Spreading The Magic

Living intuitively

2012-01-20T10:05:00.002Z

I recently did a quick survey and discovered that the majority of people know that they are intuitive, but don't always go with their gut instinct. In most cases they then wish that they had as their intuition is always right. However, there were a few people who didn't feel that they were particularly intuitive, and would like to be more so.

Very few people always go with their intuition 100% of the time (myself included). Why is that when they know it's always been right in the past? Here's my take; sometimes our intuition tells us things we would rather not know, such as, we shouldn't trust someone. That may be put us in a difficult position, or we may reject our gut reaction because we always want to see the best in people and give them a chance (I'm guilty of this). Or we weigh things up sensibly and rationally and HAVE to go with the 'wrong' (non-intuitive) option because we can't 'justify' doing anything else (I've learnt not to do this). Another reason is (and it pains me to admit, but I am definitely guilty of this) our intuition tells us something but we know we can't prove it, so we ignore it in case we're wrong.

We also find that sometimes the world is too noisy for us to hear our intuition, or we're too busy, or we've forgotten what it sounds like. We are no-longer totally reliant on our wits or awareness to remain safe and alive as our ancient ancestors would have been while living outside and hunting for example.

It's the weekend, maybe you will get time to start listening again, some quiet to hear, some space to re-connect. I'm going to do the same, and make a little apology to myself for all the times I've ignored that feeling, seen but pushed it away, silenced that inner voice, or even those huge great alarm bells that have been clanging.

And next time, I'm going to write about re-building that intuitive connection with ourself again.

Bright Blessings

Searching for the answers....

2012-01-17T12:28:00.004Z

I think that it's really interesting that in many aspects of life, especially spiritual and psychic development, people very often look outside of themselves for the answers. They search for a label that describes them, they look for tools that they can use and paths that they can follow to develop and formulate their skills, beliefs, morality and often to justify their action, or, in all too many cases, inaction. They seek to journey far and wide, to 'find' themselves.

I'm not saying that this is wrong, but I do believe that it's only a part of the process. That's because ultimately, everything you ever need is within you. Inner guidance, intuition, prayer and answers obtained through it, signs from the universe, psychic abilities, whatever you want to call it, when something is right, or something is wrong, you know it instinctively.

However, sometimes our instincts get driven undercover, become discoloured or influenced by other things that go on in our lives. I am going to go in to these concepts in more depth in my next few blogs but for now, a message from...who knows, but it came to me this morning.

“Live intuitively, use your skills, with inner guidance, and that of your guides, and in time you won't need any tools.

Live in congruence, be your true self, be ethical, gentle, but firm when necessary.

Be you, but be the best version of you you can be and your inner talents will flow outwards. You will touch and affect others, you won't even need to try. When you try, you impede the flow.

Live for you, live at your highest vibration in this moment, everything will be perfect for you: timing, knowledge, contacts, development.

Live your life knowing that you are serving the purpose you intended to be here for, even if you don't know what that is, and smile.”

Bright blessings to you.

See yourself in a more positive frame

2012-01-10T20:44:00.011Z

It's widely known in personal development circles that the phrase, 'I am' is one of the most powerful starts to a sentence that you can make. However, what matters, perhaps more, is what you say next.

Negative self talk leads to all sorts of problems, self-limiting beliefs, poor self-image and low self esteem. It can reinforce negative things that others say or have said about you, and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Examples of this are...
'I am fat'
'I am stupid'
'I am shy'
'I am rubbish at public speaking'
...the list goes on.

Even if you feel that you're stating a truism at that moment in time you will be creating a hurdle in your own mind for future development & adventures and reinforcing any dislikes, fears and phobias. It always seems so much more socially acceptable to put ourselves down than make a positive statement about ourselves. Part of us recoils at saying that we're good at something, as though we're becoming big-headed or arrogant. However, when you follow the statement 'I am' with a positive, your mind is encouraged and begins to make changes from within that allows this statement to become accurate. Also, it's not a crime to make a positive statement about yourself!
Examples of positive 'I am's are...
'I am learning'
'I am confident'
'I am fun'
'I am strong'

The law of attraction states that like attracts like, so by stating a positive 'I am' on a regular basis, you will create the right conditions within your own mind for a new, more positive you. This is because what you think about yourself, you start to say about yourself, your words then translate in to actions and actions, repeated often enough, become habits. Habits create the you that you are in any given moment. So, if you want to change yourself, you need to change the things you think and say about yourself and watch the knock-on effect.

