The Best You November 2012

Inspirational Storey

THE BEST

YOU

Life Without Limits

TM

We pay tribute to our Olympic & Paralympic heroes

What makes Ronaldo kick? ✦ Johnson Beharry VC talks to us ✦ Nicky Hambleton-Jones The Future of Russell Grant on staying youthful ✦

TRANSFORM INSPIRE MOTIVATE ENRICH EMPOWER ENJOY

Contents November 2012 Features 6 Cover story

Sarah Storey Shines

10 "I wouldn't say I was lucky" Johnson Beharry VC talks

INNER YOU 16

What the future holds for Russell Grant Russell tells us about his amazing life

20 21

6

7 Confidence Tips Each month The Best You gives you tips to succeed

The spirit of enterprise Anne Jirsch asks whether spirituality is good for business

ENJOY LIFE 24

What makes Ronaldo kick Dr Stephen Simpson studies the football hero

28

The Creative shed

32

It's time for Movember

Shed Simove "guarantees" success or Your Money Back!

Matt Wingett discusses the power of the moustache

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live, love, laugh, leave a legacy

Stephen. R. Covey

LIVE LOVE LEGACY 36

Light up your life

38

Top tips for you and your teens

40

The one thing women really want in a man

Sophie Keller tells us how to be happy

Parenting advice from education expert Kate Benson

Dating tips from TV's Mr Fix It, Ali Campbell

16 FEEL & LOOK GOOD 56

Stay youthful

59

Low self-esteem ... what's the problem?

60

Exploring the Mystery of Yoga

Nicky Hambleton-Jones' advice on eternal beauty

The Best You takes a look at the spiritual exercise

WEALTH & RICHES 64

24

Gillian Jones on battling low self-esteem

The three values that drive my success Jo Haigh gives us insight to her business world

65

The elevator pitch

66

The Rocky Road to Success

Paul Boross on how to make the instant pitch

Amazing stories about four succesful people

21st CENTURY LIVING 70 71 72

App, iBook or Newstand Martin Carter gives us our publishing options

Developing a presence on Linkedin Tim Bond on the power of the social network

Establishing your brand and creating revenue from it Bernardo Moya on profitting from Intellectual Property

The Best You Magazine | editor and Publisher: Bernardo Moya | bernardo.moya@thebestgroupinternational.co | deputy editor: David Saunderson | Associate editor: Matt Wingett | Technical Consultant: Martin Carter | Advertising: Carla Phipps | carla.phipps@thebestgroupinternational.co | layout: Aaron Paterson The Best you Magazine The Best Group International 33 newman Street, london, united kingdom, W1T 1Py Tel: +44 (0)845 230 2033 | www.thebestyou.co

ContrIButors Anne Jirsch

is a psychic with an extraordinary gift. She is also a Tarot Consultant, Metaphysical Teacher, Past Life Regressionist and Future Life Progressionist. Anne’s client base is worldwide and includes heads of industry, politicians and celebrities.

Kate Benson

is the International Director of Education for the Society of NLP, the only Licensed Master Trainer of NLP in the field of education and is an internationally-recognised trainer in the Education Sector. She has 20 years experience in teaching thousands of teachers to improve the quality of teaching and learning,

Ali Campbell

is one of the world’s leading life coaches. He has built an enviable reputation as a highly motivational Coach, Therapist, Author and Presenter. Dubbed “TV’s Mr Fix-it” He is a trusted advisor to celebrities, business leaders and even royalty around the world.

Gillian Jones

founded Emotional Independence with Sarah Babidge and Mel Carnegie. They are currently in the process of writing a book to support women to overcome low self-esteem.

Nicky Paul Boross Hambleton-Jones is probably the world’s has become a household name, a pioneer in reinvention and a purveyor of reigniting one’s youth and inner sparkle. Nicky is at the forefront of both the fashion and beauty industries, making it her business to find the best solutions on offer to help women nationwide look and feel younger.

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only presentations/ pitch specialist, business trainer and life change expert to have real front-line experience of motivational psychology and high profile TV/ stage presentation and comedy. He is a respected keynote speechwriter and performance coach for many top business, professional, political and entertainment clients.

Dr Stephen Simpson

Sophie Keller

is a Karl Morris Certified Master Mind Factor Coach and has incorporated his own methods into his sports coaching techniques, taking the best from the frequently confusing world of hypnosis, meditation, Zen, NLP, philosophy, and even quantum physics.

is a Happiness expert, a life coach and author.

She is an expert in human behaviour and communication skills and has trained in many mind, body and spirit healing techniques, as well as being a Master Practitioner and Trainer in NLP, a professional Feng Shui Consultant and a qualified Yoga Instructor.

Tim Bond

Jo Haigh

is a creative entrepreneur whose ventures seek to rethink traditional business models and pioneer new solutions which add value to business. He was one of the first LinkedIn members in the UK and has been actively using the system to support business development since 2009 when he started Network Sunday.

has 20 years' experience of negotiating the sale of businesses (at last count 327 businesses sold), and four bestselling books under her belt so there's no denying she is a successful businesswoman.

WeLCoMe to the fIrst eVer Best you!

Bernardo Moya, CEO of The Best You reflects on an extraordinary summer for the UK. Two words have been doing the rounds this summer. They are #inspiring and #legacy.

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n the UK we've heard them a lot, and I know that for many people the fact that even the most cynical of Brits were happy to use them has come as a genuine surprise.

The fact is, despite the recession and the terrible weather here this year, we in the United Kingdom have seen ourselves in a new light. We've been surprised to see how proud we are of our country, and how it can still do amazing things on the world stage.

The words Inspiring and Legacy, so widely used during the Olympics and Paralympics are what The Best You represents.

Our company slogan is: “Life without Limits, Inspiring People, Inspiring Stories, Inspiring You”. Every day during the amazing summer of 2012, we saw massively inspirational stories from the Olympics and Paralympics – as people from all over the world did the most extraordinary things.

For us in the UK, seeing Team GB finish with 65 medals - 29 gold, 17 silver and 19 bronze was extraordinary. And the great thing is that so many other countries went away with medals – some representing countries that had never won a medal before.

It's true to say that we have learned

a whole new respect for our athletes – people such as GB sweetheart, Jessica Ennis, Rebecca Addlington, Bradley Wiggins, Gemma Gibbons, Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton, Mo Farrah, Greg Rutherford, Christine Ohuruogu, Andy Murray and so many others.

One of the great things about such events is that we learn to identify with people who are absolutely dedicated to what they do.

We marvel and – yes – it's true – we are inspired.

This is equally true of the amazing Paralympics team the UK fielded. Their medal total was 108, with 31 gold, 39 silver, and 38 bronze. Amazing super humans such as David Weir, Hannah Cockroft, Johnnie Peacock, Josef Craig, Sarah Storey, Jonathan Fox, Ellie Simmonds, David Weir, Sophie Christiansen, just to name a few, show us what we are capable of with determination and grit. Of course, not every competitor could win a medal – but our respect goes out to them. They, too, were extraordinary.

I was thinking what being part of the Olympics represents. Among many things, these words come to mind: Attitude, aptitude, commitment, confidence, courage, desire, drive, determination, hunger-to-win, motivation, passion, resilience, strength, resolution, positive thinking, positive visualisation and

Watch Bernardo's video more. They also mean days of disbelief, doubts, fear, injury, pain, sacrifice, sadness, setbacks - but ultimate triumph.

These amazing athletes are like us, with our ups and downs, and so for us, their examples of overcoming and competing and being their best are something we can learn from.

It's important, too, to remember that these guys haven’t achieved it alone. They have had coaches and families that have supported them and believed in them.

So, what is it that we can learn from them and from the whole Olympics and Paralympics phenomena?

Possibly this: that anything you do in life requires commitment, determination, focus, a lot of hard work. To get it requires seeing yourself succeeding in life, winning, focusing on your abilities not your disabilities, and never letting anything or anybody say you can’t achieve it. That's the spirit of The Best You magazine. b We want your stories

the best you is all about inspiring people. If you have a tale to tell that you think will help someone become the best they can be, please tell us.

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Feature:

Sarah Storey  Gold medalist Sarah Storey

on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Women's Individual C4-5 500m Time Trial on day 3 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

sarah storey Roll of Paralympic Honour

Barcelona 1992

 Swimming: 2 Gold,. 3 Silver, 1 Bronze

Atlanta 1996

 Swimming: 3 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze

DID YOU KNOW: Olympic gold medals haven't been solid gold since 1912, gold medals today are 92.5% silver and 6 grams plated gold.

Sydney 2000

 Swimming: 2 Silver Athens 2004

 Swimming: 1 Bronze Beijing 2008

 Cycling: 2 Gold London 2012 6 www.thebestyou.co

 Cycling: 4 Gold

Sarah shines Sarah Storey is one of Great Britain's greatest paralympians - she tells The Best You that the road to glory hasn't been so smooth.

S

arah Storey is jointly the UK's most prolific Paralympic medal winner alongside Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and Dave Roberts.

Her life has been a story of focus and success, which involved her overcoming bullying and switching from swimming to cycling. Bernardo Moya chats with her and finds out more about Sarah Storey, Paralympian extraordinaire.

Sarah Storey, now 34 years old, had an ordinary upbringing around her home village of Disley, in the Cheshire countryside. Though she started with what many might term a "disability" (her hand failed to develop properly after the umbilical cord was wrapped around it in the womb), her life was normal. These days her mum works in a nursery and her dad is an electrical engineer.

She remembers a very active childhood, and finally settling down at the grand old age of 10 to start focussing on swimming. It all started when she was just seven years old, watching the Olympics on the television, she recalls with relish: "I watched the 1984 Olympics, and it was that Games that really inspired me, and, yeah, and after that, all I ever wanted to do was be an athlete."So how come she made this decision so early?

"I was always a sporty child, and so I’d just do every single sport. I started my swimming training when I was almost 11," she says matter-of-factly, as if starting to train seriously in swimming is what most 11-year-old girls are doing, rather than thinking about boys, make-up and the latest pop idols. This was four years before her first Olympic Games, which she took part in aged 14 in Barcelona. To Sarah, this start to her swimming career obviously doesn't feel very early at all, as she goes on to explain: "I’d

been so active as a child, I don’t think it really I could possibly be. I had a lot of support mattered that I’d sort of started perhaps a bit from my family to make sure that, you know, I later than some swimmers." didn’t sort of stray off of that path."

Behind all of this, Sarah's parents were So what advice would she give people supporting her in her endeavours. going through a similar situation now?

"My parents," she says, fondly, "Well, I "Just be your own person. It’s hard at the owe them everything, really. They just gave time to realise it, but the bully is the one their time for taking me to races and training. with the problem, not you. So if you’re being They’re still right at the front of everything bullied and you can look yourself in the mirror that we do, so, you know, without that family at night and know that you’re doing the best support, then I wouldn’t have been able to do you can do and being the best person you can anything that I have done, and I still wouldn’t be, then that’s really all you can ask." be able to do anything I do."

After four fantastic Paralympic games, a Despite this support at home, which led to new challenge came to Sarah when repeated her success in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, ear infections made it impossible for her to life was not as easy back home for her as it carry on swimming. True to her no-nonsense might have been. It is well documented that attitude to life, she showed the champion's Sarah was on the receiving end of bullying mindset and switched over from water to from classmates who simply couldn't handle wheels. Within three years of the change in her being different from themselves. It was 2005, she was winning gold. a hard time for her, in which the girls at her She did it by watching - in real life and on school isolated her. They moved chairs to tv - everyone on two wheels who competed prevent her from sitting with them and would at a high level. She would watch their speak horribly about her in the school toilets techniques on the bike and really get a sense while she was in the cubicle. They even of how to do it. In fact, for Sarah, the change objected to her turning up at school with wet was easy. hair when she had been training in the pool.

