Praise is the Food of the Soul

So often I have seen how it is praise for the small steps along the way, praise for the little things that make a big difference. We all like to know that we are appreciated and what we are doing is "good". And it is important that we praise our loved ones, friends, work mates and especially our children so that they will know that we are happy with their efforts.

I came across a small piece by Bernie Siegel, in his book 365 Prescriptions for the Soul, about the importance of praise.

Praise is seen in your eyes when you look at your beloved. Praise is felt in your touch when you embrace. Praise is heard in your voice when you speak to the one you adore. Praise is about your loved one's potential and the hope you have for that person. Praise is like helium; it lifts us up above the troubles and obstacles of life. Praise does not say you are perfect. It says I admire you and what you have accomplished and what I know you will go on to do. Praise is the food of the soul. No one survives long without it.

So, who have you praised and lifted higher today? I have found that when we praise from our hearts, the effects are magnificent. A few words is often all that is needed - a thank you, a well done or that's great. A genuine compliment lives long after it is said.

I will leave you with colourful quote from an unknown author:

Praise is like fertilizer....... Sprinkle it freely and those you love will grow, bloom and blossom.

Praise is the Food of the Soul

Snap Out Of It!!

There are times the majority of us experience that crazy cycle of feeling like things are too hard and we just want to curl up and cry and then move to feeling pissed at the world and that everything is against us. You know that up, down, round and round - stop the world I want to get off type of feeling. Or at least I hope I'm not the only one who has ever had this feeling.

If you have ever been in this crazy cycle of sadness and anger, by reassured that there are ways to snap yourself out of the funk.

These three simple ideas were shared with me, by one of my mentors, Mr Bob Allwright. Bob is one of Asia Pacific's leading personal development speakers and author of an awesome little book called Brilliant Attitude. And I am very grateful to be able to call him a friend as well.

The first thing to do, is to do something that serves someone else. In the words of Abraham Lincoln "To ease another's heartache i to forget your own." Meaning that when you are focused on helping others, all of your 'problems' melt away. So what can you do, that benefits another person? It could be going into a school to help kids read, or a homeless shelter, an aged care facility a charity or a hospital. Or closer to home, a young single mum, a elderly neighbour or even a member of your own family. There are so many people out there crying out for assistance and attention, you just have to be open to giving them an opportunity and your your gift of presence.

If that seems like too big a challenge, then there is a second way out of this crazy cycle. And that is to do something that truly serves yourself. Think of something that you really, really, really love to do. Now go and do it. For me it is photography, for you it might be cooking, running, dancing, sitting on the beach or playing a sport. Please note that sitting in front of a television set with a large block of chocolate rarely can be justified as being of true service to yourself as much as we might like to think it is. Because when you lose yourself in something that you are passionate about, there is no room for sadness or anger, just the magic of the moment.

If you are still stuck, thankfully there is a third and really simple way out of the cycle. Something that everyone over the age of three can do, and that is to SKIP!!! Yes you read that correctly... go for a SKIP. It might be around the block, through the park, across the backyard or just up the hallway. But if you take the example of any 4 or 5 year old skipper and use your whole body, huge steps and giant arm swings while you skip, you will find it next to impossible to be either miserable or peeved at anything.

So there you have it.... three simple, readily available ways to snap out of your funk and get on with things in a more positive frame of mind. The third one while seeming to be really silly will prove to yourself that your inner child still has the ability to come out and play, that you still have a sense of humour and can laugh at yourself and when you can know this, there is still hope and with hope comes a belief that things can and will improve.

Snap Out Of It!!

Possibilities

When nothing is sure, everything is possible.
Margaret Drabble

When this quote showed up in my in box, I was reminded of a good friend of mine who is a constant source of inspiration, challenge and love. I would like to share with you his story. Last year he went from having it all to losing the lot. By the lot, I mean what most people would consider everything - his home, his marriage,, his financial security, his business.

How would at the age of 30, or 40, or 50 or even later in life react if all you had in terms of material assets was $100 and a bag of clothes that you could carry on you back? Would you be feeling some stress? Would you be asking "why me?" Would you even possibly be considering ending it all because you could see no way back up? or maybe you would play the victim card and blame everything and everyone else.

