Lee Ann Marshall's Blog

Yesterday I wasn’t sure if I wanted to wake up.  I had several things to do during the day, all of them boring, and I wanted to avoid doing them!

The previous day I had made a long list of chores to do and couldn’t see my way beyond them to actually be able to do anything “for me” afterwards.  There were too many chores and no rewards. 

So I decided to have my rewards along with my chores at the same time. I broke my tasks up into smaller chunks -  “do the bins”, followed by a short break having a drink and sandwich, “tidy kitchen sides”, followed by half an hour of watching my favourite TV comedy series, “clean the bathroom”, followed by ringing my friend for a chat.

Although I didn’t get everything done in one day, I decided that putting too much pressure on myself was not good – if I made a big list and looked at all I had to achieve, I couldn’t face it and wanted to go back to bed!  But, by doing a few tasks, one at a time, followed by a personal reward for accomplishing each one, I found my day went much smoother and I didn’t feel undervalued.  In fact, I  appreciated my own efforts and rewarded myself!!

Hope you all have a good day.

So, until next time, I wish you well …

Many years ago a wise friend said to me that when a treat becomes a habit, it is no longer a treat.  We had started to go to a nice restaurant quite frequently and the more we went, the less appeal it began to have.  Why?  It was a nice restaurant that I had always really looked forward to and enjoyed as a special treat.  What had changed?

You can see by my very words what had happened.  I had previously kept the visit as a treat, a special occasion which I could enjoy, something I could look forward to.  I had changed that special occasion into an everyday happening – it had lost its happy moment.  The restaurant had not changed, but I had.

I believe that the same is true of life. 

Thomas Fuller said “He that would have the fruit must climb the tree”.

When we work at something and put effort into it, whatever the project or goal – whether it is a work-related goal, creating something, or changing our lives in some way – it is only through striving and making effort that we come to feel satisfied – happy with what we have achieved.  We can enjoy that feeling after making an effort and using tools to help us along the way.  It does not have to be a depressing struggle, but when we recognise we have achieved something for ourselves that is worthwhile, we can enjoy and savour that success.

I have made a few changes in my life in the last year and found that I was able to build on my confidence by achieving one thing at a time.

Josh Billings said “Be like a postage stamp.  Stick to one thing until you get there.”

It sounds funny, but I have found this to be true.  It does not mean that you should not have a number of worthwhile goals, but initially take one thing and concentrate on it until you achieved a few steps of progression and feel steady on your path to success in that area.

Enjoy your weekend and look out for what you aspire to do or be or have and make the satisfaction of obtaining it your treat to look forward to!

So, until next time, I wish you well ….

It seems that almost all year long we are waiting for the summer to arrive – which in Britain only seems to really consist of around 10 weeks or so!  We feel happy and positive when it is a bright day and the sun is shining.  We feel more positive and relaxed in a warm climate, more disposed to our fellowmen.

We should not see the rest of our year as drudgery, those dark nights and cold months as something to be endured.

I have learned through experience, that to accept and live each day for what it is, will ultimately benefit me.  If I treat each day as a new experience, an empty page on which I can write absolutely anything, then I feel better about myself.  This feeling, in turn, gives me the motivation I need to carry through with my goals.  We do not achieve our ambitions or desires all at once – if we realise we can achieve what we want, day by day through small steps, in time we will gain what we hope for. 

Achievements do not have to be money-related.  Think carefully about what you would like – to feel at peace with yourself, to have your own business, to be fitter?  These are but a few of the many things you may wish to achieve.  Take some time, sit down and write the things you would like to do in your life. 

There are many books which can help you focus your mind.  I found a small but very simple book helped me: it is called “Notes from a friend” by Anthony Robbins.  I certainly recommend it as a good read.  It is only a short book, but very inspiring at the same time.

Look at your life, think of what you may want to achieve for yourself.  You have the ability to move forward in your life and make plans. 

So, until next time, I wish you well ….

It has been “one of those days”.  Do you ever get those?  It starts off OK, but soon changes and within just a few minutes it becomes Stress City!  As I was making some toast for breakfast, the jam jar fell on the floor and smashed – glass and sticky jam everywhere.  As I got a cloth to try and clear up, the phone rang.  No-one was in to get it but me, and I always feel I can’t ignore a ringing phone.  As I stepped over the kitchen mess and grabbed the phone before it rang off, I said “hello, hello”, only to be greeted by an automated sales message!  By the time I cleared everything up and left the house, I managed to miss my bus to the station and by the time I got to work I was late!!!

This is just a small snapshot into what can create a stressful situation – a combination of small, seemingly insignificant events that build up a feeling of panic and being out of control of your life.

It is funny reading about the jam, we can all relate to the automated sales call, and most of us have been late for work – but when it is happening to us it doesn’t seem so funny.

Perhaps we need to step back a bit, take a deep breath and count our blessings? Maybe this is easier said than done, but how we react to situations depends on how we feel emotionally about ourselves and our world.  The attitude to our “problems” depends mainly on us – we can find ourselves in unfortunate circumstances or have things go wrong in our lives, but it comes down to us individually in how we handle our attitude to our experiences.

We can each create stress-relieving tactics for our own selves – you know what “sets” you off, we are all different.  Sit a while and try to recognise your own triggers to stress and built a strategy plan of what you can do to handle these trigger points. Affirmations – writing down short, positive sentences that build us up, which we can repeat at regular intervals, have been shown to greatly help to calm and encourage. Listening to calming music or relaxation CDs/MP3 content (perhaps on the train to work!) can also give us a calmer feeling inside, which will then reflect in our managing life better.

So, until next time, I wish you well ….

Hi

It is a beautiful morning, the sun is shining and I am free to do what I want today!

Do you get some days when you wake up feeling really positive, like you could achieve anything you want?  It is a really great feeling and I am sure we wish it could last all the time.  Often it is spoilt later on by other people trying to put restrictions on me – children, spouse, work commitments, daily boring chores!

I have discovered over the years that to be positive I need to put myself at the top of my list!  There are many ideas out there to do with self-help and self-worth – I have found I am very receptive to hypnotherapy and have used audio programs to listen to and absorb positive suggestions.  When I do this on a regular basis, I feel happier and focused.  Why not have a browse at some of the things I recommend under the “My Products” section?

If you have any positive suggestions about how to improve life, do let me know.

So, until next time, I wish you well …

Hi,

My name is Lee Ann Marshall and I have created this blog because I want to share with you interesting information from a variety of sources, which I think may benefit you in your own life. 

A little bit about me ….

I am a 48 year old English woman and have been married for 23 years.  My husband and I have three children.   Over the years, as a couple and as a family we have experienced different health challenges and as a result we have developed an interest in healthy living.  These experiences have made us look at different ways to increase or maintain health.  Being informed allows us to make wise decisions in life and so I hope that over the coming weeks I can share things with you that will improve your own life.

So, until next time, I wish you well ….