well being

by

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

maggieheart
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

by

Writing a book

I have been amazed by the ‘success’ of some authors who have become number one best selling authors with each book they have written.

Some have truly earned that status, by selling thousands of copies of their books over a period of time, either through online bookshops, downloads and, of course, physical books in traditional or non-traditional bookshops.

There are many ways to publicise your books, but I note there are a few people who think it is perfectly okay for them to ask everyone on their ‘list’ plus their relatives, employees and pets to pre-order whatever book they are promoting this week.  This makes the book rise in the rankings before it is even released, so on the day of release it appears at number one.

All well and good, and fabulous to have so much recognition for your hard work.  And of course they can now legitimately say that they are number one best selling authors.

 

book

I have read some fascinating books over the past couple of years, and I don’t think any of them were described as being number one best sellers.  Some of them were so gripping that I couldn’t put them down, others were very informative and I learned a lot from, some were factual and I also learned a lot from them.

When I see advertisements for events run by someone who claims that they are a three times number one best selling author, I wonder how they achieved this accolade.  Have I been missing something when it comes to their writing? Have I missed something when it comes to my writing?

I’m not sure. All I know is that my books were written from the heart, based on my own experiences during my life, and are designed to help other people to begin to believe in themselves again.  None of them are number one best sellers yet, but I do know they have been bought and read by people all over the world.  I do know that some of the people who have read them have made significant changes in their lives for the better.  I do know that I loved writing them, holding the finished product in my hand and seeing them on the bookshelves of the bookshop and online.

Dealing with emotional abuse

People have bought them because they wanted to read them.  They wanted to change something about their lives.  I am immensely proud of my achievements in writing and being published.

If you would like to know more about my books, or find out more about me, then please visit my website.

Maybe you would like to find out more about living in the moment and re-vitalising your self-worth,  get in touch and let’s have a conversation.

Maggie Currie

maggieheart
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

 

 

 

 

by

How do I know I have low self-esteem?

Low self-esteem manifests itself in a variety of ways, and I should know I have been there.  For me the following was very true:

  • I didn’t think I was good enough.
  • I thought everyone else thought they were good enough.
  • I didn’t look after myself, I put others first.
  • I let people manipulate me.
  • I was in a bad relationship.
  • I felt sad and thought there must be more to life than this.
  • I constantly asked other people for their opinion, I didn’t think I knew anything.
  • I was verbally and emotionally abused and never felt I was worthy.

I started out with the intention of being happy when I got married at age 19, but soon discovered that the marriage was not working as I was constantly treated like an idiot, not allowed to develop as me, told I was worthless and became a possession.  This situation went on for 12 years and my self-esteem nose-dived.  Whilst in that relationship I had no idea that it wasn’t normal, I thought every marriage was the same.

Dealing with emotional abuse

I woke up one morning and a thought crept into my mind.  This is not normal, there has to be something different.  I summoned the courage to seek some help and explained my situation to a solicitor and he confirmed it was not normal. I decided there and then I had to get out of that relationship.

Getting out of that relationship led me to become a single parent, living in a small flat with three small children, no money, no job, no prospects and I felt there was no hope.  My self-esteem went down even further.

Something had to change, and there was one day that sticks in my mind when things began to change.  I had the flu and the children all had chicken pox.  We were sitting huddled in the living room trying to keep warm and I had only one coin left for the electric meter.  Something had to change and very soon or none of us were going to get through this.

I phoned my parents and asked them to bring me some 50p pieces for the meter.  This didn’t change anything immediately, but it did help us to get better.  I resolved that I could get a job, I was capable and I was going to change mine and my children’s lives.

The very next week I went out and got a job cooking school meals in the school my children attended.  It meant I was there when they went to school and when they came home. I was there in the school holidays.  But it also meant I was independent, no longer reliant on benefits and other people.  I was changing my life.

Does anything resonate with you yet? Can you see the likenesses in your life at the moment? Well I can assure you, there is hope.

It took me a while, some years, but I found the answers to rebuilding my self-esteem and my life to such an extent that I run two successful businesses that I set up and I am a published author. I married again and have been very happily married for 32 years to a wonderful man who loves me.  I have spent over a decade as a life coach and mentor and work with people who have no self-esteem and help them to re-build it and I love every minute of it. I know how it feels, I know it hurts and that’s why I can help so many people.  I am still learning, life is a school and I attend every day.

Dealing with emotional abuse

 

So what can you do right now to begin to change your situation and start to re-build your self-esteem?

