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So, I found myself face down on my yoga mat breathing deeply in a softly lit studio as the early morning sunlight started to stream through the glass and shine on my face. It was a beautiful moment…

Source: Soft Focus…

Wow, this is an ongoing challenge isn’t it? Time Management! Just looking at those two words placed side by side conjures up feelings of guilt and images of my school teacher’s comments in red ink in the margin saying ‘must do better!’ So I ask myself questions like ‘Am I leveraging my time?’, ‘Am I spending a high percentage of my time on income-producing activity?’, ‘What systems do I have in place that work in favour of my business?’, ‘Could I plan my day better using units of time, as suggested at a recent training session I attended?’, ‘I am spending too much time multi-tasking, and then feeling overwhelmed and not getting anything done, when I should be working in blocks of time, cutting out distractions?’, ‘ Should I improve upon how I plan my week and month, setting massive goals for myself each day?’. These are all valid questions, and matters that do, and should occupy my mind so that I can better myself and my business.

However, the thoughts on time management that occupy my mind this morning hold a slightly different meaning. I suppose I’m thinking about life management? I’m thinking about the consequences of not following your dreams in life and being filled with regret on your deathbed. I’m thinking about choosing to change those areas of your life that you are unhappy with and having the courage to take daily steps in the right direction. I’m thinking about taking ownership of, and using the talents I have been given, to serve others, to bless others, to be of value to others. To accept this responsibility, and to take steps to become the person I need to be in order to fulfil my purpose. So what life management steps are you taking today? Be light and love.

www.tessafyffe.com  Tessa Fyffe set up Tessa Fyffe Global to help people reach a position where they can choose how to spend their time and truly feel better about their lives everyday. Looking for a positive change in your life? Contact Tessa here to schedule an information session, and find out if this is a fit for you. email@tessafyffe.com or text +447977 501212

Depending on how you choose to view the world, everyday life could be pretty grim.’Oh it’s such a grey day!’ or ‘Oh the nights are drawing in….’ or ‘I’ve just come back from holiday so that’s me done for another year …’ or ‘Once that man took my seat on the train, it ruined my whole day!’ Does any of this sound familiar? I must confess that I have often allowed myself to be drawn into ‘an internal fog’ because of one annoying happening in my day; but now I make a concious decision to choose my thoughts and my mood like I choose a dress from my wardrobe.

When my internal fog evaporates, the world appears to be in glorious technicolour, and I feel like a beautiful, vibrant and dazzlingly colourful butterfly! I wish I could draw this image of me as a colorful butterfly! In fact, I think I may have stumbled upon my new logo! I see all the colours I love, vibrant pinks, and gold amber, and lime and emerald greens, luscious purples, soothing sea blues, burnt orange, and a touch of red! As I flutter my wings, I radiate my light and my love and gently stir and awaken many others in their own internal fogs, almost as if in a slumber – to see their own beauty within, and to shine brightly!

The beauty within other people and the presence of life in all I see around me, is inspiring. I am listening to Life. Or perhaps I’m listening with my eyes! I will open the windows of my mind and heart and listen to Life. I ask for a fresh in-filling of light and love today, for myself and for you too.

www.tessafyffe.com  Tessa Fyffe set up Tessa Fyffe Global to help people reach a position where they can choose how to spend their time and truly feel better about their lives everyday. Looking for a positive change in your life? Contact Tessa here to schedule an information session, and find out if this is a fit for you. email@tessafyffe.com or text +447977 501212

Many of us want to be leaders. Many of us are leaders already, in our families and work-places, communities and faith-groups; in the sporting arena, our clubs and societies and in many other ways. Many of us are in denial – not wanting to be a leader, but in fact already in a position where others look up to you, for example a distant uncle, or when befriending a vulnerable person. Being a leader, but a servant-leader, is my aspiration. However, before I presume to lead others, can I first learn to lead myself?

 

What do you mean Tessa? Well… no one wants to use the phrase ‘Do as I say, not as I do’! This is hardly authentic, and would mean that I am full of hot air! No, I’m talking about developing and growing myself daily.

