Depth and Drive: Finding Success Without Losing Yourself

#175 What defines you?

 

How do you know you?  Is it by defining yourself or through your exploration of what you’re capable of?

Having a defined sense of self is what we are taught creates character.  It’s how we know ourselves and what guides us during choice points in our lives. 

But what if that defined self is holding you back from the creation of what’s next for you?

What if true strength didn’t come from the definition of you but instead came from

• resiliency to bounce back from life’s challenges,
• flexibility to adapt to your circumstances and evolve
• changeability to jump tracks to more expansive terrain when desired
• and the creativity to re-invent who you are as you move through life?

This perspective may challenge your comfort zone a bit but if you are looking to jump tracks to a more possible and richer life it may be worth exploring…

Tune into this week’s podcast to explore:

• Why you need to let go of the bad AND the good to have freedom to create what’s next
• How defining life moments can lock you out of creation
• 3 energies to evolve who you have been to who you desire to be
• How to stop using the past to dictate what your future will be
• How to handle new situations without freaking out with a sense of losing who we are

Join me for The Other Side of Limitation FREE call for more tools and live facilitation around this October 3^rd at 1pm PST!  Sign up here:  http://bit.ly/othersidecall

#174 Beyond Limitations into Possibilities

What if there was an easier way to change what wasn’t working in your life?

If you have decided something is wrong and needs to change you end up wasting precious resources that you could be using to create something more expansive.

We inadvertently and unconsciously feed the beast this way; after all what you focus on grows…

Whether you are desiring change in your financial, health, relationship or business reality the same principals apply.

Welcome to a spacious possibility of relaxing, allowing and creating incremental change to lead your life in a whole new direction!

Tune into this episode to discover:

• #1 way we unconsciously create more upset, fight and hard work in our lives
• How doing what seems counter-intuitive sometimes create the most ease and change
• Tricks to stop overspending your resources on things that aren’t working
• 10 degrees to the right way of change (my fav!)
• Bleeding effect where change in one area of living impacts all others

Join me for The Other Side of Limitation FREE call for more tools and live facilitation around this October 3^rd at 1pm PST!  Sign up here:  http://bit.ly/othersidecall

#173 Chasing Success or Creating Fulfillment?

What’s beneath the surface of what you’ve created?  Is that where true fulfillment lies?

Success and fulfillment go hand and hand but they aren’t the same.

Successes are markers, pinnacles, of our lives and are easily measured. 

Fulfillment is deeper, softer, personalized and holds the key to living a richer life.

So many of us chase success…  it’s the rare few that chose to create fulfillment as a priority in their life…

Tune into this episode to discover:

• How to move past measuring yourself in other people’s eyes
• Helpful analogy to identify and foster fulfilling qualities in your life
• What fulfillment can add to your successes and unique life path
• 3 energy tricks and a powerful awareness exercise on growing fulfillment

To be the first to hear when Lauren's free online community launches (October 3rd!!!) sign up here: http://bit.ly/lpcommunities

#172 Sensitive AND Strong: Living Open in an Intense World

What if you could be sensitive AND strong?

Most of us are taught that we are too sensitive and that we have to protect ourselves from the intense world we live in.

Your “sensitivity” may show up as an anxious mind, mood swings, overwhelm, depletion or being at the constant effect on other people’s choices (aka if you’re having a bad day then so am I).

You can be open and receive while also being strong in yourself.  In fact, it’s the interplay and creative juice between the two that allows your unique gifts to shine. 

Tune into this episode to discover:

• Surprising signs / symptoms of sensitivity
• The different between sensitivity and awareness and how to make that powerful shift
• The role of RECEIVING awareness in creating what you desire
• The importance of giving up protection to experience the joy of living

To be the first to know when Lauren’s new Lighten Up Community opens, as mentioned in the show, sign up here: http://bit.ly/lpcommunities

#171 Win-Win: How to choose what works for all

If you chose what created greater for everyone how different would your life be?

Your life may be easier as there would be no need to defend your desires and sell others on why they should join you in them, they would simply be inspired to do so of their own accord! 

