Have you ever found yourself wondering if the life path you're on is truly what you want, or if it's just the result of a thousand autopilot decisions? This week on the Mojo mavens, we're challenging ourselves to a mental shift with the mantra, "I allow myself to make decisions that act in my own best interest." I'm Steph, and I'm here to guide you through the art of mindful decision-making, sharing personal stories and the wisdom I've gathered along the way. We'll discuss how to step off the conveyor belt of routine and into the empowering realm of intentional choices, focusing on self-care and aligning our actions with what serves us best.
Strap in for an honest conversation about aligning our lives with our deepest values, a lesson I learned when my dream job paled in comparison to the ache of missing my family. We'll talk about the power of present-moment awareness, meditation, and yoga in honing our decision-making abilities, and the courage it takes to trust our intuition. And as we wrap up, remember — the strength of your self-belief is the compass that will steer you toward a life of purpose. Stay tuned for future episodes where we'll celebrate the joys of solitude and debunk the myth that being alone means being lonely. Let's make each choice a stepping stone to our most fabulous selves!
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/trinity/funk-in-the-trunk License code: QOD6OV87NRYMKYVC
Have you ever found yourself wondering if the life path you're on is truly what you want, or if it's just the result of a thousand autopilot decisions? This week on the Mojo mavens, we're challenging ourselves to a mental shift with the mantra, "I allow myself to make decisions that act in my own best interest." I'm Steph, and I'm here to guide you through the art of mindful decision-making, sharing personal stories and the wisdom I've gathered along the way. We'll discuss how to step off the conveyor belt of routine and into the empowering realm of intentional choices, focusing on self-care and aligning our actions with what serves us best.
Strap in for an honest conversation about aligning our lives with our deepest values, a lesson I learned when my dream job paled in comparison to the ache of missing my family. We'll talk about the power of present-moment awareness, meditation, and yoga in honing our decision-making abilities, and the courage it takes to trust our intuition. And as we wrap up, remember — the strength of your self-belief is the compass that will steer you toward a life of purpose. Stay tuned for future episodes where we'll celebrate the joys of solitude and debunk the myth that being alone means being lonely. Let's make each choice a stepping stone to our most fabulous selves!
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/trinity/funk-in-the-trunk License code: QOD6OV87NRYMKYVC
Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/run-away
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Welcome to your new favorite podcast, pocket Full of Mojo, 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, no jokes. Now, I wasn't always this way Trust and believe. I've had breakdowns on multiple continents, but by paying attention and living with more intention, I've curated a wellness first aid kit full of amazing tools that help me out of and avoid getting into life's most sticky and stressful situations. Now, I'm not here to gatekeep, so settle in. You're here for some positive change, so let's explore together where your mojo meets the road. In today's episode, I'm going to review our mantra for the week and then we're going to dig into today's main topic, and that topic is mindful decision-making. That's right thinking, but on purpose. Now I know you've got 11 billion podcasts to choose from and I'm super stoked that you're here. So stick around and I'll make sure that you're glad you did. So stick around and I'll make sure that you're glad you did. Let's get started with today's mantra and get tuned in, tapped in and turned on.
Speaker 1:
Hello and welcome to the 15th episode of Pocket Full of Mojo. Once again, I'm Steph, I'm your hostess and your mojo maven and super pumped that you're here. This is going to be a very tender episode, so let's dig in. Let's start by digging into today's mantra, and it is I allow myself to make decisions that act in my own best interest. Okay, this one is empowering, let's get to it. I allow myself to make decisions that act in my own best interest. There's a French version of this mantra that hit me like a ton of bricks when I was going through it with my mental health when I was living in Montreal, and I just couldn't get a handle on it and I felt like life was happening at me and I couldn't get my footing. C'est moi qui décide, or it's me who decides. With a lot of repetition, this impacted me deeply.
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I allow myself to make decisions that act in my own best interest. First of all, you're giving yourself permission, putting yourself back in that driver's seat of where your life is going and taking ownership of who is making these decisions. It's you, my powerful friend, and everything we do is a series of decisions. I allow myself to make decisions that act in my own best interest. Taking this power back is extremely important, but can only be impactful when we align our actions with our own best interests. Now, if our own best interests are centered on helping others who's helping you? Others, who's helping you? I allow myself to make decisions that act in my own best interest. Taking the time to really tune into yourself and be able to identify and connect with what those best interests are can be a challenge, because those interests can look different from the life that you're living now, and that's okay, but it can be disorienting. By looking at this mantra, you can ground yourself in the thought that you are at the heart of all your best decisions and you'll see that the steps forward start to reveal themselves from there. I allow myself to make decisions that act in my own best interest. This also releases you from making decisions that honor someone else's best interest. This is a statement of fact that you declare for yourself, to yourself a pledge of allegiance, if you will. That replaces any guilt you may feel for putting yourself first and instead feel empowered and happy that you're doing the most important work, and that's taking care of your own fine self. I allow myself to make decisions that act in my own best interest and that my friends is this week's mantra. Put it in your pocket, keep it close as you go throughout this week and see how your ability to make decisions change when you're at the heart of it.
