A Short Story About Awareness

When I was pregnant with my second child, I had many ambivalent feelings. You see, my first child was just that, my first. It was just the two of us and my attention was solely focused on him. I could not imagine anything or anyone interrupting my time with him. I loved my first child so much that I felt guilty that I was expecting another not understanding how I could ever divide my love between the two. People would say "I bet you are so excited that your son will have a new sibling soon." I politely nodded and secretly thought, that my first son was the center of my life it is incomprehensible that a second child could be anything but that, second. I remember worrying and thinking how can I possibly divide my love? The big day came and it was just that, big. I so clearly remember the nurse handing me my new born son. I wept with new found awareness. When love grows it multiplies, love never divides. I went on to have four more children and my love as a parent has multiplied each time.

This inspiring story was written and shared by Kelly Rippon of Authentic Change.

Visit Kelly's website and watch her Genuis Movie

Make it a great week, it's your choice.

My best

Séamus

Awareness

Here is an excellent video to get you all thinking about the area of awareness.

A few quotes about awareness.

“What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.”
Abraham Maslow

“The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.”
Nathaniel Branden

“Words do two major things: They provide food for the mind and create light for understanding and awareness.”
Jim Rohn

Make it a great week, it's your choice.

My best

Séamus

The State of The Union - The Union of The States

The United States of Resource

We spoke recently about the fact that one of the main presuppositions of NLP is that within us, we all have the resources that we need to be successful in anything that we want to do. Owen Fitzpatrick, in his book 'Conversations - Freedom is Everything & Love is All the Rest', suggests that there are eight different resource states, and that if we can master getting into those states we can be more effective, more quickly and more often. Three of the states are referred to as input states and the other five as output states. The input states allow us to successfully take in information and learn from the world, whereas the output states help us to effectively act and behave in the the world.

Input States

• Awareness - Pay attention to what is happening in the world and get an insight to what is happening in your head.


• Openness - Be open to new ideas, new experiences, new learning.


• Curiosity - Always ask questions and wonder about things.

Output States

• Flexibility - The more flexible you are, the more choices you have. It is this that gives you more ability to deal with the situations that you are in.


• Perseverance -Never give up, see failure as a way forward.


• Pragmatism - What is the most useful thing that you can do right now?


• Responsibility - Be accountable for what is happening in situations and use and improve on your ability to respond.


• Creativity - Use your imagination to be more effective in what you do.

Over the coming weeks we will look at these different resource states and discuss what we can do to maximise our ability to really get ourselves into a state!

Make it a great week, it's your choice.

My best
Séamus

Owen Fitzpatrick is one of the co-founders of The Irish Institute of NLP. They offer a variety of courses and training in NLP.

NLP Taster Sessions - Highly Effective Teaching & Learning

Neuro-Linguistic Programming For Teachers

Friday October 24th & Friday October 31st 11.00 -14.00
British Language Centre, 377 Bravo Murillo, 2D

A Magnificent Opportunity to

Make a Difference in the Language Learning Classroom

NLP is the practice of understanding how people organise their thinking, feeling, language and behaviour to produce the results they do.

It offers the unique opportunity for teachers, trainers and educators to learn new ways of inspiring and engaging learners. With an increased awareness and a wealth of effective strategies, teachers can become more skilful in creating positive environments and designing, planning and developing successful learning.

During this interactive taster session you will gain an understanding of the basic principles of NLP. You will also have an opportunity to try out some of the methodologies and techniques as well as discover practical ideas on how you can support your students to accelerate learning and maximise potential.

You will also have an opportunity to enjoy a fun and rewarding morning.

Places on these Introductory Taster Sessions are very limited and we suggest that you confirm your place now by contacting us at seamus@useyouredge.com

These taster sessions will be given by Séamus Ó Muircheartaigh, who has worked extensively on CELTA and DELTA training courses for the last ten years at the British Language Centre, Madrid. Séamus is a member of the International Coach Federation and works as an NLP coach, specialising in working with teachers and educators. He is a Licensed Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and is qualified to administer and interpret the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and the Strong Interest Inventory®.

MBTI® & Strong Interest Inventory® Special Offer

• No idea what to do next?
• Need help identifying career options you might not have thought of?
• Want practical suggestions as to what careers might be right for you?

Assessments for Personal & Career Development

From now until the end of September we are offering special discounts for students and educators on our two assessments for personal and career development.

The Myers Briggs Type Indicator® & The Strong Interest Inventory®

Take internationally renowned assessments from the comfort of your own home, receive a personalised downloadable report and have an in depth follow up discussion with an experienced educational coach.

The MBTI® assessment is the best known and most trusted personality tool available today. It is designed to help you understand your unique personality and the way you relate to others around you. It has a long history with more studies done and more extensive revisions than almost any other personality assessment tool. It is utilized worldwide by organizations ranging from educational institutions to Fortune 500 companies.

Taking the inventory and receiving feedback will help you identify your unique gifts. The information enhances understanding of yourself, your motivations, your natural strengths and potential areas for growth. It will also help you to appreciate people who are different from you.

Read more about The Myers Briggs Type Indicator®

The Strong Interest Inventory® is the most widely researched, validated and used career planning instrument available. It is a powerful method for matching the interests of an individual with opportunities for jobs, education and leisure activities. If you are unsure about your next move or would like help narrowing down the many options out there, then this unique tool is for you.

Read more about The Strong Interest Inventory®

Special offer extended until October 31st

If you would like more about how you take advantage of these very special discounts, contact me at seamus@useyouredge.com

Make it a great week, it's your choice.

My best
Séamus

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas

An excellent film worth going to see at the moment is 'The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas. bases on the book of the same name and set during World War II, it is a story seen through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a concentration camp, whose forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has startling and unexpected consequences.

Here is the trailer.

I would also like to recommend a truly exceptional book, 'Man's Search For Meaning' by Victor Frankl. The book written in 1946, chronicles Frankl's experiences as a concentration camp inmate and describes his psychotherapeutic method of finding a reason to live.

Here are some quotes.

"We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

"Nietzsche's words, 'He who has a why to live or of a for can bear with almost any how."

"When we are no longer able to change a situation—just think of an incurable disease such as inoperable cancer—we are challenged to change ourselves"

"Fundamentally, therefore, any man can, even under such circumstances, decide what shall become of him - mentally and spiritually. He may retain his human dignity even in a concentration camp."

"It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life—daily and hourly. Our answer must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual."

"Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."

Make it a great week, it's your choice

My best

Séamus

Yoda Does Some Teaching

Yoda does some teaching!

Yoda: Use the Force. Yes, ...

Yoda: Now... the stone. Feel it.

Yoda: Concentrate!

Luke: Oh, no. We'll never get it out now.

Yoda: So certain are you. Always with you it cannot be done. Hear you nothing that I say?

Luke: Master, moving stones around is one thing. This is totally different.

Yoda: No! No different! Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned.

Luke: (focusing, quietly) All right, I'll give it a try.

Yoda: No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.

Luke: (panting heavily) I can't. It's too big.

Yoda: Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hm? Mmmm.

Yoda: And well you should not. For my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we... (Yoda pinches Luke's shoulder) .. not this crude matter.You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you... me... the tree... the rock... everywhere! Yes, even between this land and that ship!

Luke: You want the impossible.

Luke: I don't... I don't believe it.

Yoda: That is why you fail.

Make it a great week, it´s your choice.

My best

Séamus