In the last two week I've been to two funerals. Both men were taken before their time. One was in his 60's and the other only in his 20's. Both were taken by cancer and have left devasted families behind....
Sometimes life can seem very cruel and unfair. If we look at it from the limited perspective of this physical world it can be impossible to understand and difficult to accept. For me personally, times like this are made easier by a deep sense of knowing that we are more than just this physical life and this physical body - a sense of being part of something greater.
During my lifetime I have been lucky enough to have had some amazing experiences which have confirmed for me that even after we die we are still very much present with those that we love and in light of the last few week I thought I would share one of those experiences with you today.....
In 2002, my father (JJ McKinney) passed away from Cancer. In the years leading up to his death he loved giving me directions (at times much to my irritation - as he often directed me to places that I knew better than him - like my own house :-))
A few years after his death I was driving back home to Aughrim after attended an event in Naas. It was late evening - well after middnight and I'd never driven the back roads from Naas to Aughrim before so was quite unsure of where I was going. As I was making my way home I noticed that I was very low on petrol and calculated that without a single mistake on the journey I would barely make it home unless I managed to refill.
In the darkness I found it impossible to recognise the way I had come and got completely lost. I seemed to have ended up in the depths of countryside with no villages, nothing I recognised and no signs of life. I did not pass one open petrol station in the whole journey. For miles I had seen nothing but one signpost for "Moone" which as far as I knew definitely shouldnt have been on my journey home!
I pulled in at the side of the road feeling growing panic, I had no idea where I was, I hadnt passed a village in ages and my petrol was rapidly running down, the one thing I did know was that I was on a road to Moone (not a comforting fact considering a woman had dissapeared in that area some time before hand). My imagination started to run wild - with lots of not so nice thoughts!
As I looked at the map, almost in tears, trying to figure out where I was, I prayed to my father to please do something to help me. "J.J. - If there was ever a time that I needed directions - NOW IS THE TIME - please, please, please help me".
Minutes later, I jumped sky high when there was a loud knock on my car window. I turned expecting to see some mad man waiting to get me.... only to see a man in a garda uniform looking through the glass. Behind him I saw a squad car with a female garda inside. For those of you that live in a city this may not seem particularly strange but those of you who live in the countryside will know that it is a VERY, VERY, VERY RARE occassion that you pass a garda car on the back roads. So I consider the timing of this event a minor if not major miracle.
I rolled down the window and the garda asked me what was up. When I explained he laughed and told me I was miles away from where I should be and heading in the wrong direction. He then proceeded to offer me a garda escort back to a road I knew.
The Garda car escorted me through miles of countryside until I was safely back to a route I knew. They then blinked their headlights and with a wave they were gone. I continued on the journey still a little fearful that I would not make it all the way on the remaining petrol but feeling some comfort that I was back on known territory. Eventually after a nervous drive home I arrived outside my house - the petrol indicator was indicating just 1 mile of petrol left !!!!
I immediately felt overwhelmed by emotion and gratitute to my father...not only because I was back safe and sound but more so because at that moment I knew without a doubt that his loving presence was always with me and was always watching out for me and that all I had to do was "ask" and he would be there. I knew without a doubt that when we die we still exist at a greater level! To this day this knowledge has never left me and I have had many other experiences where I have felt the strong protective energy of my father present when I need it.
I sometimes look back to that night and wish that I had rung up the garda stations in the area after the event to find out if they had a patrol car out that night and if they escorted a girl to safety. I wouldnt be surprised if the answer was "no". But physically real or not, it doesnt really matter, because either way I know deep in my heart, that, that night I met two angels sent by my father in garda uniforms and for that I will be eternally grateful.
This post is written in memory of Sean O Brien, Robert Beggs, J.J. McKinney and all those that have lost their lives to cancer - may they rest in peace and forever by present in our hearts.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Benefits of Healing in Post Operative Care
When we undergo an operation our energy fields can be affected in a number of ways. The anaesthetic can be seen in the energy system for up to a year after the operation and an operation itself can cause disturbance in the energy field. Healing can help to clear the anaesthetic from the field and to bring the energy back to its original form.
Our energy field is the template for our physical body. Physical illness generally shows up in the energy field before it shows up in the physical body. The physcial body struggles to heal when there is a disturbance in the flow of energy. Energy healing can help to speed up recovery time after an operation, build back up our immune system, reduce pain and post operative complications.
There have been many studies done by scientists or physicians which have shown evidence of the power of energy healing in post operative or patient care. One such study was carried by Elizabeth Targ and Fred Sicher. The study worked with a group of 40 advanced AIDS patients. All patients in the group had the same degree of illness, the same T-cell counts, the same number of AIDS-defining illnesses and were the same age range.
All patients received the usual orthodox treatment but only half of the patients received regular healings over a 6 month period. The other half received no healing. The healing was done remotely (distant healing) so the patients did not know which group they belonged in (the being healed or the not being healed group). The doctors also did not know which patients were receiving healing and which were not.
After six months, the whole group was scientifically assessed with inescapable conclusion that the healing was working. The group receiving healing were healthier on every parameter than the group not receiving healing. They had significantly fewer doctor visits, fewer hospitalization, fewer days in hospital and had developed fewer new AIDS-defining illnesses. The group receiving healing also registered significant improved mood on psychological tests. On 6 out of 11 medical outcomes, the group receiving healing had significantly better outcomes.
A recent personal experience has prompted me to write about this subject. One year ago I had Laser Eye surgery to reverse my short sight. The operation was a success and I was very pleased with the results. As a healer I know how beneficial it would have been to have a few healings after the operation to ensure that my post surgery healing was the best it could be but being a human I kept putting it on the long finger and 1 year later still had not got around to doing it.
After the surgery I noticed that a jumping nerve started in my eyelid. The hospital advised that this happens sometimes and there was nothing they could do about it. I knew healing would probably help but never seemed to find the time to go for a healing. Over the next year the nerve continued to jump and my eyes started to feel more strained and tired. A month ago the nerve stopped jumping but got replaced by bad headaches (something I never ususally experience).
I finally decided enough was enough and called a friend who trained with me in the Brennan School of Healing to ask for a healing. As she worked on me the next day I could feel the energy in my body and particularly my head reorganising itself. It felt like I was coming back in to order and that a weight had been lifted off me. It felt wonderful.
After the healing I felt extremely tired. I could barely get off the healing table but later that day I felt fantastic - more in my body than I have been in ages. The healing was two weeks ago and since then my jumping nerve and headaches have disappeared and I feel better than I have in months. I am going to go for another one or two healings just to ensure that my energy holds the changes that happened in the healing.
Needless to say I could kick myself for leaving it so long :-) but instead of that I think I'll just learn from the lesson instead and make sure that if I am ever having a surgical procedure or go through an illness again in the future that I'll book some healings up front to support my recovery.
If you want to find out more about some of the trials that have been done to prove the effectiveness of energy healing I recommend a book called "the field" by Lynn McTaggart.
