me

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The Importance of Napping

In this modern world, we’re often compelled to be as productive as possible during as many hours of the day as we can. While this can lead to great feats of accomplishment, we may become exhausted and find ourselves craving rest and rejuvenation. We may feel like taking a nap but feel guilty about indulging in even ten minutes of rest. This need for personal downtime, which many people experience in the early afternoon, isn’t a sign of laziness nor is it necessarily related to how much sleep you had the night before. There was even a time when taking a nap was considered a natural part of everyone’s day.

animal cat close up cute

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Napping is a pleasurable if brief period of sleep when our minds and bodies can take a break. Though usually thought by many to be a pastime for children or the elderly, napping can benefit people of all ages. The desire to nap is a trait shared by many mammals, and napping is still an important part of the day in some countries. Snoozing for a half-hour can promote physical well-being, and naps have been known to improve mood and memory. A 20-minute nap can sharpen your senses and revitalise you, while a ten minute nap can leave you feeling more cheerful. Falling into a light sleep during the daytime can feel meditative. The thoughts you have as you are taking a nap and the dreams you experience may offer you insights about your life that you may not have at night when you are in a deep sleep.

In order to fully enjoy the benefits of napping, you may need to give yourself permission to nap. Feeling guilty about snoozing or worrying about your to-do list won’t do you much good when you are trying to take a nap because your thoughts or feelings will keep you awake. Try to nap at the same time each day, and use an alarm clock to ensure that you don’t sleep for too long. Learning to nap and enjoy its restorative benefits can help you wake up restored, rejuvenated, and ready for the rest of your day.

If you would like to begin to change your world,  then contact me and begin your journey. I would love work with you.

I offer coaching and mentoring to you – for you to make the changes you want to in your life. Build your confidence in your abilities.  Read my clients’ testimonials here. To help you to have more fun, more freedom and less stress. That is it. There is no catch. I believe in you.

Maggie Currie

maggieheart

Professional 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

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My coaching learning from day 1 – You may be inspired to work with me

In 2004 I was offered some free distance learning courses in life coaching and so I took up the offer. I thoroughly enjoyed learning all about how life coaching changes lives, how the mechanics of coaching work, practising on various people and of course receiving my certificates to tell me that I was now a qualified life coach. So now I could go out and change the world! Not quite.

In 2005 there followed some more learning with The Coaching Academy which involved an upfront cost, several weekends attending lectures (extra cost of travel and accommodation) and then loads of workbooks to complete and a dissertation to write. The workbooks were simple enough, the dissertation took time. There was very little ongoing support and I qualified as a corporate coach. So now I could go out and change the world! No.

2006 came and I decided that NLP would be useful. I undertook a three day course. This involved more upfront expense, (extra cost of travel and accommodation) interactive lectures every day and at the end of those three days I was a qualified NLP Practitioner. No support afterwards. That was it. Was I ready now to go out and change the world? No, there was still something missing.

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Still in 2006 I trained with Dawn Breslin who had worked in television and had a slightly different approach to coaching. Her style was gentle and worked loosely on emotions and boosted self-esteem and confidence. This involved a lot more upfront expense, 5 days of interactive lectures and I qualified as a confidence coach and group trainer. Very little ongoing support.  This worked for me on several levels and I changed some people’s lives for the better, but there was still something missing. I needed more, but I wasn’t sure what.

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In the same year I trained with The Association for Thought Field Therapy and loved how it all worked.  I am qualified in the Callahan Techniques of Thought Field Therapy.

Also in the same year I trained with Healing Hands School of Natural Therapies in Indian Head Massage and qualified with a Level 3 Diploma.  This has been very useful when working in festivals as I have helped many people get rid of their headaches, creaky necks from sleeping in tents, and generally relaxed them over the past twelve years.

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In 2007 I qualified with the School of Natural Sciences with a diploma in Sports Psychology.  A great subject that works well with coaching.

In 2010 I was intrigued by some information I found on Twitter about an emotion based coaching programme that offered something different. I contacted the person who was tweeting and she put me in touch with the creator of the programme. This was Maia Berens. We talked on the phone, I found out about how the programmed worked – online. I found out that there would be ongoing phone support weekly – a real person to talk to and bounce ideas off and learn from. I found out I could work with other coaches and enhance my learning on weekly calls too. So that was learning online with two calls per week to support and teach too. And allegedly there was support and contact going on long after completion of the course. There was an upfront expense and I signed up there and then.

