Thursday 31 December 2015

What an incredible year!

Thanks to 2015 for all the adventures.Here's to 2016 and all the opportunities you are bringing.
Please feel free to visit my blogs. I hope you find them interesting.
I am a life coach, teacher and writer. My aim is to help people find ways to live their best lives.


Please visit my Trusty Life Coaching Facebook page for further information:
https://www.facebook.com/Trusty-Life-Coaching-614780095261862/



Wednesday 30 December 2015

the dogs had fun!

We took 6 dogs out for a walk today. They had a great time rushing about after a ball, rolling in mud and horse poo as well as saying hello to all the other dogs. Meanwhile I couldn't help notice it getting windier and winder and the clouds started getting darker.
Storm Frank is apparently on his way here.
My thoughts are with all the people in UK who have been affected by storm damage over the past few days.
It has been wonderful to see how communities have come together to help the people affected so badly by the storm.
It is times like this when we are reminded of the things that are really important in life.
Helping other people during difficult times is so important. People put aside their differences and pull together to make things better.


Tuesday 29 December 2015

Time flies

It is hard to believe that we only have 2 more days left of 2015.
2015 has been an amazing year. I have seen a lot of my family and friends as well as making progress with my coaching and writing.
Selling my house and moving into my caravan has to be the highlight if this year. It is so wild and natural there and it is hard to believe I have only been there since April as it feels as if  I have always lived there.
Ollie is very at home there too.
2016 is waiting just around the corner. I intend focusing on my writing and travelling around UK walking the dogs and visiting friends and family as much as I can.
I am very fortunate as I am now able to afford to reduce my teaching hours which leaves me more time to write and develop my coaching.
What are your plans for 2016?
Have you enjoyed 2015?
It would be great to hear from you.
Exciting times lie ahead....

Sunday 27 December 2015

Weather

It is incredible the impact weather can have on us even in our modern times.
I have been hearing about people in The North being evacuated from their homes following a month worth of rain falling in one day.
Now our government must act to ensure our flood defences are as good as they possibly can be to minimise the affect of more rain falling in future.
All around the world we are feeling the affects of global warming. I recently watched President Obama and Bear Grylls discussing the need for every country to act to reduce emissions to minimise the impact of Global Warming on future generations.
This is something that we can all do our bit to improve. We can't afford to ignore the melting glaciers and all the other signs that global warming is affecting our planet.
Future generations are relying on us all to act now and stop putting our heads in the sand.

Thursday 24 December 2015

Merry Christmas to the lost and lonely.

I know that many of us are really enjoying ourselves spending time with our loved ones but I am also aware that this can be a particularly difficult time for some people. All the adverts featuring happy families can contrast with the reality for some people. If you are feeling lonely or sad for any reason my Christmas wish is that you find the happiness that you deserve in the coming year. Remember that the difficult times will pass as every cloud has a silver lining.

Wednesday 23 December 2015

Christmas Eve 🎄

There have been a lot of songs written about the things people want for Christmas. I have everything that I could possibly want. My daughter is having a lovely time with her boyfriend and his family. My son and cute dog Ollie are here with me right now and the lovable G will be arriving with his two hairy pals around lunchtime today. I have the required amount of sprouts and other goodies stowed away in my lovely caravan and I live in one of the most remarkable places that I have ever come across. We spend so much time looking forward that we sometimes forget that we have all we need right at this moment.🎅

Christmas Eve 🎅

There have been a lot of songs about what people want for Christmas. I have everything I could possibly wish for 🌠 My daughter is having a lovely time with her boyfriend and his family. My son and my cute dog Ollie is with me and the lovable G is arriving with his two hairy pals some time after lunch today. I have the required number of sprouts and other goodies all stowed away in my wonderful caravan. We are so busy rushing about trying to achieve our goals that sometimes we forget that we have everything we need right now.🎅

Tuesday 22 December 2015

Wild weather and a special visitor...

Today I will be venturing into the supermarket for sprouts. Wish me luck 🍀 After that I will be driving to Hastings with Ollie to pick up my son who will be visiting us for Christmas 🎅 As I sit in my caravan I can hear the wind howling. It has been doing this for 3 days solid. It is pretty exciting even stepping outside. Today should be quite an adventure!

E Book giveaway results!

Last night I looked at the responses to my post, the one about giving away copies of my e-book '100 Free Ways To Happier Days!' and I selected the winners. I will be contacting them by personal message via Facebook as that is where most of the responses came from.
I hope that the winners enjoy reading the book.
It would be great to hear their feedback when they have finished reading it.

Monday 21 December 2015

Happy Birthday Mum!

