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s also no sense in assuming that none of those successful people out there experience fear. They do. To quote the book title, they feel the fear&#8230; and do it anyway.</p>
<p><span id="more-259"></span></p>
<p>I know somebody who&#8217;s recently got a big job promotion. She admitted to me that she doesn&#8217;t know what she&#8217;s doing. Nonetheless, she&#8217;s doing it. And the likelihood is that this daunting place she&#8217;s now in will soon become a comfort zone. As the saying goes, you&#8217;ve just got to fake it &#8217;til you make it.</p>
<p>Susan Jeffers suggests doing one thing each day that takes you out of your comfort zone. Because the place outside of that zone is where you&#8217;re challenged to grow.</p>
<p>That magical place is where opportunity manifests. And the contentment (or misery) that you were once resigned to transforms into an energy and fulfilment that you could never have imagined.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve decided to accept Susan&#8217;s challenge. So far, the things I&#8217;ve done aren&#8217;t particularly dramatic. But they&#8217;re getting me used to changing my perspective, pushing myself and trying different things.</p>
<p>In the last week, I&#8217;ve showered at the gym and done my makeup in the communal mirrors (my comfort zone would be to come straight home after a workout). I took myself to a different venue for coffee and I drove somewhere new.</p>
<p>A couple of nights ago, I spotted an interesting man on an online dating website. Out of habit, I exited his profile.</p>
<p><em>I don&#8217;t initiate conversation with men,</em> I thought.<em> That&#8217;s their role. They prefer the chase. And that suits me because I don&#8217;t have to risk rejection.</em></p>
<p>Then I remembered my vow to feel the fear and do it anyway. So I messaged him. I haven&#8217;t heard back from him. The ego took a slight kick to the nads but that&#8217;s all in a day&#8217;s work for a fear-feeling go-getter.</p>
<p>And over the weekend, I used the gym (fitness classes are my comfort zone). I even requested an assessment with a trainer who could design a programme for me. The receptionist booked me in for an appointment with <a href="http://betterthansurviving.me/2015/08/24/the-calm-during-the-storm/" target="_blank">an instructor who I really fancy.</a></p>
<p>This morning, my fit fitness instructor took me to a private room where I had to take off my shoes and socks (I&#8217;m very self-conscious about my feet). He weighed me and told me how fat I am (well, the percentage of fat in my body).</p>
<p>Then, he devised me a programme and showed me how to do all the exercises. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him work (yes, I&#8217;m a total perv!)</p>
<div id="attachment_4676" style="width: 274px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/life-coaching-kildare.jpg"><img class="wp-image-4676 size-medium" src="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/life-coaching-kildare.jpg?w=264" alt="I just got motivated." width="264" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">I just got motivated.</p></div>
<p>In other news, I was very saddened yesterday to hear of inspirational speaker and author Dr Wayne W. Dyer&#8217;s passing. Wayne Dyer was my first introduction to the self-help genre. I got so much from his talks and radio shows. He was a truly excellent speaker.</p>
<p>A few years ago, I attended <a href="http://betterthansurviving.me/2013/02/19/everyone-everyone/" target="_blank">an event in Glasgow</a> that Wayne spoke at. During the lunch break, my friends approached the speakers with books for them to sign. Striking up conversation with these people was something I shied away from so I took myself for a walk instead. After lunch, my colleagues gushed about meeting Wayne Dyer and the other amazing speakers.</p>
<p>And during my very first Life Coaching session with a fellow student, a suggestion was made that I contact Wayne Dyer and ask for advice on my business. I recoiled from the idea and never followed through.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m not beating myself up now for missing these opportunities but Wayne Dyer&#8217;s passing has highlighted the importance of embracing the moment rather than shrinking from it.</p>
<p>Wayne Dyer did so much good with his life. He helped and inspired so many people. He wasn&#8217;t afraid to shine his charismatic light that illuminated the way for so many others. Or maybe he <em>was</em> afraid. But he did it anyway. Thank you, Wayne. All my love.</p>
<p>Feeling the fear and doing it anyway opens up your world to an abundance of happiness, scariness, rejection, excitement, achievement, failure, success, growth, learning and fulfilment.</p>
<p>All you have to do is acknowledge the voice that constantly denies and declines, warns and negates. Realise that it&#8217;s perfectly normal to be afraid. Then muster up the courage to propel yourself out of your comfort zone and into the unknown.</p>
<p>So my advice is to feel the fear and go do it anyway. You&#8217;ve more to lose by <em>not </em>doing it.</p>
<p>You may think you know best but all you know is what you think you already know. However, when you plunge into the unknown, you know nothing. And that&#8217;s when the world knows better. So life gets better. <em>You</em> get better.</p>