  • Stop thinking that you are not good enough. You most definitely are.
  • Begin to look after yourself, put yourself first. It is not selfish – it is essential.
  • Before you think that you don’t have the answer stop, really think about the question, the answer is there, you just have to find it deep down inside yourself.
  • There is more to life than you have now, it is out there waiting for you. What is it that you want? Picture it in your head, write it down, look for it , open your mind to it.
  • Listen to your intuition. Really listen. It is telling you what is right for you now in this moment.

By changing your attitude towards yourself other people will change their attitudes towards you, it will take time, but it will happen.

Begin today to change your life. You deserve to be happy and to be yourself. You deserve to have high self-esteem.

If you would like to find out more about living in the moment and rebuilding your self-esteem,  get in touch and let’s have a conversation.

Maggie Currie

maggieheart
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

 

by

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.

iStock_000010513082XSmall (2)

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

maggieheart
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

by

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

maggieheart
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

by

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.

iStock_000000309009XSmall (2)

  • 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

maggieheart
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

 

by

Thought

As far as I know there is no secret recipe for happiness or contentment. The people who move through life joyously have not necessarily been blessed with lives of abundance, success and prosperity. These people do have the ability, however, to take the circumstances they’ve been given and make them into something great.

Our individual realities are created by our thoughts- delight and despair come from within and not from external sources.  Situations we perceive as fortuitous please us, whereas situations we perceive to be inauspicious can cause us no end of grief.

Yet if we look at all the things we have accomplished and make each new situation our own, the world will become a much brighter place. A simple shift in our attitude can help us excavate our potential for fulfilment in every event, every relationship, every duty and every setback.

 

Life can seem to be unpredictable and we as humans tend to focus on the negative and assume the positive will care for itself.  But life is no more or no less than what we think of it.

Stressed Businesswoman

If you are working in a job you dislike, you can think to yourself, ‘what if I did like this job?’ and find the positive aspects of the position and approach your work with a different attitude.  By doing this you can turn it around so you like it and enjoy it more.

When faced with the prospect of tackling something you fear, you can think of it as an opportunity to discover what you are truly capable of doing.  Similarly, events that are unexpected, if you view them as surprises, can add a new dimension to your daily life.  By choosing to love life, you can create an atmosphere of happiness that is wonderfully infectious.  A change in your thinking is all it takes to change your world, but you have to be willing to adopt an optimistic, hopeful mind-set.

To make a conscious decision to be happy is not enough. You must re-learn how to view life’s complexities as though seeing them through the eyes of a child seeing everything for the first time. You must also try and rid yourself of any preconceived ideas of what is good and what is bad so that you can appreciate the rich insights hiding in various stages of your life’s journey.

happychildren

And you must strive to discover the pleasure of wanting what you already have.  As you begin to shift your thoughts, your life will be permeated with happiness, and this will remain with you forever.

When you start to see the true power of thought and its relationship to your way of observing life, your transformations will begin and you will better understand yourself and the world in which you live.

  • Your mind works only one way
  • Your mind has a built-in design for success.
  • Your life will be more productive, enjoyable and fulfilling the more deeply you realise the living truth of the first two points.

Please get in touch with me today for a free conversation so we can discuss the best way I can serve you. I will deliver the goods and help you get the results you want. It’s time to really invest in yourself.

Maggie Currie

maggieheart
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

by

Putting ‘You’ first

Do you remember travelling on a plane?  If you do, you have probably heard the instructions of the cabin crew reminding you to put on your own oxygen mask before helping anyone else with theirs. This advice is often told as a story for self-care because it expresses accurately why it is so important.

A woman was travelling on a plane with her twin 4 year old daughters.  The safety message clearly stated that should there be an emergency the oxygen masks would drop down.  Passengers were instructed to ensure they fitted their own masks before going to aid anyone else.

oxygen masks

There was an emergency, the oxygen masks fell.  The mother tried to fit a mask on one of her daughters, who wriggled and screamed and so she failed.  She tried to fit a mask on her other daughter with the same effect.  By the time she had unsuccessfully tried to fix their masks in place she had lost consciousness.  They too lost consciousness.  Sadly they all died.

This is why it is so important to look after you first.  To put your metaphorical oxygen mask on first.  So that if there are problems with helping others, you are still alive to keep on helping.

There are very few situations in your daily life that mimic the wake-up call of a plane emergency, so it’s very easy to keep putting off self-care.  Easy, that is, until you get ill, overwhelmed or physically exhausted, and suddenly you don’t have the energy to care for the people who count on you.  That’s when you realise that you haven’t been caring for yourself. It begins to dawn on you that taking care of yourself is not selfish or indulgent; it’s just plain practical.

