Month: May 2020 Page 1 of 2

“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.” Margaret Mead.

We are living in very challenging times at present given the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic that is affecting the world. As well as the dangers to our physical health, much concern has been expressed about the effect of lockdown measures on people’s mental health.

It was therefore very relevant that last week was Mental Health Awareness Week hosted by the Mental Health Foundation. The theme was kindness, focusing on the power and potential of kindness.

The foundation’s aim is to drive change towards a mentally healthy society for all and support communities, families and individuals to live mentally healthier lives, with a particular focus on those at greatest risk.

Mental health problems can affect anyone, at any time and the foundation believe that mental health is everyone’s business. So, for one week each May, they campaign around a specific theme for Mental Health Awareness Week. Since their first campaign in 2001, they’ve raised awareness of topics like body image, stress and relationships.  The campaign reaches millions of people every year.

The foundation believed that this year’s event could be the most important week they’ve hosted. This is because research they’ve undertaken showed that protecting our mental health is going to be central to us coping with and recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. They believe that the psychological and social impacts are likely to outlast the physical symptoms of the virus.

They chose kindness because of its singular ability to unlock our shared humanity. Kindness strengthens relationships, develops community and deepens solidarity. It is a cornerstone of our individual and collective mental health. Wisdom from every culture across history recognises that kindness is something that all human beings need to experience and practise to be fully alive.

Thinking about kindness reminded me of a film that I watched many years ago about the power of random acts of kindness. It was called “Pay it forward” and is the story of a 12-year-old schoolboy in Las Vegas called Trevor McKinney. He’s troubled by his mother’s alcoholism and fears of his abusive but absent father. However, he really engaged and got inspired by an intriguing assignment from his new social studies teacher, Mr Simonet.

The project set by the teacher was for the pupils to come up with a plan to positively change the world through direct action. On his way home from school later that day, Trevor noticed a homeless man, Jerry and decided to make a difference in Jerry’s life by housing and feeding him until he got back on his feet.

Trevor then comes up with his pay it forward plan to help more people. This consists of people doing a random act of kindness for three people who must in turn, each do a good deed for three others. In doing so they are creating a charitable pyramid scheme and helping to make the world a better place.

The idea catches on and spreads from city to city. It reaches the attention of national press who record an interview with Trevor. He explains his hopes for the concept but voices his concerns that people may be too afraid to change their own lives in order to make the whole world a better place.

Performing random acts of kindness can be simple.
It can be something like doing some shopping for an elderly person who lives alone. Alternatively, you can telephone them for a chat or visit them (provided you comply with social distancing rules). You could volunteer to help a project or charity in your local community or donate some unwanted possessions to a worthy cause.

An act of kindness can be the foundation for great change in the world and be a contribution to making it a better place.
I’m hoping that one of the positive outcomes that emerges from this dreadful pandemic is that we become a kinder and more tolerant society. I really hope that in the future we see more community spirit, people looking out for each other and treating each other with more respect. It would be great to see more generosity of spirit and kindness.

Are you motivated to be part of the change to create a kinder, more generous and respectful world?
If so, why not pause for a few moments to reflect and consider how you can make a difference to the life of others by performing random acts of kindness.

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

“Thinking will not overcome fear but action will.” W.Clement Stone.

We are living in very challenging times at present given the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic that is affecting the world. In the UK last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation and signalled a gradual easing of lockdown measures. He announced plans to gradually reopen schools, restart parts of the economy and get some citizens back to work.

Over the past couple of months, the Government have done a good job of warning people about the dangers of the virus and stressing the importance of people staying at home. Therefore, the changes announced led to people expressing a lot of fear and anxiety about their safety when they go back to work, go on public transport or go outside their homes.

Observing how people reacted to the announcement got me thinking about the effect that outside events and fear can have can have on our life experiences and results if we let them!

It can prevent us from being the best that we can be. Fear can stop us achieving our goals and fulfilling our potential.

We’re are all born with unlimited potential but on occasions we simply get in our own way and make life more complicated than it really needs to be. There’s a great quotation by Confucius, “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated!” Sometimes the biggest limitations we have in life are the ones that we impose on ourselves and have in our own minds.

Fear is one of our biggest limitations (or interferences as I like to call them). Many people refer to fear as “False Expectations Appearing Real!” Much of what we worry about and are frightened by never actually happens. However, this doesn’t stop us worrying!

There are many fears that stop people fulfilling their potential and goals. These include a fear of change and the unknown which can keep us stuck in our comfort zone. Also, a fear of rejection stops us asking for what we want and a fear of criticism which prevents us attempting a new approach to a task. A fear of success for some individuals means they self-sabotage their results so that they continue to mesh with the crowd.

The effect of fear on results and people’s lives forms part of the coaching discussions that I have with a fair proportion of clients at some stage. It can be when I’m working with a leader of a blue-chip company, a sales director, someone new to management, an individual looking to start their own business or change jobs or a mum returning to work.

