Friday, April 28, 2006
Get advice from the experts...
I came across a useful-looking site on my travels yesterday – AOL’s www.coaches.com which offers all kinds of advice in the form of articles, mini-workshops, video clips and message boards from experts such as Tom Peters, Mary Hunt, John Gray and Stephen Covey. Definitely worth a look…
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Unconditional Parenting
It's been a while since I've mentioned Michael Neill's radio show, so here are details of today's show for you (and if it's too short notice and you miss it, you can listen to the archived show later at http://www.hayhouseradio.com)).
UNCONDITIONAL PARENTING
Thursday, April 27 at Noon pacific/3pm eastern/8pm UK
Did your parents ever shoot you "the look" -- you know, the one that meant you were in BIG trouble? Find out how you can successfully parent your own children (or even yourself!) without resorting to punishments or rewards. I'll be taking your calls throughout the show - if you want to find ways to be more unconditional in your parenting without losing control of your family, phone in to speak with me on air!
THE NUMBERS TO CALL: Inside the US1-866-254-1579
From the UK/Outside the US001-760-918-4300
(BONUS: One lucky caller chosen at random will receive two free tickets to the Hay House 'I Can Do It' conference in Las Vegas valued at $750!!!)
To listen to the show live this Thursday, April 27, go to http://www.hayhouseradio.com at Noon pacific/8pm UK and click on the button marked 'Listen Now'.
UNCONDITIONAL PARENTING
Thursday, April 27 at Noon pacific/3pm eastern/8pm UK
Did your parents ever shoot you "the look" -- you know, the one that meant you were in BIG trouble? Find out how you can successfully parent your own children (or even yourself!) without resorting to punishments or rewards. I'll be taking your calls throughout the show - if you want to find ways to be more unconditional in your parenting without losing control of your family, phone in to speak with me on air!
THE NUMBERS TO CALL: Inside the US1-866-254-1579
From the UK/Outside the US001-760-918-4300
(BONUS: One lucky caller chosen at random will receive two free tickets to the Hay House 'I Can Do It' conference in Las Vegas valued at $750!!!)
To listen to the show live this Thursday, April 27, go to http://www.hayhouseradio.com at Noon pacific/8pm UK and click on the button marked 'Listen Now'.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
My new baby...
Today marks the launch of my new retirement coaching website - Contemporary Retirement Coaching - you can take a sneaky peak at www.contemporaryretirementcoaching.com.
I have been fascinated by the subject of retirement ever since I started work and I had been itching to take the coach training course offered by Retirement Options for a couple of years, but had convinced myself that, at 45 (then), I was too young to advise people on their retirement and that I wouldn't have any real credibility.
However, I recently met up with an old friend from work and she mentioned that she was due to retire in 2 years time but that she didn't feel ready for retirement and was planning on working for a while longer yet. I was telling her about the retirement coach training course that I had had my eye on and she pointed out to me that, although I was only 43 when I left full-time work, I had, in effect, retired from corporate life and started a whole new 'retirement' career - which kinda shot my 'too young to have credibility' theory out of the water. Then, the very next day, I received an email from Retirement Options telling me about their next training course and I took that as a sign that retirement coaching and I were meant to be. So I signed up for the course and duly qualified as a retirement coach in mid-February.
So the site - my baby - is up and running. I designed it all myself using Frontpage and, apart from the link to the shopping cart (which keeps returning the purchaser back to my Successfully Single site), it all seems to be working fine.
So, if someone you know has either just retired or is due to retire within the next 10 years or so, would you please point them in my direction? I have some special offers coming up, and, if they sign up for my free retirement tips, I'll make sure that they get to hear all about them.
I have been fascinated by the subject of retirement ever since I started work and I had been itching to take the coach training course offered by Retirement Options for a couple of years, but had convinced myself that, at 45 (then), I was too young to advise people on their retirement and that I wouldn't have any real credibility.
However, I recently met up with an old friend from work and she mentioned that she was due to retire in 2 years time but that she didn't feel ready for retirement and was planning on working for a while longer yet. I was telling her about the retirement coach training course that I had had my eye on and she pointed out to me that, although I was only 43 when I left full-time work, I had, in effect, retired from corporate life and started a whole new 'retirement' career - which kinda shot my 'too young to have credibility' theory out of the water. Then, the very next day, I received an email from Retirement Options telling me about their next training course and I took that as a sign that retirement coaching and I were meant to be. So I signed up for the course and duly qualified as a retirement coach in mid-February.
So the site - my baby - is up and running. I designed it all myself using Frontpage and, apart from the link to the shopping cart (which keeps returning the purchaser back to my Successfully Single site), it all seems to be working fine.
So, if someone you know has either just retired or is due to retire within the next 10 years or so, would you please point them in my direction? I have some special offers coming up, and, if they sign up for my free retirement tips, I'll make sure that they get to hear all about them.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Practise your interview skills
I have a resource for you today which you may find especially useful if you have any job interviews lined up in the near future: the Monster.com Interview Centre has a virtual interview where you can practice answering interview questions before the big day. The link you need is: http://interview.monster.com/virtualinterview/campus/
and Monster.com state that:
'The Virtual Interview contains actual interview questions ranging from puff ball to killer. This interactive section gives you the opportunity to test your answers in a safe environment so that when the real thing comes along you can engage in a meaningful exchange rather than grope for a clumsy comeback.Some of these questions will seem more appropriate for new grads or entry-level applicants, while others will be for more experienced interviewees. Try your hand at both, no matter what your level, for the same principles apply'.
and Monster.com state that:
'The Virtual Interview contains actual interview questions ranging from puff ball to killer. This interactive section gives you the opportunity to test your answers in a safe environment so that when the real thing comes along you can engage in a meaningful exchange rather than grope for a clumsy comeback.Some of these questions will seem more appropriate for new grads or entry-level applicants, while others will be for more experienced interviewees. Try your hand at both, no matter what your level, for the same principles apply'.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Are you a lifelong learner?
