Pure Light

How do you define success? How does that impact how you feel about yourself?   Resources & References A blog post on this topic I published on my 34th birthday: The key to success   References: "Success is only meaningful and enjoyable if it feels like your own." —Michelle Obama "Success isn't about how your life looks to others. It's about how it feels to you. We realized that being successful isn't about being impressive, it's about being inspired." —Michelle Obama   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

How do you make decisions? Do you only allow yourself to do things that you can rationalize? Do things other people say make you question yourself? How is that making you feel?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Are you distracting yourself from your inner knowing? A subtle form of trying to be normal The rules inside your head "I can't do that. That's crazy." Are you abandoning yourself?   References: Human Design Lookup Scene from 90 Day Fiancé   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.  

What kind of fear is in your life? How can you upgrade the quality of fear in your life?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: What is your relationship with life? Two kinds of hesitation Two kinds of uncertainty   The other 10 episodes with fear in the title: Fear of judgment The fear of missing out (aka fomo) 5 signs you're stalling out of fear 5 ways to deal with fear A simple practice to rise above fear What your fear of judgment is trying to tell you 3 strategies to let go of your fear of failure What fear really is An antidote to fear The upside of fear   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

How can you clear emotional clutter? How can you heal old wounds and mindfully process your emotions? Listen now or watch on YouTube.   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Are you hiding your emotions? An unexpected way we numb ourselves "I should feel..." Two types of emotional clutter   Links to GuruMeher: emotionalliberation.com GuruMeher on Instagram   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

What are the benefits of fear? How can you see fear in a positive light?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Inner resistance "This shouldn't be happening." Nervous energy What fear really is   References: "The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it." —Steven Pressfield   "Fear is excitement without breath." —Fritz Perls   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.  

How can you see beyond your fears?   Resources & References Episodes about worry: Worry The end of worry   Episodes about perspective & negative thinking: Judgment A re-frame on self-doubt & negative thoughts Negative thinking spirals   Episodes about failure: An alternate perspective on failure and rejection 3 strategies to let go of your fear of failure The gifts of failure Are you setting yourself up for failure?   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

What is fear, really? Is it something that exists in reality? Or something that just exists in the mind?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Fear of judgment "But what will people think?" Worry How to get out of your head 5 signs you're stalling out of fear What happens vs. the meaning you give it   References: "All problems are illusions of the mind." —Eckhart Tolle   "My life has been filled with terrible misfortune; most of which never happened." —Michel de Montaigne   "I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened." —Mark Twain   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Are you constantly trying to please others? What assumptions are driving that behaviour?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Fear of judgment "But what will people think?" The voice inside your head Judgment Autopilot & assumptions about yourself Thinking vs. feeling Where do emotions come from?   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.    

Are you confusing your thoughts and your feelings? What impact is that having on you?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: The voice inside your head How to get out of your head An unexpected way we numb ourselves The power of the present moment   Some breathing practices: How to reset yourself (in 3 minutes) Feeling triggered? Try this meditation A meditation for inner peace   References: "Only when I get out of my past and stay away from my future can I genuinely experience what's happening right here, right now." —Neale Donald Walsch   "Thoughts are not feelings, they are ideas of how you "should" feel. When thoughts and feelings get confused, truth becomes clouded, lost." —Neale Donald Walsch   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.    

Do you think that emotions come from outside you or inside you? How does that impact how you feel?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Automatic patterns Inner resistance Emotional clutter The first step towards inner peace What happens vs. the meaning you give it   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

What can you do to feel happier? How can you increase your capacity for happiness and your emotional setpoint?   Resources & References Related episodes: Automatic patterns How to get out of your head The stories we tell ourselves (but not others) "I'll feel better when..."   Episodes on emotional clutter: Emotional clutter Two types of emotional clutter Healing individual & ancestral trauma with Demetria Jackson Inherited emotional clutter   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.    

