What Can You Bring?

It is nearly the end of the school year here in Australia. Actually, there are 20 school days left! (This kind of gives away the fact that I am counting down! :D) 

It is the time of year where everyone is starting to feel the pull of the holidays coming closer and closer yet they are still just beyond our reach!

Parents are trying to survive the madness and rush and make it to the end of the school year with some degree of sanity left!

Teachers are in the thick of completing assessment and reporting and the time pressure is on.

Kids are trying to contain their exhaustion after a long and busy year of learning and growth - some better than others! 

Yet, with all of this going on, we are still responsible for showing up as our best selves every day for the people around us. How do we do this? Is it even possible?

How do you give more when you feel like you have nothing left in the tank to give? 

How do you push through the long list at work, get stuff done at home and still bring the joy?

 MIndset is a choice. 

It is all and it is everything. Your mindset impacts everything you do or don't do, think or don't think, say or don't say. Don't fool yourself into thinking what you are saying or doing is out of your control! They are the only things IN your control! Your mindset is a choice. There are no outside factors that can choose what your mindset is going to be. There are no outside influences. The bottom line stops with us.

 Focus is everything.

This has been the biggest thing I have learned over the last 12 months. What you choose to focus on is where your energy will go. If you choose to focus on EVERYTHING - you will end up stressed and overwhelmed. If you focus on all the work you have to do and get done and couple it with the words 'There is not enough time in the day!' - you will begin to feel like things are getting out of control (and then feel stressed and overwhelmed!). If you choose to focus on the person who is annoying you or that child that you are still saying the same thing to at the end of the year or that someone at work who has added another item to your to-do list - you will feel constantly irritated and annoyed. What you focus on impacts how you feel and how you show up for the people around you. 

 Energy is contagious

Our energy is kind of like the vibration we put out into the world. That is the best way I can describe it. Have you ever noticed how you feel when you are around people who have a negative energy? It's hard to put into words but it kind of feels like you are under the weight of a wet rag and you feel the need to move away quickly! Then there are people who bring a joyful and positive energy with them and just being around them makes you feel a little lighter or upbeat and happy.

Why does this happen? Because our energy is contagious. If it is like a vibration in the world, then it makes sense that it is contagious right? The days you feel great and bring a positive energy, are usually the days that even if things don't go right, you still manage to handle things better, the people around you feel it and are uplifted and you can see the change in those around you. 

You are responsible for the energy you bring to every place and situation.

I want to share with you a few tips on what helps me to continue moving through the last part of this year with joy and reduce the level of stress, overwhelm, frustration and fatigue that I might experience. I hope they help you too.

 Decide today how you want to feel.

Yes, your body might be tired. Yes, your mind might be tired. I totally get it! But the simple fact is, the direction our day goes and how we feel throughout the day is made by one simple decision. So ask yourself:

 How do I want to feel today?

 What can I get excited about today?

 What can I find joy in today?

 What will I need to have courage for today?

 Who can I inspire today?

If you want to write it down in a journal, then do that. If you simply want to focus on the answers as you are having breakfast or in the shower in the morning, then do that. But asking yourself these questions will help to focus on the positive emotions at the beginning of the day!

 Be a Power Plant!

A power plant doesn't have energy. It GENERATES energy. This is not always easy but it is absolutely possible. Imagine if from the beginning of the day you generated positive energy?! Imagine how you would feel as you moved through your day? Imagine how those around you would feel if you brought that energy with you! You never know who needs you. Good energy is contagious.

 Be Mindful of your Self-Talk

Sometimes it is challenging. I absolutely get it. ESPECIALLY when the body and mind are feeling fatigued. But this is when it is the most needed. So here are a couple of questions that I heard from High-Performance Coach Brendon Burchard that are great to ask in the morning to support our self-talk and shift our mindset so we are prepared for what happens throughout each day and how we are going to respond (rather than react!)

 What or who might trip me up and cause stress, and how can I respond in a positive way, from my highest self?

 Who can I surprise today with a thank-you, a gift, or a moment of appreciation?

 How can I be present today and show up as my best self for those around me?

 How can I positively influence someone around me today?

 What are my thoughts doing right now? Are they helping me feel alive, engaged and grateful at this moment?

 How we start each day will determine how your day unfolds.

We can activate each day with a few simple steps and just remember:

- Be patient with yourself: you are doing the best you can.

- Be patient with others: they are doing the best they can.

- Remember to breathe deeply: it helps to calm the body, slow the heartbeat and reduce stress.

Your mind is a powerful thing. When you fill it with positive thoughts, your life will start to change.  

Until next week...remember to bring the joy!

Clarissa xo