If you'd like to discuss whether healing could be beneficial for you I can be contacted on 087 2529325
Our energy field is the template for our physical body. Physical illness generally shows up in the energy field before it shows up in the physical body. The physcial body struggles to heal when there is a disturbance in the flow of energy. Energy healing can help to speed up recovery time after an operation, build back up our immune system, reduce pain and post operative complications.
There have been many studies done by scientists or physicians which have shown evidence of the power of energy healing in post operative or patient care. One such study was carried by Elizabeth Targ and Fred Sicher. The study worked with a group of 40 advanced AIDS patients. All patients in the group had the same degree of illness, the same T-cell counts, the same number of AIDS-defining illnesses and were the same age range.
All patients received the usual orthodox treatment but only half of the patients received regular healings over a 6 month period. The other half received no healing. The healing was done remotely (distant healing) so the patients did not know which group they belonged in (the being healed or the not being healed group). The doctors also did not know which patients were receiving healing and which were not.
After six months, the whole group was scientifically assessed with inescapable conclusion that the healing was working. The group receiving healing were healthier on every parameter than the group not receiving healing. They had significantly fewer doctor visits, fewer hospitalization, fewer days in hospital and had developed fewer new AIDS-defining illnesses. The group receiving healing also registered significant improved mood on psychological tests. On 6 out of 11 medical outcomes, the group receiving healing had significantly better outcomes.
A recent personal experience has prompted me to write about this subject. One year ago I had Laser Eye surgery to reverse my short sight. The operation was a success and I was very pleased with the results. As a healer I know how beneficial it would have been to have a few healings after the operation to ensure that my post surgery healing was the best it could be but being a human I kept putting it on the long finger and 1 year later still had not got around to doing it.
After the surgery I noticed that a jumping nerve started in my eyelid. The hospital advised that this happens sometimes and there was nothing they could do about it. I knew healing would probably help but never seemed to find the time to go for a healing. Over the next year the nerve continued to jump and my eyes started to feel more strained and tired. A month ago the nerve stopped jumping but got replaced by bad headaches (something I never ususally experience).
I finally decided enough was enough and called a friend who trained with me in the Brennan School of Healing to ask for a healing. As she worked on me the next day I could feel the energy in my body and particularly my head reorganising itself. It felt like I was coming back in to order and that a weight had been lifted off me. It felt wonderful.
After the healing I felt extremely tired. I could barely get off the healing table but later that day I felt fantastic - more in my body than I have been in ages. The healing was two weeks ago and since then my jumping nerve and headaches have disappeared and I feel better than I have in months. I am going to go for another one or two healings just to ensure that my energy holds the changes that happened in the healing.
Needless to say I could kick myself for leaving it so long :-) but instead of that I think I'll just learn from the lesson instead and make sure that if I am ever having a surgical procedure or go through an illness again in the future that I'll book some healings up front to support my recovery.
If you want to find out more about some of the trials that have been done to prove the effectiveness of energy healing I recommend a book called "the field" by Lynn McTaggart.
If you'd like to discuss whether healing could be beneficial for you I can be contacted on 087 2529325
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Law of Attraction Workshop Extra Date
Due to popular demand I am running an extra Law of Attraction Workshop on Sunday 30th November in Aughrim, Co Wicklow.
For more information log on to www.pathwaytothesoul.com or call me on 087 2529325
For more information log on to www.pathwaytothesoul.com or call me on 087 2529325
Believe you can and you will
What you believe has a direct impact on your physical, emotional and mental wellbeing and on the external results and achievements you see in your life - your successes and your failures.
‘If you think you can do a thing or think you cant do a thing, you are right’ These are the words of Henry Ford and they still ring true today. The strange thing is most of us dont pay much attention to what we believe. Most of us have no idea of the power of our beliefs. It’s not something that's taught in school or used very often in business. Its a powerful tool that is often completely overlooked and could bring more benefits to your life and your business than alot of hard work, talent and money put together. At the very basic level it is the foundation on which all your life experience rests.
We all hold beliefs about ourself and our capabilities. Some beliefs help us and some hold us back. We may believe we’d be great at doing a particular thing or that we’d be awful at it. We may believe we are a great sales person or a terrible one. We may believe we are good with money or that we are useless, that we are attractive or that we we are ugly. Whatever it is that we believe will directly influence the results we achieve in our life.
I find some of the studies and clinical trials that have been carried out that demonstrate the power of belief absolutely fascinating and I want to share some of them here with you today.
The ‘placebo affect’ gives us a glimpse of the control our beliefs have over our bodies. A placebo is any medical treatment that has no specific action, in other words it contains none of the active ingredients of the medical treatment. It is a fake treatment. Placebos are often used as a control in drug trials. In these cases one group of patients is give the real drug and another group of the same size is given a placebo. Neither the researchers nor the individuals being tested know which group they are in. In the last half century the placebo effect has been extensively researched in hundreds of different studies around the world and it has been shown that on average 35% of all people who receive a placebo will show an improvement in symptoms and at times also exhibit the known side effect of the real drug even though they havent been given the real drug at all. This shows that the simple belief that they have received a treatment drug can in many cases help a patients body to make recordable physical improvements. The percentage who experience an effect can greatly vary from situation to situation but the range of medical conditions on which placebos have proved effective ranges from life threatening to not so serious.
Studies have also shown that the effectiveness of the placebo is also impacted by the method in which it is given for example injections are perceived as more potent than pills so giving a placebo by injection can increase the percentage of people who repond to it as if it were the real drug. Another factor is the attitude the doctor conveys when he prescribes the placebo. Obviously the patient is not told directly that the drug is a placebo but the doctors manner may give away clues.
Even with the administration of real drugs studies have shown that the confidence the patient has in the doctors ability to prescribe the correct treatment can impact on the effectiveness of the drug. If the patient trusts the doctor, they will believe that they will be prescribed something that will help and thereby will increase their chances that the drug actually will help. If they are not confident in the doctor they may doubt whether the medication will help, thereby decreasing the chances of it working even if it was the perfect medication for their condition at that time.
Beliefs can also control our capabilities. Roger Bannister, made headlines around the world with one of the landmark events of 20th century sports history. At the time, it was thought to be impossible for a human being to run a mile in under four minutes. The world record of 4 minutes and 1.3seconds had stood for nine years, and experts regarded this time as an insurmountable human limitation. In 1954 Roger Bannister broke this record running the mile in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. The most incredible thing is that within 3 years 16 runners has logged a sub-4-minute miles.
Time and time again studies have shown that our beliefs affect our bodies and our capabilities. To see this for yourself do a little exercise next time you have to make do on too little sleep. I use this myself and find it really powerful. If I don’t get eight hours sleep I am a grouch. I began to notice that on nights when I knew I wouldn’t be getting the sleep I felt I needed, I would fall asleep thinking ‘oh no, now I’m going to be wrecked tomorrow - I wish I was getting enough sleep’ I realized that this was really setting myself up to be wrecked so instead of predicting the worst outcome before I fell asleep I started to say to myself that ‘my body would sleep well and deeply and that I would wake up fresh and rested in the morning’. I’d say this a number of times and I have been amazed at the results because without fail I wake up fresh and rested - no longer a morning grouch. Now I still like my sleep and I don’t recommend you do this as a way of continuously making do without sleep but if needs be it is certainly worth doing from time to time. So give it a go.
