How to Cut the Crap and Feel AMAZING
As part of my Journey to Joy series this year I’m sharing the four books that started me on my journey and led me to making the big, fat, hairy goal to experience JOY every day!
Last week I wrote about Become the Best You by Renee Davis who blogs at Mummy Tries, a fab book that drew a lot of comments from fellow readers! This week I want to share a book that was gifted to my by Ailsa Frank; the fabulously titled Cut the Crap and Feel AMAZING.
Don’t you just LOVE that title? Makes you want to dive right in and learn all the lessons it has to teach.
But I actually quite found it quite hard to read because it brought home a lot of truths that I needed, but I wasn’t sure I was ready for.
Cutting the crap and feeling AMAZING is all about rising above the negative and the dramas in your life. It’s about being more positive by breaking down bad thought patterns that have become habits. As Ailsa points out
The way you live your life is based on a series of habits and established patterns. By replacing old habits with new ones, you can change your life for the better.
Heck this book could have been written about me!
I realised that I DO have a tendency to make dramas out of the smallest everyday irritations. Late for school? Drama. Kids won’t sleep? Drama.
It’s not what’s happening but how you respond to it that is important.
My drama causes stress – but not just for me. It causes stress for those around me, for my children. In the Parenting chapter I learned that I’m modelling behaviour for them with my actions, words and emotions. If I shout, they will too. If I’m stressed, they will be as well. No wonder so many of the school mornings that start out with me rushing and stressing about being late end up in tears! It’s up to me to be the grown-up and model positive, calm behaviour. There are so many great lessons here from modelling and connecting to using your words carefully, building a relationship that will last a lifetime and making life fun. I’ve read and re-read the Parenting chapter because it resonates so much with me.
Throughout her book Ailsa talks about rising above the drama and negativity through some simple techniques – there’s more than one technique listed in the book so you can choose what works for you. To give you an example, I particularly like the idea of separating myself from my past by thinking of events in my life as stepping stones;
Everything we experience, whether good or bad, helps to build our character, gives us life experience, helps us to feel a full spectrum of emotions and gives us more understanding of what we don’t want so we can aspire to what we do want.
I LOVE this because it lets me see my past behaviour, my negativity before I started this journey, as part of learning how I DON’T want to live my life. See how that turns it into a positive?
Ailsa is a big proponent of visualisation and one of the key themes of the book is getting into the AMAZING zone using this technique, just as racing drivers and athletes do. I’ve actually been doing this for a long time in relation to my career and I call it ‘BE, DO, HAVE’ (essentially ‘be’ the person you want to be, ‘do’ the things they would do and you will achieve or ‘have’ that experience) but I’ve never applied it to my family life – DOH! Cue lightbulb moment!
So in the mornings now I’m using Ailsa’s visualisation technique to imagine the best day possible for that day. I tell myself it’s going to be AMAZING – with no dramas – and I’m really finding that it helps me be more positive. I’ve also added the word to my everyday vocabulary – you’ll see it a lot here! – because it’s so emotive and energising. I know it sounds simple (scoff if you want), but simple often works.
Through making this and other techniques described in the book the new habits (just like the healthy habits the husband and I worked on last year with NOOM to lose 60lb between us) Ailsa believes we can all make changes to cut the crap from each area of our lives – work, wealth, relationships, parenting, addictions, heartache, bereavement, stress and mundane, everyday irritations.
Here’s a quick takeaway – the top 3 actions I’m working on right now from Cut the Crap and Feel AMAZING:
- Cut the drama, model positive behaviour for my kids and make life FUN
- Visualise an AMAZING life
- SMILE and realise that everything in life is a phase – a stepping stone
Ailsa Frank is a qualified Registered Hypnotherapist, Member of the General Hypnotherapy Register, The Hypnotherapy Society and the National Guild of Hypnotists. She combines her techniques, extensive experience with clients and real-life stories to teach you how to help yourself. This book is about letting go of the negative and learning to manage your life better, living the a life that makes you smile and sorting through the things you need to change to make that happen. A big, fat, hairy YES to that from me!
I have to say a huge thank you to Ailsa for sending me a copy of her book and helping me to start my Journey to Joy this year.
