Easy Way To Overcome Difficult Times | Quick Tip Entry #3

Fridays are the perfect time for my "quick tip" blogs.

For those of you who are struggling in your relationships, depressed about your job, dealing with pain and loss, or are feeling stuck or confused.

I want to know that there are lessons we must learn. And I believe that we will get to the light at the end of the tunnel once these lessons have been understood.

I've mentioned before that I often work 48 hour shifts. It's hard to be away from home and the job itself can be stressful. The day before my shift I have anxiety. I'm thinking about work the next day. I'm going through the routine in my head and how I will respond if this or that happens.

I realize now that my anxiety is stemming from not being in the present moment and that I spend way too much of my time thinking about the future and the past.

I believe that one of the lessons my job is teaching me is to be present and to let go of things that are out of my control.

Just writing that brings me so much peace.

Once these lessons are learned and accepted, then we can move forward.

What life lessons have you learned recently? I would love to hear from ya.

I hope you have a great weekend, even if you do have to work... especially if you have to work! :)

Ang

Check out the following links for more "quick tip" blogs:

How To Stay Motivated

A Quick Fix For When You're Tired

Check out my previous blog by clicking the link below:

Easy Way To Overcome Fear Of Failure

Easy Way To Overcome Fear Of Failure | Why "Failure" Does Not Exist

Hi everyone,

I'm excited to announce that this blog was written as a challenge with James from Manifesto Of Perfection. His blog focuses on self-improvement, fitness, and careers. You can check out his website here: https://perfectmanifesto.com/.

For this challenge, James and I decided to write on how to overcome fear of failure. We are both writing our own opinion on this topic based on our life experiences.

I hope you enjoy it. And don't forget to check out James' take on overcoming fear of failure. I will leave a link to his blog at the end of mine.

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How To Overcome Fear Of Failure | Why "Failure" Does Not Exist 

I often wonder how many people out there are not living their dreams because they are afraid of failing.

I also think back to my past. I have received several letters of rejection from university programs, failed tests that I studied so hard for, job interviews that I did not pass. Even now. My blog is very small despite the fact I have been blogging consistently for about 4 months now.

But you know what? I have never failed.

That previous statement probably doesn't make sense to you. I can see the wheels in your head turning. Ang, you just said you failed tests and you did not make it into certain programs. Well, failure does not exist in my vocabulary. I'll explain why via examples.

Let's say you are a new dancer. You know the choreography off by heart but you struggle with spins. You place your feet this way and that way and yet you keep tripping, slipping or it just looks awkward. Maybe you give up because you think you failed.

But this was not failure. It's called learning. You learned all the ways not to do spins in order to discover the correct way to do them.

Here is another example. I care for kids who have experienced trauma. I am trained to deal with outbursts, melt downs, and potentially dangerous behaviors. This use to give me anxiety. What if I tell a child it's time for bed and they yell at me and smash the TV? This would mean that I failed at my job, right?

But this is so far from the truth. An outburst does not mean the worker failed. Rather, these outburst are what we call an opportunity. An opportunity to learn more about this young person, their history, and their triggers. From that, we can develop a plan to try to lessen these outbursts. And there is never a guarantee that any plan will work. We can only try.

I'm going to go really deep with this last example to illustrate why failure does not exist.

You and your partner of 5 years have been having a really hard time. You have been doing everything you can to hold onto your relationship but despite your best efforts, it falls apart. You feel like you failed. You done everything you could but it did not work. Maybe this isn't your first failed relationship so you feel even worse.

Then with the passing of time your heart mends you fall in love again. This time you guys are married with children after several years and you're the happiest you have ever been. When one door closes another opens. There is a reason that saying exists.

After writing these examples I'm starting to see a common thread. "Failure" is an opportunity.

An opportunity to learn.

An opportunity to grow.

An opportunity to discover something even better.

In April of 2017 I applied for a masters program at my local university. Despite meeting and excelling all the requirements, I still got rejected. Sure, I got upset. But it was short lived because I knew there was a reason for it.

And now I'm here. Writing blogs on my days off. And I enjoy this so much more than being confined to a classroom.

Now I want you to do a little exercise. I want you think of a time that you "failed". It could be anything. How did you react? How did you feel? Did the world end? And now, most importantly: What did you gain from this experience? You may need to think hard and dive a little deep.

If you really can't think of anything, I'm sorry to tell you but you are not living your life to your fullest potential. And you deserve to live your life to the fullest.

So I encourage you do so. Apply to that university, enroll in singing lessens, book that vacation, ask that special person on a date.

There is nothing to lose but you have everything gain. And in the end, the only thing you will regret is not trying at all. Cliched? Maybe. But it's very true.

Thank you for your time.

I hope this blog finds you well and inspires you.

