Personal Life Coaches

The Power of Concentration

2009-04-15T16:07:00.002+02:00

Do you ever get distracted?
Do you ever mean to do one thing and then find yourself doing another?
Do you ever lack concentration?

If you can say no to any of the above - CONGRATULATIONS! You are fairly unique.

There are not many people out there who are truly able to fully concentrate for any length of time. Research shows it is only between 1-3 % of the population. Could that be the 1-3 % of the population who truly make it in life?

Would you agree that it would be of the greatest value if we learned how to concentrate? The amount of focus you have on your important tasks determine your success. To make a true success of anything you must be able to concentrate your entire thought upon the idea you are working on. The person that is able to concentrate utilizes all constructive thoughts and shuts out all destructive ones. The greatest man would accomplish nothing if he lacked concentration and got distracted from his main objectives.

Yet we all know that in order to accomplish a certain task we must concentrate on it. So it is of the utmost value to learn how to concentrate especially when working on a new idea or a new business. As soon as we are laser focused we will move forward but if we are wishy washy and half hearted nothing will happen except frustration because so much valuable time has passed without seeing results.

Let me repeat: To make a success of anything you must be able to concentrate your entire thought upon the idea you are working out. Do not become discouraged, if you are unable to hold your thought on the subject very long at first. There are very few that can. It seems a peculiar fact that it is easier to concentrate on something that is no good for us, than on something that is beneficial.

This tendency is overcome when we learn to concentrate consciously. If you will just practice a few concentration exercises each day you will soon develop this wonderful power. Success is assured when you are able to concentrate for you are then able to utilize for your good all constructive thoughts and shut out all the destructive ones.

Have you ever made a decision to do something - could be in your work, hobby or family life and then set out to do it with the unwavering belief that it will happen? You probably have but in case you do not remember let me give you an example. When I started the Achievers Toastmasters Club I was laser focused because I really wanted a Club that stood for all the positive things Toastmasters offers. The first Club I had belonged to had turned bitchy and unpleasant and I did not want to be part of it anymore.

After making the decision to start a new Club I did not take No for an answer anymore. My only thoughts were on how to get the right people to join and I did everything in my power to achieve that. Within 6 weeks we were chartered and should you ever come to the Costa del Sol, you must visit The Achievers TMC because it really stands for the positive, learning environment Toastmasters International propagates. The Club is now more than 7 years old and even though our members change (and I left the country) the vision I had of the Club has not changed and it can be felt at each meeting.

It is of the greatest value to be able to think only that which will be beneficial; that which you really want and not how to avoid what you don't want. Did you ever stop to think what an important part your thoughts, concentrated thoughts, play in your life? We are wonderful creatures, but we must continue to train and develop to reach our goals. Anything can be accomplished by every man if he can be awakened to do his very best.

That is why Anthony Robbins talks about "Awaken the Giant within" but the greatest man would not accomplish much if he lacked concentration and effort. If you study success you will know that people with very bad grades in school have achieved incredible things. You will have read the stories of the timid young man who became a powerful entrepreneur even though outside his field he is still shy. Dwarfs can do the work of giants when they are transformed by the magic power of great mental concentration. But even giants could only do the work of dwarfs when they lack this power.

We accomplish more by concentration than by knowledge; the man that is apparently best suited for a pposition does not always fill it best. It is the man that concentrates on its every possibility that makes an art of both his work and his life. As in all other good things in life your real advancement will come from your individual effort.

Therefore make a plan each day of the most important tasks that will get you where you want to go - set clear priorites. Make this time a time in which you will not be disturbed by phone calls, meetings, children, spouses or your favorite telenovela. This time is only for you and your goals. Depending on how good your power of concentration already is start with a minimum of 30 minutes and work yourself up bit by bit. Find out what your best time of day is to concentrate.

For me it is first thing in the morning, for one of my best friends it is in the late evening. Use that time to move you forward - towards your dreams and goals.

Today is your day! Use it wisely
Love Barbara
http://www.trainingvisions.com
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Impossible is what you make it

2007-12-06T10:06:00.000+01:00

When Leonardo da Vinci drew the first helicopter everyone laughed about him. Such a flying machine was beyond anyone’s imagination. Today nobody even looks up when a helicopter passes. We are so used to them.

Can you imagine life without running water, electric light, telephones, or cars? What seems completely normal today was still a dream only short while ago. We have thousands of examples like paper, pens, books, trains, planes, skyscrapers, computers etc. etc.

Any invention was first a dream, an idea that eventually was turned into a reality. Just look at Thomas Edison who apparently tried and failed over 10,000 times before he finally had developed the light bulb.

What do the above examples show us? That things which may look impossible today, are very feasible tomorrow. It also means that whatever big dream you might have is do-able. Or is it?

Just imagine for a moment what life would be like if you had reached everything you have ever wanted. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

Or maybe you are one of the many people who don't know what they want. I mean really want. Do you have a "dream" that makes you come alive, the makes your eyes sparkle and look forward to the day? A big dream, an enormous goal, your personal Mount Everest. Do you have a dream that seems impossible today but that you truly want to reach however difficult?

Look at history and KNOW: What might seem impossible today can be reality tomorrow.

Make the impossible possible!
Love
Barbara
www.trainingvisions.com

Focus on Solutions

2007-11-25T14:47:00.000+01:00

I get asked: “How can I be successful?” all the time. One of the first things is to stop wining and complaining and instead search for solutions and take action. On my last flight back to Spain I found a good quote by Edward E. Hearn in my monthly Toastmaster magazine. It describes beautifully what I mean. It says: “Everybody has problems in life. But the real key to life is not crying over your problems. The key to life is overcoming problems, and bouncing back from them!”

It is what I keep telling my assistants. DON’T FOCUS ON THE PROBLEM, FOCUS ON THE SOLUTION!

Let me give you a few typical examples from my travels in Ukraine. The last time I was there I needed to change my international flight and once that was changed I needed a flight from South Ukraine to Kiev to catch my new international flight. 2 Assistants were supposed to take care of that and let me know in the morning what time I was leaving. At 08.30 am I was packed and ready to leave. 9.30 came and still no flight confirmations. I called my assistant. She said they were working on it and that she will call me as soon as she knows the details.

By now I knew I could not catch the morning flight anymore so I relaxed and started to work on a couple of articles but when it turned 11.00 and I still had no news I called her again. She said it is impossible to change my flight so they are trying to buy a new one but the price was over 1200 Euros for the one way and they could not buy the ticket because they did not have sufficient funds. “Why didn’t you call me?” I asked. “I did not want you to think I can’t do this”, was the answer. “There is nothing wrong with not being able to do something. But there is everything wrong with not admitting to it and therefore not getting things done”, I said. “Time is getting precious as I need to be in Kiev by the evening.”

It was 3 hours from my house to the local airport and still no solution in sight. I asked my assistant to come to where I was staying and that we would find a solution together. Meanwhile I looked for a number for the Alitalia office in Kiev. Unfortunately their website was down so I searched for any Alitalia office anywhere and I found a number in Rome. By this time my assistant had arrived. She told me she had called Kiev airport but there was no Alitalia office there (which turned out not to be true) She also said she had spoken to Alitalia in Italy and they had told her my Internet ticket could not be changed. I could not believe that and called the number I had found from Rome. They passed me on to Alitalia reservations department who changed my Internet ticket within minutes. All I had to do is pay 50 Euros penalty. My assistant watched me with amazement. She could not believe that I had solved the issue within minutes that she and another girl were not able to find a solution for all morning.

But that’s not the end of the story. Now we needed the flight ticket from Sevastopol to Kiev for the afternoon. My assistant called the companies travel department and asked them to buy the ticket for me. As I still needed to speak with the TV producer we went to the office and once there wanted to pick up my ticket. But nothing had happened yet. They did not know how to pay it and again they did not call me. I told them to go to the accounts department and get the funds there. The girl went and I really thought that now all was in order but when it was time to leave, my limousine was there but no ticket. The girl was not back. When I called her she said accounts did not understand what she wanted and refused her the funds. One phone call later she had the money and we went to meet her downtown at the airline office to pick up the ticket. Again, the situation was solved once we focused on a solution and did not concentrate on the problem.

