Lovely people

I've just met with a lady who came to find out about my life coaching.

What a lovely lady!

Unassuming, friendly, she was interesting to talk to, warm, open and honest. And yet she lacks confidence and doesn't see her real value as a person.

There are so many wonderful people in our world (and I have the privilege to coach some of them). Yet so often I meet lovely people who just do not recognise their own true worth. They can even see worth in others and be blind to it in themselves.

My job is to help them see that worth in themselves so they can come out of their self-imposed cocoons and be the fabulous person they really are.

What a great job - and what wonderful people!

What a turnaround

I have a client who a few weeks ago was depressed. He'd gone through a difficult patch and was finding it difficult to get on with normal life. He felt negative and down with himself and with the world.

His long-term relationship had recently broken up and his world was falling apart.

In a desperate bid to get rid of his loneliness, he started internet dating. To no avail.

A few weeks on and he feels upbeat, positive and energetic. Having given up on internet dating, he's now started that up again...and, what a difference! He's now attracting more interest than he can handle, meeting women again, and having a great time in the process. In fact, his only problem seems to be finding time for them all!

So what accounts for the turnaround in his fortunes? Well, I'm sure it's to do with the change in how he feels. At the start he was needy, negative and lacking confidence in himself. Not a good place to start a relationship. Anyone picking up the vibes around him could easily be put off.

Now, he's in a much better place. He feels good about himself, ready to listen and hear others, and positive about what he can achieve. How attractive that is. What a great place to start a relationship!

We all have choices. These choices include how to approach life - grudgingly or arms wide open. This man had those choices all along. Yet sometimes, when we're down or depressed it can be hard to see those choices or to know how make the changes needed.

I'm so glad he made the choices he did.

And, wow, what a turnaround!

Autumn colours

Haven't the Autumn colours been fabulous this week?

I wouldn't class myself as an 'Autumn person' - finding it sad that we lose the warmth and light of the summer days. But this week's been too good to miss - the glorious sunshine and blue sky highlighting beautifully the russet, gold and crimson of the leaves.

Sometimes it's good just to stop and appreciate the things around us.

It's too easy to dwell on the negatives. For example, it would be easy for me to say "I don't like Autumn", and become despondent about the drawing in of the days. Yet, there's always more than simply the negative. Had I not shaken off, momentarily, my feelings of sadness, and looked upwards at the trees and sky, I could easily have missed the beauty all around me.

A great tip I once learnt is to find a stone or other natural item that means something to you because, perhaps, of how it looks or feels. Maybe it's perfectly smooth or contains wonderful markings, or whatever. Then pop the stone in your pocket.

Every time you put your hand in your pocket it will remind you of the splendour around you, of the joy that's there for the taking, of the things you can appreciate and enjoy. And just for a moment you can feel the positive wonder of things to brighten up your day.

Give it a go! It really works.