Ithaca Journeys

Thank you dear ladies and The English Social Club Cyprus for giving me the opportunity to indulge in something I enjoy so very much!

Tribute to New Beginnings!

The 3 keys to success
“Anyone who has ever made anything of importance was disciplined.”
— Andrew Hendrixson, Artist

Tony Robbins says that results or success is 80% psychology and 20% strategy. To this seemingly simple recipe I add unlimited persistence and there you have my three keys for success:
Psychology or mindset or mental focus- the challenge here is to take control of your mental focus. Your mindset (the way you think) is the single most important determinant of success.
Strategy– you must have a plan, a schedule (some coaching clients call it a schedule and I like that) and you need to stick to it
Persistence- you need to keep walking (my own favorite slogan); you need to keep pursuing your goal, target, and purpose fearlessly and undeterred until you succeed. If you keep walking, if you keep pursuing your goal, there is no other conclusion but to reach your Ithaca.
Speaking from personal experience and from experiences shared by clients, I am confident to say that the ability to achieve one’s aims and goals is directly correlated to our daily habits. This is the real challenge: how to transcribe these three keys to success to daily experience and form daily habits.
Rodoula

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According to The American Institute of Stress, over seventy percent of people experience that contributes to poor and and forty-eight percent have issues.

has long been an advocate of , , , e, sitting still and exercises to combat stress, sadness and overwhelm as well as a means of achieving better and .

At times, as happens, personal circumstances become more strenuous, debilitating our self-discipline to follow our daily calming and focus routines. A more is needed and is none other than or less is more or . Call it what you may, it is a recipe, but the ex*****on may not be as easy. Instead of turning solely to meditation and breathing techniques, massage and therapy appointments, or prescription medication, consider what can be removed from your life to reduce stress.

Let’s stop packing our daily schedule with a zillion things, rush breathlessly all day long to manage everything and show up for everything and everyone and then needing hours of yoga and meditation and all kinds of alerts to remember to take a break or breathe just to be able to do even more. It may be more effective to rationalise our daily schedules, set realistic deadlines, be selective as to the tasks we undertake to do and say no to anything that we don’t really want to be doing. Work less hours in the office, if possible. Turn off the television. Follow fewer social media accounts, blogs, or news sites. Say yes to fewer, more meaningful commitments. Focus on few deep relationships and commit to invest in quality interactions together.

“Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple, and the simple thing is the right thing.”
―

Good morning ! and from everything that no longer serves you. Your decisions today define your tomorrow. Be kind to yourself. Take a breather. Taking care of your is

Immerse yourself in . Feel the of being alive! Take a few deep breaths and shed any weight from your shoulders. You are here. Thank yourself for all that you do and everything that you are.

Start your summer mornings with a few deep breaths and body stretches. Let a feeling of safety and confidence wash over you as your feet are firm on the ground. Visualise the earth providing endless support and nourishment. Say a few reassuring words to yourself. I am safe and secure. I am deeply rooted. I am receiving the support of the earth beneath me. I am nourished. I am connected to my self; my physical and subtle body. I trust in the goodness of life. I trust the process of life. I trust myself. All is well. I stand in my truth and in my strength. I choose to think thoughts of love, truth, and peace.

As we welcome the much-awaited , a word of caution: Make a conscious effort to slow down and enjoy every day instead of waiting for your scheduled two-week which you know from now that it will not be sufficient for you to relax and rest as much as your , and need it.

A simple to gradually prepare ourselves for vacation (yes we are at the point where we need to prepare ourselves for rest), is to take five minutes in the and set our intention for the day.

Setting an intention is a powerful tool because it help us remember who we really are, who we want to be and how we want to be in our life starting today and every day. Set your intention with a five-minute break in the morning and ask yourself who do I want to be in this day. Thoughts and ideas and to do lists will come up. By focusing attention on your body while breathing, you will immediately know which is your intention for the day. Trust the five- minute for yourself. It’s never been proven wrong.

Then go about your day focusing only on what is important. Do not spend energy on the not so important projects. At the end of the day you will feel satisfied that you have made a good use of your time and energy resources and you will be much more relaxed.

