YOUR POTENTIAL POWER

Dearest Blog Buddies,

I cannot help but share with you the deep feelings love, awe and appreciation I have for this wonderful country of yours. Being from England and having traveled around the world, having lived and worked on four continents (so far!) I have to say that America is without doubt the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

I am sure you are all thrilled the presidential election is over as it seemed as if the election process had been going on forever. What an extraordinary light and beacon you are to the world. The inclusive, hopeful and historic victory speech from Barack Obama and the gracious, loyal, courageous concession speech from John McCain made me weep, even as a foreigner in these lands.

I keep playing Bruce Springsteen ‘The Rising’ on my iPod!

I have a smile and a hug for strangers!

I am humbled to be living in this country at this time.

America, you ROCK!

Whatever your politics, you gotta love this country!

With love and light from sea to shining sea,

Laura XXX

www.yourpotentialpower.com

Dear Blog Buddies,

Hmmmm…I have been thinking about zones a lot recently. Zones are specific spaces one inhabits.

This is of course MomsZone- a specific space for Moms. Then during Halloween I was presented with a Twilight Zone, where reality was brought into question through costume and decoration. Then there are the zones found in sports. No parking zones. Free Trade Zones. Kid Zones. Suddenly I am noticing zones!

In my Life Coaching practice I have discovered people often find themselves inhabiting specific spaces or zones almost by accident often without realizing it. They find themselves in places they never thought they would be. So I have a question for you….

Which zone best describes your current situation?

PAIN ZONE

You are suffering. You are mostly in pain. Some of your most basic needs are not being met. You are paralyzed, stuck, blocked. You know you are living a life or following a career that is not right for you. You are hurting deep inside. You are ill. You feel helpless or hopeless. You struggle through your days. If you are in this zone, you surely know it.

COMFORT ZONE

You are drifting. You are mostly comfortable. Most of your immediate needs are being met. You have settled into unconscious habits and routines. You have lost your passion and excitement for life. Your decisions are mostly based on responsibilities and the expectations of others. You are deferring personal responsibility. You have lost touch with who you are and what you want from life. You are sabotaging your health. You are settling for less. You are missing a depth and richness in your life and you know it. You are beginning to feel lost.

HAPPY ZONE

You are awake. You are mostly happy. You are in awe of life and all the riches it has to offer. Your life honors who you are and reflects your values. You make conscious choices regarding the direction and quality of your life. Life excites you. You are an expression of peace, harmony, laughter and love. You are healthy. You challenge yourself. You exercise your imagination. You often grin, giggle and guffaw. You make a difference in the lives of others. You seek greater fulfillment. You seek velocity and scope for your success.

So which zone are you in?

And can you discern where others in your life are currently zoned?

And now that you know, what are you going to do?

Love and light,

Laura XXXX

www.yourpotentialpower.com

Dear Blog Buddies,

I am writing this from my deckchair at Freestone Skate Park in Gilbert.

 I have been here all morning with my son who loves, loves, loves skateboarding. Ants are biting at my toes and the sun is baking hot. I’ve drunk all my coffee and eaten all my snacks. I have finished my library book and done a dozen Sudokus. I am hot and bothered but I really enjoy  watching my son make incredible progress, have great fun and gain so much confidence through skateboarding.

I love this skateboard culture. These are great kids and really great athletes. This is a great place for parents and their children to hang out. And it’s FREE!

BUT, I think I might just lose my mind if I hear another kid shout, ‘Dude! Hey dude! DUDE!’

Hey Dude!

Hey Dude!

Man, it’s my bad,

Take a sick* board and make it better,

Remember

To skate at Freestone Park,

Then you can start

To drop-in much better,

Better, Better, Better!

(Sing to the tune of ‘Hey Jude’ by The Beatles)

*sick means fantastic

Yup! Lost my mind!

This is how I spend my time because I love, love, love my child.

How do you support your child in their passions and pursuits? Share your stories.

Stay cool! Don’t let the bugs bite!

Love and light,

Laura XXXXX

www.yourpotentialpower.com

Dear Blog Buddies, 

As a Professional and Certified Life Coach I have found that setting goals and a time frame for making them happen in a clear and defined way supports one’s search for joy, meaning and balance in one’s life. Every day we are faced with choices.

What are you doing to create joy, meaning and balance in your life? 

o  nothing

o  something

Make your choice. Please check the one that applies to you.

