The Positive Habit Weekly Blog – 29th January, 2018 – Always Do Your Best

The Positive Habit Weekly Blog – 29th January, 2018 – Always Do Your Best

Happy Monday!  I hope you have had a good week and managed not to make too many assumptions.

This week we turn our attention to Don Miguel Ruiz’s fourth and final ‘agreement,’ ‘Always Do Your Best’.  I love this one! Yes, I realize I say this about each one but, in my opinion, each ‘agreement’ contains a lot of wisdom that can be applied to our lives to great effect.

When I was at school and worried about an exam my mum would always say “just do your best.” While her words were well intentioned, I often felt under pressure; what if my best was simply not good enough?!  What then? Many of us, can relate to this, I’m sure.

As a teenager I didn’t have the insight to know that your best can change depending on your inner resources at the time and also your external circumstances. For example, studying for an exam in the morning after a good night’s sleep will usually result in a ‘better’ result than cramming last minute and late at night, for obvious reasons. Ruiz’s ‘Fourth Agreement,’ also illustrates that your best is better when you practise self-love and self-care rather than being self-critical.

When we are affected by ‘mental noise’ it is, in fact, impossible to do our best as we are battling the inner critic whose voice can drown out all of our ‘best’ attempts to do well.

When you practise true self-love your best is always good enough and it is not dependent on the result but on the effort that you made with the energy that you had at that point in time.

According to Ruiz, “when you do your best you learn to accept yourself” and this allows you to soften the internal critic. If you can put your hand on your heart and say to yourself “I did my best,” the invisible self-judge has no choice but to back down.

‘Always doing your best’ summarizes the ‘Four Agreements,’ as it allows us to discover that we are not perfect and that although our best may not yield ‘perfect’ results it is good enough! Looking back on the previous three Agreements’, Ruiz helps ease any pressure to always achieve them by stating:

“Don’t expect that you will always be able to be impeccable with your word.  Your routine habits are too strong and firmly rooted in your mind. But you can do your best. Don’t expect that you will never take anything personally; just do your best.  Don’t expect that you will never make another assumption, but you can certainly do your best.”

This makes so much sense and the beauty of it is that when you take the pressure off yourself your best will come much more easily.

Have a great week and as always please do your best to share  The Positive Habit blog with anyone you think could benefit. I am also always so happy to get your feedback.

Always Do Your Best

Sleep Better Tonight?

Anxiety is one of the most common causes of a poor night’s sleep.

Research in sleep science tells us that we need a least 8 hours of quality sleep for our mind and bodies to function properly.

The Positive Habit by Fiona Brennan is a five-star rated online, program that helps people all over the globe to sleep better each night and as they sleep it programs their subconscious minds to feel calm and confident.

Take the anxiety test to help you understand what might be causing you to lie awake at night.

https://thepositivehabit.com/staging/anxietyself-esteemtest/

To register for a 30-day, risk free, trial please click below.

If you are in financial difficulties then please consider the bursary scheme. Our goal to help as many people as we can to feel calm,confident and in control.

Always Do Your Best

2018 Workshops

Dublin – 17th February 2018
Cork – 3rd March 2018

Full Price Ticket is €130.00

Presented by Nutritional Therapist Elsa Jones & Clinical Hypnotherapist Fiona Brennan, ‘Love Yourself Well’ is a unique mind-body weight management program that deals with both the physical and psychological components of weight management, providing you with tools that will lead to lasting weight loss success.

At Love Yourself Well, we invite you to attend a one-day masterclass workshop where you will be given a set of uniquely effective tools help you manage your weight & health for life. You will then have the option to become a Love Yourself Well member where you will have access to a private online support group and have monthly live webinar sessions with Fiona & Elsa (inc. Q&A) to help you stay on track & reach your health goals.

Always Do Your Best

The Positive Habit Weekly Blog – 22nd January, 2018 – Don’t Make Assumptions

The Positive Habit Weekly Blog – 22nd January, 2018 – Don’t Make Assumptions

Happy Monday!

Last Tuesday evening was freezing cold and so I felt very lucky that the cozy, yoga studio I go to is only a few doors away. As I was in the middle of my first ‘downward dog’, I glanced out at the illuminated garden and saw the most beautiful snowflakes falling. It was quite windy so each snowflake danced and moved independently, following its own unique path. To me, it seemed like each had a mind of its own and moved with a determination that its way was the best and most beautiful,

This week we look at the ‘Third Agreement’ by Don Miguel Ruiz:  ‘Don’t Make Assumptions.’

“Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.”

Don Miguel Ruiz

Making assumptions, according to Ruiz, is the single most destructive force to clear, human communication.  Just as it seemed with the snowflakes, we assume that our path and opinion is the right one and we will go to great lengths to justify ourselves and our actions in this regard.  Consider, for a moment, any conflicts you have had in your life, either on a personal or professional level. Often such unfortunate disputes stem from a misunderstanding  rather than from bad intentions or malice.

