10 Things To Do When You're Snowed In And Bored!!

1. Update your CV

When you have got some extra time on your hands, it is always a good time to update your CV and make it more current. You never know what it may lead to just now or in the future.

2. Read a Great Book

The famous Jim Rohn talks about increasing your value to the market place, one way to do this is to read a book that will help you learn more about a subject you are interested in or enhance your own personal development.

3. Set Yourself Some Goals

Don’t wait until 1 January 2011 to set yourself some life and career goals, while you have some time on your hands, do it just now. What do you want for yourself for the future, what have you always dreamed of doing or achieving? Write it down now.

4. Phone a Friend

Now is the time to take the perfect opportunity to phone a friend and have a good old natter. One of the best ways to spend your free time.

5. Write Your Christmas Cards

This a great time to get organised and write out all your Christmas cards. Then you can gladly tick this one off your ‘things to do’ list.

6. Watch an Old Movie

When it is cold and wintry outside there is nothing more enjoyable that sitting with a mug of hot chocolate watching an old classic black and white film. I would recommend the feel good film “It’s a Wonderful Life”.

7. Christmas Tree

Now is the time to put up your Christmas Tree, chill out and relax to some Christmas music to get you into the festive spirit.

8. Winter Clean

Use your time wisely to do all those odd jobs around the house that you’ve always been meaning to get to. De-clutter your cupboards and have a good winter clean around the house. Put the Christmas sparkle into your home sweet home.

9. Soak in a Bath

Now you have some extra time on your hands you can, light the candles, pour out a glass of some sparkly stuff and relax in a hot bath filled with your favourite soapy bubbles.

10. Write a Letter

Too often we use the convenience of email and social networks to communicate these days and often the good old snail mail is the most effective. Write a letter to a friend, they will be so amazed and delighted to receive it, you won’t regret the extra time that it took.

By Claire Murray

Powerful Co-active Coaching Questions

Assessment


• What do you make of it?

• What do you think is best?

• How do you feel about it?

Clarification

• What is the part that is not yet clear?

• How can you help me to understand more about it?

• What concerns you the most about it?

Elaboration

• What can you tell me about it?

• What other ideas/thoughts/feelings do you have about it?

• What else is happening?

Evaluation

• What is the opportunity here? What is the challenge?

• How does this fit with your plans?

• What is your assessment?

Example

• What is an example?

• How do you demonstrate this?

• What have you done in the past?

Exploration

• What do you want to explore further?

• What part of the situation have you not yet explored?

• What are your other options?

Learning

• What would you do differently in the future?

• What did you learn from this?

• What could you have done to have handled the situation better?

Inquiry

• What caused it?

• What led up to it?

• What have you tried so far?

Implementation

• What is the action plan?

• What will you have to do to get the job done?

• What will you do?

Integration

• What will you take away from this?

• How can you make sure you remember what you have learned?

• How would you pull all this together?

Outcomes

• What is your desired outcome?

• What do you want?

• How will you know you have achieved it?

Planning

• What do you plan to do about it?

• What kind of plan do you need to create?

• What could you do to improve the situation?

Substance

• What seems to be the main obstacle?

• What seems to be the trouble?

• What is stopping you from moving forward?


Extract from Co-active Coaching, 2nd Edition

TALKING Technique for Assertiveness

T A L K I N G

TALKING describes a 7 step process for handling problems in an assertive way. These are:

T – Tell the person what your issue/concern is, from your perception, and what impact it has e.g. on the performance of the individual, team, organisation. Where appropriate, relate to job expectations, duties and
responsibilities OR Policies, Systems and Procedures.

A – Ask the person what their perception of the situation is e.g. what do you think about that? Find out what is the root of the problem, (usually the poor attitude/behaviour is a symptom of the root problem).

L – Listen (actively) to what the person has to say, and reflect on where they are coming from, how they see the situation, what are the specific barriers?

K – Know exactly what the facts of the problem/issues are, from both points of view, before moving forward.

I – Identify the best way forward, exploring options and what positive impact this will have on the situation.

N – Note when you had the meeting, date, informal, formal, what was agreed.

G – Go forward with the best possible solution for the long-term solution and to build effective working relationships.

