We have an amazing ability as humans. We have the ability to choose how we want to experience life. We have wonderful cognitive and emotional abilities that are meant to support us along this ride of life. Unfortunately, we often forget that we have these tools and fail to use them. Perhaps we were never told we had them to use!

I believe my emotions are how my soul speaks to me. This took me many moons to figure out, but once I did, I listen, most of the time. A work in process. All emotions are valid and if we give ourselves permission to experience them, life finds a balance.

One of the steps in Belief Re-patterning is to use permission. Last week forgiveness, a process to letting go of pain and the charge associated to old patterns, began the technique. This week, permission, helps one to move past the ways they may be acting or perceiving themselves. This is where consciously creating supportive emotions begins to happen. Consciously choosing emotions allows the brain to be calm and in time, respond with these emotions as the go to place. Emotions are neither bad nor good, they simply are, but that doesn't mean we can't improve on them and feel good in this life we are living.

During Belief Re-patterning sessions, I guide you through statements and breathing to release beliefs and emotions that are not supporting and to bring in those that are supportive. You get to take the supportive ones with you!  Isn't that great!

What do you feel you would like to give yourself permission to experience?  Permission is about moving forward and creating a life you would like to live in.

• Do you want to give yourself permission to love you?
• Could you give yourself permission to feel calm? Learn how to not react? To enjoy life?
• What if you gave yourself permission to learn a new technique to bring that calmness and love to your life?

Giving yourself permission is such a loving thing to do. Most of us don't take the time to look at what isn't feeling good and needs to shift. For some reason, a lot of the people I work with are afraid to even admit things aren't as great as they could be. Like there is some award or punishment if they looked within and admitted they wanted more. Want more!  Please!

For this week, when you bump up against an emotion that doesn't feel like it supports you, look at it in the eye, be kind and then give yourself permission to release that emotion.   Start there and let me know how you do.

I give myself permission to rock this technique,

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

I read somewhere this week that admitting something is hard actually helps one to move forward. There is a reaction in the brain that apparently acknowledges it and then goes into acceptance mode. Brainwaves 101.

I'll admit I have a challenging time with that process but I believe it. Call it being raised by tough New Englanders or call it my own personal wiring, whatever it is, I am calling uncle this week.  I'm admitting that at times I am so overwhelmed with the energy and my wiring that I want to move to a deserted island and have a volleyball as my best friend. The only thing that keeps me from doing this is the amazing people I have met while being here. Well, that and I don't hunt or cook so the volleyball would outlive me and then be lonely, but I digress. 

So, in the interest of being healthy emotionally and well rounded individuals, I am suggesting we all give ourselves permission to admit when something hurts. A loved one passing, a relationship ending, a failed test, diagnosis or bumping your toe. They hurt. Admit it so the brain can do what it is wired to do and help you move forward. 

Since your brain is willing to do its job, perhaps you can help it. When allowing yourself to feel the pain, be mindful of the time. Be aware when you are choosing to sit in the sadness and are creating an identity as a sad person. Emotions pass through. That is their gift. We are not our emotions. We have them, we are not them. If you can keep this is mind, you can move through whatever is going on and be on to feeling more content.

I practice what I suggest, and assist with Belief Re-patterning, so I know it is possible. I have spent a large portion of the last seven days being aware I have pain yet I am not the pain. I have my humor still. I have an amazing gratitude for life and I have the data to show I have hurt before and came through with amazing growth. I may not be thrilled with the process, but life has shown me that beautiful flowers grow out of fertilizer. Cultivating that trust in the process is the way to handle tough situations with grace. 

Be kind to yourself, be honest and be willing to find your amazement too. I know your brain is wonderful and wants to help you embrace this life process along with your heart and total being. 

Shimmying my way through,

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

We, as humans, were given the gift of the expression of emotion. We have a variety of expressions to choose from too. Some of us have short fuses while others have what seems like unending patience. Each persons experience is as different as they are. It amazes me when I see people who are so in touch with their feeling that they can articulate exactly what they are feeling. Sometimes it amazes me that some of those same people don't have an edit button, but I am still always impressed with their ability.

We have all these beautiful feelings and yet we tend to lean toward negating them. We have all had the experience where we ask how someone is and they say fine yet we know they aren't. It may be very clear they are not fine but they feel they have to suck it up and pretend all is well. I agree that there are times where communicating exactly what you are feeling may not be in the best manners but what about those times where it is quite safe to do so and we still suck it up?

I wasn't always comfortable with emotions because in my family we didn't talk about anything, at least nothing of substance. There was anger expressed, frustration and humor, we are a pretty funny family if I do say so myself. Feelings themselves weren't though and that is pretty evident by the sheer number of people in our family with thyroid issues. I decided a few years ago that I was going to clear up my own thyroid and to do this I had to learn to express myself. Goodness. Give me a stage and I am very eloquent, have a client need to express, cry, scream, laugh,  and I am good, ask me how I'm feeling and you were likely to get a fine as well. Challenge me to ask for what I would like and I would deflect with that humor I learned.

