September 18, 2016 by Maggie Currie

Have you ‘neglected’ YOU over the summer?

Are you ready to get things back on track?

There has never been a better time to get serious about YOU! You probably think that you would like some help re-focusing.

Work with me…………….. Let’s get ready to do this!

I am offering YOU 3 coaching sessions for the bargain price of £247 (usually £1500).

Now the children are back at school, college or university the hours in the day open up for YOU again, and now is a fantastic time of year to concentrate on your needs.

Working with me you will:

• Learn to live life from the inside out
• Gain more freedom, more fun and less stress

If you do nothing but hope your life will change, it won’t. Be certain your life will change when you work with me.

Now is the time to begin focusing on YOU again.

Scoop up the golden courage dust in both hands and take the plunge.

golden courage dust

Get in touch today to have a chat about how we can work together to re-focus you and reverse that ‘neglect’.

I am offering YOU 3 coaching sessions for the bargain price of £247 (usually £1500). So grab a bargain whilst you can! Offer ends 31st October 2016.

Maggie Currie

Transformational Coach, Consultant
Founder of MAGGIE CURRIE COACHING

Website: http://www.maggiecurrie.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maggielifecoach/

Email: hello@maggiecurrie.co.uk

July 26, 2016 by Maggie Currie

Learning to slow down – stop and smell the roses

Sometimes we are so busy that we rush through our days and lives, and we fail to notice the simple beauty of living.

We are conditioned to value speed and getting things done quickly. We are also conditioned to think that doing is far more valuable than merely being, that making the most of life is a getting as much done as we can as quickly as we can.

What I have found is that the more I try to fit in to a short space of time, the increasingly harried and disconnected I become. I don’t notice the simple beauty of what is all around me.

When I consciously slow down, I rediscover the significance of some of the seemingly inconsequential aspects of my life. I notice the stunning views, the sounds of the birds, the flight of the bumble bees.

I also find that I get more done by slowing down and getting that job done becomes a source of profound pleasure to me, no matter how large or small the task.

When I give myself the gift of time I reap the benefits. I have time to indulge my curiosity, to enjoy the moment, to sit and think, to connect with other people and with myself and to appreciate my world.

flowers

Taking my time is not being inefficient or lazy. By working at a slower pace I can be selective of how I use my time and can appreciate fully every moment. Pacing myself as I address something urgent allows me to centre myself before moving ahead with my plans.

Taking that little bit of extra time can even be a boon when a situation demands haste. When I embrace simplicity I allow myself to ignore those actions and activities that no longer benefit me. The extra time I gain can appear like a huge waste of potential. But as I slow down, I realise that by eliminating rushing from my experiences I have more time to focus on what I really want to do.

I can relish my morning rituals, linger over quality time with my husband, immerse myself wholeheartedly in my work, and take advantage of opportunities to nurture myself every single day.

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It is challenging to avoid giving in to the temptation to rush, particularly when we are used to a world of split-second communication, mobile phones, email and overflowing agendas. Yet that sense of continuous accomplishment you lose when you slow down will quickly be replaced by feelings of contentment. Your relaxed tempo will open your mind and you will be more aware of how happy you are.

If you would like to find out more about learning to slow down, get in touch and let’s have a conversation.

Maggie Currie

Transformational Coach, Consultant
Founder of MAGGIE CURRIE COACHING

Website: http://www.maggiecurrie.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Maggie-Currie-Coaching-527886050648208/?ref=hl
Email: hello@maggiecurrie.co.uk

June 9, 2016 by Maggie Currie

Making time for YOU!

My clients often tell me that one of the added benefits of coaching they hadn’t considered before they started, is that their coaching session can often be the only time in a busy week that they feel able to step back and truly focus 100% on themselves. Hand on heart, how often could you say that you allow yourself to do that?

A lot of the time we get so busy ‘doing’ that we forget about ‘being’.

This was a revelation of sorts for me some years back. I had something fantastically inspiring to aim for, I had the focus and drive to work really hard and I was making good progress. And yet, I wound up feeling ill, stressed and fairly disillusioned. If this was what having stretching goals was about, I wasn’t sure I wanted them after all!

Talking through how I felt with a friend one day, I was brought up short when she said “oh yes, you’ve become a human doing instead of a human being” . That comment really resonated with me and I thought about it all the way home.