Ang

And don't forget to check out James' blog:

https://perfectmanifesto.com/2017/07/26/life-experience-a-natural-cure-to-get-over-fear-of-failure/

Check out my previous blog here:

https://confessionsofanawakenedyouth.blogspot.ca/2017/07/minimalism-guide-1-30-days-of-no.html

If you're prepared to take chances but scared of moving out of your comfort zone, read this:

https://confessionsofanawakenedyouth.blogspot.ca/2017/05/the-amazing-truth-about-moving-out-of.html

What To Do When You Feel Tired | Quick Tip Entry #2

Today I was really looking forward to practicing a new dance routine I recently learned. After about 30 minutes of practice, I started to feel a little tired and unmotivated.

This is something I always struggled with. If you're feeling tired or unmotivated, do you force yourself? Do you force yourself through a work out when your body is exhausted and your feeling really tired? Do you force yourself to keep studying even though you feel burned out?

Here's the motto I live by: Push yourself if, and only if, you feel empowered to do so.

We need to be kind to our bodies. We all live different, busy lives. We may work, we may have children, we may have a crappy diet, we may have insomnia. The list goes on.

Sometimes I have the energy to power through a dance routine or an exercise. Even when I feel tired, I still feel like I have more energy to spend. So I do.

However, other times I don't feel that way for any number of reasons. So I don't.

So what do you do instead?

1. You can do something else! Right now, I'm blogging. Equally productive but it does not require a lot of physical energy.

2. Nourish your body. Drink lots of water and eat real, clean foods. Especially fruit. The natural sugars in the fruit will give you lots of energy.

3. Take a day off. Really rest and relax. Watch your favorite shower, take a nap, get a massage. Whatever you want to do.

I hope that this blog finds you well. I also hope this blog inspires you to be kind to your body. It deserves a break.

Ang

Check out my previous blog here:

Minimalism Guide #1 | 30 Days Of No Shopping

Here is another "Quick Fix" blog:

How To Stay Motivated | Quick Fix Entry #1

Minimalism Guide #1 | 30 Days Of No Shopping

In my last blog I said I would upload Sundays, Wednesday, and Fridays. Today is Thursday. Oops. In all seriousness, I thought today was Wednesday. Oh well!

I haven't wrote about minimalism in a while. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not the type of minimalist where I can fit all of my belongings in a backpack. But that does not mean that I'm not a minimalist.

I do, however, have a lot less stuff than what I use to have. I sell and donate things I don't use on a regular basis and I spend a lot less time shopping.

Speaking of shopping, I'm going to tell you what really helped me have less stuff in my home.

I was organizing and getting rid of some stuff in my closet about a year ago. I remember getting really overwhelmed by the amount of things I had that I didn't use. Several garbage bags full to be exact. After I was done, I had some new clothing items to put away. It's not possible to reduce the amount of things you have if you're going to buy more. I told myself that I wasn't going to shop for the next month.

Well, a month flew by and my 30 days of no shopping was a success. And 30 days turned into 60 and then 90. Now, I rarely shop and it has really made a difference in the amount of things in my home. It's awesome.

So let's do the 30 days of no shopping together. This is great for people who are interested in becoming minimalists but don't want to part with their things. This is also useful for people who don't particularly care about minimalism but want to shop less for whatever the reason.

Here are some guidelines to follow:

1. It's OK to buy things you need such as groceries, toiletries, etc. It's also OK to buy something that breaks that you use such as your washer, phone, etc.

2. I do not recommend you go shopping with the expectation of not buying anything. It's really hard to resist temptations when you're around all this new stuff with discounted prices everywhere. If your friend asks you to go shopping, you can politely decline, tell them about your no shopping experiment, and suggest you do something else.

That's all!

What will you gain by doing this challenge? More space, more money, and more time to do whatever you want.

I know the 20th of July is a weird time to start this challenge but I don't believe you need the 1st of a month to make a fresh start.

I will check back with you August 20th with another minimalism guide.

Good luck!

Ang

I wrote a blog on tips to help you shop less. It may help you on this challenge:
https://confessionsofanawakenedyouth.blogspot.ca/2017/05/tips-that-i-use-to-shop-less.html

Here is another article about Minimalism if you're interested in learning more:
https://confessionsofanawakenedyouth.blogspot.ca/2017/04/minimalism-unplugged.html

And check out my previous blog here:
https://confessionsofanawakenedyouth.blogspot.ca/2017/07/does-your-job-give-you-anxiety-dont.html

I would appreciate if you subscribed. The subscription button is on the top right hand side. Also, if you click the icon the furthest to the right, you can follow my social medias (Instagram and Twitter).


 

Does Your Job Give You Anxiety? Don't Distract Yourself... Do This Instead.

Hi everyone.

Sorry for being MIA the past week. There has been changes happening in my day job. I went from working 6 to 8 hour shifts most days to working 24 hour shifts two or three days a week. It took sometime to juggle my blogging schedule with my job.

