Making a Difference....together

Process ain’t sexy, but your business is in big trouble without it:

2011-11-29T01:00:00.001-08:00

I like to share with you this article from Donald Cooper's Newsletter. Donald speaks internationally on management, marketing and innovations and is the champion of straight talking. Here is his take on the importance of process. If you want to know more about how Donald works you may like to visit www.donaldcooper.com

"Creativity and innovation are ‘hot topics’ right now.They’re all the rage, and

I applaud that. But, in the end, it’s boring, unsexy‘process’ that actually gets

things done. Even ‘creativity’ is most often aprocess. Sometimes it’s just

dumb luck…but mostly not.

In fact, most successful companies have developed adisciplined ‘creative

process’ that delivers innovative products, moreefficient operations,

consistent quality, employee safety and an amazing,perhaps even tailored,

customer experience.

'Process' is what keeps airplanes from falling out ofthe sky. It’s what makes

a Big Mac exactly the same in Montreal as it is inMoscow. Process is what

gets cars designed and made and gets a spacecraftlaunched and safely back

home. Process is what allows a hotel chain to knowthat you want a nonsmoking

room on a low floor, near the elevator, with a kingsize bed, foam

pillows and a USA Today at the door. Process is whatgets priority luggage

onto the airport baggage carousel before all the otherluggage. Okay, so

clearly that’s not the best example.

In fact, everything that happens between ‘intent’ and’delivery’ is process. As

a business, you can have the greatest intentions inthe world for your

customers and staff, for the environment and for yourbottom line. But

without clear, effective and well-communicatedprocesses, these wonderful

intentions will be just that…’intentions’.

To quote the late W. E. Deming, the internationallyrenowned authority on

quality and efficiency, "If you can't describewhat you’re doing as a process,

you don't know what you’re doing."

So, exactly what is a process, anyway? Simply put, aprocess is…

1. An effectively communicated sequence of activities,

2. Supported by the necessary resources,

3. Designed to deliver a consistent, efficient andeffective result,

4. To a specific standard.

OK, so it's not so simple. But that's what a processis...and there are no

shortcuts. Re-read the definition above and, whileyou're at it, rate your

business’ performance, on a scale of 1 to 10, on eachof the four elements.

Then, using that info, determine what needs to be doneto improve your

processes.

Emmanuel Kelly The X Factor 2011 Auditions Emmanuel Kelly FULL

2011-09-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

Leading Without A Title - Robin Sharma

2011-09-02T01:21:00.000-07:00

Inmany ways, the whole idea behind Leading Without a Title isthe democratization of leadership. Yes, positions are important to the smoothrunning of any organization (whether that organization is a business or acommunity or a family). Having said that, the new model of leadership(leadership 2.0) is all about every single stakeholder showing leadership inthe work they do. This is really all about distributed leadership. Every singleperson who works within a business, for example, owns the responsibility ofshowing leadership at their craft. Every single teammate is the CEO of theirown small business unit called their job.

Tactic #1: If you can’tlead yourself, you can’t lead others. We have no business leading others intogreatness if our own personal lives are a train-wreck. Being successful in thegame of life precedes great leadership. Face whatever personal issues you’vebeen avoiding head on and clean up on all fronts.

Tactic #2: Never make anyonefeel as if there isn’t room in the life boat. No matter the mistake, no matterwhat mile a person is at on their road to mastery, always be ready and willingto throw a life line – lend a hand, offer insight, donate your time, run outfor coffee. The winners understand that strengthening capacity at every level,in every person, is the way to win.

Tactic #3: WatchInvictus. Clint Eastwood’s excellent and entertaining reminder of greatleadership. Morgan Freeman performs as Nelson Mandela. The film, teaches us howto eloquently execute astonishing acts of forgiveness, compassion and movingupward when circumstances and people hold the potential to yank you intovictimhood.

Tactic #4: Stay Strong“secure your oxygen mask first before assisting others.” Do you know where youroxygen comes from? Routine challenging exercise, healthy eating habits,sleeping deeply, and doing what makes me feel alive and excited is my oxygen.It’s what keeps me strong.

Refuse thelifestyle, the habits and the circumstances that weaken you. Great leadersdon’t just own their full potential on the floor or in the field; they claimtheir potential in all domains of their life. You can’t be great in one arenaand mediocre in another. Mistrust will sniff you out and turn you in. Make itan immediate goal to get connected with your oxygen supply.

Keep Leading WithoutA Title.

Do you want Peace or Drama?

2011-08-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

I am just re-reading Eckhart Tolle's book "A new Earth" and each time I read it I am in awe of his clarity and profound wisdom. If you have read the book then you will know what I am talking about. If you have not read it yet then I encourage you to do so. Here is a small excerpt from "A new Earth", something that I am sure most of you can relate to.

Do you want Peace or Drama?

You want Peace. There is no one who does not want peace. Yet there is something else in you that wants the drama, wants conflict. You may not be able to feel it at this moment. You may have to wait for a situation or even just a thought that triggers a reaction in you: someone accusing you of this or that, not acknowledging you, encroaching on your territory, questioning the way you do things, an argument about money....Can you then feel the enormous surge of force moving through you, the fear, perhaps being masked by anger or hostility? Can you hear your own voice becoming harsh or shrill, or louder and a few octaves lower?

Can you be aware of your mind racing to defend it's position, justify, attack, blame? In other words, can you awaken in that moment of unconsciousness? Can you feel that there is something in you that is at war, something that feels threatened and wants to survive at all cost, that needs the DRAMA in order to assert its identity as the victorious character within the theatrical production?
Can you feel there is something in you that would rather be RIGHT than at PEACE?

When the EGO is at war, know that it is no more than an illusion that is fighting to survive. That illusion thinks it is you. It is not easy at first to be there as the witnessing Presence, especially when the ego is in survival mode or some emotional pattern from the past has become activated, but once you have had a taste of it, you will grow in Presence power, and the ego will lose its grip on you.

And so a power comes into life that is far greater than the ego, greater than the mind.
All that is required to become free of the ego is to be aware of it, as awareness and ego are incompatible.

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability | Video on TED.com

2011-05-19T03:43:00.000-07:00

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability | Video on TED.com

Matt Ridley: When ideas have sex | Video on TED.com

2011-05-09T05:05:00.000-07:00

Matt Ridley: When ideas have sex | Video on TED.com

Peace Education - the way forward

2011-04-14T00:55:00.000-07:00

On July 2nd and 3rd the Art of Living Foundation is hosting an Unforgettable Peace Festival in Berlin, bringing together 70.000 people from a 150 countries to take part in a historical event with musical and cultural contributions and a youth conference.

Why am I sharing this with you? Because I love the idea and I am an Art of Living teacher. I have found their programs and work among the best I have seen.
Their vision of a violent free and stress free society is my vision too and I like to share just some of the events taking place in Berlin with you.

The Art of Living is one of the largest volunteer based NGOs engaged in world-wide peace education and humanitarian projects and they are celebrating their 30 year anniversary this year - www.worldculturefestival.org

Peace education involves the use of teaching tools designed to bring about a more peaceful society and achieve common goals. At its core, peace education emphasizes empowerment and nonviolence and involves building a democratic community, teaching cooperation, developing moral sensitivity, promoting self-esteem, and stimulating critical thinking.

Everyone is invited to participate and support the vision for a more peaceful tomorrow. Young and old will share their ideas of what could be done better. And there will also be a lot of fun and colourful entertainment. Greece will contribute by bringing an Olive branch, an ancient symbol for Peace, from Delphi to the Berlin Olympic Stadium.

Come along on May the 21st and 22nd for a week-end in Delphi and enjoy this beautiful site and a special ceremony with Greek dancers cutting the Olive tree branch. For more details s click this link.

Beat to the rhythm of a world at peace:

Let the ancient sounds and spirit of Africa pulse through you as you join the rhythmic beat of hundreds of people drumming together for Human Values. Come together and drum to the beat of peace. No experience or musical talent necessary, just a passion for bringing an end to the violence.

The drumming will be led by professionals from South Africa who will lead you through your drumming journey, so no previous drumming or musical experience necessary. The drumming session will last for 10 minutes.

