do what you love Page 9 of 94

Time for a new career? Time to do what you love

Posted on 2017-01-06 at 8:55 am.

Stuck in a job that isn’t you? Ready for a career change? Want to spend your days doing something you love – a job you feel passionately about and that makes a difference – rather than just something that just pays the bills?

Dropping your current job to pursue an entirely different career path takes courage, confidence and commitment, especially if it requires going back to basics, retraining or taking a pay cut. However when it comes to chasing your dreams, know that an open mind and a willingness to succeed, anything is possible. It could be the best move you ever make.

A recent study asked 500 Brits who’d recently changed careers to share their experiences – here are some of the main findings from the research.

Learning something new is fun

Of course, the main reason you’ll undertake training is to get on the next step of that ladder, but there’s no reason why shouldn’t enjoy the journey. In fact, while some research participants saw retraining as merely a necessity, many others found it fun, rewarding and the most interesting part of their experience.

After all, learning new skills, discovering different ways of working and preparing yourself for a new challenge is exciting. It may feel daunting at times, but according to one participant in the research, ‘if you come at it with the right attitude it works really well’. So try and be positive, go with the flow and stay open to new experiences – you’re sure to reap the benefits in the long run.

Make use of your current skill set

You may not realise it, but already have a whole range of skills from your previous jobs and many of these can be carried over to your new role – even those that you wouldn’t necessarily expect to be useful. Got experience working with people from a retail or social care position? These skills can easily be transferred to things like marketing roles, driving jobs or customer service. Survey respondents agreed that using previously learnt skills stood them in good stead, with one claiming it made retraining much ‘easier than expected’.

Overcome the challenges

While many participants shared positive experiences of changing careers, it didn’t come without its challenges – one of which was fitting re-training around other commitments. Retraining can require you to study in your spare time, so be prepared to be flexible. It’s a great ides to think through all your options and make a plan of action. Consider things like your current hours – could you change them so you’re more flexible? And childcare – how will you fit studying/training in around the kids and family life – could your partner share the load? Do you have family/friends who could help out short-term?

For a while you could find things are a little crazy, but your future happiness – and the impact that will have on everyone around you – is well worth the investment in terms of your time and energy as who knows where this new chapter in your life might take you. Plus you’ll be able to add multi-tasking to your skill set, too!

Perseverance is key

While the survey showed some people found retraining intensive, with one respondent describing it as ‘not for the faint-hearted’, for most the process was a fulfilling one. That’s why, even when things are tough and you’re juggling studies with normal life, it can help to stay focused on why you’re doing this. Make a list of all the reasons to remind yourself to stay positive. At times, it may be difficult, but perseverance is key – don’t give up.

So there you have it. Retraining for a new career takes time, energy and dedication but when you find yourself armed with tons of new skills, bursting with knowledge and fully qualified for a job you actually want to do, you’ll never look back. Go for it!

The research featured in this article was conducted by Red Driving School.

***

DISCOVER HOW TO LIVE YOUR LIFE DOING WHAT YOU LOVE

What is it you really want? The courage to start a new career? The time to pursue passions and hobbies? The freedom to travel and have big adventures? Or simply to “feel differently” about your life, just as it is? All of those wants — and so many others — stem from one big desire… The desire to do what you love.

And if that’s what you want, you’ve arrived in the best possible place you can be. This is your launchpad — and this is your community. And this online course might just change your life.

Do What You Love is an acclaimed course for people who want to spend more time doing what they love and less time doing what they don’t. Simple as that. It’s about finding freedom and building the life you really want. Inside this 5 week online course, our founder Beth Kempton will show you how to:

Do what you love, more often. Very often. In fact: daily.
Get paid to do what you love. (If that’s what you want — for some, it’s not. For many, it is!)
Make your life simpler and sweeter — not busier and more complicated.

Do What You Love is about re-opening doors that you thought were locked shut… re-opening possibilities that you thought were long gone… and illuminating possibilities you never knew existed.

A large part of doing what you love is about finding great work that you are passionate about, but that isn’t everything. In this course we explore every area of your life, to understand what is possible for you right now (in the context of your current responsibilities and situation), what could be possible for you in the future, and how to get from here to there.

We will make you look differently about how you spend your time and money, what company you keep, and where to find support if those closest to you don’t think the same way. You will see that you have a choice, in everything you do. The course will open your mind to new options, help you grow in confidence, and believe that it really is OK (and actually better for everyone) if you do what you love.

