Month: October 2015 Page 1 of 2

Last Wednesday was dubbed “Back to the future day.” October 21^st 2015 was the future date which was featured in the 1985 science fiction film Back to the future starring Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd.

In the film, Marty Mcfly (Michael J Fox) meets up with his scientist friend Emmett “Doc” Brown (Christopher Lloyd) who unveils a time machine built from a modified De Lorean sports car and powered by plutonium from Libya.

Its core component, a flux capacitor made time travel possible! Marty gets transported back to 1955 and he has to find a way back to 1985.

I remember seeing the film back in 1985 and I can recall thinking at the time that the featured 2015 date was a long way in the future and in another century!

When I reflected on this point this week, it struck me that those 30 years have passed by so quickly. I am sure that life has speeded up!

It is a gentle reminder of the importance to really engage with the present moment.

Modern life is demanding, has got busier and the world is changing at a faster rate than any other time in history due largely to the development of technology.

We have access to more information, sources of entertainment and distraction than any other generation. We live in an information rich and time poor world.

What also occurred to me was that our brains have the ability just like the flux capacitor to travel through time. Our brains transport us to the past and take us into the future but in doing so, we may not fully engage with the present moment and the task or person in front of us.

It is easy to get too in our heads and over think things and not be present with what we are doing or where we are. When we have greater engagement with the present moment, we are more productive and complete tasks in a state of flow, listen more effectively and as a result have a better connection and relationship with others. Quieting our minds enables us to feel a greater sense of calm.

Many clients tell me that they feel like they spend too much time locked in their heads and in doing so feel a sense of overwhelm and anxiety. It is easy to fall into the trap of trying to do too many things and thinking about too many issues all at once.

Sometimes less is more. Many people have told me over the years that they always seem to perform better when they have less on their minds

In addition to thinking about things like what to eat, the holiday we need to arrange, we can spend time thinking about the meeting we’ve just attended, our next meeting, the number of unanswered e mails, how to solve a particular challenge or for those with children, focus on their schedules and logistics. The more time we spend locked in our heads can lead us to feel less satisfied with life.

By quieting our mind and focusing on the now, we can feel happier and in control.

A few strategies that I suggest to clients to quieten their minds are:-

• Work on focusing on one task at a time. Set time limits and be assertive when it comes to interruptions.
• Turn off email and social media notifications. Dedicate specific times to check and deal with e mail
• If you do lots of work at a pc – take a 5 or 10 minute break regularly. Get up, stretch and walk around.
• Use a breathing exercise to quieten the mind and become more centred. Take a deep breath into the stomach to the count of 7, release it to a count of 7. Repeat this twice.

This week, why not take a few minutes to consider how much time you spend locked in your head compared with time spent in the present moment. Is there any action you need to take to be in the “now” more often?

This week’s quotation:-

“With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now. Ralph Waldo Emerson

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk

Recently, I have been doing some research into the impact of energy and thinking on people’s results and life experience.

Much has been written in recent years about the Law of Attraction, which suggests that we attract into our life whatever we give our energy, attention and focus to, whether it is positive or negative. Essentially it suggests that like attracts like.

Some key points that I have picked up from my research is that our actions, thoughts and the energy that we apply to situations and our relationships are always a choice. We have 100% control over this (if we choose to accept the responsibility for our thoughts).

By avoiding a victim mentality and thinking that life just happens to us, it helps us to adopt a more empowered outlook and is an essential step in creating a positive life. When we integrate this way of being, we realise that no one can make us feel or do anything.

It is within our gift to choose to think in a happy, optimistic and positive way.

Conversely, we can choose to think negative, pessimistic and sad thoughts. Our choices will have an impact and influence on how we view the world and shape our life experience.

We essentially create our reality. If we project a positive energy and attitude, we are more likely to attract positive experiences and people into our lives.

Our thinking whether positive or negative has an impact on our bodies and is commonly referred to the mind-body link. Positive thinking tends to help us feel lighter, brighter and more energised and promotes good health. Whereas negative thinking can leave us with a heavy, drained feeling and leads us to feel anxious and stressed.

I have detailed below some ideas and thoughts on how to develop a more positive outlook and thinking and shift our energy into a more positive space.

