Author: nlpnowcom

Categories
Thoughts Travels

Car Boot Sale

On a very cold Sunday morning in November here in Kingston upon Thames, there is a car boot sale.

A car boot sale in the UK is a very popular pastime. People with loads of unwanted items, clothes, books, ornaments, trash, you name it, fill up their car with this stuff and gather with other people with unwanted goods, and sell them at very cheap prices.

These meetings or sales are organised and marketed, and they attract many sellers and people searching for bargains.

I love to walk around these car boots, not to buy, just to look, as they have a great atmosphere, and may be there will be something I may spot, an electronic gadget, a book, a tool.

Books that cost £15 in the shops will be sold for 50 pence, and I love books, but they have to be what I want, a subject that interests me, and be of use. Thank goodness for PhotoReading, even at 50 pence, it is not worth buying something that will not be useful to me, plus I am running out of space on my bookshelves.

I race round the boot sale, using Phillip’s Sausage (click to understand), then go back around to pick those items that will interest me, you see PhotoReading is not only good for reading books.

Many people seeking bargains at car boot sales

Bargains at car boot sales

But now I am glad to get back indoors. I am so cold. A nice cup of tea is now required, English Breakfast tea with milk. That’s better.

Categories
Travels

A Phoenix, the mythical bird

I have been asked, what is a Phoenix I mentioned in my blog, New Dates, New Trainings, New Beginnings.

Categories
Coaching Memory Mind Maps NLP PhotoReading

New Dates, New Trainings, New Beginnings

Today has been a sorting out day, my paperwork, my filing, my future courses, my car.

In the UK, we have to MOT our cars every year. MOT stands for Ministry Of Transport, and is a test of the road worthiness of a car over a certain age, and when complete, a test certificate is issued, allowing you to tax the car, thus being able to use the car on the UK highways.

Everything is computerised. The car has an identification, so the garage, conducting the tests of the lights, body, tires, brakes and emissions, etc, enters the details onto the Department of Transports computers.

I can then go on-line on my computer to the vehicle licensing computer of the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency), enter a reference number, that computer checks that the car has the above MOT, and that the car has valid insurance, and before you can blink an eye, my credit card is £230.00 more into debt.

To pay for all this, the test, the license fee and tax, I need to work, and it is with regret that I have to part company with NLPGrup in Turkey as they have not been paying me for my work, although they have been paid by participants and companies.

So today I have been talking to more companies in Turkey and Bahrain for courses in the coming months.

Two companies in Turkey will be representing me, NLP-Time, and Gap Consultancy in the south of Turkey. Visit their web sites by clicking on their names for dates and courses.

In Bahrain I am talking to and will be working with Dr Leila Edwards of The MakeOver Experience, visit their site for more information and dates.

I will look forward working with these for me new companies, to meeting old and new participants and companies.

Like in Richmond Park, the trees have down times, when they have difficulties, the environment is not good, but that down time will be replaced by good times and new good growth, arising from the ashes will come the Phoenix.



Here I come.

Categories
Travels

A New Life

I met a friend and fellow NLPer Charles Moore with his wife Janice and their new baby Zoe, in Starbugs for my hot chocolate.

A number of my blog readers have met Charles, so here is their picture.

                                            
Categories
Travels

Richmond Park in West London

I had made a trip to Rochester to see a client and it gave me the idea to walk up to the Royal Richmond Park which is about ten minutes from my home here in Kingston upon Thames.

To see my client in Rochester, east of London, I took the train.

It was wonderful to sit in the warm carriage, looking at the changing colours of the leaves, going from their summer green to their autumn browns and oranges, eventually falling to be recycled into food for the plants take in the next growth. It reminded me of train journey from Athens to my then home in the UK, Peterborough. I had ended my long 5-6 year job as software manager for Texas Instruments in Saudi Arabia, and visited a friend in Athens for a weeks rest, and rather than fly back from Greece, I took the train. 

It was autumn, and as I slid through the valleys of Yugoslavia on the slow train, with the fast flowing rivers down in the valley floor, the sides of the narrow valleys were covered by trees, all going through the change, from summer to winter. The colours were fantastic, yellows, oranges, browns and greens of the evergreens, all made a patchwork of beauty that will forever stay in my mind. 

I had met my friend Charles Moore for a hot chocolate, and on my walk home, I could not get the memory of my train trips out of my mind, so I changed my shoes and off I went for a walk in Richmond Park. (Read about Isabella Plantation, click here).

