The dreams we have are so important to us even if at times we shelve them as life gets in the way of our personal ambitions..but they will come back to haunt us and remind us not to give up on them.
A few quotes to treasure:-
‘But I, being poor, have only my dreams, I have spread my dreams under your feet, tread softly because you tread on my dreams.’
W B Yeats.
‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams’
Eleanor Roosevelt
It’s never too late to follow your dreams…
After the long Christmas and New Year break it is very hard to get back on track and re-focus one’s mind on our careers and/or studying.
With the return to University for the January exams I wish all students well. Remember: plenty of sleep, keep well-hydrated and have regular breaks from the studying. Exercise if you have time as that is so important to well-being, and, dare I say a little sugar treat now and then. During exams keep both of your feet firmly on the floor being grounded really helps with concentration and helps one relax. If your legs are in knots so are you!
I know a little of how you feel I have two courses waiting my attention and focus so less of the procastinating and more action Ms M.
Part of my new year’s action plan is to be more tidier…getting there it’s a slow process and my deadline is to have made great in-roads by the weekend.
I always have a bit of a tidy up and de-clutter at the end of the year/beginning a new one but have to confess boy am I in need of it this time round!
Whilst spending my time gaining various qualifications as a mature student and researching and writing my various projects I have allowed the home office to become a sea of files and oh so useful papers.
A family member, an estate agent, stayed over xmas and suggested a de-clutter was called for. He advised me that my ‘homely’ look was in fact just untidy! So in readiness of filling all the storage boxes I have ordered I started a bit of rationalising it all today and found a book on de-cluttering under a pile of stuff! Now that one could not make up..but it certainly made my best buddy and life coach pal laugh.
Magazines are always full of tips to de-clutter and organise our lives at the strat of a new year and we all start off with good intentions..this year I am going to apply the NLP techniques I know on myself and streamline.
It doesn’t come easy to me with an approach of ‘handy if you never use it’ and I know I am not alone as a child of parents from the second world war and the time of rationing that we have a tendancy to hoard things.
It seems many of us have far too many things and not enough storage so something has to give. But I just can’t part with books, even with my own books published on Kindle one can’t beat a real book…the older the better.
Had an interesting chat today with a young man in a supermarket who had decided not to go on to university but to have some fun for a while whilst he decided what to do.
I hear this a lot, and I am mindful that so much pressure is put on our teenagers to decide their chosen career path long before they are really ready. It’s of course great for those students who have always known what it is they want to do, have the ability and apply themselves well to follow that dream.
As I often say not all children can be academic but that doesn’t mean they should be written off, they are of course beautiful in their own way..so nurture and encourage until they do identify their dream. Meanwhile they can get on enhancing those all too valuable social skills.
It’s never ever too late to learn, speaking as a mature student I know that’s true.
Sometimes in life we are faced with making a difficult decision and after a lot of soul searching and balancing up the negatives and positive we may still be left in a bit of a quandary as to what to do. Are we making the wrong choices for the right reasons and is our reason big enough?
Discussing weighing up the benefits of ‘getting experience’ with a colleague earlier today we touched on how certain sectors are quite unprofessional and small minded in their approach and maybe without realising can be quite offensive in questioning one’s skills and abilities.
We both agreed that the minute one starts to justify one’s skills the battle is lost, though of course we have to make allowance for ‘the other man’ maybe not fully understanding the high calibre of staff they are talking to nor respecting their CV and qualifications quite as much as they should do.
This situation and the question on being ‘ over qualified’ and whether one should dumb down one’s CV is one often run past me by colleagues wondering what to do for the best in searching for that dream job/project in their advancing years.
There are a lot of people who truly do not value self-development as much as those of us mature students who spend many hours gaining extra qualifications with a continual hunger for learning.
This week I am faced with making a few myself..and I am deliberating..time for cuppa and a choccy digestive – easy decision for me!
Over the past few weeks I have had several chats with fellow professionals about the value of experience and what to encourage our children to get on their CV.
I am still working on projects for experience for my own newly acquired skills and this never ends if you have a hunger for learning. Whilst we don’t want our children to be exploited there is no getting away from the fact that they do need to do voluntary/community work and preferable within the chosen field of their proposed career.
Recently I met and chatted to somebody from a national charity who agreed volunteers often go on to be offered permanent position. Reverting to the subject of students; they of course need to be able to impress their selected universities that they are right for their course and an excellent candidate for their university.. So that personal statement needs to demonstrate good social skills -remember it’s not just about the exam results.
Please visit Innovate My School’s website and view my articles on tips for writing personal statements and developing social skills:-
http://www.innovatemyschool.com/ideas/item/1617-seven-tips-for-writing-your-personal-statement
http://www.innovatemyschool.com/ideas/developing-social-skills-and-being-community-minded
Any parent of a teenage son or daughter in today’s society is sadly aware of just how stressful life has become for our children. There are so many stress factors facing today’s teens; exams, acceptance from peers and even pressure to try drugs and huge sensitivity surrounding their visual appearance all increased via the use and scrutiny of media.
The pressures for some, certainly outweigh all the great advantages that modern technology bring, indeed those in suypportive roles are also recognising just how disruptive and cruel modern media can be in terms of cyber bullying.
Please read my article on Innovate My School’s website:-
If you have even the smallest inclination that your child may be struggling, then quite likely they are. Ask the question, be supportive and if necessary speak to their school too as the likelihood being the answer may be easier to fathom than you realise and pastoral and tutors can help your family unit turn things around.
Remember our children are only on loan to us and we owe it to them to look out for their well-being even at times when we may not actually like them…we will always love them.
Remind them how proud we are, don’t just say it to others..this gesture of affirmation may just be what they need if feeling vulnerable or concerned about their achievements and remember not everyone can be a great academic.
I know many students depending on their chosen career may have already submitted their personal statements. However I know there are many of you out there planning and even struggling to work on yours now.
My following articles on Innovate My School’s website hopefully offer some useful advice to students and teachers alike.
http://www.innovatemyschool.com/ideas/developing-social-skills-and-being-community-minded
Good luck with the process and future studying towards those exams.
I had an interesting chat yesterday with the spiritual side of the family about Rainbow Children. I have to say the past few years I have read some amazing spiritual books about how we are evolving into a more spiritual peaceful time.
Whilst studying I became more and more aware of just how much of a guru my own mother was and after reading ‘Many lives many masters’ it just resonated and loudly so that she was indeed a master and sent for good reason.
It is a relatively easy decision to be positive in one’s approach to life and relationships though I am mindful that many find this extremely difficult. However, once automatic negative thought processes are removed any of us can lead a far more rewarding and fulfilling life and enable those around us to achieve their goals and place of contentment too.
If, as suggested one of our latest arrivals is indeed a Rainbow Child I will look forward to seeing what this certain young man becomes and just how he does his bit in the evolution of humanity.
But, as I always say all children are beautiful in their own way if just given the opportunity to shine…in their own way.
Yet again I am promoting the Alzheimer’s Society who have just provided me with a second batch of amazing literature. I cannot praise their support and standard of advice enough it has been of great benefit in helping me in my own research of Dementia and in supporting those around me with loved ones facing this personal challenge.
To anybody working with and/or supporting Dementia sufferers please ensure you take full advantage of their support both in terms of material and advice.
Their helpline for England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 0300 222 1122
As their literature states they are ‘leading the fight against dementia’ and they are!
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