I just wanted to expand on something I said yesterday, which was that flowers are very active. In nature, flowers have a variety of methods they employ to attract pollinators - scent, colour, texture. In the same way, people 'flowers' can use a wide array of methods to attract clients. Personally I use: a website, a blog (or two!), a newsletter, public speaking (yes, it's a flower technique! Think Chelsea Flowere Show), smiling and being friendly at networking events, wearing bright colours...and more.
The key thing to remember is that this is YOUR natural Way. Your natural way to be a flower. You can be hugely active in your attractiveness.
Love
Donna.x
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Shy Violet or Venus Flytrap?
I had the pleasure of meeting some lovely people from the Assocation for Coaching today, and they got me thinking about flowers... 'Flowers' are people who see a room full of people they don't know and think 'oh dear'! (or in my case, something slightly less polite!) Knowing that you are a flower (as opposed to a 'bee' who is perfectly happy to buzz round meeting new people) is a really useful distinction...because when you know you can plan your strategy to attract your bee/hummingbird/ladybird.
There is a huge variety of flowers in nature - and you will have your own brand of 'flowerishness'. Mine hasn't got a name (of course, I like to be individual!), but she is very colourful and cheery looking, she leans towards sunny people, and she's quite happy to be in a display garden and have lots of people looking at her! (outside the metaphorical, this means I'm friendly, smiley, cheery, I like talking in front of people, I love talking to sunny people and actively encourage them to talk to me.)
What is your flower like? (or your bee for that matter!) Make no mistake, flowers are active attractors...think of the Venus Flytrap...are you laying snares for the unwary ;-), or are you like the shy violet, quietly attracting those people who are perfect for you and not attracting the notice of those you do not wish to see?
Enjoy this metaphor...it is a lot of fun!
Love
Donna.x
There is a huge variety of flowers in nature - and you will have your own brand of 'flowerishness'. Mine hasn't got a name (of course, I like to be individual!), but she is very colourful and cheery looking, she leans towards sunny people, and she's quite happy to be in a display garden and have lots of people looking at her! (outside the metaphorical, this means I'm friendly, smiley, cheery, I like talking in front of people, I love talking to sunny people and actively encourage them to talk to me.)
What is your flower like? (or your bee for that matter!) Make no mistake, flowers are active attractors...think of the Venus Flytrap...are you laying snares for the unwary ;-), or are you like the shy violet, quietly attracting those people who are perfect for you and not attracting the notice of those you do not wish to see?
Enjoy this metaphor...it is a lot of fun!
Love
Donna.x
Friday, 7 September 2007
Changing Beliefs - some tools
Here at Your Natural Way Towers, we are always experimenting with making it easier to 'get' the Your Natural Way concepts. (by the way, experimenting with making it easier is a great way to make your working life better!)
We've been exploring some tools for changing and exploring beliefs - EFT (www.emofree.com) and The Work of Byron Katie (www.thework.com). Penny Waite (http://www.pennywaite.co.uk/) is an incredible energy specialist, and the very best person I have ever found for working with EFT. And Jon Willis (www.just4questions.com) is a wonderful facilitator of The Work.
If you have beliefs you want to change or explore, I highly reccommend you check these methods and people out.
Love
Donna.x
We've been exploring some tools for changing and exploring beliefs - EFT (www.emofree.com) and The Work of Byron Katie (www.thework.com). Penny Waite (http://www.pennywaite.co.uk/) is an incredible energy specialist, and the very best person I have ever found for working with EFT. And Jon Willis (www.just4questions.com) is a wonderful facilitator of The Work.
If you have beliefs you want to change or explore, I highly reccommend you check these methods and people out.
Love
Donna.x
Thursday, 6 September 2007
What are you Learning?
When we ask the question 'what's working?', often people just look at the end result they want and say 'nothing'...but they are missing a whole wealth of information. Let me give you an example...when I decided to experiment with asking for referrals (with a statistically significant sample instead of 3 people!), I asked about 40 people for a referral and got back ... nada, nothing, not a bean.
As in I got no concrete referrals, I hadn't signed up any clients directly as a result of these conversations. However, there were positives. What was working? Well, I was learning how to ask, and how not to. Who to ask, and who not to. And as I went along, I was ever drilling down into my natural way to ask for referrals, and what would feel good. Initially, it just felt HARD. I could easily have given up at that point, and dismissed it as 'not working' and 'not my Natural Way'.
But the more you do something, the better you get at it. And I noticed 3 things from this experiment - 1. there were over 40 (for the experiment continued) people who knew what and who I was looking for. 2. There were 'offshoots' of these conversations - random people signed up to my newsletter or started reading my blog. And 3. these people would ask how i was doing. Sometimes in front of other people, who would then get interested in helping me.
I know because I am in their mind, if and when they meet the sort of person I am looking for, they will think of me. That experiment worked. And continues to work now as it is still ongoing, and I have spoken to more than 40 people, and am getting ever closer to my 'perfect' referral request!