As I reflected on the previous few months I could think of few times when I wasn’t ‘doing’ and even fewer times when I’d consciously decided to take time out and ‘be’.

So how much of your time do you spend ‘doing’ and how much do you spend ‘being’? If you had to divide a circle up with how much time you give over to each, what would it look like? How big would your ‘being’ slice be?

piechart

With our busy lives and time-poor society it can seem impossible to take more time for ourselves, but at what cost do you choose not to? My decision those few years back was to invest more time in myself and I’m certain that I’m much more productive as a result. I get more done in my ‘doing’ time now than I ever did when I was ‘doing’ every waking second of the day. Plus, my ultimate decision was that it couldn’t all be about the doing and the destination or I’d miss the journey altogether.

So what time could you make for yourself to ‘be’? To listen to your thoughts and feel your feelings. When could you next set aside an hour or two, a whole day or even more than that to relax and recharge? Can you set aside fifteen minutes a day to sit and have a cup of tea or coffee, relax and be you. How much better would you feel if you did?

Could you do with some regular time set aside to focus 100% on you and on making your life how you want it? If so, what are you prepared to commit to?

concept

Learn to live your life more simply. We all have around 80,000 thoughts a day, but we don’t have to listen to or believe them all. Which are the thoughts that give you a nice feeling? Which are the thoughts that you don’t like? Have you considered that you are only one thought away from a lovely feeling and a more peaceful life?

Have you got so lost in the process of life that you have forgotten how to be you? Would you like to have a conversation to discuss this further? Get in touch today.

Maggie Currie

Transformational Coach, Consultant
Founder of MAGGIE CURRIE COACHING

Website: http://www.maggiecurrie.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Maggie-Currie-Coaching-527886050648208/?ref=hl
Email: hello@maggiecurrie.co.uk

April 20, 2016 by Maggie Currie

Fast forward a year

Have some thoughts about how would you like to see yourself in a year’s time? Do you see yourself exactly the same as you are now, or with some slight changes or perhaps with a whole new feel and look?

Your life does not resemble anybody else's

In a year’s time I see for me:

My relationship with myself looks pretty good at the moment. I treat myself with respect and gratitude and have learned that I don’t have to believe all the thoughts that come into my head.

My thoughts are generally positive but occasionally a negative thought will creep in. This is ok and normal. I like to live in the moment, not in the past and I know nothing about the future yet.

My relationship with my husband is fantastic, we love and respect each other and make each other laugh. We are best friends, lovers, companions and so much more.

My relationship with my mother is good, we see each other fairly regularly, my father is no longer with us but is always in my heart and mind.

My relationship with two of my children is virtually non-existent (their choice which I respect) and with the third is very good.

My physical health is pretty good, I am slightly overweight and making an effort to change this and I currently feel great.

My finances are reasonably okay, but could of course be a lot better. Bank account is in the black.

My business world consists of coaching and teaching. I love working with people to support them through life changes. I am self-employed and an entrepreneur. I am the business.

I am peaceful in my life, enjoying being who I am. I don’t meditate.

For fun I work at pop festivals and trade by offering Indian head massage to all the punters at the festivals.

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I take time for myself every day, even if it is only 5 minutes.

Take a few moments to think about your future. Is there anything you would like to see differently? What are you prepared to do to bring about those changes?

Get in touch today and let me know how you see yourself in a year’s time.

Maggie Currie

Transformational Coach, Consultant
Founder of MAGGIE CURRIE COACHING

Website: http://www.maggiecurrie.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Maggie-Currie-Coaching-527886050648208/?ref=hl
Email: hello@maggiecurrie.co.uk

January 27, 2016 by Maggie Currie

Can you enjoy Valentine’s Day as a single person?

There is so much emphasis on love and marriage leading up to Valentine’s Day and on the day itself. There are adverts everywhere and shops are full of gifts, treats and cards all specifically for this occasion.

But not everyone buys into this sentiment. And there is no reason why everyone should. So how can you survive and keep your sanity if you can’t or don’t want to buy into it?

There are so many ways to make sure you enjoy yourself whether on your own, in a group or with a good friend.

