Accept no imitations 06/29/2010
Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else. ~Judy Garland I was Twittering a little earlier with a twitter buddy @ShaktiMatUK (http://www.shaktimat.co.uk/ ) during the conversation the word "Imitation" was used, It stimulated the thought for today's blog (Along with another about Shakti, but more of that next time) I wanted to talk to you today,about being the "Real deal" and accepting no imitations. I often talk about just this topic in my workshops, asking participants to consider if they're being the full version of themselves. It can be quite a challenging question to answer, as in truth as human beings we are constantly in a state of being "A work in progress". But it's still a great question to ask yourself, as it provokes a deep response if asked of yourself with an open heart and total honesty. Are you living the full version of yourself, without exception? Or are you being the imitation of yourself..... im·i·ta·tion n. 1. The act or an instance of imitating. 2. Something derived or copied from an original. adj. Made to resemble another, usually superior material So often we try to fit into a role that is to someone else's specification, design and fit. We try on this role for size, but it doesn't quite fit, its a little uncomfortable in places,it might pinch a little, be too restrictive...... but still it'll do....won't it? I understand that sometimes we have to realise who we aren't ,to know truly who we are! Just like Mr Benn; for those old enough to remember, it is actually great fun hitting the dressing up box and trying on costumes for size, figuring out who you are,what you value, how you express yourself can be so much fun........ But if we're to become the full version of ourselves we have to be true and authentic to who we really are at heart. I urge you to consider right now,where you're wearing someone elses shoes, where in your life are things not quite fitting you anymore................ Then jump into the changing room of life and true Wonder woman or Superman stylee..... become your own super hero, ( dont worry I'm not suggesting you wear your underpants on the outside of your trousers.... unless thats your authentic self of course) Move towards making the changes to be more of yourself, the full and bright sparkling version in glorious technicolour! Are you feeling courageous? Are you feeling empowered? Are you feeling brave? NOW.... if your ready........make a vow to be YOU, the real YOU and nothing but YOU! It's liberating to sing your own heartsong, you'll never be out of tune, the harmony will always be spot on, and you'll be a number one hit, for yourself, your family, friends, employer, everyone and most of all , do you know what? everything will just FIT! It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. ~e.e. cummings Until next time, Make every moment count, Lisa x  Add Comment Namaste, Shalom, Aloha.................. 06/28/2010
 Last Friday I was blessed to run another Get a Life workshop. This time it was "Create your vision- manifest your best life!". It was a beautiful sunny day on Friday, the venue was the tranquil Welland Enterprise offices, which nestles in the Lincolnshire countryside,certainly a far fling from the hustle and bustle of most daily lives. Again, as always on my workshops, I was blessed by being surrounded by an amazing group of participants for the day, the energy amoungst the group was fantastic. Each one open, caring and sharing with one another on their journey. It was as a result of a discussion during one of the exercises on Friday that I thought about the topic for today's blog. During the session we discussed life as a journey..... considering if we were "Hurtling along a motorway or meandering along a wooded lane..." Were we taking the opportunity to savour every juicy moment or were we just rushing to the destintation, without enjoying the scenery along the way? Did we stop and "Gather the rose buds will ye may?" Did we take the opportunity to connect and re-connect with those who shared the road? I urge you to consider this: How many people do you connect with, no matter how briefly throughout your day? Are you truly present with each? or are you in a hurry to move on and on along your motorway? What would happen if you took the opportunity to slow down just enough to really connect or in truth re-connect with those other souls? I say re-connect beacuse I don't believe there really is a such a distance between us all, right at the very heart of us we're not so very different are we? We may have lots of variations but we're human beings, trying not to be just human doings! How do you greet those along your path? Do you stop long enough to share the gifts you may have for one another? What nuggets and gems do you miss each day by rushing on past?.......... You may have seen the greeting/salutation "Namaste" used by myself and others...... this simple word captures so much of what I'm talking about here: NAMASTE -One translation