<p><iframe width="1000" height="563" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2QRuAFkRs3Y?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/just-doing-it/">Just Doing It</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie">Well of Being</a>.</p>
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		<title>Great &#8211; Great Advice</title>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 2015 12:29:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[sharon]]></dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wellofbeing.ie/?p=173</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>I’m going to share with you a brief but worthwhile exercise from Prof Steve Peters’ book The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Programme for Confidence, Success and Happiness.  Imagine you are 100 years old and on your death-bed with one &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/great-great-advice-2/">read more<span class="meta-nav"></span></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/great-great-advice-2/">Great &#8211; Great Advice</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie">Well of Being</a>.</p>
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				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I’m going to share with you a brief but worthwhile exercise from Prof Steve Peters’ book <em>The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Programme for Confidence, Success and Happiness.</em></p>
<blockquote><p> <strong>Imagine you are 100 years old and on your death-bed with one minute left to live. Your great-great-grandchild asks, ‘Before you die, tell me what I should do with my life.’</strong></p></blockquote>
<p><span id="more-173"></span></p>
<p>Pause for a moment and try to immediately and honestly answer this question. You have just one minute.</p>
<p>Answering this question, according to Prof Steve Peters, will identify what is important to you. It is what life is all about for you. It is your ‘Life Force’.</p>
<p>Whatever your advice was for your great-great-grandchild is really the advice <em>you</em> need to hear. If you’re not living by this advice, which is the essence of your existence, you are living a lie.</p>
<p>“Don’t live a lie,” urges Prof Steve Peters because, “it will unsettle you more than anything else.”</p>
<p>My advice for my great-great-grandchild is to: <em><strong>“Be happy and really really live your life.”</strong></em></p>
<p>So how can one <strong><em>be happy? </em></strong></p>
<p>On Friday night, I watched a movie called <em>Hector and the Search for Happiness. </em>This uplifting film is about a psychiatrist who takes himself on a journey around the globe to research what makes people happy.</p>
<p>Without giving too much away, Hector discovers that happiness shouldn’t be the end-goal of the things we do. Rather, we should do the things we like to do and then happiness will emerge as a pleasant side-effect.</p>
<p>One of the most common barriers to happiness that Hector diagnoses is the destructive habit of making comparisons. When we believe that others are happier, more successful and better looking than us, we fail to feel content where we are. We ignore all the positives that are right there in front of us, waiting to be appreciated.</p>
<p>It’s simple really. Happiness is a choice. Do the things that bring you happiness, and appreciate and enjoy all that you have and all that you are.</p>
<p>The second part of my message to my great-great-grandchild is to really really live life. Are we not already living our lives seen as we are alive, you ask? Yes, of course we are. But there’s a difference between living and <em>really really </em>living. And I want to <em>really <strong>really </strong></em>live my life.</p>
<p><em>Really really</em> living means getting out there to experience, explore, learn, grow and expand. It means being present to beauty, to nature and to love.</p>
<p>It’s in the sharing and connecting with other human beings and with all living things. It’s in the embracing and supporting. It’s in our tears and in our laughter.</p>
<p>It’s when we dance, sing, hike and swim. It’s in inspiring and being inspired. This for me is <em>really really </em>living.</p>
<p>Am I following my own advice? Am I being happy and <em>really really </em>living? For the most part, yes. Then sometimes, I compare. I think too much. I worry. I complain.</p>
<p>I wish things were different and I turn my back on the abundance that’s right here right now. I shut myself into a safe, boring, compact box and forget that there’s a glimmering world out there and I can do anything. <em>Anything. </em></p>
<p>And then somehow life reminds me that it wants to be <em>really<strong> really</strong> </em>lived. And I thoroughly agree.</p>
<p>What advice would you give your great-great grandchild? Are<em> you </em>practising what you preach? If not, listen to yourself. You’re a wise one!</p>
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<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/great-great-advice-2/">Great &#8211; Great Advice</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie">Well of Being</a>.</p>
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		<title>The Inner Family</title>
		<link>http://wellofbeing.ie/the-inner-child/</link>
