An Everyday Entrepreneur

Cleanliness and Godliness: A Happy Ending in Nunhead

Yesterday began, bright and breezy, at 8 a.m. with me faciliating a T1ME Focus Day.   The idea is a simple one, join the website by sharing your dream, and one of the services we offer is a fortnightly Focus Day – either 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.   You turn up and together with the rest of the crew, we each tick off items on our To Do List, generally focussing on the nasty ones like clutter-clearing, filing, accounts and other chores, or Big Projects which need an expanse of 5 hours with a single focus, all other interruptions turned off.

N and I were both there early and we decided, somewhat whackily, that we would begin our respective days by Watering The Garden.   We each set off independently, she in Catford, me in Streatham Hill.   N is a good deal more spiritual than I and, for her, this would be a delicious way to begin the day by being in touch with nature. As regular readers will know, I’m not that fussed by nature but was simply chuffed to have begun the day by getting something off my list which had been there rather too long.   And here’s a bonus, its raining as I write which means I am exempt this today – yay!

Flushed with success and a tad damp too from the hose, I then threw myself into rather a long list of cleaning-type chores – well, I say I did, but actually people were oganised to come and do them for me, moi in a supervisory role.   At lunchtime the terrific Oven Cleaning Co arrived for their second annual visit and sorted out the oven. I am sure mine is cleaner than most but nevertheless it is very cheering to have it spotless and sparkling. This year I allowed them to take care of the microwave as well as this is too high in my kitchen for my rather titchy cleaner to reach with ease.

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Simplifying & Downshifting: An Update

I am re-reading Simplicity: Easy Ways to Simplify And Enrich Your Life by Elaine St James.   I had to buy another (second hand) copy since, on lending my own copy to a colleague, I remembered how good it is (!) and I thought I would revisit it.

My life is simpler than it might be because (in no particular order of importance):

1. I have no TV (although Thank God for iplayer)
2. Consequently I have no TV licence and yes, I’ve read they want us computer watchers to pay, maybe/maybe not though…
3. And I don’t watch or listen to or read “the news”
4. I don’t read newspapers or magazines or give them house room, except rarely, so nothing to pile up or chuck out
5. I don’t wear a wristwatch as the time is everywhere – car, computer, mobile etc., although weirdly I do still have a luxury one or two on my visionboard
6. I don’t own a car, mine’s leased – if it goes wrong, its their problem and I get to choose a new one every 2 years
7. My parents are dead (outside my control and definitely not an efficiency move on my part but that’s the result). So many of my clients in their middle years are coping with growing teenagers and dying parents, driving across the country at weekends makes for a very complex and exhuasting stage of life.
8. I have no significant other (my choice, no regrets)
9. I have no kids (never wanted any and I already live in a tiny, overcrowded island or so it seems to me)
10. I barely use telephones. The phone/Skype rings by appointment sometimes and I keep my mobile on silent and most don’t know I even own one and that’s how I like it.  I HATE any phones ringing so I discourage it big time.
11. I am registered with both the TPS (telephone preference service) and the MPS (mail preference service) so I minimise telephone calls from people trying to sell me stuff, and junk mail.   Yee ha!   I also phone up everytime I get junk mail and asked to be removed from mailing lists. This does eventually take effect and reduce stuff you have to handle.

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August is Extreme Self-Care Month

Regular readers will know I always have August off in the UK.   And I use it for zapping tolerations.   I notice from a blog post from mid July last year, that my holiday To Do List had 21 items on it.   This year’s is somewhat shorter which is gratifying in itself. I wonder if there’s a direct correlation between how stressed one is and how long one’s To Do List?   Discuss.

I’ve stolen a march on August this year and started to zap tolerations during July – ha ha!   I’ve already booked my annual oven clean and replaced the oven trays and tea-towels. I replaced a light bulb over the weekend (I’ll do the lot in August) and I’ve had the garden tidied already. There’s the dental hygienist to slot in but she’s appointed, the vet (for the cat not me), repairs throughout the flat, a cull in the filing cabinet, two sets of accounts, more clutter-clearing with a vengeance as I really mean to downshift this summer. Then there’s car cleaning and insurance renewal, a family party on 15th, preparing my workshop for Alternatives in November and holding the fort at T1ME as both Janet & Yvonne take well-deserved time off with their families.

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Saturday with Byron Katie & Alternatives

After a very long, tiring and emotionally exhausting day on Friday, again I got up at 8 a.m. to go to a workshop, making it the second 6-day week on the trot.   Remind me to do less, Gentle Reader, please – I’m a fool to myself.

Although I have owned her book, I have never done Byron Katie’s work before but always knew that one day would be The Day, and Saturday was that day.   I spent the morning hot, uncomfortable, exhausted, dehydrated, a bit grumpy and wishing I was at home in bed, wondering why on earth I had signed up to spend the day underground with no natural daylight.

But as the morning wore on, Katie despatched in short shrift a man who had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (she’s tough love, alright) and things perked up a tad with a Nurofen.