of this ancient Sanskit word is- "I honor the place in you in which the entire Universe dwells, I honor the place in you which is of Love, of Integrity, of Wisdom and of Peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are One." Other cultures have similar greetings: SHALOM - The Hebrew word SHALOM is understood around the world to mean peace. But peace is only one small part of the meaning of the word SHALOM,it also expresses completeness, wholeness, health, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. So by using this greeting/ salutation we are showing the intent of this expression to the receiver. ALOHA -Aloha is an Hawaiian greeting, it has an essence of love weaved within it,Aloha is a way of being and of living....... its true meaning is better captured here: Aloha is being a part of all, and all being a part of me. When there is pain - it is my pain. When there is joy - it is also mine. I respect all that is as part of the Creator and part of me. I will not willfully harm anyone or anything. When food is needed I will take only my need and explain why it is being taken. The earth, the sky, the sea are mine to care for, to cherish and to protect - this is Aloha! When you stop to consider the depth of meaning contained within these greetings,It makes you consider what an amazing gift they bring between two souls. The simple act of greeting another has profound energy and effect. HELLO may not, on the face of it hold such significant meaning when shared, however the intent of hello is to acknowledge another, that in itself shows care, respect and recognition. So today as you walk along your journey, I urge you slow down enough to connect with the other souls walking alongside you, no matter if your greeting is Namaste, Shalom, Aloha or a simple hello, don't miss the opportunity to connect and share. Its the enjoyment of the journey that counts, moment to moment..... Until next time, make every moment count, Namaste, Lisa x  Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving. - Kahlil Gibran This morning I read the most beautiful story.A story so touching I felt compelled to write about it. It is the amazing tale of a love story spanning seven decades. Imagine that, for a moment - a lifetime of love. Here's an excerpt from the Mail online: With just days left to live Vernon McAlister made his dying wish come true by renewing his wedding vows with Sue, his wife of 72 years. After having a dream that his wife wanted to marry him again, Mr McAlister asked the nurses to help him stay alive a few more days so they could celebrate their 72nd anniversary together. The couple - she is 87 and he is almost 93 - first met when they worked on Vernon's father’s farm in Central, a town in South Carolina. They married when he was 20 and she was 15. 'My father told me she would make a good wife,' he said. 'I couldn’t have imagined how right he was. She is just purely wonderful. She is a jewel.' Two years ago Sue survived a battle with stomach cancer and credits her husband's support as crucial. Mrs McAlister said: 'He has taken care of me my whole life.' (Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1287185/Dying-man-renews-marriage-vows-purely-wonderful-wife-72-years-hospital-bed.html#ixzz0r7Gz9vVl) What an amazing love story that is? It reminds me of my great grandparents, who lived with my family when I was a little girl. They originated from Wales, but had moved away after the loss of there youngest son Emris who had drowned after falling overboard from a ship. My great grandmother couldn't bare to see the ships come into port afterward and so moved to London. There they set up a successful business, but sadly fire raised it to the ground,in those days they didn't have insurance as you would today, but thanks to the LOVE and the kindness of their community and neighbours they were helped to get back on their feet. Always LOVE got them through. As years went by and the generations expanded,in their later years they came to settle on the family small holding where I was born. At this point you may wonder why I'm telling this story.... The reason for telling their tale is this; as a child I have such beautiful memories of them wlaking together,talking together (InWelsh) and sitting side by side holding hands. Theirs was a varied life, with its own tragedies, as I've mentioned, but throughout their deep LOVE for one another carried them through.Even in the twighlight of their years their LOVE was clearly abundant. It was a lifetime of love. In the space of their lives (From the late 1890's to the early 1970's) the World changed beyond all comprehension, from Billy the KId to the first man on the moon. Mind boggling to consider..... but throughout all of those decades,the one constant was LOVE. Imagine a love so strong it could last a lifetime? To this day, I am in awe of their love, commitment and faith in one another. So when I read the article this morning about Mr and Mrs McAlister, it reminded me of my own ancestors, and