Speaker 1:
Now on to our main topic for today, which is mindful decision-making. Not just your regular old decision-making, no, ma'am. Today we're diving deep into the transformative power of mindful decision-making, especially for all you amazing people pleasers out there. So picture this you're going through the motions of daily life on autopilot, making decisions based on old knowledge or habit, because, well, that's the way you've always done it. And when was the last time you thought about how you think about things? Exactly, exactly. I'm glad you're here and I mean it's gotten you this far right, so why change? This is how you were taught, so it can't be wrong, right? This is how your parents did it, so that's got to be the best way.
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There's no alarm bells going off and everything appears to be fine for the most part. So what's the big deal right? And yet, more and more, you find yourself feeling stuck. Maybe you're feeling like you've been living on a cycle of uncertainty, and frustration keeps finding you. Things are starting to get neglected, and you're wishing you had more time for things that you want to do, but there never seems to be the time or space for you to do them. Maybe resentment has started knocking on your door and the knocks are getting louder. You love taking care of the people in your life, but it's been a while since you've shown yourself some love. Sound familiar? Is this ringing any bells for you? Well, fear not, fancy face, because today we're going to shake things up and suss out how to tap into the magic of mindful living.
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Let's start by acknowledging the pitfalls of living on autopilot. When we operate on autopilot, we're essentially sleepwalking through life, reacting to situations without conscious awareness or intention. We make decisions based on old patterns and habits rather than actively engaging with the present moment, the now. It's not because we're lazy or thoughtless. It's that we think we've cracked the code and figured it out. And if we just rinse and repeat, then we're lazy or thoughtless. It's that we think we've cracked the code and figured it out, and if we just rinse and repeat, then we're good to go. We don't have to put loads of time and effort in calculating the route. We've got a GPS and it'll take us where we're going On the same route every time, every day. And if you drive over the same route the same way and over day after day. You know what you get. You get ruts, and when routine leads to ruts, we get stuck.
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Because here's the thing Living on autopilot robs us of the opportunity to fully experience this life and use our gorgeous brains, you know, to make choices that are actually aligned with what we want, what we desire and what our values are. We're allowed to have those things, and those things can change over time. So if our path doesn't change, we risk living out of alignment with our most current desires and the values that have made us who we are today. Autopilot, while convenient and low energy output, keeps us stuck in a cycle of sameness, it stunts our ability to grow and it steals your chance at your own gorgeous personal evolution. So how do we break up with autopilot and start this new hot life of mindful decision making? Well, it's all about creating some awareness and presence in our daily lives. Let's dig in and have a look at some practical ways where we can make decisions mindfully.
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The first thing we want to do is the pause and reflect. So this one's tricky, because life moves fast. The way that we take in information and process things is faster than it ever has been, not to mention the amount of information that we consume. Oh my goodness. So this is going to feel like an adjustment. So if you feel it, you know you're doing it right. It will take some practice before this becomes habit, like, okay, maybe a lot of practice, but it does pay off every single time, I promise, and quite simply put, here's how you do it.
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Before making a decision, take a moment to pause and check in with yourself. Notice any thoughts, feelings, sensations that come up and use them as information, valuable information, and it will inform your choice. The key here is to not judge what comes up, just observe it. You'll know what to do next, because you have new information that you didn't have before, when you were cruising around on autopilot. The next thing you want to do is clarify your intentions, get clear on your intentions and your values before making the decision.
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For me, this actually prompted a whole other activity, which was to be able to list my values. Have you ever done that? More importantly, have you done it recently? Because if you're feeling out of whack, you may have some values that are part of your hardwiring, and if your life is not in alignment with those values. Well, that explains the squeaky wheel, and once you have those locked down, you're already off to the races and you'll have even more clarity and information to move forward. Next, you wanna ask yourself does this choice align with my values and my long-term goals? Will it bring me closer to a life that I want to create, or, better put, the life I am creating? Then you'll know right fast if it's a hell yes, or a hell no. You'll see that the more you ask this question of yourself, the more it will trickle into different parts of your life and before you know it, you will be laser focused on where you're going and become an unstoppable force of nature. When you've really got this flushed out, there is great power in this stuff. So take this time to be clear with yourself and the rest becomes easy.
