This Could Transform Your Day...

The mind is very quick. 

It likes to jump around, explore, reflect, question and create stories about ourselves. 

It also likes to generate endless things to do. Especially if you're creative like me... the formation of ideas can be endless.

This practical tool I'm about to share with you (FREE download included too!) can transform the way you structure your days. It can boost Self-Esteem and ease off pressure. 

Something so simple, yet it works. 

We have a powerful mind to think with, emotions to bring colour to life and a physical body to help us experience physical life on Earth. Learning to embrace our humanness is a beautiful thing. Deep down though, we are, at the essence of it all, energy as Albert Einstein famously quoted...

"Everything is energy. Matter is energy, energy is light... we are light beings" 

Albert Einstein

We know from Einstein and many scientific studies that within everything you can find this energy. Liquids, gases and solids all contain energy and each vibrates at a different speed to create the form that it has. Solids vibrate much more slowly compared to a gas… which is why we can grasp hold of an object and see it. The same goes for us. Our physical body, our mind and emotions all vibrate at different speeds.

On a vibrational level the mind is much quicker than the physical body; it forgets to take into account the physical body’s need for more time to do things. 

Notice this... 

If I ask you to close your eyes right now and go to a tranquil beach, noticing the sights, sounds and sensations of that beautiful beach, your mind is already there right?

If you focus on that image long enough, feelings and emotions will then start to bubble up too relating to that beach. Your emotional body is a little slower than the mind yet still quicker than the physical body. 

Your physical body on the other hand hasn’t traveled to the beach in those few seconds; you are still in the same current location physically. 

Here you can see how quick the mind is… it doesn’t have any limitations on where it can go or what it can do when you’re simply thinking about things. It can go anywhere and do anything in a split second. 

The side effects…

When we have hundreds of things to do, the mind can get carried away… thinking that we can get everything done and we should get everything done. And by the end of the day when we don’t achieve everything (because the physical body needs more time to do things compared to the mind), feelings of disappointment, frustration and believing ‘I’m a failure’ are all too common.

"Arghh I didn't get __X__ done!"

"I'm useless, I can't do anything!"

Ouch!

This particular method I'm about to share with you helps to reduce all that negative chatter by listening to our physical body too. It’s still a wonderful way to organise our tasks, and personally out of all of the different 'To Do List' methods out there… this is the one that I have benefited from the most and helped to reduce overwhelm.

Tweet This: "Use the creativity & strength of your MIND, alongside intuitive guidance from your BODY" Emma Bradford

Recognising and respecting all parts of ourselves as we go through daily life towards our desired outcomes. 

Goodbye pressures!

Trust that you are exactly where you need to be right now and use the skills and knowledge around  you and within you to create a more harmonious life experience.

Try this... 

By transforming your to do list into a MIND/BODY list you can start to organise tasks in an easy and manageable way. Allow your mind to spill out everything it wants to get done on the left hand side column and then choose only 3 of the most important, urgent, necessary tasks and carry it over into the right hand side column. The right hand side column, 'The Body List' is your to do list for the day. 

That's it.

If you have plenty of time spare afterwards and are feeling up to doing a few extra things you can choose one or two extra tasks from the left hand side column. If that's the case notice how great you feel knowing that you already did the 3 most important and necessary tasks!

By reducing the list significantly you can ease of off pressure and remind yourself to check in with how you feel physically each day. Helping you to respect your physical body even more, avoiding burnout and built up stress.

FREE DOWNLOAD: To make things even easier, HERE is a pdf download for your personal daily list including extra guidance. Simply download and print.

Until next time, wishing you a fabulous month ahead!

Now over to you...

Download your list using the link above and let me know in the comments below...

• What changes as you adopt this new way of organising your day? 
• How do you feel at all levels... mentally, emotionally and physically? 

Have a friend that is struggling with overwhelm, pushing themselves too hard or needs a hand with organisation? Forward this blog post and offer them a helping hand.

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Have You Said This Too?

We often underestimate the power of them.

They're so powerful in fact, that I even experienced physical symptoms from them.

Dizzy, light headed and sometimes even nausea.* Spending years not knowing what was going on when strange unexplained symptoms popped up.

I was so frustrated. And that frustration just made it worse.

After many years of consulting health care professionals and digging deep emotionally and mentally within... it turned out that the majority of the time after these unexplained symptoms arose, I had been using hurtful and pressuring words towards myself.