Can you be as happy as you decide to be?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Why your old patterns keep coming up (and what to do about it) Self-image Are negative thoughts getting in your way?   References: "You can be happy or you can be unhappy. It's just according to the way you look at things." —Walt Disney   "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be." —Abraham Lincoln   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Are you filtering what's happening based on your assumptions about the future?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: The voice inside your head Are you letting past ideas about yourself make your decisions for you? Are you responding or reacting?   References: "Every fragment of self-talk is a little story in the head that goes around, and then you look at reality through the lens of the little story." —Eckhart Tolle   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Are you responding to what's here and now? Or reacting based on pain from the past?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Emotional clutter Two types of emotional clutter Healing individual & ancestral trauma with Demetria Jackson Inherited emotional clutter Perspective & polarization   References: Premka: White Bird in a Golden Cage   "Anything can trigger it, particularly if it resonates with a pain pattern from your past. When it is ready to awaken from its dormant stage, even a thought or an innocent remark made by someone close to you can activate it." —Eckhart Tolle   Some breathing practices: How to reset yourself (in 3 minutes) Feeling triggered? Try this meditation A meditation for inner peace   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

How does a deep divide get created within a group of people?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: What happens vs. the meaning you give it Judgment "I would never do that."   References: Premka: White Bird in a Golden Cage (the book)   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

How do you inherit emotional clutter? Is it just from your family?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Emotional clutter Trying to fit in Two types of emotional clutter Healing individual & ancestral trauma with Demetria Jackson   References: Premka: White Bird in a Golden Cage From Maharaj to Mahan Tantric: The Construction of Yogi Bhajan's Kundalini Yoga White Tantric Yoga   Some Kundalini meditations: How to reset yourself (in 3 minutes) Feeling triggered? Try this meditation A meditation for inner peace   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

How do you heal emotional wounds? How can you process individual and ancestral trauma so that you maintain your capacity for joy?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Emotional clutter The upside of jealousy "I should feel..." Two types of emotional clutter   Links to Demetria Jackson: Demetria Jackson Demetria on Instagram   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

How do we accumulate emotional clutter? Where does it come from?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Inner resistance Emotional clutter The first step towards inner peace   References: Estonian Song Festival The Singing Revolution   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Are you allowing your feelings to be what they are? Or are you only allowing yourself to feel the ones you like?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Inner resistance Emotional clutter The first step towards inner peace An unexpected way we numb ourselves "I should feel..."   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Are you trying to shut it down? Or opening up? [smart_track_player url="http://traffic.libsyn.com/purelight/PureLight139.mp3" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" hashtag="purelightpodcast" twitter_username="ailikuutan" ]   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Inner resistance Emotional clutter "This shouldn't be happening."   References: Fearless Mastery   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

How do you embrace uncertainty? How can you train yourself to become fearless in the face of the unknown? Listen now or watch on YouTube.   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: How do you react to uncertainty? The moment you're faced with uncertainty Two kinds of uncertainty   Links to Leo Babauta's work: Zen Habits Fearless Purpose ebook & training system Sea Change (for changing habits) Fearless Training Program (for training in uncertainty) Fearless Mastery Mastermind   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

When you show up with awareness and willingness, new possibilities come into existence.   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Are you living in fear… without even knowing it? Are you letting past ideas about yourself make your decisions for you? How do you react to uncertainty? The moment you're faced with uncertainty Safety, stuckness & self-negativity   References: New Study Shows Humans Are on Autopilot Nearly Half the Time   "To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest. To life fully is to be always in no-man's-land, to experience each moment as completely new and fresh. To live is to be willing to die over and over again." –Pema Chödrön   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Are you using your power? Or are you deferring it to the past?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Are you letting past ideas about yourself make your decisions for you? Another form of self-rejection   References: "Don't let the mistakes and disappointments of the past control and direct your future." —Zig Ziglar   "Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most." —Buddha   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Are you building a new future? Or re-creating the past?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: The real point of meditation The voice inside your head How to get out of your head Autopilot Autopilot & assumptions about yourself   References: New Study Shows Humans Are on Autopilot Nearly Half the Time   "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it." —Einstein   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Are you worried that what you want isn't possible? What becomes possible when you choose to look at that as an invitation to grow?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Do your dreams seem impossible? Here's why that's a good thing "I can't do that. That's impossible." How to change your self-image   For Aili's latest work and offerings, visit ailikuutan.com.