Let me share what this amazing man thought....

He considered this an opportunity to start again with a clean slate and become who he really was meant to become. Because he knew without a shadow of doubt that although he had lost all his material possessions, nobody could take away the lessons and knowledge that he had gained along the way. He knew that he had the skills to make it to the top once, so the next time would be so much easier.

In one conversation, he admitted that now that he had "nothing" there were people that he considered to be friends that were not returning phone calls and apparently didn't want to know him anymore. This he said, was a chance to find out who his true friends really are.

What many would see as a problem, he sees as a challenge. It's all about how you perceive the events that come your way. I have learned that it is when you think you have nothing, it is when you can really find what is meaningful in your life and be grateful for it. I am not mentioning any names because I feel that it is not my right to do so, however I know he knows that I am talking about him. What I'm not sure about is if he knows what a source of inspiration he is not only to me but to everyone that is gifted by his true presence. Someone, that I will always be honored to call a friend.

So I ask that you consider when you feel that life has thrown you a curve ball and knocked the wind out of you - how can you use this opportunity to inspire others? And where will you decide to take your life on its next leg of the journey?

Possibilities

Do Be Do

Recently, I agreed to completing some tasks that I know would help move my business forward, yet every time I sat down to get them started something else seemed to take my attention. Then, with the universe conspiring to make me stop and take stock of what was happening, through an illness that required bedrest. I had the time to ponder on why I was really putting off these tasks.

I came to the realisation that I associated the tasks with an identity that I didn't want for myself. I am an artist and a photographer. While the tasks I was working on were business related. I was spending 90% of my time (at least) on business stuff; marketing, promotions, budgets, finances, systems. And next to none on photography. In fact I hadn't picked up my camera for over a fortnight, which would probably surprise those who know me personally. My psyche was trying to tell me that I needed to get back to doing what I love and am.

After a major mental breakdown, through the help of those nearest and dearest to me, it finally came to me (like being hit by a truck comes upon you) that I didn't want the identity of a business person yet everything that I was doing was leading me to be one. I love being a photographer, yet I wasn't doing it - and wondering why I was unhappy and stressed.

Now I am doing what I love - taking beautiful images of all the miracles that the universe puts my way. I also realised that while I don't like doing the other tasks, they do need to be done. So found someone who I trust and who loves doing all the business stuff, and is excellent at it thus making it a win-win situation.

I will become a success, by doing what I love and by being true to myself because that's what I do best. I will also become a success by having a team around me that all love doing what they need to do and trusting that they will do it to the best of their ability. Because no-one lives on this planet by themselves and we need each other to become the best we can be.

The final realisation I had was that it don't matter of the identity you have for yourself, it might be photographer, business person, athlete, speaker or parent. You still need to be doing tasks that are a integral part of that identity. So as a photographer, I take photos. If you are an athlete, you do your chosen sport; if your identity is that of speaker, you get up on stage in front of as many people as often as you can and speak.

In other words, you DO (take the action) to BE (your chosen identity). Just take a moment to really ask yourself are you being and doing all that you can to be the best that you can be.

Do Be Do

What's Your Attitude

Studies have proven beyond all doubt that optimists live longer, healthier lives than pessimists, even when the pessimist's view of life is more accurate. There are umpteen quotes talking about our our attitudes effects our lives. There are a gazillion books on the subject, two of my personal favourites are Brilliant Attitude by Bob Allwright and Attitude, Aptitude, Altitude by Robyn Simpson.

Yet what is an attitude? The dictionary defines it as "mental view, opinion, posture, pose, disposition, behavior." So is it mental - our thoughts and ideas, is it physical - our actions and physiology or spiritual - our values and beliefs? Well yes, it is all these things tied up in one relatively little word. And it effects our whole lives.

Our attitudes are more important than facts. That is why what we tell ourselves is extremely important and in the long run will shape your destiny. Think back to your time in school. What was your attitude? Did you think that it was worthwhile or a waste of time? How did you behave at school? Where your days filled with laughter or loathing? Did you enjoy learning and growing or often feel like a failure?

