Vitality Ireland

Welcome to 2009!

2009-01-06T11:30:00.004Z

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED

SKY-DIVING IS NOT FOR YOU!!

But remember, the Key to Success for 2009 is LAUGHTER and RELAXATION.

So re-learn how to have fun.

Re-learn what brings joy to your heart.

Life is for living, and fun and laughter can be free!

2008-11-05T10:39:00.002Z

Repeating negative patterns
”The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”Albert Einstein
If we don’t change how we respond to negative situations then how can we expect to be any happier?

Remember we are solely responsible for our own happiness.

Think now of a negative pattern that you would like to change. It doesn’t have to be a big one, it can be as simple as: how I drive to work, getting up in the morning or dealing with a stroppy sales attendant.

My pattern:

Now think of a new pattern that you can put in its place, a more empowering one that will bring you a new level of joy and freedom.

For example, sitting in a traffic jam, there’s nothing that you can do about it. No matter how much you curse, it’s not going to change the situation.
Perhaps next time, instead of swearing and getting annoyed that you’re wasting time, use the time to list all the things that you’re grateful in your life. You could plan your next trip away, catch up with old friends (provided, of course that you have a hands free car kit! ) You could choose to simply spend the time admiring the scenery. Or, my personal favourite, when I’m in a supermarket I will bring my Ipod with me and listen to my favourite music while I’m going about my least favourite task! Make a choice to respond in a positive way for you.

My new pattern:

Now make a decision to use these new more positive patterns in your day.

(Shilling , Swords 2008)

short & sweet

2008-10-08T19:39:00.002+01:00

This week I am just going to let you ponder on 2 quotes which I feel will get you thinking. As such you can then apply your new perspective to your own life.

" Only 1 thing has to change for us to know happiness in our lives.
Where we focus our attention" Greg Anderson

Where are you focusing your attention?

" In nature, nothing is perfect, and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful." Alice Walker

What is beautiful in your life?

Stress Release

2008-09-18T09:06:00.000+01:00

Get a Solution to a Problem/Dilemma in times of stress or pressure.

This following technique is taken from Kinesiology.

When you are stressed, or under pressure, blood rushes from the front of your brain, to the back.

This is because the body responds to stress or pressure by pumping adrenaline, in order to activate our fight or flight response (back of the brain)

However, the front of our brain is where we think through issues, and use our logic and decision making abilities. If this is deprived of blood, then it is more difficult to feel calm, and think rationally.

All you need do to bring the blood back to the front of your brain in times of stress or pressure, is to place either your whole hand across your forehead, or your thumb and index finger just lightly on the bulge of your forehead.

Hey presto, stay like this for a few minutes, think of the difficulty or issue, and breath deeply.

You will either come up with a solution, or be in a better frame of mind to deal with the task ahead.

2008-09-02T12:25:00.002+01:00

The Quick Coach" enables you to try out coaching techniques for yourself, without having to take too much time out to do it!

If you have a lot of tasks to do, and you write a 'to do' list, more often than not, by the end of the day, you can cross off all the jobs you completed. Much to your satisfaction.

To do lists work because you are giving your conscious mind explicit directions on what needs to be done, and your clever mind on both a conscious and subconscious level, will work hard at finding ways to get those tasks completed.

The same can be done daily, if you SET YOUR INTENTION FOR THE DAY AHEAD.

What this means is spending a few moments to decide how you want your day to go.
Think of what lies ahead, and say to yourself something like

I intend to enjoy the drive to work
I intend to spend 3 mins deep breathing at my desk.
I intend to remain calm in my meeting at 3pm.................................

Whatever it is you want for yourself, to feel, or do, or say, or enjoy, try setting your intention.

You are setting up your internal checklist, and directing your subconscious on how your day will go.

Remember, the internal messages you give your brain directly affects the results you get.

Direct your brain to getting the most from each day, one day at a time, and see how you fare!

Until next time!