Your guide, Beth Kempton, will be with you every step of the way, and you will find immense support in the class community of other people just like you. You can ask questions in the class community space any time during the course, and seek advice and encouragement from your fellow adventurers.

If you find yourself thinking things like: “I can’t afford to _______” … or “I’m too old to _______” … or “I’m going to need years of training before I can _______” … or “It’s just not realistic for me to _______”… or “But what if ______”, Do What You Love will show you that all of your options are still open, no matter what your current circumstances and responsibilities may be. Inside this course possibility is your new reality.

SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? THE NEXT COURSE STARTS ON JANUARY 16 AND YOUI CAN REGISTER HERE NOW!

How to be a better person in 2017

Posted on 2017-01-04 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

What will you do on your lunch break today? Work through it? Spend 15 minutes queuing for a sandwich? Surf the net? Pop into town for some mindless browsing? Or run a load of errands?

What if there was a way to use your lunch break to motivate you, inspire you, and help you to think differently? What if there was a way to use your lunch break to figure out how to be a better person and change your life for the better?

January is the perfect time to ask yourself what you want to be known for, and what kind of imprint you want to leave on the world. To reflect on what was good and bad last year and what needs to change in order for you to grow. And ultimately, to commit to making 2017 the year you become the person you’ve always wanted to be.

So, starting this week, we challenge you to make more of your precious lunch breaks by watching these enlightening TED Talks (PLUS a very special talk on courage by our very own founder Beth Kempton. They really could change your life…

1. What reality are you creating for yourself? By Isaac Lidsky

Reality isn’t something you perceive; it’s something you create in your mind. Isaac Lidsky learned this profound lesson firsthand, when unexpected life circumstances yielded valuable insights. In this introspective, personal talk, he challenges us to let go of excuses, assumptions and fears, and accept the awesome responsibility of being the creators of our own reality.

2. 10 ways to have a better conversation By Celeste Headlee

When your job hinges on how well you talk to people, you learn a lot about how to have conversations — and that most of us don’t converse very well. Celeste Headlee has worked as a radio host for decades, and she knows the ingredients of a great conversation: Honesty, brevity, clarity and a healthy amount of listening. In this insightful talk, she shares 10 useful rules for having better conversations. “Go out, talk to people, listen to people,” she says. “And, most importantly, be prepared to be amazed.”

3. Why you should talk to strangers By Kio Stark

“When you talk to strangers, you’re making beautiful interruptions into the expected narrative of your daily life — and theirs,” says Kio Stark. In this delightful talk, Stark explores the overlooked benefits of pushing past our default discomfort when it comes to strangers and embracing those fleeting but profoundly beautiful moments of genuine connection.

4. 5 ways to listen better By Julian Treasure

In our louder and louder world, says sound expert Julian Treasure, “We are losing our listening.” In this short, fascinating talk, Treasure shares five ways to re-tune your ears for conscious listening — to other people and the world around you.

5. How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them By Vernā Myers

Our biases can be dangerous, even deadly — as we’ve seen in the cases of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner, in Staten Island, New York. Diversity advocate Vernā Myers looks closely at some of the subconscious attitudes we hold toward out-groups. She makes a plea to all people: Acknowledge your biases. Then move toward, not away from, the groups that make you uncomfortable. In a funny, impassioned, important talk, she shows us how.

6. Your body language shapes who you are By Amy Cuddy

Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “power posing” — standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident — can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success. (Note: Some of the findings presented in this talk have been referenced in an ongoing debate among social scientists about robustness and reproducibility.

7. Try something new for 30 days By Matt Cutts

Is there something you’ve always meant to do, wanted to do, but just … haven’t? Matt Cutts suggests: Try it for 30 days. This short, lighthearted talk offers a neat way to think about setting and achieving goals.

8. Success is a continuous journey By Richard St. John

In his typically candid style, Richard St. John reminds us that success is not a one-way street, but a constant journey. He uses the story of his business’ rise and fall to illustrate a valuable lesson — when we stop trying, we fail.

9. The hidden power of smiling By Ron Gutman

Ron Gutman reviews a raft of studies about smiling, and reveals some surprising results. Did you know your smile can be a predictor of how long you’ll live — and that a simple smile has a measurable effect on your overall well-being? Prepare to flex a few facial muscles as you learn more about this evolutionarily contagious behaviour.