Would you consider yourself to be a lifelong learner? Do you make an effort to get out there and learn something new on a regular basis? Do you constantly try to develop your skills and knowledge? I was thinking about this as I worked out this morning. (I’ve noticed that I usually have a ‘thought theme’ for my workout and, by the time the workout ends, I often have a blog entry ‘written’ in my head just ready and waiting to be typed out.)
I started out thinking about the courses that I had taken/have signed up for so far this year: I qualified as a Retirement Coach in February. Then I started on a year-long, 'live life over 40 with more purpose, passion and pizzazz' course which complements the retirement coaching perfectly. On May 3rd I start a course which will qualify me to deliver P.R.I.N.T. assessments, (Print is a tool that offers a way to identify the personality characteristics of your clients, giving tremendous insights into their "unconscious motivators" and behaviors) and I have attended several one-off, hour-long teleclasses on diverse subjects such as ‘How to coach in public’, The power of games to teach and inspire’, 'Public speaking' and‘The Energetics of Attraction’ (most of which were free to attend). Added to this are the 100 or so books that I have read since the beginning of the year...
One of the things that makes successful people stand out from the rest is a willingness to learn and keep on learning. Don’t be one of the majority of people who never read a book once they leave school. Readers are leaders. Stop watching TV (or, at least, watch less of it) and commit to spending at least half an hour a day reading books that will develop you personally and professionally. An added bonus of this is that a commitment to reading (and learning in general) could have a knock-on effect on your health and wellbeing in later years.
In his book, 'Aging with Grace', Dr David Snowden writes about a study he carried out which involved a group of 678 nuns. Many of the nuns were over 90 years of age and 6 of them were over 100 years of age, yet very few of them showed any signs of losing their faculties or developing Alzheimer's disease. Although the nuns had lead healthy lives - they were physically active and none of them drank or smoked - the researchers felt that their mental acuity was attributable to something more than this. Most of the nuns were teachers and they all shared a love of learning which meant that they were constantly reading and exposing themselves to stimulating new subjects and ideas. The nuns agreed to donate their brains to medical science after their death so that the study could be continued. Half of the brains analyzed were found to have fully-blown Alzheimer's disease in advanced stages - yet the nuns had never shown any signs or symptoms of this. A good advert for lifelong learning if ever you needed one!
So, what would you like to learn?
What interests you?
What would you like to know more about?
What skills would you like to develop?
What skills would be useful to you?
In which subject would you like to be known as an expert?
Take some action now. Track down that course you’ve always wanted to take. Sign up for a teleclass. Visit your local library. Sign up for that training course at work...
What could you do to make sure you learn something new every day?
I started out thinking about the courses that I had taken/have signed up for so far this year: I qualified as a Retirement Coach in February. Then I started on a year-long, 'live life over 40 with more purpose, passion and pizzazz' course which complements the retirement coaching perfectly. On May 3rd I start a course which will qualify me to deliver P.R.I.N.T. assessments, (Print is a tool that offers a way to identify the personality characteristics of your clients, giving tremendous insights into their "unconscious motivators" and behaviors) and I have attended several one-off, hour-long teleclasses on diverse subjects such as ‘How to coach in public’, The power of games to teach and inspire’, 'Public speaking' and‘The Energetics of Attraction’ (most of which were free to attend). Added to this are the 100 or so books that I have read since the beginning of the year...
One of the things that makes successful people stand out from the rest is a willingness to learn and keep on learning. Don’t be one of the majority of people who never read a book once they leave school. Readers are leaders. Stop watching TV (or, at least, watch less of it) and commit to spending at least half an hour a day reading books that will develop you personally and professionally. An added bonus of this is that a commitment to reading (and learning in general) could have a knock-on effect on your health and wellbeing in later years.
In his book, 'Aging with Grace', Dr David Snowden writes about a study he carried out which involved a group of 678 nuns. Many of the nuns were over 90 years of age and 6 of them were over 100 years of age, yet very few of them showed any signs of losing their faculties or developing Alzheimer's disease. Although the nuns had lead healthy lives - they were physically active and none of them drank or smoked - the researchers felt that their mental acuity was attributable to something more than this. Most of the nuns were teachers and they all shared a love of learning which meant that they were constantly reading and exposing themselves to stimulating new subjects and ideas. The nuns agreed to donate their brains to medical science after their death so that the study could be continued. Half of the brains analyzed were found to have fully-blown Alzheimer's disease in advanced stages - yet the nuns had never shown any signs or symptoms of this. A good advert for lifelong learning if ever you needed one!
So, what would you like to learn?
What interests you?
What would you like to know more about?
What skills would you like to develop?
What skills would be useful to you?
In which subject would you like to be known as an expert?
Take some action now. Track down that course you’ve always wanted to take. Sign up for a teleclass. Visit your local library. Sign up for that training course at work...
What could you do to make sure you learn something new every day?
Thursday, April 20, 2006
I'm not the woman I used to be...
I was thinking about eyes whilst I was doing my workout this morning. More specifically, I was thinking about the way that your eyesight fails you as you get older and the fact that I wish I had hung on longer before I succumbed to wearing specs.
I used to pride myself on my eyesight. Both my Mum and Dad wear glasses and have done for as long as I can remember and my brother started wearing glasses in his 30’s. When I hit my 40’s, my eyesight was still perfect and I suppose I felt a bit smug really when everyone around me at work had to find their specs before they could read anything.
Then, when I was 43, all of a sudden (or so it seemed) I found that I was having a problem reading phone numbers in the directory. That was all. I could see everything else. It was just phone numbers that I was struggling with. So I decided to go for an eye test.