 
 
By Claire Murray

Purpose of Evaluating Performance

 Monitor progress

 Highlight areas for development

 Address issues/concerns

 Meeting role expectations

 Meeting expected standards

 Achieving goals

 Identify systems/processes for improvement

 Acknowledge good performance

 Sets and reviews targets


By Claire Murray

Purpose of Goal Setting

 To get desired results

 To hold yourself accountable

 Take action

 Monitor & evaluate progress

 Improve performance

 Set standards

 Aim to work towards

 Timescale to do it

 Goals should be SMART

Positives of Working Together

 Joint Problem Solving

 Positive Collaborations

 More and better ideas

 Work towards a common goal

 Builds good working relationships

 Strengthens the team

 Achieve more

 Improved productivity

 Improved efficiencies

Engaging Your Employees

 Listen effectively

 Ask open questions

 Encourage involvement & contribution

 Encourage joint problem solving

 Take their ideas on board

 Invest in their development

 Encourage good team work

 Give constructive feedback

 Encourage shared learning

 
 
By Claire Murray

10 Tips on How to Build Positive Work Relationships

 Get to know your team

 What are their strengths

 Listen and respect

 Be honest/open-builds trust

 Be supportive

 Ask good questions

 Give praise and encouragement

 Problem solve together

 Say thank you

 Lead by example

By Claire Murray

21 Statements on Empowering Your Employees

EMPOWERING EMPLOYEES

How true are these statements in your organisation?

[Where 10 is most true and 0 is least.]

1. The organisation has confidence in my abilities.



2. I am trusted and respected to do the job well.



3. I have autonomy in my job.



4. My ideas are listened to and where relevant, taken on board.



5. I receive positive and constructive feedback regarding my work.



6. I am involved in decision making for the business strategy.



7. My opinion is valued and I feel valued at work.



8. I am kept in the loop of what is happening in the organisation and understand the reasons why.



9. I am given the opportunity to develop my knowledge and skills.



10. I am given challenging work that develops my potential.



11. I am happy at work, have energy and enthusiasm to do a good job.



12. I am given the opportunity to look out as well as look in.



13. I excited about the organisation’s future.



14. I am given the opportunity to contribute to the organisation’s success.



15. I am recognised for doing a good job.



16. I feel appreciated and receive thanks for good work produced.



17. The environment I work in is positive, upbeat and morale is high.



18. I enjoy work; I can be myself and have fun learning, doing and becoming better.



19. I care about my job and I want to make a difference.



20. I feel I am achieving results for the organisation.



21. The company is fair and treats people equally.


By Claire Murray

10 Benefits of Empowering Your Workforce

1. Increases employee morale.

2. People have a more positive attitude.

3. People are energised and want to go that extra mile.

4. People are more engaged in what is happening in the organisation.

5. People will be more creative and innovative – generating ideas.

6. People are more loyal towards the company.

7. People are more motivated at work.

8. People are more efficient and productivity is improved.

9. People want to stay with the organisation – good for employee recruitment and retention.

10. People want to turn up for work, less absences.


By Claire Murray

Get what you want – SIMPLE!

I’ve always been a simple guy, that’s why when I organise and think about life I have to keep it SIMPLE!…………

I’ve been lucky so far and have managed to complete the exercise I’m about to explain in a few situations and by keeping things SIMPLE I’ve managed to pull a couple of aspirations off……….

I intend to continue setting my targets in life using the following method, as I know it works……….and if this helps even just one other person then it will be worth sharing it…….

So the SIMPLE process as promised…………

STEP 1 – Know what you want……

To get what you want out of life you first have to know what you want – that may sound obvious……but ask, do you really know what you want? Get yourself a piece of paper, and at the top write what you want out of life…………

If you did do what I suggest in step 1 you have just took a HUGE movement forward in achieving your aspiration……..

STEP 2 – Where am I now……

So, now you know what you want, the next step is possibly more difficult – at the bottom of the page, identify what your situation/status is at the moment in relation to your ultimate aspiration at the top, this may take more words!

You can now relax that’s all the hard work done, knowing what you want and recognising where you are is the difficult part – the SIMPLE part is now achieving this…….I’ll show you how SIMPLE this is:

STEP 3 - Just bridge the gap….

You now have a blank gap of paper in between 2 statements……that gap is the gap you must bridge to achieve your aspiration.

You must now, one link at a time make a chain between your bottom statement and your top……….

At this stage I think best to use an example; let’s say your aspiration was to be a member of the Scottish Parliament, your piece of paper may look like the following:

This may seem too SIMPLE, however this is how SIMPLE it is!!!! Who says it should be anymore difficult other than your own cynicism and society generated cynicism…………

There is a certain ‘I can do’ attitude required, and not the easier option that seems more intuitive to say I can’t or I’m unable to!

This exercise can be applied no matter what you want to achieve, you may want any of the following:

• To be Captain of golf club

• To be the boss of your department at work

• To have a successful marriage

• To have happy content children

• To be a big movie star!! :-)

• To own your own business

• To be a millionaire

No matter what your aspiration in life is, you can apply this exercise.

STEP 4 – Make it happen….

So that’s all the theory done in your mission, you now move onto the practical and more fulfilling aspect of achieving your aspiration.