So how do you create positive beliefs in your life and how do you get rid of doubts. We all have doubts even those of us that look the most confident. Well the best way I have found to build positive beliefs is to focus on the end result, focus on what you want to happen. So often we focus on our doubts and our fears. We are all expert worriers and worrying is in effect concentrating our attention on what we don’t want to happen. You need to change this. And to put as much and in fact more energy toward imagining what you do want to happen. Focus on how you want things to be.
One of the most powerful tools for this is visualization - picturing the final outcome the way you would like it to be. But when I say visualization I don’t just mean seeing a picture in your imagination - I mean fully experiencing that event in your imagination. Experiencing it with all your senses. If, for example, you want to have a successful business where your brand name and product becomes known world wide, you have got to focus on what it is going to feel like to be that person who has that successful business. You have to focus on the end result - what the customers will be saying, how you’ll be feeling, what you’ll be thinking and what positive impact this will have on your life. You’ve got to become that person in your imagination and to fully experience what that is like.
Your beliefs are the foundation of everything. They are the pattern that underlies your life experience, your successes and your failures. So take some time to reflect on what beliefs you hold that help you and what beliefs you have that hold you back. It is in your control to change them and with that your life experience will change to.
‘If you think you can do a thing or think you cant do a thing, you are right’ These are the words of Henry Ford and they still ring true today. The strange thing is most of us dont pay much attention to what we believe. Most of us have no idea of the power of our beliefs. It’s not something that's taught in school or used very often in business. Its a powerful tool that is often completely overlooked and could bring more benefits to your life and your business than alot of hard work, talent and money put together. At the very basic level it is the foundation on which all your life experience rests.
We all hold beliefs about ourself and our capabilities. Some beliefs help us and some hold us back. We may believe we’d be great at doing a particular thing or that we’d be awful at it. We may believe we are a great sales person or a terrible one. We may believe we are good with money or that we are useless, that we are attractive or that we we are ugly. Whatever it is that we believe will directly influence the results we achieve in our life.
I find some of the studies and clinical trials that have been carried out that demonstrate the power of belief absolutely fascinating and I want to share some of them here with you today.
The ‘placebo affect’ gives us a glimpse of the control our beliefs have over our bodies. A placebo is any medical treatment that has no specific action, in other words it contains none of the active ingredients of the medical treatment. It is a fake treatment. Placebos are often used as a control in drug trials. In these cases one group of patients is give the real drug and another group of the same size is given a placebo. Neither the researchers nor the individuals being tested know which group they are in. In the last half century the placebo effect has been extensively researched in hundreds of different studies around the world and it has been shown that on average 35% of all people who receive a placebo will show an improvement in symptoms and at times also exhibit the known side effect of the real drug even though they havent been given the real drug at all. This shows that the simple belief that they have received a treatment drug can in many cases help a patients body to make recordable physical improvements. The percentage who experience an effect can greatly vary from situation to situation but the range of medical conditions on which placebos have proved effective ranges from life threatening to not so serious.
Studies have also shown that the effectiveness of the placebo is also impacted by the method in which it is given for example injections are perceived as more potent than pills so giving a placebo by injection can increase the percentage of people who repond to it as if it were the real drug. Another factor is the attitude the doctor conveys when he prescribes the placebo. Obviously the patient is not told directly that the drug is a placebo but the doctors manner may give away clues.
Even with the administration of real drugs studies have shown that the confidence the patient has in the doctors ability to prescribe the correct treatment can impact on the effectiveness of the drug. If the patient trusts the doctor, they will believe that they will be prescribed something that will help and thereby will increase their chances that the drug actually will help. If they are not confident in the doctor they may doubt whether the medication will help, thereby decreasing the chances of it working even if it was the perfect medication for their condition at that time.
Beliefs can also control our capabilities. Roger Bannister, made headlines around the world with one of the landmark events of 20th century sports history. At the time, it was thought to be impossible for a human being to run a mile in under four minutes. The world record of 4 minutes and 1.3seconds had stood for nine years, and experts regarded this time as an insurmountable human limitation. In 1954 Roger Bannister broke this record running the mile in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. The most incredible thing is that within 3 years 16 runners has logged a sub-4-minute miles.
Time and time again studies have shown that our beliefs affect our bodies and our capabilities. To see this for yourself do a little exercise next time you have to make do on too little sleep. I use this myself and find it really powerful. If I don’t get eight hours sleep I am a grouch. I began to notice that on nights when I knew I wouldn’t be getting the sleep I felt I needed, I would fall asleep thinking ‘oh no, now I’m going to be wrecked tomorrow - I wish I was getting enough sleep’ I realized that this was really setting myself up to be wrecked so instead of predicting the worst outcome before I fell asleep I started to say to myself that ‘my body would sleep well and deeply and that I would wake up fresh and rested in the morning’. I’d say this a number of times and I have been amazed at the results because without fail I wake up fresh and rested - no longer a morning grouch. Now I still like my sleep and I don’t recommend you do this as a way of continuously making do without sleep but if needs be it is certainly worth doing from time to time. So give it a go.
So how do you create positive beliefs in your life and how do you get rid of doubts. We all have doubts even those of us that look the most confident. Well the best way I have found to build positive beliefs is to focus on the end result, focus on what you want to happen. So often we focus on our doubts and our fears. We are all expert worriers and worrying is in effect concentrating our attention on what we don’t want to happen. You need to change this. And to put as much and in fact more energy toward imagining what you do want to happen. Focus on how you want things to be.
One of the most powerful tools for this is visualization - picturing the final outcome the way you would like it to be. But when I say visualization I don’t just mean seeing a picture in your imagination - I mean fully experiencing that event in your imagination. Experiencing it with all your senses. If, for example, you want to have a successful business where your brand name and product becomes known world wide, you have got to focus on what it is going to feel like to be that person who has that successful business. You have to focus on the end result - what the customers will be saying, how you’ll be feeling, what you’ll be thinking and what positive impact this will have on your life. You’ve got to become that person in your imagination and to fully experience what that is like.
Your beliefs are the foundation of everything. They are the pattern that underlies your life experience, your successes and your failures. So take some time to reflect on what beliefs you hold that help you and what beliefs you have that hold you back. It is in your control to change them and with that your life experience will change to.
Monday, September 22, 2008
The Funky Seomra Rocks
Saturday night saw the opening of The Funky Seomra a new Dance night in Dublins Cultivate Centre and what an amazing night it was!
Pubs and Clubs dont really do it for me anymore. I dislike the crowds, the noise and the hangovers. Having said that I'm not really ready for staying in by the fireside every saturday night either so the Funky Seomra sounded like a nice alternative.
