Like many parents we are on countdown to exam results and to watching, hopefully, our babies fulfil their dreams and ambitions and head off to University come September.

Various articles in the newspapers over the past few days have no doubt sadly added to stress and anxiety as we learn about the continual saga over the marking of this year’s papers.

Every year there seems to be something alarming going on with certain examination boards. As a concerned parent one wonders when ‘those in know’ will get their act together

I agree with Richard Harman today’s ‘Daily Telegraph’ that the exam grading system needs to be more transparent.

Good luck to all those students awaiting results, stay calm, positive and challenge anything you are unhappy about.

Hello fellow Doris Day fans, who like myself may have watched her films as a child. She was one of my Mother’s favourite female actresses.  I remember fondly ‘Secret Love’ and ‘Move over darling‘ being played on our parent’s record player.

Watching ‘Legends’ on TV yesterday one of the guest speakers was relaying how her films were ‘feel good films’ after the second world war…when people were wanting the happy ever after. Then, the world changed again and good news was viewed as repellent, uninteresting and sentimental. True albeit sad I guess.

Whatever your feeelings the lady could sing, dance and play to the camera -chick flicks of that era.

Off to watch ‘Calamity Jane’ and remember halycon days with my Mum!!

Que sera sera!

Morning fellow freelancers,

My lovely Editor Mary Cummings/Work Your Way has posted my latest piece on advice for freelancers.

Please visit their website http://www.workyourway.co.uk

‘9 Steps to a successful freelance career’, ln.is/workyourway.co…

Morning fellow bloggers,

Always encourage a new word everyday. here’s mine! Parsimony:

According to Concise Oxford Dictionary my old faithful:-

The assertion that no more causes or forces should be assumed than are necessary to account for the facts’

Brilliant and known as ‘the psychologists’ value‘.

I remember a client saying how dangerous it was to assume anything!

Assume the best I say.

Yesterday my daughter ran 5K for the Race for Life…or should I say she swam it! I was amazed at the runners of various ages who still turned out in atrocious weather, accompanied by their family, friends, children and dogs to support Cancer Research!

My friend and I  joined in the warm up exercises and well done to the fitness instructor for trying to motivate the crowds in the rain.

One has to feel sorry for all involved including the organisers, St John’s Ambulance etc who had to stand around in the pouring rain and keep motivating, supplying refreshments and tend to the runners 5 and 10K and the walkers.

Well done Katie for not crying off and running in memory of our family members that we lost to Cancer. Trainers still drying!!!

Thanks again to all her sponsors.

The mature student stopped working for the day and is now wading through her course work and reflective reading is sending out positive energy to all her fellow study buddies…even the ones that don’t know her.

Keep at it, read those books that maybe you think ‘that’s not for me’ as it probably is and/or may well be for somebody you have yet to meet and help. Fingers crossed this week’s assignment with tutor is well received.

Thank God it’s Friday, been a few challenges this week and disappointments that just make one realise the rest is pretty darn good. All down in the Journal and case study notes for my own lovely Life Coach Lorna.

Not beaten yet..are we? Pimms o’clock, listening to music and onto my next assignment and a weekend of serious reading.

Isn’t it funny how even those of us that know about applying a positive attitude in all we do and the value of mindfulness forgot sometimes to do either!

I found myself guilty as charged yesterday during some driving training and quickly had a stern word with myself to concentrate, be in the moment and focus on the positivity in what I was doing.

So today’s mantra is ‘practice what you preach’ alongside the four given to me yesterday by my amazing instructor Nigel.

I will ‘be driven’ and behave better next session.

Today I am continuing my NLP course and writing about the benefits of re-training.  I had several discussions last week with colleagues about the theory of being told one is ‘over-qualified’ a phrase I hate!

As part of my reflective reading for this course and copious notes taken during reading   ‘Many Lives, Many Masters’ by Dr Brian Weiss. I particularly like the following quotes and my mantra for today and.. always:-

‘Be receptive to new knowledge and to new experiences, the task is to learn to become god like through knowledge.’  And ….’listen to dreams and intuition and things fall into place’

Having just returned to driving after a long break my first experience was very positive.

Huge thanks and appreciation to Nigel Smart, a Hertfordshire driving instructor who also helped my teenage daughter pass her test.

Nigel’s approach to teaching is refreshing, he reads his pupils well and has an amazing karma. I thoroughly recommend Nigel for learners of all ages.

Here’s to the next lesson.