"I think every sport has its whys and She is clear that it was never physical wherefores and different processes that you bullying, but the follow technically. environment she Physically, there was living in had were some "I watched the 1984 its effect on her. similar traits, but Olympics, and it was that She began to lose it was just a new Games that really inspired weight as she thing to learn and me, and, yeah, and after stopped eating, new processes and some reports that, all I ever wanted to do to follow to train say that she and race." was be an athlete." was borderline Buoyed up anorexic. Her by her positive mother, a noattitude and nonsense woman intervened, and told her to entering into the change with the right spirit "sort it out". She has said before as saying was also part of her strategy for success: that her focus and resilience in her sport "I was always sporty so trying a new sport comes from her ability to deal with the stress was something that interested me anyway. associated with the bullying, although in our I mean, I think when you catch the bug for interview she is far more diffident about the something that takes your imagination, then whole thing. it’s not difficult to find the time to spend "You know," she says thoughtfully, "Kids learning new skills or a different style, as don’t understand things when they’re it were. So for me, it was just a bit of an different to what they know. As often it is adventure, something that was a little bit of with bullying, it’s a question of someone not a change." When asked how she maintains understanding someone else and picking on her dedication, Sarah is really clear that the them as a result. I had two years at school events in which she is involved are motivation before I left to do my A levels, so it felt like enough! it was lasting an eternity, but it seems really "When you do what we do, it’s easy to be relatively insignificant now. It had an effect at motivated, especially when there’s a home the time but nothing longstanding, obviously." Games on the horizon and the chance to be She is philosophical about her experience, the best athlete you can be." able now to look on it with the wisdom of As for setbacks, it's no surprise that Sarah hindsight: "You know, being bullied isn’t a nice is pretty dismissive of them. thing to have to deal with, but I just followed "You know, everyone has a bad day where the ambitions and dreams that I had. For me they don’t feel so great. I mean, it’s raining it was all about following my dreams to be an and they don’t really want to go training athlete and attempting to be the best athlete - but at the end of the day, this is a oncewww.thebestyou.co 7

Feature:

Sarah Storey

in-a-lifetime opportunity so, you know, you soon get round it and soon find that you give yourself a good talking to and get on with the job."

She continues: "I think we’re in a very unique position and are very fortunate that motivation is never a problem, really.

Sometimes fatigue gets to you, when you’re so tired, you wonder how you could possibly get through the next training session without killing yourself. But fatigue and motivation are two completely different things, and struggling through training because you’re tired isn’t the same as being demotivated."

While talking with Sarah, it has become so obvious that her focus, her excellence at what she does and her motivation was exactly the same as anything experienced by able-bodied athletes. In fact, Sarah has twice won the British able-bodied national track championship. There is a growing recognition of the impressive nature of Paralympic athletes, and there is no doubt that the London Paralympics marked a new high in recognition for "disabled" people. Sarah is very clear about this, "I think the perception was always that the Paralympics were something that was second to the Olympics. It came second, therefore it 8 www.thebestyou.co

wasn’t as important. But for us as athletes, the amount of competition, the intensity of it has always been very real. Now I think the general public have realised that themselves.

That's thanks to great media coverage and more people and more tickets and bigger venues and all the different things that played a part in making it more public. Finally, people have come into our world, and are starting to understand what we mean when we say we’re not second-class citizens, we’re elite athletes as well. They’ve now seen it first-hand and understand that, and that’s the greatest thing is that the word ‘disability’ is almost redundant."

This attitude is reflected in her answer to what she would tell others who might believe themselves to be in some way "disadvantaged".

"I think you, you have to look in the mirror and make sure you’re doing everything you possibly can, and if you want to do something badly enough, it doesn’t matter about other people’s opinions of you or the situation. If it’s a dream of yours, then you find a way.

There are lots of situations where athletes have coached themselves for a while or had to buy their own training time at a training centre, because they didn’t have anyone

showing any interest in them. So, whilst money makes a lot of the world go round, if you want to do something then, you know, money doesn’t come into it – you find a way of doing it anyway. I know athletes who’ve gone into incredible debt just to fulfil this dream of becoming Olympic or Paralympic champion, and when they do that, you know, the rest of it seems insignificant." b

 British Olympic gold medal winning cyclists Sarah Storey, Victoria Pendleton and Sir Chris Hoy during the London 2012 Victory Parade for Team GB and Paralympic GB athletes last month in London.

Making us proud The Olympics & Paralympics are full of inspiring stories. Here are some of them ...

When you do what we do, it’s easy to be motivated, especially when there’s a home Games on the horizon and the chance to be the best athlete you can be.

 tom daley

 Gemma Gibbons

His boyish good looks and tiny trunks are spoken about almost as much as his fantastic diving. The boy wonder grew up in the unforgiving public glare and was bullied at school and on Twitter. What's more, he also had to work through tragedy after his father Robert died of a brain tumour at the age of 40 last year. He endured it all with grace and dignity and won bronze at the London Olympics.

Unlike many athletes at the Games, Gibbons' parents were not in the stands to watch her secure a judo silver medal for Team GB. Her father walked out before she was born and her mother died of leukaemia when Gemma was 17. Spurred on by the chance to compete at her home city, Gemma won Britain’s first Olympic judo medal in 12 years Overcome by emotion, Gemma knelt on the floor, held her face in her hands and dedicated her victory to her mother.

 Bradley Wiggins

victoria Pendleton

With seven Olympic medals, Wiggins has become Britain's most decorated Olympian ever, overtaking Sir Steve Redgrave's previous record (with Sir Chris Hoy beating him on golds). Bradley grew up without a dad, when his father Gary walked out on the family when Bradley was just two.

His father returned to Bradley's life when he won bronze in 2000. But when Bradley failed to perform at subsequent events, Gary accused him of being a failure and they never spoke again. Gary died in mysterious circumstances in Australia in 2008.

Bradley didn't attend the funeral.

Cyclist Victoria Pendleton had to overcome the disapproval and ostracisation of her Olympic team-mates when she broke the unwritten professional rule of falling in love with her coach, Scott Gardner in 2008. Even when Victoria won Gold in Beijing that year, all she felt was numbness because of her squad's angry reaction to news of their affair. This year she won Gold and Silver in two cycling competitions and she is now engaged with Gardner. Things do come right!

 david Weir

 Mary King

Born with a severed spinal cord, meaning he cannot use his legs, David says he has never seen himself as disabled. In his teens he became a formidable wheelchair athlete, winning the junior London marathon, but then fell headlong down the stairs and badly injured his shoulder. At 17, Weir grew tired of sport. Then, in 2000, inspired by Tanni Grey-Thompson, his passion for the sport returned and he won four golds in London.

A 51-year-old ex-chalet girl, Mary was the oldest member of Team GB. 11 years ago, when she was training, her horse bucked and she broke her neck. She managed to walk the quarter-mile to the stables but in hospital her broken neck was misdiagnosed as whiplash. Three days later and back on a horse she felt as if her head was loose. It was only then that a consultant confirmed the break. In London this year, she won silver for the UK.

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Feature:

Johnson Beharry VC

" I wouldn't say I am lucky…"

Johnson Beharry VC has been through the most extraordinary life experiences.

Bernardo Moya meets him, and finds out what drove him to incredible feats of heroism one day in Iraq in 2005.

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t isn't often you meet a man who has put his life on the line to save others, who has looked death in the face and been wounded so badly that doctors didn't think he would survive, but that is the story of Johnson Beharry, VC. Johnson is a quiet, self-contained man who has a definite presence. Born and brought up in Grenada, in the Caribbean in 1979, from an Afro-Indian family, Johnson moved to the UK in 1999 at the age of 19. As a teenager, his life was hardly the conventional mould from which heroes are cut. He started out as a small-time drug dealer, selling cannabis.

But this was clearly not something Johnson felt right about and he joined the Princess of Wales Regiment at the age of 21. johnson: I just looked at my life and I said to myself, "why am I doing this? What would my Gran think of me knowing I’m in a country where I could do something positive with my life and this is what I’m doing? And what would she think of me?" I couldn’t cope with the answer... So I decided I had to stop there and then...

One day on my way to work I saw the advert in the papers for the army so I said, "Right, I’m going to join the army." ...So... I went into the recruiting office...”

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 Watch the video

so I couldn’t come up with any idea how I was going to get on top of the vehicle ... so I just went for it.

I put my rifle on my back and run up on top of the vehicle run through the fire ...

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Johnson served in Kosovo and Northern Ireland.

Then, in 2005, while driving the lead Warrior armoured vehicle of a convoy, his platoon was caught in a ferocious enemy ambush. Beharry was faced with a stark choice: to drive over a mine and take his platoon to safety while very likely losing his own life, or do nothing and have all his men die together.

Johnson: I knew when that mine went off I was going to die, because I was sitting next to the engine. The engine and then me - and the mine is right at the front.

So, what I decided to do is place the big lump of metal, the engine, over the mine so the engine is going to take most of the blast.

Yes I’ll get killed but the guys at the back I was hoping they were going to be okay. ...The vehicles from behind would pick the 12 www.thebestyou.co

guys up and carry on. Well I did go over the mine. Did it go off? I can’t tell you! There was so much explosion!

With his Warrior still miraculously under power, he drove deeper into the "killing zone". Then, he saw something coming towards him. johnson: I had the hatch open because my driver’s tunnel was full of smoke... I pulled the hatch closed... I didn’t manage to lock it, it blew off in my hand. ...It was a rocket propelled grenade coming directly at my head.

Johnson's story didn't end there. With his vehicle on fire, still fighting an ambush and with no communications, he finally located a company of soldiers in a building. With them nearby, he now had to think about saving his comrades. johnson: ...I get out of the driver’s seat and I lie in front of the vehicle to take cover so I don’t get shot. I’m thinking I need to get on top of the vehicle to make sure the two

guys on the top are okay. But the vehicle was on fire and... under heavy machine gun fire. So I couldn’t come up with any idea how I was going to get on top of the vehicle, which is about six feet in height... So I just went for it.

I put my rifle on my back and run up on top of the vehicle run through the fire. First person I saw was my boss, he was unconscious, down inside the turret in the gun.

[I] pulled him out, put him on my back... carried him into safety through the fire. Come back again, did the same thing with the gunner... Then I went round the back of the vehicle. There were four guys in the back.

Individually I carried them to safety then checked the other vehicles for casualties... then I went back and sat in the burning vehicle.

He now drove the vehicle under heavy fire down a river bank, where he disabled it and the weapons system. johnson: I sit in the back of a vehicle and the last thing I remember was someone... removing my helmet from my head, and saying to me, “Harry, Harry, stay with me.”

 Johnson Beharry carries the Olympic Flame on the Torch Relay leg through the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

And they were pouring water on me. About four to six hours later I wake up in camp.

Johnson's actions that day saved 27 of his comrades. But he also encountered more danger six weeks later. Once again he drove into an ambush. This time a grenade exploded six inches from his face. He managed to reverse the vehicle out, under heavy fire, but his whole head was smashed and he was given only a 1% chance of survival - with his head and spine injured, and severe damage to his shoulder.

Nevertheless, Johnson pulled through. He is philosophical about his survival. johnson: Anyone who has been through what I’ve been through and survived it, well, I can’t think of a second person that has been through what I’ve been through and survived.

I wouldn’t say I’m lucky, I’d say I’m blessed.

Johnson now supports numerous charities and is passionate about educating teenagers to give them a sense of purpose in life. In his view, you "can't give up" on them, but have to get through to them to use their energies. b

victoria cross The VC was introduced on 29 January 1856 by Queen Victoria to honour acts of valour during the Crimean War. Since then, the medal has been awarded 1,356 times to 1,353 individual recipients As the highest award for valour of the United Kingdom, the Victoria Cross is always the first award to be presented at an investiture, even before knighthoods, as was shown at the investiture of Private Johnson Beharry who received his medal before General Sir Mike Jackson received his knighthood Since the end of the Second World War the original VC has been awarded 13 times

"[I] pulled him out, put him on my back... carried him into safety through the fire. come back again, did the same thing with the gunner... then I went round the back of the vehicle."

