I can understand why you may think you’re not ready.

✓ There are always more courses to take.

✓ There are always more exams to pass.

✓ There’s always stuff you don’t yet know.

They say they want something to happen. They’re passionate about what they want to do. They tell me they have the qualifications, maybe the experience as well - and they certainly have the desire.

ld make what I loved doing become the focus of my day (in my case it was that I’d be good at training others to train their dogs) I did what many people do.

Now I don’t know if you’re like me, but when I started out on this path, I thought I could do it alone.

I’d got the qualifications - I worked really hard! - to get high grades so I could feel confident that I knew what I was talking about and like with so many dog training programs, I learnt loads about how to train a dog.

I have a confession to make.

I was interested in training dogs for years.

I competed at a high level with my dogs for years.

I even made up a couple of Champions.

Today I want you to focus on your good points

Yes - you have good points!

We all have good points. Sometimes they get a bit buried in the hustle and bustle of daily life but they are there and you want to be sure to give them expression as often as you can.

It’s your good points that make you of value to the world.

I’m often told by people who feel lost that they have nothing to offer, Nothing to give.

Are you looking right now at a list with YARDS of to-do’s?

If that’s you, you’ll be familiar with the sinking feeling you get whenever you look at it! You’ll know what this scrappy bit of paper looks like and you HATE it!

It just seems to grow and grow and get messier and messier and never, never does very much get ticked off.

If all the people who’ve invented things discovered things made our lives better had listened to their inner voice telling them they couldn’t do it we’d still be living in caves! So challenge those thoughts they are NOT gospel! They’re there to hold you back keep you safe - who knows what dangers are out there?

I want to talk to you about making decisions today.

Some people are really good at making decisions!

They are quick, and they are final.

They don’t waste time - they assess the situation,

And they DECIDE.

What does the word DECIDE mean?

I was thinking about my goats the other day. I often do! they are such charming creatures individual, clever. I used to keep dairy goats along with my pedigree sheep and I showed them for fun entering them into milking competitions to get them their qualifications.

Who are “They”?

“They” are in charge.

“They” dictate our lives.

“They” have all the answers.

NOOOOOO!

YOU are in charge.

YOU dictate your life.

YOU have all the answers!

I sure would! and I’m happy to say that I often do.

No, it’s not because I’m too big for my boots! and it’s not because I’m a genius. There are not too many of them and I’m certainly not amongst their number!

Further to last week’s discussion on lack of system and lack of confidence which may be holding you back from making your dream a reality, I want you to look at some more things that may trip you up!

Nothing ever stands still and - as the saying goes nature abhors a vacuum. So if a gap in the market appears the canny folk have been quick to jump in.

Like all the companies who made hay when the pandemic hit, like online conferencing and the like - an essential and much-needed service!

We believe we are limited by the world around us.

We believe that we have been short-changed!

Everyone else seems to have what they need - and we don’t! And you know what? If that’s what you believe, that’s just how you’ll stay.

Imagine how the game would go if there weren’t any!

22 people, running about aimlessly, kicking a ball here or there. Nothing happening. No drama. No joy. No regret.

Just running about kicking a ball.

There was a time - another life, it seems! - when I was in a job I hated. It was demeaning the people I had to rub shoulders with daily were not the sort of people I wanted to spend my time with.

People are always looking for answers they trawl the internet,

They blitz Youtube,

They email people … they ask and ask

They think they need resources

But in fact what they need are answers and here’s the sad thing - they don’t trust themselves enough to know that they already have the answers!

Practice makes Perfect

BUT in fact that’s a nonsense!

If you’re practising the wrong thing, it will be “Practice makes Imperfect”.

If you’re practising badly, it’ll be “Practice makes Worse”.

It’s all to do with what you’re actually DOING, rather than how much you do it!

We grow up being told what to do.

We take it for granted that our elders and betters are - not only elder, but better!

But now you’re all grown up and you can see how little they actually did know!