You now take a leap from the ‘where you are now’ into the world of the first ‘bubble’ on your particular plan. Whilst making this first link in your chain of activity be a success, always keep in mind what the next link is…………..intuitively you’ll know when the time is right to take the leap to the next bubble, and you start the ‘making it happen’ process again, with the next link now in mind………….

If this sounds all too SIMPLE, then I’d like you to tell me how it’s not………..The only person that can stop this SIMPLE process work for you, is indeed you yourself.

Final Remark

We can all think of 1,200 reasons not to do something or make something happen, what this process requires is a mind set of finding a way of making things happen.

I’d suggest you try this process on a simple model first, lets say clearing a Credit Card balance or getting yourself fit enough to run 3 mile without stopping (if your unable to do so at the moment!).

Trust the methodology – and flow with it……….when you see that it works it just builds momentum!!!!

Positive Attitude

Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone asked him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. 'You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life." I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live.

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man. " I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply..I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

Author Unknown

Love and The Cabbie in New York City




Times Square, NYC

I was in New York the other day and rode with a friend in a taxi. When we got out, my friend said to the driver, "Thank you for the ride. You did a superb job of driving."

The taxi driver was stunned for a second. Then he said, "Are you a wise guy or something?"

"No, my dear man, and I'm not putting you on. I admire the way you keep cool in heavy traffic."

"Yeah," the driver said and drove off.

"What was that all about?" I asked.

I am trying to bring love back to New York," he said. "I believe it's the only thing that can save the city."

"How can one man save New York?"

"It's not one man. I believe I have made that taxi driver's day. Suppose he has 20 fares. He's going to be nice to those 20 fares because someone was nice to him. Those fares in turn will be kinder to their employees or shopkeepers or waiters or even their own families. Eventually the goodwill could spread to at least 1,000 people. Now that isn't bad, is it?"

"But you're depending on that taxi driver to pass your goodwill to others."

"I'm not depending on it," my friend said. "I'm aware that the system isn't foolproof so I might deal with ten different people today. If out of ten I can make three happy, then eventually I can indirectly influence the attitudes of 3,000 more."

"It sounds good on paper," I admitted, "but I'm not sure it works in practice."

"Nothing is lost if it doesn't. It didn't take any of my time to tell that man he was doing a good job. He neither received a larger tip nor a smaller tip. If it fell on deaf ears, so what? Tomorrow there will be another taxi driver I can try to make happy."

"You're some kind of a nut," I said.

"That shows how cynical you have become. I have made a study of this. The thing that seems to be lacking, besides money of course, for our postal employees, is that no one tells people who work for the post office what a good job they're doing."

"But they're not doing a good job."

"They're not doing a good job because they feel no one cares if they do or not. Why shouldn't someone say a kind word to them?"

We were walking past a structure in the process of being built and passed five workmen eating their lunch. My friend stopped. "That's a magnificent job you men have done. It must be difficult and dangerous work."

The workmen eyed my friend suspiciously.

"When will it be finished?"

"June", a man grunted.

"Ah. That really is impressive. You must all be very proud."

We walked away. I said to him, "I haven't seen anyone like you since The Man From LaMancha."

"When those men digest my words, they will feel better for it. Somehow the city will benefit from their happiness."

"But you can't do this all alone!" I protested. "You're just one man."

"The most important thing is not to get discouraged. Making people in the city become kind again is not an easy job, but if I can enlist other people in my campaign. . ."

"You just winked at a very plain-looking woman," I said.

"Yes, I know," he replied. "And if she's a schoolteacher, her class will be in for a fantastic day."

By Art Buchwald from Chicken Soup for the Soul

Using Facebook to Connect and Learn

By James McLuckie

When I say Facebook, what does it mean to you? Catching up with pals? Staying in touch with friends who moved to the other side of the world? Looking up people from school that used to send your heart all aflutter to see how much weight they’ve put on or how much hair they’ve lost?

Yes, Facebook provides the means to do all of that and it’s great entertainment. But did you know that many people use it to learn? To many, “learning” is the same as “education”, and in many people’s minds that means “school”. So why would we use a fun tool like Facebook to do something boring like go back to school?

Well, because Facebook, and other social media tools such as LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter, make it easy to learn. There’s a whole new world of information sharing, relationship building and knowledge building happening online right now, and these applications provide the means to do it.

I will give you an example. When I first dipped my toe into Twitter I was seriously unimpressed. The fact that I had to limit myself to 140 characters was, to my mind, an outrage. How dare this thing suggest that my big, beautiful thoughts could be condensed in such a crude fashion! But then I started to post questions there, ask for advice, seek out subject matter experts. Before long, my questions were being answered, advice was being offered and these experts in their fields started to become friends. People, potential and possibilities had opened up, and I was thrilled because I knew I could learn something new every minute if I wanted to.

