The words we use matter. When we speak or hear a word we make pictures and sounds in our minds, and that impacts how we feel and behave. So it’s important to be clear about what we are saying, to ourselves and others. In this series, John will explore the meaning and impact of common words we use and ask the question ‘Do we know what we’re saying?’

Do you talk to yourself? Do you pay attention to the messages it is telling you? Most people have some kind of internal dialogue, for some there is a constant commentary in their head, sometimes it’s intermittent. It could be a wise advisor or a hurtful critic...

No-one enjoys being criticised or from negative and hurtful comments (or the fear of them) often prevent you from doing things you really want to. You might ask yourself ‘What if people don’t like my idea?’ or ‘What if I fail and everyone sees?’...

Visualisation techniques are so popular nowadays that Coaches, Trainers, and Consultants use them freely without considering that they might not work for everyone. They are commonly used for setting goals, business and personal and in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) they are used extensively for anchoring techniques, phobia cure and for timeline work...

It’s risky; speaking up. Many people miss the opportunity for fear of getting it wrong only to regret later not having said anything. Even though speaking up is often spontaneous, a reaction to something unexpected, it doesn’t mean you can’t prepare...