Life Explorer – Nicole Reichert

Are You Choosing Happiness?

Every day when we wake up we have a choice. We have a choice on how we want to feel. We have a choice on whether we want to be happy. Most people let life happen to them and never realise that they always have a choice. Do you choose happiness?

It is never too late to choose again. What does to be truly happy mean to you and what do you need to do in order to be happy? Do you need to forgive the past? Gabrielle Bernstein says that happiness is directly linked to the willingness and ability to surrender. We can always choose to go with love and peace instead. We can always choose to reconnect to our soul.

In my opinion happiness is linked on how fast you can come back to love. Often when we find ourselves in a difficult situation with someone and we get annoyed, we do not actually realise that the other person is also within us. If the attribute that is in the other person would not be in ourselves too then we would not get annoyed in the first place.

When I first got to know my mother in law, I used to get so annoyed because I got the feeling she always needed to be in control. After a while when I thought about the whole situation I realised that at the time I am a control freak as well which triggered the discomfort within me. From that moment on I choose to see the relationship with love since I knew that a part of my mother in law is also within me.

When you feel helpless and do not know how you could possibly choose happiness choose to help another person. Get out of your own way and be of service which will reconnect you to the universe and shift your vibration.

Be who you want to be rather than dance around that person. Ask yourself daily how can I be who I want to be?

Gratitude is the Open Door to Abundance

How to get more abundance in life is one of these questions that keeps popping up. Our potential is unlimited so what stops us from consciously creating the life of our dreams? The Abundance Factor Movie explores this topic further.

For some this is correlated to the fear of failure. The interesting fact about failure is that the world forgets over time and moves on. The only person that keeps remembering is us. We truly are our worst critics.

So where does this fear actually come from? Fear is a protective mechanism by our mind to keep us alive. Once we realise this we also realise that this feeling of fear is something that we will never go away. Whenever we venture into unknown territory fear will pop up.

Have you ever noticed that when you first have an idea you are all excited and pumped to get going? Then over time doubtful thoughts and fear pops up and sometimes within a few days you have talked yourself out of the idea. This is the protective mechanism of fear.

When we set goals in life we are often not after the actual achievement of that goal but rather the feeling that the achievement will bring us. We may want to feel freedom, more fulfillment or perhaps worthy. We need to realise that we can always choose to feel what that goal will bring now. This process allows us to create what we want rather than to focus on what we don’t want.

In order to create more abundance in our life we need to re-program our conscious as well as our subconscious mind and elevate our vibration. Feelings of the highest vibration are peace, joy and gratitude. Here is a 4 step process that will radically shift your vibration if applied consistently

Every day make a list of 10 things that you are grateful for.
Every day send love to 3 people that bother you.
Every day be quiet for 5 minutes.
Every day ask for today’s guidance.

Hips Don’t Lie! Let It Go!

We rush around daily trying to get as many tasks completed as possible. We work in our day jobs and perhaps on the side we are building our own business so that one day we do not have to work for someone else. In the middle of all the hustle we strongly believe that we need to make things happen and often we try to force results or we even start stressing about them. On top of that the coming generations want it all now. Gone are the days where we just accepted that even Rome was not built in one day. Gone are the days where we accepted that perhaps there are lessons that we need to master on the way as part of our journey on this planet.

On the weekend we had mouse stuck in our down pipe that distributes the water from our air conditioner. You are probably thinking what this has to do with business or with our fast paced society. The mouse was stuck with its hips and kept trying to force its way out of the pipe. It got so stressed and burned out from its continuous efforts. Interesting enough after the mouse actually relaxed and let go we were able to pull it out of the pipe gently as it was stretching.

In life we need to realise that when we take time to take a deep breathe we are able to see situations from a different angle especially when we may feel stuck. Perhaps we are even able to see what is happening at the time as an outsider which allows us to make better decisions and often we are able to become more productive. Many find it hard to give up control and allow life to flow. What if a more mindful approach could drastically transform our experiences?