That's right... words.

Words have an immense power to affect us emotionally, physically and mentally. Not only do they help us to communicate, form specific languages, express different sounds that vibrate through the air so to be heard by ourselves and others.

They are also powerful creators.

And we don't even need to speak them out loud to be affected by them. We can simply think them and the effects can be felt. 

When I first learned NLP, things started to piece together. How we talk to ourselves and about ourselves, the words we choose and the those that form beliefs... create our life experience. Something I always knew intuitively, though until I actually felt the vibrational difference of words it was only a concept.

I entered an eye opening reality. Discovering how I could empower myself and others, or put others down, how I could feel calm and centered or how I could feel bouts of nausea. I had the complete control whether I chose to believe and accept it or not. And this is the same for everyone else.

I was reminded of this recently, flicking through Spanish TV channels one evening seeing if there was anything 'edible' (as my Mother says!) when I stumbled upon a talent contest. Not the greatest quality show though it's certainly entertaining once in a while.

One vibrant, full of energy contestant caught my attention. Not only was she beaming with life, it was how she introduced herself that really made me stop and think.

"Hi my name is_______, and I am _______ years young"

Wait a minute, what did she say?

"I am ____ years YOUNG".

Woahh!!

In society, the way we talk, phrases and words are often used without a second thought. We talk about how old we are... and feel bad about our age. If words and beliefs create our reality then perhaps this vibrant contestant was beaming because of how she CHOSE to represent herself?

Tweet: "WORDS can influence you mentally, emotionally and physically... you can tear yourself apart, or nourish yourself whole" Emma Bradford

Observing others, we can learn a lot. We can also discover a great wealth of insights by noticing our self talk.

And often that's where we really let loose!

The Inner Critic spills out endless should's, must's, have to's without a second thought. And many don't realise that these words have a HUGE impact on our emotional and mental health... and as I found out, physical well-being too.

What I did when I felt an unexplained symptom, was to trace back my thoughts and notice what I had just said to myself a few seconds before... 99% of the time there was the word Should.

SHOULD brings a sense of pressure, a sense of have to, must do, need to. A sense receiving orders with a heavy feeling, placing ourselves into small constricting boxes. Especially with regards to a task we don't want to do.

Now if we change this into something more empowering... such as could, notice the difference...

COULD brings a sense of possibility, opportunity, and optimism. A lighter feeling of expansion as you give yourself an option. You could do that task, however its not a demand. Even if its about something that we do need to do, simply by talking and thinking about it using the word could helps to ease the pressure of the said task.

Awareness is the first step to making a change. 

Every time I noticed unexplained physical symptoms, I back-tracked my thoughts. If I had used the word should (which quite often I had!) I simply restated the sentence to myself again exchanging the word Should for Could. And just by doing this, symptoms alleviated significantly which taught me about the immense power words have on our mental, emotional and physical health. 

Wow!

Like a weight being lifted off my shoulders, fog clearing and a great sense of relief.

How to exchange dis-empowering words for empowering ones...

"I intend to lose weight" or "I am loosing weight" rather than "I'm trying to lose weight"

"I'm being showered with gifts" other than "I'm being spoiled with gifts"

"I can give it a go" in exchange for "I can't do it because of_____"

"I could do_______" or "I choose to do_____" in replacement of "I should do______"

If our thoughts and words create our reality then surely using more empowering words can help us into greater positive experience right?

Now I encourage you to notice the words you choose this week and ask yourself this...

When are you most critical of yourself? (What are you doing/not doing, thinking/saying... what are your surroundings at the time?)

And when are you least critical of yourself? (What are you doing/not doing, thinking/saying... what are your surroundings at the time?)

What do these answers tell you? What are the differences between the two?

Finally, let me know in the comment section below what differences you notice when you purposely use the word should and when you use the word could... what changes?

Until next time, wishing you a wonderful month ahead!

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*This is help communicate how our language can affect us at all levels. Knowing this can help improve our well-being. Please remember that for serious health concerns always seek a trusted health care professional and get reoccurring symptoms checked out.

3 Factors That Keep You Dis-Empowered & How To Break Free

Those of you who follow my page on Facebook might have noticed.

It wasn't the smoothest of rides.

Though as with most things there is always a silver lining.

