Deciding To Invest…

Have you ever done something that seemed crazy that turned out to be one of the best decisions of your life?

I have, many times! But what I’ve realized it that what might have seemed like an overnight shift or a crazy change, always starts with personal investment a long time earlier. What we put our effort into is what we draw into our lives.

Not so many years ago, when I was broke, I was the Queen of Freebies. I couldn’t afford to do a lot of things I wanted to in money terms, but I invested what I had, which was time. I did a ton of free courses, volunteered for things and did a lot of online research and reading forums - scabbing as much info as I could without paying. I got so much value, it was fantastic.

But then this shifted when I started working and got into a committed relationship. Time wasn’t something I had anymore, but I still didn’t have a lot of money. I still did a lot of reading and had my daily yoga practice, but I didn’t do any workshops or ever go on retreat or anything like that - I would have told you that was too selfish or frivolous or I was just waiting until I had paid of something.

It was only when my marriage was on the rocks a few years ago that I decided I had nothing to lose and started to do some of the things I’d been wanting to. I picked what I felt were way out there, whacky things, as well as more sensible ones. I studied women’s hormonal health, got an Astrology coach, and I went on a yoga retreat in Tuscany with Sadie Nardini that cost half as much as my car.

What I learned is something I don’t want anyone else to have to learn the same way. If I had been investing in myself more all that time, it might not have come to the point where my life was falling apart. I am not saying that my marriage would have lasted, but I am saying I would have been operating from a place where I was recognizing my own value. Being a martyr was hurting me, and it wasn’t helping anyone else either.

When we invest in ourselves we are investing in making the world a better place for ourselves and everyone else. We need to stop waiting for the right time, right weight, right age, right bank balance, and take of ourselves NOW.

I’m at a point now where I get to do such rewarding work that I often have to pinch myself. I’ve invested, and continue to invest in my own development, just to the edge of my comfort zone.

But as I’ve begun to upscale my programs, I’ve had to create a wait list for my mentoring program (a nice problem to have I admit!) as I can only work with a few people at a time. I am also really aware that not everyone can afford to work with me.

So for my birthday I am giving away a few things

-       Self Care Like a Boss PDF guide

-       Decluttering mini challenge which starts next weekend

-       One ‘mini mentoring’ package with me. In this 45 min session we’ll work together to create an ideal daily practice for you that will leave you feeling outstanding!

Lots of love

Ruth

Letting Go Isn't Always The Hardest Thing...

Have you ever done a big clear out of your cupboards or desk, only to find in no time at all they’re full to bursting again?

Autumn’s natural theme is about letting go of things we don’t need, so we only take what we do into the harsher months of winter.

I love this because we all have so much stuff! We all have too much stuff and are under a constant barrage of marketing to convince us that we need more, different, more!

But we have enough stuff, more than enough, usually. What people crave now is connection. Connection to ourselves, to others, to some sort of deeper purpose. And sadly, this need for connection and belonging isn’t satisfied by social media and 24/7 connectivity. Once the initial thrill on response from social media interactions has worn off, these technologies have been shown to leave us feeling worse, not better. You can read more about the impacts on millennials here.

The good news is that when we clear out stuff, whether it’s physical stuff like crap on your desk, your kitchen or wardrobe, or emotional/mental stuff like unhelpful belief systems, we literally make space for something new and better. What’s more, little things can have a big impact. It’s called the millimeter shift, one tiny move in a different direction can set up a whole chain of different effects.

So here’s my challenge to you for this week. Your mission, should you chose to accept it, is doing one or all of these:

-       Chose one spot at home or work and clear it out! Make it a small but be ruthless. For inspiration see Be More With Less here.

-       Chose one thing that you say all the time that is negative (we all have them) and change it for something that is more empowering. For example if you find yourself constantly saying ‘I’m too busy’, try ‘that’s not my priority right now’ or, ‘I can’t afford that’ to ‘I’m choosing not to buy that”.

-       and my favourite – chose one thing to say no to this week. It could be a meeting, a social engagement, a phone call. Your choice.

Lots of love

Ruth