A while ago, I wrote about how it was time to let our light shine - the famous inspirational words, often incorrectly attributed to Mr Nelson Mandela at his inuauguration. The words are actually from Marianne Williamson from her book “A Return to Love”.

Well, a friend has just sent me the above Youtube link where the original words are beautifully presented in sign language.

Another friend has also pulled me up once again for holding myself back and not letting my own light shine! So this message is very timely for me - and my friend is holding me accountable for me to stop holding back and to let me own light finally shine.

OK - it has been a challenging few months, but who am I not to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? And who are you not to be the same?!

Nelson Mandela is said to have used some of these words, either during his inauguration as South African president, or soon after. Though there is no record of this in any of his official speeches, he is sure to have agreed with the powerful message of these words:-

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves,
Who am I?
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God!
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in all of us!
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously
give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.”

Go and let your light shine from today

Every now and then, you come across a story that touches you deeply and your world is never the same again.

I first came across a version of this story in one of Wayne Dwyer’s books - “The Power of Intention”. It has also been doing the rounds on the internet and via chain emails. Then recently, it was sent to me by my good friend the amazing Harry Singha who runs the Youth Coaching Academy.

This story never fails to touch me no matter how many times I read and reread it again. So even if you have read this before, see how it impacts you again this time around. And if it is the first time you are reading this, then be prepared and open to be impacted at a deep level.

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It is a beautiful spring morning here in London and I have just had a leisurely (i.e. lazy!) breakfast.

Health and nutrition are very important to me and as much as I can I do take optimal self-care. This morning I feasted on freshly made bean sprouts.

A while ago I outlined my method for making your own bean sprouts.

Having just made the bean sprouts overnight, I am always amazed at this little miracle in my own home. It is fascinating how in just one day and night, the beans have sprouted inch long “tails”. A reminder yet again of the universal mind all around us that just makes things happen.

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Over the last few months since the passing away of my father, I have had support and encouragement from a lot of people. Sometimes this support has come from people I had least expected it from or from people I hardly knew.

One such person is a young banker who my father got to know over the last year and who helped with sorting out some banking matters. A few months ago my father even connected me with the banker and gifted him a copy of my book.

I shall hereon refer to this guy simply as the banker, but he knows who I am talking about
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Incredibly it is now already March. How quickly the time is going already in 2008!

As I write this, I am looking out on onto a beautifully sunny day – spring is certainly in the air.

To mark the new season of hope and fresh beginnings, I am running a special offer for my book “Get the Life you Love and Live it” - you only pay what you like, plus postage and packing.

Get your copy today

The book usually retails for £9.99 plus postage, but you can now get it for whatever price you wish to pay plus postage, anywhere in the world. You simply pay what you feel the book is worth to you.

So why am I making this offer?

I feel I am now back in the swing of things after a few months of rest, reflection and recuperation and it is time to celebrate life with renewed vigour and energy. This is my way of giving something back to the people out there who have been so supportive of me over the last few difficult months.

Also, I really believe in the value my book offers, and I want to spread my message and work as widely as possible. My intention is that a lot of people will benefit from this book - and will also get it for their family and friends.

I feel that the pay what you like offer will encourage even more people to buy the book.

And do please help me spread the word

One of the keys for success in our lives is to improve the relationships with all the people in our life.

I have previously written about improving all your relationships but a few weeks ago, I learnt and began to apply this one simple trick which will improve all your relationships quite quickly. This is nothing new by the way, and I am sure I read somewhere a while ago about appreciation circles.

The idea of my “appreciation circle” is to get everyone to say something positive of someone, present or not present, dead or alive.

During the grieving period for my late father in December, one afternoon we were all sitting around in the lounge in a circle and I suggested we go around the room with each person sharing what they remembered about my father and what he meant to them.

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It is February 29th, leap year day.

Regardless of their physical age, some people just don’t “grow up”. Just how old are you emotionally, mentally and spiritually?

The phrase “grow up” is a bit of a misnomer - it implies that there is something wrong with not being group up - and also that being grown up is our ultimate destinaiton.

It is about GROWING, not being grown up.

Let today be the start of a new you. Time to start growing!

A few days ago, I came across the above couple in Regents Park. They were literally taking their dog, Dino, for a ride around the park.

Dino the huskey dog is now 15, which apparently makes him over 90 in human years! Suffering from arthritic knees, he now gets treated like a king every day.

Talk about unconditional love! This reminds me of a great book by Don Miguel Ruiz called “The Mastery of Love” - and he talks about how your pet such as a dog never holds any grduges against you, is always excited to see you and totally loves you unconditionally.

Now what would it be like to love everyone unconditionally? Would you ever be mean to your loved ones, if they were your pet?!

And who is going to cart you around the park, when YOU are 90?!

It is a beautiful Sunday morning here in London - crisp but gloriously sunny. It feels really quiet and peaceful outside and I can even hear the birds from my garden.

A while ago I wrote about how Sundays mornings were the best time of the week for me.

As I resume my “normal” lilfe after the loss of my father, I am filled with gratitude for this morning. Today feels like I am getting back my energy and ready to move forward with my own life and to pursue my dreams once again.

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Last Saturday I was lucky enough to hear live a lecture by Professor Muhammad Yunus at the wonderful St James Church in Piccadilly London. Professor Yunus was honoured and recognised for this life changing work amongst the poor of Bangladesh with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

I was especially lucky to have had front row seats – and you can see more pictures on my Facebook profile.

It was quite an inspirational day - here was an amazing man with the lofty ambition of eliminating poverty from the world and to one day make it simply non existent - so that we would need “Poverty Museums” to show future generations what life used to be like for the majority of people on earth. They will wonder why poverty existed so long in humankind – and how there could have been so much inequality in the world.

That really is a question that bugs me too so often – why is there so much poverty and inequality in the world. And more importantly what we can do about it?

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