I met with a wonderfully inspirational man on Sunday afternoon for coffee in Glasgow City Centre, he is a Film Maker and creative writer. We met for about 2 hours and within that space of time I felt so inspired by his words. He is a “go-getter”, living his dream, he wakes up every morning feeling excited, he just loves life and you can feel the power of his light shining from within. He spoke about “Chasing Happiness” and what that meant to him….I was truly blown away!! There is one other phrase he said that particularly stuck with me and that was “re-invent yourself”…..I loved that, because in my mind it opens up a whole new world and “I am”. This next poem is inspired by that meeting, I do hope you are inspired by it too, love Clarabelle.
This is a blog post from an old blog of mine, I wrote this post in April 2010, 2 years prior to me starting this poetry blog. I thought I would share this with you because it is amazing how life evolves as we grow and develop. If someone had told me back then that I would now have a poetry blog and was so commited and passionate about it, I would never have believed them…..my creative writing desires are stronger than ever. We are all on a journey of personal evolution, much of this will be invisible for you right now, who knows what great things you will be part of in a few years from now. Much love to you today. Clarabelle
Personal Evolution
Below is that original post from April 2010:
I absolutely LOVE my job but it wasn’t an easy job getting here—it took me 36 years of learning, being, doing, hoping, having, not having, feeling and experiencing the highs and lows of real life and work. It is only now that I feel wise enough and knowledgeable enough to share this experiential learning.
When I Grow UP I want to be…..
From the age of 5—15 years I went through different phases of wanting to be a Mum, Air Steward, Dancer, Model, Nun, Song Writer (I had a real desire to write the winning Eurovision song – still do!!), Primary School Teacher, Nursery Nurse and a Secretary. So where did my early career ideas come from, maybe………
Mum: Watching my mum lovingly support and care for our family; wanting to be just like my mum and also being the proud owner of various dolls such as (in its day) the famous ’Tiny Tears’.
Air Steward: Wanting a ‘glamorous’ lifestyle (perceived) and the opportunity to travel all over the world, maybe even marry a pilot!! I also think the popular TV advert for Caledonian Airlines had a big influence….I remember wanting to be a ‘Caledonian Girl’.
Dancer: I was a massive fan of the hit TV Programme ’Fame’ and loved dancing from an early age – still do 🙂
Model: Watching Miss World on TV and aspiring to be like one of these beautiful woman. I wanted to wear that crown!!!
Nun: There was a real religious influence here from my childhood days, in particular at Primary School and I went through a really ’holy’ stage—that was until I discovered my like for boys!!
Songwriter: I used to lock myself in my bedroom for hours and make up songs, I would practice and practice them all day long and never got bored of it—this was a perfect escapism for me at such a young age. To this very day I still remember the songs and so do my closet friends. We often burst into these songs after a few wines!!
Primary School Teacher: I used to babysit for my next door neighbour when I was in my early teens—I loved watching their 3 kids, probably because I could be a ‘big kid’ myself. This inspired me to want to teach young children to learn and develop—I then found out that I would need to study for a further 5 years after Secondary School and this sadly (at the time) put me off.
Nursery Nurse: Again my love for children and helping them to learn and have fun. My Guidance Teacher at Secondary School totally put me off the idea “that’s not the career for you he said, that’s not a good job”. How easily influenced I was as a teenager.
Secretary: Well I figured I would go with the safe bet and be a secretary, after all I was good at typing, passed all my Secretarial Studies exams with flying colours and oh yes my mum did that when she left school and she told me fabulous stories about her career in this field. That was it at the age of 15 I aspired to be a secretary. Well there was nothing else, was there……???
My Career Path
So I finally had come to the idea that I would be a Secretary. So I went to typing College to learn how to touch-type—this proved to be a very worthwhile skill to have during all my future jobs. What where they? Well, my career experience consists of:
Shop assistant, sales representative, hotel waitress, 20 years of various office type jobs from receptionist through to human resource management. A couple of these jobs which I liked and some others I have quite closely hated.
An Independent Decision
Then at the age of 34 I decided to think very carefully about my future career and where it was heading. Why then? Well lots of reasons I believe, but I think coming out of some personal turmoil combined with some major achievements made me a much stronger person with a really determined ‘can do’ attitude.