How does creativity infuse magic into your life?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Worry The end of worry Creative energy The benefits of creativity   References: Har mantra   "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve." —Napoleon Hill   "The universe exists on at least two levels.... The first is the material world, the visible physical sphere in which you and I dwell. Then there's the second level. The higher level. The second level exists "above" the first but permeates the first at all times and in all instances. This second level is the invisible world, the plane of the as-yetunmanifested, the sphere of pure potentiality. Upon this level dwells that which will be, but is not yet." —Steven Pressfield, The Artist's Journey, #10   "A machine can't do that. A supercomputer packed with the most powerful A.I. system can't do that. In all of Creation, only two creatures can do that. Gods. And you and I." — Steven Pressfield, The Artist's Journey, #10   "You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." —Maya Angelou     Recommended Reading on Creativity: By Elizabeth Gilbert: Big Magic By Austin Kleon: Steal Like An Artist By Steven Pressfield: The War of Art Turning Pro The Artist's Journey   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

When you do something creative on a consistent basis, what does that do for you? What are you cultivating when you practice creativity?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: 3 great reasons to let go of your expectations The voice inside your head "I can't do that. I'm not that kind of person." How do you react to uncertainty?   References: "Fear is always triggered by creativity, because creativity always asks you to enter into realms of uncertain outcome, and fear hates uncertain outcome. This is nothing to be ashamed of. It is, however, something to be dealt with." —Elizabeth Gilbert Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert   My creativity practices: My 1000th photo in 1000 days (note: the majority have been archived) A video a day for 40 days This podcast   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

How are you using your mental and emotional energy? In a way that serves you? Or in a way that's bringing you down?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: "I can't do that. I'm not that kind of person." Nervous energy Negative thinking spirals   References: "Unused creativity is not benign. It metastisizes. It turns into grief, rage, judgment, sorrow, shame." —Brené Brown, research professor, University of Houston   Creativity practices: My 1000th photo in 1000 days (note: the majority have been archived) A video a day for 40 days This podcast   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

How do you prevent your inner critic from showing up in the first place?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: The voice inside your head Inner criticWhat happens when you try to fix or change yourself Say goodbye to negative self-talk What it really means when you beat yourself up "I'm trying to be good."   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

When your inner critic shows up, what do you do in that moment? How do you break the pattern of letting it take over what's going on in your mind?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: The voice inside your head Inner critic Say goodbye to negative self-talk What it really means when you beat yourself up Negative thinking spirals   Guided breathing practices: How to reset yourself (in 3 minutes) A meditation for inner peace Feeling triggered? Try this meditation   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

When you beat yourself up, what's the real problem? Is it you? Is it the thought? Or is it something else?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: The real point of meditation The voice inside your head Inner critic Say goodbye to negative self-talk What it really means when you beat yourself up "What's wrong with me?" Negative thinking spirals   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

How do you make peace with social media? If you feel conflicted about social media, you are not alone. Get 4 strategies to make peace with social media.   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: The fear of missing out (aka fomo) Are you trying to be normal? How to stop comparing yourself to others "But what will people think?"   References: Joyce Maynard Irresistible by Adam Alter Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport The Great Hack on Netflix   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Are you constantly looking at what everyone else is doing? Do you use that as a reason not to do what you want?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: The compulsion to compare Trying to fit in Do you trust yourself? Here are three ways to tell How to stop comparing yourself to others   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Are you constantly playing it safe?  How is that impacting you and your life?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: How to do the thing that scares you (that you've been avoiding) How to stop shrinking (because of who you think you are) The moment you're faced with uncertainty Is it riskier to avoid risk?   References: "One of the most important things that you can do in your life is only make the decisions that actually expand you, that scare you, that take you to a much farther place than you have before... because almost every decision you make either expands you or contracts you." — Kyle Cease, The Horrifying Illusion of Security   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.  

When you avoid risks, what are you really avoiding?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: What is your relationship with life? The moment you're faced with uncertainty Safety, stuckness & self-negativity   References: Trello "It is riskier to avoid risk than it is to take it on." —Seth Godin "Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience." —Paulo Coelho "We cannot selectively numb emotions, when we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions." —Brené Brown, research professor, University of Houston   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.    

In theory, it seems like your comfort zone should be risk-free. But is it really? What are the risks associated with staying in your comfort zone?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Two kinds of uncertainty Nervous energy What is your relationship with life? Where self-judgment comes from The gifts of failure   References: "It is riskier to avoid risk than it is to take it on." —Seth Godin New Study Shows Humans Are on Autopilot Nearly Half the Time   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.  