We all see the world so uniquely that we forget our perceptions are different to everyone else, even those we believe know us best.

You know that feeling of hurt that arises when a person you are close to says something that upsets you and you assumed they would know not to say it? Feelings of hurt, disappointment and even betrayal can spring up because of the assumption you have made.

When we make assumptions about anything in life we are taking a risk.

We cannot know for sure know what another person is thinking and so in order to avoid making assumptions we must ask, verify and communicate clearly and unambiguously.

For many people, the root of deep unhappiness and low self-esteem is the fear of what other people will think of them.  The ‘Third Agreement’ frees us from that inner torture. As with the snowflakes, most people are not thinking about us at all and are more concerned with their own issues.

I am training myself to be as clear as possible in my communication with clients and family and friends. If I don’t understand something, rather than making assumptions and jumping to a conclusion that could be a million miles away from what was intended, I stop and ask, “have I understood you correctly?” Stephen R. Covey in his celebrated book ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,’ advises, “Seek first to understand and then to be understood,” and I am sure we can all learn from this.

This week, please don’t make assumptions and instead always try to seek clarity. When you add the ‘Third Agreement’ to  first two (‘Be Impeccable with your word’ and ‘Don’t take things personally’) you are building a wonderful foundation for the relationships in your life to flourish. Most importantly, the relationship you have with yourself will be open, honest and full.

Next week we look at the ‘Fourth Agreement,’ ‘Always Do Your Best.’  No pressure there then!

Have a great week and as always please do share  The Positive Habit blog with anyone you think could benefit. I’m always so happy to get your feedback – good, bad or indifferent, I don’t take it personally!!!

don't make assumptions

Sleep Better Tonight?

Anxiety is one of the most common causes of a poor night’s sleep.

Research in sleep science tells us that we need a least 8 hours of quality sleep for our mind and bodies to function properly.

The Positive Habit by Fiona Brennan is a five-star rated online, program that helps people all over the globe to sleep better each night and as they sleep it programs their subconscious minds to feel calm and confident.

Take the anxiety test to help you understand what might be causing you to lie awake at night.

https://thepositivehabit.com/staging/anxietyself-esteemtest/

To register for a 30-day, risk free, trial please click below.

If you are in financial difficulties then please consider the bursary scheme. Our goal to help as many people as we can to feel calm,confident and in control.

don't make assumptions

2018 Workshops

Dublin – 17th February 2018
Cork – 3rd March 2018

Full Price Ticket is €130.00

Presented by Nutritional Therapist Elsa Jones & Clinical Hypnotherapist Fiona Brennan, ‘Love Yourself Well’ is a unique mind-body weight management program that deals with both the physical and psychological components of weight management, providing you with tools that will lead to lasting weight loss success.

At Love Yourself Well, we invite you to attend a one-day masterclass workshop where you will be given a set of uniquely effective tools help you manage your weight & health for life. You will then have the option to become a Love Yourself Well member where you will have access to a private online support group and have monthly live webinar sessions with Fiona & Elsa (inc. Q&A) to help you stay on track & reach your health goals.

don't make assumptions

The Positive Habit Weekly Blog – 9th October, 2017 – the Heart of the Matter

The Positive Habit Weekly Blog - 9th October, 2017 - the Heart of the Matter

When I was 10 years old my Dad drew me a picture of his heart. I can still remember it like it was yesterday – he sat me down on his knee in his study and drew his heart on a scrap of paper. He explained that there are three major arteries that carry blood from the heart to the body and then he took his pen and scribbled in between the lines to show that his arteries were blocked and that he needed a triple bypass. He was only 39 years old, on the cusp of turning 40. That image stays with me today.Last week my dad rushed himself to hospital with major angina pain that had been building over the last while and was no longer possible to ignore.  I was in the flow of my normal day and between clients when I got a message from him to say that he was in hospital. If you have experienced such a call you will know that your own heart seems to stop for a moment and you sense that life has suddenly taken an unexpected and unwanted twist.

Along with my Dad’s very positive attitude and an incredibly talented surgeon who put the thirteenth stent into my Dad’s heart, I can happily say that we can all breathe easily once more. My Dad’s life has been extended yet again, he is now 72, very strong and full of life.

My dad said something after his procedure that also stuck with me and that is that the heart is a miraculous organ. One day his life had literally been hanging by a thread and the next he was back in the game.

The heart pumps blood and life through our veins but it does much more than that, the heart is also the centre of the emotions. When we operate from our hearts we connect to the full joy of life.

Seeing my Dad and the other patients in hospital really brought home to me the importance of the work the medical and nursing staff do to save lives. I was reminded that my job is to preventative as it is based on helping people to look after themselves in clearing away toxic negative emotions, helping them also to manage stress and anxiety and to embrace a healthy lifestyle that fully honours them.

