Author Archives: siodanphoto@gmail.com

Journey

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Thanks to the brilliant Andy Kefford for the above image

Journey. Treating every change we make in our lives as a journey allows us to enjoy change without the stress and anxiety of constantly thinking about the destination. We need to know where we are going, however the more we focus on the journey and not the destination the more we allow ourselves to enjoy the process of change. 

There is a Chinese proverb that says ‘The journey is the reward’. This is something I keep in mind during times of change and more so when change is challenging.

Pinky, in the image above is at the start of his journey of change, he feels a little nervous as he is unable to see the destination. The best thing he can do is take the first step and make progress step by step allowing himself time and space to enjoy the journey even though he can’t see his final destination. 

Are you slowing down long enough to enjoy each step along the journey of change? 

Is your focus on the journey or the destination?

‘The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.’ Lao Tzu

Want to read more?

Download your free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below. 

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Imagination

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Thanks to the brilliant Andy Kefford for the above image

Imagination. Walt Disney and the hugely successful brand he built is synonymous with the word imagination. It is in the imagination of Walt and those who followed in his footsteps that our favourite animated characters were dreamed of before they became a reality on our screens. Who ever would have thought a small mouse with a squeaky voice would be one of the most famous and most loved characters around the world for decades? It truly is amazing what the imagination can bring to life when we focus on possibilities and not obstacles!

All change means doing something that hasn’t been done before and in order to bring about change we must first engage our most precious creativity tool – our imaginations. Our imaginations are limitless, there is no end to what we can dream of, just as there are no limits to what can be achieved in the real world where dreams become reality.

We can use our imaginations to dream of the change we wish to see, use our imaginations to feel how we want to feel when the change is a reality and use our imaginations to ponder on the thought of how we are going to achieve the change. 

One of my favourite books, ‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho, is one of the most widely read and successful books of all time. A parable about a young Andalusian shepherd, this remarkable book offers a wealth of wise lessons to us all about life, the possibilities that lie within each of us and the importance of using our imaginations and following our dreams. My favourite quote from this book and one I truly believe in is, 

‘’And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” 

Can you imagine that when we decide we want something –  an entire universe will conspire to help us achieve it? We may find this hard to believe, however it is this belief that determines the success or failure of what it is we want to achieve. 

We must first believe that what is in our imagination is capable of becoming a reality. As suggested by the above quote, the universe will then look after the finer details. 

Do you believe an entire universe is conspiring to help you achieve what you want?

In the image above, Pinky dreams of being with his loved ones, on a sunny day. Our dreams don’t have to be grand visions but they do need to resonate totally with ourselves. 

Is your imagination being used to its full potential?

Are you allowing your imagination to run wild?

Do you dream big about the changes you want to see in your life and business?

Are you dreaming bigger than you ever thought possible?

[tweetthis]‘Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age and dreams are forever.’ Walt Disney [/tweetthis]

If you want to learn more about creating effective change in your life and/or business, download my free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below. 

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Honesty

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Thanks to the brilliant Andy Kefford for the above image

Honesty. If we want to implement and sustain change of any kind in our lives, we need to be honest with the world, our place in it and ourselves. This honesty requires us to look deep into ourselves to figure out who we are, what our values are, what we want from our lives, what type of lives we want to live, what direction we are going in and where we want our lives to go.

Along the journey of effective change, there are decisions to be made. In order to make the right decisions we need to be honest about why we are changing and exactly where we want  from the change. This level of self-honesty takes continuous bravery and this bravery is a lifelong work in progress. 

When we become completely honest with ourselves, we can become completely honest with the world. The path to effective change then becomes enjoyable and peaceful and will open doors for us to infinite possibilities. 

Are you being honest with yourself with what you want from life?

[tweetthis]“Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.”  Spencer Johnson[/tweetthis]

If you want to learn more about creating effective change in your life and/or business, download my free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below.

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Gratitude

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Thanks to the brilliant Andy Kefford for the above image

Gratitude. One of my favourite quotes is by Jim Rohn,  ‘Enjoy all you have while pursuing all you want’. 

