Inspire

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Sue's Invitation

What a year! That was how I started the invite to the last Alumni day back in 2010 and here I am saying it yet again for different reasons but no less dramatic. Environmental changes – the earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan, volcanic eruptions in Norway and Chile, Mining disasters in Chile and New Zealand, the crisis in the Eurozone, the uprisings in North Africa, Egypt, Libya, Syria and now the renewed violence in Ireland. And just this morning the news of renewed violence and death in Mumbai. These are the events that have touched me personally .. there are so many many more. The world is a living changing dramatic place to be and there has never been a more important time to learn how to be with this. As Paul Hawken says in his remarkable commencement address:-

“You are brilliant and the world is hiring”

You are indeed brilliant all those wonderful people that I have met on my travels and in my trainings in the stunning remoteness of New Zealand, the riches of the Hunter Valley in Australia, the warmth and humility and spirituality in India. The striking riches of Abu Dhabi, the green and cool of the UK and of course the riches of rural France. Thank you to all of you. You teach me so much.

NLP at Work

I was launching the 3rd edition of my book when I last announced one of these events and I am proud to say that the book in 2nd editions and 3rd together is now published in 19 different languages and is available on Kindle. Thank you to all of you who have bought it. And many NLP Trainers who are using it as their course material – thank you.

And so …

Being a part of the community that is changing lives for the better is vital. And this community requires nourishment too. The coming together of those invested in similar causes is a place for that nourishment. There will be an array of talent and excellence. Come and celebrate with us. And so I invite you to join us on July 22nd and 23rd both days starting at 0930. A two day party at Bix Manor in Henley on Thames. The charge for the event is £195 plus VAT.

What will the days include?

Meet up for breakfast of croissants and coffee, fruit

Welcome and get connected

An update from me

Dance, humour, cancer recovery, body and mind, awareness through movement, coaching with humour, now where are the direct business, marketing and project managment sessions? You won't find them here but you will find the inspiration that will make a difference not only to your work, your business and your life. They are totally connected. Come and find out how and be inspired. That is guaranteed…

• Catch the Provocative Style, Speech and Confidence—Harry Key
   

   

   

   

   

   

  “In this session, I will be sharing my skill with speech and obsession with humour, to ignite your ability to challenge and nurture yourself (and others), to be funnier, to be more attractive and get the sex, to be a confident speaker; and to be more provocative and powerful in every aspect of your personal life.

  ‘Provocative’ has grown and changed and become something else. It is no longer something you ‘do’ from time to time, it is a way of being. You can liberate yourself from unhelpful stereotypes, from other people’s expectations, from political correctness, from boredom, from patterns, from being ‘clean’ and being ‘nice’ and lying to people you love because that’s what they expect of you. You’ve tried that. Try something else.

  Provocative Style is a sustainable personality adjustment and a bloody enjoyable way to live, in which every interaction is purposeful and fun. Here’s how it works: You accept that you’re already perfect, and dead keen on becoming better. When you think of something funny, you say it. When you think of something nice, you say it. When you think of something honest, you find a funny way to say it.

  This is a new kind of coaching, in which every person on earth and every interaction between them is provocative, purposeful and fun. The great part is that it doesn’t take any learning to do it, because you already know how to, it’s often just a matter of giving yourself permission.”