From the moment you start walking down the walkway to The Funky Seomra it feels special - it is in a beautifully lit Cathedral Space in the heart of temple bar. There's a fab chillout section with the most comfy large bean bags I've ever been on that were perfect for chatting or relaxing when your legs needed a rest. Around the edge of the room there were stalls selling delicious organic snacks and chocolate treats, a chai & specialist tea bar and smoothie bar. You could even get on a bike and peddle your own smoothie. Personally I was a bit wrecked from all the dancing so preferred to have someone else peddle mine.
DJ David Mooney was fantastic and kept the crowd dancing with the lush beats of funky world music. 3 African drummers put on an amazing show and had the crowd crying out for more. Myself and my friend Liz forced ourselves off the floor every now and then to sample the other delights of the evening but I can honestly say if it wasnt for needing a drink, the loo or a bit of a chill and chat I could happily have danced all the way through.
The Funky Seomra is a alcohol and drugs free zone but as Liz said to me on the way home "if anyone walked in there off the street and realised there wasn't a bar they assume we were all on drugs". Thats the thing about The Funky Seomra - the atmosphere, the warm friendly people, the amazing images playing out on the walls, the fabulous sounds from DJ Dave all make it easy, to open up, let your hair down and let loose - and best of all not a scrap of alcohol required !
All in all The Funky Soemra gets my vote and I'm looking forward to the next one in a months time.
You can find out more about the Funky Seomra on www.cultivate.ie or www.dublin.ie/websites/movement
Pubs and Clubs dont really do it for me anymore. I dislike the crowds, the noise and the hangovers. Having said that I'm not really ready for staying in by the fireside every saturday night either so the Funky Seomra sounded like a nice alternative.
From the moment you start walking down the walkway to The Funky Seomra it feels special - it is in a beautifully lit Cathedral Space in the heart of temple bar. There's a fab chillout section with the most comfy large bean bags I've ever been on that were perfect for chatting or relaxing when your legs needed a rest. Around the edge of the room there were stalls selling delicious organic snacks and chocolate treats, a chai & specialist tea bar and smoothie bar. You could even get on a bike and peddle your own smoothie. Personally I was a bit wrecked from all the dancing so preferred to have someone else peddle mine.
DJ David Mooney was fantastic and kept the crowd dancing with the lush beats of funky world music. 3 African drummers put on an amazing show and had the crowd crying out for more. Myself and my friend Liz forced ourselves off the floor every now and then to sample the other delights of the evening but I can honestly say if it wasnt for needing a drink, the loo or a bit of a chill and chat I could happily have danced all the way through.
The Funky Seomra is a alcohol and drugs free zone but as Liz said to me on the way home "if anyone walked in there off the street and realised there wasn't a bar they assume we were all on drugs". Thats the thing about The Funky Seomra - the atmosphere, the warm friendly people, the amazing images playing out on the walls, the fabulous sounds from DJ Dave all make it easy, to open up, let your hair down and let loose - and best of all not a scrap of alcohol required !
All in all The Funky Soemra gets my vote and I'm looking forward to the next one in a months time.
You can find out more about the Funky Seomra on www.cultivate.ie or www.dublin.ie/websites/movement
Sunday, September 21, 2008
TED - Ideas Worth Spreading
TED is an annual conference that brings together the worlds most fascinating thinkers and doers who are challenged to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes.
If you haven't come across it before you have got to check it out. The best of these talks are available free on www.ted.com—you can also hear some through Sky on the EMTV channel
Many of these talks will blow you away so take some time to browse but here’s suggestions to get you started:
“A Stoke of Insight” — Jill Bolte Taylor is a Brain Scientist who got a research opportunity few scientists would wish for—she got to study herself having a stroke and came up with some amazing insights on the connection between stroke, energy and our brains.
“Why are we happy” - Dan Gilbert gives some interesting evidence to challenge the idea that we’ll be miserable if we don't get what we want
“Do Schools kill creativity” - Sir Ken Robinson delivers a speech as good as stand up comedy but with some really thought provoking ideas
“Classical Music with shining eyes” Benjamin Zander takes an unusual and funny approach to help increase the worlds appreciation of classical music
Enjoy !!
If you haven't come across it before you have got to check it out. The best of these talks are available free on www.ted.com—you can also hear some through Sky on the EMTV channel
Many of these talks will blow you away so take some time to browse but here’s suggestions to get you started:
“A Stoke of Insight” — Jill Bolte Taylor is a Brain Scientist who got a research opportunity few scientists would wish for—she got to study herself having a stroke and came up with some amazing insights on the connection between stroke, energy and our brains.
“Why are we happy” - Dan Gilbert gives some interesting evidence to challenge the idea that we’ll be miserable if we don't get what we want
“Do Schools kill creativity” - Sir Ken Robinson delivers a speech as good as stand up comedy but with some really thought provoking ideas
“Classical Music with shining eyes” Benjamin Zander takes an unusual and funny approach to help increase the worlds appreciation of classical music
Enjoy !!
Breakthrough Weekends
Breakthrough weekends are a perfect way to make a quantum leap forward, work deeply with a challenge you are facing or simply to renew and refresh your energy.
Take a weekend away from it all in beautiful Aughrim, Co Wicklow. Stay locally in B&B, hotel or self catering accomodation. Spend 5 hours spread throughout the weekend with Erica in one to one healing, coaching and therapy work. The rest of the time you are free to integrate in whatever way feels right for you. Spend time nature, hang out in the local coffee shops and restaurants, sit quietly in your room. The choice is yours!
There is something very powerful about taking a breather from your life especially when it is done with a clear intention of bringing about healing or of helping you to create positive change.When this is done in a space that is being energetically held to support your intention and you are receiving direct support through healing and coaching this creates the opportunity for powerful transformation.
Breakthrough weekends are available on the following dates: 20th to 22nd February, 24th to 26th April, 17th to 19th July and 21st to 23rd August.
For more details contact Erica on 0402 36899 or createthelifeyouwant@gmail.com
Take a weekend away from it all in beautiful Aughrim, Co Wicklow. Stay locally in B&B, hotel or self catering accomodation. Spend 5 hours spread throughout the weekend with Erica in one to one healing, coaching and therapy work. The rest of the time you are free to integrate in whatever way feels right for you. Spend time nature, hang out in the local coffee shops and restaurants, sit quietly in your room. The choice is yours!
There is something very powerful about taking a breather from your life especially when it is done with a clear intention of bringing about healing or of helping you to create positive change.When this is done in a space that is being energetically held to support your intention and you are receiving direct support through healing and coaching this creates the opportunity for powerful transformation.
Breakthrough weekends are available on the following dates: 20th to 22nd February, 24th to 26th April, 17th to 19th July and 21st to 23rd August.