Six months later I graduated and although I was promised that teaching would continue for the rest of my life and at no extra cost, this did not happen.  The person who ran the courses was really doing them for her own benefit, to stop her feeling lonely and to boost her own self-esteem.  So once I had graduated I was basically shunned from the organisation and my name does not appear anywhere on the list of qualified coaches.

Also in 2010 I achieved an Edexcel Level 4 BTEC Professional Award in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTTLS) which helps with planning and delivering workshops and training sessions.

graduated

In 2011 I achieved a Diploma in Distance Tutoring from The Learning Institute and began tutoring distance learners to help them achieve the qualification of Life Coaching Diploma with the Blackford Centre.  I love working with these students, who come from all different backgrounds and always work hard to achieve their aims.

Also in that year I worked with Susan Jeffers, author of Feel the fear and do it anyway.  I met her in London and we chatted for ages about what she does and how she liked to meet people who want to do her work.  I completed all the necessary training and became accredited to deliver her courses.  Susan read the manuscript of my book ‘What you believe creates your reality’ and commented “A really good book”.  A great accolade indeed. Sadly Susan died in 2012.

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In 2015 I achieved a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Diploma from the Centre of Excellence and have worked with some lovely clients.

In 2016 I achieved a Mindfulness Diploma from the Centre of Excellence and this works really well with coaching.

In the same year I achieved a Special Educational Needs & Disability Diploma (SENDS) from the Centre of Excellence which has given me a greater understanding of the needs of people with additional needs.

Also in the same year I worked with Jamie Smart over a period of months, which involved several whole weekends of lectures, plus the additional expense of travel and accommodation, plus online lectures and achieved becoming a Clarity Coach using the three principles and working from the inside out.  Something which works very well with my coaching skills.

It is my choice to be a life coach and I am very happy with my profession. My career definitely reflects my passions and life purpose. My purpose is to help people to change their way of thinking so that they learn to love themselves and by doing that they learn to live their lives authentically as themselves. This of course has a ripple effect, as other people change their reactions and perceptions and they see a whole new person and want to change too.

My major influences have been Kelvin (my husband) who supports me in all that I do, me because I believe in myself and am learning more and more how to be ME, my friends in deed (fellow coaches) and everyone who has taught me something throughout my life.

I am finding it totally realistic to want to change the consciousness of the world, one person at a time. I want to impact the lives of one million people either directly or indirectly.  We are all emotional beings who have been conditioned to think of others first. Yes, we must consider others in the world, but we must also look after ourselves first. If we don’t look after ourselves we cannot look after other people. I am changing the world, one thought at a time.

If you would like to begin to change the world, or change your world,  you like my story, then contact me and begin your journey. I would love work with you.

I offer coaching and mentoring to you – for you to make the changes you want to in your life. Build your confidence in your abilities.  Read my clients’ testimonials here. To help you to have more fun, more freedom and less stress. That is it. There is no catch. I believe in you.

Maggie Currie

maggieheart

Professional 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

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Common Courtesy

Sometimes we feel we don’t have the time to reach out to others with those small gestures that make up what we call common courtesy.  It sometimes seems that this kind of social awareness belongs to the past, to smaller towns and slower times. Yet, when someone extends a small common courtesy to us, we always feel touched. Someone who lends a helping hand when we are struggling with our shopping bags makes an impression because many people just walk right by. Even someone who simply makes the effort to look us in the eye, smile, and greet us properly when entering a room stands out of the crowd. These people carry with them the elegance and grace of another time, and we are always thankful for our contact with them. Common courtesy is a small gesture that makes a big difference.

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Photo by Marcus Wöckel on Pexels.com

Of course a vital component of common courtesy is awareness and common sense—looking outside yourself to notice when someone needs help or acknowledgment. As a courteous person, you are aware that you are walking into a room full of people or that your waiter has arrived to take your order. Awareness then leads to action. It is usually quite clear what needs to be done—open the door for the person holding the baby, move your car up two feet so another person can park behind you, acknowledge your sister’s shy boyfriend with a smile and some conversation, apologise if you bump into someone.  A third component is to give courtesy freely, without expecting anything in return. People may not even take notice, much less return the kindness, but you can take heart in the fact that you are creating the kind of world you want to live in with your actions.

When you are out in the world, remember to be aware of others, lend your hand when one is needed, and give this help without an ulterior motive. Through these small actions, you make this world a better place in which to live and the ripple effect may reach others too.

If anything resonates with you in this article, I will be delighted to hear from you, and of course be happy to help you.