Setting goals means we are doing something to improve our lot in life. Achieving goals makes us feel good because we are improving our lot in life.

YAY! This is great!

I invite you to print out the list below and spend some time just reading it through and see what areas jump out to you.

Make a note of a couple of things you really feel you could take care of this month. This sets a goal. Write down your goals. Keep them close and read them often. Set yourself a deadline for completion and review. Stick to it!

I have a client that places goals on their phone so that every time they open and use their phone they are prompted by a short message- e.g. take vitamins, no fast food, use kind words, phone Mom every day, recycle cans, have fun today, breathe, etc..

 *************************************************************************************

Health

Exercise and fitness, healthy eating and nutrition, food choices in the market, medical screenings and check-ups, dental health, weight loss, peak performance, vitamins and supplements, mental and emotional health, hygiene and personal grooming, medication management, handling disease or disability, sleep.

Relationships

Relationship with oneself, marriage and romance, attractions, parenting, immediate and extended family, friends, spiritual connection, religious and community relationships, professional relationships, keeping in touch, duties and responsibilities regarding others, neighbors, maintaining social networks and supportive relationships, effective people skills, pets.

Management

Housekeeping, record keeping, insurance coverage, effective time management, systems that work for you, emergency plans, appointments, travel and vacations, documentation, license maintenance, delegating.

Financial

Paying bills, improving credit rating, budgeting, taxes, vacation planning, investing, saving, paying off debt, responsible use of credit cards, planning for children’s education, cutting expenses, philanthropy and charitable donations, fun that can be had free of charge.

Home

Home improvement, upkeep and maintenance, buying and selling a home, rentals, pool, yard and landscaping, energy management, design and layout, decorating and furnishing, conservation and recycling, use of garage.

Career

Entrepreneurship, finding a job, education, skills and training, getting that promotion, opportunities working inside and outside the home, volunteering, networking, updating resumes, staying current, professional affiliations, job satisfaction, balancing career and home life.

Education

College and grad school opportunities, languages, technical literacy, vocational skills and training, challenging oneself intellectually, on-line possibilities.

Personal Growth

Volunteering, spiritual growth, advocating, developing childhood dreams, community projects, journaling, prayer and meditation, faith and worship, service, nurturing creativity, being purposeful, developing sense of self

Recreation

Having fun, relaxing and enjoying life, traveling, hobbies and personal interests, sports, outdoor pursuits, entertaining and socializing.

Have fun with this and please let me know how you get on with your goals. I would love to hear from you.

Love and light,

Laura

XXX

www.yourpotentialpower.com

Dear Blog Buddies,

My son and I always have great conversations in the car on the way to and from school each day.

This morning was no exception. Today he told me he would much rather compete in the X-Games as a skateboard hero/champion/cool dude wearing a flame retardant suit in fab colors and a black crash helmet preferably with a skull and cross bones on it, rather than win a good, old-fashioned Olympic medal (or 11) like Michael Phelps, wearing a girlie swimsuit and the mysterious two swim caps.

Of course my hopes and dreams for an Olympian in the family were dashed. But then my son offered a ray of unexpected hope.

Our discussion lead from the X-Games (follow me here) to the importance of wearing helmets when skateboarding or bike riding, to the importance of safe choices at ALL TIMES, to looking both ways when you cross the road, to dangerous sports are well DANGEROUS and how easily you might lose an eye/arm/leg/life etc… when engaging in these types of activities!

So he goes on to ask if you can still compete if you lose an eye or an arm or a leg. And I seize the opportunity to explain about the Paralympics. I explain that athletes who have lost a leg, for example,  get fake legs fitted called prosthetics and then they can run REALLY FAST and compete in the Paralympics.  I get quite excited about what a cool little chat we are having.

He thinks about this for a while and we continue……

HIM: Grandma could be in the Paralympics then.

ME: What? What the..? What do you mean?

HIM: Well, Grandma has fake teeth so she could be in the Paralympics. She has something fake.

ME: Interesting. (Hehehhehehee) So what would she compete in?

HIM: She could cheer. She’s good at cheering me on.

ME: I think I will tell Grandma your excellent suggestion.

And I will. Perhaps we will have an Olympian or Paralympian in the family after all!

Wishing you all a gold medal week!

Love and light,

Laura XXXXXXXXXXX

www.yourpotentialpower.com

Dear Blog Buddies,

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. “Well,” she said, “I think I’ll braid my hair today.”