Now I know that, ideally, you should go for a regular eye test, whether you wear glasses or not. But I hadn’t. I’d never had one, in fact. So off I went, got myself tested and came out with a prescription which I duly exchanged for a pair of reading glasses and a free pair of prescription sunglasses.
That was the beginning of my problems. Within a month, I went from not being able to read the occasional phone number to being completely unable to read without glasses. Now I’m pretty sure that my eyes didn’t really deteriorate that much within the space of a month – in fact, if they did, they must have immediately stopped deteriorating at the end of the month, because my vision has remained the same during the last 4 years.
I’m sure that an optician would have an explanation for it and I certainly don't regret going for that initial eye test because diseases like Glaucoma can only be detected by regular testing, but, personally, I wish I’d just bought a magnifying glass instead of a pair of specs…
I used to pride myself on my eyesight. Both my Mum and Dad wear glasses and have done for as long as I can remember and my brother started wearing glasses in his 30’s. When I hit my 40’s, my eyesight was still perfect and I suppose I felt a bit smug really when everyone around me at work had to find their specs before they could read anything.
Then, when I was 43, all of a sudden (or so it seemed) I found that I was having a problem reading phone numbers in the directory. That was all. I could see everything else. It was just phone numbers that I was struggling with. So I decided to go for an eye test.
Now I know that, ideally, you should go for a regular eye test, whether you wear glasses or not. But I hadn’t. I’d never had one, in fact. So off I went, got myself tested and came out with a prescription which I duly exchanged for a pair of reading glasses and a free pair of prescription sunglasses.
That was the beginning of my problems. Within a month, I went from not being able to read the occasional phone number to being completely unable to read without glasses. Now I’m pretty sure that my eyes didn’t really deteriorate that much within the space of a month – in fact, if they did, they must have immediately stopped deteriorating at the end of the month, because my vision has remained the same during the last 4 years.
I’m sure that an optician would have an explanation for it and I certainly don't regret going for that initial eye test because diseases like Glaucoma can only be detected by regular testing, but, personally, I wish I’d just bought a magnifying glass instead of a pair of specs…
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Help me - I'm a step-parent!
I’m not the world’s most natural step-parent. Most of the time, I just leave Chris and his kids to get on with it. They don’t need me hanging around and I’m pretty sure that the kids don’t want me hanging around, so I give them plenty of space in the form of weekends and holidays with their Dad.
A few weeks ago, Chris’s 17 year old son, Philip, decided that he wanted to move back in with us. He needed to pass his driving test first though, because we live out in the back of beyond and everywhere he needed to get to was at least a 30 minute drive away. So, a couple of weeks ago, he took and passed his driving test and we agreed that he would move back in over the Easter weekend.
The last time Phil lived with us was two and a half years ago when he was still a sulky adolescent, and I must admit that I found it difficult. I have never had a broody moment in all of my life. I’ve never wanted kids of my own and I’ll be honest and say that taking on someone else’s kids was (and still is) the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
Before I met Chris, I lived on my own for 7 years and I loved every minute of it. I like my own space and I like peace and quiet. I think the hardest thing to cope with was all the noise that teenagers make – they can’t do anything quietly can they? And don’t get me started about their music – I have fairly eclectic musical tastes. I’m not living in the past - I love modern music and will listen to anything at least once… but that’s my point - I will listen to it – I don’t expect everyone else in the house to listen to it at the same time. So you can imagine my alarm when 2 guitars and an amplifier came through the door along with all his other stuff.
I’m thinking of going to live in a caravan in the garden…
'The first sign of maturity is the discovery that the volume knob also turns to the left.'
Jerry M. Wright
A few weeks ago, Chris’s 17 year old son, Philip, decided that he wanted to move back in with us. He needed to pass his driving test first though, because we live out in the back of beyond and everywhere he needed to get to was at least a 30 minute drive away. So, a couple of weeks ago, he took and passed his driving test and we agreed that he would move back in over the Easter weekend.
The last time Phil lived with us was two and a half years ago when he was still a sulky adolescent, and I must admit that I found it difficult. I have never had a broody moment in all of my life. I’ve never wanted kids of my own and I’ll be honest and say that taking on someone else’s kids was (and still is) the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
Before I met Chris, I lived on my own for 7 years and I loved every minute of it. I like my own space and I like peace and quiet. I think the hardest thing to cope with was all the noise that teenagers make – they can’t do anything quietly can they? And don’t get me started about their music – I have fairly eclectic musical tastes. I’m not living in the past - I love modern music and will listen to anything at least once… but that’s my point - I will listen to it – I don’t expect everyone else in the house to listen to it at the same time. So you can imagine my alarm when 2 guitars and an amplifier came through the door along with all his other stuff.
I’m thinking of going to live in a caravan in the garden…
P.S. I posted this blog entry and immediately did a Google search for quotes on aging for another blog that I write. I had to smile when I found the following:
'The first sign of maturity is the discovery that the volume knob also turns to the left.'
Jerry M. Wright
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Friends Reunited
I had a lovely surprise over the Easter holiday. On Easter Sunday, I was delighted to be contacted by my long-lost cousin. The last time we saw or heard from each other was at her Mum’s funeral, about 25 years ago. She was only a little girl at the time and she went to live with her Dad and we lost touch. She found me through www.friendsreunited.co.uk, a site which enables old friends and classmates to get in touch with each other again.
We have so much to catch up on – she has 2 brothers and a sister with whom we also lost contact and we are already on our 5th email.
When I visited the Friends Reunited site to pick up her initial email, I found a message waiting there for me from Helen, an old friend of mine that I met when I was about 16. The message was sent to a disused email address of mine about 16 months ago and I never received it until Sunday.
