Newsletter Archive: September 2008

 

Text Box:    September 2008 Welcome to the Dare to Blossom newsletter. If this has been forwarded to you by someone else, you can sign up for your own copy every month here. If you do not wish to receive future editions, please email me to unsubscribe. Everyone who is on the mailing list will be entered into a draw twice a year (at the end of June and the end of December) with a chance to win a prize of six free life coaching sessions. In this issue: - Reflections: Change - Feedback, a request for your help - Dare to Blossom 2009 Calendar - Dare to Blossom Workshop on 4 October Reflections: Change I have been (like many people I am sure) struggling with how to cope with change – the things I can’t control such as rising prices and financial pressures; and what direction to take to change myself or my work in order to reach more people. Many years ago a wise person I was working with introduced me to the saying “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” I have been feeling lately as if I’ve been doing what I’ve always done and, although some things work well and can be built on, other things aren’t achieving the results I would like. I decided to make changes in two ways: to look for more contract work in fields such as coaching, business advice and training to supplement my income and extend my experience and skills; and to do a thorough review of my business and look at how I can change what I am doing. Having made those decisions, two things happened (isn’t it wonderful when it works like that!): several short contract opportunities were advertised locally; and a chance came up to work with a marketing expert, Karen Purves Karen is an experienced coach and marketing specialist and the ‘business builder’ system she is developing has a number of components. A key part of the process is working with a group online and on the phone. This is already proving an invaluable source of support and inspiration. I have realised that many other people in coaching are confronting similar issues to me. We offer encouragement to each other and share experiences. Karen offers extensive support and wisdom to enable each of us to find the insights we need to move forward. The working material Karen has provided for us to test and help her develop consists of worksheets accompanied by a workbook, mediation recordings, and other resources. I am finding it very challenging, which of course it should be to shift me out of my current way of thinking (and “getting what I’ve always got”). Karen will be launching a “Know your Niche” product on 2 October and I will have full details available for you (and more about my experiences) in the next newsletter. In difficult times I find that I can get diverted from my vision of the bigger picture and why I love what I do. It is natural for people to think about basic survival first (if you are familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs you will recognise this). We all have basic needs such as food, water, shelter that have to be satisfied before we can think about other issues. However, in order not to be so affected by these pressures it is even more important to have a clear sense of who you are and what you want to achieve in life. If you have this secure grounding beneath you it is possible to weather the worst that comes our way and come out stronger the other side. For you: What is changing for you at the moment? Is it taking you where you want to be? Do you know where you want to be or are you simply reacting? What do you need to do next? Who can help you? Write down some positive steps you can take, and do something! You may well find, as I did, that once you move “the universe moves with you” and all sorts of opportunities arise from surprising directions if you are open to them. Finally, the quote that inspired me years ago is very appropriate for how I am feeling: “…and then the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” (Anais Nin) Feedback: a request for help Many of you send me comments and feedback on this newsletter, and I very much appreciate them, thank you. This month I would like to offer you the chance to send me your thoughts in a more structured way. There are already a number of ways in which you can link up with me and use my services: buying my book “Dare to Blossom: Coaching and Creativity”, as a print or e-book version attending my workshops one-to-one telephone coaching However, unless I ask you, I have no real way of knowing if this is what you are looking for. There are many of you reading this who I have not met or spoken to, and there could be other things that you need or want that I could offer you if I knew what they were! So, if you would like to, please look at the questions in blue and copy and paste them into an email to return to me with your answers. Your replies will be treated with the strictest confidence. Everyone who replies will receive a report “Opportunities”, based on a chapter from my book. All replies received by 30 September will be placed in a draw to win a signed copy of “Dare to Blossom: Coaching and Creativity.” Section One offers you a chance to stop and reflect on your current situation. There are two ways to complete these questions, quickly and intuitively following your first impulses, or taking more time to reflect and consider – either way is good, and neither is ‘better’ than the other. Section Two looks at a range of ways in which you might like to work with me. I will reply individually to you in detail when I receive your answers. Section One What issues do you need help with in your life right now? (List up to five) What issues do you really want to take action on? (Choose two) How soon will you take action? What help would you like to tackle these issues? Section Two Would you like to try out any of these approaches? (Delete as applicable) 1. a free telephone consultation Yes/No 2. one month’s free email coaching Yes/No 3. a free telephone interactive discussion group Yes/No 4. a Dare to Blossom online discussion group/community where we can exchange views with each other and develop contacts and conversations. Yes/No 5. a half-price place on a Dare to Blossom workshop Yes/No (note: availability would depend on demand in any one location and/or your ability to travel) 6. Are any of these workshop topics of interest to you? creating a life you love spiritual business planning mothers and daughters coaching for confidence coaching for change 7. Are there any other ways I can help? 8. Would you like to discuss your requirements on the phone? Yes/No Thank you for taking the time, I appreciate your help, your responses will be treated in total confidence. Dare to Blossom 2009 Calendar My calendar is now available via Lulu.com. The picture for each month is of flowers taken in my garden in Cornwall. The colourful pictures will bring a little piece of nature to inspire you each month. (Also makes a perfect present!) The price is £7.99 plus postage and you can choose whether to pay more for faster delivery. Dare to Blossom Workshop in Cornwall The next Dare to Blossom workshop is on Saturday 4 October, at Chacewater Village Hall, near Truro, Cornwall. There is just time to book a place at the Early Bird Price of £50 (a saving of £15 over full price), before the offer expires on 4 September. You can secure a place by sending a deposit of £10 before that date. Follow these links for further details and the booking form. Thank you for reading, do email me with any questions, comments or suggestions, or feedback on particular items. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think may be interested. All best wishes,   Mary



 

 

 

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Newsletter Archive

September 2008

 

 

 
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