Transitions Life Coaching Blog

Monday Motivation - 22 June

2009-06-22T21:01:00.001+01:00

“There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.” ~ Leonard Cohen

Monday Motivation - 1 June

2009-06-01T18:49:00.000+01:00

“Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you will land among the stars.” ~ Les Brown,

Monday Motivation - 25 May

2009-05-25T12:39:00.001+01:00

“You all have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do. There are no limitations in what you can do except the limitations in your own mind as to what you cannot do. Don't think you cannot. Think you can.” ~ Darwin P. Kingsley

"There is nothing you can't do, if you set your mind to it. Anything is possible." ~ Rick Hansen, Wheelchair Athlete, Speaker and Author

A Thursday blessing

2009-05-21T12:16:00.001+01:00

“May you choose to see beyond life's storms, to uncover the blessings that the rain brings, and during all of life's twists and turns, may you always choose.” ~ Michelle Sedas

Monday Motivation - 18 May

2009-05-18T12:54:00.001+01:00

"When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free." ~ Catherine Ponder

Who will you forgive today?

Monday Motivation - 11 May

2009-05-12T10:33:00.000+01:00

"To a happy person, the formula for happiness is quite simple: Regardless of what happened early this morning, last week, or last year - or what may happen later this evening, tomorrow, or three years from now - now is where happiness lies." ~ Richard Carlson

Monday Motivation - 4 May

2009-05-04T15:57:00.000+01:00

“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them – every day begin the task anew.” ~ Saint Francis de Sales

Monday Motivation - 27 April

2009-04-27T16:09:00.001+01:00

"Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results." ~ Anon

Monday Motivation - 20 April

2009-04-20T12:12:00.001+01:00

“Even from the darkest night songs of beauty can be born.” ~ Mary Anne Radmacher

Monday Motivation - 13 April

2009-04-13T18:11:00.000+01:00

“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” ~ Jimmy Dean

Monday Motivation - 6 April

2009-04-06T17:32:00.000+01:00

“Many things which cannot be overcome when they are together yield themselves up when taken little by little.” ~ Plutarch

Monday Motivation - 30 March

2009-03-30T11:12:00.001+01:00

“Out of difficulties grow miracles.” ~ Jean De La Bruyere

Monday Motivation - 23 March

2009-03-23T12:05:00.000Z

“Every moment of your life is infinitely creative and the universe is endlessly bountiful. Just put forth a clear enough request, and everything your heart desires must come to you.” ~ Shakti Gawain

Monday Motivation - 16 March

2009-03-16T09:29:00.001Z

"That the birds of worry and care fly over your head, this you cannot change, but that they build nests in your hair, this you can prevent." ~ Chinese Proverb

Monday Motivation - 9 March

2009-03-09T10:14:00.001Z

“Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and repeat to yourself the most comforting words of all: this too shall pass.” ~ Ann Landers, newspaper columnist (1918–2002)

Monday Motivation - 2 March

2009-03-02T10:24:00.001Z

“Each day we are born again to start our life anew. What we are today is what matters most.” ~ Budda

An A to Z of personal development - direction

2009-02-25T18:36:00.002Z

"If you don't know where you are going, how can you expect to get there?" ~ Basil S. Walsh

Many clients who come to me for coaching are searching for direction – they want focus and a sense of purpose, to be moving towards something meaningful, and to have clarity and confidence about where they are going in their lives (and who they want to be). Having a clear direction means we can set our compass and make better choices, through asking ourselves if a contemplated action takes us nearer our goals or detracts us from the course we have set.

Knowing our direction and where we ultimately want to be, gives us satisfaction in getting there and in what is learned along the way (the journey is important too) as it motivates us to keep moving forward and achieve even more, knowing that we have been successful so far.

One of the things that motivated me to make changes in my life and later become a coach, was attending a seminar by Chris Croft in which he talked about planning our vacations - if we went on holiday without knowing where we were headed, we risked driving away from our house and ending up in a nearby cul-de-sac. Life is the same! That image stayed with me and I began thinking about how important it was to have life goals and plan my way forward.

· "Direction determines destination." ~ Jim Rohn
· "Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four-hour days." ~ Zig Ziglar
· "The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving." ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes
· "You've got to think about the big things while you're doing the small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction." ~ Alvin Toffler
· "Make sure you know where you are going - as a man going nowhere usually gets there!" ~ Author unknown to me

Monday Motivation - 23 February

2009-02-23T12:31:00.001Z

“Never fear shadows. They simply mean there's a light shining somewhere nearby.” ~ Ruth E. Renkel

Monday Motivation - 9 February

2009-02-09T13:59:00.001Z

"You can conquer almost any fear if you will make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind." ~ Dale Carnegie, 1888-1955, Speaker and Author

An A to Z of personal development - communication continued

2009-02-08T17:02:00.002Z

Writing about communication in the context of personal development, my initial thoughts are around us taking responsibility for ensuring that our communication is clearly understood by the intended recipient. We need to ensure that our message is clear and unambiguous.

· “Communication is never what is sent, only what is received.” ~ Unknown

We also need to take account of the others involved – so we write for the reader, or avoid jargon with those outside our specialist field.

It is also of great importance to understand that all of us take in information through the filter of our expectations, beliefs and stories, so we may not hear the words being spoken because we expect a different message or we get caught up in our own history and allow words to trigger emotions not relevant to the current situation.

And to communicate well, it also helps to have an awareness of how others process information. So - are they auditory; preferring to listen, to talk through ideas, responding to words such as ‘how does this sound to you’ or are they visual; responding to written documents, mind maps, colourful images, words such as ‘see, imagine, and visualize.’ Or they could be kinesthetic, needing to be asked how they feel, or what their gut reaction is, so that they can get to grips with an idea.

· “The problem with communication... is the illusion that it has been accomplished." ~ George Bernard Shaw

· “Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.” ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

Some useful resources can be found in the following two books: “I only say this because I love you” by Deborah Tannen, and “Fierce Conversations” by Susan Scott.

An A to Z of personal development - communication

2009-02-07T18:15:00.000Z

Brian Tracy explains why communication is so important: "Your ability to negotiate, communicate, influence, and persuade others to do things is absolutely indispensable to everything you accomplish in life."

Monday Motivation - 2 February

2009-02-02T12:24:00.000Z

“Thou hast only to follow the wall far enough and there will be a door in it.” ~ Marguerite de Angeli

Monday Motivation - 26 January

2009-01-26T10:30:00.000Z

“When you are reluctant to change, think of the beauty of autumn.” ~ Unknown

Quotation - Attitudes and beliefs

2009-01-21T15:04:00.000Z

"Think ‘impossible’ and dreams get discarded, projects get abandoned, and hope for wellness is torpedoed. But let someone yell the words ‘It's possible,’ and resources we hadn't been aware of come rushing in to assist us in our quest. I believe we are all potentially brilliant and creative -- but only if we believe it, only if we have an attitude of positive expectancy toward our ideas, and only if we act on them." ~ Greg Anderson

Monday Motivation - 19 January

2009-01-19T09:43:00.000Z

“Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity.” ~ Carl Jung