This included personal triumphs and goals such as Graduating from University in 2005 in Personnel Practice, running the New York marathon in 2007 (I then later did the London Marathon in 2010) and Graduating again from University in 2008 in Human Resource Management. It was in 2006/7 when I seriously reflected on my future and felt much more equipped to correctly answer the following question…….
So what do I really want to do when I grow up?
To answer this, I identified my core values and what they meant to me, I looked at what job activities I particularly enjoyed doing, I thought about what are my strengths, what was I truly passionate about doing, what excites me in life, where did I want to see myself 5-20 years from now and the ultimate question: How was I going to get there?
I had a real belief and confidence in myself and I knew I wanted to have the freedom to explore new territories, learn new things and meet new people. I knew that I wanted to help other people achieve their dreams, goals and aspirations in life. I wanted to coach and mentor people to do just that, I got excited about the thought of it and felt strongly passionate about it. I was truly ready for this and felt fully motivated and inspired to do so.
What did I do?
I researched into Coaching, I wrote to no less then 200 practicing coaches in America asking for their advice, I then went to New York and met some of those coaches, left my full-time job as Human Resource Manager, studied for a further year and achieved a Diploma in Coaching at Distinction level (94%), started up my own business at the end of 2008 and that’s where I am at the moment. I have BIG plans for the business and I know that I will only achieve this through hard work and commitment. To be honest, at times it feels like starting all over again—to what it was like over 20 years ago.
What have been the best parts of my job so far?
Most definitely supporting and empowering other people to achieve their dreams, goals and aspirations in life. Almost 90% of my work to date has been career/business/leadership goals related and with my Human Resource Management background and sound coaching and mentoring experience—it works very well and benefits my clients greatly.
Also being my own boss and having the freedom to use my creativity and innovation to lead the business into great things that will inspire others to achieve great things for themselves.
Personal Learning
I have learned so much over the last 17 months of my business (to date almost 5 years!!) and I feel very proud to say that I have video blogged my real time journey all along the way. My vision is that one day it will be professionally edited and shared with you at home in the format of a short film/documentary.
But………what about being a Songwriter?
Hey, I can still do that, my career ain’t over yet, it is just at the beginning—the true beginning.
******
On 29 March 2013 – Clarabelle says:
I have now had my business for almost 5 years and I still continue to love it…….I am also planning another business which is indirectly linked. I must say however that nothing at the moment, beats the feeling of writing for this blog and getting messages from other bloggers and readers out there……you are magnificent in every sense of the word and my heart and soul is touched everyday with your responses. I see my future in this blog and I do hope you join me on the journey.
Thank you for reading this post today, lots of love Clarabelle.
Below is a post taken from an older blog of mine…..I don’t use this blog any more however I feel some of the more empowering posts from it would be really good to share on here. This post was originally written in 2009, I hope it makes you think a little differently. Go for your goals today. Love Clarabelle.
Success Leaves Clues
Today, I was at the beach watching a little girl chase her father’s remote controlled car around in circles. She kept jumping forward and falling on her knees in an effort to catch the car as it skidded by. She did this 31 times and failed. But on attempt number 32, she caught the car. [Makes Me Think (MMT), Marc and Angel]
Clarabelle’s thoughts…..
If only as adults we were sometimes as brave and determined as that young child and then maybe our fear of failure would not inhibit us from our most greatest life successes. How many times have we as adults only have had to fail once and then we never try or do again? What made that little girl not give up after the first time? I think for sure she was enjoying the journey of her learning experience and having lots of fun, fun, fun with her father. I also think she did not care about what anybody else thought. She had no negative thoughts in her mind preventing her from continuing and no limiting beliefs blocking her path. She sounded excited, happy and free to never give up—even after 31 times.
What have you prevented yourself from doing after falling at the first hurdle?
What would it mean for you to get back up, stand tall, be confident and embrace the opportunities that lie ahead?
Surely in every failure there is a lesson to be learned and by applying the lessons second or third time around maybe, just maybe, your outcome would be different every time, and every time I bet you would get closer to your goal.(Claire Murray)
“It only takes one person to change your life—YOU” [Ruth Casey]
I believe YOU have a magnificent capacity to grow and fulfill your potential. Yes, sometimes there are barriers in the way but only YOU can break these barriers down. Ahh! But! I hear you say ‘it just ain’t that easy’ – you’re telling me!! Sometimes your greatest learning will come from your own failures or learning from other peoples’ failures. Moving towards the fear is one of those inner challenges which seems so much easier to avoid. But when you go against your core values it tears a part of you away and day by day your true identity slips into the hands of others.
