Life's lessons - swimming

Hello - first of all an apology for being a bit quiet on the blogging front - have been really buy working on some coaching programmes as well as a great weekend where lots of social events collided!
I am trailing out my first teleclass on helping parents develop good sleep habits for their children and am really enjoying it, so a big thanks to those parents (and children) who are my guinea pigs. I am also writing the copy for my website and will be able to launch that soon, very exciting!

Due to all of the above, today's post is going to be short and sweet.

I saw a wonderful thing at the gym today.
One of the regular attendees is a lovely woman, who is in her mid 50's, who always says hello and we've had a few chats in the steam room. Well today she had her first swimming lesson! Isn't that amazing? She was learning how to float. I take my hat off to her, she is an amazing example of how it is never to late to learn something new. I wish her all the best and really hope she quickly enjoys the world of swimming and feels a massive sense of accomplishment.

So if you think it's too late to try something new, take heart - it's not. Don't let age be an excuse and get out there and explore the potential that you have inside of you.

Fell the fear and do it anyway!

You're hired!

In the UK the latest series of The Apprentice has just finished and Sir Alan Sugar has found his new business partner from a group of ambitious young 20 somethings. Watching the series has been, as always, interesting. It is fun to see the people complete the tasks and how they go about it, as well as getting to know the individuals and how they act and react. So well done to Ricky.

What is interesting is that Sir Alan, the chairman of a huge company, actually does very little of the process himself. He delegates. This was one of the best bits of advice I was given when I became a manager. Delegate. (Thanks uncle!)
Sir Alan has two people who follow the teams doing the tasks and who report back to him. Even in the last episode where the final 4 candidates are being interviewed about their proposed businesses, Sir Alan wasn't among the interviewers, he had delegated again.

We too, can delegate more in our lives.

One process I use a lot is the 'turn it over to the manager' process. The basic premise is that instead of trying to control every area of our life and doing everything ourselves, we imagine that we are the the head of a big company and have employed a manager to do the work for us. Just like Sir Alan, we too can hand over things we want to happen to our manager - the universe, then relax and let the law of allowing to do its work.

I have a manager, for some reason I imagine him behind a desk, with lots of telephones on it and one of those green shaded banker's lamps, and when I send a request through, he picks up one of the phones and  re-delegates to the right department in the universe, to sort it out.

Last Friday I needed to renew my gym membership (a year has flown by!) and on the way there I sent a mental request to my manager that Greg was on duty at the gym reception, as I always get apprehensive about dealing with complicated things in French and he had been they guy I dealt with when setting up my original membership.
In the end, not only was Greg on duty, he knew it was time for me to renew my membership and offered me a slightly reduced payment for a 14 month contract. Fantastic!

You have to be quite specific for your requests. I often send out a quick request when I'm running late and ask for good transport connections so that I get to work a few minutes early to have time for a cup of tea! Then I find that when changing trains, I get to the platform just as a train is about to leave. Perfect, no hanging around.

This week I urge you all to hire a manager and have fun seeing what they can do for you!

If you want to know more about how some of these processes can work for you, then contact me and we can arrange a complimentary coaching session.

Here comes the sun!!!

This song has been going round in my head for the last few days, because after a long, cold, wet Spring the sun has finally arrived!! Yee hah!! I encourage you all to listen to the song as you read the post and feel your spirits rise. 

I remember Summers that seemed to last forever when I was child. Our 6 week holidays seemed to have no end in sight, even a 2 week holiday in the sun seemed to go on forever. Now the weeks seem to zip by and before you know it Autumn has arrived and the shorts and t-shirts are replaced by jumpers and jeans.

So how can we focus on and enjoy the Summer now that we are grown ups and get a limited time off work?

Here are a few of my suggestions that bring back childhood memories and good feelings...

Be more childlike, remember all those things you did as a kid but no longer do? 

Go roller skating, get a push along scooter, try cycling again - and this time it's not because your Mum wants to tire you out before bedtime but because you enjoy it AND you can feel yourself getting a workout at the same time!

If you're not lucky enough to have a swimming pool in your back garden find an outdoor pool. Swimming your lengths with the sun on your back gives you an instant holiday feel! 

Is there an outdoor gym near by - it's the slightly more grown up version to climbing trees, though there's nothing to stop you climbing a tree if you want too!

This was one of my favourites when I lived in London - I used to go to the coast for the day, or even just for the evening. Again and instant holiday feeling and about an hour or so travelling. And while you're there, why not have a sandcastle competition with your friends.

Here in France I am more landlocked, however there are lakes and rivers nearby with safe swimming areas.