You are probably feeling that you have nobody to rely on but yourself, and on this ‘special day’ my suggestion is to turn the focus of your attention to you. Buy yourself something special, something you will love. Maybe treat yourself to a day being pampered at the spa, or treat yourself to a special meal and enjoy it at home. You don’t have to cook it yourself, order it by phone and have it delivered to your door. Use your favourite crockery, buy a bottle of wine and just enjoy being you, the lovely you that you know you are.

Cork Shot Out From a Bottle of Champagne

Maybe you could get a few of the worst romantic comedy films you can find and invite some of your girlfriends over to watch them with you and make fun of all those dreadful films. Have a fun evening with people you love and be yourself. Have fun with people you love to be with.

If you have children, maybe make the day special for them, as well as you. Buy them some little gifts – maybe chocolate, stuffed toys, model cars etc. You could make a present hunt with clues so they have fun trying to find the little gifts. Perhaps a trip to the theatre or the cinema. Whatever it is you choos, make sure it is fun.

Another way to look at Valentine’s Day is to make some new resolutions, as most New Year’s resolutions were made 6 weeks ago. Make a Valentine’s Day resolution to love yourself, resolve to take some evening classes, resolve to go on that trip you have always promised yourself, make a start towards the dreams you know you want to achieve. Resolve to try new restaurants or to try out new recipes.

Resolve to date yourself, plan life around yourself and learn to love yourself again. This will not only be fun and interesting but loving yourself is the basis of being the confident you.

In the short-term be prepared for personal questions from friends and co-workers about your plans for your Valentine’s Day alone. Have an answer even if it is ‘no comment’.

Don’t get dressed up as that invites questions.
Don’t find a stranger to spend the evening with, you will regret it in the morning and make the next Valentine’s Day even harder to get through.
Remember it is just one day. Shut your door, eat what you want, read a good book, watch your favourite film, do what is fun for you. It will all be over in the morning.

If you would like, you could wait until February 15th and buy yourself a heart-shaped box of chocolates at half the price. Buy yourself some flowers at half price too.

chocolates

Whatever you do, don’t sit at home being miserable and sorry for yourself because you don’t have a date for this silly day.

If you do sit at home and feel sorry yourself don’t beat yourself up about it. Remember, it is only one day, and there is nothing to be ashamed of in not participating in Valentine’s Day. It is your prerogative, be true to YOU.

Maggie Currie

Consultant, Coach, Author
Founder of MAGGIE CURRIE COACHING

Website: http://www.maggiecurrie.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Maggie-Currie-Coaching-527886050648208/?ref=hl
Email: hello@maggiecurrie.co.uk

September 18, 2015 by Maggie Currie

Taking time for YOU!

My clients often tell me that one of the added benefits of coaching they hadn’t considered before they started, is that their hour long session can often be the only time in a busy week that they feel able to step back and truly focus 100% on themselves. Hand on heart, how often could you say that you allow yourself to do that?

A lot of the time we get so busy ‘doing’ that we forget about ‘being’.

Talking through how I felt with a friend one day, I was brought up short when she said “oh yes, you’ve become a human doing instead of a human being” and I thought about that all the way home.

As I reflected on the previous few months I could think of few times when I wasn’t ‘doing’ and even fewer times when I’d consciously decided to take time out and just be.

So what time could you make for yourself to just be? When could you next set aside an hour or two, a whole day or even more than that to relax and recharge? How much better would you feel if you did?

Could you do with some regular time set aside to focus 100% on you and on making your life how you want it?

Have you got so lost in the process of life that you have forgotten who you are? If so, I can help you. Get in touch today.

Maggie Currie

Thought Leader, Coach, Speaker, Author, Survivor
Founder of MAGGIE CURRIE COACHING

Website: http://www.maggiecurrie.co.uk

Facebook: https://goo.gl/ZByKGW
Email: hello@maggiecurrie.co.uk

January 27, 2015 by Maggie Currie

Why We Must Care for Ourselves

So many of us focus so much on caring for others that we forget all about caring for ourselves. But when we don’t take the time to care for ourselves it can be extremely damaging to our health. It is often instilled into us as we grow up, we are conditioned, that we should care for others first and ourselves last and that it is selfish to think of yourself. But I think this belief is wrong and it is not selfish to look after ourselves first, it is absolutely vital.

Giving too much can hurt us. It is important that we learn to care for ourselves too. It doesn’t make us unkind or selfish. We’re not caring less for those who depend upon us. We’re not saying, “I matter more than you.’ We are simply caring for our own needs too, looking after our own health, so that we have more to give in future.