I offer coaching and mentoring to you – for you to make the changes you want to in your life. Build your confidence in your abilities.  Read my clients’ testimonials here. To help you to have more fun, more freedom and less stress. That is it. There is no catch. I believe in you.

Maggie Currie

maggieheart

Professional 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

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There Is Only Now

It is easy for us to walk through our lives without really being present. While dwelling on the past and living for the future are entertaining, it is physically impossible to live anywhere but in the present moment. We cannot step out of our front door and take a right turn to April of last year, any more than we can take a left turn to New Year’s eve in the future.  We can, however, easily miss the future we are waiting for as it becomes the now we are too busy to pay attention to.  We will spend the rest of our time playing “catch up” to the moment that we just let pass by. During moments like these, it is important to remember that there is only Now.

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Photo by Ikhsan Sugiarto on Pexels.com

So you can feel more at home in the present moment, it is essential to try to stay aware, open and receptive. Being in the present moment requires our full attention so that we are fully awake to experience it. When we are fully present, our minds do not wander. We are focused on what is going on right now, rather than thinking about what just happened or worrying about what is going to happen next. Being present lets us experience each moment in our lives in a way that cannot be fully lived through memory or fantasy.

When we begin to focus our attention into the present moment, it can be almost overwhelming to be here. There is a state of stillness that has to happen that may take some getting used to, and the mind chatter that so often gets us into our heads and out of the present moment doesn’t have as much to do. We may feel a lack of control because we aren’t busy planning our next move, assessing our current situation, or anticipating the future. Instead, being present requires that we be flexible, creative, attentive, and spontaneous. Each present moment is completely new, and nothing like it has happened or will ever happen again. As you move through your day, remember to stay present in each moment. In doing so, you will live your life without having to wait for the future or yearn for the past. Life happens to us when we happen to life in the Now.

If anything resonates with you in this article, I will be delighted to hear from you, and of course be happy to help you.

I offer coaching and mentoring to you – for you to make the changes you want to in your life. Build your confidence in your abilities.  Read my clients’ testimonials here. To help you to have more fun, more freedom and less stress. That is it. There is no catch. I believe in you.

Maggie Currie

maggieheart

Professional 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

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Before the world is awake

Immediately before the appearance of the pale rays of dawn, Mother Nature exists in a state of flux. Earth’s energy is stable, free of the disordered vibrations that are a by-product of humanity’s comings and goings. In these early moments of day, when the sun’s golden light is only just peeking over the horizon, our animal mind remains quite sleepy though we ourselves are awake. Deep sleep has washed away the impurities of existence that accumulated within us, so our mental, physical, and emotional potential is heightened. To meditate or just think in this peaceful yet energetically charged in-between time is to connect with the universe in an extremely intimate fashion. We discover a new kinship with the universal life force during this time because our awareness becomes a mirror for earthly consciousness—we wake as the world wakes, quietly embracing the joy of being and setting the tone for a serene, fulfilling day.

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

In that first glorious glow of morning, the light, air, and energy flowing around us whisper of the activity to come. While we recognise that another day of being means becoming once again immersed in the challenges of action and reaction, we also understand that we can draw upon the unique energetic qualities of daybreak for comfort, creativity, and vigour. There is serenity in the simple knowledge that we have been given the gift of another day of existence. We are inspired by sights and sounds of the sun’s gentle ascension. Birds serenade the luminosity, which grows richer by the minute. And though we may feel a residual lethargy, our vitality returns as our meditation or thinking helps us to become one with the stirring of other beings rubbing the sleep from their eyes. At the start of each day, our destiny has not yet been written, and so there is nothing we cannot do.

How we choose to meditate or think is less important than our choice to attune ourselves to the spirit of wakefulness that travels round the world each and every day. Even the briefest moment of quiet contemplation in the muted light of the sun can put all that is yet to come into perspective. As a consequence of our daybreak reflections, our lives are imbued with the same stability, tranquility, and increased awareness that humanity has long associated with the stillness of early morning.

If anything resonates with you in this article, I will be delighted to hear from you, and of course be happy to help you.

I offer coaching and mentoring to you – for you to make the changes you want to in your life. Build your confidence in your abilities.  Read my clients’ testimonials here. To help you to have more fun, more freedom and less stress. That is it. There is no catch. I believe in you.