Έχουν περάσει τέσσερις μήνες από την αρχή του χρόνου. Οι υποσχέσεις που είχαμε δώσει στον εαυτό μας έχουν χάσει τη δυναμική τους. Ίσως νιώθουμε ότι χρειαζόμαστε μια τόνωση, ένα μικρό σπρώξιμο για να αντέξουμε μέχρι το καλοκαίρι, να αφήσουμε πίσω μας τη στάσιμη ενέργεια του χειμώνα. Κοινώς, μια ανανέωση. Όταν η αδερφή μου βρίσκεται σε τέτοια διάθεση, αλλάζει θέση στα έπιπλά της. Η μετακίνηση των επίπλων πιθανώς διευκολύνει και μια εσωτερική μετακίνηση. Τα έπιπλα είναι πάντα στην ίδια θέση, αλλά μπορούν κάλλιστα να είναι και αλλιώς. Ένας συνειρμός που αντίστοιχα μπορεί να γίνει και για άλλα πράγματα στη ζωή: σκέψεις, συναισθήματα, αντιλήψεις.

Οποιαδήποτε μετακίνηση, όμως, προϋποθέτει ένα είδος εξαγνισμού: να πετάξουμε ό,τι δεν μας είναι πια χρήσιμο και να καθαρίσουμε, να τακτοποιήσουμε. Η ονομασία αυτής της διαδικασίας, όταν μάλιστα συμπίπτει με την εαρινή περίοδο, είναι γνωστή στην αγγλοσαξονική κουλτούρα ως spring cleaning (ανοιξιάτικος καθαρισμός). «Η άνοιξη θεωρείται μια περίοδος ανανέωσης, όχι μόνο για τη φύση, αλλά και με βάση τα ανθρώπινα ήθη και έθιμα», είπε στη Vogue η κλινική ψυχολόγος Μάρνι Άμσελεν. «Έπειτα από έναν χειμώνα έχουμε την ανάγκη να -αλλάξουμε δέρμα- και να κινητοποιηθούμε. Νιώθουμε καλύτερα αν κάνουμε και κάτι αντίστοιχο στα σπίτια μας».

Spring Cleaning: Η ψυχοθεραπεία της άνοιξης | Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ Γιατί η άνοιξη είναι παραδοσιακά η κατάλληλη εποχή για την καθαριότητα του σπιτιού, για ένα καλό ξεκαθάρισμα και λίγη τάξη; Και πώς η επιστήμη συνδε...

May has been established as month. This year’s theme Together for Mental Health underscores Ithaca Journeys mission to support our mental and emotional health through sharing simple tools that help alleviate stress and boost self-confidence. A pat in the back goes along way with mental health and if you don’t get it as often as you need, you may start giving yourself a pat or two celebrating everything you have accomplished in your life, this year so far, this month, today.

A valuable that helped me and my adult children a great deal in this respect is keeping a list of daily achievements. A lot of times I caught myself wondering where did my time go and what did I achieve today. it took conscious effort to actually remember that I did this and I did that and I talked to this client for fifteen minutes and helped them and I created this ad hoc report for another which they needed at that moment and I talked to my daughter for half an hour and served as a bouncing board to her thoughts about a decision she had to take and a zillion of other things. Even the simplest thing may not be easy some times and it feels good to acknowledge the fact that you are up and about and you did your breathing exercises in the morning and yoga and meditation and whatever else was necessary to boost your energy and live the day. Try the list for a week giving yourself a pat in the back every day and see how the process positively affects your mood.

The second tool is to practice and be thankful for who you are and what you have. Find opportunities to say thank you both to yourself and others throughout the day. Make it a challenge to find three things for which you are grateful every day. Try it! You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain if you stick with it.

Another simple tool is one I often talk about and one that I particularly miss here in Chicago: immerse yourself in as much as possible and without any gadgets. Walk in the sand, roll in the forest leaves, climb the hill, walk the linear park in Nicosia. I resort to Millennium Park and Maggie Daley Park when the temperature is allowing to walk outside.

