Month: August 2019 Page 1 of 2

“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” Zig Ziglar.

Like many people in the UK, I was shocked and saddened to learn about the death of Police Officer Andrew Harper. He was killed in the line of duty whilst he was investigating reports of a burglary. Andrew was just 28 years old when he died, after he was dragged along the road by a car. He had got married just 4 weeks earlier and was due to leave for his honeymoon in a few days.

Life is sad and cruel sometimes and events such as this teach us that life is fragile and can change in an instant. They remind us that bad experiences can be very painful but do provide us with lessons that we can apply to our future life. Good experiences bring us happiness and we must savour them.

In today’s fast paced, competitive and materialistic world, all too often people get caught in the trap of thinking about what they lack and their setbacks and challenges. Many spend a lot of time and energy reflecting on the things that they are not good at and need to improve. Many people tell me that they dedicate too much time and headspace to wishing things were different and reliving mistakes they have made.

It is easy for us all to not spend enough time appreciating the gift of life and to count our blessings. All too easily we lose sight of the strengths, natural talents and gifts that we possess. It is easy to gloss over our successes, achievements and not spend time celebrating them.

When we get really busy we can overlook what is important to us and the opportunities and resources available to us. We can neglect what we have to appreciate and be grateful for in life.

Modern life is challenging and demanding and we don’t always afford ourselves the luxury to just be and enjoy the moment. When you find yourself harshly judging yourself or others remind yourself that life is a gift, it is precious, short and for living. Here’s a short passage I found about the gift of life.

Life is a gift (Author unknown)

Today before you say an unkind word

Think of someone who can’t speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food

Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your partner

Think of someone who’s crying out for a companion.

Today before you complain about life

Think of someone who went too early to heaven.

Before whining about the distance you drive

Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job

Think of the unemployed, who wish they had your job.

And if depressing thoughts seem to get you down

Put a smile on your face and think: you’re alive and still around.

Events such as the death of Andrew Harper teach us some very valuable lessons. They remind us about the importance of living for today because the past has gone and is history. The future is unknown and is a mystery. Today is always a gift and that’s why it’s called the present.

Bad experiences whilst they are painful prompt us to; value our life, appreciate all that we have, maintain equilibrium and keep life in perspective.

This week, why not take a few moments out to reflect and consider if you need to show more appreciation and gratitude in life.

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

“Inspiration is the greatest gift because it opens your life to many new possibilities. Each day becomes more meaningful, and your life is enhanced when your actions are guided by what inspires you.” Bernie Siegel.

I went to see a great film last week called Blinded by the Light. It’s about Javed, a British teenager of Pakistani descent growing up in 1987 in Luton, England. One of Javed’s classmates introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen.

Javed sees parallels to his working-class life in the powerful lyrics and as he discovers an outlet for his own pent-up dreams, he also begins to express himself in his own voice. Bruce Springsteen’s music inspires Javed to become a writer.

The Oxford Dictionary defines inspiration as “The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.”

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the world’s great composers, once remarked: “When I am, as it were, completely myself, entirely alone and of good cheer, say, travelling in a carriage, walking after a good meal or during the night when I can’t sleep, it is such occasions that my ideas flow best and most abundantly. Whence and how they come, I know not, nor can I force them.”

We don’t have to be a genius like Mozart to know what he’s talking about. When we’re in an inspired state and our mind is still and calm life just seems to flow effortlessly. It helps us to come up with creative solutions to challenges and enables us to feel good and confident. As a result we may step out of our comfort zone and try some new things and approaches. It’s why spending time relaxing and on holiday is so important. It also makes a positive contribution to our well-being.

Many people have told me over the years that they got solutions, fresh ideas or insights when they were least expecting them or thinking about particular issues. Some said it happened when they were meditating, out walking or running, on a beach or a mountain. Some even said they were in a shower!

Have you ever considered what your sources of inspiration are?

I am always inspired when I spend time in nature particularly by the sea. Music, films and literature including quotations help my creative juices to flow.

Other sources of inspiration for me include seeing ordinary people achieve extraordinary things and perform random acts of kindness. I’m always moved by people who are driven by a cause and make a positive difference in the world through their actions and use of their natural talents.

There have been many examples of people who achieved extraordinary things. They committed to making the world a better and fairer place and in doing so left a lasting legacy. Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandella, Martin Luther King Jr, Gandhi to name a few. All of them had the drive to be true to their convictions.

