Living Life Today – “Thankyou” a one word Gift…or is it two?

The Living Life Today series provides a platform to think about your Life as it is Now, enjoy what you have, review and create an even better future for tomorrow”….. Short, sharp & easily digestible.

The two words ”Thank and you” when combined, create a powerful force.

It’s easy to say…”Thankyou”. Delivering these two words with heartfelt meaning says so much.

Whether you say this to someone else or gives thanks to The Universe for delivering so much to you…the power of “thankyou” is there…..it’s like dynamite in your hands.

Yet I sense that Thankyou is vastly underestimated. Indeed it is under utilised and often avoided. Intentionally or not, I don’t know.

But the pleasure you can get from saying this goes way beyond the norm. Saying “thankyou” is a Gift between the giver and the recipient(s). It is wrapped with warmth, delivered with intent & then unwrapped with anticipation.

Add a few “thankyou’s” to your day. Doing this will make someone else’s.

be good to yourselves

David

# YES, I coach in Australia & around the world via Skype…contact me for more details… david@davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

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Does your Life need Renewing? Trade in your Old Life Today with these 3 quick Tips

Are you running around like a “headless chook”?

Your mind is racing, you are darting in different directions, seemingly all at the same time – Life is a blur……

OR are you sitting in the corner with a puzzled look on your face?… not knowing what to do or where to turn.

No direction, no motivation, no goals…..no answers

Gratitude Journal (Photo credit: limevelyn)

Whether you are darting in different directions or have no direction at all, you need to get your head in to a better space.

Pause & Reflect… One do-able action that can get you started is to spend just 5 minutes alone. Alone with your thoughts. Think about where you are currently at with your Life and where you want to be in the future. Be that tomorrow, next week, next month, next year or years down the track.

Start with just 5 minutes. Concentrate on now. Then gradually step it up to 10 or 15 minutes…no need for any more.

 You will need however, to build upon this in due time.  Look within & start to look ahead once you have the “now” sorted. Seek Motivation, seek inspiration. Do you want a better deal out of life? …….just start thinking differently.

Gratitude, is my main motivator when I feel stale, uninspired and stuck in a RUT.

Gratitude for the things that I have, the people that I love and for the great things that have occurred in my Life. Thinking thoughts of gratitude can only produce positive actions for you, it does for me. The good news is…….it’s easy to do! ….just make the time to be grateful.Start a journal or revisit the one that you had (and have left neglected)

Amazing things start to happen when different thoughts & gratitude are allowed in. Better thoughts begin to manifest. ‘Breakthrough moments’ occur. Perceptions change, even “the busyness” seems calmer. Positive results occur. You have better control of your actions, you have the time to do things effectively.

Photo credit Andrew Tallon
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/gallery-e6frg6n6-1226433735647?page=9

Get Excited and take Action… there’s plenty to be excited about. Simply open your eyes, ears and most importantly…your Heart.

I always find a trigger point to get me into excitement mode. It could be anything however it always starts with a thought & I see the key to excitement is “thinking excitement”, with the emphasis on the “thinking” part. It’s easy to do once you get the hang of it.

When you are in ‘thinking mode’, nice & relaxed you will be amazed at what ‘comes to you’. Write down the best thoughts and then make a note to action them. It is of little use to have the power of thought without follow up action.

Taking that action will make all the difference between your “old life” and your “new Life”.

So, are these tips worthwhile for you? Are you caught in one of Life’s ruts? I’d love you to share your comments below.

Be good to yourselves

David

#  I’d love you to Visit and “like” my Facebook page

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5 Powerful ingredients that add “Meaning” to your Goals

In a much earlier post, I specified the 5 effective steps that I believed were essential in achieving meaningful goals.

Now I want to introduce you to what I believe are 5 powerful ingredients to add real meaning to your Goals.

Passion, Persistence,  Imagination, Vision, Gratitude

These are not new and will be well known to you all. I have joined them as one defining resource or collective if you will.

When used in this way, you will create an avenue toward real meaning with your Goals.

It is however my experience, one or more of these ingredients (in some cases all) are found lacking when people set out to achieve goals. Or set out to achieve anything more than what they have at present. It’s like going on a road trip with only half a tank of fuel and expecting it to get you the whole journey.

Let’s have a closer look.

Passion

Without this your goals will fizzle…out. Passion is a vital and common ingredient amongst all successful achievement and all successful people. It can be an overused term and it’s not my intent to do this here. I struggle to give a specific description of passion however my best effort is along the lines of “when you are doing something that excites you, makes you feel fully alive and gives you a tingling feeling, then you are passionate”…..and you can see this in the people who are truly passionate.

Persistence

It’s rarely a smooth trip when chasing your goals. There will be rough patches. Hanging in there when the going gets tough is a must. Looking for a gap thru the ‘roadblock’, a breakthrough of some kind requires persistence. If you are prepared to be persistent, regardless, then the end achievement (of your goal) is the more meritorious and meaningful.

Imagination

Thinking outside the box, outside the square is a valued trait. When setting goals especially Big ones that may seem ‘out of reach’, imagining the positive end result before you set out certainly stokes the fire, gets you excited…..and that’s pretty powerful meaning at work, right there. p.s I’ve written a number of posts on “Imagination”…some links are found at the foot of this post.

Vision

Having the ability to look ahead, to stretch the boundaries of what normally is expected and create something new and powerful is Vision at it’s best. This is where the meaningful goals are created. Vision and Imagination are like identical twins. They go hand in hand and have created so much in our world. Use them yourselves and create added meaning to your Life.

Gratitude

What’s this got to do with “meaning” you might be saying? Well, in my experience being grateful adds an extra dimension to the meaning of my existence, my Life. And during this Life, I have set and achieved many goals. There is still much that I want to achieve. Being grateful for “future achievements” when initially setting my goals adds punch and confidence during the goal achievement journey.

Can this be helpful to you? I’d love to hear your comments.

Be good to yourselves

David

# Some “Imagination” links for your reading pleasure:

The Imagination Series Episode 2

The Imagination Series Episode 4

The Imagination Series Episode 7

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Sharing….. and Caring about the end Result

I have been a firm believer for a long time that sharing oneself, one’s skills with others is a valuable contribution to community.

Sharing of thoughts, kind words, tangible goods, cash, conversational support all go a long way to strengthening the very fibres of our local community.

Now, if every body got involved with sharing for the greater good…

this “local strengthening” could become global…..now that would make waves.

It was just a thought.

A shake of the hand, a warm embrace and a kind smile are all so easy to give and mean so much. Why not make this our daily ritual?

“Sharing” oneself is great for the soul.

The ability to share is with us all. We just need to flick the switch and turn on the ‘share mode’.

It will make you a better person. It will make others better people also.

Sharing is a great start. However, caring about the results of your sharing is even greater.

When we take that first step toward a goal, a target or anything that we simply want to get done, we will have a result in mind.

We will have sufficient care built in, to ensure that the result is what we want.

It might not always work out the way that we had initially intended (sometimes a better result ensues) however caring about the intended result adds a vital ingredient to the whole ‘taking the first step thing”.

The same with sharing. Just take that first step.

When we care about the ‘result’ of “the share”, it multiplies the effect.

Therefore,I believe that to share effectively… a generous dose of caring must be part of the mix.

What do you think? Is Caring and Sharing worth the effort? Does anybody care enough these days?…I’d love to hear your thoughts

# Bonus Reads:

I’m not Normal and that’s OK…Jodi Chapman

Ideas to Shape your World…Elle Sommer

A Simple Path – to Building your House…Alex Blackwell

Be good to yourselves

David

# I would truly appreciate you 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?…..Only $25 per month, one month or as many as you wish

• Facebook page over there. I’d love you to “like” & follow. This will allow for some valuable interaction & for you to message me anytime, with any “Life issues” that you would like some help with

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Life moves on – Reflections upon lessons learned from a Valuable Friend

Last year I wrote two posts inspired by my dog and awesome friend Sam. I believe that there are lessons for us all from these posts and that was my intent for writing them.

This week, my friend lost his battle with his health and is now in ‘doggy heaven’ with his great friend Maddie, our staffy who passed on nearly three years ago.

Sam was a tough bugger,  recovering from a big operation caused by a ruptured ACL last November, smaller op this year for a haematoma and cartlidge damage to his leg, two months ago. He had also developed a heart murmur which was discovered when ‘prepping’ him for his operation on the ruptured ACL.

Unfortunately on Tuesday, the Vet specialist found an aggressive tumour on his spine…..we knew from an earlier appointment that day that there was some form of spinal interference and were hoping for a disc to be the issue…..he had lost the use of his hind legs the previous day.

Yet in spite of all the dramas, Sam retained a cheerful face and love in his heart for his family, right to the end.

• In spite of all the odds that may be stacked against us, find the “will” to keep going and live another day to the full extent of your capabilities

With your indulgence, I have reposted some of the two prior posts relating to Sam…….

Post 1.

“These are all characteristics that I associate with Sam. These are also characteristics that I have learned are useful in pursuing the things that I enjoy. Sam has helped me reinforce these into my psyche”.

Persistence …You have to have it. If you feel that you are on a winner, keep going, don’t stop and never, ever , ever give in. Does your dog “shadow” you like mine until he gets what he wants?

Appreciation… when someone says something, does something that you really like…tell them or show them how much you appreciate it. It will come back to you ten fold. Sam lies at my feet, nuzzles up next to me when I have “done him good”. You might not want to try that specifically however hopefully you get my point.
Enthusiasm…Boy is it contagious or what! If you’ve been around “enthusiastic” people you know that it rubs off onto you. Show enthusiasm & people will gravitate toward you. Ever seen a dog wag his tail? then I need say no more.

