by Lesley Lyle | May, 2023 | Lesley Lyle
I’m really excited to share some information about a fabulous new Masters’s degree course that starts this September at Buckinghamshire New University. Headed by my friend and colleague Lee Newitt, this will be the first ever MA in Spirituality, Ecology & Mental Health. This unique course aims to redefine your connection with Yourself, your Life, the World, and the Sacred. It will guide you through a personal journey to uncover your own spirituality while fostering a research-based, spiritually attuned approach to achieving wellness and a balanced life. The course will be of interest to anyone interested in personal and professional development or to quote a good friend of mine, ‘anyone with a pulse!’. It’s an opportunity to make positive change and foster transformations at both an individual level and far wider horizons. The course welcomes individuals from various backgrounds, not just academic. The unique experiences and viewpoints that each participant brings will contribute to the richness of the discussions, and exploration of the topics of spirituality, ecology, and mental health. Whether you are interested or involved in healthcare, education, counselling, ecological sustainability, economics, business, civil rights, social justice, community work, training, coaching, journalism, policing, human resources, arts, or legal work; whether you’re a parent, engaged in politics, retired, unemployed, considering a career shift, or just embarking on your own life journey – this trailblazing course holds relevance for you. The course begins this September and is accessible from anywhere in the world. Find full details and enrolment information HERE and please share this post. ...
by Lesley Lyle | April, 2023 | Inspiration, Lesley Lyle
So here is my second episode of Inspired by Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett and this time I’m giving Steven’s podcast the full and correct title. Steven starts his second episode by announcing that his first episode went to number one in the podcast chart. He was very surprised I wasn’t. It was informative and entertaining, an equal measure and a very well-deserved accolade in my opinion. A positive influencer There are a lot of themes in this second episode, but I focus on just a couple of them, as I suspect the other topics will come up again in future episodes. Steven says he wants to give useful advice to people who wish to use social media to tell their story to the world, and he encourages them to be authentic and honest because as he says, real stuff resonates. Which is sort of ironic as the majority of content on social media is crafted to be the antithesis of. I’m so glad he points it out and calls it out for being the highly edited, filtered, and unrealistic portrayal of real life, that it is. His podcast, by comparison, is a breadth of fresh air, and I hope he inspires others to follow his lead and set a trend for being honest and authentic. Social Media and Social Comparison There is a natural tendency for people to compare themselves with others but it can be a highly negative pursuit, especially on social media when we can easily compare our lives with people and lifestyles that don’t really exist. Many of the followers of these apparently...
by Lesley Lyle | April, 2023 | Inspiration, Lesley Lyle
The inspiration for this podcast is Steven Bartlett, CEO. Houseworking strategy I listen to podcasts or desert island discs when I’ve got practical jobs like housework and other DIY things to do. I find it’s an effective way to tackle chores, especially the ones that I don’t really want to do. Time goes by quickly; I’m entertained and the end result is I’ve achieved a goal that I easily could have put off. So, I knew about Steven Bartlett from social media and the BBC programme Dragon’s Den and I liked the way that he came across. So when I was looking for a podcast to listen to before tidying up the bedroom, his name popped up and I thought, “Oh, that might be interesting.” Late to the party Well, straight away I realised I was really late for this party because the current episode was number 230 something. But I decided to go back to the very beginning and I scrolled and scrolled all the way back to episode one and I pressed play. That first podcast impressed me in so many ways and I wanted to comment, I wanted to join the conversation because you see my background and interest is in the science of positive psychology. The Positive Psychology Connection If you’ve not heard of it before, there are many definitions of what positive psychology is but one of the most simplest is that it’s the study of what makes life worth living. And it does that by looking at and talking to people who are flourishing and thriving in life to see what...
by Lesley Lyle | March, 2023 | Lesley Lyle, Positive Psychology
I’d like to introduce you to Jo Sunshine, a very aptly named artist. In my opinion, she is a role model for what the theory of positive psychology looks like when applied to the everyday life of a person. Her spirit shines through her artwork and in her attitude to life, despite the challenges she has had to face and overcome. She demonstrates optimism, resilience, creativity, kindness and gratitude in almost everything she says and does. In 2006, Jo experienced a serious motorway accident that caused her to suffer a brain injury. Several operations saved her life but unfortunately, she lost her eyesight. Becoming blind was a traumatic event especially as prior to the accident she had enjoyed drawing and painting. After a long and slow recovery process, she was unable to drive or work and was forced to move from her rural location to Glasgow city where she could more easily access public transport and other services. To begin with, she was homeless, but she received a lot of support from The Big Issue organisation and became one of The Big Issue magazine vendors. Some years later Jo experimented by creating large murals on the walls of her flat and found it enjoyable to be reacquainted with her artistic skills. She soon ran out of wall space and then bought some good-quality wax crayons and started to draw on paper. Despite being totally blind in one eye, with only a misty blur in the other, Jo found that by using bold colours and big designs she could make out the shapes and she has been creating pictures daily...
by Lesley Lyle | March, 2023 | Lesley Lyle, Strengths
Whilst most people are acutely aware of their weaknesses, few can accurately name their strengths but we all have them! The VIA Institute On Character offers a free online survey that will help you discover your greatest strengths to unlock your potential. It will only take about 10 minutes to complete. To date, more than 25 million people worldwide have participated. What counts as a VIA strength? The VIA Classification of Character Strengths identifies 24 universal character strengths, organised into six different categories. Each strength is one that is found in all cultures and societies. Everyone has their own unique combination of strengths that make up their character. List of VIA strengths CATEGORY STRENGTHS Wisdom and Knowledge Creativity, Curiosity, Open-mindedness, Love of learning, Perspective Courage Bravery, Perseverance, Honesty, Zest Humanity Love, Kindness, Social intelligence Justice Teamwork, Fairness, Leadership Temperance Forgiveness, Humility, Prudence, Self-regulation Transcendence Appreciation of beauty and excellence, Gratitude, Hope, Humor, Spirituality What are your VIA signature strengths? Your top five strengths are considered to be your ‘signature’ strengths, those that define who you are and how you show up in the world. Another way of saying it is, your signature strengths describe your authentic, best self. Why knowing your VIA strengths matters Realising and utilising one’s character strengths helps one manage challenges better and more easily attain one’s goals. Research shows that people who regularly use their strengths are happier in their work and relationships and enjoy better mental and physical health. Using VIA strengths to help others If you are a professional coach, teacher, manager, therapist, consultant, trainer, healthcare worker or...
by Lesley Lyle | February, 2023 | Change, Lesley Lyle
You might wonder how Disney could turn your dreams into reality but the Disney Creativity Planning Strategy is a problem-solving and creative thinking technique developed by Robert Dilts and Todd Epstein based on the process used by Walt Disney and his team. Here is what you need to do. First of all, come up with a dream. It could be anything you want to achieve, a personal change or a professional goal. Once you have your dream in mind, set up three locations. Pick three spots in your room or outdoors, and assign a role to each location. For instance, you could use three chairs or put 3 labels on the ground. The Dreamer Location The first location is for the dreamer, this is where you let your imagination run wild and visualise the benefits of achieving your dream. The Planner Location The second location is for the planner, where you create a plan of action to make your dream a reality. The Constructive Critic The third location is for the constructive critic, where you look for weaknesses and loopholes in your plan. To help you get in the right state of mind for each location, think about moments in your life when you were in the same mindset. For example, in the dreamer location, think of times when you were daydreaming, fantasizing, or allowing your imagination to run free and relive those moments for a few minutes. Then do the same for the other two. Once you feel ready, it’s time to walk through the Disney Creativity Strategy. Step One Start by stepping into...
