Monday 25 January 2016

Is Self Talk Healthy?





Around age five, most people begin "self-talk" -- literally, they start talking to themselves either out loud or silently. 

While essential to language development, self-talk is also critical to moral reasoning. 
Sometimes we discourage it in ourselves or children, but we should do the opposite.

So, yes your kids are ok when they "self- talk" and you should encourage them by practicing it yourself too.

Self Talk is a crucial tool for developing emotional intelligence. You need to practice positive self-talk every day, just as much as you would need to brush your teeth every day!

Kids will practice a positive -self-talk, and if you hear them speaking otherwise about themselves it means that you urgently need to have a talk with them, to see if they are just copying anyone or they are genuinely thinking this about themselves. 

As a parent, you need to set the example, so you need to be very careful how you refer to yourself.

And you know what: positive self-talk can only serve you too!

Here are a few things self-talk can do for you:
  1. Give yourself a shout out. Even if no one else seems to be appreciating you at the moment, compliment yourself on the way you handled a difficult situation, left your comfort zone for a new adventure, or just got through a busy day.
  2. Give yourself a pep talk. We could all use a motivational speaker from time to time, but we don’t always have one handy. Self-talk can help you motivate yourself to achieve a goal at work, in a relationship, or in your personal behavior.
  3. Debate both sides of a difficult decision. Saying your options out loud and elaborating on the pros and cons can help bring the right choice to light, and you might be surprised at the unexpected direction your thoughts take when they’re audible.
  4. Blow off steam. If you’re not the type to confront people who tick you off, talk to yourself about how they bother you or how unfair a situation is. Introverts are especially prone to missing opportunities to assert themselves. Put the “self” back in self-assertion.
  5. Understand you thoughts better.Sometimes we’re sure we think one way, but our psyche tells us differently. Have you ever found yourself crying when you didn’t think anything was wrong? That’s your subconscious letting you know. Invite it to join your conversation to bring you to new levels of self-awareness.
  6. Boost your memory.Research shows that saying the location out loud when you place an object will help you remember where you put it.
  7. Shake off stress and anxiety. Who couldn’t use one more way to get rid of stress? Work it through with a monolog.
You might find difficult every morning to get yourself an actual pep talk, so here is a link that you can follow and every morning al you have to do is only to repeat along and breathe for 2 minutes with Eric Lassard, our positivity expert.
Since two years Eric is sending thousand of people an email at exactly 8 am and gives great pep talk for the present day.
The best part is that you and your family can listen in the way to school, it is not dangerous while driving, /except do not close your eyes just breathe /at breakfast or whatever you are doing around 9 am each mornings! 


and if you want to receive it every  morning directly into your inbox then subscribe at: http://eepurl.com/by2H-v

So, please share with us your thoughts about self-talk and how you kids use this precious tool.

We are looking forward to hearing from you!

Wishing you an incredible week "talk yourself in" happiness!

Katy Winner
Your Devoted Emotional Intelligence Expert

PS; If you are around Dublin and Ireland come along to our shows and workshops.
See details; http;//www.abracadabracreativekids.net
Like us on FB and follow us on Twitter!






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Thursday 21 January 2016

What is in your Lunch Box?



We had a great start of the year as we already wrote that we began with a sabbatical of 20 / before Christmas and ending it on the 11th.
We loved the time that we spent by reading, googling and preparing the new programs for this amazing upcoming year.

As we were close to Limerick we decided to visit an old friend and Facebook Pal of us, that we had known now from years.
We met Colm O `Brien more than five years ago at a self-development meeting and then as we shared the same interests like business and self-development so kept meeting at different events.

After Abracadabra School was open, we even realize that we are in the same area of working as we bring a new way of education and Colm with his Carambola Kidz company is bringing awareness and healthy food in the kids and parents life.
So, being so close to Limerick we had contacted Colm, and he was very generous with his time, and we met in a rainy, windy, stormy Wednesday afternoon.
Now, we were prepared to see something great like business as we heard and followed the path of Karambola now from years, but we were not aware and prepared for what we not only seen, but what we experienced down at the company premises.
As you already know Abracadabra School we are all about nourishing the body and the soul of the next generation, we are willing to promote happiness and health for parents and kids.
We are dedicated to inspire and help families to raise their expectations and standards and only to accept the very best for their members. It is a confusing full of temptations world out there, it is a busy time, and we are busy parents.
We are the first generation of parents who are not able to promise and predict an exact future for their kids. Until now there was a scenario / born, for to school get great grades, get a job, work, make a family, retire/  what life as should be. Not anymore! Now we need to change all this as there is much more out there, there is a fast pass of change, and there is so much pressure that we need help and guidance in even with what to feed and how to feed our kids.

