THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH

Well I don't know about you but I can't wait for the World Cup to start.
First game kicks off any minute now, then a whole month of solid football - ah, life is sweet!

Maybe football isn't your cup of tea - I believe there are people like that out there - but even if this is the case there is still so much for you to enjoy and appreciate.

It is undoubtedly one of the world's great sporting events. Over the next few weeks there will be some 'where were you when X happened?' sort of moments. There will be surprises, shocks, thrills - things that absolutely no-one could possibly have predicted. Take last year's final for a start. Who could possibly have imagined in their wildest dreams that Zinadane Zidan, one of the greatest players the world has ever seen would end his career as he did. In the World Cup final, he lead France out against Italy and seemed destined to lift the trophy when a moment of madness caused him to be sent off for head-butting an Italian opponent. Amazing! A really dramitic moment.

I love the way that sport brings people together and this event, like the Olympic Games is a worldwide celebration of that. So whether like me you'll be cheering on England, or if you're a Scot or an Irishman who's cheering on 'anyone but England!', sit back,relax and enjoy the greatest show on earth !

TIME TO CHOOSE

Those of us in the UK will be going to the polls tomorrow to elect a new Prime Minister. It promises to be the closest general election for many years but how does the prospect of choosing a new leader make you feel?

Personally I love the general election, I always have done, even as a kid. I'll be staying up until the early hours watching the results come in. Somehow it wouldn't be right to not do this. It's our election, our chance to vote. If we can't take an interest in that then how can we complain when things don't go our way? I think what I find most exciting is that nobody really knows what is going to happen. They can publish all the polls in the world but when you get into that polling booth, you are absolutely free to vote for whoever you choose. It's too easy to take that freedom for granted. People died to give us that right - for goodness sake let's not waste it because of apathy or thoughts of, "oh they're all the same anyway."

A defining moment of my growing up occurred during one general election, I can't honestly remember which. The results were a real shock, not what had been predicted. I finally understood that adults, even those whom I had looked up to as being in a position of authority didn't really know what was going to happen. More than that, when I was old enough to vote, they wouldn't have any greater say in the outcome than I had. That was somehow a revelation to me. It marked something of a transition from all-accepting child to independent-thinking adult. Many years later, I've never forgotten that lesson. Democracy is priceless. Freedom is valuable beyond measure. Power is in all of our hands - don't waste it.

TWITTERING AT LAST

It's been a busy couple of weeks for me with some new individual coaching clients and some speaking engagements to prepare for too. I've also been busy networking, both in person and virtually and have finally ventured into the world of Twitter.

There's something wonderful about it, something I heard someone describe as very "democratising" although I'm not sure that's a proper word. If it isn't, it should be. I mean it's a great leveller. You can follow people you admire and send them a message direct to their account, so you know they will see it.

For example, in yesterday's Sunday Times I read an interview with entrepreneur Gavin Wheeldon. He talks about how he starts each day by watching a five minute Powerpoint presentation of his goals. I thought that was a wonderful idea, really inspiring, so I sent him a message to say so. I'll let you know if he replies although that wasn't the reason I sent it.

I'm also in the process of making a short video for the WIBN website. Regular readers will have heard me talking about this networking group before. It's a women-only business networking organisation that is growing rapidly and is soon to launch it's own internet TV channel. Members can load up videos promoting their services and benefit from the umbrella of the big organisation. I'm sure it will be fabulous and a very useful way for many business women to get their message out there.

The answers are always out there. It's just a question of talking to the right people.

UTTERLY INSPIRATIONAL

It's been a while since my last post - too long.
Recently I've ben concentrating on sending out a daily inspirational thought to my list which I call Daily Motivation.
It's just a short quote for your inbox each weekday. It's designed to make you think, make you smile and get you up and going!
Interested in receiving it? Just contact me through the blog or via the website and I'll add you to my list.

