Walking along the beach in glorious sunshine I chatted to a family having a picnic lunch.

‘What better way to spend Mother’s Day!’ the father exclaimed. The mother didn’t look so convinced.

It seemed he’d already been trying to persuade her to his way of thinking and there was a bit of an atmosphere.

Maybe she’d had her sights set on a different scenario – a luxury lunch served at a table-clothed table, with a glass of fizz to hand.

It made me reflect on how often we might find ourselves living someone else’s story and/or trying to persuade someone else to live the story we’ve written for them.

‘You don’t really want to….’.

‘If I was you I would…’

No right or wrong here but sometimes it’s important to note when you’re living your own story and when you’re not – and when or how you can change that.

Why not a...

How many ways can you share your story?

Owning and sharing your story is empowering.

Empowerment breeds confidence and with greater confidence comes a willingness to try something new that previously seemed too challenging.

If sharing your story through speaking seems too high a mountain right now, what would feel more comfortable?

Here are just a few ideas for you to consider which one feels most achievable right now:

• Social media posts – bring a bit of yourself, your successes, failures and aspirations through stories of what you’ve been up to.
• Your About Me page – definitely include how you came to do what you do and why.
• Tell some client stories: how you helped them and how that made you feel.
• Guest on podcasts.
• Take opportunities to be part of a panel.
• Journal – only you get to see this.

How will you share your next story?

Need more clarity on that story? Let’s have a chat. 

Book a call with me now to see how I can help.

...

Inspired by a discussion about Michelle Obama’s amazing autobiography Becoming, I recently journaled on this: ‘The person I’m becoming is …’

I found it really empowering, which is why I’m sharing it with you and encouraging you to do the same.

If you’re new to journaling, take a pen and paper, set aside 10-15 minutes, and write in free-flow whatever comes into your head in response to those 5 words.

When you focus on who you’re becoming, you can leave your voice of doubt behind and look only at the open path ahead. It gives you permission to be kinder to yourself about the things you haven’t achieved yet or find challenging.

I’m becoming someone who manages time well, easily attracts the people I can offer most help to and someone who owns her brilliance and expertise. Definitely not there yet – but that’s the whole point. I’m still becoming.

What about you? Who are you becoming? I’d love to hear...

Is there something you want to do but hold back because you don’t feel confident to do it?

You certainly wouldn't be alone.

Whatever your level of success, there’s always another challenge to take and that old hoary chestnut of confidence pops up again.

Think back to another time when you didn’t feel confident about something that you now do with ease. How did you gain that confidence? Probably by doing ‘the thing’.

One of the wonderful parts of the work I do is to see people grow in confidence around sharing their story, around recognising their expertise and owning the difference they make in the world.

The more you do it, the more confident you’ll become – I promise!

Rachel Maunder is a communication skills and speaker coach and professional speaker.

She has been in the world of competent communication, in different guises, for more than 30 years so has a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise to pass on to her clients, both...

Do you see yourself as a creative? How do you know whether you are or not? Who gets to decide?

What does being creative even mean?

With the following words on my annual school report for Art – 2 years running! - it’s hardly any surprise that I went through life thinking I wasn’t artistic:

‘Rachel’s artistic imagination far exceeds her ability.’

Somewhere along my journey I’ve come to see I can be artistic, or creative in different ways and if you haven’t put your hand up that will be the case for you too.

It doesn’t have to be about painting and drawing – although we can learn to do that too. It can be about homemaking, cooking, gardening, so many ways.

So in what way would you see yourself as creative – because you are?

Do you write? Come up with new ways of working with your clients? Think outside the box?

What other ways are there to be creative? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Rachel Maunder is...

Have you ever been given advice that you’ve never forgotten?

I was 18 but felt my life was in bits. Having fallen short of the mark in my A level grades, I’d lost my place at uni and it felt as if the pathway in front of me had fallen into a big black hole.

What on earth was I going to do next?

‘Why don’t you phone them up? At the moment you have a no. The worst that’s going to happen is that you’ll still have a no, but they might be impressed with your initiative and change that no to a yes.’

At the time I was too lacking in confidence to make that call, so I still had my no, but it’s been advice I’ve acted on many times since – and have passed on to others.

What bit of advice could you share, from your story?

For more ideas of how and where to find your stories, 

download my free Pdf now 

‘7 Simple Story Prompts’ 

Rachel Maunder is a communication skills and speaker coach...

I completed a course of Alexander Technique sessions. In case you’ve not come across it before, it’s a technique aimed at releasing muscular tension particularly in your back, neck and shoulders – a bit of a issue that became more apparent for many of us during lockdown.

Instead of focusing on areas of tension, the concept is that by focusing on areas in your body where you feel at ease, the areas of tension will gradually self-correct.

How might we apply that to our business world?

What tends to be easeful for you? Try focusing on that this week instead of areas of stress or tension and see what happens.

Just try it – and do let me know how you get on.

Rachel Maunder is a communication skills and speaker coach and professional speaker.

She has been in the world of competent communication, in different guises, for more than 30 years so has a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise to pass on to her clients, both through her signature...

What stories do you tell yourself that hold you back from achieving fulfilment?  

Perhaps you want to achieve something at work or in your business but worry about what people will think of you for going for it. If you want a promotion, do you worry about being accepted at that next level? Will people think you’re out of your depth to even apply? Will you be seen as the skilled professional you are, or will you be dismissed out of hand?  

Thoughts like this can hold you back from taking the next step.   

We worry about how the people around us will perceive us – and when we do that, it holds us back from having the impact we can make through our professional services on the people who really need it.  

Many moons ago it was suggested that I apply to become a Justice of the Peace. I was working within the juvenile justice and care systems at...

How often do you compare yourself to someone else, only to find yourself lacking?

Maybe someone, or everyone, seems to be more clever or successful than you, to be clearer on what they want out of life and better at working towards it, to have the personality or style you’d like to have?

How can you turn those comparisons around so that you can be more proud to be you?

Of course, we all have our down-days when we slip into ‘it’s alright for them’ thoughts, but how can you raise your self-esteem and to remind yourself of how capable and competent you are?

These things can help:

• List all your skills and strengths. Read it aloud. Add to it.
• Re-read testimonials; recall positive comments made about you.
• Remember what friends and family value about you.

What would you say to a friend who was self-critical? Say that to yourself.

If one of the things you’d like to be proud of is your story, I can help you. To explore how, just book a complimentary call here....