Nicola Walker Coaching

Transform Your Mindset: Reignite Joy, Live Your Dream

inner voice

You Are the Source of Your Joy

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WaterfallMost of us have days, hours, or for some, extended periods of time when we feel burdened by life. Peering out from the weight of problems or just feeling plain pissy, we lose our bright, joyful self that is miraculously burden-free, watching our inner sparkle become a mere misty memory at best.

I’ve chosen to dedicate myself to my inner sparkle, to keeping my joy alive. I think it needs dedication because life never ceases to shower us with its gifts, then rock our boat. Part of the challenge of life, is that it is very easy to lose our joy.

How well do you know your joy?

Has your joy drowned in a sea of responsibilities, a swamp of seriousness, or is it tangled up in a thicket of gnarly obstacles?

Think of your joy like a mountain spring that continually sources fresh, sparkling clear water. You simply have to locate the spring again, each time you move away from it.

One simple way to get closer to your joy again that works for me is to be willing to drop everything, all my concerns, desires, worries and frustrations to simply be in the present moment. You become an empty vessel. It’s like clicking the “refresh” button on your computer.

How do you do this? [Read more…] about You Are the Source of Your Joy

Want to Feel More Joy in Your Life?

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mountain springThis summer I received some wonderful guidance from the wisdom in my heart. It all began when I was driving one day and I heard whisper #1: “Go to Mount Shasta.” Mount Shasta is a beautiful sacred mountain in Northern California, which I’ve visited before, the last time six years ago. This unexpected idea felt so right. I really felt like being in the mountains and I particularly love this area. Miraculously, once I got clear about what I really wanted in terms of accommodation, a friend suddenly told me that she knew someone up there who could offer me a room at a very reasonable price. This sounded perfect, and from then on my plans all fell into place, just like they do when you’re really meant to do something.

I had a mission for my trip. I wanted to receive guidance on my coaching business. There was something I knew I needed to realize, a special focus for me to articulate. So one day, hiking up on the mountain I stopped for lunch under the shade of some old fir trees and my inner voice spontaneously started to speak, very softly. I seized the moment and asked, what is the one the most important thing for me to achieve in the rest of my life? Then I received whisper #2 as the word Joy formed itself in front of my eyes. Then the words floated up in my consciousness, “Find your joy, then help others to find theirs.” I smiled. This was my purpose. I felt an affirmative glow of warmth that filled my being.

Finding your joy is not a one-shot deal. The ability to feel joy in your life, no matter what your circumstances, is a choice. It’s a commitment to your soul, to shining your light, because then you can love your life without having to get somewhere first. When you focus more on the getting there, whatever dreams you’re chasing, and less on the being here you start to lose your center of peace, joy and inner wisdom.

Once you’re aware of what it takes for you to find balance, then you can keep adjusting the steps you are taking to live your dream life and create cool new changes with whatever it takes for you to feel the joy of being alive, of being you, of having the rich, ever-unfolding life you have.

Joy for me is enjoying simple pleasures, catching myself when I start complaining or feel irritable to find out what I really want, and doing what I love even if I can only do it some of the time. Honor your dreams and take steps towards them, yet loosen the intensity of your desire when it stops you from loving life as it is right this moment.

For you to reflect on: How frequently do you feel joyful? What do you do to find your joy when you lose it? Do you have any beliefs that limit the amount of joy you think you can experience in your life?

Feel free to share the results of your reflections either by commenting to this post on my blog or sending me an email – Nicola[at]nicolawalkercoaching.com.

Rediscovering Magic in Life: Part 3 – Speak to Your Challenge

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Center of pink flowerMagic is always present, all around you and in you, yet your attention needs to be alert to the magic so you can perceive it. When your mind is focused on your life challenges and worries, mundane concerns or emotions that you’re feeling, then the magic is, for the moment, lost. Of course, it’s just part of being human. We have lots to think about! But you also don’t want to get stuck in the swamp of whatever you’re grappling with so much that the magic is lost and each day is like a startlingly similar replay.

A most effective way to get momentum on moving through and addressing challenges in life is to speak to your challenge. Both the struggle with the challenge and the answer that frees you live inside of you. It takes focus and commitment to your desire for whatever lies beyond the challenge in your life.

Here are five steps you can take to move through your challenge:

  1. State what it is you want. For example, I want to have a successful business, or I want to know that I’m making the right choice about xxx, or I want to be in a romantic relationship with someone who’s a perfect match for me, or I want to know the right step to take in this situation. Feel the want inside you and make sure it’s strong. That it’s coming from a place of decision rather than a  state of endless wanting.
  2. Feel the struggle inside of you. Maybe you feel frustrated or sad, hopeless or overwhelmed. Notice where you feel this in your body. Often you feel emotions somewhere in your torso, such as your stomach, your heart, your solar plexus or your throat. Or maybe you feel a lot of energy in your head.
  3. Speak to the part of your body where you feel the emotion. Ask it to tell you more about what it’s feeling. What is it frustrated about or sad about? You might know already, but it’s good to hear its language.
  4. As you listen, you may well hear some limiting beliefs. You can recognize limiting beliefs because they just don’t sound right. They’re not really true. They sound weak, like an old tape that keeps playing, but isn’t serving you anymore.
  5. Write down the limiting beliefs. Then question each one by asking, “Is this really true?” Listen in your heart for the answer. You’ll know. Then write down what is really true. Listen and deep down you’ll sense if what you have written is true. Maybe you’ll get a rush of warmth, a sense of knowing, an image or an inner voice that tells you that you’re on the right track.

These five steps give you an example of what is possible within a very short amount of time. There are many ways to speak to your challenges. The key is to shift from life challenge to illumination. Your inner wisdom is always there to support you and guide you in your life. Once you feel reconnected to the peace and wisdom in your heart, the magic is yours to perceive.

I hope you enjoyed this three-part blog post on how to rediscover magic in life, when it seems to be elusive or just not there at all.