Be a rebel and have a BBQ on a school night. Why wait for the weekend, invite a few friends round now.  Maybe have it earlier in the evening, and go easy on the drinks, but it will definitely extend the weekend feeling. 

Invest in a hammock (another holiday staple) and enjoy reading a book in garden.

Spend hours searching for a 4 leafed clover.

Make ice lollies from fresh fruit juice, a lovely way to cool down after a hot day at work.

How about following Mary Poppins' advice and go fly a kite?

Have a picnic in your local park, and don't forget to lie back and see what shapes you can see in the clouds as they drift past. 

Camp out in the back garden! (You can't complain about the state of the shower blocks!)

As the sun goes down toast marshmallows and bananas over a fire! 

It is so easy to let the Summer slip past, when it is such a fantastic opportunity to enjoy nature at it's best and when we're enjoying ourselves, our vibrations rise and we are naturally in a place of feeling good. 

Please feel free to add any suggestions in the comments section of your summer highlights and what activities make you feel childlike again. 

Unexpected results!

When playing with the universal laws I have learnt to expect the unexpected!

I have recently started a course about marketing for my coaching business and this is pushing me in areas that I am not comfortable in. I am not (and have never been) a natural sales person. The thought of promoting myself makes my toes curl with embarrassment but I have to be able to do this to build a business doing what I enjoy - coaching!
I know my way round a computer and aspects of the Internet but really haven't a clue about a lot of technology, but these days to market a business it helps to be a 'techie'. Four weeks ago I had no idea what SEO's, EPC's and a host of other acronyms meant, but I'm learning fast and hope to be a bit more savy in marketing my caching on-line from now on!

When things get too much and I feel overwhelmed, then I do 'The Placemat Process'. It is an Abraham Hicks process that I learnt when becoming a certified life coach and was helpful then during my studies as it is today, when pushing my marketing boundaries...

It is a very simple process and I seem to be doing it on an almost daily basis at the moment! Take a sheet of A4 size paper, turn it sideways and draw a line down the middle. On the left write 'Things for me to do' and on the right write 'Things for the universe to do' (or the name of your higher source - God, Buddha etc) then think about all the things you have to do.

For things that you feel you have to do write it under the 'me' column. For things that seem too big, too overwhelming or that you don't really want to do, write them on the 'universe' side. Be brutal. Only put down things on the 'me' side that you feel you can achieve today. Think long and hard about each thing and if you can let it go and ask for someone else to it.
At the moment I have a lot of research to do in several differnt areas and I have been putting things such as 'find out more about x' on the universe side and more practical things like 'write session of insomnia programme' on my side (as I enjoy writing).
One of things I have asked the universe to do is to research sleep coaching/insomnia products etc and what has been amazing is the number of my friends who are sending me links telling me I might find the content useful and interesting (so thank you to all of you - you know who you are!). Talk about no effort research, I am getting exactly the information that I want. I also asked for more information on pinterest and with clicks of the mouse came over the most helpful blog post on the subject. Perfect.

The idea of this process is to let go and start letting things come to you and it opens you up to the possibility of things coming from unexpected sources. It also stops you feeling over whelmed and calms your negative emotions and helps you get into a good feeling space. Being in that good feeling space allows more to come to you.

One client that I did this process with would quite easily admit that she was always the person who did things and out of habit had become a control freak. She wanted to clear time to write but was constantly filling her days with running around after other people, her family and neighbours and even strangers.
We went through her to do list for the weekend - and she was putting a lot of things on her side, justifying herself by saying "I'm the only person who can do that". So, as her coach, we went through the list again and I challenged her on each point asking of she really was the only person who could do that task. She agreed that perhaps mowing the lawn could go on the universe side, as well as preparing dinner, sorting the washing and other domestic tasks. She felt better after this process and was looking forward to the weekend and visualising having time to sit and write.

At the next session I asked how things had gone and she started laughing. It turned out that she had been taking the dogs for a walk and one of them had pulled on the lead and she had fallen, twisting her ankle. Due to this, her family and neighbours had all rallied round and completed most of the things that she had put on the universe side of the paper, leaving her plenty of time to write several chapters of her book.
"Be careful what you ask for!"

However, despite the twisted ankle, I love this example of how the universe works. The only way to stop her trying to do everything herself was to physically stop her. This is probably a lesson we could all learn but hopefully without the physical pain!

I urge you to give this process a go, it is quick and simple to do and then sit back and see what happens. If you want help with it or with other areas then do contact me and we can arrange a complementary coaching session to see if you enjoy coaching.