I am a firm believer in positive affirmations, especially when combined with positive action to move towards where you want to be. However, sometimes, when you aren't quite feeling in a positive frame of mind it can be really tough to come up with a positive affirmation about yourself. Your mind just goes blank. I know, I've had days (and weeks) like that. So, I came up with the idea of an 'I am' board, full of wonderful positive statements about me that I could put in my office and look at whenever I needed a lift. I can choose one statement from it to keep in mind each day and repeat to myself whenever I need to encourage myself.
I wanted to make this simple tool available on my website and when I was writing about it in one of my books I realised that when you said 'I am board' out loud, it wasn't a particularly positive statement! So, in a moment of inspiration I changed it slightly and decided it should be an 'I am mirror', reflecting the perfect you.
Click on 'I am Mirror' and you will be taken to my website, you will find a link of the same name towards the bottom of the page.
By putting a lovely picture of yourself in the middle of the mirror, you reinforce that the positive statements are about you. Feel free to download this pdf and print it out. Stick a picture of yourself in the middle – make sure that it's a favourite picture of you. Place your 'I am mirror on a wall somewhere that you can see it whenever you want. You could even add your own words or stick small images such as stars or butterflies, on or around it to make it your own. Look at it everyday. Read the positive words about you. Pick one of them that fits for you today and keep it in mind, maybe write it down on a sticky note and put it in your diary, purse or wallet. Throughout the day refer to your positive statement, repeating it whenever you need a boost.
Some days you may just look at your 'I am mirror' and smile, because you know that you are perfect.

Ever just need some headspace?

2011-12-12T17:15:00.008Z

Tired, worn out, run down, not achieving the things you'd like to? Never got any time for you?

Wonder where all of your energy goes? Have a think about where you put your energy, and whether it's worth it. Here are some common mis-uses of our energy:

So many times we find ourselves thinking about 'what if..?' scenarios. Come on, I know it can't be just me. All the time that we spend having that conversation in our heads, making things up that may or may not happen, is wasted time and energy.

Focussing your attention on others, wondering why on earth they behave in THAT way is another place that we give our energy away to. I know that sometimes we don't realise we're doing it, or are so baffled by another's behaviour that we can't seem to help ourselves, but the outcome is the same.

Worrying about others, again, I get it. I was always told I was a born worrier. It's taken me years to stop about worrying about the things I can't change and focus on the things I may be able to. Even so, there are still times that I focus all my energy on pointless worrying.

At an extreme, jealousy, anger, hatred, even fear all cause us to give our energy away. And then we wonder why we have none left for ourself. Mad isn't it?

Maybe it's because we're human. We have the power to think, so why shouldn't we? Maybe it's because we care, perhaps a little too much?

Maybe, if we focussed on ourself for a change we would have more energy to help the people and situations that we could do something about? Now there IS a thought.

But how? Here's an exercise that will help.

Next time you find yourself thinking, worrying, making stuff up in your head, any of the above in fact, as soon as you notice that you're doing it, STOP. Take a breath, stand up and feel your contact with the floor or the ground through your feet. Bend your knees slightly & rock gently backwards and forwards until you feel completely in balance. (You can be subtle about this so no-one really notices.)

Now look to the skies. Watch the clouds pass by, look for a rainbow, observe the stars, allow your mind to take in the extent of the universe. And breathe!

After two or three minutes your awareness will naturally come back to the present time. Ask yourself what is the most productive thing you can do now? What's next?

This is you time. It will lift your thoughts and help you to think more clearly & be more productive.

Enjoy

How sharp is your saw?

2011-10-28T16:12:00.002+01:00

On Wednesday I was telling a fellow trainer that at the end of the week I was heading off to Scotland on an NLP practitioner training course.
"I’m not sure why I’m doing it or how I’m going to use it", I told him, "I just think that it will enhance everything that I already do. And may inspire me to do other things too." "Ah", he said, "you’re sharpening your saw!". "Yes, I am", I replied.
I would suggest that the majority of people overhearing that conversation would have thought, ‘What are they talking about?!’ at this exchange. But we knew…

In his book, ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People‘, Stephen Covey talks about the importance of self renewal. He refers to it as ‘sharpening the saw‘. He tells a story about a man who is so busy attempting to saw down a tree that he doesn’t have time to stop and sharpen the saw that he’s using. A false economy that may be obvious to the outside observor, but do we notice when we’re too busy being busy to stop and sharpen our saw?

So what does sharpening the saw really mean?

It’s about re-balancing yourself, renewing your energy, your zest for life, keeping healthy, keeping happy, keeping your mind sharp.

It’s about ensuring that you have balance in the 4 areas of your life:

physical (keeping your body healthy),
mental (learning new things, reading, writing, teaching others)
emotional (or socially, making new and meaningful connections with people)
spiritual (expanding your spiritual side, spending time in nature or meditating, or providing service or charitable work to others)

By doing this you'll find that you stay fresh and rejuvenated, it will be easier to keep up your energy levels and it will encourage growth and positive change. You will be more inspired, more productive and more able to deal with the challenges that life can throw at us from time to time.

In short, you will create a more effective lifestyle.

Tomorrow is the first day of my intensive NLP course and I’m really looking forward to it. i'm off to do some sharpening. What about you?

(Written partly on a train to Glasgow & finished in a hotel room in the city.)

How to see the aura

2011-10-21T15:59:00.010+01:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of running a workshop for some lovely ladies interested in energy work and psychic development. This was the first time I'd run a full day workshop in this format, I'd previously run evening sessions of a couple of hours. It worked really well and I've had some great feedback.
The fun bit (for me anyway) is 'how to see auras'. I love teaching this to people as they can discover their abilities to 'see' the colours of others' auras very quickly.
The aura that we typically see is that of the astral or emotional energetic body. This is the 'bit' of us that exists at a higher vibrational level and kind of overlays our physical being. (There's a lot more to the theory of energy bodies but I want to share the practical stuff.) The aura given off by this energy body can be 'read' and seeing colours is one way that sensitive people can 'see' what is going on for someone. Colours mean different things to everyone but let's leave analysis for another time too. (This is a picture taken of my aura a few years ago.)
Another way that we can 'read' the aura of another person is by having a feeling. Standing next to someone means that your auras intermingle and, if you're aware enough you can often get a sense of what's going on for them, or what emotional state they're in.

