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When People ‘Unlike’ You

February 12, 2015 By Kat

Can you remember what life was like before Facebook?

I resisted signing up for so long. “Are you on Facebook?” people would ask. “No quite happy not to be thanks.” Then it got to the point some friends wouldn’t even check their emails because “I only use Facebook now.” I finally got sucked in because I’d met a whole bunch of fun people on a tour bus around Europe & someone suggested we make a Facebook group to stay in touch & share photos. That was is I was on Facebook.

Skip ahead seven years & I’m still on Facebook. A few times I’ve thought ‘nahh it’s time to shut it down’ it’s such a waste of time & I’m not liking the kind of energy exchanges on there. However there is some really good stuff to read & it is a great way to keep up with international friends. Now I’ve built my business page I get a lot of joy posting my daily musing & interacting with like-minded Soul’s.

When I first started my Seren Holistic Lifestyles FB page I was a bit obsessed with the number of ‘likes’ I had. I’d look at other people’s pages & they would have hundreds of ‘likers.’ I’m so passionate about my work I really wanted lots and lots of people to be paying attention & following me too. Please let me be part of the cool kid gang.

In the Bright Eyed & Blog Hearted course FB group, getting likes was a hot topic. A lot of group members with business pages were chasing a ‘milestone like’ number. Posts asking “how do I reach 500 likes by Friday?” were quite common. Members shared their tricks to getting themselves out there & building numbers. Some were great marketing tools especially for those building businesses with paid for services.

It did however all seem like a lot of hard work. Spending a large amount of time trawling through Facebook liking & commenting on other pages to ‘get your name out there.’ For what a number? At the time that number was like gold to me. I so wanted to play in the big leagues of ‘like numbers.’ How awesome would it be to have engaging conversations happening on my page with lots of comments & page hits? This is how success is measured right with how many people follow you on FB? Well thankfully NOW I figured this out to be a BIG FAT NO.

However there were more lessons to be learned before I got there…

For a person obsessing about a rising number if someone ‘unliked’ my page it was a total disaster. Who was it? Was it a friend? Why did they leave? I would actually look through the likers list to see who was missing. What a nutter! (I found out later that unlikes can happen when people shut down their FB accounts so they naturally disappear from like numbers) I’d then try to get my like number back up by inviting friends to my page. Of course they would hit ‘like’ as they are my friends. However would these friends actually engage on my page?

All this crazy behavior was actually slowing down my progress. I was strangling the flow & my intent wasn’t pure, it was all about numbers. The energy was all wrong I finally realised. It was more an ego, head based want to have a large number of likers. Who says the pages with thousands of likers are actually engaging every single one of them? I’m sure there are pages out there that do or the admin team might have thousands of friends they’ve just invited to ‘like my page.’ I now believe firmly in quality over quantity. Numbers don’t matter.

I now get it.

My community of followers is small, 248 at the time of writing. Once I crossed the 200 like mark I definitely checked out from checking in on my like stats. The number has slowly grown from there, naturally & organically. The right followers will find me when they are ready.

There is a good amount of hard work I put into my page because I ‘want to’ for me’, not for getting more likers. I show up five days a week, post my stuff by speaking from the heart, no pushing or pulling. And you know what it works. I have regular followers who leave comments & engage with my posts. This feels good. I trust that the right people are getting the messages they need.

When people unlike my page it really isn’t a big deal anymore. I fully believe they got what they needed from the time they spent (if any) reading my posts. My message may not be aligned with them or their energy with mine anymore. They may not find what they were searching for or it may just be too woo woo 😉 This is all okay. Success is not to be measured by a number on Facebook. Success is how I feel about myself & how much I enjoy getting a kick out of what I do.

Have Facebook numbers sent you a bit loopy round the bend? I’d love to hear your stories, feel free to share in the comments below.

With love K xx

New Year, New Focus

January 7, 2015 By Kat

We’ve closed off another year again & started a new. Doesn’t seem five minutes that I was writing these exact same words 12 months ago. 2014 sky rocketed by at a fast pace but it’s been lots of fun. How’s the past year been for you?

For me it was my first full year of being self-employed as I left my full time city job at the end of September 2013. Even though I was leaving a team & a job I loved it was the best decision I have made to go out there alone. Being completely in control of my life was what I needed last year. It made me fully responsible for my actions; I found this to be very empowering. There have been challenges for sure but overall it’s been a year full of joy. I feel this is why the months have breezed by. Time flies when you’re having fun!