For more details contact Erica on 0402 36899 or createthelifeyouwant@gmail.com
Courses & Workshops
This season I am delighted to bring you lots of new and exciting opportunities to create space for deep and lasting transformation in your life:
The Law of Attraction Workshop—Learn the secrets of this powerful law and how to use it to create what you desire. This workshop is suitable for people that are new to the law of attraction or for those who have previously read “the secret” or similar books and have worked with limited success with the law.
Energy Awareness & Healing Workshop—I’ve often been asked to teach healing or to provide a follow up to my “understanding the Human Energy Field” Course and I am excited to announce my first weekend workshop that will do just that. Increase your awareness of energy, get in touch with your own healing ability and feel confident enough to use it with yourself, your family, friends and those you see in need.
Live Your Dream Night Class—6 evenings packed full of invaluable skills to get you focusing on and moving steadily towards the future of your dreams.
Understanding the Human Energy Field Workshop—Energy is the source of everything. This workshop is always a huge success and an inspirational 2 days and I am thrilled to now be offering it as a residential course in Chyrsalis starting January 09.
Create the Life You Want Workshop —Breakthrough negative patterns or beliefs that hold you back and learn how to move forward in a positive way in your life. Small group only so book early.
Lose Weight—Feel Great - Get in shape for Christmas with this highly successful private weight loss programme. One to one weight loss coaching at an affordable price. Available in Aughrim, and Dun Laoghaire.
Breakthrough Weekends - A perfect way to make a quantum leap forward, work deeply with a challenge you are facing or simply to renew and refresh in beautiful Aughrim, Co Wicklow.
Healing and Life Coaching - Private consultations are available in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin & Aughrim, Co Wicklow
Be well and happy,
Erica
The Law of Attraction Workshop—Learn the secrets of this powerful law and how to use it to create what you desire. This workshop is suitable for people that are new to the law of attraction or for those who have previously read “the secret” or similar books and have worked with limited success with the law.
Energy Awareness & Healing Workshop—I’ve often been asked to teach healing or to provide a follow up to my “understanding the Human Energy Field” Course and I am excited to announce my first weekend workshop that will do just that. Increase your awareness of energy, get in touch with your own healing ability and feel confident enough to use it with yourself, your family, friends and those you see in need.
Live Your Dream Night Class—6 evenings packed full of invaluable skills to get you focusing on and moving steadily towards the future of your dreams.
Understanding the Human Energy Field Workshop—Energy is the source of everything. This workshop is always a huge success and an inspirational 2 days and I am thrilled to now be offering it as a residential course in Chyrsalis starting January 09.
Create the Life You Want Workshop —Breakthrough negative patterns or beliefs that hold you back and learn how to move forward in a positive way in your life. Small group only so book early.
Lose Weight—Feel Great - Get in shape for Christmas with this highly successful private weight loss programme. One to one weight loss coaching at an affordable price. Available in Aughrim, and Dun Laoghaire.
Breakthrough Weekends - A perfect way to make a quantum leap forward, work deeply with a challenge you are facing or simply to renew and refresh in beautiful Aughrim, Co Wicklow.
Healing and Life Coaching - Private consultations are available in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin & Aughrim, Co Wicklow
Be well and happy,
Erica
Book Review "The Dark Side of the Light Chasers" by Debbie Ford
A Friend of mine gave me this book several years ago -she thought it was amazing and that I’d get a lot out of it. I took a look at it and nothing about it grabbed me so I put it in a drawer and that’s where it sat year after year.
Then one day I felt like I really needed something new, something to move me forward and I remembered this book—I took it out and for the next 3 days I could not put it down—I read it from cover to cover. Everything in it spoke to me. It felt like the perfect gift at that moment.
The Dark Side of the Light Chasers is a powerful guide to help you reclaim your power, creativity, brilliance and dreams by actively embracing the sides of yourself you dislike or deny.
Debbie Ford, the author contends that everyone possesses the entire range of human traits and emotions "the saintly and the cynical, the divine and the diabolical, the courageous and the cowardly" When we try to deny or hide those aspects that we think are not acceptable to others—our dark side– we also end up hiding much of our brilliance and our light.
Ford offers advice on how to recognise your shadow side and how to confront rather than reject the seemingly undesirable parts of yourself. It is only by owning every aspect of yourself that can you achieve harmony and "let your own light shine". She explains. "The purpose of doing shadow work, is to become whole. To end our suffering. To stop hiding ourselves from ourselves. Once we do this we can stop hiding ourselves from the rest of the world".
A fabulous book for anyone whose ready to take a good honest look at themselves. I highly recommend it.
Then one day I felt like I really needed something new, something to move me forward and I remembered this book—I took it out and for the next 3 days I could not put it down—I read it from cover to cover. Everything in it spoke to me. It felt like the perfect gift at that moment.
The Dark Side of the Light Chasers is a powerful guide to help you reclaim your power, creativity, brilliance and dreams by actively embracing the sides of yourself you dislike or deny.
Debbie Ford, the author contends that everyone possesses the entire range of human traits and emotions "the saintly and the cynical, the divine and the diabolical, the courageous and the cowardly" When we try to deny or hide those aspects that we think are not acceptable to others—our dark side– we also end up hiding much of our brilliance and our light.
Ford offers advice on how to recognise your shadow side and how to confront rather than reject the seemingly undesirable parts of yourself. It is only by owning every aspect of yourself that can you achieve harmony and "let your own light shine". She explains. "The purpose of doing shadow work, is to become whole. To end our suffering. To stop hiding ourselves from ourselves. Once we do this we can stop hiding ourselves from the rest of the world".
A fabulous book for anyone whose ready to take a good honest look at themselves. I highly recommend it.
The Law of Attraction
The law of attraction simply says that you attract in to your life whatever you think about. The law of attraction is always at work in your life even if you are completely unaware of it’s existence or how it works.
Without an understanding of how you create then it is very likely that due to scattered, unfocused or negative thinking you will end of creating things that on a conscious level you really don't want.
The Law of Attraction starts with our thought but gains power through our emotions. A thought that does not create an emotional response is not as powerful a creator as one that creates a strong emotional response in us. If we think and feel negative things then we will attract negative things in to our lives. If we think and feel positive things we will attract positive experiences in to our lives.
In order to make the Law of Attraction work for you in a positive way it is important to understand how we create our reality. The essence of this lies in the fact that we and everything else in the world are made of energy and how we think and feel affects the energy we emit to the world. Our energy acts like a magnet attracting like energy to it. This understanding can then be used to deliberately create the things we truly want.
Take a strong step toward creating what you want right now by spending time each day deliberately focusing on the things you want to create in a way that makes you feel strong positive emotion about them. Imagine how you would feel and think if you had what you wanted in your life right now. Really connect with this and bring the sensations and the positive feelings this picture brings into you body. Do this every day for a few minutes.
In parallel to this start to become aware of when you are feeling negative emotion. Negative emotion is a sign that you are thinking negatively and therefore are creating negatively. Allowing yourself to simmer in negative emotions will block good things coming in to your life.
