Create Opportunities

“To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.” Bruce Lee

I love this quote. I heard it and it resonated so deeply I had to share it!

When you start dreaming about a better future, hold onto that dream; make it bigger, better and brighter and walk towards it.

Don’t look for excuses to stop making progress and blame circumstances when the going gets tough. YES! Change isn’t easy, but well worth the discomfort in the long run.

Your unconscious mind is constantly looking for evidence to support your thoughts, your words and your feelings. It wants to ‘keep you safe’ by getting you to repeat the same unresourceful behaviour, and instead, it’s sabotaging your growth.

Your words become your world, and your thoughts become your actions. So, be mindful of creating excuses that are responsible for YOU standing in your own way of success, happiness and fulfilment.

When thinking about a better future, look for opportunities, not obstacles and laugh in the face of fear to keep the momentum going.

Does this quote resonate with anyone else? What’s your story?

This is a picture of me looking for opportunities of growth in every conversation.

Call me when you wish to create more opportunities

Love and strong coffee

Vafa

Get The Life You Wish For

“Get The Life You Wish For”… I so often heard the voice inside my head say this phrase. Especially when I came face to face with situations that put me at a cross roads where my values were being tested. Then I came across this passage from Daring Greatly by Brene Brown.

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasures you seek. Own the fear, find the cave and write a new inning for yourself. For the people you’re meant to serve and support and for your culture. Choose courage over comfort, choose whole hearts over armour and choose the great adventure of being brave and afraid at the exact same time.”

If you’re looking for what’s missing in your life or in need of new direction, if you’re defined by the measures of success that someone else has imposed on you or if you’re feeling guilty for wanting more, then please know you’re one of many who think and feel this way.

What are you doing to get the life you wish for?

I was reflecting on the time I used to wish for a better life during a graduation ceremony with a difference and congratulated myself for stepping inside the cave even though it was scary, unknown and uncomfortable.

For choosing whole hearts instead of armour, even though it deprived me from aspects of my old, secure world; and for choosing courage over comfort which scares me and makes me feel very alive every day!

Are you feeling stuck or are you living a life that makes you feel alive?

We only get one life; let’s live it on our terms

Love and strong coffee

Vafa

Back To School With A Difference

It’s certainly been a time of back to school with a difference. We’ve loved running workshops for parents and educators to promote healthy discussions at home. The main topics have been emotional literacy and a building a resilient mindset. The attendees have loved the story books we selected for them. Using stories to discuss difficult topics is a fun for all. Children love imagining different scenarios and pretending. It’s learning by having fun and this is what we promote in our workshops.

This story books we chose deal with so many of the negative emotions and questions children may have about school, and find difficult to articulate.

When you attend our workshops, you’ll see how we use the power of storytelling, NLP and coaching techniques to promote healthy discussions around certain fears and anxieties not only the children, but their parents and educators may be experiencing as we speak.

Starting a new school year presents challenges normally, and even more so in the current climate. Thousands of new school starters will not have had the usual transition programme full of visits and activities.

Having spoken to many parents and educators, we appreciate the adults are dealing with anxieties of their own and this can magnify children’s uncertainties around a new school year.

This may lead to additional worries which need addressing before school starts if a positive experience is to be had. Our workshops have been impactful to parents and educators so far.

When you work with us, we will use the power of storytelling, coaching and NLP techniques to foster positive mental health in children, parents and educators.

Visit our website for more upcoming workshops or contact me for more information.

Love and strong coffee

Vafa

This Too Shall Pass

“This Too Shall Pass”

I heard this from a dear friend of mine some years ago when I was really struggling to make sense of my story and I must admit, it’s been one of my go to phrases when situations have started to cause overwhelm.

When the going gets tough, there’s one important point to appreciate. That although what we’re experiencing at that moment is particularly unknown and tough to digest, that it’s our thoughts about the situation that keep us stuck in a negative state.

And as valid as those thoughts and emotions are at that particular moment in time, we are able to choose our response to the situation. A simple statement like “this too shall pass” will remind us that the difficulty we’re experiencing is temporary. It will divert our unconscious mind in a future positive direction.

I’m curious to find out how you’re feeling today? How are you finding the positives in the somewhat alien world we find ourselves in?

Remember, we’re not in control of this situation, but we are in control of the way we respond to it. We still have a choice! That liberty hasn’t been removed from us.

We’re in control of the meaning we give to our thoughts and feelings. It’s kind to honour the feelings we have, but it’s pointless to get lost in the vicious circle of negative thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

I too, have struggled with the real threats out there, but I’ve fallen in the more optimistic camp. Perhaps because of my NLP training and the ability to look at the threats with a different perspective. Or perhaps the war child in me tells me “this too, shall pass”.

To keep my sanity, I’m choosing to be acutely aware of simple pleasures in life, all the things I took for granted previously. I’m choosing to stay even more connected in times of social and physical distancing. I’m choosing to invest in my personal development.

How are you keeping your sanity? Reach out when you need a chat.

Love and strong coffee

Vafa