Happy Valentine's Day! So many kinds of love to celebrate and practice today
Pearl Howie
Amazon Best Selling Author, Award Winning Instructor, Speaker, Publishing Consultant and Explorer-in-Chief of Pearl Escapes
Dearly beloved,
For many years, I would write my Valentine's Day message to include all the kinds of love besides romantic that we can enjoy - all the time. True to form, I've already had a lovely early Valentine's Day lunch with my grandma (and left her a Valentine to open) I've (not entirely consciously) ordered a whole load of clearance sale items from John Lewis (they and M&S are having crazy sales on their non-own brand stuff online) which is all being delivered separately so I should be getting lots of presents delivered today! (Even if I end up returning them all!)?
I've also read this very deep and insightful article about?four profound or high types of love ?which is very interesting although I disagree with one point: In the article the author stays that equanimity (which I agree is an absolutely essential practice for a joyful and peaceful life) has the "far enemy" of excitement. Of course, if you practice being excited about everything, you can enjoy excitement WITH equanimity. As I have been labelled "the most excitable person on the planet" at times, I do need this practice! What I mean is that we can have a quiet equanimity about the weather - "ok, it's raining" or "ok, it's sunny" or we can have an excited equanimity - "hooray, it's raining", "Oh yes! It's sunny".?
Which just goes to show you, as I have learned from training with the greatest teachers of love on the planet, that we must never follow without question, but always integrate any belief, any practice, any teaching with our own individual personal wisdom and way of being.
And I must digress from my usual type of Valentine's message today, because of a dream I had a few days ago. Last month, a friend who had just got engaged (you know who you are!) asked me if I would ever consider dating again. I had to think for a moment as it just has not been on the cards for a long time. It was very hard for me to think of ever say, trying online dating, or "getting out there". Right now, my commitment is to my family, my passion is for my business and my dedication is to my own health - none of these parts of my life are particularly easy at the moment.
But in my dream, I was relaxing on the sofa, feet up, with my partner. We were talking about how we got there and I couldn't remember. All I could feel in the dream was a wonderful sense of relaxation, connection and being home with someone - the ease of a loving and wonderful relationship. And I woke up thinking, 'Oh yes. I like that.'
Valentine's Day can so often put the emphasis on grand gestures, on dating, on meeting people... sex... marriage... that we can overlook the very simple beauty of a loving relationship where we just enjoy that natural connection. It reminds me of my last BIG relationship, where we just met and (for the most part) it all just felt so right and easy. I remember that this can happen, and when it does, it is the most natural thing in the world and, as we used to say to each other all the time, anything is possible.
Claudia Woodford has also shared another wonderful podcast, which is particularly profound if you are thinking about loving relationships with friends. Well done Claudia, again, for putting your heart out there. xx?https://www.buzzsprout.com/2217748/14489870
I wish you all a joyful Valentine's Day - it's never too late to share love, whether it's a text, phone call, card, or a gift to yourself or others, whatever kind of love you choose today.
Lots of love,?Pearl??
Monday 19th February 2024?10:15-11am (Doors open 10am) - Zumba Gold
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 842 3558 4605 Passcode: 461789
Wednesday 28th February -?Fear of Success Instructor Training
10am to 3pm, (London time)
This will be a small interactive group on Zoom. Normally this training is ￡350. Early Bird discount price until February is ￡250.?
领英推荐
Fear of Success Instructor Training with Claudia Woodford and Pearl Howie
Just like first aid, in an ideal world, none of us would have to understand fear of success, but in a post-Covid world, the root causes and associated disorders which cause fear of success, and limit our personal and professional capabilities, are even more prevalent and an everyday hazard.
This training focuses on a new framework for understanding the five types of fear of success, which can affect us all at different times. Better than that, the training is practical, engaging participants to demonstrate for each other different types of fear of success, before we dive into all the many ways to overcome these fears which block and limit us.
We round out the day with an essential training on associated disorders which almost all of us will have to deal with at some point in our lives, including the ever “popular” Imposter Syndrome.
The training, which has been running since October 2022, based on the Amazon best selling book published right before the Covid pandemic, has received positive feedback from 92.3% of participants (mainly from coaches who have been using it to improve performance for their clients).?
For managers it is an incisive diagnostic tool for individuals and teams, particularly in professional development. It also enables leaders to see where, on a company wide basis, this kind of fear inhibits creativity and innovation which are core to growth.
It is also a demonstrated way to help companies avoid burnout and promote wellbeing – both of which have been shown to be more profitable than the alternatives (including wellness or wellbeing initiatives which have not been properly thought out!)
The participants of this training receive certification as Fear of Success Instructors so that they can support their colleagues as well as themselves in the future. Participants walk away having changed the way they see things, they stop holding themselves back, free themselves up to do what they are best at, equipped with practical solutions to any success issues they or their businesses may have. Fear of Success Instructor Training empowers business owners to develop their own and their team’s talents beyond what they previously thought possible.
This price also includes your accreditation and… another new development in this training… a simple manual including everything we cover in the training – so you don’t even have to read the books!
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