This week, I want to talk about why you often know unconsciously what you have to do in any situation, as your subconscious mind is constantly gathering information around you, processing it and forming conclusions in the background, without you even realising it consciously.

We often ignore our sixth sense and gut instinct, but our subconscious minds frequently provide us with insights and guidance. Our internal compass is always shaped by our past experiences and knowledge and can usually offers us intuitive solutions, if we just listen to it.

Paying attention to this inner voice and trusting instincts usually leads to us making better decisions in life and aligning actions with needs or wants. For example, consider times when you made a decision without overthinking it and it ultimately turned out perfectly. That's your unconscious mind at work.

Cultivating awareness and trust in instincts also sometimes streamlines decision-making and reduces stress, but it’s essential to differentiate between intuition and fear-driven impulses. While instincts guide us positively, fear leada us astray. Reflection and balance between conscious and unconscious thought are crucial for avoiding impulsive, or misguided, actions.

Here are some examples:

- Imagine being introduced to someone new and immediately feeling a sense of trust or unease with them, for no discernible or logical reason. This is because your subconscious mind picks up on subtle cues, which guide your initial impressions and interactions. - Or imagine that, while thinking about a problem, you suddenly find the perfect solution appearing in your mind, even when daydreaming, or night dreaming, when you least expect it. This is because your brain has been synthesising information in the background and now offers you a creative resolution. - Or imagine you decide to take a different route driving home after work and end up, this way, avoiding a traffic jam on your normal route. You are not now a prophet or telepath, but your unconscious mind has alerted you to potential issues, guiding your actions in a good direction.

However, solely relying on your subconscious can also be risky, as it can reinforce biases, or irrational beliefs. Critical thinking and conscious evaluation are also vital in ensuring instincts are accurate and helpful, thereby preventing us from making hasty or incorrect judgments.

So, today, remember that you often know unconsciously what you have to do. Learn to therefore trust your instincts when making decisions, but balance them with reflection, to ensure accuracy and judgment!

This week I want to talk to you about why we should usually resist the temptation to offer someone our advice, unless it is specifically requested from us. Sometimes, our need to say something feels more important to us than another person's need to hear us.

Listening is often more valuable than speaking. Usually, unsolicited advice feels intrusive, even if it is well-intentioned and informed. There are also moments where silence speaks louder than words, even if it feels like our hearts are just screaming out to be heard.

It’s natural to want to help other people, but sharing advice without being asked can create tension. People may also feel judged or misunderstood if they receive unrequested advice. Offering advice without being asked may actually stand in the way of someone's growth and hinder, rather than help them.

For example, people often learn through their experiences, including failures. By holding back your advice, you then let someone then explore their own solutions, which can be more empowering and rewarding for them in the end.

Here are some other examples:

- Imagine a teenager, or even an older friend, navigating a breakup, who is seeking your emotional support, rather than your advice or solutions. It is always about balance and recognising that, in those moments, we may sometimes be speaking more for our own benefit than theirs.

- Or imagine a family member who shares their frustrations with you, who is really craving your empathy, not your thoughts or guidance. Practice listening and understanding, creating a more supportive environment for them to seek your help in the future if needed.

- Or imagine a work colleague who wants to discuss an idea with you, but who is not really seeking to brainstorm it with you, but rather to just hear themselves talk about it and to hear themselves say it out loud, before requesting any input.

However, sometimes, not offering advice to someone, even if they haven’t asked for it, can seem like neglect. People might interpret your silence as indifference, or a lack of support, for them. It’s therefore crucial to always strike a balance between being available for help when requested and respecting someone's autonomy.

So, this week, remember to resist the temptation to offer someone your advice and also that holding back and just listening sometimes may be more beneficial overall, rather than sharing your thoughts. Instead, practice patience and understand their perspective and let them know you're there if they ever need help!

This week, I want to emphasise the importance of having a sense of urgency and being decisive, to break free from the procrastination and paralysis of overthinking. This becomes a habit that leads to greater achievement. It’s why people say if it has to be now, it has to be now!

Acting promptly means seizing opportunities that may not come around again, ensuring we make the most of the present. When we realise something must happen now, it compels us to prioritise and act decisively. We harness the energy of the present, making things happen, rather than waiting.

Embracing urgency and being decisive often also leads us to making better decisions and more progress. Acting immediately also provides momentum. When we address tasks promptly, we set ourselves an internal rhythm that propels us forward. This momentum leads to greater efficiency and the feeling of accomplishing goals more quickly.

Moreover, having a sense of urgency demands more focus. When faced with tasks we know we need to do immediately, we narrow our attention to what's essential. This sharp focus helps clarify our priorities. Often, we delay because we're waiting for the perfect moment. Yet, the perfect moment rarely arrives.

Here are some examples:

- Imagine missing out on a job opportunity in the past, because you delayed submitting your interest or application. Now, when a similar role appears, this time, you act immediately and thereby successfully secure an interview, or position, highlighting the importance of acting as soon as chances arise.

- Imagine you were once too slow to invest in an opportunity that later thrived. When a new opportunity arises now, you invest more promptly, allowing you to reap better rewards in the end from learning to act decisively and quickly.