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This particular reflection hit me like a ton of bricks the first time I moved away for work. It was the job of my dreams, and I moved a couple of provinces away and I didn't get a lot of time to come home to visit my family. I found myself really loving my new job, but outside of that, I felt really lonely and unfulfilled and I was completing this activity for a professional development one day and I was asked to list my values, and right at the top I wrote family boldly, proudly. And I was prompted to reflect further, because our values should be reflected by our actions. What was I doing If family was a value? Why did I move away? If family was of value, where was I on family dinner night? Then the light bulb went off. This was why I wasn't feeling fulfilled. I was doing something different and expecting nothing to change. I wasn't showing up for family dinner, but expecting my cup to be filled anyway. I wasn't showing up for family dinner, but expecting my cup to be filled anyway. So I had to pivot. I had to make time to connect with my family. I had to build the relationships with my family that I wanted, instead of sitting back and waiting for them to fill my cup Because, simply put, I had declared that it was one of my values. That's when I learned that if you want to know someone's values, watch them, they'll tell you.
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Another hidden gem in this example is that things can change, and they will and do. And even better news is that we can change and adapt too, and that's why you're here. So let's slip into number three Think about the potential consequences of your decision, both for yourself and for other people. Consider how your potential consequences of your decision, both for yourself and for other people. Consider how your choice will impact your well-being, your relationships, your overall happiness. This kind of aligns and backs up the story I just shared with you about moving away. And just because there are consequences doesn't mean you can't proceed. It just means that you have to consider making some adjustments or simply living with the consequences.
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But in order to do so, we need to slide into tip number four, and that is practicing presence. Because we move so fast and sometimes while doing several, many things at once, we've gotten very clever and quote unquote efficient in that way, so the simplest things have become somehow more challenging, but they're all very doable. In order to create presence and mindfulness in your day-to-day life, you can take on really wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable activities and practices like meditation, yoga, mindful breathing. These practices can help you stay grounded and centered, making it easier to make decisions from a place of clarity and wisdom. Now, all that sounds nice, but it's easy to underestimate the power that these things can have on one's experience. I've been practicing these for years now and I can tell you from the bottom of my cute little heart that, looking back at my imperfect practice and evolution over time, that number one it's effective. And number two the more you put in, the more you get out of it. And number three my life is always better when I do these practices than when I don't. It's that simple. Better when I do these practices than when I don't it's that simple. Sure, it does take a bit of discipline and some consistency, but you learn to brush your teeth every day so they don't fall out right. Practicing having a quiet mind and still thoughts allows you to make better decisions from a grounded and fully aware place, and it actually improves the quality of your decisions and, ultimately, your life.
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Which takes us to number five trust your intuition. Learn to trust your intuition and inner guidance system when making decisions. Your intuition is a powerful tool that can help you navigate all of life's twists and turns, but do it with some grace and ease. That sounds nice Now. I called it a tool just now, but I see intuition as the all-seeing, all-knowing guide that lives inside you. It only wants what's best for you Trust that and it wants all of your desires to be realized. Isn't that nice. If we're really listening to our intuition and have taken the steps to glean all the best information, then we're really setting ourselves up to make that best decision. How is your relationship with your intuition? As people pleasers, we can be known for turning the volume down on our intuition, simply because it's often telling us to get back to our own path. So maybe it's time for an intuition tune-up. Reintroduce yourself. Keep building that trust with yourself that you indeed know best. Now here's a bonus tip, and it's truly the cherry-flavored lifesaver of the bunch.
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Number six embrace flexibility. Be open, because what we're ultimately talking about here is change. Being open to new possibilities and willing to adapt your plans as needed is your secret sauce. Living with patience and letting go of the need to control everything actually gives you wings and permission to go with the flow when the flow is in your favor. Sometimes we hang on to doing things just because it's the way we've always done it and take a full detour around the thing that actually serves us or lifts us or fills our cup, because that's not what we said we were going to do.
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Some may call that stubbornness, and to those people I say welcome to the podcast, because life is unpredictable and being able to pivot and adjust and change course when necessary. It's a key aspect when it comes to mindful decision making, and it's 100% something that you're not only capable of. You're deserving of, because the sweet rewards that come with it are all yours. So when you blend these practices into your day-to-day life, you too can create a greater sense of awareness, presence and intentionality. You'll see how this helps in making it easier to make decisions that align with your greatest desires and values.
Speaker 1:
So, my lovely friends, let's wrap things up with a little reminder you have the power to break free from autopilot and take on mindful decision making in every aspect of your life. Trust yourself, listen to your inner wisdom it always wants what's best for you and step into the magic of living with intention and purpose. You've got this. Thank you so much for tuning into today's episode. Remember to practice mindfulness and start loving the power of conscious decision-making in your life. Come back next time where we explore alone time and finding the joy in solitude and discovering that being alone doesn't mean being lonely. So until then, stay fabulous and keep spreading those positive vibes. Take care, my lovelies, be kind and toodaloo kangaroo, yeah.
