Have you ever watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” the 1946 movie starring Jimmy Steward and Donna Reed?
Recently my beautiful friend Kim, gave me a dragonfly chime. As it was chiming away, I said…..
She had never heard the quote from the movie before. And to my surprise she’d never watched the movie. So later that night we watched it. I had forgotten how profound the movie is. It really assists you to know that no matter what life you are living, YOU MATTER.
That each and every day, you touch so many other people’s lives.
Though some times we may forget this.
We forget how that smile can lift someone’s day. We forget that without us doing “this”, “that” would never get done.
Sometimes you may even forget to STOP and look around.
To notice just how wonderful your life truly is.
So take time today to STOP and TAKE A DEEP BREATH.
Breathe it in. Breathe deep down into your belly.,
Then remember that you matter. And know that you have touch many lives. You’ve made them better, even if they have forgotten to tell you how grateful they are to have you in their life.
Take time today to see just how wonderful your life truly is!
Make it Meaningful Memorable and Magical.
Stay well and always remember that there is great love here for you.
https://karenchaston.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/wonderful-life.png12001200Karen Chastonhttps://karenchaston.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Karen-Chaston-320_70-1.pngKaren Chaston2021-05-31 12:08:172021-11-13 12:14:43Are You Living Your Wonderful Life?
Welcome to the “Listen” edition of “It’s Sun Day: Your Day to Shine”
Did you know that most of us spend 70% to 80% of our waking hours in some type of communication? Of which 45% of that time is dedicated to listening.
Other studies have found that most of us are poor listeners. One study shows that after a 10-minute presentation only 50% of the information was retained.
The ability to listen well in any interaction is vital for us to thrive in all areas of your life.
The first step is to understand what listening is and how it differs from hearing.
Enjoy your ‘Listening’ Deep Dive Sun Day.
Take time to Celebrate You, Today and All Days!
Listening Vs Hearing
There is one basic difference between listening and hearing:
Hearing is a physical act while listening is the act of hearing while also retaining and comprehending the information.
Consciously Lovingly Hearing involves three major facets. When you actively practice these facets daily you’ll easily enhance your listening skills. They are:
The Way That You Talk to Yourself
Here are some questions for your to contemplate today:
Would you say the same things to your bestie, as you do to yourself?
Would they continue to be your bestie, after those conversations?
Where do you feel the chatter is coming from: your beliefs, social norms, your friends, things that have happened in the past or unrealistic stereo types?
Listening to Others
Knowledge is power. A lot of what you know today has come through listening and learning from others. Afterall, we don’t know what we don’t know. Though are you taking the time to listen to many different perspectives? Gathering all viewpoints before you decide what perspective is right for you?
Listening to Your Inner Knowing
Many times, we spend our time listening to others, taking their advice, course correcting to the latest trend, fad idea and we forget to listen to ourselves.
To listen to what is right for us.
To trust that we know what is best for us.
To know our inner dreams and desires.
To know what lights, us up and what dims our light.
It is afterall, Our Life! The more we tune into our inner knowing to more we will trust and know that we already have the answers inside of us. That when we listen and follow it, we will end up where we would like to be.
Having good listening skills will improve your whole life. Assisting you to live a joyous, happy, prosperous and fulfilled life, with many loving and meaningful relationships.
Now, that is a WRAP for Sun Day the 30th May 2021: Your Day to Shine.
Enjoy your day, deep diving into you and your listening habits.
Make Every Day, Meaningful Memorable and Magical.
Stay well and always remember that there is great love here for you.
It’s so easy to blame everyone else for the mess we may find ourselves in. We may blame our parents for our low self-esteem and we may blame our current partner for exacerbating it with their unconscious behaviour. This totally makes sense when you consider, it is not our fault if our parents were irresponsible or unkind, and we are not to blame for our partner’s bad behaviour.
Yet when you continue to blame everyone else for the events that have brought you to who you are today, you are not taking any responsibility. Yes, that is right, blaming others is the opposite of taking responsibility. Though at the same time, we may not understand how to take responsibility for things that we don’t truly feel responsible for.
