A simple step

Everybody has a talent. Something that they can do which sets them apart from other people. This talent doesn't have to be anything out of the ordinary or world beating, it doesn't have to be something completely unique. It can be as simple as enjoying grooming an animal, painting landscapes, knitting or even talking to a friend over a cup of coffee and the ability to sit quietly and listen to their life's events. These talents are gifts and they all have one thing in common. That is, every talent possessed by everybody in the world, in some way, shape or form, helps others - be they human, animal or even nature herself. We all have a choice in life. Whether to use the talent (or talents!) we each have, to help others. Most of us recognize this at some point in our lives and enjoy the pleasure we experience when we have made someone's day a little better. For me, enabling people to move in a direction that they choose and desire, that helps them achieve what they

We all have dreams and aspirations, and most of us plan in some way to achieve them. The first step is having unfailing belief that our aspirations will happen, and the second is a focus or intention that sees us through to those aspirational goals. Often that is all we need, belief and intention. Deepak Chopra talks of desire and intention in the same way. Aspirations are equivalent to desires, albeit that desire has a different connotation and meaning to aspiration... Then we exert effort and energy in an attempt to steer our lives towards our goals. It is interesting how life assists us along this journey. Life pushes us and pulls us this way and that, often in directions that seem so far from our perception of the direction we should be going in, that we feel tension and frustration... More often that not though, the belief carries us through, provided we aspire to things that are right for us and for the world .. It is then that we enter the flow of life, and the pushing and p

Yesterday I went for a run for the first time in ages. Apart from having sore legs and feeling fitter as a result, I was struck by the beautiful colours around me. Here in New Zealand it is Autumn, the rains have begun, and the sun, when low, brings out the most incredible greens and browns. The grass was stunning and so green. I stopped in my tracks and looked around at the colour. I looked at nothing else, just colours and how inspiring it was! Rather than registering what I was looking at, I just saw the colours of what I saw. When I got home, I realized how much of our beautiful world we take for granted. Normally we spend our time running around looking at things, people, landscapes, views - we do not look at the colours..they are just there. Colour is always present, and when something is always present, we often overlook it. Have a look around you and spot the colour in your life! Adios

Today I was reminded of a valuable lesson in life. I am getting some personal coaching from Raechel. She is an internationally reknowned coach (amongst other things) and has travelled the globe learning her art. She is special, and I am very fortunate to have her as my coach. Today we set about goal setting - drawing on our previous discussions and the vision I created for the future  to establish tangible and achievable objectives for the coming years. Together, we explored previous conversations and coaching sessions to create a timeline and clear measurable goals for my life to come. For many, going through such an exercise can be very threatening, uncomfortable and confusing. Many people are offered coaching and decline because of the fear that this creates. Coaching is about having someone else help you to understand yourself, your world and the choices before you. Yes, these can often create internal tension, insecurity and fear. In reality this emotional response seems to

I was just reading an interesting article on space.com about an asteriod hurtling through space towards us, apparently set to pass somewhere between us and our moon. At 400m across and the same size lengthways, it is a pretty big thing. That got me thinking about the moon and its' influence on our world. Doing a little research shows that our moon, whilst sitting quietly glowing upon us at night in an unassuming manner, our moon actually commands a lot of influence. The moon influences the magnetic fields on the Earth, thereby affecting the tides ( http://www.astronomytoday.com/astronomy/earthmoon.html ). It draws all sorts of wildlife towards it, especially moths - I don't know why (let me know). Apparently it also has an effect on winds. The weblink above talks to us also about the collision of a large mass with the Earth long long ago and it's effect on the moon's influence over us. I wonder if the asteroid heading our way will create any change for our planet. O

A close friend of mine was talking to me the other day about a change in consciousness. A change in global consciousness. They explained to me that this is a change in thinking and being, within us all and the world around us. It can be seen as a rebalancing of both the physical and metaphysical realms...a new reality which refocuses us on who we really are and why we are here. Quite deep stuff.. Recently in Christchurch, reiki has been used to help many people to overcome the mental trauma experienced following the earthquakes. It is a skill that we all possess within us and that is gaining in popularity. Whilst there remain many skeptics, there are clear benefits that arise for those practicing, and those receiving reiki. One of the simplest of these is rebalancing - reiki results in a meditative state of being that helps people to rest at both the physical and mental level. It also touches the metaphysical or spiritual level within us. Last week, in addition to a weekly reiki le

The recent earthquake in Japan and tsunami that followed were truly devastating. Another quake in Tonga today. The earth truly is on the move. Until a few weeks ago, 2011 in New Zealand was ticking over quite nicely. The economy stirring from the doldrums, the weather sunny and warm the whole summer through, and the kids had all gone back to school. People had returned to work after the annual 'month off' and everyone had started to get excited about the Rugby World Cup. Then another earthquake struck Christchurch killing many people, injuring others and causing more devastation than this small country has never seen. I doubt that anyone living in New Zealand is completely unaffected. This, just after Christchurch had picked itself up, dusted off it's shoulders and started to rebuild. My thoughts are with all those affected people and families. The City is shattered. Go well. Christchurch is an outstanding place and community and the City will flourish again. Quakes a

Acceptance is a very powerful word, and one that often has a real influence on our direction and our future. The things that happen, the events that occur and how you react or respond to them helps to shape who you are and where you are going. Sometimes we react against things, fighting against what we believe and consider to be wrong, inappropriate or unsuitable. Typically, this reaction relates to things that have been, or that have occured. Sometimes it also relates to things and events that are on the horizon, pending or about to occur. In traditional psychology, pundits talk of 'flight or fight' as a response to things that affect or are likely to affect us in a 'bad' way - there is no obvious space here for doing nothing and simply accepting things as they are. Acceptance often brings peace of mind, no matter what the situation. Provided you are able to see fear for what it is, acceptance helps you to breathe. When you breathe, you often find that you can se