Now ask yourself how has that shaped who I am today? We can not go back and change the facts of the past. We can however change our attitude towards the events of both the past and the present, which will then in turn change our future.

I have had the privilege of seeing the power of the mind at work when success coaches have done board breaking exercises with clients, some as young as 7 and 8 years old. This involves just what it sounds like - you get a piece of pine board about 2cm thick and break it with your bare hand. One time stands out in my mind when I was working with a young girl about 14 years old. She was an excellent student and leader and had a strong fear of failure. Her thoughts going into the board break was that it would hurt and cause pain, her focus was on failing - did she break the board? Eventually yes. Only after I changed her attitude to how she wasn't failing when it didn't break, she was just learning how not to do it. Once there was a shift in attitude and focus there was a huge change in results

If our self-talk gives us hope and is positive, we will have very different lives than if we await trouble and think that bad things are always going to happen. You may have heard of the saying "What you see is what you get." Well it's your attitude that determines what you see, so why not look on the bright side. In the long run the choice is yours. My thought for today is just to have a go at seeing life through the eyes of an optimist and just observe what direction your life takes.

What's Your Attitude

Getting started

While over the last few months I have been involved in getting my photography business SUCCESS EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY a higher profile in our city, I have also been living a fairly unbalanced life. Not looking after myself and not taking the opportunity to grow. I was reminded of the fact that what is not growing is dying.

As I enjoy putting my thoughts into words and hope that they can inspire others along with the images I create. Reading back through past posts I realised that I hadn't taken any further action to making my dream of becoming a published author a reality. So I am committing that my next 365 posts (one each day for the next year) will then become the book that I will get published by 5 February 2011.

This is the first one and I am publicly taking that first step in faith having no idea how it will eventuate. I am just going to trust that the universe will provide the way to get it done. So in advance I am going to thank the people who have made it possible for this project to even be contemplated.

Firstly. my darling husband Steve who is my biggest and best supporter; Nick and Jess who inspire me to become the best role model that I can be; Bob and Di Allwright for their examples of excellence; Lea Davis for giving a slipper-covered kick up the rear when I really need it; Kurek Ashley for reminding me to get out of my comfort zone and just do it; and finally Donna and Sue for just being them and there when I need them.

So the thought of today is to look at those dreams, put a deadline on them and just take the first step to get them started, even if you can't see all of the details. Oh and have the faith that it will all turn out as it should and the gratitute that you have the chance and the opportunity to grow from the experience.

Getting started

20 questions

20 Questions

1. If you had to could you take a vow of silence for 48 hours?
It would be blissful

2. What is your favorite kind of soup?
Fresh pumpkin

3. How often do you cut your hair?
When my fringe reaches the end of my nose

4. If you had to could you do your own income taxes? And have them be correct?
Nope. Wouldn't even try

5. What is your method to reading a magazine?
Usually front to back

6. How many magazines do you subscribe to?
None

7. What is/was your paternal grandfather's name?
Albert

8. And your maternal grandfather's name?
James

9. I know I'm tired when:
My blinks start to get longer

10. What color(s) do you associate with Spring?
light blue. pink. yellow. the typical pastels.

11. What color are your eyes? Did you inherit them from or pass them on to anyone in your family?
Dark brown from my dad, however both my children have green/blue gorgeous eyes

12. What do you have in your glove compartment?
CD's car service book, pack of panadol

13. Who are you in 6 words?
creative, caring, loved, passionate, stubborn, balanced

14. What is your favorite current tv drama?
Packed to the Rafters

15. Who do you think is NOT funny, but others think IS funny?
South Park or The Simpsons.

16. Three things you've been meaning to do, but haven't gotten around to yet:
Buy a bike, taxes, ironing

17. What is your noodle of choice?
fettuccine

18. What commercial are you so sick of?
Try not to watch them

19. If you gave birth today to octuplets (OMG!) and had sole naming rights, what would you name them? You can assume four of each sex, or make your own mix-up.
Emma, Sarah, Charlotte, Elle

Robert, Joshua, James, Alex

20. Is there something hanging over your head that you need to do right now?
Sort and process a few hundred photos

20 questions