Mr Tolle

Today is a share with you as I have been thinking a lot about the Eckhart Tolle seminar I went to a couple of years back. I will share this blog post (my other blog which I aren't written for in some time) from the time. I hope you enjoy it!

Tolle Seminar

As I sit listening to the beautiful rain outside and a dog's distant bark, I wish to share with you all some thoughts on the recent Eckhart Tolle seminar that I experienced on Tuesday evening.

The moment he walked up to the stage a hush descended on the audience. He took his seat and paused for a few moments before beginning to speak. When he did so I was struck by how calming his presence was in the room. He joined us in laughter, with his infectious giggle which reminded me of youth, he spoke of his own spiritual awakening at age 29, he spoke of stillness and now-ness, of consciousness and suffering.

He spoke of how some of us continuously live in the future (always looking for the next moment) and the past (always looking at past hurt or suffering), how there seems to be no separation from the voice in your mind and you, how each of us carries with us a story by which we define ourselves (how I can relate to that one) and that we live by doing things as a means to an end.
The state of disharmony we feel because we tell ourselves "I'll be content/happy when...." and when the moment comes we go onto the next thing.

Eckhart said that suffering takes you to a place of realisation. Suffering eventually wakes you up!
This rang true for me. For the past 15 years I have carried a story around and did let it define me and direct my life. I have been on a journey in the past couple of years but can honestly now say that I am grateful that the incident happened because it has allowed me to become the person I am today.

He also spoke of feeling good for no apparent reason, how we are not our thoughts rather the space for them, of making the present moment your friend.

How can this all be done?

By looking for fulfillment always, finding solutions in the present moment, giving up your 'story', giving attention to the doing, honoring what comes into the present moment, allowing life to unfold with ease and (the biggest takeaway for me) manifesting a new reality- but first knowing your state of consciousness! Who are you without the mind chatter?

He said that we are already on the spiritual path if we can hear the mind chatter- know it's there.

So how does one begin....?

Well as Mr Tolle stated by finding the small openness in you.....

Namaste ET

The unfamiliar & unknown

Today's Quote: "A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown."~Denis Waitley

Today's Question: Add a bit more sugar to your life and see what lies beyond your comfort zone...can you?

A Bit About Me:I have recently begun to go and dip my toe outside of my comfort zone. A question I like to ask of myself is an old but a goody....What is the worst that could happen?Please do it, it feels great and it feels empowering and you can even make a game out of it so it's not so scary!When doing something that pushes you, it could be the very thing you need to propel something forward....a call you have been meaning to get round to, an email you have been putting off writing, an apology you are not making that may possibly put you in the bad books, challenge yourself with some small action every single day for the next week and see what happens.To be in the unknown can be exciting and you can choose to view it that way.

Heart Space

Today's Quote: "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart"~ Helen Keller

Today's Question: What are you feeling with your heart?

A Bit About Me:

I feel most things rather than see or touch them. I am a very kinesthetic individual who feels most things and usually from a heart space of love. I have said it before but LOVE is my highest value and this love originates in my heart...... I ❤ you

Forgiveness

Today's Quote: "Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it."~ Mark Twain

Today's Question: Who or what are you unwilling to forgive? What would it take for you to forgive?

A Bit About Me:

Forgiveness is a tricky subject for many people. If we can't forgive something we term as 'something that has happened to us' and something we see as a 'wrongdoing' on someone else's part, then we get to the stages of wanting revenge and they say that if you are plotting revenge on someone then you may as well dig two graves. Who is in the most pain here?...I think that would be you.

Over the past while I have had trouble with forgiveness that is when I know my work is always being done, my self work. Recently I forgave the people who I perceived had done me wrong. I took back my light and my power and got past the feeling and now I feel even better for it!

It may be yourself you aren't forgiving or someone close to you, it could have been years ago that you decided not to forgive and that is okay. In my coaching work this subjects comes up quite frequently and it is a juicy topic. If you are having trouble with the concept of forgiveness then feel free to drop me a line at yvonne (at) safespacecoaching.com (I am writing it like that so I don't get spam....

Take Care

Safe Space

Today's Quote: "Intentions count in your actions."~ Abu Bakr

Today's Question: Which intentions are you taking into action?

