Touching zero

Inspiration comes from some of the oddest places…this is from Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell III… and currently echoing how I feel about life….

I’m still alive
Must have been a miracle
It’s been a hell of ride
Destination still unknown
It’s a fact of life:
If you make one wrong move with the gun to your head
You better walk the line or you’ll be left for dead

I’m a runaway train on a broken track
I’m a ticker on a bomb, you can’t turn back this time
That’s right
I got away with it all and I’m still alive
Let the end of the world come tumbling down
I’ll be the last man standing on the ground
And as the blood runs through my veins
I’m still alive

Lost in the night
Feeling so invisible
Oh, a dead man walking the wire
I have broke the devils net
That’s made of fire
And it’s a long way down from the top of the world
You better look around or you gonna get burned

I’m a runaway train on broken track
I’m a ticker on a bomb, you can’t turn back this time
That’s right
I got away with it all and I’m still alive
Let the end of the world come tumbling down
I’ll be the last man standing on the ground
And as the dust wheels look in my eyes
I’m still alive
I’m still alive

The darkest night ain’t black enough
To keep the morning light from shining
The highest wall ain’t tall enough
To keep the smallest man from climbing

The more that you resist the tide
The more it pulls you in
The more you hang on for your life

(I’m a runaway train on broken track)
(I’m a ticker on a bomb, you can’t turn back this time)
(that’s right)
That’s right
I got away with it all and I’m still alive

I’m a runaway train on broken track
I’m a ticker on a bomb, you can’t turn back this time
That’s right
I got away with it all and I’m still alive
Let the end of the world come tumbling down
I’ll be the last man standing on the ground
And if my shadow is all that survives
I’m still alive

For some time now, since I got divorced, I’ve spent Christmas morning on my own – until my two boys return in the evening and it all gets wild. That means I’ve time to reflect, time to meditate, time to be thoughtful. I took a long walk out this morning, down by the river near my home, and the overwhelming thoughts I had were of gratitude and excitement.

There are so many wonderful things in my life right now. Some wonderful friends, some wonderful adventures that I am on. Sure, there are some really, really hard things going on too. 2008 has not been a particularly comfortable year for me – and 2009 is going to have its share of heartache too. I suspect that it’s the same for you in many ways. And in particular the current financial crisis brings its own share of uncertainty and discomfort. And yet, something seemed to say to me this morning “All will be well”. Not just for me, but for you too. Something is happening in my life, and something is happening in your life… something magical, something wonderful. Something full of joy. Something full of purpose. If you stay open to it. If you learn to listen to your heart, and follow it – your head will catch up eventually.

I know there are many things that will change in 2009. For me as well as for you. There are new beginnings, new adventures, new friendships, maybe even new romances. And there are endings, too. Things that have been part of your life will fall away, because you’ve moved on – because something new is coming, and by letting go of the old, we allow ourselves to step into the new. Some things will change and some will disappear.

Many of you know that I am a hopeless romantic. A Christmas tradition for me has been to watch a romantic movie and to dream. This year I watched “Serendipity” again which is one of my top five movies of all time. If you haven’t watched it – well, watch it. If you have – well, watch it again. And listen.

The story is about passion – and about love. But it’s all about our part in creating that destiny – by listening to our hearts, by listening to the signs that the Universe sends us.. as the movie says “if we are to live life in harmony with the universe, we must all possess a powerful faith in what the ancients used to call ‘fatum’, what we currently refer to as ‘destiny’”

And as Sarah in the movie points out “You don’t have to understand, you just have to have faith – faith in destiny”

There is something wonderful happening for you right now.. if you stay open to it, and if you follow the little signs that you are sent – a song, a story, a chance comment. Pay attention. Listen out for the clues, the hints, the signposts. Learn to follow them. They are there.

But the key question is, as the movie says: “The Greeks only asked one question when a man died.. ‘Did he have passion?’”

So what’s your call as you look into 2009? Will you have passion? Passion for what you want? Passion for loving others? Passion for the world? Next year will be what we make it – and with passion, and with a willingness to follow our hearts….we really can change the world.