Putting yourself first means that it might be necessary to say no to someone else in order to say yes to yourself.  For many of you, that is the point where guilt kicks in and you feel you could or should be doing something for someone else.  Keep in mind the oxygen mask metaphor.

concept

You can encourage yourself by saying “I am caring for myself so that I can care for others” or any other sentence or phrase that you find encouraging.  It will also help you if you remember that self-care doesn’t have to be very time-consuming. In fact, the best prescription for taking care of yourself probably means small, daily rituals; for example, taking a half-hour for yourself at the beginning and/or end of each day to meditate or journal, think or read or just be. You may also like to transform your daily shower or bath into a half-hour self-pampering session occasionally.

Whatever you decide is right for you, making that small gesture where you put yourself first every day will pay off  hugely for you and the ones you love.

Putting yourself first is not selfish, it is vital; you just need to be reminded how important you are to you and everyone else.

Maggie Currie

maggieheart
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

by

Your accomplishment diary

A great way to remind yourself how good you are is to keep an accomplishment diary.  It is a smart tool to remind yourself just how good you are and what you have to be thankful for and pleased about in your life right now.

It is something I used to remind myself of my accomplishments and successes after going through a toxic relationship, divorce and learning to be me again.

diary

Buy yourself a beautiful notebook or a day to view diary and once a week for a month jot down your answers to the following questions.

Don’t give me any excuses about you haven’t got the time to do it! Take 10 minutes per week, sit down and jot down your thoughts to the following:

  • What have I got to be grateful for in my life right now?
  • What am I happy about in my life right now?
  • Why am I happy about these things?
  • What did I accomplish last week?
  • What am I excited about in my life right now?
  • Who do I love and appreciate in my life?
  • Who do I like hanging around?
  • Why do I like hanging around with them?
  • Who loves and appreciates me for what I am? Warts ‘n all!

Answer these questions honestly at the start of each week and it will set you up for success.

If you need a booster midweek, then by all means read your answers again, or even answer the questions again, whenever you want to feel centred and remind yourself of what you have got going for yourself in your life right now. And you have a lot.

I would love to hear about your experience of writing in your accomplishment diary.

Maybe you need help to begin thinking more positively about yourself.  So, if this resonates with you, and you would like to have a conversation about how coaching with me will work, get in touch today and we can arrange to have a chat to begin finding out where you think you are in your life and how I can serve you.

As Sydney Banks says, “ When the mind is filled with positive thoughts, cause and effect rule, resulting in a positive feeling.”

I really look forward to hearing from you soon.

Maggie Currie

maggieheart
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

by

You are great!

One of the most well known confidence building exercises is to list your own strengths and natural abilities. By looking at the list you will be able to say “Wow, I really am good!” It is a true reflection of your abilities.

Another great way of building your confidence and getting in touch with how great you actually are is to ask friends, colleagues and people who you know for feedback on your strengths and natural abilities.

As a practical exercise list 5 people who you know and trust.  Make sure they are from different areas of your life.

List them: Here are a few suggestions

  • A family member
  • A friend
  • A work colleague
  • An associate
  • A social contact
  • An evening class member
  • A group member

You might at this stage be feeling a little nervous about asking these people for feedback. Don’t worry, because you will be only asking for your strengths.

Just go for it!

email

So, how do you go about it? Well, below is a list of questions that I’d like you to ask to each person on your list.

I recommend that you explain the context of the exercise however you feel is best and then email them the questions so they can email their feedback to you.

  1. What do you perceive to be my greatest strengths?
  2. What do you like most about me?
  3. What do you value most about me?
  4. What three words sum up the positive points about me?
  5. If you needed help with something, what would you call me to help you with?

They will feel honoured that you have asked them and the feedback that you will receive will truly make you feel fabulous and full of confidence. Rightly or wrongly, we live in a society where other peoples’ opinions count to our self esteem and confidence. By completing this exercise you will get a genuine insight into some of your strengths.

Often you receive valuable information on the strengths that you didn’t even know you had!

After you have received all of the feedback it is now time to reflect on what has been written or said:

  • How do you feel about it?
  • Are there any surprises?
  • Do you feel confident about your abilities?
  • How can you use this information going forward?
  • How can you maximise your strengths?

 

golden courage dust

Here is some golden courage dust to help you on your way with this exercise.

 

If these people think you have these strengths, so do a lot of other people as well – how does that make you feel?

  • What are the key insights you have learned?
  • What will you do now differently from what you have done before?

I would love to hear about your experience of doing this exercise.

Maybe you need help to begin thinking more positively about yourself.  So, if this resonates with you, and you would like to have a conversation about how coaching with me will work, get in touch today and we can arrange to have a chat to begin finding out where you think you are in your life and how I can serve you.

As Sydney Banks says, “ Thought is the master key that opens the world of reality to all living creatures.”

I really look forward to hearing from you soon.

Maggie Currie

maggieheart
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