Today would have been Mum's birthday. She died when I was 13. This post isn't about death though, it is all about life.
Mum has inspired me through my life with her energy and enthusiasm for things. She had her priorities right stating, 'housework will be here long after we are gone!'
I love the fact that her birthday was a day before mine and we shared the night of The Winter Solstice between us.
As a result, I have always loved this time of year, the days running up to Christmas and The New Year.
I have made sure I never spend more than I can afford at this time and I like my friends and family to do likewise. To me this time of year is not about gathering material goods. It is about sharing, giving and receiving.
I believe these winter celebrations are intended to bring twinkly lights and hope to people at a time when the nights close in early and the weather can be very damp and cold.
I have always liked the fact that lots of people are celebrating at this time of year. It means that a lot of people are happy and cheerful as I celebrate my birthday.
On the other hand, it is sad that many people find this time of year particularly difficult and my heart goes out to them.
For me this week provides the opportunity to rest, reflect and express gratitude for all the wonderful things and people that I have in my life.
Happy Birthday Mum! I will be thinking of you when I eat a little slice of home made Christmas cake later on today. You are one in a million and I wouldn't swap you for the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zzwbYyvWiU
One of Mum's favourite songs!


Sunday 20 December 2015

28,115 words and counting!

I am very excited as I have completed by (rather sketchy) first draft of:
" 100 Free Ways To Happier Days With Your Teen!"
I am at the dreaded editing stage but I am pretty happy with the content.
My aim is to get it ready to publish via this blog one day at a time starting on 1st January 2016. 
each post is intended to create a dialogue with anyone who wishes to comment or ask questions about what I have written. 
The teenage years can be exciting and scary for teenagers, parents and carers.
The more we can discuss, explore and learn about the issues raised at this time, the richer the experience for us all.
I am also in the process of writing:
"100 Free Ways To Happier Days For Teens!"
This will also be published via this blog once it is ready.
I love having time free to write. It is something that I have always wanted to do and finally I am making my dream a reality.



Friday 18 December 2015

Happy Christmas. Would you like an e-book?

I have had such a great year. One of the highlights has been having my book published.
 '100 Free Ways To Happier Days!'
I have 5 free copies of the e-book to give away as gifts.
Please add a comment here or on my Trusty Life Coaching Facebook page if you would like a copy.
I will pick 5 people randomly on the evening of 21st December as that is the Solstice which seems like an appropriate time.
The 21st was also my mothers birthday so I think she would approve!
If you are chosen I will message you with the code you need to claim your free book.
happy holidays!

Wednesday 16 December 2015

Christmas dinner.

I love Christmas dinner. we had ours at school today. I particularly love the roast potatoes.
We also had crackers.
I really enjoy Christmas dinner. I like making the cake and pudding every year.
I have one more day at work before the holiday starts.
I am celebrating by drinking a glass of wine and am looking forward to watching The Apprentice.
I am looking forward to meeting up wit friends and family but also being able to take Ollie my dog out more and to carry on with my writing.

Tuesday 15 December 2015

Tim Peake

It was lovely to hear about the British astronaut has arrived at the International Space Station today!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/science-environment-34985274
This is very exciting and it got me thinking. When he was little, did he always want to be an astronaut? If so whenever anyone doubted that he really could do it he must have ignored them and trusted in himself to get him where he needed to be to make his dream come true.
I showed the children at school the rocket launch and as they watched I was thinking, if you want to be someone enough, don't let anyone tell you you can't do it. You go for it!



Monday 14 December 2015

Everything is happening exactly as it should.

I forget this sometimes.
Some days I have one of 'those days' where things appear to be going wrong or not quite the way I planned. It is easy to forget that everything is happening exactly as it should.
If things don't work out the way you planned there is a very good chance something far better is coming round the corner!

Friday 11 December 2015

Ideas come in thick and fast when you write the first sentence.

My friend is trying to write at the moment. They are agonising over how to start and I have been telling them just start!
This may seem a simplistic thing to say but the writing process is fascinating. You can agonise for weeks over how to start the first sentence but once you physically make yourself put pen to paper or you type your first sentence everything starts to flow.
To begin with what you write can feel awkward and contrived but keep writing and things get smoother. Once I am into it the ideas start to pour out of my head and my fingers can hardly keep up!
This experience is not unique to me by any means. many writers report the same experience. It is almost as if something takes over and you stop having to think about every sentence you write.
Some say it is your higher self taking over, your true creative self.
Whatever it is I have started to trust the process. I think of an idea, write the first rather clumsy, sometimes wobbly sentence and then whoosh! Out come all the ideas.
You can always edit afterwards. In fact you will probably need to as there are bound to be some typo's at the speed you end up writing once the ideas are unleashed.
Many people, including myself, block our creativity by trying to get everything perfect in our heads before we start. That is never going to happen.
We tend to over-think things and get in our own way if we rely on this method.
If you have an idea for a book then my advice is to just start writing those first few sentences. Do it today!