Into 2009

In these uncertain times, we look around for certainty, for hope, for a sign that all will be well. The coming days, and months, are going to be some of the most exciting we have ever lived in…. but that depends on how we see things. It’s clear to me that I can see this current time as one of uncertainty, of fear, where the foundations are rocked for me. Or I can see it as a time of excitement, where anything could happen.

You see, I know I am going to be OK – I am going to be safe. And so are you.

We often think that life is about the destination, about where we get to – and it isn’t. It isn’t even about the cast – the star, the love interest, the hero. If it was, well, we could perhaps just skip to the last chapter and read that.

It’s about the journey. It’s about the adventure. It’s about the sights we see along the way, the experiences we have. It’s about how we feel. About how much fun we have. How much love we share.

In the movie ‘Along Came Polly’ there is a wonderful character, Polly’s boyfriend’s father, who remains silent for the whole film… until, frustrated at his son’s inability to take a risk, says…”Why don’t you let go – move on with your life. It’s not about what happened in the past – or what might happen in the future. It’s about the ride. No point going through this crap if you’re not going to enjoy the ride. And who knows – something might come along that’s even better than you planned”

And that’s how it is. 2009 looks full of change for me, and for my family. Pretty much anything is up and open to change. And it is going to be incredibly exciting. As a friend said to me – look at fear – and call it adventure. Enjoy the adrenalin rush. Enjoy the experience. I have no idea what the next 12 months will bring… but I know that it will be good. You see, I have a target – to love people, to help heal them, to help them know who they truly are. My target is Love – and that’s good, because love is so big, I can’t miss.

Things are changing for me – and they are changing for you. That’s called ‘Life’ – because life is all about change, all about evolution, all about things being different. So will you accept the adventure, the thrill of the ride?

So, if you want to talk some of this through with me, them drop me a mail – tim@heartstorm.org – or give me a call on 08456101460. And let’s see where the adventure takes us.

To your incredible future

Tim

PS – you might find some things changing in the way I communicate with you as I change shopping carts and hosting. I hope you will stay with me. I hope you’ll enjoy the insights and learning and wisdom – because there’s more to come in 2009, and I want you to be part of it!

Remember – NEW BOOK RELEASE

Stop press – Free Your Mind – Release Your Dreams is released in print and for download.

A while ago, one of my clients asked me if there was a guide to self hypnosis she could use to practice with herself. I didn’t find anything I liked… so I wrote one.

Free Your Mind – Release Your Dreams is designed to help you use the incredible power of your unconscious mind to create the life that you deserve, the life that you have always dreamed of.

In this book you are going to learn:

· How to create trance for yourself
· The secrets to creating deeper trance states
· How to use hypnosis to creatively solve problems
· How to put your mind on autopilot to achieve your goals
· How to relax easily and quickly
· How to beat insomnia
· How to ’step outside’ of your barriers and limitations
· How to remember things easily and quickly
· The secret to finding things you’ve misplaced

We’ll also cover:

· How to reach levels of meditation that spiritual masters dream of
· How your mind works – and how to get it to support you
· How to use the secrets that the Hawaiian Huna use to eliminate fear
· The Hawaiian mediation that will change your life
· How to build lasting inner peace and calm

You can check it out at www.heartstorm.org/page10.htm as a downloadable e-book or as a proper printed hold it your hand bound book. I’ve also included links to some great downloadable audio resources that will really help you get started quickly.

I’ve posted a preview of the first few chapters HERE – so go and check that out NOW!!

and email me if you want to order a copy!

Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see Santa at Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin. The child climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl. “Who is this?” asked Santa, smiling. “Your friend? Your sister?” “Yes, Santa,” he replied. “My sister, Sarah, who is very sick,” he said sadly. Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue. “She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!” the child exclaimed. “She misses you,” he added softly.

Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy’s face, asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas. When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the child off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but halted. “What is it?” Santa asked warmly. “Well, I know it’s really too much to ask you, Santa, but ..” the old woman began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa’s elves to collect the little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors. “The girl in the photograph… my granddaughter well, you see … she has leukemia and isn’t expected to make it even through the holidays,” she said through tear-filled eyes. “Is there any way, Santa . any possible way that you could come see Sarah? That’s all she’s asked for, for Christmas, is to see Santa.”

Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave information with his elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see what he could do. Santa thought of little else the rest of that afternoon. He knew what he had to do. “What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed, dying,” he thought with a sinking heart, “this is the least I can do.”

When Santa finished visiting with all the boys and girls that evening, he retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was staying. He asked the assistant location manager how to get to Children’s Hospital. “Why?” Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face. Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah’s grandmother earlier that day. “C’mon…. I’ll take you there,” Rick said softly. Rick drove them to the hospital and came inside with Santa. They found out which room Sarah was in. A pale Rick said he would wait out in the hall.

Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door and saw little Sarah on the bed. The room was full of what appeared to be her family; there was the Grandmother and the girl’s brother he had met earlier that day.

A woman whom he guessed was Sarah’s mother stood by the bed, gently pushing Sarah’s thin hair off her forehead. And another woman who he discovered later was Sarah’s aunt, sat in a chair near the bed with weary, sad look on her face. They were talking quietly, and Santa could sense the warmth and closeness of the family, and their love and concern for Sarah. Taking a deep breath, and forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered the room, bellowing a hearty, “Ho, ho, ho!”

“Santa!” shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed to run to him, IVtubes in tact. Santa rushed to her side and gave her a warm hug. A child the tender age of his own son — 9 years old — gazed up at him with wonder and excitement. Her skin was pale and her short tresses bore telltale bald patches from the effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he looked at her was a pair of huge, blue eyes. His heart melted, and he had to force himself to choke back tears. Though his eyes were riveted upon Sarah’s face, he could hear the gasps and quiet sobbing of the women in the room.

As he and Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the bedside one by one, squeezing Santa’s shoulder or his hand gratefully, whispering “thank you” as they gazed sincerely at him with shining eyes.

Santa and Sarah talked and talked, and she told him excitedly all the toys she wanted for Christmas, assuring him she’d been a very good girl that year. As their time together dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to pray for Sarah, and asked for permission from the girl’s mother. She nodded in agreement and the entire family circled around Sarah’s bed, holding hands. Santa looked intensely at Sarah and asked her if she believed in angels. “Oh, yes, Santa… I do!” she exclaimed.

“Well, I’m going to ask that angels watch over you, “he said. Laying one hand on the child’s head, Santa closed his eyes and prayed. He asked that God touch little Sarah, and heal her body from this disease.

He asked that angels care for her, watch and keep her. And when he finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing softly, “Silent Night, Holy Night…. all is calm, all is bright.” The family joined in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, and crying tears of hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all. When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again and held Sarah’s frail, small hands in his own.

“Now, Sarah, “he said authoritatively, “you have a job to do, and that is to concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun playing with your friends this summer, and I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair Mall this time next year!” He knew it was risky proclaiming that, to this little girl who had terminal cancer, but he knew that in some way he had to. He had to give her the greatest gift he could — not dolls or games or toys — but the gift of HOPE.

Yes, Santa! “Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright.

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and left the room. Out in the hall, the minute Santa’s eyes met Rick’s, a look passed between them and they wept unashamed. Sarah’s mother and grandmother slipped out of the room quicklyand rushed to Santa’s side to thank him. “My only child is the same age as Sarah”, he explained quietly. “This is the least I could do.” They nodded with understanding and hugged him.

One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several weeks went by and then one day a child came up to sit on his lap. “Hi, Santa! Remember me?!”

“Of course, I do,” Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down at her. After all, the secret to being a “good” Santa is to always make each child feel as if they are the “only” child in the world at that moment.

“You came to see me in the hospital last year!” Santa’s jaw dropped. Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, and he grabbed this little miracle and held her to his chest. “Sarah!” he exclaimed. He scarcely recognized her,for her hair was long and silky and her cheeks were rosy — much different from the little girl he had visited just a year before. He looked over and saw Sarah’s mother and grandmother in the sidelines smiling and waving and wiping their eyes.

That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus. He had witnessed –and been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about — this miracle of hope. This precious little child was healed. Cancer-free. Alive and well. He silently looked up to Heaven and humbly whispered, “Thank you. It’s a very, Merry Christmas!”