In many lives that seems to be the challenge. Most people concentrate on the problem and not on a solution. They look at the process and not beyond but if you stare at the obstacle instead of the overall objective, you cannot find ways to overcome obstacles and get stuck in the process.

Insights:

Always look at the big picture. Always keep the end result in mind so short term obstacles are nothing more than hurdles you need to take to get to the finishing line. For everything there is a solution. It might not be ideal and it might not be the direct line to the mark but as long as it moves you in the right direction it is much better than wining, complaining and hoping without taking action.

How to live your perfect Life

2007-08-12T10:16:00.000+02:00

Last week at one of my workshops I asked who had a perfect life. Nobody raised their hand. I then asked the participants to describe their 'perfect' life. What came out were some vague ideas like:

"I would have a perfect life if I had more money than I needed. “How much do you need and will that need stay the same as you earn more?
"...if I live with my family in our dream home." What does it look like and where will it be?
"...if I have lost all that weight and am more attractive to my partner again."
"...if I had a job I loved"

You have probably heard about the movie 'The Secret'. They say for the Law of Attraction to work you need to ask then believe and you will receive. But how can the Universe give you what you ask if you are so vague, if you do not give clear instructions in what it is you want? In most cases it is already in this first part where we lose out. We do not ask clearly enough.

But that has another consequence. If we cannot ask clearly enough we also cannot believe 100 % in it becoming our reality because we cannot SEE it happening. It is nothing but a vague idea. And if the first 2 steps are not done properly we cannot go to the third, to the receive either, can we?

I know it is a very simplistic view of the Law of Attraction but it is what stops most of us getting what we want. We are not crystal clear about what it is. We cannot see our changed life in our mind's eye.

In order for it to work in our favor we have to visualize what our ideal life looks like in crisp, precise detail and watch our self in that movie. If we do that often enough, we can skip the willpower or positive thinking stuff, and get to our goals…without having to overcome enormous obstacles and struggles!

But, in all probability you only hope, wish, desire for a better life; for things to “get better”, or for you to “become rich”, "happier", or some other vague and non-specific goal. You have no specific, clear and unshakable vision of what “better”, “rich”, or "happier" means, and therefore cannot turn it into a mental movie you watch in your mind’s theatre over and over and over again.

One of the main principles we talked of in earlier posts is that your mind cannot distinguish an actual experience from a fantasy experience. And if you live the vision with great clarity and specificity in
your mind often enough, your mind becomes fooled into thinking you’ve already been there, done that and allows you to skip the struggle and get straight to the thing you dream about!

So, what can you do to start working towards the life you might describe as ideal?

First of all, you have to write down everything that a perfect life, as you define it, would
contain. Then, use this list to start day-dreaming a movie with you as the star, and the story board
containing all the things on your wish list. This is what I call your Vivid Vision.

Watch this movie of your ideal life over and over, every chance you get but especially before you get up and just before going to sleep. Watch it when you feel good and when you feel bad. No matter what goes on now, watch your vivid vision, your internal movie as often as possible because this is where the second step – the believe sets in. Do not be impatient. It will happen, it will manifest but not necessarily in the time frame you had in mind or in exactly the same way you wished for but happen it will.

You can build your life the way YOU want it if you take action!

Build your dream story board and play your internal movie because if you procrastinate and leave it until you have time or whatever other excuse you come up with now, your dream life can never happen. So, no more reading about it; you know more than enough. Get yourself a pen and paper and start writing your story board, start seeing your life movie and DO IT NOW!!!

You are the Star!

Happy Manifesting

Barbara Hofmeister

www.trainingvisions.com

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From Goal Setting to Goal Achieving

2007-08-09T13:25:00.000+02:00

I always say that you can only go as far as your confidence let's you. Apart from the obvious what do I mean with that?

In the film the Secret it is said that the Law of Attractions works as follows: ask - believe - receive. Which part of these 3 steps do you think is our biggest challenge? The believe part of course.

We normally have no problem asking and when we get what we want, we also have no problem receiving but we do have a big issue with believing. And it is here where we also have our challenges when we set goals.

So let’s look at some scientific facts to help understand the reason why so few of us reach the goals we have set for ourselves. Scientists found that only 2-4 % of what we do actually comes from our conscious mind. This is where our willpower and persistence originates from. But 96-98 % of what we think and do comes from our non-conscious. Most people do not achieve their goals because their 2-4% willpower and persistence against an overwhelming 96-98% is just not strong enough. We are driven by our non-conscious mind or as it is called in neuroscience our implicit memory system.

Let me explain. Our implicit memories are locked in our subconscious. They consist of memories necessary to perform events and tasks, or to produce a specific type of response or emotion. Driving a car becomes an implicit memory once it has become automated but these implicit memories cannot be looked up or remembered so we cannot use them for conscious actions or reasoning.

That is why the “believe” part of the Law of Attraction is so omni-important. As soon as we truly believe that we can achieve/be/have whatever it is we desire, the emotion, this feeling of ‘knowing’ that it will happen, will actually help us make it happen. It activates the 96 - 98 % non-consciousness to act in our favor. And when that happens we become truly unstoppable!

So instead of beating yourself up when you do not reach your goals find the WHY you want to reach it. Find the true reasons, the ones that get you exited and your blood boiling and focus on that. If you believe you can achieve - you will! If your why is strong enough, the how becomes easy.

Happy achieving!
Barbara
www.trainingvisions.com
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How life can change fast

2007-05-12T10:02:00.000+02:00

"You will never change your life until you change something you do daily." - Mike Murdock

As you are reading this I know you are willing and ready to change some things in your life but as we all know alone it is difficult. That is why life coaching is so extremely successful.

When I first had a life coach - and yes, I still have one - I started just for fun to see how it worked. I wanted to know what the buzz was all about and Oh boy did I realise what a great help a coach can be.

You see to change our habits and the believes we have grown up with takes more than just an idea, a self-help book or good intentions. It takes true commitment and continuous reminders of that commitment. That is why AA and Weight Watchers work. They are asking people to make, sometimes drastic changes in their drinking or eating habits and support them in their weekly meeting.

Life coaching is similar. Your coach is your partner in the change process. She/he will support you, remind you, prod you and mastermind with you each step of the way. They will help you get unstuck and keep you moving forward.

Sometimes it takes only a few coaching sessions and you have overcome whatever obstacle was in your way and can now continue by yourself - you are unstuck! Other times you might make it a longer relationship because there is more than one area in your life that you want to change; that you want to improve on. You decide! After all it is your life, isn't it?

It is an undebatable fact that life coaching works extremely well as long as you have the right coach. I suggest to try a couple before you start. Most of us offer a free introductory session.

Give it a go - life will never be the same!

To your unlimited success

Barbara Hofmeister

www.trainingvisions.com

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Find a strong reason WHY

2007-04-23T12:45:00.000+02:00

Often people are better at coming up with excuses for not doing things than with ideas on how to do things.

Could you one of those?

Jim Rohn said: "When your WHY is big enough the how becomes easy."
This means when your reasons why you need to do something are bigger than your excuses, you will make progress toward your goals. Logical, isn't it?

It also means you have to come up with the reasons why you really should accomplish something before there is time to come up with the excuses that will be holding you back.

You see, your subconscious is much more powerful than your conscious logical mind and it will work on achieveing whatever you give it to work on. In most cases we give it doubt, fear, scarcity, and other negative thoughts.

Let me give you an example. I was offered to buy a block of apartments for an excellent price last week. What made me doubt the uniqueness of the offer were the people it came from. I had gone through some bad experiences with them so instead of jumping at the opportunity I was very sceptical and doubtful for several days. In the end my business sense won but there was still a small nagging voice in my head even though I did very thorough research on the project. Of course in cases like this doubt and sceptism makes sense but it must not get to a stage where it immobilizes you.