Youth FESTIVAL - Change Through Peace

The World Culture Festival aims to promote inter-cultural dialogue through the exchange of ideas, music, culture and fun. It is a platform for young people from around the world (from age 18-28) to express and showcase social entrepreneurship, innovative ideas and leadership on the issue of peace, intercultural harmony in diversity and peaceful change for the people and the planet.

www.worldculturefestival.org/en/YouthFestival.wzi

The Power of 2

2011-02-15T00:41:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you a little bit about my family. I come from a line of strong women with high expectations and powerful opinions. The thing growing up was that as the only girl surrounded by a grandmother, 2 aunts and my mom I received plenty of nagging but and more importantly I also received plenty of support – when it came to important things and decisions in my life I could do no wrong as far as they were concerned – and even if deep down they had their doubts – they always were supportive.

And so it seemed like a natural path that their ways rubbed off on me. But I did not realize how much until I had grown much older.

Many years ago a friend of mine invited me to join her on a trip for the week end. In fact we were 4 – 2 guys and 2 girls. The second day of our trip to Wales we decided to go for a long hike across beautiful fields and suddenly the guys saw a mountain peak and decided to climb it – it wasn’t that high, but still from the down where we were it looked a daunting task. The guys went off shouting "see you on top"….my girl friend looked at me shocked ‘I am sorry there is no way that I can hike up that hill” no way ….she felt alone, she felt the power of ONE…..

Some years later, when I was already in Greece I decided to change my life and study shiatsu – sounded easy, but it turned out to be quite a daunting task – 3 years of anatomy, psychology, physiology, energy points and so forth ….and all in Greek and all new, we had to give long exams and one day one of the other girls came to me and she said "I think I will pack it in ….there is no way that I can learn this" – and she felt alone, she felt the power of one

And then there was the little boy from next door – 4 years old and riding his little bike. The day came when the parents decided to take of the support wheels and wanted him to learn riding the bike without them – but he got scared and he turned to me and said "Christiana I don’t want to go back on"….he felt alone he felt the power of one

However, the powerful women in my life had given me the gift of support and love and I had taken that gift and made it my own. Without realizing it at first supporting people came natural to me.

So when my friend said that she could not climb the mountain I was able to look at her and say, “don’t worry ….ignore the peak, lets take it one step at the time and lets see how far we get. I’ll be with you all the way and any time you want to stop we stop.” And you know what? SHE made it all the way to the top. When she realized that she had succeeded she jumped up and down and the only smile bigger then mine was hers. She could not believe that she had done it. – she no longer felt alone – she had felt the power of 2

And when in the shiatsu school my fellow student felt she was not able to continue I said to her “You are a great practitioner – lets help each other with the theory – lets study together and see each other through the difficult times.” And so we did – for the next 2 years we supported each other and were the first students to pass in the required time – we no longer felt alone – we felt the power of 2

And when the little boy said he did not want to get on the bike again I put my arms around him and hugged him tide. I said – “don’t worry, lets do it together – you sit on the bike and I will hold you – you can do it you will see” – and so he did and in time he started to feel more comfortable and eventually I could let go – he no longer felt alone – he had felt the power of 2

So whenever someone feels alone and needs encouragement or support, I will encourage them – and I have always been grateful for the people who have encouraged me.

You need number 2s – I need numbers 2s – we all do

I need number 2s when it’s time to keep going and finish what I started, I need no 2s when I am fearful to take the next step or when I doubt myself.

It’s good to accept help – and it’s good to give.

So I want to challenge you – Look around you next time you see someone who is struggling with something - maybe you decide to become their No 2.

Event of Athens Wing - Womens International Networking Group

2011-02-01T08:44:00.000-08:00

Next Event February 5^th Interactive marketing & Social Media’ and Cutting of the Vasilopita

Social Networks and social media have grown enormously last years. But till now most companies don’t use the possibilities offered by the new media. In her speech Avra Lyraki will explain how interactive marketing works and how you can benefit from using social media. Her talk will be followed by the cutting of the Vassilopitta.  After the break we will discuss ideas and plans for our 2011 program

Dr. Avra Lyraki holds a PhD in Strategic Corporate Communications and has significant experience in Interactive Marketing and Public relations. She is a well experienced executive seminar instructor at American College of Greece, ALBA, and other associations.

Time: February 5th from 10.30 – 13.00hrs Doors open at 10.00 and close at 10.40! Venue: Πολυχώρος Spring People, Agatharxou 12, 2nd floor – Psirri. (Close to Metro-station Monastiraki) Click here for map

Entrance is free for members. Guest fee is 8 euro. Please confirm your attendance at: info@athenswing.com

Or call: 210 7658303 Celeste / 6937865887 Mikela

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on CNN 's Quest for Spirituality

2011-01-05T00:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas shopping for Compassion

2010-12-22T09:52:00.000-08:00

I am flat broke from overspending at Christmas time. But I need to go shopping again soon because I am completely out of self-respect. I've said things I wish I could take back and I am not feeling too good about myself.

I also want to exchange a carton of self righteousness for an equal amount of humility. I hear that it is less expensive and wears well, and while I'm at it I'm going to check on tolerance and see if there is any available in my size.

I must remember to try to match my patience with the little I have left. My neighbor is loaded with it and it looks awfully good on her. I was told the same department has a repair shop for mending integrity. Mine has become frayed around the edges from too much compromising. If I don't get it refurbished soon, there won't be any left.

I almost forgot the most important thing of all -- compassion. If I see some-no matter what the color, size or shape -- I'm going to stock up heavily regardless of the price. I have run out of it so many times and I always feel ashamed when it happens.

I don't know why it has taken me so long to get around to shopping for these items. They don't cost nearly as much as some of the frivolous things I bought at Christmas time. And I'll get a lot more satisfaction from them.

Yes, I'm going shopping today and I can leave my checkbook and credit cards at home! The things I'm looking for have no price-tags. What a joy!

Doing work that Matters - Key Rules

2010-12-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

Show up every day!

It's easy to get sidetracked, especially if you are self-employed, self-motivated and can take a break whenever you feel like it. I joined the 'small business, working too my own rules Club 10 years ago and the first rule I implemented was to show up every day. I decided on the time I would start and finish and the amount of hours I would put in.
Showing up without fail I found to be Key Rule Number 1 for succeeding in any work that you undertake.

Key Rules number 2 and 3 for me are to develop a clear idea of what it is you want to achieve and to think big while taking one step at the time. Many people I observe act for the sake of acting. They seem to feel that as long as they are busy doing that their doing is meaningful. I have found that this attitude usually leads to investing a lot of energy for generating little results.

And key rule number 4 is to be persistent - meaning 'Don't Give UP!'. Whatever happens learn, improve, adjust, re-invent yourself and keep on going. Yes, reflecting is a must. But if you feel that what you are passionate about, what you are doing is IMPORTANT then keep on going.

The Psychology of Stress a la Time Therapy

2010-10-18T01:15:00.000-07:00

On the surface there are so many different reasons for stress:

Lack of structure, taking too much on board, conflict, confusion, lack of confidence, problems in communication, relationships, self criticism, feeling lack of control, grief, lack of money, lack of work....All these external factors however essentially trigger the same feeling in us and that feeling is - FEAR! .(False-Evidence-Appearing-Real).

In Essence we stress out for these reasons:

We perceive that we cannot handle something = Fear
We perceive something as painful, difficult or dangerous = Fear

Stress in it's nature is the response to concepts of our mind. It is based on our Perception. This is why people's stress responds to the same event can vary greatly from person to person.

How can we become more Stress Free? The key to becoming more STRESS FREE is to find the true source.

And at a first glance we see that the source is FEAR.

And our reaction to fear for thousands of years has been: to Fight or to flight (Aggression or Withdraw). If you look even further then you will see that the root of Psychological fear is always related to a feeling of disconnect, of not being able to relate to what is happening.

Look at the process of when you are stressed.

Lets say you are at work and you are stressed because you do not agree with the way your boss is handling a certain issue. You disagree.

How do you feel towards your boss at that moment?

You cannot relate to what he is doing, how he is behaving.