Your day to day would be less stressful without the constant juggling to win people over to your side to accomplish a simple task (parents out there this one’s for you!)

And your future would be brighter since when you choose what works for everyone – including you! – there is a magical ripple effect that lifts everyone to new heights.

Tune into this week’s podcast to discover:

• How to come out of the competition mentality of winning
• A profound tool to be heard and win people over to create with you (it’s not what you think!)
• How recognizing and relishing in the bigger picture of creation can open new doors in all of your relationships
• How to lose your self-interested desires AND the pattern of putting yourself last at the same time

#170 Navigating Tough Situations with Ease

It’s not about avoiding tough situations in life – it’s knowing you can handle anything that allows you to navigate life with ease.   

Tune in to this week’s podcast to discover:

• #1 judgment maker when tough situations hit that makes it harder to navigate
• How to not react to or shut down in the face of anger, high expectations, negative judgments and other relationship upsets
• Two energies to dance with that allow you to be open and strong at the same time
• Tips to ease body tension, busy minds and other stress signs when in a “hot” situation

#169 Social Ease: How to Connect to & Create with Others

What could you create if you had ease and grace with socializing? 

Let’s be real, socializing can be awkward.

Meeting new people, working your way around an event, dating, inter-office mingling – you name the situation it can be weird and uncomfortable for most of us.

It’s thought that you are either born with ‘the gift of the gab’ or you aren’t but I have found, through my many years of teaching communication, that these skills can be acquired.

It just takes applied awareness, practice and a willingness to stretch out of your comfort zone.

Tune into this week’s podcast episode to discover:

• 3 practical and easy to use tips to have ease in any social situation
• How to repair communication breakdowns
• Why being social is so important to your life creation – personally and professionally
• Tips to expand your comfort zone to grow your social and business networks

For more tips on this check out Lauren's published article on the popular life style blog Chic Galleria:  http://chicgalleria.com/health/3-tips-for-becoming-a-social-butterfly/

#168 How to Un-lock Chronic Issues: When things just aren’t changing...

What have you been trying to change in your life that just doesn’t seem to be changing?

What if a different view point and approach was all that was required?

Whether you’ve been working with your body, emotional, financial or relationship heath this episode can help you unlock the most stuck areas of your life.

Tune into this week's episode to discover:

• How to change chronic issues with more ease and possibilities
• Difference between episodic and chronic issues and why certain things stick us more
• #1 tip on what NOT to do with chronic issues that will help break the pattern you are currently in
• 2 mindset and energetic shifts you can employ right now for more change in any area of your life

#166 How to Deal with a Bully: 3 Tips to Take Back Your Power

What’s your first memory of being bullied?  And is that same dynamic present in your life today?

In my view bullying is anytime someone tries to enforce power of you. 

It’s a common thing for us to go through when we are young – being intimidated, teased or excluded. 

But, I’ve been shocked to see the same dynamic played out in various scenarios in adulthood. 

The same power-plays pop up in the corporate world, in a group of gossipy women “friends,” in relationships that under-cut your self-worth and dis-empower you, the list goes on and on… 

The truth is bullying isn’t a topic that just applies to kids on the playground. It's a power dynamic that colors a lot of our interactions, is difficulty to deal with and can under-cut our feeling of self-worth.  

Tune into this week’s episode to discover:

• How our childhood encounters with bullies color our interactions today
• Awareness exercise to identify the bully dynamic in any situation
• 3 tools to help you stop reacting, diffuse the situation and out-smart a bully in the heat of the moment

This content is part of my “How to Deal with Difficult People” workshop, which I give to college students and corporations.  If you are interested in hiring me to speak at your organization please contact me via my website at www.laurenpolly.com

#165 You're Closer Than You Think

What if what you have been seeking is closer than you think?

We all lose faith sometimes.

The path forward gets long, twists unexpectedly or becomes obscured.

Since we can’t see where we are headed doubt creeps in and we have a tendency to give up.

During times like these I always revisit the story of Florence Chadwich, an open water swimmer who has a truly inspiring story.

Her path became obscured during a swim and she gave up.  Only to realize, after the fact, that she was very close to the finish line. 