100 Free Ways To Happier Days With Your Teen!

I am 3/4 of the way through my first draft. It is so good having Friday's off work leaving me time to focus on my coaching and writing. I aim to complete this draft soon and will be publishing it via this blog, one post at a time.
My aim is to make this book accessible to anyone who needs it which is why it will be free.
Teenagers are amazing. It can be incredibly rewarding working with them but challenging too. It can be even tougher bringing up your teenager particularly when they start to question and challenge the way you approach things and they start to hold views that differ from your own but when you listen to them you can learn as much from them as they can from you.
One of the great things about teenagers is that they start to take an interest in the world around them . They question things and their ideas can be refreshing, creative and unique.


Thursday 10 December 2015

So grateful

I feel so grateful to all the people who have encouraged my writing and coaching efforts this year. It was so lovely to attend the launch of my book '100 Free ways To Happier Days!' and see so many friendly faces. I am grateful to the people who went out of their way to attend. Some had real difficulty with transport getting to and from the event.
I am also very thankful to the people who have taken the trouble to review my work on amazon too.
There have been so many people who have visited by website and Facebook 'Trusty Life Coaching ' page.
When I decided to donate some money to 2 local animal shelters I was overwhelmed by the positive responses to that post.
This has been such an exciting year so far, selling my house, buying my caravan and reducing my teaching hours to part-time so I can coach and write.
I really appreciate everyone who has taken the time to read my blog posts over this past year too.
Thanks you all!  :)

http://www.trustylifecoaching.co.uk/


Wednesday 9 December 2015

Illusions~ the adventures of a reluctant messiah~ Richard Bach

I have just finished reading this book and it is beautiful. On the surface it is a simple story about an unusual friendship between two pilots but scratch the surface and this book reveals a wonderful guide to life. I read it very quickly, I couldn't put it down. I will definitely be reading it again soon to see if I missed anything. I definitely recommend it to anyone!



Tuesday 8 December 2015

the people have the power!

People Have the Power by Patti Smith

I was very touched by The Angels Of Death Metal performing this song in Paris with U2. The words are true, we have the power and life is what we make it.

I was dreaming in my dreaming 
of an aspect bright and fair 
and my sleeping it was broken 
but my dream it lingered near 
in the form of shining valleys 
where the pure air recognized 
and my senses newly opened 
I awakened to the cry 
that the people / have the power 
to redeem / the work of fools 
upon the meek / the graces shower 
it's decreed / the people rule 

The people have the power 
The people have the power 
The people have the power 
The people have the power 

Vengeful aspects became suspect 
and bending low as if to hear 
and the armies ceased advancing 
because the people had their ear 
and the shepherds and the soldiers 
lay beneath the stars 
exchanging visions 
and laying arms 
to waste / in the dust 
in the form of / shining valleys 
where the pure air / recognized 
and my senses / newly opened 
I awakened / to the cry 

Refrain 

Where there were deserts 
I saw fountains 
like cream the waters rise 
and we strolled there together 
with none to laugh or criticize 
and the leopard 
and the lamb 
lay together truly bound 
I was hoping in my hoping 
to recall what I had found 
I was dreaming in my dreaming 
god knows / a purer view 
as I surrender to my sleeping 
I commit my dream to you 

Refrain 

The power to dream / to rule 
to wrestle the world from fools 
it's decreed the people rule 
it's decreed the people rule 
LISTEN 
I believe everything we dream 
can come to pass through our union 
we can turn the world around 
we can turn the earth's revolution 
we have the power 
People have the power ... 

Monday 7 December 2015

My homing instinct and Ollie's antics!

This morning at silly o'clock I took Ollie out for a walk. He pulled and I let go of his lead accidentally and he dashed off full of glee.
The only thing to do when Ollie performs this particular stunt is to start the car.
Ollie loves going for a drive so he usually runs over and jumps into the car.
Sure enough he did. Phew!
I had visions of phoning work with some crazy sounding story of not being able to go in as I was chasing my dog around the country lanes.
I was very relived to be attached to the other end of his lead and we continued with our walk.
On the way home from  work I was diverted off the main road due to an accident and found myself in dark country lanes without a clue where I was. I took the decision to keep driving straight on whenever I came to a junction and fortunately found myself in a village I recognised and was able to get safely home.
My homing instinct is pretty strong.
I am so glad to be home!

