Take the Weather with You

Have you ever gone to meet someone and as they walk to greet you, you just know that they are having a bad day?

I recently went to see a new client and as I waited in the reception area, they walked down the stairs to meet me. I could see from the energy of their body language that they were harassed, stressed and not having a good day.

I had brought the weather of sunshine with me as I had a lovely drive to the organisation and I had been listening to Og Mandino as I drove. I realised upon meeting the client, that each day we awake to a new day and we get a choice as to what weather we are going to project that day. As I walked with the client up to her office, I made a decision to stay in the sunshine.

Steps on How to Take the Weather with You

• When you meet someone who is complaining, listen, hear and look for the positive.
• Life is a cycle of moods, we can never be responsible for other people’s moods, yet we can be responsible for our own.
• Never judge a man or woman by one meeting or interaction, remember we all have bad days.
• Never react, only pause and respond.
• Watch the magic happen when you bring sunshine to your customers and everyone you meet. That is what you will get back.

As Og Mandino once said

• ‘If you feel depressed, remember to sing.’
• ‘If you feel sad, remember to laugh,’
• ‘If you feel fear, remember to plunge ahead.’
• ‘If you feel insignificant, remember your goals.’

And most of all…  Remember you have the choice to master your emotions and bring the weather with you wherever you go.

The Snow Brought Focus...

Have you ever suffered from the tomorrow syndrome?
It’s where you wake up each day and say, tomorrow I will call that person or tomorrow I will write the first chapter of my book. You get caught up in a negative loop of self talk.

In the first week of January 2010, the snow brought focus into my life.  I woke up last week to open the curtains and see a winter wonderland outside in our front garden. As I looked out through the window I could see the car was full of snow and ice. In that moment I made a decision to start writing my next e-book... which I had been thinking of writing throughout the whole of 2009. Thinking without action is useless.

For the next three days I hardly left my desk except to eat and sleep...... I had at last got a grip and just sat down and wrote, no more excuses. I will now share with you the 7 steps that moved me from thinking to action.

SET AN OUTCOME
I sat down at my desk and mapped out the book, e.g. how many chapters would the book have and what would be the title of each chapter.

SET YOURSELF A TIME LIMIT
I put a clock on my desk and set myself a timescale of how long I would write before having a break.

ENJOY WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN PUTTING ON HOLD
After about an hour of writing, I began to enjoy it so much that I didn't want to stop for a break.

ENERGY FOLLOWS THOUGHT
When you get into the rhythm of focus, creativity and ideas flow.

CELEBRATE
I stopped for a break along the way and celebrated with a cup of coffee and Kit Kat.

CHANGE YOUR FOCUS, CHANGE YOUR RESULT
The gift of the snow showed me that when I changed my mindset, I changed my result.

IT’S ALL IN THE ACTION
In life it’s not what we talk about that makes the difference it’s the action that creates the result.