“I have more than enough time not to rush.”

Family Matthews travelled to Jindabyne last week set in the beautiful Australian snowy mountains which always seems to generate some writing inspiration…

It was my first experience of a ‘workcation’ where I worked half days in the mornings and then had the afternoons to enjoy time exploring the area with the family. I found it very productive having focused work activity blocks, then lots of quality family time and some beautiful trail runs. Something I’d be keen to repeat again!

It was a great chance to slow down and reflect after an abundant time (my new word for busy!). Sharing one of my reflections on the power of mantras / affirmations.

“I have more than enough time not to rush.” is a mantra I’ve been working with to help curb my maximiser tendency to fit so much in that I’m then rushing around to things and not fully present.

I used to think fitting lots in was a superpower then it hit me one day when a spiritual friend shared,, ‘rushing steals all joy’. I stopped and reflected that yes it does. It’s hard to be fully present when you’re running late and are over committed. Another moment of insight was hearing this quote from the late Thich Nhat Hanh:

As we know it’s hard to change habits but we have a choice in every moment to make a new commitment. This was where my mantra came in.

One of the books that alerted me to the power of mantras / affirmations was Gabby Bernstein’s ‘Super Attractor’. Gabby shares becoming a Super Attractor “means that what you believe is what you’ll receive.” She describes a powerful story of how she wasn’t feeling supported at work and things were falling apart. She then thought about times when she had felt supported by one colleague and started using a mantra, “Everything is happening around me and I am truly taken care of”. She described “in those moments when I felt the urge to take over anything, from a big project to a small task, and do everything myself, I turned to this mantra”. Gabby repeated this for months and then started to notice dramatic positive shifts in her business, she stared to let go and let others in allowing her to do the work she loved. This approach reminds me of another wise saying my aunty shares, “What you look for you shall seek.”

The mantra is seeming to work for me so far and I feel less rushed and have been less likely to over commit since I have started using it.

What is a mantra / affirmation that could help you with something? It could have the power to radically chance your life.

On this subject, Michael Singer, author of ‘The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself’ recently discussed the power of mantras with Oprah Winfrey in this Super Soul podcast episode. I liked the idea that as we have so much time witnessing our thoughts, it’s good to have mantras to help control what we’re hearing.

I have found his teachings profound and love the fusion of science and spirituality. He has his own podcast too which you may enjoy. Whilst running around beautiful Lake Jindabyne I perhaps serendipitously listened to this episode from it, ‘Look into the Lake of Life’ . I found it reaffirmed some useful insights including what we experience in the world is a projection of our inner self.

As one of my mentors once shared, life is a mind game!

Wishing you all well with your learning and reflections 🙏🌎