Have a great week and expect the unexpected!

The salad dressing lesson

When living abroad you miss the strangest of things from home. No matter how wonderful your new country is and how many new things there are to experience, you always seem to miss something.
Take France - French cuisine is respected around the world and I have tried (and liked) many new dishes, flavours and ingredients. What do I bring back with me (and beg people to bring with them when they come to visit) every time I go back to the UK? Sausages and bacon. One of my favourite meals is good old Bangers and Mash, even when living in the country of boeuf bourguignon and cock au vin.
France also has over 620 different types of cheese, but I know people who fill suitcases with packets of English cheddar.
Marmite is, of course, another staple suitcase filler, along with Branston pickle, Coleman's mustard, packets of jelly, biscuits, sweets and even chocolate (Cadbury's of course!)

One of the things that occasionally pops up in my mind in the 'I miss that' section is Caesar salad dressing. Again, France has plenty of salad dressing - vinaigrette, vinaigrette with herbs, mayonnaise, vinaigrette with mustard, mayonnaise with mustard etc, but no Caesar dressings.

As summer is approaching and I'm eating more salads, I was thinking about this and made a mental note to buy some next time I was back in the UK, or ask someone to bring some back if they were going there before me. I also thought about looking up a recipe for it, but didn't get round to doing that.

Two days later I was strolling round Marché U and went past the condiment shelves (while muttering 'washing up liquid' to myself) and something made me stop and walk backwards a couple of paces. I looked at the shelves and there, nestled amongst the salad dressings were bottles of Heinz Caesar salad dressing. I had to buy some.

To me this a perfect example of being able to manifest something quickly and easily. Although I hadn't expressly asked the universe for a bottle of salad dressing, I had put the intention out that I would like some, had briefly thought of a couple of ways I could get some, and then let it go and, in fact, had completely forgotten about it. I was not hung up on the result, obsessed with when it would come or dictating the outcome in any major way.

OK, so it was only salad dressing and that is probably the reason why it appeared so quickly as, let's face it,  thinking about a bottle of salad dressing is pretty low on the emotional scale.

When I want something big, such as money, I have a lot of emotions stored up in the feeling of lack and the way I want the outcome to be, that I have difficulty letting it go. I limit myself in thinking about how it is going to come to me, 'Must by lottery tickets, get another client etc' and when it will come and continue putting negative energy into the situation.

In reality we need to let go of how and let the Law of Allowing do its work. This is not always easy and is a lesson in trust. For me this has been a useful reminder and it is something I need to refer back to when I start putting too much disruptive energy into a manifestation.

The things I do to myself!

Years ago I used to be quite fit, I went to the gym regularly, cycled to work, ate relatively well. This was all brought about by a diagnosis of diabetes. It came as quite a shock. I'd been feeling run down and and lethargic all the time and constantly had colds etc (which I blamed on work). I eventually went to the doctors and had some blood tests and was informed about the diabetes.

The diabetic doctor told me to see what lifestyle changes I could make first and see what affect these would have on my blood sugar levels before she would put me on medication and made an appointment for 3 months later. I meet with a dietitian and realized that though my diet wasn't bad, it wasn't brilliant. 

Once I had got over the shock, I realised it was the kick I needed to get me into action. My mind went straight into worse case scenario and I did not want a limb amputated, thank you very much!

Bit by bit I changed things. I joined a gym and tried the yoga and Pilates classes (aerobics was a bit too energetic) changed the foods I was eating and looked up a lot of information!
Those small changes made a difference and at the next medical the doctor was pleased with the results and told me to carry on without medication and sent me on my way.

As I became more confident in the gym I tried more energetic classes (though I was determined not to be a gym bunny), started Weightwatchers and even learnt salsa and Ceroc. I was the superstar of the Dr's surgery and was in competition with my GP (who did silly things like run marathons) over who had the lowest cholesterol levels.

Then I moved abroad and fell back into old habits, I would occasionally jog, swim or cycle but nothing too much - little by little my health got worse, I was plagued by colds and flu, felt run down and tired. Blood tests showed my blood sugars were fine and so no warning bells went and I bumbled along, gradually putting on weight and feeling tired all the time.

Then I got heel spurs. Boy, do they look cute on the x-ray and boy, were they painful. Every step was agony and I had special insoles which were really uncomfortable. I stopped any pretence of exercise.

Then last Spring - deep into my learning about the Law of Attraction I thought 'What am I doing to myself?'

I did not want to be ill all the time and the more I focused on feeling unwell, the worse I felt. I decided to change my mindset. Fortunately as I had been fit before, I knew how good it felt and knew that's where I wanted to be.