I felt I had to share this one with you. Regular readers will know that I love a good sports autobiography and have recommended quite a number over time, but the one I read last week was absolutely amazing. It was "Taking on the World" by Ellen MacArthur and tells her story from childhood up until the end of the Vendee Globe single-handed round the world race in 2001. It is all written by her, no ghost-writing and her personality shines through each and every page. She really wears her heart on her sleeve and gives the reader a fabulous insight into her thoughts and feelings - I loved it.

You don't have to be into sailing to enjoy it either. I barely know one end of a boat from the other but it's about so much more than the sailing. Her single-minded determination and drive to achieve her goals is nothing short of incredible. If you only read one book this year - make it this one!

In recognition of her achievements, she has been made a Dame of the British Empire, received the OBE and the Legion D'Honeur from the French people. She is still only 33. Ellen has, at least for now, given up competitive sailing to concentrate on her charity work and her environmental campaigning. I'd be hard pushed to think of a more inspirational role model. As she says in the book, A donf! (Go for it!) Yes - she speaks fluent french as well....

GET ENERGY FROM ACTION !

Have you noticed how tired having lots of things to do makes you feel?
Or rather, how having lots of unfinished things on the go, makes you tired....?

Energy comes from completing tasks, from ticking them off as being done and over with. If you know that you still have things hanging over you, that can be a big drain on your emotional and physical energy.

Does this sound familiar? Do you recognise yourself as someone who starts lots of things but doesn't complete them? Then try this.....

Make a list of every task that you both start AND finish today...... however small it is. Keep the list with you throughout the day so you can add to it. Look at it this evening. How did you do? Did you do more than you thought? Does that feel good? Notice how much energy it gives you.
Keep it going tomorrow and for the next few days. Include really small seemingly trivial stuff on there that you have both started AND finished.

The purpose of this is to re-educate your brain into realising that you are the sort of person who finishes what they start.

Remember - energy comes from action. Change begins with small steps, taken today, tomorrow and every day. Blog finished !

ENTHUSIASM

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm!" Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love this quote, Like many of the things that Emerson said it really gets to the heart of the matter, really says something about the essential spirit within us.

I have another of his quotes on the homepage of my website:

"Change your thoughts and you change your world". Really powerful I think. So simple yet so true.

The word enthusiasm comes from the greek "en theos", meaning God within.
Now whether that to you means a religious God or some other being higher than ourselves doesn't really matter.
It's just an acknowledgement that when we are enthusiastic we are filled with something wonderful, something above and beyond what we normally are. This gives us power to act in all sorts of wonderful ways and to achieve far more than we think we can do.

What are you really enthusiastic about? When you think about that, how does it make you feel? Don't just read this, actually answer the questions for yourself. Now that you've got that feeling going on, think about something you want to do. Feel that great enthusiastic feeling as you think about the new task. Feeling up for it now? Then shut down your computer and get going!

GET ON YOUR DEATHBED

Not as morbid as it sounds...... although I have been to a funeral today, always a reminder of one's own mortality.
Must be an age thing but I seem to go to many more funerals than weddings these days. One summer I went to nine weddings. That seems like a very long time ago.

Whilst there I was reminded of this exercise. It is one of Steve Chandler's techniques, described in his wonderful book "100 Ways to Motivate Yourself". If you haven't read it I highly recommend it. This technique is in fact the very first one in the book.

Imagine yourself lying on your deathbed and imagine those people close to you visiting you to say goodbye. Really connect with the feelings associated with this. It sounds like a terrible thing to do and it is very emotional but it is a wonderful way to realise what is really important in your life and what you are not doing and not saying to those close to you. It makes you think hard about pushing your dreams off into the future and telling yourself you'll do it some day. As Steve says, "without being conscious of death you can't be fully aware of the gift of life".

GET CREATIVE!

If you read my last post you'll remember me raving about the amazing sky I saw from my consulting room window last week. Rather like that guy who liked the razor so much he bought the company, I liked it so much I painted it, in acrylics.

I haven't painted anything since I was at school, 30 odd years ago and I was never very good at it then. But today I came from a place of inspiration, a place of creativity and I'm really pleased with the result. Whilst painting it I was listening to Anthony Robbins and just sort of felt "in the flow."