For ten long years, Holly had the perfect excuse as to why she was a drug addict. She was one of five children, four girls and a boy and all of them were addicted to something.
Her mother, Mary was a child of two addicts. Her grandmother was an alcoholic and her grandfather a gambler and alcoholic. Mary did the best in raising her five children though she was starting from a low base.
You see Mary and her sister Marge would work summer jobs every year and save every penny. Only to have their father clear out their bank accounts and then gamble it all away.
Mary’s husband was a hard worker. Worked two jobs. Leaving home at 5am and returning at 11pm. Mary was really a single parent. She did not know how to show the love that each of her five children required. She did not know how to raise their self-esteem, self-worth and self-love.
How could she, she was never shown these from her parents.
Holly came to a crossroad in her life. She looked at her children and she saw the faces of her siblings. She realised that she had to break the pattern. She loved her children too much to condemn them to her life.
She had to take responsibility for her life… all of it. She had to figure out how to be free.
I have met so many people who share Holly’s story. Some come to a realisation that they can create their better life. The one they know they deserve.
Some unfortunately do not.
Can you relate to Holly? Are you at a crossroads, wondering how you can move beyond your current situation?
If so reach out today. As now is the perfect time for you to break the cycle. Heal all your past wounds and create a life that you live and love, each and every day.
Make Every Day, Meaningful Memorable and Magical.
Stay well and always remember that there is great love here for you.
https://karenchaston.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/maybe-it-is-you.png12001200Karen Chastonhttps://karenchaston.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Karen-Chaston-320_70-1.pngKaren Chaston2021-05-24 12:25:332021-11-13 12:32:25Maybe, It is You After All
Welcome to the “Emotional Deep-Dive” edition of “It’s Sun Day: Your Day to Shine”
Today, is Sunday the 23rd May 2021. Today is a 555 portal. When you add the day, month and year and reduce it to a single digit they individually add to 5. Day 2+3=5, Month =5 Year 2021 = 5.
The 555 portal is a gateway that opens to:
Major change, transformation, opportunities, love healing, harmony, freedom and higher consciousness.
So today’s theme is all about assisting you to deep diving into your emotions. So you may receive the gift from the past.
As then you may be ready to leave everything you know behind and be open to your inspiration that will transform your life into all of your hopes, dreams and aspirations.
Enjoy your Emotional Deep Dive Sun Day.
Take time to Celebrate You, Today and All Days!
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) from the Personal Competence Perspective
Today we will be looking at our Emotional Intelligence (EQ) from the Personal Competence Perspective which comprises your self-awareness and self-management skills.
The Personal Competence Perspective focuses more on you individually than on your interactions with other people. Personal competence is your ability to stay aware of your emotions and manage your behaviour and tendencies.
Self-Awareness is your ability to accurately perceive your emotions and stay aware of them as they happen. Knowing what you’re thinking and feeling and how this makes you behave ~ being ‘self-aware.’
Self-Management is your ability to use awareness of your emotions to stay flexible and positively direct your behaviour. Being able to express your own feelings in the appropriate manner.
No one has the power to make you feel the way you do. Many times, we blame others for the way we feel, whereas in reality we are totally responsible for the way we react, respond and feel in any given situation. We all have our so-called buttons, when pushed, cause us to act or think in negative ways beyond our normal day-to-day selves. Ok, sometimes you feel it is an unconscious reaction and consciously you do not have the answers, as to why you may feel a certain way. Though the responsible thing to do is to figure out why you’re responding the way you do, in any given situation.
Today’s activities are designed to assist you in bringing self-awareness to better know, understand and heal your emotional buttons. Instead of becoming frustrated, know that your buttons are the keys to your growth.
Three Self-Awareness Exercises
Why Do I Do the Things I Do?
Start consciously monitoring the things that you’re doing and saying. This will assist you to tune into why you may be feeling the way that you do, in any given moment
Ask yourself why do I do this?
Is it for me or for someone else?
What’s the purpose, is this the most important thing to be doing right now?