There is a story that really hits home with me and affects me every time I read it, and it says that a mother was taking a flight on a plane with her twin daughters who were aged 5. There was an emergency and the oxygen masks came down and the mother, although she had listened to the safety announcements and knew what to do with her mask did not put her mask on first. Instead she tried to get masks on her twin daughters to no avail. Because she had not put her mask on she soon could not breathe, became unconscious and couldn’t help herself or her daughters. All of them died. Now, if she had put her mask on first she would have been able to calmly fit the masks on her daughters and they would probably all have survived. So no, it is not selfish to look after yourself first, it is vital.

A study of carers carried out in 2004 highlighted how caring for others too much can hurt us. Examining a group of carers who looked after chronically ill children, scientists at the University of California in San Francisco analysed samples of the carers’ DNA.They measured the length of their ‘telomeres’, which are essentially the end caps on DNA, the nearest I can come to describing these is something like the plastic end caps on shoelaces. As we age, our telomeres gradually shorten just like the end caps on shoelaces get worn away. Interestingly measuring the length of telomeres is one of the most accurate ways of measuring the age of the body.

Studying the telomeres of 39 women who cared for chronically ill children and 19 women who were mothers to healthy children, they found that the telomeres of the most stressed carers were 15% shorter than those of the least stressed women. The scientists concluded that this degree of shortening was equivalent to at least ten years of extra aging.

In 2007 a study of carers of Alzheimer’s patients found something similar. University of Ohio scientists studied the telomeres of 41 caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients and compared them with the telomeres of non-caregivers, once again finding that the caregivers had much shorter telomeres.

For people who give too much and are feeling tired and/or stressed, the question I always ask is, ‘If it was a friend or loved one who was in your position, what would you advise them?’ We know what to do but how often do we do what we know?

One way to think of it is like blowing up a balloon. We give a full breath and the balloon begins to inflate. But what do we do next? We take in a large breath to enable us to put more air in the balloon. Kindness to ourselves is like taking a breath. It replenishes us so that we can give even more. If we forget to take a breath we eventually have nothing more to give, and the balloon is left to deflate.

We help others more when we also care for ourselves. Kindness can make the world a better place. But we must not forget to add ourselves to the list of those who need kindness, and make sure we give ourselves the kindness we deserve.

Do you feel like you could be getting more out of your life? Are you looking to make changes to improve your life but don’t know where to start?

Would you like to be happier, more confident, more relaxed and have time to care for yourself?

Good news! You’ve come to the right place and I know I can help… Get in touch today.

Maggie Currie

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December 30, 2014 by Maggie Currie

Do you really know what will it take to make you happy?

Think about it and see if you can discover, or if you know, what it will take for you to be happy?

Will being in a relationship, or with the right boyfriend/girlfriend make you happy?
Will being married make you happy?
Will having a million pounds make you happy?
Will being successful make you happy?
Will having better health make you happy?
Will getting a new job make you happy?
Will having a great career make you happy?

If you think the answer is yes to any or all of the above questions, you’ll never find happiness!

Surprised? Well don’t be. The truth is nothing can make you happy. Happiness is something we feel, not something we can find.

Being happy doesn’t depend on a particular outcome or something happening to you. There isn’t somewhere you can go and find happiness sitting there waiting for you.

Advertising of all sorts is designed to make you think that a new car, a particular skin cream, a new outfit, some new shoes, a drink or a new diet will make you happy, but that is simply not true. Nothing can make you happy because happiness is a feeling. Happiness is something you experience.

If you want to be happy, then be happy. Most people don’t choose to be happy because they spend most of their time focusing on what they perceive is wrong with their life.

Think about it, you can’t be happy doing something that you don’t like. If you don’t believe me try it. Try doing something you despise and see if you can be happy at the same time. Trust me, you won’t be happy doing something you don’t enjoy!

You also can’t do something you really enjoy and be sad or angry. Don’t believe me? Try it. See what happens. Go and try doing something you really enjoy and see if you’re angry or miserable at the same time. That really doesn’t work.

Unfortunately, people believe they can be happy when they achieve a particular goal and make the mistake of chasing that goal in order to be happy. It’s really not achieving the goal that makes them happy. It’s the feeling of achieving the goal that provides another feeling, satisfaction perhaps, that is mistaken for happiness.

