What kind of bird are you?

Yesterday was a glorious day, and since I am dragging my birthday out I decided to spoil myself just that bit extra.

I positioned one of the garden sofas so that I could get all of the cushions on there and place it in the direction for optimal sun and minimum shadows, ordered a G & T with Ice and a slice from the gorgeous waiter that resides in my home (Okay the hubby) and got my book out. It may sound an incredibly boring book but Psycho-Cybernetics is actually a great book (basically about repositioning your mindset to get what you want out of life and you) and I was deep in thought as I read and then I read these words that I often find myself appreciating. "Stop, Look and Listen"

Maxwell Maltz talks about taking the time out to stop and appreciate everything around you. Anyone that reads my blog regularly will know that I create that space for myself and I really appreciate the importance of doing this. However in the high octane energy, excitement and fun of my birthday sitting still and quiet had not been high on my agenda. So...

I put down my book had a sip of my drink and looked up at the beautiful blue sky. Just like I did as a child I still find clouds fascinatingly beautiful. And as I gazed at these and felt the warmth of the sun on my body I could hear the fishing boats out at sea, the bee buzzing in my sun flowers and I felt reconnected with the wonderful world around me.

When I look at the sky I find it amazing to think that there is not another living thing between me and the next inhabited planet (wherever that may be) and I feel like a distant star. Some where out there in the cosmos someone else could be doing the exact same thing and looking in my direction wondering similar thoughts to me. It makes you feel very small, but very special to be a part of such a wondrous thing.

As I watched the clouds move, and whisper, I noticed the birds.

Some birds flap their wings very fast but fly no faster than the bird that flaps its wings once in a while. Okay so you could argue that their wings are shorter and they have no choice, but evolution has taught us that all living things can adjust to its environment. So why do some birds flap like a jumping jack on red bull and others leisurely fly twice as fast with half the effort?

This got me thinking about us two legged, non feathered ones. (Yes humans.) Some of us flap around like the proverbial headless chicken, getting very little done and stressed to the hilt and others seem to glide through life looking like good luck falls in their lap all the time.

Unlike birds that can not overnight change their wing span, us humans can change the way we perform.

So are you a pigeon batting your wings like their on fire or are you a albatross or an eagle gracefully and effortlessly soaring above the world?

I realise that it can depend on what we are thinking more than what we are doing. If you think that life is hard work and nothing comes to me easily then you better keep flapping like a humming bird. On the other hand if you know you have done your best, planned, smiled and accepted life has a way of working out, then enjoy the view and gracefully glide through your life.

And if you feel like a humming bird what could you do?

First of all like a David Attenborough slow mo bit, slow things down. Take the time in the words of Maxwell Maltz to stop, look and listen. Don't be like the swallow and sleep while still moving, give yourself some space and some quiet time.

Like a condor fly high above the world and observe from a distance what is happening in your life. By the time you fly back down to earth you will have come up with some new ways of dealing with the same problems, because you look at them from such a different angle.

Lastly enjoy the view, Your life is unique to you. So that includes everything not just the bad stuff, all your unique qualities combined together with your life experiences created you, so fly high and love the view.

So what a thought for the day!

I am sure I will get lots of posts about what kind of a bird you are. Personally I must be a sea bird, Something like an Albatross. Soaring high above the ocean living off of sea food - if I could just work out how to get my G & T up there that would suit me fine!

Vitals for Business (& children) - Nuture, Protect and Love AND when to stand back.

"That's my baby boy!" I thought as I watched him walk up the road on his own with four planks of wood under his arm. He's eight and half, and since my parents live 5 minutes from our home he wanted to be independent and walk round to Grandad & Nana's on his own.

It's Saturday morning the sun is shining and apparently Harry and Grandad have been in deep talks over the architectural designs of his new soap box (apparently it will include a bunk bed for his and his sister's Build-a-Bears) and so "an early start is needed Mum to get it started". I love a walk on a Saturday morning down the avenue of trees to the beach with the sun sparkling on the sea, so I would happily stroll with my son and have a nice chat.

But my 'memory like a super computer' son remembered that with more responsibility comes more opportunity. Hence you help put the recycling out and you get to stay up late and watch Star Trek. You help Mum put the shopping away and you get to use a big 'slice the eyelash in half' knife and help prepare dinner, and his new idea is "Can I walk to Nana's on my own?"

Gulp!

He may be 8 and half but to me he will always be my baby boy. Someone that I loved making for 9 months and who, despite being a night mare at potty training, and had colic for the first 3 months of his life and so did not sleep allllllll night creating a zombie mum, is someone that always makes me happy to be alive and brings me a smile and a hug. He is so precious to me. Watching him grow up and create his own ideas of what is important and what is fun is a pleasure, and letting him walk out into the big wide world on his own is a very scary prospect for me.

But some where down the line I will have to relinquish control. I can't (won't want) a 25 year old man of a son holding my hand in Sainsbury's asking me if he can go and look at the toys. (When he is 25 me and hubby plan to be travelling the world with a credit card, a passport and a passion for 5 star hotels on distant exotic shores with the odd elephant ride and a trip to see the Indian tribes of Central America) so I have to create little opportunities for him (and me) to experiment with freedom.

But still as I watched him to the end of the road with the phone to my ear, advising grandad in spy walkie-talkie mode "Sparrow Sparrow this is N.P.M here, the target is on the move, I repeat the target is on the move, do you have visual? over" Knowing full well that he is perfectly safe, Dad is already stood in the middle of the avenue in his dressing gown watching out for him, that I can feel my heart racing in my throat (why does your heart always jump into your throat? Is it on a piece of elastic for emergencies?)

Knowing when to let go and stand back and trust everything will be okay is not easy. And this got me thinking that in all areas of life this can be said.

With my business for instance, sometimes I know that I have done everything that needs to be done and could possibly be done to succeed and yet I worry like a clucky mother hen over it.

Worry creates a negative energy, and this in turn can affect the outcome of what I am working on. When you genuinely stop and trust that everything is in order. You need to concentrate on feeling content and happy that you have done everything that you need to and everything will be fantastic. In this way you are allowing your subconscious to pick up on your positivity and feed on it and enhance the outcome.

Think about the reverse of this. If you feel negative and worry, you are feeding yourself negative emotions - fear, worry, doubt, sadness, frustration, desperation and you know what will happen? You brain will help you find plenty more of it.

So CONCENTRATE on the outcome you want. Actively DO all that you can to get the results that you want, but importantly KNOW when to stop and step back and trust that everything will be fabulous.

My business quite often feels like a vulnerable little child. That I want to protect and nurture. That needs 24 hour care like a new born baby. But I realise now that I treat it more and more like a 8 year old child. Most of the time it needs my monitoring, my love and care. It needs me to be the best that I can for it. But sometimes that includes standing back and letting it do its thing because after all just like my son it is an amazing thing that I made.