One of the great things about working from home is that I have the opportunity to enjoy my surroundings far more these days than previously, when I spent far more of my time staring at a brick wall from my college staffroom window! My office window now looks out onto the garden and last week I was fascinated by a hare in a field the other side of my garden boundary, which was chasing crows. Part of me told myself that I should be getting on with my work but I reasoned that it was a rare sight and so I indulged myself in ten minutes of observation. The result of ‘allowing’ myself to be distracted was that I was able to consider how fortunate I am to live in such a lovely place, (something I had most certainly taken for granted before), and returned to my work-in-hand with renewed enthusiasm!
This month’s newsletter takes a look at gratitude. Derived from the Latin word ‘gratia’, (meaning grace, gratefulness and graciousness), gratitude suggests the idea of kindness, generosity and appreciation. I wonder how many of us take things for granted and dwell on all the negative things that happen to us rather than celebrating what is good in our lives? So many of us lead demanding and stressful lives; add unexpected events into the equation, such as a relationship break up, redundancy or illness, and it is all too easy to adopt the ‘why me’ attitude.
Take my client, Simon. Simon came to me in an extremely stressed state and he was finding it hard to change his habitual practice of working 70 hour weeks in his managerial role. His wife managed to persuade him to take a much needed holiday with herself and their two young children but she despaired when he spent much of his time answering his blackberry or working on his laptop and she threatened to throw them both in the sea! Reluctantly Simon put them away and once he had managed to relax, he was able to admit that he had a great time doing little more than swimming, eating and drinking, relaxing in the sun and enjoying his family’s company.
How many times have we heard people say that they have come to appreciate what they have after experiencing a life-threatening event? Why do we have to wait until our lives or the lives of those we hold dear to us before we take notice of the simple things in life that can give us pleasure?
So for all of you who find it difficult to justify relaxing and being able to live in the moment, here are some coaching tips to get you started!
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Thoughts for the month:
Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans
John Lennon
There are 86,400 seconds in a day. Have you used one to say thank you?
W.A Ward
He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those he has
Epictetus
Like to contribute ...?
I am interested in all feedback and comments to this newsletter.
I also welcome any offers of collaboration or inclusion of promotional articles.
To discuss any contribution please contact me through the channels below.
My contact details
Pavlenka Small
Small Steps to Success
Tel : 01206 299073
pav@smallsteps2success.co.uk
 Email contact form here
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Seven small steps 2
appreciation and gratitude ......
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1. Smile !
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‘Smile and the whole world smiles with you, frown, and you frown alone.’ Apart from anything else it takes less effort to smile, something like 72 muscles are used to frown whereas it only takes a handful to smile!
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2. Read something positive when you are feeling low
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There are so many inspirational books available and the internet has many sites offering positive quotes and stories.
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3. Thank and praise others
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Don’t assume that your partner, family and friends know you are grateful for what they do for you; tell them! And don’t limit your thanks to those you know, a few pleasantries shared with a complete stranger in the supermarket queue or whilst waiting in the doctors surgery, may well make their day.
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4. Why save your best for special occasions?
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Most of us feel better when we dress up to go out so why leave this activity for special occasions? Enjoy wearing them to make you feel better about yourself and look forward to accepting great compliments from those you meet!
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5. Don’t be too busy to talk to friends
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Do you need to have a reason to chat to a friend? Many people I work with admit that they intend contacting friends but often seem too busy to get round to it.
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6. Five daily things to be grateful for
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At the end of each day before you go to sleep, list five things that you have appreciated and been grateful for during that day. These don’t have to be big things. I would put my hare chasing the crows as on of my five!
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7. Carpe Diem - Seize the day
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Take time to appreciate your surroundings and the people you care about and who care about you. Take notice of nature, listen to the birds singing or take a walk. Taking just a few minutes to appreciate our beauty and nature is a great way to forget your worries and bring a smile to your face.
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If you can identify with any of the above ...
Why not invest the cost of a phone call so you can discover more during a complimentary coaching session.
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Small Steps 2 Success June 2010 Newsletter.
Pavlenka Small. Steps to Success. 2 Elm Cottages. Mission Lane. East Bergholt. Colchester. Essex. CO7 6XH.
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