It was so nice to hear from these women again. They are both people that I am delighted to be in touch with again and will do my best not to ‘lose’ in future. As we get older, people do disappear from our lives don’t they? People die or move away. Sometimes we argue with people and are too proud (or angry) to make the first move towards reconciliation...
Who have you ‘lost’ from your life that you would like to be in touch with again?
Which old and dear friend is due a phone call from you?
Who have you not seen for years and would really like to meet up with again?
What are you going to do about it?
And if you’re out there, Cheralyn Petty, I’ve lost your number and, since we both moved around the same time, I have no address for you, but I miss you and I’d love to be in touch again…
We have so much to catch up on – she has 2 brothers and a sister with whom we also lost contact and we are already on our 5th email.
When I visited the Friends Reunited site to pick up her initial email, I found a message waiting there for me from Helen, an old friend of mine that I met when I was about 16. The message was sent to a disused email address of mine about 16 months ago and I never received it until Sunday.
It was so nice to hear from these women again. They are both people that I am delighted to be in touch with again and will do my best not to ‘lose’ in future. As we get older, people do disappear from our lives don’t they? People die or move away. Sometimes we argue with people and are too proud (or angry) to make the first move towards reconciliation...
Who have you ‘lost’ from your life that you would like to be in touch with again?
Which old and dear friend is due a phone call from you?
Who have you not seen for years and would really like to meet up with again?
What are you going to do about it?
And if you’re out there, Cheralyn Petty, I’ve lost your number and, since we both moved around the same time, I have no address for you, but I miss you and I’d love to be in touch again…
Thursday, April 13, 2006
A different kind of relationship
Chris comes home today. I’ll be happy to see him but, as usual, I’ve enjoyed my time by myself and it reinforces my belief that, if our relationship were ever to end, I would experience relatively few problems in going back to single living. This was not always the case, however.
When I first separated from my husband (which was 11 years ago, now) I was filled with trepidation at the thought of living alone and I was quite keen to meet someone else and settle down with them before too much time elapsed. When this actually happened, I believed that I was all set to live in blissful harmony for the rest of my life. The fact that our ‘rebound’ relationship lasted barely 18 months, completely wiped me out and it took 7 years of living by myself and learning to appreciate my single status before I felt ready to take the plunge again. But this time, it was a different woman who was entering a new relationship.
I felt strong and independent. I earned good money. I was entering a career that I knew was the right one for me (coaching). I had a great house that I had no intention of letting go of (my house still belongs to me and is let to tenants. Chris’s house is owned by him and I live in it with him.). I had given myself time to really think about what I wanted from a relationship and the qualities and attributes that I wanted/needed from a partner and, more importantly, I was going into the relationship with my eyes open. I no longer imagined that this relationship was going to last for the rest of my life. Of course, I hoped it would and I believed that it might, but I also knew myself very well...
I am extremely interested in my own personal growth and development (well, would you want to hire a coach who wasn’t?) and I know that individuals in a relationship can change, grow and develop at different rates, which can sometimes lead to them growing apart and needing to go their separate ways. I believe that this knowledge has helped me to have a different kind of relationship and to behave better within that relationship. I am no longer as ‘clingy’ and jealous as I was previously. I no longer feel the need to spend huge tracts of time with my partner in order to prove to myself that we are a couple. I recognise that we have different interests that we both like to pursue and that to expect someone to participate in your own preferred activities, just because you are a couple, is unnecessary. Which reminds me of a quote that I particularly like:
When I first separated from my husband (which was 11 years ago, now) I was filled with trepidation at the thought of living alone and I was quite keen to meet someone else and settle down with them before too much time elapsed. When this actually happened, I believed that I was all set to live in blissful harmony for the rest of my life. The fact that our ‘rebound’ relationship lasted barely 18 months, completely wiped me out and it took 7 years of living by myself and learning to appreciate my single status before I felt ready to take the plunge again. But this time, it was a different woman who was entering a new relationship.
I felt strong and independent. I earned good money. I was entering a career that I knew was the right one for me (coaching). I had a great house that I had no intention of letting go of (my house still belongs to me and is let to tenants. Chris’s house is owned by him and I live in it with him.). I had given myself time to really think about what I wanted from a relationship and the qualities and attributes that I wanted/needed from a partner and, more importantly, I was going into the relationship with my eyes open. I no longer imagined that this relationship was going to last for the rest of my life. Of course, I hoped it would and I believed that it might, but I also knew myself very well...
I am extremely interested in my own personal growth and development (well, would you want to hire a coach who wasn’t?) and I know that individuals in a relationship can change, grow and develop at different rates, which can sometimes lead to them growing apart and needing to go their separate ways. I believe that this knowledge has helped me to have a different kind of relationship and to behave better within that relationship. I am no longer as ‘clingy’ and jealous as I was previously. I no longer feel the need to spend huge tracts of time with my partner in order to prove to myself that we are a couple. I recognise that we have different interests that we both like to pursue and that to expect someone to participate in your own preferred activities, just because you are a couple, is unnecessary. Which reminds me of a quote that I particularly like:
‘Selfishness is not doing what you want to do: it is expecting other people
to do what you want to do’
(Author Unknown)
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Does that sound like love to you?
An old song by a singer who irritates the heck out of me came on the radio yesterday. The song stuck in my head afterwards and I found myself singing bits of it. Then I actually listened to what it was that I was singing and was horrified. I have no wish to infringe copyright laws, so I'll have to paraphrase... Basically, the singer was saying to his sweetheart that he knew he was foolish, but, even though she treated him cruelly, he loved her and would continue to love her no matter how badly she treated him in the future.
Does this sound like love to you?
Do you aspire to have the kind of love that means that, no matter how badly your lover treats you, you will continue to love them?
