Today was a fascinating, challenging and rewarding day for me.

It started off quite productively. Then suddenly I felt really rough and run down. All my energywas gone. I went straight to bed and had to cancel / postpone all my appointments and meetings. I can’t ever recal a day in all the ten years or so that I’ve been a coach that I have done that. I wasn’t sure what was wrong. I didn’t have the strength to go to a doctor and my body was just saying rest.

Sometimes it’s gift when we have to put our plans to one side. I often say that “life is the only timekeeper”.  Often when these thing happen you just have to stop,  let go and re-coup. It’s not even a choice – your system just shuts down. It is clear reminder that your mind – which you think runs the show does not run the show. It is one aspect of your consciousness. Like a car engine you can leave it on too long and burn out.  I had no idea what was up; I thought it might be a stomach bug, it might be too good a weekend catching up, I thought it might be the slight chances to my diet that I had just started. But I only thought briefly ‘I’ was too out of it.

Some hours later I felt a little more energy. I had a message from my publsihers on my phone. I managed to take in a cup of hot water, honey and my home tonic (the second cup all day) and all I’d consumed. I managed to send over the information and I felt that going for a walk might be a good idea.

So here was the third part of my day. I stepped out into the sunlight, it had been raining. It was beautiful. First I was walking quite swiftly as I realised I could pop into a store before closing. But then I slowed down and started to notive ‘every-thing’. I noticed the trees, the sky, the pavement, the people, the flowers. Just this slowing down of a few miles per hour really made a big difference. I was reminded again of what I remind people of in my work. But sometimes only when you are ‘hit’ by life: ill health, a challenge, a major issue do you really appreciate every drop of life. Invariably of all those things , it’s only when our health is hit that we really realise how much we take life, our self and this magical experience for granted. And if we are lucky that our health returns we can very quickly forget about it.

As I walked back home from this short walk and bumped into a lady that I had coached many years ago. She is a make up artist. At the time she spent most of her time working in two shops rather than really pursuing her passion. She reminded me of her coaching sessions and she reminded me that I had invited her to follow her passion and her vision. Back then she developed a 5 year vision and told me that most of the things she had wanted to do she had. She was now her own bass, she was now doing make up for TV and film (as she had before) but on a much bigger scale. Above all this she was simply as I would put it ‘singing her song’. She was doing what she had always done – she was letting her heart lead her.

All three sections of the day: the productivity, the being knocked flat – and the beautiful reminder to appreciate life and be oneself reminded me of all the importance of all this. I realised I am very lucky to do the work that I do. Because workiing with people, coaching and speaking reminds me of the importance of appreciating life – but it is so easy forget that even a ‘practitioner’ is reminded that life is actally living and being.

As I walked back up my road the April showers began to fall down again. How beautiful; warm refreshing rain. All the seasons play their part and April is a very special month. It often brings with it a blend of weather that reminds us that life has its different seasons, colours, conditions, times and nature – and to appreciat it all.

I often say that when you appreciate (notice and value) you then appreciate (grow in value) and I was reminded of that today. What a beautiful blessing e

Appreciation Exercise:

1) Stop: take a few deep breaths in, hold it for a few moments and let it go. Repeat this around 12 times until you notice yourself becoming more relaxed.

2) Keep breathing in deeply and gently turn your attention to all the parts of your body. Too often we’re in the head. Start with your feet and slowly move your way up section by section: lower legs, midsection and tummy, your chest, your shoulders,  your head and neck, your back, your arms, your hands. Let any tension go and give each part of the body the appreciation it deserves.

3) Slowly and gently go through all the compartments of your life – starting with your self and your health and give gratitude for simply being alive. Gradually turn your attention to everything that you have; the breath that supports you, any shelter that covers and keeps you warm, all those people who have played a part in helping you. All that you have and all life has.

4) Gently turn attention to each individual thing in the room about you. Do this gently as  a light meditation. Notice the light, the furniture the objects and give gratitude.

5) If you can go for a walk and let life envelope you. Smile and shine. Walk slowly and gently. If you live near a park, water, greenery or anywhere where nature is present (whatever the season) then head their and re-coup, recharge, relax, be still. Or just turn you head to the skies.

Nice to be home  – at one with your nature – isn’t it?