The answers will assist you tune into you, to focus and better know yourself.
Time to Tune into How I Feel Right Now
To get to know what you are feeling in any given moment, Several times during the day, allot 5 minutes in your calendar for you to close your eyes and tune into your body.
With your eyes closed, moving from the top of your head, scan down to tune into each part of body. The more you do this the more you will know your optimal health and well being.
Write down the emotion. Look at the Chaston Centre Emotions List.
Schedule these 5-minute reflections into your calendar say every 2 or 3 hours.
Notice how much more you achieve, each day through taking this 5 min check in!
Time to Reflect Upon My Daily Emotions
Before going to bed spend some time reflecting upon you’ve feelings throughout the day.
Create an emotions journal and break each page into two columns: the left one is for your emotions where you list them by the hour, the right one is for the context that surrounded that emotion. Once you’ve listed all emotions, start to compare and analyse them. What’s the ratio of positive vs negative emotions? Which emotions dominate and what causes them? What are their triggers?
This will allow you to see where emotions come from exactly in order to work on changing their triggers and reducing negative emotions by stopping them from arising.
Your health and wellness are correlated to the way you feel. When you pay attention to your feelings, you receive the messages they are sending. Assisting you to create the life you’re meant to live.
Here are two books the Chaston Centre highly recommend as they provide the guidance to assist you to pay attention to your feelings and then heal them:
Louise Hay “You Can Heal Your Life.”
Inna Segal “The Secret Language of Your Body
Awesome stuff!
Now, that is a WRAP for Sun Day the 23rd May 2021: Your Day to Shine.
Enjoy your day, deep diving inyo you and your emotions.
Make Every Day, Meaningful Memorable and Magical.
Stay well and always remember that there is great love here for you.
https://karenchaston.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Emotions-1.png12001200Karen Chastonhttps://karenchaston.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Karen-Chaston-320_70-1.pngKaren Chaston2021-05-23 13:04:382021-11-13 13:04:57It’s Time to Deep-Dive into Your Emotions
Healing allows us to reclaim our power. It gives us the opportunity to fit the pieces back together in such a way so that we are stronger than ever before. We learn and grow through our experiences. When we take the time to deep-dive into our past experiences to heal them, we receive all the many gems and lessons. Healing is not about condoning the things that have been done or said. Healing is about us. It’s about releasing the baggage so that we are not weighed down by it. It’s about learning from the past, all so that we can design a better future.
Have you taken the time to release the baggage and learn from your past?
The Importance of Healing
Life is going to send us all life-changing challenges and events. At the Chaston Centre we call them Loss Events. We have identified over 40 different loss events. We all will have multiple Loss Events, that will affect us emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually. They affect our Heart and Soul.
When we have a physical injury we seek medical assistance, though when we have internal injuries for some reason there is a reluctance to seek help. There seems to be a shroud of shame and secrecy hovering around emotional “damage”. Vulnerability and human fragility generate fear. When unforeseen things happen that shatter life as we know it, it lights up these “weaknesses.”
We deserve more than that, and that is the importance of healing. We are whole beings. We are physical, cognitive, emotional, spiritual beings, with all four aspects intricately woven together. If one part of us hurts, the whole is affected. When one part of us is not assisted to heal, our whole being suffers. True respect for ourselves grows out of an acknowledgement of our wholeness. Only then are we able to recognise that in order to care for ourselves we have to care for the WHOLE us.
A life-changing adversity can be crushing. If you allow it, the weight of it can keep you flat for a long time. Take Life up on it has to offer of assisting you to thrive in all areas of your life..
Reach out when you’re ready to make a commitment to your healing.
Make Every Day, Meaningful Memorable and Magical.
Stay well and always remember that there is great love here for you.
https://karenchaston.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Healing-Matters.png12001200Karen Chastonhttps://karenchaston.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Karen-Chaston-320_70-1.pngKaren Chaston2021-05-17 13:06:332021-11-13 13:13:11Are You Ready to Heal Your Past?