Sunday 6 December 2015

Ben Fogle

I love watching the Ben Fogle programmes with people living in wild places all over the world. The current series is about people choosing to leave the 'rat-race' to live dream lives in the world. The episode I am currently watching a programme where a couple live with their eight children and Ben is being asked to sleep in a nearby shepherds hut. The countryside is beautiful and the family are sitting together eating Shepherds Pie. They drink water from a stream and the fire heats the water, provides the heating and dries the clothes. The mother gave birth to her eighth child beside the fire.
It always makes me happy to learn of people who question the norm and decide to live a life that makes them happy. We all have different dreams so each dream-life will vary but it is so important that people are happy in their lives doing things that give them purpose.
Ollie is sleeping beside me as I watch and I realise that things don't get much better than this.

Thursday 3 December 2015

Day 3 Lemon and Ginger!

I woke up early this morning excited to see what the quote was on my advent string for today. It says
'Oh thou who enters this world crying while those around you are laughing, live your life in such a way that when you leave this world and those around you are crying then you will do the laughing.' This quote was given to my sister by my Gran who was born in India and was brought up a Parsi. Her Persian teacher gave her this important lesson.
I take it to mean that if you live a good productive life people may miss you and be sad when it is your time to leave this world but you will be happy and ready for the next stage.
I am looking forward to drinking my tea tomorrow and reading the quote!


Wednesday 2 December 2015

Understanding and tolerance

Now more than ever it is time to reach out to other people to listen to them, understand them and share things with them. The more we attempt to understand one another the more unity we will see in the world.
Communicating with others and making time to understand differing viewpoints is time well spent.
If we are to make a better world for our children we must realise that while we may look different on the surface underneath we are the same.
People experiencing challenges and loneliness can find their lives much brighter when people take the time to talk to them, smile at them even.
Humans are basically social creatures. We are designed to work cooperatively with one another.
Just imagine what could be achieved if all our resources were spent on providing people with what they need rather than committing money to destruction and war.
There is far more good than bad in the world and what we focus on we receive.

Tuesday 1 December 2015

December 2nd is Licorice and Cinnamon.

https://theultimatevirallaunchpad.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/strive-not-to-be-a-success-but-rather-to-be-of-value-albert-einstein.jpg
Today's quote is 'Strive not to be a success but rather to be of vale.' Albert Einstein.
I am sipping my licorice and cinnamon tea which was in the day 2 pocket of the advent string my sister gave me and am thinking about how powerful this message is.
If we all focus on how we can assist people in living their best lives the result multiplied accross the world would be remarkable!

Thoughtful gifts.

I wrote a section in my book about thoughtful gifts. Gifts do not need to be expensive, it truly is the thought that counts. If you take your time to choose or make something that you believe someone will love you will find that they really appreciate your gesture.
My sister sent me a parcel recently and rather mysteriously said I could open it on 1st December.
It was exciting opening the package and trying to work out what it was.
I received a beautiful teapot and teacup along with an advent string with 24 felt pockets attached. In each pocket was a fruit teabag and attached to each one is a gift tags which has an inspirational quote written on it.
Today's quote is 'Happiness is a warm puppy.' Charles M Shultz.
I am incredibly touched by this gift.
This time of year provides us with a great opportunity to give to others and express our gratitude for the wonderful people we know.

Monday 30 November 2015

it's nearly December!

I love December. I like the Christmas lights that people display in and around their houses. I love the Christmas break having time to rest and reflect on the year that is so nearly past.
I love making the cake and pudding and decorating the tree. I don't get caught up in the commercial side.
I love the cosy nights in and the walks in the crisp cool air.
Every season has its joys and taking time to appreciate the things that change around you is very beneficial. I really love writing in the winter, sitting indoors cosy and warm listening to the wind whistling outside as I type.
A lot of people have the chance to meet up with friends and family in December. It is also a great time of year to curl up with a good book!

Sunday 29 November 2015

Spreading our message.

There are far more good people than bad. I see evidence of this everywhere I go. When violent atrocities occur it can be difficult to remember this. I had my book launch yesterday. It was a lovely experience for me to be surrounded by wonderful friends and many bought copies of my book. One ex pupil even bought a copy to give to his English teacher on Monday!
Later in the evening my 95 year old Gran phoned to say how happy she is that I dedicated the book to her and she is getting all her Bridge friends to buy copies 👍
This has made me realise what we do and say really affects other people. We are not powerless. We all have an enormous capacity to do good and make a positive difference in the world.The small things are really the big things and love and kindness will always win through over hate and intolerance.💐

Saturday 28 November 2015

Book Launch!