  Website: http://www.harrykey.com
  E-mail: harry@harrykey.com
  
• “True Colours”—What is your image?—Frances Goodman
  How does what you wear reflect your state of mind and influence your image to others? Do your clothes reflect your unique gifts and preferences? Do you wonder why some clothes compliment you and others don’t? Are you outwardly demonstrating your inner confidence-or not?
  What you wear speaks volumes about you.
  Top brands are built from strong images and clear communication; people are no different. Knowing what suits you and demonstrating your talent with your choices about how you look sends a congruent, confident message and makes you feel great.
  In a safe and supportive environment, enjoy exploring how you decide what to wear and how you could express your unique gifts and your creativity as an original piece of artwork and with you as the artist!
  Love what you wear, love your look, love you.
  Frances is a business coach and trainer with a background in NLP and Image. Through her company, Imagine Success she works with professionals on their image from the inside – out, re-shaping how you can improve self-image and project confidence.
• How to Avoid the Drama Triangle… —Lisa Ames
  …in a parenting context
  “You may or may not yet be familiar with Karpman’s Drama Triangle… in which he describes the socially acceptable game that we, mere mortals, indulge in regularly in order to meet our varying emotional needs. Whether we (consciously or unconsciously) adopt the role of Victim, Persecutor or Rescuer, we relentlessly swap roles with each other in a continuous, ego enriched melodrama. The implications of the game are a ripple effect, often with far reaching consequences and although many suggestions have been made as to how to stop this cycle of behaviour many, ironically, are in and of themselves a self fulfilling prophecy.
  At times, I too am a mere mortal…! I understand only too well how easily these roles are slipped into and oh, they can seem so comfortable... and convenient. Nowhere has the Drama Triangle been played out to quite such a degree as in the parenting of my own children, particularly between my son and I. Thankfully, neither of us suffers any lasting emotional damage BUT, once aware of the game, I set out to find a solution… another way of interacting, another way of being. A way that encourages mindfulness, is clean, simple and effective. A way that is in keeping with the principles of NLP and focusses heavily upon ‘desired state’ and well formed outcomes. I look forward to sharing my new and improved ‘game’ of interaction, with you.”

Graham presented at our last Inspire event and there were many people who didn't get a chance to hear him. Time has passed, his story has developed. Now is your chance to hear how…

• The Power of Thought in Cancer Recovery—Graham Bower
  “Four years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery and chemotherapy. In ways that I couldn't possibly have anticipated at the time, this experience set me on a journey that would fundamentally change my life for the better.
  Before my diagnosis, I lived a stressful, unhealthy, unhappy life. Today, I'm in better shape mentally and physically than ever before. So much so, that I'm actually glad I had cancer. It was an inescapable instigator for changes that were long overdue. It led me to study NLP, which taught me how to take responsibility for my state of mind, and that the mental strength I developed during chemotherapy could be applied in all areas of my life. For example, before cancer, I was unfit, overweight and never exercised. After cancer, I discovered a passion for marathon running.

  

  Graham Completing the London Marathon

  I realized that recovering from cancer is not about leaving the disease behind or running away from it. It's about embracing it as a part of your life. It is about accepting what is, and adapting. It's about carrying it with you for ever, and knowing that it's OK. That the experience has become a part of you, and that you are richer and stronger as a consequence. And I believe that this insight, which I found to be true for myself through painful experience, can be applied to any experience, by anyone.
  In this talk, I'd liked to share the story of my journey through treatment and recovery - and the lessons I learned along the way from some very wise and brave teachers.”
• The Magic of Dance—Nikita Thakrar
  “What is dance? We have already heard that dance can be described as poetry in motion. It is movement in rhythm, It is an act of expression; a way of exploring ones' inner self and unlocking creative boundaries. To me dance is all of these things plus more. It's an act of celebration. When I dance I feel free. My soul comes alive, and my inner light glows.”
  
