happynurses

sunshine

The sun is out and everyone is visiting the park by my flat. I spent the afternoon in there with a friend yesterday. It was lovely just to spend some time lying in the fresh air with nothing to do....lovely!

I saw an amazing film last night on DVD. 'Into The Wild' which is the true story of a guy who goes of travelling in the 1990's to discover himself, challenge himself and have an advenute with no money or security. It focusses on the places he visited, and the people he met on the way. It really re-kindled my love of travel, which I haven't done for a while. As I am also looking at PR strategies at the moment I was re-thinking about my VW camper van idea for touring round and speaking to nurses....I need to get my plans out again and look at the feasibility of it, as I still think it's a great idea.

Which films do you find inspiring and why?

What do you love that you have 'forgotten about', happynurses?

Time out

Ahhhh... the view from Symonds Yat in the Forest of Dean - wonderful!

I spent a couple of days away with family and friends this weekend and felt as if I had been on holiday. The weather on Tuesday was wonderful - I had to put on my suncream and even wore a short-sleeved top!

I left my bag of work, marketing books and notebooks on the sofa, by accident (or did I?) so that made sure I really gave myself time out. Sat in the sun, had a good laugh, went for some walks and a boat trip, had an ice-cream, and caught up with people I love.

It is good to have a break, even for a few hours - how could you have a mini-break, happynurses?

Re-birth

Here is my lovely Auntie on her 70th birthday a few weeks ago. Who would have thought it? My Mum was also 70 last year and it got me thinking...how would I like my life to be at that age?

Easter and Spring are times of re-birth and new starts, so this is a great season to look at this question for yourself. Take some time this week, and write a vision of how you want  your life to be at 70.

What would you love to have done in your life? What memories would you want to be in your photo album? What do you need to do NOW to get to that point?

What would you like to be looking back on, and forward to, at 70, happynurses?

Contact me for coaching if you need some help deciding, are drawing a blank, or just don't know where to start.......

Human voices

I spent this weekend at a singing workshop in Dorset, with Tonalis, which might be your idea of a horrible way to spend your time!

However I really had a wonderful few days. I stayed with an old buddy and her family, and did some more business networking as well as singing so 'twas a good mix of business and pleasure! I felt relaxed, cared for and looked after, as well as musically inspired.

We sang all sorts of songs from around the world - all acapella with between 4 and 7 parts. We also had a chance to play some Japanese-inspired instruments and really experience many totally different types of singing and music.

It reminded me how musical I am and how much I enjoy singing and making and listening to music, so I am going to make it far more important in my life.

What do you love to do that you want to make more important in YOUR life, happynurses?

Gratitude part 3!

Here is another gratitude list - when you have read and enjoyed it, do your own and keep going until you have writers/typists cramp!

