I Made a Difference to that One!

It has been another exciting week with a couple of events being particularly memorable. The first was a great meeting with Paul King and Jonathan Maskew from April King Legal who have booked me for a Mental Resilience talk next Monday.

There was an instant rapport between us and the discussion was fantastic. Chemistry is the unseen rapport builder and it dictates whether you will hit it off with someone or not. We certainly had the right chemistry and I am really looking forward to Monday.

Nottingham Trent University Business School

The second was my delivery of a one-hour Mental Resilience talk to the students at Nottingham Trent University Business School. The theatre setting was first class and the comments on all the feedback sheets was 100% positive. Principle Lecturer Dr Shelley Clark loved the talk and we are in discussions about further work.

Some of the comments brought a tear to my eye as the impact of the techniques I shared to help them cope with exam and study pressure was clear to see. It is so good to impact young minds with the importance of a positive mental attitude and the ability to bounce back quickly from setbacks.

Authenticity is key

They really liked my personal story of overcoming many setbacks in my life and how I was now succeeding in life. It is fine to read all the books and deliver a good talk; but it is entirely different to have lived through the events and overcome them using the techniques I teach. This makes the talk authentic and unique.

I came across this inspirational story recently:

The Star Fish Story

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

What are you doing?

He came closer still and called out ‘Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?’ The young man paused, looked up, and replied ‘Throwing starfish into the ocean.’

‘I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?’ asked the somewhat startled wise man. To this, the young man replied, ‘The sun is up, and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.’

What’s the point?

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, ‘But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!’

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, ‘It made a difference for that one.’

A great lesson for us all

What a wonderful story to help us cope with the immense need in the world. We can’t change the world, but we can change one life and then another and another one at a time.

So, can I encourage you to take the time to do something that will make a difference to someone else’s life … and it doesn’t have to be much, and they don’t need to know. Just take a moment, do something special.

Thoughts for the week:

1. Do you sometimes think that what you do won’t make a difference?
2. Do you just not bother because you think what’s the point?
3. Let me encourage you to think of just one not the many.
4. See if you can make a difference to one person this week.
5. When you have done that think of one other person and do the same.

Well that’s it for this week have a wonderful weekend and stay positive.

Warm regards

John

Off the Wall – How to Develop World Class Mental Resilience available here
http://www.jdmindcoach.co.uk/product/off-the-wall-how-to-develop-world-class-mental-resilience/ (Special offer. Put in code 10POUND when prompted to receive a signed copy for £10 including postage and packing – UK only)