This mistake is quite common, because it’s not security or peace of mind that makes you happy. You experience happiness when you do what you enjoy and when you focus on the positive things taking place in your life. If you’re not doing that then you can never be happy. Don’t think that you can be happy just by having something.

You can experience happiness by achieving your particular goal, by doing what you enjoy, having fun while achieving your goals and choosing the right goals, the kind that allow you to be happy all the time. Focus on what you want.

Start doing the things that you enjoy. Look at the positive things that are going on in your life. Direct your mind and subconscious mind to help you experience happiness every day. This will start once you begin to appreciate the good things in your life.

Okay so how can you begin to be happy? It’s really quite simple, all you have to do is shift your focus.

Instead of looking at all that is wrong with your life, instead of looking at what you don’t like about yourself or your life; constantly criticising; change your focus. Start appreciating all that is good in your life. You will probably find there are many things you appreciate.

Make a list if you want and write out all of the positive things in your life. Usually someone will say: “Maggie, I can’t think of anything positive or good in my life. I just want to be happy.” That’s only because you are not seeing all the positive things in your life. And so you’ll never be happy.

Every day there are wonderful things taking place in your life, yet you fail to observe and recognise them. You tend to take them for granted. This can be anything – a hot meal, a wonderful spouse, family, a beautiful flower, lambs playing in a field – If you have a roof over your head, that’s a positive aspect of your life.

Start looking at all of the great and terrific things that are going on in your life and you’ll begin to experience happiness on a deeper level. You can begin to improve or change the areas that you are not happy with but at the same time you should acknowledge the good things that are going on in your life.

Your mind is used to only paying attention to what is going wrong and in the process it directs the subconscious mind to continue creating more of those things that are going wrong. You actually create more of what makes you unhappy.

Why?

Because your subconscious creates what you regularly think about. So if you don’t regularly focus on the positive things you won’t create positive situations in your life.

And here’s where it gets worse. When you constantly focus on what is wrong with your life, when you only think about and see what is wrong in your life your subconscious begins to create more of what is wrong or more of what you don’t want because it thinks that you want more.

Now you know why it can be so difficult for some people to truly experience happiness, it’s because they’re used to focusing on the negative aspects of life and in the end continue to create more of what they don’t want.

In order to change all of this you have to begin training the mind and re-directing the subconscious mind to begin creating what you want in life and to focus on the good things that are taking place in your life.

Begin experiencing happiness by changing your focus. Every day think of the positive things that are going on in your life. Make a list of all the wonderful things that are taking place in your life.

Think of at least 3 great things that happened to you, they can be small or large – but just appreciate 3 good things that happened during the day. Focus on the positive. Direct your mind and subconscious mind by changing your perspective so you experience happiness everyday

Too often I hear from people who simply want to be happy but when I ask them what they do for fun they say: “Nothing.” No wonder you’re not happy. How can you be happy if you’re never having fun in life?

If you want to experience happiness then start doing things that you enjoy. You may like gardening; you may like hang gliding, you may like riding your bike, you may enjoy going for long walks, you may enjoy acting like a 5-year old – whatever it is start doing it and see how great you feel.

But there is one catch when you’re doing what you enjoy, you can only focus on that and not think about anything else that may be bothering you. That’s the only way you’ll truly enjoy the activity and begin to experience happiness.

As adults we get bogged down with the everyday tasks that force us to be serious. We have jobs where we’re serious, bills to pay, food to prepare, children to look after, it’s all too serious and it is necessary. I’m not suggesting you ignore your responsibilities – but take some time just to have some fun.

Now you can’t just have fun once a week or once a month. You have to do this every day. It can be for just 5 minutes a day if you like. That means every day you have to find something fun to do, and only then will you get comfortable and used to the process to the point where you regularly experience happiness. Once you start doing this you’ll enjoy it so much you’ll wonder why you never did this to begin with.

If you don’t feel you have the time to have fun and enjoy your life then you’re really saying that your happiness is not important enough. Only when you decide to be happy will you truly begin to experience happiness. You can work with the techniques I’ve outlined – they will help you get started. But you will need to train your mind and subconscious mind to begin seeing and living in a different way.

Maggie Currie