Breaking From Your Cage

How often do you wish you could break out from your cage? Perhaps you are in a job that you don’t enjoy. Perhaps you are financially limited. Or maybe you wish you could finally shape up. Often people feel that something is missing in their life.

Yet most of us don’t realise that we have built the walls of our cages ourselves. We choose our life everyday and we choose our thoughts as well as our actions that shape the direction we are heading in.

At times you may wish for freedom in your life. Perhaps true freedom is knowing your soul so deeply that you cannot stand to lead a life that does not honour it. Are you brave enough to get to know your soul and find the true essence of who you really are?

Are You the Driver of Your Car?

Were you the driver of your car today? Were you present when shifting gears or breaking at the lights? Did you consciously choose which route you were going to take and did you choose to check the mirror to look out for any drivers?

Most of us are on auto pilot when it comes to our lives. We always have a choice whether we want to go straight, turn left or perhaps turn right. We are the authors of our lives and we are the ones that can be in the driver seat if we choose to. The question is are you willing to get into the driver seat and choose your destination or are you going to give your keys away?

Sticky Habits

Most of us have habits that we just don’t understand. We ask ourselves over and over why is this happening? Often it feels like we are going in circles and can’t seem to figure out why. When looking at any habit we need to understand that there are two key drivers. We are either driven by pain or by pleasure. However pain is always a stronger driver and we will do much more to avoid it.

When working on any of our habits we need to figure out what believes or thoughts are driving us towards that behaviour in order to avoid for example the pain. We need to understand that our thoughts are merely a reflection of our perception of things. Everything is neither good or bad but we attach a meaning to things. Everything just exists and we can always change the underlying thoughts and believes.

Thoughts are often like tables. You need to take off their feet to make them unstable and weaker so that they loose their power. You can do this by finding evidence of a believe or thought not being true. Once a thought looses its power it will be much easier to replace the thought with something that will support you better in the long run.

Are You Brave Enough to take Your Mask off?

All too often we put on masks to hide the real us. Whether it is because we want to be liked by others or perhaps we want to fulfill other expectations of us. We are scared what others may think, we are scared to show our real passions. We might love to meditate and tune into ourselves to reveal our inner guidance and wisdom that we have always access too. Perhaps we are unsure of wearing our favourite clothes outside of our home because they are not what is currently in fashion. Or perhaps we have this hope and passion for a life where we work from home and get to spend more time with our loved ones.

From a vibrational perspective there is nothing more freeing than to be our true self. To share our light and what lights us up enables us to spread more love in the world. I am dedicating this new year 2017 to lifting my vibration and aligning with who I really am. Do more of what feels good and follow the bliss. In the past I have often been very driven and taken the upstream river approach whereas this year I am going to allow more. I am taking the approach that things do not have to be hard and always done forceful. I am going to flow. Are you brave enough to take your mask off and discover your true self?

Lunch at Heirloom Perth by Pete Evans

For the past few years when my parents ask us what we would like for Christmas we always ask for a lunch or dinner with them. Time with our loved ones is so precious and we just don’t know how many of those fun times we get to enjoy. We always have a good laugh.

This year we went to Heirloom in Perth. The menu has been designed by Pete Evans which gives it a healthier twist. Previously we had gone for breakfast there and it was always delicious. Last time there was little green smoothies, chia pudding, honey comb, of course all of the traditionals, freshly baked loaves of bread.

This time we went for the lunch time special with 3 courses for $45 which is very reasonable. The sizes of the dishes were really good as well. I love the concept that the food has a healthier twist to it and that where possible ingredients are sourced locally. If ingredients are sourced locally this means that often they are more nutritious because the ingredients have not travelled for thousands of kilometers.

I started with the raw lasagna. The flavours were just incredible and it was beautifully presented. Some zucchini sheets had been rolled up, plus there was olives and tomatoes around the actual lasagna. The dish was fairly light which is great as an entree. The first picture shows the raw lasagna.