- Imagine hesitating to tell someone how you feel about something that bothers you, because you are afraid of their possible reaction, which may not be good. But that something still bothers you and festers. By expressing your emotions now, you may open the door to potential growth in your relationship.

However, remember that not every situation requires immediate action. At times, considering options carefully can prevent hasty mistakes. It's essential to always strike a balance between any sense of urgency and mindful, thoughtful decision-making, to ensure you don’t overlook crucial details or act on impulse, without considering potential consequences.

So, this week, please remember the phrase that, if it has to be now, it has to be now. Try to adopt a sense of urgency and make decisions decisively. This will enable you to seize as many opportunities as possible in the present and propel you forward in life!

This week, I want to talk to you about why, if you look at something for long enough, you eventually start to see things you didn't notice before. This is because our brains are wired to find meaning in visual stimuli, which reveals hidden details after prolonged observation.

When you gaze at an image, your initial impression captures obvious elements. However, by staring longer, your brain begins processing subtler details, uncovering layers you might have initially overlooked. This process is like peeling an onion, revealing new insights with every layer you peel away.

As you continue to focus on something, your mind may link newly discovered elements with past experiences or knowledge. These connections often evoke emotions, logic, spark memories, or trigger thoughts. Additionally, your perception of something can change, based on the context in which you view it.

Factors such as lighting, mood, or environment can alter what, or how, you see something, allowing the same thing to tell you different stories, depending on the viewing circumstances. Consequently, a single image often leads to an incredibly richer experience, just by you dedicating more time to exploring it.

Here are some examples:

- Imagine you’re looking at a painting of many people in a crowded city. Initially, you notice the hustle and bustle of lots of people in a hurry. However, after a while, you may notice a small child calmly holding a balloon in the corner, adding innocence and contrast to chaos. - Imagine yourself watching a serene beach. At first, you probably only see the vast ocean and sky. However, if you look for long enough, you may spot a small sailboat on the horizon, which then adds a narrative of adventure to what appeared, at first, to be a tranquil scene. - Or imagine yourself staring at a family portrait. At first glance, you just notice the smiling faces. However, with time, you notice the subtle way one person holds another’s hand, which may reveal more about the relationships and dynamics between people, which you didn’t notice initially.

However, remember that this phenomenon also means you can sometimes perceive things that aren't there, as your brain can sometimes over-interpret, or imagine details that don't exist, leading to potential misinterpretations or illusions.

So, this week, please remember that, if you stare at something for long enough, you can eventually start to see things you didn't notice before. Try to embrace the depth and richness this brings to your observation and understanding, but please be careful to not imagine something that’s not there!

This week I want to talk to you about why you should try to consciously do things unconsciously! I know it sounds a bit paradoxical, but by consistently doing thing through repetition, it often makes things easier for you overall. It’s really quite liberating!

Have you ever witnessed a transformation from effortful to effortless? When you consciously do something enough until it becomes second nature, what you do then seems natural and unconscious. By consciously repeating tasks, you train your subconscious to take over, which then frees up your mental space. It’s really fascinating.

Think of driving, for instance. Initially, every action requires thought, but eventually, it becomes second nature. Or take cooking as another example. You initially have to meticulously read every line of a recipe, but as you make it more, you find that chopping, mixing, and seasoning become almost automatic.

Think of it as practising something intentionally, because by choosing to do something again and again unconsciously, you soon become more proficient at it. It’s a simple but profound way that you can turn the mundane into something magical, which then makes your daily experiences so much better.

Here are some other examples.

- At first, playing a musical instrument like a guitar or piano takes immense focus. But soon, your fingers find chords and notes automatically, which then allows you to immerse yourself more in the music without thought. - Or imagine learning a new language. It is always challenging at first, but with practice, you soon learn to think and respond in that language without conscious effort and your conversations become more fluid. - Or think of typing, which usually begins with hunting and pecking at keys. But if you practise it enough consistently, your fingers eventually glide over the keyboard effortlessly and translate your thoughts into text.

But be careful. While unconscious tasks initially seem beneficial, they can lead to complacency. A conscious approach allows for mindfulness and presence in the moment, allowing continuous learning and adaptation. Doing something unconsciously can actually hinder creativity in problem-solving and the ability to think outside the box.

So this week, remember that doing things automatically can enhance your efficiency and free mental space for creativity. However, be careful that it doesn’t lead to complacency or stifle your creativity. Ultimately, you need to balance everything, but go on, try and consciously do something unconsciously - it really works!

This week, I want to explain why there's never a right time for bad news. It’s often the phrase that echoes in our minds when unexpected things come at us. It feels sometimes like the universe is pointing out that we don’t have as much control as we think!

We often feel like we're just passengers on an unpredictable journey in life. No matter how meticulously we plan, life sometimes delivers news to us that seems to halt everything. Bad news respects no timelines or events and doesn't wait for convenient moments. It always finds its way in.

You may try to shield yourself, but I'm afraid that even the most unsuspecting days bring challenges. Don’t worry, we all have surprise moments when the world seems to shift beneath us. We may pretend we're prepared for things, but the truth is we're never truly ready for unexpected blows.