Then we had lunch – tuna salad, fruit salad, and a frappucino and I began to feel human again.   I was able to play with my friends during the lunch break and catch up with Sue and get Marie to join us and then the afternoon session began, kerpow – no more whinging, we were into the meat.   Gripping, compelling, edge of seat stuff, applauding and loving the brave people on the stage and their moving stories they surrendered to become healthy again.

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The Creation Experiment Summer Party

Last Autumn, I had one of my now customary “brilliant” ideas to set up a group. A Woo Woo group.   I partnered with Bianca, we threw up a website courtesy of Steve and we invited all those we knew who were good at Woo Woo or who might get better at it, given a community in which to practise and thrive.

And thus, TheCreationExperiment was born.   And now we are at the end of our first academic year, which we celebrated with a party in my garden on top of the three ley lines which are reputed to run beneath Streatham Hill.   Members have come and gone but the core who survive are – alphabetically – Antoinette, Bianca, Carole, Gill, Jakki, Jane, Judith, Karen, Kate, Marie, Marina & Sharon, a delicious dozen. And that seemed reason enough to celebrate.

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Entrepreneurs: Every Day is Blissful and Unique

Another wonderful, unique day in the life of an Everyday Entrepreneur. The weather conditions today were blissful for working in the Abundance Shed – sunny and yet breezy. I found myself reflecting often throughout the day and even exclaiming out loud or really seriously delving into the concept and feelings of how lucky I am to work at home, al fresco.

Today was a day of two halves.   It began and ended with coaching – Antonietta, Ntathu, Andre & Mary Ann, one of whom was a no-show so I kept on working anyway.

The other half of the day – Wednesday – was property options day with Ben.   Today we worked on helping two ladies in Leeds make a deal.   Gave Ben three books to take away as part of Project De-Bag (he got the Millennium Trilogy, lucky man, can’t tell you how much I envy him being at the beginning of THAT journey!).   Ben was also very excited that the Pakistani cricket team had got the Aussies out for 88 – did I remember that right?

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Women of Property Do An Inventory Check on the South Coast

At 8 a.m. today, my friend, colleague & client Jane and I set out to visit our properties on the South Coast. Despite buying the first one in 2005, we had neither of us seen any of them.   We were able only to inspect from the outside in St Leonards on Sea, Worthing & Littlehampton and I am happy to report we found them somewhat more pleasing than we had expected.   We rounded the whole day off with a cracking lunch at the seafront East Beach Cafe. If you find yourself in the vicinity, make sure to have the Cherry Eaton Mess.  Yum.

I am anticipating inspecting all three internally over the next three months as each becomes vacant in turn and debating whether one would turn into a nice weekend retreat at the seaside, or whether to option all three becoming a mortgagor for someone who has a deposit account and can demonstrate they are saving for their own home but cannot get a mortgage right now. If that sounds like you, do please get in touch.

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Gratitude & Intentions: Books, carpets, friendship and a seaside lunch

Three things I am grateful for tonight:

1. The opportunity to re-connect with Angie & Angus after more than a decade
2. Getting rid of a handful of books, beginning the outflow
3. Oddly, receiving a new book – but should be able to recycle it by Friday!

Three things I intend to manifest:

1. A wonderful day tomorrow, doing only one thing – travelling to St Leonards, Worthing & Littlehampton with a lovely friend/client to look at our properties down there, topped off by a reward lunch on the beach.
2. A beautifully tidy garden by the time I return from the seaside run.
3. An affordable quote for new carpets at my Nunhead BTL – they are measuring up tomorrow while I am on the road.

Just Another Manic Monday – In Anticipation of Project De-Bag

I promise you that today I didn’t work as hard as I often do. Nevertheless, here is a list of what I did do. I list this as part of my preparation for the de-baggaging project, about which more later.   First I begin with awareness. If I know what I am up to, I can elect to do less of it.

Began the week with our usual T1ME team meeting with Janet & Yvonne on DimDim (new, cheaper web conferencing service we are testing out as an alternative to Instant Teleseminar) which makes us all feel rather dim dim as we havent cracked it yet.   Sent out the weekly ezine reminding members of a community call at 8 a.m. tomorrow and a focus day at 2 p.m. on Thursday, talk to Sandra re two new web pages called What’s On and Audio Library.

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Namaste Bill Cumming

Bill Cumming gave me his business card.   It not only contains the most precise definition of the word Namaste I have ever read, see below, but it carries with it this promise…   If I ever find myself in need of food and/or shelter, and Bill has it in his power to give me either or both, I only have to rock up at his place in Maine and they are mine.   How lovely!   How Abundant!

Bill holds everyone in high personal regard; in fact he currently holds over 6.5 million people in his heart.   What a guy. Check out The Boothby Institute for more on Bill, especially his programme “What One Person Can Do”.   He believes – as do I now – that if we each held each other in that place of unconditional love, high regard and Namaste, that the world’s problems would be over – that’s poverty, homelessness, hunger and fiscal meltdown to name but four.

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