Like many people across the world I was shocked and deeply saddened to hear about the shooting down of flight MH17.

It is a truly horrific and senseless tragedy and I have struggled to understand and comprehend how it could have happened and why. The families of the passengers aboard the flight have been in my thoughts over the past week.

It is a reminder to us all that life is fragile and none of us know what is around the corner. It is also re affirms that we must strive to not sweat the small stuff. To avoid getting anxious, frustrated or angry about things that don’t really matter in the overall scheme of things. For instance being irritated we are kept waiting, someone is late for an appointment, we miss a deadline, we encounter a traffic jam etc.

It is important that we treat every day as a gift, to learn to live and enjoy the present moment. Irrespective of what happened yesterday or may not happen tomorrow, the present moment is where we are – always!

I once saw a poster outside the British Library in London, which has stuck with me – it contained a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt and said “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift that’s why we call it the present.”

The events last week are also a reminder to us all about what truly matters in life – loved ones, family, good friendships, good health and focusing on the things we are passionate about and bring joy to us and others.

It is so vitally important that we have balance in our lives. Below I have shared a story called five balls story from the book “Suzanne’s Diary to Nicholas” by James Patterson.

Five Balls

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – Work – Family – Health – Friends – Spirit, and you’re keeping all of these in the air.

You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls — family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered.

They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?

  1. Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
  2. Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.
  3. Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.
  4. Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.
  5. Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
  6. Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us together.
  7. Don’t be afraid to encounter risks, it is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
  8. Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
  9. Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you are going.
  10. Don’t forget that a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
  11. Don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
  12. Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.

Quote for the week:

“The best gift we can have is living in the present moment and really enjoying it for what it is; and, not being in our heads and getting sidetracked” Amy Smart

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