So, how do you 'see' the aura?

Have a go with a friend. (Don't do this to someone without their permission as they will find it intrusive.) One of you should stand in front of a plain pale wall. (I put sheets of flip chart paper in the wall to assist with this.)
The other should stand a few feet away and allow their eyes to go out of focus. Gaze at your friend's shoulder, and then just pass it. Try gazing around their head too. Eventually you may start to see a thickening of the air just an inch or so around them. This is the etheric aura and is usually colourless. (It's like the Ready-Brek glow if you remember the adverts.)
As you continue to let your eyes wander, softly out of focus, you may start to see colour around your friend. This is the aura. Congratulations.

This can take practice so don't be too disappointed if it doesn't happen straight away. Swap over and see if your friend can do it. You can practise with plants and animals too.

One of the reasons I love teaching others to see auric colours is that, actually, I very rarely see them. I do however sense them and you might find that this happens to you instead. Sometimes I 'hear' the name of the colour or just know that it's there, and whereabouts around the person it is. It provides a lesson in self-belief when this happens as you often think you're just making it up or imagining it. Once you learn to translate the colours into information or readings for the person you're working with, you soon get positive feedback that what you're sensing is correct.
Why not give it a go?

My 5, no, 6 top tips for empowering yourself

2011-10-06T12:48:00.002+01:00

My husband says that I think too much. And maybe he's right, but last week I was asked to present at a company training about how I'd built my business. I though about it and realised that I'd mainly just been myself. That's not very helpful is it? So, I started to think about what being myself meant and how I went about that.

When life is working really well, everything is flowing, I am happy and have a sense of achievement, I feel empowered. I feel that anything is possible, absolutely anything. So I asked myself why is that? What happens, or what do I do that leads to that feeling? And I came up with the following top 5 tips. Then I though of another one so I added that too.

Be honest & ethical – now everyone may have different ideas of what this means but I try to treat others how I would like to be treated. I also have to voice my opinion or thoughts if I feel that not doing so would make me feel, or appear to be, dishonest. Basically I have to be able to sleep at night and not feel as though I've done someone a disservice, or that someone has taken advantage of me. It cuts both ways.
Look out for opportunities for others, put people together where you see or feel there is a connection or some synergy in what they do, or how they think. Network for others and they will network for you.
Credit where credit's due – whether its a pat on the back, an acknowledgement of a job well done, a thank you or telling someone how much they've improved, or how good they are at something, don't keep it to yourself (or just tell you friends and family about it). That's nice but even better is to tell the person concerned. All too often people only get feedback when they've done something wrong. Even the little things count and a thank you goes a long way.
Accept praise – When someone does tell you how great you are at something, don't deny it. Even if it wasn't up to your standards, they felt it was great enough to tell you. Don't dismiss their feelings on the subject. If you don't know what to say, just say 'thanks'. The first few times you do this you will feel strange and uncomfortable, but you'll get used to it. It does boost your confidence and it validates the other person too. So it's a win -win scenario.
Don't try to be someone else, but do aim to be the best version of you that you can possibly be.

Oh, and the 6^th one? Leading on from number 4, it's absolutely okay to say that you're good at something! Yes, it is! We are too quick to accept our own failings and shortcomings and nowhere near quick enough to accept the things that we are good at. And we're all good at something. Don't be arrogant about it, accept it and know it. And if asked, let it be known that actually you're good at that thing.

I wish I'd known, accepted and put these in to practice a long time ago. I may have done it unconsciously but as I've learnt them consciously throughout my life they have had a massive impact. I hope that maybe you can take something from them and feel empowered too. And maybe even help to empower others.

This post was adapted at too-early o'clock this morning from a presentation I did last Sunday.

Bowler hats...A sign from the universe or a new fashion trend?

2011-09-27T15:05:00.005+01:00

I'm a great advocate for following your intuition and keeping an eye out for signs from the universe that indicate a particular direction I should take in life or to confirm I'm on the right track. But I'm really aware that I have to be careful not read too much into things (my husband told me, yet again, yesterday that I think too much).
When we see signs, symbols, repetitive messages in our life or even perhaps if we have an odd deam, we really want to know what on earth it could all possibly mean for us. I got a text from a friend today saying that she had seen two people in different situations on the same day, sporting bowler hats. Hmm, unusual. What could that mean?
I believe that signs, dreams and symbols are very personal and should always be related back to the person they're for. Yes, there are 'traditional' symbols and age old meanings and we can always look up someone else's definition in a book or dictionary of dream or symbol analysis. But the most important thing to ask is, what does it mean to you?
One symbol can have a hundred interpretations if you speak to 100 people. We all have our own associations, memories, experiences and frame of reference. So I don't think someone else can literally translate your signs for you. They can facilitate their translation though.
My friend and I had an extensive exchange of texts about bowler hats which rapidly went from the sublime to the ridiculous, attempting to fathom the meaning of her fashion-based message. It made us laugh which is always a positive outcome. And maybe she could take something from it. Or maybe they're simply making a comeback..?
(Inspired by my lovely friend DM and written on my blackberry while standing in the queue at my local Post Office, it was a long queue)

"Help! I need somebody"

2010-12-10T00:22:00.007Z

I've discovered that I have what is known as a portfolio career. I didn't know that until last week, but apparently that is what I have. For others who haven't heard of it before, it is one whereby you do a variety of different jobs or skills, all of which you should love (otherwise you might as well just to do one thing you hate full time!)