You are against him, you feel separate from him. If you can look beyond the anger then you will see that, deep down, you are simply sad that you cannot relate to him and his actions, that you are unable to connect.

You will see the same pattern when you look at issues in other relationships, including the relationship you have to yourself or life.

Suppose things don’t work the way you want in life. You do not have enough work. You do not have a loving relationship. How do you feel?

You may feel angry or afraid, but deep down you feel SAD.

You feel sad that life is treating you this way. You feel sad that things are not working out.

Now if this turns into self -pity then you have Depression.

Remember Stress is based on your Perception of something to be dangerous, painful or difficult. This Perception generates Fear. Reacting to the Fear leads to Aggression or the urge to Withdraw. On the other hand STAYING with the Fear by observing it without reacting to it will help you to become aware of the underlying Sadness. The Sadness of not being able to relate/connect. And this is the first step to Compassion.

Aggression – Fear – Sadness - Compassion (=Love)
In Time Therapy we call it the ‘Feeling Chain’

Once you understand the process of the Feeling Chain and that this process is the same in every person regardless of background, education, or culture, then you are able to address the issue of stress with a new mindset.

Understanding the process of the Feeling Chain can set you FREE!

It’s like learning a new language. You need to learn about the structure, the grammar to truly understand and use it effectively. Just learning the words won’t do it – you need both. The same with Stress; You need to understand the structure, the root. Aggression –Fear – Sadness - Love.

Sounds strange? Just observe it in yourself and you will see the Chain at work.

Deepak Chopra: The Mystery of Consciousness

2010-10-17T00:58:00.000-07:00

7 Movies and what they taught me about life and leadership

2010-10-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

Movies can be an amazing source of insight and inspiration. They fill our hearts and heads with heroes, stories, songs, and scenes we can draw from. What stories, scenes or heroes have inspired you? Whatever traits you recognize in others also live in You.

Here are 7 movies and what they have taught Me about life and leadership.

1. Star Wars – Keep your ego in check (and carry a big light saber!) Your intuition can serve you well if you master it.

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark – Make every project an adventure.

3. The Lord of the Rings – The best heroes can come from the strangest places (who would have thought to check the Shire?)

4. Rear Window – Use your emotions and intuition as input, then check your facts.

5. The Wizard of Oz – You had it in you all along. You just needed somebody else to bring it out.

6. Slumdog Millionaire – Being Smart, Passionate and Persistant brings results and can change your lot in life.

7. It’s a Wonderful Life – Know your value and what you bring to the table.

Which movies have inspired YOU?

All Talk and No Action? – Turning decisions into commitments

2010-10-15T00:56:00.000-07:00

All talk, no action? Good ideas, but no results? Not the results that you are wishing for? A common problem is a lack of clarity and action commitments.

I see a lot of decisions that never turn into results. I know people mean well, but making things happen takes more than just desire. It takes action. The challenge with turning decisions into action, is understanding the work required. If you don’t break your decisions down into effective actions don’t expect results.

How to best tackle these issues? Over the years I have identified a series of steps that have helped many of my coaching clients make the shift.

'Remember, a real decision is measured by the fact that you’ve taken new action. If there’s no action, you haven’t truly decided.' — Tony Robbins

Turning decisions into effective actions requires thoughtful work assignments and action commitments. Whatever you want to change, influence or achieve you will need to clearly identify:

a. The choices available to you
b. Recognize what can be done and what cannot
c. And most importantly commit to Action!

Whatever the issue, the key process is the same. To create a constructive environment for successful decision making make sure you start with the following:

1. Starting the Process:

• Establish the objective - Define what you want to achieve.
• Agree on the process - Know how the final decision will be made, including whether it will be an individual or a team-based decision.
• Make sure you're asking the right question – Spend time asking yourself what is the true issue

2. Generating Good Alternatives = Choices

This step is critical to making an effective decision. The more good options you consider, the more comprehensive your final decision will be.

• When you generate alternatives, you force yourself to dig deeper, and look at the problem from different angles.
• If you use the mindset ‘there must be other solutions out there,' you're more likely to make the best decision possible.
• If you don't have reasonable alternatives, then there's really not much of a decision to make!

3. Generating Ideas = What can be done and what cannot

Brainstorming is probably the most popular method of generating ideas. Ask colleagues, friends or partners to participate and provide input. Keep an open mind and explore all the possible choices and consequences. It helps to write everything down and then take a break if you can to reflect.

4. Choosing the Best Alternative

After you have evaluated the alternatives, the next step is to choose between them. The choice may be obvious. However, if it isn't, then identifying the root of the problem will help you. This strategy involves looking at any problem and asking: 'What is the cause of this problem?' and 'Am I part of the cause or the solution?'

5. Turn decisions into action commitments.

Actions speak louder than words. Knowing what to do is not the same as doing what you know.

• What action has to be taken and who has to take it?
• What does the action have to be so that the people who have to do it can do it? That also includes YOU.
• Get the right people for the actions required. The key is to have the right people doing the right things to get the right results.
• Support the action people. Know what actions need to be taken to be successful and support them.

Keep in mind that Decisions will Not be Effective Without Action Commitments. What looks good on paper or sounds good, may not work when you actually test it. If you see that it doesn’t work then look again.

Those are some of the key steps. And if you feel that a few coaching sessions would be helpful to master the process then send me an email at christiane@christianepohl.com. I would be happy to support and guide you.

With my best wishes for your success!

Buy a Tree, Clean a Beach....get involved

2010-10-07T04:46:00.000-07:00

I am very passionate about bringing people together on initiatives to increase awareness for environmental issues and to act. Small acts, big acts, whatever each person can do to contribute.

Here are some of the initiatives I am promoting in case that you are interested to share the ideas in your company or your friends. I talk to companies and bug my friends about what can be done. One of my favorite initiative is the idea to:

Buy a tree!

With the purchase of a small tree, you automatically become a member of Plant-a-Tree. We will plant the tree on your behalf and once this has taken place you will receive an e-mail with the details of the planting (this includes details of action, geographic coordinates, photographs, etc).

Small tree €20

For reasons of economy and efficiency, our members' trees will be planted in groups, in accordance with the design of Plant-a-Tree.

To buy a tree, you can choose one of the payment methods that they advertise on their website http://www.plant-a-tree.gr...and while you are there you may get inspired by some of their other ideas.

I am also a member of Clean Up Greece www.cleanupgreece.org.gr. They are a branch of Clean up the World and are always interested on new sponsors and volunteers.

For 2011 they have produced a beautiful desk top calender. For euro 1000 your company can become a sponsor and received a few hundred calenders to give to clients with the company logo inside.

If you are interested in contributing and would like to know more contact me on christiane@christianepohl.com or if you live outside of Greece then check what your local environmental organizations are doing.

with my best wishes,

Christiane

Thinking outside the Booth

2010-09-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

With the growing use of cell phones, pay phone booths are practically
obsolete. So Telekom Austria is converting many of theirs into battery recharging stations for electric cars,scooters and motorbikes. This is brilliant thinking. How might you use your resources to serve the community? How might you turn idle assets into new opportunities?

I loved this one from Donald Copper's research. Donald is the CEO and of Human Marketing and speaks internationally on management, marketing and business innovations. He is an inspiring speaker and I just love the way he thinks. If you are ever looking for a top speaker for your busness or conference then he is the man. For more details www.donaldcooper.com.

Top 9 Traits of Successful People

2010-09-21T04:48:00.000-07:00

Why do people succeed? Is it because they're smart? Or are they just lucky? Actually Neither. It is because they have developed certain traits. Traits that seems that have been proven again and again to lead to success.

The people who coach with me are usually looking to succeed in aspects of their life or work. Often they want to have more impact at work or change their career path, but don't know how.

That prompted me one day ago to closely look at What are the traits of Successful People. I decided to take an eclectic approach in my research and combine the findings of 4 experts in the field, well 3 and a half: Richard St John, Sri Sri Ravishankar, Stepehn Covey and myself.

Richard St John is the founder of the St John Marketing group and he spend a whole decade researching the question of success by interviewing 500 successful and famous people.