Many of you have been very interested in the InterFaith Seminary, and why I’m doing that programme.  I’ll post some more on the reasons why and what I intend later on.. but for the time being, here’s some information on the IFS that will put it in perspective!  Although I come from a Christian tradition originally, it’s my belief that there is no ‘right way’ to God, no ‘right way’ to live our lives, and my desire is to find my own unique path, and to help others find their own unique paths too.

The Inter Faith Seminary

Unity in Spirit

The Interfaith Seminary trains open-hearted men and women in an inclusive global spirituality, to serve people from all faiths or none.

We welcome everyone who feels called to deepen their understanding and awareness of true Self and Spirit. We are committed to sharing our journey of exploration into what it means to be human, and how to serve Life, God, the Source of All, in myriad ways, both secular and sacred.

Our ministers create and lead ceremonies, offer spiritual counselling, and work in a very wide range of roles with individuals, families and communities throughout the UK and globally. Each seeks to live their individual calling in a direct and authentic way.

Believing there is One God, One Truth, and that many paths lead to the Source of All, The Interfaith Seminary is inclusive, embracing the universal truth at the heart of all spiritual traditions. We celebrate the values of respect, reconciliation, forgiveness and fellowship. We honour and support peace-making and the awareness of our unity in Spirit.

We acknowledge the sad history and current reality of deep conflicts within the human family, many in the name of different religions. For millennia, precious teachings about love and unity that lie at the heart of every religion all too often have been overshadowed by those who preach intolerance and distrust of the other.

Diversity and Dialogue

We believe that differences, when approached as a potential source of enrichment, need not be experienced as a threat. We honour the timeless understanding that, essentially, there is One God and One Truth. Old dichotomies of ‘us’ versus ‘them’ do not serve the healing of our world. Thus our focus is on removing, within ourselves, the obstacles to unity.

We whole-heartedly support all the many interfaith initiatives that encourage dialogue and understanding between religions. And we look for even deeper dimensions of unity, where we can recognise every human being as a facet of the One Spirit, a reflection of something in ourselves. We see the interfaith concept as a powerful invitation not just to tolerance, but acceptance; not only to dialogue, but brother/sisterhood.

This Seminary trains open-hearted, spiritually inspired men and women to understand and appreciate the astounding diversity within the human family, yet to focus on our common experience and be a powerful presence of peace in whatever field of service they choose.

We warmly invite you to consider whether this training might be part of your own path into an ever-deepening experience of love, awakening and service.

Vision and Mission Statements

The Interfaith Seminary’s vision

Serving Divine Love, Unity and Eternal Wisdom

The Interfaith Seminary’s mission
Recognising, honouring and celebrating the essence of the Divine at the heart of the many pathways to Truth by:
•    Training, accrediting and ordaining Interfaith Ministers and Spiritual Counsellors
•    Maintaining a professional body for practising Interfaith Ministers and Spiritual Counsellors
•    Serving the spiritual needs of the community and society
•    Co-creating partnerships with organisations committed to spiritual awareness and application.

The many faces of ministry

As interfaith ministers, we aim to be of service to people of all faiths or none. Our help is sought most often by:
•    Those who are seeking spiritual connection and expression, yet feel uncomfortable with conventional religion (shown by surveys to be a majority of the UK population)
•    People from different religious backgrounds who wish to honour more than one faith tradition (in a marriage or child blessing ceremony, for instance).
•    Those struggling with issues they find difficult to raise within their faith (for example, questioning of sexuality).
We are not creating a new religion, but filling a growing spiritual gap in modern society. It’s not our aim to convert anyone away from their faith, but to support people who wish to enquire more deeply into their own spiritual tradition and their own soul.

A great many of our graduates are involved in conducting weddings, funerals and blessing ceremonies. Some have started their own centres, worship communities and spiritual education programmes. Others tend more towards offering spiritual counselling – privately, or in hospitals, hospices, colleges and schools.

Some have taken their calling – whether expressed in explicit ’spiritual’ terms or not – into business training, into peace-making projects, and into the whole passage of family and community life, including parenting. Many have brought increased inspiration to their work as artists, writers and musicians.

And for some, the result of the training has simply been a more authentic expression of who they are, and a deeper sharing of their spirituality with others in their everyday lives. In The Interfaith Seminary, we hold that the qualities we bring to our service are more important than its form of expression.