If you’d like to learn more about how to make the law of Attraction work for you check out my workshop on 19th October. You’ll find full details on my www.pathwaytothesoul.com
Without an understanding of how you create then it is very likely that due to scattered, unfocused or negative thinking you will end of creating things that on a conscious level you really don't want.
The Law of Attraction starts with our thought but gains power through our emotions. A thought that does not create an emotional response is not as powerful a creator as one that creates a strong emotional response in us. If we think and feel negative things then we will attract negative things in to our lives. If we think and feel positive things we will attract positive experiences in to our lives.
In order to make the Law of Attraction work for you in a positive way it is important to understand how we create our reality. The essence of this lies in the fact that we and everything else in the world are made of energy and how we think and feel affects the energy we emit to the world. Our energy acts like a magnet attracting like energy to it. This understanding can then be used to deliberately create the things we truly want.
Take a strong step toward creating what you want right now by spending time each day deliberately focusing on the things you want to create in a way that makes you feel strong positive emotion about them. Imagine how you would feel and think if you had what you wanted in your life right now. Really connect with this and bring the sensations and the positive feelings this picture brings into you body. Do this every day for a few minutes.
In parallel to this start to become aware of when you are feeling negative emotion. Negative emotion is a sign that you are thinking negatively and therefore are creating negatively. Allowing yourself to simmer in negative emotions will block good things coming in to your life.
If you’d like to learn more about how to make the law of Attraction work for you check out my workshop on 19th October. You’ll find full details on my www.pathwaytothesoul.com
The Amazing Power of Gratitude
If you’d like to be happier and healthier start cultivating an attitude of gratitude and you’ll be off to a flying start.
According to scientific research by psychologist Emmons and McCullogh the simple act of counting your blessings can increase happiness levels by 25%! Those who make a point of practising gratitude sleep better, exercise more, feel more optimistic and less materialistic, are more empathetic and joyful and reported few physical symptoms such as pain. They can even have sharper minds.
Secondly, this is not hard to achieve - a few hours writing a gratitude journal over 3 weeks can create an effect that lasts 6 months if not more.
Emmons and McCullough carried out an experiential investigation into the link between gratitude and well-being. More than 100 adults took part in the study and were randomly divided into 3 different groups. Each group had to keep a journal. Group A had to write about things they felt grateful about. Group B about things they found annoying, irritating and Group C about things that had no major impact on them.
Results show that the gratitude group generally evidenced higher-levels of well-being than those in the comparison conditions, especially when compared to Group B (the one journaling about hassles), but also compared to the “neutral” group C.
The most common method used in the research was to keep a “Gratitude Journal” where participants wrote something they felt grateful for. Doing so 4 times a week, for as little as 3 weeks, is often enough to create a meaningful difference in one’s level of happiness.
Another exercise is to build a “Gratitude 30” into your day. Select a 30 minute period and actively notice all the things you are grateful for as you go through your daily business.
Alternatively simply taking a few minutes before bed time or in the morning to run through all the things you appreciate in your life can be very effective.
So start being thankful and before you know it you’ll be happy you did!
According to scientific research by psychologist Emmons and McCullogh the simple act of counting your blessings can increase happiness levels by 25%! Those who make a point of practising gratitude sleep better, exercise more, feel more optimistic and less materialistic, are more empathetic and joyful and reported few physical symptoms such as pain. They can even have sharper minds.
Secondly, this is not hard to achieve - a few hours writing a gratitude journal over 3 weeks can create an effect that lasts 6 months if not more.
Emmons and McCullough carried out an experiential investigation into the link between gratitude and well-being. More than 100 adults took part in the study and were randomly divided into 3 different groups. Each group had to keep a journal. Group A had to write about things they felt grateful about. Group B about things they found annoying, irritating and Group C about things that had no major impact on them.
Results show that the gratitude group generally evidenced higher-levels of well-being than those in the comparison conditions, especially when compared to Group B (the one journaling about hassles), but also compared to the “neutral” group C.
The most common method used in the research was to keep a “Gratitude Journal” where participants wrote something they felt grateful for. Doing so 4 times a week, for as little as 3 weeks, is often enough to create a meaningful difference in one’s level of happiness.
Another exercise is to build a “Gratitude 30” into your day. Select a 30 minute period and actively notice all the things you are grateful for as you go through your daily business.
Alternatively simply taking a few minutes before bed time or in the morning to run through all the things you appreciate in your life can be very effective.
So start being thankful and before you know it you’ll be happy you did!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
What is your Body Telling You?
Our body is constantly talking to us, giving us messages about our emotional and mental wellbeing. It is a deep source of knowledge and a great tool for transformation. If we listen and learn to work with it, it can guide us to health and wellbeing. If we ignore its messages we may well suffer unnecessary illness or distress as a result.
Many people do not even hear when their body talks – they dismiss its communications as just another headache, pain, virus, stiffness or cold. For others, they hear but do not develop a full enough understanding of what is being communicated to use the information for positive change.
In my work as a healer one of my main focuses is to help my clients become aware of their body’s messages and to use this information to transform their perception of themselves and how they live their life. Physical symptoms are usually the external expression of inner emotional or mental struggle. They are a symptom of being out of alignment with who we truly are or of not fully accepting ourselves. They are an expression of the parts of us that we are ashamed of or deem unacceptable – the parts we hide. They are the external manifestation of those emotions that are unexpressed but which burn inside us and play havoc with our minds.
Physical illness rarely comes out of the blue, although it may feel like it does when it happens. Generally it is preceded by warning signs which come in the form of emotional symptoms such as stress, fear or anxiousness or small aches, pains and routine illnesses. Often we notice these signs and promptly cover them up with medication. Doing this is like noticing a red warning light in your car, bringing it to the mechanic and getting him to take the bulb out of the light. In reality nothing has changed except you now are no longer aware that you have a problem.
Medication can play a vital role in treating illness but it is also vital to look at the deeper cause of your problems and to find out what you body is telling you. If you don’t address the underlying problem, the emotional or physical symptoms will often get worse or appear to be resolved but later reoccur in a different and more threatening disguise.
I have suffered on and off throughout my life with severe ear aches. As I have watched these ear aches come and go over many years a pattern emerged – the ear ache always comes when I feel intense stress. My ear aches used to last weeks in the past, now within a matter of minutes of feeling the first pain, I know the problem and I stand back from my life to see what is going on – by doing a few breathing and energy grounding exercises I can clear the pain within a few minutes. The ear ache has become my friend – most of the time I don’t even realise I am stressed until I get the surge of pain in my ear. In the past I would have thought – “goddamit – I can’t believe I get an earache now of all times” – now I think “earache - I must be stressed – got to stand back and see what’s causing this”
Each physical area of the body relates to an area/aspect of your life for example the stomach area relates to the self - self confidence, self esteem, self care and self acceptance. When you feel anxious in your stomach it can be a sign of not feeling sure of yourself. When you suffer from digestive problems or problems with any organ in that area the underlying problem is likely to be related to how you feel and think about yourself. To truly heal a physical problem in this area you must heal your relationship with yourself. Each area of the body has a similar story.
