Smiling

For her religious education homework this week my daughter had to write her own 10 commandments.

Her list included -

• always do your best


• be positive


• be kind to all living things


• be honest


• smile often

The "smile often" is one that particularly resonated with me as it's very hard not to respond when someone smiles at you, it makes you feel good and it also takes less muscles to smile that it does to frown.

Often when I'm out walking I smile at everyone I meet, the majority smile back. There's always one who just looks perplexed.....

Sorting through some papers this morning I found this poem and wanted to share it with you.

Smiling

Smiling is infectious

You catch it like the flu

When someone smiled at me today

I started smiling too

I passed around the corner

And someone saw me grin

And when he smiled I realised

I'd passed it onto him

I thought about the smile

And I realised its worth

A single smile like mine

Could travel round the earth

If you feel a smile begin

Don't leave it undetected

Let's start and epidemic quick

And get the world infected.

The poem itself is enough to get you frowning so let it go and pass it on and let's smile through the day, week and year.

Excellent Development

The above charity - http://www.excellentdevelopment.com/is very close to my heart as it's co-founder Simon Madrell was an early coaching client of mine and together we worked on his career move which led to the charity formation.

Simon is someone who truly walks his talk and what he and his team have achieved in the time since they set up is amazing. Specialising in planting trees and building sand dams they have recently built its 200th sand dam since 2002. They are currently working with over 50 communities to bring water and food security to some of the driest areas of rural Kenya. The sand dams transform environments and transform lives.

To find out more visit the website and you may want to purchase one of their Tree Duty bags to use.

Oh yes, and in 2008 they won Charity of the Year at the Charity Awards. Just wonderful.

My Simple Abundance Journey

I'm still on it and haven't missed a day. There's so much to learn and to put into practice and I'm sure I've missed things but I do feel I'm on top of the gratitude element. Even as I walked just after 7.00 this morning I found myself saying thanks so much for all that I have.

For me the 6 threads of Abundant Living are all coming together - the gratitude, simplicity, order, harmony, beauty and joy. They all link and lead one into another. I feel a greater simplicity in life and the continuous de-cluttering is helping that further. Even Ellie had a major de-cluttering session on Sunday. The simplicity makes the order clearer and that brings harmony and all of it allows me to see the beauty and joy more clearly and to feel it too.

On Friday I am having my Friday review and part of that will be reviewing my Simple Abundant journey so far. I am sure I will pick up on other things and learn more. I'm so looking forward to it.

Just got to decide where to go to have it. I want somewhere warm and cosy and away from my office.

Interesting view on free time.

My Lonely Planet weekly email dropped into the inbox this morning bringing just the right equation for these dull, dark and dismal days (if you live in the northern hemisphere that is). It's the time of year that many people hate and all they see stretching ahead is cold and dark. so get a load of this.

Weekends + bank holidays + statutory annual leave = 132 days and as Lonely Planet ask - What could you do with all that time?

Well for me of course I'm already thinking of walking some more of the Camino with my dear friend Teresa. Also can I fit some walking in when I'm in Phoenix in July or is that madness knowing what the temperatures will be like? Anyone reading got any other ideas of where I should go to walk/trek if I am in the USA at that time of the year?

OK, walking may not be your thing but to raise yourself out of the doldrums, take control and just think about what you could do with that time. What about your plans for the weekend? A;so make sure you take your holiday entitlement as so many people don't. You need that break to recharge your batteries.

Come on bring some brightness and sunshine into your life... and thanks Lonely Planet for this.

Simplification

In my reading each morning, it never fails to amaze me how often the message is spot on. Today was no exception so in this time of "credit crunches", struggling economies; downturns etc. read on.

It talks about how worries about money infiltrate all aspects of our lives, "making us dread the days and agonise at night". You know what it's like when you have a worry that surfaces when all is quiet and you want to sleep. It's also so horrible and lonely tossing and turning when everyone else is asleep.

The other message is that "You have the power to change your lifestyle and move from a feeling of lack and deprivation to one of abundance and fulfillment". Remember the daily choice of which to inhabit? Scroll through past blogs until the one written on Jan 1st .

Sarah Ban Breathnach finishes todays reading with "The simpler we make our lives, the more abundant they become"

Start today and thanks from me to Sarah for all her great guidance this year so far.

How happy are you?

I'm still doing my daily Simple Abundance reading and even though I've read it before, there is so much that I need to be reminded of.

Today it talked about what makes us happy and the fact that we could be happy every day if we could take pleasure in what we have and what is around us. It is said that 'we must learn to savour small authentic moments that bring us contentment'

I am really working on this as I do believe we have so much already in our lives. So what are the simple pleasures that make you happy? For me it's sunshine; candles; walking; good quality time with close friends; the forest near my home; hugs from my daughter; being able to help; waking up naturally; a glass of wine.