Do you really want to reach the age of 90 and discover through your REGRET that it could all have been different if you only remained true to yourself and took action.
So here comes the empowerment part!!
The greatest of triumphs don’t come easy—that’s why you feel so so FANTASTIC when you do achieve them. Can I help you to make a difference in your life today?– well maybe not, but I am going to give it a damn good try.
Find a quiet space, one where you’ll not get any interruptions for the next 15 minutes or so.
Grab a pen and paper and just take a minute to silence your thoughts.
Now make a list, no matter how wacky it may seem and write down your dreams, goals and aspirations in life. Don’t know what you want? Then the following questions might help you:
What are you truly passionate about?
What life desires are you moved to meet?
What excites you?
What are you really great at?
When are you at your most happiest?
What is your dream career?
What is important to you?
What does a purposeful and meaningful life look like for you?
What places would you like to visit? What would you like to learn?
GREAT—you may not realise it but you have made the first important step and hopefully you feel inspired to take another step forward. I bet you’re feeling just a little bit excited—if not a lot!
Extreme Passion
When I was planning for my Coaching business—long before it actually started, I got so so excited about helping others to achieve their own dreams in life. My extreme passion released a tremendous amount of energy to motivate action. For me I felt an abundance of excitement that I had never really experienced before. I was 34 years young (always thinking positively) and I am now approaching 7 years of having my own business.
Now, I do want to keep it real here because life is not a bouquet of roses everyday (and I would be crazy to expect that) but I go to sleep feeling happy that I got one step closer to meeting my vision and I wake up EVERY morning delighted that yesterday I faced my fears, took a risk and just went for it.
Inspire Action in YOU
I feel it is such a loss for you not to experience this for yourself –I want this blog post to inspire action in YOU.
A few hundred words merely says it all but if I have inspired just one of you to discover your potential and go for your dreams—I will be absolutely delighted, so please let me know. Personally, I think hearing real stories are the best. I always love to hear readers’ inspiring stories —I invite you to share them with me here on the comments section of this blog.
This is a post I wrote for another business blog in 2011, I came across it today and thought I would share it with you, there may be some value in it for you and please feel free to share away. I wish you a day filled with opportunities for the taking, it’s your life, go get it!! Clarabelle.
Change is Opportunity Now
An Exciting Challenge
I was on the phone to my business partner Debbie and we were talking about ‘change’, for me ‘change is opportunity’. Why do I say this? Well as much as some of us might dread the thought of change, I absolutely love it and find it an exciting challenge. I don’t want to sit in my ‘comfort zone’ all my life, it is important for me to get out there, embrace new challenges and live life. If I fail, well I feel I have only learned some great lessons that will strengthen me as a person.
I was sent this wonderful quote last night by my friend Stephen, “if we never fail at anything we are not being adventurous enough” by Peter Huntley, MD of Go North East buses, what a truly wonderful quote that is. I would rather try and fail 1000 times than not try at all. Determination, persistence, passion, consistency, self-discipline and never giving up is the qualities that I feel will get me everywhere. We all know the famous saying ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ so I would also throw in some ‘love and patience’ to this amazing mix of ingredients.
What I would say however is that to make change happen you need to know exactly your answers to the following questions:
Where you are going?
What do you specifically want to achieve?
What is your life’s purpose?
What do you need to be, do and have to get there?
What activities can you take action on NOW that will have the greatest impact on moving you forward towards your change goal?
Change is a choice and once you make that full commitment to change anything in your life you must take ‘MASSIVE ACTION’ to initiate the process. When you start taking meaningful action towards your change goal you will get more and more motivated by the results you start to see – the fruits of your labour.
To change effectively and for the long term you must start at the core, with the root “the roots determine the fruits”. That means change the way you think, which will change the way you feel and ultimately this will change your behaviours and it is in what you do that will help you get real results.
So make that decision today, challenge yourself, be open, flexible and adaptable to change, welcome it with open arms and express who you really are because the only constant in life is change and if you stand still, I believe you are actually going backwards, as others make changes to drive ahead they will most definitely overtake you – so don’t be left for dust, change is opportunity NOW!!
