Ugly Duckling?

I expect many of you are familiar with the story by Hans Christian Anderson of the ugly duckling. Although only a fairy tail, this speaks about what shame can be like! Here is a summary of the story, taken from Wikipedia: “When the story begins, a mother duck’s eggs hatch. One of the little birds …

It’s a girl!

Continuing my posts about identity, here is an extract from some of the teaching notes from my ‘Finding the Freedom to Fully Live’ programme. This is part of a teaching on shame: Few of us would like to admit to carrying shame, yet very many of us do, perhaps without even realising it. Firstly, let …

Choose to think the best

Following on from a post I put up yesterday about how powerful our thoughts and words are about others as well as ourselves, I want to share an example of this. In the school I used to work in I had a colleague who was abrasive and critical and I didn’t find her at all …

What are your expectations?

The way we think and speak about ourselves is important, but so is the way we think and speak about others. Expectations are powerful and words are powerful. Have you ever noticed that some people seem to draw out the best in you and others seem to draw out the worst? I remember that for …

What are you focussing on?

Whatever we focus on we empower. The way we think and speak about ourselves determines who we become. If you repeatedly remind yourself of your mistakes and failures you will begin to see yourself as a failure and start to live and act accordingly. If, instead, you choose to recognise and be thankful for all …

What are you worth?

I heard an illustration about our value some years ago which stayed with me (I can’t remember who gave the illustration, possibly Joyce Meyer?) Here is my version of it: Imagine the highest value note in your currency (£50, $100, 500 euros?) For this illustration let’s go with 500 euros as I think this is …

Who am I?

In a world seemingly governed by media and political correctness, where we are told how we should behave, look, speak and think and where we are expected to conform to others expectations from an early age, we can begin to forget who we really are. Do you know you are unique? No one else has …

Which mirror?

How do you view yourself? Sometimes I think we see ourselves as if we are looking in those distorted mirrors found at some fairgrounds which make us look fat, skinny, crooked etc. The fairground mirrors are amusing because we know they’re not showing the real us. Often, though, we don’t even realise that the way …

Wrong car!

Let me own up to this morning’s amusing incident. Early this morning my husband started to de-ice the car ready to leave. My daughter and I joined him scraping off ice and then trying to warm the lock because the key wouldn’t work and we thought the lock must be frozen. It was only when …

Looking back or moving on?

I came across this quote from lessonsforlife.com: “The past is like using your rear-view mirror in the car, it’s good to see how far you’ve come, but if you stare too long you’ll miss what’s right in front of you.” I’m sure that all of us have happy memories we love to recall. I recognise …