Dropping in

Deep within

Connecting with my sweet self

Feeling that peaceful place

Where nothing else matters

Just love

Just kindness

Innate bliss

Pure consciousness

Whilst the world continues to whirl on by

I can simply close my eyes and remember

Who I truly am

No separation

Just oneness with love

With God

With every living being

All I am and all that is

Right now in this sweet moment of connection

Sat Nam.

Someone asked me recently "do you ever get stressed working for yourself?"

To which I replied "of course!"

Thankfully it's been a few years now and things have built momentum, are flowing and those tough days are not so frequent anymore. I started taking steps to work for myself over 10 years ago now, it's been a long journey to where I am now......but an amazing one.

When I first relocated to Brighton 4 years ago, not really knowing anybody, there were endless days where I was just putting in the background work to find clients and build connections. I was starting all over again. Days when I wasn't actually earning any money and days when my creativity just wasn't flowing leaving me a bit stuck as to what to do next. Fear, worry, doubt all would rear their ugly heads.

There were many moments along the way when I came close to looking for employed work again.

Thankfully I had a yoga practice, a belief in God and very supportive parents and friends. I truly believe now that it took so long to get things to where I am now purely to deepen my spiritual faith and practice. I am not sure I'd be who I am now if things had just been easy. In fact I know it.

If you're on the path to working for yourself and find yourself experiencing those stormy seas here are a few suggestions of how to manage the tough times:

Be realistic. When I was in London starting my business I also had part time contract work, doing what I loved (training and coaching) but for someone else. This was my bread and butter income and it stopped me from getting desperate around money. This meant that if new clients came my way I didn't have to get pushy to keep them, neediness drives people away! Part time work can really help in the first few months/ years of working for yourself.

Trust, determination and self belief. Once you are ready to take the plunge and be fully self employed you really have to have trust and conviction in what you are doing. It's time to 100% go for it and believe in yourself that you can. You need to be ready to put yourself out there to get in front of people, take some risks and do things that scare you. It's an incredible journey of highs and lows but above all trust it will all work out just the way it is meant to and believe in what you are doing. Keep going, don't be put off, even on those days, weeks, months when nothing seems to be happening. (this is where prayer really helped me!)

Get a coach. In the first few years of working for myself I had a life coach. This helped me to clarify my goal, keep in action, keep inspired and to learn along the way. It's amazing how negative beliefs about myself would hold me back with out me even realizing it. At work you have a manager, when you work for yourself a coach is like your manager, your motivator, your path to inspiration when you feel stuck. (I can help you with this!). I still now every now and then have a coaching session with an expert around an area I may feel a bit stuck in.

Patience and Gratitude. Don't expect it all to happen immediately. Celebrate the small things and acknowledge yourself every day for what you get done. Each year look back over all you have achieved/ learned and celebrate it. (yoga/ meditation helps with this)

Be Creative When I first started working for myself I was so tuned into work being something that was done sat behind a computer that I sat there staring at my laptop for hours not really doing anything, chatting on msn, feeling like I was working but not really. Then it hit me, as an image consultant (this is what I started with) I should be out there in the shops and looking at what people where wearing on the streets. Of course! This is why I was doing it because I loved people, clothes and shops! So off I took myself down to Knightsbridge, Kings Road, Nottinghill, Soho and so on. I went to talks and fashion shows. Life started to expand and creative ideas for my business flourished.

It's easy when you work for yourself to be stuck indoors unless you are out working. You don't need to be though! You can take your laptop to coffee shops, you can go on adventures......this is why you are self employed to be free to choose how you spend your day!

Meet other self employed peopleThere are lots of us out there, we can be found at networking groups, classes in the day time, on courses, and even working in coffee shops :-) Build your tribe and support each other.

When you do earn money save a bit of it. This might sound obvious but as much as you can save a little of what you earn so you have an emergency fund for those quiet times. I prepare for Christmas and Summer as much as I can in case it goes a bit quiet when people are on holiday.