Look around you, what's really inspiring you? How can you express this? It doesn't matter what you do or how you do it..... but do something. Do it for yourself. You'll be amazed what you can do when you just believe.

So get creative and enjoy it. Why not share what you come up with on the site?
Have fun.

RED SKY AT NIGHT

I'm sitting in my consulting room as I write this. I've just started evening surgery and I'm looking out of my window at one of the most beautiful red skies I have ever seen. Enough to delight even the fussiest of shepherds!

In fact it's about a million differnt shades - from orangey pink through to purple and looks incredibly dramatic with the trees silhouetted up against it. I'd put this up against any sky anywhere in the world right now..... and that's saying something!
In 10 minutes it'll be dark but I felt I just had to seize the moment and record it for ever. Absolutely beautiful.

It's been a lovely day all round really, with even a little bit of winter sun earlier on. The snow seems a long way away now although there's still quite a nip in the air.

I felt very privileged yesterday to be able to finally distribute cheques to those people to whom my late grandmother had bequeathed some money. I'm an executor of her will and it felt a bit like that programme "Secret Milionaire". It gave me a great buzz to think how much pleasure the recipients will get when they open their post today. Wonderful. Lovely to be able to bring a smile to someone's face. Wouldn't it be great if that's how we measured success in our society; not by wealth or power, but by the ability to enrich the lives of others? Might make the world a happier place. Keep smiling.

A BUSY START

It's been a hectic start to the new year for me, but a very enjoyable one.
I can't say I'm sorry to see the back of all that snow though. It looks beautiful but the chaos it seems to bring make you realise how much we all take travelling around for granted. My normal 8 mile journey to work took much longer in the bad weather, either a very slow and hair-raising drive or part on foot and part by bus or train. Two hours was the longest it took from door to door..... but I did make it in every day.

I can't say the same for one of my partners who fell on the ice and broke his leg a couple of weeks ago. I'm glad to say he's recovering well, but it makes you realise how easily accidents can happen. Get well soon, we miss you!

A lot of last week was spent preparing for a whole day workshop which I delivered yesterday to a group of 25 local doctors. They are all involved in training newly qualified doctors to become GPs. We had an excellent day. They were a great audience and I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to share my material with them. I absolutely love presenting like this - it gives me a real buzz and yesterday was no exception.
Bringing the message of coaching to a new group of people only goes to increase my enthusiasm for it.

Although it was cool again today there was an almost spring-like feel about the air when I went out on my visiting rounds at lunchtime. i'm back in my consulting room now and can hear the birds singing away outside.....it really is a beautiful world sometimes.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope you've had a great start to 2010.
Mine has been excellent so far. Although the snow has gone it was absolutely freezing today, well pretty cold anyway, barely above freezing all day. However there was a clear blue sky and bright sunshine.....wonderful.

It was the perfect weather for a run, my first outside for 6 weeks due to my recent calf problem.....and it was lovely. I only ran for half an hour but the leg felt fine and it was great to be back out there. My short-term goal is to take an hour off my London marathon time in April. This shows you how slowly I did it last time. I am also aiming to complete an ultra-marathon later in the year. The injury related disruption to my training has meant that I'm not going to be fit enough to do any of the ultras I had eyed up in Jan, Feb or March so I'll need to look at something after London.

I returned from my run feeling on top of the world. If you run yourself, you'll know the feeling I'm talking about: if you don't, why not make this the year that you start to!

The edge was taken off it very slightly when I got in the shower to find that one of my boys had used all the hot water. Don't you just love it when that happens? Anyway, it was certainly invigorating!

It seems like a day to count your blessings today and I certainly feel that I have many to count. I'm lucky enough to be sat in a nice warm home, fire roaring and roast beef in the oven. Many others in the world aren't so blessed, so as the New Year starts may it be a year for peace and justice in this world. As you think about your resolutions, think about how you can give something back in 2010. You'll be really glad you did.