Hi - Enjoy Life Slowly is taking a new direction. We're in the pre-launch stage at the moment and we're super excited. In the meantime, here are some of our writings that have been featured on other great sites that we hope you'll find useful.
23 Ways To Stop Beating Yourself Up Over Your Imperfections
Is your inner critic as mean as mine used to be?
If so, you’ve got a super cruel voice berating you day after day.
Forever knocking you for the slightest thing, no matter how hard you’ve tried. Blaming, bad mouthing, always bawling you out for your supposed shortcomings.
It’s why you dread social events and speaking up. It’s the reason you sometimes feel like a failure, convinced you’ll never amount to much.
I did. My inner critic spent years cataloging my every mistake, failure, forgotten friend’s birthday, facial blemish, extra pound on the scales…more
How to Rediscover Life’s Magic and Feel Like a Kid Again
“A little magic can take you a long way.” – Roald Dahl
Grown up?
Please no!
Being an adult looked so much more fun when I was still a kid. I spent my teenage years aching to be old enough to make my own decisions, choose whatever, wherever and whenever the heck I wanted. Oh yeah.
Somehow, it seems I missed the class that covered the truth about adulthood. The one that said being grown up can leave you floundering in responsibility, drowning in expectation of all that you should be, suffocating from the rules of all you have to do and own.
Ironically, you can stay up as late as you like, but stressed and exhausted you crash early into bed too frazzled to really sleep. Lying awake stressing over the worries of debt, words you regret and all the targets someone else has set.
Adult life’s got you fearing, not cheering – frantically refinancing instead of dancing.
What the hell happened?
Somewhere between making paper chains and making a living, life’s magic faded.
Being grown up can be such a drag. But there is a cure…more
5 Simple Tactics to Never Let People Intimidate You Again
Stressful, isn’t it?
Dealing with people who intimidate you.
It can be as nerve-wracking as a job interview, or even speaking in public. And, unless you do something about it, it’s always there at the back of your mind, a constant worry.
I felt like that for years, anxious about almost every social and work encounter.
But I finally decided to get to the bottom of my lack of confidence so I could actually live life, instead of hoping it wouldn’t notice me.
Let me share with you the simple tactics I found that will ensure you never let people intimidate you again... more
5 Festive Tips For A Stress Free Christmas
Be honest.
Deep down, you know you’re dreading the festive season as much as looking forward to it.
The stress to create and pay for the perfect Christmas overwhelms you as surely as your impossible yuletide to-do list.
Coping with the pressures of crass Christmas commercialism and hype leaves you as frazzled as an over-cooked turkey.
It’s another Christmas you secretly wish you could miss. Another one you’ll remember for all the wrong reasons... more
How to Find Your Smile Even If You’re Hurting Inside
“Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful”. Thich Nhat Hanh
We’ve all experienced it.
How hard life can be. And how in an instant it can rip you apart.
And when it does, how much you hurt inside.
It started when I lost someone that I’d always believed would be there for me.
My dad.
It couldn’t be that he’d gone, I was still at school. What about watching me grow up, being there when I needed a hug, giving me away at my wedding? What about being a family?
I couldn’t change the news that day. I felt so alone. And I wasn’t prepared for how much it hurt... more
7 Ways to Stay Calm In A Culture Of Stress
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Overwhelming, isn’t it?
The pace of modern life.
You’re drowning in commitments, responsibilities and expectations.
Sometimes you can’t even draw breath before another wave of demands engulfs you. You’re suffocating and clutching at the hope that you’ll hang on and cope... more
5 Simple Questions To Boost Your Happiness Every Day
– Abraham Lincoln
Be honest.
How happy do you feel every day?
It probably depends. It’s not like it’s a predetermined state of mind, right?
Or is it?
I used to fall into a happy state and just as quickly fall out almost every day. My state of happiness was as delicate as a butterfly and just as susceptible to the slightest breeze. I was forever flitting in and out of happiness, buffeted by the least emotional turbulence.
And then one day I read that famous quote by Abraham Lincoln and realized it didn’t have to be that way... more
6 Reasons To Stop Being So Hard On Yourself
“We are all human” ~ Dalai Lama
“I’m useless.”
You bury your face in your hands. For the umpteenth time you feel disappointed in yourself, ashamed of who you are, wracked with self-disappointment.
“I’m such an idiot.”
You look at the floor. And then back up again and sigh, a long drawn out sigh that comes from deep within. You feel like an utter failure, convinced you’re a nobody, a waste of space, a burden to others.
“I never get it right. Never.”
You’ve become so expert at beating yourself up that each day just presents more opportunities to feel insignificant. To never feel good enough. Ever.
To the point where you stop looking in the mirror because you hate the person you see.
I used to feel the same...more
How To Find The Courage To Love Again
“Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness.” ― Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness
Caution really should have been my middle name for the first half of my life. Playing it safe was my well-practiced defense mechanism. I used to measure taking any action, no matter how small, against the potential risk of it all going wrong. Those fears of failure and rejection stopped me acting more often than not.
And then in one short moment, all of those risks became realities, harsh realities even though I’d played it safer than safe.
However, the lesson I finally learned from those unexpected, unwanted, unfair realities changed my perspective forever. They changed my life. Changed, no transformed. Thank the skies... more
“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” - Thich Nhat Hanh
If you’re anything like I used to be, your inner critic packs a powerful punch.
You’ve got a vicious voice bad mouthing you for much of the day. And when it’s in one of those moods, wow, are you going to suffer.