Sri Sri Ravishankar is one of today’s most prominent spiritual leaders and has spoken about the 12 traits of good leadership

Stephen Covey is a Harvard Graduate, Professor at Utah University and the author of the book of ‘The Seven Traits of Highly Effective People”

Myself, 20 years of experience as manager, coach and trainer.

And this is what they (we) came up with. Here are the top 9 Traits:

Passion – Do it for the love, or love what you do, the money will follow

Hard Work - successful people say it’s all hard work but they also claim to have a lot of fun.
Most successful people are Workafrolics

Get Good – Put your nose down and Get good at it, sets example for others, walk the talk and practice what you preach

Persistance – Be proactive, go beyond your comfort zone – you will need to persist through failure, criticism, rejection, fears, doubt, pressure and annoying people around you, but there is no other way

Focus – Focus on one thing at the time, don’t try to do too many things at once, be alert, begin with the end in mind

Ideas - seek to understand rather then be understood, listen, observe, be curious, then act

Serve – serve something of value to your customers, your employees, your colleagues, the community

Making Money – Invite it, plan for it, it but don’t obsess about it

Awareness – get to know yourself, your strength, your weaknesses, your motivations, fears and limiting thoughts, look at them AND then DON’T JUDGE – Accept them, acknowledge them and MOVE ON

That’s it. Those are the 9 traits most commonly cited by successful people and those who have observed them. That’s how they do it. And so can you. Good luck!

Did God create the Universe?

2010-09-03T23:10:00.000-07:00

God did not create the universe and the "Big Bang" was an inevitable consequence of the laws of physics, the eminent British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawkins argues in a new book.

In "The Grand Design," co-authored with U.S. physicist Leonard Mlodinow, Hawking says a new series of theories made a creator of the universe redundant, according to the Times newspaper which published extracts on Thursday.

"Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist," Hawking writes.

An attention catching headline and article, a great way to promote a new book. Controversy is one of the most powerful selling tools - remember the Da Vinci Code -.

The part that always puzzles me is that no one seems to first ask 'What is God'? Who's definition of God are we talking about? I bet if you gather 10 people in one room the answers would vary greatly. And yet, in my opinion it is vital to first ponder on that question, before making sweeping statements. What is God for you? A man with a beard sitting in the sky? It's a image that often comes to mind.

My version of what God is that NOTHING Hawkins talks about. That nothing created something, that for me is divine, it's mind blowing. And then that something created more somethings, became conscious of itself and eventually created beings that tapped into that consciousness and this is an ongoing process. I feel in aw of all of this and find the process godly.

I can easily accept Hawkins insights, but they do not lead me to the same conclusion. I guess that his thoughts are more complex too on the matter. After all 'God did not create the universe' is a great headline and a great way to get people to contemplate their own views on the subject. Well done Mr Hawkins!

What is your philosophy or view on the matter? Does your idea of God include being the creater?

Malcolm Gladwell on spaghetti sauce | Video on TED.com

2010-08-22T01:46:00.000-07:00

An insightful, fun talk about choice and what makes us happy. Most of us do not know what we really want. And the only way to find out is by asking the right questions and presenting choices that we may not have thought of.

That's the lesson I have learned and that I apply in coaching people ....Malcolm says it his way. Take look

Malcolm Gladwell on spaghetti sauce | Video on TED.com

Commitment is the key to Success

2010-08-16T02:06:00.000-07:00

Today is the tipping point, August 16^th in Greece is the beginning of moving towards the autumn, even if it is 37 degrees hot. Everyone knows…soon we’ll be back at work.

However, lets not go there yet we say, let our minds return to the Beach, the sun and easy living. And we will…but deep down we know. With that knowledge in mind I started to make a detailed plan of what I want to complete and by when.

Planning and putting deadlines, a key time management coaching tool; you won’t be able to effectively manage your time without it, believe me. It’s somewhat easy to write the plan, make the list – the challenge lies in really committing to the out comes.

Take an oath of commitment for the things you want to achieve. This is vital. Commitment will keep you on track when the going becomes tough!

Where do you want to see a difference? What are you willing to commit?

My commitment: I will invest time in communicating ‘No Butts on Beaches’ every day. I will speak to strangers and ask them to stop littering. I will speak to organizations. I will speak to cigarette producing companies to produce the pocket ashtray and join the campaign. I will motivate thousands of people to participate and start a nationwide awareness campaign. I will succeed in reducing butts on beaches and other littering.

With my best wishes,

Christiane

364 days to go in my "No Butts on Beaches" Initiative

2010-08-13T00:48:00.000-07:00

I did it, I created a 'Clean Greece - No butts on Beaches' Initiative -

The countdown is running and I am committed to succeed. To find out more and stay tuned check out the blog I created cleangreece-nobuttsonbeaches.blogspot.com

I invite you to join me. Stop throwing cigarette butts into the streets, the forests, the beaches. Everyone can do it, it costs nothing, nor time or money.

with my best wishes .....

Having Fun to get it Done

2010-08-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year when we open the windows and open the doors on those sunny days...and here on the Island they are plenty. Makes it challenging to get some work done. I have 5 projects in the oven and cook each of them a little every day.

I am a bit behind on creating my "No butts on beaches" blog - however it will be done.

I have kept a few coaching clients throughout August and the common theme seems to be about:

How to focus
How to manage time and
How to keep things light and have fun doing so

One of the ways we came up with is to create a Training Camp for Yourself. You set it up: what time you start in the morning, how many hours you spend on each task, what time you finish, how much time you spend exercising or having fun with friends. Set it up for yourself and then ENROLL!

Have fun with it...and if anyone tries to throw you off balance just tell them that you are in training. What training they will ask. In training myself to focus, manage my time better and have fun doing it.

Try it out and if you need any more tips then let me know.

Clean Greece - No Butts on Beaches!

2010-08-08T23:00:00.000-07:00

It's Monday and that means action is required. Sunday is the "I don't have to do a thing" day for me but Monday calls for focus, decision making, scripting the day, the week, the future. Writing down a few lines of what I want to do helps me to stay on track. I keep my script on my computer and update it each day - leaves me with a sense of achievement.

Back to my 'Clean Greece' project. I decided to create a separate block for this one (tomorrow) and to start with one challenge at the time. 365 days to get all Greek citizens to participate in

'No Cigarette Butts on our Beaches'!!

First step: checking which Cigarette Companies have offices here in Greece and approaching them with my idea. As I already have the prototype of the Butt holder I should generate some interest in my project. Lets see. I'll keep you updated.

my best wishes for a great week!

Julie & Julia ...an inspiration

2010-08-07T00:15:00.000-07:00

Last night I watched the movie Julie & Julia and an idea started to buzz around my head during my morning "I am getting even fitter" walk. "What about committing to a goal and then sharing my progress daily on my blog?" Once announced to the world (the world that reads my blog) I would really be fired up to keep on track and get creative with achieving my task.

A great coaching tool. Announce what you intend to do to a group of people, the more public the better and then get going. Yes, You can! Commit to just one thing for the following 6 months.

My goal: To Clean Up Greece. Starting with getting the Cigarette producing companies to also produce a pocket ashtray that will prevent people throwing the cigarette butts all over the place, especially from leaving them on the beaches.

That's it. Big goal. - the journey of a 1000 miles starts with the first step - this is mine, step No 1

Reducing stress with "I don't know"

2010-01-10T08:37:00.000-08:00

...a paragraph from 'my book' in the making

Who or What are you? was the question I was trying to answer during the the 2nd ‘Art of Living’ seminar a few years ago. The page in front of me was blank, and so was my mind. I started to write down my name, my nationality, my job title, then I looked further – What else was I? a friend, a partner, a female, a human being, a spiritual being…… I stopped again. What am I?

I lifted my head and looked around the room. Twenty or so course participants were sitting spread around the wooden floor, on colorful, soft cushions, contemplating the same question. All on the journey to connecting to their inner self, to better understand their purpose, to finding a new meaning in daily life. I gave up, I had no clue what or who I was beyond the obvious based on social conditioning. The teacher asked us to share and to my relief my fellow searchers seemed to have no idea of who they were either, and the best answer each of us could come up with at the end was “I don’t know”.

The teacher was thrilled. That was it; we were spot on.