Yes, this beach in the picture below looks idyllic. I literally drunk coconuts every day for nearly two weeks. Mmm my favourite!

It was also HOT. 

So hot that you had to walk at half the speed you normally do. Sweat dripping constantly only to find relief when your face was pressed against a cool, peppermint, flannel during a Thai foot massage.

Yes Thailand!

One of my favourite countries and with people so warm that their friendly smiles are recognised as a national treasure. The 'land of smiles' as they say. And don't even get me started on the food! ;-)

What this photo doesn't show though is the journey in getting there. 

It was a looong trip with nearly 8 hours worth of delayed flights. Apparently it only rains one or two days a year in Dubai, or so I heard. It just so happened that the day we transferred flights in Dubai there was torrential rain putting the majority of flights on hold.

You see the thing is, experiences happen and its our response and how we choose to view things that make a HUGE difference to our life enjoyment.

In reality they are simply just experiences. 

We are the ones attaching meanings to events. We are creating these stories within our mind. And if pessimistic outlooks and stories are left to linger these can affect our emotional well-being significantly.

This journey was in fact a blessing. After two nights of not much sleep at all, I arrived to Bangkok and much to my surprise I had no jet lag as I had dealt with it all on route. I was able to slip into the local timezone easily without side affects at all.

Therefore more time to really enjoy Thailand. Yes!

These experiences can also give us memories, stories (blog posts!) and opportunities to learn. This journey made me aware of 3 important factors we often overlook. 3 things that keep us stuck, dis-empowered and as a victim to so called 'bad luck'.*

Tweet: "How we choose to view events determines how we experience events." Emma Bradford

FIRST: When you see a picture, a selfie, an image in a magazine... know that it doesn't always tell you the full story. This is especially important if you regularly compare your life and body to others. As the famous quote goes...

"Don't compare your backstage with some else's show reel" Steve Furtick

I cannot count the amount of clients, especially women who came to sessions with negative feelings and beliefs their body - feeling shameful and regularly wishing they had what others have. Especially when browsing social media. Remind yourself... these pictures are not the full story. 

Choose to empower yourself instead.

SECOND: Ask yourself... what meaning am I attaching to this event? Start separating the simple facts apart from any emotional labels and limiting beliefs that you may have placed on top. The more we focus on the latter, the more that situation will be an emotional trauma for us. 

For example... two young women go to a bar. Woman A attracts more male attention than Woman B. Woman B might start believing that men hate her (notice the negative story/meaning attachment). What could be more true is she may have already been giving herself negative self talk previously. In front of the mirror, getting changed, comparing herself to her friend in the lead up to entering the bar. By the time she arrived to the bar, her emotional state and physiology was reflecting the negative self view, which also determined her behaviour too. As they say... 93% of what we communicate is non-verbal. 

Observe what meanings you attach... are you attaching meanings that are empowering or dis-empowering? 

THIRD: Challenge yourself to find the positive learning in all situations. This is not to mean that you need to suppress your emotions and 'always be happy' everything is always great. No. We are human, we have a rainbow of emotions and these valleys and peaks add colour to life. Allow yourself to feel, notice, observe... and then learn from the event by finding the blessing in disguise. If we don't, we remain stuck as a victim, dis-empowered and fearful.

What we experience, quite often is not as bad as we think. 

Whilst I was beyond tired, the great comedy and meditations on flight kept me happy and occupied during the journey. And after hearing news of terrorist attacks in Europe just hours after I landed back in Spain, my journey seemed totally insignificant in compassion. So grateful to be ALIVE.

I invite you today...

If you are experiencing something uncomfortable, how can you view that differently?

And if life happens FOR you, rather than to you what can you learn here?

I first heard this last question a few years ago and it really made me think. Its a wonderful way to quickly shift our perspective from being the 'victim' to an empowered student of life.

Now I'd love to hear from you!

After asking yourself the questions above, what have you learnt as a result? Using the comment section below I'd love to hear your shares. And you never know, it may help someone else too in a similar situation as they read the shares.

Until next time, wishing you a wonderful month ahead!

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NEW WORKSHOP: 'How To Transform Your Inner Critic Into Your Inner Cheerleader' Saturday May 14th 2016... get your Earlybird discount here.

*To read more on what I think of Luck click here.

One Important Key To Finding What You Want

It was a few summers ago when I experienced this, a great reminder many people overlook.