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THE BEST

YOU

Life Without Limits

TM

Inner you Connect with the wonderful, special, powerful individual deep inside... Learn new ways to get your mind and body in balance and bring out the rich core of your being... With mind and body in balance, discover the secrets that will enable you to take charge of your Inner Life and become the Best You.

Inner you

What does the future hold for Russell Grant Russell tells us about his amazing life

The spirit of enterprise

Anne Jirsch asks whether spirituality is good for business

7 Tips for confidence

Each month The Best You gives you tips to succeed

www.thebestyou.co 15

INNER YOU: RUssell GRant

What the future holds for Russell Grant 16 www.thebestyou.co

Russell Ward is a well-loved media personality, who enchanted audiences from the stage to the screen. He sat down recently to talk to The Best You's Bernardo Moya ...

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dId YOU KnOW: "Russell first hit TV screens as a young actor appearing in BBC Dramas such as Canterbury Tales and the legendary Wednesday Plays and sitcom classics like Doctor in the House and On The Buses."

didn’t start as an astrologer," says with his life. "The turning Russell Grant with a smile. "I actually point for me was when I hit 27 started in show business." Growing up stone in weight... The reinvention in the village of Harefield in Middlesex, came when I psyched myself up that I Grant was surrounded by theatrical had to change otherwise I would die. During types - his mother worked for Pinewood my dark period I had two near heart attacks, Studios, his father was a set designer on suspected prostate cancer and even skin blockbusters like Cleopatra. No surprise that cancer... It was about getting my mindset his early life was acting, while astrology was right to be able to get everything else right. a hobby.

You’ve got to want to do something. If you All that changed when he did don’t really believe it or believe a reading for Tommy Steele. in yourself then you won’t do it "Through him I became a friend and 5th January 2009 I woke of Princess Margaret." Then, up one day and I couldn’t walk, after he was photographed I was on a stick and I thought doing a reading for the Queen I’ve got to change myself. That’s there’s not been a what I did."

Mother, he was tagged as the Astrologer Royal.

Acting also pulled him British Astrologer "There’s not been a through. "Because of my royal ever! I doubt if background in showbiz, British Astrologer Royal there’ll be one ever I actually set up a drama ever! I doubt if there’ll be again," he says, and school. I was helping one ever again," he says, and admits that he also admits that he also illiterate people perform gave readings to Princess Thomas’ Under Milk gave readings to Dylan Diana, too.

Wood by teaching them Princess diana, too. orally."

So what is it about astrology? Russell is clear Russell recalls fondly it's far more than the that they put on the show simple Sun Sign astrology you see in the at Portmeirion in North Wales. For the royal papers. He explains that astrology is really wedding between William and Kate he to do with "the potential of the human soul also put on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It and the human being... If you connect with was, he remembers, "a wonderful sense of yourself and you bring out what you should achievement, watching other people achieve be doing and fulfil your potential, you’re very what they’d never thought they could do. happy, you’re very fulfilled and you’re very How wonderful is that for them? How satisfied. As a result of that you make other wonderful for me that I was able to give people happy too." something of myself to inspire them."

But life wasn't all the highs of appearing This healing power in showbusiness on UK and US tv as a celebrity astrologer. also helped him. "I realised I’d left showbiz News that his grandmother had Alzheimer’s behind, the music, the acting, the singing." made him return to care for her.

So in 2009 he went back to it, appearing in "I went through a very dark period of Alan Ayckbourn's Soap, to wonderful reviews great depression and sadness because my before going on to win the Evening Standard grandmother died," he says, admitting that One Act Play award for another performance after her death, he didn't know what to do at The Brighton Festival.

Then, with Strictly Come Dancing he found a "fuel to my soul and my spirit. It enabled me to be me again." After his appearance there, Andrew Lloyd-Webber rang him up and asked him to take the title role as the Wizard of Oz. Russell now believes the future is bright as he works on many new projects, such as teaching people astrology to help themselves and others.

Musicals, dancing, acting are on the horizon, too. Russell also hopes to work in ecology and "do something to help Mother Earth". To sum up, he says, "It’s all forms of showbiz, all forms of communication where other people can learn and be involved."

And asked what he would like people to say of him, he replies: "Well, hopefully, that he brought a little bit of joy into someone’s life - and he spoke a bit of sense." b

 Watch the video

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INNER YOU: toP tiPs Heather Hull  Traditional Usui Reiki Master Teacher and Practitioner

 Notice your body -

I

and take charge.

n 1997, at the age of 33, I developed ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and could no longer work as a secondary school teacher. At this time there was no treatment for the condition and it was known as 'yuppie flu'. Few doctors recognised it as a valid medical condition and many were of the opinion that it was a "skiver's charter". Prior to this illness I had never had time off work that required a sick note, yet here I was struggling to walk, some days unable to get out of bed and no end in sight - it was a bleak and worrying time for me. One doctor actually told me to get back to work and get on with it!

Whilst recovering from pneumonia, an ex-colleague contacted me and suggested I try a session of Reiki. She had recently learnt Reiki, found it to be very beneficial and thought I might benefit from it.

I had one session of Reiki and was so amazed by what I experienced and how it made me feel that I quickly decided to learn it for myself so that I could self heal and, I hoped, get better. Surprise...it worked! Happily, it did just what I hoped and in an amazingly short space of time I regained my strength, stamina, health and happiness.

I will always be grateful to Reiki as it gave me back my life.

To give thanks for this I decided to train as a Reiki practitioner and spread the word about Reiki by sharing it with other people. I was guided to train to Master Teacher level and I love not only giving Reiki treatments to people but also teaching them to use this wonderful energy for themselves and others.

I have now taught Reiki to people from all over the British Isles as well as to those who have travelled from all over the world. There's no doubt it changed my life! b We want your stories The Best You is all about inspiring people.

If you have a tale to tell that you think will help someone become the best they can be, please tell us. Email:info@thebestgroupinternational.co

confidence, like art, never comes from having all the answers; it comes from being open to all the questions.

- Anonymous

FALLING ON DEAF EARS...

When Self-Help writer Napoleon Hill was told by doctors his son Blair would be a deaf mute because he had been born with no ears, Hill announced that one day he would

20 www.thebestyou.co

7 ConfIdenCe tIPs for the Best you Your body reflects your emotions in your physiology, which feeds back to your brain.

Lift your head and pull your shoulders back - imagine you’re about to go to a party, see a favourite band, or meet a great, trusted friend. Notice your body’s posture when you think about things you look forward to. Use that posture when thinking about things you’re less confident about.

 Breathe better

People lacking in confidence allow the diaphragm to tighten, leaving them literally speechless. Practise breathing from your diaphragm. Modern science's discovery of the entemic nervous system supports the view that your gut is the seat of your emotions.

Breathe deeply and slowly once - twice- three times... and relax.

Yourself A Break!

Face your “worst case scenario” and CHILL OUT! Flunking that interview or messing up a negotiation might leave you annoyed... but actually... that’s all. When the spectre of “failure” doesn’t loom so large, you start to get things into perspective.

 Allow for “failure”

The important thing to remember is a setback is not an endpoint. Learn from what has happened and move on. No-one expected you to be able to learn to walk without falling.

The same is true in the rest of life!

 Be prepared

Things might not go how you want in that deal. What alternative dealing positions can you take? Who else can you do business with? What else do you have to offer, if the first opportunity passes by?

Consider alternatives ahead of time, no matter what the situation.

 Select Your

Truth Wisely.

 Use your

imagination constructively Worriers often imagine everything going wrong.

STOP THAT! Start imagining things going right. And again, and again. This is much better practice!

have 100 percent hearing.

He told sceptical doctors. “There is nothing I can do nothing about, even if it is to change myself to live with what has occurred.”

From the moment his son was born Hill started building Blair’s expectation to hear.

At age 16, doctors were flabbergasted to find Blair had developed 65 per cent normal hearing. The hearing aid manufacturer

 Give

You negotiate a pay deal but don’t get the car you wanted.

Which means you’ve got something to aim for later on. That beautiful woman or handsome man turns you down.

Consider what they are missing out on. Your life experience is not objective. Interpret it to your advantage!

Acousticon were so impressed by this, they built Blair a custom hearing aid. He recovered 100 per cent of his hearing, just as his father had predicted. Hill said: “It’s a miracle of modern science that helped him. But I know what I did: help him believe it was possible!”

INNER YOU: anne JiRsch

the spirit of enterprise Anne Jirsch Coach and mentor Anne Jirsch has noticed a change in her business clients. Over the last ten years they’ve become increasingly spiritual. But, she asks, is this necessarily a good thing?

I

’ve worked in the spiritual field for over 35 years, and seen an increasing number of business people coming for a consultation. I am also told such things are often the topic at dinner parties. It is not just the odd person popping in for a lunchtime tarot reading or astrological chart. Spirituality in business is now a huge subject. There is a whole new way of thinking and conducting business.

In his book, ‘Screw Business as Usual,’ Richard Branson talks about his new vision for the future. He said, ‘In the past business has been all about profit. Now the shift is away from capitalism and towards caring for people, communities and the planet.’

He is not alone. Bosses are now looking at work ethics, eco issues and being downright good chaps. The ruthlessness of times gone by is replaced with a kindly attitude.

They need to at least be seen to be doing something worthy.

All this is great for the leaders of big companies. It gives them brownie points with the public, their staff and the media, but how does this translate into the everyday business world? How does the average small-to-medium-sized company handle this new found awareness?

Recently, a businessman came to see me and lamented how his business had slowed down dramatically since he’d become ‘spiritual.’ He loves this new aspect of his life but no longer pulls in the deals he would

I have many powerful clients from celebrities to movie directors; from heads of industry to even politicians and believe me they will use anything that gives them an edge. have once easily obtained.

I told him it is something I see regularly.

Have no doubt that used properly, a spiritual leaning can greatly enhance your fortunes. In fact studies have shown that people at the top of their game are far more liable to use their intuition than people at the bottom to middle who tend to rely heavily on facts and figures.

American parapsychologist Dr Douglas Dean and John Mihalasky, Industrial Management Engineer at New Jersey Institute of Technology spent over ten years studying the predictive abilities of chief executives and how well their companies performed. They found the exceptionally higher-performing executives had above average “precognitive abilities”.

The problems arise when we are too pressured to listen to our intuition. Fear kicks in and we begin to doubt our own

awareness. This gets in the way of listening to gut instinct.

Another problem can come from a very different place. Just because you’re spiritual doesn’t mean you’re going to be completely laid back. Yet some people get into a flat, passive mindset. This I believe is the biggest problem. I often hear people say, ‘oh well if it is meant to happen it will happen.’ They ‘ask the universe’ to provide for them.

Many years ago I did some motivational work for an insurance company. They were all deeply religious. Their attitude tended to be that god would provide for them. One representative brought in ten times the business of the others. He was also deeply religious, ‘I asked him during a meeting what his secret was. He replied, ‘I believe god gives us the tools and abilities to go out and get the business.’

So, the key is to stop and listen to your gut feelings, to use your awareness and instincts but to also use your own drive and passion to get out there and bring in the business. That way you have a set of tools that will put you ahead of the crowd.

I have many powerful clients from celebrities to movie directors; from heads of industry to even politicians and believe me they will use anything that gives them an edge. Overall they listen to their intuition then take massive action. Now that is a combination not to be messed with. b www.annejirsch.com www.thebestyou.co 21

THE BEST

YOU

Life Without Limits

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Enjoy Life

Laughter, sport, humour, travel, love, dedication, joy - these add the sparkle that makes life worth living. Climbing a mountain, giving to others, starting a family, embracing life... What are the things you wish you had done, but haven’t yet? Life is no rehearsal find ways to enjoy it, whenever you can!