Legal standing of ministers
Interfaith Seminary ministers come under the legal category of ‘non-conformist’, and as with all faith communities other than the Church of England, are ordained and certified by our own self-governing community, operating independently of the state.

Marriage ceremonies are the only aspect of ministry in which specific legal aspects apply. In England and Wales, an interfaith minister can perform a blessing ceremony with no legal restrictions, and the couple will generally hold the purely legal element of the marriage at a registry office beforehand.

In Scotland, interfaith ministers may apply to the Registrar General for Scotland for authorisation to perform a marriage, making it unnecessary for the couple to attend a separate civil ceremony at a registry office.

Our graduates adhere to a clear code of ethics (see separate page), and a complaints procedure for members of the public. They are eligible for professional indemnity insurance

The symbol

For those of you who are interested, the IFS logo incorporates the symbols of many of the world faiths: from the top right going clockwise: Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Sikhism,  Buddhism, Earth based traditions

Hi there,

I wanted to make you aware of a few changes that are happening for me.. some exciting things happening – and perhaps some lessons you can take and integrate into your life.

I’ve just come back from a retreat with Neale Donald Walsch, the author of Conversations With God and a number of other incredible books. Neale’s take on God and on the Universe is probably the closest to my own view on spirituality. I’m hoping to work more closely with Neale and the ReCreation Foundation in the future, and to be doing some of their advanced programmes too. I had a chance to validate some of my plans through the retreat, both by taking time out and by reflecting on things with Neale and with some of the lovely people that were there.

I’m going to write a few of my learnings and discoveries on the course over the next few weeks, and publish them so you can share in some of those learnings too – something to look forward to.

So, what did I plan, what am I thinking of doing?

First of all.. I’m going back to work. For various reasons, I’m looking to go back into paid employment. What that will actually do is free me up to follow my dream, which is to allow me to spend more time working with people rather than on the mechanics of running a business. When I left Unilever in 2005, I had a vision of helping people and working with them both one to one and in groups, and helping them understand who they truly are. That’s going to carry on and accelerate over the coming months as my emotional and psychic energy is freed up to concentrate on that.

Secondly, I am planning on running some personal development and New Spirituality events, probably in Peterborough initially and then Birmingham, Nottingham and Cambridge. The exact form of these is yet to be decided, but they will be based on all I’ve learned through my exploration of the science of the mind, meditation, new spirituality, science and practical application. I’m really looking forward to doing these, and I will let you know more as time goes on.

Thirdly, and this is a real surprise to many (including me!) I am starting a programme of training as an InterFaith Minister. So by 2009 I will actually be Rev. Tim Hodgson. The InterFaith Seminary studies the major faiths – Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Taoism, Shamanism, Judaism, Sufism and Mystic traditions. So if you’re planning on getting married in the second half of 2009, or wanting to arrange a baby blessing, then you know where to come. This will be a real step for me into spiritual counselling – but more importantly it will help me on my path to increase the peace in the world – one person at a time. This is the vision of HeartStorm, my new initiative and vision (www.heartstorm.org)

So, what about the business? Well, that’ll keep going – and gpoing from strength to strength. I will carry on coaching, and that will have a keener focus, too, helping people through their barriers, breaking through the things that hold them back, helping them be their true authentic and incredible selves. I’m going to carry on helping people with their self esteem and confidence – in fact, I am working on a programme right now with a colleague that will help you discover who you truly are – through exercises, psychometric testing and more. Lindsey and I are really excited about this, and we’re working really hard to bring it to you.

If I looked back at my business, well, I could say that I had failed – simply because that business isn’t as successful as I would have liked it to be. And that wouldn’t be true. I’ve learned a heap about myself, and about people. I have started to explore what I am truly about, rather than fitting into the boxes that others design for me. I’ve found a lot that doesn’t work for me, and a lot that does. That’s really exciting.

So, the same for you: maybe you are an incredible, outstanding success in everything you do – or maybe there are some areas where you aren’t as successful as you’d like to be. That’s OK. You get to choose what that means, and what you are going to do about it. One of the first things we learnt in NLP is that there is no failure, only feedback… which means that we simply learn from what’s happened and move on. As my son says,

“Mistakes aren’t mistakes after you have made them, they are only what has happened”. They are simply “what’s so” – and what they mean is what we choose to interpret them as.

