Category: Personal Power

Are you really ready for change?

Lots of people I meet say that they want to change. Then they don’t. So were they really ready to change to begin with? Or had they bought into some belief that their life would be better if they only changed X Y Z about themselves? Probably.

If that’s the case, I would recommend slowing down, taking some time and really figure out WHO says you need to change? Is it your friends? Is it society? Your parents? Family? Your boss at work? Or is it the quiet, steady voice inside of you saying “enough, let’s do something about this”?

If that’s the voice telling you to change, then change. You’re ready. It’s time.

If instead you hear your father’s voice, your friends, your teachers, colleagues, whoever that is not you, then maybe you actually don’t need to change at all. You’re not ready. This is not the time. So stop beating yourself up, stop “failing” at creating change and instead own the fact that you are not ready. This change that you “want” is not for you. And don’t do it. Let yourself be. Your time to change may come, it may not.

Know this – until you are ready, change won’t happen. You will fight it energetically, emotionally, physically and mentally, even if it is subconscious, even if you don’t know you’re doing it, you will be fighting it. Until you are aligned with your change, it’s going to be a hard slog. And that’s ok.

In that situation, instead of making yourself change because you should, be gentle. Wait for yourself to catch up. Work on aligning yourself with the change on all levels, make sure you can fully own it as yours, and then act on it. It might take time, and that’s ok.

When you are aligned with the change, you will know that it is coming from you. You will be certain it is in your best interest. You will know you’re doing it for you. Then go for it! Changing things up, being creative, learning new things can be really awesome. Change is good when you want it!

But what if you know you want to change, and have no idea where to start?

This is where I love feng shui as a tool. By knowing what areas of your home relates to what areas of your life, you can start creating positive change from the outside and in. By changing the corresponding areas of your home, you can start bringing on change in these areas of your life.

It’s like tricking yourself into changing without even realising it. When you free up energy in the areas of your home relating to health, your health will start changing as if it were magic. And in a way it is. These areas of your home are now resonating in balance, so your body, mind and soul will want to resonate with that same vibration.

Like attracts like.

And that’s what I teach in my workshops where I tell you how to read your home, so that you can be in control of the change you want to make and support yourself to get there.

I love what I do, and I love what feng shui can do for you!

Here’s to change,
Sara

Feel Good Group - Change

Are you ready, really ready to change?

The simple things…

On and off in my life I’ve felt this disdain towards people telling me to appreciate “the simple things in life”. Quite often this has been at a point where I’ve felt sorry for myself and like my life sucked, was too hard or there was just no meaning to, well, anything really.

I’m so glad to say I don’t have days like that anymore.

It might still hit me for an hour or two. And now I have a way out. A way to stop myself from spiralling downwards.

Wanna know the big irony? It’s about appreciating the simple things in life! HA! Back at me!!!

So yes, those people had a point. Yes, they actually knew what they were talking about. Funny that. I really do think it’s because I’ve started appreciating the simple things in life that I no longer go that far down the rabbit hole. I’ve been lucky enough to come across a mentor that has taught me to connect back with what is really important. And that one thing is…

Nature.

It’s not “my inner self”, it’s not “who I truly am”, it’s not “my purpose”, “my core” or anything like that. It’s nature.

Nature is simple. It’s always there. It IS what it IS. If it rains, it will rain. No matter what I think about it. No mater what I do about it, nature just is. And that’s the beauty. That’s the learning. Therein lies the answer.

So these days, whenever I feel myself going down that negative spiral again, I stop. I make myself go outside and connect with nature. I don’t care in what way. Sometimes I swim in the ocean. Sometimes I look at the flowers on my lemon tree. Sometimes I watch the moon high in the night sky. Sometimes I sit on the wet morning grass.

And in that moment, I’m fully present and I appreciate the simple things in life. Like the fact that I’m still breathing. That I have all of my senses intact and can fully take in the beautiful show that nature is, even in a suburb in Sydney. There is so much life going on around me. And when I connect in with that, there is just no other way than to appreciate it.

So next time you find yourself feeling down about something, why not give it a go? Go outside and connect with nature in some way, any way.

It works for me. Maybe it will work for you too?