Maggie Currie

maggieheart

Professional 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

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Shake those tail feathers

Most of us express our individuality in many ways throughout our lives. Although, as we proudly share our offbeat traits and preferences with the world, we take great trouble to downplay those eccentricities we ourselves deem odd. Instead of living lives coloured by these quirky impulses, we seek out socially acceptable outlets for our peculiarities. We may not realise that we are editing ourselves in this way because our individual societal awareness is unintentionally tuned in to the attitudes of the people we encounter each day. Over time, we have learned to suppress some of the most fun aspects of individuality. To rediscover and embrace these buried traits, we need only ask ourselves what we would do if we knew for certain that no one would judge our choices.

wild turkey

Photo by ASHISH SHARMA on Pexels.com

Visualising this day without judgment can help you to understand the idiosyncrasies that are an important part of who you are but seldom manifest themselves in your existence. Perhaps you secretly dream of replacing grown-up, conservative clothing in favour of a changing array of outfits. You may envision yourself painting your car electric-green, hugging the trees in a crowded local park, singing joyous songs as you skip through your community, or taking up an exciting hobby like fire spinning. Try not to be surprised, however, if your imagination takes you in unexpectedly simple directions. In your musings, you may see yourself doing things such as breaking out in dance or dying your hair a fun colour. Regardless of the nature of your suppressed peculiarities, ask yourself what is really stopping you from making them a part of your life, and then resolve to incorporate at least one into your everyday existence.

Life as we know it is so short. Making the most of years we are granted is a matter of being ourselves even though we know that we will inevitably meet people who disapprove of our choices. When you shake your tail feathers like no one is watching, you will discover that there are many others who appreciate you because you are willing to let go of some inhibitions. By doing this you help others know it is okay. No one else in the world is precisely like you and, each time you revel in this simple fact, you rededicate yourself to the celebration of your individuality.

If anything resonates with you in this article, I will be delighted to hear from you, and of course be happy to help you.

I offer coaching and mentoring to you – for you to make the changes you want to in your life. Build your confidence in your abilities.  Read my clients’ testimonials here. To help you to have more fun, more freedom and less stress. That is it. There is no catch. I believe in you.

Maggie Currie

maggieheart

Professional 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

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Pushing Buttons

We’ve all had our buttons pushed to the point where we feel we really can’t take it any longer, and chances are, we’ve all pushed somebody else’s buttons, with or without knowing it. The button pusher may not be aware of what they’re doing, but in the end the buttons belong to us, and we are the ones who must deal with what comes up. The more we take responsibility for our own feelings and reactions, the less reactive these buttons will be.

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Photo by Moose Photos on Pexels.com

We’ve all had the experience of having someone snap at us, it would appear from nowhere. This happens when we unconsciously push a button in someone else we didn’t even know was there. This can happen with a complete stranger and sometimes with a person we’ve known very well for years. We ourselves may also have a relationship with someone whose buttons we secretly would like to push. Buttons are just soft spots that have been touched one too many times, and they symbolise some pain that needs to be acknowledged and healed. This may be a wound remembered from childhood, or a recent trauma, that we haven’t adequately tended. Whatever the case, when our buttons get pushed, the person who most needs our attention and caring is us, and blaming the button pusher only distracts us from finding a true resolution to our suffering.

At the same time, if someone continually opens our wounds so that they never have time to heal, we must set a boundary with that person. Compulsive button pushers, who seem to find pleasure or satisfaction in hurting us, are not welcome in our personal space. In the end, knowing where our buttons are enables us to do the work necessary to heal. Freedom comes when we deal with the pain behind the button, thus disconnecting our automatic reaction to being pushed which will in turn stop the button pusher.

If anything resonates with you in this article, I will be delighted to hear from you, and of course be happy to help you.

I offer coaching and mentoring to you – for you to make the changes you want to in your life. Build your confidence in your abilities.  Read my clients’ testimonials here. To help you to have more fun, more freedom and less stress. That is it. There is no catch. I believe in you.

Maggie Currie

maggieheart

Professional 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

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Tree House

There is no greater way to escape the troubles of daily life than to climb up into the welcoming space of a tree house. Like a bird in its nest, we feel held and safe in the branches, hidden within a curtain of green leaves. Here we can breathe more freely and think more clearly, our hearts and brains fed by the oxygen released by the leaves. We appear to float above the everyday world of the ground, we have a bird’s-eye view of all that remains below.

girl climbing ladder

Photo by Kaboompics .com on Pexels.com

We may choose to be alone or we may invite a special friend to join us. Whichever we choose, this is our private world in which we get to decide who comes and goes. It is our haven where we can fully be who we are, and reveal our most hidden secrets, dreams, and desires. It is also an ideal vantage point on the life that continues below the branches. Often, a new view of a situation is just what we need to answer a difficult question, solve a challenging problem, or see something we’ve haven’t noticed before. It is as if we have climbed up into the heavens and are able to tap into a higher awareness. We can draw on this airy energy to revitalise us, relax us, and feed us new ideas. When we climb down, we are ready to enter the world again, cleaner, clearer, and often more inspired.