SO SHE DID AND SHE HAD A WONDERFUL DAY.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. “Hmmmmm,” she said, “I think I’ll part my hair down the middle today.”

SO SHE DID AND SHE HAD A GRAND DAY.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.
“Well,” she said, “today I’m going to wear my hair in a pony tail.”

SO SHE DID AND SHE HAD A FUN, FUN DAY.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn’t a single hair on her head. “YAY!” she exclaimed. “I don’t have to fix my hair today!”

AND SHE HAD THE BEST DAY EVER!

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle .

Love generously, care deeply, speak kindly.

SMILE!

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass……

It’s about dancing in the rain!

Love and light, Laura XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

www.yourpotentialpower.com

Dear Blog Buddies,

I am really looking forward to the Beijing Olympics. 08.08.08. Sounds great!

Love the Olympics. As a parent you can’t help wondering….hmmmm…..I wonder if that will be my son/daughter one day, up there receiving the gold. Nice little day dream.

On the other hand I feel unsettled about human rights in China and the annexation of Tibet. Also whenever I see the Dalai Lama with his warm, infinitely compassionate smile and grace as a political leader in exile, unable to return to his homeland, it really upsets me.

It just seems rather odd and confusing to see the Olympics and the Dalai Lama holding apparently opposing views of China.

The Dalai Lama always looks like he is about to burst into great big belly laughs at any moment and he would be a brilliant dinner guest at a dinner party wouldn’t he? Along with George Clooney, which of course goes without saying! You cannot help liking and admiring the Dalai Lama regardless of your political or religious views.

 How amazing would it be to have someone announce one day that you were born to be special, that you were born to enlighten the world and govern your country peacefully and with compassion, that you were in fact the 14th incarnation of the Dalai Lama? Wouldn’t that just about blow your mind! And look how well he has handled that enormous pressure and how he has kept to his guns (sorry!) and persistently protested peacefully for the immediate and unconditional return of Tibet to it’s independent status while governing in exile from Daramasala, India and being an ambassador for peace around the world. What an inspiration.

It made me think…..

We are all responsible for our choices. I truly believe that we each have the capacity to contribute to world peace in our humble lives, just as the Dalai Lama plays his part, we too can play our part.

What is your view of China?

I came across this cartoon and was struck by the enormous power of consumerism and how every choice has the potential to have a global consequence. It is so important to be conscious of our choices as individuals and as nations. Do you support China’s annexation of Tibet? Are you sure about that?

Food for thought?

 www.yourpotentialpower.com

Dear Blog Buddies,

Angelina and Brad finally welcomed their fraternal twins into the world this week in the South of France. YAY! It seems celebrity baby names are quite extraordinary these days. Their baby girl was named Vivienne Marcheline. Their baby boy was named Knox to go with their other boys Maddox and Pax. Sounds like a Dr. Seuss dream….”There is Knox in a box with a fox….etc….!”

And then Nicole Kidman had her baby on a Monday and named her Sunday.

Matthew McConaughey had a baby boy that he wanted to name Budweiser (OMG Men!) but eventually named him Levi. In the same vein, I am surprised there are not more children out there called Green Bay Packers or some such name. I had to persuade my husband not to include the names Callaway, Titleist or Ping in our son’s name!

Then there is Gwyneth and Chris Martin with their delightful children Apple and Moses. They sound like some kind of weird twisted biblical expletive when you say the siblings names together. Oh Apple and Moses!!!!

Jamie Lynn Spears just had a bonny baby girl, Maddie. Should fit in well with the family. Mad, Madder, Maddie. Hmmmm…..

In the future will the singer/songwriters of the day be singing these names. Eg. Instead of Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ will Natasha Bedingfield be singing about ‘Sweet Harlow Winter Kate?’ (Nicole Richie’s baby girl)

I think Sir Bob Geldof takes the biscuit though. His 3 daughters with Paula Yates are named Fifi Trixibelle Geldof, Peaches Honeyblossom Michelle Charlotte Angel Vanessa Geldof and Little Pixie Geldof. I kid you not! Imagine being called Little Pixie Geldof as a High School Senior!!!!! AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!

In a BBC Brit sitcom called the Vicar of Dibley there is a really lovable but dopey character called Alice Tinker and she wants to name her child after the Teletubbies- ‘Tinkie Winkie La La Dipsy Po.’ This is completely fictional sitcom stuff but I still think she gives Sir Bob a run for his money!! (Just as an aside, after reading the Da Vinci Code and noting that her name rhymes with chalice, Alice decides she is in fact a descendant of Jesus! Hehehhe!)