Tree hugs,
Sara

Feel Good Group - Sunflower

Sunflower – a simple thing to appreciate in life!

Time to move forward!

I had a great discussion with a friend of mine this morning. We were chatting about how she feels like her life is speeding up at the moment and that this feels stressful. I had a little think about it and then told her that I think that’s absolutely perfect right now. It is as it should be.

I think it’s only natural that life is speeding up at the moment. In Australia it’s full on Spring time. The land is warming up, the sun is getting hotter and brighter, plants are flowering, birds are nesting (and some chicks have even left their nests already!). Nature is stepping it up! We’re moving into summer, and this is just natural.

I believe that if we live in harmony with the yearly cycles of nature, we will be so much better off, mentally, physically and spiritually. I have come to realise as of late how crucial it is to be connected to mother earth, nature, the planet, the great outdoors, whatever you prefer to call it.

We are all beings that resonate with the energies around us. How could what is happening in nature not affect us? Of course it does! So now is the time for rapid growth, for moving forward, for getting things done. The energy is very yang in summer (to use feng shui terminology). It’s bright, light, warm, outwards, upwards, and for us to feel in balance, so should we be.

And I don’t mean that in a way of stressing about things or moving forward faster than what you are happy with. I do think though that now is the time to get off our arses and DO STUFF.

Spring and Summer means time to take action. Time to move forward. Time to execute.

This is why I talked about clutter clearing a few weeks ago, Spring cleaning your home will really give you that energetic space and push forward that is so very helpful at this time of year.

So I have decided to run a workshop to help people get in alignment with the forward moving, creative energies of Spring and Summer. “Change your life with Feng Shui” is a 4 hour workshop where I will teach you techniques to bring balance and harmony to your home and your mind, so that you can set yourself up to be the best version of yourself and go out there and make your dreams come true.

So don’t feel stressed about the fast moving energy at this time of year, instead ride the wave, go with the flow and move forward in creating your life the way you want it to be. Get support if you need it. Come along to my workshop if you want.

Check out the Workshops page on my website for more details. If you’re in Sydney and this feels right for you, I’d love to have you there!

Take advantage of the push forward that is given to you freely by nature and get creative. Execute. Smile. Live. Love. Laugh. And get things done, as now is the perfect time for that!

Exciting times,
Sara

Feel Good Group - Time to Move forward

Now’s the time time to move forward – go with the flow!

You are what you eat

I don’t know about you. Personally, when it comes to food, I’m confused and really clear at the same time. Let me explain.

There are all these different “ways” to eat these days: Paleo, AIP (autoimmune protocol), LCHF (low carb high fat), according to your Blood type, Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw… Each of which have their own celebrities, personal trainers, dieticians, “I used it and it worked for me”-advocates swear by them. Each of them being promoted as THE way to lose weight, be healthy, have more energy.

So how come something that works for my PT doesn’t work for me? How come one friend does amazingly well as a vegetarian, and another doesn’t? How come I feel better off gluten, but to my husband it makes no difference if he eats gluten or not? And which way is really the best way for me to eat???

No wonder I’m confused! Maybe you are too?

So here’s what I think. I have finally come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” diet or way to eat. Going down that road is even a bit dangerous.

Going down that road is like saying we all learn new things the same way, equally as fast and remember it equally as well later, that we all have the same physical capabilities of lifting 100kg, that during the same circumstances, we would all react and do exactly the same thing. So if someone comes at us with a sword, we would all turn into John Snow and give them hell…

I think we can all agree that to expect any of the above to be true would be ridiculous? (Especially since John Snow knows nothing, but that’s a different story.)

Then why, oh why, are we told that “if this worked for me, it will work for you too”? Over and over again, with different ways of eating. Why do we expect any diet or way of eating to work the same for every person?

I’m pretty sure we can’t, and we shouldn’t.

So what to do? Experiment, have fun, find out what works for you. This might take some time, and I believe it’s very worth it. Maybe you do feel great on a grain free diet, maybe you don’t. Maybe gluten isn’t your thing, maybe it is. The main thing to find out is: how do YOU feel when eating that food? What makes your body happy? And then adjust accordingly. So what’s the best way for me to eat? That’s the bit I’m still confused about, by the way.

