| Ongoing personal development involves dedication, | | | | 'suffering' from neck ache caused by looking skyward. |
| preparation and application as well as some other | | | | Anyway, back to the story in hand andon this particular |
| 'ations'. Of these dedication is possibly the most | | | | day John decided to take a break from his studies by |
| important. You can have as much preparation and | | | | going for a short hike around the hill behind his house. |
| application as you like but without the dedication to see | | | | A few moments after reaching the summit of the hill, |
| it through until you succeed everything else will be in | | | | from where he could overlook the estuary, he saw |
| vain. | | | | two RAF aircraft streak in from the sea, fly low up the |
| To be dedicated to doing something means having the | | | | line of the river and lift gracefully up over the Lakeland |
| ability to overcome doubts and obstacles that crop up | | | | hills in the middle distance. |
| along the way. Even the most dedicated people have | | | | John was, of course, transfixed by this sight and stood |
| times when they wonder whether it's worth carrying | | | | looking into the distance for some time after the planes |
| on when things become difficult. Today I want to share | | | | had disappeared. |
| with you a proven technique for regaining focus during | | | | It was whilst he was contemplating the recent scene |
| rough times. I'm going to do this by telling a true story | | | | of the sun glinting and reflecting off the cockpit |
| related to me by a client who I'll call John. | | | | canopies of the planes that he realised something of |
| John had partially completed a home study training | | | | huge significance to him. |
| course linked to his job. He had found this to be rather | | | | The thought occurred to him that if he persevered |
| tiring involving as it did studying after a full day's work | | | | with his studies he could overcome any obstacle, |
| and he had reached a point where something simply | | | | including the temporary blockage in his course work, |
| didn't make any sense. It became so frustrating that he | | | | just as those planes had effortlessly crested the hills in |
| was on the point of saying 'to hell with it' and giving up. | | | | the distance. |
| At the time John lived not too far from me in the | | | | John later told me that he locked that image of the |
| English Lake District. John is a keen hiker. Just behind | | | | planes flying low over the river and then rising above |
| his house is a large hill the other side of which | | | | the hilltops into his sub-conscious by constantly |
| overlooks the mouth of a river estuary where it opens | | | | revisiting the scene in his mind's eye. Whenever he is |
| up into the sea. | | | | feeling down about something or dispirited he |
| From his early teens he had been fascinated by flight. | | | | summons the recording out of his sub conscious and |
| All he wanted to do upon leaving school was to join | | | | replays the images a few times which invariably |
| the Royal Air Force as a pilot. His attempt to enlist | | | | restores his good spirits. |
| was shattered when an unfeeling and unsympathetic | | | | You may find this a bit 'twee' or New Age but believe |
| school careers master literally laughed at the very idea. | | | | me it works. It doesn't work overnight, you need to |
| John wore glasses and the master informed him that it | | | | work at embedding your own personal uplifting |
| would be impossible to be aircrew with less than 20 | | | | experience into your sub-conscious but, when you are |
| 20 vision. | | | | able to call on it at a moment's notice you too will see |
| As you might imagine this knocked the wind out of | | | | the difference it can make. |
| John's sails and he left school without bothering to go | | | | Have you noticed how some people remain irritatingly |
| on to university but he retained his love of flight and | | | | calm when everyone else is being a scalded cat? It |
| aircraft. | | | | could just be that they are using this technique. Give it |
| The Royal Air Force conducts a lot of low flying | | | | a try, what have you got to GAIN? |
| training in the Lake District so John is constantly | | | | |