Do you think that such a stance would encourage your lover to love you more or less?
For that matter, if the tables were turned, would you REALLY want to be with someone who would love you, no matter what you did to them and how cruelly you treated them?
Could you have any respect for them?
Does this sound like love to you?
Do you aspire to have the kind of love that means that, no matter how badly your lover treats you, you will continue to love them?
Do you think that such a stance would encourage your lover to love you more or less?
For that matter, if the tables were turned, would you REALLY want to be with someone who would love you, no matter what you did to them and how cruelly you treated them?
Could you have any respect for them?
I hope not. And to the singer of the aforementioned song, I have just one thing to say:
'Get some self respect, man!'.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Silence is golden
I’m in the middle of spending a week alone. What bliss! Chris’s daughter is home from University and they’ve gone to the boat until Thursday. Now Chris is a lovely guy and I wouldn’t swap him for anyone else, but after spending 7 years living alone as a single woman, I really grew to appreciate the advantages and benefits of single living and it’s nice to be able to recreate that occasionally.
The thing that I appreciate most is the peace and quiet. Chris and I both work from home and although we have separate offices, I often use one of the computers in his office because it contains many more programs than my own little laptop – which means that I have to endure the sound of his phones ringing almost constantly. This is not so bad if he’s out for the day – this means that only 2 of his phones have the potential to ring. But on the days that he’s working from home, you can add his two mobile phones into the mix and you end up with a whole cacophony of different ring tones, often in sequence as his customers and clients try to reach him on his various numbers.
Even worse than that is the shouting. No, I don’t mean the two of us arguing. He’s an electronics engineer and I’m talking about the customers who are calling him from their factories and the fact that he has to compete with their various machines, radios and personnel to be heard... Fortunately the internal walls in the house are quite thick or I’d have to speak to my coaching clients from the garden shed!
So, today I’m revelling in the silence. His phones haven’t rung once yet. And, of course, another huge advantage of his absence is that I’m able to eat what I want to eat when I want to eat it, without bothering about making a ‘proper’ meal.
Ice cream, chocolate sauce and a re-run of American Idol for dinner anyone? (But switch your mobile phone off first, won't you?)
The thing that I appreciate most is the peace and quiet. Chris and I both work from home and although we have separate offices, I often use one of the computers in his office because it contains many more programs than my own little laptop – which means that I have to endure the sound of his phones ringing almost constantly. This is not so bad if he’s out for the day – this means that only 2 of his phones have the potential to ring. But on the days that he’s working from home, you can add his two mobile phones into the mix and you end up with a whole cacophony of different ring tones, often in sequence as his customers and clients try to reach him on his various numbers.
Even worse than that is the shouting. No, I don’t mean the two of us arguing. He’s an electronics engineer and I’m talking about the customers who are calling him from their factories and the fact that he has to compete with their various machines, radios and personnel to be heard... Fortunately the internal walls in the house are quite thick or I’d have to speak to my coaching clients from the garden shed!
So, today I’m revelling in the silence. His phones haven’t rung once yet. And, of course, another huge advantage of his absence is that I’m able to eat what I want to eat when I want to eat it, without bothering about making a ‘proper’ meal.
Ice cream, chocolate sauce and a re-run of American Idol for dinner anyone? (But switch your mobile phone off first, won't you?)
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Gone, but not forgotten
Do you get attached to your car? Chris swapped his Land Rover Discovery for a new Jeep Cherokee yesterday and we were devastated to see the Landy go after 3 years of almost faultless service.
This has happened to us before. Before he got the Land Rover, Chris had another Jeep Cherokee (he has a fondness for Jeeps) and we hated to see that one go too. We’ve had other cars but somehow, they weren’t as characterful, if you know what I mean, and the fact that they were going didn’t affect us one bit.
Maybe it’s something to do with our appreciation of how hard these four-wheel-drive cars have worked for us – tugging 3 ton boats up and down the country without a whimper and never reaching their boot (trunk) capacity, no matter how many bags, dinghies, wetsuits, water skis and wakeboards we shoved into them.
Maybe it’s something to do with the fact that, when a young guy ran into the back of us in the middle of Llandudno town centre, we barely felt the impact and there was not a scratch to be seen anywhere on the Land Rover, despite the fact that the front of his mother’s car was completely crumpled (and she’d only just got it back from the body shop the day before from the last time he smashed it up).
Maybe it’s the fact that even on the iciest of mornings, if Chris needed to drive any particular distance, he could leave his van behind and take the Land Rover instead and I just knew that he would be safe and I wouldn’t have to worry half as much about him skidding on a patch of ice and having an accident.
Or maybe I’m just too sentimental. Whatever the reason, I couldn’t help feeling sad last night when I thought of the Landy, alone on a garage forecourt, waiting to be sold, with no-one to love and appreciate her. I just hope that whoever buys her loves her as much as we did!
This has happened to us before. Before he got the Land Rover, Chris had another Jeep Cherokee (he has a fondness for Jeeps) and we hated to see that one go too. We’ve had other cars but somehow, they weren’t as characterful, if you know what I mean, and the fact that they were going didn’t affect us one bit.
Maybe it’s something to do with our appreciation of how hard these four-wheel-drive cars have worked for us – tugging 3 ton boats up and down the country without a whimper and never reaching their boot (trunk) capacity, no matter how many bags, dinghies, wetsuits, water skis and wakeboards we shoved into them.
Maybe it’s something to do with the fact that, when a young guy ran into the back of us in the middle of Llandudno town centre, we barely felt the impact and there was not a scratch to be seen anywhere on the Land Rover, despite the fact that the front of his mother’s car was completely crumpled (and she’d only just got it back from the body shop the day before from the last time he smashed it up).