All of the best learning happens when we don’t think “I am learning”. It happens when we communicate, explore, and ask questions. You see, learning is not school. Learning is engagement, motivation, excitement, development and, oh yes, it is fun. That’s why social tools are such great mechanisms for learning. They allow people to communicate and connect. Here’s an example:

Pauline updates her profile with “Loving that Ladyhawke single”. Keith replies, “Never heard of her. What’s she like?” Pauline describes her music as 80s pop with a modern twist but, meanwhile, Peter has gone onto YouTube, found the video for the single, and posted that on Pauline’s profile so that Keith (and everyone else) can hear and see Ladyhawke for themselves. Keith comes back and says, “Great track. If you like that, you’ll love this Empire of the Sun number.” And so it goes ...

Now replace “Ladyhawke” in that scenario with something to do with a film, book, sport, car, holiday, washing machine, piece of homework ... anything you are interested in. See how easy it is to share and interact about things that interest and inspire you? And exchanges like the one above happen every second.

That’s why I am so excited about the possibilities of social media tools. They’ve already made a valuable contribution to my life and, the great thing is, they are just getting started. If you need me, you can find me on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Oh, or I’ll be blogging.

(Incidentally, I would do yourselves a favour and actually do check out Ladyhawke on YouTube. “Paris is Burning”, in particuar, is a TUNE!)

Introducing Guest Blogger: Brian Murray

By Brian Murray

I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Brian Murray and I am one of 2 Directors of CarePro Consultancy Ltd. I joined the company, set up by my mother, Bernadette, in June of this year.

Basically, we are both from Care backgrounds, my mother is a Nurse with over 40 years (she won't mind me telling that) experience in nursing, the last 20 years of that being a General Manager of more than 10 Care Homes (all at the same time, she didn't go through one home every 2 years). Myself, well I started working full time as a Carer in 1991, I quickly became a Senior Carer before totting off to work as an Auxillairy Nurse in my local Hospital, during my 5 years in the wards I kept my links with the Care Homes by working part-time in the newly opened Korsakoff unit. After taking a year out to explore other areas (I worked for a year as Digital Satellite Installer) I returned to a newly opened Care Home to take post as a Services Manager. Seven years later and I had worked my way through my Level 4 Management and level 4 Health and Social Care as well as becoming a Moving and Handling Instructor. I applied for a job as Manager in a Residential Home and was delighted to get the post, I worked here for a year until the home was sold and I made my first attempt at working for my mother, circumstances did not dictate in my favour and I found myself unemployed for 2 months before a previous employer made contact and invited me to go and work for them in another Home they owned. I was a little unsure about this but gave it a go anyway and although it was enjoyable (at times) I knew I had reached a stage where I wanted to achieve more so I hooked up again with mum and since June we have been beavering away helping various Care Homes achieve higher grades, improve their paperwork, staffing, training etc.

My current project is 168 miles from home so for the first time in 13 years my wife gets the house to herself for a week at a time.

It's a rewarding feeling, working for yourself but it comes with a great deal of uncertainty, I guess I need to brush up on my marketing skills but hey, it's new, it's exciting and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Photo Above:  Brian Murray

Brian Murray

Can we inspire when feeling uninspired?

By Brian Murray



Working for yourself, or being your own boss, is everyones dream of perfect employment. Like most dreams though, the reality isn't far behind. So why do it if i'm going to moan about it?, well it's human nature to be suspicious of success or satisfaction. I wouldn't be where I am now if I hadn't spent years dragging myself out of bed in the morning and feeling that awful dread and knotted stomach wondering what horrors my daily work was going to bring me and it didnt get any easier when I finally made the transition to Management. "I know what to do. I can change everything, I can make it all better...." the pithy warblings of a wet-behind-the-ears manager until he comes face to face with the one thing that will stop him in his tracks: People. or Staff to be precise. I was always respectful of senior staff when I was a carer/senior carer, I always believed that to stick to your principles in the face of adversity would help you to success and achievement. It was some time before I realised what it really takes to succeed. Courage. Making hard decisons at the right time is where the success comes from, sleepless nights? not so much when you accept you can't be liked by everyone. I was determined, however, to move away from the style of management I had experienced in my life, the look over your shoulder only noticing when you've done something wrong kind. I wanted to illicit respect among the workers by leaving them alone to do their job, to this day I can't work to the best of my ability with someone looking over my shoulder so why expect others to do it? My mantra was 'take the freedom i'm giving you to do your job, but never take advantage.' I have to say most people went for it, if a director appeared and asked why staff were out having a cigarette when it wasn't an 'official' break I could confidently ask them to point something out that was'nt done or required immediate attention.