A fundamental point that has the ability to significantly change your life experience, and if ignored can lead to all sorts of lengthy detours and challenges.

That summer I was discovering the sites and wonders that Cataluña has to offer... enjoying the fresh, clean, forest air.

Ahhh... the perfect antidote to busy, entrepreneurial life.

Crystal clear streams to cool down from the Spanish sun, followed by tranquil picnic spots to unwind after a long day exploring.

During this trip, my road trip partner and I were excitedly preparing for a summer barbecue, we had the coals, the food, now we just needed a site.*

"We'd like to find a BBQ site please!" we eagerly stated out loud - as we often did. 

Hungry and raring to go we drove through a little town and asked some locals. They pointed, we followed, only to find the site was closed and no BBQ's were allowed.

Onto the next.

Adventure filled road trip for sure.

The next site we found had facilities however the locals clearly stated we had to ask permission, book the space before hand and the person in charge was unavailable at the moment. We had found a space but we couldn't use it. Hmmm thinking to myself, something started to click within.

"OK... we'd like to find a BBQ site that is available to use this evening".

The search continued, both being typical Taurus, we weren't giving up that easily!

Next stop: There was an available site, but also a huge derelict building right next to it. The space was filthy, broken glass, stray cats... it looked like something from a horror film in the diminishing evening light. Not inviting at all.

"OK! We'd like to find a BBQ site that is available to use this evening, comfortable, clean and welcoming!" 

At this point we were both laughing, realising what had been preventing our success up until now.

Sometimes we think we are putting the message 'out there' for what we want... when in reality we are giving mixed messages or simply just being too vague. We may know that critical thinking, fears and doubts can hinder the manifesting process, however, what many often forget is that not being SPECIFIC is a major factor too. 

In this case, it was the later and this adventure was a wonderful reminder. We had simply been looking for 'BBQ site'. We found spaces, just not what we really wanted.

Our RAS (Reticular Activating System), a part of the brain that helps to bring things to our awareness was looking for something vague as that was all we had stated. RAS, a filter between the unconscious and conscious... a fundamental part of the brain for goal setting. More on the RAS here.

If we desire something, and we are not clear on what we really want... it can lead us down all sorts of adventure filled experiences. Whilst that can be fun, sometimes it can take us much longer to achieve that desired outcome.

Look at it this way: 

If you want to enjoy great health, regulate your natural weight, boost self esteem, love your body etc answer the following...

1) What SPECIFICALLY are you looking for?

E.g.) 'I want to be healthy enough to do __X__' (not just 'I want to be healthy'... notice the difference?)

2) Where and when would you like that? (What specific day and time?) 

E.g.) I want to be healthy enough to do ___X___ by ____'

3) How will you know when you achieve that? (What will you see, hear, and feel?) 

E.g.) 'When I am healthy enough to do __X__ by ___ I will see____, hear____ and feel____'

The clearer the desire within your focus, the clearer the message that goes to you RAS, therefore the more likely that outcome will occur. Your RAS does not know that difference between reality and imagined experiences. It doesn't even know the difference between limiting beliefs and true helpful beliefs. It simply acts like a faithful dog running after the ball its master has thrown. So feed it clear, positive direction by doing the following...

• Visualise: Imagine your desired outcome as a movie scene including all the desired details and sensory information (what you will see, hear and feel).

• Positive Language: Talk about your desired outcome using positive, reinforcing language both with yourself and others. For example, 'I am losing weight' not 'I am trying to lose weight but it never seems to shift' the later reinforces 'I am not losing weight' to your RAS... which in turn keeps that experience in your reality. 

• Consistent Action: Take small, consistent actionable steps towards your desired outcome to strengthen and reinforce the direction you wish to go in.

• Reprogram The Unconscious Mind: Clear up any opposing, negative beliefs that may be stored unconsciously. More on removing limiting beliefs here.

And you'll be pleased to know, on that trip we managed to enjoy some delicious BBQ's, in gorgeous spots despite the initial detours!

Now I’d love to hear from you...

What SPECIFIC desired outcome would you like to experience and what first step can you can take towards achieving that? 

Using the comment section below, schedule it now and holding yourself accountable. It is scientifically proven that those who write goals down, and do the necessary steps above are over 95% more likely to achieve them. Yes really! So the real question is, how much do you really want it? ;-)

I look forward to reading your comments, until next time, wishing you a fabulous month ahead.