Yet, when we face bad news, we usually discover inner resilience we never realised we had before. There seems to be something about the human spirit and it’s capacity to persevere or adapt that stands out during difficult times. We suddenly find strength and ability to navigate uncertainty we face.

Here are some examples:

- You may be enjoying a normal family dinner, when the phone rings telling you that an elderly relative has passed away. Sometimes. it’s even more unexpected or shocking because, although it’s somebody you don’t know as well, they’re of a similar age, or even younger than you. - Or you may be just about to go away on a long-awaited trip, when you receive a message about a parent becoming ill, or having had an accident, and you are then left with the dilemma as to whether to still go or not. - Or you may be celebrating your birthday, or even a big event like a wedding, when you hear whispers or receive news that you weren't expecting, such as a good friend or relative moving away, or somebody having problems you weren’t aware of, which affects your happiness.

But bad news is also a catalyst for growth. It helps develop resilience and adaptability, qualities perhaps lying dormant in your life until now. Also, bad news only disrupts life momentarily and reminds you of life’s impermanence, prompting you to appreciate good times and providing contrast between joy and sorrow.

So, remember this week that, unfortunately, bad news is inevitable in life and will usually arrive unexpectedly. Although we may feel like we are stumbling sometimes, we will still keep moving forward and find strength amongst chaos, as resilience always grows in spaces where we least expect it to!

This week, I want to talk about why it's so important to learn to take a breather and just pause sometimes. When you do this, you're giving your brain a moment to catch up. Trust me, you always feel better when you take a breather and look at things again.

Life can get incredibly hectic. It always feels like we're juggling a million things and trying to keep all the plates spinning in the air like in the circus. It's really amazing how a simple break can help you recharge and clear your mind.

When this happens, it’s best to try to step back, even for just a moment, because it helps you put things in perspective. Problems always seem less daunting, and solutions seem to come more naturally to you. It makes a world of difference.

We often think being relentlessly busy is the only way to achieve goals. But the funny thing is that taking breaks actually makes you more productive in the long run. It's really funny how this works. Even a short pause can save you hours in mental clarity and efficiency.

Here are some examples.

- Being outside doing an activity, such as walking, cycling, running, etc., helps you reset, allowing you to incorporate nature's force into daily life. Or, if you have something to write and are looking for mental clarity, writer's block always becomes easier after a few minutes of reflection. - When you have stressful deadlines to meet, they always seem to feel lighter if you stop for a minute and step outside, or into another context. You can breathe fresh air deeply outside, or just take a minute to breathe deeply if you're inside. - Conversations which are on the brink of people getting angry and losing their temper always seem to cool down when you or other pause to breathe before responding.

However, some people argue that taking constant breaks disrupts workflow and reduces productivity. They believe only sustained focus leads to efficiency and taking too many breaks leads to procrastination, making it harder to regain momentum with broken rhythm. Some also argue that frequent breaks hamper creativity, or are not practical.

So, this week, remember, life is much too short to be constantly stressed and taking a breather is a step towards leading a more balanced and fulfilling life. Embrace the power of a pause; you'll thank yourself later. And the more you practise it, the more natural it will become!

This week I want to talk about how sometimes you find yourself in situations where you feel “damned if you do and damned if you don’t”. In some situations, no matter the choice you make, it feels like neither outcome is good and trouble awaits, no matter what you do.

It’s very frustrating sometimes having to navigate situations where consequences feel inevitable. You are often frozen, trying to work out whether it's better to speak and face potential regret, or stay silent and later confront regret of inaction. Both choices always feel like traps, don't they?

Yet, taking action always feels braver, doesn't it? Although there is uncertainty about making some decisions, if we do move forward, we often find unexpected benefits, or at least learn something important for the future? Perhaps courage really lies in making choices, even if all roads seem fraught with pitfalls.

We sometimes have to accept that discomfort will accompany many decisions we make in life and accept that we cannot predict every outcome, or appreciate that life is an adventure—a journey of choice and consequence, albeit a bit of a perplexing one sometimes.

Here are some examples:

- A great example of this dilemma is you addressing family expectations, or defying them, which you know might cause conflict either way, but either way, peace always seems a bit distant. But sometimes it is better to act than to not act. - Sometimes you are in a bit of a dilemma, wondering whether to disclose a mistake you have made at work, or whether it's better to keep quiet, knowing that doing either of these things will lead to repercussions. But you have to appreciate that honesty might bring you more respect. - Sometimes you are in a dilemma as to whether to intervene in a friend's toxic relationship, knowing that intervening could harm your friendship. Yet silence may later lead to regret—either for you or your friend—feeling you did not say something, which you should have done at the time.

Yet not all choices always result in a lose/lose situation. A perceived dilemma may overlook unexpected benefits, potential for growth and positive outcomes. Don’t be paralysed by fear. Even if outcomes are uncertain, cultivate a proactive mindset for growth, over fear of consequences. Perhaps you can take calculated risks?

So this week, next time you face a crossroads, remind yourself that the mere act of choosing holds value. And even if you're damned either way, you may learn to grow or adapt this way. I guess in the end, isn't that all we can ask of ourselves!