Move over astrology, I’ve got a favorite new tool / toy for personal development thanks to Numerologically.com – the site where you can get your free numerology chart today. Images: Traugott Collection by Fluttuo.
It’s a little known fact that before Agyness Deyn became “Agyness, Supermodel” (and now Agyness, Actress, with two indie flicks under her belt and two Hollywood blockbusters in post-production), she was l’il old Laura Hollins. But luckily for our Aggie her mom was well-versed in the wisdom of numerology, and when it was suggested that a more noticeable name might be a good idea, she helped her daughter come up with something that would have a cosmic impact on her catwalk career.
Becoming Agyness meant going from an intellectually focussed Seven Expression Number, to a smiling, adventurous Three – aligning her outward expression with her sociable Three Life Path Number. Just perfect for a girl with her sights on charming the entire fashion industry and becoming the fun-loving face of her generation!
I knew about the name change but since a dude called Victor Temprano reached out last week to tell me about the free numerology chart calculator he’s just launched, I know know the details. And yes, I’ve been having all sorts of fun plugging in my names (I was born Ruby Shepheard) and birth deets, as well as those of my family, friends, and quite a few celebrities I have met or interviewed over the years.
Because you can begin to see how numerology is an intriguing tool to play with. Unlike astrology, where your chart is decided the minute you’re born and written like a cosmic blueprint in the stars, your numerology chart, when it comes to the numbers in your name at least, can go through many twists and turns.
Why do some people choose to change their name by deed pole? Why are some women adamant about keeping their maiden name when they get married? And what would going double-barrelled do for your numbers?
What’s interesting in my case, is that adopting my husband’s surname has meant my Life Path Number (a bit like your Sun sign in astrology) stayed an Eight. But the Four Heart’s Desire Number I was born with, the Four that craved stability and reliability, became a Nine once I found this in my marriage, making me more generous with my own time when it comes to helping others.
Ugh, endless numerological ribbit holes and HOURS-OF-F-U-N. So yes, dear Numis, you might want to clear your diary and check Numerologically.com.
What did you find in your numbers? Connect with us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to share.
We know, we know…too much social media can be a recipe for the dreaded “compare & despair”. Life coach Lucy Sheridan shares why it’s so easy to fall for the filter factor, and how we can all fight back.
This NU digital age means it’s easy for us to take for granted the power at our fingertips and how technology can make our lives more streamlined, where before there might have been effort and chaos.
Increasingly though, the “power couple” that is technology and social media, presents an interesting and complex counter dynamic to the no-brainer benefits of the digital world.
Now, don’t get me wrong – I think social media is amazing. It’s one of the best ways to keep in the loop with people we know and love (and people we don’t for that matter – ex stalking, anyone?)
It feels like geography and time zones no longer matter. There’s the arrival of a baby in one feed, and a stack of amazing paleo pancakes in another. The significant and the small sit side by side as we consume the constant updates we allow to flood our lives.
We’re also more accessible than ever. I’ll bet you’ve been found by, and searched for, your school buddies from your distant past as well as that cool girl you sat next to at that workshop last weekend. These connections have evolved our networks and with this our feeds fill with more and more “news”.
The irony is that these increased connections can create a feeling of acute and uncomfortable separation. There’s a sense that there’s lots going on “over there”, and yet when we look at our own lives it’s crickets and tumbleweed.
Cue the “compare & despair” phenomenon that’s so aggressively on the rise.
We can’t all be Beyonce getting a private tour of the Louvre…
If you’re like me, you may have looked at your feeds and thought everyone is basically:
• Having loads of amazing sex • Building businesses overnight • Living more spiritually than Gabby B • Raising beautiful, perfectly behaved vegan children • Moving into a home from MTV Cribs (Google it kidz) • Eating only the most delicious food in exclusive VIP restaurants • Enjoying luxury as standard when it comes to going on vacay
I fell deep into a pit of compare & despair after a high school reunion a couple of years ago, when my online habits and perceived place in my digital world began to have serious effects on my offline life.
More and more I felt disconnected from other people and, more worryingly, from myself. And I was supposed to be the Zen “life coachy” one in my gang? Uh-oh #Fail and #FML.
In short, my ego had been having a field day fixating and obsessing over all the areas I appeared to be falling short.
According to my feeds I wasn’t thin enough, clever enough, entrepreneurial enough, interesting enough – basically, just not “enough”. How that ego magpie pecked away at my confidence.
But waking up to what I call the “filter factor” snapped me out of my downward spiral.
Miranda Kerr posts a selfie with her new diamond encrusted watch…
After sitting uncomfortably with my negative feelings, I realized I was as much a perpetrator as I was a victim. After all, if I was over-thinking the angle, tone and words to use in my posts, then surely others were too?
Starting to notice, hone in on and stare my insecurities in the face was a difficult but necessary process to free me from my distracted ego state and make friends with myself again.
For me, this meant tuning back into the things I’d found it all too easy to tune out – i.e. my spiritual practice, spoken conversations and daily non-events that actually kept me grounded and in tune with myself.
Real connection happens in the spaces between our online and offline lives. The moments with #nofilter, where the failures, the poor choices, and the average, regular days are. Where nothing that interesting happens, and yet you still smile at someone in the street, laugh at a joke you heard or move your bag to let someone sit down on the subway.
I may still apply ‘Amaro’ to all my Instagram pics to make my skin look awesome but, when I do, I know I’m consciously tinkering with what people will see on the surface…just like everyone else is.
Here are six things to think about when fighting the filter factor:
Life is not a zero sum game. That is, just because you see someone else winning or succeeding does not mean you’re missing out or failing. Trust that you’ll get back what you’re putting in, whether that’s your parenting style, yoga practice or the new blog you’ve started. Stay focused on your own goals and remember there’s more than enough success to go round!
You never know the full story. What we see posted on Facebook and other channels is a snapshot of a result and does not show the hard toil and ugly tears that are part of the process of success.
Fine is fine: Most of the time life is fine. Only fine – and that’s okay! I can’t remember the last time my Wednesday afternoons were particularly epic, amazing or unforgettable. They’re usually just…fine.
Reality can have bite. Sometimes I make a point of posting stuff about the little things that make a day extra fine. A chalk drawing on the pavement in a not-very-cool-part-of town, a feather landing at my feet or finding the EXACT change for the parking meter in my pocket. Those little wins are the ones the prove the Universe has your back, boo! You don’t need to dress them up – they’re beautiful in any light and happen much more regularly than you realize. Be brave and post those every day miracles on your social media.
The power of an actual digital detox. This doesn’t mean deleting your Facebook STAT. How about just turning down your exposure to what’s distracting you, and reframing how you use your time. For example, if you’re rocking up to a job you hate day after day, instead of just scrolling Twitter on your way, perhaps use your commute to search job sites or tweak your CV. Or even stare out the window and be present, giving yourself the gift of a peaceful moment to help you decide what you really want.
Go back to basics. A “like” here and a retweet there can make us feel present and included in the lives of those we love. In fact it’s easy to forget that feelings of real connection are created and nurtured face to face. Taking the time out to really connect with those you love – whether it’s a meet up planned nine months in advance or a Skype call at the weekend – you’ll not only get the big news first hand and in detail, but you’ll feel the love of supporting your friends on their journey and vice versa.
Lucy Sheridan is a Life Coach hell bent on helping Gen Y girls overcome the comparison caused by social media and get what they want OFF-line. Find out more at www.proofcoaching.com
