ISSUE 1 - September 2006

Welcome to the very first issue of ‘Snippets’. Written by me, Gilli Scully which can be quite scary when you are sitting in front of a blank page and wondering what you can put in that will be, hopefully, interesting and relevant to the majority of people!

So I decided that all I can do is put in what I find interesting and also what might be of interest to you which you may not have heard about or missed from other sources.

I have been busy helping a production company film a documentary for the BBC all to do with the ‘Phobia’ or fear of going to the dentist. This is with my ‘therapist’ hat on. This is due to be on BBC television towards the end of this year or the beginning of 2007.

Signed photographs available or I will be hiding on a beach in Bali where no one has even heard of television! Oh wait I just remembered I am a therapist I can deal with my fear!

After many requests from clients I have also introduced a ‘Personal Development Programme’ this is for 2 days which is aimed at everyone who would like to make changes in their life, family, relationships and career but needs a little guidance in where to start.

The next ‘Vision for Living’ show is on again for the weekend of 4th & 5th November. I loved being involved last time, meeting and chatting with everyone and I am looking forward to it again and meeting new challenges. Last time I seemed to be helping quite a few people getting panic attacks and others that were suffering with some type of physical or emotional pain. The talks I gave were great fun and I hope that everyone enjoyed them as much as I did. See you again in November?

For anyone that has had a past traumatic experience and you do not feel able to see anyone to get help there is free help on the home page. If you know someone that might need a little help pass ‘Snippets’ to them. You could be the most helpful person they know!

All my clients know what I am like about toxins of the inhaled variety so if you still want to use your perfume, aftershave, aerosol etc. and would like a FREE face mask I am happy to send you one. For this please send a stamped, self addressed envelope to me along with your email details and I will post one back to you ASAP.

Are you smoking and would like to give up? Or do you know someone that smokes that would like to stop? There are free tips on this site for smoking cessation.

I have been busy in my spare time working on my handbook ‘Are YOU willing to follow 12 easy steps to feel happier? Every time I think I am finished and I read back through copy I find that there is more that needs to be added. Apologies for the delay but I am getting there and if you would like a free copy sign here and I will let you know when it is finished, so sign up to make sure you get your copy.

For anyone interested in why they might get that ‘bloated’ feeling after eating bread then read this…… ‘The poisonous truth about our daily bread’ - It's thought of as the staff of life, but the truth is that some loaves are actually harming us by Andrew Whitley Sunday September 17, 2006 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1874267,00.html

I had the following come into me by email and I thought it interesting read and decide for yourself?

Six Behaviours that Increase Self-Esteem  
This article presents six specific behaviours that will increase self-esteem, enhance your self-confidence, and encourage you to be more motivated. You may recognize some of them as things you naturally do in your interactions with other people. But if you don't, I suggest you motivate yourself to take on some of these behaviours and notice the difference.

First: greet others with a smile and look them directly in the eye. A smile and direct eye contact convey confidence born of self-respect. In the same way, answer the phone pleasantly in the office and at home, and when placing a call, give your name before asking to speak to the party you want to reach. Leading with your name underscores that a person with self-respect is making the call.  

Second: always show real appreciation for a gift or complement. Don't downplay or sidestep expressions of affection or honour from others. The ability to accept or receive praise or complements is a universal mark of an individual with solid self-esteem.  

Third: don't brag. It's almost a paradox that genuine modesty is actually part of the capacity to gracefully receive compliments. People who brag about their own exploits or demand special attention are simply trying to build themselves up in the eyes of others - and that's because they don't perceive themselves as already worthy of respect.  

Fourth: don't make your problems the centrepiece of your conversation. Talk positively about your life and the progress you're trying to make. Be aware of any negative thinking, and take notice of how often you complain. When you hear yourself criticize someone, and this includes self-criticism, find a way to be helpful and constructive instead of critical.  

Fifth: respond to difficult times or depressing moments by increasing your level of productive activity. When your self-esteem is being challenged, don't sit around and fall victim to “paralysis by analysis.” The late Malcolm Forbes said, “Vehicles in motion use their generators to charge their own batteries. Unless you happen to be a golf cart, you can't recharge your battery when you're parked in the garage!”

Sixth: choose to see mistakes and rejections as opportunities to learn. View a failure as the conclusion of one performance, not the end of your entire career. Own up to your shortcomings, but refuse to see yourself as a failure. A failure may be something you have done - and it may even be something you'll have to do again on the way to success - but a failure is definitely not something you are.

Even if you're at a point where you're feeling very negatively about yourself, be aware that you're now ideally positioned to make rapid and dramatic improvement. A negative self-evaluation, if it's honest and insightful, takes much more courage and character than the self-delusions that underlie arrogance and conceit.  

I've seen the truth of this proven many times in my work with executives and companies. After an extremely poor performance, a team or an individual often does much better the next time out, especially when the poor performance was so bad that there was simply no way to shirk responsibility for it.  

Disappointment, defeat, and even apparent failure are in no way permanent conditions unless we choose to make them so. On the contrary, these undeniably painful experiences can be the solid foundation on which to build future success and life long happiness.

So, focus on what you want, forget about what you do not want. Work and spend your energy, both mental and physical on the things you do want, forget about the things you do not want. (This article is based on the ideas of Denis Waitley.)

Best Wishes until next Snippet

Gilli