Have a great month!
Rodoula

A way of celebrating is through a walk in a forest or if you want to be a little more radical by embracing the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku or . This could involve walking barefoot in the forest, hugging a tree or rolling yourself on the fallen leaves.
Being alone in is good for you on a mental and emotional level, and a gentle reminder that we're all part of something greater. Try it!

"In the , there will be no female leaders. There will just be ."
Sheryl Sandberg

If you are in search for a more self or want to be energized try this amazing to start your morning! The is you. The between your thoughts is .
Just seven minutes of you works miracles in energy and vitality.
https://youtu.be/MDcZZ9oopBg

Wisdom Film - Deekpak Chopra - "The Stillness is You" Welcome to WisdomFilms, a new genre in contemplative, life-enhancing media.We offer these short films as a way to stop, take a breath, and come home to yours...

With the start of the new year, let’s free ourselves of all the things that are not our responsibility to carry.

Despite what we've been conditioned to believe, it is not our job to prove our worth.

There is nothing to be proven.
We have always been worthy.
Our worth is immutable.

Thoughts on the
Our everyday lives are so heavily impacted by uncertainty that a lot of us are in mode. There are two meaningful to help us cope and retain our and : To live and enjoy the and to take care of our = + + + + . Everything else will follow.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
(photo of heart shaped stone in Paphos, Cyprus where love is everywhere)

Merry Christmas to All! And remember that

To be on the journey manage your : , , & . Don’t be hard on yourself for your low points. Low points do not eraise who you are and what you offer to those around you. Low points only remind us that we are humans.

"If it matters to you, it matters to the world"
Coaching words of the day Rodoula Demetriades Elena Michael - business consultant, trainer, coach.

"This approach — looking at what we can do to make it easier for ourselves and creating an environment that supports it — works. Because we can't depend entirely on willpower. Willpower is a limited resource. Adopting healthier habits, for me, has been a journey, and it has transformed my life."

Arianna Huffington Shares Tips For Older Workers Arianna Huffington provides tips and advice for older workers on managing stress and improving productivity. Find out what else she had to say.

Excellent article with hands on advice.

3 Ways to Find Your Focus When Your Mind Is Wandering Here's how you can learn to pay attention to your attention.

The best way to wake up and create the perfect day that you deserve! Do something just for you this morning.

https://youtu.be/X2OaMAUEPXM

Morning Guided Meditation | 10 Minutes To Execute The Perfect Day Try listening every morning to this ten minute guided meditation to set your mind and day up with a runway for perfect success, happiness, & focus. This 10 m...

Make a gift to yourself today, the gift of time exclusively for you. Start waking up a little bit earlier than usual and allocate an hour for yourself in three 20 minute slots: 20 minutes yoga, 20 minutes pilates or any other exercise you like and 20 minutes of doing nothing; just sitting there in silence.

Your decisions today define your tomorrow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfYRSxAVBx4&ab_channel=BohoBeautifulYoga

Perfect Full Body Yoga ♥ Detox & Digestion Flow This 20 min yoga class is intended to work your whole entire body with a great focus on helping your digestive system. As we incorporate many different twist...

is in and . Not in running. Thank you to those that remind us of this simple truth.

Τετριμμένο αλλά πάντα επίκαιρο. Είσαι ότι τρως. #διατροφή για #υγεία και #ενέργεια .

Τα οφέλη της σωστής διατροφής στη σωματική, την πνευματική και την ψυχική μας υγεία Τι μπορούμε να αλλάξουμε στην καθημερινότητά μας.

https://youtu.be/YBQivP77dzo

Ο Δρόμος ο Λιγότερο Ταξιδεμένος - M. Scott Peck - unBookingProject - Γιάννης Σαρακατσάνης Τι είναι η αγάπη; Ποιο το νόημα της ζωής; Αυτό το βιβλίο δίνει τις καλύτερες απαντήσεις που έχω συναντήσει ποτέ. Και ξαναδιαβάζοντας το σήμερα, σχεδόν 20 χρό...