It had only been 5 years since I chucked it all in and since I had started my journey to better understand myself, other people and the world on the whole. It had been quite a struggle to finally reach that point where I was ready to leave my profession of 23 years and my relationship of 10 years and start again from scratch. But once the decision was made there was suddenly a feeling of excitement; just like at the age of 20, when I had decided to move to London for my first job placement.

The whole world was my oyster and I was able to do or be anything. I belonged to the pre MBA aera and had started my training in Hotel Management at the age of 18 in Switzerland. I had been working ever since and never looked back. Life had been fun; Luxury hotels, traveling, living in different countries and speaking different languages. I had never been ambitious in the traditional sense, but enjoyed being good at what I did. Hence promotions had kind of just happened and by the age of 26 I was in a senior management position in a 5 star central London hotel, living and working close to Hyde Park. Live was good; or so it seemed.

Now 20 years later I was sitting on the wooden floor of a Yoga center contemplating who I was and realizing for the first time that saying ‘I don’t know’ was actually ok. What a relief. I repeated it again and again “I don’t know, I don’t know” and with each repetition the weight of a life time fell off my shoulders. My whole body relaxed and I wanted to shout it out loud:

“I DON’T KNOW!!”.

And now years later saying 'I don't know' still works it's magic. It makes me smile, it makes me laugh and wonder what I will come up with next.

Find an expert to help you grow

2009-09-11T04:27:00.000-07:00

The last few months have been busy with traveling, meeting new people and working on the development of my stress management business.

My focus has been on marketing. I wanted to learn more about it and become an expert at selling my services; after all, my product is great, the challenge is to communicate its benefits to the right people in the right way. I realised that I needed help and found one of the best in the market, Donald Cooper, an international renown speaker and coach. His practical, honest, down to earth approach to Human Marketing is inspiring; his presentations are entertaining and motivating.

I am learning from one of the best and I love it.

Do you need help in any area of your life or business? My advise: ask for help. Find the best in the field and ask for help. Too expensive? Write to the person of your choice and ask if you could work out a deal, a trade. Maybe you can offer something to them that they need and in return they will drop their fees? Or check for experts that are good and that you can afford at the same time. Don't give up. There is always a way and you will find it. None of us are experts in all areas of live and business. Finding the right support however makes growing and developing a lot more fun and easier.

Dancing with the Stars

2009-03-05T02:14:00.000-08:00

The time has come to look differently at the world, to really look.
What is out there? What do I see?
What am I looking for?
The vision is strong…communicating to thousands of people…
thousands you hear?
Shining, inspired, passionate, flying,
lifted by the message, carried by the wave.
Total emergence, total joy; at one with the universe,
out of place and out if time.

I know the feeling. I have been there.
This is being alive, totally vibrant and living.
A Vagabond of the world, a messenger from
beyond, consciousness expressing itself through me, the tool;
I am dancing with stars. My body is spirit.
The joy of being, the fun of seeing, the love of freeing the spirit,
a cosmic party, a heavenly celebration, dancing with the stars.

Christiane Pohl

Coaching your self by asking Questions

2009-02-02T01:19:00.000-08:00

A new Year, a new month and this year I like to introduce you to one of the most powerful coaching tools – questioning your self.

Using questions as a coaching tool was first and foremost used by one of the greatest Coaches of all times – Socrates, the father of Western Philosophy. His approach of using questions to explore moral concepts and common believes came to be called the Socratic Method and is still one of the most popular teaching tools to help students develop critical thinking.

Here are 5 questions you may ask yourself to start of the year:

If you were to live your Life the way you really like, what is the first change you would make?
What do you want more of in your Life? (make a list)
What do you want less of in your Life? (make a list)
What would you try if you knew that you could not fail?
What is the one thing you could change in the way you feel, act or live that would give you more peace?

...and some of Socrates Wisdom to inspire you

Socrates was considered a wise man, in fact the Oracle in Delphi declared him to be the wisest man of all. When Socrates heard this he was amused and curious at the same time. What did the Oracle mean? Was this a joke, a challenge? He decided to investigate. The following months he talked and questioned all the smart and influential men in Athens. He questioned them on their believes, their concepts and teachings…and by questioning them in his special way he revealed this: those men’s knowledge was very superficial, they did not really know what they proclaimed to know. And the worse part was that they did not realize it. So now he understood the Oracle’s declaration – He was wise, but only in so far as that he knew that he knew nothing.

- Convictions when held too tightly, blind us in a way that traps us within our own opinions. In other words, without the capacity to question our selves, the possibility of real thinking ceases. If we are not able to question our own ideas we cannot free ourselves from self-imposed limitations -

with my best wishes for 2009 and enjoy finding out more about your self!

Christiane

Wishing you Peace and Joy ....

2008-12-16T01:51:00.000-08:00

..and wonderful Christmas and New Year celebrations. May 2009 be full of love and joy, even or especially in your darkest moments. May you always find the strength and insights to handle whatever comes your way. May you express your self with compassion and humor and may you enjoy peace, peace, peace in your heart even when your mind is bouncing up and down.

with all my love !

Winnie-the-Pooh helps us understand the Universe

2008-11-26T10:20:00.000-08:00

I just like to share this small extract from one of my favorite books 'The Tao of Pooh'. In his book 'The Self-Aware Universe' author Ami Goswami Ph.D.used this charming story below to help us understand that according to the new physics everything is considered an extension of ourselves.

He observes that 'In our search for meaning, structure and reality we are often facing the same puzzle that confronts Winnie the Pooh here:

'Hallo' said Piglet 'what are you doing?'
'Hunting' said Pooh.
'Hunting what?'
'Tracking something' said Winnie the Pooh very misteriously.
'Tracking what?' said Piglet coming closer
'That's just what I ask myself. I ask myself, What?'
'What do you think you'll answer?'
'I shall have to wait until I catch up with it,' said Winnie-the-Pooh
'Now look there.' He pointed to the round in front of him. 'What do you see there?'
'Tracks' said Piglet. 'Paw-marks'. He gave a little squeak of excitement. 'Oh Pooh! Do you think it's a-----a------Woozle?'
'It may be.' said Pooh. 'Sometime it is and sometimes it isn't. You can never tell with paw-marks.'
'Wait a moment.' said Winnie-the-Pooh, holding up his paw. He sat down and thought, in the most thoughtful way he could think. Then he fitted his paw into one of the Tracks....and then he scratched his nose twice, and stood up.
'Yes' said Winnie-the-Pooh. 'I see now' said Winnie-the-Pooh. I have been foolish and deluded,' said he, 'and I am a Bear of No Brain at ALL'.

Recording the Less Stress, More Life CD

2008-11-26T10:05:00.000-08:00

My dream is becoming more and more reality. I just finished producing my Less Stress, More Life CD and the process was inspiring and at the same time much more complex than I had first anticipated. Luckily I was blessed with a wonderful sound engineer who coached me and really wanted me to succeed. The most exiting part was that I decided to record the active meditation live, with an audience and many people answered the call and participated. It was moving and fun at the same time.

The energy after the public talk was such that I found the perfect flat within only 15 minutes of leaving the hotel where I spoke. It felt like magic.

Having enjoyed it so much that I am planning another public talk and meditation for December. Come along if you like and live near Athens, Greece. Just send me an email at christiane@christianepohl.com for the details.

I have a Dream

2008-10-11T00:54:00.000-07:00

The time has come to branch out and expand my business. From the beginning my dream has been to help as many people as possible to feel more peaceful by better understanding themselves and others.

My dream also features less stress and more creativity, joy, success and great relationships in people’s lives. My ideal clients are peoeple who want to grow, explore and lead the life of their dreams.

You may ask what is my motivation? My ultimate motivation is 'Peace'. I would like to see more peace; peace at the workplace, between people, in the world.

My coach once said to me ‘the bigger the dream the better’ when it comes to coaching people. I think she was right. Big dreams make for big outcomes.

I am on my way to make my dream come reality. The next steps? Taking my 'Less Stress, More Life' workshop on the road, to take it around the world and to write a book on how to stress less and live more....peacefully.

What is your dream? If it is similar to mine then come and join me; together we can make it come true.