10. How to talk to anyone By Beth Kempton

We also just had to share the talk that our very own founder, Beth Kempton, gave at ‘I am… courage New York City’ at the end of last year where she shared the stage with five amazing women who lit up the room with their tales of brave and truthful living. Beth says: “Organising this event with these inspiring women and giving this talk taught me that we don’t need other people’s permission to do amazing things. We can make them happen ourselves, especially when we have the support of others like us, committed to a common goal. So when you’re stuck in a mid-week slump, remind yourself that you have all the power you need to lift yourself out. You just need to commit, and then follow through!” If you haven’t already seen it, you can watch it here.

Could it be magic? 6 ways to bring back the Christmas sparkle this year

Posted on 2016-12-23 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Image credit: Heatons

This post is written by our Senior Editor, Rachel Kempton.

Do you remember how wonderful Christmas felt when you were a child? I don’t know about you but come December, there was always a special kind of magic in the air: a feeling of wonder and anticipation. Every year I couldn’t wait for the Christmas decorations to come out of hibernation, to count down the days on my advent calendar and to play my (never-so-leading role!) in the nativity play. At school we’d gather unwanted gifts to give to patients at local hospitals and I’d go round nursing homes with my friends and sing Christmas carols to the old folks. Christmas was about giving, as well as enjoying precious time with family, laughing, playing games, eating far too much – and of course the joy of opening the goodies Santa had left in ours sacks and stockings.

As we get older, and the pressures of daily life take over, it’s not surprising that Christmas can lose its sparkle, especially if we find ourselves overwhelmed by to-do lists, exhausted by social obligations, and swept up in the commercial side of things. In fact according to the results of a survey*, Christmas is up there with divorce, moving house and changing jobs as the sixth most stressful life event. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Here are our top tips for ensuring Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year!

1. Embrace the spirit of giving

Spread some love and joy by focusing on what you’re grateful for, and what you can give. If you look around, there are kindness opportunities every day and in any situation – writing a card, helping out a friend or carrying someone’s groceries. Here are some more great ideas for giving something back:

donate a toy for underprivileged children
take a bag of unwanted gifts or clothes to your local charity shop
spend an hour in your local hospital talking to someone who doesn’t get any visitors
help out a homeless shelter
organise a charity Christmas collection
volunteer your services at your local Christmas concert or Carol Service
invite a neighbour who’s alone to join you for Christmas dinner
start a “Pay-It-Forward” chain (for example by paying for a coffee for the person behind you in the queue at your local cafe) to spread some holiday cheer.

Need inspiration? Try out this ‘Acts of kindness generator’ created by Shari’s Berries. With over 50 ideas to inspire your next thoughtful gesture it’s sure to make you to feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing you’re making somebody else’s Christmas all the more special.

2. Keep it cheap – or free!

Christmas doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact you don’t necessarily have to spend any money at all! The Do What You Love team love the idea of a ‘free’ Christmas, and last year we only gave gifts which were:

hand-made (like a scrapbook, a piece of furniture, or a wooden toy) although we were allowed to pay for materials/ingredients!
second hand (like a vintage typewriter or sewing machine which we no longer used, or books which were gathering dust on our bookshelves or which were so brilliant we just had to pass on)
items we had received and never used like a gift voucher, products that we got as part of a deal such as ‘buy one get one free’, or something we’d bought with a gift card we had previously received)
we were available to give freely ourselves thanks to our personal skills/talents/businesses (i.e. a free e-course course, a healing or beauty treatment, a tarot card reading, a business mentoring session, or gardening/babysitting/DIY services)
bought/acquired as a result of selling/trading online or at a car boot or mother and baby sale, for example.

Image credit: dotcomgiftshop

Gifting ‘free’ presents worked well because it felt good to really think about the person we were giving to and we also received some lovely thoughtful gifts ourselves too.

3. Bring back the traditions you loved

Remember those things you and your family did every Christmas without fail? Whether it was writing a letter to Santa, making snowflakes for the windows, baking gingerbread men, playing games after Christmas dinner, or leaving out a mince pie, carrot and glass of sherry on Christmas Eve… childhood traditions are precisely the things that make Christmas so special and unique. And it doesn’t matter if you don’t really have any traditions; it’s never too late to start new ones!

Need inspiration? Check out this article: 50 Christmas Traditions For Having Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (perfect for kids aged 1 to 92!)

4. Swap stress for love and gratitude

These days, whenever I start to feel anxious, overtired, or angry, that’s usually a trigger for me to slow down, take a breath and ask myself: “Am I thinking and acting out of fear and stress, or am I thinking and acting in a state of love and gratitude?” I challenge you to try it.

