September 2004
Inspiration on careers, networking, writing and more

In this issue:
Editorial: Giving for Gain (thanks to Geeta Sidhu-Robb)
News You Can Use: How Full is Your Bucket; Free articles for your ezine
Let me introduce you to: Liz Schmitt

What’s on: Autumn 2004
“Where words speak louder than actions”

Firstly, apologies AGAIN for the lateness of your Monthly Inspirer. I have, of course, been away AGAIN. Thank you for your patience.

Giving for Gain
This month I am going to talk to you about how giving more means that you receive even more in exchange. It’s funny, but I feel as if I have been led towards this topic by forces unseen. You know how, sometimes, you hear about the same thing from several different sources so many times that you wonder whether the Universe is trying to tell you something? Well, this is how I heard about this month’s topic – tithing.

First of all, my client and friend, Geeta Sidhu-Robb told me that if I wanted to make more money I had to give money away. Now I’m one of those people who believes in karma and so I thought that if I gave my time, my homemade jam, or my services to others this would fill my karmic bank account nicely. And I thought that I would receive all kinds of things in return. Not according to Geeta. She told me that if I gave jam I’d receive jam. That very week, as I gave away my golden plum conserve to a neighbour and red onion marmalade to my mother, I received redcurrant jelly and strawberry jam from different sources. Maybe Geeta had a point? I started to take note of what I was giving and receiving.

And then the Universe sent me Dave Scarlett, another client and friend, who is writing a terrific book on financial freedom (watch this space for news of its launch). On the very same day that I got my ‘lecture’ from Geeta, I found myself editing Dave’s chapter on tithing and discovered thata giving away ten percent of your income to charity or the church would mean that I would start to earn more money than usual. Both Geeta and Dave call this tithing. Both told me that you would receive more than you gave. I became intrigued. More so when I realised that giving to charity is a business expense! But I don’t think that’s the point somehow.

So, I now hand over to Geeta, who can explain how this works much better than I can, for she has been working with tithing for quite some time:

Geeta: Over the course of the last year I have been through so many emotional and financial upheavals that I would come home and count my children – just to make sure I hadn't lost any along the way!

Eventually I got fed up with my life the way it was and started to look for ways to exert more control over it. One of the techniques I discovered and then put into practise is something I want to share with you and as many people as possible ............tithing.

Before you switch off, listen to this, it works and it works immediately.

What: Tithing works on the basic principle of giving away something you would like more of, in order to receive more of it. If you want money, give money; if you want time donate your time; if you want more love in your life, give more love.

Why: Because everything has its own energy within it. Sometimes this energy has become stagnant and it no longer moves in your life. When you start giving something away (love, time, jam, money), you set the energy around it moving again and then you start to receive that thing back again in return. I like to think of this as an energy exchange, but you can call it what you like.

How: You need to give clearly and cleanly and without expectation of how and what and when it will come back. Just believe that it will and give generously and with love.........and forget all about it until the next time that you give.

When: Whenever it occurs to you is a good thing, the amounts can be variable.

To Whom: I give to those who spiritually inspire me. Like many, I was brought up to give to charity, but I never saw the point. However, now I do it my way, it makes perfect sense. I give to those who provide my soul with nourishment. Then, when I give to charity, I do so over and above the tithe.

Being the proud parent of a lot of very expensive children (okay only three but they feel like a lot!) I give 10% of everything I earn/make/win on the horses every month or whenever it comes in.

I give that money to people who spiritually inspire me, in any way. A girlfriend who has been there for me and always willing to brainstorm with me. Someone who did something, which made me proud to be human. A really inspiring, thought-provoking book leads to me tithing the author.

I have tithed when I lost my job and had £150 in the bank for the foreseeable future. On that occasion I stopped counting all the benefits I began to reap once £1100 came in from unexpected work over the next two weeks.

I have tithed with a cheque for £5,000, which was a lot, lot harder. My common sense told me it would be more rational to give less. But I persevered, kept the faith and tithed.

It always comes back and the laws of the Universe state that if you give something it is returned threefold. That is a minimum.

Thanks Geeta, as she says in her tag-line :
"What is the body without the mind,
What is the mind without the spirit?"

If you would like to know more about Geeta, her book Food For All, her kids’ yoga cards or her energy work, call her on her mobile: +44(0)7770 523 214 or check out her website at http://www.beshaanti.com.

Jo Parfitt
Believe in blue sky

News you can use

How Full is Your Bucket?
Still on the subject of giving, I would like to tell you about a book I have just been sent to review called ‘How Full is Your Bucket?’ by Tom Rath and Donald O Clifton and published by Gallup. Here the authors use the metaphor of the bucket, rather like our happiness quotient. The happier we are the more we have in our bucket. Every time someone is nice to us, or something good happens our bucket is filled by one drop. Yet each time something horrid happens our bucket is emptied by a drop. They call this ‘dipping’.

After extensive research, the authors explain how, each time we are nice to someone not only do we fill their bucket, but simply by giving we fill our bucket at the same time. You know how it is, you feel good when you give someone a present and bad when you upset someone. The more you give, therefore the better you feel.

Being great givers themselves, there is a free website linked to the book at http://www.bucketbook.com <http://www.bucketbook.com/> where you can go and find out how good you are at filling buckets, learn how to fill buckets and use, print and send your own ‘drops’ to other people. I’ve been doing it for a few weeks now, and it feels SO good.

