So Amy got off the bus at Dover and sat in the bus shelter waiting for the homeward bound bus. An hour later she was still sitting there waiting for the bus to take her home. She was quite happy. It was a pleasant evening and she was sitting listening to her IPod.

After a while a bus drew up. Wrong number on the front. Never mind. The bus driver opened the door and looked at Amy.

‘You alright love?‘

‘Yep, just waiting for the bus to take me home to Crabble’

‘There, won’t be one along now love’

‘Oh well, I ‘ll just wait here then – ’till it comes’

‘No, you don’t understand. There isn’t another one until tomorrow morning now’

‘Oh, never mind. I’ll just wait here then.’

Amy sat..waiting. The bus driver just looked at her in a bemused state.

‘Oh for goodness sake. Get in, I’ll drop you off. I can’t leave you sitting there!’

Pow! Amy just expected a bus to take her home…. and it did! That’s my girl!

I was expecting a great romance or a superb deal at work that had just come off in her favour. But no. Amy said she was just waiting for the bus outside of her house to take her to work and she just couldn’t stop grinning.

‘Mum’ she said ‘the sun was shining and it is so pretty where I live. I just love it and I was so happy to be there looking at everything and just feeling safe and lucky. It just made me grin’.

What a great uncomplicated story. Well done Ames. So many of us miss the things that should mean the most to us. The sunshine, the greenery everywhere at this time of the year and the fact that we are there, in that moment, enjoying it all.

It’s called living in the moment. But we can miss it by spending precious moments worrying and stressing over things in the past or things that ‘may’ happen in the future. The only thing that is really real is the moment we are in right now. For instance, here I am in my sunny office in my home. I can hear the TV burbling away in the lounge and I can hear someone outside mowing their lawn. I am safe, comfortable and inspired. What more could I want?

So let’s live in the moment and let’s enjoy and recognise the simple things that make life on this planet so incredible. It’s down to you!

The book is probably in the region of about 60 thousand words but the message is very simple: if you want to change your life you need to shift your thoughts and then your feelings to the place where you want to be. That way you will vibrate at a fequency that attracts the right people and events into your life.

Put it this way, if you want a wonderful relationship in your life and you go around feeling miserable and scowling or frowning all the time because you feel lonley and neglected, your dream partner is not going to hang around you that long. However, if you get your thougths and feelings into a place where you feel loved and cherished, it will radiate out from you and peple will want to be around you, so you can go from there. Bet they don’t tell you that on dating sites!

So, let’s say that you want to feel well and energised and lately you have been feeling the opposite and you just can’t work out why. Take a deep breath, feel the energy rising in your body, stand up straight and feel strong and powerful. The do something to enhance that energy – Dance madly or go for a power walk, run up and down the stairs, drink a pint of water – do anything that will keep that feeling going. Recognise what it feels like and keep that feeling. It really is that simple.

It takes practice though. But start off with small things in your life, like feeling energetic, get the habit and then manifest your whole life to how you want it to be.

Remember this important point to help you along the way. It’s all about focus. If things are not going right for you, double check where your focus is and MAKE THE SHIFT.

You deserve it, so make it happen. Don’t worry about what has gone on in the past – start from where you are now, this minute. As my favourite coach Tony Robbins would say:

‘When would NOW be a good time’

Sam has learned about health and hygeine, how to make a fantastic pizza, how to work the till, how credit/debit cards work and how to key them in.  He has learned about customer service, how to deal with awkward customers and how to say ‘I’m sorry’. He now has money so is learning how to budget his personal finances. His work colleagues are all different nationalities so Sam is learning about different cultures and languages. He is also learning how to be a dependable member of the team. His phone answering skills are now top and he has been practicing speaking clearly and coherently.

All this, and Sam has only worked 6 shifts!

What have you learned today? Don’t forget we are learning all the time – we just may not be aware of it!

I asked them how they were feeling about their lives right at this time. You may think that would be a daft question and that the answers would come back as quite negative – after all, they had been deprived of their liberty. But, once again I was amazed to get their replies. All 10 of them were in a good place and excited about the future.

Now maybe I shouldn’t have been that surprised as this had happened on my previous visits there, but this time I wanted to investigate more. So I asked them why was it that in most of my other groups outside I get replies such as ‘overwhelmed, stressed, fed up, anxious’ but with this group their responses were quite the opposite.

The answer was ‘Time’. They had time and lots of it. Doing ‘Time’ seemed really appropriate. This forced stop made them evaluate where they were going and what they were doing with their lives as a whole. They had time for discussions which each other and to learn about how different people think and act. One guy had been taught to read (actually by one of the other chaps on the course!) and he described his time at the prison as ‘at times emotional’.

I was fascinated by this eclectic group of men of all ages, race and intellect, all telling me the same thing – when you have time to think about things you start to see things differently. There are other issues though like becoming institutionalised and then becoming anxious about coming out, which are not so positive, but I learned a lot from those boys yesterday.

We MUST give ourselves time. That means stepping out of the rat race regularly. Sometimes the only time we do this is when we go on holiday and then we have other pressures. It still isn’t a state of nothingness.

So I guess if we want clarity, then we need to create space in our lives to let it in. Maybe some meditation or just some good old thinking in a quiet room or writing in a journal. It empties the brain, allows us to let go of the clutter and so let the new stuff come in. We can all use the excuse ‘ I don’t have time for that’ but that is just an excuse. In our busy lives you have to make time. Afterall, we all make time to watch the TV.

So challenge yourself in 2010 to regularly give yourself  ‘nothing’ time to reflect and then let go of anxieties and worries to let the new, good stuff come in!

The main message that I am getting from it is that if you want to be successful in life you have to think like a successful person. Sound obvious? Think about it. Track your own thoughts and the things that you say. How often has the comment ‘We can’t afford it’ passed your lips? Maybe you should change that to ‘How can we make ourselves afford it?’ Make sense?

Today I delivered a workshop to a group of fantastic young people aged from 17 -20. They had not had the best start in life but each had a dream – a vision about how they wanted their lives to be. The problem was that some of these young people had already written themselves off with comments like ‘well I would like to be a ……, but I know I never will’  When I challenged their view they would not really give a reason why they couldn’t do it, they had just convinced themselves that they couldn’t. How many times have we done that and looked back and regretted not having the courage to step out of our comfort zones and go ahead and make it happen.

When I asked one of the girls what she was afraid of, she said it was a fear of rejection, a fear of being laughed at and doubted by those around her. Our young people are so very affected by what others think about them. In Rich Dad, Poor Dad 2, the author quotes ‘what everyone else thinks about me is none of my business, what matters is what I think of myself’. Very true. In a two hour session with these young people it is not easy to help them to change their mindset – but, that change has to start somewhere – maybe today was the day for some of them. I would like to think so.

Then, during the week I went up to London to visit one of my favourite rugby player agents, and he too was talking about living in the moment and looking inside for what makes you happy – and I hadn’t had a chance to get to him!… If you see what I mean.

I was then asked to talk to the under15s and 16s for the regional rugby team and give them some motivational tips and as I finished one of local team coaches came up to me and asked if I could speak to his senior team! Seems they all want a bit of the old positive thinking. Maybe that is because it works!

So, are you doing your bit? When was the last time you simply looked at something or someone you see every day of your life and just thought to yourself – how blessed am I? You know, once you start doing it, you can’t stop! You just go round all day being grateful for what is right there in front of you. Magic!

So, how are you feeling? Are you getting up every day feeling excited about what is in store for you? Or, do you feel as though you are lacking in something? Want some energy, vitality and to restore your spice for life? Then come along to my Saturday morning seminar in Canterbury at the end of the month. Those who came along to my Folkestone seminar in January are still flying high and many are coming along to the workshops which start this week. We are 95% booked for those now but may be able to squeeze you in if you would like to come to some of them. Click here for details.
This Saturday Spring Seminar is being held at Hall Place, Harbledown and is being sponsored by Christchurch University. The lecture theatre will be red hot all morning with motivational techniques and strategies to make your life exactly what you want it to be. Fancy creating your own future in advance?
Tickets are £45 per head. bring a crowd and you can reduce the price as I am offering 5 tickets for the price of 4. What are you waiting for? Places are limited and as we booked out last time, I suggest you don’t dilly dally.
Here are some comments from those who came before:
Thank you Jill. Bigger, better and more brilliant. More please!

Excellent, very useful. Can’t wait to USE what I have learnt

Excellent – thoroughly enjoyed the morning. Going away feeling inspired and enthused. I will definitely be recommending you Jill

Inspirational – food for thought

Brilliantly presented. Thought provoking. Jill made it ‘live’!

Fab Darling!!

Thank you Jill. Having attended other ‘motivational seminars’ previously, yours has fired me up more than before. Perhaps it is due to a more open mind but I think it’s due to your practical tools and excellent delivery.

One Word! Excellent!

So, if you think that sounds promising – here are the details.

Join me for my Saturday Morning Power Seminar

Hall Place, Harbledown, Canterbury

Saturday 28th March – 8.30am to 12.30 pm

Learn how tiny changes can make a massive difference to your life.

Start living the life you deserve.

Why settle for anything less?

EVENT SPONSORED BY CHRISTCHURCH UNIVERSITY, CANTERBURY

BOOK AND PAY FOR YOUR DELEGATE PLACES HERE

SPECIAL OFFER – 5 PLACES FOR THE PRICES OF 4!

Delegate Places

1 Delegate Place £45.002 Delegate Places £90.003 Delegate Places £135.004 places plus one FREE £180.00

Counterpoint Events gives you the rocket fuel in the form of this dynamic seminar to start to create your future in advance

With Jill Tipping

This mini seminar has been specifically designed for those who work mainly on their own.

It can be lonely sometimes, can’t it, keeping motivated and focused on your next actions when there may be no one to ‘check in’ with.

I have a whole bucket full of tips and suggestions that you can use to ‘rocket’ your way into the New Year and create your own momentum.

I know these tools work – I work on my own a good deal and I use them constantly. I am now going to share them with you. And then:-

• You will stride into 2009 with purpose and confidence.
• You will be able to visualise and manifest your goals and start living the life you desire
• You will receive tools and strategies that will enable you to be more productive, more profitable and achieve a life of happiness and fulfillment.
• You will learn how to cope with stressful times and understand how to deal with those around you in a positive fashion.
• You will understand just how powerful you can be when you create the right attitude.

All this for an investment of just £47. This is a no risk seminar. I am so certain that you will gain from this investment that I am happy to offer you a 100% money back guarantee if you feel that you have not learned tools and strategies to move your life and business in the right direction.

Places are limited so BUY NOW to avoid disappointment

Give your self a New Year present and start to change your life. Why settle for anything less.

I look forward to seeing you at the Holiday Inn Folkestone on 13^th January 2009.

9am to 1pm

My son Sam has just finished taking his GCSE mocks. For the first time in his life he has to start to thinking about making decisions about his future. It is a scary time for him, simply because he has so much to choose from. He is a lucky boy!

With my children I have always allowed them to make their own career choices once they have reached the magic age of 16. My advice has always been ’study the options, make an infomed choice and go for it. You can always re-direct if you feel you want change your mind. You can never make a “wrong” choice. It was right at the time that you made it’. My daughter Amy changed direction 3 times before she settled on her career path. She lost nothing, is still only 21 and has gained a huge amount of life experience along the way.

Sam is a bright boy although he doesn’t enjoy the acedemic part of school. He is a typical boy really. A bit lazy but a joy to be a Mum to. His skill and passion lie in the wooden boat industry. At first it would seem that to go for that would be an unwise choice as the market is so narrow. But I am a great believer in ‘niche’ markets and to become a specialist in any niche gives an advantage over the average Joe. Some may say to Sam that he should concentrate on a general skill working with wood, then he will have more choice, but I don’t agree.

I think if Sam is passionate about becoming a wooden boat builder, he should ‘go for it’. Anything else will never be good enough. So Sam, go in the direction your heart takes you. Never settle for less than you can be, and after all, as I read in my Jack Canfield book this morning:-

“Shoot for the moon! Even if you miss, you will land amongst the stars.”