This different way of looking at things unfortunately does not spawn many quotes – thousands of results for “help” none for “help too much” so I cannot leave you today with a good quote so I would just like to leave you with the question -
“Where in your life are you helping too much?”

Helen Keller:
When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.

John Capuzzi:
A free lunch is only found in mousetraps.

Liane Cordes:
Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.

Today my inspiration comes from a tv show in the U.K. that I have been following avidly on youtube. The show is Celebrity Big Brother and if you have never seen the show before, the premise is 12 “celebrities” are locked in a house together for a month. Every few days the housemates elect 2 housemates for elimination and the “celebrities” who garner the most votes are then up for eviction – the public vote by telephone for who they want to be eliminated and those with the most telephone votes are then out.

What I found interesting was to observe what qualities (or lack of) seemed to influence the housemates nominations. Gameplay clearly comes into it to a point as these people want to win but I think the initial votes were more about what made a person valuable as a housemate rather than looking at voting out the strongest competitor. The universal value that seemed to affect the nomination was hard work. Those who did little around the house were nominated whilst the person who did the most housework (Vinnie Jones) was able to build a power base around his efforts.
This is a rather long winded way to illustrate my point that hard work is really the key to success – of course that hard work has to be channeled correctly or it can quickly become pointless. This is a lesson for me as much as anyone as I freely admit I probably do not put as much effort into any areas of my life to make them truly outstanding. I do not do enough housework to make me proud of my house, I do not do enough of the publicity work on my business to make myself known more, I do not exercise enough to really get the body I want. I always do enough to get by but not enough to reach my full potential, to be truly happy in my life. I work hard at the things I really enjoy – when I am coaching, my clients get my very best and I think I do a good job parenting my 3 children. What I need to learn and I would imagine applies to many of you reading this, is the discipline to work hard at everything that needs that commitment.

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm, Gonna try with a little help from my friends

What do I do when my love is away
Does it worry you to be alone
How do you feel by the end of the day
Are you sad because you’re on your own

No, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm,Gonna try with a little help from my friends

Do you need anybody
I need somebody to love
Could it be anybody
I want somebody to love

Would you believe in a love at first sight
Yes, I’m certain that it happens all the time
What do you see when you turn out the light
I can’t tell you, but I know it’s mine

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Oh, Gonna try with a little help from my friends

Do you need anybody
I just need someone to love
Could it be anybody
I want somebody to love

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, Gonna try with a little help from my friends
Oh, I get high with a little help from my friends
Yes, I get by with a little help from my friends,
with a little help from my friends

I thought it was a great reminder to value our friends and recognize their importance in our lives. If you haven’t connected with a friend for a while – why not reach out today – online sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn make this easier than ever.

A great site that supports in particular female friendships is Girlfriendology

Finally a big thank you to all my friends past, present and future – thank you, you have helped to make this journey a ball!

Although I rather like New Year’s resolutions because it is all about goal setting, I also recognize that they often last through the first week of January. Here is an interesting post about why they often fail (they do not talk much about mindset which I still believe is the biggest reason that resolutions do not last long)http://news.icoachacademy.com/2010/01/07/why-new-year%E2%80%99s-resolutions-don%E2%80%99t-work/#more-520

Today I am inviting you to visit a website One Red Paperclip This is an inspiring story about how a man managed to swap a paperclip for a pen and then on and on until eventually he was able to get a house. Whether this story is entirely true or not I have no idea but the message is certainly one we can all learn from.

What in your life do you place no value on that has in fact value? What do you give away that someone would be happy to pay for? Even with charity you are aware that what you are giving away be it money, things or your time has a value. So as an extra mission for this week, look at your life and see the hidden value that lies there.

As always comments are very welcome

My friend Sheila Finkelstein took the above picture (she is an amazingly talented photographer and I recommend signing up for her free ezine at http://www.picturetoponder.com/ so you too can get weekly inspiration)

The naivitee of the stork to the danger of the nearby alligator sums up the attitude I had to life until recently and I believe it is shared by millions of you out there. We are not aware of what is coming in our future and we tend to be spectators rather than authors of our fate.

This website is dedicated as a wake up call to start really living your life. This involves making conscious decisions to improve all areas of your life – work, relationships, health etc so that you can really start living rather than existing.

I use my knowledge about how the brain works to help my clients make lasting changes to their lives so that they finally start achieving all they have been dreaming about.

From designing the best life they can imagine to taking the first steps of implementation, real and sustainable change is not only possible but becomes irresistible.