Make a list of yours and try to include one in every day as well as finding more of the simple things that bring you pleasure.

Just think how great we can be if we are always happy?

Lovely people ease the journey.

On our life's journey there are challenges, obstacles and lots of adventures. Some are easy and fun and some really difficult and can be unpleasant.

I had one of those potentially unpleasant experiences ahead of me today and although I was working hard on my positivity, I could feel the stress fill my body as we turned into a long queue of traffic heading just where I needed to.

When I got to the destination there were no signs telling me where to go and the blank look and very unhelpful response from the person at reception, when faced with the question 'is the screening unit in this building?' made me wonder what planet she was on. Yes, that was the stress taking hold too.

I finally got there, but late, and I hate being late.

'No problem,' I was informed, 'just take a seat' and then when I was called through, the radiographer was a dream. She put me at ease straight away, chatting and taking me through the process I was about to undergo. My stress lifted and I was immediately calm and I also felt cared for.

Yes, the process is not one I'd rush back for, but it was 10 times easier than what I'd been led to believe and much less painful. But was it really or did that happen because with her skill and experience the radiographer eased my journey because she was able to put me at ease?

I'm a great believer in we get what we expect. I try to remain positive as much as possible and in this lady's hands I expected good.

Just have a think about whose journey you might be able to make easier. They'll really appreciate it and also look out for the people who ease yours.

Are you still going strong?

The first day of a New Year always seems relatively easy but what about day two?

I didn't sleep at all well last night and with me that often leads to irritability so I suppose I was prepared. I was also very aware about what I read yesterday and how I thought. So... when I woke up (naturally without the help of an alarm) I felt OK and immediately thought that today I'd choose an abundant reality. I quite like the idea of doing this on a day to day basis.

It's been tested especially when working with my daughter on sorting out photos for an album. Trouble is that both of us want to lead and that's a recipe for tension. In fact in my family, all three of us want to lead.

Well I'm still smiling and still excited. In past years I've felt such a failure on the 2nd or 3rd Jan when I've lost my temper or got upset. It's felt like the end already. This year, that's just not going to happen.

With my day to day philosophy, I know that tomorrow is another start and I'm not going to beat myself up any longer.

Hope your doing well too.

Simple Abundance

This is a direct quote taken from the book Simple Abundance and it's by Margaret Young. I quote it because I believe we often need to be reminded of the issue and often are not even aware that we do it.

"Often people attempt to live their lives backward: they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so that they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then, do what you need to do , in order to have what you want."

Does it make sense to you? It really rings a bell for me. I have so much to be happy about but am I really being who I am? That's going to be a big part of my journey this year. I value authenticity but am I truly authentic? Well if you are aware at any time that I'm not being, please let me know, you have my full permission. Are you who you really are?

Even in the forward of this book, I find so much that resonates. I am reminded that abundance and lack are parallel realities and that it's up to me to choose every day which I want too inhabit (I love that term). Towards the end of '08, I was choosing lack, not consciously but it was having a dire effect on me. Today I choose abundance and plan to do that every day.

If I, and/or others of you can make a major mind shift from Dec 31st to Jan 1st then why can't we do it every day? I'm going to view every new day as a new start- how exciting.

January, as well as being the month of new beginnings is, for those of us in the northern hemisphere, the time for hibernation and nurturing but more of that as the year unfolds. Have a great one, a year full of health and happiness, of love and success and most of all peace and hope.

What will you paint on that new canvas?

I love the new year, I love the new start and the chance to start again and in some cases put things right or at least that's the way I've sometimes seen it. Thinking about that today makes me realise that 'putting things right' means they were somehow wrong and that suggests failing and brings negativity into it. I am determined to be positive so......for me this is the new canvas and I can paint whatever glorious picture I want.

I am excited and hopeful about what I can create and what will come up for me. The excitement is mellow unlike the dizzy excitement I sometimes feel and actually that's really good. The glorious picture I can see emerging is one of calmness and quality. Slowing down so I can savour instead of rushing through. It's a canvas full of love and nuturing; of appreciation and of putting me first so my needs are met and I can then give more to others. It's full of walking, especially on the Camino with Teresa, and my wonderful East End Girls who I love to bits.

What will you paint? You don't have to complete it in one day, you can let it develop and take shape as the days unfold. Make it full of what you love though, you deserve it.


With regard to my walking, there are already suggestions for another breast cancer walk and I'm also hoping a group of us will do the Big Fun Walk in March. Then there's more of the Camino and our monthly walks. Firstly there's walking with Cajsa on Saturday. Perhaps we should have our own little Essex adventure......

I'm reading Simple Abundance again, I love the book but never seem to finish it. Will this be the year? It doesn't really matter, I learn something every time I read it.