Need more inspiration, help and advice? Read this article on How to Choose Gratitude Over Stress This Holiday Season

5. Keep it fun and festive

If you want to fully experience the Christmas magic, you have to embrace the festivities (yep, I’m wearing my Christmas jumper and reindeer socks as I type!). Whether it’s filling your playlist with Christmas songs, watching some Christmas classics, organising Secret Santa at the office, or hosting an intimate gathering with friends and family, there are loads of ways that you can spread good cheer and ignite the festive spark in everyone around you too.

Image credit Kelly Hoppen

6. Do something different

As children, part of the reason why Christmas is so magical is because everything is new and exciting. We get swept up in the mystery of Christmas – the sights, the sounds, the smells and the atmosphere. Recapture that sense of wonder this year by visiting somewhere you have never been before or doing something you have never done. Depending on your budget you could head off to Lapland for the ultimate festive experience, visit a Christmas market in a location you have never visited before, try a festive activity such as ice skating, carol singing, going to a local panto, or baking Christmas treats. Trying something new and exciting this Christmas and we guarantee it will be one to remember.

Image credit: Next

* Results from a survey of over 3,000 people conducted by MemoriseThis.com – the UK’s largest on-line gift giving company.

Happy holidays!

4 Steps to Embrace Your Wholeness

Posted on 2016-12-09 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This is a guest post by Homaira Kabir, a positive psychology coach and a cognitive behavioral therapist. Homaira offers online courses and coaching programs that help women develop the self-worth it takes to lead in relationships, at work and in life.

For as long as I could remember, I had a problem with negative feedback. Not only did I constantly seek words of approval, I was equally sensitive to looks and subtle signs, and likely read into them far more than I needed to.

It almost seemed as though negative feedback would open the door to a part of me that I was hiding, perhaps from my own self. I seemed to live in constant fear that were my reality revealed, I would be rejected by others – and perhaps by myself too.

It took many years of searching within to understand my insecurities and to develop the courage to embrace them. When you’ve spent a lifetime distancing yourself from certain aspects of who you are, it can be a lesson in humility to finally accept them as your own.

Homaira Kabir

There are far too many of us caught in the search for approval, sometimes from those whose approval we didn’t receive in our early years, sometimes looking for redemption and appreciation through our partners, and sometimes seeking the approval of society at large. We’ve succumbed to the messages that we’re damaged and broken inside, and we’ll go to any length to deny our faults and weaknesses so that we’re finally worthy of love and acceptance.

But the irony is that when we shut ourselves off from who we truly are inside, we also shut out all that is bright and beautiful within us. We pursue perfection and come up empty even after we attain it, because wholeness and perfection are dialectically opposed. Wholeness is about embracing every part of our being, because that is the first step towards change. It’s about seeking out the darkness we deny so we can use our light to rise above it. And it’s about listening to the fears we succumb to, so we can use our wisdom to work through them and finally let them go.

If you’re tired of always pushing, always evaluating, and always coming up short, then here’s what you can do to begin your journey to wholeness.

(more…)

Do What You Love Interview – Homaira Kabir

Posted on 2016-12-08 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Today we chat to an inspirational lady who shares our belief that it is possible to achieve positive and lasting change by designing a life that you love. Homaira Kabir is a positive psychology coach, cognitive behavioral therapist and writer who is on a mission to help women break free from the grip of low self-confidence and stop living half-lives, something she says “is a disservice to us, and to the world.”

Through her scientifically backed strategies, courses, resources and the articles she writes for Forbes, The Huffington Post, Positive Psychology News Daily and her own website, Homaira helps women discover the power of self-worth and empowers them to show up fully in their relationships and rise to their full potential at work and in life. Enjoy the interview. ~ Rachel

Homaira at work

(more…)

Back home and over £55,000 raised!

Posted on 2016-12-06 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This is our final guest post from Claire Le Hur who has just returned from an epic cycling adventure to China with her fiancé Stuart Block. The couple started their adventure in East Africa, where they followed new ‘silk roads’ to chart the journey of key natural resources as part of an exciting new education project. Claire rode a bamboo bike built by an African social enterprise, and Stuart rode a tandem, keeping the back seat free for those they met en route. They have now raised awareness and thousands of pounds for two great educational charities. Find out more about Claire’s big adventure here.

