You can make yourself as confident, as compelling, and as alluring as you want.

BE A STORY WORTH TELLING

There are no tricks or shortcuts to success. The road to success is hard work. Focussed and excruciating hard work.

BE A STORY WORTH TELLING

Anything that you do that is not fruitful is your crappy stuff. Anything that you have that is not essential is your crappy stuff. My questions to you are: 

• What crappy stuff do you do that you need to stop doing to focus on the important stuff?
• What crappy stuff do you own that you need to get rid of to make more room for the essential stuff?

Make it a priority to simply and edit your life. Some tips to get you started are:

• Edit down your objectives: Concentrate on three main objectives at each time.   Too many objectives are not objectives. Don’t forget to look at how you spend your spare time. How much entertainment do you really need in a day? Is it worth using some of the time you spend in front of the TV or Facebook to learn a skill that will help you to achieve one of your three objectives?

• Simplify your wardrobe: Design a wardrobe that is versatile enough to meet the demands of your life. A wardrobe with 12 pieces of quality classics that are versatile and can transition with your lifestyle is stronger than a wardrobe with a jumble of 120 pieces.

• Simplify your personal style: Are you spending hours every day styling your hair, getting your nails done, waxing or shaving, choosing what to wear?  Why not take some time to look at each piece of your personal styling puzzle. You may need a new hair cut that is easier to manage. Perhaps you can take a break from major manicures and just concentrate on using a nourishing moisturising cream, or you may need to ask a personal stylist to help you put together a set of outfits that meets the demands of your life style. The solutions are endless. The key is to simplify or eliminate. Effortless elegance is simply less is more.

You can make yourself as confident, as alluring, and as compelling as you want.

What ever you want, how ever big it is, make a move towards it. If you really want something, you can have it. Beginning is the first step to success. Followed very closely by total effort, involvement, what ever the cost and finally success.

Our greatest resource is our time. We must use it wisely. Today is not a rehearsal for tomorrow. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone for ever. To achieve your life goals, you will need to become a master of your time management. The line between success and failure is often found in the five words, ‘I did not have time,’ which really means, ‘I did not make time’. We all have the same number of minutes in an hour that Leonardo da Vinci, Mother Theresa or Thomas Jefferson had. So make time for what is important to you. Our time is our life. If you waste your time, you waste your life. What ever you choose to do today, know that you are exchanging a day of your life for it. Time flies by, be the pilot. Don’t postpose what is important. For tasks, that you are not skilled to do, why not outsource to an expert. This will save you time and leave you to focus on your areas of expertise.

What is love? Love is not an expensive piece of jewelry, a great bottle of champagne or a beautiful stem of orchid. Love is commitment to and mindfulness of another’s welfare over the long haul. Love is about forgiveness, giving a portion of thyself and fortitude. Love costs, but no matter the costs, we are fortunate to be able to pay the price. I love you. I love you.

This Valentine’s Day, try something simple, fresh and unpredictable. The focus should be on you, not your dress. Forget red or heart shaped jewelry and no skimpy outfits. Where romance is concerned, a little mystery goes a long way. If you’re going out, why not try a little black or white dress and one item of jewelry with history. Your makeup should err on minimalism.   If you’re staying in, then just a white shirt and jeans may suffice. Your theme should be simple, elegant, relaxed and appropriate. Regardless of what you wear, the details matter – good grooming is essential, so wash your hair and get a manicure and pedicure. Underneath all, an alluring underwear will make you feel beautiful, even if your date doesn’t get a peek.

Don’t forget to plan a special Valentine’s Day celebration with a unique message and gift for your loved one. Start with a beautiful card with a few sincere words – Your message is less powerful and meaningful if it is effusive. Follow with a meaningful and comforting gift. Avoid the obvious flower-and-chocolate combo and go for something that tells your story. Originality is always worth more than convention. Great gift ideas for Valentine’s Day may include the following:

• A pair of polished cotton pyjamas
• An antique watch
• A great book
• Music
• A framed meaningful photograph or artwork that you both love
• A spa day
• A weekend getaway – away from the bustle of the city
• For a sexy gift, instead of underwear, which is unoriginal, get a great book on massage.

End the day by sharing a poem by William Yeats or Rainer Rilke or Arthur Rimbaud. Valentine’s Day is about making memories. At the end of our days, great memories are really all we take with us.