  Nikita Thakrar is an inspiring artist and entrepreneur whose mission in life is to EDUCATE, EMPOWER AND ELEVATE the next generation. She has been practicing as a dance educator and performer for the last 12 years, and running her own successful dance company; the Dancing Nikita Company (DNC) for the past 6 years, which gives re-birth to ancient, authentic Indian classical dance known as Kathak.
  Nikita has always been creative since a young age. She started writing poems and short stories, when she was 9 years old and by the time she was 11, she was publishing profound poetry in books. She had a natural interest in Performing Arts, despite coming from an academic minded cultural Indian family. She went on to pursue a career in dance, and after several self-funded trips to India she spontaneously started her own dance company at the tender age of 20. It grew from strength to strength, and is today her Berkshire based dance studio is one of the most renowned institutes for Indian performing arts in the UK.
  Established dance instructor, Nikita Thakrar will be introducing participants to the beautiful magic of INDIAN DANCE. All ages and levels are welcome from beginners to advanced.
  And there's more…
• NLP for the Body—Stewart Hamblin
  Life is expressed through movement. All too often though our human potential and therefore our ability to perform well at work and at play becomes restricted by movement habits that we no longer realise we have acquired with the result that we can and often do become old before our time. Exercise, brute force and will power on their own seldom help to unlock these habits.
  During the course of this movement workshop you will explore how a simple sequence of movements performed with awareness can radically alter your movement potential and your ability to function well in relation to gravity by helping you to redefine your self-image.
  The workshop will be lead by Stewart Hamblin, an experienced Pilates and Iyengar Yoga teacher, and student of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais.
• Modelling a Master
  Sandra is a very special and inspiring lady. She has been a guest as a model of excellence on a couple of my Master Practitioner programmes and boy was she a success. We even had one delegate who fell in love with her… well one that admitted it publicly. I am sure that there were a lot more!! Despite Sandra's elegant petite style she is a powerhouse.. Working in the fashion industry in the way that she has demands some of the highest level leadership, negotiation, communication and project management skils. this session is a chance to model her remarkable style and talents.
  Sandra began 2011 by joining Samantha Cameron and fashion luminaries such Alexander Shulman, Editor of British Vogue, on the British Fashion Council judging panel for the 2nd Designer Fashion Fund award.
  From a similarly distinguished panel it was Sandra who was chosen by last year’s winner, rising fashion star Erdem, to act as his Official Mentor and in Sandra there is a wealth of experience for him to draw on. Subsequently she will be mentoring the current winner, Christopher Kane, for the coming year.
  A graduate of Kingston, Sandra learnt her trade in Italy as Head Designer at Alberta Ferretti, creating and defining the ethereal yet wearable Ferretti style which endures to this day.
  After nine fulfilling years, she returned to London in the mid-nineties to join Paul Smith, rising to the position of Creative/Design Director Womenswear. Intrinsic to the vision and image of the brand, Sandra expanded the fledgling Womenswear collection by evolving and establishing it’s identity in the global marketplace; overseeing all wholesale collections developed in the UK under the Womenswear umbrella, including licencesed collections in Japan where Paul Smith enjoys a well deserved reputation as one of Britain’s finest exports.
  From designing critically and commercially acclaimed collections to restyling a Design Hotel in the Swiss Alps, creatively consulting various project from RTW designers to Lingerie, Sandra relishes the challenge and thrill of diverse creative projects and also enjoys sharing her passion and energy for the Fashion & Design industry through lecturing and diverse inspirational speaking requests.
  Fulfilling many of her early career ambitions over a prestigious 25 years, Sandra took the brave move to leave Paul Smith after a very proud 16 year tenure to concentrate on finding something to inspire her into her next 25 years; and has recently been charmed across the pond to take on the position as Vice President of Creative Design for a blossoming internet company that is not only challenging and exciting but ticks all the boxes she drew up for herself, primarily to teach her something brand new and to have fun!
  Sandra’s many personal ambitions include taking her mentoring skills to a new level by creating a
  benevolent foundation to provide a creative channel for, and boost the confidence of, young people in less fortunate situations through teaching design and creative skills.
  “She is an inspirational speaker and coach and left a powerful, lasting impression on everyone with whom she came into contact with” perfectly captures the dynamic energy of Sandra Hill. (Sue Knight, NLP Master Practitioner, 2010 & author of ‘NLP at Work’)
• Noticing the Fear and Doing it Anyway
  I haven’t always been great at coping with my fears, fear of competition, fear of messing up, letting my dad down, myself down…the usual kind.
  I particularly remember a time when I was playing in a PGA Tournament at Wentworth and at the time my previous two seasons had been appalling and I was struggling to break par in nearly every round I played in. By the time I had arrived at Wentworth my confidence was at an all time low, I had nerves prior to the event that I could not keep under control to the point I would even struggle to enjoy my cooked breakfast. My wife Laura will tell you, for something to put me off my food things must have been pretty bad.