Read inspiring books. I always like to have a book on the go that will inspire me and uplift me. In the early days when I experience anxiety around if my business was going to work out I read books like "The Power of Now" Eckhart Tolle, "Embracing Uncertainty" and "End the Struggle and Dance with Life" both by Susan Jeffers. Just picking them up and reading a few pages would soothe me.

Money. I had to shift from a mindset of relying on money coming in on a set date each month to it dripping in through out, and sometimes not at all. I developed a belief that "money flows to me when I need it", which I have found to be true. I often don't know when my money is coming in or where it is coming from but again it's about trust. I have developed a trust that it will come. I have learned to survive on very little and to be grateful for everything I have. I have learned to save a bit but also that sometimes I do need to spend out money for my own personal development or for business promotion, for things that will help me and my business grow. You do have to invest as well as save. Again it comes back to self belief in what you are doing and determination. (yoga, meditation, present moment awareness have helped with this)

Self care. You are your business, you need to be healthy, full of energy and in your best state possible. It's so easy, especially when in the well being industry, to give to everyone else and not to yourself. You need a break. You need your sleep. You need little treats. You need fun. You need to eat healthy to maintain your energy and ward off illness. If you ignore your tiredness your body will get ill to force to you take a break. Listen to the warning signs and be loving to yourself. (again this is where yoga has helped!) Holidays away from it all give you the space to get perspective on it all, it can be hard to get this when immersed day to day. Creativity and inspiration also flows when you are doing something completely different.

These are just a few suggestions. I love helping people on this journey so if you'd like me to please do get in touch.

The way I see it, if you love your work and really believe in yourself you just have to go for it. You only have one life so why not give it your all and you know what, if it doesn't work out who cares. At least you've followed your heart and something amazing will come from it what ever direction it takes you. I started off as an image consultant in London, now here I am as a life coach and yoga teacher in Brighton (with a few shopping trips on the side every now and then)! Life is for living.

Namaste

Louise x

Do you ever get in that rut of lack of inspiration, new ideas, not sure what to do next?

Whether it's with your work, in your relationship, your writing, your art or maybe just life in general.

I know when I feel stuck I feel bored, I yearn for something to uplift me but if I just sit there and "try" to get my creative juices flowing again they refuse. Like a stubborn child.

Here's what I have learned to do to get me out of the rut.

1. Take yourself out and do something you haven't done before, or have been wanting to do for ages. It doesn't have to be related to anything you're working towards just something you think will be fun. It's often when you are doing something completely different that a new idea appears.

2. Write morning pages. Julia Cameron, The Artists Way, recommends writing 3 sides of A4 non stop when you get up in the morning. Just write what ever comes to mind, it doesn't have to make sense. It's a great tool to brain dump what ever is going on in your mind to allow space for new ideas to flow.

3. Spend some time in nature, in silence. Leave your phone at home and just go outdoors. Natures beauty inspires.

4. Have an adventure. Just get in the car, on a bus, train, plane and go somewhere new to explore.

5. Spend a couple of days doing everything differently, from the route you walk to work, the time you go to bed, the clothes you wear, the music you listen to, the food you eat. It's amazing how much we are creature of habit and it requires a lot of creativity to think up new ways to break them. Plus it's fun!

6. Do some yoga. I often find Savasana at the end is where my best ideas and insights pop up. When I am still, when I have emptied my mind, when I am not trying to do anything other than relax.

The main things is there's no point trying to force creativity to happen, it will flow naturally again when you've created some space for it, and when you are having fun.

4 years ago I finished my first yoga teacher training in India, I never really expected yoga to become my "job", I was just doing it because I loved it.

When I moved to Brighton I was continuing to run Create Yourself as I had in London, with life coaching and image consultancy and I started to just teach one yoga class. Again I never really expected to teach any more than that apart from on retreats too.

4 years later I am teaching 7 classes a week, regular weekly 1-1s, monthly workshops and on retreats through out the year. All I did was go where the energy flowed, focused on just doing what I love and being brave sometimes to put myself "out there" to be able to follow my passion.

