COMMITMENT

Time has proven this to be one of the most providential statements in business life.

Until one is COMMITTED there is hesitancy,

the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.

 Concerning all acts of initiative there is one

elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills

countless ideas and splendid plans;

 That the moment one definitely commits oneself,

 then Providence moves too.

 All sorts of things occur to help one 

that would otherwise never have occurred.

 A whole stream of events issues from the decision, 

raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents 

and meetings and material assistance, 

which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.

William N. Murray

Learn To Enjoy Life.

Writers sometimes experience a thing called 'writers block.' This is that time when you're stuck at a certain point and can't seem to move forward, not even a single step.

Many of us experience something similar at various stages of our lives. Fellow author John White (author of No Bars Hold) is also a counsellor and therapist. His view on things that stop us is generally a lack of skills. Once we have those skills we can overcome most things.

Kathleen O'Dwyer, former teacher and author of 'Stressed, One Woman's Story' says that in her teaching career the first objective would be to instil in students a passion for learning. Then teach them how to access the information.

Occasionally sitting in on classes that she was ran was insightful, often with there being many lessons within lessons.

All the time teaching skills that enhanced the students (5 to 12 year olds) aptitude and attitude. Learning is not a right nor is it  something to be  taken for granted either.

There’s a lot of dialogue over the benefits of schooling in the various systems which are generally either run by government or vested interests, including religious orders.

Both have their place as one size doesn't fit all. One student, having made the transition from a very regimented school to a more pastoral one, blossomed at age sixteen to go on to become highly successful in his own business.

Another apparent benefit of the pastoral system became apparent when he became a parent, dispensing discipline and affection appropriately and in the right measure.

One of the greatest skills we can learn is self improvement. To become the best that we can be.

My passion for learning came later in life and thankfully it was as a result of a dream and vision to lead a better life.

By products of a well rounded formal education, continuing to learn about ourselves, how we operate and interact leads to a much greater self assuredness in both the workplace and in society in general.

Knowledge is not hard to carry. From a pool of knowledge and experience we gain wisdom and eventually become intuitive.  The great benefit of this is that it frees up time and thinking space. This in turn can lead to greater inspiration and creativity and ultimately a higher, more satisfying quality of life.

As little as twenty minutes a day means a book a month providing the ability to learn from others knowledge, experience and wisdom.

This is where real lifestyle begins.

Lifestyle, while it means different things to different people has certain elements that mean a richer quality of life. There's a familiar story of families falling apart through neglect brought about by an overemphasis on vocational activities.

Human needs are both broad and diverse and learning what makes us, our partners and families tick really well is largely about balance. Love is spelled 'q-u-l-i-t-y  t-i-m-e'. Same goes for fun.

Quality time from the very young to the very old enriches the lives of all concerned. The added benefit is the two way passage of love and affection. It is the setting aside of the contents of our mind and engaging in some good old fashioned, down to earth humanity.

In working from home I;ve noticed that my day doesn’t really begin until there is interaction with others, preferably face to face. It literally is switching on the mind and all the parts of ourselves that are used in engaging in conversation with others.

It’s hard to stay within the contents of our heads as this engaging also invloves emotion. Good, bad or indifferent.

All of this is a part of the balance of life.

It has been said that we are spiritual beings indulging in a physical experience. To which should be added an emotional experience. After there’s not a great deal of intellect involved in pro creation. The largest part of that process are the emotions.

So to with the learning process. Where emotion is involved the understanding and retention of knowledge is far greater.  Fundamentally where rhyme and reason meet in the learning process knowledge is gained and integrated much quicker.

So, bottom line; learning should be fun, it should have a purpose and involve others, it should form a part of a balanced life and all of this in turn lead to a rich and fulfilling life.

After all the mind is like a parachute, it works best when it's open.

Understanding yourself

Why is it that so many think they know others when they don't even know themselves?

If someone says, "who are you." what would you answer.

It's not your work, because that is what you do.

Just as it takes time to get to know others, so too it takes time to get to know yourself. If you dig deep enough you'll meet your true self. Not the facades that have been built up over a lifetime. 

Taking that inner journey can be tough, but it is well worth it as it allows the real you to go into the world and be present anywhere, with anyone, any time.

That is true freedom.

That freedom allows performance rather than existing or simply functioning.

It allows you to be 'present' which leads to stronger and closer relationships.

Meaning a much better quality of life.

So is it time to discover who you really are?

A Day In The Life.

There are times when we get into the flow of things and everything seems to just click. 

It happens when we are making progress and as a fellow author observed this afternoon, as you complete each little task that leads to the goal everything becomes easier.

First there is the task itself, then learning what it take to get it done and acting on that understanding.

Sometimes it may mean stopping and learning how  a part of the process works.  The beauty of this is that a skill learned makes future tasks easier and more efficient.

This process of refinement can lead to more time available to pursue other objectives or invest in the things that are meaningful in life, like families.

So each day the objective should be to learn to be more effective and efficient which can either be self taught or directed by a coach or a mentor.

