Inspiration Bites

"Many things which cannot be overcome when they are together yield themselves up when taken little by little." -Plutarch

Do your problems appear overwhelming? Do they all seem to close in on you, while you sink to the ground in despair? I have a secret strategy to share with you. It's called "Divide and Conquer." Can you seperate your problems into compartments? Can you write out a series of steps instead of trying to do it all at once? Can you get others to help you handle different aspects of the problem? When you take it apart you get rid of the synergy. There is strength in numbers, but weakness in division.

Fred had "lots of problems." They seemed so frightening that he didn't know where or how to start tackling them. He just did the proverbial burying his head in the sand. Meanwhile the problems grew bigger and stronger. Fred had unpaid bills, health problems and was out of work. Eventually, a friend suggested he come along to a workshop, and so reluctantly Fred did. There he learned how to break problems into smaller pieces and then sort them out by priority. He ended up working with a debt counsellor and his local Jobcentre Plus. Sharing his worries brought him relief. Having trained professionals help work out his problems gave him hope. At the jobcentre his advisor helped put together a more productive CV. Fred learned interview skills and soon found a new job. And did his confidence grow! His health also began to improve as his ailment had been stress-related. He overcame his situation by dividing and conquering.

Don't let your troubles weigh you down. Break them up and tackle the seperate pieces. If you can't do it on your own, get help from others. Take that first step today.

Self-esteem: Upping the Ante

Self-esteem is what or how we think of ourselves. And it isn’t uncommon for this thinking to be out of proportion. Britain’s Got Talent 2009 contestant Jamie Pugh is a case in point. With sonorous voice he still quaked in his boots, overwhelmed by the standing ovation he received.

What do you think of yourself? While not encouraging conceitedness I do acknowledge that a healthy self-image is crucial to your success. Your self-belief could propel you forward or hold you back. Imagine that Jamie Pugh thought he was crap and stayed out of the competition. Granted he was terrified, but he did take the first step. Then there’s Alexandra Burke whose self-belief, in spite of initial rejection, is another side of the self-image coin. Her belief pushed her forward, against the odds, and she’s living her dream today.

So here’s a simple exercise to get you smiling into your mirror and inside your heart. Here goes:

1. Consider your strengths. Yes, you do have them. We all do! Make a list of your strong points, all the aspects of your character you have going for yourself. Are you humourous? Ambitious? Dependable? Logical? Do you think you are calm in the face of trouble? Dependable or decisive? These are all strong points. Go on, ask friends, family, colleagues and neighbours what they think are your strengths.

2. From this list pick the ones you’re most proud of, say, four or five. Next write a supporting sentence or two about each one, giving incidences where you displayed this strength. For example:
· Humorous – I was voted funniest girl/boy in high school.
· Dependable – My boss says she can always count on me.
· Punctual – I won the Most Punctual 2008 award at work.

3. Next, list the strengths pointed out by your friends, family, colleagues and neighbours. As in 2. above, add their supporting sentences.

4. Now list your proudest achievements at work, school, family, charity, whatever you’ve achieved that you’re really proud of. No, excuses not accepted. Go on, write! I bet Jamie Pugh would have said he had no great achievements. But what about that voice?!

Finished! Isn’t that an impressive list! And you thought you didn’t amount to much. Go on, congratulate yourself! There are so many people out there who would want at least one item on your list. Keep this as a reminder, for those rainy days when self-belief dips. Remember, you weren’t the only one who recognized your strengths. You staged an opinion poll!

The best part for me as I watched Jamie’s performance, was when judge Amanda, pointing back to the raving crowd, asked him, “How does that make you feel?” And I ask you now, pointing back to your list, “How does that make you feel?” Hold on to that feeling. It’s just what you need. And it’s called self-esteem.

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You can see and hear Jamie at this url. If it's broken please copy and paste to browser:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1KHRf02ups
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