GO PURPLE!

‘I think it pisses God off if you walk by the colour purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.’ (Alice Walker)

People tend to feel strongly about the colour purple and either love or hate it, although there are in fact many variations from lavender to deep violet. This is a wonderful colour to learn to like, because it fosters intuition and understanding. It’s dramatic, spiritual and associated with beauty, art and inspiration.

Purple is an excellent colour to use when you’re meditating and to surround yourself with when you’re making changes in your life. It helps you to think objectively and tap into your creative energy. It connects our conscious to our subconscious and makes us feel relaxed and comforted. It has been used in psychiatric care to help calm and pacify patients and has a mentally cleansing effect. People also use the colour as an appetite suppressant.

If you’re interested in psychic energy and powers then surround yourself with purple. It’s known to stimulate intuition and the spiritual self. If it’s a colour you love then it’s time for you to let go of the past and look forward to the future.

Too much purple in your life will make you manipulative and impatient and you will worry a lot. If you dislike it you are probably feeling trapped by someone else’s authority, or else having a creative block.

Not having enough purple in your life will make you wary of success, undisciplined and forgetful. You’ll find it difficult to be in tune with what’s happening around you.

The right balance of purple will connect you to your intuitive and creative powers. It will also make you less materialistic and less afraid of death. It’s generally thought that purple is the colour most appropriate for the next few decades, as people are becoming more aware of their spirituality and want peace and harmony in the world.

Purple is the perfect colour for creative people such as artists and musicians. (Leonardo da Vinci was a big fan of purple!). If you’re wanting to be creative then try wearing purple, or having some to look at while you’re working. If you’re having a creative block, then use the colour to free up your thoughts.

Purple is the connection between our spiritual selves and our physical selves. It makes us aware of being part of the universe and lifts us above the day to day trials and tribulations of day to day life, giving us great inner wisdom and understanding.

CHARMING!

• ‘The expression one wears on one’s face is far more important than the clothes one wears on one’s back’ (Dale Carnegie)
  
  
  What makes someone charming? We all know some of those people who are universally liked. Nelson Mandela is a prime example.
  
  Being liked is fundamental to our well-being, both physically and mentally. Having good self-esteem is the key to happiness and success and being liked raises our self-esteem, helping us achieve the things we want in life.
  
  In a nutshell, the secret to being socially successful is about making people feel good about themselves and it begins with feeling good about yourself. Accept who you are, warts and all, and be content with yourself. This will immediately give you a sense of security which will attract other people. If you act confident you’ll become confident. Most importantly, learn to laugh at yourself.
  
  The more you’re the real you the more relaxed you’ll be. People quickly pick up on any insincerity or tension. You don’t have to try hard to be liked, just try to like other people. If you have a genuine interest in and desire to engage with people they’ll sense it. Expect to enjoy being with people and they’ll enjoy being with you! Here are some practical tips on how to be a charmer:
  
  When first meeting people smile. If meeting several people in a group don’t smile too quickly at everyone. Try to smile at them individually as you get to talk to them. Remember names, and, if you’ve forgotten after the introduction, apologise and ask them again as soon as you can.
  
  Be aware of anyone else who’s uncomfortable. Empathy goes a long way towards making friends.
  
  Remember that you have two ears for listening and one mouth for talking. Listening is more important than talking when meeting people. You’re not boring if you’re listening. Talking all the time is boring!
  
  Get people to talk about themselves. Ask questions needing more than yes/no answers and be interested in the answers. Give positive feedback, but don’t agree with everything they say or you’ll seem insincere.
  
  Concentrate on the person you’re dealing with. Maintain eye contact and don’t forget about body language. Lean towards them, but not too close, and don’t look round for other people to talk to!
  
  Establish a connection by finding similarities between you (like work, where you live, common interests etc.) and exchange ideas and information.
  
  Find out what’s unique and special about them. Everyone has something worth listening to and everyone is potentially important in your life.
  
  Always show respect for other people’s opinions. Don’t create arguments. Hostility just creates more hostility. Listen to their views, even if you end up disagreeing. We’re each entitled to our own opinions.
  
  Accept criticism gracefully and always admit your mistakes. It makes you more likeable.
  
  If you find small talk difficult, then gen up on current affairs, humourous anecdotes, new books/films/art or recent sports events.
  
  
  
  Remember that sending out a clear signal to someone that you like them will make them like you. However, above all, be sincere and when you leave try to do it on a high note because that’s the way you’ll be remembered! So go out there and charm everyone!
  
  (Read ‘The Power of Social Intelligence’ by Tony Buzan if you want to learn more on this subject)
  
  

BLUE

‘Blue colour is everlastingly appointed by the Deity to be a source of delight’ (John Ruskin)

Think how relaxing it is staring up at a bright blue sky or looking out over an expanse of blue sea. Blue is a cool and calming colour. We’re soothed by the deep blue of a night sky. It’s the colour of relaxation, tranquility and peace. Blue light has been shown to lower blood pressure and dark blue is good for curing insomnia and alleviating pain. Bear in mind, though, that too much dark blue can worsen depression.

Light, soft blues give us a sense of quiet and an escape from the stresses of everyday life. They inspire mental control and clarity. Blue helps strengthen your willpower and your individuality. It’s an excellent colour to use when you’re converting your dreams to reality.

It’s also the colour of communication and self-expression. With a good balance of blue in your life you will communicate honestly and effectively.

Too much blue in your life can make you talk too much and without thinking before you speak. Too little blue can create a lack of self-control or willpower and cause you to communicate badly. You’re likely to be timid and quiet and too quick to compromise. You might not feel able to say what you want, and this can lead to depression.

