Marian Buck Murray

Release, Relax, Tap into Your Brilliance. EFT Tapping to help you unleash your creative genius.

22 Tips to Boost Your Courage

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Courage sign

Got Courage?  For me, courage is essential for everything from growing my business to living my life in a more authentic, joyful, loving, way. 

A few months ago I taught a workshop called the Courage Experiment.  My goal was to experiment with different courage boosting techniques, and share them with others.   Here are 22 techniques I’ve found to be most helpful.  Experiment, and discover what works for you. Enjoy!

Seek Courageous Role Models – Look around at the people in your life, in the media, in books, and in history.  Who are your courageous role models? Learn about the ways in which they use their courage.  Adopt strategies that appeal to you.

Collect Courage Quotes — Use the internet to find quotes about courage.  Collect quotes that really speak to you. Print some out, and post them where you’ll see them.

Embrace Your Fear – Feel your fear. Practice sending compassion and understanding to yourself in your moments of fear.  Sometimes just pausing with this intention is enough to release fear.

Admit to your Fears with a Friend – Sometimes it takes a lot of courage to admit we’re afraid.  Fear loves to hide in secrecy.  Sharing your fears with an understanding friend or counselor will usually help dispel some of the fear.

Don’t Engage the Drama–  By-pass worst-case scenarios.  We never know what’s going to happen, so why imagine the scariest possibilities? Fear feeds on drama, and will multiply the more we engage.  Practice stepping away from the drama, and imagining better-feeling scenarios.

Avoid unnecessary hesitation – The more you hesitate, the more your mind will interfere to tell you all the reasons why you should fret, worry, and not take that courageous action step you planned to take.

Commit Yourself in Advance – Schedule your courageous acts ahead of time.   Then, show up.

Do it with a friend – Practice with a friend.  Celebrate together as you take courageous action steps.

Start Small – It can be hard to find courage to do something that feels big and scary.  Instead, take a good look at the big and scary goal, and then break it down into smaller, friendlier steps.

Enter a state of non-resistance.  – Courage can be tough to muster when we’re dreading doing something.  Practice letting go of resistance, and being present with whatever happens along your way.

Tap into your BIG WHY – Why do you want to use your courage?  Get clear about your true, authentic intentions.  When we feel really inspired and motivated, sometimes we’ll do just about anything to get what we want.

Visualize Best Outcomes – Visualization is a very powerful technique to help us imagine our best outcomes.  By visualizing what you want, you will activate your reticular activator to help you begin to see evidence of what you’re visualizing.  By allowing yourself to feel the energy of your imagined scene, you can boost both your enthusiasm and your courage.

Do Things that Others Don’t.  – Practice following the beat of your own drum.  The more comfortable you are doing your own thing, the more courage you will have to do anything.

Turn Obstacles and Failures into Assets – It’s easy to use obstacles and failures as excuses to forgo our courage.   By turning obstacles and failures into opportunities to learn and grow, we can bypass fear, and move forward with courage.   This fortifies our courage to continue, despite obstacles or failures along our way.

Expand Your Knowledge – Many times we’re scared of what we don’t know or understand.  By increasing your knowledge about a particular area, you will increase your confidence and courage to explore areas you might previously have avoided.

Incremental Exposure – Little by little, expose yourself to the thing that you fear.

Imagine How You’ll Feel after You Do It.  Imagining how good you’ll feel once you take action will boost your enthusiasm and your courage.

Exercise – Any form of exercise will help release pent-up stress and anxiety.  In addition, you will strengthen your sense of confidence as you follow through with regular exercise. Confidence nourishes courage.

Meditation – Meditation will help you feel centered, grounded, and relaxed.  When you come from a place of centered calm, courage is much easier to access.

Affirmations – Affirmations, when frequently repeated, will assist your subconscious mind in helping you feel more courageous.  Create a few short, easy-to-say, affirmations.  For example:  “I love feeling courageous.”  Or “My courage brings success.” Repeat throughout your day, and/or for 2-5 minutes at a time.  Remember — repetition increases the power of an affirmation.

Heart Breath – The heart breath will help you drop out of a worried, stressed mind, into the peace and wisdom of your heart.  To do the heart breath, close your eyes and take a few long deep breaths.  Next, continue to breathe deeply while imagining you are breathing in and out of your heart.  Continue to breathe this way for 1-5 minutes.