The common theme through my 'portfolio' is that of helping people. While pondering this I realised that while we all like to help people we usually wait to be asked. And one thing we tend not to do is ask for help when we need it. Hm... a bit of tricky situation there then.

I do a fair amount of business networking to help my businesses grow and develop. The main questions we ask of our networking colleagues are, 'How can I help you?' and 'What are you looking for to help you develop your business?'

How many people right now could do with some help in their job, career or business venture? Would they tell you if they did need help? Would they ask you for help directly? Probably not. But I'm sure that if you knew more about what they did you would be more than happy to refer people to them who could benefit from what they offer.

Would you rather a large corporate, or even a small business owner who is a complete stranger to you benefit from your custom? Or would you prefer to help a friend out in their business? How would you feel if a friend was struggling, or worse, lost their business or job, and then you realised that whatever they were involved in, you could have helped them out by using them instead of another company, tradesperson etc.?

As a trainer with a major network marketing company I, and my colleagues often find a common theme of discussion at trainings. That discussion centres around individuals wondering why on earth some of their nearest and dearest won't try the services they are offering, when they will so clearly benefit from them. They feel as though some of their closest friends and family are saying that they don't trust them when they recommend what we have to offer. This doesn't just happen in our business, or even in our industry, it can be just the same for employed people. To be honest, many people don't even know what their friends or family actually do for a living, let alone know whether they could give them their custom.

For anyone who has ever been in this situation, in any type of business or job, I would like to set your mind at rest as to why it might be that someone close to you isn't one of your customers even when you have explained how it could benefit them. I have heard it said many times by a very eloquent speaker that I know and have the pleasure of working with, “No-one wants to be a part of your experiment” and this may be one explanation, especially if you are just starting out. However, I think that in some cases it can be that no-one wants to be a part of your failure. Now that isn't to say that if you're just starting out in a new venture, or even if you have been in business or your job a while, that you are going to be a failure. It simply means that they are thinking,
'As your parent/sibling/friend, I don't want to use you for XYZ or buy your product because if you were to fail in this venture, I would have been a part of it and as I'd been a customer of yours I would have been endorsing your failure. That would hurt me because I care about you too much so I'd rather not be involved at all'
To be honest this is probably very subconscious and they don't even realise they are thinking it.

Sometimes it can be quite different however. Chatting with a friend in my networking team a couple of months ago he told me an interesting story about a friend of his who he fell out with. My colleague had started working in our business and wanted to help this friend out by showing him how he could save some money at home. The friend took umbrage at this and thought it was terrible that he was 'selling' to friends. Interesting, he would rather pay through the nose for something to a large faceless corporate stranger than save some money and see his friend be successful in his business? Wow!

I think it's time to have a re-think. I think that we should encourage and support our friends and family and do all we can to help them succeed, especially in such trying economic times. We probably do just this in daily life and family stuff anyway, we just don't think about it from a work or business point of view.

So here's the challenge: We are coming up to a time when alot of socialising is done. You will probably meet up with people you haven't seen for a long time and maybe meet new people at Christmas and new year events. You will undoubtedly ask them how work is going, and do you think some people might be having a tough time,whether they are self employed, a business owner or an employee? Would you like to be a part of their success?

Why not make the time to ask your friend or relative to tell you more about what they do and how they are looking to grow their business in 2011. Then ask them questions such as:
'How can I help you?'
'What would be your ideal customer?'
'What type of business are you looking for?'
'Maybe I might know someone or could keep an eye out for opportunities for you, let me take a couple of your cards or your email address so that I can let you know if I do'.

Maybe this person could help you out now, or at some point in the future. Can you support them in their business or job by giving them your custom?

Wouldn't it be nice to know that you could be a part of helping them through a tough time. Wouldn't it be nice for them to know that you care? Wouldn't you rather help them to succeed than a stranger?

Let's help each other to be more successful.

What did you say?

2010-12-02T17:23:00.003Z

On December 10th 2010 a phenomenon known as 'mercury retrograde' starts. It continues until December 29th. This is a time where, from our position on Earth, Mercury appears to be moving backwards on its path across the sky.

Personally I have found that this can cause problems so I'm just giving you a heads up. Whether you believe in astrological influences or not, it's worth making a note.

Mercury is a planet relating to communication and when it's in retrograde this is where there are problems. Computers, the internet and phones will go funky, emails won't arrive, travel arrangements will go pear-shaped and miscommunications can occur.

Now I used to ignore all of this thinking that it wouldn't affect me if I didn't acknowledge it. Unfortunately that didn't work so I had to learn to go with the natural flow of things and be more understanding of it.