“It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life for me and I’m feeling good”…..these words beautifully sang by wonderful Mr Michael Buble, a very uplifting song indeed. If you or someone you know is needing their spirits uplifted, then maybe, just maybe this next poem might do it for them, share away, as it might make someone’s day. Lots of love to you, Clarabelle.
rise and shine
Rise and Shine
Wake up, wake up, rise and shine;
Get out of that bed, life is divine.
No more wallowing, in negative talk;
Get dressed, put your shoes on, and go for a walk.
Breathe in the fresh air, feel the light on your face;
Turn your life around, pick up the pace.
For no one can change you, you’ve heard it before;
Opportunity awaits you, open the door.
Make this one memorable, make it your goal;
To commit to a better future, this is your role.
poemsbyclarabelle, 5 January 2013
If you enjoy what you read here on this blog, you may be interested in borrowing for FREE and/or purchasing one of Clarabelle’s self-published inspirational poetry ebooks available to download now on Amazon Kindle, please refer to the Author page on this blog or clickHERE
Challenges are a blessing, they make us stronger from within, although at the time it doesn’t really feel that way. Courage will always find you, please have faith and know in your heart of hearts that set backs make us dig deeper and a new opportunity awaits for you. May you create the right opportunity for you in your life today. Much love to you Clarabelle.
courage will always find you
Courage Will Always Find You
Have patience my dear, for all is well;
I see it for your future, I hear its jingle bell.
For just around the corner, is a beautiful light;
Waiting for the darkness, so it can shine on you so bright.
Challenges are a blessing, they make us who we are;
Welcome them with open arms, jump upon the star.
Courage will always find you, be brave and carry on;
Just because you cannot see it, doesn’t mean all hope has gone.
Trust in your heart, have faith in all that’s here;
This path that you are on, is quite simply crystal clear.
This encouraging little message, is especially for you;
It brings peace and loving thoughts, to make you stronger through and through.
Sometimes when I’m writing, random thoughts and words come to mind and I just jot down what flows from me at that time. Sometimes it doesn’t really make sense to me at that moment but then afterwards I feel the message that is coming through. This next poem is created from that, full of random words with meaningful impact. I wish for you a day filled with meaningful actions towards your purpose. Lots of love Clarabelle.
Faith for me is knowing that the unknown is going to be okay. It is knowing that what you believed as a child would come true for you, will come true for you. Never giving up on a childlike faith, is such a beautiful thing. It is such a deep knowing and offers the deepest connection to your soul. I have managed to recapture that childlike faith and it brings much love and peace to my heart. May your heart be filled with patience and understanding that all is going to be okay for you. Much love to you Clarabelle.
Sometimes I feel like I could just explode with excitement and happiness and yesterday (05.01.13) was one of those days. So I grabbed a pen and paper wrote the following poem (well 8 in a row actually). Embrace life and all of its adventure, even in the toughest of tough times, there is great learning to be had. Open your arms to the world, live this life for you and nobody else. Have fun, dance in the moment and be brave in all that you do. May your day be filled with love and laughter. Much love to you Clarabelle.
life is an adventure
Life is an Adventure
There’s fun in my heart, waiting to escape;
The invisible boundaries, cover it with red tape.
I’m bursting with song, love and laughter;
I’m on the move, towards happy ever after.
As I free my spirit, I wake up to the light;
The orange bird dances, wings spread in full flight.
Sometimes in life, I truly believe that we are meant to meet some people, I know they have crossed my path for a reason. Sometimes at the time, that reason is not clear, however, as time goes by, that reason comes to light – a big, bright, beautiful, stunning shining light, shining the way for the path ahead. That meeting benefits both people in different ways and creates a mystical magic that grows from within our heart and soul. I was introduced to a new friend last week and it was this person who inspired the next poem in me. Never give up on your goal, never give up on your dreams, never give up on your vision and most of all, MOST of all never give up on YOU. I hope this poem inspires you to take control of your life, make things happen for you and reach out for help, there is always others who want to help and I am most definitely one of them. If you feel I can help you, then I know I can, I am here for each and everyone of you. Wishing you a day full of inspired action towards all that you want to achieve in life. Much love to you Clarabelle.
I was at the hospital with my mum today and whilst she was meeting with the Doctor, I sat in the waiting room with my notepad and pen, happily writing some poems. I remembered some of the empowering words from my Vision Wall (see photo from it below) and created this next poem which was inspired by the phrase ‘This Time It’s Different’ and for me, it surely is. What positive changes do you want to make in your life today? Go on, just do it!! I hope you enjoy this next poem.