2008-08-17T00:44:00.002+01:00

"The Quick Coach" enables you to try out coaching techniques for yourself, without having to take too much time out to do it!

Quick De-Stressor

Are you ready to scream?
Are you close to tears?
Do you feel exhausted?

(Even if you can't close your eyes, this is effective)

Close your eyes, and breath in one deep breath while saying to yourself - "calm"
Breath out one long breath, while saying to yourself - "love"

Repeat for a few moments, and feel yourself beginning to come back to an even keel.

You can say whatever words you want, for eg, peace, joy, smile, relax, whatever suits you and what state of feeling you want to achieve.

The Quick Coach

2008-08-09T14:10:00.003+01:00

" The Quick Coach" enables you to try out coaching techniques for yourself, without having to take too much time out to do it.

For those of you on the go, here are a few ideas for finding your ideal partner!

Whether you are in a relationship, not in one, or just out of one, I want you to examine your past loves, your past losses. What were the similarities, what were the differences between these relationships?.
More importantly, who were YOU in each relationship?
What qualities would you like your ideal partner to have, and what qualities do you bring to a relationship.
If you don’t know what you are looking for, how can you find it?
It is important to realise what qualities you want a partner to have.
But its also important to know how do you want to feel in a relationship?
So if you are single, or in a relationship, take some time to think about how exactly you want to feel in the presence of a lover. This is important, because I believe that with a partner, it is important for you to feel comfortable in expressing all aspects of yourself, even the contradictory aspects – strong and weak, sexy and slovenly, energetic and lazy, clever and silly, humorous and cross.

What are your different sides? Who are you? What makes you happy, what makes you sad? What makes you feel alive? What gets you jumping out of bed in the morning?

What gets you jumping into bed?
What needs, desires, and wishes do you want a / your relationship to fulfil?

Think back to your different past relationships. Were you the same person in each relationship? Was your character the same with each partner? Were you more outgoing with Joe than with Jack? Did you feel sexier with Dave than with Ben? Were you in awe of Claire, and more bossy with Sue?
So whether you are single or attached, take some time to just examine who you are in a relationship. Who do you want to be in a relationship?

Then you are more likely to either find what you are looking for, or be more happy, or more decided about a current relationship.

Thats all from The Quick Coach

Enjoy your Discovery!

2008-07-09T18:05:00.003+01:00

The Quick Coach

There is no such thing as failure. If you choose, you can learn what you need to from things “done wrong”, things attempted and not completed.
You cannot control your world. But you can control your reaction to it.
And that is the most powerful tool of all.

Set yourself a goal for the following week !
Questions to break down your goal
Can I do this tomorrow?
If no, your next question is, what would I have to get done first?

Goals - Physical health, breathing, stretching, friends & family, tasks, living space, hobbies, activities, big, small.

What is your goal? What will you do? When? How? how will you know when you've achieved your goal?

What is your motivation?

What will be your reward?

Life review: Reclaim Your Life Exuberance

2008-03-26T12:07:00.003Z

Life Review
We all, at different times, complain about our lives, our relationships our stressful job, our low finances.
From a Life Coaching perspective, it is more empowering to look instead at what we are complaining about and consider what we can actually do about it.

You will find below a set of questions that when you answer, will empower you with an overview of your needs, wants, desires and areas of your life that you wish to change, improve or maintain.

I am looking at 2008 as the Year of Infinite Possibilities.

In fact I have been saying this to all of my friends and colleagues. When I say it, their faces actually light up as they consider the possibilities of what that means for them.
Then reality bites back, doubt sets in, past experience clouds over their face and the spark goes.
Does that spark have to go? What is stopping us from believing that this is a year of infinite possibilities? How much more empowered will you be if you tell yourself each morning that today you can do one small thing, take one small step to achieving your dream, your goal, your ambition, and happiness?

Would you agree that it is better to take one small step towards your heart’s desire, than stand still and see the same scenery?

So I invite you now to take one small step with me.