Enjoy life

What makes Ronaldo kick?

Dr Stephen Simpson studies the football hero

The creative Shed

Shed Simove "guarantees" success or Your Money Back!

It’s time for Movember!

Matt Wingett discusses the power of the moustache

www.thebestyou.co 23

Enjoy Life: What makes Ronaldo kick?

In the first of a series of articles looking at the secrets of the world’s top sportsmen and women, leading mind coach Dr Stephen Simpson looks at the skills of Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and asks:

C

ristiano Ronaldo, one of Real Madrid’s star players, holds numerous records and has won many prestigious titles. He is a prolific striker, and is the first European league player to score 40 goals in a single season, not just once, but twice in consecutive seasons.

Described as the complete footballer, equally proficient scoring with his head, either foot, or even his body, he is equally comfortable with static ball situations, such as taking penalties, free kicks, and corners, as well as tackling and dribbling at high speed. He is also extremely fit, and carries 3% less body fat than a supermodel.

Not surprisingly Cristiano is one of the most popular players in the world - and one of the highest paid. So what goes on in his head, and how can you use this knowledge in your favourite sport?

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, offers some revealing clues, highlighting Cristiano’s air of arrogance, and his belief that he is number one.

Where do you wish to draw your personal line between being arrogant, and possessing self belief? My suggestion is to err on the side of arrogance. It may lose you friends and invite hostile criticism, but your inner arrogance will enable you to perform at the top your ability. Remember, though, It is a

24 www.thebestyou.co

Ronaldo became the most expensive footballer in history after moving from Manchester United to Real Madrid in a transfer worth £80 million.

What makes Ronaldo kick?

ď‚ş www.thebestyou.co 25

ronaldo stats

$42.5 mil Total annual earnings

£80 million transfer fee to Real Madrid worth ( 93.9 million/$131.6 million)

matter of balance and personal choice. As Henry Ford said, ‘Whether you think you can or think you can’t - you are right.’

Other clues to the source of Cristiano’s success were revealed in the documentary ‘Ronaldo - Tested To The Limit.’ In a series of experiments scientists examined his physical and mental performance.

One experiment involved wiring him to equipment that monitored his eye movements whilst dribbling the ball past an opponent.

Cristiano’s eye movements were seen to be extremely rapid, as he scanned the ball, the defender’s body parts, and areas of open space. The result was that he could predict the defender’s movements, and read the game almost instantly - certainly much faster than is possible using his conscious mind.

Cristiano therefore trusts his unconscious mind implicitly.

The truth is that the greatest gift is to trust and let things happen rather than make them happen. This mind strategy releases the far greater and much faster power of the unconscious mind. Another experiment involved taking a corner for Cristiano to score from, using his head or foot, depending on the height of the ball. There was no goalkeeper or other defenders, so this should not have been too difficult, except that as the ball was flying about half way to him the lights were 26 www.thebestyou.co

switched off. As you might have guessed Cristiano was able to score comfortably, because his unconscious mind had accurately predicted the flight of the ball, and he was able to complete his final movements in complete darkness.

The scientists were determined to test Ronaldo to the limit. This time the lights were switched off just before the ball was kicked in his direction... Still the ball ended up at the back of the net, as he imagined the flight of the ball using only the player’s movements before the ball was even kicked. Ronaldo processed this information by tapping into his unconscious memory banks. He accessed information from thousands of hours of practice to “see” in the absence of seeing a real ball.

This process is called visualisation, which we are all capable of. Cristiano has taken it to an extreme. As we study other athletes in this series the importance of visualisation will be demonstrated in many different ways.

The good news for you is that it is possible to improve your visualisation skills. A little extra will make a huge difference to your success, and not just in sport.

In the next article we will visit the world of athletics, and find out the mind secrets developed by the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt. b www.thegolfdoc.co.uk

26

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ENJOY LIFE: the cReatiVe shed

Shed Simove’s new book “Success...

Or Your Money Back” is a unique accumulation of observations on creativity, the nature of success and just getting out there and doing it for yourself. The Best You decided to find out what’s important to Shed, and the thinking that shaped his latest book.

28 www.thebestyou.co

The creative Shed

W

ith a background in bringing some of the biggest hits of the past 10 years to a UK tv screen somewhere near you (Shed headed up “The Big Breakfast”, “Space Cadets” and “Big Brother”) as well as million-selling lines of adult and novelty gifts and toys, Shed Simove knows a thing or two about success.

But the thing that strikes you the moment you speak with Shed is something else: he has an infectious laugh that reveals a childlike curiosity and delight with the world.

Asked to describe himself he says only half-glibly: “I am physically a 41-year-old, with the mental age of an 8-year-old!”

His answer belies an extraordinary original talent to make people laugh. So what makes him happy?

“What brings me joy is doing something no-one else has done before, seeing one of my achievements blow big and engage with lots of people, and seeing a loved one’s triumphs or a special occasion that they’ve either created for themselves or for me. Notice that none of those involve money!”

Indeed, Shed is all about connections and communication and not about the stuff you can quantify in traditional terms. That’s why he says of modern education: “It’s really strange that how to make a living, how to attract a partner and how to be good parents are not actively taught in school. I think it’s just bonkers.

Instead you learn a lot of facts that you can find easily online, without learning any of the skills to tie them together.

“We should prepare our kids for the real challenges of life, like dealing with people, presenting well, negotiating and making connections with people. Oh,

is: creating a new solution. I fundamentally believe that we all have the ability to be wildly creative, it’s just about training the brain to do that.” bringing up kids would be useful, too!”

Shed’s creativity has been pretty wild.

Shed didn’t conform to the mould of From the big-selling “Sergeant Peppermill” traditional education. As he explains in - a peppermill in the shape of a soldier, Success... Or Your Money Back, with no through his classic novelty gift book What track record he decided to just pitch his Every Man Thinks About Apart From Sex that ideas for novelty gifts to the industry. But contained 200 blank pages, to his outrageous with no history of success and with some “Flying F**k”, Shed has stepped outside terrible pitching skills, he made no inroads the bounds of convention to come up with into the industry. Instead, he scraped something funny, memorable... and saleable. together his pennies and started producing That last one, by the way, was a remote his own novelty gift. By the time the first control toy helicopter in the shape of the consignment had sold out, the people who word “F**k” with the classic gift strapline: had once laughed him out of the office were “Now you really can give a Flying F**k!” calling him to do business.

The success Shed has enjoyed with his This is another of the lessons that Shed reveals in his book: Persistence is important, unique take on the world is something he is glad to share with others but doing the same in his book. But what is thing repeatedly We should prepare success to Shed? isn’t enough. You “Lots of people need to change what our kids for the real define success as huge you do till you get challenges of life, like wealth. I think that’s it right. Feedback, dealing with people, very dangerous. It is one as the saying goes, presenting well, measure - but it’s not is the breakfast of the be all and end all. I champions. negotiating and So, where did his making connections would say that success is really a relative absence original approach to with people. Oh, of worry, and when you the world come from? bringing up kids would wake up in the morning, “I owe a lot to my or the afternoon, if mother and father. be useful, too! that’s how you arrange My mother is a wildly your life, you are wildly creative woman with a huge attention to detail. She used to throw excited in your heart about what the day will bring. parties and the invites would look like an “Of course, a relative absence of worry airline ticket. Guests would turn up and sit in rows and my dad would be dressed as a pilot comes from being healthy and having enough money so you’re not worrying how you’re and we’d all be stewardesses. going to eat. I do think money is important, “My dad was an entrepreneur and he had but the accumulation of cash just for the bingo clubs in Wales. There’s no doubt that their examples, one wildly creative, the other sake of it is a bit bizarre! For me, the route to happiness is really seeing things I’ve created entrepreneurial have fed into what I do.” come to realisation, engaging with people But Shed is very clear that creativity is and laughter. That’s what I’d call success!” b not about genetics. “I think we can all be creative. Our brains have evolved to solve problems - and that’s a lot of what creativity www.thebestyou.co 29

Recommended reading

Lonely Planet's Ultimate Experiences for a Lifetime  Andrew Bain

You’re never bored for

choice with Lonely Planet’s amazing 1000 travel ideas, places and activities sure to inspire and entertain.

The King's Speech

Moments

The true story of a Australian voice coach who helped save the British royal family.

Insight into the life of international Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo, admired around the world for his unique style of play.

 Peter Conradi

 Cristiano Ronaldo

The Best You website is packed with loads of great books, DVDs, CDs, downloads, free articles and reports. Check it out at www. thebestyou.co

Live your life without limits

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www.thebestyou.co

ENJOY LIFE: it’s time FoR moVemBeR...

Remember, remember, it’s time for Movember...

The mo can be dapper and funny - it’s down to you how to make your mo count! In this one, writer Matt Wingett has gone for the circus strongman look!

With November on its way, or Movember - the month in which men grow moustaches for charity Matt Wingett looks at the history of Movember.

Find out more about Movember here: www.movember.com

32 www.thebestyou.co

L

ittle acts of originality can make a massive difference. Just so with the case of the group of four men who got together one afternoon in 2003 in a pub in Melbourne, Australia looking at people passing by on the street.

Luke Slattery, co-founder of the Movember movement recalls: “We were sitting around looking at all the fashions that had come back - cords, flares, stripes and plaid. And we wondered what from our childhood hadn’t come back.

We decided there were two things - the moustache and macrame.”

The friends thought it would be fun to make the moustache fashionable again - and then as they discussed it more, decided that growing a moustache for charity would also make those facial follicles do some good in the world.

Over the following weeks, the friends found out about prostate and testicular cancer and how many men it affects.

Inspired by female friends who raised money for breast cancer awareness with dinners and other events, the friends decided to hold their first moustache-growing month in November 2003.

But what to call it? The answer was inspired - take the mo from moustache and put it at the front of November - and voila! A world movement is born!

In the first year, thirty friends participated and as Luke admits: “We didn’t really make much money for charity.”

But the guys who’d taken part had to explain why their upper lips had suddenly sprouted hair - and this meant that every day they were telling friends, acquaintances and colleagues all about Movember.

Come the second year, 450 people participated and they raised just over AUS $55,000. The team presented the cheque to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. It was the single largest cheque they received that year.

By 2006 the movement was becoming massive, and the four friends realised they

would have to give up their jobs to really take on the workload of running a seriously large charity.

The team then got out and spoke to everyone they could. They got on the internet, they gave public talks - and word spread virally. Now, over 3,000 facebook pages are dedicated to Movember and with Twitter and other social media as part of the mix, the movement has spread worldwide.

From those early years Movember has spread from Australia to New Zealand, the USA, South Africa, Canada, the UK and Ireland and has so far raised US $174 million for men’s causes. What’s more, for thirty days you get to look dapper, have fun with the way you look - and know that you’re recognisably - very recognisably - doing something useful that’s saving lives. That’s no bad thing for sprouting a ‘tash for a month! b www.movember.com

We were sitting around looking at all the fashions that had come back - cords, flares, stripes and plaid.

And we wondered what from our childhood hadn’t come back.

We decided there were two things - the moustache and macrame.

www.thebestyou.co 33

THE BEST

YOU

Life Without Limits

TM

LIVE LOVE LEGACY What do you want to be remembered for?

What are your relationships like with those around you? How does life treat you - and how do you treat your life? There is so much good in you. Enrich your life with the passion you feel and the connections you make.

lIVe loVe leGACy

light up your life?