Today, whilst editing my new book, Demystifying Loss, I was guided to ask you this question:
“Have you taken the time to find Your True Life’s Essence?
My True Essence of Life ~ has nine components that are constant actions that are consistently front of mind, so I can live my life in Essence, true to the person I was born to be.
The essence of life is constant growth, every day, reminding yourself to keep moving, to be open to change, to all possibilities, to keep enquiring and always trying to be better than yesterday you (or Yesterday Me as I like to say).
In fact, some people go through an entire lifetime, missing the gist of it—lost in their many loss events, disoriented in their demanding life of avoidance and focusing on materialism and competition, living as I used to; “In their ground-hog daze.”
Have you taken the time to create your true essence of life?
Reach out if you would like to know the easiest way for you to do so.
Remember to Make Every Day, Meaningful Memorable and Magical.
Stay well and always know that there is great love here for you.
Welcome to the “Relationship” edition of “It’s Sun Day: Your Day to Shine”
Today, the 9th May 2021 is Mother’s Day. Happy Mother’s Day to all.
Personally I can not think of a better day for us to deep dive into ways that we can enhance our relationships.
A successful relationship is a product of creating and keeping a constant and healthy connection with other people. Those who are reaping the successes of life; happiness, love, and contentment, have a focus of maintaining healthy relationships with others, personally and professionally.
When each partner knows that self-love radiates outward, they add value to a relationship instead of seeking love and affirmation from a partner.
When a person seeks a partner to complete them, conflicts arise. It is not your partner’s job to make you happy. It is your job to make you happy. It is your partner’s job to make themselves happy. Today, as a special gift to you, I reached out to Alan Stevens, an amazing friend, who specialises as a ‘profile and communication relationship specialist.’
Keep reading as the insights he offers is something we all could have utilised at a much younger age!
Enjoy your Sun Day. Take time to Celebrate You, Today and All Days!
The Science and Art of Reading People
Have you ever wondered how different your life would be if you were able to have instant rapport with everyone you meet?
Well today’s special gift will give you the tools to know how to instantly connect with anyone and everyone.
Alan Stevens is an international profiling and communications specialist, who loves to assist people to make sense of their life and their relationships.
He does this through Face Profiling.
Today, Alan has kindly offered free access to “The Science and Art of Reading People”, where you will learn how Face Profiling can help you in your relationships in:
you personal life
your professional life and/or
building your business
sales and negotiations
I totally understand that this sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, though after watching and then practising the skills that he teaches you in this free course, you will be amazed at how easily you can enhance any relationship, just by reading their face!
He loves to works with: parents and teachers to help them enhance the ability of their children to reach their full potential while improving the experience of the parents, teachers, and students business owners and executives, helping them to understand and engage their clients and prospects, enhancing their presentations and negotiation skills and increasing sales.
Well, that is a WRAP for Sun Day the 9th May 2021: Your Day to Shine.
Enjoy your day, learning how to enhance all of your relationships.
Always remember that above all else you deserve your love and gratitude
Remember to Make Every Day, Meaningful Memorable and Magical.
Stay well and always know that there is great love here for you.
I was looking at my daughter-in-law, admiring what a great mother she is to my grandson. How she loves and respects him enough to treat and talk to him as an adult, even though he is only two. She takes the time to sit and explain to him all about their day. Assisting him to know that no matter where they are, he is loved and safe……… even when it’s dentist time! It made me think back to how I was when my children were a similar age. Initially I was sad that I was not like that. Though then I very quickly realised that I was a fabulous Mum (now and then). I was exactly the mother my boys required at that time.
They have all grown to be amazing adults (even Dan who is in Spirit). Men who respect women. Men who laugh a lot, are loving, kind and are successful in all that they do.
Isn’t that the perfect definition of being a successful parent?
So today I’d like to shed some light on the fact that when loss comes to visit, sometimes we have many unfounded regrets, mainly because we are not comparing apples with apples.
Can you relate? When you look at your greatest Loss. what are some of your regrets? What are some of the things that you wished that you had done differently? Take a sec and write them down.