Go grab a pen and paper and answer the questions below.

As a Life Coach I ask my clients questions that get them to take a new perspective on their life. You may read the questions and think that the answers are obvious.

But it is important that you write down the answers.
Don’t just think about the answer.
You will be surprised, I guarantee it, about the answers you will discover for yourself when you begin to write down your answers.

You don’t have to answer them all in the one go. Take a few at a time and answer them. You have a whole month until my next newsletter, so no panic!

The questions will help you identify what you want. And what you don’t want. They will identify where and with whom you are using your energy, and from this you can see if you want to redirect your focus and energy.
The questions will set you on the track to taking control of your own happiness because the questions will help you identify your options and therefore your choices.

Remember, if you don’t consider what it is you are unhappy or happy about, how can you set about improving your situation.

So let’s start:

1. List 10 things you enjoy doing (beside each one write down the last time you did it)
For example - Do you enjoy dancing /swimming/ice-skating /mountain climbing /hill walking /partying /walking by the sea/writing /singing /surfing /redecorating / moving house /travelling /getting a promotion /art /photography /pottery /volunteer work/horse riding?

2. How/when can you do more of these activities?

3. When was the last time you laughed? What makes you laugh and how can you laugh more?

4. What can you be thankful for in your life? How can you experience that on a continued basis? How can you get more of it? – Include even the smallest things, for e.g., for me it’s a good cup of coffee in the morning!

5. What emotions do you feel on a regular basis? Which do you want to increase and how?

6. Which emotions do you want to feel less of and how can you do that?

7. Who or what do you love most? Are you spending enough time with them, if not, how can you increase your time together, even by as little as half an hour?

8. Who has / where is the information that will help you get what you want? When are you going to ask them / contact them?

9. What one thing can you do for yourself each day to help or maintain your health?

If you are not coming up with answers to these questions (or you are and they are negative) you may be in the habit of limiting yourself and putting blocks and boundaries in front of yourself.
Let’s be honest – if you believe something is impossible – well then it is – because you will not take even one single step towards getting it.
Therefore you never will get it.

Once you have answered these questions I want you to review them.
What have you noticed about your answers? Are you now able to identify what makes you happy and what makes you unhappy? Are you able to identify your choices and the areas where you feel you have no choice? What can you do about these situations?
What small changes you can make in your life?

Leave it a few days and come back to review your answers again. This gives your subconscious a chance to process the information. When you review your answers a new idea may come to you. Your perspective may have shifted slightly and you realise something you didn’t realise before.

From your answers you will now be empowered with valuable information about how you want to live your life, what is important to you, and what it is not so important for you.
Awareness is one of the most powerful tools we can equip ourselves with. Awareness brings Empowerment. That sometimes may be frightening, other times liberating.

You can sign up for my free newsletter by going to http://www.nlplifecoachireland.com/.

Keep taking those tiny steps!! Allow your scenery to change!

Life Vitality

2008-03-15T10:49:00.002Z

Emotions/feelings - create Thoughts - create behaviour - create emotions...............

Have you ever wondered ,why, when you are stressed, busy, or overloaded you do some things that you are unsure of why you did them, and you don’t do things that you think you should?

If our emotions are the basis of our thoughts and emotions, then in order to empower and nurture ourselves it is important to explore that base.

If we don’t tune into our body, our feelings, then we are missing part of the sequence.
We are functioning at the level of thought, while not giving attention to the basis of that thought.
Our behaviour then reflects this (anger over small things, feeling frustration and not knowing the cause, jumpy or erratic movements, for example) and our body starts giving us signs in the form of ill health or minor ailments in order to try and grab our attention to bring our attention back into our body.

So how can we fully explore this sequence in order to allow ourselves have optimum health and life vitality.