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*Because of forest fires and the Spanish heat there are specific locations for enjoying BBQ's.

Feeling Fearful? Try This...

I was reminded of this a few weeks ago.

Chatting to my NLP teacher and her partner… I realised the giant leap I had made.

4 years ago whilst standing in her training room, my first ever NLP course, the fear of public speaking was making an appearance yet again. Something I struggled with throughout school, college, university and even as an assistant manager in London.

I hated it.

Often hiding behind pieces of paper that I would hold, shaking and whispering words so quiet no one could hear me. The exercise at the time was to create a story in groups to teach the names of the planets in a memorable and entertaining way. I somehow managed escape most of it, assigning myself the role of ‘Chief Artist’ saying the bare minimum by drawing all the diagrams on the board instead.

Much more enjoyable I thought! Funny too, as there were only 4 people in the room… I was that terrified.

Avoidance, however, doesn’t help you improve things.

And the satisfaction I have felt since by acknowledging and facing my fears totally outweighs the 5 minutes sketching a comic strip on the board.

Sometimes when taking a moment chatting to others about our journey we realise how much things have transformed. Take a moment to consider…

• Is there an area of your life you used to really struggled with and now you find much easier?
• What did you learn about this on the journey to success?

With regards to public speaking, I started step by step by holding myself accountable and scheduling weekly talks. The first ever meetup I held over 3 years ago was in a small bar in Raval, Barcelona, with just 3 people. With support and encouragement both from myself* and members this became easier and easier. Also by removing limiting beliefs and using light hypnotic language to tell my unconscious everything will be ok helped to transform that area even further.

4 keys to moving from FEAR to SUCCESS effectively...

Social Accountability - Schedule that event before you feel ready, hold yourself accountable.

Practice - Practice, practice, practice... there is no failure, only feedback!

Support - Open up to finding and receiving support from both yourself and others.

Removing unconscious barriers - Find the unconscious root cause and remove it with love.

Fast forward 4 years from my first NLP training, and I now teach weekly classes on NLP and Self Awareness techniques to large groups, largest being 45+ people! Whilst there is room for improvement and each week I learn more and more… the transformation from what I used to be like to now, has been quite humbling. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for my NLP training and desire to share these invaluable tools.

Tweet: "If you're Finding Excuses And Reasons why you can't... you're keeping yourself in the FEAR zone." Emma Bradford


If we allow it, fear can take hold on us we may even try to shove everything under the carpet to avoid the pain.

Though by doing so, the crap often spills out anyway.

For example, by ignoring a fear of rejection it can manifest as a bad habit or illness the more we suppress it. It is simply the emotion's way of shouting for our attention. Ignore it, and it will find another way to get your attention. 

By observing how you feel with kindness and dealing with the root cause creates long lasting results. This is what I do with clients, with the combination of them…

1) Accepting personal responsibility for their life, willing to participate during a program of sessions e.g.)  showing up and doing a few super quick reinforcement NLP exercises between sessions if required.

2) A desire to experience change with the support and skills provided.

And I as their NLP coach help them to…

3) Find and heal the root cause by reprogramming their unconscious and create a more compelling future.

Together we can create significant results as we don’t treat the symptoms, we treat the root cause. If you want to hear what my clients really think you can click here.

In the meantime I encourage you to consider…

• Is there something in your life that you find challenging and often avoid?
• What have you been looking to feel or gain by not dealing with that fear directly? 
• And what are you losing as a result of this behaviour?
• Take a moment to notice how stepping into that, owning the experience and saying yes to change can bring so much more joy in the years to come when you overcome that fear. Better than avoidance, right?

I’d love to hear from you!

Using the comment section, what area of your life will you apply the 4 keys (Social accountability, practice, support and working with your unconscious mind)? When will you start doing that? Schedule it now and hold yourself accountable noticing the transformation that follows when you take action.

Or is there something else that has helped you improve an area in your life? If so feel free to share your experience and insights below. 

Until next time, wishing you a great month ahead!

Have a friend that would find this useful? Share this blog post now via Facebook, twitter or by email and offer a helping hand.

FREE GIFT: Want to be the first to receive these posts plus extra bonus information that I only send by email? Sign up to my monthly newsletter here and receive a FREE Guided Visualisation mp3 to boost your Self-Esteem even further.

