Michael describes himself as a “human catalyst” which I think it a cool description for the work that all coaches do. He define catalyst as
“a substance that increases the rate and enhances the results of a reaction. Since they are not consumed in the process, catalysts can be used repeatedly, and in different situations. “
Michaels focus is on Security and he runs The Security Catalyst at Securitycatalyst.com. Michael says that the security catalyst is a practice uniquely focused on the essential elements of every organization: people, information and risk.
As a full member of the National Speakers Association, Michael is known for delivering substantial content in a way that is energetic and entertaining. Michael connects with those he works with, and helps them engage in natural and comfortable ways – he literally makes security relevant and simple to understand! Michael pioneers new ways to engage others in the process of information protection. He created The Catalyst Academy to facilitate the exchange of ideas in a way that allows people to learn and apply their knowledge for immediate results and program success.
If you need help with making a lifestyle change or are considering a new career and want to work with someone who can accelerate your change, talk with The Change Catalyst today.
I love giving gifts and hate shopping. The thing that I really don’t like is the attention of a shop assistant when I don’t need or want it. I like to browse, walk around and when I have a question go to an assistant for help. Also, in my experience shop floor sales people are often woefully unaware of the products they are selling and this has compounded my dislike for the tradition retail experience.
So visiting Fabindia was a wonderful experience. Very clearly marked sections, excellent labeling with prices and a focus on artisan crafts mean that from entering a store you are met with a blaze of color and variety. Also, when you had a question the staff were extremely knowledgeable and helpful.
If you are ever in India and want to enjoy a more relaxed retail experience and support the over 15,000 crafts people that Fabindia sources from.
Learn more about Fabindia here.
One of my core beliefs is that our purpose in life is to be abundant. To share our unique talents with the world. So many of my friends are people who are :
1. Really cool people
2. Massively overachieving in sharing their talents with the world
Dan Smith fits the bill on both these counts, and you won’t find a nicer “bloke” (Dan is from Australia!). Since moving to Shanghai he has expanded the nascent NLP “industry” through ChinaNLP, his ability to get on well with people and his willingness to share his passion and knowledge with others.
Learn more about his many and diverse projects (Dan still runs a men’s tailoring company in Australia) at his web site here.
Authentic. It’s the ingredient that all top leaders and speakers have. How comfortable are you with the identity you project to others? Do you know what identity you are projecting?
Get comfortable with yourself. Are you dressing the way you want? Are you in the right career? Are you living in the right city for you? If not, what can you do to become more authentically you. Experiment with small changes. Notice how others relate to you differently. Have fun exploring and expressing who you really are.
Tolerance. Isn’t this an essential fabric in binding human relationships? Why do you see less and less in today’s world?
Turn off your mind. Turn down your desires. Bring up your surrounding environment. Notice what’s going on around you. If you can do this, you are on the road to discovering tolerance. Pause your life. Tune into someone else’s in a curious way. Try to understand what they really care about. Accept it.
Start with something small. Take a slice of a big dream and live it now. You want to move to a dream house on a beautiful island? Don’t stress over not having the right life circumstances, plans or money to do it now. Dream of your place. Book a week. Go visit and play. Take pictures. Make a dream book that will stimulate your further dreams into opportunities and plans.
Next, turn one week into two weeks. Into a month. Start small. Take small steps. Always enjoy the journey.
Do you ever feel that life is frustrating, hopeless and there is no hope. Change your mindset. Turn off your TV. Stop reading newspapers. Instead of filling your mind with (negative) information, allow new thoughts, ideas and inspiration in.
Read a book. Discover stories of inspirational people - like amputees who compete in endurance sports events. Talk with a creative or older friend.
Use your time wisely. Control your time. Manage what information you digest. Opportunities start to pop up.
Have you ever been so focused on your goal or target that you forget to enjoy the process?