When you are going to sleep, place your hands one beside the other over your stomach area (this will cover your solar plexus and sacral chakras)
Think over your day and allow yourself to release any negative thoughts, feelings, experience or people from your body, feel, see or hear the negativity leave your body and aura.
When you have done that, scan your body with your minds eye and feel how your body is feeling.
What emotions are you feeling?
Where are you holding these emotions in your body?
Focus in on that body part where you are feeling/holding the emotion.
Imagine a beautiful white light coming into that area, and slowly dissolving that feeling, that emotion that you are holding in your body.
Feel it leaving your body as the white healing light floods the area, bringing with it feelings of peace, calm and relaxation.

2008-01-22T16:35:00.000Z

Unique GOAL SETTING Workshop

Sat 9th & 16th Feb
10am - 1pm

Cost E90

Airfield, Dundrum

Combining Life Coaching and Yoga in a unique formula to help you
SET and ACHIEVE your Goals

Sharon Swords is an accredited Life Coach and NLP Practitioner who facilitates her clients in making positive life changes.

Sibylle Dallmann YTTC,ITEC is a qualified Yoga Master who has taught Yoga internationally.

Together they have devised a unique Goal Setting course that combines the empowering techniques of Life Coaching with the ancient wisdom of Yoga

SHARON SWORDS 087 6380591
sharon@nlplifecoachireland.com

2008-01-07T19:20:00.000Z

Do not judge a book by it’s cover, the old saying goes. This means never to judge someone on first impressions. Hard not to do , I know. But I would like to add to that saying–
Do not judge a book by it’s cover - nor - even after having read the page of contents should you decide whether or not to proceed further.

Often the most pleasurable of souls takes time to discover, to fully flourish in the eyes of another.

So by this I mean always give some-one a chance, they are just as good as you. And even if your soul and theirs can never be friends, you will have learned from the experience, and you will be a better read yourself!

888888888888888888888888888888888
I have it back
That which I thought I had lost
I hold it in my hands
Cupped in my warm security
I hold it to my lips
It gives me breath
That which I hold
Is a sense of myself.

2008-01-02T16:38:00.000Z

2008
The Year of Infinite Possibilities

Welcome to my first entry for 2008. The number 8 is the infinity sign, and this year promises to be a year when your dreams can move into reality and your aspirations become the breath in your lungs that gives you strength each day.

Unbind yourself from the negative speakers who say that you cannot achieve that which you want to. Yes you may have to work hard, try many different ways and continue to believe undoubtedly in yourself even though you may feel you have failed.

But it is better to do one small thing every day to get you nearer to joy, nearer to your dreams than to spend time convincing yourself that your dream is impossible.

Remember:

As you walk your own unique path, you experience Truth, Love and Freedom.

May 2008 be the year when you discover how truly powerful you really are.
May joy underpin your decisions, and love light your path.

2007-12-03T14:24:00.000Z

I am one with the Rhythm of Life

Have you ever felt yourself beset with difficulties? Have you spent the day struggling to get your thoughts in order, to focus, to get tasks done?

Often, due to; technologies (computers, cars, mobile phones….)
highly processed foods and food additives (that are far from their natural state)
and other people (who are angry, in bad form, sulking, agitated…..)
we find ourselves out of balance with the rhythm of life.

We are not in the flow of rest, relaxation, nourishment, stimulation, activity, fun and play, love and laughter.

Instead……..
We are constantly bombarded with sights, sounds and smells not always of our choosing, not to mention emotions, as we watch television, or have interactions with others people and their emotions.

We loose touch with our base, our sense of groundedness, sometimes of who we are.

Take 3 minutes to focus yourself, nourish yourself.
Breathing deeply, imagine you are on an island. By yourself.

You are lying in the shade, comfortable, a slight breeze washing over you. You can hear the ocean, and your breathing is in tune with the ebb and flow of the waves.

You can see the ocean, and the colour pours into your soul, communicating peace and freedom, life and possibilities.

Spend a few moments like this, breathing and relaxing, relaxing and breathing.

You are one with the rhythm of the sea, one with the Rhythm of Life.

Affirm to yourself:

I am one with the rhythm of life.