How? Well. allow more time for journeys, jobs and projects. Save computer backups regularly (mercury retrograde can often see us having to do the same work more than once), clarify points of discussion and instruction with others to avoid misunderstandings and miscommunication. Write down instructions or have them emailed to you(if your email is working).

Sometimes mercury retrograde causes our perception or interpretation of an event or conversation to be skewed so don't rush into an arguement, seek clarity first until you understand the situation or facts fully.

Being more in the moment and focussing more fully on what you're doing will help greatly, and could in fact be the very lesson to take from this time. Along with being slow to judge, react or jump to conclusions which are all positive traits that we could do well to adopt and take forward on a daily basis as mercury begins to move forward again.

Use this time also to reorganise, reassess and reflect on your life and prepare for the year ahead.

And for those of you thinking that you've already noticed some of mercury's little tricks lately you'd be right. The affects of mercury retrograde started around the 22nd November and will continue in what's known as its 'post-retrograde shadow' until about the 18th January 2011, albeit with a lessening degree of influence.

There are loads of astrology sites and blogs which go into loads more detail if you want find out more. For now, tread carefully, be observant and take your time. Go with the flow of the universe and learn its lessons along the way.

Bright Blessings
Helen
x

Rave Review!

2010-11-03T20:09:00.004Z

We've just had fantastic news that our book, 'Help! I Think I Might Be Psychic' has had a brilliant reader review in 'Spirit & Destiny' magazine.
Giving it 4 stars out of 5 the reader, an executive coach from Northampton was wonderfully complimentary. Her comments were completely in line with the way we wanted the book to come across to our readers:
"a style that's easy to dip into",
"comprehensive and concise, it's a practical and lively read",
"a good stepping stone to other areas", and the best bit,
"A highly readable guide which captured my interest and answered alot of questions I had with warmth and enthusiasm"

It's exciting to see our own work in print, it's wonderful that our book sells every month through the world wide web, but to see the positive impact that we can have and get feedback confirming that we have achieved what we set out to is the pinnacle as far as we are concerned.

Best get on with the next one now!

Leverage - make the most out of what you've got!

2010-08-10T12:17:00.007+01:00

I was privileged to join a number of lovely ladies at a Wire networking meeting yesterday in Penkridge, Staffs. I talked to them briefly about something that I'd discovered and I thought, in the spirit of the talk I would share it on here too. I was talking about leverage. While this can be focussed on small business owners or the self-employed, I think that it's also useful for individuals. We all need to earn a living don't we? We need to pay our bills and also to live, to have a fulfilling life and maybe to contribute back to society too. So, I'm going to talk about money for a while, hope that's ok.

Alot of businesses are struggling, alot of households will also find things get tougher over the next few months, and possibly, for some, years. So, I believe leverage is a key to help anyone not only ride out the tough times, but also, help themselves to have a better life all round.

Could you do with an additional income in to your home, or your business?

Who is in a position where they work for an hour, get paid for an hour? Do the job once, get paid once? Unfortunately that means that you limit your income. You do, you limit your income to the number of hours you can work, or by the number of products/jobs you can do. Unless you get a pay rise,or increase the cost of your products, but your income is still limited by these factors.

Who is in a position where they are time poor?
Who is in a position where they have something they want to share with the world and don't know where to start or how to do it? Are you limiting yourself to sharing something wonderful with only a handful of people? Would you like to reach a larger market?

If any of these apply to you, then please, ask yourself this question:

HOW CAN I LEVERAGE MY TIME, KNOWLEDGE OR EXPERTISE?
The following questions may help you to answer it.

Have I got something that I've already done or produced that could be turned into something else? Such as articles, newsletters, presentations, talks, handbooks, leaflets, artwork, random scribblings.

What am I an expert in?

What do I have knowledge of or a passion for?

What would I really like to share with the world?

One way to leverage your time is to become involved with a network marketing business. This is recommended by Donald Trump, Robert Kyosaki and many others who are very wealthy individuals in their own right. But you have to find the one that's right for you. Personally I am involved with TelecomPlus plc which is service based not product based so you don't have to keep re-selling product but you still generate a passive monthly income. I get paid whether I work or not. I believe in the company and the service that it offers and find it extremely ethical. Saving people money in the current economy is a no brainer if you ask me. (If you would like to know more take a look at this
website and click on 'earn with us' for a short video presentation - UK only)

Another is to create products that you can sell online. Lets have a look at some these options:

The Written word
Books – leaflets – downloads of valuable information or advice & e-books

The Spoken Word
podcasts, audio books, mp3 downloads, cd's

Workshops /Talks/ Presentations - do you do any of these? Can you turn them into videos to promote yourself, podcasts or other audio products. Can you sell other products in the room when you're putting on these events.

This isn't just about money. It's about getting your message across to as many different people as possible, and by using these different methods you can do just that. A busy person on the road all day may not get time to read a book, but would be happy to listen to a CD in the car. So you maximise your market with different types of products. If you've got something worth saying, use today's technology and say it to the world. And if it really is worth sharing then you can earn from it. You have just as much right to a good lifestyle as anyone else. And realistically in the UK, most individuals and households at this moment in time will benefit from any little extra.