When people are going through or contemplating some form of change in their life, it can cause fears to crop up. Often people don’t realise the impact that fear is having on them and how it’s holding them back until they start talking about their goals or challenges. It’s normally an unconscious behaviour.

It appears that we’re all afraid of something whether it’s spiders, flying, speaking in public or walking into a roomful of strangers. The philosopher Bertrand Russell said “Fear is the main source of superstition and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.”

Fear is a very small word but can have a massive impact on someone’s life and performance. It can be a powerful and paralysing force.

I was once told we’re born with just two fears – the fear of noise and falling down. Every other fear we have is a learned behaviour. The good news about interferences including fear is that as they are a learned behaviour and therefore, we can unlearn them! It requires us to form some new habits and behaviours. Changing our daily habits and rituals is the starting point that allows us to get out of our own way.

Challenges and obstacles do present us with an opportunity to learn and grow as we discover new depths and as we search for solutions to overcome them. We may discover that we are more creative than we realised when we devise solutions that are new and innovative. This can help develop our self-confidence and self-worth. Self-belief can increase when we face and overcome our obstacles. Faith in our ability when confronted with an obstacle is a great habit to develop.

Adopting a positive mindset to interferences and obstacles is another great quality to hone. As is, believing that obstacles are an opportunity to gain new knowledge and experience. Overcoming interferences provides a sense of accomplishment and is a useful future reference point when faced with similar challenges.

If there’s a fear you would like to overcome, getting some external help or friend’s support is a good way to start the ball rolling. It provides an accountability mechanism and is a source of encouragement and external input that we all need sometimes.

This week, why not take a few moments out to reflect and think about the role that fear plays in your life. Is there a fear that is holding you back and preventing you from being the best you can be? If so, what small steps will you commit to in order to conquer the grip that this fear has on you?

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

“You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honour.” Aristotle.

We are living in very challenging times at present given the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic that is affecting the world. Many people across the world are having to cope with a new way of being including adhering to lockdown measures and social distancing.

In this period, one man has been a beacon of light in these challenging times. Captain Tom Moore has been an inspiration and captured the hearts of many people across the world through his fund-raising efforts.

Some people climb Mount Everest to raise money for charity. Others run a marathon, jump out of a plane, swim the channel or do all four. They train for months and some make a huge fuss about it.

Captain Tom had a more low-key approach but the outcome was fantastic. He decided to do 100 laps of his garden at home before his 100^th birthday on April 30. It was his way of saying thank you to the National Health Service for treating him when he broke his hip and had skin cancer.

His target was £1000 and the money donated would go NHS Charities Together. When his fund-raising page closed on his birthday, he had raised an amazing £32,796,395 from 1,519,388 donations.

Captain Tom Moore is quite an incredible man. The Second World War hero had served in the 145^th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps during the war and was also a civil servant. He now lives with his daughter and her family in Bedfordshire.

Last Friday saw the UK celebrate the 75^th anniversary of victory in Europe in the Second World War so it’s appropriate this week’s blog should feature a war hero from that time.

Captain Tom’s life changed quite dramatically in just a few weeks after he decided to do his bit to thank the NHS staff. There has been a lot of media interest from all around the world. Here are just a few things that happened after Captain Tom completed his goal:

• He was asked to open the NHS Nightingale hospital in Harrogate virtually.
• He was made an Honorary Colonel by his old regiment and an Honorary member of the England Cricket team.
• Birthday tributes to him were displayed on the big screen in Piccadilly Circus. He received messages from the Queen, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall on his birthday, as well as a video message from Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
• 140,000 birthday cards and gifts were sent to him from all over the world and displayed in a school hall. An army of volunteers were drafted in to open and sort the cards!
• A train is to be named after him.
• He recorded a record called “You’ll never walk alone” with Michael Ball and was number one in the UK singles charts on his birthday!
• A Hurricane and Spitfire did a fly past of his garden to mark his birthday.

Thanking the public, he said, “People keep saying what I have done is remarkable. However, it’s actually what you have done for me which is remarkable. The past three weeks have put a spring back in my step.”

I have reflected on Captain Tom’s story and there are some lessons which I gleaned from his efforts which I detail below:

• You are never too old to make a difference to the lives of others or complete a goal you have set.
• Small simple ideas and actions have the potential to affect the lives of many other people and can have extraordinary results.
• Acts of kindness create ripples which can be felt far and wide. Like Karma, your positive kind actions are returned to you.
• You can be a source of light for others in challenging times.
• Other people’s actions can bring us joy and make us feel good.
• Kindness has no boundaries; this story touched the hearts of people across the globe.
• You never know what positive impact your genuine intentions and actions will have on the lives of others.

In conclusion there are two other learnings that I took from this story.

Firstly, I was inspired by the motto of Captain Moore’s old regiment “Fortune favours the brave.”

Secondly, I believe we can all find hope and optimism in these challenging times from Captain Tom’s favourite saying “Tomorrow will be a good day.”

This week, why not take a few moments out to reflect. During this time, consider what you have learned from the actions of other people and whether you have applied the learnings to make a positive difference to your life and others.

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

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