Freedom… what does it mean to you?

Freedom…. How can you define a sense of freedom, and how important it is to you?

Freedom is enjoying a sense of fun in your life…. being able to state your boundaries and having the understanding that if others do not like them, then that is their issue, not yours.  Freedom is enjoying life’s little pleasures without a sense of guilt, having a balance in everything, and in stating your preferences without fear of reprisal …

Freedom is learning not to worry about what others think… when you truly master this concept, the release is phenomenal…. it releases you into being yourself, instead of being what everyone else wants you to be (sigh of relief!)

Freedom is about being your authentic self… in acknowledging life’s ups and downs, in going with the flow and in doing and being the very best you can in every situation.  Freedom to feel a little low if that’s the way you feel on any given day without putting yourself down, and freedom to always know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that things will get better again…

Freedom is about learning to forgive others, in understanding that with forgiveness comes release within yourself…. this comes alongside the understanding that another’s fear and pain is what creates their behaviour.  People who love and accept themselves have a contentedness within and will never try to hurt another…

Freedom within a relationship is about being allowed to be your true self, in giving and receiving love from the highest part of you, without being judged, criticised, fixed or forced to change…

Freedom is about having space to breathe, to be, to laugh and to play like a child if you so wish.  It is about having pamper time to nourish yourself with, to take the time to do the things you love to do in life….. to understand that life is just as much about smiling as it is about anything else…

Freedom is about putting yourself first… not behind the needs of everyone else.  If you put others first all the time, you teach everyone that you do not value yourself.  How are they then expected to value you, if you cannot?  After all, no one can love you more than you love yourself.  If as a parent, you always put your own needs and happiness behind those of your children, then are you not teaching them to do exactly the same?  Is this really what you want for them?

For me, freedom came in so many guises, many of which I had to claim for myself.  Leaving a home I loved dearly created freedom for me, because I didn’t want it to become my prison. Leaving my personal possessions behind created freedom for me, because in a strange kind of way, it not only meant my life was less cluttered, but it meant I left my past behind too.  When I left my past behind, it meant I no longer needed to live up to it.  It gives you a sense of being ‘stripped down’ and being allowed to find out who you really are…. yes it was very scary stepping naked out into the world, but I learned to adapt.  I bought myself a cushion with ‘Home Sweet Home’ on it, which is a reminder to me that ‘home’ is always on the inside …..

I now have relatively little in the way of possessions in my life, and I do feel a sense of freedom – I can’t explain it really – difficult to describe.  When you give up all these things, then you are always as free as a bird.  Some would choose to see this as not having a certain security, but what is security really?  What would happen if you were to lose it all overnight?  People do – there are disasters around the world where many people lose their homes in the process, and how do you suppose they feel afterwards?  There will always be things that it’s not possible to replace….

The ultimate freedom comes in taking that leap of faith to live on purpose… when your purpose is ignited, it becomes a flame that simply can’t be extinguished.  When others try to pour water on that flame, it becomes like fuel and makes it burn even more brightly.  I can’t tell you how many people told me I was crazy for wanting to leave my full time post with the Local Government on my 40th birthday.  I had been employed by them for 15 years, my pension was great and my mortgage nearly paid off…. I would have had a very easy future in a post I enjoyed had I chosen to stay.  Yet, the flame of living my purpose overtook absolutely everything – instilling in me such a sense of freedom that it felt like having wings that were taking me on a course all of its own!  Work and opportunities flowed my way, and I sincerely believe that because I gifted myself with the freedom to live on purpose, the Universe opened up for me in ways that I would never have dreamt possible.  I didn’t know how it would happen, I just had 100% belief that it would – the possibility of failure was ‘ludicrous’, and this was the energy with which I handed in my resignation.  The moment it was accepted, the decision had been made and something within me and the Universe shifted immensely…. to me it was like standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon waiting to take that leap of faith …. and when I took the leap, I discovered I had wings….. ahhhhh yes, now THAT’S freedom!

Three months later, I gave myself the freedom of then releasing the bounds that held me to Inverness, to my house and my possessions, so bright was my flame.  Again I took that massive leap of faith, this time to move 500 miles south and begin my life and setting up my business once again…. I gave myself the freedom to allow life to begin at 40….