• The sun is shining and the park looks beautiful
• My bedroom is newly decorated and looks wonderful
• I have a sewing machine to make some cushion covers and try to adapt a window blind
• My flatmate Liz is the perfect lodger - fun, caring, thoughtful and she bought me a Take That calender yesterday for the princely sum of 5p!
• I have found someone to organise my accounts and bookkeeping and also to formulate my ideas and vision into a structured plan
• I have the radio on and the music is great
• I have a delicious apple to crunch on
• I live near town so will pop in later to get some thread to make the cushion covers
• I have submitted my e-book to the US nurses site and the Nursing Standard for review
• I have had some great feedback on it so far
• I have some exciting ideas to do with happynurses
• I have taken control of my health and been to see my GP about some issues
• I have access to the Internet to help me to communicate, find info and make decisions
• My Mum and I had a nice morning for Mother's day and visited a wonderful craft centre in the Forest of Dean, Taurus Crafts
• I bought some lovely chilli and lime dark choc there.......yum
• I have some delicious tea bags so a spoilt for choice when it comes to cuppa tea time
• I am off to Dorset next week to network, gossip, stay in an old castle and go to a singing weekend with one of my best buddies
• I have clean drinking water
• We are still in one piece despite 2 earthquakes
• The leaseholder is actually getting some of the jobs done in my block - newly painted door today
• I have heard from one of my clients to plan our next session
• My website is nearly ready - just a glitch to sort out
• The happynurses membership site looks wonderful and fun and colourful
• This blog is connecting every time I try it at present
• I can now send my newsletter out as tiscali have sorted the access problem
• I have a great movie to watch later
• I am going to speak to loads of my friends and family this weekend and have a good catch-up
• I have a photo and article going into Nursing Standard in the next 2 weeks with an outline of my career to date and a communication case study
• This will expose me to 73 000 nurses
• My sister met a nurse who was fed up this week, so another referral....
• This afternoon I am planning my amazing life from here to the next phase
• It's Friday!
• I am doing a reading at one of my buddies weddings (Matt)
• I am off to Austria this month, all being well health-wise, for a relationship seminar
• I am still looking for a man and posted a question on a business forum as a 'dare'!
• I have a bit of a crush on Peter Jones (I had a dream.....)
• I have just found his own website too....mmmm!
• I have a bit of a crush on all of Take That and can now immerse myself thanks to my new calender!
• I heard about a woman in the US doing coaching from a camper van which lit the spark for me again.....must look into sponsorship for the next tour.....
• I have been de-cluttering and feel fresh and airy now, with some more stuff to give to charity/ recycle
• I have the option to earn loads helping nurses with their finances via a new scheme
• I have lots of friends and family supporting me
• I have a great coach, Amy who is really helping me
• I love this blog, and when it is attached to the happynurses site I hope lots of nurses will enjoy reading it

That's about all, but my head is still constructing items, I just won't bore you with any more!

Do your own gratitude list, happynurses!

Spring is sprung!

I have been madly networking this week, having joined a networking group and wanting to make the most of it! I am able to visit as many groups as I can in the 2 months trial so I went to Cheltenham, Stroud and Bournemouth last week. All the venues were different, but all the meetings were useful and friendly.

I have been brainstorming how to get to reach more nurses - waiting for some of my articles to be published, and with 2 months till the RCN Congress I have to use some initiative! I have met some nurses' friends and husbands in my business breakfasts, so that has been good, and I now have 69 sign-ups!

The weather has been wonderful over the weekend - I had a jaunt to the beach and sat in the sun in my short-sleeved shirt, saw 3 daffodils in the garden, watched the space shuttle whizz through space in the distance and lounged around in my friend Eileen's flat, which is in a castle by the river Avon in Dorset........a tough life I know!

I have also been doing some nursing shifts back on my old unit, via the nurse bank, and I am really enjoying it. I go in when I feel like it, don't do weekends or nights, and have lots of other exciting plans to do outside my job.

Look out for my first e-book on 'How to Be Happier at Work' which will be launched in around 2 weeks.

Do the Gratitude List again and feel the looooove, happynurses!

Gratitude again part 2!

Time for another gratitude list I think!

See if you can make your longer and more positive than mine - not that it's really a competition!

• My lovely new haircut done by Ben at Blushes, Cheltenham (plug, plug)
• My flat mate Liz who is a great support and good company of a chilly winter evening
• My personal trainer Carl who is getting me fit and slim again
• Living by the park
• Braeburn apples - crunchy and juicy - yum!
• Lots of creative ideas
• My networks - business and personal
• Caroline, a wonderful friend and amazing graphic designer
• The offer of 3 camper vans so far for my happynurses tour
• My ability to read and type and thus inspire people
• My thighs that can now do squats without going so wobbly
• My new diary getting filled with amazing things
• Oprah magazine - always a great read
• De-cluttering Mary's study giving me some more books to have a look at
• Music to relax and stimulate me
• Take That
• Orange weds so I can go to the cinema half price
• My ability to come up with lots of ideas
• The happynurses tote bag as a big marketing idea
• Colour - how dull would the world be without it?
• Delicious food, low fat and nutritious making me feel energised and healthy
• Working out how to use my new happynews autoresponder
• Confidence in happynurses
• Cheques coming through the post to pay into my business account
• My coaching clients' successes
• The second-hand bookshop - I made £1.80 for Mary today - woohoo!
• The charity bookshop a few doors down so I could get rid of most of Mary's clutter to a good cause
• Paperchase - love their stationery ranges
• My wrist managing to do some press-ups so I can re-build some muscle
• Knowledge that I have to build my happynurses vision
• My gorgeous new purple velvet bag (half price!!)
• The mobile phone dangly from my Mum that is now matching my purple bag
• Lovely memories of Christmas
• Thank you cards from my nephews adorning my TV table -one featuring a power-walking chick - cute!
• Dishwasher tablets to save having to wash up every day
• 'Savers' shops to get homewares really really cheap
• The sun coming out a smidgen today
• A comfy bed at night
• Texts from people that put a spring in my step......