Yes, we do! It is not anymore about the food we buy, most people can afford to buy food, It is not anymore about the quality of the food but mostly is important; what it is in it and can we trust the source?
There are more obese children and diabetic and cancer patients children that ever before in history. Does this ring a bell to you?

Every day we face information that big brands and company had broken their promises and added sugar and boosted their foods and products with ingredients that are not quite acceptable.
I can hear you asking; alright what to do then, we can not isolate ourselves and our kids,
so ...?
No, we can not, but what we can is to use products that we can check on, products that have more than a promise; they have integrity and ethos.



This is what we found at Carambola Kidz: spotless hygiene, but like from the scratch to bottom, from the dressing rooms till the office and production line, corridors everywhere.
 Relaxed and happy people all around. Working together, smiling and communicating in a way that you can feel and see they love what they do. When the Big Boss, Colm was around nobody attitude had changed. They all do this as they believe in their work and love it, not to please and please not the"boss."
There are no loud words, expect good laugh, and there are no mistakes.
Technology is used to make sure that there are no mistakes at all in what get into the launch box, and it never happened in the history of the Carambola Kidz that a lunch was not delivered, or the order was mixed up.
It was just about the end of the day when we were there, and the focus and dedication were the same; everybody had a single goal: the lunch for the next day had to be delivered on time and perfect.  As they aways do!

All we felt was respect and admiration towards Colm and the Carambola Kidz.
Going into schools, and meeting many parents we always hear about what should I pack for lunch topic and also the time that we spend shopping arouT

Very busy parents who just might give money to their kids to enjoy the meal they want and all this is right, but still an excellent lunch in school is needed.
School Lunch is the power Lunch of the day!

If you're so lucky that you live in Ireland then why not check out Carambola Kidz website and get in touch with them and lay back and know that your kids lunch was just perfect!
If you are living in another country and you have or want a similar business, ask  for Colm expertise in how to do it!

If all this above did not convince you, well then I highly recommend you the book  "Feeding Johny" and extraordinary adventure of how passion, dedication, and love brings to extraordinary results.






Sunday 10 January 2016

The 3 Basic Emotions That Defines our Lifes





Yes, it is already the second week of the year 2016.
Hope you are all well and by now you are in full swing in creating amazing adventures and experiences that make you and your kids to grow and learning to be fun.

Here are the 3 most common "emotions" that can stop us from achieving our goals and stops us from having fun and happy life.

There are ony emotions, emotions that we create.

Here at Abracadabra we learn together how to create emotions instad of letting emotions ruling our lifes.

So for example: if you happen to get angry , well your behavier might anoy people around you and than things can escalade. So this is when emotions take over.
What oif you learn how to create your emotions, to be in charge so you create emotions like: confidence, happines and joy?

How does it sound?
You might say....well I wish it was so easy.....and I say: IT IS!

There are 3 basic emostions that are in charge mostly about how our day are going.

Let`s see how can we master them and what are the opposite feelings that we need to create instead.


#FEAR VS #FEARLESS


Dictionary defines fear as
"an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm."

When I was a child, I grew up mostly with my Granny. She was and the amazing cook, amazing in looking after our health and safety, but she was terrified every moment of the day. She was aways worrying that there is no bread enough, and the shop will close before dinner, that what she cooked we might not like, that we get lost on the way to school, that we might get sick and so and so on. So I grew up mostly worrying,  and I would not say frightened, but pretty insecure.I felt insecure even though I had awesome school mates; I loved to go to school, and I would like to participate, to travel and to discover new things. 
I had to realize later in my 30 `s that this insecurity program had delayed or stopped me from many things that I had not achieved and done.  I was now conscious that I have to liberate myself from fear. So I started studying fear. 
After trying to treat my fear with many techniques, one day I come to a realization. It is scientifically proof that dogs can smell that we are afraid. Do you agree?