Then there is the bit that I’m really clear about. Namely…

  • Sugar is not good for me (or you) in any way, shape or form
  • Processed foods are not good for us either
  • Sugar “hides” in said processed foods under a myriad of different names, so that it’s trickier for us to recognise it
  • Food companies spend billions of dollars researching what components to put in their products (that we wrongfully call “food”) to make them irresistible, and make us unable to stop eating them
  • These products are not food, they are chemically made and researched in a lab, no chef has ever come near them, there is no cooking involved in making them
  • Any additive that has a number in front of it is not to be considered food, or safe to eat
  • So if it comes in a package, with a contents label, chances are it’s also not to be considered food
  • We are really not made to eat anything that doesn’t appear in the world in its natural form
  • What is pretty much safe to eat: fruit, vegetables, grains, pulses, meat, eggs, seafood – simple, clean, real food
  • And yes, eating organic does make a difference

Very simple rule of thumb – if it came in any form of container with a Contents label, you’re in risky territory. You need to read the label carefully, and if it contains sugar in any of its forms, or something with a number in it, you are best to not eat it.

So my thoughts are: as long as you’re eating natural, unprocessed foods and you feel good, you’re going to be fine. Then you can add on top of that any “diet” that speaks to you and sits well with you ethically.

So how are you eating at the moment? How is that working for you? Is there a specific reason you choose to eat that way? I’d love to know, so feel free to share.

To your health,
Sara

Feel Good Group - You Are What You Eat

You are what you eat

Feng Shui – You don’t have to believe it to see it work

I did a short talk at my local business breakfast this morning around Feng Shui and the value of using it. Preparing for this talk I was going through all the wonderful things I could share that would be of value to the group. And the one thing I kept coming back to was that you actually don’t have to believe in Feng Shui for it to work.

It just does.

Feng Shui works with the subtle energies around us. Some people can feel these energies, some can’t. Some know that they exist, some don’t. Some believe in them, some think it’s all a load of cr*p. Some are hoping that these energies are there, and they don’t have any proof that this is the case.

Well these days there really IS scientific proof that energy exists and that it affects us. And that’s a totally different blog all together. What I’m after today is to get the message across that you don’t have to believe in Feng Shui for it to benefit you.

I personally think that this is great news!

This means that you can have a consultation done for your home or office, and as long as you follow the advice given, you will get the benefits of Feng Shui, whether you believe in it or not.

What you will notice is that magically a problem you’ve been struggling with for a long time all of a sudden is resolved with a wonderful outcome. That business deal that you just couldn’t get across the line before will all of a sudden be happening, and faster and easier than you could ever imagine.

You might find that you sleep better. You could start shedding those extra kilos. You might find the inspiration to start writing your book, or finding the courage to start your own business. Maybe you were single and out of the blue meet your dream partner. If you were getting a bit tired of your spouse, all of a sudden you might feel like you are newly in love again.

All of these things (and more of course) can happen simply because your home (or office) is now resonating with positive energy, bringing harmony and balance to all areas of your life.

So if you have a block in any area of life that has been there for a while, you’ve “tried everything” and you don’t know what else to do about it – Feng Shui can really help.

Donald Trump says this about Feng Shui:

“I don’t have to believe in Feng Shui.
I use it because it makes me money.”

So next time you’re feeling stuck, why not take a leaf out of Mr Trump’s book and use Feng Shui to help you, whether you believe in it or not.

Have a great weekend!

With love,
Sara

Feel Good Group - Donald Trump uses Feng Shui because it makes him money.

Donald Trump uses Feng Shui because it makes him money.

Get good vibrations – Article in Women’s Fitness

I’m so excited to be featured in the September 2014 issue of Women’s Fitness magazine! Out of a lot of information I gave them on Feng Shui, these are the tips they chose to put in print.

The text below is a direct copy of the article.

GET GOOD VIBRATIONS
Harmonise your home with a few lessons in feng shui
Who needs a big-budget reno? We asked Sara Allard, founder of FeelGood Feng Shui (feelgoodfengshui.com), for simple tips for creating a happier home.

Clear the clutter
Not only does your junk slow energy down, it can cause blockages and lead to missed opportunities, says Allard. “If you feel the need to get moving forward, clearing clutter is a great place to start.”