What objectives will you set for today and tomorrow that will make your life easier and more meaningful?

Courage.

It has been said that courage is being aware of the fear and acting anyway. Such as we often hear of military personnel in combat. This was brought home to me very powerfully in a series of letters that a younger brother of my grandmother wrote between 1938 and early 1941.

Reading these letters provided insights into the life of a man in his mid to late twenties and had quite a profound impact. Having read Neville Shutes 'Pied Piper' in high school it was a shock to realise that a family member had actually been in France in the RAF and was among those evacuated through Dunkirk.

Frederick Benjamin White

His letters can be read on my personal blog posting of April 25th 2011.

Ben White, that was his name, was among the 55,000 from Bomber Command who paid the supreme sacrifice and yet left  a legacy by their selfless example. His generation seemed to have this philosophy of "whatever the issue, ignore it and get on with it!"

So how does this apply to those of us now experiencing the second decade of the twenty first century?

It is possible to for all of us to dream really big dreams and to achieve them, but are we prepared to do what it takes?  Some quit before they even get started, when they realise there's work involved.

Courage comes into play to fight, as Ben and those like him who've been involved in combat, for something you believe in. A desire or an ambition to achieve, to be prepared to go the distance, do what must be done, learn what must be learned and then apply all of this every day! 

Not just on the good days or the days we feel like it, but even the days when it takes a 400% effort take some very small steps towards our objectives.

Sometimes that can mean taking the day off completely, having a free day to 'Recharge' and come back to "have another go."

Courage can also come from posture. presenting an image to the world that you have what it takes and are prepared, even though you may be quaking in your boots. 

As in the words of Sir Winston Churchill on October 29, 1941, when he visited Harrow School. It was after the Blitz and things were looking up a bit for Britain. Here is the relevant part of the speech: But for everyone, surely, what we have gone through in this period -- I am addressing myself to the School -- surely from this period of ten months, this is the lesson: Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."

There is a myth that these were the only words he spoke then sat down, but there was a lot more to Churchill's speech at Harrow.

Finding courage is to study the actions of people we call heroes and there are many different types of heroes. It may be a selfless parent who finds themself alone and who works at menial work to provide for family, the refugees who arrive in a new country with a new language and work to build a life, it may be someone afflicted with a chronic and life threatening illness and yet still comes up smiling or even someone who is prepared to say sorry and work through issues to mend broken relationships.

Courage is something that can be grown and developed as well. Studying and working with successful people, whatever you perceive success to be. Reading materials that raise awareness and encourage the development of new skills or maybe just to some old skills. Essentially it is having an attitude achievement and faith in the process.

Don't defer the development of courage as action conquers fear and each achievement lends weight to the courage to weather the storms and setbacks that are a part of the journey towards success.

The price may be high, but ultimately victory and success are sweet.

Bens resting place

Brookwood Cemetery

The Power Lays Within

"You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible."

— Deepak Chopra: Speaker and writer on spirituality and mind-body topics

It exists. Right now, there is a part of you that has no fear. No limiting beliefs. No doubts. Where incredible accomplishments are easily within your reach. And your confidence soars to newfound heights. Problem is, some people go their entire lives without tapping into this "perfection zone." But we'll show you how it's done.

Source www.nightingale.com


This is where perfection and serendipity come together. It is when you begin to notice that you have a thought and it manifests itself. Have you noticed the bumper stickers which say "Miracles Happen!"


What is profound that the more you to recognise these manifestations and be grateful for them the sooner the next ones will come. It allows us to dream bigger dreams, set bigger goals and move forward with the faith that it will come to be.

Adds a  whole new meaning to the old saying "count your blessings." 

It is the belief, the faith that what you have asked for will come your way.

Performance and Attitude

Have you ever wanted to improve your performance and yet there is always something that seems to get in  the way of it. If the issue is external it's an opportunity to enhance the ability to deal with "stuff" and the more you learn to deal with "stuff" the less of an issue it becomes. It is simply a case of learning to see it in a different light and not internalising it. 

If the issue is a personal one there's a great expression, "what you think of me is none of my business.." It's also a great philosophy.

If the issue is internal then it's time to develop mental muscle, self discipline which in turn builds character. Acknowledging our own flaws is a good starting point. 

Some organisations that operate purely to assist in overcoming self destructive behaviours start with the belief that nothing will change until you are prepared to see and accept that behaviour or characteristic within yourself.

The clearer our thinking the better our performance. 

There are three ways of being, existing, function and performing. 

Performance means learning and implementing ways of doing things better and that can influence many facets of our lives. Performance also requires balance so that our life remains in harmony with things that are meaningful as we grow into the new way of being.

Reading is a great starting point. Improve the thinking and you can improve the behaviour which means better opportunity of better results. Or sometimes even a result where none have existed.

So performance starts with recognition of the need for change and the preparedness to to act on it.

In future postings there will be source materials that can assist in the process. 

I suggest that finding a good coach, mentor or running mate is also vital to getting a good start and maintaining momentum