I could go on.....see how easy and lovely it is, happynurses. Your turn!

Festivities

Merry Christmas everyone!

I have spent a lovely few days in Cheshire with my family - Mum, sister, nephews. I even went to church and enjoyed it! This is because the minister taking the services is a natural performer - funny, open, warm, and includes everyone in the heckling and scripts for the Christmas story - very different to how I remember church as a child.

It is great to see authentic people inspiring and helping others in life by being who they really are.

Who are you, really?

What skills or aspects of yourself do you hide from the world?

How would you like to be remembered?

Make 2008 the year of change - hire me to coach you, happynurses.

Friendship boosters

Here we are again at Christmas - sending cards to people we haven't seen all year and wondering where the time went!

If you want to maintain your friendships here are some ideas to ensure you don't lose another year:

• When you say 'we must get together' and you actually mean it, get the diary out, and establish a time and date and stick to it. Life will always get in the way, and give you 'chores' to be done instead.
• Buy some note-cards and send one a week to someone special. One of my friends mentioned how much she loves getting cards from me, as so few people do it. Don't wait till Christmas!
• Send a postcard if you are away, even on business/work trips, or just for a shopping afternoon. I used to do this with my Gran, and now my Mum. They love getting a card even if it is from the town I live in!
• Set aside an hour a week to make phone calls. Decide which is more important to you - your friends or the latest in the soaps.
• Look at how you spend your time, and see what activities you do that you don't enjoy. Women can be guilty of saying 'yes' to things they don't really want to do, then miss out on time with their families and friends as a result. Stick to what is important. Ask do I really want to do this?'
• Even if you haven't seen or spoken to someone in a long time, they will probably be delighted to hear from you! Someone has to make the first move. Be the one.
• If you need to be even more organised, keep a list of your friends and family and note down when you have contacted them so you don't find a year has gone past again. set some contact and communication goals.
• Finally, let the friends you have know how much you love and appreciate them......

Which friend could you contact today, happynurses?

Gratitude again

I am having a good week, with lots of small developments all moving happynurses along, so here is a brief list.

Wonderful things:

• The sun is out and all looks perfect for a long walk later
• My website is nearly ready to be launched
• I have some truly beautiful and fun business cards and marketing postcards
• I met some really interesting business women and men this week
• I had a great sleep most nights this week
• I have a lovely mug of tea next to me
• I have been contacted by some old colleagues and friends via happynurses
• I am starting to plan my Xmas, and it's all looking very nice
• I am re-reading some excellent books which are helping me to plan the next steps in my life
• I am feeling more open and loving generally
• I learned EFT this week which gives me another tool to help me to be calm in certain situations
• I have got a manifesting CD by Wayne Dyer to help me to get the last few bits into my life
• I had an amazing and funny mention in the Money Gym publicity this week - thanks, Nicola!
• I have got 2 new coaching clients and have another few leads to follow up with
• My clients are doing very well - one had more than doubled her income, another is in the thick of a pre-uni college course, and another is telling all her friends how amazing coaching is
• Take That are on the radio again.......
• My sister, Emma is coming for a couple of days this week
• I am off to Cumbria next week for a retreat with some great coaches and in a wonderful venue
• I have found a singing event to go to tomorrow so I can sing all afternoon
• My flat is gorgeous, and the autumn views inspire me everyday
• I am starting to publicise the Nick Williams event in Feb - so pleased he is coming to Cheltenham
• I am now a success story on his website
• I got a free diary in my goodie bag this week, so am going to do a one year plan for happynurses this week

What are you grateful for, happynurses? Go on, write it down!