The second of the current ‘Love Yourself Slim’ workshops was a great success and the feedback was five stars all the way! Elsa and I were overjoyed with the positive feedback – there was a lot of tears, laughter hugs and a feeling that something significant had happened in the mindset of the women in their relationship to themselves and to food. This is just the beginning…

Have a wonderful week, look after your heart and I look forward to sharing some more insights next week. Keep sharing!

World Mental Health Day – Tuesday, October 10th

I will be on the Pat Kenny Show (Newstalk) on Tuesday 10th October, World Mental Health Day discussing the importance of caring for your mental health.  It will air at about 11.20.am so tune in if you can. I will post a link to the podcast here next week.

heart of the matter

TEDxTALLAGHT

is this Thursday, 12th October and is now sold out!
I will post and share the video once it becomes available.

The title of my talk is:

‘Your Subconscious Power – Learn to Parent Yourself’ 

To see the full speaker line-up please visit:
http://www.tedxtallaght.com/2017-speakers
It promises to be an educational and entertaining evening.

heart of the matter

The Positive Habit continues to help people all over the world.

Our latest five-star testimonial was:

September 27, 2017
★★★★★
“With the help of this programme and the added benefit of Fiona’s authentic and caring manner, this programme is helping me to overcome both a chronic health condition and understand my unhealthy patterns and for this I am grateful. The only downside is that I am at the end of it, as I found it of great support and looked forward to learning how to change my life for the better. I am hoping to be able to continue with the monthly maintenance programme one day. Many thanks.”
– DJS

We have had to remove The Positive Habit Plus program for the moment due to Fiona’s busy schedule.

You can of course still register for The Positive Habit, Self-Help Program

heart of the matter

The Positive Habit Weekly Blog – 25th September, 2017 – the Power of a Flexible Mind

The Positive Habit Weekly Blog – 25th September, 2017 – the Power of a Flexible Mind

the power of a flexible mind

I hope you have had a wonderful week and thanks so much for reading this blog every Monday; the idea, as always is  to set you up for another week of positive vibes and to focus on the core message of the week that I feel would help you to continue to care for your mental wellbeing.

One of the books I’m currently reading is, ‘The Art of Happiness’ by the Dalai Lama. Co-written by the man himself and the psychiatrist Howard C.Cutler, it poses the question of how we can best incorporate the Buddist practice of happiness into western society.  One of the sections is about the importance of flexible thinking not just for our happiness but also for our survival.  I quote from the book:

“By adopting a flexible, malleable mind and approach to life we can maintain our composure even in the most restless and turbulent conditions.  It is through our efforts to achieve a flexible mind that we can nurture the resiliency of the human spirit.”

On Wednesday the universe presented me with a wonderful opportunity to maintain my composure and display a flexible mind about something I had already decided firmly upon – my up-and-coming TEDx talk.  The speakers were invited to a one-day, public speaking masterclass workshop with the very talented performance coach,  Padraig Hyland. I turned up a bit like an overeager child on her first day at a new school – so keen to meet new people and show off just how much work I had done. My preparation for the content of my talk was almost complete (or so I thought) so when the time came to showcase the work we had done I was the first to jump at the opportunity and hardly paused to centre myself. Not so mindful!

Although the coach seemed content with my ability to perform, he and the other speakers agreed that I had packed way too much information into too short a time and as a result, my core message was not clear! Oh my God! This was a bit of a knock since, of course, it all made perfect sense to me. Anyhow, I took a deep breath, centered myself (better late than never) and listened carefully to the feedback; it was after all, a great opportunity to learn,  to progress and to create an even better talk. I was advised to share much more of myself in the talk rather than relying on quotes and facts to back me up and as a result, the direction of the talk has shifted a lot. Watch this space!

The root of a flexible mind is to not take things personally. Remaining objective allows clarity and true creativity to form.

Think of an occasion when you had (or still have) a ‘fixed’ idea about something which may have been causing disagreement, it could be at work or at home in your personal life. Take a step back and consider how being flexible and objective might change the situation for the better for all involved.Have a wonderful week and I look forward to sharing some more flexible thinking next week.  Keep sharing!

Love Yourself Slim’   is now SOLD OUT! 
Elsa Jones and I are very excited about the forthcoming workshops. If you would like your name added to a list for future workshops, please email me with your details.
journey of kindness

TEDxTALLAGHT

There are only a handful of tickets left for this event so if you haven’t yet booked then do so today!  You can buy tickets at  www.civictheatre.ie and also see a full list of the speakers at
http://www.tedxtallaght.com/2017-speakers
It promises to be an educational and entertaining evening. 

