Start of the Happy Secret to Better Work.

Shawn Achor's TED Talk - Happy Secret to Better Work

In this very entertaining TED Talk Shawn gives some simple things a person can do each day to increase their happiness.

Today is the first day - Monday 20 April 2015.

Three things I am grateful for today:

1. My son Jacob getting involved with this and partnering with me.
2. The opportunity to assist another with his recovery.
3. Milena's teaching style and warmth.

Getting to the gym was a struggle today because I was up all night peeing. Can't eat ice-cream or cake before bed and definitely can't drink fluids after 9pm.
What got me there was the knowledge that I was seeing my son to start this process and I just had to get there to start it!
Exercise is the easy part because I have been going to the gym regularly anyway.
Did the Values Based discussion with two clients and liked the way it turned out - gave me some real insights into who they are and what they want.
The lesson with Milena went well because she is extremely capable but is so warm and engaging - best dance teacher I have ever had. Elissa was great too.
Once I say a SMART meeting is on I am required to stay there until the scheduled finish because Jeremy turned up 40 min late and desperately needed assistance. Take a book to read and be prepared to stick with it.

Very happy to be doing the 30 min cycling again because my knee needs it! Also using the gym equipment for one set of 20 suits me much better. Will get into a regular routine and get some aerobic classes in there as well.

Did a 12 min sitting meditation and it was VERY relaxing - Nick said he will join us as well.

Told Rob that he really nailed some parts of a routine and also the story about the world famous violinist whose own favourite violinist no-one has heard of! He said because competitions are a lottery, as is fame, whereas his favourite violinist is a master of his art. Helped him get over not getting honours in his last awards day.

Tuesday 21 April 2015

Grateful for:
1) Reservoir Leisure Centre and the people in it.
2) JvB and his wealth of knowledge.
3) Nancy for helping me with the routines.

It is easier to get up for the gym because I have to get it sorted to get back to the office for Jacob and I to look at the book.
Have a pile of stuff that needs to get done in the office and it is only getting worse.
There are some really important time relevant things that clients are waiting for.
Would benefit from greater organisation and staffing to sort it all out.
Gym work is going well - better with extra aerobic content.
Things are cooking along! Put in an ad; prospect; get the place humming!

Did 12 min sitting meditation.

Gave Andrew from Fidel a pen to keep.

Wednesday 22 April 2015

Grateful for:
1) Allan and his friendship.
2) Jacob for being a catalyst for this
3) The people I meet in my work.

Didn't get to the gym today or do any exercise at all.
Will walk the block each night when I get home to get the cobwebs out.
Will start by gutting the small room and use that as a place to store all the things on the way out.
Wasted the day today by not doing any of my WORK and it is very important that sees a shift.
I am getting a lot out of the book "Don't say yes, when you want to say no." thanks to Jacob for getting me on track with this book.

Did 12 min sitting meditation.

Been in contact with Jeremy and prodding him a bit.

Thursday 23 April 2015

Grateful For:
1) Keith H and his friendship.
2) The warmth of Lauren
3) Opportunities to grow as a person - MB volunteer

Got to the gym and did half the exercise.
Have the possibility of being very successful hanging over me and all it will take is making a start.

Chatted with Nancy about her progress in assertiveness and people doing the best they can.

How funny life is - is this love?

Got hit by a bus;
Walked under a train;
Kept falling in love;
Which is kinda the same!

I sunk out at sea;
Crashed my car;
Gone insane;
And it felt so good, I wanna do it again!

Got taken off track!

There I go! Just when I think I have everything sussed, I am taken totally off track. I have been trying to get my new office hooked up with phones and I have been given the total run around. I have been trying to get tradesmen to quote me on signwriting, plumbing and other things with very little joy.
Then I went to "New Vogue" dance training and the teacher followed me around for an hour shouting at me. That did it! I allowed that experience to totally destroy my image of myself as a dancer and gave it permission to cause me to lose belief in my ability.
WOW!
Some work for me to do there and some appreciation of how assailable I am at the moment!
I'll be back.
I need to build a Bell Jar to protect the gentle flower that is my soul - or reinforce the gentle flower into a towering tree, more like.....

The Austrian Philosopher

That Austrian Philosopher Arnold Schwarzenegger, and yes, I did check the spelling, once said "shit happens." Indeed it does! Does it, however, need to keep happening? The answer is no. What it takes is a view, a vision, of a world different. Of a world transformed. Changed. Of new opportunities created. Of passion. Spirit. Rising to the challenge. When I was extremely nervous before a talk, it gave me solace to repeat "I'm the best person for the job." I may not be perfect; I may not be the greatest ever; but I am sincere in my desire to do the best job I can possibly do. Plus, I am the only person who is set up to do it. I am the only person here. I may not be great - but I am here. If I chose not to do it, I will definitely fail. When I chose to do it, there is a possibility I could succeed mightily. Certainty of failure or possibility of success? I choose the possibility!

Business for myself!

I have finished my last Landmark Education Course.

I have just about conquered a long term habit of drinking to excess - my favourite drink was "The Next One!"

Trouble is, I have never been able to handle it! I have a lot of friends who do exactly the same thing - but they don't get as intoxicated, as fast.

I have a lot of friends who dance, too.

But that, I am good at! Better than most.

I'm not the greatest, however! But I know what I need to do to get better. Practice, practice, practice!

I am going for my Silver Latin in July.

I have also the opportunity to go into business for myself. All I have to do each week is find 4 people who are in need of financial planning advice, are open to discussing their needs, and are close to my target market!

Nothing else will matter.

Old mates and different styles.

The cat!

The same one who thought the Real Estate Agent was her long lost friend, decided that she would be all nervous around my sister.

Trouble was, my sister was supposed to be feeding the cat - Bleach - while I went away for a few days.

My trip was on a knife's edge while Bleach decided whether or not she was going to co-operate.

In the end she decided she would play the game and away I went.

Wasn't an overly successful weekend.

My mate has an issue with his six offspring. He has decided to marry a Thai lass. His offspring have all stopped speaking to him.

They are of the opinion he shouldn't be doing it.

Doesn't matter that he is very happy with the prospect - and he is very stubborn.

All weekend he was very angry and short with me - probably because it is Christmas and none of his kids have rung him.

We had a big blue when I had enough of his behaviour.

We both almost came to tears.

Anyhow, we sorted something out and remain friends.

Life's for living, I suppose...

Nervousness and success...

On the 20th December I went for my Silver medal in ballroom - composite - Latin, Modern and New Vogue.

Samba; Quickstep; Tango Terrific.

I achieved a "highly commended pass" - score of 85 to 95%.

It was incredibly nerve racking. I felt intense pressure on the day.

Yet I was prepared. In spite of not having a regular partner, I practiced almost every day. Going to the local athletics track and dancing around the track. That sort of practice has probably never been done around there before!

It was challenging, it was frightening, it was invigorating!

I will definitely do it again. It has restored my interest in dancing.

What was really inspiring was to see the other people from the dance studio have a go at their medals.

Some of them have had to really struggle to learn their dances and get in the rhythm. Their efforts were awesome!

It was a marvellous day.