Let is snow!

It's been snowing here for a while - quietly but steadily  - and luckily I can walk to most of my jobs this week. With christmas approaching I have updated the blog design (thanks to http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/) and am currently putting the finishing touches to my 2011 calendar - a gift which the family eagerly awaits each year. This is going to be January - photos taken last christmas from my mother's kitchen window.

Enjoy the weather wherever you are!
Hugs,
Mel

Christmas arriving quickly ... just like every year!

So there we are in the middle of November, Lebkuchen and chocolate Santas have been on sale for a while but NOW it's getting serious. I was most surprised when I saw on Monday that our local christmas market is being erected already. I live only a stonethrow away from the market square so I can watch the progress every day when I cross it. It's officially going to open next Monday, yes it takes some time to put up and pull down (which then happens BEFORE christmas, no market AT christmas and even the nativity scene might have disappeard becore December 24).

So what's so special about the christmas market in Neustadt? Apart from the usual stalls with gift and deco items, pots and pans (I always wonder who goes to such a market to buy a new frying pan), spices, sweets, food, more food, mulled wine and even more mulled wine (available in 0.5 litre glasses - that's twice the size you usually get, for my UK friends: That's a pint of mulled wine!) it's the setting which sets it apart. Its main part is located in the historic market square and when looking at picture postcards of the event one might think the houses around - all lit up tastefully, non neon-flashing style - are simply backdrops. However, they're not - they are real houses! The photo (taken from the town's official website http://www.neustadt.eu/) just shows the Rathaus (town council building) and one of the houses to the left, however it might give you a little bit of an idea. The other options is of course to go and have a look yourself. If you do, drop me a line ;)
Till soon, hugs,
Mel

Missing a step does NOT save time!

Hello my friends,
As some of you may know this Monday when leaving the house I somehow missed the last step leaving my flat (in a really old building with loads of narrow, windy, wooden stairs - not the one in the photo which is from www.bilderkiste.de), fell and managed to sprain my ankle. My son was on his way to his school exchange trip to Sweden and I had to say goodbye there and then instead of taking him to the meeting point. My little daughter offered to alert the neighbours (at 6:50 am) and my older daughter's hair was full of shampoo at the time. And then there was me, lying in the corridor whingeing and cussing. Anyhow, all kids sorted themselves out, went to school, the neighbours stayed unalerted and I spent the day with my foot up. So first part of the post is a warning: Watch your step! Getting hurt and being unable to walk is EXTREMELY annoying. On the bright side, there's a learning experience in nearly everything: Now that my foot is getting better (only hurting slightly when walking instead of being painful all the time and horrendously so when putting any weight on it) I really appreciate it and I am grateful to generally be able-bodied. It's the old "You only know what you're missing once you've lost it." I have also learnt that I can ask for help and have had some really kind people drive me to and from classes.

All this got me thinking about taking steps, not only literally. Every single step in a staircase is important - miss one and you might suffer (more or less) severe consequences. In a worst case scenario that can literally break your neck. And if you don't take the first one, you'll never get anywhere. Same goes in life: Even the longest journey begins with the first step. Yes I know that's old and cliché, but I think it's very true. Equally important are all those smaller or bigger steps in the middle of any project. If you change direction so might your project (which is not necessarily a bad thing). If you miss one, you risk falling (I thought about writing "failing" but then I don't like that word, since "there is no failure, only feedback" which can be the topic of another blogpost.) A "shortcut" in between might not necessarily save you any time. And what happens if you miss the last step? All the effort you put into a project is in vain if you don't finish it.

Imagine, for example, you apply for a new job which you really think you're suited for. You research the position and the company, compose a well worded cover letter, perfect your CV ... and then you don't send it? What would have been the point in investing the time and energy? There might be a nagging voice inside your head telling you that you're over- or underqualified or there is some other reason why wouldn't get the job anyhow. Or even worse someone outside your head telling you so. Well what the h*ll do they know?

Go for it, whatever dream it is you are pursuing and enjoy every day you can walk or run towards your goal. And watch your step ... and in case you do trip I know some great homoeopathic remedies now ;)

Hugs,

Mel

Farewell my friends - I will miss you!

Today has been an interesting day. One of those where you feel happy and sad and proud and joyful, tearful and huggy - all at the same time. The second and final leg of my hypnotherapy diploma and NLP practitioner course finished today. It was so much fun, I'd like to do it all again! (I probably won't say that about all the written homework.) So for you guys I've made a little photo memento. Enjoy!
Hugs,
Mel

Another free picture slideshow by Smilebox

Poole your ideas in Bournemouth

Hello world, I am in lovely Bournemouth on the southcoast of England. Not all just for fun, but for the second part of my hypnotherapy diploma training course and saying that, it IS fun. Yes folks, it really is! There is a lot to learn and do (yes, we actually get to DO all the things we learn about, not just sit in that room right next to the entrance and absorb theory all day long). I admit there were times when at the end of the day (and after being seriously tranced out three times) I felt quite exhausted, but now - just that I'm in the swing of things again - it's nearly over.