2014 was the year for ‘Simplicity’

My intention for 2014 was ‘simplicity.‘ How did that go? Oh it was challenging especially having to manage three different branches of my business, travelling between three yoga studios on top of having a personal life. At times there did not seem to be anything-simple going on. I was busier than ever but in a good way. Four months in I felt the need to strip life back & bring it back to simple as my intention set out to be.

To get back on track I took myself out of my comfort zone to the other side of the country for ten weeks of personal development. Stepping away from my everyday helped me forge a new way of being – a simpler one. Without a house full of my ‘stuff’ or my usual work roster & house keeping duties everything was back to basics.

I was staying in fairly remote location that gave me the solitude I was craving. Most things I needed were in walking distance. With no unlimited Wi-Fi there was less time wasted on mindless online trawling. I was left with more time for myself to do things I loved. I actually read three books. (A small but huge achievement!) Life was simple again, as I had no choice. It was wonderful.

My time away showed me how I could manage my modalities more efficiently. The whole point of being my own boss in the first place was to regain my sense of self, be in control & live life on my terms. It took me nearly the whole year to discover the true meaning of ‘simplicity’ but I got there in the end. Just because the year is complete doesn’t mean I let go of this intention. Simplicity will now be integrated into my lifestyle forever as part of my growth.

New Year, New Major Theme

Now is the time to reflect on my New Year intention or ‘major theme’ I’m drawn to calling it today. 2015 will be a year of great acceleration & change for most. It’ll be all about taking action. No doubt thing will get uncomfortable at times, especially as you get pushed into new ways of being & start to see things differently.

However nothing will improve if you just sit back & expect it to be handed to you on a plate. The most successful people in life go out there & make things happen. They take action & above all lead by example. The proactive doers in 2015 will have a ball! Trust the Universe has your back & enjoy the ride ahead.

Over the last two weeks of December I sat in meditation to ask “what will be my major theme for 2015?” I was surprised to receive a dual answer to my question. No one theme shone out, the two words that were delivered were equally as strong.

Leadership & balance.

Two very powerful & complimentary themes.

The theme ‘leadership’ has presented itself to me I feel as a message to go deeper within myself. Like everything in life the inner work comes first so it can then be projected into the outer world. My task for 2015 is therefore to be the leader in my own life first & foremost. Most importantly making sure whatever I’m doing brings me joy & happiness. Walking my talk by following my Soul’s guidance closely. Undertaking projects that are a good fit for me that will help me to expand. Leading with passion, focus & determination from within resonates strongly.

Another desired outcome of stepping up the leadership role in my life is to show others they can take the lead in their life too. I won’t be doing this by projecting onto people & telling them directly ‘ you should do this or that.’ I wish to move away from this myself, the external influences. My aim is to lead by example, share the ways I do things that have brought me success. By doing so hopefully pave the way for self-discovery within you. Leading from the inside out. This is feeling really good for me right now.

With this greater role of self-responsibility I can see where the second part of my theme comes in – ‘balance.’ This is an area where I’ve fallen short in the past. This New Year I feel is time to get on top of this lesson & own it.

Without balance it’s easy to get bogged down & activities that once brought you joy become a burden. Focusing too much on one area & neglecting the others is countered productive. Not good. Every part of my life needs to be of equal balance to maintain the happiness aspect of each. I thrive on variety therefore I still need a little bit of everything going on. To just do the same one thing day in & out wouldn’t suit me. In order to create this balance I will be setting very clear boundaries. Most importantly sticking to these boundaries.

Time for action

My brain dump notebook is over flowing with hot ideas for the year. It’s just up to me now to get the ball rolling, take action & be the leader in my life then I can bring this through for others.

Thank you 2014 for a wonderful year of growth & for all that I have learned.

With love K xx

October Intentions

October 1, 2014 By Kat

It doesn’t seem five minutes since the last time Mercury was in Retrograde. Three months to be precise. Over the past few years I have learned to embrace Mercury Retrograde thanks to my Soul mentor Elizabeth Peru. Elizabeth reports positively about how Mercury assists us in clearing out what no longer serves us in life. It’s a GREAT time to hone your focus back onto yourself & allow your voice to be heard. There is nothing to fear about Mercury in retrograde.

