Self Awareness

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Finding A Way Through

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Finding A Way Through

I’ve been working with my son recently, gently showing him there is a link between our mind and body. Sometimes our thoughts can lead to feelings and physical sensations in our body. Which in turn can lead to actions, like not wanting to go to school.

As a parent, it can be hard to see clearly and not let our own emotions and worries dictate what we do. Having the ability to observe my own thoughts and feelings as I work with my son’s thoughts and feelings is a delicate balancing act that allows us both to find a way through our challenges.

We call this the mind-body connection…

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How to lose gracefully and come back stronger

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How to lose gracefully and come back stronger

It was her very first words that caught my attention.

As I was sitting watching the Women’s Wimbledon Final last week, I was struck by the powerful messages shared by Serena Williams, during a brief interview right at the end of the match. Having just lost 6-3 6-3 to Germany’s incredible Angelique Kerber she was asked to share her thoughts on the match, pausing several times to process her emotion before speaking, she said:

“It’s obviously disappointing, but I can’t be disappointed, I have so much to look forward to. I’m literally just getting started.”

As I sat watching her, you could feel her emotion. I felt the goosebumps…

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How to turn wounds into wisdom

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How to turn wounds into wisdom
"Sometimes it takes great suffering to pierce the soul and open it up to greatness." Jocelyn Murray

Often we think of pain as something that has been inflicted on us, a stroke of very bad luck, the result of an unfair world, or bad fate in some way. An immense obstacle that propels us into primitive survival mode. It's ugly, uncomfortable and lonely. 

I'm going to throw caution to the wind here and say, I believe it is a gift to feel discomfort, and that when we avoid, ignore or try to hide from it, we are missing one of the greatest lessons that life has to offer. Every person wanting to find true peace and happiness should know this....

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The expectation trap

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The expectation trap

I'm going to write about a small change in mindset that could have a major impact on your life.

It's to do with letting go of expectations.

I fully appreciate this may seem like a strange idea.

We all have expectations. Expectations of how we want others to be. Expectations of who we think we should be. Expectations of what we want to achieve. Expectations of what we want for our children, family, friends. We expect things about our bodies, our jobs, our lives...

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Do you know your Why?

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Do you know your Why?

I've been asked some provoking questions recently that have made me stop and consider more deeply what Wake Up Kate is all about.

After carefully processing each question, I realized they all came down to one single question:

Why Wake Up Kate?

Wake Up Kate originally started as a call to action to myself to WAKE UP in my life and take greater care of ME. 

I soon discovered that staying awake in my life and practising self care wasn't just another 'to do'... it was a habit that became a way of life.

That's one of the secrets you need to know about how to maintain any kind of REAL change in your work and life........

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3 steps to becoming more resilient

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3 steps to becoming more resilient

Many of us don't bounce back after getting knocked down. 

The main consequence of living in a culture that’s so focused on planning, certainty and perfection is that we have no idea what to do when things go wrong.

When the job you thought you would love turns out to be a disaster. When your romantic relationship falls apart. When you realize that everything you’ve worked so hard for doesn’t make you happy. 

We come crashing down. Then what? .......

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3 things I wish I'd known when starting out in life

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3 things I wish I'd known when starting out in life

Have you ever considered giving yourself a whack over the head? 

Sometimes that's what it takes to put things in perspective. To see things differently. To change your life for the better.

Some people have an ability to see the writing on the wall. They are blessed with a built-in radar that helps them navigate potential disaster, to avoid hitting......

An age of distraction: Why you probably won't finish reading this.

An age of distraction: Why you probably won't finish reading this.

In the few minutes it will take to read this post, it's highly likely you will pause to answer a text, check your phone, glance at a status update, or perhaps your mind will wander into things you have to do today.

DID YOU KNOW?

#1 47% of the time, our minds are in a state of 'partial attention'. When this occurs we are not focused on what we are doing and we are less happy.

#2 The average human attention span has fallen from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds. Meanwhile, goldfish

12 ways to be happy right now

12 ways to be happy right now

It's easy to think of happiness as a goal or something that is dependent on material things. Many of us say, "Once I'm making this or that income, then I'll be happy" or, "Once I'm ten pounds lighter, then I'll be happy", or "When I retire and can do what I want, then I'll be happy." 

While the conditions of our lives may contribute to part of our happiness, I think it's likely that happiness is also highly dependent upon our ability to live in the present moment. About how we relate to ourselves and others. About how we choose to walk through life. 

I'll be the first to admit...

3 powerful ways to quiet your worried mind

3 powerful ways to quiet your worried mind

Constant worrying takes a heavy toll.

It can keep us up at night and make us edgy during the day. We agonize about matters that often never occur. So why is it so difficult to stop worrying?

Worrying is a built-in feature of our brain's safety processing. It's part of our fight or flight response system which is never turned off. It puts us into a state of heightened awareness so we're prepared for...

10 ways to listen better

10 ways to listen better

Listening well can be one of the most important skills we have. How well we listen has a profound impact on our life and work and on the quality of our relationships with others.

Here are ten lessons I've learned from mindful listening that have helped me to better understand the difference between only hearing someone rather than deeply listening to them.  

1. CREATE SPACE

Pay attention to the urge to speak or offer input too soon. Hold that feeling in your awareness and continue to listen rather than respond too quickly. 

2. DON'T JUDGE

While judging can be a helpful way to evaluate, maintaining a non-judging, curious attitude can encourage the speaker to relax and be more...