“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.  Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.  Avoiding danger is not safer in the long run than exposure.” Helen Keller. I have always loved this quote, well to be honest I have always loved the first bit.  I have never seen the whole of it and when you do it makes it even more powerful.  It came to me at the end of my meditation and somehow resonated deeply.  What also resonated was it is my choice.  Am I going to continue to choose the daring adventure?  Are you? The past year has been a roller coaster year for many people and many have found it full of challenges. Maybe it is the same for you.  At those moments it is tempting to climb under the covers and feel a little ‘poor me’.  However not only is it the time to keep on going but it also a time to step back into the middle of the river rather than hang onto the sides.  To choose the daring...

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If you think about the results or outcomes that you are receiving in any area of your life there will be a correlation to the level of commitment you are providing in that area.   I know that when I reflect on areas of my own life, whether it be when I was at school or in my career, business, relationships, finances or spiritual life, I have always achieved the best results or outcomes when I have been truly committed.   If you are not achieving the results or outcomes in any area of your life evaluate for a moment your level of commitment in that area. Be honest with yourself. Could you be committing more in those areas? Are you dedicating the necessary time, energy, and resources to achieve the results or outcomes that you want in that area?   There is a general tendency for people to be committed to areas that are already going well for them and to neglect or avoid committing to those areas that need some improvement. Human nature comes into play and we are draw...

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Just when you think you have it all planned out and you have some kind of routine and certainty, life throws you a curve ball, and you obviously did not see it coming. Well that is what life just dished out to us this week, with only 3 weeks left of this year we have received our eviction notice in our current home. Firstly we were in a state of shock and disbelief how someone can do this to us, especially so close to Christmas, our daughters’ birthday and my pending birth.  Obviously they have their reasons. Now a few days later we are in action mode, turning this dilemma into a positive, we need to in order to find the right home for us.  Otherwise we stay in victim-mode and play the blame game; this does not serve any purpose. Life does this to people and in the state of flux we find more inner strength and resources and get ready for the new. When you have moved home constantly all your life, this is just another move, that is my life and since being married (that is 6 y...

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The most important relationship you have is the one you have with yourself.  The quality of the relationship that you have with yourself will determine the quality of relationship that you have with other areas of your life i.e. health, finances, relationships, career, emotions and spirituality.   It is vital therefore that you be a ‘best friend’ to yourself. Being a ‘best friend’ to yourself allows you to receive goodness in your life.   When we have a poor relationship with ourselves and we don’t feel good about the person we are, we choose behaviours that self-sabotage and ‘shut the gates’ to happiness and success entering our life.   So, what are some ways that you can proactively nourish the relationship that you have with yourself. The following are some suggestions.   Love Who You Are   Be happy with and love the person that you are. Remind yourself and focus daily on your positive qualities, strengths, achievements and positive comments ...

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Encouragement is something important that we all need to help us achieve our goals in life. Encouragement gives us the impetus to keep moving towards our goals.   There are times in our life where we doubt our ability to achieve certain things. I know that when I decided to transition from a career in the military to setting up a coaching business those doubts existed. What helped me though was the encouragement that I received from my coach and from my wife. They believed that I could be successful and encouraged me to take the necessary steps.   I suggest that you look to surround yourself with people who are encouragers. Encouragers are people who instill the belief in you that you can achieve whatever you want. They are optimistic people. Having people like this in your environment will be tremendously helpful for you. Consider these people to be your cheerleading team. They want you to succeed and to be happy in life.   The way to attract encouragers into you...

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A fellow colleague told me the story about a training organization that is not functioning very well. They are not paying their employees on time and have very little internal communication. Needless to say they are not working as effectively and the morale is at an all time low. This obviously affects their service delivery as staff do not feel valued and also impacts direct business. Their enrollments for courses and workshops are struggling to fill up. The energy is negative and thus so is the results that they are getting. From an outsider’s perspective I ask " if you do not have integrity and value towards your employees how can you attract new business and retain good working relationships with your clients?". As I often say, if you work on the internal and get this right then the external will match this, as you become congruent with your environment and you begin to attract opportunities and meet the right people that will help you on your journey. As a coach, ...

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Let go so that you can be free like a butterfly. When you let go it allows you the freedom to live the life that you want. You need to let go of things that are keeping you stuck and not allowing you to move forward towards what you desire in your life. So, what are some of the things that you may need to let go of in order for you to be free to live the life that you want. The Past: Don’t allow past experiences to rule the rest of your life. Learn from them and apply the learning to create a better life for you. Living in the past will take energy and focus away from the action you need to take in the present to achieve the results that you want in your future. Fear: Fear stops us from taking action that can improve our life. Rather than focus on the fear of taking action focus on the benefits that taking action will bring into your life. Be driven by the benefits. The Need to Please Everyone: Don’t live your life for everyone else. It is important that you respect and satisfy y...

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I just reconnected with an old work colleague and it was so nice to hear from him. Last time we spoke he had a young family and seemed to be doing well. It is interesting that from appearances we think people are doing well from the outside however he was going through some relationship issues with his wife. As he is recently remarried and expecting another little one. I guess he has now found his relationship happiness and I am so happy for him. Life is too short to be with the wrong person, we just don’t allow ourselves to shine and grow as we are too busy ‘trying’ to fix the insecurities of the other person. We change to suit them and in the long term this does not serve us anymore. We do not like ourselves anymore and we lose our sense of self. Ultimately we begin to gather confidence to tackle our own insecurities and find our own happiness, after all our spouses are not responsible for our happiness we are! So taking responsibility and accountability is the first step. When we...

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What appointments are you making in your life? Is your diary full of appointments related to work? For most people I would say that this is the case. Have you thought of making appointments for other areas of your life? I believe that it is important for us to make appointments for all areas of our life. This allows us to achieve a balanced approach to life. Don’t just fill up your diary with appointments related to work. What I am suggesting is that you be deliberate in making appointments for all areas of your life. Make a specific date and time that you are going to do things. By doing so you will ensure that you are not neglecting important areas of your life. Don’t allow the important areas to be low on the priorities list and something that you will only do if you have the time. You will most likely never have the time to do many of these things if you don’t commit a date and time to doing them. You need to make time for these areas and you can do this by planning them into y...

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Lately I had many people asking me ‘why should I have a coach?” and I thought this was a good discussion for a blog post. You have most likely heard the term ‘life coach’ especially if you are on the path of self awareness and personal development.  For those who haven’t heard of this term, simply think of someone who is on your side, who can see the best in you and wants you to achieve great things in your life, things you want for yourself. This person could be a relative or spouse, yet we are not related to you or have known you for a long time. We are non-judgmental guides who assist you on your path of self discovery and self empowerment. We are here to support you when you hit some tough challenges along the new journey.  We shall be with you taking each step with you, shining the torch and holding your hand if you need. Like a good sports coach we see the best version of you, and believe you can achieve your goals. We will share our knowledge so you will reach yo...

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