		<comments>http://wellofbeing.ie/the-inner-child/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2015 19:09:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[sharon]]></dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wellofbeing.ie/?p=205</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;m currently rereading Anodea Judith&#8217;s excellent book Eastern Body, Western Mind. This morning, I completed an exercise on the Inner Family that I&#8217;m going to share with you. Anodea Judith suggests making a list of the various parts of yourself. You might &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/the-inner-child/">read more<span class="meta-nav"></span></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/the-inner-child/">The Inner Family</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://wellofbeing.ie">Well of Being</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;m currently rereading Anodea Judith&#8217;s excellent book <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1587612259/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1587612259&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=bettethansurv-20&amp;linkId=TJRQAPNWUFYAPWAJ" target="_blank">Eastern Body, Western Mind</a>. </em>This morning, I completed an exercise on the Inner Family that I&#8217;m going to share with you.</p>
<p>Anodea Judith suggests making a list of the various parts of yourself. You might include the inner child, the clown, the achiever, the lover, the critic, and so on. In my case, I listed the lost child, the inner child, the lover, the romantic, the fearful one, and the warrior.</p>
<p><span id="more-205"></span></p>
<p>Next to each name on the list, write a few words describing how you perceive this part of yourself.</p>
<p>For example, I could describe the inner child as playful, curious or innocent. The lost child might be scared and alone. The lover is open, present and sensual. The romantic believes in love. The fearful one anticipates that bad things will happen. And the warrior is stunning, strong and skilled.</p>
<p>Now, write down what you think each part wants. My inner child wants to experience. The lost child wants to be loved. The lover wants to make love. The romantic wants to connect. The fearful one wants peace. And the warrior wants to live.</p>
<p>Ask yourself how often these parts succeed in getting what they want. How realistic are their desires? And what can be done to bring them into wholeness?</p>
<p>In order to bring the various parts of myself into wholeness, I can connect with people, including myself. I can be open to relationship and to love. I can meditate, rest and be still. I can be in nature, surround myself with beauty, and go on adventures. Using all of my senses, I can make love with life every single day. I can be present, really live, relax, allow and enjoy.</p>
<p>The final part of this exercise is to look at who relates to whom. For instance, does the critic inhibit the artist? Or does the clown entertain the sad inner child?</p>
<p>I realise that the parts of myself that I listed seem to go in pairs. The loving, playful inner child is the lost child&#8217;s reassuring companion. The confident lover and the dreamy romantic are in perfect partnership. And the warrior protects the fearful one and makes her feel safe.</p>
<p>This is an interesting exercise. Try it and let me know how you get on.</p>
<div id="attachment_4535" style="width: 493px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/art-brave-curls-disney-favim-com-2499212.jpg"><img class="wp-image-4535 size-full" src="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/art-brave-curls-disney-favim-com-2499212.jpg" alt="weheartit.com" width="483" height="1000" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">weheartit.com</p></div>
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		<title>For a Reason</title>
		<link>http://wellofbeing.ie/for-a-reason/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2015 19:10:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[sharon]]></dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wellofbeing.ie/?p=218</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Three things I&#8217;m taking away from my Life Coaching session this morning: 1. I&#8217;m going to work with the &#8220;negative&#8221; voice that regularly pipes up with annoying statements like: &#8220;You&#8217;re not good enough.&#8221;  I&#8217;m going to coach this voice. I&#8217;ll listen to &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/for-a-reason/">read more<span class="meta-nav"></span></a></p>
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]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Three things I&#8217;m taking away from my Life Coaching session this morning:</p>
<p><strong>1.</strong> I&#8217;m going to work with the &#8220;negative&#8221; voice that regularly pipes up with annoying statements like: <em>&#8220;You&#8217;re not good enough.&#8221; </em></p>
<p><span id="more-218"></span></p>
<p>I&#8217;m going to coach this voice. I&#8217;ll listen to it and be there with it and ask it how it feels to believe such a statement.</p>
<p>I understand that it&#8217;s there for a reason. It&#8217;s actually there for my good as it&#8217;s showing me what I need to look at in order to heal. And so I give it, I give myself, compassion.</p>
<p><strong>2. </strong>I&#8217;m not going to make assumptions or take things personally (And even if I do, I&#8217;ll be aware that I&#8217;m doing it).</p>
