Category Archives: business

Perception

balance, business, , ,

serviceA very curious thing happened at a networking function the other evening, which relates to the title of this post.

Food had been prepared and the caterer was busy pouring drinks for the attendees, so as a committee member, I volunteered to help with the serving of the food.

Armed with platter and serviettes, I started to wander around the room, lending a helping hand.  Approaching a couple of groups of people, food was offered and I attempted to start a conversation. Quizzical looks….food was selected and conversation stopped…..This happened a couple of times and then I realized….. I was being perceived as wait staff and the expected behaviour is that wait staff don’t engage in conversation with attendees at functions!

waitstaffAs an observer of behaviour, I found this mildly amusing and decided to test by going around without a platter of food. This time I was able to engage in several conversations!

Reflecting on the experience, I began to wonder about the subconscious expectation we have about people in different roles and to use a biblical phrase “about having a servant’s heart” and how it can be applied in business.  It’s about seeing that a task needs to be done and stepping up to do it with no strings attached.

But it is also about perception… there have been reality TV shows based on just that…. where the CEO dresses casually or a little bit scruffily and wanders around his or her business to observe what is going on. Many “action” movies have the villains move about in the guise of waitstaff…. they are “invisible” as they serve.

In your daily life, have you thought about your subconscious responses to people who       serve you? We all expect good service when out for a coffee or a meal, but consider the energetic exchange when you expand your awareness to include the person serving and I am sure that it will be reciprocated.

Start of Autumn

Abundance, Autumn Equinox, business, , , ,

There’s a sense of sadness as summer draws to a close although here in Melbourne the heat remains – the days grow shorter and there is a certain lassitude in the air. Yet, I find that work has been more productive than ever. There has been a lovely balance of Reiki treatments, Hypnotherapy and Supervision sessions, interspersed with some valuable networking.

The move to Body Balance Wellness Centre has worked out well so far and I’m enjoying being able to wander around the Mt Waverley shopping village. Today I treated myself to a scrumptious vegetarian bento box for lunch at the local (authentic) Japanese takeaway. An added bonus is  that I also get to brush up my very rusty Japanese – they are very patient with me!

The home office is now tidied up again and there is a temptation to open the door and spend a bit more time in the little garden outside it. There are still 7 or 8 pomegranate saplings that grew from the seeds I saved about 6 years ago and they will need thinning out so that they can grow taller.  I thinned the group out last year and took 4 up to the retreat, but one has succumbed to the high temperatures and lack of water, as have more than half the oak trees. Once the weather cools down and these ones lose their leaves, I will transplant them to the retreat as replacements. Hopefully because they are more advanced, they will survive the extremes better.

There are a couple of Casuarinias, some Japanese Maples and a Jacaranda  seedling that I have grown from seed, but will continue to nurture here in the city until they are a little bigger and more likely to survive if they are more established.  I’ve acquired a Robinia seed pod, but am unlikely to plant that as they can grow to be very big and they sucker readily.  I found some interesting seed pods on a council street tree the other evening and might try growing some of those as they look as if they would provide some good shade and good compostable leaf litter.

 

Abundance or Scarcity Mindset

business, Coaching

Health and wellness professionals frequently cross refer, as do accountants and lawyers. Many medical clinics have a number of doctors on the premises and you may see one that has a time more convenient to you than your regular doctor. Each of those doctors will have a different style, different mannerisms and you may well find that you choose to see a different doctor depending on what ailment you have. General Practitioners refer all the time to various specialists and will often have a few specialists in a particular area that they endeavour to match well with their patient.

Personally, I see a variety of health practitioners if my body is in need of some attention. On my list of preferred practitioners are an acupuncturist, naturopath, osteopath and a medical practitioner.  If I need mental health care, I will consult with a hypnotherapist or counsellor. When you compare what they all do, the similarity ends with delivering health care, yet each practitioner is successful in their own field.

How the care is delivered, is what separates them. The naturopath, hypnotherapist and osteopath spend a greater length of time delivering direct care and the consultations can take up to an hour. The acupuncturist will take a history and then place the needles in and leave you to relax for around 20 minutes, and the medical practitioner is unfortunately bound by the Medicare model and has just 10 minutes to spend with you and will refer you on for further testing to gain more information about your problem. Of further interest is costing out the hourly costs…. For example if you look at each therapist/clinician’s hourly rate then you may be surprised. If I were to spend an hour with my medical practitioner, I would have to outlay more than $450 an hour and the specialists he/she may refer me to cost far more than that!

Just for a moment imagine that you are an expert in your niche and are approached by a business that caters for some of your ideal clients. It is suggested that a cross referral would be beneficial to both of you and would offer your clients the opportunity to know more about a local business that complements the services you provide and contribute to a sense of community in your locality.