Don Clifton is perhaps better known for his earlier book ‘Now Discover Your Strengths’. Again there is a website and you can go there and do an assessment to discover your strengths absolutely free. It takes about 40 minutes and is very useful indeed. I am allowed to share my own personal code with anyone so if you would like to discover your strengths, go to http://www.strengthsfinder.com <http://www.strengthsfinder.com/> and register with the following code: TR79YL33ZS49DK

Do you need content for your ezine?
I have often mentioned Debbie Jenkins of Lean Marketing in this newsletter. She has an ezine she calls Lean Marketing Champions. And as this newsletter seems to have found itself a giving theme, I would like to let you know that Debbie is offering you the chance to use any of the articles she has available free of charge.

If you are looking for an article on a particular subject go to http://www.leanmarketingpress.com/howto.html and see if they have one for you.

And if you have any articles on a marketing theme, then Debs and co would be glad to consider adding it to their site.

Let me introduce you to:
And the giving continues! Liz Schmitt contacted me two weeks ago, to tell me that she is training as a life coach and wants to specialise in expatriates. She lives in France on the Geneva border and has TWO FREE PLACES for Monthly Inspirer readers to receive telephone coaching. If you would like to take Liz up on this generous offer you can contact her schmittliz@aol.com.

Your feedback
Last month you remember that I wrote about the value of giving yourself a break and Feng Shui space clearing. Well, you loved it. And this is what you said:

Dear Jo,
Many thanks for that. I'm just at the stage of clearing the house of only two years' worth of clutter. Even that is a liberating experience!
Lucy Beney en route from NL to Brazil – again!

Hi Jo
Just back from the States and although a mountain of emails couldn't resist reading this! I couldn't agree with you more about the space thing. Even if I have a few hours on trips, I get so many more ideas than when I'm at home and last time had an idea for a column and started making notes and chapter headers for my supposed novel. Have I followed through at home?! Not yet...
Nicki, England

Hi Jo,
Your Feng Shui update helped me concentrate my energy on wiping out a fly that had been annoying me the last hour. We moved to a bigger house (more space for junk, you could say). Since last autumn, I've been selling out of old stuff I don't use any more and will never need. I'm selling a large amount of CDs that I don't listen to any more. Not only does it give space, it gives money to me and pleasure to someone else. Whether Feng Shui or not, cluttered rooms are stressful, and decoration is important. Our previous rented house was quite new but all white paint and neutral stuff everywhere. No atmosphere. Very different here in Provence in the country house. I've just added an open forum for expats in France at http://www.skovgaard-europe.com/forum.htm if anyone should be interested. Feng Shui inspiration from Provence.
Greetings and have a great August.
Finn Skovgaard, France

Dear Jo,
Your "space clearing" really made me laugh. Last year, I decided to take four days out and visit friends and colleagues in Holland. My husband and kids refused to come along. Great! A real vacation for me. No go. In the TGV from Paris to Rotterdam, just before Brussels, my neighbor asked the conductor, "Does this train really go to Rotterdam?" "Yes, of course," Five minutes later: "No. It doesn't!" It took us as long to get from the Dutch border to Rotterdam (on another train) as it had to get to Holland from Paris.

Nonetheless, I met a colleague as planned for dinner in Delft, and then he returned to Rotterdam and I went up to my hotel room...where I did not get one wink of sleep: the building right opposite my window burned down! The first fire in the center of Delft in over 100 years! Since there was no telephone in my room or the corridor, the hotel office was in another street entirely (and closed), and I had no way of knowing if there was anyone else in the building (nor could I hear if anyone banged on the door from the street), I ended up evacuating at about 5 a.m. when there was only one fireman on a ladder between me and the flames which towered two stories above the burning building (wind headed in my direction, by the way)

So much for "taking time."
Christine, France

What’s on
SEPTEMBER

I will be in The Netherlands and available for consultancy or a course on 15th if anyone would like to book me!

Thursday 16th September
Den Haag Centraal
Motivation for Writers
A morning of feedback on work in progress and exercises
9.30 – 12.30
Cost: €25

Book on: info@summertimepublishing.com

Thursday 23rd September
London SE1
Release the Book Within
Learn how to plan and write books and get them published too.
9.30 – 3.30
£150– includes lunch and notes
TWO PLACES LET
Book on:info@summertimepublishing.com

OCTOBER
Wednesday 6th October
Definite Articles
Collyweston, Stamford, Lincs
Find out how to write and sell articles about what you know already.
9.30 – 3.30
£80 including lunch and notes
Book on: info@summertimepublishing.com

Thursday 7th October
A Place in the Sun
Buy the Book, Stamford, Lincs
Find out what moving abroad really means.
7.30 pm
Cost: £5
Book on 01780 756773

Wednesday 13th October
Definite Articles
Islington, London
Find out how to write and sell articles about what you know already.
9.30 – 3.30
£95 including lunch and notes

Book on: suewarner@speakingout.co.uk

NOVEMBER
Saturday 6th November
Find Your Passion
Stamford, Lincs
A workshop with Jo Parfitt and Jacinta Noonan (over from The Netherlands who runs http://www.bigontheinside.com ) that will show you how to find your passion and make the break to turn your dreams into reality.
10.00 – 15.00
Cost: £65 – includes lunch and notes
Embrace magazine readers will receive a free book called Find Your Passion by Jo Parfitt or My Perfect Weight by Jacinta Noonan

Book on: mailto:info@summertimepublishing.com

The Netherlands
Week of 22-25 November
Find Your Passion Workshop with Jo Parfitt and Jacinta Noonan
Definite Articles Workshop with Jo Parfitt €150
Motivation for Writers morning 9.30 – 12.30 €25, Den Haag
Book on: mailto:info@summertimepublishing.com

DECEMBER
Wednesday 8th December
Collyweston, Stamford, Lincs
Release the Book Within
Learn how to plan and write books and get them published too.
9.30 – 3.30
£80 – includes lunch and notes