I started doing Zumba and enjoyed it so much that it inspired me to join a gym again. It was interesting doing the classes in French and I gradually built it up to 3 or 4 times a week (though I still don't see myself as a gym bunny!) I was eating quite healthily but have taken a good, long look at my portion sizes and the weight is coming off.
What has been great is how quickly I am returning to my fitness levels. It is like my body has remembered it all and my flexibility and suppleness are nearly back to their former levels. My feet no longer hurt and I  have got used to the insoles. At the beginning going to the gym was a chore but now I look forward to it. I was hardly ill at all this winter, which has been the most noticable difference.

One of the gym instructors gets us to say thank you to our bodies at the end of each class, it is quite a small thing, but I find it quite sweet and I have a lot to be thankful to my body for and I mean to continue to treat it well.
Are you focusing on your health or your ill health? Do you believe you have the power to change it? I hope you do!

Thank you!

I would like to take this opportunity to say a big THANK YOU to all of you who have been reading, commenting on and sharing my blog.

When I started writing back in January, I wasn't really sure what it would be like, whether I would be able to write interesting stuff, what direction it would take, and if anyone would read it.
I have found that I enjoy thinking about what I will write and what to say.
It can be the smallest thing, comment or observation that sets off a lightbulb in my head saying 'That would be a good blog post'. Often I forget what I thought about and find myself going 'Now what was that thing that I thought about again?'
I often think about what to write when I'm swimming, though sometimes when it comes to the sitting down and writing bit, a post may well develop in a completely different way than I had planned, or not work out at all.

Then comes the spell check (it's American English on blogger.com, and being dyslexic doesn't help with that either!!) finding a great photo and hoping the computer will let me upload it. Over the months I have worked out how do do links and other whizzy things so that hopefully I can progress soon from my preschool level of technology.

Everytime I post a post I am amazed that anyone reads it and appreciate any comments that people are generous enough to give. It is lovely to know how people are reading and interpreting my ramblings. I can see my stats page and it shows stuff like what mediums it is being read on, how it is being shared and most interestingly (to me, as I am a visual learner) has a map of the world showing which countries I am reaching. The States, Canada, Europe and, most intriguingly, Russia (I'd love to know who you are!) I get a little thrill each time a new country pops up.

Being a new coach, I was struggling to find where my passion and my niche lay. Despite having plenty of years of experience in childcare, it did not feel right taking up a niche in parenting skills and it also did not feel right leaving it completely - each time I thought about another direction, it felt as if the childcare was still holding onto my heels and not letting go.
I had thought about Sleep Coaching, as I had been an insomniac since childhood and have done a lot to improve my sleep, and though this area felt good and exciting, I found myself stalling and not ready to commit to it. Recently all the pieces have come together and it now feels the right direction to go. The major 'Aha' moment was the realization that I can not only work with adults who have sleep difficulties but also with parents who have young children with sleep problems. I now understand why I couldn't walk away from the childcare aspect completely!

So I will continue to write this blog but am also setting up another one based on sleep and hope you will find time to read that too and pass on the information to those who may need it.

In the meantime, thanks again for reading!

What are you looking at?

The gym I go to is doing some refurbishment and this week us women got to see our new look changing rooms, and quite swish they are too. New flooring, panelling on the walls, new shower cubicles, all in shades of brown and creams etc.
Whilst using them after the class this morning, one of the instructors asked us what we thought of the new look. Generally positive comments came back though one woman said she didn't like the new pictures - Zen type ones with pebbles, beaches and driftwood.
"Well, don't look at them then!" was the cheerful response from the instructor, who then went on to say that she liked the new mirrors.
I chuckled to myself at the bluntness of this reply but also though it was a great piece of advice.
How often do we focus on things that annoy us or bother us and in giving them energy, transform them into something huge? So huge that then all we can do is focus on them and this can lead us into a downward spiral of negativity.

When I first moved into my flat, I was not in a good place emotionally (and, let's be honest, physically) and hated the fact it was half way up a steep hill, a hill so steep that there are often stairs instead of streets. Every time I went anywhere it would involve either walking up hill to get there, or be uphill on the way back. I was forever moaning and grumbling to myself about it. At the time I was learning about the Law of Attraction and realised what I was doing to myself emotionally in terms of lowering my feelings and so began to look for things that I could appreciate and be grateful for.
Gradually my perspective changed, I noticed I was able to walk uphill without getting puffed and could see the benefit it was doing to my health and was grateful for that. Now when I walk around Les Pentes, as the area is called, I see and enjoy so many things such as the amazing renaissance and medievil architecture, and I regularly walk past a Roman amphitheatre on my way to work - how cool is that? I can walk through a couple of parks that keep me in touch with the seasons and nature. One even has these amazing long slides that are set into the hillside as seen in these pictures and yes, I have been on them! There are places you can stop and get amazing views of the city and, on a good day, the Alps and Mont Blanc. All in all Les Pentes are a great place to live!