There are a few key characteristics though we should all be aware of during this period. Communication is strongly themed at this time. Devices used for communicating can get disrupted & may go a tad squiffy. Mercury loves to wreak havoc with electrical equipment. Don’t be surprised if your phone plays up or your computer keeps crashing. Make sure all your files are backed up! Take this time to actually disconnect from the ‘online’ world & start a conversation with you Soul.

Discovering your own personal truth will serve you well. We are all well supported right now by the universe to get down to the gritty details of who we really are. Over the past few months I have felt a huge push to get clear on what I want & where I’d like to be going based on my Soul truth. No more playing it safe & staying within the boundaries that are so limiting. Start to trust what your intuition is telling you & take action by following what you are told.

It’s also a good time to be free, easy & non-committal. Again loosen up if you’re usually quite strict. Avoid locking in long-term contracts. Everything is under review when Mercury is in Retro. Travel plans can easily change to so avoid making any grand plans. Especially if you are making decisions that are not in your best interests, the universe will help you realise this. Other fantastic opportunities you don’t know about yet may well be right around the corner. If you do plan to travel maybe keep it open ended.

My favourite part of Mercury Retrograde is the intention setting followed by the clear out & action phase. We are just ending the pre-shadow period that started on Sunday 14^th September till Friday 3^rd October. These three weeks held the theme on what we each need to work on for the coming retrograde. Think back over the past weeks. Were there recurring messages coming through trying to grab your attention? They may have presented in different ways but still had the same key essence. These recurring messages will be the base of what you need to work on from Saturday 4^th till Saturday 15^th October.

The theme that was hitting me in the face is very much based around career direction & where I wish to focus my business next year. I’ve had a grand two months living in a different state being surrounded by new influences & inspiration. The Spring Equinox was awesome for me. It gave me a real boost of positive energy & a great big shove in the right direction. It left me feeling empowered & strong enough to tackle any challenges ahead.

Stepping away from my ‘every-day’ life has revealed what hasn’t been serving me back home in the way I’ve run my business. Being away from home I could see everything from a different perspective. Nothing was too close, it was actually really far away, and details can easily missed if you’re in too close. It’s time for a stock check & a tidy up.

This experience has also shown me what I am capable of achieving using processes I wouldn’t usually have used. Discovering the new. My old ways were not serving me any longer; I’d outgrown them. I’ve had a huge eye opener to what works well for me to achieve maximum output with minimal input. By simply trusting, not pushing too hard & holding my intentions for manifestation strongly from within. How nice is that?

Another part of my theme has been to own my own worth. Standing firm on equal exchanges & not under valuing my skills. In the past I have been notorious for working my butt off by going above & beyond for a return that was not equal. This leaves me feeling under appreciated & doubting my skills aren’t worth it. Even though my Soul is screaming at me to tune in so she can tell me I’m more than worth it. This is a recurring one for me & I feel it will keep coming up the more I grow & expand. My worth will increase as I increase from within.

My theme therefore over the next three weeks will be focused around streamlining my business activity, owning my worth & implementing firmly the new processes I have discovered. It all comes back to my main 2014 theme of ‘simplicity.’ Now it’s action-taking time! No holding back & running away from the challenges when they present. I’m clear on what I need to do.

The major challenge for me will be when I return home just after Retrograde ends. It may be easy to fall back into old habits once I’m back on home soil forgetting everything I’ve learned. I’m confident that new habits will be formed over the 21 days retrograde period. By the time I return home I’m hopeful these habits will be strongly implemented enough that I won’t waiver & undo all the good work.

Let’s wait & see what unfolds. I trust everything will work out the way it should & for my best intentions. It will certainly be a pilgrimage, journeing further down the amazing pathway of life.

Have you set any intentions for Mercury Retrograde next month? Feel free to share in the comments below.

Till soon, Kat xx

Pressing Reset

August 27, 2014 By Kat

It’s been six weeks since I wrote a blog post. That’s not very Blog Hearted of me is it? It’s not been a lack of inspiration holding me back either. My notebook is full of ideas & nuggets of wisdom I wish to share. It’s just been a real struggle to get these words into something readable. But you know what I’m okay with it. I fully accept the past few weeks haven’t been focused for writing.