Fill it with love
“When a room is out of balance we often don’t want to spend time there,” says Allard. To banish the bad vibes, surround yourself with things you really love. “Fix things that are broken and get rid of stuff you don’t use,” she says.

Use mirrors wisely
The wrong placement of mirrors can send your positive energy out the window – literally – and disturb sleep. “Cover bedroom mirrors at night, and never place a mirror opposite your front door,” instructs Allard, as this will repel energy and fortune.

Let the outdoors in
Boost the positive energy in your home and help purify the air with a few indoor plants. If your thumb isn’t so green, open some windows to let the air and ‘chi’ flow freely.

The right shade
Choose colours carefully. “For a calm room, such as a bedroom, use cool colours like greens and blues,” says Allard. “For an active room, vibrant reds and yellows will keep the positive energy pumping.”

If you find this interesting and want to know more about what you can do in your own home, get in touch and I’d be happy to help!

Cheers,
Sara

Feel Good Group in Women's Fitness Magazine - September 2014

Feel Good Group in Women’s Fitness Magazine – September 2014

What if your life purpose is just a scam?

That thought stopped me dead in my tracks the other day.

What if there is no big mystery for me to unravel about myself? What if there is no ONE BIG THING that I am here, in this world, to do? What if I don’t have a singular purpose the way I have been told, and chosen to believe?

What if?

At first, I got really upset. This has been such a big part of my life for such a long time. The hunt for my purpose. The looking. The hoping. The failing to find it. The feeling of hopelessness that comes with not knowing. The hope that comes with the thought that “once I find my purpose, my true calling in life, things will fall into place, life will be easier, I will attract what I need to fulfil that purpose. If only I knew what it was…”

Then what I felt was freedom! Happiness! Elation!

If there isn’t this one big thing that I have to find… Then I can relax. I can enjoy the ride. I can be me and be happy. And being me, right here, as I am, can be enough.

How good is that?

What about the possibility that there are several, smaller little meanings to my life? And what about if they can change over time? What about if where it’s at is following my dream, one step at a time, and realising that dream can change.

When I think about it, it’s almost impossible for it no to change!

I’m not the same person I was 10 years ago, living in Sweden, never having been to Australia. My life journey has taken me to some places I never even dreamt of visiting. I’ve seen some stuff man, and some things! And I’ve changed on some levels, and on some levels not.

The way I would have lived my so called purpose 10 years ago would have been vastly different from how I would live it today.

So doesn’t it feel better to relax into the thought that there isn’t this one, elusive purpose out there, waiting for me to find it? Instead, there are these smaller dreams, excitements, happy places that light me up… And my life is about stringing together as many of those as I possibly can.

In that scenario, life is a hunt for the good stuff. Life is about having this experience as a human, and that’s it. There is no other big secret to it. It’s about being here, it’s about enjoying the ride. And that’s a freeing thought to me.

So my life, from this day, will be about following my dreams. And they can be small, they can be big, they can be about me or they can be about the greater good. I will do what feels right, and fun, and good, and important to me. Whether that is my “purpose” or not, who cares?

What do you think? Crazy? Or freeing?

Love,
Sara

Feel Good Group - Your life purpose, a dead end?

The search for your life purpose… A dead end???

 

Thoughts on being grateful

I’m in Vietnam at the moment. Before coming here I spent 10 days in Cambodia. Life over here is so vastly different from back home in Sydney. So much so I wonder how much of the day to day life of some of the people I have met here I can even begin to understand with my “western mind”.

It seems to me that for most people in this part of the world, life is not about thriving, but about surviving. Something I really don’t see in my normal day-to-day life in Australia. We’ve got it good people!

I’ve seen the fishermen living permanently on Cambodia’s largest lake (Tonle Sap) throw their nets and get nothing. No fish. Next time: no fish. And again: no fish. And yet, they keep going. They have no choice. This is their life and livelihood.

I’ve seen the fishermen in Halong Bay do the same. They come down to live on the water during the time of year they cannot grow rice on their small farms. They move between the land and the water to wherever the likelihood for survival is better during that time of the year.

We have kids at the temples in Cambodia selling trinkets to tourists instead of being in school, with their parents blessings. They see the likelihood of making money that way as bigger than the likelihood of making money from a good education.