Come dream with me,

Christiane

Practicing what I preach

2008-09-25T04:08:00.000-07:00

This is a tough one at times. And yesterday I suddenly realized that I had stopped following my own advise. I had started to get sloppy with my daily breathing exercises and meditation. Twenty minutes of becoming still twice a day makes all the difference to how I feel and work; I am more focused, organized, creative and happier. So why had I stopped? Lazyness. This morning I started again and already achieved so much.

It is funny how we ‘self-sabotage’ again and again. Being good to ourselves with Food, exercise and behavior we often make 3 steps forward and 2 steps back. The good news is however that with increased awareness those sabotaging sprees become less and less and shorter.

So I am back on track breathing and meditating and writing.

How about you? Do you practice what you preach?

Cheers

The Art of ‘Floating’

2008-08-04T02:38:00.000-07:00

Over the last few months I have been traveling and working away from home and while I had a great time and met many fascinating people, it was also wonderful when I finally returned to ‘my’ island and my own bed. I felt ready for a break. I was ready to ‘float’.

Floating is my alias for ‘going with the flow’, for letting go of wanting to control everything and for following my heart, my intuition, for responding to the NOW. Floating is fascinating because you never know how you will get where you want to go.

Floating is an Art that draws on 3 basic principles:

Approaching ones vision for life or any particular goal by not getting attached to the outcome.
Declaring ones intention and then letting go of wanting to control things
Dealing with the demands of each moment without making a fuss; then moving on without taking credit or beating oneself up.

The secret is that when you do not have any limiting expectations you will find more joy in everything you do.

There are no disappointments in floating, only SURPRISES.

Let me I share with you the following short story, which I feel clearly captures the essence of this 'Art'.

It was a bank holiday on the island and all the shops were closed when we suddenly realized that we had no bread. We decided to go on a bread hunt and to ask some of the local tavernas and neighbors if we could borrow some - but nobody had bread to share.

After an hour of getting more and more obsessed with bread and frustrated that we couldn’t find any we decided to give up and go for a floating walk. So we gave up our search for bread and decided to go wherever our legs would take us, to follow our body’s intuition.

Try it and you will see that it takes some getting used to.

The mind likes to be in control and will make numerous attempts to take over and inject some logic into your movements. The key to truly float lies in surrendering to the moment, in trusting your intuition and that you can handle whatever comes your way and in having faith that there is a purpose in everything. Believe me - it works.

For some weeks I had been looking to find a bakery or someone who was producing whole grain, brown bread like back home (Germany). I had no luck; the only bread I could find was the fluffy white stuff – all calories and little nourishment.

Now on our floating walk across the island our bodies took us through streets we had never walked before and into areas we didn’t know. We were having a ball and at the same time, no idea of how or where we were going to go next. But this was ok; we were having fun. And then after about 40 minutes we suddenly saw a large sign outside a house – ‘Anastasia’s.’ We were curious and entered through the gateway. And there it was - a private home bakery that produced brown, whole grain bread just like back home. And not only that, we soon realized that Anastasia’s shop was only 5 minutes walk from our own house. . . . . . and she had bread to sell to us that day. We happily bought our loaf and returned back home.’

In short, this is it: The 'Art of Floating' and how it works.

Floating can take you places you have never been before, places the mind can only dream about.

Floating takes the effort out of living and paradoxically takes you where you wanted to go in the first place. Remember, all you need to do is:

• Surrender to the moment, to what is.
• Trust your intuition and your ability to handle things.
• Have faith that there is a purpose in everything.

And soon you will realize that this is also the Art of Living. So have a go and start to float more and struggle less.

'Shift Happens'

2008-05-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

I like to introduce you to (another) book, this time by Robert Holden, who is a top UK psychologist. Robert teaches that we are worthy of a joy-filled life and, through our ability to 'change our mind,' we can achieve amazing inner peace and power. He shows us, that happiness can be attained by making small, consistent changes in the way we think. And as our thinking changes, so does our life. As Robert says: 'One new perception, one fresh thought, one act of surrender, one change of heart, one leap of faith, can change your life forever.'

Each of the 50 concise and entertaining chapters is filled with wisdom and clearly tackles fundamental, everyday concerns that can undermine enjoyment and fulfillment. His clever and inspirational blend of tender, poignant, joyful and eye-opening stories, insights and practical exercises cover a wide range of themes such as confidence, creativity, fear, success, relationships, forgiveness, control, struggle and so much more.

In Shift Happens! you will read gems such as the following extract from the chapter entitled Give Up Your Fear of Giving:

'I was at my health club on an exercise bike pedaling fast to nowhere when James first introduced himself to me. I will never forget that moment for as long as I live.

I was nearing the end of a grueling ninety minute workout. I was in a sweat, in a world of my own, and the last two minutes of the cycle program were feeling like forever. Sometimes I swear I can make time go backwards when I exercise! I had not noticed James and his companion enter the gym, so I was greatly surprised when James slapped me on the back and shouted, 'Hellooo.' It took all my balance just to stay on the bike!

James’s hearty, open manner left me abashed. 'Why pick on me?' I thought. As it turned out James didn’t just pick on me. I watched him enthusiastically introduce himself to every person in the gym. 'Hellooo,' he said to the man who almost fell off the treadmill. 'Hellooo,' he said to the man who almost dropped his dumbbells. 'Hellooo,' he said to the most attractive woman in the gym whom no man dared talk to.
James aimed his great big smile at everyone he met, and within moments he was talking to people I had never spoken to in months of visits. I was so impressed. James was so natural, so present, and so open with everyone. 'That's how I want to be,' I thought. Come to think of it, I probably was like that once.

James is diagnosed with Down's syndrome. According to society he is deficient and ill. He is certainly different, but I saw no trace of lack. That day in the gym he was more unconditional, loving, and communicative than the rest of us 'well people' put together. James gave himself fully and he got the best of us in return. He had no fear of giving.

I believe the purpose of life is to be like James. You are a gift-bearer, blessed with gifts of God, and you are here on earth to live fully and give fully—not just things, but who you are. You are the gift. My work has shown me over and over again that when people do not give themselves fully they experience lack, struggle, discontent, emptiness, isolation, and illness. Do not sit on your gifts.'

Inspiring Books

2008-04-16T08:20:00.000-07:00

I recently re-read 2 books which have been inspiring me and which have been guiding my work at the same time. The one is 'The Power of Now' by Eckhart Tolle and the other one is 'Bitten by the Black Snake' in which Manuel Schoch interprets the ancient wisdom of Ashtavakra.

One of the key elements in my life and also in my workshops are about practicing Observation and Stillness. Observing that 'what is' without judging it, describing it or re-acting to it helps us to be still and to connect to our source, our center. Any action that we then take from that state of being centered helps us to express our own values, rather then just re-acting to the behavior of others.

When we start to observe and acknowledge 'what is' , then we are in the 'Now' and we realize that everything is relative and that there is an endless flow of changing ideas, thoughts, feelings and circumstance and that we are a part of it all, a part of the whole like a drop in the ocean. There is nowhere to go and nothing to do, we are here to enjoy the ride.

I like to share with you Sutra number 4 which is about Stillness:

'Stillness
All things arise, suffer, change, and pass away.
This is their nature.
When you know this, nothing perturbs you, nothing hurts you,
you become still.
It is easy.
Sooner or later fortune or misfortune may befall you.
When you know this, you desire nothing, you grieve for nothing.
Subduing the senses, you are happy; whatever you do brings joy
or sorrow, life or death.
When you know this, you may act freely, without attachment.
What is there to accomplish?
All sorrow comes from fear, from nothing else.
When you know this, you become free of it, and desire melts away.
You become happy and still; the world with all its wonders is nothing.
When you know this, desire melts away. for you are awareness itself.
When you know in your heart that there is nothing, you are still.'

Take some time and really take in those words and observe how you feel when reading them. You may feel that they are so simple and at the same time that they set you free and you become still and start to relax.

Actions speak louder than Words

2008-03-01T11:19:00.000-08:00

This known phrase came to me 2 weeks ago when I met with some Executives and Managers to ask their views on leadership qualities, challenges and training. In fact everyone had been on training courses and workshops on the subject and was very knowledgeable. The biggest problem seemed to lie in implementing what had been learned .