This Time It’s Different
To start afresh, believe in you
A chance to change, for all that’s true
To give you hope and faith in all
“This time it’s different”, I hear you call
The present is here, embrace all things
When the sun comes up and the morning bird sings
Awaken your spirits, make a positive start
Live your life on purpose, from the depths of your heart
poemsbyclarabelle, 25 June 2012
You can read more about the creation of my Vision Wall on a separate page on this blog. If you enjoy what you read here on this blog, you may be interested in borrowing for FREEand/or purchasing one of Clarabelle’s self-published inspirational poetry ebooks available to download now on Amazon Kindle, please refer to the Author page on this blog or clickHERE
A few weeks ago I was telling you about my plans for creating a vision board and I am delighted to say that it is now complete. I will create a new page on here and post pictures of it, so you can check it out. Actually, I would say it is more like a vision wall, so that is what I am going to call it from now on. I am just looking at it now and the words ‘the new me’ are jumping out at me, so I decided to do a poem about that. I hope you enjoy and have a wonderful day. Lots of love Clarabelle.
The New Me
I searched for, the new me
My treasure trove, revealed it to be
A vision of faith, I believe in it all
Empowering language, on my vision wall
It focuses on, the inside out
The language is powerful, I hear it shout
Go on, stand out from the crowd
Make a positive start, feel very proud
So I welcome you, to try it one day
Create your vision and go your own way
poemsbyclarabelle, 22 June 2012
If you enjoy what you read here on this blog, you may be interested in borrowing for FREEand/or purchasing one of Clarabelle’s self-published inspirational poetry ebooks available to download now on Amazon Kindle, please refer to the Author page on this blog or clickHERE
You are amazing, you can be, do and have anything you want. Go on, put your mind to it, I mean, really REALLY put your mind to it and do what you need to do to make it happen. This next poem is for you, I WILL FLY and I hope you will join me. Have a courageous day where nothing stops you from moving forward towards your goals.
What inspires you? What gets you out of bed in the morning? What makes you excited and fills your heart with joy? What makes you feel good? I can honestly say that contributing to this blog answers all of the above questions for me. To inspire others, to share knowledge and learning, to use my creativity and express it with the world, talking to you ticks all of those boxes and more. Thank you for your support and listening it really means alot to me. I hope you enjoy the following poem, keep your dreams alive!!
The Dream is Alive
I jump out of bed, excited inside
Today will be great, I do decide
My mind is buzzing, with wonderful thoughts
Open questions, of how, why and what’s
The wheel is turning, energy flows
With abundant enthusiasm, everything goes
A skip, a hop and a heartfelt mission
Like changing skies, I’m in transition
The outlook is merry, the lights are switched on
The city awaits, soon I’ll be gone
The dream is alive, it’s happening for real
I salute the crowd, they see what I feel
The pursuit of happiness, is not always a drive
When you stop the search, only then you will arrive.
poemsbyclarabelle, 18 May 2012
If you enjoy what you read here on this blog, you may be interested in borrowing for FREEand/or purchasing one of Clarabelle’s self-published inspirational poetry ebooks available to download now on Amazon Kindle, please refer to the Author page on this blog or clickHERE
There are many great mentors and coaches in this world and one that I choose to learn from is the wonderful and wise Jim Rohn, “if you can change, everything will change for you” – go to work on yourself more than your job and share life’s lesson with others. Imagine the life you want, have faith in your abilities, do the work and measure your progress, this is one way of learning to live a good life. This next poem is inspired by just that. Be the architect of your dream life.
Make it Happen
Design your life, the way it should be
From the money in your pocket, to feeling free
To the sounds in your life and the books you do read
Who you’re around and everything you need
Take the time, to plan it out well
Make it happen, under your spell
True magic exists, when you really believe
That a fulfilling life, you can achieve
Take in the knowledge, embrace the dream
Collaborate with others, work as a team
Go to work on yourself and measure it all
Progress will motivate you, this is your call
poemsbyclarabelle, 14 May 2012
If you enjoy what you read here on this blog, you may be interested in borrowing for FREEand/or purchasing one of Clarabelle’s self-published inspirational poetry ebooks available to download now on Amazon Kindle, please refer to the Author page on this blog or clickHERE
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