How to Make Decisions Easier - with Gerry Rickard, Founder - Mindwise

05/21/24 • 42 min

Mindfulness and Self Care Tips for Midlife Moms: The Balance Blueprint

This conversation is a treat.
It will inspire you and hopefully, give you much food for thought as you navigate the big decisions in your life.
Gerry (originally from Ireland) completed a four-year Masters in Mindfulness-Based Teaching (with me!) at the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University in Wales, one of the most renowned institutions for mindfulness research and practice in the world.
Before this he was a Vice President in a large American entertainment company based in Amsterdam, and has worked in marketing for almost thirty years. He and his wife, Christina (from the Netherlands ), are now living in Vilanculos in Mozambique, where they run MindWise (www.mindwise.me) offering mindfulness and yoga-based retreats in Mozambique, South Africa and in Europe, teaching mindfulness to local schoolchildren, running face-to-face themed workshops and teaching mindfulness to corporate companies. Together they also offer mindful holiday retreats to their little home in Mozambique overlooking the Indian Ocean, which I hope one day to experience!

We hear how Gerry faced burnout in his executive career and after much reflection and struggle made some very big changes in his life. He shares his experience and weaves in some beautiful poetry and images to highlight the beauty and strength of mindfulness in navigating this one precious life we all have.
There is so much to unpack here and here are the top three takeaways of the discussion:
1. Life is Change and the essence of our experience is change. It makes us who we are. The more you navigate, the stronger you become, each decision and opportunity preparing you for the next
2. Flow like a river. Be open to what's here, without judgement, blame or pushing it away. Realising that it's already here. Instead, unfold like a river, bending and twisting around it's undiscovered bends. Be carried away by the surprise of your own unfolding path
3. Embrace the groundlessness. Like the birds who have to leave the nest to learn how to fly, take that chance and jump into the unknown. You never know, it might just be the best thing you ever did!

You can find Gerry on Instagram HERE
DECISION MAKING MASTERCLASS
Are you grappling with a decision right now? Or maybe you're facing a big life transition? Come spend an hour with Mindful MariB and I where we work through your decision and offer mindfulness based approaches to taking the first step and unblocking whatever it is that's holding you back. Uncover the clarity and confidence you need to start your next chapter.
Join us online ~ 11 June at 8pm BST. We can't wait to see you there.
SIGN UP FOR THE MASTERCLASS HERE

The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals

The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals

Previous Episode

Work-Life Harmony: Let go of the struggle and find the perfect blend

Today's episode explores how it feels to be juggling it all, and gives you 5 game changing mindfulness-based approaches that will help you stop looking outside of yourself for balance and meaning, and instead guide you in taking control of your own life.

This means designing the life you actually want to live, instead of it being designed for you.

This is powerful, and it gets right to the core of how mindful living can finally transform your life into the one you know you can have and truly desire.

Delve deeper into my 5 top tips for (work)-life harmony:

Find out how to...

1. Set Intentions

2. Prioritise (and not in the usual way)

3. Practice Self Care

4. Unplug

5. Embrace Flexibility
Today, I'm talking about flow, about progressing, about blending all parts of your life – physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual and allowing ‘life’ to flow through you, in all its intricate beauty.
Join THE DECISION MAKING MASTERCLASS - part 1 of 3 workshops in the Managing Overwhelming Emotions Masterclass Series

Do you have a big decision to make?
Are you struggling with fear and anxiety and have no idea what is the best path to take?
Is imposter syndrome holding you back?
Not sure which way to turn or how you can make the best decision for everyone involved?

Come join Mindful Mari B and I for a live workshop on how to finally make the decision you've been grappling with for weeks.
FIND OUT MORE HERE

Join us live on Zoom Tuesday 11 June 2024 at 8PM BST

The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals

Next Episode

A Moment to Forgive- Guided Meditation

This is a guided mindful meditation called a Moment to Forgive.
It offers mindful guidance if you’re coming through conflict and feel you've been harmed or hard done by, and it feels like ALOT.
Take this moment to pause, quieten the body and mind and give yourself this momentary sanctuary of peace- which is what Forgiveness will also offer you.
But forgiveness is hard and typically, we’re not able to forgive because we’re holding on to a lot of pain. This forgiveness practice shines a spotlight of awareness on how it feels right now, and invites compassion to the pain you're holding onto.
It's not easy to forgive but you can start by opening up and creating a little more space.
Allowing anger, bitterness or resentment to be here, but loosening the grip they have on you. Forgiveness is really the release of the emotional charge that comes with the bitterness and even vengeance towards the person that may have harmed you. Regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness.
This brave and gentle practice of forgiveness can help you turn toward the future instead of resenting the past. To realise you don't need to keep torturing yourself, with sleepless nights, being physically sick, exhausted, panic attacks. This is already enough - let go of the pain and consider the possibility of freeing your heart and untangling the knot it's managed to wrangle itself into.

Forgiveness is not condoning what's happened, or agreeing with it. You don’t even have to like it. It’s the realisation that holding onto what happened is in itself painful.

‘'Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future’', Paul Boese

Forgiveness can be a practice, and one worth practicing because it can be so liberating and freeing. Letting go of resentment and grudges and bringing more compassion, more love and more care to the world.

[credit to Dr Diana Winston for her inspiration for this guided meditation and thoughts]

The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals