Archive for the ‘Articles from Susan Leigh’ Category
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Things We Do Not Want to Pass on to the Children
Many people have concerns about aspects of how they were raised and are determined not to repeat the same mistakes with their own children. Let’s look at some of the areas that cause concern.
Market Your Way to Success.
It is important in business to review what is working and be prepared to adapt and adjust ones goals in order to stay successful and ahead of the competition. Here are a few things that might be useful to consider.
In Praise of Bad Habits
Bad habits in others can be infuriating at times, but they can also bring some positive benefits into our life too. They can take the pressure off us to be perfect and can also provide comfort and reassurance in different ways.
The Importance of Failure
Failure is actually a powerful teacher in our lives. Many people admit that they learn more from their difficult experiences, their more testing experiences than they do from their more comfortably attained successes. Let’s look at the importance of failure.
The Importance of Thanksgiving and Giving Thanks.
Giving thanks is an important gesture to make. The festival of Thanksgiving is an important day in the American calendar, with more people travelling home for Thanksgiving than for any other festival. There is something special in taking the time to stop, reunite as a family and give thanks.
In Praise of the Older Father.
More men are becoming fathers later in life as they start a second and maybe even a third new family. There are some very clear advantages to being an older father. Let’s have a look at some of them.
Get Outside – It Is Good for You.
Many of us are spending less time outdoors and missing the valuable opportunities that it provides. Children especially are playing less outside than ever before. But spending time outside can teach us about nature, improve our health and provide much fun.
The Importance of Praise and Appreciation
A few appreciative words when someone has been thoughtful or done a good job can make all the difference to a persons sense of satisfaction and motivation levels. Praise and recognition can improve an atmosphere and change bad behaviour into good.
The Positive Benefits of Being More Tolerant
In life we have to share so much with other people, from roads to working and social environments. Being tolerant enables these times of co-existence to occur more pleasantly and respectfully. And by taking the time to learn and understand about each other we widen our views and perspectives in an interesting manner of ways.
I Am Tired, But I Cannot Sleep.
Often when we are over tired sleep can become an elusive but much needed way to relax and recharge our minds and bodies. Let us look at some ways to look after ourselves better, manage life’s stress and become more healthy and well as a result.
Give Your Full Attention
When we give our full attention to what we are doing we focus better, enjoy it more and are able to live more positively in each moment. Being distracted by what has already happened or what we intend to do next can increase stress levels and result in confused thinking.
In Praise of Modesty.
Modesty includes consideration of others and how we present ourselves. Language, dress, behaviour all influence how others perceive us and how we allow ourselves to be seen by the world. Sometimes it can be useful to reflect on those considerations.
The Power of Constructive Listening.
Listening is the simplest of things to do and often the hardest. Resisting the temptation to guess what the other person is thinking or feeling or finishing their sentences for them enables us to really start communicating properly with the other person and have a real conversation.
The Importance of Competition.
Competition is sometimes viewed in a negative way, as being divisive or de-motivational. Life, though, is competitive, and learning to cope with disappointments and find the inner resources to learn from set backs and then continue is an important skill for success in life.
Am I Bothered ?
When people appear tough, sarcastic and indifferent they are often demonstrating the opposite message than the one that they are hoping to convey. Over-reacting to hurt or disappointment reveals someone who is very bothered by what has happened.
Why Do I Always Say ‘Yes’ ?
Saying ‘yes’ can become the most negative word in our vocabulary. We start out wanting to please people, and do the right thing, but end up overloaded and stressed. Why do we do it to ourselves ?
The Important Role of Gossip
Gossip often has a bad reputation, but it is a useful way for a person to let off steam and release stress. It can help people find solutions to problems and tough situations and it can help groups of people to form closer bonds with each other. It has an important role to play.
The Important Role of a Mother.
A mother is the foundation stone that underpins most families. Whether she is good or bad her influence can stay with a person throughout their life. Let us look at the important role a woman has on her child’s confidence, outlook and future life expectations.
The Importance of Being on Time.
Being on time demonstrates respect for ourselves and how we are perceived by others. It also demonstrates respect for the other person and shows that we value them and our joint arrangements. In order to be on time we need to ensure that we are organised and manage our time and our lives efficiently.
Is It Too Soon to Start Dating Again ?
Starting dating again can be a little stressful at first. We may feel that we are out of practice, or are being disloyal to our previous partner. It is okay to take it steady and just move at your own pace. Then enjoy the new friendship, a step at a time.
The Trouble With Sisters
Sisters often have a love/hate relationship, especially as children. Often they are highly competative with each other, especially when they are young, but this can often grow into a close loyal friendship as they become adults. Let’s look at the trouble with sisters.
The Impact of Divorce on the Family
Divorce often affects more than the couple themselves. Children, young and old, as well as grandparents are all included in the impact of a divorce. Let us look at the various factors that need to be addressed within a family.
Manage Stress and Deal With Lies and Deceit
Some people feel that lying about their age or qualifications is acceptable. But what if that relationship continues for a long time ? Where does it end and what about the impact of lying on oneself and on others. Let us look at the importance of honesty and trust.
After the Wedding – Welcome to the Real World !
Once the wedding is over comes the reality of settling down to daily life with our partner. Often, to start with, there are the bills from the wedding and honeymoon and life can appear a little flat. Let’s look at ways to keep the relationship alive and good.
The Importance of Continuous Professional Development.
Continuous Professional Development is a criteria for membership of many organisations. It provides a valuable opportunity to take time to learn, practice and become competent in new techniques and refresh old skills. It is a time to meet and share advice, problems and even business worries with colleagues in similar fields.
Mums and Food !
Mums are often the primary food providers for their children and family. Finding a balanced way to deliver good, healthy food and teach their children about nutrition can be a mine field. Let’s look at the different dilemmas for a mum.
Driving is Driving Me Crazy.
Passing the driving test is the time when most people start learning to drive for real. Many people admit to certain levels of anxiety at particular driving situations, like motorways, overtaking, tunnels. Let us look at some of these stresses and at some suggestions to help.
Twenty-Two Simple Things to Make You Happy.
Happiness does not come from being complicated, expensive or fussy. Often simple things are the more thoughtful items that make our day special. Here are a few of my ideas.
The Positive Implications of Saying ‘No’
Saying ‘yes’ to everything asked of us can become a habit, we may feel that it is good manners or what we are expected to do. Learning to take responsibility for our timetable, our choices and our happiness can sometimes include saying ‘no’.
Use Word of Mouth as the Best Way to Gain Business
Doing business with someone to whom we have been recommended is usually the most satisfactory way of finding a supplier of goods or services. We start the relationship with a level of confidence in them. Let’s look at encouraging your existing customers to recommend you.
Boredom Has Its Place
Boredom at times allows our busy stressful lives to re-calibrate and find a baseline again. If we are continually stressed and over-stimulated it can become a normal state and it is important at times to switch off and become calm, still and maybe even bored.
My Partner is Out of My League – How to Improve Self Esteem.
When two people are initially attracted to each other they may not regard the differences between them as significant. But, over time, those differences may become more apparent. Let us look at how to deal with those times.
The Importance of Good Manners.
Good manners are an integral part of respectful communications. They oil the wheels of social interaction and allow people to feel respected and valued. They improve relationships.
Push Yourself – Because You’re Worth It
Deciding to push ourselves out of our familiar comfort zone requires effort, but it can make an important impact on the message that we tell ourselves. We can come away feeling challenged, stretched and rather satisfied with ourselves. And we are worth that effort.
Improve Self-Esteem – In Pursuit of Beauty
Beauty is regularly defined in the media as being a certain size, look, way to dress. Trying to achieve that elusive image can be almost a full time occupation. Let us look at the perception of beauty today and how to attain a more balanced approach.
The Importance of Compliments
Compliments are a positive way to motivate others and highlight good behaviour. They can be used to great effect to change bad behaviour and improve a situation. They can be a very important tool to utilise on occasion.
The Importance of Memories
Everything that happens to us becomes a memory, stored along with the associated smells, tastes, feelings in our unconscious mind. These memories can then by triggered by a subsequent event or the nostalgia of looking at old photographs. Let us look at the importance of memories.
Use Your Diary and Organise Your Life
A diary is a valuable way of organising your time, your life and your mind. It can also be an important way of understanding and working through life’s stresses, difficulties and traumas. Let us consider the many benefits of using a diary well.
We Need Different Types of Nourishment
Food is only one kind of nourishment that enables to grow and flourish as human beings. We also need sustenance for our minds and our spirits too. Let us consider the different types of nourishment that we need to bring into our lives.
How to Communicate and Negotiate in Life to Better Effect
There are many times in daily life when we have to negotiate to find a compromise. What to eat for dinner, which film to see can be examples of how we learn to discuss and reach a satisfactory resolution. Let’s look at how to apply this skill to good effect in different areas of life.
