How do you work things out?

I don't know about you, but I spend a lot of my time living in the future. I enjoy the present (and would suggest living there), but to me it hasn't got the excitement of the future.

Of course, the present has loads to recommend it - one can feel connected in the present... absorbed in the present... still in the present and much, much more. But the future - that's my spiritual home.

Living in the future makes it easy to visualise. This week's workshop was about Holding Your Dreams and I can dream far into the future. In my mind leaping forwards 20 years feels like nothing and, doing so, helps me work backwards and work out the minute detail of how I'm going to get there.

I'm in Canada right now and dreaming of Life Clubs all over Canada. We're starting small, training 4 new Hosts this week to run clubs in and around Toronto, but the fantasies are starting. I'm imagining clubs in every available venue, retreats in the woods and by the lakes. In my mind I can see Life Clubs posters on the backs of the local trams and Life Clubs pencils in everyone's pockets. I'm imagining smiling faces and happy people.

Allow me my dreams... they're what keep me going.

What do you dream about?

Hope you have a great weekend and that next week I'll see you at Life Clubs
Nina
Founder Life Clubs

Could I get to sleep...?

Normally I'm like this sleeping baby. I can drop off to sleep anywhere and at any time.

My children are used to finding me on the floor asleep, on sofas asleep and, of course, in my bed asleep.

This week has been different. On Wednesday our Life Club was on stress and the two people I was working with were both insomniacs. They either couldn't get to sleep in the first place or they woke in the early morning and couldn't drop off again. Of course, with all this talk of insomnia it's been on my mind and I've had two of the worst nights I've had for a long time... wild and crazy dreams, waking up every two hours, restless at light-turning-out time.

Of course, you get what you focus on. Silly me.

So, I've gone back to that workshop and have taken my learning from it. This is a temporary worry and won't last, so I can cross it off my 'things that are causing me stress' list. I've done just that.

Let's hope tonight I sleep again as soundly as that baby.

Sweet dreams.
What do you do when you can't get to sleep? Do let me know.

All best,
Nina
Founder Life Clubs

We're excited...

Our lovely pencils just arrived and we can't wait to give them to you...

See you at Life Clubs,
Nina

Oh gosh... travel

Last week at Life Clubs we took one of the thoughts that stops us in our lives and shook it on its head.

My current limiting belief (because I'm going to Canada on Sunday) is that I'm hopeless at travel. I'm dreading the journey, the jet lag, the disruption to my life... everything.

Now, I know I'm actually a total traveller at heart. I travelled like mad all my life, especially in my twenties and am still desperate to visit Easter Island which, my husband keeps reminding me, is as far away as it gets.

Nonetheless I panic. But, remembering the lesson learnt at the Life Club, I decided to kick through my fear, teach my limiting belief a lesson, and go to Exeter to see the play a very good friend had directed. I thought it would be a good thing to do - to have a three hour travel before my big travel on Sunday.

Believe it or not, I was petrified about Exeter too. Just being out of my own home. I called my friend numerous times to ask him if I'd be cold in the bedroom at night, if I needed to bring a towel, would we eat after the play or should I bring sandwiches... and on and on.

Everything went wrong that could go wrong. I booked the train tickets to leave from the wrong station, then I left them at home. I asked for seats going forwards and was given ones going backwards and, worst of all, I was in a silent carriage on the way back when I'd specifically asked for a noisy one.

But... I managed. I'm back home (good to be back home) and I travelled. And I loved my travel. So, yes, Life Clubs was good. Just do something you're worried about and you'll be OK.

As my friend, Lowri says, 'Jump and the net will appear'. Is that what you do too?

See you next week,
Nina
Founder Life Clubs

Never put off...

I sometimes can't believe how boring I am.

As this week's workshop was called Streamlining, and was about being efficient and doing everything you want to do plus some, I started thinking about how I streamline and realised that there's a very simple motto that governs my life and almost everything I do and (in case you hadn't guessed from the even more boring image) it's 'never put off 'til tomorrow what you can do today'.

I have no idea what started off the use of this motto, all I know is that I live in complete contrast to the rest of my family who do everything at the last possible moment.

I, on the other hand, drag them out to change a tyre in the middle of the night - just in case it rains the next day, write all my articles the moment I'm given them - just in case anything else comes up and make sure I know how to get hold of everyone I meet - just in case I don't naturally meet them again.

My kind of streamlining may not suit you. It leads to late nights and somewhat obsessive behaviour, but it works for me.

What do you do to make sure everything gets done and you have time to play?

Let me know.

See you at next week's Life Club - who wouldn't want a clearer way of thinking?
Hope you have a great weekend,
Nina
Author of The Big Book of Me and The Big Book of Us and the soon to be published, The Life Book (already being stocked by Waterstones and WH Smith - they're doing it today as well, just in case it's sold out tomorrow!)
Founder of Life Clubs

Pass the dynamite...

Dynamite would come in handy when you feel like you're talking to a brick wall. You just want to blow that wall up and say 'listen to me... I'm saying something that's important to me.'

This week's workshop was great fun. Listening is the key to life... the key to relationships... and we don't do it often enough. Really stopping everything and listening to someone makes you feel as special and privileged as it does them. And the person who is talking can work through their issue just by being listened to.

Someone came to the club saying he never felt listened to. By the end of the workshop he'd worked out that maybe the people who never listened to him were people who never listened to anyone... unless there was some dynamite right next to them.

Enjoy listening this week... or do I need to get out my dynamite?

Nina
Founder Life Clubs, starting in Canada this week!!!

Knots...

This week's workshop was about problem solving, which is a bit like undoing knots - easy once you have worked out how. I don't sail, though I have been known to go rowing, but my main undoing of knots has been on necklaces and I find messing about with flimsy chains not my thing at all.

I have a knot at the moment though, which is how to excite you all about my favourite thing in the world, The Enneagram, a personality typing system plus. I've written about The Enneagram in all my books, my family all talk in Enneagram-speak ("Mum, my '8' (The Boss) boyfriend is in hiding - he must be totally stressed, wonder how I can help"), and I'm hosting an Enneagram workshop for my mentor, Gordon Melvin, next weekend and want you not to miss this opportunity of starting on (or continuing) your Enneagram travels.

I first came across the Enneagram about six years ago and, because of my desire to be free and not put in a box, it took me a long time to find out which of the 9 'types' I was. I am, for those of you who might have guessed, an Epicure/Adventurer (Type 7). The Enneagram has helped me understand myself, my husband and our relationship (22 years married so not doing badly) and it helped me understand why I was sabotaging my endless careers. It's helped me work with people and understand the differences between us. It's made me whole(r) and continually helps me to grow and change.

There are lots of places you can find out about the Enneagram, but, because the system is so complex, I think it's essential to start with a course rather than a book or an online quiz.

So, that's my knot and my solution was to simply tell you how I feel about it in the hope that you become inspired too.

You can now unravel your knot - how can I make time to come along next Saturday?

Gordon's Enneagram workshop is taking place in Westminster, Central London. It's £75 (£60 concessions) from 10-5.00 on Saturday October 31st. Contact genevieve@lifeclubs.co.uk for your ticket.

See you there,
Nina
Founder Life Clubs and author of the soon-to-be-published The Life Book (how exciting is that?! - especially for an Epicure!)