Then ask yourself, knowing what you know now, what would you do differently? What would you say? How would you act?
Then, visually travel back to who you were then.
What was going on in your life?
What were you not aware of then, that you are now?
Who were you mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually?
It’s important for us to always know that every day, we always make the best decisions, the most ideal choices, based on the facts that we have in front of us.
Though, as time goes on we learn and grow. We start to see things from a different perspective. We start to realise that, if I had known then what I know now I would have made different choices. I would have been braver, smarter, more loving and more successful in all areas of my life.
That is why many regrets (especially after Loss comes to visit) are unfounded. We are not comparing apples with apples.
Give yourself a HUG, take a Conscious Loving Breath and know that you did what you were meant to do, then. Then take another Conscious loving Breath and know that this realisation is not an excuse, an out, to give up on your current dreams.
I have found that the best way to make a dream become a reality is to ask yourself “When I am ninety, sitting overlooking my lake and looking back at my life, how will I feel if I do not fulfill this dream?”
That feeling (for me and hopefully now for you) is enough to ensure that I take every step to make my dreams happen. So, if you are stuck in the regrets and not taking the steps toward fulfilling your dreams, now is the time for you to hit the reply and reach out.
As life is way too short for you to be stuck, regretful and not living and loving your dream life,
Remember to Make Every Day, Meaningful Memorable and Magical.
Stay well and always know that there is great love here for you.
https://karenchaston.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Doin-Your-Best.png12001200Karen Chastonhttps://karenchaston.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Karen-Chaston-320_70-1.pngKaren Chaston2021-05-03 13:43:442021-11-13 13:53:57You’re Always at Your Best
Welcome to the “Desire” edition of “It’s Sun Day: Your Day to Shine”
Desire can be a wonderful tool. A powerful catalyst that leads to creating and achieving all of your dreams.
Imagine having the propensity (a deeply ingrained instinct) to feel empowered and to know that you have the ability to sense that your desires will be fulfilled.
Today’s Sun Day activity is to deep dive into Your DESIRES.
To understand what it is and then to understand how your desires can become your reality.
When you start to see Desire more as a compass, you’ll become connected to your motivation that moves you towards your desired outcomes.. It becomes an ‘Inner Knowing’ that you can learn to trust, even more than your own reasoning or logic. Trusting desire is directly related to your relationships with your body, your inner knowing. This is because the visceral feeling of desire comes from a more primal place in your bodies.
It is often a result of not listening to your body that can cause you to become lost in your chaotic mind trying to figure out what you want. Stuck in the intellect listening to what you, society, friends, family, and partners all think you should want. When we don’t trust our bodies we do not trust ourselves. When you dismiss what your body is communicating, you miss out on the wealth of information and a knowing that comes from within. Slowly as you begin to feel your desire and trust your body, you will allow your desire to pull you towards the many things you desire ~ in all areas of your live.
The more you feel your desire, the more you’ll create a magnet for the things that you want in life.
The first step to living you ideal life, is allowing yourself to feel desire. Desire typically shows up as yearning, craving, wanting, with an internal pull. The feeling of desire can be hard to detect, because of the loud stories of fear playing on full blast within your mind.
Through healing your relationship with desire and trusting the communication, you’ll be open to feeling into it,. Without the doubt, insecurity, shame, and possibly guilt you may have previously felt. Sit in the feeling of wanting. Slowly re-awaken your sleeping hunger for the things desired and abandoned long ago. This gives your desire breathing room to exist. Ultimately, giving yourself permission to be who you’ve always desired to be!.Our desires are such a strong, undeniable pull within us.
Never let someone else’s small mind to convinve you that your desires are unrealistic. The more time we take to feel into them, the easier it is for you to move past the doubt that may be stopping your desires from coming into fruition. The road to fulfilling all your desires in life, is one of dedication, daily commitment and motivating yourself to ensure that you’re following the sometimes long and lonely road to the end.
What steps will you take today that will ensure that your Desires will be fulfilled?
Remember to Make Every Day, Meaningful Memorable and Magical.
Stay well and always know that there is great love here for you.