If you haven’t been in a tree house for a while, now may be the time to make one for yourself or find someone else’s and ask if you can borrow it for a short while. If you can’t find or create an actual tree house, see if you can find a rooftop garden, or a quiet spot in a grove of trees on a hilltop, or perhaps a light-filled attic. Or just close your eyes and create a virtual tree house  in the branches of your favourite tree.

If anything resonates with you in this article, I will be delighted to hear from you, and of course be happy to help you.

I offer coaching and mentoring to you – for you to make the changes you want to in your life. Build your confidence in your abilities.  Read my clients’ testimonials here. To help you to have more fun, more freedom and less stress. That is it. There is no catch. I believe in you.

Maggie Currie

maggieheart

Professional 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

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People and Trees

A tree that is beginning to grow sends its roots down into Mother Earth as it also reaches and opens to the sky above, finding nourishment from the sun and the moisture in the air and in the rain that falls soaking the earth down to its roots. In the same way, we can visualise ourselves as treelike beings. Imagine that we have roots reaching down into the earth, energetic strands that keep us connected. Simultaneously the crowns of our heads lift and open to receive nourishment from above. Just like a tree, we seek the sunshine and water we need to survive and thrive. Both trees and people serve as conduits for the intertwining of the opposite and complementary elements of air, water, sun, and earth.

tree of support

We humans also share creative ways of growing with trees, regardless of the challenges we come up against in our environments. Trees will even grow through rock, shattering it, to reach the air and light they need to survive. We are similarly resilient, with an innate ability for growth and the conditions that promote it. We find creative ways over or around any obstacles we confront as we move along our paths, moving toward the light that feeds us, just as trees grow around other trees and rocks as they make their way upward.

Thinking about the ways in which trees and people mirror one another brings us into alignment with the reality that we are part of Mother Nature. Our children, the trees and their children, will live together on the earth as long as we all survive, sharing the elements and serving together to forward nature’s plan. Walking in a forest can be a meditation, a re-connection with nature, the interweaving lives of all living creatures and the planet on which we all take root and reach for the sky.

If anything resonates with you in this article, I will be delighted to hear from you, and of course be happy to help you.

I offer coaching and mentoring to you – for you to make the changes you want to in your life. Build your confidence in your abilities.  Read my clients’ testimonials here. To help you to have more fun, more freedom and less stress. That is it. There is no catch. I believe in you.

Maggie Currie

maggieheart

Professional 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

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Doing for Others

When we are feeling bad, often our first instinct is to isolate ourselves and focus on what we perceive is upsetting us. Sometimes we really do need some downtime, but more often the best way to get out of the blues quickly is to turn our attention to other people.  In being of service to others, paradoxically, we can often find answers to our own questions and solutions to our own problems. We may also end up feeling more connected to the people around us, as well as being empowered by the experience of helping someone.

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When we reach out to people we can help, we confirm that we are not alone in our own need for support and inspiration. We also remind ourselves that we are powerful and capable in certain ways. When our own problems or moods get the better of us, there is always someone else who can use our particular gifts and energy to help them out. They, in turn, remind us that we are not the only people in the world with difficulties or issues. We all struggle with the problems of life, and we all feel overwhelmed from time to time, but we can almost always find solace in service.

In the most ideal situation, the person we are helping sheds light on our own dilemma, sometimes with a direct piece of advice, and sometimes without saying anything at all. Often just the act of getting our minds out of the obsessive mode of trying to figure out what to do about our own life does the trick. Many great inventors and artists have found that the inspiration they need to get to the next level in their work comes not when they’re working but when they’re out walking or washing up. We do ourselves and everyone else a great service when we take a break from our sorrows and extend ourselves to someone in need.

If anything resonates with you in this article, I will be delighted to hear from you, and of course be happy to help you.

I offer coaching and mentoring to you – for you to make the changes you want to in your life. Build your confidence in your abilities.  Read my clients’ testimonials here. To help you to have more fun, more freedom and less stress. That is it. There is no catch. I believe in you.

Maggie Currie

maggieheart

Professional 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