walking in France on the Camino

As you, who are regular readers will know, last year, Teresa and I started off walking the Camino. We opted to star in Le Puy in France and walk to the French/Spanish border and then across Northern Spain to our destination in Santiago de Compostella.

So far we've done two sections, 10 days overall and are loving it. The walk is taking us through wonderful France scenery and do places we would otherwise probably not visit or even find.

I've decided to set up a separate blog to post on and will get that organised in the next few weeks - commitments allowing. Until then, if you want to see some photos, please go to:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=132234&id=699486931for Stage 1 and http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=129728&id=699486931 for Stage 2.

Enjoy and I look forward to hearing your comments.

Do you find it hard to say "NO"?

We like to feel liked, needed, special, helpful etc and that's one of the reasons, I'm sure that so many of us women (and some men too) tend to always say "yes" and then regret it afterwards.

It's not that we don't want to help, it's just that when we say "yes" to someone else, we say no to ourselves. When we say "yes" to helping someone else get things done thereby making a dent in their "to do" list, it doesn't help us make a dent in hours.

This week, I'm getting things done and I've got a laser focus. I haven't got time to help others as getting my stuff done will finally take them off lists they've been on for years and just think how great that will make me feel.

So I'm going to be practicing these strategies and hopefully they might work for you too.

So how about:

"I can't help this time - who else can you ask?" or a slight deviation on this one"I can't help this time but XXX is really good at this" Be careful though, you may just plonk someone one else in it.
"I'm not sure, Let me see and I'll call you back later!" and a similar one "Now's not a good time, can I call you back later?"
"I'm sorry but I really can't help and I do mean it"
"I'm going to have to say 'no', it's just not convenient for me"

Some buy you time so you can think it all through instead of reacting. Others just come out and say "no". And remember, you don't have to justify, just say what you have to say and 'shut up'

Do you love to walk by the sea?

If you do, then you need to take some action now and support the Marine & Coastal Access Bill .
The final stages of the Bill will take place in the House of Commons on Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th October.

I'm passing this on from the Ramblers Association who are very active in working to get this Bill passed so please read on.

Existing coastal access can be very limited. In some places, like the south west (where the coast path generates over £300 million for the regional economy every year), access is great. But all too often it is fragmented and of poor quality. The Ramblers would like to see people given the opportunity – and the legal right – to enjoy all of the coast for generations to come.

The Marine and Coastal Access Bill, when implemented, will make this a reality with the creation of a National Trail around the whole of the English coast.

But on the final day of debate in the Commons, the Bill's report and 3rd reading stage, this could all change. This is why we need you to lobby your MP to support the Bill and English coastal trail.

Take Action - Send them a seaside postcard today!

We think our coast is special and we know you love walking there as 72 million leisure visits are made each year. So why not show your MP just how special the coast is by sending them a seaside postcard?

If you live near or are visiting the coast in the next week please buy (or find in a drawer!) a seaside postcard and send it to your MP, you can find out who that is here
http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/

(If your postcard won't arrive in time for the debate on 26th & 27th October, you can email your MP from the above site).

Ask them to support the Marine and Coastal Access Bill and speak in support of Coastal Access.
We're almost there with the legislation. Please help us in this final push to make it happen!

Thank you.

Be kind to your feet.

I walk miles on my feet and as you know I've just been doing an average of 10 miles a day in France for 6 days. Because of this kind of hard work, I like to pamper them a little and have recently been using Arbonne products.

Their NutriMinC RE Anti Ageing Body Care System consists of a Body Serum and a Hydrating Lotion and together they work like a dream. Visit the arbonne website - http://www.arbonne.com/

Over the years I've also been a fan of the Body Shop Peppermint Foot Cream and yesterday discovered Lush Fair Trade Foot Lotion which smells fabulous and is rich and creamy.

Get yourself any of these are tell me about more goodies, smoother those poor feet, stick on some cotton socks, put your feet up and relax. They'll thank you for it.

Search for more than lumps, ladies.

It's Breast Cancer Awareness month and as someone who has known only too many wonderful women who have had this disease, it's one I'm passionate about.