They clearly identified a gap between the actions and the words - the theory. I observed with interest how I myself was recognizing this gap. I realized that the leaders that moved and inspired me most were the ones that acted in line with what they were talking about before and during our meeting. In fact from the first moment of our contact their style became apparent. After our meetings, I soon forgot the details of their words, but their behavior, their actions stayed with me.

Speaking with so many different Managers and Leaders also moved me to look at my own actions once again and I realized how important it is for me to 'walk my talk'. I realized that when I am at my best I also open the door for the person or people around me to be at their best. So I asked myself what does it take for me to be at my best? Here is what I came up with:

I feel that I am at my best:

• When I am authentic, myself
• When I am motivated by caring rather than by fear
• When I am passionate about what I do
• When I am well prepared and clear about my intention

This has been a valuable lesson I re-learned and which helped me to re-commit myself to ‘walk my talk’ and add some daily self-coaching tools to help me stay on track.

What does it takes it for You you to be at your best? I invite you to give it some thought.

7 steps to build the life and business you want

2008-02-05T07:35:00.000-08:00

More and more people are deciding to work on their own, making a living with the skills and knowledge they have acquired over a period of time. While the idea of doing your own thing, following your own path is great; in practice it often turns out to be frustrating and a not too successful road to travel.

How come? Well, going from my own observations, the main stumbling blocks often seem to be a limited vision, an insufficient support team and little real knowledge of how to actually build a business. The result is that many talented, wonderful people after a couple of years of struggling on their own either return to find a job elsewhere or work twice as hard as before for less income.

Now if any of the above sounds familiar to you and you would like some ideas of how to invite more joy and success into your business and life then stop whatever your are doing right now and contemplate the following 7 steps:

Take time and start thinking of what your vision is for your life, what would your dream life look like? Make notes, be bold as if time and money would not matter, think BIG
Then create a vision for your work, your business which would support your overall vision for life. Write it in the present tense like it is happening now, as if you have achieved it already.
Consider how much capital or income you would need to support yourself at the start of your business. Would you need to keep a job on the side? Be honest and realistic. Most new businesses take a couple of years to be self-supportive.
Invest into working with a coach or mentor. Working with a coach or mentor can help you in many different ways and can be the key element to your success. To have someone by our side to support you in each step and help you find and achieve what you really want is a most valuable asset. There are many wonderful coaches out there and the key is to find the one that most appeals to you. How? Check out the websites and articles. Follow your intuition, your heart. Who’s message do you connect with most? This is the one you call first. Most coaches offer free consultations, so you can make contact without any cost.
Build your own support group – Join forces. Being self-employed can at times be lonely and there is a danger of lacking in Motivation, Accountability, Focus and Fun. Find other people with similar dreams and values. Network within your profession. Look for the ones that are successful in the way that you would like to be. As early as possible identify areas where you would want to engage with others for help or support.
Do at least one thing that scares you a day. Get used to leaving your comfort zone. We have a tendency to do what we know and feel secure with. But security can be like a prison. It is good to practise stepping into the unknown and feel the energy and excitement when you do.
Nourish your Soul. Read inspiring books and articles. Do things you enjoy. Take time to be still and contemplate. Step back and look at the whole picture again and again. Then move forward.

Co-operation, communication, sharing and feeling connected are some of the key ingredients for a joyful life and they are also some of the key ingredients for a successful business. Enjoy the journey; my heart and thoughts will be with you.

What am I grateful for looking back at 2007?

2007-12-31T07:38:00.000-08:00

I usually note down what I feel grateful for most weeks. And having more time over the holidays I started to contemplate everything that had happened during the last year. And then suddenly a few days ago when looking back at 2007 I realized that I felt grateful for everything. Yes, EVERYTHING. I felt startled for a moment. Do I really mean it? Look again – and I did. Yes was the answer, I am grateful for everything. For everything that I recognized as a blessing straight away, and for everything that was a challenge, a difficulty and that I recognized to be an important part of my growth, a blessing sometime later. Now if I would want to grade my gratefulness then the outcome would look something like that:

Most grateful for list

The awareness that all difficulties are opportunities for growth
Realizing that being in-joy with myself brings joy to whatever situation I am in
The awareness that being in-joy with myself means to embrace all aspects of myself and not being against anything I feel or think – no judgement
The love and support of my husband
Good health and Yoga
All the inspiring teachers I have worked with including my coach
Having the courage to follow my intuition and walk my path
Opportunities to encourage and help others to walk their path too
Connecting with others in workshops and coaching sessions
Learning from the world around me
Old movies, good friends and living close to nature.

I invite you to do the same. Take a look, make a list and share it with others on this blog, just enter your list as a comment. I would love to hear what YOU are grateful for.

The Wisdom of Pooh

2007-12-29T03:34:00.000-08:00

During the holidays I spend time reading one of my favorite books and I like to share some of Pooh's wisdom with you .

The 'Tao of Pooh' is an inspiring little book by Benjamin Hoff in which he interprets the ancient Chinese principles of Taoism through the ways of Pooh, the bear and hero of Winnie the Pooh. It is one of the most fun and yet insightful books I have come across.

With the song below Pooh captures in his own, unique way how gaining clarity of Who we are is an important part of the overall vision for our life (‘know thyself’, to quote from an ancient Greek wisdom). Hoff explains it this way: ‘Being authentic starts with recognizing "Who we are, what we have got to work with and what works best for us.

’What do you think Pooh? How would you explain it?’
‘With a song’ says Pooh
‘Go ahead’
How can you get very far
If you don’t know Who you are?
How can you do what you ought,
If you don’t know what You’ve Got?
And if you don’t know Which To Do
Of all the things in front of you,
Then what you’ll have when you are through
Is just a mess without a clue
Of all the best that can come true
If you know What and Which and Who.

‘Thank you Pooh’.

So you may want to spend a bit of quiet time over the holidays and ponder on some of those questions Who you are - What you stand for and what your values are.

Why visions matter

2007-11-08T22:29:00.000-08:00

A few days ago while relaxing with friends, someone in the group talked about how much he admired what I had done over the years, how I had followed my ideas and visions and made them reality. I thanked him and was almost ready to move on to the next subject when I suddenly stopped and returned to what he had said.

Does this not hold true for everyone? Doesn’t everyone create what they envision? I threw the question back into the circle of friends and received some puzzled looks. Then they came back at me, sharing different scenarios of where things could have been different and the reason why they didn’t get or achieve what they believed they really wanted.

Those reasons were usually related to outside circumstances, Family, Partners, Work, Society, Government – you name it. I accepted that outside circumstances certainly were a challenge, but still insisted that within that challenge, each had created and realised their vision of life. How? Because, I argued, our visions are connected to our beliefs, concepts and perceptions of ourselves, and life in general.

I took my own life as an example. What had my vision for life been when I was 18? What had my priorities been, my values? I wanted to work, earn good money and stand on my own two feet as fast as possible. I wanted this work to include irregular hours (not 9-5), give me the opportunity to help others and the option to work and live anywhere in the world. There were limiting circumstances (my grades, my lack of knowledge what I was good at and really liked) but within these limitations the vision became reality. At the same time I would have liked to be in love. I had no idea though want kind of relationship I was looking for and was scared to truly commit to someone. So my relationships reflected this vision and I ended up living with constant doubts about every relationship I was in for some years.

And over the years, as my visions changed, my life changed. The more I clarified what I really wanted, the more inspired my visions became, the more whole and satisfying were the outcomes.
At the same time, when my beliefs limited me the outcomes were also limited. Whenever I said “ I would really like, but……”, the desired outcome did not happen.

We all create what we feel is possible. So what about starting to create the impossible? What about starting with the ideal and then choosing to go for it? What about asking yourself what is it you really want, how do you want your life to be and feel? What do you value most? Where are you and where would you like to be?

Then just look at your answers and decide to take the first step towards turning your ideal into reality.

Seeing the bigger picture

2007-10-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

I still marvel at the many different aspects of coaching, especially when speaking with people about their visions and dreams. It is when we invest some time to ask ourselves what is meaningful to us that we get a sense of how we would like to live and feel. Have you ever asked yourself “what moves me, what do I what to create, what kind of world do I want to live in, what do I want to contribute?”

