As someone who once juggled the demands of pleasing everyone but myself, I've discovered the liberating power of mindfulness to craft a life of fulfillment and tranquility. Embark with me on a profound exploration of how adopting a daily mantra, "I practice mindfulness to fill my mind with peace and calm," can profoundly shift your perspective on life's cacophony. Throughout our latest episode, we unravel the complexities of living in the present, wielding mindfulness as a shield against the onslaught of stress and anxiety. We confront the demanding role of the people-pleaser and share stories of how mindfulness has restored our energy and allowed us to tend to our personal well-being, promising a life that's both fruitful and invigorating.
The dance between staying present and getting lost in mindlessness is a delicate one, and I recount vivid tales from my own experiences that illustrate this intricate waltz. From the bustling streets of Montreal to the tranquility of a neighbor's wise advice on enjoying life's simple pleasures, these stories highlight the journey toward a balanced life. We discuss the courage it takes to set boundaries, the art of saying no with grace, and the transformative impact of aligning our actions with our genuine needs. As we close, I leave you with a hint of what's to come—turning the sting of rejection into a pathway for redirection. Join us as we seek daily enchantment, cultivating peace, love, and your very own mojo.
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/serenity License code: 2KCNDKUNWE45BHIO
As someone who once juggled the demands of pleasing everyone but myself, I've discovered the liberating power of mindfulness to craft a life of fulfillment and tranquility. Embark with me on a profound exploration of how adopting a daily mantra, "I practice mindfulness to fill my mind with peace and calm," can profoundly shift your perspective on life's cacophony. Throughout our latest episode, we unravel the complexities of living in the present, wielding mindfulness as a shield against the onslaught of stress and anxiety. We confront the demanding role of the people-pleaser and share stories of how mindfulness has restored our energy and allowed us to tend to our personal well-being, promising a life that's both fruitful and invigorating.
The dance between staying present and getting lost in mindlessness is a delicate one, and I recount vivid tales from my own experiences that illustrate this intricate waltz. From the bustling streets of Montreal to the tranquility of a neighbor's wise advice on enjoying life's simple pleasures, these stories highlight the journey toward a balanced life. We discuss the courage it takes to set boundaries, the art of saying no with grace, and the transformative impact of aligning our actions with our genuine needs. As we close, I leave you with a hint of what's to come—turning the sting of rejection into a pathway for redirection. Join us as we seek daily enchantment, cultivating peace, love, and your very own mojo.
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/serenity License code: 2KCNDKUNWE45BHIO
Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/run-away
Speaker 1:
Welcome to your new favorite podcast, pocket Full Emojo, where you're you and I'm Steph, and we tune in here to tap into some mojo. You see, I think I've cracked the code to being happy. I'm happy every single day and I'm not even kidding. Maybe not all day, every day, but I've built a tool shed full of amazing stuff that help me out of and avoid getting into life sticky and stressful situations, and I'm not here to gatekeep. So settle in, take some notes and welcome to where your mojo hits the road. Each and every episode you hear is made with love and good intention to share with you some of the delicious nuggets of inspiration and insights, with some wit and wisdom, to help you stay connected to your very best mojo. In today's episode, we're going to go through today's mantra as well as look at a little thing called mindfulness and how it creeps into our everyday life. So I know you've got a gazillion pods to choose from. So my heart bursts with gratitude that you're even here. So you stick around and I'll make sure you glad you did. Let's get started with today's mantra and get tuned in, tapped in and turned on. Hello and welcome to the sixth episode of Pocket Full of Mojo, I'm Steph, I'm your hostess and mojo maven, and I'm so glad you're here. Did you do something with your hair? You're looking mighty fine today. Go on, check yourself out. You've got that mojo going on, am I right?
Speaker 1:
Let's start by digging into today's mantra. So today's mantra is I practice mindfulness to fill my mind with peace and calm. To fill my mind, that is, to displace any other thoughts than those that bring me peace and calm. This is an act of deliberate intention and with the motivation behind it to tap into a space where your mind and body can really feel peace and calm. That is the point of this mantra I practice mindfulness to fill my mind with peace and calm. Focusing on peace and calm is important. Remember how words have power. So this is why we say the mantra the way that we do, as opposed to saying I fight stress and anxiety with mindfulness, because then that dominant thought is stress and anxiety and we know that the brain does what we tell it to do. So keeping our focus on the desired end result will really help catapult you towards feelings of well, calm and peace.