EFT Tapping – EFT Tapping, tapping on specific acupressure points on the face, torso, and hand, helps to reduce cortisol, the major stress hormone.  Calming your nervous system is an important first step in cultivating courage.   Contact me at marian@marianbuckmurray.com if you’d like to learn more about EFT Tapping.

Our Beautiful World Needs YOUR Courage!

In Courage,

Marian

It’s Time to Feel GOOD!

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TIME TO FEEL GOOD(1)
With so much disconcerting news lately, it can feel impossible to get away from it all.  And, it’s oh, so easy, to get sucked in and pulled down along with it.  When I get dragged into the unrelenting muck it often triggers a jumble of feelings — ranging from irritability and anger to sadness, and fear.  If I allow it, it can be truly paralyzing!

When I’m triggered with unwanted feelings, it’s hard to get anything done — especially anything creative.  Fortunately, I’ve tried and tested a number of very effective techniques that help me feel better — quickly. 

I’ve always been all about feeling good.  I thrive on feeling good and I thrive on finding ways to feel good when I don’t.   And, I’m passionate about helping my clients feel great!

For me, feeling good is absolutely crucial in order to do the work I do.    

Here are some of my all-time favorite mood-boosting techniques.  Remember — the subconscious mind, and the body,  need to be continually nourished with positive input in order for you to feel your best.

Use Affirmations – Write down 3-5 feel-good affirmations  that you can say to yourself throughout the day.  For example:  “I am successful.”  “I love the work I do.”  “I feel energetic and alive.”  Repeat these affirmations often.  Repetition will help imprint the affirmations into your subconscious, helping them become automatic beliefs.

Acknowledge Yourself —  Create a list of 25-50 of your accomplishments and personal qualities that you feel good about. Keep this list handy. Refer to it on a regular basis, to remind yourself of all of the good within you.

Do Something Nice – Surprise someone with a kind gesture or gift.  Send a thank you note to a friend, client, colleague, or family member.  Offer to do something challenging for someone.  Volunteer your services.  Delight in the pleasure of helping someone else feel good.

Dance to a happy song – Create a playlist of happy songs.  Take a break and dance (and/or sing) to one or all of them.  Keep them handy for regular use. 

Read Uplifting News – Some good sites include:  https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/, http://www.dailygood.org/, and https://www.positive.news/

Read Uplifting Quotes – There are a number of websites that specialize in a variety of quotes.  Search for uplifting, positive, inspiring quotes.  Keep a list of your favorites.  Post them where you will see them.

Write a Gratitude List – Write a gratitude list, daily.  As you write your list, tap into the feeling of gratitude.  Gratitude is a very uplifting feeling, and will help you lift your spirits, and raise your vibration.

Meditate –  My indispensable  go-to.  Meditation works.  The act of sitting in stillness helps to clear and center the mind.  Starting the day with meditation helps to keep the day centered, no matter what’s going on. 

Nourish Your Body — A nourishing diet is absolutely crucial for optimal energy and mood.  For best results, eat plenty of alkalizing green vegetables, colorful fruits and veggies, good fats, fiber-rich whole grains, lean proteins, and probiotics.  Drink plenty of water, and minimize caffeine and alcohol. 

Move Your Body — Moving your body will help you release built up tension.  Do some quick yoga.  Take a Nature walk.  Get up and stretch.  Dance.  Go to the gym.  Work out to a video.  Enjoy!  

Use EFT Tapping ––  EFT Tapping is one of the most effective techniques for reducing the stress hormone cortisol.  Just using your fingertips to tap on your Karate Chop, while breathing deeply, is enough to promote a sense of relaxation.  Click here for an illustrated description of the EFT Tapping Points.

Feel Good!

Marian

Contact me to find out how EFT Tapping and Matrix Reimprinting can help you feel your best!

 

My Top 10 Stress Busters

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Stress can happen anytime, anywhere.  And, these days, it’s easy to walk right into it.  From finances and job obligations, to family and home, you might be dealing with an abundance of stress triggers throughout your day. Add in a dose of politics and world events, and it’s easy to get overloaded.

Of course, as a Certified EFT Practitioner, I always recommend using EFT Tapping to ‘deactivate’ persistent stress triggers.  It’s amazing how EFT can help shift the overall stress load in any given situation, even if nothing else changes.