What discipline and structures do I need to have in place in my daily life in order to become a true leader? How can I develop self-belief and confidence in my existence, purpose and mission in life? How can I nurture a vibrant and healthy love for my Maker, myself and others?

To whom am I accountable? How do I cultivate integrity in all areas of my life? Can I be gracious in the face of the many challenges that will undoubtedly arise in the normal pace of life? What are the consequences of my actions? What can I do to develop the qualities of a leader in my business such as confidence, courage, persistence, consistency, patience, laser-like focus, resiliency, stepping out of my comfort zone and committing to daily income-producing activity?

Could it be that learning to lead yourself first, unlocks the door to being the leader you imagine yourself to be? I believe it does. But tell me, what do you think?

www.tessafyffe.com  Tessa Fyffe set up Tessa Fyffe Global to help people reach a position where they can choose how to spend their time and truly feel better about their lives everyday. Looking for a positive change in your life? Contact Tessa to schedule an information session, and find out if this is a fit for you. email@tessafyffe.com or text +447977 501212

Once upon a time, when I still worked in the Courts, when Sunday night came along, I would think about what I was going to wear. My smart dark skirt suit; my white starched shirt; my cufflinks; my smart court shoes from Hobbs….! As I reflect on that, and on this Sunday, my thoughts turn to what it really means to be dressed for action! Sure, my outerwear is important. A statement of my personality and personal style. Perhaps a hidden message urging people to ‘take me seriously’ or a subliminal protest against the formality of the corporate world by wearing skinny jeans and heels to business meetings! I suppose there is any number of images that we try to portray with the clothes we wear. You tell me yours.

But I want to be truly dressed for action! I want to be wrapped in light and love and ready to take on the world as my authentic self. Me. What is the easiest and most natural way for me to do that? With my smile. I want to show up each day with the best smile I can muster. Because that’s just me.

So what about the days when you just don’t feel like smiling? Well those days will always be there in abundance! Perhaps on those days, if I stop looking inward, and start looking outward; if I choose to move my focus from feeling sorry for myself to, ‘ how can I be a blessing to someone today? ‘how can I serve someone today?’ ‘how can I shine a light on someone today?’, then maybe, just maybe, I will start to improve my outlook that day, and feel much better before the end of that day. All simply by radiating my little light and my little love, with my smile. So who will see your smile today?

www.tessafyffe.com  Tessa Fyffe set up Tessa Fyffe Global to help people reach a position where they can choose how to spend their time and truly feel better about their lives everyday. Looking for a positive change in your life? Contact Tessa to schedule an information session, and find out if this is a fit for you. email@tessafyffe.com or text +447977 501212

 

How do you measure your progress in life? How do you know if you are getting better and better each day? How can you tell if you are getting closer to achieving your goals and dreams? Perhaps you identify a role model, or someone who has achieved what you want to achieve, and compare yourself to that person. Well, its great to study the behaviour and habits of successful people and role models, but surely great care is needed in how we choose to apply that information to our lives. A direct comparison, may leave us a little worse for wear, if it leaves us feeling inadequate with the words ‘must try harder’ emblazoned across our foreheads! We are, after all, all very different in our make up, constitution and personality. Perhaps a more effective and  nurturing measure would be to compare our present selves to our past selves.

So if I look at Tessa in September 2014 say? What would I see? Where was I in my journey?

Well I had just taken one of the biggest, seemingly uncharacteristic leaps in my life, by choosing to step away from my career, to find more fulfilment and choice, and to attempt to reacquaint myself with me. I was very excited but could not see the path ahead. All I knew was that if I didn’t move in this new direction, the light within me would slowly fade, and 5 years down the line, I would regret not having the courage to change my life.

I look at Tessa now, and so much newness in my life. All the windows and doors have been flung wide open and waves and waves of new people, places, adventures, travels and changes have come flooding in! Some change has been rather uncomfortable and challenging, and some change has felt like more of a homecoming. I am on a path of self-development and I wouldn’t change it for the world!

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There is a real beauty and strength in friendship.

