Change is in the air…..just say YES with these 10 Timeless Life Lessons

A change of pace today, fellow Life Lovers. I am delighted to present my review of Alex Blackwell’s first book Saying Yes to Change: 10 Timeless Life Lessons for Creating Positive Change.

I have learnt so much from Alex over the past 18 months through his wonderful writings at his blog The Bridgemaker and I thoroughly recommend his blog and this book to you.

Right from the Introduction…..I was hooked. 

For the purposes of this review, I will feature “The10 Lessons” &  highlight the writings in each ‘lesson’ which were a standout for me, hopefully they will be for you as well.

Bearing in mind that the whole book is a standout, this was difficult, however here goes…after watching this 1 minute (plus a little) video, please read on

Lesson One

Over generalisations…”Over-generalisation is when we believe that if one bad thing happens, then everything else is doomed to go poorly”…isn’t it amazing how people tend to exaggerate their situations, biased toward the negative. It happens all the time. Re think your language, look for the positive & start turning things around.

Lesson Two

“Freedom doesn’t come with a price but it does come with a promise”…prophetic words. Alex goes on to list “three simple but Life Changing words”:

Acknowledge…what’s holding you back, what needs to be changed, your strengths           

Accept…that no matter the past, you can begin again                                                       

Allow…good things to find you, your gifts to be shared,hope, love

“Freedom’s promise is simple: Nothing has power over you without your permission”

Lesson Three

Stop trying so hard…”be willing to be yourself”

“To change or grow, we must be willing to acknowledge what’s not working.”

These words say it all for me.

Lesson Four

Accept yourself – look for the vibrant colours inside of you

People have a tendency to “cloak” themselves, a protective layer if you will. Take off the cloak and allow your true self/colours to show. Alex has found the strength to do this & will no longer hide his colours from the world…..you can too.

Lesson Five

Life is Beautiful…It is my choice how I live Life and how I view Life

Learn to live without asterisks…exercise your choice to choose Life’s beauty & all that is good about Life…”It’s the small things as well as the big ones, that create my beautiful Life”.

Living Life without conditions frees us to be who we truly are.

Lesson Six

“Love is a Choice”…

“Throughout Life, we often have the opportunity to fall in love.”…..”But I am talking about a more enduring type of love – a ‘whole self’ type of love. In order to live a happy & purposeful life it is important to choose to become a loving person.”…..Choice here is obviously so very powerful

Lesson Seven

Live beyond your skin…”If you are looking for happy life, be happy – right now. Do good things for others – right now. Be kind, smile and look for what’s right in the situation – right now. The way to the life that you desire is within your control – right now.”

Now, Today is where it’s at. Make your choices & act…right now.

Lesson Eight

Find the brighter side of Failure…“I celebrate my humanness”...”I don’t want to be perfect, I just want to be Alex.When my confidence is lacking, I try to remember that I don’t have to be perfect. Part of who I am is the mistakes I have made along the way. These mistakes contribute to my humanness…..” This says it all for me, just be & accept you as yourself & change will accompany you.

Lesson Nine

Take down the White Flag…”Learn to strive for a 10 in all areas of your Life”

“Striving for a 10 is a process”. The reality is that you are unlikely to be giving yourself “10′s” in all areas of your Life however the point of the exercise is to nourish what’s working in your Life, identify areas of personal growth & plan to improve in those areas.

Lesson Ten

Let faith be your Guide…getting rid of excess baggage…”The contents of my backpack change as my Life changes. When I do experience change, it’s healthy to look inside to see what’s no longer useful and what new items might be needed next.”

This is the Faith to let go of the things that no longer serve you and believe in your own power. Use what you need, let go of what you don’t need.

Now, you really don’t have any excuse not to purchase Alex’s book, do you? I bought a copy…..it’s easy.

# For more reasons why you should buy this wonderful book and how to do so, simply click on the link below

http://www.thebridgemaker.com/saying-yes-to-change-10-timeless-life-lessons-for-creating-positive/

Be good to yourselves

David

P.S If you need a Solution for anything that is holding you back in Life, ask me via email, for free!…david@davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

# Find out more about me by visiting my :

• Fabulous “Virtual Coach” page here where ongoing support and life changing assistance is just a keystroke or two away. Why not sign up while you are there?