It was refreshingly cold, and the sun was slowly falling in the sky, with a slight drizzle of rain in the air.

On reaching the park, the colours of the changing seasons were there, but perhaps I was a week too late to have seen it in all its’ glory, especially as here in the UK we had had storms the previous week, blowing the leaves from the trees. But, I was not disappointed.

Once in the park, and walking away from the road that rings the outer perimeters, I walked up a steep climb towards trees, the traffic noise disappeared and I began to hear some strange bird sounds. Searching the trees I saw parakeets, green, totally out of place in the UK, but they have made a strong hold, and are breeding. Last night, now being aware of them, I saw a whole flock of them squawking their way back to their night roost.

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On top of the steep climb I followed the tree line, and just walked, seeing in the distance, planes descending into Heathrow airport, dark clouds with ribbons of rain very visible falling in the far distance, and the smell of fresh air, the smell of the different types of trees, and the decaying leaves laying on the grass.

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Categories
NLP Phobias Travels

Removing Phobias and Fears, Confidence Building

Much of my life at the moment is delivering courses, NLP, Coaching, Hypnosis, Stage Hypnosis, Memory, Mind Maps and PhotoReading, to the general public and companies, but I also work with individuals with their issues.

These issues could be phobias (click to see your phobia), fears, lack of confidence, presentation skills, self-esteem, smoking, drugs, eating disorders, whatever, I will and have worked with them. 

I only see the client once, but that session can be as long as it takes to have the successful outcome the client wants. You can click here to read about some of the recommendations and work I have done.

My other offer to my clients is that I will go/travel to them, their home, their hotel, their office. This has taken me to some far places for the day, Rome, Northern Ireland, airport departure lounges, police stations. It is all in a days work, and I love it.

Yesterday I visited Rochester, a town east of London. This journey took me from my home town of Kingston upon Thames, into the train station Waterloo in Central London, change to another train line, and then out the other side of London to Rochester.

I prefer the train in some ways as it is cheaper, and I can sit and read the newspaper, watch the countryside slip passed, work, or just relax in my own thoughts.

There are only two things it is believed that the human is naturally frightened or phobic about, and these are falling and load noises, everything else is learned.
 
What can be learned can be unlearned.

It is so satisfying to work with people, put them at ease with me, and to work with them without them really realising I am working with them.

The quickest I have removed phobias or fears is probably seconds.

Traveling out of Heathrow to Italy, a lady and her friend sitting and waiting in the departure lounge were talking. She caught sight of the aircraft, and went into a flaming phobic fit.

I walked up to her and said “do you want to get rid of it?” 

She nodded, and I did my thing, and it had gone. Her friend turned to her and asked if she was OK, as they continued their conversation.

I watched them all the way to Milan, chatting away as the rest of the passengers were, yet she never thanked me.

Often I never hear again from my clients, after all, why should I hear from them.

Often they say that they could not have had a phobia in the first place.

Others say it is bazare that the old feelings and thoughts are gone.

I love my job.

Categories
NLP Travels

NLP Master Practitioner, Milan

A wonderful time in Milan, Italy, awaited me, with very open and willing participants on the Society of NLP’s Master Practitioner course.

This Sunday we learned about unconscious processes, relaxation, and the eyes closed process.

                                        Jack Frost for my ice cream.

Categories
Travels

The Basil Diner, Kingston upon Thames

Travel has allowed me to taste many varieties of food, some I like, fish and chips from England, some I cannot take, sambal from South East Asia. Some food likes me, fish and chips, some foods do not like me, red and green peppers.

It is when I find a restaurant that serves real authentic food, provide good quality in their food, staff and facilities, and give value for money, that I am happy.

I me it does not matter if it is the best hotel like the Ritz in London, or the little corner café, Kevilcim Cafe ev Yemekleri in Kadikoy, Istanbul, if I enjoy the experience, I am happy.

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I found one such restaurant in my home town Kingston upon Thames (click to watch a small video of my town), here in the UK, called The Basil Restaurant.

                                           NLP-Time (Istanbul), and Gap Consultancy (Gaziantep). I hope to see old and new participants soon in my courses.

See my web site NLPNOW (www.nlpnow.net).  

Categories
Travels

An Ice Cream Parlour or a Gelateria

I love working in Italy, the food is good, especially the ice cream.

Last weekend (PhotoReading training) was no different, except for my computer loosing all my data and work.