So when you are next asking yourself what is working...be prepared to look beneath the surface. Be prepared to see which parts of your experiment are working, and feeling good...even if the result isn't here yet. When you ask what is working, think 'what am I learning' - while you are learning, your experiments are working!
Love
Donna.x
As in I got no concrete referrals, I hadn't signed up any clients directly as a result of these conversations. However, there were positives. What was working? Well, I was learning how to ask, and how not to. Who to ask, and who not to. And as I went along, I was ever drilling down into my natural way to ask for referrals, and what would feel good. Initially, it just felt HARD. I could easily have given up at that point, and dismissed it as 'not working' and 'not my Natural Way'.
But the more you do something, the better you get at it. And I noticed 3 things from this experiment - 1. there were over 40 (for the experiment continued) people who knew what and who I was looking for. 2. There were 'offshoots' of these conversations - random people signed up to my newsletter or started reading my blog. And 3. these people would ask how i was doing. Sometimes in front of other people, who would then get interested in helping me.
I know because I am in their mind, if and when they meet the sort of person I am looking for, they will think of me. That experiment worked. And continues to work now as it is still ongoing, and I have spoken to more than 40 people, and am getting ever closer to my 'perfect' referral request!
So when you are next asking yourself what is working...be prepared to look beneath the surface. Be prepared to see which parts of your experiment are working, and feeling good...even if the result isn't here yet. When you ask what is working, think 'what am I learning' - while you are learning, your experiments are working!
Love
Donna.x
Wednesday, 5 September 2007
A Bumper Harvest
Continuing our garden metaphor, today I want you to take a look at the harvest you will reap this September. Ok, you are probably not planting in order to reap in September, unlike the farmer's in this part of the world, but do you even know what your harvest might be?
The seeds you've planted along the way are maturing, ripening and will be ready for harvest at some point...do you know when you will need your pickers to get to work?
Love
Donna.x
The seeds you've planted along the way are maturing, ripening and will be ready for harvest at some point...do you know when you will need your pickers to get to work?
Love
Donna.x
Tuesday, 4 September 2007
Frowning at Your Garden
While speaking to the magnificent Damien Churton (YNW founder, leader, and my coach) this morning, I realised something very interesting. I have been standing in my garden with my hands on my hips, frowning about what I haven't done...instead of just grabbing the tools and doing the gardening!
Metaphorically. In actuality, I had a busy week last week - I was only in the office (garden) for a day and a half, and I didn't do a lot of the things I normally do to look after my garden. So this week when I got back to it, I wasted a few hours (seriously...i only wish I were joking!) looking at what I hadn't done and what that would mean.
The garden metaphor made me realise how utterly ridiculous, pointless and downright unhelpful that particular inaction was!
No matter how messy your garden is, it won't change because you are cross with it. It will only change when you pick up a trowel, and a spade, and a fork, and get on with the gardening!
Love
Donna.x
Metaphorically. In actuality, I had a busy week last week - I was only in the office (garden) for a day and a half, and I didn't do a lot of the things I normally do to look after my garden. So this week when I got back to it, I wasted a few hours (seriously...i only wish I were joking!) looking at what I hadn't done and what that would mean.
The garden metaphor made me realise how utterly ridiculous, pointless and downright unhelpful that particular inaction was!
No matter how messy your garden is, it won't change because you are cross with it. It will only change when you pick up a trowel, and a spade, and a fork, and get on with the gardening!
Love
Donna.x
Monday, 3 September 2007
Your Learning Edge
"Stay away from the edge". Ever heard that admonition? Maybe as a kid while walking by the cliffs? It's quite natural to want to stay away from a cliff edge - especially if the consequences are a 200 foot fall to a rocky beach! I've noticed that we also stay away from less physically dangerous edges.
Like your learning edge. The edge of your comfort zone if you like. The point at which you are learning most. Playing it safe might feel more comfortable, but you don't learn as much from there. When you are really at your learning edge, you will learn so much more. And it doesn't have to be hard.
Remember, we at Your Natural Way are all about EASE! We don't want you to cut yourself on your learning edge...but we do want you to notice what's happening and have fun at your learning edge. Rollercoaster scary, not life-threatening scary. Exhilarating, not paralysing. Do you know your learning edge well enough to get the adrenaline without the fear?
What could you do to experiment with this?
Love
Donna.x
Like your learning edge. The edge of your comfort zone if you like. The point at which you are learning most. Playing it safe might feel more comfortable, but you don't learn as much from there. When you are really at your learning edge, you will learn so much more. And it doesn't have to be hard.
Remember, we at Your Natural Way are all about EASE! We don't want you to cut yourself on your learning edge...but we do want you to notice what's happening and have fun at your learning edge. Rollercoaster scary, not life-threatening scary. Exhilarating, not paralysing. Do you know your learning edge well enough to get the adrenaline without the fear?
What could you do to experiment with this?
Love
Donna.x
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