If you give yourself great positive reasons why you want to achieve a specific goal, your subconscious will immediately take you at your word and begin working toward that goal. And it will keep working on that goal until instructed to do otherwise (and "otherwise" means those negative excuses sneak back into your thinking).

That is why you need to feed your subconscious carefully.

No matter what you feed your mind on it works incessantly on getting you the results it believes you want, and those are the thoughts that you planted into it. So take a minute, right now, and write down what it is you really want.

Write down all the reasons why you should have it and who and how it would benefit you and others.

If you go through these steps you've imprinted your positive thoughts on
your subconscious mind. But don't write out your excuses, they will come up by themselves more often than is good for you. Just focus on your positive reasons why and write those down to internalize them into your subconscious.

And then - Take action right now.

Take one first small step and experience how good it feels to move forward, to move towards your goal, without worrying about excuses or other roadblocks.

Did you take your first action? GREAT - you got your first result.

If you didn't - why not?
I will leave some space here so you can fill in your excuses...
...
...
...

Move in the right direction! As always, the choice is yours!

Wishing you a fantastic WHY

Barbara Hofmeister
http://www.trainingvisions.com

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Are you grateful?

2007-04-09T13:59:00.000+02:00

“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.” - Henry David Thoreau

I often wonder when I hear the moaning and groaning of some people. Unless you give the conversation another direction it seems all they want to do is complain what is going wrong in their life, always putting the blame on others.

Sometimes we have to let issues that are eating us up out but it cannot be the main objective of a meeting with a friend and even less the objective of a coaching session. That is why I want to talk about gratitude because every one of us has so much to be grateful for.

For example:

- You have at least a decent education; otherwise you would not be able to use a computer to find this blog.
- You have a computer or the money to go to an Internet Cafe.
- Unless of course you read this at work or in school which means you can be grateful to have a job and/or to get an education.
- You are most likely to have a roof over your head and some food to put into your tummy.
- You probably have friends who love and respect you for what and who you are.
... the list can go on.

I have a very long list of things I am grateful for and whenever my life doesn't seem to play the way I want it to or if I feel a little down, I go through my list and my mood changes instantly.

At night before I go to sleep I say thanks for all the good things that happened on that day.

This morning I woke up to the most glorious sunrise. Can you imagine that I am grateful for that? You bet I am. It was a lovely gift at the beginning of the day.

There are so many, small and big, things we take for granted until we don't have them anymore. Just think of the way we treat our health most of the time - junk food, sodas, excessive sugar and so on.

Take a short time out and look at the people and things you can be grateful for in your life. Write your personal list and have it with you or close by. It will motivate and inspire you whenever you need some uplift.

Have a happy Day,
Barbara Hofmeister
http://www.trainingvisions.com

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Define what you really want clearly

2007-04-03T10:26:00.000+02:00

We all want to succeed but the majority doesn’t know how to clearly define success.

We have talked about this before. If you don’t really know what you want you are highly unlikely to get it. You need to have real clarity about your intentions ... what it is you really, really want to experience in your life.

Most people desire to be rich. What does rich mean to you and why do you want wealth?

Years ago I saw a beggar in the streets of Sri Lanka and I could see from his eyes and his smile that he was rich – not rich in worldly goods but rich in true happiness and contentment. What type of wealth, what type of riches do you want and most importantly WHY? Apart from the obvious THINGS like dream holidays, a nice house or a new car but that is just a small part of wealth, isn’t it?

Why do you want wealth?

Do you want wealth in order to have lots of money in the bank or do you want it for the joy and freedom it gives you; for the experiences you can have because you are wealthy and don’t have to worry about tomorrow’s food or roof over your head? Give this a moment of thought.

Why do you really want wealth?

If people have everything they want, it is because they were very clear about what they wanted to experience. Everyone else who still feels unfulfilled, and this is about 99% of the population, needs to get true clarity about what they want to experience. Only real clarity is power.

Many people talk only about things, about the objects they want in their lives, like a beautiful house but in fact, what really makes people happy is the experience of living in that beautiful house.

Let me give you an example – I love sailing and have always dreamt of having a really sleek sailing yacht but I never bought one. First because I did not have the money and later because I did not really want the responsibility that goes with maintaining a boat. Still the yearning remained until I realized I want the feeling of absolute peace and oneness with nature that signifies sailing for me and I don’t need to own a yacht to have this experience. I can charter one whenever and wherever I feel like it. It is the experience of being on the sea listening to the water glide past and the sound of the sails that turns me on, that gives me this sensation of utter peace – not the yacht itself.

The strange thing is that if you focus on the object only, like the yacht or the dream home, you are actually limiting yourself because the strongest manifestation is through emotion, is through sensation, through the experience itself. The object is just the vehicle.

Unfortunately most people think the vehicle is what they want and therefore manifest that but what we really want is the feeling, the experience of peace, freedom, and joy. If we concentrate on that, we find that we are able to get these emotions in a variety of ways, and may have but don’t need to have the object itself to feel the satisfaction. If I had no money I could work on a yacht to get that feeling, couldn’t I?

Ask yourself what it is you really want? What do you want to experience in your life and then think of ways how to achieve that.

Happy experience,
Barbara
http://www.trainingvisions.com

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Look for the message

2007-04-02T08:30:00.000+02:00

Last night I watched the film "Troy" on TV. I had seen it once before on DVD and the one scene that had stuck out for me was the scene where Brad Pitt sprang at the giant he was supposed to fight and slit his throat without a moment of hesitation. It had been the only way to win.

On the TV version they had cut this scene out. For me it changed the whole film. Why? Because I always try to learn something and the lesson I got from Achilles the first time I saw the film was

When you have made a decision to do something do it whole heartedly and without hesitation!

Of course I don't mean to slit anyone's throat - on the contrary but have you ever noticed that the truly great movies - the ones that become classics and usually are nominated for Academy Awards - have one thing in common?

Do you know what that one thing is?

They have unforgettable moments in them.

Seems obvious, yet these moments can be quite subtle - where we actually may overlook them, both in the movies and, more importantly ... in our lives.

What makes these moments so extraordinary is that they touch the core of who we are. They provide the shift we need in the right direction. They are wings for our spirits, for our longing to dare and move forward - out of our comfort zone and into that new space we might fear but at the same time want so much.

Look into the moments that stop you, become aware of why something failed and learn your lesson from it so that next time you will make a better decision and "go for gold" whole heartedly and without hesitation.

Life is great - if only we let it be!
Barbara
http://www.trainingvisions.com

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Do yourself a favor

2007-03-25T12:32:00.000+02:00

You know I keep talking about making your dreams come true and I really wish that for you. But in my coaching I come across quite a few clients who have no dreams anymore. People who are stuck but don't really know what they want different - except to become unstuck.

Unstuck from what? They must know that something is missing in their life as otherwise why would they go to a life coach?

Well you see since we were small children we were held down. This is not done consciously. It is done by our parents, grandparents, teachers etc. to protect us but we cannot differenciate the protective NOs from the diminishing Nos. Over the years the bubbly, exciting confidence and self esteem we held when we were small children and believed the world belongs to us subsides and makes room for self doubts and fears.

But today you are an adults and you can form your own opinion of how you and the world around you should be. Every one of us has that right and is actually making that decision - whether it is conscious or unconscious. Your present life is the result of your decisions and choices.

No matter where you are you yourself have brought you here. If who you are today is not to your liking, change it!

How?
By making a different decision - taking a different choice or moving along a new and different path.

You don't know how to?
That is probably because you have heard people change overnight and that seems impossible for you. Let me put your mind to rest. The "overnight" change is usually like the tip of the iceberg. Before it broke through the waters surface a lot of growth had to happen underneath. In humans many small decisions, choices have to be made before the results break through to be seen on the surface.

If you want to change anything in your life make a decision now to change one small little habit. You are not likely to go from no sports to running a marathon but you can easily start with 15 minutes of excercise 3 times a week, then move from there to 20 minutes, then 30 minutes etc. It is the small step approach that brings the true results.

