Newsletter Archive: January 2009

 

Text Box: January 2009 Welcome to the Dare to Blossom newsletter – Happy New Year! 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: Simplicity - Dare to Blossom Workshop: 14 March 2009, Chacewater Village Hall - Dare to Blossom Inspiration Package: cost effective way to try out life coaching - Links to inspire and raise a smile! - Announcing the winner of the December prize draw for six free coaching sessions Reflections: Simplicity We have all been affected by the events of the last few months in various ways, some people much more severely than others and none of us can be sure what the New Year will bring for us. One gift that the current situation has brought is the chance to return to a more simple life. I do not mean to down play the heart ache and hardship that some are experiencing, more to focus on what we have rather than what we lack. So, when I was thinking of Christmas presents this year my starting point was my cupboards and the things I could make myself rather than what I would buy in the shops. This makes sense in terms of the environment as well as economically. And it has one very big plus point – people appreciate a gift much more if they can see the thought and effort that has gone into making it with them in mind, and it is likely to mean much more to them as well. Looking ahead to 2009 I can find myself easily caught up in a downward spiral of gloom and worry, and what I have found helps me most of all is going back to basics and reflecting on what values are important to me in my life. This leads me to being able to see the beauty in simplicity, clearing some of the mental and physical clutter and emphasising what really matters to me. Some of my values in life are: - authenticity - love - laughter - connection - fun - friendship - contribution Do you know what your values are? Someone asked me that question recently and I realised that I had lost touch with what exactly was important to me, so I went back to basics and did the exercise below, try it if you would like to. Choose the ten values from the list below that mean the most to you. (Add your own too if you wish.) Rank them in order of importance. Then, starting at the top, compare the first one with the next and check they are in the right order, you may, or may not, find you make some changes in the order. Consider how your current life style enables you to follow these values, and what changes you may wish to make to bring them into your life more positively. Achievement Adventure Beauty Charity Community Creativity Dignity Ethics Family Freedom Friendship Fun Growth Happiness Health Honesty Honour Humility Independence Individuality Integrity Intimacy Justice Kindness Knowledge Leadership Love Passion Peace Pride Power Reason Respect Risk Security Self discipline Self esteem Service Spirituality Strength Supportiveness Surrender Trust Truth Wisdom For example one of the ways I bring the value “contribution” into my life is to regularly give to charity. Two I support are: Kiva: a fantastic micro-credit scheme to help people by loaning money which they repay and then it can be lent again to help another person. Shelterbox: a ‘home-grown’ Cornwall based charity sending disaster relief to areas all around the world. I am not always able to donate money, so I also give time to Macmillan Cancer Support. If you sign up to their “Opportunities” board you receive notices of relevant opportunities to contribute by commenting on issues, helping with campaigns or fund raising. You will have your own causes that you feel passionately about supporting, anything you can do, however small, will all add up to helping with the cause. One definition of simplicity is: “Simplicity is the opposite of complexity; that is, anything that's unnecessary is extracted, and you're left with only what is absolutely important.” If that is one result of the changes taking place in the world, for me that is a good thing. “Creating Abundance with Passion” workshop 14 March: book by 31 January for a half price offer The next full day Dare to Blossom workshop will be on Saturday 14 March at Chacewater Village Hall. Come and enjoy a full day of fun, laughter, and reflection, to focus on what matters most to you. We will use life coaching and creative exercises designed to help you to celebrate the abundance all around us even in the midst of change and uncertainty.   Building on the half-day taster events this workshop will be limited to a maximum of 12 people and will give time and space for deeper work on finding your passion in your life and your work and tapping into that to create abundance for you and those close to you.   Venue: Chacewater Village Hall, near Truro, Cornwall Times: arrival from 9.30 for refreshments, start at 10.00, finish at 4.00 p.m. Bring: a notebook and a packed lunch Cost: £50 per person, including a follow-up telephone coaching consultation after the workshop (value £45).   Early Bird booking special discount with two options:   1. Book before 31 January 2009 at half price, only £25. 2. Book before 28 February 2009 for a 20% discount, pay £40.   Booking form here. Put the date in your diary now if you are interested! And do contact me with suggestions or requests for other venues. The Dare to Blossom Inspiration Package: a cost effective way to try out life coaching The Inspiration Package consists of: - a copy of my book “Dare to Blossom: Coaching and Creativity” - plus a voucher for two 30 minute telephone life coaching sessions. All for the combined price of £49, including post and packing. (The price if you bought these items separately would be £101.95, so this is less than half price) Details and order form here. . Of course my books are available separately as well, click here for details. Links to inspire and raise a smile! You may have seen these links before – I never tire of seeing them again though! Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and author of “The Art of Possibility” is an extraordinary man with some wonderful messages that he puts over to audiences in an amusing and thought-provoking way. Here is a link to a video clip of his talk in February 2008 “On Music and Passion”. Here is a talk to head teachers at a conference organised by the National College of School Leadership, he explains why we should stop listening to the negative voices in our heads and give ourselves and others an A-grade. He urges people to think positively and be open to possibilities. He argues that we spend too much time and energy being weighed down by negative thinking and downward spirals. The secret, he says, is to try to live in possibility, and not to take yourself too seriously. He was also the closing speaker at the Davos World Economic Forum, ending with the audience singing “Ode to Joy”. A pure laugh can be found here! The Gratitude Dance – have fun! And finally: the winner of the December prize draw for six free coaching sessions The draw has been made and the winner informed, but due to Christmas holidays I have not yet heard back from them with permission to publish their name in this newsletter. If it is you, I’ll look forward to hearing from you and working alongside you to make 2009 a very special year. If it is not you, there will be another chance to win in the next draw at the end of June, and you can take up the offer of a free consultation at any time, just email me to make an appointment. 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 for a peaceful, healthy and happy year in 2009.   Mary



 

 

 

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Newsletter Archive

January 2009

 

 

 
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