Blog
Make Use of Your Resources (WT469)
A few years ago, I was attending a training course with Clinton Swaine of Frontier Trainings. I was in the hot seat. Clinton is a master at training using experiential games. In this particular game I was the CEO. I wasn’t doing very well. The mock company was in chaos and was losing money. Ross was there with me, although not participating in the games or training. He was actually a resource I could have used although I hadn’t thought of that until Clinton reminded me, “Shirley, you are the leader and you have resources available to you and you are not using them. Good leaders are...
Nine Years (WT468)
Have you ever started something on a bit of a whim and then found yourself completely committed to it? Well, this week is the 9th anniversary of our Weekly Thoughts and I’m so excited to share and celebrate with you. I often mention how proud I am of the fact that I haven’t missed one single week in that time. That absolutely astounds me. Why? Because I love change and variety. I often get bored once I’ve mastered something and I’m always looking for the next best thing. In fact, I can say there are only 5 main things in my life that I’ve committed to: Marriage to Ross (30...
Messages From Your Heart (WT467)
This week I want to share some words of wisdom from one of my mentors because it’s a different way of looking at an issue that many of us experience. I am a big fan of “Tapping” (Emotional Freedom Technique) to clear negative emotions. I follow Nick Ortner and his sister Jessica Ortner (www.thetappingsolution.com). They have written a number of books and have created a number of online programs to help educate people about the power of tapping to improve relationships, emotional well-being, abundance, weight loss and more. This week I opened an email from Jessica and...
He Was So Proud of What He Had Done (WT466)
This week we were late travelling to our intended destination so we ended up staying at a different location. Originally booking in for one night, we’ve ended up staying 5 nights. It’s so peaceful and beautiful. We were talking to the caretaker/manager who shared that the owners of the caravan park call in each week to collect the money and how he wanted to show them some of the improvements he had initiated. “Come down the back and see what I’ve done,” he suggested to the owner. The owner looked at his watch and grimaced. “No. I can’t. I have some other places to be, so I’ll have to get...
Stand Down Your Ego (WT465)
I’m not sure if this week’s heading is grammatically correct. Maybe you can come up with a better heading. Here’s the message. Since Ross and I have been travelling we’ve learned sooooooo much; so many things we didn’t know we didn’t know. This week I was listening to a presentation and the speaker mentioned how he had evolved his business once he was able to push his ego aside and take on the lessons. This really resonated with me because I have had to do the same thing during the past few months. I don’t know everything and certainly I am finding out, I know very...
Follow the Path (WT464)
Many times I’ve mentioned, “How we do anything is how we do everything.” Whenever I am walking or driving somewhere I tend to follow the path. The other day we stopped in Coffs Harbour to get some chemicals for our bathroom. Ross reversed Contessa and I jumped out to run in to the shop and quickly buy what we needed. I scanned the carpark and found a path with hand rails. I headed for the path. As I walked up the path I realised that the shop entrance was directly opposite Ross and the motorhome. I turned the corner and walked the extra few metres to the...
Keep the Faith (WT463)
My vision for travelling and working around Australia was to be able to continue coaching and training with my clients. I have to say the first month or two was a bit rough, especially having to dress in my corporate clothes and apply make-up. This didn’t fit the vision and on a few occasions I cried to Ross, “This isn’t what I had in mind. I visualised being on the phone coaching and helping people, wearing my shorts and T-shirt and looking out over the ocean.” This week the vision finally came to light. Situated overlooking the magnificent Number 1 Beach at Seal Rocks in New South Wales,...
Bargain Fruit (WT462)
If you were driving past a shop sign, as we did recently in a little country town, for a fruit shop that read “Bargain Fruit”, what perception would you have of the fruit being sold? Immediately I thought the fruit would be of lesser quality than fruit sold in other shops. The word “Bargain” means “a thing bought or offered for sale much more cheaply than is usual or expected”. The point I want to make is that words, especially in a business name, can make or break your business. Based on the name alone, I wouldn’t go to that shop. Would you? The words you use impact on...
Do You Want Me to Do Nothing and Just Look at the Sky? (WT461)
The past month has been really interesting for Ross and I as we navigate our way through transitioning to living together in the space of a motorhome. Both of us are leaders and both want to be the boss. Of course there can only be one boss. Fortunately though we can be boss of different areas and so we have come to realise that just like when we were first living together 30 years ago, we have had to clarify our roles and responsibilities. Similarly, we met another couple on the road who arrived in Australia from South Africa and within a few days were on the road with their caravan. The...
What Language Are You Speaking? (WT460)
A few months ago, I was introduced to a new profiling tool and I have to say I am extremely impressed with it. It’s called the Reach Quotient and similar to D.I.S.C. and other profiling tools it measures our basic trait or personality, however it goes further than the others in that we can also measure the degree to which you are speaking another’s language, i.e. we can measure the size of your REACH. This is exceptional because it shows exactly where you are and the impact you have on the four styles as well as identifies areas for improvement. The higher the “REACH”, the better the leader...