The same if you want to lose weight. Like you did not put on the excess weight overnight you will also not lose it Forget about looking like a model. They are exceptions and many of them suffer physically because they are too thin. Decide how you will feel comfortable, what it takes to fit back into your favorite clothes and go for that goal by improving your diet bit by bit, meal by meal.

True, the decision can be made in a instant but the changes happen step by step. That is why life coaching works so well because your personal life coach will hold you by the hand and make sure you are staying on the track YOU decided to take.

That is why I am asking you to do yourself the favor and make a different, more empowering decisions NOW!

To your life
Barbara Hofmeister
http://www.trainingvisions.com

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Do you still have Dreams?

2007-03-22T11:59:00.000+01:00

And do you want to make them come true? If you do, start by writing your dreams down – the clearer the better and please don’t judge on the possibility or probability, just write whatever comes to your mind. Remember, what the human mind can conceive it can achieve!

Let me use Dr. Robert Schuler as an example. He dreamt of a Crystal Cathedral in Anaheim, California which is an earthquake area. In the 80th he invited a famous architect to plan the Cathedral for him. The architect said that it would be very difficult to build such a large glass structure in this area and if at all possible, would cost an incredible amount of money. “Do you have that type of money”, he asked Dr. Schuler. “No” was the answer. “Well, then it is absolutely impossible” the architect retorted. Dr. Schuler took him to his study and showed him his dictionary. The word impossible was cut out, as it was in all his literature. For him impossible did not exist and a few years later the Crystal Cathedral was built and his ‘Hour of Power’ is broadcast from there to the world every Sunday (http://www.crystalcathedral.org/).

Be outrageous! Think big! You can do it – if you really want to.

We have so much unused potential that needs to get out but in many cases does not "dare" to because it would take us out of our comfort zone. What if...? is the question we need to ask us sometimes. What is the worse thing that could happen to me? is a question I ask myself when I am afraid to take the next step and I always find the answer is not as scary as not moving forward would be.

Dare to take that next step and dare to do it NOW! If you need support get yourself a a good coach. If it works for our top athlets, if it works for a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, it will work for you too.

Happy growing,

Barbara Hofmeister
http://www.trainingvisions.com

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© Copyright 2007, TrainingVisions. All rights reserved.

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Career Self Development

2006-10-18T16:18:00.000+02:00

Career Self Development is becoming more and more important as less people stay in the job they study for or start their working life with.

In traditional countries in the "old world" it was completely normal that someone who had learned how to be a steel worker or a secretary and stayed in that position all his/her working life. Today that has changed as we have gone from the industrial age to the information age.

Positions, Jobs and Companies are in constant flux. In Germany we have a publicly traded company that started of in the steel business and is now a venture capitalist. What they are today has absolutely nothing to do with what they started off as nearly 80 years ago. And the changes did not happen gradually; they happened in the last 8 years.

The same goes for our jobs. Just look at what I do. There were no Personal Life Coaches 10 years ago but today it is a widely known and much respected profession.

As our jobs change we have to change with them to adjust to the new situation. It is essential that we keep up with what is happening in our profession and find out how we can stay on top of the game. A personal Life Coach can help us with our career self development even when s/he is not in the same profession. They can give us a different more detached perspective and thus create awareness.

In German we have the saying "You can't see the forest because of the trees". That is similar in work. We are so involved, so focused on the details of our own everyday working life that we do often not hear the warning bells nor see that the market is changing. Your coach as an outsider can see that with much more clarity and detachment.

If you are in a moment of change - whether in your career or in your life, give it a try and get yourself a personal life coach.

Happy changing
Barbara Hofmeister
www.trainingvisions.com

Personal Life Coaches or own advice?

2006-10-13T18:33:00.000+02:00

Many people handle other people's problems better than their own. It's one of the reasons why Personal Life Coaches are so successful with their clients. When you look from an outside perspective you see different issues than the clients can see themselves.

But not only coaches can do that. You can do it for yourself.

How often have you given advice to friends and they told you how much better they feel or how much better their business or life is going after taking your advice? Why don't you ask them what made the difference?

Quite often you can use the suggestions you made to help your friends in your own life. So take down the ideas that helped the people around you and use them to boost your own life.

All the Best
Barbara
www.trainingvisions.com

Follow your Dreams

2006-10-10T10:09:00.000+02:00

Good Morning or is it Evening where you are?

I got up at 5 am today with really inspiring thoughts, dreams and ways to get to them and I thought I just have to share all this with you. So I wrote my heart out - unfortunately in livejournal and not here - and after all this the b...... entry disappeared when I clicked on one of the Questions marks on my blogging page.

I mean really, shouldn't a question be opened in another window as it is here on blogger? Or could they not at least have warned me? What a frustrating way to go into such a wonderful day. I was really inspired when I got up but now...

Fortunately frustration never stays with me for long so just voicing my frustration to you makes me smile again. But I have run out of time to give you more of my thoughts so please forgive me for this short and not too pleasant or insightful entry and I will speak to you another day about following your dream. I have to run to follow mine now -.)

LoveBarbara
www.trainingvisions.com
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Why is Life Coaching so effective?

2006-10-06T13:27:00.000+02:00

I am being asked all the time what makes Life Coaching so successful. My answer is: It’s efficiency.

But why is it so efficient? Because it is action based and forward oriented while most other self development tools look at the past and try to find out why we are who we are today.

Obviously past behavior may be a good predictor of future behavior, but it’s never more than a tendency because we can change that. The past is over and the future is unknown. But our past does not equal our future. It will only affect it to the degree WE ALLOW it. This is what makes us humans so unique.

Evidently the past DOES matter, but only to the extent we let it. It matters because we can (and we should) reflect on it and learn from it. But it does not have to rule the rest of our lives.

You can change tomorrow by what you do today. What you think, what you believe and the actions you take or don’t take will affect your future. But change is not so easy and this is where coaching can help significantly.

A coach sees the coachee from a different, an outside perspective. Because of this detachment s/he can ask the right questions so the coachees are able to find new and better answers for themselves. Coaching is not so much about giving advice. It is more about helping the client find their own solutions before building an action plan together. Coachees are then supported while executing this plan.

You may not be able to control ALL the events in your life, but you can drastically increase your odds of success by using a coach whenever you are on a crossroad of your life.

Abundant Blessings
Barbara
http://www.trainingvisions.com/

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Don't despair!

2006-10-04T14:34:00.000+02:00

Outside it looks greyer than is normal on the Costa del Sol (Spain). In my heart it also looks grey today. This is not one of my good days!

Why do we have good and bad days? I suppose it has to do with the flow of things. Like with all things in nature our days cannot always be the same and I consider myself very fortunate because most of my days are good to fantastic. But today is not one of them o.)

When I looked at my daily targets this morning I was quite optimistic but now a few long and not very successful (one was actually quite unpleasant) phone calls later I feel quite depressed. I feel I don't get anything done. I feel that people don't like me. I feel that it's is all my fault. To be truthful I feel quite sorry for myself. That means today really is a bad day!

Fortunately I know even in these moments of gloom that the sun will come out again and I will feel wonderful once more. Even in the worse moments of my life I have known that I will survive and be better and stronger than before. There was never a moment that I was in such despair that I could not dream of the light at the end of the tunnel. And that light has always come! Even if you can't see it when you are down in the pits. It is there and it will also shine on you again if you give it a little time.

Jim Rohn calls it the seasons of life. It is a good comparison because many of us forget spring when we are in the middle of our emotional winter. Just writing this down makes me already feel better. Today is not winter, just the first day of fall and I was only hit by a breath of chilly air - that is all.

Speak soon
Barbara
www.trainingvisions.com

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Creating empowering Habits

2006-10-03T11:07:00.000+02:00

Why does it seem that it is so much easier to fall into a bad habit than a good one?