So why am I on my own now?, well there are still too many 'old school' directors out there who want a simple manager, not a leader. they don't believe in inspiring all of the workforce, just the ones they like. I can't stand favouritism or snobbery. I would see all staff as equals, as a manager if i had a day off sick there would be some extra paperwork when I came back but have a domestic or a carer off sick and you can easily watch the lot hit the fan. I remember my first care job paid £1.65 an hour, the domestic staff were on something like £0.95p, that was 20 years ago and comparitively it hasn't gotten much better. Don't get me wrong, I love the care sector and I am very proud of my career so far but now I've decided that I won't achieve the levels of greatness I expected within one workplace because I couldn't get the support or backing I needed and instead I offer my experience to anyone who cares enough about their business to see that they need to change but don't know where to start.

Next weeks blog - How to remove wings from wasps without being stung.

B Murray.

The Energy of Autumn –by Ayeshah Khan (Akasha School of Yoga)

In the fall, nature conspires to appeal to our senses. The brilliant colours, the rustle and crunch of dried leaves beneath our feet and the smell of autumn harvests. It is a time when the nights are drawing in and nature is slowing down with shorter days and longer nights. In nature, autumn reflects dryness and there is a feeling that the earth’s energy is truly gathering inwards in preparation for “letting go” for the winter. It is hard not to take in every moment.

Some Daily Habits to try for Autumn:

Tune into seasonal energy –Energetic theme of a typical Autumn day is about doing less and focusing inwards, be consciously aware of your thoughts and moods, monitor areas of your life where you might be pushing yourself or others too much, try and be enthusiastic and positive in your actions while holding onto your principles and keeping commitments.

Start the day with 8 FULL breaths –to energise yourself and your brain. Try this now -Close your eyes and observe mindfully as you take slow, deep breaths in and out through the nostrils. When you are done you will feel calmer, more centred and more focused. Your breath is a relaxation tool that never leaves you. You can access it at work, while running errands or whenever you feel stressed.

Mucus control –Avoid getting colds, flu’s and chesty coughs by matching the dryness of autumn within your own body. Avoid mucus forming foods. Start the day with a ginger and lime infusion.

Dry skin brushing/moisturising – work upwards towards the heart and moisturise with a cream with the least amount of chemicals in it.

Start to wear warmer clothes –skimpy clothes in the winter encourage the body to put additional fat onto it to keep it warm.

Eating in Season

Some Ayurvedic physicians warn that consuming genetically engineered foods could cause a "crisis of consciousness"—a stale, numbing effect on our senses. So this autumn try and introduce seasonal produce that match the Season we are in.

Diet:

Enjoy more spices to keep up the internal temperature and stop mucus forming.

Avoid sugar, wheat and above all dairy products and orange juice as they are mucus forming which is not good at this time of year.

A typical Autumn food list:

Apples, apricots, pears, carrots, celery, chestnuts, walnuts, grains, mushrooms, onions, turnips, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, ginseng

The cooking style for Autumn:

Prepare and cook foods for a longer time using methods such as roasting, pressure cooking, steaming or boiling

General fitness:

Lots of wide arm-opening stretches or yoga back bends to increase lung capacity. Work on yoga breathing techniques (pranayama)

Make your autumn exrecise routine a little slower and more refined.

Surrendering to Silence

William Butler Yeats once said, "We can make our minds so still like water that beings gather about us to see their own images and so live for a moment with a clearer, perhaps even a fiercer life because of our silence." Just being in present awareness, at ease in our own quiet hearts, can make us a reflecting pool, and those who gather around will tend to see their own images. There is a presence that transmits itself loud and clear, if we attune to it. Rather than straining to quiet the mind in meditation, simply relax into the quiet that contains the mind.

By Ayeshah Khan, Akasha School of Yoga (http://www.akasha.org.uk/)

Guest Bloggers Wanted

Hi Everyone,

I am looking for guest bloggers to contribute to the Murray People blog.  If you are interested in writing an article on something positively inspiring, or on anything that will empower other people to make positive changes in their life, then please contact me. 

I am also interested in hearing from coaches, learning and development professionals and mentors who make a positive difference in the lives of others.  I would also like to welcome real life inspirational stories from everyday people, or if you are raising funds for charity and want to blog about it that would also be great. 

You can blog about anything that has a positive angle to it and will make a real connection with others.  It might even be about your own life and how you have turned it around for the better. 

I want to create a positive culture and vibe in our community and I think it starts with you and your stories.  Please assist if you can.