It’s no wonder you feel small, disappointed, and ashamed of who you are...more
"Whenever you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer him with love."
– Mahatma Gandhi
In frustration, in anger, you ask . . .
Why? Why did that person spread lies about you behind your back, vilify you, or even mock you to your face?
Perhaps it was someone you were close to...more
“Just think of any negativity that comes at you as a raindrop falling into the ocean of your bliss.” - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Take heart and protect yourself against those who plunder your positivity with these practical strategies:
1. Have a one-person morning party.
As a change from (or supplement to) meditating, start the day loudly: sing lustily in the shower, listen to upbeat music and dance the day in to release feel-good endorphins...more
40 Ways To Let Go Of Anger Right Now
“You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.” - Buddha
Anger is merciless.
It leaves you feeling torn up inside.
Your head pounds. Your jaw locks. And your muscles scream. Every inch reels in pain with the electric shock that shoots through you.
You can’t eat, or sleep, or function like a rational human being.
You’ve good reason to be afraid of unleashing that screaming monster of rage lurking inside you. You’ll likely lose control, lash out, and retaliate.
Even though you have been wronged, you’ll end up feeling guilty, ashamed, even horrified by your reaction. That’s one more regret your peace of mind wouldn’t stand...more
21 tips to stop being a slave to self-criticism
Are you shackled to your disparaging self-critic?
Subservient to that mean inner voice?
If so, that’s a one-sided relationship where you’re always the loser.
There’s just so much tension, friction, and pain.
And living with this relentless criticism has worn down your resolve and destroyed your self-confidence too.
Little wonder you’re so exhausted and demoralized. No surprise that sometimes you feel a failure...more
40 Ways To Live, Laugh And Love Like A Child
“Children see magic because they look for it.” ~Christopher Moore
Adulthood? No thanks!
All too often, being grown up is the pits.
It can leave you drowning in responsibility, suffocating from anxiety, and sinking with doubts about your ability to be all that you should.
Frazzled, you fall into bed to fortify yourself for tomorrow’s craziness. Then you lie awake fretting over your lack of action you regret, scary debt, and all the targets you haven’t met.
Life’s supposed journey has left you dreading where you’re heading.
What the hell happened?
Somewhere between making daisy chains and making money, life’s magic became a disappointing sideshow. Somehow, your everyday blue sky turned a disconcerting gray...more
How To Use Regret To Fuel Your Dreams
“Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.” ― Sydney Smith
Regret prison.
That’s a horrific place to be, isn’t it?
Just sitting in your mental cell, torturing yourself with regret.
Because let’s face it, you’re a prisoner of your past as surely as any correctional facility inmate is trapped by the physical walls and bars surrounding them.
Unable to escape the endless cycle of longing for it all to be different, you relive the pain of disappointment over and over … and over, forever blaming yourself for what you did or didn’t do, and what you did or didn’t say.
Forever wondering, “What if?”...more
21 Ways To Deal With regret
Never regret yesterday. Life is in you today and you make your tomorrow.
~L. Ron Hubbard
If only.
If only you could turn the clock back.
You’d probably wind the hands right off the clock face, wouldn’t you?
You’d probably do a lot of things differently, right? You’d correct every mistake you ever made and take all the chances you regret never taking.
Oh boy, they say not to wish your life away, but I spent nearly twenty years wishing mine back to do totally over... more
9 Tips For Simplifying Your Life And Waking Up Truly Excited To Start Your Day
Puzzled?
Well, life’s a puzzle, that’s for sure.
It’s easy to be confused as to how to fit together all that you’re supposed to do, be and have every day.
And your life picture is fragmented. So many awkward pieces that just don’t connect. Despite your very best efforts you can only manage one small corner of your daily puzzle at any one time.
It’s time to discard those pieces that are spoiling your fabulous life picture.
It’s time to slow down. Breathe. Start again.
It’s time to simplify.
How to wake up truly excited to start your day...more
3 Self-Confidence Secrets To Instantly Stop Feeling Inferior
Feeling inferior transforms every day into just one more crushing experience.
Another day on the sidelines losing hope that you’ll never get your turn to shine, or even fit in.
It leaves you consumed with self-disappointment.
It’s no wonder you feel insignificant, inadequate, a total bother to others.
Inferiority is a hideous place to be. Oh boy, it’s hell.
I was trapped there for the greater part of my life, until my thirties. Then I decided to work out what made me feel so much less confident than everyone else.
Thankfully, I beat inferiority into submission.
So let me show you how to coax your self-confidence out of the corner and say howdy to your positive self-belief...more
10 Ways To Start Loving Yourself Today
If we truly love ourselves, in spite of our flaws, then we can love others in spite of theirs ~ Stephen Richards
Sounds selfish, doesn’t it?
Loving yourself.
You’ve been brought up to believe that decent folk put others first... more
“To all the other dreamers out there, don’t ever stop or let the world’s negativity disenchant you or your spirit. If you surround yourself with love and the right people, anything is possible.” – Adam Green
Every day feels like doomsday, doesn’t it?
Negative events fill the news, and negative voices litter the air. It seems the whole world conspires to drain your positivity, suck your optimism dry, and drag you down to their cynical, pessimistic level.
And staying positive in such a negative world can feel just like a dead-end job.
Relentless prophets of doom populate that negative world, sniping at all that’s good and great in your world, scoffing at all that’s pure and positive.
But are you really going to let their clouds of negativity extinguish the sunshine in your world?...more
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