2007-11-29T10:02:00.000Z

I launched my first article on http://www.evancarmichael.com/. This is a website for entrepreneurs, giving lots of advice, hints and ideas for starting and running your own business. Check out the site today and under the Work Life balance you can read my article ' Time Off - a Sound Business Investment'

2007-11-12T14:49:00.000Z

Finding Balance in Your Life

What is on the scale of your life?
Right now draw a scale, leaving room to be able to write down the components that make up your life.
On one side of the scale have the title: WORK
Right down everything that you consider falls in this category

On the other side have the title: REWARD
This refers to your free time, how you spend your time when not working.
Is this scale balanced?
If not, which side out-weights the other?
What steps can you take to introduce more balance? Is there something you can do less of, or something you can do more of?
What is stopping you from having balance in your life?
And what steps can you take to resolve that?

Now for a new scale.
Draw a scale that only highlights the benefits that you receive from WORK and from REWARDS (eg, knowledge, new experiences, activities…..)
Is the scale balanced between work and rewards when it comes to the benefits you receive from both?
Again examine what small or big changes you can take to introduce more or something or reduce more of another to help you have balance.

Affirmation:
I find balance in my life. Through work and through rewarding myself I have vibrancy and peace of mind in all that I do.

2007-10-11T11:47:00.001+01:00

Keeping your Dignity in your own eyes is crucial.

Then no-one can Dis-Empower you.

2007-10-11T11:44:00.001+01:00

Day Dreaming.
A lot of adults wrongly believe that day dreaming is for the idle, or for children.
Day dreaming allows your mind to escape the confines of reality and flirt with amazing possibilities, scenarios and life styles. Allow yourself to do this and you allow your creativity to be released.
Creativity is breath in your lungs and fire in your belly. If you are reading this and thinking you are not creative, think again.
Begin by taking 5 quiet minutes, undisturbed, and let your mind flow freely, flow to wherever it is it wants to go. Enjoy the journey and notice what you see on the way, and how you feel.
In the silence of our minds, during day dreaming, our soul speaks to us, and tells us how it wants to live.
Listen to that inner knowing, and allow yourself adventures, away from the mundane and the stress. You will come back to earth feeling rejuvenated with youthful curiosity and a willingness to try new things.
Now that’s creativity.

2007-09-27T15:45:00.000+01:00

Inner Coach No. 2

In sleep we are defenceless

In our dreams we are King.

At night we dream, during the day we day-dream. This we all know. But our dreams tell us a lot about ourselves, and most of us do not take much notice of them.

Night Dreaming

Try keeping a dream journal. As you remember your dreams note them down. Over time you will begin to realise common themes to your dreams.

What message is your sub-conscious trying to tell you?

What thoughts, feelings, fears and anxieties are you processing at night?

Your dreams, if you examine them, can help you resolve problems, come up with different choices and solutions. They can help you put your past to rest, and overcome fears.

Consult a dream dictionary (but not the type that try to use dreams to predict the future, these are often quite negative.)

Begin to notice your dreams, and what they are trying to tell you and you will begin the process of Empowerment.

2007-09-20T15:34:00.000+01:00

Inner Life Coach No. 1

If you could make up your ideal team - a group of people to work for you and support you, and you could choose the qualities these people would have - what would they be?

Take paper now and write down that list,

What would they say,
What would they do for you,
How would they look,
How would they behave, What would be their outlook.

Now, how can YOU be each person on this team to support your self and work for yourself.

2007-09-20T15:18:00.000+01:00

SELF RESPECT

S. Strengthen Self Love.
E. Enjoy time alone.
L. Learn to accept and forgive yourself.
F. Forge strong friendships.
R. Recognise nature’s beauty (for you are part of nature too)
E. Empower yourself and others.
S. Study your strong and weak points.
P. Protect your body.
E. Expect the best for yourself.
C. Calmly tackle problems.
T. Take time to have simple, harmless fun.