It is easy to focus only on the task at hand, and to ignore what else is going on around you. When I compete in triathlons, they are often located in natural environments. West China has some stunning scenery and a race in Jia Yu Guan was beautiful. The sky was blue, white clouds everywhere and the lake reflecting the sky magnificently. As I was racing around the lake on my bike, I looked across the vista and said to myself, “This is absolutely awesome. How lucky am I to be here right now!” By bringing myself to the presence moment I enhanced my enjoyment of the experience and this I believe also helped contribute to my good performance. One of the reasons I haven’t entered the Shanghai Marathon is that the route is basically running down an urban freeway. Not exactly inspiring. So when I am in these far flung places I really owe it to myself to take the most from each moment.
How can you take the most from each moment? Taking a “pause” or “time out” during your day and asking yourself, “What is magnificent about this moment, right now?”. If you can’t think of anything, just take a few breathes and observe your breathe coming in and going out. If you do this for 30 seconds, you will feel more relaxed and ready to get back to your day. It turns off your mental chatter and suspends the moment.
Do yourself a favour, lower your stress and increase your enjoyment of each day by finding out what is magnificent about this moment right now.
Resistance to change is common. Sometimes this change is forced upon us due to a change in health. But as this interesting article on Michael J Fox reveals - even forced change does not always result in a change of behaviour. It took Fox almost 3 years before he admitted that he needed to be upfront and deal with his Parkinson’s disease. Read more here at Success Magazine’s web site.
One of my favorite books is The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D Wattles. See previous posting here.
One chapter I particularly like is the one on “Gratitude”. This is one of the essential parts to living a life of your dreams according to Wattles. He mentions an example of a person who having achieved one thing fails to acknowledge and show gratitude. Take a look around you. I am sure you can see people like this. Who only think about themselves and are willing to lie to other people to get their own way. This is a short term approach to a life of abundance in my opinion.
I believe that you get what you give in this life. A simple act of giving is gratitude. Thanking and recognizing someone for helping you (or doing something of value). Being thankful for all the beauty around you. Grateful for all the possibility that lies before us.
Gratitude increases your creativity
Wattles writes that the mental attitude of gratitude brings us closer to the creative energies of the universe. Which is a really cool statement. Do you ever find yourself stressed out with things happening around you? It creates a negative energy inside you and if unchecked leads down a path of bad things. Just stopping and asking yourself, “What am I grateful for at this moment?” You may find answers hard to come by at first. But simply by being alive you are blessed with the opportunity to take an action to make a difference to the world. Look at nature. Think of your family. Find something you are grateful for. This cuts into your negative thinking pattern. I know some successful people who take this a step further and get up in the early morning and start the day by thinking about everything and everyone they are thankful for in the world. It acts as a grounding force as they face the day ahead. Every action has a purpose.
Focus on the best
By using gratitude you are stopping your mind from focusing on the trivial. You take control of what you are thinking about and this is a key part of achieving your success. Unless you are able to focus on the “better you” which you are working towards you will be distracted by your self doubt and the thousands of possible excuses you can make for not achieving them. You need this more than ever when the current climate in the media is one of doom and gloom. Are you buying into it? Or are you creating a state of abundance and gratitude. Create your own news channel filled with all the goals and dreams that you are achieving and working towards. Give your attention to the life you want to live - not the one that is playing out on our negatively-focused news channels.
Expect good things
The grateful mind expects good things. When you expect something to happen, you are aware and looking for the opportunity to arise where you can get it. Focus on improving your health and start to see yourself as a fit and healthy person, you will be presented with opportunities. You may discover one of your friends is a fitness addict, you may find an old book you had been meaning to read, a gym may open near your home. The opportunities are there. Be aware of them and be ready to take action.
Give thanks all the time
Develop an attitude of gratitude by giving thanks for the good things that are coming to you in your life. Even when the pressure is on and stress is high, find something that you can appreciate. Gratitude sets expectations and continuous gratitude leads to faith and certainty in the realization of your goals and dreams.
Thank you for reading this article and I wish you all the best as we move through the year. I am always here to help you reach higher levels of performance in your personal and business life. Have an abundant day!
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