Earlier this week, my kids and I are chatting happily away when all of a sudden the stroller takes a turn. I nearly bump into a lamp post. The stroller has a bad wheel that is about to give out.

Anyway, as we nearly collide into the post, I notice a hand-made flyer.

Now this street gets plastered with flyers and thankfully someone does a good job removing them. Still this flyer has hung on.

So what makes this flyer stand out, why does it catch my attention?

The simple heading…

“Excellent Nanny.”

Most of the time you just see flyers that say your garden variety, boring old “Nanny Available” or “Housekeeper Available.”

But not this one. Which is why I privately think to myself, way to “go for it” nanny.

It does show a certain confidence of the individual, doesn’t it?

And isn’t it true that you would probably be more interested in someone who says she’s an excellent nanny than you would be in a regular nanny… I mean common, who wants “regular,” right?

So back to being confident… I’m going to assume that this nanny has a lot of self confidence (or at least a healthy does of it), or else, why did she chose to describe herself as an excellent one.

And guess what? Because of her display of self confidence, sometime sooner rather than later this nanny will get what she wants. And some family may discover a not just “excellent,” but a maybe even “extraordinary,” person who will not only help care for their children, but who also will become a part of their family. Not so, unfortunately, for some other nannies who might be too terrified to step out of their comfort zone this way.

Okay… So we both know this isn’t about nannies… it’s about confidence, as in self-confidence (not to be confused with self esteem, which is something totally different).

And let me ask you, how confident are you?

Yes, I know it’s a bit of a trick question. After all, confidence can be relative. Meaning that it is quite normal for us to be more confident in some of the 7 areas of life than in others.

Still, humor me for a moment, and just make a mental note of your answers to this question… how do you see yourself, confidence wise in general? Do you see yourself as a confident person?

Remember, I’m not asking you whether you are excellent or extraordinary, because however you may feel about this, I am here to tell you that you are extraordinary, and you are made of wonder. I’m just asking you about your confidence.

Why? Here are 3 observations from a guy who’s been insecure, been cool as a cucumber, and has seen the awesome effect as well as the destructive consequences that confidence can wield:

* When you improve your confidence, it shows up in all areas of your life,

* With more confidence, we can accomplish things we’ve been too afraid to even think or verbalize, never mind commit to paper, and finally

* Although confidence isn’t something tangible, having it sure can create tangible results in your life.

Sometimes all you need is a boost of it, because just a little more can make all the difference.

The confident nanny says she is excellent. Another one doesn’t and, the price she pays may be her job. What could not being confident enough be costing you?

So again how confident are you, and if it feels like it would help you to gain some more, what exactly would it take to do that?

Or let me know if you’d like to hear more on this and we can get into it further in an upcoming post.

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Remember subliminal messages? Or rather, remember when you were told about subliminal advertising? Soft drink and candy companies would insert flashes of their products into the movies that were screening at theaters – too quick for your conscious mind to see, but that your subconscious mind latched onto, and sales soared.

This kind of advertising was quickly made illegal. Probably because the whole idea of how you can speak to your unconscious mind is pretty interesting, isn’t it? See, our unconscious mind is like the genius child who soaks up everything – and I do mean everything. The thing is your unconscious doesn’t have the skills to decide if something is good for you, or bad.

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Have you ever felt life dealt you a bad hand? Times when you wondered why it had to be so hard, times when you wished for it to get easier?

Reflecting on those times, it’s a lot clearer now why I felt that way. I was putting my body through a wringer and it was worn out. And actually my mind was too.

If you look back on such occasions, you too might realize why you were having a rough time, why things had a certain rhythm.

And it’s a lot easier now to understand that things would have indeed gotten easier if I had asked myself a better question, one like “How can I give myself the strength to get through this?”

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What would it be like to get away from it all, now?

Let me explain…

We recently returned from a vacation.

There was a time when a vacation used to be a luxury. Today though for many it has become a necessity.

Have you ever come back from vacation feeling you already need another one? You’re not alone.

It’s been shown in several studies that a respite from work decreases burnout and improves your mood and physical well-being. No surprise here. But what is interesting is the same studies show the healthful effects don’t last long – sometimes just a few weeks, if that long.

…that’s why it’s so nice to get away every few months!

Okay, back to the day-to-day again… I am reminded of the power of a good vacation and I figured why not let’s dig into the subject a bit.

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Did you know that from the moment sharks are born, they never stop swimming, even when they are asleep?

Okay, sharks may not be the first thing you think of when you are asked about role models. Let’s face it though; sharks have been around much longer than man or any other mammal, maybe as much as 400 million years. To me this says they’re doing something right.

And they never stop moving forward. I think it’s a good metaphor for life: even if you’re only moving forward slowly, it’s vital to always keep moving.

Change doesn’t need to be hard: In fact, it’s better if it’s easy, and pleasurable, don’t you think?

Let’s say you want to lose 100 lbs (I like round numbers!)…

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You may have heard of the 7 Areas of Life?

If you’re new to the concept (welcome, by the way) the 7 Areas of Life are:

Money, Time, Relationships, Health, Emotions, Work or Career, and Greater Contribution.

Each of these 7 Areas are like pillars that support your happiness and well-being. When one is weak and crumbles, your well-being caves in.

If you sit back and think about it, you might agree that most of us work on one, two, or at best, three of these pillars, right?

Some pour their heart and soul into their jobs. Ever found yourself concentrating on your career …identifying yourself with your job title or how much you earn, only feeling fulfilled when your work life is going well? …I know I have.

Others focus predominantly on their relationships. For these people, family and friends are the most important of the seven Areas, and they do not feel like a whole person if they’re not always focused putting others first.

By now maybe you can see how you favor one or two Areas the most. And likewise you might just as easily have clear in your mind the Areas you neglect… say maybe your health (when you eat out a lot to save time and energy), your money (when you spend money on things you know you don’t really need) or maybe your relationships (if you get caught up in a rat race of life bound with responsibilities)?

Don’t feel bad about the Areas you neglect, because we all do it. Just promise me you’ll avoid making the mistake of assuming that two or three strong “pillars” will make up for the rest. Because if you do, sooner or later the roof of your inner house will cave in, there is no doubt (I’ve been there and got the t-shirt).

And maybe it already has caved in… Perhaps right now you as you read what I’m saying there’s an uncomfortable sensation in the pit of your stomach – the one that signals now is time to change some things in your life…

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