the most important life lesson they have taught me, that I want to share with you now............. That no matter what the question, LOVE is always the answer. Until next time, Make every moment count, with LOVE Lisa x Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring. - Oscar Wilde  Nanny & Key my great grandparents    I wondered what to blog about today, as is often the case I ask for your ideas of what you'd like me to talk about. Today was no excpetion. A Twitter friend Lynnette (@lovelyislovely) had tweeted earlier today,that a well known designer has spoken out against plus size models, saying girls on the catwalk should be no bigger than 'size six to eight' How very sad. For me beauty comes in all shapes and sizes...... its not the outer packaging that makes someone beautiful, its their inner glow, the spirit of them that lights up their beauty. Even the most revered super model's outer beauty can be dimmed if their spirit is constricted and constrained. Yet if you were to take someone who's inner light shines bright, their beauty is never mistaken.It is mesmerising and breathtaking. I understand that a designer is concerned with outer appearances, but what a very sad and limited expression of beauty it is if we can only show size 6-8 women as being beautiful? Who defines beauty? Now I am a size 8 woman some of the time, some of the time I'm a size 10. It's not my dress size that makes me beautiful or not as the case my be, afterall it's in the eye of the beholder! its what comes from within, the authentic representation of my spirit, who I am at heart that me,that people notice not my shape or size. I could walk down a catwalk and look good in my clothes, I could be representative of real 40 something women. Just as my beautiful glowing 17 year old daughter could fill a room with her amazing essence, her size 12, sometimes 14, sometimes 10, has been a size 16 is completely irrelevant to her beauty and her outer expression through clothing. It got me to thinking why do we thrust these shallow measurements of beauty on our girls, young women infact womankind in general. How can we encourage such designers to recognise the beauty that's within all of us and "Dress" that authentically on the catwalk. I'd love to see a catwalk show of glowing individuals whose love and beauty shine out for all to see, regardless of shape or size. I have no doubt in my heart that any clothes on such muses, would be stunning and illuminated by the unmistakeable beauty of the wearer .Muse (myz) n. 1. muse a. A guiding spirit. b. A source of inspiration. The whole topic of discussion bought to mind a beautiful poem, often associated with Audrey Hepburn. Maybe a certain designer may like to consider it as a point of reference for his next catwalk show? Understand I'm not making judgement on him, he is seeing the World from his viewpoint, his World has the potential to be a creative expression of his own inner light, but he of course is surrounded by limiting beliefs of a whole fashion industry. I hope that more designers will be bold,I hope that they will allow real beauty to shine out, showing their collections in their best light, expressing the true spirit of them and their creativity. So designers, Fashion editors, journalists...... will you be bold? will you #startaripple (see last blog) and truly make a difference by showing TRUE beauty? Audrey Hepburn's Beauty Tips For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; Never throw out anybody. Remember, If you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others. The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows! Sam Levenson (Contrary to what some may think, Audrey Hepburn did not write this beautiful poem, Sam Levenson did. Levenson wrote "Time Tested Beauty Tips" for his grandchild, and it just so happened to be one of Audrey's favorite poems. She read it to her children on the very last Christmas Eve she spent with us here on Earth). Until next time, let your light shine bright and be beautiful! Lisa x  Start a ripple...... 06/09/2010
 I was so excited about writing this blog, I even lay awake thinking about it in bed last night! Why?.... you may well ask... this could change the World! No, really! YOU could help me change the World! It all came about through Twitter, for those of you who use Twitter, you'll be aware; no doubt, of the trending topic of #duncansdream, which has been the brainchild of @iancreek on the back of a tweet from Duncan Bannatyne (of dragon's den fame) He had a dream of all his Twitter followers, following each other..... and the following began, in ernest! It got me to thinking just how powerful an influence we can have as individuals and collectively. You don't have to be rich or famous to make a difference either. Now the #duncansdream trend has been great fun, uniting allsorts of people, another fantastic hashtag trend for those who understand twitter has been #kickcancer which has also been highlighted through facebook too. So with all