  I can remember taking the clubs out of the boot of my car and I was physically shaking. It was chilly that morning but these shakes were a little uncontrollable. It was at this point I asked myself why do I do this to myself, I’m not looking forward to this at all.
  Here I was at one of the most iconic courses in the world, a course that inspired me as a child when I saw Nick Faldo winning the PGA Championship and I was not enjoying the experience one little bit. and…
• Journey to Truth—Ramesh Prasad
  “This existence is to find the truth of who am I and to journey towards bliss”
  There are over one thousand communities in India and the Brahmin community stands at the head of them all. Respected by many for their wisdom, knowledge and services to humanity Brahmins were looked upon for all the godliness of human being. My family is one among them. A Brahmin is one who is a very strict, disciplined and sincere person following all the rituals and tradition of the community with utmost purity and sanctity. I grew up watching my father upholding the values and belief of this community. Caught between the traditional world to which my father was dedicated and the modern one my father offered me a choice to follow whichever I chose. And it was through my learnings with NLP that I began to discover the value of my father's legacy and that in turn led to me discovering the truth of who I am. And so I began a new journey - following one thousand years of family tradition - my tradition - the Brahmin tradition. I journey to my true self.
  I invite you to join me in this session to discover more about this journey and how with NLP I have reconnected with the core of who I am and the transformation that has occurred.. you might explore how that journey can bring about a transformation in you too (or maybe it already has?). Then we can continue to journey together…
• Singing Together—Diane Seaborne
  “And all meet in singing, which braids together the different knowings into a wide and subtle music, the music of living. ” ― Alison Croggon, The Naming
  Singing together has been something human beings have been doing as far back as we can recall. Whether it’s a tribal song, in the terraces or to our new born babies. It unifies the body, soul and spirit, levelling people in a way nothing else seems to be able to. Not only that it feels amazing to sing! Singing relaxes and energises the whole body. Its health benefits are well documented and singing has been used by many to treat stress, pain and anxiety. While we sing we release endorphins and dopamine which relaxes and relieves our bodies of its aches and pains and well as making us feel great.
  I believe that you don’t need to be the next Beyonce to enjoy singing. You just need a desire to get involved and have fun.
  During my session I’ll show you how to breathe well for singing and how to make the best sound you can. I’ll then teach you a song in three part harmony. Yes its possible! Perhaps we’ll even get to perform it…. you never know!
  So singers and non singers, join me as we create the Sue Knight Inspire Choir (for one day only) and charm the birds off the trees!
  “Then the singing enveloped me. It was furry and resonant, coming from everyone's very heart. There was no sense of performance or judgment, only that the music was breath and food.”
  ― Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith
  “Words make you think. Music makes you feel. A song makes you feel a thought.”
  ― Yip Harburg
  For more info check out www.singandinspire.com
• NLP and Economics—Christine Downton
  This session is an opportunity for us to discuss the very significant changes which have and are continuing to occur in the global economy. This will include where the European Union,the Eurozone and the UK fits into this evolution, and the implications for us all! And given my NLP training this is interesting from an NLP perspective too.. Join me for a new perspective
  Christine Downton's first Professional role was as a research fellow at the University of Leeds in 1970, followed by a lectureship in economics at the University of Bath. She then served as Assistant Economic Advisor to the Bank of England in the 1970's. Christine began her career in investment management with NM Rothschild and Sons Ltd (London) in 1977 managing multi-currency fixed income portfolios and advising corporations on foreign currency exposure management. She joined County Bank Limited (London) in 1980 to establish a multi-currency asset management group. Following a two year period in New York during which she spent a year as Senior Consultant to the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and a year with JD Wolfensohn Inc, she was invited to return to County in January 1984 as Head of Investment Operations. She remained in the capacity of both Chief Executive and Chief Investment Officer of County Nat-West Investment Management until the end of 1989. Following a year of consultancy work Christine was one of the founding partners of Pareto Partners and in that capacity was Chief Investment Officer from 1991-2001. In 2001 she became Vice Chairman and retired from Pareto on December 31, 2004 on the sale of Pareto Partners to Mellon Bank. She has subsequently carried out a range of Board, investment advisory roles and pro bono activities in South Africa.
  Christine is also on the Board of The Atlantic Philanthropies, the Drug Policy Alliance and The Learning Trust
  Christine holds a BSc and A PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics, and an MA in Economics from the New School of Social Research.

…and there will be many more sessions, keep watching this space as the magic unfolds…
I hope to see you there.
Love, Sue