Follow through(thru)…when you start something or say that you will do something, then keep the action going. Follow through with your sales leads, personal contacts, Business contacts. Don’t leave anybody or any thing “hanging”. I have never seen Sam leave a bone or any food for that matter, unfinished…..he follows through on what he started.

Determination… similar to ‘Follow thru’ & ‘Persistence’ however with a “dogged” touch to it. Determination is what I call a start up trait. One needs to bedetermined to initiate the actions that will bring one success, joy, happiness. When determination is present, Follow thru & Persistence are flow ons…… (like a dog with a bone, he wants one & is determined to get it, then finishes the job)

Chill… If you’ve read some of my recent posts including Just Chilling then you know that I am a fan. Sam is one of the best “chillers” that I have come across…..check the photo for proof. Make time to “Chill” & reflect on your gratitudes.

Love… One of the best feelings. One that I have felt before & on numerous occasions however my faithful dog is always loving regardless. Something that I have learned is extremely valuable. The love of my faithful friend is all consuming.

Post 2.

“Well I have learned One more valuable lesson. Sam had a recent injury & is now recovering at home from surgery. He had an operation this week to repair a snapped Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).Did he complain? No, he just got on with it. There he was limping around, after diagnosis by Vet last weekend, business as usual. No complaints.Sure he must have been in pain though I think he is now in more after surgery, at least in the short term.Nevertheless, he soldiered on as I said, business as usual…..except for his daily walk with me that is.

“Resilience under pressure”…..doing what you have to do regardless of the obstacles.

This is another lesson well learned. Doing what has to be done regardless of how you feel either personally or how you feel about the job at hand.

“Resilience” is something that we all need to draw on when things get ‘tough’. Inspiration gets you into a state of “I’ve just got to do it”…..Motivation pushes you “to do it”…..Resilience helps you “keep doing it” when obstacles appear.

When have you needed “resilience” in your Life or are there times when you wished you had used some? Share your thoughts in the comments below, you know I like to read & reply.

By the way, the love of my faithful friend is being returned 100 fold from all our family during his recovery”.

Thankyou for your indulgence. Sam is resting now and I will always remember the lessons that I have learned from my true Friend.

be good to yourselves

David

# Bonus Read…..“You only live once, so make it Meaningful” Joe Wilner Shake Off the Grind

# I would truly appreciate you visiting my :

• Facebook page over there. I’d love you to “like” & follow. This will allow for some valuable interaction & for you to message me anytime, with any “Life issues” that you would like some help with

• Fabulous “Virtual Coach” page here where ongoing support and life changing assistance is just a keystroke or two away…..Only $25 per month, one month or as many as you like… Why not sign up while you are there?

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Is Time on your side or is it slipping away without notice?

“Time” was something I included in my last post. It’s something that I have been much more accutely aware of in recent years.

As I flip the pages on the calendar of my Life, I am much more appreciative of what “time” has offered to me and how precious it is to me now, tomorrow, next week & so on.

Time is running thru the hourglass for us all.

How often do you think about this?

“Time” is often taken for granted by many as if it is a seemingly infinite resource that we can tap into at any time(excuse the pun), much like withdrawing available funds from our bank account when we need it.

However there will come a “time” (sorry) for all of us when that resource will become dry and there will be no overdraft available .

The present moment is our only guaranteed time here. Taking more time (pun intended) to enjoy, reflect, live life in the present moment is one that should be taken very seriously.

So when you hear the voice inside you or other people say….”another time”, “haven’t got the time …”, “wish I had the time…”, “If only there was time…”, “There’s not enough time”,

consider this…..how are you spending your time now?

Consider the things that are really important to you and prioritise the time accordingly.

Live in the now, think in the now, dream & visualise in the now because life is a series of “now” moments….. not yesterday or tomorrow moments but “now” moments – live your life, enjoy your life, Now.

What are you doing now?

Can I suggest that you prioritise some time to have a read of these marvellous posts from some fellow blogging friends of mine:

* Shared Wisdom – Moving out of your comfort zone.….Jodi Chapman Soul Speak

* Should Social Media be kept In-house?.….Aileen Mahoney Evotive Marketing

* Four ways to make sure that Today ends better than Yesterday..…Zeenat Merchant-Syal Positive Provocations

Be good to yourselves

David

# I would love you to visit my :

• Facebook page over there. Please “like” & follow. This will allow you to message me anytime, with any “Life issues” that you would like some help with

• 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?

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Living Life Today – Time and true friends are both precious

“The Living Life Today series provides a platform to think about your Life as it is Now, enjoy what you have, review and create an even better future for tomorrow”….. Short, sharp & easily digestible.