Sophie Keller tells us how to be happy

8 Tips for better parenting Parenting advice from education expert Kate Benson

What women really want in a man Dating tips from TV's Mr Fix It, Ali Campbell

www.thebestyou.co 35

LIVE LOVE LEGACY: soPhie kelleR

Light up your life The author of the “How Happy Is...� series, Sophie Keller, talks to the Best You about life, happiness and getting over the things that get you down.

36 www.thebestyou.co

 How Happy is Your Love Life? if you vow to never go out with anyone again after every breakup, Keller suggests you can find a happier love life by looking for similar patterns in the people you date, getting rid of your own unworkable beliefs, and burning away your past to make ways for the future.  How Happy is your Marriage?

If you feel like your marriage needs a new spark there are proven ways to learn how to communicate better, find relationship role models, or figure out how you and your spouse can “fly separately and together” at the same time.

With a unique format, each How Happy is… title begins with a probing, but fun quiz that gets to the heart of the matter in determining just how happy you really are.

Readers are then directed to the tips that will best help them fix the things that could make them happier in their own lives

W

hen I was 14 I used to play competitive tennis. In the middle of a game my arm collapsed and I had terrible pain in my back and shoulder. I had pain sitting as well as standing and the doctors told me I would never get better.

At the time I was also being bullied really badly at school, and I believed that the two things were connected. I had a gut feeling that my back represented my support system. So, I decided not to accept the doctor’s prognosis and find ways to heal myself.

I trained in pilates, when there was only one pilates teacher in the UK. I did Alexander technique, trained in TM, started to meditate twice a day, went to an NLP therapist - the list goes on and on. As I peeled away my masks and armour not only did my back and shoulder

 How Happy is Your Health?

“Your health is number one. That’s it. End of story,” Keller says, and How Happy is Your Health will get you on track with eating healthily, keeping clear of common everyday toxins and show you how the mind and spirit affect the body. � How Happy is Your Home?

Borrowing from the ancient principles of feng shui (which she calls “acupuncture for the home”), Keller makes it easy to have a happier home by rearranging your space and removing clutter—both physical and psychic—from your life.

start to heal but I also found that I became happier and happier. It was that early on when I decided to dedicate my life to helping others become happier as well.

Perhaps it seems obvious to say that happiness is the key to so much in life. If you start with happiness you can have and do whatever you want. Because energetically when you come from a place of joy you’re going to attract the good stuff.

I help others open the door to happiness inside themselves. It’s there, in everyone.

For some people, it may seem hard, but even so little glimmers of happiness and light still come through. What I do is help people open the door wider so the glimmer becomes a stream of light and finally they are bathed in happiness. Once the door is open, it changes everything.

You can take your happiness into whatever you are doing, so that happiness informs your life. I believe in finding the happiness inside rather than going on a external “quest” for it.

So in this way you can be as happy doing the washing up as you are lying on a beach in the sun. You can be extremely happy whatever you’re doing.

It’s just getting it right inside first, so that the rest of your life is flooded with happiness, too! b www.howhappyis.com

What I do is help people open the door wider so the glimmer becomes a stream of light and finally they are bathed in happiness

www.thebestyou.co 37

LIVE LOVE LEGACY: kate Benson

8

toP tIPs for you And your teens

Kate Benson has years of coaching, mentoring and being a mother and grandmother.

Her courses on parenting and teaching give her the opportunity to really address the fundamentals of the parent-child relationship.

In Part One of her article on getting the best out of your family, she gives 8 immediately useful tips 4 each for the parent and the teen - to really make a difference. www.meta-nlp.co.uk

These tips are not designed for the few parents and teenagers who have serious problems in their relationships and lives. It is designed to help you realise that you love your child and your child loves you. Read them together or separately, depending on how you feel. Perhaps you will gain an insight into what is going on for each of you.

relax!

Parents: You have probably found

yourself getting wound up about the mess in the bedroom, the grunting communication, the cries of ‘everyone else is going to the party’, etc. Remember is that the teenage years are limited. In a few years your teen will be a responsive, loving, reasonable human being again, just like when they were 11. All you need to do is wait!

Teens: Sure, parents are un-cool and

embarrassing and all your friends’ parents are much cooler. However, just remember your parents love you and want the best for you. It won’t be long before you are an adult. Just wait a while and everything will be OK. 38 www.thebestyou.co

I have spent a great deal of time helping parents navigate the trials and tribulations of the teenage years with their children.

I also spend a great deal of time helping teenagers navigate the trials and tribulations of having parents!

remember who’s who!

Parents: You set the boundaries, so decide what rules are absolutely immovable and stick to them, though some will change as you gradually relinquish responsibilities. Remember that you don’t have the right to yell, scream or ask your teen ‘how do you think I feel?’ You are the parent, after all!

Teens: We all know you’re testing the boundaries as much as it’s your parents’ job to set them and keep you safe. If you genuinely think it’s time they moved the boundaries, create a reasoned and balanced case and be prepared to discuss this without trading, threatening or stomping off!

Stay connected and keep the freedom Parents: Your teenager is able to go

out and explore the scary big world only because they can be secure in the knowledge that you are a stable force in their lives. They might well be home late - but if you are not there when they arrive back or phone to check in, you will have to account for your actions to them! Teens need as much, if not more stability from you than when they were first learning to walk and explore the new world around them.

Keep up, slow down!

Parents: The teen years

are all about rapid change and development. Be ready for it! It might well be that your teen is a different person today than yesterday. Although they loved burgers yesterday, they have always been a vegetarian today. Actually, that’s true - after all they aren’t the person they were yesterday!

Teens: Now that you have a life outside home, let your parents have some freedom too. They used to have a life before you were born and quite enjoy a night out or a chance to act on a whim. If Kate’s General Advice: they are not home when you get in, don’t panic Life with your children and just give them a or your parents can call to ask what time be a pleasure or a pain. they will be home.

It’s just a matter of making some You will score lots adjustments to navigate through an of points for this approach - and you exciting and formative change can cash them in at in your relationship. a later date, like the The most useful skill you can gain next time you forget to is to smile, take yourselves say where you lightly and enjoy the ride are going!

Teens: Your parents’ lives run

slower than yours. Be kind to them and explain very carefully what is happening now in your life - after all the big decisions you make about your life will worry your folks. They don’t understand you’re not the 10-year-old they remember - that was then and this is now!

 Look out for Part Two of Kate Benson’s article - next month! www.thebestyou.co 39

LIVE LOVE LEGACY: ali camPBell

the one thing women really want in a man Ali Campbell

I

f you, like me, have always found dating to be a bit of a mine field, always wondered what ‘she’ sees in ‘him’ and where you’re going wrong then what I learned while researching MORE than just SEX will be as much of a revelation to you as it was to me.

Turns out that us guys are MUCH more superficial than most women and while we do most certainly tend to look for attributes she is definitely looking for ‘qualities.’

Let me explain…

If you talk to many women (and if you’re in any doubt then I suggest you do) you will find that luckily for us most women are just not that into looks and stuff the way we are.

The problem is that we just don’t get that. Sure you will be able to impress your friend with a new car or flash watch and he might even envy your promotion and new job title but the woman you are chatting with, she couldn’t care less!

I spoke to hundreds of hot women and they all said the same thing, they are sick, tired and more importantly turned off but all the preening and posturing and pretending to be something your not. She heard enough ‘openers’ to last her a life time and been ‘negged’ by way better than you.

But, and this is the good part…

She really does want to get to know you, the real you and find out the ‘qualities’ that she’ll tell her friends about later. In short, be remarkable (worthy of 40 www.thebestyou.co

remark) and in the current dating scene the most remarkable thing you have going for you is you, your personality, your stories and most importantly your authenticity. You’ll be amazed at how refreshing she’ll find you. b www.alicampbell.com

I spoke to hundreds of hot women and they all said the same thing, they are sick, tired and more importantly turned off but all the preening and posturing and pretending to be something your not

BOOK REVIEW Great reading to empower, entertain, enrich, delight and enhance. The Best You rounds up classics and new books that will make such a positive difference in your life!

Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. - Groucho Marx

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BOOK REVIEW

Think and Grow Rich Napoleon hill Napoleon Hill is one of those classic writers whose influence stretches a long way from the work he did in the 1930s. Think and Grow Rich is Hill's analysis of what the most successful people in the world do to ensure they really succeed in life.

Looking at the ways the successful maintain a Positive Mental Attitude (one of the prerequisites of Hill's strategy), the book gives stories and anecdotes about how the world's greatest achievers simply won't be beaten, always managing to turn a setback to an advantage. For anyone interested in finding out what goes on in the head of the successful, this book is an absolutely seminal text. Much of the advice given in it, for example the strong and repeated imagination of the goals you want to achieve, rings rich and resonant in the modern self-help world. Quite a gem!

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... this book is an absolutely seminal text

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BOOK REVIEW

More Than just Sex Ali campbell This is a book for men about relationships. It's not about being a pick-up artist and it's not about having all the right lines to make women fall into bed with you. What it's about is building honest, real relationships with women, and it gives a whole host of tips and advice on how to do it.

From approach anxiety to the things that really interest women, this book will show you how being yourself is the only way to meet women who like you for who you are, enabling you to build the relationship you want.

Campbell is a smart, funny and down-to-earth writer whose insights really make you think differently about who you are. If you want an antidote to "pick up" books, and are keen to get into something that's real, this will help you find the relationship you were looking for all along.

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... Campbell is a smart, funny and down-to-earth writer www.thebestyou.co 45

BOOK REVIEW

Change your life in Seven days Paul McKenna Paul McKenna is a household name, famous for his work with phobics, depressives and all sorts of people. But as well as single issue work, Paul also helps people to find a better overall way of living. Change Your Life In Seven Days is one of those books that so many people refer to as their starting point for personal enhancement. The skills it teaches you are about resilience, being able to laugh off difficulties, and becoming more of the person you want to be.

With its half hour relaxation CD in which Paul takes you through the skills he teaches you throughout the pages of the book, Change Your Life In Seven Days is a complete course in learning to become a better person.

The thing about this book is it has to be done in order to really be appreciated. If you are willing to commit the time every day to the mental exercises, questionnaires and reading Paul asks of you, prepare to notice a change in your subjective consciousness. But beware!

Side-effects of this book include greater confidence, contentment and a general feeling of well-being!

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“... a complete course in learning to become a better person� www.thebestyou.co 47

BOOK REVIEW

The Shift - deluxe edition wayne Dyer

In this beautifully shot film, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer explores the spiritual journey from ambition to meaning for three individuals, weaving their stories together to bring hope and a real way forward for the viewer.

Dyer brilliantly shows how powerful it can be to depart from our obsessions with self, with status and with the perpetual desire for more. Against this attitude to life, Dyer compares a life of meaning, focused on serving and giving back. The three stories followed throughout this uplifting and hope-filled film are those of an overachieving businessman, a mother of two seeking her own expression in the world, and a director trying to make a name for himself.

If you are looking for a way to discover inspiration and purpose in your life, this film is an effective starting point.

Enjoy! "... brilliantly shows how powerful it can be to depart from our obsession with self and status and the perpetual desire for more..."

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... will forever change the way you look at your life www.thebestyou.co 49

BOOK REVIEW

Inuence Dr Robert cialdini Dr Robert Cialdini is possibly the world's leading expert on persuasion and influence. While other books might give examples of how influence works, Cialdini goes "behind the scenes" to identify the specific psychological drivers that make influence possible - laying the structure of persuasion out for you to follow.

"Influence" explains very clearly the psychology of why people say "yes" and then goes on to describe how you can apply that psychological understanding.

With 35 years spent in studying human interactions, in really understanding what makes people tick and supporting his findings with rigorous, evidence-based research, Cialdini has produced something extraordinary: A schema for people to say "yes".

But that isn't all. While Cialdini identifies the 6 classic universal principles that will make you a skilled persuader - he also provides you with defences against them. If you have ever wished to be a more persuasive individual, this book will make a huge difference to your effectiveness, no matter who you are or what you do.