We got back to the UK on a very cold and grey day, and the next day was Brexit and all the ensuing madness: a political revolution in London, or just more of the same on (super) fast-forward? For anyone who hasn’t seen it, you can read Stuart’s blog post from a year ago here. He wrote it as we were leaving London for our adventure and he proved remarkably prescient when he predicted a ‘bloodbath in the corridors of Westmister’.

We were starting to wonder why we had bothered to come back to England, so to take our minds off things we got back on our bikes and made sure we cycled the full 11,000km we were aiming for (we reached 10,000km in Hong Kong.) We did our own version of the ‘London Revolution’, cycling around the M25 (or a few miles outside it!), visiting schools and friends along the way.

Our route took us to several schools in Surrey, Cambridge and London as well as two days at the Telegraph/Wellington Festival of Education at Wellington College. At Wellington we addressed teachers on ‘how to bring an adventure into the classroom’ and students on ‘Overseas Aid; Who Benefits’. We were delighted to have a photo call with renowned philosopher, A. C. Grayling.

(more…)

3 things to do TODAY to make next year different

Posted on 2016-11-29 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

As we come to the end of the year, it’s only natural to reflect on what has gone before. Did 2016 turn out how you wanted? Did you get closer to your dreams? As the founder of a company called Do What You Love, I am often asked what is the single most important factor in doing what you love. And you know what? I think it’s commitment. Perhaps not the sexiest answer, but it’s the truth.

But what if I don’t know what I want to commit to? You might ask… I hear you. That’s a tough one, right? Well, actually, early on simply committing to stepping forward in the direction of your dreams, is as important as committing to one specific idea. Because those early steps are where the dreams are shaped.

So if your 2016 was frustrating, or depressing, or simply another year of not very much, seeing your friends have the things you want for yourself, then I invite you to join me in committing to making 2017 different. And here are three simple steps you can take to do that:

Commit to doing things differently
Download the (free) New Year’s Revolution toolkit here, and actually fill it in
Tell someone what you are planning. Choose them carefully, and then say it out loud

Are you with me?

Let’s do this!
Beth

Save

Do What You Love interview – Charlie Morley

Posted on 2016-11-23 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Did you know that on average we sleep for one-third of our lives? That’s a whole lot of time spent in dreamland! So what if we could use some of this time to not only have fun, but to transform how we experience the world and who we are? Well, according to lucid dreaming expert Charlie Morley, we can do just that. How? By simply bringing mindful awareness into all stages of our dream, sleep and waking life.

Charlie has been lucid dreaming since his teens but he only began teaching it about six years ago through a holistic approach to lucid dreaming within the context of mindfulness meditation and Tibetan Buddhism, Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep, which he co-founded. Charlie passionately believes that anyone can learn how to become conscious within their dreams and he’s living proof that doing so can change be life-changing.

Charlie now spends his time travelling the world running workshops and retreats and giving talks based on his books Dreams of Awakening and Lucid Dreaming: A Beginners Guide to help people on the path to spiritual and psychological awakening. I just had to talk to him to find out how we can all open ourselves up to a world of limitless possibilities… without even getting out of bed! ~ Rachel

1. First of all, for those who’ve never heard of it, can you tell us exactly what lucid dreaming is?

Lucid dreaming is the art of becoming conscious within your dreams. A lucid dream is one in which you think, a-ha, I’m dreaming! while you’re still asleep. Once you become conscious within a dream, you can interact with and direct it at will, dancing with your unconscious mind. With practice, you can have lucid dreams of an hour in length. Imagine spending an hour inside your own mind: think of what you could do; what you could explore; the people you could meet: aspects of yourself, your higher self, guides. And remember, everyone you meet in the lucid dream is you – they are reflections of you, your own consciousness. In a lucid dream if I meet an elderly African woman, I’m meeting an aspect of my own femininity, an aspect of my own age-old wisdom, and an aspect of my own ideas and energy of Africa. So it’s a fascinating way to gain insight into yourself – and particularly into aspects of yourself that normally remain hidden because in our waking state we have filters. We can suppress things. When we go to sleep all this content can come up. A lucid dream shows that this content is you – the good, the bad and the ugly. The key is to show love towards everyone – all parts of you – in your dream.

2. How long have you been lucid dreaming?

When I was a kid I was scared of monsters under the bed so I didn’t want to wake up and use the toilet when I needed to pee. I remember the feeling of a full bladder seeping into the dream and making me become fully lucid. Then, from within the dream, I would think to myself: I really don’t want to get out of bed to pee. Maybe I’ll just do it while I’m still in the dream?