• Facebook page over there. I would love you to view & “like” , if you like

•  website @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

• Linkedin profile

• follow me on Twitter

My 7 Links Challenge & 7 Random Facts Expose

I have been invited by my blogging friend Hiten Vyas to complete The 7 Links & 7 Random Facts Challenge…..thankyou for the honour Hiten.

For those who don’t know about this, a blogger is awarded a nomination to do the 7 Links Challenge, which involves looking back at 7 of our posts belonging to the following categories:

1. Most beautiful post
2. Most popular post
3. Most controversial post
4. Most helpful post
5. Post whose success surprised you
6. Post you felt didn’t get the attention it deserved
7. Post that you are most proud of

After sharing these posts, the blogger then has to share the award with 5 other bloggers.

The 7 Random facts is pretty self-explanatory,  the blogger has to state 7 random things about himself/herself.

Well here goes…..

1. My Most Beautiful post (if that’s possible)…
   

   Living Life Today – Thoughts that catch the heart are incredibly important…(if only for the title of the post)

2. My most Popular post…not for amount of comments received however for the continued viewings that it receives…
   

   21 Self Discovery Questions to enrich your mid life Journey

3. My most Controversial post...hmmm, now let’s see, I don’t consider myself “contoversial” however there’s one post that has a little ‘rough’ language in it. Not sure if that qualifies however…
   

   3 Meaningful steps for taking action that matters

4. My most Helpful post...that’s a toughie…I try to make all of them ‘helpful’, now let’s see...4 Simple Goal building steps that can be truly Life Changing...this post drilled down to some core issues that many of us have to deal with

      5. My post where ‘Success’ surprised me…The Imagination series (episode 2)           this was early into the Imagination series and I couldn’t be sure how it would be received…favourably it seems

      6. My post which didn’t get the attention I felt it deserved...Living Life Today – The Share Principle…perhaps too close to Christmas. Anyway, I liked the message…

      7. My post which I am most proud of…My “Happy” is my Friend...allround ‘happy”  theme, well received….gave me a great feeling.

If you haven’t viewed or shared these posts before, please have a look.

7 Random Facts about me:

• I use to play golf off a 10 handicap
• I took up Fun Runs in my early 40′s
• I have 2 beautiful daughters aged in their 20′s
• My great grand father was Danish
• I am scared of great heights
• I enjoy cold beer
• I don’t know why I started writing blog posts…it just happened

There you have it. Now for the real fun. I have to nominate 5 bloggers to ‘pass the torch to’…

My 5 nominees for the award are as follows. To all, please don’t feel you need to participate, but if you choose , it would be great. You can either participate in the 7 Links Challenge or the 7 Random Facts challenge, or both.

1. DiaThabet
2. Nancy Shields
3. Harriet Cabelly
4. Cathy Taughinbaugh
5. Elle Sommer

Congratulations and good luck. As always…..

Be good to yourselves

David

P.S If you need a Solution for anything that is holding you back, ask me via email, for free!…david@davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

# Find out more about me by visiting my :

• Fabulous “Virtual Coach” page here where ongoing support and life changing assistance is just a keystroke or two away. Why not sign up while you are there?

• Facebook page over there. I would love you to “like” , if you like

•  website @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

• Linkedin profile

• follow me on Twitter

The Peter Pan Effect

Hello fellow Life Lovers. This came to me in somewhat of a “blinding flash”, so I just had to pour this out & publish it before it escapes my mind.

Image via Wikipedia

I am busily penning my next blog post on Mid Life Game Plans when the dreaded word “old” reared it’s ugly head.

I’m a Mid Lifer and I don’t want to get “old” or have “old thoughts”. I haven’t yet reached my prime, I have so much to do and so much to share.

Peter Pan then popped into my head……..from nowhere. Now Peter Pan is the boy who didn’t grow up, as I recall. I’m grown up however the concept of having Peter Pan thoughts, attitudes and never ending youthfulness strikes me as something of great merit.

We are as young (or as old) as we think & feel.

If you are feeling a bit old at times, try thinking of Peter Pan and add a hop, skip & jump to your day and your Life.