* I encourage you, every time you step out of your comfort zone to give yourself kind words, a hug or a pat on the back. Positive reinforcement makes future steps so much easier! 

Everyone Has This... Question Is, Are You Using It?

The Dalai Lama has this.

You have this.

I have this.

And I don't know about you, but I certainly got myself into a few pickles and painful situations in the past when I ignored it. Not the most pleasant of experiences I can tell you. 

What am I referring to? 

Why that little voice within, gut feeling, intuition, or vibes of course ;-) 

That divine prompting within that nudges you towards or away from something... often giving you a sense of knowing that something is for you (or not for that matter). 

Whatever you call it... there's no denying it can be extremely useful and often underrated. After all it stands for 'Inspired Tuition' or the 'Tuition within' whether be it from the Universe, your Soul (or whatever resonates with you) helping you to continue along the path in life you have chosen in a happier, easier and lighter way. An internal navigation system that gives us the answers if we chose to listen.

"Listening to the energy from the heart without judgement" as Sonia Choquette, world renowned intuitive author says.

So for something that we all have, yet often many of us avoid using it, ignore it or struggle to decipher the messages... how can we make this journey a little easier?

For an empath like myself (someone who is extra sensitive to energy, and often able to pick up how others feel emotionally and sometimes even physically), intuitive messages not only come in the form of feelings and sensations but also as distinct emotions. I receive such an overwhelming happy emotion of YES YES YES when there is something I need to pay attention to and take positive action towards that. 

And there can also be moments when it is ever so subtle... a simple change in direction of the energy within... slight expansiveness in the chest or a slight feeling of contraction or nausea within the abdomen. That gentle difference of expanding or contracting within can take practice noticing, especially if we are primarily focused on the external world around us and critical thoughts in our heads. 

Not impossible though... and yes everyone has the ability.

This New Year I started feeling such a strong pull towards a particular place in Europe, one of my favourite places that I have visited over the years. I literally woke up dreaming about it, thinking about it every day, every week more than I ever have before... I felt such a strong emotional pull towards this place. This was my intuition's way of letting me know that I could benefit from some time to myself on this island. A place of calm and tranquillity.

In NLP we talk about VAKAd, this being the different preferred representational systems that each person has i.e. meaning the preferred way that we filter and process information that comes to us through our senses in day to day life.

We don't just have one representational system, we have all of them to some degree... however usually there are two main systems in play more often than the others with one of them being slightly stronger than the other which we call our 'preferred system'.

V = Visual

A = Auditory

K = Kinesthetic

Ad = Auditory Digital

VISUAL (V): People who are more Visual notice what they see and what things look like more than other senses. Quite often these individuals will use language to reflect this too such as 'I see what you mean' or 'I get the picture'.

AUDITORY (A): Some people are very Auditory, meaning that they are aware of sounds more than their other senses. Background sounds can be distracting or music can be the preferred method that they use to feel uplifted. These individuals can also use language that reflects this such as 'That sounds good' or 'I hear you'.

KINESTHETIC (K): Others are have a tendency to feel strongly and be very in tune with the Kinesthetic side of things, meaning the sense of touch, gut feeling and how they are feeling emotionally too. Words and phrases can involve 'I'll catch you later' or 'That feels good to me'. These people often are a lot more aware of their intuition too compared to people with other preferred representational systems.

AUDITORY DIGITAL (Ad): A fourth, slightly less common representational system (though one of my favourites!) is Auditory Digital. This simply means that there is a strong internal dialogue. These people can be very logical, with strong desire to make sense of things, understand people and situations and can sometimes display signs of other representational systems. Often they also can use phrases such as 'That makes sense' or 'I understand'.

[We also have Olfactory and Gustatory (sense of smell and taste) however as the majority of people have one of the above 4 as their preferred systems I will focus the majority of this post on the 4 above.]

One way to help decipher which are your preferred systems is to consider the following question...

If you were in a cinema and smelled fire smoke, what would you do first?

Look? Yell? Move? Or do you question the situation internally first trying to make sense of it and the situation?

Personally, being quite Auditory Digital with a strong Kinesthetic nature coming second. My reaction would probably be the following...