Cut the Crap and Feel AMAZING by Ailsa Frank (£14.99 Hardback) is available from www.ailsafrank.com, by phone 01276 683123, or via www.amazon.co.uk and it’s also available as an e-book.
Linking up at Post Comment Love at Verily Victoria Vocialises, Brilliant Blog Posts at Honest Mum, The List at Mums Days, All About You at Mama and More
Stepping stones image: SINGMANO/Shutterstock.com
Gosh, I’m loving the sound of this book too! Sounds brilliant! So much of what you’ve said in this post really resonated with me. Thanks for sharing darling, must get a copy of this, VERY soon! X
P.S You are AMAZING!
x
#sharethejoy
Katie / Pouting In Heels recently posted…Stepping out in ‘Air & Grace’
He he thanks Katie it really is wonderful and I think you’d love it – we have a similar taste in books I think!x
This sounds like a great book – I’m a huge fan of visualisation, ever since it helped me give up smoking over night. It sounds like you’re on track for a fantastic year with all your new habits and awareness
xx
Franglaise Mummy recently posted…How to find your own mummy friends
Wow I didn’t know that Sophie – congrats! And thank you, I’m determined and full of inspiration this year
I totally love the title (it’s amazing ; ) sounds like some really good points. I’ve been trying visualisations for a while & telling myself I can do things rather than doubting. I’ve lost it abit recently so could do with something like this to get me back on track .
He he, the title is amazing isn’t it
– thoroughly recommend this book Ali, hope you enjoy it x
This book sounds great for anyone needing to break out of negative habits. It’s so true that we can handle anything life throws at us by toning down our immediate response. Really pleased the book is helping you lovely. Thanks for the mention at the beginning of this post xxx
Renee @ Mummy Tries recently posted…Dressing Up
You’re so welcome Renee – and I agree, letting go of our reflex to be negative is challenging but so necessary x
This sounds like the sort of book we should all read, put lots of post-its in and revisit frequently. Plus, I love the title! #PoCoLo
Hannah Budding Smiles recently posted…Taking Care of Myself
Absolutely Hannah – that’s what I do for sure! And you’re right the title is fab isn’t it
This book sounds like it was written for me!! I need this in my life and I will certainly look at getting it. Thanks for linking to #PoCoLo
x
Verily Victoria Vocalises recently posted…Post Comment Love and Newbie Showcase 23rd to 25th January 2014
It really is a fab book that I’d thoroughly recommend – it’s worth getting it for the parenting section alone in my view! Thanks for popping over hun x
Love the sound of this book. Big believer in visualisation and asking the universe for things that are important. Thanks for linking up to #brilliantblogposts x
HonestMum recently posted…Sweet Potato, Coconut and Carrot Soup
Yes me too Vicki, there’s a lot to learn from this book but I think the daily positivity visualisation is one of my favs x
Ooh this sounds fab! Lots to learn and really food for thought. Thanks for linking up to #TheList x
You Baby Me Mummy recently posted…The List #20
Thanks lovely, it’s a fab book
Love the bit about it’s the way you respond to things not what happens which is important – totally agree #PoCoLo
Mummy Fever recently posted…Top tips for keeping babies happy in the water
It’s a fab quote isn’t it? We really do have the option to CHOOSE our emotions rather than letting them rule us – it’s not easy though, one day at a time for me!
Michelle, I love the sound of this book. So much so, I may need to get it this weekend! And then find the time to read it!!! I am so bad at that. I let social media take up too much of my learning time! Anyway, I digress, thank you for the review of this and feel free to post this on Embrace Happy as I am sure it would help a lot of the members. Well done you!
Karin Joyce recently posted…Share Embrace Happy Tuesday
I know what you mean – it’s so hard to carve out the time to read when we’re so easily distracted by screen time. I’m learning a lot from handsfreemama.com’s book about that this year – will be writing about it here soon! And thank you I’ll share it at Embrace Happy x
Sounds like a good book. A lot of what you said is exactly what I know I need to do. #PoCoLo
Let kids be kids recently posted…Parenting is a balancing act
I know right? As I was reading through I had so many ‘doh’ moments but for me that is the mark of a really good self-help book!
Oh this book looks fantastic! I definitely need a copy.
Single Mother Ahoy recently posted…Fuel Poverty: What Does It Look Like?
It really is a wonderful book and the parenting section is inspiring!