So let's get right to then shall we?

Speaking of jobs, the sad reality is that people need, or at least think that they need, to work to make money to survive.

The sadder reality is that the vast majority hate their jobs or they would much rather be doing something else.

I often hear people say they can't sleep well the night before their shift; their 12 hour shifts make them sick with anxiety; their boss treats them poorly and they leave work feeling drained; and most of all, they are on the count until their next day off only to repeat the cycle on Monday... or whatever day of the week you go back to work.

What kills me about the situation is that nobody should need to wait for time off work to feel happy or have fun.

But most people do and they don't realize there is something else out there.

My work situation is a little different. I don't hate it. But it is a stressful field which causes me to feel anxiety prior to my shift. Also, I'm away from home for 24, sometimes 48 hours, at a time. I would definitely rather be home with my boyfriend, painting, doing yoga, and blogging.

But I am near the end of my weekend and just up to when I started working on this blog, I felt anxiety. The anxiety was so bad that I just wanted to sit and cry. Is there anything I can do?

Yes. The answer to that question is yes.

Usually when I feel anxiety, I look for distractions. TV, games, company. Anything to distract my mind and keep me feeling numb

But what is that doing for me? Is it serving me in any way?

In the long run, no. t's not.

I believe that anyone and everyone can create a lifestyle for themselves. A lifestyle where they can get paid to do what they love.

Am I doing that now?

Yes!

I'm not at the point where I can quit my job and live off of the income from my blogs. Nope but I am on my way.

So what does that have to do with anxiety?

Instead of letting anxiety consume you, let it fuel you.

The anxiety I felt early fueled me to work on my blog. To work on it harder and to work on it more often.

Not only is it taking anxiety from me in the moment, I am also working on and growing my dream. This reminds me that the current situation is only temporary because I am working on manifesting my dream job.

You should try it too. I promise you will feel amazing.

Let's both to do it together and fly!

Get in touch with me. What is your dream? I encourage you to work on it... like, right now!

How did you find this blog? I hope it inspires you.

Ang

Check out some of my other blogs.

Here is my previous post:
https://confessionsofanawakenedyouth.blogspot.ca/2017/07/how-i-get-over-bad-day-featuring-law-of.html

If you want to learn more about manifesting your dreams, read this:
https://confessionsofanawakenedyouth.blogspot.ca/2017/04/an-inspirational-blog.html

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram if you are so inclined. Click the icon in the top right hand corner and you will find the links! Please subscribe by clicking the "subscribe" link at the top of the page.

Also, my uploading schedule was Wednesday and Friday. This isn't going to change but I am also going to upload on Sundays as well.

Namaste.

How I Get Over A Bad Day | Featuring The Law Of Attraction

Your outer world mirrors your inner world.

Your inner world mirrors your outer world.

What do I mean that?

To be honest, I'm not 100% sure myself.

But I do know that the law of attraction is at work. You attract more of what you are.

Let's say your day goes as follows: You sleep in and now you're running late for work. You grab a slice of toast with butter on your way out. On your way to work, you rear end the person in front of you. The person in the other car becomes irate and as a result, you say mean things to them. You have a terrible day at work. You complain to your partner about the crappy things your colleges said and done. You are tired. You earned the right to relax so you choose to eat pizza and ice cream while watching TV until you fall asleep.

Yes, there are some things out of your control. You can't help that you slept in and that you need to hurry to get to work. Sometimes accidents happen and you certainly can't control how other people respond.

But there is something you can do. Instead of having toast for breakfast, why not make a smoothie or grab some fruit. This is real, living food that will properly fuel you. I believe that setting that positive intention can break the cycle of a bad day. Or least change your mindset and attitude to help deal with it in a positive way.

Instead of being mean to the person you hit, why not show empathy and give an apology. Even if they remain rude.

Instead of venting to your partner about your terrible day, why not tell him or her how thankful you are to have them to come to after a long day.

Did you take time to breathe?

Did you show gratitude?

Did you reflect on something positive? No matter how small it may be.

Did you make time to do that one thing you love to do? Even if it was just for 10 minutes?

The law of attraction. You attract more of what you are.

If you're happy despite it being a bad day, you will attract more happiness. Less bad days. More amazing days.

If you show gratitude over the smallest things, you will attract more things/situations to be grateful for.

Try it. Even when it seems really hard to do so. Because that's when you need it the most.

I want to hear from you. What are your thoughts on the law of attraction?

Angela

Do you want to learn how to let go of a thought, fear, or worry? Then check out this blog:

https://confessionsofanawakenedyouth.blogspot.ca/2017/05/want-to-let-go-of-thought-fear-or-worry.html

Check out my previous blog if you are interested in learning one little thing you can do to stay motivated:

https://confessionsofanawakenedyouth.blogspot.ca/2017/07/how-to-stay-motivated-quick-fix-entry-1.html

Subscribe to my social medias. The links to my Instagram and Twitter are in my profile which is under the top right hand icon.

