Have you noticed that when young children try food they don’t like, they immediately spit it out?  As an adult, have you ever bit into something that just didn’t taste right or good?  You probably didn’t spit it out…you might have finished it in order to not embarrass your host or yourself or maybe you waited for a strategic moment when you could spit it into your napkin and hide it in your purse or pocket for disposal later.  This is just one small example of tolerating and as adults, most of us tolerate too much. 

A toleration is anything that you “put up with” – the things, people and situations that annoy you, frustrate you and drain your energy.  It can be as small as a broken handle on a drawer to as big as a fear that stops you from living a joyful life.   Once you become aware of what you are tolerating, you can then take action to eliminate your tolerations.  The more tolerations you eliminate, the more time and energy you will gain in return!  It’s amazing what can happen in your life when your energy isn’t being drained away like the air slowly leaking out of an inflated balloon. 

What are you putting up with?  What is draining your energy?  Are you ready to feel lighter?  Stop tolerating today! 

Joyfully,

Deb

P.S. If you are not sure what you are tolerating or if you are looking for some ideas on how to eliminate tolerations my Summer Sampler includes a sample called Stop Tolerating – Eliminate the Annoying Ingredients! There will be lots of juicy information to help you stop your energy leaks!  Check it out here:  http://www.getitdunn.ca/summersampler/

When I first started my coaching business, I had a very challenging client.  It didn’t matter what method or approach I tried, she remained stuck.  Finally I asked her a question that I had never thought to ask before – “Do you want to be happy?”  Her response…”I don’t know…”

As it turns out, this would not be the last time I heard this answer from a client.  It doesn’t surprise me anymore like it did the first time I heard “I don’t know” and I have almost come to expect this answer when I pose the ‘happy’ question.

Do you want to be happy?  If you’re not sure, that’s okay.  As odd as this may sound, it turns out that happiness can be kind of scary.  What is there to be scared about, you may be wondering?  Well, for many of you there is an idea that if you are happy, it won’t last so the fear is that your happiness will be taken away from you.  For others there is the idea that you can’t be happy because other people are struggling or coping with challenges so the fear is that you will upset other people by being happy. There is also the realization that you don’t know what happiness looks like or feels like for you and so you are afraid that you may never find what makes you truly happy.

These are such tender situations and the first thing to remember is to treat yourself gently when ever you are dealing with any fears.  The second thing to remember is that you don’t have to figure everything out all at once…you can take small steps towards happiness and before you know it, you will have developed the confidence and trust to live a truly happy and joyful life.  And if you would like some more tips and guidance to get you on the path to happiness, you might want to join me for my presentation called Lighten Up – Putting Joy Back in the Mix!  Whatever you choose to do, my heartfelt wish is that you be happy!

Low fat, fat free, decaf, low sodium, sugar free…we’ve taken most of the yummy ingredients out of our food and as a result we’ve lost some of the enjoyment of eating in my opinion.  This loss seems to be reflected in our lives as well – we’ve taken out the delicious parts because we don’t have time or energy to get all the “have tos” done never mind fitting in activities that we enjoy.

Do you find yourself racing from one thing to the next on your to do list?  Have you had the feeling like you are perpetually behind and will never catch up, never mind get ahead of the game!  I know I have found myself in this place more than once until one day it occurred to me that there had to be a better way to live.  Surely I wasn’t here just to exist , plow through the day and fall into bed exhausted only to get up and repeat the same pattern the next day, and the next day and the next day…

I remember very clearly thinking that I needed to make a change, that I needed to do something that had more meaning and joy. As I looked around the environment where I was working I knew that I had an uphill climb ahead of me!  I started with where I was and what I already had available to me and gradually, I was able to shift the to do list to something a lot more inspiring. 

Are you ready for a change?  I think it’s time to put joy back in the mix, it’s time for life to get yummy and delicious again.  What are you doing to make your life yummy?  Post your comments here so we can get a conversation of joy started! 

Joyfully,

Deb

 P.S.  If you are looking for some ideas and support for creating more meaning and joy you might want to check out my Summer Sampler – the first one is called Lighten Up and this sample will give you some tips and practical ways that you can get cookin’ with joy!  You will also learn a secret about joy that will surprise you! Check it out here:  http://www.getitdunn.ca/summersampler/