• (Thinking internally) 'I smell smoke, where is it? Is there a fire? (trying to make sense of the situation - Ad)'... then I would start moving my head around (K), closely followed by noticing what I see (V) and then later sounds and/or verbalising it out loud to others (A).

• Someone who is very Visual may smell the smoke, look around with their eyes first (V) then followed by moving their head and body (K) to find out where it comes from, verbalising it to themselves or others out loud (A) and later quickly deciding on a plan of action (Ad).

Now, bear in mind that the difference between each step can be milliseconds. 

This is just one way to get a rough idea however I encourage you to also notice how you talk to yourself and others during the following week and observe what clues you pick up on.

Whilst our sixth sense/intuition is strongly linked with the kinesthetic element of feelings and sensations ('gut feeling') we can however, by knowing our preferred representation system have the possibility of opening up ourselves to even more more information that may come our way. Specifically noticing how that expansion or contraction within changes as you absorb information through your preferred system.

• So those of you who are VISUAL may also notice your intuition communicating to you not as random isolated feelings, but by noticing that sensation when you see images whether be it in your reality or as flashes of images, visual memories and colours within your minds eye. Struggling to make a decision about something? Notice how the gentle contraction or expansiveness within may vary when you consider both options as images within your mind.

• Those of you who are very AUDITORY may notice your intuitive messages in the form of sound or being more aware of your 'gut feeling' when you are consciously connected to sounds. For example hearing loving words or compassionate guidance within as if someone is gently whispering it to you, hearing songs and lyrics that seem to really resonate with you at the time of listening to it, hearing loving support that someone says to you which feels right or simply noticing that expansion or contraction within as you hear those previous examples is your intuition pin pointing you in the right direction. 

• And as mentioned before KINESTHETIC individuals, notice the intuition's main way of communicating feeling bodily sensations and emotions directing them towards or away from things. They can access more information by regularly and mindfully tuning into how their body feels in different situations throughout the day, strengthening that muscle to detect any shifts that may occur and what situation it may be connected to.

• Finally those who are AUDITORY DIGITAL quite often can access more intuitive information and feelings by allowing themselves the time and space to reflect on things internally. These individuals, due to their strong internal dialogue benefit from that time alone to reflect so that they can make sense of the expansive or contracting feelings within.

So here's for the first NLP challenge of 2016! 

Over the next 7 days I invite you to connect with that curious inquisitive mindset and notice... 

I wonder... how is my intuition communicating to me? 

I wonder... what is it guiding me towards so I can experience a happy and healthy 2016?


Notice what positive, gentle guidance comes up and then start by taking action. By the time you are reading this I'll probably be enjoying my weekend away on that island ;-)

Now, I'd love to hear from you!

Using the comment section below, what do you think your preferred representational system is and how will knowing this enhance the way you notice your intuitive gut feelings?

Have a friend that would find this useful? Share this blog post now via facebook, twitter or by email and offer a helping hand.

Until next time, wishing you a fabulous start to 2016!

EXTRA: Want to be the first to receive these posts plus extra bonus information that I only send by email? Sign up to my monthly newsletter here and receive a FREE Guided Visualisation mp3 to boost your Self-Esteem even further.

Transforming Fear Into Strength... What Would You Do?

'Basically, it's hot enough to melt steel'

...they said, as I breathed in the cool, crisp evening air and heard the gushing of the river Thames nearby. 

I was just about to do something that terrified me.

I was forcing myself well out of my comfort zone, yet I knew with all my being that this experience was right for me at this time in my life, I had to do it. 

2015, for many has brought huge changes. I could see clients and meetup group members experiencing turmoil... "This autumn has been too much!" I heard as I started focusing meetup events and workshops more and more on soothing the emotions within and how to detach from the inner critical voice. 

It seemed so needed at this time, more than ever.

I too went through major personal shifts earlier this year, with situations forcing me to let go, re-adjust and continue strengthening the loving connection within despite of challenging experiences.

Painful, yes.

And as with most things, what I learnt through the process made it so worthwhile.

So whilst looking up at the stars that cool evening near London, hearing the energy of the crowd and feeling the adrenaline pumping within I knew that my life experience was about to move to another level. I was about to test my beliefs about life and Mind/Body connection to the MAX, allowing all levels of my being to experience a completely new reality. 

I took off my shoes and socks, feeling the cold wet grass beneath my feet. 