So, one day, I realized that fear is nothing else than a chemical reaction in our blood that is triggered by different memories and believes that we had collected over the years. The triggers that activate the fear are not even ours, most of the times.
Once that I acknowledge that fear is just a chemical reaction in my blood that is activated by triggers, that are not even mine and it is just like a gas that will paralyze my body and mind I could consciously act:  instead of letting this gas flood my veins and blood I will start to feel up my veins and blood with pure oxygen! How can I do this? Easy: breath deeply breath in and out and blew my imaginary or real feather as far as possible I can, So, by this my mind and body deeply relax, defocused from the fear and panic and focusing on my feather, peace and security will return and all my fears will literally fly away.

Does it work? Oh, yes it is!

SInce than we learned with hundreds of kids, who still have at home the "magic feather" and they can keep it all times with them and when ever fear come with the help of the magical feather will transform it into fearlesness!

Because, you know magic is nothing else: just preparation, practice and delivery! 


#ANGER VS #CALM 

If we do not conguer fear at the begining we will notice shorthy that will lead to anger.
What is anger?
Anger is coming from the fact that we feel powerless in front of doing certain things or bringing our willing to others attention.
Anger is exactly how it is sometimes graphically figured: a little red devil with a fork in his hand and punching everyone around. You woud belive that you have fun being angry, but soon you will figure out that there is no fun in being angry.
So, what is to be done than?

Well, just in case you got angry, next time you better be prepared.
Now, you know that we just said above that this "little devil has a fork" and it is pithing all around with it? This is what you do also, when you are angry: you say ugly words, things that you do not even mean and also you shout and sometimes maybe you just hit and punch.
So, next time remeber: when you are angry well that is not you! It is the ittle devil and has nothing do with you. When you see him ready to attack, better pinch yourself on your hand, just to check that  you are not the little devil. If it is hurts a ittle bit, you see, it is you and you have nothing to do with ANGER.
So, instead of getting in trouble better sing:
Anger, anger go away
Anger, anger stay away
and than blew , blew , blew until you notice all your anger disapiered!

Now how fun is this?
You will notice after a few blows that you are calm and more calm.....and things wil just keep going on a happy way!

#SAD VS #HAPPY
This is the most easiest to transform SADNESS IN HAPPINESS!

The secret is again: that you and only you, and you ony who can decide what you want to feel.
As if you decide to be unhappy, sad there is nothing nothing that can change this unless you are willing to change it.
Change can be difficult, it is challenging and sometimes we do not even know where it  comes from.

So next time you feel sad, there is a simple very very simple way to get over it.

Just find a mirror, stand in front and ....smile! Yes, you see we make the most funny faces when we try to smile and we are not willing to do this. Keep doing this funny smiing faces until you will burst in laughing and tha.......sadness is over, welcome happiness!

You see, emotions can be handle if you know that they are only temporary, you know that they are not you and where they come from and most of all you know the "mgic tricks" to make them go away.

So, I encouarage you to use this tools with your kids, family and maybe students and let us know about the miraculos transformations that you achieved.

If you want to practice with us, well you are welcome to join in our workshops and interactive stories, adventure.

You can find out what we are up to at :
http:// www.abracadabracreativeschool.net
ad for daily inspiration follow us on twitter and on Facebook

Create yourself beautiful emotions!

Your devoted
Katy Winner
Abracadabra & Story Bus Team

PS: We have a gift for you: a story for your bedtime!
Click on the Link! Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBDtmCI4ywo




















BOREDOM




Monday 4 January 2016

The 3 Fundamental Changes is Modern Parenting








My name is Katy Winner and I am more like to be known as the Mommager.
I got this status over the last 5 years since my son Eric Lassard, has started to show entrepreneurial spirit signs.
It was a hell of a ride with amazing, heartbreaking moment, lots and lots of learning, conquering fear and crying in the pillow but smiling next day. It was a journey where I learned a lot, lost and conquered so much.
How this all started is a very usual story. When my son was born, I was considered  a late mother as I was 38 years of age. I already had n 18 years old daughter, a divorce and all that is coming with this happening.
So, I took everything, literally everything from the beginning not before looking back and analyzing what went wrong the first time. After giving a good review to my past, I decided that the most important learning is that I need to completely change my educational patterns as with my first born our relationship was very far of even being normal. No, it was not because of the divorce that our relationship was broken. I t would be easy to say so, but I knew it was not true.
I knew that, even though I was all my life self-employed and I managed to raise up my kids without grandparents or any familiar help I knew that the fundamental things are needed to be changed here.
So what are the fundamental changes to entrepreneurial parenting?