Do you have an abundance or miserly mindset in response to this approach?

An abundance mindset allows you to both grow and if you are in a community, to grow the bonds within that community and creates a ripple effect or expansion of energy. Conversely, a scarcity mindset is all about keeping to yourself and with that, the energy contracts and your contribution and benefits to the community are lessened.

With an abundance mindset, you are comfortable with referrals to another professional or business safe in the knowledge that the universe provides more to those who share, whilst someone with a scarcity or fixed mindset perceives a referrals as a threat to their business.

Which model do you prefer to operate from and which sits more comfortably with your values?

Changing your mindset can take some effort, but the first thing to do is to be willing to change.

When you love what you do, the passion shines through and you will start to feed the mindset you want. It takes effort, not intellect to make the changes and having a vision, coupled with a growth mindset will move you towards your goals so much more quickly.

Justice

balance, business, Intuition, lessons learned, , , , ,

Justice tarot cardI don’t profess to be a skilled Tarot card reader, but on occasion when I bump into a conundrum, I will shuffle the pack and deal out a card. If I have the time, I will do a full spread and consult the books and my intuition about what has been revealed.

Justice was the card that came out today.  It’s all about fairness, truth and karma. Quite fitting, considering the situation I was asking about.

The balanced scales held in the left, or feminine hand, can represent spiritual balance and intuition.  The right hand and masculine hand,  holds a double edged sword , representing logic. Justice has to balance that logic and intuition, remain impartial and choose a course of action with full awareness.

This card is about whether you have acted in fairness, truth or honesty.  Have you tipped the scales of justice affecting your karma? If you have been unfair, untruthful or dishonest in your dealings, then this is a warning to change your ways. It’s about being accountable for your actions  and making sure that you act in a fair and just manner.

So this card can then be a “call to action” in so many ways, reminding us to be even handed and balanced in our dealings with others.

Am I procrastinating about what should be done….. the right action?

Is my work life balance or my logic intuition balance OK?

Am I taking full responsibility for my actions…..past, present and future?

This card tells me that I need to rely more on my intuition, particularly in regards to working with others who may not have the same values of fairness, integrity or honesty. The card shows me that I must take responsibility for my actions and accept the lessons learned when dishonesty appears in my day. Moving on from the experience is part of the journey, as is accepting the karma as a result of the actions.

Learn from the Past

balance, business, Choice, Hypnotherapy, psychotherapy

With the field I’m in, personal development is ongoing …. it’s not always about professional development…. something that I believe that some organizations lose track of. Even as a teacher, I believed it was necessary to explore new horizons… not necessarily education based.. in order to bring something holistic to our own sense of self.
Currently, I’m revisiting course notes from a few years back as the New Financial Year means making new business goals.  Part of this it to review where I have come from and build upon strengths and discover any areas that need work.
One of my challenges is that I have been susceptible to frequent colds …. self analysis came up with needing better winter protocols to avoid infection, which I duly wrote about in a newsletter. But of course, I missed the obvious…..stress reduces immunity and recently there has been a bit of stress in my life.
The last few days have been spent in using hypnotic methods to improve my immune system, regular HeartMath sessions, plenty of vitamins and a nice warm office.
Those of you that know me, know that I enjoy networking….. so when I encountered a new face in the tea room at the office complex where I work…. I got to chatting….. He told me that he used hypnosis/meditation for a style of martial art that he did……
Before I knew it, I discovered that he held in high esteem a man that I had previously worked with. My blood ran cold… my stomach flipped…. I thought I was going to be sick.
My experience with this same person was different… in that moment, I relived the pain, the angst, the sorrow, the anger….. this was the “why” I left teaching. Why I shredded almost a ream of abusive emails….Why I gave up……
I managed to get back to my room and smiled as I turned the page on the manual I was working through…
Choice…..
I chose to quit that job because I no longer wished to be treated like I was.
I chose to quit because I felt unsupported.
As a result of choosing to leave, I retrained as a Hypnotherapist and found another passion to pursue.
 I chose to be brave and start my own business.
I chose to forgo an easy salary for other benefits, like meeting some amazing people who choose to make changes in their lives!  
 I know that I was good at teaching. I know too that I am good at what I do today for my clients….
What a gift that moment in the tea- room was!
Two perceptions of one person – polar opposites!
The eddy of feelings changed in an instant….. why was I hanging on to that pain?
It was a choice … and I have now chosen to no longer need it…….I have survived a heart attack and subsequent surgery and can choose now to be empowered, to have a full life.
I choose to feel gratitude at being here …right now!