Mothers Day

Mothers Day is a special one - there’s no way you’d be here except that you had a mum! I hope you had a fantastic weekend - I spent Saturday at a beautiful location on the outskirts of Orange at Mary Brell’s Women, Wine and Wisdom. I wrapped up the day with “Wisdom in Everyday Life” and we had a lot of fun with that and everyone left buzzing - which I think is the general idea of a girls day out!

Mothers Day was spent with my whole family, Mum was blown away with the gift we gave her - a digital photo frame so she can enjoy all her favourite pictures of her grandsons - and us too of course!

I thought I’d share something I wrote in 2007 for Regional Business Magazine - it was of course, for regional women, but no matter where you are girls, you are amazing, full of potential and most likely more gorgeous and talented than you realise. Please translate this into your own scenario and celebrate the life your mum gave you.

Please click here - tribute-to-country-women

Have a wonderful day!

Possibilities are endless and other random thoughts

Possibilities are endless! An exciting thought – certainly keeps me on my toes and this week has been full-on keeping up! It’s good to remember that with all the opportunities and the busyness it brings we can still create opportunities for essentials like taking time out! So I’ve been prioritising my time out and exercising this week, when it could have been pushed to the side (easily!) and I really enjoyed my swimming this morning. (Of course I still have some emails to catch up on!)

I’m off to Orange tomorrow with clients and friends to speak at Women, Wine & Wisdom – the third of the “Women, Wine & Wellbeing” series I’ve spoken at, with my dear friend Mary Brell – a very inspiring woman who created this series of events for regional women. More on that later – I’m still pulling it all together! Just thought I’d share some ponderings I wrote earlier in the week… hope it’s useful! Love Kerrie

Have you ever been really clear on the outcome you wanted - but been delivered a completely different and sometimes unappealing outcome - to find that it was actually better than you really wanted? I have often. This is why I’ve learned and continue to learn to be detached from the outcome. Let’s just go in open minded, core values guiding (such as generosity, authenticity, empowerment) and see what happens. I’ve been thrown some ugly looking outcomes that soon after I’d been so thankful for. If the door hadn’t been slammed in my face I wouldn’t have seen the gorgeous French doors to my left.

I find it useful to step back and look at the bigger picture. Is this outcome so, so important? Can you take this path with your core values intact, being true to yourself? What other possibilities are out there? I’ve discovered that possibilities are everywhere. Like the air we breathe but we don’t see evidence of it until we start looking.

Have a wonderful weekend, think big, and remember to make your mum feel oh-so-special!

A beautiful weekend and a lotta love

Sandra Groom was my one of my first Mentor Coaches and has become a dear friend. Her first visit here was the day after we started moving in, and the whole house was full of boxes. It’s not everyone you feel comfortable with when you’re surrounded with stuff to the point of having to eat outdoors because there’s nowhere to sit indoors.

Sandra is ever loving and accepting, so it was with no hesitation that I welcomed her along with her thoughtful, generous friend Rob Kalka, CEO of World Youth International to stay with us on the weekend. The house is more in order now of course, although showing signs of recent travel and busyness. We had a wonderful time, and Sandra came bearing gifts, as she does, including a beautiful hardcover book “The Complete Pocket Positives”. It contains such gems as “Friendship consists in forgetting what one gives, and remembering what one receives” – Alexandre Dumas, 1803 – 1870. French Novelist.

Another, which speaks to me of the many wonderful friends in my world (who may be reading this) is “Each new friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born” - Anais Nin 1903 – 1977 French Novelist

Thank you to all my dear friends who have brought out the best in me, fanned the flames of possibility, stretched and challenged me to become who I am today. I love you dearly and I thank you.

Learning and having fun!

This past week has been amazing.  Ok, the whole year has really… I am learning so much all the time, coaching brilliant, resilient, inspiring people and having a ball.
I’m doing more travel than I’d like to be, but it’s only for a season.

In May, for example, I’m only traveling out of town once – and only to Orange, which is 90 minutes away.  I’m speaking at Women Wine & Wisdom, hosted by the gorgeous Mary Brell… it will be a lot of fun.

For now though, I’m downloading the last few exciting days.  Last Thursday I met up with Mark Crutcher, a previous client (see November 07 archive) for a quick catch-up since his recent Fiji trip with his family, where he was awarded NSW Retailer of the Year.  His standards across his 3 IGA supermarkets are all outstanding, and his attitude to staff and customers is so generous and respectful.  His attitude to life is brilliant actually.  I wish everyone could hear his inspiring story… Hmm, something to discuss over coffee next week perhaps

We spent three days at Paul & Mary Blackburn’s at their generous invitation, for their “Inner Reflections” retreat.  I had expressed (slight) concern to a friend that they might have a 24 hour period of silence…. So when they announced that it was part of the weekend, Lyndon killed himself laughing… why would he think I couldn’t do it?!
Actually I was looking forward to it and quite enjoyed it.  I really cleared my head of all the busyness and constant ideas and to-do lists… which have really been building up lately with all the travel and intense learning we’ve been doing.  Sigh… (contendedly)  how nice to really, really relax.  I met some really special people and my major insights were around how happy I am and how fun I am… and noticing that I can get too serious at times…  look out world – I’m more fun than ever!  Please don’t be embarrassed if I feel the urge to start skipping!