Frank Zappa has children called Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan and Diva Magick. Alrighty then!

So I researched the daftest name I could find. And here it is…..

Tarquin Fin-tin-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F’tang-F’tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrel.

It is his actual legal name. He is a British (had to be!!!) political candidate self-renamed after a Monty Python character. Born John Desmond Lewis.

Also have to mention Pussy Galore from the James Bond film ‘Goldfinger.’ Couldn’t resist, it just makes me giggle.

I absolutely love all these names and applaud the creativity and guts of the above mentioned parents. Good on them, I say!

Does your child have an unusual name? Post them here and let me know, I would love to hear from you.

Abyssinia,

Love and light,

LauraXXXXXXXXX

www.yourpotentialpower.com

Dear Blog Buddies,

Welcome! Thanks for clicking on me, reading this and becoming a blog buddy:0)

I have to tell you right off the bat that I am from England. I am a Brit, born and bred in England so I have to apologize up front for any peculiar English sayings (Eg. Ecky thump! Cor blimey! Ta ta for now!) and even more peculiar English spellings (Eg. I had to remember to put a z in apologize just now!)

Brits on TV such as Simon Cowell from American Idol and Gordon Ramsay from Hell’s Kitchen may have contributed to an image of Brits being meanies. I would like to say, for the record, I am not a meanie but I am into straight talking.

Simon Cowell and Gordon Ramsay are without doubt fierce critics who offer their personal and professional opinions with confidence and brutal straight-talking that may make you cringe, cry, laugh or all of the above.

But they are honest. They are true to themselves. Perhaps they ham it up a little for entertainment purposes (most probably!) but they say it as they see it. They are fearless of reactions to their opinions.

And because of this they remind me of our children!

I believe our children have a similar Cowell/Ramsay ability to deliver blunt, straightforward, expert opinions on all manner of things they encounter in their young lives. It is like an innate ability to speak the truth as they see it with no fear of wounding or offending anyone, just like Cowell/Ramsay. Our children’s brilliant opinions should not only be sought but encouraged.

Come on now you have all had those experiences with your children where they just lay the plain truth right at your feet like a little offering of wisdom especially for you. My son appears to be particularly gifted in this department. Asked if he likes my new groovy haircut he replies, “NO. EEEUUGGHH!”  Nice one. And there are pleeeeeennnnnntttttttyyyyyyy of other such examples. You know you’ve had those moments. You know what I am talking about!

Funnily enough, because the Cowells and the Ramsays of the world are so honest and truthful coupled with such a blunt delivery that is in no way softened, the receiver of their words of wisdom actually get to HEAR the words that are being spoken.  People may not like to hear such opinions and find them unpalatable and in conflict with the image and opinion they have of themselves and their abilities. Certainly they may disregard them in the short term. But such opinions may serve a greater purpose in the long term after private reflection and some soul-searching. Such truthful opinions coming from an honest place may actually promote an opportunity for an individuals growth and personal evolution. A wake-up call. A reality check.

Perhaps as parents we might reconsider the way we offer our opinions to our children. Take a leaf out of our childrens’ book. If we are constantly rewarding them with “Good job!”  and “Well done!”  and “Congratulations!”  for every little burp, scribble, cute smile or good behavior, are we actually encouraging our children to perform life with an inner ‘ta-da’  added to all they do with an expectation of reward or applause? Now I don’t encourage you to be deliberately hurtful to your child. For instance if they offer you a piece of art work, please don’t respond with, “Well, that’s just crap isn’t it?” (A la Ramsay) or if they recite a nursery rhyme, please don’t respond with, “Well, that’s a piano bar/ karaoke/ cruise ship performance, isn’t it?” (A la Cowell).

Perhaps we can be honest in our responses to our children. Let’s consider our choice of words. “I can see you were really focussed on drawing this picture. I really like the colors you have chosen. Tell me about it?” Is a response that is truthful, specific and constructive in you child’s development. Let’s trust that our children are strong, capable, independent thinkers and confident in themselves. If we constantly ‘protect’ and ‘cushion’ them from our honest opinions as their parents are we not conveying the message that they are weak, incapable and unable to handle an honest opinion?

I invite you to share stories of your children’s Cowell/ Ramsay moments. I really look forward to reading them!

Ta ta for now!

Love and light,

Laura XXXXX

www.yourpotentialpower.com