Then we have the life in the mountains. Yesterday we went trekking outside of Sapa in the very north of Vietnam, only about 50km from the Chinese border. The local tribal people here live off the land. They grow rice and corn and they cultivate the terraced land using water buffalo. Some of them have electricity, some don’t.

And here I am as a visitor. Dropping in and out of “modern life”. Going for a walk or boat ride, and then coming back to the comfort of my hotel. With wifi connection, a clean bed and a hot shower.

And I feel so very grateful for this – my life! In the last few days I have been reminded of how blessed I am, and I love it. I love that perspective on life. I love that I have the time, space and luxury to ponder things like “Why am I here? What is the purpose of my life? What makes me happy?”. And that I can go and explore these questions, and all the others that run around in my head.

I love that my life is not about surviving, but about thriving. And I have been reminded of this so many times in the last couple of weeks. And so I feel obligated to make the most of my life as I know it. To live to my potential as much as I can. I’ve been given this gift as I see it, and it’s my job to make the most of it.

Therefore I want to explore what makes me happy. Look at what I can do to better serve the greater good. Fight for that which I believe in. Give back. Not because it’s “the right thing to do” (even though it might be), but simply because I can, and because it feels better.

I will wake up every day with joy in my heart. And I wow to remember to be grateful for all that I have, and appreciate the people, experiences and places I come across.

Put simply – My life rocks!

How about yours?

With love,
Sara

Feel Good Group - A picture of two pink Lotus flowers in the sunshine - A reminder of all that is beautiful in my life!

Lotus flower – a reminder of all that is beautiful in my life!

It’s just one of those days…

I went to a referral based business group meeting this morning, and the lovely lady who looks after us every Friday morning was there as usual. Though nothing was as per usual with her today. Normally she’s so happy, bubbly and her smile is contagious. Not so today.

For most of the meeting I was so wrapped up in what I was doing, running the meeting on time, making sure everyone got to participate and say their bit etc. and I didn’t consciously notice that anything was wrong.

Not until the meeting itself was over and I was packing my things up to get going. Then I noticed. She wasn’t smiling, she wasn’t throwing her normal little jokes and comments about. So I stopped and I felt into her energy and I could really sense something was different.

As I was walking out the door, I took a quick second to lean over, say thank you and give her a big kiss on the cheek. She looked me deep in the eyes and she said:

“Thank you. It’s just one of those days.”

And I’ve been thinking of that ever since.

“It’s just one of those days.”

Sometimes that is so true. I bet you have your own version of “just one of those days” and that you know exactly what that feels like for you. To me, that’s a day when I’m a bit off. Most things seem to not be going my way, though there is nothing exactly wrong either. If there was something tangible going on, I would define that as a “shit day” instead of “one of those days.”

It’s a bit of an in-between, and still it’s very exact too. It’s not great, and it’s not terrible, and it’s a bit frustrating perhaps.

“One of those days”.

It’s such a useful expression I’ve realised. In it lies the freedom that things aren’t quite ok, and at the same time, it’s ok that they’re not. There’s an underlying tone of hope actually, well there is to me anyway. It says to me that because it’s just “one of those days”, tomorrow is a new day and things will be different.

There’s a freedom in admitting that things aren’t great right now, and at the same time I know they will be right again, soon. And I don’t actually have to do anything about it (unless I want to of course). It will sort itself out by tomorrow.

So, I’m learning to embrace “those days” when they come around! They give me perspective, depth and contrast in my life. They show me what it feels like when things are a little tough, and in that, give me hope that tomorrow is going to be different, better, clearer, happier – whatever it is that is currently lacking in my day.

Why not give it a try? Embrace that niggly feeling, embrace the “not quite right” and in the middle of it all you have this opportunity to see the light at the horizon. No need to push through, pretend to be ok when you’re not. Just have “one of those days” and it will soon pass. Allow it to be exactly what it is, a bit off. And soon enough you will bounce back to higher energy, happier thoughts and more ease in taking action.

Let yourself be where you are and enjoy all of your days. I know my life feels better overall as I learn to accept where I’m at, what I can and want to change, and what I might just need to sit with for a while.

