Positivity in the Face of Adversity

For so long things had been going so well economically.  There was cheap credit, booming property prices and tremendous jobs growth.  Now, all is changed utterly.  We’ve had the credit crunch, the failure of the banking system and long dole queues.  We have gone from boom to burst and it has affected us all.   It’s like we were sold a false vision of what’s important, and in the process became blinded to what really counts.  We now have a chance to look with new eyes at our lives and what we’re about.  There is more than physical blindness.  There is blindness that comes from self-obsession and a false vision.  We now have the chance to reflect on our values and on what is important to us.  How clear is our vision? 

We must bear in mind though, that all this negative news can get over-emphasised by the media. Fear can act as a means of persuasion. Are you allowing the media persuade you into a doom and gloom mindset? 

We can indeed feel helpless, negative and lethargic, sometimes, even frustrated and resentful by the situations we find ourselves in.  We can live in fear which is determined by circumstances we perceive as beyond our control.  The opposite of powerlessness however is being in control.  An ability to tackle the situation head-on.   It is a calm conviction about who we are and our ability to deal positively with our current situation with success.  Why not begin today, Begin by asking yourself the following three questions:-

1.    Have I got my health this morning that I can get out of bed and live?

2.    What can I do to help others less well off today?

3.    What am I most grateful for in my life?

Those few queries to yourself will help you realise there is more reason to be optimistic than you previously considered.  Why not begin today to become more aware of your blessings.  Instead of remaining in a negative mindset, why not change the mindset to living with joy and positivity. 

Socio Economic shifts have been known to affect health so therefore, it is imperative on each one of us to look after our thought processes thus looking after our health.  We should celebrate the good things which are very often the simple things we have in our lives.

People who did not “buy into” the Celtic Tiger will cope with recessionary times.  They are more aware of aspects of life that have great meaning.

For a personal consultation or if you feel you could benefit from some guidelines on working on the positives in your life, why not give Nuala, Qualified Life and Business Coach a call to arrange a consultation.

Dips.  Life and Business Coaching and Train the Trainer, FETAC Level 6 

Tel. 087  2532675

or info@nualaduignanlifecoach.com

View web site at:

www.nualaduignanlifecoach.com

Regain Control and Balance in Life

I'm writing this as every news channel is forecasting “doom and gloom” for the economy, not just in this little country of ours, but world wide. You can however manage to “switch out” by recalling nice memories, and simply enjoying a deep breath, always realising that when things seem hopeless there is always chance for optimism and opportunity. When situations seem impossible things can become possible.

It has become an almost iconic sign of our times – the dreaded stress word, yet it is still an epidemic that nobody seems to know that much about. Many people appear to be suffering from it, yet nobody knows exactly what causes it, or why. There is, as yet no magic pill we can pop to make it go away! The general consensus, however, is that it is our body’s non-specific reaction to the demands put on it. Stress seems to affect everyone in different ways – from tension headaches to spot outbreaks of the common cold. So, what can we do about it? This is where the assistance of a Life Coach can benefit you.

What does Life Coaching do?

Life Coaching offers you that time, space and encouragement to focus on yourself, what your difficulties really are, and what you would like to achieve. This process facilitates the possibility of real change in your life.

A Life Coach does not provide the answers, as only you know what changes you need to make. However, coaching encourages you to figure things out for yourself with a view to leaving the past behind and moving towards a more fulfilled future.

What is important to remember is that you set the agenda, not the Coach. This is about your life.

Are there aspects of your life about which you feel you have no choice?

Do you know what is really important to you?

Are you looking over your shoulder all the time at the negative things that happened to you in the past?

Is your happiness something that is going to happen when you achieve this or that or when you retire?

Do you worry a lot about tomorrow, next week or next year?

• Life Coaching is a one-on-one interactive relationship based upon confidentiality and mutual respect where the Coach is a skilled listener hearing all that is said but also that which is unsaid.
  
  
• Your Life Coach prompts you to focus on real issues you may be having and encourages understanding and self awareness.
  
