I’ve moved!

My blog is growing up and I’ve moved to my own own domain. Please visit me at www.tactilesoul.com

See you there!

3 Tips for Ensuring Your Cup Remains Half Full

1. Be aware of your thoughts
   Most of us are oblivious of how often we allow pessimism to creep into our thoughts. These thoughts have a profound influence on the decisions and the choices that we make. Take time over the next few days to keep a note of your thoughts. Thoughts like “I could never do that!”, “I’m so fat.” , “This will never work.” This is your ‘negative voice’, be aware of how many times a day it speaks!
2. Alter your language
   That negative voice needs to be replaced by a positive voice. For each negative or pessimistic thought you have, replace it with a positive one. eg. “I could never do that!” – “I’m going to try my best to do that.” Or better yet, “Of course I can do that!”
3. Begin each day with optimism!
   Ever noticed that how your day gets progressively worse if you begin by fighting with your spouse or children, or you let the traffic get you down? Make a commitment to begin each day on a positive note. The attitude you begin your day with affects the rest of the day (and everything you do!). Take time to focus on the things you are grateful for, the people you love, your strengths. Shine a light on all that is good, no matter how small, do whatever you need to do to begin the day with optimism!

Your attitude and energy makes its mark on the world around you, create a surrounding that feels good and supports your best interests!

Is Your Cup Half Full or Half Empty?

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”- Anais Nin

How do you see the world, or specifically, the events of your life? Are you always waiting for something to go wrong, never comfortable enough to relax in the moment and just breathe? Or do you generally see the up side of situations?

Your view of life can paint your experiences in vibrant technicolour or shades of grey. It all comes down to attitude. Your attitude greatly influences your reactions to your life’s experiences.

We all go through difficult times, some more than others. Experiences that shape us, that underpin all that follows, and while we are sometimes powerless to change the situation or the experience, we have a choice in how we respond. Attitude plays a powerful part in our response to our circumstances and the way in which those circumstances influence our lives.

So how do you see your cup? How do you react to life’s challenges?

There’s parable about a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer’s well. The farmer heard the mule braying and, after a careful assessment of the situation, decided that neither the well nor the mule were worth saving. He enlisted his neighbours to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery. Initially the old mule was hysterical. But as the farmer and his neighbours continued shovelling and the dirt hit his back, he would shake it off and step up. This he did, blow after blow: shake off the dirt and step up, shake it off and step up, shake it off and step up. It wasn’t long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped over the wall and out of the well.

If we face our challenges and problems in the same way and respond to them in a positive way, we, too, can realise the benefit of our choice to see the cup as half full.

Home schooling was worth the blood sweat and tears! (or Anything is Achievable)

“There is no one way to raise our children, but a path that we must find.”  Barbara Coloroso

When we made the decision for my son Kinmond to leave formal schooling halfway through grade 11 and continue through home schooling, we both knew that it would be a tremendous challenge, but I don’t think anything could have prepared us for the discipline, work and dedication it would require.  Kinmond had a tremendous amount of work to catch up, and I continued to run my company. 

Despite the sacrifices, it was an amazing experience.  I got to spend a tremendous amount of time with my son and got to know him as the incredible young man he has become.

All the effort proved worth it when we learned yesterday that he had passed Matric.  He is now registered for a Certificate in Advanced Music Production and plans to follow this with Entertainment Management.

The lessons I have learned over the last year and a half are things that can never be taught.  I’ve come to truly believe that anything is achievable.

I’m looking forward to 2010 and all the new challenges and projects awaiting me, and to watching my son go from strength to strength on the journey he is about to embark upon.

Why Tactile Soul?

‘There is no path to peace. Peace is the path.’ ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Besides the fact that a lot of the other titles I had in mind weren’t available…

I chose Tactile Soul as the title of my blog because I believe that we need to touch (and be touched) with our soul’s.  That may sound like a contradiction, tactile meaning ‘capable of being perceived by the sense of touch’, and the sense of touch being thought of as physical or tangible.  And yet, we are touched by things emotionally and spiritually all the time.

This blog is really about reconnecting to our selves, and in order to know who you really are you need to open yourself and allow yourself to be touched more than superficially.

We need to be present in each and every moment, live simply and keep centered.   Remember, it’s about the journey.