So, what are you looking at?
The things your partner does that annoy you or things that they do that are great?
What are the worst bits about work or the best bits?

Once a friend of mine, who is a fantastic salsa dancer, fulfilled the ambitions of a life time and went to Cuba on holiday. When he came back all he could talk about were the things that had gone wrong or were a disappointment - being hassled in the clubs, the faults in the accommodation, the list went on and just listening to it brought my energy down and made me feel frustrated. I had to ask him what he had enjoyed about the holiday and he looked really surprised at my question.

So this week I encourage you to look at all the great things about a situation you don't like, give thanks for them and see what happens.

Moan, moan, moan

So, what's wrong with a good moan?
A bit of a grumble about life in particular?
Let's put the world to rights over a glass of wine (or two).
It helps us feel better, right?

Wrong!!

Yes, it does help us feel better for a short while but in the long term it keeps us in a negative, low vibrational energy and that does not help at all.

I was reminded of the power of moaning from an article I read this morning about giving up things to be happy. Point No 6 struck a chord with me as I am aware that I complain. I have got a lot better in this area but do still complain.
I used to complain a lot at work, there always was someone to moan about, be it a colleague or parent, and someone who would want to join in with the moan. Moving to France helped a lot as I could not always join in with the complaining, but now that my French is improving....
In fact the group moaning sessions are the worst, just in the same way that being among a group of positive, happy people, raises everyone's vibration, being in a group of Moaning Myrtles is going to lower everyone's energy and make them feel worse.

We all know someone who complains all the time about everything - not enough sleep, the queue in the shop, their boss is awful, the weather's too hot, they have a headache, their partner doesn't help them, the weather's too cold, no one listens to them....
Do you really want to be that person?
Yes, sometimes complaining will bring you sympathy and support, but again, this can keep you stuck in a lower vibration and keep you there longer.
Is that what you want? Because I don't!

So, who wants to join me in looking for the positive? Catching ourselves when we're about to complain and deciding to change the thoughts. There is a simple process called 'pivoting' where you literally turn your thoughts to the opposite...
If it is about someone's behaviour - think about and praise what they do well instead.
If it is about the weather - remember the sunny days, or be thankful that the drought is over and there is an abundant supply of water.
If it over bills and the cost of living - give thanks for the warm and comfortable home you have.
Get creative about about the things that you can be thankful for.

If you find yourself in a situation where you feel that there is nothing to be positive about, then try thinking about something else completely different instead and use that to lift your thoughts and so your vibration. How about an upcoming holiday, party, trip to visit friends, anything to take you away from complaining and negative feelings.
I will really be working on this area week and will let you know how it goes!

Give it a go and see what happens!

Ice Cream Sundae

Although most of us would love to think of ourselves as spontaneous and free spirited, the reality is that much of what we do is routine and habit. It provides a sense of security and comfort, just as a child likes to have a specific toy to sleep with, we feel better having a certain type of coffee, or sticking to one or two flavours of ice cream.

The French love their ice cream shops and now that the sun is starting to be a more regular occurrence and the temperatures are reaching mid 20's (I think 75°f) these shops are beginning to open and tables and chairs are appearing on pavements.

They tend to have impressive menus, check out this local one for choices and they all look delicious, an amazing display of colours and flavours ranging from a pale and creamy looking vanilla to a bright blue one intriguingly called schtroumpfs (the French for Smurfs), all there to tempt me. Part of me wants to be a small child again and press my nose up against the glass of the display cabinets and try a little bit of every single one. Then when it comes to ordering something strange seems to happen and I go for a scoop of vanilla and a scoop of caramel. Every single time.

I do this because I know that I will enjoy those two flavours and will come away having had a 'nice' ice cream experience.

Then I think about all those other flavours I am missing out on trying, would I like those too? Would another flavour combination be even better? I need to step out of my ice cream comfort zone and try new flavours, have fun with them and see what works. Maybe a spéculoos (ginger biscuit) and violet combination would blow my mind - if not my taste buds...