And finally, I will leave you with inspiration from an unlikely source. When I was younger I was a big Alice Cooper fan – the establishment hated him, because of his theatrical horror, but what many people didn’t know is that he has always had a very deeply rooted spiritual side. I heard his song ‘Stand’ recently, which he recorded with US rapper Xzibit, and it’s been a real call to action for me to stand up for what I believe in, to stand up for what I want. When will YOU make a stand?

Tim

STAND

Stand Up
What do you believe in?
Stand Up

Just a face in the crowd
Feeling lost, down and out
(Can you hear me now)
Millions more just like you
Afraid to do what they want to do
(Am I getting through?)

Lots of losers hanging round
Only there to bring you down
Get your feet up off the ground
Get up. Get up. Get up

If you don’t stand for something
You will fall for anything
If you don’t stand for something
You will fall for anything
Get up

Don’t you know that you’re worth
As much as anyone on earth
(You`re a megastar)
Put your hands in the sky
Let your freaky colours fly
(Get ‘em way up high)

You got style and you got game
So get it out don’t be ashamed
Let everybody know your name
Get it on out now, what’s your name

If you don’t stand for something
You will fall for anything
If you don’t stand for something
You will fall for anything

Get up

Breathe with me
Come on
Breathe . . .

You can stand for peace
You can stand for war
I stand in the square I
never stood before

I take a stand for my son
like Afeni Shakur
I take a stand like I’m
four double six six four

Stand alone in my struggle
Can’t make me stand down
Make ‘em crash and burn
Mayday mayday – man down

Get up stand up get
your damn hands up
If they’re not shackled
to your feet in some handcuffs

We need solutions, not propaganda
Let the tape roll,
make the whole world stand up
Hold your position,
don’t go backwards
X still grinding, the west keeps shining
Don’t look too long you
might get blinded
Follow your heart, your
head might just find it
I pray for the strength
to handle what my city brings
Better stand for something or you’re
bound to fall for anything

Note:

- Afeni Shakur is the mother of dead rapper Tupac Shakur

- 46664 was the prisoner number of Nelson Mandela

Hi there…

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about success and failure recently. It’s been coming up in conversation a lot, and people have been asking me for help in dealing with failure. And, since I feel that you guys can deal with it – I’ve been looking at ‘failure’ in my own life too.

“Is that it?” they ask. “Is that all there is to life?” It might be a failed business, or a failed relationship. Something they have dreamed of for years may have come tumbling down. Perhaps the new career they dreamed of has stalled. They may be staring defeat in the face.

And they ask themselves “how can I have failed so badly?” Well, I’ve been looking at this in various parts of my life now. There are parts of my life where I know I have been a success – as a father, for example. You only have to talk to my sons to know that (although, trust me, it hasn’t always felt that way!). I’ve been an incredibly successful coach and leader too.

In other areas I haven’t been so successful – for example, despite women loving being around me, I haven’t been particularly successful in intimate relationships – yet. There are various things that I have tried in my life and my career where I haven’t been as successful as I would like, either. I’m not afraid to say that, because I’m on a journey – and it’s the journey that’s exciting.

In another letter I’ll talk to you about one of the greatest adventures I’ve been on… floating down the Colorado River rapids through the Grand Canyon… incredible beauty punctuated with moments of panic as we raced down rocky stretches of white water. Trust me, at that point you need someone who knows what they are doing! As our tour guide said: ‘You can’t do this on your own – you need someone to help steer you in a direction that gets you through safely’.

So, I’ll confess, there are things about my life I haven’t got right yet.. and maybe never will. There are things I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve done – things that make me cringe when I think back. There are things I’ve set out to do and haven’t – yet.

So what does that actually MEAN? Well, actually, not a lot. Do I choose to feel like a failure? Absolutely not. Sometimes it’s a bit tempting to think that, but here’s the thing: something only has the meaning we choose to give it.

So, does failure in business mean failure in our personal lives? Hell, no! I don’t like the word failure, anyway. It’s a learning experience. I’ve stared debt and bankruptcy in the face and been at peace in my heart – because I know I am safe – because I believe that everything is conspiring to support me: because I believe in a God and in a Universe that is on my side.