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Cialdini identifies the 6 classic universal principles that will make you a skilled persuader www.thebestyou.co 51

BOOK REVIEW

Secrets of Success dVd Richard bandler interviews christopher ellison, Iwan thomas, Andrew Morris and Aldo Zilli For years psychologists and motivators have striven to work out what makes the people who are great at what they do stand out from those around them.

In the DVD set Secrets of Success, Dr Richard Bandler, co-creator of Neuro-Linguistic Programming seeks to answer that question by taking four people who have really excelled at what they do and finding out what they do inside to really drive them forward.

Olympic gold medallist Iwan Thomas, actor Chris Ellison, entrepreneur Andrew Morris and celebrity chef Aldo Zilli all come under Dr Bandler's microscope as he identifies the strategies they employed that brought them success.

Dr Bandler interviews each of them in turn in front of a live audience, distilling their internal processes to define exactly what they do in their heads. A fascinating dissection of brilliance, it’s an inspirational set of videos to really learn from.

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... A fascinating dissection of brilliance

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THE BEST

YOU

Life Without Limits

TM

Feel & look good Feeling good about yourself makes the joy shine from your eyes and your skin. It makes others respond to you in new ways, and it gives you a whole new outlook on life. Looking good draws others to you and enhances your lives in ways you haven't yet imagined. It's great to find new ways to feel and look good now!

Feel & look good

Stay Youthful

Nicky Hambleton-Jones' advice on eternal beauty

Low self esteem ...what’s the problem?

Gillian Jones on battling low self-esteem

Exploring the Mystery of Yoga The Best You takes a look at the spiritual exercise

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FEEL & LOOK GOOD: nickY hamBleton Jones

stay youthful Nicky Hambleton-Jones The Makeover Queen

Y

our skin begins to show the first signs of ageing at around 25 years old. This is when your natural collagen levels begin to deplete.

You may not even notice any damage until you are well into your 30s. So it is very important to protect your skin as early as possible.

Never leave the house without wearing a moisturiser that is at least SPF25, to ensure skin is protected around the clock from harmful UV rays.

Remember to take time to cleanse, tone and moisturise each and every day. This will make a significant difference to your skin.

Late nights and partying will eventually take their toll on your skin. No matter how late it is or how tired you are, you should always remove make-up after a big night out.

Keep in mind that your skin ages eight days for every night that you don’t remove your makeup. It might feel like a hassle, but just 56 www.thebestyou.co

giving your skin a good cleanse before you go to bed will make a huge difference on the fine lines and wrinkles that will appear in your 30s and 40s.

In today’s increasingly polluted environment, our skin is constantly subjected to harmful outdoor elements which heavily contribute to premature aging, making antioxidants relevant as ever.

Vitamins C & E and Green Tea are the vital ingredients that are found in most of the skincare lines today. Meanwhile there are continuous discoveries being made of the latest and most powerful antioxidants.

We also begin to lose a lot of volume in our face as a result of fat loss under the skin.

This means the fine lines and wrinkles we had in our 30s may deepen and we might see folds appearing on the skin around the

serums are the name of the game. If you’re not using a serum yet, I definitely suggest you start now.

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Recommended reading It’s a good idea to invest in products that will plump, boost collagen production and firm your skin.

‘nose-to-lip’ lines and the jowls, and a general loss of vibrancy in the skin.

It’s a good idea to invest in products that will plump, boost collagen production and firm your skin.

Serums are the name of the game. If you’re not using a serum yet, I definitely suggest you start now. Serums are usually oil based and they penetrate the skin far more deeply than any cream can.

Deep penetration means that your skin will get the nutrients it needs deep down into the dermis which can help stimulate collagen production.

I love Skin Vivo Serum which uses pure thermal plankton extract and reverserol SV to combat the visible signs of the skin ageing.

This product leaves your skin feeling plumper, retautened, with a youthful radiant look.

Scientifically-formulated ingredients that have been inspired by the sheer power of nature have revolutionised the way we look at skincare, providing significant results instantaneously.

Look out for ingredients such as Syn-Ake, an advanced neuropeptide which mimics the effects of a snake bite to instantly freeze muscles for up to 9 hours, and if used over a longer period of time, can actually reduce fine lines by 52%. Glamoxy Snake Serum by Rodial and Sarah Chapman’s Skinesis range both include this active ingredient to enhance the anti-aging benefits of the products. In our 40s we might want to consider cosmetic intervention and non-invasive procedures such as Thermage.

It uses radio frequency to stimulate the body’s own collagen production and the effects are apparent over a period of sixmonths and often last for over two years with a top-up. Dr Rita Rakus carries out more Thermage treatments in the UK than any other practitioner and has recently been awarded the Solta Medical Black Diamond Award!” b www.nhjstyle.com 58 www.thebestyou.co

Feel Happy Now  Michael Neill

Supercoach Michael Neill reveals the practical benefits of cultivating inner happiness for creating tangible real-world success.

Relax in a Minute  Tony Wrighton

Tony Wrighton's techniques will help you deal with specific issues in every area of your life, and will allow you to relax and feel great.

Jamie Oliver Jamie's Dinners  Jamie Oliver

Cooking maestro Jamie Oliver goes back to basics in the kitchen to revolutionise family meals.

Use Your Brain to Change Your Age  Daniel G Amen

Clinical neuroscientist and bestselling author Dr Daniel G. Amen shares simple steps to boost your brain, helping you to look, feel and think younger.

The Best You website is packed with loads of great books, DVDs, CDs, downloads, free articles and reports. Check it out at www.thebestyou.co

FEEL & LOOK GOOD: Gillian Jones

Low self-esteem… what’s the problem?

Gillian Jones

For people who suffer with low self-esteem, the daily battle is a desolate and destructive one.

Consumed with negative thoughts, sufferers yearn for some or all of the following:

• • • • • • • • •

To be comfortable with who I am To like myself To be able to give love unconditionally and without fear To understand what I need – and how to get my needs met To choose my emotions and be able to manage them To live for today because I am not waiting for a better tomorrow To not rely on external validation to make me feel good To express my needs and wants objectively and honestly To not always comply with others because I don’t feel worthy of saying what I want

W

here does low self esteem come from? - Is it our childhood, our teenage conditioning, peer pressure, magazine airbrushing driving our aspirations higher and deepening our insecurities, our partner's negative reactions, or simply ourselves? Most low self-esteem comes from our upbringing or our exposure to toxic influences i.e. the relationships we enter into later in life.

If we have been raised from an early age to think that we are useless, clumsy, fat, ugly, not as good as a sibling, or given other negative labels, we adopt these for life, and until we experience something really different over a prolonged period we subconsciously seek evidence to reinforce these labels. Eleanor Roosevelt once said that “nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission” – we often don’t realise

that we are giving ourselves and others this permission.

The answer is to develop Emotional Independence; understanding your own needs and how to meet them without relying on external validation – learning to live every day feeling at peace with yourself. Loving life because you think you are an “OK” person.

It is about understanding that you will never be perfectly confident and always feel great about yourself - there will be regular ups and downs, but knowing that you can choose behaviours that are productive and that energise you means that you will always be in control of how you feel. It is freedom from the experience of low self-esteem and the high of experiencing that everything you are is “wonderfully you” and worth celebrating. b

www.emotionalindependence.co.uk

tips for developing emotional independence • Understand who you are and why you are the way you are, but more importantly identify who you want to be • Recognise that you do not have to be inhibited by past conditioning – if it was simply your brain programming itself in that way then you are in charge of reprogramming • Analyse and reflect on incidents positively to learn how to deal with them next time • Spend time each evening noting every positive thing you did today – where you succeeded, where you took control, what you did well • Identify your positive resources – those people who buoy you up and make you feel good and work to eliminate exposure to negative resources • Only give yourself permission to feel great about yourself - be your own best supporter www.thebestyou.co 59

FEEL & LOOK GOOD: eXPloRinG the mYsteRY oF YoGa

 Read up on yoga in david Simon and deepak Chopra's "Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga" for further information on meditation, you can also read: Read Stephen Bodian's "Meditation for dummies"

Yoga stats

Exploring the Mystery of Yoga Yoga is a classic exercise regime that many people say has transformed their lives and their wellbeing. So what does yoga do for you, and what's the evidence?

The Best You explores.

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 The translated meaning of the word "yoga" is to "join" or "unite."  Following the translation, the purpose of yoga is to unite the body, mind and spirit.  Yoga originated in India over 5000 years ago.

 Approximately 16 million

Americans currently practice yoga and the number increases annually.

Yoga - the history The term "yoga" first appears in Hindu scripture around 400 BC, where it is defined as the steady control of the senses alongside stopping mental activity, aimed at leading to a higher state of consciousness.

Yoga first came into being as a recognisable system in the first centuries of the Christian Era in India. The "Yoga Sutras of Patanjali", a collection of writings aimed at spiritual consciousness included a strong element of meditation, breath control and physical exercise. The "Yoga Sutras" pulled together a very long tradition of yogic practice. Patanjali's yoga is about meditation and control of the mind. What we think of as yoga in the West comes from Hatha yoga, first formulated around 900 AD.

It combines meditation, breathing control and the adoption of certain postures that can be strenuous.

Yoga first came to the mass Western public in the 19th Century. In the 1890s, Swami Vivekananda toured Europe and the US teaching his system.

In the 1960s, interest in Hindu sprituality reached a peak, leading to a yoga boom. The second "boom" followed on in the 1980s, in which it was advocated as a form of exercise, and largely separated from its associations with 60s counter-culture spirituality. Today, there are 20 million yoga followers in the US alone.

Find Out More About Yoga

Yoga is popular throughout Britain, so there are classes near you. Always choose a certificated teacher. The Yoga Alliance offers a 200 hour programme in order to become certificated.

Yoga and Health

Celebs love yoga!

Yoga can be used to treat cancer patients

to reduce insomnia, depression, pain and anxiety. Mindfulness teaching often incorporates yoga to help reduce stress.

The emphasis on exercise, meditation and breath control in Hatha yoga can be helpful for heart patients.

First hand Experience

Best You writer Matt Wingett, one of the staff of Best You performed an experiment by attending yoga classes and performing yoga exercises for one month. Matt reports back: "At first I found the control of breathing alongside physical exercise surprisingly strenuous. I suppose I'm a bit of a couch potato, and getting up every morning to do half an hour of stretching was pretty alien to me. About a week in, however, I really began to notice differences. After doing my yoga postures, I found my mind was sharper, that I was able to concentrate for longer and that my general sense of wellbeing lifted.

"I stayed the course for the full month, and by the end of it I felt more agile, more generally relaxed and happier. I found that I got on with workmates better, too. Overall, I'd say it was a positive experience, and I will do it again in the future."

ď‚&#x; Celebrities have embraced the power of yoga, including Mick Jagger, Jennifer Aniston, Sienna Miller and Russell Brand.

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THE BEST

YOU

Life Without Limits

TM

Wealth & riches Wealth [n] "happiness," also "prosperity in abundance of possessions or riches" from Middle English "wele", meaning "well-being".

Riches [n] "valued possessions, money, property," Making money and bringing greater wealth to EVERY area of your life...

WeAlTH & RICHeS

The three values that drive my success jo Haigh gives us insight to her business world

The elevator pitch

Paul Boross on how to make the instant pitch

The road to success

Amazing stories about four successful people

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WEALTH & RICHES: Jo haiGh

the three values that drive my success Jo Haigh With 20 years' experience of negotiating the sale of businesses (at last count 327 businesses sold), and four bestselling books under her belt there's no denying Jo Haigh is a successful businesswoman. Jo describes the three main values that inform everything she does.