I can't tell you but I know for a fact that to change a bad habit into a good one it first needs a clear decision. If you want to stop smoking, if you want to eat healthier food, if you want to work less, or if you want to exercise more - in all cases you first have to make a decision and stick to it.

Obviously the sticking to it part is the more difficult. We know that from our new year resolutions, don't we? How often have we made promises to ourselves and have forgotten all about them in January?

There is a wonderful program out there that I use to keep me on track and to move me forward at all times and that is called Simpleology. It was created by Mark Joyner, the father of Internet Marketing. For me this guy is an absolute genius. Simpleology is a multi media course - that takes about 15 minutes every day and you do it first thing in the morning.

If you tend to get distracted easily, if you procrastinate on certain issues, if you are looking for ways to bring yourself forward - THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU! He calls it "the simple science of getting what you want". I would say it will do all of us good. I use it at least 6 days a week and the result so far is that I am more focused, clearer on my goals, see immediately where I stray and consequently get much more done! It is very easy to follow. You just have to stick with it until the results become obvious.

Give it a go. It is free
Just click here and sign up for free and off you go.

Enjoy the journey
Barbara
www.trainingvisions.com

Procrastination is not laziness

2006-09-29T12:04:00.000+02:00

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we would always do what we have to do when we have to do it?

I don't know if you are a procrastinator but I never considered myself one except on a couple of issues I disliked doing so much that I kept putting them aside only to resurface again a few days later.

What are the consequences of this type of bahavior?

You never feel you have done all your work because THIS is still undone.
It might cost you money because you have gone past a deadline or lost an opportunity.
Putting things that need to be done sooner or later off creates frustration and consequently drains you of energy.

What are the consequences if you do it NOW?

Your desk and your life will feel less cluttered.
You will eventually get much more done.
If it is something you really hate to do, you will feel like a winner bursting with energy once it is done!

If you start doing "unpleasant" things as soon as they come in, you will soon see how satisfactory that is and if you are one of those "superhumans" that can keep this up on all issues, you've got it made. I am not bluffing here because the reason why the people we admire get so much more done than we do is exactly that. They don't leave stuff until the last moment or even past the last moment. And they focus and prioritize.

When they do one thing, it is the only thing they do. And they will always do the most important first. The Paredo principle says: You get 80 % done in 20 % of your time. The secret is to prioritize on what really moves us towards our goals and do that first before picking up the phone, reading our mails or whatever it is that steals our time so easily.

Very successful people get incredible amounts of work done. Fact is the more we do the more we get done but before we will become really productive we have to learn to set the right priorities and do the things we dislike doing whenever they need to get done.

Procrastination is not laziness. Procrastination is a killer of productivity. It is a choice we take; a decision we make that seems the easy way out at the time but in the long term will cost us dearly.

Look into your life and search for the areas in which you procrastinate. Make a decision NOW to stop at least one area and take one small action step NOW that will help you get out of that corner.

Did it? Congratulations!

Nobody is perfect so don't expect wonders TODAY but if you take one small step away from your weak areas on a regular basis your results will improve drastically!

Love your life and it will love you!
Barbara
www.trainingvisions.com

Integrate the lessons

2006-09-26T11:07:00.000+02:00

Following that crazy flight to London they actually upgraded me to business class on the way back. I thought that was nice of the universe -.) and of British Airways! Something else to be grateful for.

I went to London solely to attend a seminar on NLP and Time Line Therapy. The 2 days were extemely interesting and once more I learned a lot about myself but one of the most interesting conversations I had there were during the break on Sunday with Daniel, a young man I had met at the Self-development Expo a few months earlier.

Daniel asked whether I was going to the Anthony Robbins event in a couple of weeks and I said "No, not this time. Why do you ask?" I loved his answer because he said what I thought but had never formulated before.

Here it is: "There are many people who go to the same events again and again. I love going to seminars but I don't book another one until I have integrated at least one thing I learned at the last one. If I don't really put what I learn into action there seems to be no point in going."Isn't that a wise choice? Thanks Daniel for saying it so eloquently.

I have a friend who did the whole Tony Robbins curriculum including Fidji followed by some heavy doses of NLP but we can't see any real changes in her. While another friend who has gone to only one Tony Robbins and to one NLP Training has put everything she learned to work and is now making a name for herself as a speech trainer.

These seminars, workshops and books work but only if we use what we learn. When I see this type of change and improvement in one of my "To be" members it makes me feel really proud like a parent when their kids have achieved something. That is what my work is all about. Helping people improve and change their life for the better. Could there be any better?

Love your life and it will love you!
Barbara

2006-09-25T15:18:00.000+02:00

What a glorious day!

At this time of year I usually wake up with the sunrise which is around 7 am. Today it was absolutely stunning and I did my short exercise session on the terrace watching the sun rise over the sea and the colors of the clouds change. What more can one ask from life?

Not having to do exercise some might say and I would lie if I say that I never feel like missing a day. You see, it is only about 6 weeks since I exercise again on a regular basis. Before I did Yoga with my neighbor but that was very irregular, anything between 1 and 3 times a week. Better than nothing but nowhere near enough.

Before I moved to Spain in 2000 and got caught up working through the Internet (of course that was my own decision) I went to a fitness studio 3-5 times a week and was in really good shape. Since then I have gone through menopause and my body has changed and needs to move more than even but it costs me more than ever to actually make myself do it. Why?

Because I broke what had been a very good habit and exchanged it for something new - my computer! Unfortunately those new habits were not very good for me. Then why did you do it, you might ask. Well, most changes, whether positive or as in my case, negative don't happen overnight. Gradually I found more and more reasons why I couldn't go the studio and within a few weeks I went from 5 to 3 times, to 2 times, to 1 time, to only occasionally and then I stopped altogether as I moved country. And of course being new there I had even more reasons not to train.

The less you do sports (or whatever it is you are supposed to do) the more difficult it seems. Just ask someone who is obese and loves fast food. The disempowering habit becomes so much part of you that you cannot imagine it any other way anymore. And if you ever become consciously aware what you are doing to yourself, you will easily find a good excuse why right not it really is absolutely impossible to change. And most probably you will add that it is not a problem because you can stop whatever you are doing and take up your good habit again anytime. And you can but it is not as easy as one might hope.

Moving into disempowering habits seems easier and is exactly how you get into the habit of smoking, drinking too much alcohol or taking drugs. You tell yourself: "I can stop it anytime". In most cases "any time" never comes.

Until I seriously got into Simpleology I would find all kind of excuses as a way out of regular exercise. Each Mondy when I planned my week I tried to include some sports but somehow it always got thrown out for more "important" things. Doing my daily target praxis from this multi-media course by Mark Joyner finally got me more disciplined again and I can now see myself moving much faster towards my goals and dreams. And the best is the 101 course is FREE.

Like my "To be" system it is an ongoing program that nudges you gently in the right direction in tiny steps and before you know it you have broken out of a bad habit back into a good one. Try it out. You will need a little patience before you see real results but if you stick with it the results will absolutely astound you. It got me from rarely exercising to daily exercise and from occasional meditation to daily meditation, from weekly goal setting to daily targets etc. And seeing the small positive differences each and every day is what will drive you on. Remember, change 1 % a day means having changed 365 % in one year!

Have fun
Barbara
http://www.trainingvisions.com/

Being grateful

2006-09-22T10:14:00.000+02:00

Are we grateful enough?

I often wonder when I listen to the moaning and growning of people. Unless you give the conversation another direction it seems all they want to do is complain about what is going wrong in their life, most of the time blaming others.

Don't get me wrong, sometimes we have to let everything that is eating us up out but it cannot be the main objective of a conversation and of course even less of a coaching session.

We all have so much to be grateful for:

You have at least a decent education; otherwise you would not be able to use a computer to find this blog.
You have a computer or the money to go to an Internet Cafe.
Unless of course you read this at work or in school which means you can be grateful to have a job and/or to get an education.
You are most likely to have a roof over your head and some food to put into your tummy.
You probably have friends who love and respect you for who and what you are.
...and the list can go on...

I have a long list of things I am grateful for and whenever life doesn't seem to play the way I want it to or I feel a little down I go through my list and my mood changes instantly. This morning I woke up to the most glorious sunrise. Isn't that something to be grateful for?

There are so many small beautiful things we take for granted until they are not there anymore. Take a little time out and look at those things or people you can be grateful for in your life and write your personal list. Carry it with you or have it close at hand because it will motivate and inspire you whenever you need uplift.

Abundant Blessings

Barbara Hofmeister

http://www.trainingvisions.com

Grateful for the Upgrade

2006-09-20T18:08:00.000+02:00

After the near missed flight to London I spent an extremely enjoyable 2 days there attending a seminar of Topher Harrison. I left it slightly early as I had learned my lesson and wanted to make sure I arrive with plenty of time at Gatwick airport.

But I missed the airport train at Victoria Station and again arrived slightly late at the check in of British Airways - but this time I was in luck. They upgraded me to Business Class because the flight was fully booked and some people insisted on sitting together. Good for them and great for me as I flew back very comfortable and with excellent service.

But can you imagine that we had to leave all cosmetics behind - for security reasons? My bag shrivelled to half its usual size and I am not even into cosmetics. When I asked what one could do with a lipstick they told me I could stick it in someone's eyes. I mean, please, this is crazy. I had 3 bolis in my bag and each were much more likely to do harm if I stuck them in someone's eye. Which of course I would never do.

These security checks are getting a little out of hand and the rules are changing almost daily. There was a program on that on TV last night and it showed that if someone has set out to do harm they will find ways around the system because it is just impossible to check everything. But like those people could find ways to do damage we can find ways to do good.

Let's not concentrate so much on the danger and on the negative. By doing that we only give it power. Let's concentrate on the good in people, on the power each and everyone of us has to change this world for the better - one step, one small action, one helping hand at the time.

I love you all
Barbara
http://www.trainingvisions.com
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Traveling is Fun or we must learn the Lessons

2006-09-18T16:26:00.000+02:00

Traveling is fun or I must learn the Lessons

I woke before 6 am this morning. As there was no need to get up until 7 I plugged in my MP3 player and listened to a couple of "Lessons of Life" by Jim Rohm. Just before 7 am I got out of bed, took a steam bath, answered a couple of emails, packed my stuff and got ready to leave for the airport around 8.30 am for my flight to London at 10.25.

Normally it takes about 40 Minutes to the airport so I thought there would be plenty of time to stop half way and get a document from the land registry that I had asked for the week anterior. On hindsight I must have been insane to attempt this and it was here where the problems started.

I arrived at the registry 9 Minutes after they had opened thinking that I would be the first but there were several people in front of me. Fortunately my turn came fairly quickly and I handed the girl my request. She started to search in her basket where the document should be, then went into the back office. After a few moments she came back with another lady but still without my document. Together they searched the basket again. Nothing and back into the office they went. I started to get frantic and tried to find out what had happened but living in Southern Spain has its downside as here people will not be pushed to hurry even for a frantic German. Another few precious minutes passed and the girl came back with her superior. “Do you have the original notary document? We could print you what you need while you wait” he told me politely. But by now I was desperate and really did not appreciate his offer so I thanked him and run out of the office and back to my car. It was 55 minutes before flight departure!

Of course I got stuck in a small traffic jam trying to get back on the highway. Another 5 precious minutes passed until that moved. My nerves were frayed and I started racing down the highway passing cars left and right going way past the speed limit. After 15 Minutes the sign for Malaga airport appeared. Another 1,5 km and 40 Minutes till departure. With a bit of luck I might just make it. Just as that thought passed through my mind I realized that everyone seemed to be going to the airport today and another traffic jam build up. I could see the planes landing but only inched my way towards the airport. Desperation set in and I was beating myself up for so much stupidity.

The closer I came the more I got reminded that Malaga airport is an enormous building site with very limited parking facilities. If you have been there in 2006 you will know what I am talking about. Why didn’t I think of that before? I fly in and out at least once a month. Panic set in and only 30 Minutes to go.

I drove up to the departure terminal. Is everybody flying out today? In 6 years I never saw such chaos. You couldn’t even stop for a moment to discharge your luggage. The police was everywhere and quite franticly tried to control what could not be controlled. A policeman made someone leave and I got in that slot and jumped out trying not to take notice of him. He shouted after me but to no avail. Only 25 Minutes to go.

The counter was already closed but there was still some one there. He was not happy but eventually re-started his computer and gave me a boarding pass telling me I had 10 minutes to get to the plane.

Out I went to my car. Thank god the police are not as fast in Spain as they are in Germany. The poor man was really mad at me but the tow car had not arrived yet so I left without further problems. But I still had the same issue – where to park the car while I was in London?

All 3 parking lots near the departure lounge were inaccessible. I was out of the airport before I knew it. Around the roundabout and back again. Did I see a slot there on my right? This is where the rent-a-car companies are stationed and I never attempted to park there but today was different – today I only had 15 minutes before my plane left.

There a parking sign! In I went but they did not want me to park there – only for rented cars of their company, they said. I pledged and pleaded but the gentleman was adamant. He insisted I leave. To turn around I had to go into their backyard and saw a small exit there into the bushes. Off I went bumping over rocks with my lovely Mercedes but who cared at this stage. All I wanted was to park for a couple of days.

I got my luggage out and as I locked the car the gentleman was back at my side. Now he was not so polite anymore and told me to get lost or he would call the police. A young man came up behind him and said I could not park here but he would help me – finally someone on my side! But you need a contract, he said. NO, I need to get to my plane RIGHT NOW I shouted but to no avail.

He drove me back to the departure lounge while I filled in the contract. Adrian, that was his name, insisted I check his documents but who cared in a moment like this. I sure didn’t. “But Senora, your car is worth over 30,000 Euros. You have to care.” He insisted. Isn’t it amazing how fast our perspectives change? In order not to lose a flight that cost about 100 Euros I entrust a car worth 300 times that much to a total stranger.

To cut the story short I crashed the line at security and ran all the way to the departure gate. By this time my face was red as a beetroot and I arrived there 5 Minutes after regular departure but fortunately – for whatever reason – or was it because of the constant prayers I had sent up to higher powers since realizing how stupid my idea of getting some documents on the way to the airport had been? – The flight was slightly delayed and I entered with the last 2 passengers. Fact is I got the flight – by a hairs breadth and with a lot of “luck” but...

What are the lessons to learn?
Learn from past experience (this was the 3rd time I raced to the airport).
Plan things that are important to you in a logical manner and follow through.
Don’t stress yourself in an unnecessary way because it will drain you of all your energy.
And don’t always think that manifesting your crazy ideas to the universe will help you make them real.
If you change perspective, everything changes!

Well, I could come up with several more lessons I hope I finally learned but for now enough is enough!

Control Anger

2006-09-14T10:24:00.000+02:00

Do you ever get angry?
If not, you are a Saint – Congratulations!

If yes, do you stay angry for long?
Can you actually be upset for hours or even days?

Did you know that one hour of anger takes as much energy as 12 hours of normal work?Doesn’t that make one wonder whether our anger is worth that much of our time and energy?

What do you get out of being angry and upset?
What are the benefits for you?

It is important that we ask ourselves these questions because being angry can easily take most of our energy even though issues we are uptight about today are probably of no consequence tomorrow. And in the overall scheme of life they are nothing – nothing more than a speck of dust, right?

The other day I wrote a really nice, soul searching article - online - and as I pressed save the article just disappeared. All those lovely thoughts - gone! Believe me, I was more than a little upset. Upset about the lost time and the lost thoughts. Angry because I know better than to edit stuff online. Most servers have a time out limit and all your efforts are gone if you pass that. It was not the first time this has happened to me but this time I hope I learned the lesson -.)

Anger is an emotion and it comes up whether we like it or not but we can get it under control.
If you are alone take a few deep breaths and let your anger out when you breathe out. Breathe in and out very slowly until you feel calm again.