How often in the bigger choices of life are we like this, going for the safer option as we know that it will be 'nice' experience. We need to step out of our comfort zones and try new things.
Even small things such as going to see a different genre of film, buying a book from a new author, trying a different class at the gym or even using a different route on the way home from work. These can all help make your day more interesting and varied and open you to new things.
How about a new holiday destination, or type of holiday? Taking up a new hobby? It doesn't have to be rock climbing or bungee jumping, just something that is new to you.

The world is an amazing place full of different colours and flavours, let's go out there and taste it!

P.S. Smurfs apparently taste like Haribo sweets.

Stories we tell ourselves

I am back from a week's holiday and am feeling refreshed and ready to go. Although I stayed in Lyon and didn't go away it was still great to take some time out. The weather was great and I was able to go to the cinema and the gym, as well as catch up with friends and even meet up with a couple of children I used to look after.

One of the reasons that I felt so good after this week, was that I was ill when it started. I had a dose of  'flu.

I was interested by this, I realized it was something that we often tell ourselves. How many of you have said the following to yourselves (or to others!)
'I'm always ill when on holiday.'
'It's like my body knows it's time to relax and out comes a cold.'
'I was ill at the weekend, typical!'
'Couldn't believe I was antibiotics, so couldn't enjoy myself properly.'
'Whenever I start working at a new place I come down with an infection.' (a real childcarer's one that!)

The thing is with these statements is that if we say them often enough then we begin to believe them. At one point when I was working at a school in Hong Kong, I seemed to come down with an illness before every single holiday. As I used to travel a lot in these holidays (making the most of being in Asia) it felt as if I experienced every country with a blocked nose. I was even predicting that I would come down with a cold and my body was a little star and obliged every time! Talk about a self fulfilling prophecy.

So, after struggling through the last couple of days in the crèche feeling awful and waking up on first day off and canceling the dentist's as I had a raging sore throat and a temperature,I realized what I was doing.
I decided that I was going to go back to bed and sleep (I am a strong believer in the body healing itself during sleep) and that when I woke up that I would be feeling better. And I did. I slept most of that day and felt so much better and was able to start enjoying my time off.
Although I have been talking about illness, we do it all the time for different situations. Another one I used to tell myself was that I was an insomniac and couldn't sleep properly. The more I said it, the more I slept badly.

So when these negative thoughts pop up in your head, or you hear yourself saying something negative, stop and think. Is it true? For me, I have been on plenty of holidays and not been ill and need to remind myself of that and change the thought. It may take a while for these new thoughts to become automatic, but keep at it and congratulate yourself for every achievement along the way.

So what story are you telling yourself?

How about making it a positive one, something that you want to happen?

Babysteps

Learning to walk combines muscle control, co-ordination and balance. It is an incredibly complex process and one that we take for granted, though it took us an average of 15 months to learn all the skills needed to suddenly be walking. Something we don't even think about now, we just stand up and move off, one foot in front of the other.

When watching the babies at work grow and develop it is a constant reminder to me how we have to put all the little things together to get the big rewards. As well as accept that we may have failures and set backs on the way and despite that, not give up.

Last week I was in the crèche I turned round to see a little 9 month old girl standing up and clutching on to the wall, with a look of delight and puzzlement on her face. This was the first time we had seen her pull herself to standing and as I was in the middle of congratulating her, she fell and cried! A cuddle and the world was soon a better place. This will not be the last time she falls in the process of learning to walk, with some inner determination she will continue to try and try again.

Likewise a little boy who is taking his first tentative steps is also falling over on a regular basis, but he will always get up and try again.
Why is at adults we are so much more likely to give up on something that we are learning to do? I went skiing one time and kept falling over. I was able to acknowledge that this was part of the learning and if I continued I would get better at it. I enjoyed the day and would like to learn properly, however the Alps are only a couple of hours away and I haven't rushed back and until I go back and spend time learning all the little bits and putting them all together, I know I will never be able to ski gracefully down the slopes.

We need to learn from the children, not only how they get up and go again but also to put the stages together bit by bit, take our time (for the really big goals) and not give up in order to succeed. We need to celebrate the baby steps on the way and allow ourselves time to become so skilled it becomes second nature.
In order to help our self motivation we also need to look to our support networks for help and encouragement - friends, families, colleagues and if needed professional teachers, trainers and coaches, to help us on the way to taking our first steps.

Spring has (hopefully) sprung!

It is such a beautiful day today! The sun is shining and there is a real hint of warmth in the air and the possibility of Spring arriving soon.
In France (like most of Europe) we had a prolonged cold snap. Although the temperatures here were not as cold as some places, for just over 2 weeks we were below zero, getting as low as -15°C and rising to the dizzy heights or -4°C during the day. I know these temperatures are often exceeded in more northerly places, but for us wimps, this was very, very, very cold.