I have just come back from Hythe Tea Rooms where I held my book launch for '100 Free Ways To Happier Days!' It was so lovely to see friends and colleagues there and we all had fun.
I am in the process of writing 3 more books which I am going to publish freely here on this blog.
One book will be for parents/carers, another for teenagers and the other for teachers as I would like to be able to encourage as many people to follow their dreams as possible because that is how we are meant to live!
My current book is available visa Balboa Press and amazon and some excerpts from this book have been published on this blog.
If you know anyone who you think may benefit from trying new ways to achieve happiness please encourage them to pop by and have a look at the blog. Thanks for your help!

Thursday 26 November 2015

Karl Pilkington, Greg James, Radio 1 and happiness.

I drove home listening to Greg James on Radio 1 and to my delight Karl Pilkington dropped in. He always makes me laugh and his quotes are classic.
Today's was so true, "Would you be happy if it all ended tomorrow? I think that everybody should think about that now if you are driving in your car. Are you happy? have you enjoyed your lot? If you haven't, stop whingeing and do something about it.''

Wise words indeed!

http://bbc.in/1OtIUTL

Wednesday 25 November 2015

A lovely rainbow and a beautiful moon!

I saw a wonderful rainbow today. The photo doesn't do justice to it. I love rainbows. I take them as a positive sign.
I drove home from work in the dark and couldn't fail to notice a beautiful, huge moon set low in the sky.
I got home and took Ollie out for a walk and the stars were twinkling.
As I walked past the lake the birds were making all sorts of fabulous noises.
What a great day.

Tuesday 24 November 2015

Everything is amazing!

Ok I know we sometimes mess things up as a species but look at the things we can do. I was driving home and was suddenly struck by how incredible the car is. For less than £1,000 I bought a car which now transports me miles every day.
I drove a bit further and my thoughts turned to roads. Our roads may have some potholes but designing, creating and maintaining the road system is quite a remarkable feat too.
 I got home, walked my dog in the dark and looked up at the sky and suddenly thought of all the rockets that have gone into space. Wow!
We can fly planes, dive deep into the ocean and can even  perform intricate operations using key-hole surgery.
We can send a text and in seconds and our message can be reached thousands of miles away.
If I want to read a Facebook message that is written in another language I hit the translate button.
There are so many incredible people who have had ideas and stuck with those ideas, never giving up until their dreams became reality.
The radio, is amazing, light-bulbs are amazing. The list is virtually endless.
Here's to all those brilliant innovative minds, the ones we know about, the ones we don't know about and those who we are yet to learn about!

Sunday 22 November 2015

back to my writing

I have my book launch for '100 Free ways To Happier Days!' on Saturday and I am really looking forward to it.
I am very happy with the positive reviews that I have been receiving and now it is time for me to sit down in earnest and get writing my next piece.
I am currently working on '100 Free ways...for parents' and '100 Free Ways for teens.'
I will be posting them on this blog and it is my aim that they are accessible to as many people as possible so I will not be charging for them.
I will be relying on my family, friends and readers of this blog to let people know of the posts if they feel that they are helpful.
Thanks to everyone for all the support and encouragement that you have given me so far!

Thursday 19 November 2015

Reflecting on the year...

I think when the nights draw in and the weather gets cold and windy my thoughts naturally turn to reflecting on the year that is passing so fast.
This year I have sold my house, sold my holiday caravan and moved into a residential caravan. I have trained as a life coach and had my book '100 Free Ways To Happier Days' published.
This has all been very exciting and has moved my life in the direction I want to go in.
The next steps will be intriguing too.
I have been lucky enough to see a lot of my family and friends this year including my 95 year old Gran who lives in USA.
In this year there have been ups and downs in my own life as well as the lives of others who I know and also the people I don't know.
Life is here to be lived, explored and made the most of.
It is a precious gift to us all.We learn as much or more from the lows as we do from the highs and while we celebrate our successes we truly learn from our mistakes.
I am grateful to be living right here right now knowing all the amazing people that I know now as well as looking forward to meeting the inspiring people I have yet to meet. :)


Tuesday 17 November 2015

Step 10 Difficult people as teachers

Have you noticed that wherever you work there often seems to be at least one or two people who somehow always manage to push your buttons or trying to show you up?
From time to time I have found this and when it happens I ask myself the following question, ' What is this person teaching me?'
When someone criticises me I listen to what they are saying and consider if there may be any truth in what they are saying.
If I think they do have a point I can thank them for their feedback and learn from what they have said.
If there seems to be no truth in what they are saying I can still say,'maybe you are right.'
Challenging people do not expect this sort of reaction and it can be quite disarming.
They will often walk off and leave you alone if they do not get the reaction that they were aiming for.
Sometimes people come across as moody or bossy at first but after getting to know them properly you begin to see their good qualities.
Sometimes we clash with people because they are so different from us and sometimes we find people difficult because they are so similar.
Getting to know people we initially find difficult can be very rewarding.
It can teach us a lot about them and a lot about ourselves.