TRUST VS LOVE

Now you might be shocked by this above statement but it is really the most important change, trust me.
We all love our children, that is no question about it, this is just normal and natural feeling that comes to the most of the parents when we talk about their children. This love keeps us going on endless nights, early mornings at crisis times, at good times, at proud times. And it is a good until we do not confuse love with protection.
We have to understand that we can not protect our children, or we can for a very short time only. What we need to do is to build up TRUST.
Be very careful TRUST only works if there is a mutual trust. Love can be one sided. I can love you, you do not have to love me back. But TRUST is something different. It is working only when both sides are in the game at the same level.
I had this topic debated thousands if not more times live and on social media where parents were debating how far can you trust a child at the different ages. You see, this is the main point: we do question our kids trust level and they do not question ours.
So, we need tp change from TELLING to our kids what to do in SUPPORTING them in what they love to do

TELLING VS SUPPORTING

You see, when I was a child I was great at literature, languages, history and was not so good at maths, physics. So my parents sent me to extra curriculum private classes  at great math teachers. The results I became, even more, worse and frustrated at maths and I lost a lot of time not having the time to study what I loved. So when my first born was struggling in the same way, I did not sent her to maths, but instead I encourage her to do more drawing that she loved, so she became better and better at this, and then she started playing more and more with numbers and she definitely could do her maths and stayed happy.
So lesson learned when my second child showed any sign of unhappiness, I asked him why and I also asked him what would he love to do instead. I always supported what he love to do, and yes, we always achieved the great result at the end.

LISTEN VS SPEAKING

Yes, it might be hard, but we do need to learn to listen what our children are trying to tell us. We need to encourage them to have the courage and the wisdom to tell openly what they feel and think. The only way is to listen, and I mean it at the highest level. Really listen.  If you listen to kids from a very very young age and they will know that you paid attention to what they say, well I can promise you: you have the key for a beautiful and harmonious life as long as you  and your children are alive.
I hope that by sharing this with you will take away a few ideas and yes there is never too late to start to TRUST, SUPPORT, AND LISTEN to your kids.
Would be happy to know your thoughts so please feel free to comment and email us.
Please feel free to check out my work at http://www.abracadabracreativeschool.com and join the movement of changing education at http://www.kidsedu.socialgo.com

Trusting that this article will support you in your everyday parenting and looking forward to listening at your  feedback

Katy Winner,
Mummager, Entrepreneurial Parenting Adviser, Author, NLP trainer, Holistic Therapist, Co-founder: Abracadabra Creative School, Asck Theater and trusting Mum.







Friday 1 January 2016

Happy New Year from Abracadabra&Story Bus


Happy New Year to all of you, dear Friends, followers, and first-time visitors!

We had an amazing 2015 and we are delighted to start a new year a fantastic one as we are now finalizing our plans and appearances.

On of the very important announcements that we want to bring in your attention is that with the kind support of Bank of Ireland, we will have every month one FREE workshop for you! Attendance is FREE but you need to email for an invitation as space is limited and also, we would like to offer you the best experience and our undivided attention.

We are currently on a "sabbatical" what we call this our extended holiday and will return to our HQ in Dublin on the 11th of January. Will use this time to create and record and finalize a few of our products so then we can bring joy and happiness than in your life with this.

Our first show and workshop in January  will be: Who Wants to Build A Snowman?

What is all this story about?

Happy is a happy penguin who lives at the Zoo and has many many friends. Even though he is happy some days he misses the snow and his dream is to build a snowman. But there is no snow where Happy lives. Come along and let`s help Happy to fulfill his dream.

 Learning: you need to start always from where you are with what you have and to take action  and things will come together and bring you the deserved results.

Emotions: happy, fear, anger, doubt, celebration

JANUARY FREE WORKSHOP WILL BE HELD AT BOI on GrAND CANAL in Dublin / date to be announced/  during the 3rd week of January
FREE but spaces limited at 20 so please send email that you wish to be invited at:abracadabraschool@gmail.com

So, yes let`s start the year by learning how to take action, to observe together the opportunities around us and to discover the power of a team and how amazing is to help others. We believe this is a great start for the year. Don`t you?

Wishing you a great year and many adventures

Abracadabra Team&Story Bus Team

PS: DO not forget ABRACADABRA means I CREATE WHAT I SAY! SO: Abracadabra to you!