Have you ever noticed how much people talk about things that are wrong or opportunities, “if only someone would…”or ” …I could do a better job at that…” that they notice and mention in conversation. Since I started my second business It seems to me the world divides into those who are also willing to ask ” OK, so how do I just get this started, what does it take? ” and those that, when you ask, will continue to complain that the world needs to be a better place. What’s stopping you? Set a target, a goal, in life or business, just be gentle and take a bit at a time. Small steps, big ambition, do go together.

Also, be positive and view the world as positive. “No” isn’t a word I use and in fact anything negative is worth avoiding. Being positive does not mean turning a blind eye to what’s around you.  Just be kind to yourself too and try to go with the ebb and flow of the world. Some manage by holding back the tide but for most of us mortals that is a tough ask. However, you never know till you try.

Making the world listen to you is more a case of listening to the world. Most of us drift along and miss it completely. The smile on the face of someone when you compliment or thank them. A bright dawn with sun across the water, little surprise as the media thrives on the negative.

So, take energy and hope from the world around you, be positive, notice and give back to the people and place around you. Above all be kind to yourself, you are unique and powerful, or can be if you give yourself a chance.

I woke up to this, and I know others who have amazed themselves too. Have a look around my website and blog. I hope it inspires you and do keep drinking the water, mind and body are one after all. Be well and prosper. 

Happy New Year…welcome to 2017. It’s going to be a great year. The astronomers and scientists added a second to the year this new year to compensate for the fluctuations in the earths rotation. It seems the earth slows and speeds up a bit on its axis and occasionally our mechanical clocks need adjusting to compensate.

Perhaps this is a good time of year to adjust ourselves too? We often ignore or fall out of our natural rhythms and probably miss the signs completely. Our sleep patterns, eating habits and exercise or lack of it, how much water we drink and how we treat our friends and well everyone may benefit from some attention.

Sometimes all it needs is a little change. It is easier to make small changes that can generate surprisingly good results. It may take a while but trust me it’s worth it. So, why not take a little time this new year to stop on your daily rotation or routine. Look around, see what you might do to change just a little, sometimes one thing can just make you feel better, even knowing you are doing something different or new is a great healer.

We would like to help, have a look around our Blog and around the website, it might give you some ideas. Have a fantastic year.

Do you sometimes just feel something is right? The situation, or person who walked into the room, the right time to act or, that special one you have been looking for?

Intuition or, a gut feeling is so easily ignored, forgotten, dismissed. You might realise some time later you should have followed your instinctive reaction. When we look back at the right decisions we have taken, we often dismiss that they were anything other than logical choices. Positions, or stands we took based on a real head centered bit of reasoning. Truth is they are more likely to have been influenced by how we felt about them.

Many physiologists have come to the conclusion that we weigh up situations and people very quickly. Studies have shown, often just in the blink of an eye. We are the sum of our experiences and our brain pulls all this together quickly and yes, first impressions count.

I would suggest there is something more at work here, no proof, no evidence to back this up to you, just my gut feeling. Thirty years in business and fifteen as a venture capitalist, managing director and another fifteen or so, in sales and science. I can tell quickly if I like you, think you will be successful or already are. It’s not just confidence that I notice it’s something deeper.

Good people stand out and you know you can trust them and they will repay your faith in them. Of course I don’t get it right all the time, failure is something I’m used to seeing around me, nothing ventured, or risked actually, nothing gained as the saying goes.

The only thing is, if I go against my instinct or what my gut tells me I invariably regret it, in life and business. So, my message is, trust and value yourself and do some good, it won’t go un-noticed. Even when things don’t go well you will feel better about them if you followed what you feel is right.

Trust your gut and go with it, you might even find you enjoy life more. 

Jonathan Gold, is the managing director and co-founder of Rivers Capital Partners. 

A very appropriate theme for the North East of England’s Entrepreneurs Forum conference this week. “Fortune Favours the Brave”. LoveTide Water were proud to sponsor the event with our water. From the feedback delegates enjoyed it. You can read about the event in this news article.

Confidence is a state of mind. I used to think it was something you could be taught or that would improve if I practiced, but what to practice? I’ve run businesses before and I’m building another one here. I’m expected to be confident and look people in the eye and stand up to critics and nay-sayers.

You are unable to realise your vision or goals in life, unless you stand up and say;

“this is what I believe and I’m going to make this work”.

So, what can you do? Confidence isn’t easy. Common sense is only common if you know what the other person thinks is obvious. Confidence is a bit like that, everyone around you may seem to know and you can be left out.

Well, there is no trick solution but I can suggest some things that can help. The first revelation is perhaps to realise clearly that your thoughts are not you.

You can get control of your thoughts. This can seem, at first, a bit odd. We all have an inner voice that tells us stuff, often critical and worrying thoughts. You can learn to remove negative destructive ones and build positive views of yourself and the world.

The real secret is that you can practice and get better at that, with some effort. It’s called “Mindfulness” and is based on the ancient arts and practices of meditation from across a number of the world’s great religions.

Learning that your mind can be understood and settled and that you can create your own confidence and positive views and even happiness is something powerful to try. Mindfulness and meditation is possible for all of us and now well recognised by many medical practitioners to reduce stress, speed recovery from illness and enhance mental wellbeing.

These day’s mindfulness training, classes, books and guides can teach you this and you can do a lot to start on your own, they don’t require the religious side, only gentle practice and a willingness to learn will make a difference.

Others are the real teachers, our mission here and our website is to guide you on the journey. Please understand I never want to preach at you, your life is your own but some common truths are clear to me and I seek to help by spreading them, to help where I can.

Part of that journey, perhaps the start, is to realise that your mind and body are linked, one controls the other and you can care for and nurture both.  That’s why yoga involves meditation as well as physical exercise, or it should do.

You are also of course the sum of what you take in, so diet and yes, water are important. My business seeks to help you combine these aspects and the “LoveTide” water will, I hope, inspire you to embark on a journey to a more confident you and also help you get the most from life.

I even know a scientist and investor type who drinks my water and is making his own personal journey. He has discovered mindfulness and exercise, to overcome pain from an injury and manage the stress of his own business. He would tell you that if he can, you can too.

Contact us and we can, if you like, put your story and experiences on our website.

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