So, We Are in a Recession – Ways to Manage Business Stress
A recession is precisely the time to stay focussed on your goals and aims, refine your business plan and keep visible. By appearing confident and high profile your existing and new customers will maintain their confidence in you and your brand.
Living With My Guilty Conscience – Manage Personal Stress
A guilty conscience can undermine a relationship’s integrity. Often the stress of concealing a secret can change the way a couple behaviour together, the way they communicate. Let us look at the stress of living with a guilty conscience.
How to Achieve Peace of Mind and Contentment in a Busy Life
We spend so much of our time striving for more and better results, when sometimes just stopping to appreciate what we already have can make the whole world seem a much happier place. Here are some thoughts on how to start that more positive outlook.
The Importance of a Backup Plan
A backup plan is like an insurance policy, there to provide security and confidence in what we are doing, but also to give reassurance in case things do not quite work out as intended.
Keep Your Partner Happy and Suffer in Silence !
Relationships are based on give and take. Sometimes going along with our partner’s needs is part of the deal for a time. Giving freely, without question, can enhance the relationship and make them feel supported and understood.
Making Our Partnership Work
In business, partnerships often seem to be a sensible option, different people with complementary skills forming a business together. However, three-way partnerships can sometimes require extra effort to keep everyone involved and feeling an equal part of the company.
Competition is Good for Us
Competition provides goals and motivation to raise the bar and achieve better results. Whether we are competing against ourselves or others it teaches us about success and failure, and ways of handling both effectively.
Living With a Friend’s Guilty Secret
Being included in a friend’s guilty secret can cause our own lives to become very stressful. Are they having an affair, lost their job, got money or health related concerns ? Covering for a friend can become a major problem over time for us too.
Manage Poor Service – The Most Effective Way to Complain
There are times in our business or personal lives where we receive poor or unsatisfactory treament or service. Learning to complain effectively can bring about a beneficial result for all parties.
Let Relationship Counselling Help
Relationships can have periods when rows start to escalate and become a pattern. Tiredness, stress, tension can all be a factor and taking time out for relationship counselling can help to understand what is happening and learn to communicate better. It can help to improve the relationship and get it back on track.
Learn to Let Yourself Sleep
Busy people often consider sleep to be an indulgence, something they do if everything else has been finished. But sleep is an important part of our coping strategy. By learning to let yourself sleep you invest in the quality of your work, health and your life.
Winning Over Difficult People
Difficult people are often troubled people with problems and issues that need resolving. Often they feel themselves to be stuck in an impossible situation. Helping them to communicate their feelings more constructively can turn the situation around and improve the atmosphere for everyone.
Healthy Mind, Healthy Body
By taking care to look after our body, eat well, exercise and manage stress, we find it benefits us as our mental function improves. We concentrate better, have clearer thinking and enjoy better health and an overall sense of improved well-being. It is a worthwhile result in many areas of our life.
My Friend Needs a Breast Scan – How Can I Help ?
Many women find a lump in their breast at some time and subsequently require a breast scan. The majority turn out to be fine, often a cyst. But it is still a time of anxiety. Knowing what to do and how to be a supportive friend is important. Here are a few thoughts on the subject.
The Importance of an Effective Father Figure.
Often fathers are less present in their childrens’ early years, as they try to build their career and focus on providing for their family. Many men are trying to find a better balance in their work and home lives and become more a part of their childrens formative years. Let’s look at the different important father figures in childrens’ lives.
Improve Motivation – If Something Works, Use It.
Finding the things that motivate us is an important part of achieving our goals and aims in life. When you identify those factors, incorporate them into your mindset and go. When something works, use it.
The Importance of Mistakes
Mistakes are a fact of life, but appreciating that can bring a lot of value into our lives is another way of looking at them. Often the toughest experiences teach us the most, the ones we had to repeatedly work at to get right. Let’s look at the importance of mistakes.
How to Get Your Slimline Body
Many people commit to losing weight whilst they are on a diet, only to revert back to old eating habits afterwards. Here are some ways to reach your target slimline body and then to stay on track with a healthy relationship with food.
Improve Your Self Confidence and Deal With Redundancy
Many people are made redundant several times in their working career. It can be hard not to take it personally and enthuse about starting out all over again. Here are a few ways to deal with redundancy and find positive ways of coping.
Follow the Rhythm of Life
All life has a rhythm. By learning to understand the flow and go with it, we appreciate the ups and downs of life, and as such learn to value and work with all the different facets and experiences of life.
Personal Responsibility – Is Being Selfish Wrong ?
Being selfish is often deemed to be greedy or self absorbed, but in truth it is also about taking responsibilty. Responsibilty for our own health, well-being, and happiness. As adults we have to make our own choices, and accept the outcome in decision making and relationship situations. Looking after our own options should be an important factor in those choices.
How to Be Busy Constructively
Many of us are busy with demands from work, family, friends as well as our own personal needs to consider. Let us spend five minute looking at the best way to manage being busy. Let us look at how to be busy constructively.
Let Sport Into Your Life
Allowing sport into your can life bring lots of positive benefits. Joining with others in a group sport can bring co-operation, competition, friendship as well as the benefits of exercise and discipline. Let us consider ways to let sport into your life.
I Am an Individual and I Like to be Alone
Being alone can happen out of choice or logistics, through relocating or through family circumstances. Sometimes it can be part of a healing process, but it can become a habit too. Here are some thoughts on the choice of being alone.
The Important Role of a Father
As increasingly families become fragmented the role of a father sometimes has to be shared between several significant men. Let us look at how different male role models can impact on us and influence our future attitudes towards fathers, men and relationships. Let us celebrate Fathers Day.
I Want to Belong – Improve Confidence by Being Part of the Gang
Being a member of a group or a gang can provide us with a sense of belonging, a sense of who we are as an accepted member of the group. For young people the motive is often part of growing up and finding themselves. For older people it is often about reassurance of their position or value in society.
Let Your Customers Be Your Best Sales People
Satisfied customers are the best ambassadors a business can have. So ensure that your customers promote you by keeping them happy, supported and knowledgeable about you and your company. Here are some ways to help that happen.
After the Baby is Born
Once the baby has been born there is often a calm period and then a new set of concerns appear. Let us look at ways to understand these concerns, allay the fears and start to enjoy being a new parent and family.
In Business – Listen to Your Customers
By taking time to listen to your customers and hear what they have to say you make your life so much more straightforward. Support them and provide good service, training and attention and you will build a loyal customer base.
Can Our Relationship Survive – Manage Emotional Stress
Many relationships have periodic ups and downs, for a variety of reasons. Let us look at understanding some of these reasons and find ways to try to help the relationship survive with more mutual respect.
The Importance of Attending Conferences and Network Meetings
Conferences and Network meetings give valuable time away from your business environment to learn new innovations, reflect on where to direct your future goals and consider what other like minded professionals are doing in their businesses. They can provide business ‘time out’.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Boss and Manage Workplace Stress
Many companies are having to work harder to survive and often additional responsibility falls to the manager or boss to oversee the situation. By learning to understand and manage your boss you improve the work environment and reduce workplace stress.
Dealing With the Impact of Divorce – Improve Personal Confidence and Self Esteem
Personal confidence and self esteem are often at a low point after a divorce, no matter how amicable. It is a good time to consider the various options and opportunities that you have at a time like this. This is after all a new beginning in many ways. You can use this time to start afresh.
Manage Stress – Are Guilty Pleasures Good or Bad ?
Guilty pleasures can take us back to school days, the cigarette behind the bike shed mentality. But they can be an effective way to manage stress and take a quick break. Often the guilt of being forbidden or ‘naughty’ can add to the excitement.
Tips to Let Someone Know that You are Interested
Re-joining the dating scene can be a bit daunting at first. How do we let someone know that we are interested ? Here are a few tips to help with those early, tentative steps.
Manage Business Stress and Work for Yourself from Home
Working from home can seem like an easy option, but it often requires planning and determination to make it a success. First learn to take yourself seriously. Here are some tips to help with the process of starting a home based business.
Manage Stress and Have a Routine
Routine can sound boring or mundane, but some routine allows us to let down our guard, go onto auto-pilot for a time and relax from being alert and stressed. Some routine provides a familiar structure in which to be at ease and comfortable, a baseline of activity from which we can expand at times.
The Importance of Quiet Time.
So much of life involves rushing around, always something else to do, somewhere else to be. Let us look at the importance of taking time to be quiet, stop and turn everything off and be quiet for a little while. Let us look at the importance of quiet time.
Manage Staff – Use Staff Appraisals Well
Staff appraisals may initially seem to be an unneccessary, time consuming exercise. But they are an important way of identifying your staffs strengths and weaknesses, who wants to develop and improve. Staff are often a companys’ biggest overhead. Here are ways to maximise on that overhead as a valuable resource
How to Measure Success
Success is often regarded as a goal, an aim in life, but how can we evaluate our success ?Is it one individual result or is it a combination of several factors ? Let us look at some criteria with which to measure success.
Manage Business Stress and Get the Most Out of Your Business
Working for yourself is a dream goal for many people. Once there it can be a tough lifestyle choice, with long hours and hard work. Here are some tips to help the process run as smoothly as possible.
Manage Family Stress – Happy Children, Happy Holidays
Their long school holidays are often remembered with affection by adults. A little forward planning can ensure a pleasant, stress free time for you and your children to recall in future years. Here are some helpful tips to consider.
Business Management – A Good Reputation is Hard to Win and Easy to Lose
There are many factors that contribute to a business building up a strong recognisable brand. Keeping an eye on these factors helps your business stay or target, with a loyal client base and a sustainable reputation.
Improve Confidence and Give and Receive with Grace
There is a certain amount of grace and confidence required in giving and receiving gifts and compliments. These are activities that we engage in regularly. Let’s look at ways to be more aware of our behaviour in these areas and become more positive and confident in ourselves.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Retirement and Improve Confidence
A long retirement is a prospect for many people, as good health care, diet and lifestyle have improved our expectations of life. Here are ways to improve the quality of the time we spend in retirement, with some ways to improve confidence and live a valuable and fulfilling life.
Improve Confidence and Get the Most Out of Your Love
Love is an exciting, powerful emotion. For it to become a valuable, long term part of our life let us look at some of the practical things that can be done to enable that emotion develop into a loving, long term relationship.
Stress Management Techniques for a Better Life
Stress is a factor of everyday life, and, in truth, some stress is good. It motivates us to work harder, to put in the extra effort to do well. Let us look at ways to manage stress effectively and keep us healthy and well.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Money – Manage Financial Stress
Managing financial stress can be a nightmare. A little over spending every month can escalate into a major problem and this is often the time when it is most difficult to curb the desire to spend more. Here are some ideas to help.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Exercise and Manage Stress
Exercise can be a fun part of our lives. It can become something that we look forward to doing, as well as keeping us healthy, toned and active. It can be an important way to end our work day, manage stress and bring fun into our free time.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Friendships
Many of us have made friends in different areas of our lives, work, from our childhood, neighbours. These people form our inner core of allies and it is important to nurture and encourage these special relationships, address any issues that we may have and keep the relationships honest and real .
Manage Relationship Stress – Let’s Try to Breakup With Respect
A relationship can fail over time for a whole host of reasons. But there was love and affection at one time. Let us appreciate what we have had, the journey that we have been on and let the relationship end as respectfully as is possible. Here are some tips to help with that process.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Networking and Manage Workplace Stress
Effective networking is about getting to know, like and trust someone well enough to share business with them and introduce them to each others inner circle of contacts. Let’s look at some effective ways to make the most of those opportunities.
How to Manage Family Stress at Family Events
Families can be hot beds of emotions and unresolved issues. The mere thought of a family event can cause stress and dread. Let us look at how family events can be managed to better effect. They can provide an opportunity to build bridges and improve family relationships.
Improve Confidence and Deal With Sarcasm
Sarcasm can be entertaining to watch but can be devastating to be on the receiving end of. We may not be able to stop the other person but let us look at ways of improving how we handle sarcasm and benefit our mindset and our confidence levels.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Time
Time is an important commodity and we must try to make the most of it. Let’s look at ways of maximising the most of our time and using it well.
In Business Be Prepared for the Worst
When I am working with my business clients part of our work includes getting a full picture of what is happening in their business. Good business is about taking care of the behind the scenes factors so that everything else can run as smoothly as possible.
Living With Guilt
Guilt underpins so many of our attitudes, behaviours and decisions. Some of it is a construct of our own imagination or from our background. How can we recognise what is going on and free ourselves from the burden of guilt ? Let us look at some steps to understand it better.
Effective Techniques for Childbirth
Many people saying that the birth of their children was the best day of their lives and yet the anticipation of childbirth oftens fills women with anxiety. Let’s look at some helpful techniques that can be used to good advantage at this time.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Staff
Staff are a company’s major resource. Taking time to respect them and encourage them to develop their skills and abilities can take your company from strength to strength. It is an important way to improve company morale.
The Importance of a Positive Inner Voice
Many of us talk more harshly to ourselves than we ever would to anyone else. Let us look at the value of talking to ourselves more constructively and look at how affirmations can help us succeed.