Speaker 1:
I practice mindfulness to fill my mind with peace and calm. Practice, practice, practice. This is a really important one. This doesn't mean that we hold ourselves to the impossible standards of being in the state at all times, but rather to call upon this mantra to get us back to our desired state of peace and calm. When the waters get choppy and they will I practice mindfulness to fill my mind with peace and calm.
Speaker 1:
Practicing mindfulness allows us to remember that the only thing that exists is the now, and trying to live in the past or the future is what brings out the stress and the anxiety that we're trying to avoid. So, by dropping into the now and coming back into our bodies in this moment, it creates a barrier between us and our stressors and allows us to mindfully and actively, and willingly and lovingly, create a space for ourselves where peace and calm can live. I practice mindfulness to fill my mind with peace and calm. This simple act of self-love will not only keep your mojo in check but, with time, as you repeat this mantra throughout your days, throughout your week, and keep it in your pocket for when times are tough, it can act like a get out of brain jail free card, and it'll empower you to have peace and calm as your baseline operating system, and when you've achieved that, you will see your resilience improve and your daily zen always at the ready. The more you go to the gym, the lighter the weights become. It's kind of like that. I practice mindfulness to fill my mind with peace and calm. So keep this mantra close. Maybe write it down on a post-it note at your desk, or even on the bathroom mirror to greet you first thing in the morning. Wherever you may feel triggered by stress or anxiety, have this mantra close like a good friend to remind you of your power to redirect your energy back to a place of peace and calm. Really define for yourself what that looks like, how does it feel, and give yourself the power to get back to that place with ease and maybe a few deep breaths. You got this. I practice mindfulness to fill my mind with peace and calm.
Speaker 1:
Now, as I've been building out this podcast, I've been picking some fairly specific topics to dig into, but today I want to zoom out for a bit of a look at a broader concept and mental health's hottest new buzzword, and that is mindfulness. Now, when your instincts and human operating system are set up to serve others, it gets harder to stay in tune with yourself. If you are a fellow people pleaser, you're in the right place and I'm excited to share with you that not only is there another side, but that I'll show you how to get there. But the truth is, a life lived mindfully is extremely rewarding. It's energizing, it's freeing for everybody and anybody, not just people pleasers. So, without further ado, let's dig into living mindfully and how it can turbocharge your growth. So stick around, it's going to amaze you.
Speaker 1:
First up, let's expose the people-pleaser monster. We're going to start by acknowledging the gentle-hearted but thoroughly annoying and limiting people-pleaser dwelling within you. And don't worry, my friend, I've got one too. Always eager to make others happy, you've likely discovered the downside of this noble trait ignoring your own needs and desires. Psy, psy, because here's the thing if you're not paying attention to your own needs, then who is? So, my friend, it's time to rip off the mask and understand why mindfulness is your new secret weapon.
Speaker 1:
First up, I want to tell you the story. The headline is it's okay to be a wallflower, like picture this, okay. So I'm at my brother's place for New Year's Eve and the party's hoppin', and the living room is now a dance floor and I'm digging the tunes, being as social as my anxiety will allow me to be and generally having a good time and you know I'm engaging in small talk, boo, and saying yes to everyone's requests and then saw a lovely party animal cross the way and she was dragging people onto the dance floor and my gut twisted and I really didn't want to dance in front of all these strangers and my brother's, friends and stuff. So I just wanted to bop politely in the doorway. So I took a second as my fear and anxiety started to ramp up and I assessed my own needs and I imagined a scenario where I could mindfully respond with love and authenticity but still say no. And there she was. I could see her coming. She asked and against all my instincts, I said no thanks, because my old instincts were leading me to a place of people pleasing. But this time I tuned in to myself and I actually said no thanks and the party partied on and the world didn't end and I didn't crumble into a million pieces and she didn't get angry.
Speaker 1:
Really, the difference was profound and even as I'm saying this, it's like, okay, wow, you said no big deal. But if I had a dollar for every time I've been in that same or similar situation and said yes, despite my own needs and wants. I'd have several, many dollars and I'd be counting them from Bali like for reals, but it was the act of being mindful of my feelings and stepping out of my comfort zone to honor my needs that was the game changer. And was it a big deal? Probably not. Was it difficult More than I could describe? But the small win I was able to achieve in that moment allowed me to see that taking care of myself wasn't as big of a deal as the liar in my head made it out to be, and it was convincing me to say yes when I wanted to say no. Like I said, we always have options.