This is step 10 from my book '100 Free Ways To Happier Days!'

Saturday 14 November 2015

adjusting to sad news

The World is in shock following news of the attacks in Paris yesterday.
At the same time it is heartening that despite this, many people are asking others to show tolerance to others, particularly those who have escaped from war torn countries in search of safety and freedom.
Now it is more important than ever to show tolerance and understanding to other people.
If we can unite we can create a happier, safer world.

Wednesday 11 November 2015

Step 9 Pay It forward: Random Acts of kindness

Have you heard of 'Pay It Forward?'
It is a wonderful way of doing something nice for someone else which in turn makes you feel good too.
A friend posted on Facebook that they were taking part in this and that she was looking for 5 people to send her their address so that at some point in the near future she could send them a gift when they least expected it.
She looked around until she found little gifts that she thought would be appreciated by the 5 people.
The gifts ranged from theatre tickets to a garden centre gift voucher.
In return for these gifts the 5 people did the same for another 5 people and they bought lovely gifts for 5 more.
You can see the 'snowball effect' in operation. One person does something nice for 5 people who do the same for 5 more and  before long you have a lot of happy people.
I also see Pay It Forward working in other ways. If I go out of my way to do something nice for someone expecting nothing in return it makes me feel good.
If we all do kind things for others we will see a better society.
You may have an elderly neighbour who would really appreciate you calling round to see if they need any shopping on a cold winters day or you could cheer up a work colleague who is feeling down with a pretty card, for example.
A few years ago one of my work colleagues picked up on the fact that my vacuum cleaner had packed up and at the time I had very little spare money. Without saying anything to me she had a 'whip round' at work and bought me a lovely new vacuum.
I was incredibly touched by this kind gesture.
This is how the world works best. You do what you can to help other people when you can and when you are in need other people step in to help you.
The Random Acts Of Kindness Foundation also inspires people to be kind to others and is well worth getting involved in.
Visit the sites for yourself. They are well worth a look!

www.randomactsofkindness.org

and
www.payitforwardday.com

Tuesday 10 November 2015

Thankful

I am really enjoying spreading my wings in my coaching business. It is great talking to other coaches and finding out how they approach things.
I have found writing my book to be an exciting and rewarding process and have been really appreciative of all the support and encouragement I have received from friends, family and work colleagues. I have been very happy to hear that the book is being enjoyed and valued by people who read it. My aim was to find an affordable way to encourage other people to live happy lives and whenever I hear that it has helped someone I gain a real sense of satisfaction.
I believe we all owe it to ourselves to live our best lives and follow our dreams.
I believe coaching can help people to identify then focus on their dreams. It helps us to become motivated to take action to achieve our goals.
I am looking forward to my official book launch later this month.
Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me to take this step and create a business that I find so rewarding.

Sunday 8 November 2015

Step 8 The Power of Positive Thinking~ Thoughts are Things.

A lot is written about positive thinking. It works. When you think positively, you are not being asked to deny the things that are happening around you. Instead thinking positively leads you to look for the most positive outcome in any given situation.
If you have a tendency to think negatively the world can appear corrupt, unfair and damaged. If you look carefully amongst all the doom and gloom you will see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.
Walking along the grey concreted streets you can see a beautiful wild flower emerging from the cracks, for example.
Whenever I make the effort to think positively I find that new and exciting opportunities come my way.
I spent years quietly assuming the worst. What if this or that happened?
Expecting the worst leads to anxiety and this can become a habit.
One day I thought, 'What if instead of assuming the worst I start to expect the best?'
I realised that worrying about things that may never happen is a complete waste of time and so now I focus my efforts on consciously expecting the best.
I don't get this right all the time but I am working on it and it is making a real difference to my life.
Why not give it a try?
Start off thinking positively for a day and then build to a week and see how much happier you feel.
Our thoughts help us to create our reality. Thoughts are things.

Every cloud has a silver lining!

Saturday 7 November 2015

Please help animals this Christmas!

I have been thinking a lot about rescue dogs, cats and other animals and would like to make a donation to some animal sanctuaries this Christmas.
I talk about the many things animals do to help us in my book. 

My plan:
I am taking my dog Ollie out for a walk next Saturday ( 14th November )
I will also be sending a donation to two animal sanctuaries.
One is Wanderers Haven (Essex) and the other is Lord Whisky in Kent.
My lovely cat Fisher came from Lord Whiskey and G's dogs Rufus and Burt came from Wanderers Haven.
I am posting this in case any of you would like to do something similar. If you do then follow these four steps:
Step 1:
Spend some time with your pet or any other animal on 14th November. You could walk a neighbours dog or go and say hello to a horse in a nearby field if you don't have an animal yourself.
Step 2:
Make a donation to a local animal sanctuary.
Step 3:
Share the idea with friends.
Step 4:
Comment here to share any photo's or promote your local sanctuary.
They will really appreciate your support!

