Just as our lives are made up of a mix of the ordinary and the everyday interspersed with times of great joy or great tragedy, so our everyday life affords us little moments to savour or to endure.

I would like to focus today on the moments which we can savour. These small occasions are easy to overlook in the rush and push to deal with the busyness and the business of each day. But stopping and really experiencing what is all around us all the time allows us to appreciate and enjoy it in ways which give us back a sense of peace, of connection and of enjoyment. Taking time out from the hustle and bustle, instead of working flat-out non-stop, re-energises us and allows us to achieve more in the long run.

A lot of it has to do with attitude. Is a garden just something that makes more work for us? Is it just a place we walk through as we hurry between the house and the car, striving to fit as much as we can into each day and barely registering the grass, the plants, the flowers, the bushes or the trees?

Or is it a place in which to sit and relax with a glass of wine or a cup of coffee at the end of the day and find a sense of calm and renewal?

When we do choose to sit out in our garden do we allow ourselves to truly appreciate the sight and smell of the flowers and the sound of the birds and the insect life, or do we focus on the weeds that need pulling and worry about the grass that needs mowing?

What difference will it make to your day if you choose to stop and enjoy the moments?

Your life purpose involves a combination of your core values, your interests, your passions, your hopes, your dreams, and your beliefs. It gives focus and direction to your life and provides motivation for the choices you make and the actions you take. A sense of Purpose and a sense of Meaning are intertwined and help guide you in the way you live your life.

Full expression and utilisation of your talents and abilities occurs when you are living with a solid sense of who you are and what you want your life to stand for. This provides stability and a sense of being on your right path, particularly when times are tough.

Your purpose helps define the essence of your life and influences where you put your time and your energy, and how you use your resources. It colours your view of the world and your place in it. Definitions of life purpose differ and sometimes people disagree profoundly on what it entails. What is important however, is how YOU define your life purpose.

Is it about finding happiness and fulfilment in your life? Is it about living in a way that is congruent with your deepest beliefs and desires? Is it based around doing what you love? Does it involve making a difference and contributing to the wellbeing of those around you, or changing the world? Is it about living the best life you can?

For some people, their life purpose has been clear from an early age and they do not deviate from it. For others it is a slow awakening as to what is most important for them and how they want to live their lives.

What is it that give your life a sense of purpose? How do you live that out in your daily life? 

Another way to use the power of visualisation is to practice your preferred future. Huh? Well, let me explain.

Imagining yourself doing something well actually helps make that success a reality. Research has shown that it is just as effective to imagine yourself throwing winning goals in basketball as it is to actually physically throw the basketball through a hoop over and over. Your mind can’t tell the difference between what you imagine and what is real. So successful goal throwing becomes your mind’s new reality.
The mental game is just as important as any other preparation in becoming a top sportsperson. In the same way, you can use the power of your mind to mentally practice an activity, particularly one that causes you to feel anxious or afraid.

For example, most people find public speaking an absolute ordeal. But thinking about the situation and seeing yourself doing it well can increase your confidence and your ability to carry out the dreaded task. Visualising yourself competently addressing a crowd and having them hanging on your every word will help you to prepare for an occasion in which you may be called on to speak in public.

Seeing yourself entering the room, stepping up to the podium, taking a deep breath and calmly and confidently going through your speech will take a lot of the terror out of the situation. Imagining the type of questions which might be asked and practicing possible answers in your mind will help you feel more relaxed about how you will be able to cope with questions that might come up. When it comes to giving the speech your mind remembers your feeling of confidence and your body experiences less stress reactions.

How could you use visualisation to prepare for something you have been worried about?