Maintenance Program

Sustaining Positivity – The Positive Habit Maintenance Program is now in month three! You can sign up at any time. We are delighted to see so many people register for this invaluable tool.  It is incredibly affordable, has a minimum time investment and maximum benefit for your mental well-being. This program is suitable for you if you have already completed The Positive Habit and/or if you have already started a journey of self-discovery and would like a powerful tool to help you to live a full and happy life.

Included in your monthly subscription you will receive access to (on the 1st of each month):

  • A video explaining what the theme of the month is and how best to put it into practice
  • A new MP3 targeted at the theme of the month
  • New articles
  • Quizzes to monitor your progress

Month Three is entitled, ‘Your Inner Confidence’ in which I will guide you to be truly grateful for who you are and all that you have.

We have had to remove The Positive Habit Plus program for the moment due to Fiona’s busy schedule.

You can, of course still register for The Positive Habit, Self-Help Program

The Positive Habit Weekly Blog – 18th September, 2017 – Does Pleasure Lead to Happiness?

does pleasure lead to happiness

Consider for a moment the difference between pleasure and happiness. Is the man in the picture above feeling pleasure or happiness? What’s the difference and does one always lead to the other?Last week I was working on the content for the upcoming “Love Yourself Slim” workshops and really trying to get across the idea that it is not about favouring one body type over another; ‘slim’ in this sense simply means ‘healthy’.  Do you love yourself healthy? And if not, take a moment to consider what is holding you back? Quite often we have negative conditioned beliefs from our past that lead us to believe we need something outside of ourselves to improve our lives.  Whether that is a big house, an expensive car or food that ‘comforts’ us, these material things actually bring us a lot more discomfort and stress than comfort and happiness.

Being healthy in body and healthy in mind is happiness.

Pleasure is something that is transient – indulging in chocolate, alcohol or drugs may bring a temporary sense of pleasure but ultimately such behaviour can lead to great unhappiness. How can we truly feel happy if we are not healthy?

One of the principal messages I want to convey in my work is that it is essential for us to focus on behaviour that is pleasurable but at the same time leads to our greater happiness.  Retraining our neural pathways to accept behaviour that truly and genuinely rewards us is crucial. For example, if an unwanted emotion arises, then rather than trying to escape from it by indulging in food, alcohol or shopping, we learn to take the courage to accept and sit with the emotion before choosing an alternative positive behaviour that really rewards us such as going for a walk, practising yoga or having a chat with a close friend or family member.

I would like to welcome all the new subscribers to the blog; I really appreciate you being here with us.  I would also like to thank my subscribers who have been with me since the beginning which is now nearly two years! It is truly wonderful to have your continued support. Please keep the feedback coming in – I really enjoy hearing that it has lifted your week. As always, please help this community to grow by encouraging friends and family to subscribe.

journey of kindness
If you would like to watch the show from last Monday when Elsa Jones and I appeared to chat about the forthcoming ‘Love Yourself Slim’ workshops, please click here and set the player to 17 mins 50 seconds.
journey of kindness
The ‘Love Yourself Slim’ workshops are ALMOST SOLD OUT!
To ensure you get a place please register here

Saturday 30th September & Saturday 7th October 9 am – 1 pm

Venue: UCD O’Brien Centre For Science, Stillorgan Rd, Belfield, Dublin 4

Elsa Jones & Fiona Brennan, two of Ireland’s leading weight-management experts collaborate for a
Two-day weight loss workshop and create
One Opportunity for you to take control of your emotional eating and develop healthy eating habits for life!
For full information on the content of the workshops – please click here.

TEDxTALLAGHT

Tickets are now on sale for my up-and-coming TEDxTalk on October 12th . If you are interested in attending please book asap as tickets sell fast.  You can buy tickets on  www.civictheatre.ie and also see a full list of the speakers on
http://www.tedxtallaght.com/2017-speakers
It promises to be an educational and entertaining evening.

Maintenance Program

Sustaining Positivity – The Positive Habit Maintenance Program is now in month three! You can sign up at any time. We are delighted to see so many people register for this invaluable tool.  It is incredibly affordable, has a minimum time investment and maximum benefit for your mental well-being. This program is suitable for you if you have already completed The Positive Habit and/or if you have already started a journey of self-discovery and would like a powerful tool to help you to live a full and happy life.

Included in your monthly subscription you will receive access to (on the 1st of each month):

  • A video explaining what the theme of the month is and how best to put it into practice
  • A new MP3 targeted at the theme of the month
  • New articles
  • Quizzes to monitor your progress

Month Three is entitled, ‘Your Inner Confidence’ in which I will guide you to be truly grateful for who you are and all that you have.

Due to the high demand for the upgrade version of The Positive Habit (with personal therapy) we have decided to reintroduce the online, self-help program (€99.95).
N.B. The upgrade version has been renamed The Positive Habit Plus & is only available to eight clients per month.