Maybe it’s the fact that even on the iciest of mornings, if Chris needed to drive any particular distance, he could leave his van behind and take the Land Rover instead and I just knew that he would be safe and I wouldn’t have to worry half as much about him skidding on a patch of ice and having an accident.
Or maybe I’m just too sentimental. Whatever the reason, I couldn’t help feeling sad last night when I thought of the Landy, alone on a garage forecourt, waiting to be sold, with no-one to love and appreciate her. I just hope that whoever buys her loves her as much as we did!
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Time sensitive offer - respond by midnight today (UK time)
I received the following email today from my publishers, Bookshaker.com http://www.bookshaker.com/product_info.php?ref=120&products_id=133 about a new book that is being released today - '...And Death Came Third!' by Andy Lopata and Peter Roper (the title reflects the fact that most people say that they fear death LESS than they fear speaking in public).
The book itself costs £14.95 but it comes with over £2,000 of free gifts - ebooks, mp3 recordings, discounts, trial memberships and free coaching. The details are all below but you need to order from Amazon today (5 April 2006) and send a copy of your receipt to the people at Bookshaker - by midnight today (UK time) - to claim your free gifts. The details are below but act fast so that you don't miss out.
Dear Ann
As one of my valued contacts, I have an irresistible offer for you that includes over £2,000 in free gifts - but you have to act today to claim them. Your special free gifts include:
1) The complete "Sales Hypnosis" mind programming audiothat will boost your sales success in seconds byworld-famous business hypnotist, Gary Outrageous (mp3)(£19.97 value, yours free!)
2) The complete 200 page book "Networking for Life"by Ecademy.com's Chairman, Thomas Power (PDF)(£20 value, yours free!)
3) The Complete yet-to-be-released 50 minute Soul Millionaire interview with marketing guru Robert Middleton (mp3)(£19.99 value, yours free!)
4) The complete 180 page Lean Marketing Bible: "The Gorillas Want Bananas" by Me! (PDF)(£9.99 value, yours free!)
5) 4 great audio clips on Trusting Your Intuition, Reading Other People, Overcoming Fear of Rejection and Influential Language from acclaimed NLP trainer - Jamie Smart of Salad.(£20 value, yours free!)
6) "117 Ways To Sell Almost Anything to Almost Anyone" by Peter Thomson the UK's Leading Business Growth Strategist "Don't go to any more meetings before you read Tip #25"(£19.97 value, yours free!)
7) The "Talk Propper" self-study manual for professionalspeakers by past Professional Speaker's AssociationPresident, Jim Ewan (PDF)(£57 value, yours free!)
8) The 1-hour "Most Commonly Asked Presentation Questions"interview with Maria Davies, Presentation Trainer andAuthor of Speaking in Stilettoes (mp3)(£20 value, yours free)
9) Event discounts, trial memberships and free coaching to help you further build your personal and business success
10) More in additional ebooks, special reports, audios and special offers from the likes ofLesley Everett, Tracy Plaice, David Scarlett, Judy Barber, David Hyner, Maria Davies, Courageous Marketer - John Sealey and more...
Details of all the bonuses can be found here...#### http://www.deathcamethird.com ####
Now, here's how you can grab these valuable free gifts by doing just one simple thing today... We're celebrating the official launch of our latest book "...And Death Came Third!" by Andy Lopata and PeterRoper in a big, BIG way. So we're 'giving away the shop' to do just that. All *you* need to do to get over £2,000 in free gifts is grab ONE copy of their book for just £14.95 at...http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1905430159/leanmarketing-21
How's THAT for a win-win celebration? You buy one £14.95 book today andyou get £2,000 in amazing info!Best of all "...And Death Came Third!" is a fantastic investment anyway because it shows you how to:
* WALK into a networking event and approach people with CONFIDENCE
* STRUCTURE a talk so that you can get your key message across POWERFULLY
* ENGAGE people in conversation and get them interested in YOU
* FOCUS on the results you want from networking and achieve them EASILY
* STAND and speak with CONVICTION and AUTHORITY* and much, much more...
So go to the site below and grab yourself a copy of"...And Death Came Third!" right now - TODAY#### http://www.deathcamethird.com #### Then all you have to do to get your free gifts is just email the receipt you'll get from Amazon.co.uk to mailto:adc3.bookshaker@aweber.com and we'll send your free gifts right over to you.
Sir Digby Jones, Director-General of the CBI said this..."A must-read for anyone who wants to get on in business."
However, the celebration ends at midnight (UK Time) tonight! So the only way you can grab all these free gifts is to purchase your copy of "...And Death Came Third!" and get your receipt over to us at mailto:adc3.bookshaker@aweber.combefore midnight TONIGHT.
Learn more about this book, the bonuses and how to buy it here...
#### http://www.deathcamethird.com ####
Warm Wishes
Debbie Jenkins
www.bookshaker.com
PS: Remember - in order to receive your £2,000+ in free bonuses you must email the receipt to mailto:adc3.bookshaker@aweber.com no later than midnight (GMT) Wednesday 5th April.
PPS: When you order before midnight tonight you'll also get the e-book version of "...And Death Came Third!" so you can get started on this incredible book right away.(£9.99 value, yours free!)
PPPS: Today your investment is just £14.95 (amazon even cover the shipping)
PPPPS: If you have friends who will benefit too then dothem a favour and forward this email to them now.
The book itself costs £14.95 but it comes with over £2,000 of free gifts - ebooks, mp3 recordings, discounts, trial memberships and free coaching. The details are all below but you need to order from Amazon today (5 April 2006) and send a copy of your receipt to the people at Bookshaker - by midnight today (UK time) - to claim your free gifts. The details are below but act fast so that you don't miss out.