Family, Friends and Fun

Back from another trip (this is getting ridiculous – we’re averaging every second weekend away)…  It was the big weekend with family for Grandads 90th, and the arrival of Nuy and her family from Bangkok.  I see my Grandparents in Sydney quite regularly, but my cousins are scattered all over the east coast of Australia, so getting everyone (almost) together is pretty special.  I adore my cousins and have special memories of our childhood.  So much has changed in our lives, but the bond of family keeps us connected, even if it’s been a while since our last conversations.

We bought a fabulous digital camera on Saturday so we could capture some family moments as well as all those other random moments when you wish you had a camera.  We’ll be learning to post photo’s and videos on our website, which I’m really looking forward to.  YouTube here we come!  What a great way of connecting and sharing news.

Entertaining friends from Thailand has been so much fun and a chance to see things from a different perspective.  Everywhere we went was a great photo opportunity – we had over 300 photos on our new camera over the two days.  We stopped at Scenic World in the Blue Mountains, rode the Scenic Railway and Cable Car, then home via Orange, where we took photo’s under the gorgeous autumn leaves.
We arrived home to dinner with James Hall & Hannah Welch, who were part of the second team I took to Bangkok, (December 2002).  Nuy was delighted to see them and it was fantastic to reminisce about our time in Thailand.

The next day we visited Dubbo Zoo, (we’ve never spent so long in the Australian section!) then on to Dad & Mum’s farm, via The Burrells farm… to experience sheep shearing, tractor driving, get up close & personal with horses, cows and countless other animals, not generally seen in Thailand.  Of course a farm trip is not complete without Dad’s special BBQ and dinner under the stars, a little cold, but absolutely worthwhile.

Thank you for coming to visit with your beautiful family Nuy!!!

Amazing learning… and other news

Training weekend with internet guru’s Dale Beaumont & Shaun Stenning… Absolutely mind-blowing… my head is spinning, with technical stuff I can’t get my head around, but more importantly – a sense of the unlimited possibilities.   I’m getting a glimpse of how phenomenal the internet is.  Sorry, I’m speechless here… a little tired from traveling, a little (okay, a lot) excited about what we’re doing here.  I can’t wait to share the excitement with you!!!  Our website will be going live as soon as we’ve done all the admin involved and had the site built – early June is most likely.

I’ve recently been noticing how people judge others by their own perceptions and world view.  For example, a generous person will easily recognize and value generosity, because they speak the same language.  One who is more self-focused and small thinking will misconstrue a generous act, seeing it with suspicion, questioning “what’s in it for them… what’s she/he after”.  I’m sure you could identify people you know who obviously have an abundance mentality – “there’s plenty for everyone”, or a scarcity mentality –“I have to get in and get mine before the greedy people do”.

As always, there’s much learning… I am so thankful for the generous people in my world and the wonderful friendships I develop with like-minded people.  I’ve also been learning that I can assume the best in people and rush in with enthusiasm, then be disappointed when things don’t work out.  I’m paying more attention to my intuition now, and being careful to align myself with those who share similar core values and beliefs.

One of the great discoveries over the past month is my friendship with Karen Saunders.  We will be working closely together on a number of projects and complement each others businesses and skill-sets beautifully.   You’ll read more about Karen in future blogs.   She’s amazing and I’m so excited about her possibilities and our possibilities.  Gosh life is wonderful.

What is wonderful in your life, and what are your possibilities? Go looking and find that they’re as endless as they are exciting.

Busy, exciting days…

Yesterday, 1st April was a full and exciting day, beginning with Chamber of Commerce Breakfast, where I met Damien Lynch & Deborah Barit, who are writing a book and surveyed attendees at the breakfast. They asked for me for an interview later in the day, which of course I made space in the diary for! It was great to share the moment with my new friend Karen (who will feature in future blogs I’m quite sure) and learn a little from these authors, although they had us doing most of the talking.

Preparations are underway for my Grandfathers 90th Birthday in Sydney and visit from Thai friends, flying in from Bangkok for all of 4 nights in Australia… it’s looking like being a very full-on, exciting few days.

Before I can think too much about that, it’s time to get ready for a few days in Sydney learning and preparing for our website… the one I’ve dreamed of for a while, but didn’t know such a thing existed. I have resisted the idea of building a website as I didn’t want just an expensive business card… something that will advertise my coaching services… no, it had to be the Taj Mahal of websites, one that is generating an income itself, and providing amazing value, learning and development for those who access it. I have found such an opportunity!

I met Dale Beaumont in 2007 after I read one of his books (which featured a couple of friends and colleagues), made a thanks card and sent it off with my congratulations on his achievements and acknowledgement of how clever and inspiring he is. Seems he liked the card as he invited me to lunch when next in Sydney. Those little cards can go a long way; I wish I wrote them as often as I think to. Although that means it’s all I’d do all day! There are always people to be thanked and congratulated. Who’s in your world you can acknowledge today?

So we’re off to Sydney tomorrow to learn from Dale Beaumont and Shaun Stenning – they’re website developers and internet marketing guru’s – and wonderful, generous, inspiring young human beings. I’m a little daunted by the technical side which is not me at all – but I have my darling Lyndon with me, who’s actually excited about that part. I’m excited by the opportunity to stay connected with clients and friends and connect with new friends everywhere. Woo Hoo! Here we come!

Learning and Development (Part 2)

Learning and Development continued to be the theme of March… no surprise as it’s a massive part of my life, and the second half of the month it got really personal. There’s nothing like a challenging situation to generate self awareness, to see where you’re at and what you’re made of. “Adversity introduces a man to himself” (Unknown)

I’ve been reading Think & Grow Rich – finding some absolute gems there. Lyndon’s just downloaded the audio book version, so I’m looking forward to hearing the book as I walk. I’m also reading Secret’s of Internet Entrepreneurs Exposed which has the brain firing with lots of new ideas & inspiration… watch this space!

March concluded with a hen’s party, catch ups with friends and Ethan’s school Fete. He was so proud of his Dad, his Grandad, (my Dad) and my brother “Uncle Greg” parachute into the school. I accompanied him on “The Octopus” and managed to retain my lunch… although Ethan was concerned he’d lose his. On to the Dodgem cars for a more relaxed afternoon.

Another something worthy of mention was that I was asked to assist Ruth Donde, Results Coaching System’s NZ Regional Manager, on Build Your Practice, an 8 week business building course for Coaches. This is a fabulous course, integral to my development as a Coach, who initially hadn’t a clue about business, just a passion for coaching and making a difference in people’s lives. This is the third time I’ve assisted on this course, so the fourth time I’ve been through it. I love working with new coaches to find their feet in the business world, grow confident in marketing their practice and continue in their own learning and development.

Learning and Development

Learning and Development has definitely been the theme for me this month! I usually feel like I’m on a learning curve, and absolutely love it, but sometimes it’s much steeper than other times. We started the month with a Think & Grow Rich Seminar in Sydney which was fantastic; a confirmation of the path we’re on, and a time of opening our eyes to further opportunities. It was also the beginning of some amazing new friendships!

I was asked to speak about Networking at the Chamber of Commerce Breakfast in Dubbo on 4 March, which went really well - people left buzzing – one woman who I networked with in front of the room (as a demonstration) left with 3 clients as a result. (that we know of!) I’ve since written “Confidently Connecting – Top Networking Tips” for Regional Business Magazine, receiving great feedback about how useful it’s been. If you’d like a copy please let me know and I’ll send it to you.

Results Coaching Systems invited me to attend their Asia Pacific Leadership Days, which was brilliant (as expected). Day One was focused on business development – as a Results team, and individually. One of the highlights for me was meeting my Coach friends from New Zealand, who I’ve only known on the phone and by email until now.

That evening David Rock, Founder and CEO of Results Coaching Systems was the guest speaker at the Boss Club event in the Sydney’s CBD. It’s always great to hear David speak about what’s happening in the Neuroleadership world and it was an excellent event, beautifully hosted by Boss Magazine Editor Narelle Hooper.

The next day with the Results team was focused on training and we spent a good portion of the day with David delving into the Neuroscience that relates to coaching and sharing resources to further improve the quality of our programs. I loved it and took pages of notes. If you’re interested in this fascinating subject check it out here… www.neuroleadership.org - the audio downloads are really interesting.

More March news soon…to much excitement for one blog!

Have a great week, enjoy your own learning and development,

Love Kerrie

Achieving Goals

Achieving goals on time, every time – who does that?! Approximately 80% of my clients achieve their goals in the intended time-frame, sometimes sooner, which is exciting. (Bear in mind that they have committed to a process of fast-tracking their achievements) However, there are often goals that are more challenging than expected, or there are random interruptions that occur throughout life, such as sickness or technical delays.
It can be disheartening to feel like your goal is too far off, but it’s important to remember two things.

1. Keep Moving! It doesn’t really matter how fast you’re achieving goals, just don’t let discouragement stop you in your tracks. Keep focused on the big picture and keep moving forward, little steps at a time.

2. The journey is often more important than the destination. It’s great to achieve goals, but don’t lose sight of the learning along the way. Who you become on your journey to the goals tends to be more significant than the goal itself.

Have a super month, learning, celebrating and achieving goals!