A Bit About Me:
Recently I have relaunched (released my intention into action) my coaching practice Safe Space Coaching. After many years of work on myself it is very obvious that this is my path, my true purpose, my calling....call it what you will but my soul speaks to me every day of doing this and so I finally listened.
I am not a natural sales person and not a particularly savvy businesswoman but I can learn and I must learn. It may be a slow progress and you know what?....That is just fine with me. I have patience and I am willing to let it unfold as it will. That is reality.

Check out my website here

Nice ❤

Today's Quote:

"It's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice." ~ John Cassis

Today's Question:

How are you being nice in your life? To yourself and to others?


A Bit About Me:
Most people say I am a nice person and I couldn't think of a 'nicer' compliment. Some people's idea of niceness can be different from others but here are some things I consider to be nice. I smile at people, give to the homeless, look at nice things, eat nice things, love people, am kind and show empathy and compassion....❤
I do nice things and I aim to bring something nice into my life every single day. Awaken the niceness inside of you today...you never know what might happen.....

Transform

Today's Quote:

"The world is undergoing a profound shift as more and more people realize that all change and transformation is brought about by our thoughts, intentions, and our attention," ~ Deepak Chopra

Today's Question:

What might your profound shift be? What is your intention?

A Bit About Me:
I wrote a mission statement after reading a beautiful book by Deepak Chopra and it could also serve as my daily intention in all that I do.

My mission behind everything I do is to inspire the world and create harmony, peace, independence and do everything with Love & Empathy.

To some this might sound rather airy fairy but for me when I dig deep in my soul, that is what comes forth every time. It is my reason for being and my true passion in life. To live with empathy is of the utmost importance to me and if people don't like the terms then I am okay with that. The people who do will be the people to come into my world and I am okay with that too. ❤

Tao Te Ching

Today's Quote is the 3rd verse from Lao-tzu's Tao Te Ching:

Putting a value on status
will create contentiousness
If you overvalue possessions.
people begin to steal.
By not displaying what is desirable, you will
cause the people's hearts to remain undisturbed.

The sage governs
by emptying minds and hearts,
by weakening ambitions and strengthening bones.

Practice not doing...
When action is pure and selfless,
everything settles into its own perfect place.


Today's Question:
How can your actions today be pure and selfless? How can you serve instead of always getting more?

A Bit About Me:
One minute you can have everything and the next very little. You can choose a path which takes you further from what you have known but in that journey comes the joy of knowing that you never really needed it in the first place.
I was once able to go out and purchase anything I wanted and boy did I accumulate lots. Some of the stuff I purchased lay in unopened bags or boxes for longer than anticipated.
When packing it all up I was ashamed at all the things I had and never used or wore. I vowed never to let myself be this accumulating person again and I have remained true to that to this day almost two years later.
I use everything up before purchasing more, I am pure and selfless by giving away things that have given me contentment and joy with the knowledge that someone else may receive something from them, some gem that may even change the course of their life. Books filled with wisdom and love...make-up that they wear with happiness and pride, clothes they wear with smiles and jewelery that suits them better than it ever suited me......I serve in this way and also by talking to people and helping them out of a stuck situation into a life they are in love with. ❤

Changing Your Path

Today's Quote:

As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a single pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.
~ Thoreau

Today's Question:
What thoughts are you choosing to listen to? What kinds of thoughts would you like to dominate your life?

A Bit About Me:
I have always chosen to look at the good in my life, keeping gratitude journals and focusing on the positive thoughts. That is not to say that sometimes this is not a challenge. There are times in my life which have beaten me and the negative creeps in and clouds my mind. However, with awareness of your thinking, you can change it. Without awareness, we don't even realise that certain thoughts can be running our lives and possibly even ruining them.
Become present to the thoughts you have and ask yourself the above questions....your mind, body and soul will thank you profusely❥

Looking Past Limits

Today's Quote: "Being absolutely, truly yourself, is freedom." ~ Caroline Casey

Today's Question: How are you being the very best of yourself?


A Bit About Me:
I started the bit about me when a friendly blogger said she would like to know more....
Lately I have noticed a theme to my blog and it is about change and growth. Two words which land on me like impressions. I can't wait any longer for fear that people won't like what I have to say.
I have a great talk on self care that I have been working on for sometime now. It has changed lots and I am almost 100% happy with it...so exciting!
They may have heard it all before (I thought at first) but you know what? They haven't heard it from me....I draw my energy from people and when I have something I am desperate to share then who will stand in my way...only me and I am not willing to do that anymore. Are you?