Should you ever feel ready to explode (especially when it is in someone’s face) count to 10 before you speak (well, at least until 5) and never, ever write an email or letter in that state. Not unless you want to lose that relationship. Written words are much more hurtful because they don’t go away. They are still there when the emotion is long gone and they might be read by the other person in the wrong moment.

The above helps me but writing about it works best to actually let go of the emotion of anger. Writing about it makes you much more aware of what is happening inside of you. And from awareness to change it is only a small step. So after my article disappearing I wrote a short entry in my blog and let my frustration out. Even while I was doing that I started to laugh because what happened really was of no great consequence and not worth losing time and energy over.

Have a peaceful and happy day
Barbara
www.trainingvisions.com

Chip away to find your destiny

2006-08-11T16:04:00.000+02:00

Have you ever wondered how an artist is able to chip away piece by tiny piece of excess wood or rock to finally end up with a perfect sculpture like Michelangelo's David?

The story has it that when Michelangelo was commissioned to do the sculpture of King David he looked at hundreds of blocks of marble before he decided on the "right" one. To most of us all those blocks shown to him would have looked more or less the same but for Michelangelo it needed to be a certain piece of marble - nothing else would do. Why was that?

It was because he knew exactly what he wanted his David to look like. He could see the end result in front of his eyes. When asked how he was going to create such a fine figure as King David out of such an enormous chunk of marble his answer was: "That's easy. All I have to do is chip away everything that isn't David." Isn't that incredible? And so easy...

But why am I telling you this story?

Because I want you to look at what your "David" looks like.

Do you know what your major life target is?
Do you have a clear vision of what you want from life?
Do you know where you are going with the actions you take every day?

Do you know that about 90 % of us do not have a clear goal;
do not have a clear vision of what we want?

But if we don't have a very clear and precise picture of what we aim at how can we reach it?
How can we chip away at the rock that is our life to create David (our destiny) if we don't know what our ultimate goal looks like?

Does that make sense?

Let me give you another example. Imagine you are on a nice sailing yacht and you want to go from Marbella to Mallorca (Spain) or from Miami to Cuba. The distance is only a few hundred miles but if you would go off course by only 1° you would miss the island altogether and might end up somewhere completely different. And exactly the same happens when you go even slightly off course on the path to your life's destiny!

To summon it up: Before we can attempt to reach our destiny; before we can start walking towards what we most want in our life, we MUST KNOW exactly what it is we want! Only then can we sail towards it. This is absolutely fundamental.

Action Steps

Go somewhere where you have peace and quiet with 3 crisp pieces of paper and a pen

write down what you would do if you had not a worry and all the money and time in the world. Describe it in great detail, get emotional and let yourself get carried away. Nothing is impossible!
Take a fresh piece of paper and write what you want to tell your great grandchildren about your life.
Now write your own eulogy. What do you want people to say about you when you are gone.
Now compare what you have written and merge the 3 pictures.

Can you see your "David" emerge from the crude block? Does what you have written sound like something to aspire to?

If you are not yet 100 % sure what it is you want from your life the above will help you find it. These might not be the easiest of exercise but they are extremely efficient and helpful. If you want more tips on these topics sign up for my FREE "Insight", the weekly ezine that focuses only on YOU.

Abundant Blessings,
Barbara Hofmeister
http://www.trainingvisions.com/

How to make your dreams come true

2005-11-20T17:17:00.000+01:00

Do you still have dreams?

I sincerely hope you do and also that you want to make them come true! You can start by writing your dreams down – the clearer the better and please don’t judge on the possibility or probability, just write whatever comes to your mind. Remember, what the human mind can conceive it can achieve!

Let me give you an example. Maybe you have heard of Dr. Robert Schuler. He dreamt of a Crystal Cathedral which he wanted to build in Anaheim, California. This is an earthquake area. In the 80th he invited a famous architect to plan the Cathedral for him. The architect said that it would be very difficult to build such a large glass structure in this area and if at all possible, it would cost an incredible amount of money. “Do you have that type of money”, he asked Dr. Schuler. “No” was the answer. “Well, then it is absolutely impossible” the architect retorted. Dr. Schuler took him to his study and showed him his dictionary. The word impossible was cut out, as it was in all his literature. For him impossible did not exist and a few years later the Crystal Cathedral was built and his ‘Hour of Power’ is broadcast from there to the world (http://www.crystalcathedral.org/).

Be outrageous! Think big! We can all reach out dreams - You too – if you really want to.

Maybe I can demonstrate what I mean through a poem written by Marianne Williamson. Part of this poem was used by Nelson Mandela in his Inauguration speech in 1994. The words are very powerful:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves WHO AM I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be!
Our playing small does not save the world.

There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking,
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

You are born to make manifest to the glory of God that is within us;
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other’s permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fears,
our presence automatically liberates others.”

These are inspiring words, aren’t they? Let them inspire you to really go all out and reach whatever it is that you dream of. You deserve to reach it!

Actually, we all do but during the course of our life we seem to forget all the big dreams we had when we were young and believed we could do anything. The question is why does life get in the way? Why do so many of us arrive at a stage where there seem to be more obligations than motivations?

The main reason is that most of us have let ourselves be “programmed” for mediocrity. We have not been told or taught that we can be powerful beyond measure. Since early childhood we are conditioned to swim with the swarm, to stay in the crab basket we call humanity and there will always be enough people around us who will remind us of it – but in spite of all this, we have a choice at any one moment of our life.

We really can do what we are here to do – if only we do!

And exactly here is our next challenge. To dare something new we must move out of our comfort zone and believe me, that is not easy. We feel comfortable in what we know, we feel safe and secure even if we are in a miserable situation because the devil we know… I am sure you know the proverb. But if we continue to do...

Einstein put this very nicely: “The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results.”

To help you move out of your comfort zone visualize what it would be like once you have reached your big dream. Open your boundaries and dream in 3D. Visualize in every little detail, with all 5 senses what life could be like when you are actually there. Close your eyes and daydream and only when you can “see” yourself in your perfect day and have a wide grin on your face and a nice and warm feeling inside, open your eyes and write it all down. Every little bit of it. Where you are, what you feel, who is around you, what you do, is it warm or cold, are you in a city or in the country, is it a special day of celebration...

Make it a very vivid Vision of your perfect day. Imagination is the root of everything that we do and by far the most powerful tool to success. Unless you can imagine yourself being richer, happier, thinner, fitter, or whatever it is you want to achieve, the chances of you ever getting there are slim.

Your brain needs to 'see' the results of your actions before it will allow you to apply your time and effort on striving for them. But unfortunately, although we are all blessed with imaginative powers as children, those powers very often fade as we enter adulthood. Remember the 95 % confidence we have as children and only 5 % as adolescents.

Regaining your ability to imagine, to picture something in your mind so complete that all your senses can experience it, IS possible. It just takes a little bit of practice. The more detailed your written “vision” is the more it will draw you towards actually getting there. Mine gets longer and longer and I feel great when I read it – which we should do frequently.

Jim Rohn says: “If the why is strong enough, the how becomes easy.”

It is up to you to create your WHY. Get yourself into the feeling. This is the strongest technique to create belief in yourself!!! My clients say it is like giving birth and it really is incredibly motivating.

Honestly look into the amount of time you give to your dreams every day? For most of us it is NONE so how can we expect to ever make them come true?

It is only when your vision is clear that you should ask yourself: What do I have to do to get there? Always start with the end result in mind! That is what most of us do wrong. We start walking before we know exactly where we want to go to. In consequence it is no surprise that we stray off and get discouraged.

Work with the secrets of those who have done the “impossible”. Change your programming from “What if I fail?" to "What if I succeed? Then what?" Would that scare you? It shouldn’t! You are the Best in whatever field you are passionately involved in. But you must know exactly what you want. Your vision has to be crystal clear to you.

Sorry, if I get carried away but I really want you to get this.

Dr. Schuler, Edison , Mandela, Trump and a lot of other extremely successful people all have these 3 things in common.

