3 Simple Life-Changing Secrets
Do you find that some weeks feel like they fly by relatively uneventfully and others are loaded with challenging moments?
Those moments can either leave us feeling depleted or feeling that we’ve just received a crash course in life.
Sometimes it's both.
This week was one of those weeks for me, but I’m happy to say that after all the intentional work I’ve done to grow and expand my awareness, the lessons come easily and the depletion is short lived.
Isn’t it amazing to know that we can evolve how we show up in the world and how we see and respond to life?
Here are 3 simple but life-changing insights I learned just this past week:
See problems as opportunities. A problem isn’t a problem until we call it one. Otherwise it’s just a thing that happened that didn’t go as planned or unfolded in a way we didn’t like. I know right now some of you are rolling your eyes and thinking come on, Kena, we all have problems, even you. I hear you, I’m definitely not above complaining about problems I’m facing now and then. But this week I had a bit of an awakening on this topic. I got an email from a client who wanted to talk to me about our coaching relationship. At first, I felt myself react in a negative way. I told myself all kinds of stories based on one very simple email. But the next day I decided to approach the issue with love, integrity and an open heart. Instead of emailing my client back, we hopped on a call and were easily able to talk through what she was feeling. What started as a problem became an opportunity to practice meeting my clients where they are and deepen my support in helping them achieve their goals. It also became a chance for me to practice seeing “problems” as opportunities to be creative, learn and grow. Next time you’re faced with what you see as a problem, see how you might view it differently if you re-labelled it as an opportunity.
Breakdowns can lead to breakthroughs. When we find ourselves losing our temper, breaking down into tears or in any other peak emotional state, we have a tendency to think that something is wrong with us. Instead, what if we accepted that the feelings we’re having are coming up for a reason and just allowed them to flow freely? The only way we get through a feeling is to give ourselves full permission to feel it. Feelings are temporary - we don’t have to worry that we’ll stay there forever. But if we suppress them, we’re actually delaying the process. The feeling will linger until you’ve paid attention to it. The beauty of allowing yourself to experience your intense feelings is that on the other side could be a breakthrough. You get the big a-ha, you’re ready to make a decision you’ve been putting off, your mindset finally shifts to support you. At the very least, you feel a form of relief. Welcome your tears, they are setting you free.
Show up for yourself. I spoke up this week in a situation that would have terrified me before. I was worried about whether the other person would understand and if they might see me differently. But I also knew that I’ve moved past the point of not being in integrity with myself. I am committed to speaking up where it matters. After I had the conversation (it went well), I felt proud of myself. Even if it hadn’t gone well, I know I had my own back by speaking up. And it made me think about how we have to have our own back in all areas of our lives. We need to continually show up for ourselves. We need to ask ourselves what we need in order to be our healthiest, most authentic selves and without guilt or shame, find a way to meet those needs. When it comes to your health, wealth, relationships, career, how are you showing you for yourself?
We all have those moments in life where something just clicks. It could be something someone said to us, or maybe we read something that struck a chord. Or maybe it comes to us after a very challenging week. Whatever it is, these moments have the power to change our lives forever, if we allow them to.
Do any of these insights resonate with you?
With love,
Kena xo
Kena Paranjape, Founder, All You Are