Friday 6 November 2015

Step 7: Achieving balance

It was only recently that I truly realised the importance of achieving balance in my life.
There are many areas of our lives that we focus on including family, work, health, wealth, spirituality etc.
If things aren't going well in one area of our lives this can have a negative knock-on effect on other areas of our lives
An example of this would be if you were unhappy at work and kept putting in long hours to try and please your boss it wouldn't be long before this had an impact on your family life.
This is why if one area of your life appears out of balance to you it is advisable to take time to look carefully at the challenges in that area of your life to see what small changes you can implement.
Taking a little action on a regular basis will soon add up to you achieving significant positive benefits.
I have found this to really help me to achieve a happier life.

Wednesday 4 November 2015

Making tiny changes...step 6

Small can be very good when it comes to making changes as many of us find change scary and so if we attempt anything too big we can get cold feet and talk ourselves out of it. If we work out that there is something that we would like to achieve in our lives we can split the goal up into small and achievable steps. The first step is often the hardest but once you take it you are that bit closer to achieving your goal.
After taking that first step you feel more inclined to take another and then another until you find that you are bounding towards your goal.
When you have a difficulty or challenge that you would like to resolve it is helpful to identify exactly what the difficulty is. It may be that you are in debt, for example.
See if you can work out the things that contributed to the situation. It may be that you had a one-off problem or a series of tiny setbacks that built up into a bigger problem.
Consider what small actions you can take now to help you to resolve the problem. Taking even just a small amount of action can help you feel less stressed and then you can start to think and act more creatively.
Tiny actions and changes made over a period of time can really help to make a positive difference to your life.
If you do think you have strayed off track in your life then a series of small adjustments made now can soon put you back on course.

Wednesday 21 October 2015

Step 5 Subconscious Mind

Think of your mind as being divided into two parts. There is the conscious and the subconscious mind. You are aware of your conscious mind. You make up your mind that you are going to do something like get fit for example. You plan an exercise programme and get started. You have willpower and are determined to get fit ready for the summer.
Meanwhile, your subconscious mind is lurking below the surface and it runs many aspects of your body on auto-pilot. It also tries to protect you from harm which can be very useful but can also be very limiting.
It remembers everything that happens to you- positive or negative. To safeguard you it works hard to ensure you don't take risks or do anything that may hurt you or put you in danger.
Perhaps you have tried getting fit before but gave up after a few weeks and felt disappointed with yourself. Your subconscious mind will recall all your feelings of failure and disappointment and will work to prevent you risking getting hurt in that way again. It gathers evidence to remind you of how hard it is to get fit and steadily erodes your willpower so that you are likely to quite your exercise regime almost as soon as you have started.
Your subconscious mind stores everything that is said about you by yourself or others. It stores all your negative self-talk and limiting self-beliefs so you may find you soon give up trying anything that risks failure.
You can re-programme your subconscious mind using positive affirmations.
A helpful affirmation would be: 'I am getting fitter and more healthy every day.'
Set yourself small and achievable goals and ask your friends to support you.
Tell your subconscious mind calmly but firmly that you are going to get fit.
Once your subconscious mind absorbs this clear message it will start looking for evidence to support your statement. The positive affirmations will really start to take effect and you are much more likely to reach your desired goal.

Tuesday 20 October 2015

Step 4 The Power Of Now.

It is very easy to spend time fretting about the past or worrying about something in the past that may never actually happen. Lots of us do this but is it helping us?
If something has happened in the past we can learn from it and move on. If something might happen in the future is there any action that you can take now to improve the situation? If so take action but if not there is no point in worrying. All this does is shut down your natural abilities to create and act when needed.
Focusing on Now is very valuable. Spend time looking around you now. What can you see, hear, touch, taste and smell. Fully use your senses and spend as long as you can in the present moment.
If you do this regularly you will find yourself appreciating what you have more.
The past is finished, the future is uncertain so Now is a gift, the only time that truly counts.
Spend as much time as possible focusing on Now and see how much happier you feel!

Animals are great at living in the present moment. We can learn a lot from them.

Sunday 18 October 2015

Step 3: Meditation

Today I am exploring meditation. I talk about this on P6. of my book '100 Free Ways To Happier Days!'
If you have never meditated before it is definitely worth giving it a try.

Deepak Chopra offers free 21 day meditation sessions along with Oprah Winfrey on a regular basis.