How To Stay Motivated: Quick Fix Entry #1

You get really inspired. You start that new hobby or diet or whatever it may be. It lasts a couple weeks. Then you fall off the wagon. Hard. You choose couch time over your hobby or popcorn and chocolate instead of the healthy snacks you recently purchased.

If this is you I can assure you that you are not alone. I'm like it as well. I stop eating healthy, meditating, doing yoga, or drawing. It could be anything at any point in time.

So then why does most everyone "fall of the wagon" at some point.

I think there are an infinite amount of reasons for this. It all depends on the circumstance, the individual, and a whole host of other variables.

I have been paying attention to when I fall off the wagon and what motivates me to start again. Actually, I'm just now getting motivated for the first time in a couple a weeks. And what prompted this sudden motivation? Watching new (to me) YouTube videos about some of my favorite topics which gave me new insight and even new recipes.

That gave me a realization.

I'm willing to bet that a contributing factor to lack of motivation for many is boredom.

Let's just say your relatively new healthy morning routine looks like this: You wake up at 9 a.m. and you drink lemon water. Then you get a shower and do some yoga. After yoga, you make a smoothie and you drink it while responding to emails. You done this every morning for the past 2 weeks. Same yoga routine and all. After a couple of weeks, you find yourself sleeping in, grabbing some quick to eat, and passing the morning on Facebook or Instagram.

If something like this has ever happened to you and you are struggling to get back on the wagon, there could be an easy fix to it.

Simply change your routine. Incorporate a walk into your morning; try a different yoga routine; drink tea or coffee instead of or in addition to water.

Feeling bored can lead to loss of motivation. Add something novel to your routine to spice it up again and get motivated.

I hope this helps.

Let me know what you do to stay motivated!

Ang

I'm thinking of adding a series in blogs like this one that are quick fixes to common problems. I have a couple of more in mind for motivation but I plan to expand and make them about anything. :)

I have a good reason for you to stay motivated! Check out my blog on 6 things that happen to you when you live your life purpose:

https://confessionsofanawakenedyouth.blogspot.ca/2017/06/6-things-that-happen-when-you-live-your.html

Check out my previous blog if you struggle with feeling beautiful:

https://confessionsofanawakenedyouth.blogspot.ca/2017/07/read-this-if-you-struggle-with-feeling.html

Read This If You Struggle With Feeling Beautiful (A Personal Story)

Growing up I was always told that I was beautiful. I am beautiful because I have long, tick hair. I am beautiful because I am tall and slim. I am beautiful because I have a clear complexion. This was how I took it, anyways. Compliments being linked to my "beauty". I didn't realize it at the time, but I hung to these compliments for dear life.

I am now 26 and I have had my share of hormonal issues. It's nothing serious but it did result in cystic acne and hair problems (hair loss and brittle hair). And naturally by body has changed too. I don't have weight put on, but I do have to put in an effort to keep it that way. And although my body has healed over the past year (I'll link an article I wrote about how I healed my acne), I still have a ways to go.

How did that make me feel? Losing what I thought made me beautiful affected me deeply. I would look at girls who had lots of hair or clear skin with bitterness and resentment. I hate to admit it but I would size them up to find something that made them unattractive. I usually didn't find anything and I was only left with guilt for criticizing someone else. This would only make me feel more unattractive.

Sometimes I would look in the mirror and call myself ugly. I was afraid to eat because I didn't want to gain weight. I wanted to get cosmetic surgery. That's insane! And not like me at all.

At the time, I didn't understand why I had such low self-esteem. But a healthy diet did more than heal my body. It healed my mind and spirit and a connection was made. I realized that I associated my beauty with how I looked externally. And that is utter nonsense. We are not beautiful because of certain traits we may have. We are beautiful because we are beautiful. That's it. Our beauty isn't conditional and there are no exceptions to that. We are simply beautiful. How easy is that.

So what can be learned from my experience? I'm not too sure myself. I believe we should continue to give compliments to people, especially children. But perhaps we should change what we compliment. In stead complimenting what's on the outside, why not tell them they are smart; they are funny; they kind; they are fantastic at guitar; they are passionate. And that's what makes them beautiful.

For those reading this, I want to remind you of something. You are not your size, a number on the scale or a blemish on your face. You are you and you are beautiful.

I think I'll leave it at that. I hope you find this blog beneficial in some way.

Sincerely,

Angie

Here is another article I wrote about how I cleared my skin
https://confessionsofanawakenedyouth.blogspot.ca/2017/04/if-youre-tired-of-treating-acne-with.html