But she didn’t despair.  She took the lesson and got back in the water.  And the next time the way forward became obscured – she kept going.

Enjoy this week’s podcast as I tell the story of this tenacious women and provide some in-the-moment to-use tools to help you navigate when your way forward seems hard, far-away or lost.

#164 When You’re on the "Wrong" Path

What occurs when you find yourself on the “wrong” path?

When you have taken steps, invested your resources and had hope in the journey ahead only to find yourself in a less then desirable place?

Most of us stop and get lost in judgment, doubt, worry and second guess ourselves from there on out.

We forget one simple truth - that our life path isn’t straight and narrow.

It is meandering, textured, layered – full of twists and turns, ups and downs.

What if, instead of getting lost in the right or wrongness of it all, you could:

Release your judgment

Learn from your choices

Re-tune yourself to be more aligned with your true north

And allow yourself to be facilitated in and by the process?

Would moving forward be lighter, easier and more joyful to navigate?

Tune into this week’s podcast for tools to do just that!

And remember - choices are neither right or wrong - and all of them may be leading you some place unexpectedly wonderful.  

For more free resources visit www.laurenpolly.com

#163 Bye-Bye Boredom: Exploring the Relaxation of Creation

What relaxed joy of life creation lies beyond boredom?

Boredom is sneaky…

It can show up as fatigue, exhaustion, low interest and feeling blah.

It can also show up as overwhelm, frenetic busy-ness and the need to do-do-do!

What if there was a space beyond boredom and the ups and downs in your energy levels, interest and follow through?

One where you were able to be relaxed, present, highly engaged and enlivened with the possibilities that lay at your fingertips?

Tune into this week’s podcast to discover:

• The two extreme energies of boredom and how they impact your health and happiness
• Two exercises to un-do your habitual patterning around these two extremes
• Daily engagement tips to keep you moving forward on your quest for what’s next
• A yummy energy of RELAXED JOY and how to create and embody it in all aspects of your life

Check out BLAZE the 3-week exploration as talked about on the show here:  https://www.laurenpolly.com/quiz-landing-page/

#162 Hard Work No More! Having Ease With What's Next For You

Part 3 of the What’s Next Series

What if creation didn’t have to be hard work?

And what if there was a way you could use your resources – energy, time, finances & skill sets – to make your path easier and faster than you thought was possible?

The road forward is rarely looked at as an easy one.

It can be full of disappointments, self-doubt, starts & stops, hard work with little yield or a whole host of other lack luster ways we want to be spending our time.

In my awareness this is mainly an issue with our resources – where, when, how and how much we use them – on the road to creation. 

If we UNDER apply our resources then the possibilities we are aware of never get to grow and bear fruit.  Self-doubt creeps in as we are aware of so much – and can taste what’s coming! – yet it never seems to be…

If we OVER spend them then we get tired, have money woes, work harder then we need to and take the LONG way to having it in our life. 

We begin to doubt ourselves when our dreams don’t match the reality being created or when our actions and hard work don’t yield results. 

What if there were a different way?

Whether you tend to overwork and overspend your resources in the ether of fantasy land or in the day to day grind – what else is possible if you were able to be strategic, elegant and efficient instead?

Tune into this week’s podcast to discover:

• How to stop overworking, reacting to your environment, living in fantasy land, unconsciously seeking the hard path and so much more
• An awareness exercise on where & how you may be over spending your resources
• How to make your work ethic work for you, not against you
• The power of delegating and receiving support
• How to develop and grow the capacity to have what you are asking for
• 2 of the 6 archetypes: The Dreamer & The Underdog and how these icons can help you use your resources to your advantage!

Take the Trailblazer Archetype Quiz to discover your primary archetype and receive free goodies on how to use your innate strengths to create what’s next for you!

Click here for the quiz: https://laurenpolly.com/quiz

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#161 Having Courage for What’s Next

Are you brave enough to step outside your comfort zone?

Part 2 in the What’s Next Series

We all have our comfort zones…

Some of us love to color inside the lines while others take pride in being outside of them.

We tend to take either side and dig our heels in.

