I hope you are having the best of weeks. Well are you? Having the best of weeks that is?
What is frustrating you at the moment, what are you not doing that you want to be?

​Okay enough with the questions, just remember this little snippet
 
"There are people working hard and having fun.
Pursuing ambitious goals and making great progress towards them.
Positive and optimistic about the future.
Constantly learning and challenging each other to grow.
Willing to lend a hand to anyone who is brave enough to ask.
From a distance, they look like an elite band.
Their confidence and courage is what makes them stand out.
It’s easy to look at them with longing and perhaps a touch of jealousy.
Surely, you couldn’t be part of that group, could you?
Yes, you can.
Go on, join them.
Don’t hesitate.
They’re not that different from you."
 
Believe in yourself!!! As a coach I wholeheartedly believe in you, I believe that you are naturally creative, resourceful and whole. Could it be that you just need someone to remind you of this. Well, if you do, that's what I am here for........ 
 
because coaching is about looking at the future you want to get to and the present you are in and then trying to fill the gap.
 
If this sounds familiar give me a shout, lets talk about it.
 
You deserve to be living your best life on your terms, how you want to. Never forget it.
 
Enjoy the rest of your week & don't forget to look out for my newsletter this weekend.
 
Follow your dreams

I often recite to my clients one of my favorite quotes when we discuss opportunities
“If someone offers you an amazing opportunity and you're not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later” Richard Branson
This is my tip of the week for this week
Seize the opportunity
There are two parts to this tip. The first
“When offered small opportunities in life, at work, or in education, take them on, these little opportunities may lead to something great, they are like the individual bricks that build who you can be. Or like the drops of water that make a puddle, if you create enough of them you make a pond, and so on. Don’t sweat the small things, take them on
The other part is this.
“When you’re offered a big opportunity, consider it carefully—even if it scares the heck out of you. In the end, high risk often leads to high reward. But if you turn down every opportunity that comes your way, you won’t even have the chance to succeed,” 
This week, keep an eye out for opportunities to Engage, Develop, Grow and Evolve, sharpen your EDGE
Let me know how it goes, what opportunities did you take on, how did it feel , and what was the outcome?
Have a great week

The week is flying by and we've made it over the hump. How are doing with the tip of the week. I'd love to hear how its going.
Anyway, its nearing the weekend so I'd like to share with you a light poem. This one I stood up in front of the students and tell them at the beginning of every year and, it resonates just as well for you as you build your life today. Sorry if you already know it.
The Carpenter
An elderly carpenter was due to retire.
He told his employer of his plans to leave the business and start a life of leisure with his wife and extended family.
He would miss the money, but the time was right and he was ready to hang up his hammer.
His boss was disappointed as the carpenter had been a loyal and diligent worker for many years, so he was sad to see him go.
He asked for one last favor, requesting that the carpenter could build one last house before retiring.
The tradesman agreed, but it was soon clear that his heart wasn’t in it.
He took shortcuts, used inferior materials and put in a half-hearted effort.
In the end the final product was well short of his usual standards, a disappointing way to end his career.
When the job was finished, the employer came to inspect the work.  After taking a look around, he handed the keys to the carpenter and said, “This is your house, it’s my gift to you.”
What a shock! What a shame! 
If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well."
Unknown author
So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the Carpenter. Life is a do-it-yourself project. 
Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
If you’re not happy with what you see, perhaps it’s a direct consequence of what you’ve been building over the years.
IS IT TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT A CHANGE?
Enjoy the rest of the week

"If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done." Bruce Lee
​
So here is this week’s tip for you to consider having a go at, which may help you have more productive days.

Just try it and see if it helps.

Tip: Do the Important Thing First.

For context, as a coach I often ask my client this question of my clients.
“What could you do to help you be more efficient at work?”

These are three of the top answers I get back and the biggest distraction to them.

