A simple step

Self belief is at the heart of success. Without it, success can evade us. At this time in my life, I am going through internal change and I am beginning to realise that this change is centred around (1) self belief (2) feelings relating to past rejection and (3) my misinterpretation of others feelings, desires and needs. Clearing these issues is not easy; it is interesting to see how positive thinking helps. Seeing things in a different light - reframing our perceptions and beliefs, appreciating the value of love and most importantly love of self is key. Not egotistical stuff, rather respect, passion and friendship for ourselves. In my mind, rejection is a personal thing, and the feeling that we have or are letting ourselves down (because maybe in the past we have been subjected to rejection which has translated into a lack of self worth) is at the heart of it. Life's journey is amazing - the journey towards self discovery; enjoy the ride!

Consider a racing car - consider how it turns, and how important it is to plan in advance of that turn; get the racing line wrong and you will not take the turn at optimum speed; brake too late and you will run wide or spin; break too early and you will lose ground. Knowing the corner helps. Knowing and responding to the track conditions helps. Having the right car set up (by your team) helps. Now apply these thoughts to your business.

A lot gets talked about when it comes to going with the flow...what does it mean and how do we optimise our chances of entering the flow and staying in it...is it simply a case of following the path of least resistance? What stops us following that path? There are those who believe that coincidences occur as signposts and others who see them as nothing more than recognition - either way we will respond to them. Whether they are related to flow or not, is up for grabs!

We all feel negative sometimes, think about how many of these are related to - things not going quite as planned - stuff happening that is out of our control - being unfairly criticized about something - feeling scared about the future - others being negative around us, seeing the down side.. the interesting thing is that we all have the opportunity to see things exactly as we wish. It is our choice. There really is no excuse to be negative. Turning the negative into positive is simple, if you can sit back and look at things in a different light. Everything happens for a reason...and there is nothing wrong with that, is there.. Practising tolerance helps too, as sometimes people will be shifting from one state of mind to another - rather than being negative, that can sometimes be the impression, rather than the reality..

It challenges us all. We all face up to it. We all tackle it. We all shy away from it. More important than that is how we face up to ourselves. Being honest with yourself is not as easy as it sounds, and it is often the cause of significant angst and negativity. It is always easier to blame someone else...rather than be honest about what we have committed ourselves to doing. Trouble is, it is a slippery slope!So, maybe the answer is to yield - to accept ourselves for who we are, and act accordingly. We make mistakes, we make the wrong decisions - the important thing is to be totally honest with ourselves and others and accept that sometimes, we have to admit that we have taken a wrong turn or made the wrong decision. Hiding from that is not good, it cuts across our ability to love ourselves for who we are.

Every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like kind...we sow what we reap. And when we choose actions that bring happiness and success to others, the fruit of our karma is happiness and success...

Although most of us have received years of training on how to read, write and speak, few of us have been taught how to actually listen. Listening can be divided into four categories: Social or casual , to fill our days; Attentive, when we are in a situation we regard as important/when receiving instructions; Empathetic, when we want to feel with the other person and understand/be sympathetic; Active listening, requiring a responsibility on the part of the listener to absorb the meanings of the words he/she hears and then assume an active role in the exchange. -The most crucial method of listening Many are good at some of these categories, others are skilled at one, some are skilled in none. As a society we tend to focus on what we are saying rather than how we listen and apply that knowledge and understanding. Practicing and applying good listening skills can help create and sustain an environment of trust, respect and understanding. Hearing is a function that almost never requires eff