Encouragement of Spring

I remember as a child that around this time we would often receive 'spring' cards - approaching Easter. They seemed to add so much with such a simple image. Just a daffodil head, bright yellow and full of promise! What a strong emotion, so homely, caring and selfless.

Have you noticed in the twilights of the early Spring –
A faint blue light sheds beauty over every living thing
The leafless trees that wait the signal of the warmer days
Are caught up in the nameless magic of this drifting haze?
No matter how the icy winds of March come howling round
I know that life is stirring in the dark and frozen ground
I’ve seen the blue light in the streets and in the distant hills
And soon my little garden will be gay with daffodils.
Patience Strong

When 'Go For It' doesn't get you anywhere

You’ve probably heard it hundreds. Someone, usually the extravert, confident, well-meaning though not really that into you person says, ‘Well what are you waiting for? Just go for it!’

Sure. ‘Go for it’ works well—when you’ve made it through to the attacking circle and got a clear view of the goal (reference my young friend Hannah Walker who will one day play field hockey for England).

Absolutely. ‘Go for it’ works—when you’re given a sudden break to ‘do’ your number for the world’s greatest talent scout and need instant courage. (Tip: many successful people ‘go before they’re ready’ rather than never at all.) Or you are sitting in front of an audience hungry to hear from you like my new mate jazz sensation Oli Silk ( http://www.olisilk.com/)

Problem is, ‘Just go for it’ is not always the best motivational advice, particularly for women. Men and women alike don't really go for the pushy and upfront ‘go for it’ type women. So you've got that going against you just for starters. And what if your chosen goal (you're going for) happens to currently belong to someone else – their job, their husband/ partner/school place/ most coveted role in the company/cast? Which is often the case.

Then, there is always what so many women find to their peril - what if you do go for it, get it, then don’t wan’ it!

Want to be a great mother? Decent human being? Cherished individual. ‘Just go for it!' – doesn’t fit, does it?

Not to mention, with multi-focused types in particular (women are multi-focused) ‘just going’ for one goal like a sprinter on a race track can mean leaving another wilting, unprotected, withering in neglect. Case study one—the unfulfilled, dispirited housewife; case study two—the lonely, rich diva on the international circuit. How do you go for balance?

So how do you focus on this burdensome, inner ambition? The desire to reach your full potential and yet still not overlook your current blessings?

I prefer a slightly different approach to 'just go for it'. You protect it, nurture it with information, study it over time. Just like a child, you are sort of anchored to it forever. You let it develop naturally, sometimes surprising you, rewarding you, often frustrating you. You tweak it here, mould it to fit there and reshape it into the many opportunities that life presents on an almost daily basis. Follow your star that shines from within and it will come to you.

That way when real grounded opportunity comes calling, you haven’t already left in search of Santa.