There are books which give maps of body areas and parts and what they relate to. I also teach this in my "Understanding the Human Energy Field Course". These are useful guides but your most useful guide is your own body. I truly believe and have witnessed both in myself and my clients how the cells and energy of our body hold all the answers and all the guidance that we need.
A few years ago I was working with a wonderful healer and at the time was feeling very overwhelmed by life. She asked me to bring my attention to the area of my body where I felt the tension most strongly. I felt it in my chest and with her guidance I connected to that area of my body to allow the tension to speak to me. As different emotions, feelings and thoughts came to mind I spoke them out uncensored. I started by noticing how anxious and tight my chest felt and continued to talk out all that came to my awareness.
After some time a memory surfaced of a lady that I had worked with in a healing session a few months prior to this who had breast cancer and from this, a fear came up that I too had breast cancer (I had been experiencing breast pain since that healing). My healer asked me “and what if you do have breast cancer” I could barely believe or speak the response that came. It horrified me and I found it hard to believe that it lived in the depths of my being somewhere but it did. The response was clear “if I had breast cancer that would be good because then I could just let go – I could stop struggling, stop stressing and just be”. What a message to get! What a gift to find out before I had managed to create this illness in my life that some part of my being found my current stressful way of living so unacceptable that breast cancer seemed like a good solution.
This information was so powerful– I could no longer ignore what needed to be addressed in my life. I could no longer continue to put dealing with my stress on the long finger. I now knew how badly my body and my soul cried out for my way of living to change. This was a big wake up call. Either way the depths of my being had plans to create space and lower stress in my life – I could choose to create this myself now while in the fullness of my physical health or I could wait until I was struck by illness and was forced to create it. It was a pretty simple choice for me one I couldn’t afford to ignore.
This is the power of the body as a messenger. This is the opportunity our body gives us if we are willing to listen and take notice. This is where we can avoid or reverse physical illness and in parallel create emotional and mental happiness and wellbeing. By listening to our body as a guide we give ourselves the choice – the choice to change what isn’t working about ourselves and our lives. By ignoring our body’s messages we take away our choice, and leave fate and luck to make those choices for us.
Many people do not even hear when their body talks – they dismiss its communications as just another headache, pain, virus, stiffness or cold. For others, they hear but do not develop a full enough understanding of what is being communicated to use the information for positive change.
In my work as a healer one of my main focuses is to help my clients become aware of their body’s messages and to use this information to transform their perception of themselves and how they live their life. Physical symptoms are usually the external expression of inner emotional or mental struggle. They are a symptom of being out of alignment with who we truly are or of not fully accepting ourselves. They are an expression of the parts of us that we are ashamed of or deem unacceptable – the parts we hide. They are the external manifestation of those emotions that are unexpressed but which burn inside us and play havoc with our minds.
Physical illness rarely comes out of the blue, although it may feel like it does when it happens. Generally it is preceded by warning signs which come in the form of emotional symptoms such as stress, fear or anxiousness or small aches, pains and routine illnesses. Often we notice these signs and promptly cover them up with medication. Doing this is like noticing a red warning light in your car, bringing it to the mechanic and getting him to take the bulb out of the light. In reality nothing has changed except you now are no longer aware that you have a problem.
Medication can play a vital role in treating illness but it is also vital to look at the deeper cause of your problems and to find out what you body is telling you. If you don’t address the underlying problem, the emotional or physical symptoms will often get worse or appear to be resolved but later reoccur in a different and more threatening disguise.
I have suffered on and off throughout my life with severe ear aches. As I have watched these ear aches come and go over many years a pattern emerged – the ear ache always comes when I feel intense stress. My ear aches used to last weeks in the past, now within a matter of minutes of feeling the first pain, I know the problem and I stand back from my life to see what is going on – by doing a few breathing and energy grounding exercises I can clear the pain within a few minutes. The ear ache has become my friend – most of the time I don’t even realise I am stressed until I get the surge of pain in my ear. In the past I would have thought – “goddamit – I can’t believe I get an earache now of all times” – now I think “earache - I must be stressed – got to stand back and see what’s causing this”
Each physical area of the body relates to an area/aspect of your life for example the stomach area relates to the self - self confidence, self esteem, self care and self acceptance. When you feel anxious in your stomach it can be a sign of not feeling sure of yourself. When you suffer from digestive problems or problems with any organ in that area the underlying problem is likely to be related to how you feel and think about yourself. To truly heal a physical problem in this area you must heal your relationship with yourself. Each area of the body has a similar story.
There are books which give maps of body areas and parts and what they relate to. I also teach this in my "Understanding the Human Energy Field Course". These are useful guides but your most useful guide is your own body. I truly believe and have witnessed both in myself and my clients how the cells and energy of our body hold all the answers and all the guidance that we need.
A few years ago I was working with a wonderful healer and at the time was feeling very overwhelmed by life. She asked me to bring my attention to the area of my body where I felt the tension most strongly. I felt it in my chest and with her guidance I connected to that area of my body to allow the tension to speak to me. As different emotions, feelings and thoughts came to mind I spoke them out uncensored. I started by noticing how anxious and tight my chest felt and continued to talk out all that came to my awareness.
After some time a memory surfaced of a lady that I had worked with in a healing session a few months prior to this who had breast cancer and from this, a fear came up that I too had breast cancer (I had been experiencing breast pain since that healing). My healer asked me “and what if you do have breast cancer” I could barely believe or speak the response that came. It horrified me and I found it hard to believe that it lived in the depths of my being somewhere but it did. The response was clear “if I had breast cancer that would be good because then I could just let go – I could stop struggling, stop stressing and just be”. What a message to get! What a gift to find out before I had managed to create this illness in my life that some part of my being found my current stressful way of living so unacceptable that breast cancer seemed like a good solution.
This information was so powerful– I could no longer ignore what needed to be addressed in my life. I could no longer continue to put dealing with my stress on the long finger. I now knew how badly my body and my soul cried out for my way of living to change. This was a big wake up call. Either way the depths of my being had plans to create space and lower stress in my life – I could choose to create this myself now while in the fullness of my physical health or I could wait until I was struck by illness and was forced to create it. It was a pretty simple choice for me one I couldn’t afford to ignore.
This is the power of the body as a messenger. This is the opportunity our body gives us if we are willing to listen and take notice. This is where we can avoid or reverse physical illness and in parallel create emotional and mental happiness and wellbeing. By listening to our body as a guide we give ourselves the choice – the choice to change what isn’t working about ourselves and our lives. By ignoring our body’s messages we take away our choice, and leave fate and luck to make those choices for us.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Little Things Make a Big Difference
I stopped off on the way home from work today for a workout in Curves in Arklow. As I was searching for money for parking meter I noticed a car loitering behind me and assumed they were hoping that I was about to pull out. I jumped out of my car expecting to tell the driver that I wasn't leaving only to get a nice surprize. Turns out the driver wasnt waiting to take my spot but was patiently waiting to offer me his parking ticket which still had about 45 mins left on it! Just enough time for a quick workout in Curves. How nice is that!