I gave myself the freedom to make mistakes if I needed to, and to learn from them, without worrying about what everyone else thought… such a release!

This gave me the freedom to spread my wings and step out of my comfort zone even further by taking on new risks in every area of life. I have felt no greater joy over these last 18 months in having new experiences replace the things I left behind…. Speaking on BBC Radio many times, having several magazine articles published, being mentioned on Hollywood Radio, having our story published in the National Press and also in a book, in speaking at so many events…. watching our business expand to fully booked workshops, webinars, huge breakthroughs in people we’ve worked with, an influx of new clients and corporate partnerships ….. how did we achieve all that in 18 short months?  Well, when you take that leap of faith, and it’s backed up with absolute belief and no fear, then the Universe will fill the gap that your intention creates…. this may sound far fetched, but in reality, it is simply energetic calibration and attraction.

There are many more guises that come under the heading of freedom…. a big part of this for me would be dancing around on a hilltop singing ‘The Hills are Alive’….. doesn’t it just conjure up the most beautiful image!

Have fun, claim your freedom and enjoy your life – no one else can do this for you…. your life is not a dress rehearsal…this is the real deal…

Great Feedback from Solihull Business Club

The feedback from Solihull Business Club was “thanks for delivering an excellent presentation“.

“Businesses do have personalities which cascade down from the top, and too often in the UK that is a negative energy which hampers everything the company dreams of doing, I do agree that being able to bring a positive energy in to any organisation is a key ingredient for success.“

Our presentation was titled:”What’s at the Cutting Edge of Personal Development, Coaching and Mentoring? How Can It Help Me And My Business?” We discussed how fear, limiting beliefs, a lack of emotional intelligence in management and leadership are all interrelated and drastically hold businesses back from achieving their true potential, on all kinds of levels. The solution… we demonstrated how to manage emotions, overcome fear, promote great energy and manifest great connections between staff, management and customers, attracting outstanding success utilising the Law of Attraction. Our coaching, mentoring and training can facilitate this within individuals and businesses/organisations.

We have been invited back next year to present the club with even more inspiration and thought provoking, awareness raising material.

Here’s what Charles Willcock, Chairman, Solihull Business Club had to say:

“In the current economic situation if you have any doubts about the future,  and how to handle the challenges all around you, Andrew Nicholson and Diane MacDowall provide a refreshing thought provoking, energising presentation which helps you realise that, you have the potential to change your situation for the better, if you want to make that change“.

We are looking for more speaker engagements like this, so do let us know if you are aware of any.

Thanks, Andy & Di

PS. For those who missed our rendition last night, here is a video of ‘The Gratitude Dance’ on YouTube.  TRY IT! Notice how your level of vibrational energy and joy rises. This is a simple, effective example of one of the many many things that you can do to float up the emotional scale and promote emotional intelligence.

Hear us on BBC Local Radio, see us at Solihull Business Club

Yesterday we were on BBC Coventry & Warwickshire for a third time on the Annie Othen mid-morning show; this time talking about overcoming fear.

Annie asked us some great questions; we were on the show for 40 minutes, talking for 25 minutes, plus a few tracks of music.

You can download and listen to all 25 minutes of us talking by clicking on the picture.

Tonight we are the main attraction at The Solihull Business Club, talking about “What’s at the Cutting Edge of Personal Development, Coaching and Mentoring? – How Can It Help Me And My Business?“

So what does an Incantation look and sound like?

Here’s Andy with a quick demonstration…..

Incantations are one of the most, if not the most powerful ways to manifest and attract the life of your dreams. I have had and regularly used my incantation for 3 years. In that time, I have completely changed my life, got out of ‘the rut’ I was in – and am now living my purpose, with my soul-mate, Diane, who I attracted 16 months ago. INCANTATIONS WORK. Three years ago I was too embarrassed to give my incantation my all… my limiting beliefs were holding me back. Now I have shared it with thousands of people and I am living it. An incantation harnesses the power of ‘feelingisation’ which is one of the real secrets to The Law of Attraction.

For more on incantations, click here….