Then I kind of forgot about it all but then when I was 17, I bought some books and taught myself how to do it and I started having regular lucid dreams. I found that I had gained access to a virtual reality of incredible realism in which social norms didn’t apply. Not yet aware of the Tibetan Buddhist lucid dream practices that I now teach, and at the peak of my wild teenage years, I didn’t view the lucid dream state as a potential training ground for enlightened action. I saw it purely as a place to get laid! So it was just for having fun first but then when I got into Buddhism a couple of years later I started to use it for more beneficial stuff.

3. What kind of healing work can we do on ourselves in a lucid dream?

Lucid dreaming can offer some really powerful opportunities to unpack, accept and heal our baggage within the dream state.

Let’s say you’re scared of spiders? Gradual exposure to spiders within the lucid dream can be used to help overcome a phobia of them in a similar way to cognitive behavioural therapy. By engaging fearlessly with the source of a phobia (whether it’s spiders or anything else) within the lucid dream – while holding in mind that it’s all a mental projection – sufferers can begin to gradually integrate the phobia. I’ve worked with people who’ve all used their lucid dreams to heal all sorts of things. One man used his lucid dreams to explore his sexual behaviour – by meeting a dream character who told him he was ‘the physical manifestation of your fear of commitment’, while a young woman used her lucid dream to meet and forgive the memory of the abuser from her childhood. This potential for healing is one of the deepest benefits of the practice.

4. Why does lucid dream training wake us up to the real beauty of life and help us become more mindful of the way we think, feel and behave?

Through learning to dream lucidly, we can learn to live lucidly and wake up to life. Every time we lucid dream we are experiencing a new perception of reality, one in which we are the co-creator, and the more we experience this, the more we may also perceive waking reality in a similar way. Each time we do this we are creating a habit of recognition. It is this habit of seeing through illusion that forms the crux of lucid living.

Lucid dreamers naturally begin to take charge of their waking life in much the same way as they do in their dreams. Empowered by the experiences of their lucid dreams, they strive consciously to direct and co-create their waking lives, too. They become more positive, proactive and discerningly optimistic in their waking interactions.

In his first book, Dreams of Awakening, Charlie says that while 99 per cent of what we experience in a lucid dream is our own unconscious, there’s always room for other possibilities. “If you think of the classic iceberg description of the mind that Freud popularized, it’s as if when you go into a lucid dream, you go into the depths of your personal iceberg, which is normally hidden below water,” he explains. “But you also might move to the edge of the iceberg, or even into the sea surrounding the iceberg, and this might be exploring the edges of the collective unconscious, or even interacting with the universal mind.”

5. Why is practicing compassionate motivation in our lucid dreams, and in reality, the key to manifesting what we really want in this life?

Because this is a compassionate universe and so the universe responds to compassionate motivation. Do something for others and it will manifest way more easily than doing something just for yourself. That’s how karma works in fact too.

6. Can we all get lucid and how do we do it? Is there a step-by-step guide to follow or will having the right intention, and lots of enthusiasm, be enough to make it happen?

Yeah there a step by step guide by which anybody can teach themselves how to do it. Intention and enthusiasm are key but without the correct techniques they may not be enough. My books and online courses are pretty good at teaching people. And yes that was a shameless plug.

7. Is it easy to get confused between reality and the lucid dream state? What checks can we do in the reality state to check that we aren’t lucid dreaming?

Some people worry that lucid dreamers stand to lose touch with what’s real but in fact quite the opposite happens. Once we can see through the hallucinatory reality of the dreamscape, and know it as illusion, we become better

equipped to recognize illusion in the waking state. This makes us more mentally stable and self-aware.

Reality checks, ways of telling if you are dreaming or awake (in the dream it can be a bit confusing) are used by lucid dreamers to become lucid and so in fact nobody knows the difference between reality and dream better than a lucid dreamer because becoming lucid depends upon it!

8. What is the most amazing things that’s happened to you in a lucid dream and did it affect your life?

Oh god, we could be here all day with this one but some of the standout moments where healing my eye sight, curing my nightmares, communicating with someone who had recently died, precognitive possibility and being able to meet both my internal Jesus and the Devil in lucid dreams. Both of them were embraced equally!