In India they have a beautiful practice, it is called SEVA, an ancient Sanskrit word meaning selfless service or compassion in action for the common good. It is based on the understanding that what we do for others we do for ourselves and that what we fail to do for others, we also fail to do for ourselves. It is also based on the observation that giving to others or working for common goals is when people receive the most joy in their lives and the most meaning.
It is the sense of community that inspires people to act with compassion, working together, feeling part of a bigger vision, feeling connected.

If that holds true on an individual basis it also holds true on a collective basis. If, as a human race we would have a dream, a great vision of how to live our lives lighter, distribute our resources better, connect to our essence deeper we would create a different reality. Realizing that there is enough for everyone and that everything we think and do effects everything else we would act accordingly. Energy follows thought. The way we think and feel determines the way we act and behave.

Saving our Environment - NOW!

2007-10-06T06:52:00.000-07:00

It was only a few months ago that I joined an Organization called Clean up Greece (www.cleanupgreece.org.gr), a branch of clean up the world, which has been working for years to educate individuals, schools, businesses, municipalities and governments how to better respect and protect our environment.

Growing up in a country with a "green" movement, I developed an awareness for using and promoting environmental friendly practices. From cosmetics to cleaning materials I buy "green". Now the time had come that I felt the urge to do something on a bigger scale, to work together with others for sharing information and finding solutions.

I started talking to people on the island where I live and found that everyone I spoke to was interested in exploring the possibilities of better rubbish management, re-cycling and a cleaner island. So we had some meetings, put a loose plan together and made some proposals. We spoke to the Municipality, head of Schools, parent associations and individuals. Some schools promised to contact Clean up Greece and organize educational workshops for the students. Some of the grown ups were game to participate in a clean up day.

So we decided to have a go and last Sunday a few of us went off and started to collect rubbish from the roadside. I have to say that I was blown away. We had planned to walk and cover a large area, but the amount of plastic bottles, tins, paper and cigarette butts we collected on a strip that was only a 100 m long and 3 meters wide on each side of the street was overwhelming. We filled 16 large bags and it seemed like we had done almost nothing at all. I was amazed.

Plastic bottles and hundreds of cigarette butts each taking between to 1 - 5 years to disintegrate while poisoning the ground and water in the process along with all the rest of the stuff and this was not even the tip of the iceberg.

I know that experts have been warning us for years to treat our environment with more care and collecting all that rubbish really brought it home to me. I ask myself "what is it that keeps us from taking the warnings seriously? What compels people to throw rubbish into the road, the sea, the forest and the beach like it doesn't matter? What keeps the rest of us from standing up and speaking out and doing all we can every day for the protection of the environment we live in?
Do we feel so disconnected from our surroundings that we fail to realize that it is our very source of live which we are damaging? What are we waiting for? Lets face it - together we can make a difference!

For more information on ways to act more environmental friendly consult http://www.cleanupgreece.org.gr
http://www.cleanuptheworld.org

After the summer or Kalo chimona (Greek for wishing you a good Winter)

2007-09-23T01:14:00.000-07:00

It’s been some time since I have posted anything on the blog and I mainly blame the summer. After Easter everyone starts to get ready for the summer months and then between July and August you lose touch with people (unless you go on holidays with them) and finally re-unite in September.

So what have I been up too? I gave some workshops, coached old and new clients and re-designed my website. In August we (my husband Steven and I) decided to go camping with friends. It was great. It was only the second time that I camped and I just loved the feeling of being in the middle of so many people, listening to all the different conversations, discussions and of course music. No Greek fun time would be complete without music. It is strange how the things that may bother you at home (llike hearing noise from the neighbours) enchant you when you are on holiday. We ate lots of wonderful food, spend most of the day on the beach and played Beriba (Greek card game) at night. Eventually after a week of enjoying feeling totally Greek we returned home to our island and started to re-connect with our various projects.

Unfortunately we returned also to the news of many devastating fires, which was heartbreaking. As a result a lot of people started demanding better environmental policies and to think about what they can do to act more environmental friendly. We started a movement here on Spetses and I am going to write about our progress regularly and also publish suggestions of what we can do in my Newsletter.

In September a friend of mine came from Miami and invited me to give a talk there in November as well as a workshop. We decided to join our forces and create and run the workshop together. We both love coaching people and sharing our experiences, and we always have a lot of fun together, one inspiring the other.

That brings me up to date and I promise to keep on sharing and posting ideas, insights, knowledge and leads on a regular basis.

Socrates' wisdom

2007-05-12T02:45:00.000-07:00

Have you ever observed how many times we voice views and opinions on subjects or people we really know very little about? Often our information is second hand (we read or heard it elsewhere) and we make assumptions based on our own believes and concepts.

The next thing you know you are defending what you have heard with great passion. And while your opinion at that moment is not actually based on something you have observed yourself, you end up identifying so strongly with what you have heard that you defend it with all you have got. You may even end up arguing with anyone daring enough to challenge it.

And this is the point where a bit of Socrates wisdom provides an inspiring alternative:

.....after the Oracle had answered there is "non wiser than Socrates", Socrates was surprised and thought this was a riddle. He went off to speak to all the clever men in Athens and questioned them on a variety of subjects. After spending days and weeks doing so, he finally realised that they indeed knew very little. Contemplating his findings he came to the conclusion that he was wise only in so far as he was AWARE, that in essence he knew nothing. He impressed his listeners by openly stating "I don't know".

Try it and experience the relief you feel when you can just relax and listen without feeling the need to provide an answer. Celebrate not knowing while enjoying finding out!

One of my favourite quotes

2007-05-08T04:14:00.000-07:00

"Freedom will not come to you by knocking at the door to love and waiting for someone else to open it. Freedom comes when you open the door. In fact there is really no locked door. Your mind and your qualities are independent of the actions of others" - Manuel Schoch from the book "Healing with Qualites". http://www.tune-in.ch/en

Enjoying life and having fun

2007-02-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

It was about 10 days ago while sitting down and looking at how I was dividing my time between, work, friends, husband, community work and recreation that I suddenly realized that something very important was missing in my life most days; feeling joy and having fun!

There seemed to be a sense of heavyness and duty about everything I was doing which often expressed itself as anxiety and impatience. I sat back on our sofa and took a good look inside, asking myself 'How long have I been feeling this way?" Slowly I started to realize that this heaviness and this tendency of taking things too serious had been present on and off throughout my life. So what was I to do? How could I re-introduce fun and joy into my daily existence?

I started to take my mind back to all the times I remembered having fun, wondering if I could figure out what they had in common and what I did then I was not doing now. A friend suggested to take some time out and play like a child, to buy some toys or do anything else new that came to my mind.

So I went off on a search for a toy shop and while looking around started to remember my favorite games I played as a child; painting with water colors and playing with plastic toys of cowboys, Indians, knights or anything else on a horse. I finally purchased two shining knights on fabulous horses and some watercolors and went back home to play. It felt wonderful, just like when I was 6 years old. What a treat. It made my day and suddenly all kind of new creative ideas came into my mind, ideas for my workshops and the community work I was involved in and I felt light and adventurous.

For the next few days I made it a commitment to do something fun, something different every day; I danced with my husband in the street while passers by were cheering us on, we played catching an imaginary ball on the beach and I went running over fields catching butterflies made out of air. And even though I was engaging in having active fun for only a few minutes every day, it changed my attitude and feeling about everything else I wanted to do that day.

I enjoyed it all. Eventually I understood that I could bring this sense of fun to everything I was doing. It was all about attitude. Instead of thinking of a fun activity every day I developed a fun attitude to everything I wanted to do. Cleaning the house, ironing, writing, working with others, teaching, relating to people - was much more fun when approaching it by looking at it in a new way, a new light each time. Instead of remembering the way someone or something was yesterday I now keep an open mind and look at how the same person or thing will be different today. Nothing and no one stays exactly the same; everything is changing all the time. Approaching everything with an attitude of curiosity and " what can I contribute to this work, this situation today" keeps life fresh and enjoyable; and yes - it's ok to make mistakes - it's fun, as long as you don't take yourself too seriously.