The first key is that they know exactly what they want and start with the end in mind.
The second key is BELIEF. People who do the impossible believe they can do it and eventually they do!
And the third: They act in spite of their fears; in spite of their doubts and in spite of what their family and friends might tell them.

Always remember: These are your dreams not theirs. This is your life not theirs!

Dare to go further, dare to create new experiences, implant greater ideas. Act in spite of your fears and doubts – again and again. Move on even if you feel uncomfortable. It is in those moments that you grow.

I wish you to be ALL YOU CAN BE and that is anything you want to be!
To your success!

Barbara Hofmeister

http://www.trainingvisions.com
Making this world a better place - one step, one dream, one life at a time!

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© Copyright 2005, TrainingVisions. All rights reserved.

PS. You may share this article with your friends and associates as long as you don’t change anything and keep the signature intact.

What is Life Coaching?

2005-11-05T14:33:00.000+01:00

What is Life Coaching?

In the last few years Life Coaching has become more and more popular but as it is a new profession most people don’t know enough about it to decide whether it is right for them. We hope this article will clarify what coaching is so you can make an educated decision for yourself.
We have all heard of sports coaches. In the old days they were the sports "trainers" but today all high performance sport stars have a mind coach; a person who strengthens their belief in themselves and in their ability to win. Even though Life coaching is not primarily about winning or losing, it is about “winning” the life you chose to live.
The reason why life coaching has become so popular is that many of us are tired of doing what we thing we “should” do. We have become aware that we have a choice to do what we want to do.
Coaching is not therapy. In therapy the goal is to give you an understanding of your past in order for you to have the awareness of how you became who you are today. Coaching is movement oriented and action based. Where therapy looks back, life coaching looks forward – towards your future and a “better”, more fulfilled YOU.
Your Coach will assist you to identify specific goals and objectives and will help you to stay focused so you can reach those goals faster. A good coach will provide you with the tools, structure and perspective to make the journey easier for you and she/he will make you accountable. Did you know that people who are accountable are 7 to 10 times more successful than others?
Coaching works in all aspects of your life from relationships, to lifestyle, to career, health and wealth improvements. It focuses on strengthening your skills and improving and trusting your abilities. It helps you to meet and exceed your potential in order to be your best.
Coaching is similar to consulting. Yet, where consulting frequently provides only temporary solutions, coaching is consistent and on going. The Coach stays with the clients to help implement new habits, skills, and changes. Another distinction is that consultants usually give advice and tell people what to do while coaches focus on assisting their clients to discover the solution on their own. Or in other words, we don’t give you the fish; we teach you how to fish.
We focus on what you want to achieve and help you maintain your commitment to yourself and your dreams and visions. We look at where you are now in relation to where you want to be. Are your ideas and goals based on your true core values? What are your strength and weaknesses and how can we use this knowledge to your advantage?
Our society is looking for a deeper meaning as we begin to understand that we grow from the inside out. More and more people are freeing their time and resources to invest in themselves because they realize how simple it can be to accomplish something big if you “get a little help from a friend”.
So why not use a trusted friend? As wonderful as it is to have good friends, they are emotionally involved and do not have the objectivity and distance necessary to see where you stand and what type of assistance you need. Have your friends or family ever been shocked because you made a move in a new direction? Have they ever told you that something can’t be done or is not done the way you want to do it? Quite frequently our well meaning friends and family are the “dream stealers” not the supporters we need. Because of the emotional distance a coach is a trusted professional who works with you on improving the most important aspects of your life.

Why would you want a Coach?
You might want a coach because…

you want to grow

you want to be more productive

you want to be more balanced

you want to find new ways to do things

you want to make a mark

you want to define your life’s purpose

you want new perspectives

you want to change certain aspects of your life

you want to reach new goals

YOU WANT MORE!

How long do you have to commit to your coach?

It is not so much a commitment to your coach as a commitment to yourself. Give yourself time; 3-6 months at least. What has taken you a lifetime to become cannot be moved forward in a day.
If you need help on a specific short term project, you should consider one-on-one coaching to help you accomplish this specific goal faster.

Why does life coaching work?

The synergy created between you and your coach creates momentum.

Better and clearly defined goals support you to move towards your “dream life” faster and with less effort.

You develop new skills and habits which translate into higher success and a more balanced life.

There is never a better day than today to start your “new” life. Sign in for your Membership at "To be or not to be - the Choice is YOURS!

TO YOUR SUCCESS
Barbara Hofmeister
Author and Coaching Expert
www.trainingvisions.com

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Tips for a great(er) YOU!

2005-10-24T17:12:00.000+02:00

Barbara at charter of her 2nd Toastmasters Club

Make your Dreams come true!

2005-10-24T16:49:00.000+02:00

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Ongoing Personal Development with the Expert

2005-10-16T10:06:00.000+02:00

Do we need another Self Development Program?

Let's face it, with all the hundreds, no thousands, of personal development programs out there - does the world really need another one?

Despite the plethora of books and programs on this subject, there is still a lot of people who aren't following the path of their dreams, who are not completely happy with the way their lives are going; people who know deep inside that they could do better and they are ready to go forward but just don't know how to do it.

To be or not to be - the Choice is YOURS! is a Self Development System that will help you to break down your boundaries and really live the life of your dreams; whatever age you might be. It is always the right moment to take that vital step forward.

But why should you take this big step with me?
What qualifies me to give you advice?

My life and my love for it does (apart from my studies). Since an early age I have been aware that even small obstacles can stop us going anywhere and I didn't like that. Instead I looked for and found practical ways to overcome my fears, doubts and other hurdles and have shared my findings with - first my friends, later my local clients and now I will share them also with YOU.

Do you ever procrastinate or have self doubts?

I imagine that the answer is yes. We all do, what makes the difference is how we deal with it.

Do you ever fail, stumble and fall?

Again the answer is - we all do. What makes the difference is how fast we get up again.

Am I perfect?

Far from it but I really love my life. It is the only one I have and I might as well live it happily, don't you agree? You too have this Choice. You can create and live the life of your dreams and with my help will do so. Like you, I have days when things just don't go right, but I never lose sight of my life's purpose and mission - and with my guidance, you too will be able to build your "perfect" life.

So the answer is YES

This program is needed. It can make a visible difference in your life.

Unfortunately I am not a Genie, I can't just give it to you as much as I would like to. Only you hold that power. Only you can commit to a path of change that will ultimately release your true potential and let you achieve all that you are capable of achieving in life. All I can do is guide you and be by your side when you want help.

The vital difference to any other Personal Development Program is that you will not get a book or CD and be left alone. NO - I will actually be there to "hold your hand" during the journey. We will personally meet live in our virtual Conference room on a regular basis to exchange ideas and solve your challenges and I will follow up on your development.

And I will not kid you. Even though it is simple, it is not an easy process. It requires you to reflect and change in some areas. And change is never easy. Nothing worthwhile ever is. But I am here with you, helping and encouraging - and yes, perhaps sometimes even bullying you along the path towards a fulfilled life, and a better, happier YOU.

Some say, change is hard work. I am nor sure if they are right because the end result really justifies the means; that much I can promise.

Are you ready to walk the path with me?

If your answer is YES - Then let's get started right here and NOW!

To reserve your place, enter here now

I will see you inside!

To a great(er) life

Barbara Hofmeister

Creating a better World - one Dream, one Vision at a Time!

PS. I like to work with small groups of individuals who are really serious about changing their lives for the better and I believe in giving back. That is why I think it is my obligation to share my findings with you. But be aware I cannot take on more than 100 coaching clients at a time! MAKE SURE YOU ARE ONE OF THEM.

To reserve your place, enter here now

10 % of ALL I make go directly to Charity organizations like

by helping yourself you are also helping them - a real win win for everybody

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Do we need another Self Development Program?

Am I perfect?

So the answer is YES

Are you ready to walk the path with me?If your answer is YES - Then let's get started right here and NOW!

Are you ready to walk the path with me?

If your answer is YES - Then let's get started right here and NOW!