Today , through the Be Fabulous Newsletter I discovered 'Bollocks to Breast Cancer' on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=135963158920 set up by Sarah Stewart who is currently undergoing treatment for Breast Cancer. I was so impressed and want to get involved and the first step is to pass on this info from Sara herself -

"Everyone thinks that finding a lump in your breast is the first sign of cancer. When I found a red mark that looked like a love bite but that remained on my breast for several weeks, I found out about inflammatory breast cancer. It starts with a red mark, is aggressive and does not often involve a lump.My GP said it was nothing to worry about. But I didn't want to take a risk.So I booked myself into a fast-track breast clinic last Friday and discovered that I had the early stages of a tumour. Bizarrely, the red mark doesn't seem to have been related to the cancer so something or someone out there was looking out for me.There is no history of breast cancer in my family either.I think of myself as being lucky to have found this so early. But please ladies, don't just look for lumps but also for changes in your breast skin texture, inverted nipples and anything that doesn't look quite right. Don't ignore anything."

Take heed of Sara's advice, we can never know too much about all of this.

It was through doing the Aviva Breakthrough to Breast Cancer Walk in 2006 that the East End Girls were born and we are still out there walking and raising money when possible.

Walk to work - check it out.

Simon Madrell at Excellent development has just drawn my attention to Walk to Work for the
Microloan Foundation.

On Friday 16th October, many people across the world will be walking to work and the money they raise will help women in Africa set up their own businesses. We need entrepreneurs everywhere so do your bit, if you can to get fundraising and walking, every little helps.

Check out this great website and see how you can get involved - http://tinyurl.com/yldtmwz. .

That French feeling.

Well the streets may not look the same but it was still and quiet as I walked this morning; the colours were wonderful with all the reds, golds and greens; there was warmth in the air; the sky was blue and as I came back over the viaduct, there were pockets of autumnal mist hanging in the hollows similar to the photo.

Later , as I sat in the garden catching up with my reading and planning the day, the sky was cloudless and it was hot - was I back in France I wondered? No, not really but it was great to have the components there. I 'm a sucker for that sun.

P.S. I've been working on my photos of France so we're getting closer to bringing them to you on the blog.

Is someone trying to get a message to you?

Where do I start? Perhaps one step at a time or as the strong messages that have been coming my way this morning say - 'do one thing at a time and complete it, then move on'. Sounds like good advice so why am I so bad at doing it?

No longer......

After having that same message come my way 3-4 times this morning I'm taking notice also because it might help with the over powering feeling I have of never getting all I want to do done.

Yes, I know, most of us probably feel like that at some time but I a) always plan to do far too much in one day, like a huge to do list b)I also try to multitask as new things come into my head. Result - total failure, very little completed and a great deal of frustration on my part.

This morning, I've stuck to one thing at a time and so far so good. So instead of trying to talk about 101 things in this blog posting just one. That is the repetition of messages like above where I read 'do one thing' in a book, then again in an article, then someone discussed the phenomena on a teleclass and as it's where I fall down I guess I should take this one board.

Are you getting any strong messages? Are you paying attention? Do you know what it all means for you?

Just take a little time and try and understand it all. Have a great day and I may blog again later, I definitely have loads to say.

They are excellent - Excellent Development

Many years ago when I hadn't been coaching for long, I took on a new client Simon Madrell who was in the midst of making a decision about career direction.

For Simon his next career move had to honour his values including the environment, being ethical and authentic and helping others.

We explored many avenues over a period of months and in the end up I remember saying "perhaps you need to set up your own charity" and that's just what he did.

Simon and Joshua who is based in Kenya and is the person who inspired Simon when he was a boyscout, have achieved amazing things and I'm so proud to be connected with them.

They won Charity Awards 2008 and today I heard that they've just won Third Sector Magazine 'Small Charity, Big Achiever' Winner 2009 which is one of their top 3 awards - the others going to an individual and a big charity.

They are a charity you need to check out - http://www.excellentdevelopment.com/