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October/November 2010 - Catalyst! newsletter
from Sue Cowan Coaching
Issue 11
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| A note from Sue |
It's hard to believe that Autumn is already slipping by, with winter fast approaching.
Just a few weeks ago the grapes here in Geneva were being picked (just made it with this photo- the very next day when I passed, they were gone!). Now the leaves have turned brown and dropped... and we've had our first frosts.
What a difference a few weeks makes...
And that leads into the theme this newsletter: making a difference. Whether at a personal level or more globally. I hope the article helps convince you that even the smallest of things CAN make a difference to your/our world, and encourages you to take an extra action this week to increase your impact!
You could start by ensuring you don't overlook the "ACTION" section below....where with one simple, quick click you can make a HUGE difference to a child's life!
Till next month, Sue
You can email me at sue@suecowancoaching.com
phone me on (+41) 076 2055 076 (office and mobile)
or visit my website www.suecowancoaching.com
where you can also read past editions of this newsletter via the archive.
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Small things CAN make a difference
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Change is not always "transformational". Sometimes it's just the steady and consistent implementation of one action, or one small change, that makes the difference and eventually a big impact.
I am working on improving my French: if I learn just two new words each and every day, I will have learnt over 700 in a year. That's a vast improvement in my vocabulary.
A client - stuck in her difficult dealings with colleagues at work - recently ventured to try to be different at the office. She placed a beautiful flowering plant on her desk that brought her pleasure whenever she looked at it. She set up a funny screensaver on her pc that never failed to make her laugh. And she ensured she left the office for 30 minsutes each lunchtime to get some fresh air..and a fresh perspective. Three simple things. Three simple things that surprised her- by having a huge positive impact on her, her relationships with co-workers, and on the office dynamics.
Ever noticed how a small intervention can have a larger effect at a higher level?
Think of the installation of a coffee machine that draws people to it and helps create a sense of belonging to a group, and team cohesion.
There is the story about the man walking along the beach at sunrise. He spotted a figure down on the shoreline. As he got closer he saw it was a young girl. She was reaching down to the sand, picking up starfish left stranded by the receding tide, and throwing them into the sea.
He asked her why she was doing that.  She explained that the tide was going out, the sun was up, and the starfish might die if she didn't throw them into the water.
"But there are miles of beach and hundreds of starfish," he exclaimed. "You can't possibly make a difference!"
As the young girl continued to gently throw yet another starfish into the sea, she replied:
"It made a difference to this one... and to this one...."
My daughter, currently working in Germany, mentioned she was going to the cinema to see a new German-made documentary film about Jane Goodall. It premiered at the Munich Film Festival and has been on general release in Germany since September. (Jane Goodall is a primatologist-cum-activist: I remember first hearing about her pioneering work with chimps during psychology lectures at the end of the seventies!).
I heard her speak in May during the Geneva Lecture Series, a joint United Nations and UNITAR (UN Institute for Training and Research) initiative to address global challenges. She spoke on "Nature's Wake Up Call: Why We Must Heed the Warning". A greyhaired, quietly charismatic lady, she spoke with such passion and enthusiasm that spread like a virus through the audience:
- protecting the planet is the responsibility of each one of us
- we have compromised our children's future by damaging Mother Nature and our planet
- we have lost the wisdom to make decisions from the heart, and instead make selfish decisions based on criteria of what is easiest for us and our families, on profit and the boardroom, ignoring the interrelationship of human social issues and the environment
- we have been bad stewards for the planet......but there is still hope for change
She described herself as no "prophet of doom" (although there was plenty in what she said that was very worrying!), but her message was that we do indeed need to wake up soon. ..we can't continue to "do business as usual". She commented on the many small ways we can become better stewards for our planet.
It's not just in personal change or "personal development" where we can see the ripple effect of small changes leading to big impact. There are many small things we can do to make our world a better place, to make a meaningful contribution to a more sustainable world. We can start small ..but we do have to start! As Goethe said: "Knowing is not enough; we must apply.Willing is not enough; we must do."
Whether it's changing communication patterns by daring to be the first to say it differently, or doing one small action consistently each day to get you closer to a personal goal; doing your bit to impact the environment by reducing your use of plastic bottles, or perhaps initiating a "meat free day" once a week ......
What small steps can YOU make .... that WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
PS. You can access the archived webcast. You need RealPlayer to view it, but there is a link -at the bottom of the site page- so you can download it for free. Jane Goodall talks for around 40 minutes, the rest is discussion. View and listen here.
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Quote of the Month
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"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do."
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ACTION!
| Instead of a fun video this month, here is a rather more serious "call to action".
UNICEF have a fundraising partner in Pampers (if you have a baby, and buy Pampers nappies, you probably already know about the campaign) who have been supporting UNICEF in its efforts to eliminate newborn tetanus. Tetanus remains a serious health threat in the poorest countries of the world where most women don't have access to good health facilities or immunisation programmes.
Now they are enabling a wider range of people to contribute. All you have to do is send a "virtual kiss" : click on the link here
then click on the big blue "PAMPERS BIG KISS" button
and they will give a donation equivalent to one injection for a newborn.
ONE KISS= ONE VACCINE. (one per IP address).
That WILL make a difference...
AND it was easy!
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Poem
|  A client sent me this poem, by complete coincidence, the day after I heard Jane Goodall speak at the UN. (You can access the archived webcast here You need RealPlayer to view, but there is a link on the page to download it free).
For greater impact, listen to the talk then read the poem! "It's 3.23 in the morning and I'm awake
because my great, great, grandchildren won't let me sleep.
My great, great, grandchildren ask me in my dreams
What did you do while the planet was being plundered?
What did you do when the earth was unraveling?
Surely you did something when the seasons started failing
As the mammals, reptiles, birds were all dying.
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What did you do, once you knew?
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What did you do, once you knew?"
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(from: It's 3.23 In The Morning. By Drew Dellinger)- If you were to have great-grandchildren, how would you face them when you are old and their world is ravaged?
- Have you done all you could ? - to raise awareness, to inspire people, to make a difference?
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About Sue Cowan Coaching
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If you are curious to know more about what I do, or about coaching in general, then why not visit my coaching website
 Please contact me if you have any questions or comments.info@suecowancoaching.comTel. (+41) 022 757 0849 Mob. (+41) 076 2055 076 www.suecowancoaching.com |
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