So the next time I’m having “one of those days” I will let it be just that… Maybe you can join me and give it a go too?

With love,
Sara

Feel Good Group - A picture of a black umbrella in the rain - It's just one of those days

It’s just one of those days…

A physical change can create a change in energy

I’ve been struggling a little bit lately I must admit. I’ve spread myself too thinly and this is catching up with me now. I have this tendency to say yes to things, without fully considering the consequences. Sound familiar?

Mind you, I only ever say yes to things (well these days anyway) that excite me. And even then, too much of a good thing can still be too much.

So I’ve had a look at how I can best manage my own energy going through busy periods like this. And what I have come up with is probably not mind blowing, or even at all new to most of you. And it has really hit home with me this week, so I felt it was worth sharing anyway.

When I’m feeling busy, I’ve noticed that my mind gets really busy too. I start thinking about all the things that I haven’t done, that I need to plan, people I should have called, emails I must reply to, dinners I must cook… And all of these thoughts add to the feeling of busyness, you might even call it overwhelm.

Then there’s the solely mental overwhelm to deal with as well. You know the one. The one that creeps up on you when you might have a little bit extra time on your hands. The one that sets of if you’re not ok with having some time out, some time off, a slower day (which we all need and I’m all for). The mental stress that sets in if and when you feel like you “should be doing more”, for whatever reason.

I see this in myself and I’ve seen it in my friends and clients as well, when I’m not physically busy, I can still make myself mentally busy anyway.

When you don’t know what to do or how to move forward, what do you normally do? Some people sit and wait for inspiration, procrastinating and hoping for direction to turn up. And while waiting for direction, they normally try to figure it out from a head space. “What do I need to do next?”

Some people push themselves even harder, thinking “the more energy I put in, even if it’s going in the wrong direction, something MUST happen, right?” Some people freeze and feel crap and as a result end up doing nothing, sitting at home like a deer caught in the headlights trying to “figure things out”. Some people stress about it, obsess about it, talk about it, try to work it out, and as a result, it feels like a lot is going on, and in reality, nothing really happens.

So if you are physically busy, or mentally busy, or both, feeling overwhelmed does not help. Agreed?

Well, what can you do? I have found this week that PHYSICALLY changing helps. Don’t try and work with that busy mind of yours, this will only add to the burden of the millions of thoughts already running around in there. Instead, DO something different. Forget about your mental abilities and get into your body.

But how?

Surely meditation must be great, as this is what it’s all about, quietening your mind. For a number of reasons, I actually don’t recommend you starting out with meditation, unless you are very skilled at it and quickly can get to a place of peace inside. Why? From what I hear so many people tell me, they never, ever get to that calm, beautiful place inside while meditating. They just sit still and their mind races just as quickly and as much as per normal. So start with something much more simple.

Move.

That’s it. Move your body. Go for a walk. Clean out your wardrobe. Go to the gym. Get your bike out and go for a ride. Weed your garden (added on bonus of connecting with the earth). Swim in the ocean. Walk your dog. Do some yoga at home. And whatever you do, really focus on how this activity feels physically. Notice your breathing, what muscles are being used, are you sweating? And then start noticing things around you. Is the sky blue today? Is the sun out? What are the other people at the gym wearing? Has anything changed in your neighbourhood? Just pay attention.

And you will notice your mind starting to calm down. I have found that when I’m present in my body, it’s really hard to be busy in my mind at the same time. Being physical directs your energy towards something completely different, and it will give you the mental break you’re looking for.

If you’re at work, you can always go for a quick 5 minute walk outside. Find an empty meeting room and do some sit-ups, pushups and star jumps. Or stand up and do some stretches at your desk. Who knows, your colleagues might even join in!

Think about some things to have up your sleeve as your go-to solutions for when you find yourself feeling too busy or overwhelmed. Figure out a few things you know you would love to do ahead of time and write them down somewhere. Then when the mental stress hits, you can look at your list and choose an activity and get yourself back towards a calmer, more centred you.

What will work for you? What will you do to get out of your head and into your body?

Love,
Sara

Feel Good Group - Two women in the sun jumping high above a field of green grass against a backdrop of blue sky. A physical change can create a change in energy

A physical change can create a change in energy!