While pursuing all we want it is really important to be aware of and immensely grateful for all we have in this present moment. It is crucial to take stock of and be grateful for the blessings we have in our lives, everything we are, those who share our lives, where we are and where we are going. In all aspects of life being grateful for where we are will bring peace to any situation and will ensure our eye stays on the future goal but that we remain present and content in our current situation.

Tony Robbins, in his book ‘Master The Game’ suggests that real wealth comes from gratitude, how can we be happy with more if we are not happy with what we already have? In her hugely successful book ‘The Secret’, Rhonda Byrne tells us that ‘feeling gratitude is the fastest way to change every single thing in your life.’ The more grateful we are the more peaceful a situation becomes and the smoother the path of change. 

[tweetthis]‘As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.’ John F. Kennedy[/tweetthis]

If you want to learn more about creating effective change in your life and/or business, download my free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below.

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Faith

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Thanks to the brilliant Andy Kefford for the above image

Faith can have many different meanings. It can mean an inner faith, an unwavering belief in yourself, in your talents, in your ability to change, in your gifts, attributes and all round goodness. To some people faith can mean a belief in something bigger than themselves, a purpose, a grand vision, a religion. No matter what faith means to you, it will be challenged along the path of change. Your faith will be tested by external factors, by life itself and your faith will even be tested and challenged by yourself.

 Is this the right change for me? 

Am I doing the right thing?

What if I don’t change? 

All the doubting questions we ask ourselves will test even the strongest of faiths. It’s easy to keep faith through good times however it is through the difficult and rough times that your faith will really be tested and it is then that you must believe and have faith in yourself. Know that you are capable of change, have faith in your capabilities, your resilience, your reasons for change and the results you want to achieve.

Keeping your faith alive and strong will ensure you stay true to yourself and the change you envision.

[tweetthis]‘Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.’  Bruce Lee[/tweetthis]

If you want to learn more about creating effective change in your life and/or business, download my free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below.

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Energy

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Thanks to the brilliant Andy Kefford for the above image

Energy. Keeping your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual energy levels at an optimum will ensure you have the energy and vitality required for change. However you keep your energy levels high, scheduling time in your day to build your energy levels will go a long way to assist you on your journey of change. It could be 60 minutes at the gym, 30 minutes reading, 10 minutes of meditation  or 5 minutes of solitude.

In this fast paced digital world we may think that we need to have high energy all the time to keep up with the many demands of our busy lives. Having high energy is important, however having low energy is just as important and both energy levels are required to create balance. As humans our energy levels are cyclical just like the seasons of nature that evolve into each other, just like night follows day, and just like the tides flow and ebb, each phase allows the other to co-exist. 

When you are in a low energy phase allow yourself to take the foot off the pedal, be kind to yourself, relax, recuperate and enjoy the deep feeling of contentment that this can bring. This will serve you well when the time for high energy reappears. 

[tweetthis]‘I surround myself with good people who make me feel great and give me positive energy.’  Ali Krieger[/tweetthis]

If you want to learn more about creating effective change in your life and/or business, download my free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below. 

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Dedication

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Thanks to the brilliant Andy Kefford for the above image

Dedication. Effective and sustainable change is a never ending journey which is why dedication is so important.To ensure change is implemented you must be dedicated to it. Even more dedication is required to ensure the implemented change is sustained. 

Ask yourself the following questions, why do I want to change, why is this change so important, what will the benefits be, what will the consequences be if I don’t change, how much do I want this change?

Keep the answers to the above questions to the front of your mind as they will give you the determination you need to move ahead and succeed when times get tough as they inevitably will.

In order to succeed we need consistent, daily discipline and determination to stay on track. 

[tweetthis]‘We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.’  Jesse Owens[/tweetthis]

If you want to learn more about creating effective change in your life and/or business, download my free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below. 

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Confidence

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Image Credit – the brilliant Andy Kefford

Confidence. When you have decided to create change in your life you will need high levels of  self confidence in yourself and in your ability to change. 

Change often brings feelings of uncertainty, fear and anxiety. 