Through my process though I have come to really appreciate this amazing barometer we are wired with. Why would we have emotions if we weren't supposed to use them? I asked someone the other day when we were discussing her tendency to diminish her emotions if rather than diminishing them, she could learn to use them.

It made sense to my head that we could negate or navigate. We could continue to deny that we felt a certain way or we could learn to listen and use them as the north star to indicate where we really are. I know our head will tell us stories but our emotions tend to be right on. Just ask a two year old when they don't want to do something. They aren't being particularly defiant because they don't really know what that is yet, but they are following their disappointment and expressing their desire for a different outcome. What if you listened to your feeling of less than and asked yourself what you could do for you now? One of my besties, Laurie Magoon, always says "how can I support you with this?" Can you imagine being on the receiving end of this statement? If you know Laurie, you have been but really, how great is that? (Thank you Laurie if I haven't expressed that enough. This is gratitude I am expressing!)

What if you said that to yourself when you were feeling discord, how can I support me right now? This could be a gps of sorts for you to navigate emotions. First, allowing yourself to feel them, then asking how you could be of support and then doing whatever your brilliant self comes up with. I would suggest it be of your highest interest so while that pint of ice cream may support the craving for sugar, it isn't helping emotions to be productive, it is just adding to another trip around the block on your walk! Perhaps start with the walk! See, you are getting good at this already.

One of the benefits of the Belief Re-patterning sessions that I offer is it can help you connect with those feelings and become comfortable in having them, in a safe place, and learning what to do with them!

For this week, give yourself the gift of honoring the emotions as they come up. They are telling you something, be willing to listen. Be nice to you during this process. Much like learning how to ride a bike, this is going to take a bit of balancing if you haven't been listening previously. Be patient and be aware others may not know what to do with your emotions and that is fine. It is still very valid to have them. Their emotions are theirs to deal with. Perhaps they haven't been doing that either. We will all arrive in that caring feeling space eventually, it is part of the soul journey.

Off to express myself,

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

Today started like any other Sunday in my house. I slowly roll out of bed, coffee and convincing Tank, the resident canine, that we will indeed go for a walk, as soon as the coffee hits the blood stream. This Sunday was a bit more challenging as for the first time in a long time, I have had a doozy of a week trying to stay upright in the energy and the emotions of so many souls crossing. So I was moving a bit slower and with a bit less excitement about the walk.

Like most dogs, Tank is very intuitive, he waited until I was able to get my head around even getting dressed and then did the butt wiggle that those with bully breeds in them are well known for. It is impressive and a wonder he doesn't wind himself into orbit. I laughed and said the magic walk word and we were gone. Although he was a bit more of a challenge to start out with, he soon realized the other end of the leash was in no mood to let him smell every other dog who had ever walked the same path. Eventually we settled into a nice rhythm and the rest of the wun ( my special combination of walking/running) was a joy, once I got out of my own way and crankiness. That takes practice, I believe. To be able to shift your mood on command takes lots and lots of practice. We are eternal, we've got time, go ahead and practice. It is worth it!

I decided to do the Tank method of a walk. Everything is exciting, everyone I meet probably loves me as much as I must love them already just because they happen to be on the same street and all the smells mean this is the BEST route ever! Even if we just walked it few days ago. This is THE BEST!

Dogs are really good at staying in the moment. What if we learned to do that? What if we decided that whatever happened yesterday to annoy us could stay in yesterday because there are new people to meet and new lands to explore? 

Once we returned from our journey, I was so grateful for the example I spent the whole day being in the moment. Doing whatever I felt like doing and if the critic head showed up to talk about what I should be doing, I reminded myself to be Tank like. Now, when he chewed on a toy, I didn't join him, I do have some limits but I did recline and soak in the sun when it was out.

For the entire summer last year we tried to help Tank understand part of his breed, lab, likes water. They know to cool off it in and play and have fun. Needless to say, the pool was wasted on him because he wanted no part of it. We tried again this year on a hot day and still, no thank you was his response. We left the pool out in his yard thinking maybe he will get used to it that way. Well, he did as you can see by the picture. He just decided he likes it better as a bed than water holder, and inside out. He saw potential where we did not. Why? Because he didn't lament about last week when it had water in it, he just got in and enjoyed a nap. Another reason to be more like your dog, naps wherever you are.

Now, there are obviously traits I don't want to emulate from a dog's life but I really feel they are the smarter, more evolved species. They know crazy levels of love and forgiveness and there is no denying gifts at butt wiggles to show an internal happiness. How much fun would it be to observe nature this week and find your own inspiration? Find what can be the example when you want to sit in the poor me and use it to shift to your own butt wiggle happy place.

If you'll excuse me now, its time for bed. Tank gets excited by that and I can see why now. Dreaming is what brings happiness to life. He can dream of running with his friends at daycare and I will dream of him letting me sleep until seven tomorrow!

Happy trails,
Vicki

www.vickibaird.com