Month: May 2025 Page 1 of 2

“Our intention creates our reality.” Wayne Dyer.

My wife and I went on holiday to Majorca recently and had a lovely relaxing time. We hadn’t been to the beautiful island for quite a few years.

Prior to departing, I was concerned to read press reports about anti tourist demonstrations by locals and hostility towards holidaymakers. It caused a bit of anxiety and I wondered what sort of reception we would get from the locals.

I have to say I need not have used any energy on worry. All the people that we met during our break were extremely friendly and nice. This included the hotel reception staff, dining room staff, cleaners and bar personnel. Tour guides, drivers, shop workers, restaurant staff and airport workers were all really pleasant.

It got me thinking about how the attitudes of people was far removed from the picture painted by press reports. I thought that the reports I’d read could have put us off going to the beautiful island and if we hadn’t had gone, how we would have missed out on a wonderful relaxed holiday.

It was a great reminder to not believe everything you read in the press and that the actions of a few don’t accurately represent the views and actions of the whole population. It was a great lesson that our beliefs and perceptions are shaped by the media we read and listen to. They are also created by the people we hang out with and the opinions that they have.

The most accurate and trustworthy beliefs are the ones formed by our own experiences and interactions. I was reminded that it’s so important to keep an open mind and to not spend energy worrying about things before they actually happen.

In my experience in life, the way you treat people is how they treat you. This was borne out in Majorca. If you are friendly, pleasant and nice to people, generally this will be reflected back to you in your interactions and relationships.

Essentially, It’s Karma. This is the concept that describes the principle of cause and effect, where every action has consequences. It’s often summarised as “what you put forth in the universe, good or bad, will come back to you.”

The summary of the lesson that I learned is that you reap what you sow.

This week, why not pause for a few moments to reflect. Consider if there is any need for you to change the energy that you currently put into a situation or your interactions with others.

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

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” Oscar Wilde.

There’s a sign in my study that I’ve just glanced at. It says “In a world where you can be anything, be yourself!”

I believe that in life, it’s so important to be who you really are and true to yourself. It helps to create an inner peace and contentment.

To be yourself isn’t always easy. It requires courage, determination and lots of self-discipline because we face peer pressure all our life to be a certain way to ‘fit in’. This particularly affects us in our childhood and young adult years. It’s not always easy to stay true to yourself because deep down we all want to be accepted and feel part of the crowd.

We live in a very material world and following the rise in consumerism we’re bombarded daily with numerous marketing messages influencing us to buy stuff. We are encouraged to look, dress and act a certain way.

All of these messages can influence us to become what we think others want us to be and can lead us to overly worry about what people think of us.

On this theme, there is a great quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson; He said “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

Why not pause for a moment and consider what it means to you to “be yourself?”

Our true self is who we really are when we let go of the stories, labels and judgements that we have placed on ourselves in order to ‘fit in’. It’s who we are without our social masks and pretentiousness.

For me, part of being ourselves is about making full use of the natural gifts and talents that we’ve been given. These are a unique combination. When we fully use them, we fulfil our true purpose and unlimited potential.

I believe a large part of being yourself is coming from the heart and speaking with honesty, clarity, pure intention and acting with integrity. If you speak from the heart, you will never be lost for words! This is worth bearing in mind if you’re ever called upon to do a presentation.

Being yourself is essential when you have an important and tough decision to make. At times like these having some quiet time to tune into the messages and feelings contained in your heart can help. This enables you to act upon the wisdom of your intuition.

Being yourself is about being real, authentic and not fake. In doing so, you decide that you are prepared to show your vulnerability and to be human. It demonstrates that you stand up for what you believe to be true even though you may be a lone voice.

When part of a debate or discussion, it’s about carefully listening and weighing up the merits and pro’s/cons of each opinion and argument, whilst maintaining an open mind and objectivity. Once you’ve completed this process, you’re able to make a decision on who/what to support based on how you feel about what you’ve heard and considered. In this way, you align with your values and who you really are. You remain true to yourself.

It’s also about not doing things to merely get attention or to please others. We can learn much from watching small children. You will notice how free from attachments they are. They care little about what people think about them. They are just in the moment and more often than not they’re following their joy.

If you are overly concerned about what others think of you, frequently ask yourself “How would I act right now if I had no cares about what others think of me?”

This week, why not pause for a few moments to reflect. Consider if there are any situations in your life that require you to speak your truth. If so, what will be your first step?

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

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead.

There are some issues in the world that are outside of our sphere of control or influence. We have to accept that we have limited opportunity or chance to change some things. Additionally, some things that are within our control can seem so big and overwhelming that we put off taking action. We can procrastinate, over think things and never make a start or make any progress towards making things better.

However, it’s always worth remembering that when we do take action and make positive contributions to society, it helps to make the world a better place to live in.

With this in mind, here is a favourite story of mine that can inspire us all to make a start, to take action and make a difference in the world.

The Starfish Story by Loren Eiseley.

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it back into the ocean.

Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?” The boy replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realise there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then smiling at the man, he said… “it made a difference for that one.”

We can make the choice to focus on the things we can control to make our own environments as good as they can be. We can all play a part in making the world a better place. Every day we have the power and choice about where we place our focus and energy. It’s within our gift about how and where we make a positive difference in the world.

With this in mind, I’ve given some thought to how we can all play a part in making the world a better a place. We can: –

• All take small actions and collectively create a positive ripple to counter the negativity, fear and nastiness that is prevalent in the world sometimes.
• Look at ways we make our environments and part of the world more pleasant. This can be as simple as picking up some litter on our daily walk.
• Carefully consider the impact on others of our actions and decisions before we speak or act.
• Have greater empathy for people suffering challenges and hardship.
• Be present and give people our full attention. As part of this we can decide to listen more than we talk. This will mean the people we interact with will feel heard, valued and important.
• Look for what’s positive about people and situations.
• Be encouraging and supportive of other people’s endeavours and happy for their success and achievements. Give credit to people when it’s due.
• Be nice to people.

 
This week, why not pause for a few moments to reflect and consider what action you can take to help make your part of the world a better place.

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