I’ve just returned from spending 3 days in Sydney. My wife and I caught up with old friends and relatives from our extended families, most of whom we hadn’t seen for about 3 years….some, a lot longer than that.

Talk invariably got to our children, how old they now were, what they were doing etc, Many of us are in our fifties (it was a friend’s 50th birthday bash that had us going there in the first place) and the realisation that we and our children are ‘moving on’ in Life so quickly made us realise that we need to see each other on a much more regular basis.

Apart from drinking too many Corona’s, the weekend went great. My brothers & sisters-in-law are counted as my friends as well as the friendships that have been built up over the past 35 years with others who we saw on the weekend.

This weekend re – affirmed to me this Life lesson (and it may do for you)…..

True Friendship is a powerful bond & is prescious and “time” can be a powerful enemy if not used wisely…..it slips away…..don’t let your friendships do the same.

Be good to yourselves

David

Added extras for your reading pleasure:

Life Lessons learned from Mom…..Victor Schueller

The seed of Persistence…..            Elle Sommer

31 Things…                                      Sibyl Chavis

# I would love you to visit my :

• Facebook page over there. Please “like” & follow. This will allow you to message me anytime, with any “Life issues” that you would like some help with

• 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?

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Hallelujah

Fellow Life Lovers,

Be thankful that you can Imagine

Be thankful that you can dream

Be thankful that you are here…a part of this wonder, this magical mystery tour (sorry Beatles)

Hallelujah, I say…make the most of it, the up’s the downs… learn & grow

Please listen to this wonderful version of the song Hallelujah and let it fill you with thankyou’s & overwhelm you with the magic of Life…..and I thankyou for being part of my blogging world.

And before you go…do yourself a favour and click on the links below for some wonderful reads from fellow bloggers:

# Change your Life – Get the Fear out of here …Tess Marshall The Bold Life

# Are you trying to make others Happy?…Nea Joy Self Improvement Saga

# The 5 traits of creative Genius – you can’t afford to be without…Angela Artemis Powered by Intuition

Be good to yourselves

David

# I would love you to visit my :

• Facebook page over there. Please “like” & follow. You can then feel free to message me anytime, if you have any “Life issues” that you would like some help with

• 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?

•  website @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

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A new (Mid Life) day dawns

A somewhat poetic piece is offered for critique by the blogging Universe this day. This post is a little contrary to my usual however a “change of pace” is warranted at times.

I guess I was carried away by my feelings and felt it necessary “to let it out”…..

Humour me if you will and/or ‘picture’ yourself and your feelings as a new day dawns for you. As I journey thru my Mid Life years, each day that dawns has added significance for me. I hope that it does for you too, regardless of which stage of Life that you are currently enjoying.

“The sun is shining and the landscape is coming alive before my very eyes.

My senses are stimulated as every fibre of my body reacts to the life around me.

As I breathe in this wonder, my thoughts turn to the joy of the moment and gratitude wells within me. How can negativity exist when so many positives surround me?

Slow down from the rapid pace of life, dwell and absorb the moment

Let time stand still and focus on the quiet inside of you and the serenity that surrounds you.

Then re-awaken & be grateful that you can enjoy this moment and those to follow

You can feel truly alive and your fears, your worries, your missgivings are merely apparitions.”

Be good to yourselves

David

# I would love you to visit my :

• Facebook page over there. Please “like” & follow. You can then feel free to message me anytime, if you have any “Life issues” that you would like some help with

• 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?

•  website @ www.davidstevenslifecoach.com.au

• Linkedin profile

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One Simple Way…..to becoming unstuck

I'm free no longer stuck

This one Simple way will help you to begin to free yourself from the ‘gluepot’ of Life.

You are Stuck, right. Not sure of your next move forward. A million thoughts running through your head, none of them making any sense.

I’m going to tell you something that you have probably heard before, many times.

Pause, take time out.

It’s not brain surgery however, have you done this?…..maybe it’s time that you did, because this will give you the leverage that you need,in your battle to get unstuck. Being “Stuck” can also bring on Busyness, because you are trying to do a lot of stuff, hoping that something good will come of it & you will find a way forward. You will probably not, that’s why you should…..

Pause, take time out….. now that I have your attention

*one simple way once you have paused, is to….embrace your “Gratitudes”

You like me, have so much to be grateful for. Simply spending the time, exploring what you are grateful for, starts to free your mind. Simply writing down your gratitudes, invigorates and tingles the senses. Simply reading them each day opens up the thought processes. Simply re living these wonders creates new pathways, re energises your soul and gets you moving.

This is just one of the simple ways to getting unstuck, there are others. That will be for another post…..

It doesn’t have to be any more complicated than this.

Why not give it a try and let me know.

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

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Related articles

• Getting unstuck….. a bedtime story that’s a little different (personalpower4me.wordpress.com)