July was huge for me. It was a real stock take month for getting back in touch with my desires for the year. The intention I set for 2014 was to ‘simplify.’ I was doing great with it until I fell off the wagon in May & June. Slipping back into old habits of over committing & sacrificing self-love. Doing too much all at once, the usual story. July saw me pull back & regain my power.

Luckily I was able to break this habit before it escalated. At the start of July I took an interstate trip to the Gold Coast. A change of space was just what I needed. Spending nearly a week immersing myself in the yoga that I love at a teacher’s development seminar.

The schedule was very high pace. We were zipping from house, to yoga class, to lunch, to lecture, to dinner, back to lecture & finally hitting the pillow well after midnight after winding down with some social time. It was wonderful! I didn’t have to think or plan. Everything was mapped out I just had to turn up at the right time & do yoga or take notes.

It felt like a ‘reset button’ had been pushed in my head. I can safely say the intense daily Bikram practice helped a lot whilst I was away. There nothing like a tough, hot sweaty two plus hours to turn off the mind, nourish the Soul & detox the body.

Going to new places away from home allows us a break from our everyday normalities. Holiday mode is awesome! No cooking, cleaning, washing or shopping. Just 100% me time to focus on something that brings me great joy. I was very blessed this trip as my dear friend & travel companion hooked us up with amazing, generous & kind hosts who made our stay such a beautiful experience. (They even washed our sweaty yoga clothes!)

Experiencing a change of space is so important too. Everywhere in the world carries a different level of frequency. This is made up of everything within the area from the people to the landscape. Forests & mountains vibrate at a different rate to say the city. Each place offers unique gifts of varying healing energy. For me being a very ‘bush’ person to be by the sea was just what I needed. It was a new bandwidth to tune into.

I returned from my week-long trip rejuvenated & freshened up. My vibration had been upgraded I could feel it. Others could too & I attracted a wave of new clients without any conscious work. My whole outlook on life had been rebooted. It could be compared to wiping the grim from my glasses & could see clearly again.

Interstate travel – feels like you’re going somewhere when it’s on a plane!

On my return I had so much to share & my enthusiasm was booming. The new knowledge I brought into my yoga classes flowed excitedly from my heart. I started planning new workshops & event ideas. Physically my body was feeling strong & happy from all the yoga. Plus I’d been eating a whole lot of good food that was readily available in Burleigh Heads. It was sheer bliss to have my juices & smoothies made for me.

The most amazing Greek Meze plate in Burleigh heads! Om nom nom

From my time away I really got back in touch with how important it is to put my needs first – self-love. It’s easy to get detached from what brings us joy. When I am nourished on a Soul level & topping my cup up with activities that bring me great happiness I am better able to do my work. Yes I have a business to run so I can’t be a total lush going on expeditions every fortnight. As I mentioned above I attracted a whole lot of new business on my return. This was true from my previous holiday in April. (Read about it here, here & here) Which equates to a positive business move I feel.

To keep the chilled out holiday mood going I stepped very slowly back into my workload. There was no need to rush straight back full tilt. I felt like taking it easy & doing just the bear minimum. That is exactly what I did. Keeping the ‘retreat’ mentality alive even when back at home.

How did I do this?

Firstly I took advantage of the fact I’m self-employed & not tied to the 9 to 5 mentality. One of the reason’s I decided to work for myself was to allow for more freedom in my daily schedule. If I wished to spend the morning or afternoon not ‘working’ I could. Usual ‘weekend’ activities could take place on a Wednesday if I wished because they could. Perks of the job.

That’s just what I did! I met my other self-employed friends for lunches, coffee or walks. One afternoon instead of wasting time driving home between teaching yoga classes I went to the coast, parked up under a tree & read. Solo dining is such bliss. I don’t even need company as I’m perfectly content alone with my thoughts (or my Kindle).

Solo dining is Soul nourishing. Organic coffee, homemade cake & my Kindle. Who could complain with that?

Just a few hours here & there at random times to the norm is just like having a mini break away.

Try it! Break your usual routine & do something different at a time you usually wouldn’t. Go for your lunch break at 2pm instead of 12:30pm & walk somewhere you’ve never been. Stop off at the beach on your way home & watch the sun set. The possibilities are endless.

Let me know how you get on in the comments below! More importantly see how you ‘feel’ by branching out & having mini space changes through out the week. Has your ‘reset’ button been pushed?

Till soon, love K xx

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