Either playing in the bounds of what we have been told and shown we can achieve – living the good life and being scared of risking it if we move a bit to the left.

Or being so invested in bucking the norm that we create our own constraints by resisting everything and everyone around us.

But there is magic when you allow those lines to blur.  A rare creative power unfolds when all is included and seen as a useful commodity in your life.    

When you step out of the box of what you know -

And when you melt the walls around the things you have been resisting –

Creating what’s next for you has so many more possibilities then before.

Tune into this week’s podcast to discover:

• 2 mindsets that have our creative power working against us – not for us
• Simple to use courage boosters for stepping outside of your comfort zone
• Exercise to get your creative juices flowing – along with the hut-spa to act on it! 
• 2 of the 6 trailblazer archetypes: The CEO and The Misfit and how these icons can help set your creativity free

Take the Trailblazer Archetype Quiz to discover your primary archetype and receive free goodies on how to use your innate strengths to create what’s next for you!

Click here for the quiz: https://laurenpolly.com/quiz

#160 Discovering What’s Next for You

Part 1 in the "What’s Next for You" 3-Part Series

Are you wondering what’s next for you? And what more life has to offer?

As a trailblazer, you may be curious about how to expand your life - whether with your work, creative projects, relationships or self-development.

But you may be unsure about what that expansion looks like and what your first steps can be.

Your quest for outward success and inner fulfillment may be full of starts and stops, long periods with no movement or lots of action with minimal results.

There is an easier way forward…

The exploration of what’s next is a powerful one to get you moving and grooving in life.

And it’s even more fun and fulfilling when you are equipped with self-awareness; knowing how you function, what strengths you have and how to use them to their upmost potential. 

Tune into this week’s podcast to discover:

• 2 of the 6 Trailblazer archetypes, the Reluctant Hero and Wonder Woman, and how you can use their strengths to super-charge your path ahead
• How to reclaim your super power of caring without seeking the approval of others, trying to drag them along for the ride or choosing between what works for you and what works for them
• How to reclaim your super power of knowing without the tunnel vision, burn-out and “I’m here to save the day!” dynamic that cuts out much needed support and broader perspectives
• Questions to take you out of either / or choosing
• A-ha’s to remove self-doubt, judgment and the lack of clarity that clouds your path forward

Take the Trailblazer Archetype Quiz to discover your primary archetype and receive free goodies on how to use your innate strengths to create what's next for you!  https://laurenpolly.com/quiz

#159 Out-Creating Gossip

Gossip is insidious in our culture.

We’ve all been on every side of it.

Been the one spreading the story.

Been the subject of the story.

And been the one listening to the story.  Either desiring desperately to change the conversation but unsure of how to go about it.  Or feeding the energy of it with our silence. 

When you peel back the layers of the gossip phenomenon, you’ll see some shocking truths that make it infinitely easier to deal with.

Under the surface there are multiple tactics at play.  It’s the lack of clarity about them that allows us to get stuck in the cross-fire. 

How do you out-create gossip?  Let’s find out!

Tune into this week’s podcast to discover:

• The 3 sides of the gossip dynamic – clarity of these will set you free from the gossip effect for good!
• How to spot the control tactics and power plays
• How solidifying the stories you hear can kill relationships as well as personal evolution
• #1 way to flip the power in these circumstances
• How to turn the conversation to something more generative without creating a fight in the process

 

#158 Quiet Please! Finding Peace in Modern Life

When you get overstimulated; what do you do and where do you go to find peace?

So often we think we need to run away and hide from the noise of life.

Vacations, time outs and basic relaxation tools are helpful but there are times when you can’t get away and need to reclaim a sense of peace for yourself.

It’s a noisy world we live in… 

Between the constant external stimuli, “interesting” people we deal with and the psychic / energetic static – those emotional currants that ripple off of other people and into you – this world can be a lot to take sometimes.

It can make you want to run for the hills or find a cave to hide in – I had that desire this morning!

But what if there was a way to reclaim your space, peace and ease no matter what circumstances you found yourself in?

It is possible and can be readily achieved if you know how to create it practically and energetically.