<p>I can&#8217;t know why anyone does or doesn&#8217;t do something. I don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s going on in their heads or what issues they have in their lives.</p>
<p><strong>3. </strong>I&#8217;m going to stop focussing on all the things I can&#8217;t do and all the things I&#8217;m not.</p>
<p>Instead, I concentrate on my uniqueness and on the wonderful talents that I&#8217;m bringing to the world around me. We&#8217;re all different. <strong><span style="color: #ff00ff;">There&#8217;s beauty in that.</span></strong></p>
<p>And a fourth one that didn&#8217;t arise from the coaching session but that has made itself known to me in a more obvious manner than ever before:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><span style="color: #0000ff;">It&#8217;s all unfolding perfectly. </span></strong></em></p>
<p>I simply have to get out of my head and drop into my heart. Let go of control. Release fear. Relax.</p>
<p>I am present. I am open. I trust. And I realise that everything I need is provided for me. I allow, accept and give gratitude.</p>
<p>Sometimes, what comes isn&#8217;t how I would have imagined it. It may even hurt as I attempt to resist it.</p>
<p>But the learning and growth that emerges from what does come makes me realise that everything happens for a reason. And the incredible people and gifts that appear are better than anything I ever could have planned.</p>
<div id="attachment_4519" style="width: 611px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/clouds-magic-night-stars-favim-com-2646784.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-4519" src="https://betterthansurviving.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/clouds-magic-night-stars-favim-com-2646784.jpg" alt="favim.com" width="601" height="900" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">favim.com</p></div>
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		<title>The Naked Eye</title>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2015 18:44:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[sharon]]></dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wellofbeing.ie/?p=248</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>I enter my friend&#8217;s bedroom in search of a particular book. I know what the book looks like and it isn&#8217;t here. My friend comes in and finds it instantly. It has been lying, face down, on her bedside locker. &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://wellofbeing.ie/the-naked-eye/">read more<span class="meta-nav"></span></a></p>
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]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I enter my friend&#8217;s bedroom in search of a particular book. I know what the book looks like and it isn&#8217;t here. My friend comes in and finds it instantly.</p>
<p>It has been lying, face down, on her bedside locker. I had been looking for the green front cover that was so familiar to me so I hadn&#8217;t recognised its white back cover.</p>
<p><span id="more-248"></span></p>
<p>We muse over this. When I&#8217;m searching for something, I presume to know how it should look. So I&#8217;m not open to seeing it when it appears in a different form.</p>
<p>A while later, I want to read up on something else. My friend informs me that the book I need should be in the bookcase in the hall. I methodically scan the books on the shelves. My internal dialogue revs up.</p>
<p><span style="color: #333333;"><em>The book is probably right here but you can&#8217;t even see it. You&#8217;re so unobservant. In your line of work, you should be more astute. And you&#8217;re a writer. Come on, Sharon. Find the book!</em></span></p>
<p>I give up. My friend suggests that the book could be on her bedside locker. I open the door, turn to the left and bend towards the locker. I am so focused on my task that I don&#8217;t notice what&#8217;s right in front of me. An entire human being!</p>
<p>My friend&#8217;s 18-year-old son stands facing me, with a small towel wrapped around his waist. I straighten immediately, tell him how sorry I am, and flee the room. My friend and I collapse with laughter when I describe what&#8217;s just happened.</p>
<p>I have been berating myself for not seeing what&#8217;s right in front of me. So it takes something big (a scantily clad human being) to show me the humour in it all. I can enjoy the moment and laugh at myself.</p>
<p>Last week, I started a course. On the first night, I was surprised at how quickly everybody opened up to one another. My fellow classmates were great speakers and excellent storytellers. I remained silent and listened with interest.</p>
<p>We broke for tea. Everyone continued chatting. I still hadn&#8217;t spoken. I noticed people looking at me curiously.</p>
<p>And I was okay with that. I didn&#8217;t care what anyone else thought of me. I understood that sometimes it takes me a little longer to feel comfortable around strangers.</p>
<p>Towards the end of the evening, I spoke up. I hadn&#8217;t rushed myself. This was the right time for me.</p>
<p>It may have taken me thirty-four years but I now accept myself for all of my strengths, struggles and idiosyncrasies. I accept my introverted tendencies. I accept the ditzy part of myself. I accept my inner critic.</p>
<p>And I accept that sometimes I&#8217;m so lost in thought that I don&#8217;t notice what&#8217;s right in front of me. Even if it is a half-naked man.</p>
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