“Thinking about death clarifies your life”. Candy Chang an Artist from New Orleans talks about how death has inspired a world movement. This short, gentle and inspiring video made me think about how much we are all alike in that we all have dreams we would like to happen before our life completes. Candy Chang Before I die I want to…
Sometimes, occasionally and often life hands us a load of rejections. It seems that which ever way we turn there is a ‘No’ waiting for us. In this TED talk by Gideon Amichay he calmly inspires us to stay in the university of patience and to discover the learning in ‘No’. Believe in your self and believe in your passion. This is an easy and engaging watch.
Coaching inspiration
It always amazes me that there are some key things in life that we just don’t get any training in.
This is true of relationships.
We don’t get any real guidance on how to be in relationship. We just follow (or not) our parents examples or are inspired by other couples. And all that will be mixed up by our often unconscious personal values such as discipline, freedom and beliefs.
Relationships take work. At first when we fall in love those wonderful ‘love chemicals’ go soaring around our body, and we become inseparable and hardly eat. But then like a mist those ‘love chemicals’ subside and we find ourselves in the clearing, married and set for a life together. It’s this place where we can be left standing wondering what actually is the future direction of our relationship.
‘It Takes Two’ is a unique programme specially for gay couples in the run up to getting married or a civil partnership.
I was asked to create this programme for a couple of clients because they wanted something to prepare them for their wedding day and couldn’t find anything in this country to support them. Being in a relationship is such a powerful and passionate experience, it really is greater than the sum of its parts. I loved working with them and seeing the impact it has had on each other and their partnership made me realise that this work is really needed in the world.
And so when life is sweet, I want couples to keep it sweet and be proud and strong in creating their own solid relationships in preparation for the life to come.
I love Visuals. My previous career was as an Art Director – that is designing sets for TV shows. So being creative and visual was the only element I was concerned about how to bring in to my coaching and leadership work.
It turns out that creativity is very much called for in this world. I have been dabbling in a bit of neuroscience lately and it is comforting to know that visioning, closing of ones eyes, dreaming for example which are all part of the coaches tool kit has solid neuroscience backing and benefits. Being intuitive I knew that anyway but even I do seem to like a bit of scientific endorsement.
When we get stuck or have a problem the tendency is to use the left logical side of the brain to work it out. We just want to move quickly from the problem to the solution. This can be tough journey with lots of thinking and options and decisions. Often going round and round in circles and feeling frustrated.
In coaching we take the journey of problem solving over into the right side of the brain where it is more spacious, creative and has the ability to see the bigger picture.
When we want something to change or we get stuck on a problem there are 4 ways to deal with it.
- Change the situation
- Change yourself to adapt to the situation or to see it in a different way.
- Leave the situation
- Moan about it and stay. (I bet you know a few of those!)
Often we need to change something about ourselves to deal with a problem or situation. Coaching is an experiential journey that you are guided through allowing you to get creative and leaning into the right side of the brain. Fear not – the left brain will kick back in once the right side has created a solution – as logic and implementation lives in the left side.
So give your left brain a break – it works far too hard. Chill out in right side because this is where innovation lives.
The world needs your innovation.
I was listening to a mediation by Deepak Chopra the other day and he reminded me that our bodies are an ‘ever flowing river of energy with information in constant dynamic exchange with the environment around us’. Phew that’s a bit of a mouthful.
We are all connected to everything. And while we may have heard that before it’s often easy to forget.
Think of the qualities we intuitively pick up from another person at an energetic level. We can sense whether they feel peaceful or perturbed. When we say things like ‘she has a radiant heart’ or ‘I got a bad vibe from that person’, we are picking up information on an energetic level. Looking into someones eyes can also reveal tenderness or indifference, alertness or dullness.
Deepak mentioned the work of the scientist Dr. Masaru Emoto who offers a wonderful illustration of the power of communication through the molecular structure of water. Emoto documented an amazing set of photographs where he found that when positive emotions and thoughts such as love, appreciation and happiness and truth were focused on distilled samples of water the molecules formed delicate symmetrical crystalline shapes. On the other hand when the water samples was sent negative messages filled with hatred and hostility the water instead displayed chaotic fragmented structures.
Water makes up approximately sixty percent of the human body and about seventy percent of the human brain so it is easy to see how the energy and intentions we send to ourselves and others can have a such an enormous affect on our well being.
When we walk into a room our energy emanates before us. Without saying a word we are communicating through our energetic signature creating a ripple that can affect everyone we meet. If our state of being is centred in love and compassion we communicate that energy to each other. In the same way if we are full of judgement, hostility or resentment we communicate that too.
This isn’t about putting on a mask of cheerfulness or trying to be positive all the time because people who are attuned to their own true self will always sense when we are being authentic or when we are putting on a disguise. It’s about being present and true to ourselves and being responsible for our impact.
One tool that is really helpful in increasing our positivity is to write a gratitude diary. Each night write down something that you have been grateful for in your day. Keep the diary under your pillow to remind yourself every night.
As energetic beings our potential to affect others with our energy is both a great gift and great responsibility. Through expanding our positive energy and consciousness we have an unlimited capacity to send out ripples to help others and ultimately the planet move from fear, hostility and unrest to love compassion, peace and joy.
This is a great short video waking us up to time. I love the new perspective – if time were money what would that mean to you? Take three minutes now and see time in a new way. 
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This might not be what you might expect from Charlie Chaplin, but I was amazed at how relevant and timeless the intention behind this clip is. Check it out! Life Coaching Inspirational words from Charlie Chaplin
Well here it is.
Join Julie and myself in New York for a powerful one day workshop.
If you feel that your life is going around in circles, your life is at a crossroads or you are wanting to make change but feel stuck, then this is the workshop for you.
To book please click this link to Eventbrite.
To book please click this link to Eventbrite.
Exciting News! Sapere visits New York.
I am in the process of devising and creating a one day workshop with co-leader and Co-active coach Julie Fotos in the Big Apple.
This is the first time to be running workshops in America so it is a great thrill and honour.
The day will be power packed and experiential. Our working title for it was “Help, my life is on auto-pilot’ as it is being created for people who feel that they have just been doing the same stuff in their life for too long. It’s for those who are bored with being on the treadmill of life and have a yearning inside for something else. It is for those who have lost direction, or have a direction in their heart and just don’t know how to make that first step.
The date and venue is almost set and I’ll post it as soon as we have that confirmed.
We have re-named the workshop, ‘Wake Up and Live!’.
As they say in the States: It’s going to be an awesome day!
As Euro Vision descended on Europe this month – I was reminded of this quote:
“Too many people die with their music still in them”
What would it be like to have not sung your song when you leave this world?
Or just got through one verse?
To deny those around you your inner melody?
So often we fit in to the beat of others and just sing along to something we are not passionate about.
As each country in Europe sang, I wondered what songs were in each of us.
What is to sing – to express your music, your joy and live sharing your tunes with those around you?
What would it be like to let others sing along, to join in like a gospel chorus bringing soulful height and harmony to your life?
Have you ever wondered what your song is – what is inside you wanting to be sung? What does your song say about you, and what is it you want others to hear?
What song does your business sing and what is the music you want your customers to hear?
In coaching we look for that song – the song that brings the client alive, and the song that lights up a business.
I believe everyone has a song inside them – they might not know the words yet, but it’s there – the harmony and the rhythms.
It’s such a joy to see the courage that people take to discover their own music and to allow their lyrics to flow.
I gave douze points for our EuroVision title – ‘I Can’ – because I believe you, your business, your life, your country and the world – Can.
What’s Your Song?