• Create a list of your key achievements and accomplishments. This really helps you to focus on the positive aspects of your life and helps develop confidence. When doing this exercise, it is also useful to think about your strengths and talents and the value you bring.
• Develop an attitude of gratitude. Having a greater appreciation and recognition of all that you have in your life and the people that support you has a big positive impact on your energy and thinking. It stops you taking life for granted.
• Let go of the past. Release yourself from the burden of thinking about past mistakes, disappointments and set- backs. Avoid self-criticism and guilt. The past has gone, you can’t change the outcome and it is what it is. Learn from the past, let it go and move on quickly.
• Use positive visualisation techniques. Use your imagination creatively to picture what you want to achieve. Instead of playing scary movies and worst case scenarios, picture things as you would like them to be. Visualise positive and happy outcomes.
• Use powerful self talk. It is in our gift to have an inner coach or inner critic. Our self talk helps create our beliefs and results. If you have a negative thought, write it down and rephrase it more positively. As an example say “ I can do this” rather than “ I can’t do this.”
• Hang out with positive people. Limit the time you spend with people that I call “drains” that drain your energy with their negativity. Spend more time with “radiators” who radiate positive energy and help you to feel energised with their positive outlook.
• Make room for laughter. Make time regularly to watch comedies and funny movies as it helps you to connect to joy and creates positive feelings. It will lighten your mood and be a great reminder to not take life too seriously.

This week, why not take a few moments to think about how positive you feel. Is there scope to increase your positivity? Is there something on the list above that you need to focus more attention on?

This week’s quotation:-

“You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.” Joyce Meyer

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk

Recently, I received an invitation to see the Dalai Lama speak at an event in London, which sadly I was unable to accept.

The Dalai Lama is responsible for one of my favourite quotations, which is “The Purpose of life is simple, to be happy.”

As we all have unique personalities, the definition of happiness is different for each of us and we can compare our life experience against that definition.

I have had the privilege to work with thousands of people either one to one or in groups since I started in business and the invitation got me thinking about the qualities, characteristics and habits of really happy people that I have worked with over the years.

Whilst the list is by no means exhaustive, here are some thoughts about some of common traits that I have observed in some of the happiest people that I have met.

I have noticed that happy people:

• Have a healthy balance between work and leisure time. Special time with family and loved ones is important to them and they ensure that they reserve and spend quality time with them.
• Possess an attitude of gratitude. They freely express their gratitude for what they have and the good fortune they experience. They value and appreciate the contribution of others and ensure it is recognised.
• Do things for others. They know that the world does not revolve around them and they freely give their time and resources to help and support others. Acts of kindness and generosity by them are common and done without seeking credit or attention.
• Have a clear sense of direction and what they want to achieve. They have a sense of clarity about what they would like to experience and accomplish in life and the steps that they need to take to fulfil their goals.
• Work at developing collaborative relationships. They avoid unnecessary conflict and like to see people get along and work together in harmony. They view diversity of opinions and ideas positively and not as a source of conflict. They avoid disagreeing for the sake of it.
• Practice self-care. They exercise regularly and have healthy boundaries. They know when they need to put themselves and their needs first. They intuitively know when they need to take some time out to rest and recharge.
• Are lifelong learners. They accept that they never stop learning and have a natural curiosity. Never afraid to try out new things and approaches to tasks, they look for new ways to learn new skills and acquire knowledge.
• Adopt a positive approach to life. They tend to have an optimistic rather than pessimistic approach to life; their glasses tend to be half full. They see the positives in situations and look for the strengths and qualities of people.
• Resilient and bounce back from adversity. They are aware that life has downs as well as ups and know that challenges and difficulties are almost inevitable for a life well lived. They adopt the attitude “this too will pass” and look for the gift and learning from challenging experiences.
• Are comfortable with who they are. They know that nobody is perfect. They have a strong sense of worth, know their strengths and equally have an awareness of their weaknesses and flaws. They are authentic and accept themselves for who they are.

This week, why not take a few moments to think about your definition of happiness. How happy are you? Are there any steps you need to take to increase your level of happiness?

This week’s quotation:

“Be happy with what you have and are, be generous with both, and you won’t have to hunt for happiness.” William E. Gladstone

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk