Happiness is Contagious - Are you Ready to Infect Someone With It?

  Last Saturday saw another Walk Innovation event held in Shenley. Twelve people turned out to find their respective paths and walk their talk. As this method is being pioneered by the attendees of each event - there is a sense of excitement as suggestions reign in to enhance the process and add to each event.

  It never ceases to amaze me how the path we walk bears so many synchronicities to the way we talk. I observed one group on Saturday as the issue unfolded. This led us into the middle of a muddy field. However, as the questioning process led towards solutions - the path improved - as did the awareness of where we were for our leader on the walk.

  It pleases me greatly to see how people's issues can shift in just a short time. 

  I was asked during one of my events whether I felt it was self-indulgent for people to spend an hour and a half talking about themselves. It is my opinion that we owe it to ourselves - and the people we love - to talk about ourselves. When we talk about the things that cause us problems to someone who doesn't know us - we get a unique insight on the issue(s). This leads to us being happier within ourselves. Research has proved that being happy not only effects us and our family - it spreads to our friends, the friends' of our friends and the friends' of our friends' friends.

  In short - happiness is contagious.

Walking Wellbeing in Shenley

  Last week I ran my first event this year, in sunny Shenley. Five people turned up in -4 degrees to go walking. It proved to be a great success. Even in sub-zero temperatures it is possible to have fun, get great results and witness the beauty that Shenley has to offer. 

  It makes me realise the true wonder in the simplicity of walking and even my nephews are appreciating how a walk can yield many wonderful benefits. It is my firm belief that the simplest things will get the best results.

Living in the Moment

  When learning about transformative practices there are certain things that are recurrent, regardless how diverse the teaching is. One of these is living in the moment - or total presence. This state is where we cease to consider our past or future and truly experience what is happening to us at any given time.

  Because of the human capacity to trawl the past and ponder the future for most of our lives, such moments are usually few and far between. Meditation will help, as will being captivated by certain people. There are many such moments in life and certain triggers to help to recognise them. Being aware of how our body feels, what is going on around us and concentration on the task at hand are all factors to help us to fully experience pure awareness.

  Last night I played football for the first time this year. I play on most Tuesday nights but have not played for 3 weeks because of the festive break. The first run-out after Christmas is always a little more demanding after the festivities.

  As I arrived at the outdoor venue the temperature showed -9 degrees C. I can honestly say that playing under such conditions is an exercise in pure awareness. From the initial burning cold on my hands to the frozen sweat and perspiration on the hairs of my eyebrows and nose. It provided a great incentive to keep running. 

  There were no opportunities for my attention to drift anywhere else except my place on that football pitch. It was an exercise in total presence and has given me a timely reminder of the importance of such a state.

  The small patch of sweat which froze to my back after the game was as comprehensive a warm-down as I've ever had. Pure awareness has many different faces - recognising and appreciating them is the key to experiencing more such moments.

New Year's Resolutions - Keeping them Real

It is, once again, that time of year where many people commit themselves to New Year's resolutions - as I have done myself in many previous years. I've heard some good ones so far. One of my friends has committed to not smoking indoors - in order to cut down their smoking. Partially effective in the winter - not so much in the summer!

We all have the best of intentions when we make such commitments. However, many such resolutions are unrealistic within current models of the world and will just lead to failure, disillusionment and guilt. This will will result in many people paying attention to the voice within that says how hopeless they are and that's not too nice. When undertaking such lifestyle changes it is important to have enough leverage to sustain the process. For one friend it was a simple comment about how unpleasant he smelled after smoking - put to him in less polite terminology by another friend of mine. This one remark created an instant smoking cessation - which has now been the case for over two years.

In my case the motivation comes from the fact that I am a Health Consultant and it is my duty to lead by example. I will often be tempted by junk foods and my title is all that is standing in my way of indulgence. Fortunately, my resolutions are not absolute, they are based on balance. Because of this I allow myself occasional less than nutritional treats. This was the case over the New Year as I met up with many friends in Ireland, partaking in one or two local, alcoholic interventions at a delightful public house. What this does is ensure that there is enough latitude within the resolutions that I make to allow me to make many positive, long-term changes within my life - without the restrictions which led me to failure in the past.

So, for all of you who have started a New Year's resolution and are struggling with the new you - be kind enough to yourself to allow any positive change to occur at a rate that is sustainable for you - for the rest of your life. For some, giving up lifetime habits can occur in a moment of intense leverage. For those who don't yet have that - make the resolutions proportional to your belief that you can maintain them. Alternatively, get someone to coach you to a place where that is possible.

We all have the right tools to make changes that will improve our lives forever - we just haven't had the right questions if we are not making those changes now.

What question(s) should you be asking yourself in order to get the results that you need right now?