Let me tell you about yesterday afternoon. We did something "Apprentice" style in groups of three and where given the task to invent a product or service (it could be as "realistic" or absolutely imaginary as we liked) and a marketing strategy to go with it. (Marketing? I hear you ask. On a hypnosis course? ... hmmm, ever heard of hypnotic marketing and copywriting? We don't just make each other dance like chickens yanno - in fact we never do that.) Anyhow, let me get back to the ideas. It's absolutely amazing what three random people can come up with within an hour (The fact that all my course-mates are even more amazing people helps, of course). One group marketed a pill for you to move into your favourite celebrity's body for a week. I won't give you the details of what they planned to do to the real celebrity and we found out it might also be a good idea to actually use that pill to morph into the celebrity's significant other ;)

Whether hypnotherapy to enhance your acting or overcome grieving a pet, or learning perfect pitch through headphones, some of the products were so good - I actually wanted one! What I found really valuable - apart from tons of laughter - is that when you pool and share ideas with your friends they feed off each other and can spiral into miraculous heights. Not all these ideas might be feasible (just yet) but actually going "over the top" can propel you into something extraordinary and with a little tweaking you might find a real life application for it. As they say nowadays, is there an APP for that? And yes guys, I really like the Hypnopedia App, make one, I'll buy it ;)

So with your ideas, dare to be outrageous, have fun, who cares if it's "realistic", feasible, doable right now - we save sensible for later and who knows where you might end up. On a scale from 0 - 10, I guess you've just bust the scales because you are at 11!

Keep having a great time!

Hugs, Mel

Why we continuously need new shoes ;)

No, this is not encouraging you to acquire a collection like Imelda Marcos (and this is not my shoe rack either but a random pic from bilderkiste.de), neither is this post actually about shoes but rather about habits. Let me explain ...

Today is the last day of the summer holidays here, surprising how six weeks just passed. It's back to school tomorrow and a new school for my youngest daughter too.

I was chatting to my good friend in New Zealand this morning (or evening for her). In retrospect those five weeks I spent at her house on the beautiful south island seem a lot longer. No, this post is not about time distortion either, don't let me get sidetracked, I was talking about habits.

Anyhow, during our chat (on a popular social website) we got onto the subject of how to change old habits, behaviours which no longer serve us well (maybe some of them never did!) and the danger of repeating the same thing over and over again, maybe in slight variations. I mentioned the analogy of how the old habits are the well-trodden, wide paths in our neurology while the new ones are still fresh, difficult maybe, find your path first in babysteps (and if you don't use it, it's so easily overgrown again). I asssured her that YES, the new ones become wider too with repeated use. (Ok, I didn't say ALL that in our chat, you readers get the slightly longer version ;)

So how do we get to shoes? Well, I cannot take credit for the neurological pathway analogy - I don't know whose idea it was first, whoever it was: It's a great one, I like it! Thank you!

Later while drying my hair (Why do we keep coming up with the best ideas when we're not actually thinking about it but doing something entirely different? Maybe that is the topic of another blog entry.) it occured to me that old habits are also a lot like a pair of old comfy shoes. We have had them for a long time, they have served us well, taken us to many different places and they are just oh so comfortable to just slip on. It's a no-brainer really, we slip them on without thinking about it, purely out of habit and comfort.

However (and there tends to be a "however" quite often with these things) they might no longer be good for us. They might not be only well-worn, but actually worn out. They might be oh so comfortable, molded to our feet but on the brink of falling apart with the soles being worn off (maybe more to one side) so that continuing to wear and use them is actually bad for us and our posture and in the end bad for our health.

Now new shoes can be tempting. They are shiny, maybe fashionable, possibly highly trendy. How many different pairs of newish and hardly worn shoes have you got? Why aren't you wearing those and not the old comfy ones? (Ok, you might not. You might be a reader who threw the old ones away. Good for you!) Well, most new shoes need a bit of wearing in - just like the neurological pathways, just like new habits ... and some simply don't fit. You might not have noticed in the shoe shop but find out later that they simply "aren't for you", they are continuously uncomfortable no matter what you try and they make your feet hurt. Well, then get rid of them, give them to charity or whatever and find the "right" pair ... and take the time to wear them in.

Find what suits you, go through the trouble of making it yours, incorporate it into your life and ... also be aware that this, however wonderful it is and however well it serves you right now, it might not last forever, might be outmoded at some point in the future. And it will be time for new shoes again ...

Stepping off my box now. Have a great week!

Hugs,

Mel

Choosing life's rollercoasters ... and enjoying the ride

Hello friends,

Yes, I'm back online after 10 days ( - in words TEN days - ) away from the internet. I took my kids on holiday up north in Germany near the Baltic Sea where my mum and my siblings live. We had some HOT holiday days with temperatures reaching 40°C and beyond on some days but luckily there were options to cool down like swimming in the sea or riding the log flume in the Hansapark theme park in Sierksdorf.

My two younger kids really made the most of the day, riding all the rides several times and I joined them on most of them. Even though the log flume and the "good old Nessie" - my first big rollercoaster 30 years ago - are still fun, the "free fall tower" is a bit of a let down for a bungy/ee jumper (great views though) the top attraction is - of course - the new kataplektor ride "Curse of Novgorod" (www.kataplektor.de) somewhere between (hi)story, house of horrors and a hell of a rollercoaster. Some of us enjoy those rides, others don't - is it the adrenalin rush, the "danger" even though you know you're perfectly safe?

When life throws us off course and onto an emotional rollercoaster, don't we have the same choice i.e. to embark it or not? to enjoy the ride or get off? to know that in reality we are safe and that this ride only lasts seconds or minutes at the most and that then we have a choice to keep riding or looking at other options? I know NOW (and yes, hindsight is 20/20) that I should have started going to theme parks again a lot earlier and CHOOSE the fun rides and just ditch the crappy emtional rollercoasters the once-upon-a-time-loved ones send us on.

Loving life and sending hugs,

Mel