I love the saying I found on the wall of the natural cosmetics shop ‘Lush’:

“We believe in the right to make mistakes, to lose everything and to start again from the beginning”

- we all have that right to simply start again. Or as my son Jonny put it one day:

“”Mistakes aren’t mistakes after you have made them, they are only what has happened.”

Don’t attach any more meaning to them than that. Whatever’s behind you is just that. Behind you. Move on. It’s your choice – will you decide to be a success? And a successful man is simply someone who has chosen to get up one more time than he was knocked down.

So, like Lush, I believe in the right to learn from my mistakes. One of the ways I’m doing that is to launch my new programmes, my new web site, my new approach to coaching, my one to one sessions. You can find it all at www.HeartStorm.org

What I have done with HeartStorm is to integrate our approaches to coaching and personal development with spiritual and metaphysical wisdom. I’ve found a way to walk the fine line between discovering what you know inside and discovering wisdom from ‘The Universe’. Read more at our new web site at www.heartstorm.org.

Now, I’m going to tell you this – and you can read it again at hearstorm.org – HeartStorm is not a business. HeartStorm was born out of my passion to help people – to help people to live lives of value in the midst of all the crap that’s flying around us – in the midst of uncertainty, in the middle of pain, in the middle of financial worry, relationship breakdown… I have no idea what HeartStorm will turn into yet.. but something inspires me to make it available. If people want to come to come to me for coaching, or buy my products, then that’s great, but that’s not what it’s about for me right now.

For today, I will leave you with this thought from Tom Robbins

“Dreams don’t come true. They are true.”

Believe it.

Tim

NEW BOOK RELEASE!!

Stop press – Free Your Mind – Release Your Dreams is released in print and for download.

A while ago, one of my clients asked me if there was a guide to self hypnosis she could use to practice with herself. I didn’t find anything I liked… so I wrote one.

Free Your Mind – Release Your Dreams is designed to help you use the incredible power of your unconscious mind to create the life that you deserve, the life that you have always dreamed of.

In this book you are going to learn:

•    How to create trance for yourself
•    The secrets to creating deeper trance states
•    How to use hypnosis to creatively solve problems
•    How to put your mind on autopilot to achieve your goals
•    How to relax easily and quickly
•    How to beat insomnia
•    How to ‘step outside’ of your barriers and limitations
•    How to remember things easily and quickly
•    The secret to finding things you’ve misplaced

We’ll also cover:

•    How to reach levels of meditation that spiritual masters dream of
•    How your mind works – and how to get it to support you
•    How to use the secrets that the Hawaiian Huna use to eliminate fear
•    The Hawaiian mediation that will change your life
•    How to build lasting inner peace and calm

You can buy it from www.heartstorm.org/page10.htm as a downloadable e-book or as a proper printed hold it your hand bound book.

I’ve posted a preview of the first few chapters HERE – so go and check that out NOW!!

Go HERE to read more, or click one of the links below to order straightaway:

To order the e-book click HERE

To order the printed book click HERE

I learnt the earlier version of this technique originally from Chris Howard, who learnt it from Bob Proctor of ‘The Secret’. It’s designed to get solutions to those things that might be challenging you – problems that you can’t find an answer to, questions that you haven’t yet solved. I took the original, called Mind Storming, and looked at how I could bring heart and warmth and love into it, so we are coming from an instinctive and loving space.. and where the Universe can flow all its resources and riches to us.

Welcome to HeartStorming

So, first of all, make sure you have pen and paper… plenty of paper! Take a few moments to relax somewhere you won’t be disturbed.

1. Take 7 deep ‘ha’ breaths. Breathe in through your nose slowly and deeply, taking around 5-10 seconds to do this – filling your lungs, letting your stomach expand. Then breathe out through your mouth making the sound ‘ha’ – breathe out slowly for at least as long as you breathed in. (‘Ha’ breathing is based on Hawaiian Huna meditation and grounds and steadies you while connecting your inner being to the Universe, the Divine, to God)

(a variation of this is to use the invocation from ‘The Moses Code’ based on Moses’ experience at the burning bush – breathe in as you say ‘I AM THAT’ and breathe out as you say ‘I AM’. This really does connect you to a new power source, and energises your heart.)