Saturday lunchtime, having had a meal in the hotel we were holding the PhotoReading course, the Jolly Touring, Elena and myself made a quick exit, and walked to my favorite ice cream shop, Jack Frost.

Jack Frost, (Via Casati Felice 25, 20124 Milano, tele 02-6691134), is the best gelateria (ice cream parlour) in Milan, it seems to be open all hours. So many varieties of tastes, and friendly staff.

Try it you may like it.

                    my computer problems at one lick.

Categories
NLP Travels

My ‘annus mirabilis’

‘Annus mirabilis’ is a Latin phrase meaning a year of wonders or miracles. It was first coined in a poem by John Dryden called Annus Mirabilis: the year of wonders 1666. In 1992 the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, used it to describe the year that the marriages of her two sons Charles and Andrew broke down and Windsor Castle caught fire.

For me it has been a journey, firstly by my Angioplasty, or the insertion of a stent in a coronary artery, followed by ever increasing training courses around the globe.

I love my work, there is nothing better than to have delivered a course or courses, in no matter what language, in whatever country, and see participants leaving happy having had learned and achieved so much.

There has been down times, which could have really spoiled my year if I did not know about “Oh Poo Poo” (click to understand), being able to control my state thanks to my knowledge of NLP, and the support and friendship of many around me.

The last couple of weeks has been not good.

Firstly I knew that the company that organises my trainings in Turkey, NLPGrup, would not pay me, despite promises made that payments would be made, deep down I knew the promises were of no value. But, I had made commitments, promises, people and companies were relying upon me to deliver, and they had paid good money to NLPGrup. I did not wish to get a bad name for not delivering.

I was proved right. Still water under the bridge, I will carry on delivering my training in other countries plus Turkey.

My phone system using the VoIP (Voice over the Internet Protocol) DualPhone 3088 stopped working, the base station seems to have stopped working, and trying to get a replacement out of SKYPE or even contact them seems to be impossible.

My mobile phone kept on freezing when people telephoned me, so I was loosing phone calls, the only way out was to reset the phone. (Orange SPV M3100). Plus I could not interface and update mobile phone and computer since renewing my subscription, updating and installing Norton 360 security software.

Perhaps I could get a new phone out of Orange my service provider. But no, they told me to do a hard reset, which meant I would loose all my contacts and diary on my phone. OK I thought, next week after my trip to Italy, I will update the data on my phone, at least I can receive telephone calls.

I had an accident whilst in Turkey, when a cup containing tea collapsed on my computer keyboard (click to read), leaving some keys inoperable. A small portable keyboard solved that problem.

Oh Poo Poo, just carry on.

I had a PhotoReading course last weekend to deliver in Milan, Italy last weekend (2nd – 4th November 2007), despite the early start to catch the 6am flight to Milan from London, I felt good.

With my translator Elena Martelli (click) we set-up the rather small room, creating an unusual seating configuration which worked beautifully. I had no external speakers for my music on my computer, but the sound out of the computer was just acceptable.

The last job was to attach my projector to the computer so I could show slides. When I did the music became corrupted, emitting strange sounds. I knew something was wrong.

I tried to switch my computer of. Nothing happened. This was worse than I could have expected. My whole computer was gone. I could do nothing. No music, no slides, no Mind Maps of the course structure, all was lost.

We borrowed an IPod from Alessio Roberti of NLPItaly, not my choice of music, but it would more than do. Sunday, that packed-up working. Oh Poo Poo.


Thinking I would need a new computer, and knowing I have lost all my data, I put on a bright face, at least I have a good excuse to purchase a new computer, and I have backup, albeit a couple of months old.

I managed to reconfigure my computer, get it working again, by reloading the operating system, but that meant loosing all my programmes, data, videos, photos or contact details, now I am naked, I have nothing, neither on my computer or mobile phone.

It has taken me three days now to get partially back, ready to travel to Milan again this weekend to deliver another course, this time to an NLP Master Practitioner course. I will have my music.

Keep myself smiling, in a good state, that is the key. Trouble is Mee Len is ill, having sickness and diarera, and it has been nearly a week, continually running to the toilet, poor thing, she is so weak, not eating or sleeping well. I am the nurse now, trying to do one hundred things at once.

This has been my ‘Annus mirabilis’, but there is only one way to go, and that is up with a smile on my face, to meet new people and new challenges, and at least I am alive.