Dear Ann
As one of my valued contacts, I have an irresistible offer for you that includes over £2,000 in free gifts - but you have to act today to claim them. Your special free gifts include:
1) The complete "Sales Hypnosis" mind programming audiothat will boost your sales success in seconds byworld-famous business hypnotist, Gary Outrageous (mp3)(£19.97 value, yours free!)
2) The complete 200 page book "Networking for Life"by Ecademy.com's Chairman, Thomas Power (PDF)(£20 value, yours free!)
3) The Complete yet-to-be-released 50 minute Soul Millionaire interview with marketing guru Robert Middleton (mp3)(£19.99 value, yours free!)
4) The complete 180 page Lean Marketing Bible: "The Gorillas Want Bananas" by Me! (PDF)(£9.99 value, yours free!)
5) 4 great audio clips on Trusting Your Intuition, Reading Other People, Overcoming Fear of Rejection and Influential Language from acclaimed NLP trainer - Jamie Smart of Salad.(£20 value, yours free!)
6) "117 Ways To Sell Almost Anything to Almost Anyone" by Peter Thomson the UK's Leading Business Growth Strategist "Don't go to any more meetings before you read Tip #25"(£19.97 value, yours free!)
7) The "Talk Propper" self-study manual for professionalspeakers by past Professional Speaker's AssociationPresident, Jim Ewan (PDF)(£57 value, yours free!)
8) The 1-hour "Most Commonly Asked Presentation Questions"interview with Maria Davies, Presentation Trainer andAuthor of Speaking in Stilettoes (mp3)(£20 value, yours free)
9) Event discounts, trial memberships and free coaching to help you further build your personal and business success
10) More in additional ebooks, special reports, audios and special offers from the likes ofLesley Everett, Tracy Plaice, David Scarlett, Judy Barber, David Hyner, Maria Davies, Courageous Marketer - John Sealey and more...
Details of all the bonuses can be found here...#### http://www.deathcamethird.com ####
Now, here's how you can grab these valuable free gifts by doing just one simple thing today... We're celebrating the official launch of our latest book "...And Death Came Third!" by Andy Lopata and PeterRoper in a big, BIG way. So we're 'giving away the shop' to do just that. All *you* need to do to get over £2,000 in free gifts is grab ONE copy of their book for just £14.95 at...http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1905430159/leanmarketing-21
How's THAT for a win-win celebration? You buy one £14.95 book today andyou get £2,000 in amazing info!Best of all "...And Death Came Third!" is a fantastic investment anyway because it shows you how to:
* WALK into a networking event and approach people with CONFIDENCE
* STRUCTURE a talk so that you can get your key message across POWERFULLY
* ENGAGE people in conversation and get them interested in YOU
* FOCUS on the results you want from networking and achieve them EASILY
* STAND and speak with CONVICTION and AUTHORITY* and much, much more...
So go to the site below and grab yourself a copy of"...And Death Came Third!" right now - TODAY#### http://www.deathcamethird.com #### Then all you have to do to get your free gifts is just email the receipt you'll get from Amazon.co.uk to mailto:adc3.bookshaker@aweber.com and we'll send your free gifts right over to you.
Sir Digby Jones, Director-General of the CBI said this..."A must-read for anyone who wants to get on in business."
However, the celebration ends at midnight (UK Time) tonight! So the only way you can grab all these free gifts is to purchase your copy of "...And Death Came Third!" and get your receipt over to us at mailto:adc3.bookshaker@aweber.combefore midnight TONIGHT.
Learn more about this book, the bonuses and how to buy it here...
#### http://www.deathcamethird.com ####
Warm Wishes
Debbie Jenkins
www.bookshaker.com
PS: Remember - in order to receive your £2,000+ in free bonuses you must email the receipt to mailto:adc3.bookshaker@aweber.com no later than midnight (GMT) Wednesday 5th April.
PPS: When you order before midnight tonight you'll also get the e-book version of "...And Death Came Third!" so you can get started on this incredible book right away.(£9.99 value, yours free!)
PPPS: Today your investment is just £14.95 (amazon even cover the shipping)
PPPPS: If you have friends who will benefit too then dothem a favour and forward this email to them now.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Read any good books lately?
Don’t you just love a good book? I do. Reading has been one of my most favourite occupations for as long as I can remember.
So, what have I read recently? Well, my two ‘airport’ books that I took on holiday were ‘It’s Called a Break Up Because It’s Broken’ by Greg Behrendt and Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt, and something I’ve been meaning to read for years now, ‘Ask and It Is Given’ by Esther and Jerry Hicks. Both were vaguely work-related but, hey, I love what I do and it doesn’t feel like work anyhow…
Then, whilst I was in the U.S., I couldn’t resist spending a couple of hours in Barnes and Noble, and I left with ‘Party of One’ by Anneli Rufus and, (an exciting find since I've just qualified as a Retirement Coach) ‘Retirement for Two’ by Maryanne Vandervelde tucked under my arm. (Yes, I did pay for them.) Actually, I would have bought a whole lot more but I had Chris constantly reminding me how perilously close our suitcases had been to ‘excess baggage’ on the way out from Manchester Airport.
I usually have at least 5 library books on the go at any one time – I grab anything new with a coaching/self-help/psychology slant to it and I can’t resist psychological or forensic-themed thrillers. The most interesting from my current selection are 'The Life Coaching Handbook' by Curly Martin and ‘The Vanished Man’ by Jeffery Deaver.
Then, on Friday, a fellow coach sent me the manuscript of her new book and asked for my comments on it… Well, how could I refuse? Best of all, our local library has just started opening on Sundays. Guess where I'm off to this weekend?
