I have always been supportive of any initiative to stamp out bullying and remove the power from the small minority who like to bully others.

I have written and ghost written articles on this subject and of course nowadays this includes cyber bullying which is on the increase.

The Anti-bullying Alliance have a free online training course well-worth exploring. If you want to take advantage of this and/or donate to their organisation. Please visit their website:-

http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk

Like many parents I am excited at the prospect of having my beautiful daughter return from university for the Christmas period.

We all tend to take those dearest to us for granted and miss them terribly when they are not around.

Whilst enjoying time with our families and friends this year let’s all spare a thought for those families who have relatives in the forces who will spend their Christmas away from home.

Additionally, when tucking into our Christmas dinners remember all those that work the Christmas shifts in hospitals and the emergency services who are often over stretched at this time of year.

With a week to go stay calm and relax and enjoy what you have rather than stress over what you haven’t got! It’s just stuff..loved ones are what matter most.

Signing off to tidy up and get ready for a huge hug with my girl!

Recently I was asked what problems can NLP help?  I guess the answer to a certain extent is any…if we put out mind to it!

We all have friends and family members who are unhappy with certain aspects of their  life. Indeed they verbalise about it but for whatever reason don’t feel ready to take the plunge and change their life for the better.

Whilst I recognise that many people need to identify when the time is right for them, but many will never feel the time is right.

This is when a life coach can step in and start them on their journey to make those first steps to change and start to live the life they want and moreover deserve to live.

As we rush towards the end of the year many of us will start to examine our lives and what we may want to achieve in 2016.

Remember anything is possible and it is never to late to change the way we view our life, interact with others or indeed to learn new skills.

NLP may just be the answer you have been looking for…what have you got to lose?

How is it our parents  spent so long encouraging us as children to always say thank you,but as adults we too often forget those two little words?

Everyday we encounter people who we may feel are just doing their job so we forget basic manners.

Additionally,  we are so readily to complain about service but equally shy to congratulate and give credit where due.

At this time of year we are all so busy,   often stressed with so many things on our to do list. Please spare a thought for those in the service industry dealing with customers and smile and say thank you!

For all those who are labelled ‘single’ and dreading the holiday season in a world of coupledom; here’s a piece of brilliant advice from the great Donald Walsch:-

‘Believe the love you are waiting for’

Sounds like a good idea to me!

To those that are not single spare a thought for those that are and stop telling them internet dating is the only way!!!

Hello fellow bloggers and followers, I am always looking for great quotes to use and repeat especially positive ones.

Believe….achieve has been brought to my notice by one of my favourite young men (you know who you are) and I think it runs well alongside my constant mantra of follow your dreams.

Not everything in life comes easily, and just because we can be brilliant at some things certain others can seem to get the better of us. Hopefully perseverance and self-belief will kick in and get one back on track.

In life sometimes the hardest journeys take as long as they take and there is a reason for that which will also  become clearer.

Our life is indeed mapped out for us perhaps we forget that too.

Stay happy and positive…there’s always chocolate if all else fails.

Thanks to the staff at Gloucester branch for sorting out laptop assistance today after a very frustrating time with their crashing website.

Good to see that large organisations can, when there is a genuine need, do the right thing and go the extra mile to help customers in need.

So easy to complain but give credit where credit is due. Well done to the team there today.

During another fabulous lunch with my study buddy the subject of bereavement came up. I said how I always encourage people to celebrate their loved one’s life to help the grieving process and help with the planning of a funeral.

i.e. making memory boards, I found this worked so well for so many at my own mother’s funeral. I found fabulous photos when she was younger and healthier. This gave friends and family a focal point to talk around positively and remember her as she was rather than how she looked towards the end as she lost her battle with cancer.

On Jonathon Ross this weekend Chris Martin of Cold Play discussed various tracks and inspirations of titles and songs from their new album including ‘everglow’ which he described how one feels aside of the sadness about some body that has died and I think that was a really beautiful concept.

Also love the title of Cold Play’s new album ‘Head full of dreams’ which describes many of my close friends and that is what keeps us happy and fulfilled.

Time flies past so quickly we hardly realise a year has gone.  Today we are celebrating a first birthday for my lovely great niece and it hardly seems possible our amazing dolly is walking.

We cram so much into our busy lives and finding time to see everyone is difficult and as the start of the December pre-Christmas madness starts…

I remind everyone not to over-do things or expect too much of friends and families. There are only so many hours in the day.

Sensible friends and I have already said ‘let’s go for a meal in January’ spread the love, the joy and ease the pressure.

Remember a lot of people find the holidays a sad and lonely time too…so watch out for that elderly neighbour who really would appreciate a quick visit.