Mind 100% on my desired outcome. At this point I couldn't even hear what the crowd was cheering towards me, I had no idea... it felt as if I was in another world, totally focused ahead as I stepped forward and walked bare foot across 4 metres of hot charcoals that lay before me.

Firewalk's* are just one way to help us to use our fear and transform it into strength and power in a situation. Breaking away from the 'I can't do it... I will get burned...' beliefs to 'Wow no burns whatsoever and I didn't feel a thing... if I can do this I can do ANYTHING!'. By actually achieving something that we previously perceived as impossible, we can feel more motivated to continue our journey towards other desired outcomes.

Empowering is an understatement!

If anything it's simply just a way to step out of your comfort zone and realise what you are capable of as solutions, goals and desired outcomes don't tend to reside within our comfort zone... we need to venture out of that comfort circle as this image below demonstrates...

And no, stepping out of our comfort zone doesn't feel necessarily always feel comfortable!
Quite often, it's afterwards when it can feel bloody great, and you often wonder why you feared it so much in the first place.

So that evening near London as my mind was so focused on my desired outcome, it was only until I reached the last step that I suddenly thought to myself 'I don't feel anything' and by that point I was on the grass again ready to celebrate with the rest of the group.

Eager to examine my feet afterwards... I found no burns whatsoever. 

Wow! 

The support I received during that experience, raising my emotional state and choosing to focus 100% on my desired outcome helped to make that move a whole lot easier despite the fears. Quite amazing to feel first hand too how the mind can affect the physical and emotional bodies experience of life in such a powerful way. 

Often people believe that we need to feel ready to do something or that we need to do it when we don't feel fearful anymore... when in reality these types of beliefs actually keep us stuck. Successful, confident people still feel fearful at times... they simply notice the thoughts and emotions and act towards their desired outcome regardless.

"We all feel fear at some point in life, particularly when starting out at something new. Fear is a healthy human emotion, so long as it doesn't cripple other emotions to get in the way of opportunity." Richard Branson

Have you been keeping yourself within your comfort zone recently?

If so, how can you support yourself through that process moving out of your comfort zone and towards your goals and desired outcomes in your life? 

The Firewalk** experience was one of the highlights of 2015 and a wonderful opportunity to remind myself of my capabilities.

A year of transformation and helping to prepare the foundations for 2016.

This time of year I often pick up on subtle energies and I 'feel' the shift energetically for what the theme for the next year will be for me. We often do this consciously too in the form of setting desired outcomes and creating new helpful habits in the form of New Year's Resolutions. 

However you do it, this time of year is a wonderful moment for reflection and transition... letting go of the old, welcoming in the new whatever you want that to be, and realising how far you have come noting the experiences you are grateful for so far. And this doesn't have to involve Firewalk's ;-)

Use this final week to reflect upon your 2015 experiences, and take a moment to consider this...

1) What TRANSFORMED for you in 2015 that you are most grateful for? 

No matter how big or small. Simply by being more aware of a new side of you, or picking up a new skill can be a wonderful change. As you consider how things have evolved, notice the feelings that triggers knowing all the wonderful new experiences  that you can welcome NOW thanks to that shift.

Also...

2) What is continuing to TRANSFORM at the moment as you go into the New Year? 

If there something you currently feel in the middle of ask yourself if there is anything that can help you through the experience. For example; support from a loved one, finding out how others may have completed a similar journey, a loving, comforting practice such as the Inner Light Visualisation or more.

And finally...

3) What would you like to TRANSFORM in 2016 and how can you help that to become a reality? 

Want to improve an area in your life or learn a new skill? Set the date in 2016 when you will start doing that. Writing things down and holding yourself accountable is a powerful step to success.

Now, I'd love to hear from you! 

Using the comment section below, what is your answer to transformation question number 3?  What will 2016 be about for you?  

Have a friend that would find this useful? Share this blog post on facebook, twitter or by email and offer a helping hand this season. 

Until next time, wishing you a fabulous end to 2015... let's make 2016 the best year yet!

EXTRA: Want to be the first to receive these posts plus extra bonus information that I only send by email? Sign up to my monthly newsletter here and receive a FREE Guided Visualisation mp3 to boost Self-Esteem. 


* To be carried out ONLY under supervision of trained Firewalk instructors! 
** Photos to follow when I receive them from the SUPER POWER SCHOOL event organisers.