"Whoever renders service to many puts himself in line for greatness - great wealth, great return, great satisfaction, great reputation, and great joy." - Jim Rohn

So, leverage your time, maybe turn the TV or computer off and go spend that time more wisely by planning how you can put some of this into practise.

web resources that you might find ueful when creating some of the products mentioned:
www.lulu.com for self publishing/Print On Demand/e-books
www.smashwords.com for e-books
cpi- anthony rowe for short runs of books & print on demand publishing
www.lightningsource.com – Print on demand publishing
www.kunaki.com – produce on demand CD's and DVD's
www.thekunakiguy.com – expert in kunaki, free 'how to' guide or he'll do it for you for about $10
www.melodyloops.com – pay per track, royalty free music loops for background music for DVD's and events or presentations

Helen Leathers

you can view my products here

Ever thought you might write a book?

2010-08-04T11:32:00.005+01:00

When I get talking to people about the books that I've written, (currently 4 on sale, 1 in the wings and 1 in the process of being written) a very high percentage of those people say something like, 'I've always wanted to write a book'. They (whoever 'they' are) do say that there's a book in everyone, don't 'they'?

So, I thought I'd put some bits together about what helped me to write my books and maybe it will help all of you out there to get writing. You might not ever publish your book, but being creative is about so much more than that. It might be therapeutic or cathartic, or just a big challenge for you to produce something.

One day I just got up and knew I had to write. I was inspired, and I could see, in my head how it had to be. I wrote solidly for three days and wrote the first half of 'The Spiritual and Psychic Development Workbook'. I had never done anything like it before. I didn't think I'd have anything more left to write about but I am continually inspired and haven't stopped writing since. I love it, and I love that my work helps and inspires others.

So what are my top tips? Here you go...

1. I wrote about a subject I loved, felt passionate about, researched, and had practical experience of.
2. I had a strong desire to share my knowledge with others.
3. I allowed the creative process to happen in it’s own way. For me, when I felt inspired to write, I simply took up a pen and wrote.
4. Once I had enough material and a clear outline, I set myself deadlines / a project plan, to ensure that I got finished. But I didn’t force the creative side.
5. I developed a clear picture of my reader.
6. I got serious about it and developed a plan, not only to finish the book but what to do once it was done.
7. As I wrote I often got new ideas, flashes of inspiration about a new project. I simply made a note of them and carried on with the job in hand.
8. I started writing
9. I carried on writing
10. I finished writing
11. I had a clear vision of what I wanted the book to say to the reader, and how I would say it.
12. I asked for feedback from friends, who would be honest, but didn’t change anything unless the changes fitted in better with my vision.
13. I stopped checking for errors, sometimes you just have to finish and get the book out there.
14. I went on a ‘Market Your Book’ workshop that really helped me with my writing and marketing. And in fact, I came up with new ideas, for more books & projects.

Something that I’ve discovered…
“Anyone can start to write a book, it takes a lot of courage to finish one”
Helen Leathers

http://www.stmpublishing.co.uk/

all the small things

2010-07-22T14:13:00.002+01:00

I haven't put a blog post up for ages. I 've had a bit of a mental block with it and made it into a much bigger thing that it actually is. And then today I realised that it really isn't a big job to write a blog every now and again, I don't know why I thought it was. It should be short and sweet. While I was doing a bit of preparation for a radio interview next week I was thinking about what the pivotal points in my journey have been. And I realised that it's the little things that count in life, it's the little things that make the big things happen. It's the smallest quote that can have the biggest impact. Big changes follow small moments of clarity or illumination. Life is a series of moments and in every moment change is possible. In every moment is an essence of time that will allow anyone to alter their course, or supercharge their future, or, if they don't see it and make use of it, not. Don't wait for the quantum leap, just do something, anything, however small, but do it now. Keep your mind and eyes open for the moments in your life and who knows where you'll end up?

Lots of little blessings for you

2009-10-30T20:11:00.003Z

Bright Blessings - Spiritual Thoughts, Inspirational Quotes and Philosophical Observations on Life, From Helen Leathers is a new book with a difference.

We all lead busy lives but making a tiny bit of time for ourselves to think our thoughts and get to know more about ourselves, our hopes and our dreams can have a massive impact on how we see the world and our role within it. Do you truly know, where you have been, where you are now and, most importantly where you are heading? Are you happy? Would you like to be?

This is a collection of articles, observations and quotes which aim to make you stop and think. In amongst all the everyday ‘stuff’, take a few moments to dip in and have a read. Whether you need inspiration, a quiet moment, a focus for meditation, spiritual or philosophical advice or support, or maybe even something different to do this weekend this is the book to have within easy reach.

A percentage of profits from the sale of this book will be donated equally between The National Literacy Trust and The Hunger Project in a bid to help fight illiteracy and poverty in the UK and in developing countries.