However today has been lovely. People are sitting at the tables outside the cafes, not because they are smokers but to enjoy the weather. Strolling around with your sunglasses on was a necessity not a fashion choice. It was even possible to take my gloves off!

There is something about sunshine that raises my spirits and reminds me to take a good look at the beauty of this world and show gratitude for the beauty of nature. I am looking forward to welcoming the signs of Spring - the new leaves, the blossom on the trees, the bulbs peeping up from the earth, the first bright flashes of yellow from the daffodils.

Even though I live in the heart of a city, it is still possible to see nature all around and be inspired about what an amazing place the universe is.  I took the long way when walking back from the shops, just to enjoy the weather and to see a view that looks towards the Alps that I know looks great in the sunshine. I felt my spirits rise and my vibration and energy levels increase.

Sometimes it is the simple things that help us feel better, so as Spring begins to emerge I encourage you all to go out there and look for it, enjoy it and let Mother Nature help rise your vibrations.

Lemon and sugar.

Today is Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras or Carnival.....or if you're English - Pancake Day.

Yes, while in other parts of the world there is dancing, samba, disguises, dressing up, night time revelries, alcohol etc the English get excited over pancakes covered in lemon and sugar.
English pancakes are more like French crêpe than the thicker American versions, and are not a traditional breakfast meal, so tend to be eaten less over the year, making Pancake day more special.

There is an art to making the perfect pancake, my Mum used to make the batter in advance and cool it in the fridge. Then there is heating the pan, and pouring in just enough to cover the bottom of the pan - not too thick, not too thin.
Then of course there is the 'Flipping' or 'Tossing'. A great skill, that usually involves the kitchen ceiling or floor at some point during the evening.
Traditionally there races that are held all round the UK with the participants  tossing pancakes as they run. These started in Olney and have now spread across the UK. Here is a clip of our politicians (the House of Commons v the House of Lords) doing their annual race for charity.
(It is quite long, you don't have to watch it all!)

Then there is the fillings or the toppings. Savory pancakes are good, my friend does a lovely ham and mushroom filling, but the favourites are, of course, the sweet ones. In France the obsession for Nutella spreads onto crêpes, as well as jam and just plain sugar. Me, I love the traditional combination of lemon and sugar - the tartness of the lemon, softened by the sweetness of the sugar, as well as the softness of the pancake mixed with the crunchiness of the sugar, how can you beat that?

If my friends Facebook status' are anything to go by, then the adults are enjoying this day as much as the children.
There is something joyful about celebrating a tradition, something that you remember from your childhood. It is comforting and nurturing and brings back good feelings and memories, all the family sitting round in the kitchen cooking, eating and enjoying ourselves. All this from a simple mixture of flour, milk and eggs. Truly something to celebrate.

I am grateful for anything that helps us feel better and keeps us in a good feeling place and vibration, I hope you all have your comforters that help you feel good too.

Good Morning 2

Wow, just have to give you all an update.
I've been doing the Snooze Gratitude (as I mentally call it) for about two weeks now and have been seeing some amazing results.
Not only have I felt more centred and grounded, things have been going well in other ways. I seem to have more energy and work (both in the crèche and the coaching) goes well.
However I have to tell you about last weekend. I had to fly back to the UK to sort out some paperwork and stuff. Everything flowed so easily for me during the entire weekend, here are some examples

There was a last minute hiccup with the paperwork on Saturday and the 'other office' was closed and I was flying out the next day. I stayed calm and instead of argueing and saying 'But you knew I was only here for the weekend!' and adding stress to the situation, I set the intention that the right outcome would happen. I got a call tonight saying that everything had been sorted and gone through as planned!!

Despite snow in London my return flight was only delayed by 45 mins (when other flights were cancelled and severely delayed.)

I intended on doing some shopping and boy, did I shop and even better - most things on my list were on offer, 3 for 2, buy 1 get 1 half price, BOGOF etc. I started laughing at how many offers I was getting. To top it all the Body Shop were selling my favourite hand cream for £5 (instead of £10), I took two to the till and was told that if I spent £15, I would get a free shower gel, so I brought 3 tubes and the till recipt read 'Spent £15, saved £19'!

I found books I wanted in the second hand charity shops for next to nothing, clothes I wanted in the sizes I wanted in the last of the sales.

I also met up with the people I wanted to and had fun catching up with the news and gossip, had some meals that I wanted (including a yummy curry - which is hard to get in France).