When you Google something, does that actually help you move forward? Or does it keep you stuck?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: 2 strategies to break the cycle of indecision Indecision & assumptions about life The moment you're faced with uncertainty Do you trust yourself? Here are three ways to tell   References: "I've just asked the internet to make the most important and personal decision of my life. Why do I trust everyone else on Earth more than I trust myself?" —Glennon Doyle Melton, Untamed   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

How do you use your nervous energy? In a way that's serving you? Or in a way that's keeping you stuck?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: What procrastination is really doing to you 2 strategies to break the cycle of indecision What is indecision costing you? Indecision & assumptions about life Two kinds of uncertainty   References: "In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or back into safety." –Abraham Maslow   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Life always has uncertainty. But what happens when you create uncertainty for yourself?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: How do you react to uncertainty? The moment you're faced with uncertainty How to find peace in times of massive uncertainty How to stay sane in the midst of a global pandemic   References: "The quality of your life is in direct proportion to the amount of uncertainty you can comfortably deal with." —Tony Robbins   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.  

When you get caught up in a negative thinking spiral, how can you find your way out?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: The real point of meditation Worry How to get out of your head What it really means when you beat yourself up   References: "There is only a finite amount of real estate available in consciousness at any given instant." — Shinzen Young   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.  

When this question comes to mind, do you answer it? How does that make you feel about yourself?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: What happens when you try to fix or change yourself The word that prevents self-love Where self-judgment comes from   References: "The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that there was something wrong with me." —Glennon Doyle Melton, Untamed   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

What happens when you judge your feelings? What impact does it have on you when you tell yourself a story about how you "should" feel?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Inner resistance Emotional clutter The first step towards inner peace Where self-judgment comes from Judgment An unexpected way we numb ourselves   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Do you talk yourself out of your feelings?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: "I'll feel better when..." The stories we tell ourselves (but not others)   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

Are you waiting for something to happen in order for you to feel better? Are you hoping something outside of you changes what's going on inside of you?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: 3 great reasons to let go of your expectations The first step towards inner peace The stories we tell ourselves (but not others) Emotional clutter Feeling all the pandemic feels   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.    

When strong emotions show up, do you welcome them and allow them to pass through you? Or do you try to resist them and make them go away?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: "This shouldn't be happening." What is your relationship with life? Inner resistance Emotional clutter My online meditation course: Experience the Magic of Meditation   For Aili's latest work and offerings, visit ailikuutan.com.

How do you prevent yourself from totally freaking out?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: The real point of meditation The voice inside your head Automatic patterns Worry The end of worry Do you need to worry? My online meditation course: Experience the Magic of Meditation   For Aili's latest work and offerings, visit ailikuutan.com.

There's a lot of stuff happening in the world right now that may lead to the thought, "This shouldn't be happening." As brutal as it may be, what can this pandemic teach us about resistance, acceptance and surrender?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Automatic patterns Inner resistance Emotional clutter Judgment How to find peace in times of massive uncertainty   References: "Acceptance of the unacceptable is the greatest source of grace in this world." —Eckhart Tolle   "Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life." —Eckhart Tolle   "Whatever you accept completely will take you to peace, including the acceptance that you cannot accept, that you are in resistance." —Eckhart Tolle   For Aili's latest work and offerings, visit ailikuutan.com.

How can you find peace, no matter what's going on in the world?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: The first step towards inner peace   References: "The moment you completely accept your non-peace, your non-peace is transmuted into peace. Anything you accept fully will get you there, will take you into peace. This is the miracle of surrender." —Eckhart Tolle   For Aili's latest work and offerings, visit ailikuutan.com.

What is your hesitation trying to tell you?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: Are you abandoning yourself? 2 strategies to break the cycle of indecision What is indecision costing you? Indecision & assumptions about life Are you confusing fear with intuition? How to tell if it's fear or intuition   References: "If you follow your heart, you're gonna feel better than if you hold back because of fear." –Pema Chödrön   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.

When there's a battle between your head and your heart, which one wins? And how does that make you feel about yourself?   Resources & References Related episodes & posts: The moment you're faced with uncertainty Autopilot Where self-judgment comes from The rules inside your head What is indecision costing you? The fear of missing out (aka fomo)   References: Glennon Doyle Melton Glennon Doyle Melton's post on Instagram Untamed "In my thirties, I learned that there is a type of pain in life that I want to feel. It's the inevitable, excruciating, necessary pain of losing beautiful things: trust, dreams, health, animals, relationships, people. This kind of pain is the price of love, the cost of living a brave, openhearted life—and I'll pay it. There is another kind of pain that comes from not losing beautiful things but from never even trying for them. I've felt that kind of pain in my life. I recognize it on others' faces. It's the pain of a woman who has slowly abandoned herself." —Glennon Doyle Melton   For Aili's latest work, visit ailikuutan.com.