Visit their website to find out more:
https://chopracentermeditation.com/about-us

I started to look into meditation to help to calm the ceaseless chatter in my mind.
Listening to calming music while sitting somewhere comfortable and quiet can really help us to focus on the present moment.
This is a very relaxing and grounding experience and it needn't take hours. A few minutes a day can really hep you to feel happier.
Give meditation a try and see how it can help you.

Saturday 17 October 2015

Step 2: Affirmations

Positive affirmations are stated in the present tense. My favourite is, 'Everything is happening exactly as it should.'
This serves to remind me that everything we experience, we can learn from.
Challenges help us to become resourceful and strong and can be just as helpful to our development as the things that we perceive to be our successes.
You can write positive affirmations onto post-it notes and leave them all around your house. They will help you to remain positive.
You can add them to any vision boards that you create in order to reinforce your desires.
It is very helpful to sit back and listen to your self-talk. We say things to ourselves in our heads all the time. Some of the things we say can be helpful but much of this 'chatter' can be negative. This self-talk can be negative about ourselves or others.
Negative self-talk is not helpful and positive affirmations help to even up the score somewhat.
Try saying your positive affirmations out loud. Make sure they feel right and believable to you.
If you are trying to lose weight saying 'I have a lovely slim body' may not feel believable to you could say, 'My body gets healthier each day.'
This statement can motivate you to take exercise  and eat healthily so can become a self-fulfilling prophecy
Putting yourself or others down in public can be damaging. Listen to what others say about themselves and others. It is surprising how negative people can be, it has become a difficult habit to shake off for many people.
Say your positive affirmations out loud. This can feel awkward at first but do it anyway and you will see how effective they can be.
. From today listen to yourself and others and note how often people are negative towards themselves or others. There is no point in feeling angry with yourself or anyone else when you notice this but now you are aware of this tendency you can even things up by making positive statements about yourself and others. This gets easier the more you do it.
Focus on positive affirmations for a week and see how much happier you feel.
I would be very interested to hear how you get on!

Thursday 15 October 2015

100 Free Ways....The First step

I am writing a post for each of the 100 free ways to happier days. It will be most useful if you have a copy of the book close by when you read these posts as I will be referring to page numbers. 
I hope you find it useful!
Vision boards: p.3
It is so important that you spend time thinking about what you truly want. What are your goals and dreams?
When we were little it seemed quite easy to say what we wanted to happen in our lives and yet somehow as we get older it seems harder to allow ourselves to dream.
Having dreams and goals are vital. If you cannot imagine what you desire in life then how can you achieve it?

Once you allow yourself to dream then take time to write down all your goals and dreams.
To really help you to be clear on your goals it is very helpful to create your own vision board.

Vision boards are a powerful way of helping you to focus on what you truly desire. 
Picture your goals clearly in your mind. If you enjoy drawing and painting you can draw or paint your goals. If you enjoy taking photo's then take photo's to inspire you. Look for pictures in magazines that represent your dreams or find and print pictures on The Internet.

Find a large piece of card, cut out your pictures and arrange them onto the card. Glue the pictures into place and you have your vision board. 
Put the board somewhere where you can see it regularly. It will really help you to picture your desires and focus in on your goals. 
You can write positive statements on your board to help motivate you to act to achieve your dreams. 

My next post will be about affirmations.



My book is available on amazon and from Balboa Press:

Wednesday 14 October 2015

Lots of happy days!

I am delighted that so many people are showing interest in my book! I am in the process of writing an on-line programme to accompany the book for anyone who wants to try some of the suggestions.
Any feedback on the book is very welcome. It would be great to hear what you think.
I am also writing 100 Free ways To Happier Days for parents with teens. I hear a lot of people struggling with this chapter of their lives. The book will appear here on this blog one section at a time.
I am thinking about other projects that will compliment these ideas too.

These are exciting times!

Thursday 13 August 2015

100 Free Ways To Happier Days!

I'm Cathy. I am a teacher and a newly qualified life coach. I have written a book dedicated to helping people find ways to lead happier lives. Those ways are essentially free. I do not want anyone to be excluded by cost as people who are currently struggling financially are often the people that would most value the support.
The book is available via balboa press and amazon:



http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B016AKM0SS/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb


http://bookstore.balboapress.com/Products/SKU-001035753/100-Free-Ways-to-Happier-Days.aspx


 I have started this blog which links with my life coaching blog and website.
(To find out more about Life Coaching please visit my website: www.trustylifecoaching.co.uk)


I really want to help people find ways to help themselves and so I am in the process of writing~
100 Free ways to happier days for:
* parents/carers
*teachers
*teens

I really hope that you will find my blogs helpful and would appreciate any feedback which can be added to the comment section below.
Thanks for reading!