Speaker 1:
You don't have to live a mindful life, but let's break down the dance of mindfulness versus mindlessness. Living mindfully is being able to be with yourself in the now. It's kind of like a dance. If you're the choreographer, you know the steps. You're dancing to a tune you didn't write, have never heard yet. Still you expect perfection. That sounds like a tall order. When you dance to your own tune, you're tapped into your heartbeat and that's the most important rhythm that there is. Life is too short to be stumbling through and missing the stuff that lights you up. So let's look at the why and pave the way for all the joy that's on its way into your mindful life.
Speaker 1:
Here's what I'm talking about. I had this idea of myself that I was pretty in tune with how I went about my day to day life, and once upon a time I lived in Montreal. Geez, this would have been like over ten years ago now. Anyway, I had this neighbor and she was lovely and very into the spiritual practice and she knew me and knew my busy life and saw how I approached life, trying to get as much done as possible, and what she also noticed was how much I was going in multiple directions at once.
Speaker 1:
So we were talking one day and she shared with me this practice of being present. She said picture yourself savoring a cup of tea. Mindfully. You notice the warmth, the aroma. Take a sip. There's subtle flavors. You relish every moment. How does the cup feel in your hands? Or when you're in the shower? Are you thinking about every single skin cell and how grateful you are for every single part of your body? When you're thinking about all these micro details and enveloping yourself with these truths that are right there with you and around you, there is no time to think of the past or the future. There's only the now.
Speaker 1:
So my answer to her about the tea in the shower was simply uh, nope, I do not do any of that. But once I started really thinking about it, I started really doing those things and then I started really savoring every bite, feeling more nourished, feeling more clean at the end of that shower, really just feeling more in touch with myself in the very best way. In those moments there was no real estate available in my brain for money, troubles, relationship issues, work, stress or other thoughts that haunt us Now. Does that mean that those stressors don't exist? No, not at all. This isn't about ignoring the tough stuff. This is about keeping ourselves in a space of peace and calm so that when we do tackle the tougher moments in life, we're better equipped and coming from a better place on solid ground.
Speaker 1:
Now contrast that with gulping down your tea while multitasking or worrying your way through a shower and not even remembering that you were in the shower at all. You're also missing the richness of that experience. There's no need to shortchange yourself. This is not a race. Now think about all the chances that lie ahead for you to make the most of it. So can we do these things? Sure, do we do these things. Well, that's not always easy to say yes to, so let's unpack the why.
Speaker 1:
Why is mindfulness challenging? Understanding why it's challenging to live mindfully is a really crucial step in this thing. Let's break it down, unpack it and take away some of its mystery. For us people, please, are it often roots in fear? So fear of judgment, fear of disappointing others. So at this point, the best thing to do to uncover these fears and free ourselves from their gross and ugly grip is to break up with them. That's it. We're just going to break up with the fear. Are you with me? Let me give you an example. This is something that happened to me recently. So imagine the fear of saying no to a friend's request. So this isn't just any friend, but this is like one of my ride or die friends.
Speaker 1:
I've been watching her start her own business from scratch and she is killing it. The last six months have been amazing, watching her pour her whole self into this project. She decided it was her dream to open a women's clothing store and boom, six months later, store is open. She's doing her thing, killing it. A few weeks ago she told me that she needs to go out of town for a buying trip and asked me to cover the store for a couple of days. Now I've got a background in retail. I could sell ice to an Eskimo and, all things being equal, I would be great.
Speaker 1:
And my initial gut response is to be the people pleaser to say yes, absolutely, how can I help? But when I really checked my gut it was saying oh fuck, because I want to say yes, as my former operating system encourages me to do, but feel the pressure of doing it right. And then I'm alone and I need to learn all these systems and tools that she's got and I know how much is riding on her success. So for me the stakes were just too high. So I took a beat, I checked in with myself and the thought of saying yes to my friend was still really important, but it would cause me days of anxiety and worry and stress of wanting to do it right. So, with a bit of courage, it took me about 25 minutes to figure out how to say no, as I do not have a ton of experience doing it and I really wanna do it well. So I said thank you for the offer, but I'm just not comfortable or confident that I could do the job. Deep breath and we're still friends. That's the news. The world didn't explode. She didn't think less of me. She completely understood.