Tune into this week’s podcast to discover:

• An energetic exercise to combat over-stimulation
• A powerful imagery tool to flip your reaction to stress, pushy people and loud environments
• My go-to question to cultivate a sense of space in my life
• A-ha’s on psychic / energetic noise – we are more aware then we think we are!
• How to not let other’s choices impact your sense of peace, ease and possibilities

#157 Doing Less to Experience More

What if there was a simpler way to create a life you love?

A life where:

The hustle of working to live was unnecessary.

The hard work to get from point A to point B was obsolete.

The automatic stress of getting through your to-do list was a thing of the past.

A way of living where you could relax into the moment to enjoy the journey more.

And a greater destination was created in the process.

I’ve had some powerful a-ha’s along this topic lately that I’d love to share…

From everything to money creation, business connections, personal relationships and self-love

This simple perspective shift and tool can change your life dynamically with ease. 

Tune into this week’s podcast to discover:

• How to break the work first, play later paradigm
• #1 trick to get a higher return on your invested resources
• Practical tips on creating long-term success from the day to day simplicity
• How to use the baser building blocks of your life – energy and space – to live with more ease

Connect with Lauren for a 1:1 strategy session here: https://laurenpolly.com/discovery-session/

#156 Reclaiming Your Energy

What if there was a simple way to reclaim your physical, emotional and creative energy?   

Do you go through ups and downs with your energy levels?

If you’re like the rest of us you may -

Have periods where your creative juices are flowing and your follow through is awesome.

When the call of adventure comes, you have more than enough pep in your step to say YES!

Times when your body feels powerful, supported and energized.

But you may also experience downturns in your energy too…

When the 1000% you were running on seems to disappear.

Your ideas go quiet, motivation dries up, your body need a lot of down-time and you may pull back from the enjoyment factor in life.

What if the ups and downs weren’t wrong?  And you weren’t wrong for experiencing them? 

(HINT #1 to change this – stop judging it!!!!!)

And what if there was a simple way to ramp up and reclaim your energy when you are in a downward turn to get you moving and grooving again?

Tune into this week’s podcast to discover:

• How to remove self-judgment when your energy depletes
• Easy tricks to re-enliven your creative spark and joy in living
• How to stop being distracted – and depleted! – by external noise
• A simple daily practice to tune into you before you express out – a key trick in reclaiming your energy for YOU and your life creation

This convo plays amazingly as a part 2 to last week’s episode on Breaking Habits for lasting change and forward momentum – go here if you missed that episode: http://www.thelightenuppodcast.com/155-breaking-habits/

To meet with Lauren for a 1:1 visit here:  https://laurenpolly.com/discovery-session/

#155 Breaking Habits to Bring on the Change!

How do you make real, true and sustainable change in your life?

Are you seeking something different?

Whether you are consciously seeking to make your life better,

Taking steps to make it be so,

Or playing with possibilities in the ethers of fantasy land,

You know there is more possible to have, be, do and enjoy in life.

You may get a bit stuck, though, in bridging the gap between asking for this and being able to have it. 

You can sense the possibility, sometimes in a very clear way,

Yet the path to it is full of starts / stops and is harder work then you’d probably like it to be.

Why is that?

One of the main roadblocks is the pull of our ingrained patterns, daily routines and habits.

Creating something new in your life is hard when you spend most of your time engaging with the old.

It’s crazy-making to think things will change without taking action to make it be so!

After all, the very definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result.

Dreaming and asking for better is great but if you aren’t being or doing something different that “better” may never come to be. 

Luckily there are amazing tools called pattern interrupts.

They are magic for opening doors to new possibilities and giving you the space to walk through them. 

What gets created when you consciously and continuously interrupt your patterns?

Forward movement, actualized wishes and changing your life course with ease…

Tune into this week’s podcast to discover:

• How to bridge the gap between fantasy and reality
• 3 powerful pattern-interrupt tools to break your habits once and for all
• How to hear the whispers of possibility you may be ignoring – and act on them!
• Why you may be getting mixed results in your life creation – and how to change it

To meet with Lauren for a 1:1 visit here:  https://laurenpolly.com/discovery-session/