Available online and to order at any bookstore, take a look at www.stmpublishing.co.uk

New Healing Circle In Shropshire

2008-09-26T15:51:00.003+01:00

Do you practice Reiki or another form of healing?
Would you like to join a new healing circle in South Shropshire?
We will be meeting every 2nd Wednesday of the month at the Broadmeadow Holistic Centre, Leebotwood, just off the A49 in South Shropshire.
We would like a core group of healers and are asking for a 6 month commitment. There will be a fee to cover costs, this will be £7.50 for the 6 month period (£5 for concessions).
All forms of Reiki, and other healing methods are welcome. Bring an open mind, a spiritual approach and a desire to help and heal.
Bright Blessings
Helen

NOW ON AMAZON WORLDWIDE

2008-08-09T12:53:00.002+01:00

Help! I Think I Might Be Psychic

101 Frequently Asked Questions about Spiritual, Psychic & Spooky Stuff

Answered by Helen Leathers & Diane Campkin

Now available online worldwide, including www.amazon.com and www.amazon.co.uk

Do you have questions about spiritual philosophy, ghosts, paranormal encounters or psychic abilities? Got no-one to ask, or worried what people may think? Or just looking for an unusual gift? This provides the answers. And if you visit the website, you will have the option of ordering a signed copy by mail, or online through either Amazon link.

www.helpithinkimightbepsychic.com
We hope you enjoy and are inspired.
bright blessings
Helen

Help! I Think I Might Be Psychic

2008-07-21T21:58:00.006+01:00

Now available to order, this is the first book published by Spreading The Magic.
Help I Think I Might Be Psychic
101 Frequently Asked Questions About Spiritual, Psychic & Spooky Stuff
This book is for anyone who has ever asked 'What's it all about?', 'Is there life after death?', 'What's it like to see a ghost?' and other virtually unanswerable questions.
Do you have a fascination with or passing interest in the Paranormal?
Do you have a more pressing concern and don't know where to turn for answers?
Do you suspect you have a talent, a path, a dream or desire that you are not fulfilling and you really wish there was more to life?
Whether you have had supernatural experiences or not, this book will give you the basics, and a whole lot more.
This is our take on the often confusing and occasionally, egotistical world of the paranormal. A reference point that's open and honest and that looks to blow away some of the cobwebs surrounding the more esoteric side of life and death, as we see it. This book is for everyone.
Do you want to know more...?

PRICE: £7.95
For a copy of this book signed by the authors download an order form at www.helpithinkimightbepsychic.com Put the form in the post to us and you will receive your copy within 28 days. Alternatively, if you want one quicker, and don't mind it not being signed, you can also order it online, although, as we are not on Amazon just yet the postage is a bit more expensive using this method.

We hope you enjoy and are inspired by our book.

Petals In The Wind Charity Evening Of Mediumship

2008-06-04T14:43:00.003+01:00

A special event has been organised in support of Herts Air Ambulance Appeal & Wood Green Animal Shelter

A Charity Evening of Mediumship

Taking place on Wednesday 18th June at Standon & Puckeridge Community Centre, Station Road, Puckeridge, Ware SG11 1TF. £10 per ticket. Entrance by ticket only.

For tickets & info, call Andrea on 07989 980038

Reiki Masters Course

2008-05-22T15:26:00.003+01:00

I will be running a Reiki Masters course on 12th and 13th July 2008 in South Shropshire. The cost will be £150. Please email me for more details, or if you would like to book. £50 deposit reserves your place. The course includes a manual and certificate and you do not have to have trained with me previously to attend, so long as you are trained to level 2 reiki and have been using this wonderful healing energy for a year, this can include time at level 1.
Bright Blessings,
Helen

Psychic Festival Success

2008-04-02T18:17:00.003+01:00

What a phenomonal event on Monday evening. Our annual charity psychic festival was a brilliant success. Despite a number of our helpers organising team being sick and some of the readers and mediums not able to get there we managed to raise £2200 with lots of people enjoying the evening, having treatments, readings, experiencing our two mediumship demo halls and catching up with old friends in the process. Some were new to this kind of thing and are looking to find out more - we wish them luck on their journey, and some were old hands, but as we know, we can all learn something new as we go through life. So a great contribution to The British Heart Foundation and, hopefully, some newly opened hearts and minds.

Thanks to everyone who helped out or came along on the night.

This is a massive undertaking and Janice and Diane from Petals in the Wind (psychic development & teaching group) are absolute stars, or perhaps I should say Angels, as well as two of the best friends a girl could have. So well done, I know how much work you put in to this, I know how stressed you have been over it because you so want it to be a success, well, it was, and then some. Well done girls! xxx

Reiki One course

2008-03-10T17:42:00.002Z

Are you interested in healing? Want to learn how you can help yourself and others, not just on a physical level but in all aspects of your life? I am running a Reiki level 1 course on 5th & 6th April 2008. It will be in Shrewsbury or Church Stretton, Shropshire and will cost £70. No experience is necessary just an open mind and a positive disposition!! More information about healing can be found at www.protectedbyangels.co.uk If you want to book a place email me at contact@spreadingthemagic.com

Spreading The Word

2008-03-10T17:35:00.002Z

It's so important to have a balanced lifestyle and to keep healthy in all aspects of what we do. As a great target to help us get a bit fitter, my sisters and I are running the Telford Race for Life in May, we have just started training and would like to raise £500 for Cancer research charities. Actually we would like to raise lots more if possible. Anyone wishing to sponsor us can go to www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/juliafionahelenmorgan You can also show your support by joining our facebook group "Julia Morgan, Helen Leathers, and Fiona Morgan - Race for Life" and cheer us on from the vitual sidelines, so to speak.
thank you for your support.
Hx