I

've worked with many successful I love sharing my knowledge and I think it's people, and one of the things I've vital to send the elevator back down again, so noticed is they have that others can follow uncompromising you up. Hard Work is Positivity. Time and I deliberately my third value - and again successful people to anyone who knows avoid "Dementors" - the are the ones who expect me it will come as no people who look on the to succeed, with no doubt down side and suck the life surprise. With three about the outcome. It's business to run, books out of you. My glass a cherished value of my to write, clients to work isn't just "half full" - it's own, and at the heart of for, alongside lecturing absolutely overflowing! so many entrepreneurs. and keynote speaking, I've got 4 children as life is pretty full. That's well and each one has done amazing things. the way I like it. I don't do it all on my own.

I'm sure that it's because, like me, they never I think there's a bit of a myth that you can expected to fail. When they were young I I have it all. You do have to make sacrifices. told them they could do anything, and it's that I've sacrificed a lot of my time with my family message they've taken through their lives. in pursuing the business, but I have also All of us, we never expect to fail. In fact it's managed to get the time with my family when quite a surprise when things go wrong for any it counts. I've got four great kids and they've of us. grown up very balanced, and they are my To borrow an analogy from Harry Potter, I friends. So I believe I have got it right. deliberately avoid "Dementors" - the people So, I work hard and that's probably also who look on the down side and suck the life because I am a control freak and have to out of you. My glass isn't just "half full" - it's have things right. I'm creative: I come up with absolutely overflowing! at least one new idea every day and I apply Kindness is another of my values. I really my full energy to my three businesses. That believe in mentoring people to success and requires a certain degree of management, in giving back. The truth is, for everything so I tend to be fairly hands on, even though I give, I get back masses more, so in a way I try not to be! It probably makes sense to it's very selfish. I can't tell you the buzz I get you when I tell you, then, that I actually get from seeing people I've advised succeed. worried if I don't have work to bring home For example, two people I've taken on as with me! apprentices, who were literally stacking Those three values - Positivity, Kindness shelves in Tesco, have outperformed every and Hard Work have been with me all my life, expectation I had of them. and I'd say they're what really drive me, as a There's nothing like passing down skills and businessperson, forward to more success! b information to others and seeing them grow www.jo-haigh.com in skills and confidence.

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Recommend reading Buying and Selling a Business: An Entrepreneur's Guide  Jo Haigh Jo Haigh uses easy-to-follow language to guide wannabe business-owners to successfully follow their dreams.

Impact: Impress your way to success

 Steve Bavister Steve Bavister tells us achieving what you want in life depends largely on the impact you have on others.

Think Like A Champion

 Donald Trump Billionaire US developer Donald Trump gives us the benefit of his worldly experience to read any height we desire.

The Success Principles

 Jack Canfield Chicken Soup for the Soul author Jack Canfield reveals how you can follow his simple set of rules for success.

The Best You website is packed with loads of great books, DVDs, CDs, downloads, free articles and reports.

Check it out at www.thebestyou.co

WEALTH & RICHES: PaUl BoRoss

the elevator pitch Paul Boross Paul Boross is probably the world’s only presentations/pitch specialist, business trainer and life change expert to have real front-line experience of motivational psychology and high profile TV/stage presentation and comedy. Here "The Pitch Doctor" gives us the low down on making the instant pitch ...

S

omeone once asked me, “How do I squeeze a thirty minute pitch into three minutes?”

My answer was, “You can’t”.

Some people think of an elevator pitch as a greatly shortened pitch, cramming a personal introduction and product benefits into thirty seconds. But that’s the wrong way to think of it. It doesn’t help you, and it doesn’t help your client.

Instead of trying to cram your entire sales presentation into as short a time as possible, I want you to change your focus. Instead of pitching to win the business, which is extremely unlikely to happen, pitch to win a chance to pitch. Your three minutes has to buy you the next thirty.

Never try to cram all of your most fabulous ideas and compelling USPs into three minutes, or into any length of time for that matter. They will simply go in one ear and out the other, and leave the client feeling more resistant to your message than they were to start with.

“I have no idea what that guy just said, but he said it so quickly that now I just don’t want to listen to another word.”

How do you feel when a friend starts telling you something without first introducing what they're going to say? You might feel confused, disoriented, even irritated, to the point that you have to stop them and ask, “Why are you telling me this?” Until you have a ‘frame of reference’, it's just noise.

The more you try to cram in, the less the listener can take in, especially if you have

caught them off guard. They’re just not in the right frame of mind to take in your torrent of information, regardless of how passionate or excited you may be.

Instead, focus on how that initial three minutes is the trailer for the movie, the hook that leaves them saying “Call me” instead of leaving them with their heads spinning, saying “erm.. well it was nice meeting you”.

“I just met this really interesting guy. We only had a couple of minutes to talk so I’ve asked him to come in next week to discuss his ideas in more detail.”

Think of the elevator pitch as a trailer for the main feature. You might even practice your elevator pitch and use it as the introduction to your main pitch, just like a newspaper headline gives you a reason and motivation to read the full story. Just think – one elevator pitch that you can use in any situation from a chance meeting, literally in an elevator, through to the introduction of a full blown presentation.

This approach also means that you can adapt your pitch to whatever time the client gives you. If you think you have an hour but the client tells you they’re running late and you only have ten minutes, you need that ability to adapt. Whether you go on to deliver the rest of your pitch right there and then, or a week later, makes no difference. What matters is that you have their full attention.

When you think, like a journalist, in terms of headline, then teaser, then story, you’ll be able to adapt your pitch to any situation.b Visit www.thepitchdoctor.tv

I have no idea what that guy just said, but he said it so quickly that now I just don’t want to listen to another word.

It's all in the handshake: The strength of your handshake is in your genes. State University of New York at Albany found in a study of 143 men that those with strong handshake were healthier and had more aggressive male dominant characteristics. The study found that the strength of a handshake was mainly determined by the genes, and not by the man’s muscularity.

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WEALTH & RICHES: Jonnie Peacock

Grit and Courage - Neil Armstrong

Strength and Belief - Aung San Suu Kyi

For the first man to set foot on the moon, the appeal of flying was something that came to him soon after he was born in 1930.

His father took him to the Cleveland Air Races as a 2-year-old and his first flight came at the age of 6, when his father took him for a ride in a "Tin Goose" Ford Trimotor. Armstrong was just 15 when he earned his flight certificate, before he had a driver's license. As a US Navy pilot, Armstrong saw action in Korea, where he was hit by enemy fire and had to bail out over friendly territory. Later, as a test pilot with the NACA, Armstrong showed his ability to keep his nerve during an experimental run in which three of the four engines on his aircraft failed.

Armstrong's story is essentially one of keeping your nerve, dealing with problems with grit and determination, and keeping on course. In 1958, due to his character and his track record he was chosen to join the astronaut programme with the US Air Force, in which more training and gruelling flying were undergone. Luck was also on his side. Armstrong's astronaut application arrived about a week past the deadline, but a friend saw its late arrival and slipped it into the pile before anyone noticed.

Armstrong's excellence as a pilot stood him in good stead on the famous moon landing of 1969 when he noticed the flight computer was taking them to a dangerous landing area. He took manual control and flew the Eagle lander to safety. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong was the first human being to set foot on the moon. The Best You have included him here because as a mark of respect for his death on August 25th, 2012. He was a man who changed what human beings think they are capable of.

Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has faced decades of humiliation and a long imprisonment. Her campaign of non-violent resistance to one of the world's most brutal dictatorships has inspired people worldwide. Her courage has come from her belief that no junta is stronger than a people's desire for freedom.

Aung San Suu Kyi originally returned to Burma from the family life she had built in Oxford to nurse her dying mother.

Once there, as the daughter of the leader of Burma's struggle for independence, she was swept up in the pro-democracy movement. Being talented, intelligent and gently charismatic, she soon found herself general secretary of the National League for Democracy. Her commitment to the pro-democracy movement led to more than 15 years in detention, as well as physical attacks on her and her supporters.

Perhaps the saddest sacrifice of all was the enforced separation from her family. Her husband, dying of cancer in the UK made a desperate appeal to the Burmese junta be allowed to see her.

Their reply was to say that Aung San Suu Kyi would have to leave Burma to see him, and would not be allowed to return. He died in 1999, having not seen her since 1995.

Last year she was finally released from house arrest. Her thoughts soon turned to attempts to free the remaining 2,100 political prisoners in Burma. She is working to free "the faces the regime wants you to forget". Throughout all this, Aung San Suu Kyi, 65, has remained resolute for non-violence and has fought for the freedom of her people with extreme dignity. Aung San Suu Kyi's amazing life offers a snapshot of heroism.

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The Rocky Road to Success

traits you'll need on the way

Determination - Jonnie Peacock

Charm and Big Vision - Richard Branson

When five-year-old Jonnie Peacock had to have his lower leg amputated after contracting meningococcal septicaemia, you'd think that he might have been allowed a few moments of feeling sorry for himself.

But that was just not Jonnie Peacock's style, and by the age of 6 he was running around on an artificial leg, and enjoying his life even if all that exercise meant he had to go back into hospital for further operations to remove more of his diseased leg.

His teachers back then tell how they thought of changing the rules for the school sports day, but that Jonnie wouldn't hear of it, determined to compete on the same level as his able-bodied schoolmates.

When his class heard that the UK had won the Olympics bid, Jonnie was only 12, and had never considered running seriously.

That only happened two years ago when he started training seriously at Lea Valley.

In those two years, he has become the world's fastest amputee over 100m, beating his idol and mentor Oscar Pistorius and securing him Gold at the London Olympics. It's an amazing journey, which shows how determination and the ability to shrug off setbacks can put you absolutely at the top of your world.

A big hand to Jonnie Peacock - at the age of 19 probably the world's greatest 100m Paralympian!

Sir Richard Branson was never a great student. Suffering from dyslexia and hence a poor student at Stowe School, he was later to find that the ability to connect with people would stand him in good stead. Branson left school at 16 and started a student magazine, The Student, which he ran from the crypt of a church.

In the back of the magazine he sold discounted records at prices far lower than on the High Street.

The venture was a huge success and Branson never looked back. He set up Virgin Record Stores, later to become Virgin Megastores and then started the record label, Virgin Records.

Every move Branson took was informed by his ability to look at things with a clear light and really go for it.

His inter-personal skills were always a huge asset, and he now is head of the Virgin Group, with more than 400 companies.

Branson is now the 4th richest citizen of the United Kingdom with an estimated worth of $4.2 billion. Branson continues to push for bigger and greater goals. He started the world's first passenger spaceflight service and has taken part in numerous world record attempts. He is an activist on social matters and is one of the group know as The Elders who come together to influence positively world policy. From the start, Branson was in a position in which he delegated to others particular skills and tasks, while he was freed to maintain his vision. In that way, you could argue that for him, his dyslexia was an asset which left him uncluttered with academic information and let him see to the heart of business matters. His success is extraordinary and he is literally aiming for the sky. Big vision and wide horizons - these are at the heart of his impressive success.

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THE BEST

YOU

Life Without Limits

TM

21 century living st

The pace of change can sometimes bewilder - but also gives amazing opportunities, to meet new people, discover new things and thrive. Bring out the best in you by discovering the latest innovations to put you ahead of the pack.

21ST CenTuRy lIVInG

App, iBook or newsstand?

Martin Carter gives us our publishing options

developing a presence on linkedIn Tim Bond on the power of the social network

Create revenue from your IP establishing your brand and creating revenue from it

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21ST CENTURY LIVIING: maRtin caRteR

App, ibook or Newsstand?

Martin Carter If you're looking to publish and get your word, product, magazine or multimedia experience out - which is the best medium for you to publish by? Martin Carter investigates.

dId YOU KnOW:

O

ne of the most interesting questions I have been asked recently is which is best, an App, an iBook or a Newsstand Publication.

In truth there is no simple answer, each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses. Applications are incredibly beneficial for doing one thing and doing it very well. If you have a rich source of content then an App can provide a digital home for the content.