They all were all authentic and unafraid to be themselves. This simple act inspired many others to do the same. They didn’t have it easy and the way they overcame challenges and adversity is in itself inspirational.

We don’t have to be famous or get headlines to be inspirational. The people who regularly do work in their local communities to make it a better place and improve the life experiences of those who live there are inspiring. Quite often they do this work for little personal gain apart from the satisfaction of knowing they have made a positive contribution and difference to the lives of others.

No matter what our standing is in the world, we can all be an inspiration to others and give back to our communities. When you give with good intention, you don’t always have an understanding of the potential impact your actions can have.

Your positive actions can be great example to others and inspire them to do something good. A small well intentioned action can create a positive ripple, the impact of which can be felt far and wide and by many people.

This week, why not take a few moments out to reflect and consider what inspires you. Ask yourself  “Am I dedicating sufficient time (in the busyness of life) to do the things that I love to do and bring me a feeling of inspiration, contentment and relaxation?”

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

“If we did all the things that we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” Thomas Edison.

I went to see a film called The Current War recently. It’s a story from the industrial age about Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, who engaged in a battle of technology and ideas that determined whose electrical system would be used to provide power.

I have always been interested in the work of Thomas Edison and featured him in one of the chapters for my first book “Be First Class”. He’s regarded as one of the most successful inventors of all time. He invented an astonishing 1,093 things including the phonograph (early version of a record player), motion picture camera and the incandescent light bulb.

It’s reported that it took him 10,000 attempts to create the light bulb. Prior to his successful attempt, Edison didn’t see any of his previous efforts as failures. He saw them as discoveries of ways that didn’t work and moved him closer to a solution.

Edison is mentioned in a book, “People who changed the world.” His achievements are even more remarkable given that he had little formal education; he was expelled from school because his teachers thought he had learning difficulties. In fact he suffered from hearing problems throughout his life. Edison’s enormous achievements were entirely due to years of hard work and his natural intelligence. It’s interesting how he didn’t allow his teacher’s judgements to hold him back.

We all face adversity, challenges, obstacles, frustrations and set-backs at times in our lives. When in the middle of periods of misfortune or challenge it’s easy to lose perspective, become downhearted and wonder if things will ever improve. It can have a detrimental effect on our levels of confidence and belief. Sometimes we have to experience difficulty and tough times so that we can develop a greater appreciation of the good times and be grateful for the periods of pleasure.

When you set out to achieve a goal or a dream, whether it is starting a business, pursuing a new career, beginning a new hobby, looking to lose weight or commencing a fitness regime, it’s easy at the first sign of a setback to give up and settle for what’s known.

There are countless examples of the challenges that people encountered on the road to success. We may never have heard a record from the Beatles, if they had taken rejection as a sign to not pursue their passion. When they first started out, a recording company turned them down and said “we don’t like your sound and guitar music is on the way out.”

Many people may not have viewed a Disney movie or visited Disneyworld if Walt Disney had given up when he was fired early in his career by a newspaper editor because “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” He suffered business failure, bankruptcy and was turned down an incredible 302 times by banks when he was seeking funds to establish his theme park. He never gave up on his dream to create Disneyworld. It took him years of hard work, raising finance, dealing with disappointment but Disney stayed focused on his goal.

The Harry Potter movies and JK Rowling’s books are hugely popular across the world with lots of people. They may have been denied that pleasure; if she had let difficulties she experienced in life hold her back. Prior to the books being published, she was virtually penniless, depending on welfare payments to survive and help to bring up her child as a single parent. She was divorced and suffered from depression. Her series of seven books have sold more than 450 million copies, won innumerable awards, been made into movies and transformed Rowling’s life.

Experiencing adversity can be a lesson. It can re-awaken us to the things that are far more important than money and material possessions; our health, our family and our friends. An illness teaches us to be humble, to see every day as a gift, to live more in the moment and motivate us to lead a healthy life. A sudden loss in the family brings into sharp focus the cycle of birth, life and death. Losing a job can be a scary place for many people and create uncertainty. However, it can be the springboard for something new and exciting and the start of a whole new adventure

Adversity can come to our lives to suggest that it’s time for us to change direction and do something new.

This week, why not pause for a few moments to reflect. Ask yourself what lessons you have learned from any challenges and adversity that you’ve experienced in your life.

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