Be good to yourselves

David

# Find out more about me by visiting my:

• Fabulous “Virtual Coach” page here where ongoing support and life changing assistance is just a keystroke or two away

• Facebook page over there & “like” , if you like

•  website @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

•  Linkedin profile

Guest Post

Hi there,

At the moment, I am over at The Bridgemaker with a Guest Post.

Here is the link……. http://www.thebridgemaker.com/the-journey-of-you/

Feel free to pop on over and have a read. I will also take this opportunity to thank you all for your support this year and wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

be good to yourselves

David

# Find out more about me by visiting my :

• Fabulous “Virtual Coach” page here where ongoing support and life changing assistance is just a keystroke or two away

• Facebook page over there & “like” , if you like

•  website @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

•  Linkedin profile

5 Steps to live a Happy Life

A change up this time. I have a guest poster who has kindly obliged with a compelling read for you all.

I am a strong advocate for leading a happy Life and I welcome you to read this post by

M.Farouk Radwan…….take it way Farouk,

5 Steps to live a Happy Life

Everyone wants to live a happy life but sadly most people never manage to achieve that important goal. Some people claim that happiness can be found through meditation while others claim that happens can be reached through certain religious practices.

Some people claim that money can bring happiness while others say that love can bring happiness.

So what is the right path a person should take to find happiness?

Here are five steps that will help you live a happy life:

1)      We are different: All of the previous claims are true. People are different and because of that what makes one of them happy wont necessary make another one happy.  The first step to finding happiness in life to understand what can bring you happiness. Put in mind that it might be something unique that has nothing to do with what people told you about happiness before.

2)      Fight for what you believe in: Once you know what can really make you happy fight for it with all the power you have. Many people don’t live happy lives just because they don’t want to do effort and fight for the things that they believe in. some schools claim that happiness is a state that you can trigger at anytime without doing any effort and that’s why people who follow this school usually never consider fighting for what they want an option.

3)      Know what you don’t like: Some people hate stress yet every morning they go to the same stressful job. Some people hate the way others take advantage of them yet they never attempt to become assertive and stop them. The third step to finding happiness is to avoid what you hate whenever possible. Of course sometimes you might need to do something that you don’t like for some time until you reach the thing that you like.

4)      Don’t escape: Many people are unhappy not because they don’t know what can make them happy but because they decided to escape instead of taking actions. Some people escape by procrastination, others escape by sleeping all day while a third group escapes to drugs. If you want to live a happy life then you must be brave enough to fight instead of escaping.

5)      Be patient: happiness can’t be found overnight nor you can change everything that you dislike about your life in few days. In order to be happy you need to be patient and to think using a long term mentality. Once you start pursuing your goals everyday you will become a bit happier until one day you will experience true happiness

Written by M.Farouk Radwan

The founder of http://www.2knowmyself.com

# Thank you Farouk and please folks have a look at his website

…….until next time

be good to yourselves

David

# You can still find me & “like” me by hitting the Facebook button over there

# I also hang out @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

 

What is it that Shapes Us?

Now there’s an interesting question.

Is it just one thing or is it several?

Do we have any influence on this or how much influence do we have?

Do external factors determine who we become? OR is it an “inside game”?

Is it something we read? OR

Is it something we hear?

Were we born with it? OR

Did we learn it as we grew?

Have we forgotten what it is? OR

Did we know  what it was in the first place?

What is “it” that shapes us?

Our journey through Life allows us to stop, shop or browse for whatever is available whether it be for sale or it be free. You can get off the bus, gather fresh information and then continue your journey. Or you can simply cruise on through(thru) catching glimpses of the sights as you drive by and ignore all the signs along the way.{ Sorry about the analogy, couldn’t help myself }

Collecting information will mean that you either attach to it or discard it. If it has an impact on you then you are likely to attach to it. It forms another piece to your puzzle (about Life).

We collect information all the way through Life. It comes from different sources. Friends, family, acquaintances, gurus, books, media,internet, seminars, experiences. They all have some impact on shaping our Life.

The amount of “impact” and the time that this stays with us varies from person to person. Strong family values & upbringing will no doubt stay with you throughout your Life (as an example).

It also depends on the experience that you felt/associated with this “impact”.

How do we determine a good influence from a poor one?

An excellent question I think e.g,…….. Does it feel right?

Does it add value to you/your Life?

Does it come unencumbered or with conditions?…..

I welcome you to add your thoughts on this.

The eventual acceptance or otherwise of the influences in our lives often come via trial & error. We will make mistakes with this. Some mistakes will be long lasting for many. Others will see the error in their ways & abandon poor influences. This abandonment also forms  part of the “shaping experience”……..letting go of the poor stuff.

To exercise choice in the way that our lives are shaped, is  to be treasured. There will be a lot of exernal factors which try to influence & shape us. Choosing the good ones is the challenge.

Having our internal mechanisms audited & in good working order will guide us through this minefield of influences.

This means that you know who you are and what you want.

That’s what it all comes down to eventually. You, me, we arriving at a destination (there’s that journey analogy again) where we know what is  good for us & what is not, hanging on to the value & letting go of cheap alternatives……. Enjoy your journey.

What is currently/or has shaped you?

be good to yourselves

David

p.s Feel free to view & “like” my Facebook page over there, if you like

check out my new Virtual Coach page here

I also hang out @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

Mind your Language, it’s getting a little hot in here

It's a little hot here

Cryptic, clear, decisive, antagonising, illuminating, happy, loving, caring, tormenting, rude, degrading, false, open,confused,irritating,bland,exciting,colourful,artful,crafted,free

These are just some of the ‘types of language that we use.

The language that we use both written & verbal places us “on show” & determines responses from others (& ourselves).

Is it just me or is the temperature rising? I’m not talking ‘global warming” here, I’m talking language.

In recent times, I have noticed the heat being turned up  both locally & globally. The language is becoming more intense.

When the heat rises so does the negativity, it seems to me, …….time for a cooler head.

• Friction causes heat.

• Friction between parties cause heated language.

• Easing the friction, eases the heat, eases the negativity.

So how? A Cool head thought….maybe consider the other’s point of view instead of asserting yourself to be “in the right” and acting accordingly?

That’s the main reason for language friction in my opinion i.e  Someone has to be right & the other has to be wrong. It doesn’t make sense but hey, that’s conflict. There are other reasons of course. That can be debated at some other time. It’s not my intent to labour on that now.

Internal friction(heat causing) distorts the language used,  both to ourselves & to others.

I need to take a step back for a moment & review this epiphany…….wow

In other words, conflicting thoughts, irrational thoughts (both causes of internal friction), may cause “your heat” to rise. Now you don’t want to internally combust, do you?

When you “heat up”, negative thoughts come to the surface. Your ”language” skews & this has a flow on effect to the language you use to others. It doesn’t serve you well.

A Cool head thought…take a deep breath, exhale the negativity. Pause, calm down, allow your positive thoughts to percolate & come to the forefront of your thought stream. That’s a good start. When you feel calm(er) then continue your “conversation”. I hope you get my drift.

You cannot operate effectively when your thoughts & language overheat. We see that on the global stage daily. No doubt you see a lot of this locally as well. I tune out to most of this(TV News), that’s my way of handling/ignoring this issue (poor excuse I know). However I am not running away from this….

It still annoys me how people can (miss)treat others via the language that they use. Far greater progress would be made by acknowledging each other’s points of view & working collaboratively to solve our world’s great issues.Not by spending time & energy asserting themselves to be “right”.

Now, enough of the rant. Back to the all important you…….

Remember to mind your language, keep a cool head not a hot one.

This goes for the language that you use to yourself and to others. It is vitally important that your “internal language” is positive. Allows you to grow and have a positive effect on others.

What do you think about the language used in today’s world?

Are you speaking to yourself in a positive way?

Please share your thoughts.

be good to yourselves

David

p.s Feel free to “like” my Facebook page over there, if you like

I also hang out @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

A little taste of some Real Life Serendipities

This post is simply a compilation of some ‘serendipitous’ phrases,  which I have used in previous posts and some others that have entered my Life or I have used in my coaching conversations.

I hope you enjoy.

“Each moment has the potential to launch you in to a new journey of discovery…….cherish each & every moment”.

“Don’t just accept what is…….consider what if “

“Many things can make my heart sing”

” The word Yes is so short yet so powerful…and it’s very easy to say”

“It’s often the seemingly little things in Life that are really the big things”

“Belief comes in all shapes & sizes and there is one just right for you”

“A smile is so simple yet so effective”

“We can all step forward together & embrace what the future holds”

”Renewal is a Life long exercise. Renewal is ongoing, Retirement is permanent”

“Love is all around us, it really is”

“The sun is always shining, it just gets cloudy from time to time”

“Moments come & then go however the memory of those moments can linger on. It is up to us to make our memories memorable”

“You can only be you, so make an agreement(with you) to be the best you that you can be”

”Imagination has no rules, isn’t it great!”

“Great questions open the door to great experiences”

“Learning is one constant that must be maintained to experience a full Life”

That’s all for now, just a little taste of the many “serendipities” that have come in to my world in recent months.

be good to yourselves

David

p.s  feel free to view & “like” my Facebook page over there, if you like

check out my new On line Coaching Buddy page here

I also hang out @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

Is there a Lunatic inside your Head?

I’ve gone a little crazy for this post. It”s a somewhat different take on things, a different angle or perspective if you like……..

#What’s that you say?…..I thought I heard a voice. # Nah, can’t be?

You know, that nagging “voice” which is trying to interrupt your concentration. You are  focussing but there is something else lurking in your subconscious, trying to get to the surface………it appears some lunatic is attempting to sabotage your thoughts OR is that same “lunatic” just trying to get your attention?

Which “lunatic” is it…..Good Lunatic or Bad Lunatic?

The Good Lunatic may at first seem a little crazy, a little different, make a lot of noise but hey, isn’t that the world that we live in? full of noise, distraction. Maybe that’s why he/she is making so much noise……to get your attention in the first instance.

Unnecessary distraction & noise take us away from our Main Game. There are (numerous) times when I have  needed a “good lunatic” to get me back on track. A Voice prepared to give me a good “kicking” when required. A Voice to rise above the noise of everyday Life and at the same time, respect my need for quietness when the time to pause for some deep thought & introspection is required

However, there is also the “bad lunatic” voice, which can be much more subtle(at first). Quietly whispering in your ear. The soothing sounds of self destruction. He/she sneeks up on you, becomes your “friend”, gently offering support & encouragement……..only to eventually get you derailed!

Then the  “bad” becomes “real bad”. He/she ups the volume. The gentle soothing whispers become noisier, more persistent. You have difficulty hearing anything else, this “lunatic” is gaining control & is blocking out the voice of reason, commonsense, practicality and the quiet of deep personal thought.

# Which “lunatic” do you want or have inside your head?

(How do you choose, how do you know which “voice” is the one for you.)

Sadly, many are unaware of the voice within - the inner guiding light, intuition, cosmic power source, universal thought line or whatever tag you would like to apply. So for many, there is a lunatic running loose in the asylum. A distracting noise aimed at your self destruction.

The Key, I believe is knowing your inner voice, it’s vulnerabilities and it’s power(when it’s good & when it’s bad). Knowing your inner voice & it’s behaviour, will give you more self control and the ability to be your true self, rather than have a “lunatic” in charge of your life.

Be good to yourselves

David

p.s Feel free to “like” my Facebook page over there, if you like

I also hang out @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

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• Meeting Your Inner Sage (techelet.wordpress.com)

In response to a “Versatile Blogger”

Hi there,

A Blogging acquaintance of mine recently received a well deserved ‘Versatile Blogger’ Award ……see Joss The Crowing Crone @ www.crowingcrone.wordpress.com

A requirement of accepting her award was to pass on to some fellow bloggers a request to tell the blogging universe 7 things about themselves that was previously unknown, here goes;

• I am 56 looking forward to 57 at the end of the year
• I enjoy keeping fit
• One of my main goals is to be as fit @ 70 as I was @ 40
• I have two lovely daughters both in their 20′s
• I grew up in Sydney Aus and have lived on the southern tip of Australia’s Gold Coast since 1989
• I smile a lot
• I am amazed at how much I have learned about Life and how much more there is to learn
• I enjoy helping people

Mmmmm, that’s 8…..well the more mature I get, the worse my maths I guess. Must be the coffee, got carried away.

P.S check out Joss’ blog, it’s very pleasant reading.

Be good to yourselves

David