Hello Yogis.

I am getting emotional and teary eyed recalling the post below.

I wrote it some years ago but it's words hold so true to this day.

Struggles never stop in life, there are always unknown surprises that are willing to bite you in the backside.

People turn on a shoestring and life is forever unpredictable.

The only real certainty in life, is that we have the capacity to self reflect, to choose our own responses and actions, and to walk the talk towards a future we wish to provide for ourselves.

Do enjoy this blog. It is so precious to me. I regularly feel my Grandad around me. I breathe his spirit and his actions into every cell in my body. I will always love him from the bottom of my heart and I will always remain eternally grateful for the love and memories he gave me.

Have you ever stopped to think whether you are truly happy in your life?

Have the demands of life drawn you into a numb submission, where you plod along barely noticing anything around you?

Maybe circumstances have caused you to plummet into a dark place, where you struggle to breathe and have become lost under the tide?

Would you like to feel a spring in your step, passion in your heart and a flutter in your belly more days than not?

Have you considered the steps below, to help you to guide yourself towards your happiness?

Who or what influences your reactions and attitude to life?

Standing tall at 5ft 11, my Grandad, Stanley Victor Bridel or "Grandi" as we all called him, has been one of the single biggest influences of my life.

He lived 60 miles away in London, where I was born, and he and my Nan would come and stay with us when we were growing up.

Married for over 50 years, Nan and Grandi lived in London through the hardships of the war. He used to drive an ambulance in Egypt as part of his Service.

When my nan was pregnant with my Aunt, during the war, she was evacuated to Newport Pagnell to give birth, he would ride his push bike from Wood Green in London to Newport Pagnell to see her.

He always ensured everything was looked after and taken care of.

Every Friday Grandi would split his wages into little tins that he kept in his wardrobe, one for the gas man, one for the groceries, one for the rent man...

Considered, yet lighthearted! 

Despite his considered and orderly approach to life Grandi was not always that serious, if we were upset he would chatter his false teeth and wiggle his glasses until we burst out laughing. He would sing us silly songs to make us giggle.

Wherever we travelled, with Grandi navigating, all of his short cuts would end up taking 3 times longer than any original route, hence his nickname "short cut Bridel".

Without fail and almost on cue, when staying at our house, he would leave the sandwich my Nan had lovingly made for him on the arm of the chair in our lounge and get up to get the salt from the kitchen for his tomato, in the minute he was away, our dog would pinch his sandwich...this happened on countless occasions, my Nan would call him a "silly old sod" while laughing out loud with us. Grandi would again resort to chattering his false teeth and wiggling his glasses!

He would take walks every day, after putting on his bobble hat and jumper that my Nan had knitted him, in the winter months, or his khaki shorts, socks and sandals in the Spring and through to Autumn. On his walk, he would talk to almost everyone he met, friends and strangers alike.

He would keep a watchful eye over everyone he knew and was always ready to help someone out, at the drop of a hat.

He would lovingly tend his garden and we would regularly be given chives, lettuces, potatoes and radishes from his little vegetable patch.

I can remember one summer, my Nan had left him gardening while she went to the shops. When she returned she found him stuck in his deck chair. It was an upright chair and the seat had split and fallen through. His knees were under his chin, with the frame of the chair right up under them. He had been there for over 2 hours. He just saw the funny side and was laughing about it for weeks.

Grandi passed away in 1992 and I can still feel his presence and influence as strongly to this day!

When I have been faced with difficult times in my life, the strength, resilience and playfulness of my Grandi has come back to nurture me and to support me.

I had a dream about Grandi when I was being challenged by a particularly difficult and upsetting restructure at work, one night I dreamt I ran into Grandi on the platform of an old fashioned railway station.

He was a young Grandi, dressed in his army uniform. I realised immediately that I was dreaming and knew I could speak to him. I ran towards him and told him what year it was and that I had missed him and had always wanted to meet him again. He was tall and strong and was standing with his back straight and presented a sense of calmness and gentleness all around him.

He didn't say a word but I could feel his energy.

When I woke up, I realised I needed to stand tall and confident, to remain calm and to make sure that I was considering my future with a sense of responsibility and with a mindfulness towards my wants and needs. I could feel his humour and remembered that my responsibility was also to be happy and free in my heart.

What is your focus in life?

Are you focussing on the things in life that make you happy?

Remember to laugh and notice the small things. Nobody is perfect. Situations that could be deemed annoying, can actually be funny, when viewed for what they are. Humour is a great healer!

Do you spend your day reflecting on things you have to do or that cause you to worry?

Try to manage your responsibilities as they arise and plan ahead a little, just like Grandi's tins!

Your life is influenced by your thought patterns. To develop a positive and happy life, cultivate positive and happy thought processes.

Allow yourself to interact with others on a regular basis and enjoy sharing warmth and attentiveness as much as you can.

Attach the power of your thoughts to the manifestation of your dreams.

What makes you happy?

Do you have a dream? Sometimes they manifest as feelings so move towards things that feel good!

What is stopping you living that dream?

Is it the fear of the unknown? Stand tall and call on your inner calmness.

Maybe you fear being able to support and maintain your dream? Go back to Grandi's tins!

Perhaps you feel that those around you wouldn't approve? When you are happy, you will make others happy!

Write down the situations that bring you pleasure and explore on paper the life you wish to create for yourself and for those you love.

Empower yourself to make dreams happen.

Recall your achievements; times in life where you worked hard and against the odds to succeed.

You don't need to focus on huge things, even the smaller achievements that have called upon your inner reserve and patience are just as important.

Keep a note of these achievements for when you need a positive pinch!

You can use your meditation practice, as a way of visualising your dream in it's completion.

Don't use this time to plan how to get there, you need only focus on the final outcome.

Staying motivated

Sometimes dreams seem too large and out of reach and motivation can begin to slip.

It is not always easy to stay focussed on a large change. Think back to Grandi's tins and break your dream down into manageable parts!

What can you comfortably achieve within the next hour, day, week, month, year, 5 years and so on?

Each day, aim to move one step closer towards that plan.

Prioritise time for those you love and who love you. Healthy connections inspire you to move forward and you will inspire them to do the same.

How do I know this?

I have faced many challenging situations in my life, most of which were beyond my control.

During the thickest moments and in times of calm reflection, my Grandi has been guiding me through my memories, and through the sense of self respect, that he helped to cultivate as I grew.

It was through my desire to learn more from him, that my spiritual practices grew.

17 years ago I decided to follow the dreams of my heart and to create the life I knew I deserved and one that would fulfil me.

It is a lifestyle that I have realised would also inspire others to move towards their happiness.

This post is a representation of my personal manifestation.

I am now embarking on the path of a full time Yoga instructor and Sound Therapist and Crystal Therapist. It took a while, but I have at last arrived.

Despite all my achievements, this is still only the start and I have so much more to share with you all!

As with all the best dreams, they don't have to end!

Good luck with your dream manifestation.

Please feel free to comment below and to share your experiences!

Carrie-Anne x