But, life happens.  And, no matter how ‘zen’ you are, stress happens too.  What’s more, the stress hormone cortisol triggers blood loss from the thinking part of your brain,  and will interfere with your ability to think most effectively.  What’s crucial is to  release stress as you go, to prevent stress from building up until it manifests as pain, or emotional unbalance.

Releasing stress on a daily basis will help you keep your energy and nervous system calm and well balanced.

Here are my Top 10 Stress Busters (in no particular order) :

Meditation —   Meditation has been shown to  activate the body’s relaxation response. Starting the day with a short 10-20 minute meditation will help create  a peaceful tone for the rest of the day.

Exercise — Workouts such as cardio, yoga, and strength training help increase feel-good endorphins, our body’s natural pain relievers.  Moving and stretching your body will also help release tight muscular tension and stress.  Be sure to stretch before and after your workout to increase flexibility and prevent injury.

Tulsi Tea — Tulsi Tea is made from the adaptogenic herb Holy Basil.  An adaptogenic herb works as an  anti-stress agent.  Holy Basil helps regulate serum cortisol levels and has been found to reduce anxiety and emotional stress.  Organic India offers Tulsi Tea in a variety of delicious flavors.  Mountain Rose Herbs sells Holy Basil in bulk.

Magnesium Bath —  Magnesium is crucial for a number of bodily functions, including the relaxation of body and mind.  It’s widely available in a variety of foods.  Magnesium, however, is easily depleted.  Tight muscles or  a stressed mind might be symptoms of deficient magnesium.  A bath or foot soak in Epsom Salts, or any other type of magnesium salts, will help you replenish depleted magnesium.

Deep Breathing —  Remember to breathe, deeply.  Deep breathing promotes your body’s relaxation response.

Heart Breath — Breathing from your heart takes you out of stressful mind-chatter.  When activated, your heart actually has the power to help your brain  relax.  Click here to download a Heart Breath Audio.

Laughter — Laughter helps oxygenate and relax your body and mind.  Laughter increases endorphins and reduces cortisol   Laughter feels really good and can act as a carthasis to release trapped emotions.   Take laughter seriously !  Watch funny movies, comedy shows,  funny animal Youtube videos, and talk regularly with people who make you laugh.

Binaural Beats — A type of audio-therapy — music embedded with different wave-length frequencies — which helps reduce stress and anxiety.  When listened to with headphones, binaural beats will help entrain brainwaves into a deeper, more relaxed state.

Nature Walk — Nothing like sunshine and fresh air to boost your mood.   Simple, and very powerful.

EFT Tapping — EFT Tapping is one of the best techniques to reduce cortisol, the major stress hormone.  Just tapping on your karate chop point, while breathing deeply, can help calm frayed nerves.  For illustrated EFT Tapping Instructions, click here

Choose a few  of your favorite stress-relief techniques to keep in your ‘back pocket’, and  use as often as needed.  It’s amazing how good it feels to let go!

In Courage,
Marian

 

FREE TRAINING:  Overcome the Fear of Shining in Your Business So You can Do What You Love. Click here for download.

 

 

Tap into Your Creative Flow

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vector concept - creativity and brain

I admit, I got stuck in the rut of believing that creativity refers only to the act of creating music,  artwork, or a written, theatrical or cinematic work.

And so I’d sit, and I’d sit, trying to come up with something creative.   Or I’d wonder and ponder, “What will I create”.  I wanted a finished product to prove my creativity.  And rarely did it appear.  Frustrated, I would walk away, not daring to ‘try’ again for a while.

The pressure felt too great.  My expectations too high.  Always looking so far ahead at the finish line, I never saw how I would get ‘there’ from ‘here’. So far, so why even try.

I had absolutely no clue of what creativity really means.

And then it came to me, what my daughters’ art teachers always said:

It’s the process, not the final product, that counts.

As I surrender into this wisdom, I see the TRUTH. It  truly IS the process.  The process of showing up and allowing creative flow to guide me.

And when I show up, and let go, trusting my creative flow, I am guided as I write my blog, or create a new program or workshop.  It’s this trust that allows me to create.  And it’s so much fun!

What I also see now, which was never so clear, is that creativity is everywhere.  It’s in the creative solution to an old problem.  The sumptuous meal made from left-over scraps.  The enjoyable workout for a healthier body.  The rejuvenation of a old friendship.  A brand new perception of the same old thing.  Creativity is everywhere we choose to use it.