• Do the task with the most urgent deadline (if its importance trumps all else, act accordingly)
• Do the task that is the largest source of stress (if you’re going to be dreading it all day, get it over with)
• Do the task that will take the most time and energy (because then the rest will seem easy in comparison)

Distraction: Avoid the temptation to check your email any more than every few hours. If they really need you, they will call. Starting and stopping a task adds up in a lot of wasted time and an overwhelmed feeling, so go with the tip "get the important things done first" without distraction.
Make this tip your focus for the week
I hope this helps.
Have a great week.
Richie Forde

“To be nobody-but-yourself — in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else — means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight.”
​
That was a quote from E.E Cummings American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright. But the article went onto a poem. It continued…
“It’s not easy to be yourself.
Lots of people will have opinions about who you are and what you should be doing with your life.
And it’s tempting to compare your life and progress to others.
But that’s not what we need.
And it’s certainly not what you were created for.
You have a unique set of skills.
A unique perspective.
And a unique mission.
The world may want you to be somebody else, but you’ve got to fight that battle to be the best version of you.” D. Poke
I love this type of writing as it cuts to the heart of coaching and living your values. Be who you are, the best version of who you are, for you are naturally creative, resourceful and whole.
Respect your boss….. maybe! Show respect to your elders……yes!. Respect the law……Definitely. Follow the crowd… uhh….. no! (Unless there’s a fire).
Be the best version of you, in whatever you do.
I once heard a fantastic saying, “At work, if your light is so bright that you’re outshining your colleagues, ask them to put some glasses on, because this is you.” don’t sit back and accept that this is how it should be.
When was the last time you did something no one else dared to do? When did you last step out and show you had the gumption to shine? What are you doing to ensure your light is burning bright?
We can all stand out from the crowd.
Do it once this week and let me know how it felt, and WHEN it feels food, remember this is who you are.
Have a great week.
Richie Forde

​Happy  Wednesday (good news it may be Thursday by the time you read this, that means nearer to the weekend :)
 
I hope you all enjoyed the content of the Newsletter last week. Thank you to those of you who have shared it,  pinned it up in your various staff rooms and canteens, I really appreciate it.
 
Okay, so a quick one today. Visualization is a big part of what we as coaches do to help our clients,  it is the practice of affecting the outside world by changing your thoughts and using imagination to experience new behaviors.  Using the mind and your imagination, you can see the potential for new events and new behaviors in your life. Using positive thinking and these new learnings to see things and situations differently through creating a multi-sensory experience in your mind, these new, helpful, and resourceful behaviors will become positive habits. 
Using the Power of Creative Visualisation opens up opportunities to create positive outcomes. Picturing positive outcomes help you create this reality in your life.
To appreciate the power of your mind, imagine a nice green watermelon on a hot day, cut one in half, and then see what happens – you will probably be beginning to salivate. Similarly, imagine yourself running up a series of stairs and feel the effect that this has on your breathing and your heart-rate. This is the Power of Imagination!
So, seeing the potential for new events is where I am going today. You see I love this song called "Flowers" by Oleta Adams and though it's not what the song is about,  the very first verse (I've adapted) always has me visualizing new growth in my life. As you read this verse, think of how it resonates with you and your life. All I ask is that you then answer these few questions
What would you like the bud or the flower to be?
In which part of your world would you like to start or see something new growing?
And in answering one of these two questions, what can you do before the weekend to get started planting the seed.
Ready!!!!!
The seed is planted in the ground
you may never really know
The appointed time that will come around
when a bud is formed and a flower grows.
If what you sow, and hope to reap
is cared for every day 
(it will help you to seek
something you can keep
to live your life your own way.) I added this part
I would love to hear your thoughts on what you are imagining for yourself.
If it helps, you can listen to the full beautiful song here  Flowers: Euge Grove and Oleta Adams
 
Actually, it'll also be nice to hear which songs have you dreaming of a better future for yourself! 
 
Enjoy the rest of your week