I look forward to hearing from you bloggers, e.mail me at claire@murraypeople.com

Claire :-)

School Reunion

We all remember our school days good or bad, love them or loathe them but the memories however fresh or vague are with us in some way or another. Now, I will be truly honest here, I did love my Primary School days but wasn’t that enamoured by my High School years. In High school, for me personally, there was far too much pressure and I didn’t know the answer to that all important life decision question, “What do you want to be when you’re older?” this I really struggled to answer, “I don’t know, I’m only 14, help!!” But no one could help me, because the job that I do now didn’t exist 23 years ago!! That’s me in the photo below, 11 years old, with my friends from Primary School.

Above (L-R):  Donna, Sharon, Claire (me) and Brenda

But let’s face it, life moves on, and we find our own path based on our own choices and decision-making. So as I connected with friends from my younger years on the well loved Facebook, I thought it was really lovely and fascinating to catch up and find out what everyone has been doing for the last 21 years.

So better still I decided, together with some friends of mine, to organise a School Reunion from two of the local high schools in my home town. To my amazement and delight this Reunion has created a fresh buzz and excitement for all, I think just what we’ve all been waiting for. So we are going to have a Reunion Ball, yes, a right proper posh do, with lovely ladies in glamorous dresses, and dashing gentlemen in top hats and bow ties. Woo hoo this will be fun, fun, fun.

If you went to Taylor or Brannock High in North Lanarkshire, please come to the School Reunion. It is being held in the Avonbridge Hotel, Hamilton on Saturday, 5 March 2011. For ticket information send me an e.mail: claire@murraypeople.com

OR if you didn't, why not come along anyway, meet new friends and have a laugh OR better still arrange your own School Reunion and bring people together in a fun way. 

Are you a Drain or a Radiator?

You may remember back in September last year Liggy Webb wrote an article in my Company Magazine the Opportunity News on her book ’How to Work Wonders’. In this book Liggy talks about negative people (drains) and positive people (radiators). I created this fun poem to emphasise the differences. I hope you are a radiator and if not what can you do today that will help you to be more of a positive influence on yourself and other people?

RACHEL THE RADIATOR

Rachel is a radiator she always wears a smile

She radiates a positive attitude and goes that ‘extra mile’

When people around her gossip, she always walks away

She doesn’t let their negativity spoil her wonderful way

Her mindset is pro-active she uses that skill so well

She ‘talks the talk’ and ‘walks the walk’ an easy one to tell

Her circle of influence gets stronger day by day

She focuses on what she can do and her concerns just melt away

So take a tip from Rachel as her energy bursts out

She values herself completely and works from the inside out

DONNY THE DRAIN

Donny is a drain he never wears a smile

He gives of negativity and won’t go that ‘extra mile’

When people are around him he gossips even more

He relishes in the ‘grapevine’ which has no open door

He ‘talks his talk’ then ‘watches the clock’ until he hears the bell

He really can’t be bothered, everyone can tell

His mindset is reactive a bad habit he has formed

He fills his circle of concern so he can underperform

So take no tips from Donny stay away when he’s about

There is no added value when you work from his inside out



(by Claire Murray)

London Marathon

Marathon Training

Well after pounding the streets of Lanarkshire and covering literally hundreds of miles throughout my marathon training.......the Big London Marathon Day is finally here. Yes, on Sunday, 25th April 2010 I run my final 26.2 miles around the City of London. At this moment in time I feel elated with excitement and I am raring to go. I have been tapering off for the last 2 weeks and packing in the carbs at every opportunity.....yummy pasta, pasta and well more pasta!! I can honestly say I am geared up to go and feel positive about completing the tough challenge ahead.


New York

I completed my first marathon in New York City in November 2007 and that wonderful memory will last me a lifetime.......I often draw on this amazing experience when I need to encourage and motivate myself to take inspired action. Quite funnily enough, I did say at the end of the New York Marathon that “I would never run a marathon again”.... and if I ever dared to say that, then that person had the permission to shoot me!! Not literally off course but just so it emphasised the sheer pain I felt on my way to achieving that goal...the last 4 miles are a real killer!!

But off course last year on 26th April 2009 I received a phone call from a friend telling me to watch the London Marathon on TV, I did and well it changed my life again!! I was completely inspired and it brought back all those “champion” feelings of achieving my first marathon. Yes, the road is extremely tough but only when you have felt the pain can you really appreciate the true glory.

So I was hooked again....taking action immediately and committing myself to this challenge. You can watch this in real time video from my video blogs recorded live on 26th and 27th April last year........I first committed then remained disciplined and determined to achieve this goal.

The Challenges

Well they are never far away when you are training for a marathon and putting your body through the extremes of the training. First there is the weather, well in Scotland the phrase “4 seasons in one day” was definitely made for us Scots!!

First there was the torrential rain, then the freezing ice, then the month or so of snow blizzards followed by hail stones but more like falling golf balls, not to mention the hurricane force winds and oh yes topped off with a little sunshine.