Yet, how does it show up when we want it to?  Here are some ideas to help you tap into your creative flow:

How to tap into your creativity:

Free Write:  Julia Cameron, author of the Artist’s Way, recommends morning pages, three hand-written pages first thing in the morning.  I’ve been doing them for 7 years, and I’m amazed at the insights that come from those pages.  Any sort of free-flow writing will help you let go of the inner censor, and allow your creative genius to flow.

Use music:  Music designed for better focus, such as  focus@will  will help you stay on track during  your creative process.  Cultivate your own sound track to facilitate focus and flow.

Get out of your head:  Creative flow comes from a much deeper place than your logical, judgemental, mind. Allow your intuition to guide you.  Try using the Heart Breath to drop out of your busy mind, and into your creative, intuitive heart. Click here for a free guided audio.

Meditate, regularly:  Meditation will help you tap into the creative metaphors and visualizations which will inform your process. Keep a notepad handy to write down your insights.

Show up:  Creativity will not flourish without you.  Take that first step, and notice, that when you surrender to the process, it all comes together in a way that you never imagined. No matter how messy, when you stay with the process, it will transform.

Inspire yourself, daily:  Do something every day to help yourself feel inspired to create. Read inspiring literature.  Listen to inspiring podcasts.  Walk in Nature.  Visit galleries. Go to a show. Go window-shopping.  Experience places and activities which awaken your sense of curiosity.

Use EFT Tapping:  EFT will help you clear resistance, fear, negativity, and limiting beliefs.  For an  illustrated guide on how to use EFT Tapping, click here.  To learn more about using EFT Tapping to tap into your creativity, contact me.

How do you bring creativity to the world.  What is your creative genius eager to share?

In Courage,

Marian

To apply for a free 30-Minute Unleash Your Creative Genius Call, click here.

Unloop the Mind Chatter Loop

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A cassette tape has been destroyed and the tape unraveled.

That trusty mind-chatter loop, you can always count on it to remind you about what you haven’t done, what’s wrong with your life, your body, your finances, and anything else that could possibly worry you.

It’s sneaky, convincing, sometimes outright manipulative.  It will do anything, and everything, to win the grand prize of controlling your every thought and action.  It will spin you down dark spirals, it will keep you hiding from opportunities, it will deny you your peace of mind.

Many clients tell me it visits them at night.   That’s its favorite time.  That window of time when we lie captive in the dark, the mind-loop swells ominous.  Mine tends to show up right before it’s time to get up for the day — trying to scare me back to sleep.

What’s important to realize is that the mind loop is truly all in your head.  It’s the ego/brain’s way of keeping us safe, in its own strange way.

The problem is, when you’re stuck in a mind loop, your mind is not free to access helpful information or solutions.  When your mind is wrapped around what’s wrong…. that’s all it sees.  It cannot see anything else.  Un-loop your mind, and you will see the possibilities.  You will see the solutions you never knew were there.

Here are some suggestions to unloop the mind-loop.

Write — Use writing to move looping thoughts out of your head. Write  your to-do list into a notebook which you can refer to on a daily basis.  Keep a journal to do a morning or evening mind-dump.  Write solutions to problems.  Write down your dreams and goals. Refer to them on a regular basis to build and refine.  Once you move anything out of your head it’s easier manage.

Get Physical–  A mind-loop will keep you spinning in your head.  Do something physical, to move back into your body.  Take a walk.  Jump up and down.  Exercise.  The goal is to  focus on the physical activity, and the feelings in your body.

Sit Quietly —  Close your eyes, and  breath slowly and deeply.  Notice how you feel.  Watch your breath as it flows in and out of your body.  Notice any thoughts, without judging or engaging with them.  Sit quietly, breathing deeply, for as long as you like.

Do the Heart Breath — Similar to quiet sitting, with the Heart Breath, you imagine that you’re breathing in and out of your heart.  Breathing this way for a few minutes will help you drop out of your mind, and into your heart. Click here to download my Heart Breath Meditation.

EFT Tapping — EFT Tapping is a powerful way to clear a persistent mind-loop.  Tapping helps to dismantle neural pathways that keep us stuck in habitual negative patterns. If you’re familiar with EFT, use it to tap on your feelings about specific aspects of the mind-loop.  For example, use it to tap on your feelings of anxiety about the project you haven’t started.  Once you begin to clear the anxiety, new solutions will begin to appear.   Click here to learn more about EFT Tapping.

In Courage,

Marian

To apply for a free 30-Minute Unleash Your Courage Call, click here.