I say "all I did" but it hasn't always been easy, faith and trust have been my biggest friends. There have been times where I have been close to giving up but I have reminded myself of how important it is to me to do what I love. After all this is the basis of Create Yourself which I set up around 8 years ago now. This journey has deepened me spiritually more than I could ever have imagined, I know the tough times have been to bring me closer to God.

If you are wondering what career change to go for, if you're stuck in the rut of trying to find the "perfect thing" to do. I simply suggest going where you feel most drawn too now and seeing where it takes you.

10 years ago what I most fancied doing was shopping for a living, I became a personal stylist and loved helping people to feel good about themselves through what they wear. This lead me to taking an interested further into personal development and helping people on a deeper level. Yoga followed on from there with the body, mind, breath connection. A completely holistic approach to self healing, care and awareness.

So what ever it is that has your interested right now just go for it don't allow it needing to be the "perfect" plan/ change to stop you. Go where there energy is flowing right now and what lifts your heart.

Just see where it takes you. Watch your life unfolding moment by moment, and enjoy the ride.

Namaste

I love yoga retreats, going on them for myself and teaching on them. There is something so special about getting away from it all to a beautiful place and having time to purely focus on yourself, your yoga and relaxing.

If you're wondering whether or not to take the plunge and book on one (my Turkey retreat is coming up in August/September :-)) then here are 6 benefits you'll get from going on a retreat:

1. Space to breathe and reflect

A yoga retreat offers you the time to just stop, By going on one you are giving yourself permission to step away from the to do lists and actually have a proper break. There will always be free time in the day for you to sleep, swim, chat to new friends, read, walk, rest, what ever you feel is best for you. Retreat centres are often away from busy towns, in beautiful nature, which gives you a chance to slow down, enjoy the moment and reflect on what's working and what's not back at home. Often these breaks away from the norm are catalysts for making changes back at home.

2. An opportunity to deepen your yoga practice

This is an obvious one but it doesn't necessarily mean to learn new yoga poses or to do really difficult things. It can be easy to let a regular yoga practice, by that I mean daily, slip when our lives are busy. On a yoga retreat you'll practice yoga at least 2 times a day, this really helps you to dive with in, to really connect with your body, with your breath, to experience the benefits that a daily yoga practice has to offer. If you don't have a regular practice it will give you the opportunity to get a taste of what it is like to practice more often and get inspired for your own routine at home. 

You'll have a yoga teacher (me!) on hand as well to answer any burning questions you've had but not got round to asking anyone yet.

3. To experience yoga as a lifestyle

Yoga is not just a physical practice. On a retreat you learn about other aspects of yoga too such as diet, meditation, self inquiry and karma yoga. As I am a life coach also I share tools from coaching to help with getting to know yourself deeply and shift patterns that are holding you back.

4. To feel the benefits from eating a delicious healthy diet, that you don't have to cook yourself!

On retreat your meals are cooked for you, vegetarian, healthy meals with out any nasties or toxins. Aside from the food being completely delicious it's a chance to give your body a break from toxins such as sugar and alcohol. It's so tasty you won't even realise you are eating so healthy and you'll get to experience the benefits when you do.

5. Making new like minded friends

I have made some great friends through retreats and the yoga world. What's wonderful is we all share the same interests, a love of yoga, feeling good and a desire to learn more about this thing called life. It's amazing how you bond so quickly with people on a retreat and some great fun is had too! Yoga does not have to be serious :-)

6. A break from your phone!

On the retreats I run I encourage a break from your phone/laptop. Our lives are so filled with technology these days it's blissful to just switch off and have some peace. No texts to reply to, no emails to interrupt your day, just time to be in the moment. To experience the joy of being truly present in a beautiful place with lovely people. It's up to you how long you switch off for but I recommend at least a day......if you can manage the whole week then fantastic!

As I mentioned above I am running a week long retreat in Turkey from 29th August - 5th September. It's from £425 (if you mention my name to Free Spirit Travel when booking) plus flights. For that you get your accommodation, 2 meals, 2 classes of yoga a day and me sharing all I know with you all week! To find out more please see: Turkey Retreat