9. You have many amazing teachers. Who are you looking to right now and what lessons have you learned most recently?

Ok so here’s an exclusive for you because I just revved this teaching today. I bought my teacher Lama Yeshe Rinpoche a Nutibullet so that he could wizz up his nettles for his nettle soup: the only thing he eats during his annual 3 month retreat. This morning he sent me a thank you e mail with the following teaching in it: “always remain joyful and humble. No hope of achieving anything, no fear of losing anything and being kind, honest and true will bring you good benefit.”

10. You are truly doing what you love. How did your lucid dreams guide you towards teaching, writing and speaking – and reassure you that helping others is your true calling?

I actually asked the lucid dream “what should I do with my life?” I literally yelled it out in a lucid dream about seven years ago. The dream then presented me with all these dream characters who told me to do the lucid dream teaching full time. I just took their advice.

11. What’s your ultimate goal?

It’s the same as the poet Patti Smith’s actually: “My mission is to communicate. To wake people up. To give them my energy and to accept theirs. We are all in this together.”

12. How can we all use lucid dreaming to take us closer to doing what we love?

Lucid dreaming will show your highest potential and can also be used to ask for advice on how you can manifest that highest potential. Follow your dreams, they know the way.

13. Finally can you share your tips for helping your mind move towards the lucid dreaming state?

Before you go to sleep, ask ‘may my dreams guide me to…’
Keep a dream diary to help you recall your dreams and get to know the territory of them. Eventually you’ll begin to recognize that territory when you’re in it, and know when you’re in a dream.
Reality check during your day – ask yourself ‘what would I like to be dreaming about right now?’
Before you go to sleep, hold the intention of being lucid by saying: “Tonight I recognize my dreams. Tonight I am lucid in my dreams.”

For more information about Lucid Dreaming, watch Charlie’s TED talk at the San Diego TEDx conference, below:

For more information about Charlie and his work, visit his website, YouTube or connect on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS AND DO WHAT YOU LOVE

You can find out more about our life-changing Do What You Love e-course, or sign up, HERE.

Save

By the book…

Posted on 2016-11-18 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This is a post by Senior Editor, Rachel Kempton

Winter is on its way and what better excuse to curl up by the fire and snuggle up with a good book – or three! This month I’ve been reading (and loving)…

In The Company of Women: Inspiration and advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and entrepreneurs by Grace Bonney

Say the word entrepreneur and who comes to mind? Bill Gates? Richard Branson? Mark Zuckerberg?

Chances are we’ll picture a white, straight, go-getting male, but Grace Bonney, founder of the popular design blog Design*Sponge is on a mission to change that.

In her book, In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs, Bonney profiles over 100 influential women from all ages, races, backgrounds, and industries to show how women across the globe are embracing the entrepreneurial spirit and starting creative businesses.

This book is packed full of practical, inspirational advice for those looking to forge their own paths. The interviews detail the keys to success and highlight the importance of everyday rituals, and dispense advice for the next generation of women entrepreneurs and makers.

This book just goes to show that no one woman was handed a perfect business and a perfect life. It’s all about how they’ve found the balance in life and created a support system that works for them. And we love the gorgeous original photographs of them all in their work spaces.

In The Company of Women: Inspiration and advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and entrepreneurs by Grace Bonney is out now from Artisan.

[Tweet “Starting my day with a little inspiration from an insightful book by Grace Bonney @designsponge #IntheCompanyofWomen”]

You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero

If you’ve ever taken stock of your life and realised that you aren’t living the life that you want, then this is the book for you.

In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author and world-travelling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up hilariously inspiring stories, savvy advice, easy exercises, through bite-size chapters like: Your Brain is Your Bitch; Fear is for Suckers; and My Subconscious Made Me Do It.

You Are a Badass will take you on a wild joy ride to your own transformation and helps you create the money, relationships, careers and general all around awesomeness you so desire. And, if you’re ready to make some serious changes, it will help you:

Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want
blast past your fears so you can take big exciting risks
figure out how to make some damn money already
learn to love yourself and others
set big goals and reach them

These are a few lines (amidst many) that really stood out for me…

Everyone screws up and you’re not special for doing it.
You don’t have to hit rock bottom to make change. You can just decide.
If you believe it, it is your thoughts and beliefs dictate reality, so if you don’t like your reality, change these.
Respect yourself instead of catering to your need to be liked. Never apologise for being you. Own your ugly.
Your friends really do have a major impact on your future, so ditch the Negative Nancys.
The only failure is quitting. Everything else is just gathering information.
Fear lives in the future. It hasn’t happened yet so why create the drama?
Procrastination is the easiest form of self-sabotage – you’ll either find a way or an excuse.