  
• Life Coaching is an ongoing process based upon open communication and it is a means of exploring choices and gaining new perspectives in a safe environment.
  

The reasons for life coaching are the ones bouncing around in your head at this very moment. The question though now, is:- “are you ready for the rewards that come with taking the game of life to the next level?”

Life Coaching is about choosing your goals and taking the necessary route to achieving them.

Nuala Duignan is a Professional Life Coach.

Diplomas in Life and Business Coaching and Train the Trainer, FETAC Level 6

Tel. 087 2532675 or e.mail

info@nualaduignanlifecaoch.com

www.nualaduignanlifecoach.com

Whose Recession Is It Anyway? part v - What Has Happened?

I’m hoping you can help me solve a mystery that’s been occupying my mind lately. I’ve been wondering what is happening to all the people who are losing their jobs?

So far 115,000 people have lost their job in Ireland this year. We are told half a million of us could be unemployed by Christmas. That’s over six Croke Park’s full of people, or more than three times the entire population of County Meath, looking for a job. That’s a massive amount of people. How come we never near from them?

I’m not being flippant; I just find it strange that so many people have lost their jobs without even a murmur of what’s happened to them all.

We’re told the 1980’s were bad. Indeed they were; our young people left in droves to find work in Britain, America, Canada and Australia. I remember the ‘send off’ parties which were a strange mixture of fund raising, bon voyage and tears. Well if things were bad then, they are far worse now.

1985 was the worst year for job losses in those bad old days; 24,000 people lost their job in the 12 months of that year. By contrast 36,500 people lost their job in the single month of January 2009 alone. I was one of them.

For those who lost your job in January, your ten month anniversary has just passed. Almost a year on the dole folks, hard to believe isn’t it? Should I be offering congratulations or commiserations?

Back to my question then, ‘What has happened to all those people?’ Have they found jobs? Have they gone to Australia or Canada, or some other place where things aren’t so bad? Have they just settled for unemployment, accepted their lot so to speak? Are they just marking time until their redundancy cheques run out? Is the dole enough to live on? Are they happily sunning themselves (between the showers) in their back gardens? Are they bored and depressed and devoid of hope? Or are they working away on the black market, pulling in nixers and living the life of Reilly? What about the migrant workers, have they gone back to Poland, Lithuania or Latvia? What has happened to everyone?

This recession and the consequent huge number of job losses is arguably the biggest social catastrophe to hit Ireland since the famine; yet we know almost nothing about what is happening to the people most affected by it. I think it’s amazing that hundreds of thousands of our population could be thrown out of their job and then just disappear. No-one seems to be protesting, there’s been no Jarrow style marches, no picketing of TDs’ offices; nothing seems to have happened.

I set up The Job Seekers Union to give a voice to unemployed people. I wanted to create local job clubs to help job seekers support each other, to come together to generate work perhaps on a co-operative basis. I expected to be flooded with applicants; it’s free to join after all. I have to say, I’ve been surprised at the lack of interest. It makes me wonder, have the unemployed found a contentment that the rest of the population doesn’t know about? They have after all, been christened the ‘Fun-employed.’ Could it really be true; is it fun to be unemployed? Somehow I don’t think so; certainly not if my experience is anything to go by.

Maybe we’ve all lost our tongues? Perhaps we’re ashamed or embarrassed to speak out? Maybe that stigma of being without a job still holds true? Whatever it is; it’s still amazing that such a huge percentage of our population could suffer something as profound as losing their job, yet we know so little about what has happened to them.

According to Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, “You take my life when you do take the means whereby I live.” Is that true? Is losing your job a disaster?

County Meath has been particularly badly hit by unemployment. The commuter belt has gone a bit quiet this year; you only have to drive to Dublin on the N2 or N3 in the rush hour to see the impact of the recession. More than 10,000 people are signing on in Meath. We’d like to hear their stories. Tell us what it’s been like for you.

Write to David Jones. You can email me at david@thejobseekersunion.com.

Copyright © David Jones 2009

Part five of a five part series. For previous installments check the archive pages on The Job Seekers Blog.