If you don’t like blue you probably have a fear of failure, or a fear of losing your status or position. Someone may have been disloyal and let you down, making you feel rejected.

Blue is the colour of space, quiet, reassurance and sensitivity. It represents loyalty and trust. Use blue where you want to relax or discover your individuality and personal strength of will. However, if you have a tendency towards depression, don’t surround yourself with too much blue.

BOUNCING BACK

‘Life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb, but how well you bounce’.

We all have ups and downs in our lives, whatever our circumstances. Adversity comes in all forms: health issues, relationship problems, financial worries, bereavement etc. To maintain a healthy attitude towards these problems we need resilience. Psychologists are realising that an ability to bounce back from setbacks is one of the keys to leading a satisfied life.

We’re not born with or without resilience. It’s something we can learn and develop. The core behaviours are emotional control and openness to new experiences.

Emotional control is something we should all work on! Having a tantrum or a road rage episode is never a solution. When confronted with situations where you feel your anger rising, take a breath and think clearly about what will happen if you lose your temper. In public it will be embarrassing and there’s a chance you might be physically assaulted; in private you’re liable to say or do things you’ll later regret. Ultimately you’ll only be making yourself unnecessarily stressed and upset. Try to react to negative situations with good grace, courage, humour and optimism. You’ll feel a lot better for it.

Talk to friends or family about how you’re feeling. The act of putting your emotions into words and describing the situation will help you keep calm and give you more clarity. Keeping a sense of humour is also an enormous help and alleviates anger and tension.

Focus on the positive and see things in perspective. For example, having your car stolen is not a life and death event. You will get through it and move on.

Being open to new experiences helps you work out solutions to problems. Think around the problem from different angles and be open to any possibilities. You may have to move out of your comfort zone, but you’ll learn from your difficulties. Often we close ourselves off from escape routes because we’re too frightened to try something different. It’s people who are willing to take new directions or think ‘out of the box’ who tend to bounce back from life’s setbacks.

Remember that the way we feel about life and ourselves is not so much because of what happens to us, as because of the way we respond. Resolve to be more resilient and transform hardship into challenge or failure into success. Don’t be a victim, be a survivor!

YELLOW

YELLOW

‘I really just want to be warm yellow light that pours over everyone I love.’ (Conor Oberst)

Yellow is associated with the intellect, personal power and self-esteem. The warmer the yellow tone the more positive it is. It helps us form our opinions and make the right decisions, therefore helping us achieve our goals and ambitions. Yellow helps our self-esteem to grow and flourish and stimulates us into taking risks.

If you’re drawn to yellow you probably need to trust your instincts and intuition more. If you dislike the colour it is probable that you’ve suffered disappointments or a loss of personal power.

Too much yellow in your life is liable to make you a workaholic, a perfectionist and judgmental. Not having enough leaves you insecure, depressed and weighed down by low self-esteem. A good balance of yellow will make you intelligent, confident, charismatic and expressive.

Yellow is a great colour to help relieve depression and loneliness, and to increase optimism. It helps expand your horizons, bringing excitement and fun into your life. It stimulates the brain, making you feel clear-headed and alert, therefore helping you have good organisational skills, a good memory and the ability to see different points of view clearly.

Surround yourself with or wear yellow if you’re feeling fearful, or expecting a confrontation. Use it to benefit your intellect and to build your confidence. Yellow is the colour that reminds you that you should first love yourself before loving others.

GREEN

‘Mine be the breezy hill that skirts the down, Where a green grassy turf is all I crave’. (James Beattie)

The colour green has always been associated with regeneration and calmness. It’s the colour of love, compassion, kindness and tolerance. With a good balance of green in our lives we’re more able to be friendly, in touch with our feelings and positive with other people. We feel loved and open to be loved, secure, contented and relaxed. We are able to trust and take risks.

An excess of green can make you demanding, oversensitive and vulnerable. Too little makes you indecisive, frightened of rejection, unforgiving and sorry for yourself. A dislike of green usually means you are lonely or have suffered rejection or an emotional trauma. Try to reintroduce it around you until you’ve learned to like it.

Bring green into your life by consciously looking at the trees and plants around you. Try walking in places where you’re surrounded by nature and absorb all the different hues of green in the scenery. You need a combination of light and dark greens to get the right balance. Too much dark green can create sadness and too much lime or light green can create emotions of resentment and possessiveness.

Green is the colour associated with our hearts and is central to our well-being. It’s therefore particularly important to make sure you have a good balance of green in your life.

COLOUR YOUR MOOD

Colour is so much a part of our lives that most of us take it for granted. Have you noticed how often colours are used in language? Examples: in the pink, feeling blue, blacken his name, a yellow streak, green with envy. Colour surrounds us and has an enormous subconscious impact on us. Some colours make us feel calm and relaxed, others make us happy or sad, or energised and stimulated.

Think back to some of your favourite colours. I expect you’ll find they were the ones you needed at that particular time of your life. Often the colours we choose to wear on certain days reflect our mood. By consciously surrounding yourself with the right colours you can add a sense of balance to your life. Why don’t you try an experiment? Try using the colours you need in your clothing, around your home and in the garden, or in a vase of flowers. Personally I have a collection of bright coloured glass which I move around my home, depending on my mood.

Every week I’m going to post a short piece on each colour and how it affects us. I hope you’ll enjoy experimenting on a day to day basis and find out what a mood enhancer it can be. Let me know any interesting findings!