Prism Consulting

I am inspired to write this as I often hear people say they have no choice, yet this sense of choice or autonomy is a fundamental requirement for human happiness. The latest neuro research tells us that if we perceive choice, then our brains indicate to us that we are happy.

This seems quite simple and at the same time really hard to get right. How do we create choice for ourselves if we are in a system, a family one or an organisational one, where many decisions are collective and sometimes not ours? How do we provide ourselves the opportunities where we can sit in choice and decide what it is that we want and what outcomes we would like to achieve?

The starting point is to choose “choice”. It is an un-empowered mind-set that believes we have no choice. Choice is a state of the mind. Every minute, of each day, we are choosing how we think, feel and how we react to our world and the people in it. When we realise that choice is ours, our energy lifts and our sense of wellbeing increases.

When our energy rises and our sense of happiness and wellbeing increases, we are able to see many more perspectives and many different options, giving us even more choice.

The pace of today’s world is hectic for most of us. Time definitely appears to be speeding up with so much to achieve and do in a shorter time frame. This frantic pace stops us from taking the time out to think about life, appreciate it and to make choices in life that help us to stay balanced and happy. When I end a busy day I find myself wondering what I achieved and if what I did that day had meaning. I often wonder how to balance what seems like almost two different worlds; one of calmness and the other of chaos, and to live comfortably in both spaces, at the same time.
If our external world is a direct expression of our inner world, then how can we bring a sense of calm, peace and a feeling of authenticity to our external world? By being all of those things inside.
If we want to become more peaceful and authentic, we need to be present. So how do we be present in our everyday lives? By practicing mindfulness. As you wake up in the morning and as you go through the day, how mindful of your experiences are you? How aware are you of the breath you are taking, of the feeling of your clothing on your body and the touch of the chair that you are sitting on. How aware are you of the emotions you are feeling through the day as you interact with others. How aware are you of the simple things and are you noticing joy and random acts of kindness? How connected are you to your soul? By being mindful of oneself and your environment, we can become more present , and more grounded which can give us a sense of authenticity.
Authenticity is about being in your power, being happy with who you are, accepting of yourself, the world around you and others in it. Once we attain a non judgemental approach to our world, we can begin to be present. Being present is about having a centredness and stillness about you, a connection with others through the real attention you are giving them, and the ability to clear your mind of the constant chatter so that you can hear your heart.
If we are heart centred we can begin to be present in chaos

What does practicing Gratitude mean to you? That you say Thank You to those who have done something for you? Or is it a feeling of thankfulness? How do you know you are really experiencing gratitude, in every cell of your body? What results are you gaining from being grateful?
There are days when we wake up feeling naturally grateful for everything in life; we feel present, peaceful and in synch with the universe, without fear. Everything seems so perfect and the meaning of life so clear.
So how do we manage to maintain that state of gratitude as our day begins and the challenges of the current world in which we live whip us out of our hearts and into our heads to stay there for most of the day? It’s a challenge to remain in a state of gratitude when the traffic is heavy, you have far too many emails and meetings to attend to and a sense of busyness that keeps you focused on a frenetic energy rather than a calm and centred energy. What fascinates me is how powerful a minute of quiet thought and reflection can be. And it takes only that – a minute, if you are willing.
When we move to a mind-set of gratitude by practicing it throughout the day, our perception of reality is altered and when we take the time to feel the gratitude we can begin to feel centred and manifest what we want in life far more easily than before.

Self-development is a life long journey. The minute you think you have achieved some form of emotional or psychological achievement; the next emotional wave of challenges gets presented to you. We learn through adversity and sometimes we learn during times of bliss. The important thing is not necessarily how we learn, but how open we are to learn and grow.
Being open to growth requires dedication, and the feedback we receive through various sources is a gift. So how can you capitalise on this gift?
By being conscious of the ego state pulling at us when the feedback is given to us, being aware of the human element of our judgement and by keeping a vigilant eye on those negative thought patterns already established in our brains, we can start to be more conscious about who we want to be, how we want to think and how we want to behave. The choice is ours. It requires courage to be bold enough to create that freedom of choice and the sense of autonomy for ourselves in everything we do. We create our reality through the way in which we think. The quality of our thoughts determines the quality of our lives.
Being present, being aware of what is happening around us and within us, gives the opportunity to reflect on the feedback that is there for us to use and grow.