Choosing to open up your life, your heart, sharing your fears and your dreams with those people who have come into your life for whatever reason, and with whom you have a connection; a special bond.  Do you believe that you have something amazing to offer people? Well your friends can see that you do, even if you cannot.

As a woman, I am starting to think more and more about my relationships with the other women I have the privilege to call my friends. I want to celebrate my womanhood in all its beauty and awkwardness, lumps and bumps, and glorious technicolour!

I recently spent some time with my mother-in-law in Melbourne, Australia. Every Wednesday she has a group of friends visit, and these ladies make up the Sewing Club. They come together, around the kitchen table, sewing, stitching, cutting patterns in fabric, drinking tea, eating sandwiches and cakes, chatting (a lot) and generally setting the world to rights! I gate-crashed for a cup of tea and a chat, and I asked how long they had been meeting. Can you believe that they have been meeting every week for about 20 years?

I was attracted to the  beauty and strength in their friendship and special bond. Fantastic! I thought ‘ wow! I want this! For my life, and the lives of my friends!’ Now my sewing and knitting skills are fairly basic, but it’s not really about that is it? It’s about the coming together, the togetherness and the sharing. I would want it to be about empowering each other; women empowering women; celebrating the ups and downs of life together; growing together. I think this may be my new mission, to deepen my positive relationships with the women around me, with a view to empowering and encouraging each other to be our best. What do you think about that?

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How valuable is your time?

We would all agree that time is a precious commodity, right? We often get annoyed when other people ‘waste’ our time and can feel like we have been taken for granted. Or perhaps we feel that we are perceived to be of lesser importance, when someone is late for an appointment or appears to be casual with their time, but only when the appointment is with you! Yet how do we value our own time? Are we more generous with our time with those whom we like more than others? What message are we giving to others about the significance of our time?

Valuing our time is linked to valuing our self-worth. So what do you think of yourself? Do you respect yourself and your ability to add value to the lives of others? Do you have a strong unshakeable belief about yourself? Perhaps you are full of doubt, and need to work on yourself? I have learnt that my time is really precious. I actively choose to spend it well and efficiently. I actively choose to spend more time with like-minded people and to prioritise my daily business building activities. It is not always easy to stick to, but I practise, practise, practise. Yes, I have also noticed a difference in response in the language used by some people, ‘…I know you are busy, but I just wanted to speak to you about ….’, ‘..could you spare me 10 minutes after we finish today !’, or ‘…thank you for the time you have given me’. Create an awareness about who you are, and the value of your time. Be smart and work smart and value yourself. Enjoy the change in your language and awareness and be intentional with your time.

 

To find out more about Tessa’s business, go to www.tessafyffe.com

Why do some people pretend to be friendly and supportive, when really they are not? Why is it that some people want to appear to be all things to all people, but are really not at all genuine and perhaps a little bit jealous of you? Why would some people rather choke, than give you a kind word or ask about your news? Even when it’s the most obvious ‘next’ question when exchanging pleasantries? How infuriating! But also, how funny! My grandmother, and subsequently my mother, would say, ‘Beware of the green snake in the green grass!’. It’s quite telling, isn’t it, when such people go out of their way NOT to be kind, or polite, or, well, simply pleasant. It takes more of an effort to be difficult and confrontational, than it does to be kind and conversational. Don’t you think?

So how do you react when such people get under your skin, or in your face?

Ha! I like to give them the biggest, beaming smile that I can muster in that moment. I smile like someone who has just won the lottery! I smile like a chocolate-lover who has just discovered a hidden bar of chocolate at the back of the fridge behind the lettuce! I smile like I am the newly crowned Miss World, declaring that my reign will be dedicated to embracing world peace! Well, I have a bit of fun with it I suppose, whilst I get it out of my system.

The trick is not to let any of these encounters disturb your inner peace. Know that your happiness and joy exists independently of such people. You continue to radiate light and love. Your success is not dependent upon such people. Your beauty and unique gifts are awaited by many people ahead along your path – many of whom you are yet to meet! Let us continue to embrace our passions, as they will lead us to our true purpose. Be brave. Be courageous. Be You!

Visit www.tessafyffe.com to find out more about Tessa’s business