Creating Space

Today's Quote:

"Through space the universe encompasses and swallows me up like an atom; through thought I comprehend the world." ~ Blaise Pascal

Today's Question:

Where are you creating some space in your day, week, month to comprehend something in your world?

A Bit About Me:
I have recently created a whole lot of space in my life and I am so conscious not to waste this time, I have done this before so I get concerned. I have spent the last year and a half working and now I feel I need the space to let some little seeds germinate by feeding them with some nurturing thoughts, giving them space, attending to them regularly and not neglecting them.

I am leading my woman's Sangha group in a meditation tonight about creating space, we do some bodywork followed by a half hour meditation and we each take a turn once a month to do this. I will let my mind flow.....creating a space......x

Never too late

Today's Quote and Question comes from Laura Vikmanis.....

"I was at a point in my life where I was like, 'What do I really want to do? What's something in my life that makes me happy?'"


A Bit About Me:
I'm with Laura on this one. Whilst I am ten years younger, I was asking myself this question over and over again so I decided that I was not going to wait any longer. Something in my life that makes me happy is coaching people so that is what I am doing.....I am a bit older and a bit wiser and am oozing passion on this one so if Laura can do it well then, so can I.

Enjoy....and apologies about the formatting of this video.....!

Dream

Today's Quote:

"20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade-winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." ~Mark Twain

Today's Question:

What will it take for you to make a leap? What things can you do right now so that you won't be disappointed?

A Bit About Me:
I am starting back up my coaching practice. I did it once before but didn't go "all out" or play big, I was still a bit small. I am over the smallness, truly, I am fed up with seeing people (even people I myself have coached) do amazing things and I kept saying to myself that somehow I wasn't ready. I had all the excuses in the world...you know about those huh!
No more!
I have too much music still inside me and I have been catching myself lately walking along the road or lying in bed all comfy and warm hearing the most beautiful poetry and lines of writing in my head, stuff that just bubbles up in my like the finest champagne. I want to taste that. I want other people to taste that.....I love that. I am starting to be quiet so I can experience the greatness inside and you ought to feel how good it is. It's fluid and true and authentic. When you listen for your greatness, it will come and gently sing to you, don't disappoint yourself by not listening!

Thoughts

Today's Quote:

"Life is not difficult; it’s your thinking that makes it difficult." ~ Byron Katie

Today's Question:

Where is your thinking making life difficult for you and those around you?

A Bit About Me:

I liken some thoughts to a fly getting stuck in some sweet sticky honey. It will beat its wings as fast as a newborn's heart, possibly trying to get unstuck.
We get so entrenched in our own thinking that we believe our thoughts to be so true that it may be keeping us from the very thoughts which would truly set us free from the stuck place.
Every time I try something new I start off like the fly in the honey but after doing the work of Byron Katie, I can usually inquire into my thoughts and now every day is filled with freedom from this limiting thinking. She is so spot on sometimes I wonder where she comes from....then I realise it's the same place we all come from...source. We all have it in us, it just needs to be coaxed out. I love working with my coaching clients to get to this beautiful mind space and live a life they love....

If I should have a daughter

Today's Quote:

“… always apologise when you’ve done something wrong but don’t you ever apologise for the way your eyes refuse to stop shining. Your voice is small but don’t ever stop singing.” ~ Sarah Kay (Poet) from her 2011 TED talk which you can find here.

Today's Question:

What are you apologising for lately? How can you use your voice to sing and your eyes to shine?

A bit about me:
Do you ever think about what people would say when you expect them to apologise....
" I'm sorry I didn't get it exactly the way you wanted me to" , "I'm sorry it wasn't fast enough" , "I'm sorry for the way I looked at you, maybe I was sad that day or had something in my eye", "I'm sorry I didn't make that deadline, I have just been told I have cancer". "I'm sorry I let the abuse continue and stayed where I was...small and weak. "I am sorry, I'll be better, I'll be perfect and when you seek out my faults with your cynical eyes and show me my weaknesses' by shining a flashlight on them, I will finally see you for the first time as the instigator in my world of sadness and step out the door with my head held high.....
Gosh, think Sarah inspired me......
Anyway, I am stopping apologising for who I am and instead get about the business of being authentically me. I am allowing my eyes to shine in wonder at the beauty of this universe and singing my song to the world...xx Yvonne