Speaker 1:
So the point here is that mindfulness empowers you to recognize the fear, acknowledge it and respond to it from a place of self-love. And that act is protecting yourself, avoiding taking on known additional stress simply by taking a beat, interrogating your instincts and acting in alignment with what you truly need. She needed a salesperson, and while that's a job I could do, the cost of that was more than the dollars and cents that I would be getting for the work. Doing this active, mindful work allows you to honor you rather than succumbing to the anxiety of potential disappointment. So let's shift into some practical tips for building mindfulness with grace. Now that we've identified the obstacles, let's dive into the uplifting part. Finally, here come the tips and tricks to gracefully introduce mindfulness into your life. And remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Patience is going to be your loyal companion and grace is your guide, your new besties, if you will.
Speaker 1:
So the first pro tip is to start small, start simple. Imagine starting your day with a five minute mindfulness ritual. Gee, steph, that sounds a little woo-woo. Now, before you hit that skip button, I want to stop you right there. What if I told you that it was as simple as breathing? That's right. A moment to breathe deeply and connect with yourself, that's all it is. Now remember one of my favorite sayings Just because it's simple doesn't mean it's easy. So if you feel like you need a guide at first, that's super cool. Youtube has a bunch that you can find there that have guided meditations, guiding breathing exercises, so you can search around, find your vibe and learn as you go.
Speaker 1:
Or just count five deep breaths. It can be as simple as that. Or you can take that moment with your cup of tea or coffee and simply drop into the moment, drop into the now, smell, sip, savor the whole thing and just spend some Zen time with yourself. Or, like when you put your socks on, really feel them going over your foot and pay attention to how it feels. When was the last time you did that? It seems silly, but it takes zero extra time. You're just redirecting your thoughts back to yourself and over time, you're going to find these moments accumulating into a super ritual of self-love. It will soon pile up and help you feel connected and grounded and I swear you'll even feel more calm. It does wonders for your nervous system and allows you to move through life feeling truly in control, looking at you with pro tip number two, showing yourself some frequent patience and self-compassion.
Speaker 1:
Now let's get one thing straight Patience is the backbone of any transformation, whether you're working out or planting a garden. There is nothing that you can do to rush when you're looking for lasting and impactful change, especially if you're starting from scratch. As you get started on this mindful mission, please, please, be gentle with yourself. Be pleased, embrace self-compassion as your ally, understanding that growth takes time, and that's the best news. There's no rush, there's no pass or fail, only benefit. The more you practice, the more connected and grounded you'll feel. Celebrate all the small little victories and let the setbacks be stepping stones towards a more mindful and loving you.
Speaker 1:
Think of it this way Imagine a garden, brand new, fresh soil, suns out, guns out and you're ready to get started. You plant the seeds, you nurture them with water and vitamins and minerals in the soil and you patiently wait for them to bloom. You don't criticize the flowers for taking their time and you don't run outside the day after you plant them at expect a full harvest. Similarly, this is your cue to be patient with your own growth Just click, just keep going.
Speaker 1:
So maybe a couple of days have gone by and you've noticed that you've strayed from your mantra and you're feeling a bit frazzled. Well, guess what that's? In the past, you can literally drop into the now at any moment. That's how it works, miss one. God willing, there's another one on the way. Takes a few tries to get going. That's okay too. Patience, grace, the middle names of the game.
Speaker 1:
So here's to you. Your mindful life awaits my friend. Congratulations for taking this first step towards a more mindful, self-loving life. And as you keep going on this adventure, remember that every single moment is a chance for growth and every single step you take is going to get you closer to the gorgeous, radiant, amazing you.
Speaker 1:
Taking on mindfulness with open arms takes courage. So I want you to pat yourself on the back for considering a life for yourself that includes more peace and calm, I got to say, dancing to the rhythm of your own heart beat and letting self-love be the song that guides you. It suits you, babe. So I want to thank you for tuning in today and be sure to tune into our next episode, where we dig into a subject known for being my former nemesis. Saddle up for a deep dive into a fear a lot of us share the ugly beast known as rejection. Learn how to lean into rejection and see it as redirection. So find out more on our next episode. But until then, stay awesome, stay mindful, stay fabulous and keep shining bright. And with that I definitely wish you a magical day Peace, love and mojo. Toodaloo, kangaroo, ronga.