As the main I had the Atlantic salmon with a watercress and fennel salad. The salmon was on a nut and pepper sauce and topped with hazelnuts. The watercress added a subtle spice whereas the fennel gave it a slightly sweet finish. The hazelnuts made my tastebuds dance but I am in love with hazelnuts.

For dessert pretty much all of us had the pana cotta with lychee topping. There is no words to describe this dish. The vanilla in the pana cotta and the lychees, like a match made in heaven. Certainly one of those melt in your mouth desserts.

We will certainly be going back. The only thing that I wish they had would be vegan or plant based dishes on the menu. I do not mind a little bit of fish on rare occasions but with my egg allergy it would make things much easier. Maybe in the future.

Unfolding of Self Love

I remember a time where I put everything and everyone else first. I used to work so hard to achieve goals to make others proud rather than connecting with myself. I didn’t even think whether activities brought me joy but rather whether they could get me wealth. I used to spend time with people just because I thought I had to, without realising that I always have a choice. I am not even sure if I ever really knew myself. Perhaps I used all these different projects to mask up the void. Perhaps I bought all these many things to mask the void.

One of the best gifts for me was when I got very sick last year. I can say that now because I can see how precious this journey has been. At times it felt like I was being torn into single pieces. I was forced to slow down whereas I had always been busy doing as much as I could fit into any day. I learned to become quiet and connect with myself by paying attention to my breath. I learned about my values and what lights me up.

I discovered the type of people that bring out the best in me. I started to pay attention again to nature with all its wonders. Nature can have this wonderful balancing effect. There is nothing like a walk with the wind in my hair to blow heavy feelings from my day away. Self love to me is taking the time to give myself exactly what I need. Self love is putting your own needs first. When you know exactly that you are low on sleep it might mean that you give a night out a miss and take care of yourself. When you have had a crazy day and you don’t know what to do next perhaps take a bath and massage some massage oil into your tired body.

Only you will know what you need and how to love yourself more. Self love means not being afraid of the calm or the lack of noise but looking forward to connect with yourself over and over again. When you love yourself you feel whole and you are no longer looking for outside things or people to make you happy. You will only ever be able to truly give unconditional love with all your heart if you have experienced it yourself.

Is Your Story holding You Back?

The journey is more important than the destination. Every so often though when I did some self reflection I asked myself why I had not reached my destination.

When I was feeling unlike myself last year and completely burned out I started making lifestyle changes. Those changes did not happen overnight and I learned a tremendous amount. At times though I would ask myself why I wasn’t feeling better. With time I realised that I was holding on to that story and I allowed it to become my identity.

When we hold on to a story this puts us into a difficult situation. We might feel trapped and like we cannot move on. It becomes important to build our new reality so that you can learn the lessons you need to learn and so that you can move on. Once we move on you can design the abundant life we are meant to live.

Detach from the Situation

Sometimes we can get so caught up in a situation that it blinds our vision. Perhaps an opportunity that did not go according to our “planned” outcome. We might carry on for weeks without realising that this attachment is blocking us energetically. We no longer see what is really out there and the bliss in our life temporarily fades away.

Time to detach and let go of the situation. It might even be the time to stop seeing the people involved even just for a little while so that we can feel what we need to feel in order to heal and move on. Trust that peace is within us and also within the situation.

The Importance of Love

Today I asked myself how I could continue growing my business faster. As I meditated on this question I came across a message online that I felt was so true. The importance is to focus on the content rather than the frame. In other words focus on putting love into your work rather than focusing on things such as how many blog posts that you do or how many site visits you have. Continue to ensure that your content and your actions serve and help others in their lives.

There is a time for everything and we generally do not know that timing. Acceptance and patience, even if it isn’t easy. We are only in control of the now.

Focus on spreading your truth and your light. Focus on love.