Psychic Development Workshop

2008-02-03T15:17:00.000Z

An Extended workshop combining an intro to ESP / Telepathy, Native American Wisdom and an intro to working with spirit is being run on 9th March 2008 from 2pm until 6pm, at The Beacon Community Centre, Market Drayton, Shropshire. The cost will be £10 and bookings must be made in advance. Please send cheques payable to Spreading The Magic to 'Tryfan', Barn Lane, Church Stretton, Shropshire SY6 6EB. Don't forget to include the names of each person wishing to book and a contact address and telephone number. Alternatively, payments can be made through paypal at the following email address: payments@spreadingthemagic.com
For further information email me at contact@spreadingthemagic.com

Reiki Courses

2008-02-03T14:46:00.000Z

Learn how to heal using Reiki - universal life force energy.
I love teaching Reiki, it is a joy to show others how they can take back a little control in their lives, and how this can also benefit their loved ones. I have just announced the 2008 dates for Reiki courses in Shropshire, details are below. All are 2 days, venue and exact times to be confirmed but they are usually approx. 10 til 4 on both days. All course costs are kept to as reasonable a price as possible to allow as many people as possible to attend and include a fully illustrated manual and certificate. You will also have the full support of your Reiki Masters who you can contact following any of course to discuss any issues, questions and of course your achievements.
To book a place on or register your interest in one of our courses, please email us at contact@spreadingthemagic.com, giving details of which course you would be interested in. We will get back to you with further details. A small deposit will be requested to secure your place.
Reiki 1: You will learn what healing is and how to channel it, the history of Reiki and the different uses for it. The cost of this is £70. Open to all.
5th & 6th April 2008
9th & 10th August 2008
Reiki 2: Step up the levels of energy that you are working with, fine tune it for different applications including distant or absent healing. The cost of this is £85. It is recommended that you have been using Reiki for at least three months before attending this course. If you have not attended part 1 with us, this does not prevent you from attending our courses. Please contact me to discuss your situation.
28th & 29th July 2008
8th & 9th November 2008
Reiki Masters: Increase the energy even further and learn how to teach others this wonderful skill. Although this is often focused on those who wish to go on to teach Reiki it is also very beneficial for personal spiritual and psychic development and teaching does not have to be your aim. The cost of this is £150. It is recommended that you have been using Reiki for at least a year, with six months at Level 2 before attending this course. If you have not attending part 1 and 2 with us, this does not prevent you from attending our courses. Please contact us to discuss you situation.
12th & 13th July 2008
We can arrange courses especially for you if you have a number of people who are also interested. Email us with your requirements - number of people who would attend and preferred location - and we will work out dates and costing for you.
More information on healing can also be found at www.protectedbyangels.co.uk

ANNUAL FUNDRAISING PSYCHIC FAIR

2008-02-03T14:39:00.000Z

This years Charity Psychic Fair run by 'Petals In The Wind' will be raising funds for The British Heart Foundation. It will be held at The Wolsey Hall, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire on Monday the 31st March, doors will open at 7p.m.
Tickets are on sale now at £10 each. Choose between a 'reading' ticket and a 'treatment' ticket when you book and then choose you 'reader' or 'treatment' on the night. 50% of the ticket sales goes straight to Charity, so you get a very reasonably priced reading or treatment, and the British Heart Foundation get a fab donation.
Plus there will be other stalls and products for sale and, as it went down so well last year, there will be a seperate hall with platform mediums at work. Entry to this hall will be £3 per person and you can come and go throughout the evening. The last two years have seen the event grow massively and we are sure that this year it will be even better.
Tickets can be bought from Jan at Aquavarium in Ware, 01920 464442 or from Diane Campkin who can be contacted on 07956 094521.

Spreading the magic via Blogging!

2008-01-10T23:56:00.000Z

Welcome to my new blog!
Have to admit, I'm a bit new to this, so have been a bit cautious in setting it up. However, here it is. The first 'spreading the magic' blog.
"Spreading The Magic' is all about bringing a bit of spiritual stuff in to your everyday life. Your approach to work, family, fun stuff, even money!
I used to keep all the elements of my life very seperate. A lot of people, especially those I worked with, didn't know about my psychic or healing work because I worried about what they thought. It was only when I made a real change to my life with a big relocation and new business venture in 2004 that I decided I just had to be me ALL THE TIME! Once I made the decision, WOW! The people the met, the insights and experiences that I had were all amazing.
Celebrate all the different aspects of who you are, there are probably many, but they make up the whole, BE YOU.
I want to encourage inspire people to be the best that they can be, to aim high and achieve all of their dreams and ambitions and I have found that I have an ability to do this on a very practical level as well as on a spiritual one.
I look forward to blogging my thoughts, and I hope that they inspire and inform. But I don't believe my thoughts to be the one and only way, your truth is what you believe it to be. If something resonates with you then great, if not, just ignore me!
If you want to you can also get my regular e-newsletter by signing up through my website; www.spreadingthemagic.com
For now, bright blessings