the bad press that social media can attract, its great to know that there really are some good news stories out there. The whole topic gave me an idea. You may have seen in previous blogs I've written about , the "Free hugs campaign", "Pay it forward", the" Go-giver" and "Random acts of kindness"..... I wondered if I could make a difference to the World from right here in Lincolnshire? I mean I do hope I already make a difference on a daily basis inthe work that I do,but how do I expand that? How can YOU expand that? So I started my own hashtag (for those ofyou who don't use twitter,it can be searched and trended as a discussion topic) the hashtag would be #startaripple ! Now, if you read my blog, you'll know i recently talked about starting a ripple in ......" Will you do something amazing today?" Some of you may recall in an old newsletter, I once wrote about "Causing a ripple" It's amazing just how one small act of love and kindesss, acting with a servants heart can lead to miraculous effects on your loved ones, your community, your country and even the World. If everyone did just one small thing, imagine what the effect might be? Why not start right now? Creating that ripple right now YOU could very quickly encompass the whole World! How's that for Global expansion? Exciting prospect? It could be the smallest thing that YOU do RIGHT NOW,TODAY a smile and a hug , your time, your advice, a gift..... that turns into something huge! And what a priceless gift to give to those that really need it! And you know what? When YOU #startaripple you have to be in a place of abundance, for in order to give it away YOU have to have it in the first place! Think about that for a moment......... YOU have to have it, in order to give it away! So the act of giving reminds us how very blessed and abundant we are! Its amazing what a small act of love and kindness can achieve, in giving something amazing occurs, not only do we make a difference to another.......we make a difference to ourselves.....we recieve! “For it is in giving that we receive.” St. Francis of Assisi As I started to include the #startaripple hashtag last night,people started to join in,it was heartwarming and quite amazing! @ShaktiMatUK tweeted "Love is energey.Pass it forward" #startaripple Alice Grist @HighHeeledGuide tweeted " Kind thoughts and kind feelings lead to happy, happy, happy people! Kindness will save the world!" #startaripple @LizVillani tweeted "I sent my tai chi ball to the world, with love " #startaripple @prteresa tweeted "From tiny ripples do great oceans grow. A tiny act of love or kindness really can make a big difference." #startaripple So as I lay in bed last night I thought just how far could this go? How far could the ripple spread? Imagine we could send the ripple right around the World! It's totally in our hands to make a difference! You don't have to be on Twitter or Facebook or any other social network to join in, although if you are I urge you to start a ripple there. You can start a ripple at home, at work, in the street..... it takes just one act of love and kindness! It can be as simple as a smile! Be as inventive as you like ...... I'd love to see how far the ripple goes, and what ripples are happening around the globe. I planto include YOUR ripple in a very special blog! So please JOIN IN, then either EMAIL ME or post a comment on this blog! Don't forget to say: Who you are Where you're from What ripple you began! So today, I urge you to do something amazing,share your loving kindness, act with a servants heart, bless another with a random act of kindess...... start a ripple..... TOGETHER WE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD! How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. ~Anne Frank "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring: all of which have the potential to turn a life around." -- Leo Buscaglia Let's create a good news story! Make every moment count, Lisa xxx @GetalifeUK Live life with passion! 06/07/2010
Today's blog comes to you from Jon, giving me the opportunity to keep on working on my book, whilstI'm not blogging! Enjoy! Consider this young lad, Kieran Gaffney, from Britain's got Talent. Look at what this kid brings for us to learn... 1. Last year he did not get through, he didn't give up, he didn't moan or adopt a failure mentality. What he did was to go back look through the audition and find the lesson, Do something different. So he re-applied this year involving his Mum and Dad to assist in his gameplan to succeed, Simon Cowell stopped the audition half way through, and criticised his parents for their lack of ability. Simon gave him an opportunity to come back at the end of the show and try on his own. Did he bottle it? ..... no, he looked within, he knew this was his moment, his time to step up to the plate and give it all he could to chase his dream............ he qualified, not only that, he was selected to go into the semi-finals as shown in the video above. Going on to achieve 2nd place to Spelbound (Who also showed unwavering passion, by training for hours and hours)all of this out of thousands of hopefuls! The lesson..... Never give up - Belief Lesson number two 2. If you love what you do, it shows...... Just look at the energy, enthusaism, excitement and focus he brings to this semi-final opportunity. Kieran knew this was his moment, as he said he he loved every second of the moment, the one moment that could shape the rest of his life, his big chance, his 15 minutes of fame. Did he go weak at the knee's? Did he cry off? ......no he showed up and gave it his all..... The lesson, make sure that every day off your life you are doing what you truly love to do, because everyone else can see it! - Faith So as you reflect and think about yourself and everyone you work with... Do you, do they bring this much passion, intensity, focus and energy to your/their life and your/ their workplace? .....or do you / they keep on doing the same old things, in thesame old ways? Do you/ they turn up for work because that what you / they did yesterday and the day before...? Imagine living a life and with the passion that Keiran does.... or a working envrionment where everyone puts in the performance of a lifetime, every day, every time, without fail, no exceptions... So, toady I'd urge you to consider: How can you ingnite that fire of passion within yourself and others today? Where are you simply just "Turning up" in life and in work, because that's whatyou did yesterday? What would need to change for you to really bring the passion, every day, every time,without fail, no exceptions? Until next time, Make every moment count! Jon x  Don't be a Salmon! 06/01/2010
 This afternoon I was reminded of a lovely lady I once worked with whilst I was still back in my corporate career, working as an area manager in a well known high street bank. This inspiring lady came to mind as a result of a rather frustrating technical hitch between myself and my computer! (Taking my own advice I turned my frustration into fascination, hence I stopped what I was doing and wrote this blog entry instead!) I recall a similarly frustrating day whilst still working for the bank, luckily for me, that particular day I arrived for an afternoon meeting with this calm and wonderful woman. She was a wise and gentle woman, I seem to remember she was in the Salvation army outside of her "Day job" I know she gave many hours of her time to help people less fortunate than herself. She was thoughtful, loving and kind, I really enjoyed working alongside her ( despite her particular job being an auditing type role!) Anyway, It must have been quite obvious that I had, had a very frustratng morning, but she simply smiled and put the kettle on! Whilst she made the tea I noticed a black and white photocopy pinned to her notice board. It was a picture of a Salmon, with the phrase "Don't be a salmon" typed above it. A couple of minutes later, she handed me my very welcome cup of tea, thanking her, I enquired ; now intruiged, what the picture and phrase meant. She explained that in life we can either go with the flow or against it..... If we flow with life, then its a beautiful journey, calm,supported, and in simple terms its just moves along more easily. However, if we choose to swim against the flow, its hard work, tiring, frustrating, limiting and we use up so much energy just trying to keep up the fight against the current, we simply don't get to enjoy the journey. I paused to think about this..... She then went on to say (Which I didn't realise at the time) that the Salmon risks life and fin (excuse the pun) to swim upstream to sporn its eggs, it battles against the flow, its a hard and tiring journey......eventually the Salmon, exhausted from its journey, reaches the end of its swim and sporns its eggs.... the Salmon will then usually die within the next seven days. Whilst this is the ultimate sacrifice to reproduce......The photocopied piece of paper of course then made perfect sense to me..... It was a reminder...... "Don't be a Salmon!" ... don't spend your life and your journey, constantly swimming against the flow of life...... to then come to the end and to have struggled throughout and not savoured the beautiful scenery along the way! So,this afternoon,when my computer hitch made me feel frustrated and as though I was efforting and getting no where... I remembered the Salmon! I immedeately stopped what I was doing, made a cup of tea, took some deep breaths and got back into the flow! Re-energised... back in the flow and inspired to share this blog post with you! So, I urge you today to consider: Where are you efforting , but smply treading water? Where are you swimming against the tide? What would you need to change for you to get back into the flow? What action can you take right now, that will allow flow into your life and work? Let go and let flow ! Until next time, Make every moment count! Lisa xxx | ArchivesOctober 2011   |
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