For example consider the BBC iPlayer App which provides a compelling electronic infrastructure which allows you to watch previously aired content - and who wouldn’t deny apps as the platform of choice for games!

It should also be said that Apps came first to the digital marketplace and as a consequence have also been used to provide the digital wrapper for goods and services in a very effective way.

If you are reading this article then you may already be familiar with Apple’s Newsstand , one of the newest and most influential ways for digital content to be distributed on the iPad. Of course Newsstand is just another way

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Apple's cash reserve is enough to pay off the total public debt of 8 countries within the EU Slovakia, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Cyprus, Estonia, Malta.

of publishing right? In fact no, Newsstand is one of the most compelling and media rich ways of publishing now available. You may well be familiar with the older platforms like PDFs and ePubs which allowed limited information like web links and images to be made available in e-print, but Newsstand is a quantum leap in publishing, allowing people to immerse themselves in slideshows, presentations, 3D graphics, videos and, of course, good old text. Newsstand is a great

way to distribute periodical information like magazines as it offers the push capabilities of an App whilst retaining the look and feel of a bookstore. This is perhaps why it is being adopted so quickly by mainstream publishers who also recognise that the world is changing from hardcopy consumption to electronic consumption day-by-day.

And finally we have iBooks which is perhaps the closest thing to a regular book in that it demands an ISBN number in order to be published. Having said that, if you already have a hardcopy book and you are happy to provide it through the iBooks store then iBooks offers you a simple and compelling way to do exactly that.

Whichever of the three routes you choose, remember to think of your audience first, which medium makes most sense for them.

If you have written one book then put the effort into publishing on iBooks. If you have great flexible content then consider an App front end and if you are considering periodic content then look no further than newsstand.

Martin Carter is a technology consultant who provides assistance with Digital Publishing on Apple, Kindle and Android platforms. b info@thebestgroupinternational.co

21ST CENTURY LIVIING: tim Bond

Developing a presence on LinkedIn Tim Bond In his Guide To Developing a Presence on LinkedIn, Tim Bond gives you a step-by-step approach to making your presence felt.

Tim, an expert in social networking, is MD and Senior Partner of Network Sunday, who specialise in the art and science of social networking. www.networksunday.com

✦ Forming a social attitude ✦ Building a great LinkedIn profile ✦ Giving and receiving recommendations ✦ Joining and participating in groups ✦ Developing a large industry-specific network ✦ Asking and answering questions ✦ Becoming a premium member of LinkedIn ✦ Using LinkedIn's search functionality and saving searches ✦ Being proactive and approaching others ✦ Organising your contacts

Click here now to download your free Guide to LinkedIn. 

It's a great, all-in-one guide to getting the best out of linkedIn!

Recommended reading

Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography

Small is the New Big

The Facebook Effect

 Walter Isaacson

 Seth Godin

 David Kirkpatrick

Landmark biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs tells an extraordinary account of Jobs' professional and personal life.

Top business thinker, Seth Godin has now collected the most provocative short pieces from his pioneering marketing blog.

The Real Inside Story of Mark Zuckerberg and the World's Fastest Growing Company.

The Best You website is packed with loads of great books, DVDs, CDs, downloads, free articles and reports. Check it out at www. thebestyou.co

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21ST CENTURY LIVIING: BeRnaRdo moYa

establishing your brand and creating revenue from it Bernardo Moya

I

n the last six years I've had the opportunity to work with many trainers and authors and also to review the “brand strategy” many have followed to achieve success.

In some ways it's pretty straightforward.

Sure, it's not done by magic and it's certainly not always easy, but at the same time it's not rocket science. The fact is, building that brand of yours is a process. So if you're an author looking to get "out there" to the general public, here are my tips for you: b info@thebestgroupinternational.co

Here are the questions I ask of authors:  Is their brand working for them?  Are they focussing on getting their IP to work for them in the future for when you may want to retire?  Have they really reviewed what products they would like to develop?  Do they have a clear plan or strategy?  Are they taking sufficient attention to their social media?  Ask yourself the same questions!

 Have a Plan - it reduces mistakes!

Getting it right from the start is going to save you a lot of time and a lot of tears.

Six years ago, branding was new to me yet today one of my companies is one of the leaders in the Personal Development world. It's true that I made some mistakes on the way - but now I can proudly say that our company has a proven track record of high customer satisfaction from producing content and filling seminar rooms. We must be doing something right!

 Get Advice - and ask some

important questions! You might be very knowledgeable, extremely eloquent, maybe even relatively famous - but are you exploiting your brand? Training, learning and getting advice from key players is important. The reason many people now come to me for advice on creating products or, promoting seminars and workshops is that we have developed the know-how. I analyse authors and look at how I can really help them bring in revenue streams they hadn't thought of easily.

With this checklist and these suggestions to think about, you can go a long, long way! Bernardo Moya is the CEO of The Best You, NLP Life Training and the UKCo, with many years' experience in setting up that brand. To find out more about how he can help you, contact him at Best You magazine!

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 Set Up A Success Checklist: If you’re

interested in sharing your wisdom and want to make a VERY decent living or even become a millionaire, here are some points you might want to put on your success checklist: • The Team: if you can afford it surround yourself by a good team of professionals, including a good IT provider who can design you a fantastic web page and help you with social media. What's more get, a professional coach or career adviser and a PR. Remember, it doesn’t have to be expensive.

• Learn From Others: Model people who have been successful, review the products they have created and how they started.

• Be Honest With Yourself: Disassociate yourself from yourself, be critical about your brand. If you were a product what would be the one word that defines you?

Ask yourself, how do others see you?

• What's The Plan? Come back and review this continually. You have to look at where you are now, but most importantly where you want to be. Ask yourself, how much revenue would you like to generate?

What products would you like to create?

How many types of seminars?

• Give Away Freebies, they're investments in your audience. Write articles, tips, techniques, videos and give them away.

• Build A Strong Database: With a small budget on Google Adwords and Facebook, you can create a large following quickly.

• Be patient: It won’t necessarily happen overnight (well, it might, but just because it doesn't mean it won't happen at all!)

Good News Widower decides to Go Out And Paint the town

Ohio’s Jim Cotter decided that he could beat missing his recently deceased wife by making himself useful and painting things. His run-down town had paint peeling everywhere, so he started on a fire hydrant then went on to paint fences and even houses, all for free. Now, people so inspired by his story come literally by the busload to join in.

Schoolchildren, men and women from far and wide are part of the project. As Jim puts it so clearly: "A little bit of paint changes people's hearts. You just have to get off your rear end and get it done. It's down to you, and that's the key!"

cancer survivor spreads Positivity

When Hayley Holroyd (pictured above). lost her hair while battling Hodgkin's Lymphoma, she decided to do something positive. The result, Vancouver-based PM Art is an ethical clothing company committed to promoting positivity through art inspired by Napoleon Hill's "Positive Mental Attitude".

Using organic, fair trade and crueltyfree products, P.M.Art donates 10% of its profits to charity. Holroyd says that losing her hair, once so important to her, taught her what actually was important: feeling good about yourself, no matter what! Find out more at www.positivementalart.com

scientists take A step towards curing deafness

Scientists in the UK have managed for the first time to grow nerve cells which restore hearing. The experimental results, announced in September, showed that stem cells injected into deaf gerbils were able to restore 45% of the little rodents' hearing loss. Although scientists say that the same treatment for humans is some way off, they have now proven the concept works.

A lucky connection And not terminal!

When 82-year Albert Cinquepalma fell on an escalator at O'Hare Airport, Chicago, the injury to his arm threatened to kill him through blood loss.

With no sign of emergency services, enter Ted Russell, medical device salesman. Ted was carrying a product used by the military to stop bleeding in combat injuries. Russell left to catch his flight and Albert was taken to hospital. He is expected to make a full recovery.

teenagers Who did Good Honoured By dalai lama

At ceremonies in London, Manchester and Edinburgh this year, the Dalai Lama presented the Youth Compassion Award to three teenagers nominated by their local communities as Britain’s most compassionate young people.

chinese Fisherman Builds His Own Hands

Sun Jifa lost his hands nearly a decade ago, and soon realised he could not afford prosthetic replacements. Now he has built his own bionic hands, that are controlled by muscle movements in his arms.

His new hands, that came after 8 years of work, can grip, hold, and mimic other necessary movements via a system of pulleys and wires. He says he can work, live normally and feed himself like anyone else. The only drawback is that they are quite heavy and tire him. A great example of giving yourself a helping hand!

"Honesty and integrity are absolutely essential for success in life - all areas of life. the really good news is that anyone can develop both honesty and integrity."

- Zig Ziglar

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We suPPort

the Best You backs worthy causes that help our community

tom Mason’s Marathon of Hope

I was 20 when I was diagnosed with Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma (tumour of the muscle) in December 2010. The only symptom I had was a lump in my groin. Because of this, I continued life as normal until I was diagnosed. When I was eventually diagnosed it came as a shock but if I am honest I had suspected it may have been serious.

I was living in the Netherlands at the time so I had my first surgery in Utrecht and then returned home for chemotherapy, radiotherapy and more surgery on the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit at Leeds St James University Hospital.

I then had an operation followed by 27 weeks of chemotherapy and then four and a half weeks of radiotherapy. I found the treatment difficult. Although chemotherapy wasn’t as bad as I expected, radiotherapy was worse. It really immobilised me due to the skin burns. I also found the psychological effects of the treatment hard. I decided to run the 2012 London Marathon for a few reasons.

Firstly it gave me something to aim towards after finishing treatment, so I could get my fitness back to a good level. Secondly, it was always something I wanted to do! And thirdly, I wanted to give something back to Teenage Cancer Trust after being on one of their wards, so raising money for them seemed like a great idea.

When I applied, I thought ‘well it’s quite far’, but I didn’t let it daunt me as I used to be able to run half marathons. I was already a member of the Leeds University Cross Country team, so that helped my confidence.

My training involved running three to four times a week and slowly increasing the distances. When it came to marathon day, I felt extremely excited and maybe a little nervous. But once we got going it was phenomenal! It was a real carnival atmosphere and the crowds that line the

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teenage cancer trust

Teenage Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to improving the quality of life and chances of survival of young people aged 13 to 24.

Teenage Cancer Trust knows how damaging it is to take a young person away from their everyday life, their friends and family and put them in a hospital ward with small children or older people. We also know that young people have a much better chance in their fight against cancer if they are treated by teenage cancer experts, in an environment designed just for them.

That’s why we build specialist units in NHS hospitals, bringing young people together where they can receive the very best specialist treatment and also support street make the experience something truly spectacular. When I got to the end I was shattered, but I crossed the line in 4h and 30min with the biggest smile ever and the “I can’t believe I’ve done it!” message running through my head.

Since the marathon, I have graduated from university and completed the Mongol Rally with my Dad for Teenage Cancer Trust. Six weeks of driving 8,000 miles through Europe and Asia on good roads, bad roads and no roads for a whole lot of fun and a good cause.

So what’s next? Well I suppose there’ll be time for another marathon soon... b

each other. These units aren’t like ordinary cancer wards. They are designed to feel like places young people might naturally hang out. This sense of normality can make it easier for young people to endure the gruelling treatments, as well as making it easier to stay in contact with friends and life at home.

Alongside all of this is a medical team of teenage cancer specialists with expertise that’s second to none. This includes Teenage Cancer Trust Nurse Consultants who provide clinical care, develop research, deliver professional education and ensure that standards remain as high as possible.

The Best You is proud to support this excellent charity.

Johnson Beharry vc

In 2005, Johnson Beharry was awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest medal for gallantry in Iraq. This extraordinary man now dedicates his life to helping charities. To find out more about the good work Johnson Beharry VC does, visit www.johnsonbeharryvc.com