It was a great 48 hours and I loved every minute, especially those that I spent every morning, doing my 'Snooze Gratitude' and over the weekend I had more and more to be thankful for!

On anothe note - a couple of people have asked shouldn't they be doing this in the evening, when going to bed. My response to this is that as long as it is done when you are in the stage between being fully awake and asleep, then you will get all the benefits. So what ever suits your timetable/body clock best. If you are a leap out of bed the moment the alarm clock goes off, then the morning may not be best for you. I am a hit the snooze button and retreat back under the duvet person, so the morning works best for me. I encourage you to experiment and find the best time for you.

GOOD Morning!

Any one who knows me can tell you that I am not a morning person! I am definitely a night owl and love it and have no real wish to change - except when I have to get out of bed early in the morning.
I have recently discovered a great way of making this a lot easier.

Every morning, before I get out of bed, I now do a Rampage of Appreciation and this automatically sets me up in a good mood for the day.
This is how I do it.
When my alarm goes, I hit the snooze button and snuggle back under the duvet. Insted of going back to sleep, I start saying 'Thank you ..' I tend to start off with things like 'Thank you for a great night's sleep', 'Thank you for a warm, cozy bed', or things I like about myself 'Thank you for my lovely, shiny hair' and then move onto things that have happened to me recently - a new client, a great phone call, a good night out etc. Then when I'm super charged and feeling fantastic, I start saying thank you for things that I want to happen in my life, as if they are already there. 'Thank you for those lovely new boots'. Each time I say thank you for something, I picture it vividly in my mind and see it in front of me and get into the feeling place of having it in my life.

This process works on several different levels. To be in a feeling a gratitude is one of the highest vibrational/feel good places to be. As it is first thing in the morning and I haven't really woken up properly (and in a warm and comfortable bed) I am naturally in a good mood and it only takes a few thank yous to raise my mood even more. Also as I am still in a place between sleeping and waking my brain is already in a relaxed state and the process becomes meditative and starts reprogramming my subconscious mind to focus and and take note of the good things that are happening in my life.

It also really enjoy doing it and find the 5 minutes snooze time on my alarm never seems long enough. I have only been doing it for a few days and now set my alarm 10 mins early, to allow me more time and I look forward to the weekends when I can spend as long as I want being grateful.
Since I have been doing this, my mornings seem to flow more easily and instead of being in a rush and a panic (and feeling half asleep) I feel calm and centered and as if I have all the time in the world.
Please try it and let me know how it works for you.

Inside Out

Let me introduce you to Barbs, she's a woman I used to work with a while ago. She was one of those people who come into your life and you are glad to have there. She was always patient and kind and rarely got angry, and if she did she would soon shrug it off. She loved her family and her work and had an active social life, she was fun to be around as well as calm and peaceful.

I had finished my Nursery Nursing training a couple of years before and was working in a Social Services Day Care Centre in London, working with young children and their families from deprived backgrounds. Work was hard, despite being preschoolers, these kids were tough! Barbs was an unqualified member of staff on the team and I was lucky enough to be working alongside her and, despite all my training, I learnt so much from her. She was a natural with young children and they adored her. I was able to watch how she could coax a child out of a tantrum, encourage a stubborn child to participate and persuade a disruptive child to cooperate in a group activity. Tricks and tips that I still use and teach others to use today. All the staff liked her (and in an all female environment that was quite a feat!) and she was popular amongst the parents too.

Barbs saw the positive in everyone, including some of our more disagreeable parents, was quick to praise and be grateful and slow to criticize and complain. Life seemed easy for her and things came to her all the time. She enjoyed bingo and was always winning something - she had a store of toasters and kettles that she was happy to pass onto others when their's had broken. She saw her children and grandchildren regularly and was looking forward to her retirement in a few years time. I was going through a bad time in my home life and she always seemed to know if I needed cheering up, space to be quiet or a shoulder to cry on.

Although we have lost contact I still think of her and wonder what she is doing, and she still influences my behaviour today. Barbs was one of those people that you aspire to be like, I'm not sure if I have achieved that, but I think she'd be pleased if she could see me now.
Looking back on it now I can see she was unknowingly practicing what has become know as the Law of Attraction. That her inner thoughts were creating and shaping her outside reality. As she saw the best in everyone, they wanted to show her their best. She loved with a big heart and was showered with love in return. Although she was not physically rich she was grateful and contended with what she had and I truly believe did not want more as she had a great spiritual wealth and this pleased her more than the thought of a bigger house or a more expensive car.
My biggest wish is that everyone, at some point,  has someone like Barbs in their life too.