So, what have I read recently? Well, my two ‘airport’ books that I took on holiday were ‘It’s Called a Break Up Because It’s Broken’ by Greg Behrendt and Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt, and something I’ve been meaning to read for years now, ‘Ask and It Is Given’ by Esther and Jerry Hicks. Both were vaguely work-related but, hey, I love what I do and it doesn’t feel like work anyhow…
Then, whilst I was in the U.S., I couldn’t resist spending a couple of hours in Barnes and Noble, and I left with ‘Party of One’ by Anneli Rufus and, (an exciting find since I've just qualified as a Retirement Coach) ‘Retirement for Two’ by Maryanne Vandervelde tucked under my arm. (Yes, I did pay for them.) Actually, I would have bought a whole lot more but I had Chris constantly reminding me how perilously close our suitcases had been to ‘excess baggage’ on the way out from Manchester Airport.
I usually have at least 5 library books on the go at any one time – I grab anything new with a coaching/self-help/psychology slant to it and I can’t resist psychological or forensic-themed thrillers. The most interesting from my current selection are 'The Life Coaching Handbook' by Curly Martin and ‘The Vanished Man’ by Jeffery Deaver.
Then, on Friday, a fellow coach sent me the manuscript of her new book and asked for my comments on it… Well, how could I refuse? Best of all, our local library has just started opening on Sundays. Guess where I'm off to this weekend?
Monday, April 03, 2006
A creature of habit
I’m not what I would consider to be a particularly high-maintenance kinda gal. My hair is short and takes about two minutes to dry. Most days I can be found wearing no make-up and dressed in combat trousers, a t-shirt and a fleece. When I do wear make-up, I go for a very natural look and, even when I’m really dressed up to the nines, the only jewellery I wear is a watch and a pair of earrings.
However, I do have several routines or ‘habits’ that I have developed over the years to keep me looking and feeling as good as I possibly can, and which I would never dream of abandoning now. For example, once a month, every month since I was about 16, I have had my hair cut. As I said earlier, my hair is short and easy to maintain, but it only stays that way because I get it trimmed regularly.
Five mornings a week, I get up at 6 am and exercise for an hour and 15 minutes. Before I shower, I always use a foot file on the soles and heels of my feet. Whilst I’m in the shower, I use a moisturising soap or shower gel and exfoliating ‘scrubber gloves’ to remove dead skin cells and, when I get out, I slather on a moisturising body lotion.
Although I generally don’t wear make-up on weekdays (unless I’m doing a workshop or presentation), I cleanse, tone and moisturise my skin twice a day and I wouldn’t dream of wearing a moisturiser with an SPF of less than 15 (and when I was on holiday a couple of weeks ago, I wore a SPF of 55 on my face!).
I took a manicure course, years ago, and I buff the nails and push the cuticles back on both my hands and feet several times a week. And don’t even get me started about my teeth – cleaned 3 times a day, flossed twice a day followed by interdental brushing, whitening toothpaste, floss picks for those hard-to-reach areas behind the back teeth… Now I think about it, I’m glad I’m not high maintenance – by the time I finished my morning routine, it’d be time to start my going-to-bed routine.
Seriously though, what ‘routines’ do you have to keep yourself feeling and looking as good as you possibly can? What additional routines do you know you need to put into place? Regular flossing? Taking your make-up off before you fall into bed at night? Regular pedicures (at home or in a salon) so that you can slip into sandals at the first sight of a sunny day in the knowledge that your feet always look presentable?
You only need to do something 21 times before it becomes a habit. What habits can you adopt now that will pay off in years to come?
Make a list of 10 things that you are willing to do every single day to really take care of yourself. Make up a little chart, so that you can monitor your progress by ticking off the activities you have completed each day. Don't give up if you miss a couple of days. Just start again. The good habits you form now will last you a lifetime and will ensure that you stay healthy, fit and looking good.
However, I do have several routines or ‘habits’ that I have developed over the years to keep me looking and feeling as good as I possibly can, and which I would never dream of abandoning now. For example, once a month, every month since I was about 16, I have had my hair cut. As I said earlier, my hair is short and easy to maintain, but it only stays that way because I get it trimmed regularly.
Five mornings a week, I get up at 6 am and exercise for an hour and 15 minutes. Before I shower, I always use a foot file on the soles and heels of my feet. Whilst I’m in the shower, I use a moisturising soap or shower gel and exfoliating ‘scrubber gloves’ to remove dead skin cells and, when I get out, I slather on a moisturising body lotion.
Although I generally don’t wear make-up on weekdays (unless I’m doing a workshop or presentation), I cleanse, tone and moisturise my skin twice a day and I wouldn’t dream of wearing a moisturiser with an SPF of less than 15 (and when I was on holiday a couple of weeks ago, I wore a SPF of 55 on my face!).
I took a manicure course, years ago, and I buff the nails and push the cuticles back on both my hands and feet several times a week. And don’t even get me started about my teeth – cleaned 3 times a day, flossed twice a day followed by interdental brushing, whitening toothpaste, floss picks for those hard-to-reach areas behind the back teeth… Now I think about it, I’m glad I’m not high maintenance – by the time I finished my morning routine, it’d be time to start my going-to-bed routine.
Seriously though, what ‘routines’ do you have to keep yourself feeling and looking as good as you possibly can? What additional routines do you know you need to put into place? Regular flossing? Taking your make-up off before you fall into bed at night? Regular pedicures (at home or in a salon) so that you can slip into sandals at the first sight of a sunny day in the knowledge that your feet always look presentable?
You only need to do something 21 times before it becomes a habit. What habits can you adopt now that will pay off in years to come?
Make a list of 10 things that you are willing to do every single day to really take care of yourself. Make up a little chart, so that you can monitor your progress by ticking off the activities you have completed each day. Don't give up if you miss a couple of days. Just start again. The good habits you form now will last you a lifetime and will ensure that you stay healthy, fit and looking good.
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