Getting Out Of The Box

I came across this tiny mosaic whilst walking through London the other day. It was in Mayfair, the dark blue on the Monopoly board, a totally exclusive area, and there were no signs around as to who had made it or why. It wasn't connected to a groovy sci-fi shop or record store. It was just there.

There are signs of creativity everywhere, but we don't always see, feel, taste or hear them - we're sometimes so in our own world of insecurities and worries that we don't notice the things around us. And when we're in that cut-off zone, the last thing we feel is creative.

I have two remedies for those sorts of moods. One is to physically force myself to take in other people's creativity. To put on some wonderful music or to look at some art. I feel very quickly that there is beauty out there and it changes my mood. The other is to take my little phone camera out and just take photos. It doesn't matter if they're good or 'rubbish'. If I take enough, sooner or later there will be a 'good' one, or, at least, one that I'll keep and treasure.

We are all deeply creative, although sometimes we just don't realise it. But we definitely feel so much better when we do.

Here's to a wonderfully creative week.
Nina
Founder Life Clubs

The Cycle of Life

I know, it's not quite Elton John, but this week's Life Clubs workshop is all about change. Not just change in the jungle, but also change in the city.

In both, there is the expected and controlled change 'I'm going to the waterhole, rather than hanging out here' or 'I'm giving up smoking', and also the unexpected change 'I'm being chased by a wild buffalo' or 'I just lost my job'.

Change affects us. Like the bicycle wheel we keep going, but it's only if we're 'centered' enough to be in the middle of that wheel that the impact is minimalised.

This week at Life Clubs we're going to be thinking about how many different parts of our life are changing (either in our control or out of it) right now and how we could get to that centred place in order to be least affected.

See you there,
Nina
Founder Life Clubs
www.lifeclubs.co.uk

Inside it all

Somehow the image of the Russian doll to me really seems to sum up what values are. On the outside we can sometimes feel we're anyone - maybe we even change depending on who we're talking to or what we're talking about - but strip those layers and underneath we're us with all the values we have around ourselves and our life.

One of my main values is freedom. I'd hate being that trapped doll in the middle of all the others - I'd like to be the one on the top, able to leave at any moment and run.

This value has made me fun, independent and outspoken. You know where you are with me. It's also got me into all sorts of problems. I'm hopeless at the thought of commitment - I was extremely nervous about getting married (and yet we've been happily married now for over 20 years), I've never been able to work for anyone else (imagine not being able to do what you wanted to when you wanted to) and I'm often far too outspoken (and that can ruffle others' values).

And yet when I do commit I'd say I'm more satisfied and fulfilled than when I'm free. Such is the paradox of values - you can be opposites at the same time.

This week, let's discover all your values - contradictory and harmonious. Why not start by working out which layer of doll you'd like to be.

See you at Life Clubs this week for our Being You workshop.
All best,
Nina

Using your imagination

Although it's grey outside and pouring with rain, just looking at the photo of the dandelion takes me back to sunny meadows, puffing and puffing at a dandelion to see what time it is. There's something magical about the dandelion seeds floating away. I like imagining where they're going, where they'll be seeding themselves.

Do you ever feel like that about your life - wondering where you're going, where you'll be seeding yourself?

This week's workshop is all about using your imagination to clarify your thinking about your future.

How do you imagine? What sorts of things do you like imagining?

Come along and visualise your future with us. We know you'll feel more focused afterwards.

And maybe next time you blow those seeds away you'll think about yourself rather than the time.
Nina
Founder Life Clubs

Throwing all your worries away

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could just drop our problems in the bin?

Well we can. Not all of them, but most probably quite a few of them.

The problem I just dropped in the bin was worrying about the birthday party coming up for my son. I decided that I'd just think about it the day before and stop it worrying me all the time. In the end he was sick so it had to be cancelled anyway, but it was wonderful to put a deadline on my worrying and only allow it to start 24 hours before the actual event. The worry of it had been hanging over me for weeks and I didn't want it to.

I know, that was a frivolous example of worrying, when all around me people are losing jobs and money. But worrying is one of those activities that just makes you unfocused and panicked. It'll probably cause you to procrastinate and not do anything which might make the worrying - and the problem - even worse.

At Life Clubs we're going to see which of your worries can be held onto and solved and which dropped in the bin. And then we're going to see how to solve those we're still hanging onto. We're going to give you a clearer way of thinking.

See you there,
Nina
Founder Life Clubs

Keep moving

When you see a picture like this, don't you just want to get out there and explore - expand your horizons? This week's workshop is all about expanding your horizons, removing anything that's keeping you small and stuck and in your comfort zone.

Looking at that I want to get out there and explore what's holding me back and my next step is to get rid of my beliefs that I'll never enjoy getting fit. I want to be able to run, skip, roll and fly down that road. I want to feel my body supporting me, not holding me back.

This week's workshop made me feel so fluid that the feeling spread into all areas of my life. After doing it, I felt invincible.

Come along and feel like that too.
See you there,
Nina

Streamlining

Streamline is not just a 1960's kitchen, it's a bird flying, it's a champion swimmer, it's a paper dart, it's a sleek car, it's a glider, it's you when you're firing on all cylinders feeling in control and capable.

I streamlined my mind last weekend. I had a belief that I was never going to be able to tell as good stories as my mother and that made my mind feel awkward and clumsy and, of course, inadequate. I decided that story-telling would be something I'd love to be able to do and that a workshop would help me out.

All I can say is that I surprised myself. We were loosened up with some simple brain-storming and then plunged in to telling our own problems and solutions as stories. I amazed myself with the beauty of my imagery and the tenderness of my stories. Plus, by seeing my problems as beautiful stories, they faded into fairy tales and their solution was manageable.

My mind feels smooth and elegant now. It feels streamlined. A limiting belief has gone and been replaced by a flowing stream.

Come along this week and find out how to streamline your life.
See you,
Nina
Founder Life Clubs