Basically this book shows you how to create a life you totally love, and create it NOW. And by the end, you’ll understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can’t change, how to change what you don’t love, and how to use The Force to kick some serious ass.

You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero is out now from Running Press.

[Tweet “Unleash your inner badass with this bestselling book by @jensincero #youareabadass”]

Messy: How to Be Creative and Resilient in a Tidy-Minded World by Tim Harford

When we get busy, life can sometimes feel like a battle to stave off chaos. The desk overflowing with an ever-mounting pile of paperwork. The kids’ room strewn with clothes and toys. And our minds overwhelmed with to-do lists and negative chitter chatter. If we could only get everything in order, we think life would be so much better.

Tim Harford, Financial Times’ star economist, has a different theory: that sometimes mess is far better than precision and order. Mess, by his definition, can range from actual untidiness—which can function better than precise filing systems—to disruption, distraction, unexpected collaboration, and context-switching. All of that, Harford, says, can prove extremely fruitful in all areas of our life.

His book explores many situations where accepting messiness has led to greater creativity and productivity, from Brian Eno’s randomly picked Oblique Strategies cards, which inspired David Bowie’s Berlin albums, to the time when Martin Luther King was forced to abandon his practice of preparing his public performances and improvise, resulting in his I Have a Dream speech. It makes a compelling case that there are a lot of areas where it pays to open up to the idea that mess is to be embraced rather than fought against.

‘Messy: How to be Creative and Resilient in a Tidy-Minded World’ by Tim Harford is out now from Little, Brown.

[Tweet “What makes life worth living is often #messy. https://timharford.com/books/messy/ “]

What are you reading this month? We’d love to know!

12 tips for escaping the career you don’t want into the one you do

Posted on 2016-11-15 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This is a guest post by Ben Keene. You can find out more about Ben here.

At the Escape School this is the question we ask more than any other.

Here are a a dozen insights that have helped me over the years stick to work I want to be doing (almost) everyday. Let us know what else guides you.

1. Think in 3 Horizons — but only execute on 1st and 3rd.

Horizon 1: What are you doing now / this week / month to set you on the path you want to go on? Act. Do. Make something happen.

Horizon 2: What’s going to happen between now and the long-term? You don’t know. Things change. A lot. So, don’t waste time planning too much.

Horizon 3: Where do you want to be in 5 years? What values will underpin this lifestyle? Who will you be working with? Always keep this in mind.

Ben Keene - escape career

2. Write a letter to yourself from the future

It’s 2019. Write a letter to yourself saying what you’ve achieved over the last 5 years and how you’ve done it. This may sound stupid but it’s a great way to visualize where you want to go and what really matters. Exchange letters with a friend or mentor if it seems weird doing it by yourself.

Ben Keene - escape career 2 3. Less is More.

Simplify everything. This isn’t just about great UX. It can be about a lot of your life. This year I ‘pruned’ 15% of my life — clothes, kitchen cabinet tins, playlists, books, social network ‘friends’. This stuff works.

Ben Keene - escape career 3

4. Master the most important venn diagram in the world

Ben Keene - escape career 4

5. Write an Escape List and pin it on your wall (fridge. facebook. bathroom)

Make yourself accountable to a friend to do this.

Ben Keene Escape career 5

6. Don’t let being comfortable kill your ambition, because it will.

Ben Keene escape career 7

7. Bin the CV. Build a Story.

I might be wrong but I think CVs won’t be around forever. What matters when I meet someone is whether they’re doing something they really want to be doing and have gone out and built the skills and experience necessary to do that thing better. There are SO many good web tools for sharing your story, there’s no excuse.

8. Do one thing exceptionally well rather than everything just well.

Ben Keene escape career8

9. Always try and escape the ‘vicious circle of badness’ @davecorn

These are excuses. Try not to use them.

Ben Keene - escape career6

10. Use stimulants! Coffee for productivity. Beer for creativity. Water for life.

Ben Keene Escape

11. Read books that challenge you as well as blogs that distract you!

We agree with Zuck on this one. Sometimes you need to go deep to go far. That’s why we started Rebel Book Club.

Ben Keene escape career9

12. Above everything — surround yourself with people who are doing work they love.

Positive mindsets equal productive, happy lives. Simples.

Ben Keene escape 11

Save