Every time we make bring something new into our lives or learn something new, it requires a new and higher level of confidence to deal with those feelings of uncertainty, fear and anxiety. Continuously building your inner confidence will diminish and alleviate these feelings of uncertainty, fear and anxiety. 

These are normal feelings towards change, however if we do not deal with and alleviate these feelings they will hold us back. We can procrastinate and in some instances we can convince ourselves that we no longer need or want to change. 

The best way to deal with feelings of uncertainty, fear & anxiety and the obstacles they create is to develop confidence – inner, unshakable self confidence. 

As you build your inner confidence, you will inspire others to have confidence in themselves as they navigate the ever evolving path of change.  As humans, we are capable of anything we put our minds to. The first step of achieving our dreams is having the inner confidence to believe we can. 

[tweetthis]‘Through my education, I didn’t just develop skills, I didn’t just develop the ability to learn, but I developed confidence.’  Michelle Obama [/tweetthis]

Pinky’s image below is inspired by 80s band Journey’s hugely successful song ‘Don’t Stop Believing’. Playing, singing and dancing to this excellent song at high volume will do wonders for your self-confidence! 

If you want to learn more about creating effective change in your life and/or business, download my free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below. 

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Bravery

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Image Credit – the brilliant Andy Kefford 

Bravery. Change of all kinds can be challenging as it means stepping into the unknown. 

Change means stepping out of your comfort zone which is difficult and uncomfortable. What if we didn’t change? Yes, we would continue to feel happy enough in our comfort zones, but that’s not where anything or anyone grows!

Comfort zones are meant to be stepped outside of every now and then to see what it is we must learn to grow and develop. Even stepping out of our comfort zone by one or two steps requires bravery. Some people welcome change with open arms, some are filled with fear at the thoughts of even the smallest change and some are in between the two extremes.

Whether the change you are making is personal or professional, whether it is big or small, whether it is something you wished for or didn’t wish for, all change requires bravery on some level.

Bravery is deciding to change. 

Bravery is taking action to change. 

Bravery is stepping outside of your comfort zone.

Bravery is becoming comfortable with the results of change. 

Bravery is doing what is needed to sustain change for the long term. 

When it comes to change in your professional and personal life, take a deep breath, be brave, be very brave and take that next step forward.

What could you achieve with more bravery?

[tweetthis]‘I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.’ Nelson Mandela[/tweetthis]

This post is dedicated to my Dad, Con Danaher, who is the bravest person I know and through his humble braveness he has taught me to be brave and more happy than ever to venture into the unknown!

You can get a copy of my free e-book ‘The A-Z Of Effective Change’ of which this post is a part of by popping your e-mail into the form below,

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Awareness

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Image credit – the brilliant Andy Kefford 

The first step to creating effective change in life and business is awareness.

Awareness that something has to change, awareness that something is not working for you, awareness that you want something different. 

Awareness comes from that feeling of something not being quiet right, that feeling that you know things could be better, that feeling that there is more for you.

Maybe you have had that feeling for years, maybe you have had that feeling for only a few minutes, however long you have had this feeling it now becomes an awareness, an awareness that change is needed and when you become aware the journey towards effective change can start. 

As we navigate through our personal and professional lives, what we need expands and evolves. When we become aware of something and want to change it, we have two choices. The first choice is to do nothing resulting in no change, this awareness without change is a missed opportunity and those feelings of something not being quiet right do not go away. The feelings stay but without change will become suppressed. 

The second choice is to  take action.

Wouldn’t you rather take a step forward and change than remain where you are?

The second choice sets us on the path of change, then purposeful, focused and consistent action will move us along this path which is so much better than staying where we are. 

One of my favourite Maya Angelou quotes is 

 ‘Nothing works unless you do’ Maya Angelou

This is so true when it comes to creating effective change in your business and your life. Become aware and take purposeful, focused and consistent action until the change you envisage becomes a reality.

[tweetthis]‘Awareness is all about restoring your freedom to choose what you want instead of what your past imposes on you’ Deepak Chopra[/tweetthis]

You can get a copy of my free e-book ‘The A-Z Of Effective Change’ of which this post is a part of by popping your e-mail into the form below,

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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