Secondly there was the time factor, training 6/7 days for about 6 months really eats into your daily schedule and not to mention my ‘social life’... it just ain’t worth it, running with a hangover!!

Thirdly there were the early mornings, oh how I struggled to get up at 5am to do some early running before the start of a busy day........and off course if I didn’t there was the late nights, running sometimes at 11pm at night!!

The Wins

This is by far the best part. I am well on my way to raising hundreds of pounds for Alzheimer Scotland; I am feeling great, focused, energetic and positive........my whole general wellbeing is excellent. I am working in alignment with my values and loving the journey. I have the most amazing support from my family and friends.........some who I have inspired to take up a similar challenge in the future.

So by someone else taking action and phoning me last year........it snowballed into all of this. You see just one small step like that phone call from my friend, turned into the most amazing of things........go and create the opportunities and make the positivity happen!!

If you wish to support my fundraising for Alzheimer Scotland you can do so by accessing the link below:

http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/ClaireMurray-GinaHagan

Thank you for your valued support.

Claire Murray

Dream Career

I absolutely LOVE my job but it wasn’t an easy job getting here—it took me 36 years of learning, being, doing, hoping, having, not having, feeling and experiencing the highs and lows of real life and work. It is only now that I feel wise enough and knowledgeable enough to share this experiential learning.

When I Grow UP I want to be.

From the age of 5—15 years I went through different phases of wanting to be a Mum, Air Steward, Dancer, Model, Nun, Song Writer (I had a real desire to write the winning Eurovision song), Primary School Teacher, Nursery Nurse and a Secretary. So where did my early career ideas come from, maybe.........

Mum: watching my mum lovingly support and care for our family; wanting to be just like my mum and also being the proud owner of various dolls such as (in its day) the famous ’Tiny Tears’.

Air Steward: wanting a ‘glamorous’ lifestyle and the opportunity to travel all over the world, maybe even marry a pilot!! I also think the popular TV advert for Caledonian Airlines had a big influence....I remember wanting to be a ‘Caledonian Girl’.

Dancer: I was a massive fan of the TV programme ’Fame’ and loved dancing from an early age.

Model: watching Miss World on TV and aspiring to be like one of these beautiful woman. I wanted to wear that crown!!!

Nun: there was a real religious influence here from my childhood days, in particular at Primary School and I went through a really ’holy’ stage—that was until I discovered my like for boys!!

Song Writer: I used to lock myself in my bedroom for hours and make up songs, I would practice and practice them all day long and never got bored of it—this was a perfect escapism for me at such a young age. To this very day I still remember the songs and so do my closet friends. We often burst into these songs after a few wines!!

Primary School Teacher: I used to babysit for my next door neighbour when I was in my early teens—I loved watching their 3 kids, probably because I could be a ‘big kid’ myself. This inspired me to want to teach young children to learn and develop—I then found out that I would need to study for a further 5 years after Secondary School and this sadly (at the time) put me off.

Nursery Nurse: again my love for children and helping them to learn and have fun. My Guidance Teacher at Secondary School totally put me off the idea “that’s not the career for you he said, that’s not a good job”. How easily influenced I was as a teenager.

Secretary: well I figured I would go with the safe bet and be a secretary, after all I was good at typing, passed all my Secretarial Studies exams with flying colours and oh yes my mum did that when she left school and she told me fabulous stories about her career in this field. That was it at the age of 15 I aspired to be a secretary. Well there was nothing else, was there......???

My Career Path

So I finally had come to the idea that I would be a Secretary. So I went to typing College to learn how to touch type—this proved to be a very worthwhile skill to have during all my future jobs. What where they? Well, my career experience consists of:

Shop assistant, sales representative, hotel waitress, 20 years of various office type jobs from receptionist through to human resource management. A couple of these jobs which I liked and some others I have quite closely hated.

An Independent Decision

Then at the age of 34 I decided to think very carefully about my future career and where it was heading. Why then? Well lots of reasons I believe, but I think coming out of some personal turmoil combined with some major achievements made me a much stronger person with a ‘can do’ attitude.

This included personal triumphs and goals such as Graduating from University in 2005, running the New York marathon in 2007 and Graduating again from University in 2008. It was in 2006/7 when I seriously reflected on my future and felt much more equipped to correctly answer the question

So what do I really want to do when I grow up?

To answer this I thought about my core values, what job activities I particularly enjoyed doing, what are my strengths, what was I truly passionate about doing, what excites me, where did I want to see myself 5-20 years from now, how was I going to get there?

I had a real belief and confidence in myself and I knew I wanted to have the freedom to explore new territories, learn new things and meet new people. I knew that I wanted to help other people achieve their dreams, goals and aspirations in life, I wanted to coach and mentor people to do just that, I got excited about the thought of it and felt strongly passionate about it. I was truly ready for this and felt fully motivated and inspired to do so.