It reminded me of an incident 2 weeks ago in Tesco in Arklow. I was in line at the check out and there were 3 American folk just ahead of me paying there bill. The lady at the checkout asked if they had a "club card" and being visitors of course they didn't so they offered me their points. How sweet is that?
At the time it struck me that I'd often had the urge to do this when I was shopping somewhere that I dont have a loyalty card for but then I think to myself "sure its not like my shopping is that much money - no point offering the points to someone else" but these two incidents have reminded me that it's not about how much you are saving someone else or how much you are giving them - it's the gesture that counts!
When that man gave me his ticket today it warmed my heart. It warmed my heart that he thought of someone else who he didn't even know... it warmed my heart that he didnt want to see good money (even if it was only 50 cent) wasted, it warmed my heart that when I beamed a smile of suprised gratitude at him that both him and his passenger beamed a smile back, it warmed my heart that he was willing to spend an extra 3 - 4 minutes waiting in that car park for me to get out of my car... and most importantly it warms my heart that his action along with the actions of my American friends in Tesco, have caused me to reflect on my own actions and will no doubt prompt me to be a little more thoughtful and giving to the stranger in the street.
It reminds me of that famous saying "one small step for man, one giant step for man kind". Translate that as "one small step for the man in the car park in Arklow, one giant step for the generosity of the human race". Who knows where this could lead, their small actions of generosity prompts me to do small actions of generosity to a stranger which prompts my stranger to do small actions of generosity to a another stranger which prompts that stranger to .... it goes on and on.
It's the ripple effect - every single action we take, good or bad, has the potential to affect billions of people. From our small viewing point we'll never see the full results but rest assured very often the little things we do make a very big difference.
It reminded me of an incident 2 weeks ago in Tesco in Arklow. I was in line at the check out and there were 3 American folk just ahead of me paying there bill. The lady at the checkout asked if they had a "club card" and being visitors of course they didn't so they offered me their points. How sweet is that?
At the time it struck me that I'd often had the urge to do this when I was shopping somewhere that I dont have a loyalty card for but then I think to myself "sure its not like my shopping is that much money - no point offering the points to someone else" but these two incidents have reminded me that it's not about how much you are saving someone else or how much you are giving them - it's the gesture that counts!
When that man gave me his ticket today it warmed my heart. It warmed my heart that he thought of someone else who he didn't even know... it warmed my heart that he didnt want to see good money (even if it was only 50 cent) wasted, it warmed my heart that when I beamed a smile of suprised gratitude at him that both him and his passenger beamed a smile back, it warmed my heart that he was willing to spend an extra 3 - 4 minutes waiting in that car park for me to get out of my car... and most importantly it warms my heart that his action along with the actions of my American friends in Tesco, have caused me to reflect on my own actions and will no doubt prompt me to be a little more thoughtful and giving to the stranger in the street.
It reminds me of that famous saying "one small step for man, one giant step for man kind". Translate that as "one small step for the man in the car park in Arklow, one giant step for the generosity of the human race". Who knows where this could lead, their small actions of generosity prompts me to do small actions of generosity to a stranger which prompts my stranger to do small actions of generosity to a another stranger which prompts that stranger to .... it goes on and on.
It's the ripple effect - every single action we take, good or bad, has the potential to affect billions of people. From our small viewing point we'll never see the full results but rest assured very often the little things we do make a very big difference.
So a big thank you to the man in the car park in Arklow today and another big thank you to the 3 American folk in Tesco a few weeks ago. You have given me a bigger gift then you could ever imagine xx
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The Hardest Thing is Starting!
Wow...I've just set up my first blog. I hadn't planned to do it but one thing led to another in the last hour and before I knew it I am on blogger sitting in front of a blank screen thinking "Oh my god - now what am I going to write - where will I start!"
I was tempted to log off and leave it for another day. A day when I had more time, or had given it more thought...or didnt want to watch Fair City in 15 minutes! but then I realised that this is exactly where I need to start - I'll start with the fear of starting ! A fear that I regularly see holding my clients back in their personal and their business lives !
Why are we so afraid to just get out there and do it?
I've no doubt that many of you will recognise this scenario....
You have an impulse to do something, a great idea, a sudden surge of energy or strong instinct. You feel the excitement and enthusiasm rising in your body...you are just about to do it and then BANG.... you are stopped in your tracks, your fears take over, logic gets in the way and before you know it the rising creative wave has been stopped dead and your ideas and energy becomes dust in the ground.
In some cases there may be good reason to take a bit more time before acting, to plan things before jumping. Sure this applies if you are about to make a life changing decision or a huge investment but there are soooooo many times that we cut off our creative wave when there is absolutely no good reason for doing so and where if we just followed it who knows what wonderful goodies and opportunities and life experiences it could bring. And hey...even if it brought nothing in concrete terms isn't it just great to actually ride that wave as it rises, to act while the feeling is hot and to allow yourself the freedom to just go with the flow. I think so!
So my friends, fellow bloggers and whoever else may come across these ramblings - I've decided to commit for the next week to really riding the creative wave. If I feel an impulse I am going to follow it, if I have a great idea I am going to explore it, when the wave starts to rise I am going to go with it. I'm going to pack my fears and insecurities in a bag, put them away for another day and just risk it!
and hey - I hope some of you will join me too xx
I was tempted to log off and leave it for another day. A day when I had more time, or had given it more thought...or didnt want to watch Fair City in 15 minutes! but then I realised that this is exactly where I need to start - I'll start with the fear of starting ! A fear that I regularly see holding my clients back in their personal and their business lives !
Why are we so afraid to just get out there and do it?
I've no doubt that many of you will recognise this scenario....
You have an impulse to do something, a great idea, a sudden surge of energy or strong instinct. You feel the excitement and enthusiasm rising in your body...you are just about to do it and then BANG.... you are stopped in your tracks, your fears take over, logic gets in the way and before you know it the rising creative wave has been stopped dead and your ideas and energy becomes dust in the ground.
In some cases there may be good reason to take a bit more time before acting, to plan things before jumping. Sure this applies if you are about to make a life changing decision or a huge investment but there are soooooo many times that we cut off our creative wave when there is absolutely no good reason for doing so and where if we just followed it who knows what wonderful goodies and opportunities and life experiences it could bring. And hey...even if it brought nothing in concrete terms isn't it just great to actually ride that wave as it rises, to act while the feeling is hot and to allow yourself the freedom to just go with the flow. I think so!
So my friends, fellow bloggers and whoever else may come across these ramblings - I've decided to commit for the next week to really riding the creative wave. If I feel an impulse I am going to follow it, if I have a great idea I am going to explore it, when the wave starts to rise I am going to go with it. I'm going to pack my fears and insecurities in a bag, put them away for another day and just risk it!
and hey - I hope some of you will join me too xx
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