2. Ask your soul ‘what do I need to remember here?’ Your soul already knows what to do, it just needs to find a way to communicate it to your consciousness.

3. Now write your question in an empowering way at the top of the page. It should read something like ‘How could I do ________ now, simply and easily?’ (eg How could I get a new job now, simply and easily?’

4. Now sit back and breathe… listen to your heart, and let thoughts bubble up from inside you. Trust them.

5. Write down at least 20 thoughts. Some will be obvious, some will be unusual, some will be unexpected, some will be outrageous. Write them all down. Anything goes

6. When you’ve finished, thank your soul for giving you the answers.

7. Read through the list as you ask for the best answer to become clear. When you feel that intuitive ‘pull’ to the best answer, take immediate action on it. Go ahead and make a start. You can also take a look and see which of the a=others show promise – take action on those too as you feel good about it.

The key here is to trust your heart. Trust that inside you you have a connection to the answers that you need. All this process is doing is letting your heart give you the answers you need.

Coincidentally (or probably not, if I am honest, because I was inspired to use this name), ‘HeartStorm’ is the title of the new programme of events, books, courses and coaching that I am working on right now. I’m really excited about it, and about how it can help people understand who they truly are and what they are capable of. I’ll let you know when www.heartstorm.org is ready, and I’ll keep you up to date with the new programmes. It’s going to be great, it’s going to be fun, and it’s going to change lives.

Tell me… what fairytales and stories were you attracted to when you were a kid?

You see, when we are young, we don’t have this need to conform to the norms that we have when we are adults – the need to fit in, the need to be sensible, the need to be liked. We read stories because we love them, because they appeal in some way, because they reach out to the deepest parts of our being. When we are young, we find something about a story that just connects us, that resonates, that has meaning. In some way, our soul reaches out to us through story and through myth.

And, because that connection was a soul connection, our inner being reaching out, then that story has meaning for us even now. It speaks to our hearts rather than our heads.

So here’s how to understand the message in the story – your story.

Think back to a story you loved when you were younger – before your teenage years. Something that you were entranced by, fascinated by, a character you loved to be. Perhaps you played out the story yourself. Perhaps you dreamed of it happening to you.

It might be a fairytale, or a beloved children’s book. It might be a bedtime story – or even a TV programme that reaches out to us. Don’t think too much about this – you’ll know what it is. What did you love? What did you keep returning to?

Got it? Great! Now, what was it about that story that spoke to your heart? Again, don’t think too much about it – it’s a message that your soul has been longing to communicate for years. It will come naturally. You might even find a little chill of recognition running up and down your spine.

Let yourself hear the message. What is it saying to you now? There will be a remembering for you – a remembering of what you are about, a remembering of why you are on this planet, what your purpose is, what your truth is.

I’ve been fascinated by stories ever since I was tiny – in fact, my mother believes that my first words were me telling my stuffed panda a story in my cot. Thinking back now, the stories that seem to stand out for me were of superheroes… of people who had suddenly developed abilities way beyond the norm. Abilities that had been latent, lying dormant, suddenly blazed into existence. It was usually the weak, unexpected little nerdy guy that suddenly became amazing. There was always a time of adjustment as they learnt to accommodate their new gift. Spiderman. The Human Torch. The Tomorrow People.

And always, they went on to make the world a better place. To help people, to rescue them, to fight wrong and uphold the right.

As I look back to it now, hearing the message again, I can hear a call that makes me long to reach out to people, to help them reveal the inner power and incredible secrets that lie buried.. unrecognized, unknown. Gifts that will make the world a better place. Gifts that will transform lives. Gifts that will help. Heal. Teach.

I love to help people evolve. To discover what lies inside. Each of us has a secret, a gift, which if ever fully expressed would make the lives of others better. If there’s any way I can help you find that gift, I would love to.

So, reconnect with your favourite story. Think back. Enjoy the memory, and experience the remembering, the lesson that it holds for you. Then decide what you want to do about it. Let it be a step on your personal evolution.

Evolution can be a painful process. Sometimes it needs someone to stand alongside as we go through the process of becoming who we truly are. If I can help, then give me a call or drop me a line – and let’s talk about what’s happening for you, and how I can work with you to make it an easy process.