What did I do?

I researched into Coaching, went to New York and met other coaches, left my full-time job, studied for a further year and achieved a Diploma in Coaching, started up my own business at the end of 2008 and that’s where I am at the moment. I have BIG plans for the business and I know that I will only achieve this through hard work and commitment. To be honest, at times it feels like starting all over again—to what it was like over 20 years ago.

What have been the best parts of my job so far?

Most definitely supporting and empowering other people to achieve their dreams, goals and aspirations in life. Almost 90% of my work to date has been career/organisational goals related and with my Human Resource background and coaching and mentoring experience—it works very well and benefits my clients greatly.

Also being my own boss and having the freedom to use my creativity and innovation to lead the business into great things that will inspire others to achieve great things for themselves.

Personal Learning

I have learned so much over the last 17 months of my business and I feel very proud to say that I have video blogged my real time journey all along the way. My vision is that one day it will be professionally edited and shared with you at home in the format of a short film/documentary.

But.........what about being a Songwriter?

Hey, I can still do that, my career ain’t over yet, it is just at the beginning—the true beginning.

Succeed as a Manager in your Organisation

Succeed as a Manager in your Organisation

Positive Future

I was looking after my 3 year old niece the other week whilst her parents went off to pick up their new puppy dog.

I love watching my little niece she is such a funny, cheery little girl full of character and excitement. She was happily looking out of the window into my back garden when she shouted “look Auntie Claire, they’re dancing”, I asked her what was dancing and she said “the trees are dancing” and she began to copy the swaying movements of the trees blowing in the wind outside. It was so cute to watch, I smiled and I thought to myself what a truly wonderful positive perception she has on Mother Nature.

Later on that day I kept thinking about my niece’s words and how she could have said something completely different using a more negative connotation, but she didn’t. I then thought about my younger sister, who is such an amazing “Mummy” and how positive and happy she is. I just know that my sister’s love for nature and optimistic outlook on life has made such a positive influence on my little niece’s young life.

It made me think about how important it is for us all to choose to have a positive mindset and positive take on the world. Like in those famous lyrics sung by Whitney Houston “I believe the children are our future” - I do hope the trees stay dancing.

Baby Step Seconds

There are lots of successful entrepreneurs, personal development coaches and business owners who know and will tell you that to move forward in life you need to take ACTION!! But what does that really mean??...well, let me tell you:

As a Life Coach I have many clients who come to me with big dreams, goals and life aspirations – they have no problem determining what they want for themselves in life. Their biggest issue is that they have had these ‘dreams’ for years and have never actually done anything about it. They chose to stay in Dreamland, waiting…..and waiting…..and waiting. If this is you, I would ask the question, what are you waiting for? No one and I really mean this when I say it; no one is going to turn up at your door with that new slim body or that great new career you’ve always wanted. If you do believe that, then I am sorry to say, you will remain forever in Dreamland. Now I’m not knocking Dreamland, don’t get me wrong here because I am the first person to encourage people to dream of everything that they want in life and then to take that first baby step to getting there. Let me give you a few examples of mine:

In 2007 I had a real desire and dream to become a Life Coach and start up my own business. By the end of 2008 this dream of mine became a reality and all because I took action. Yes, there were barriers, yes, there were challenges, but I always believed in myself and I got there. I got there not in the end, but I got there in the beginning – a new beginning for me with a whole new set of dreams and new goals to go for.

In 2008 I wanted to make a ‘fly on the wall’ documentary of what it is like starting up your own business (particularly in the middle of a recession) and I wanted to share that learning with others in the hope that it would inspire them to go for their own dreams, goals and aspirations in life. I am over one year into making this happen and have completed over 400 daily video diaries – you can watch them here on RCRN. I continue to face barriers with this dream everyday but I will never give up, I love the journey too much!!

In April 2009 I watched the London Marathon on TV, I said to myself “I am going to do that next year” – I am now 11 weeks into my marathon training for the April 2010 London Marathon. Since my training started I have run 160 miles and walked 27 miles – in time this equates to approximately 112,200 seconds but it all started with ‘Baby Step Seconds’. The famous Chris Gardner, whose true story was told in the film, ‘In the Pursuit of Happiness’ played by the amazing Will Smith –frequently talks about taking ‘baby steps’ in many of his live interviews.
It really is quite simple when you think about it, living your dream starts now with taking baby steps a.k.a ACTION!!

Don’t live your life thinking “what if” or “if only” and “if” you do, well you have a nice time in Dreamland whilst I and many others take action to live our dreams!!

In those famous words by Ruth Casey, “It only takes one person to change your life – YOU”!!