Category Archives: Reaching Your Potential


Immigration Officer to Children’s Boutique Owner: Karen’s story

By Sarah Cooper | Published February 9, 2009

What did you do before opening your own children’s store?
 
Originally I taught English, first in Canada (I’m Canadian) then in China for many years. Just prior to starting my own business however I had been working as an Immigration Officer at the Australian Embassy in Beijing.
 
What motivated you to start your own business?
 
The [...]

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Are You Watering Down Your Dream?

By Sarah Cooper | Published January 30, 2009

 
One of the things I often notice is how quick we are to water down our dreams. I know that sometimes we do have to bend to reality, but much of the time we don’t even give our dreams a chance. We compromise up front, before even testing the ideal. Or we lose focus, distracted [...]

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Uncover Your Buried Dreams – By Writing The Perfect Obituary

By Sarah Cooper | Published January 2, 2009

I know this sounds rather morbid, but writing your own obituary is actually a great way of uncovering the dreams you have for your life.
 
Often we don’t acknowledge – let alone achieve – our dreams because we prefer to carry on with our hands in the sand, living our “good enough” day-to-day lives and [...]

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Also posted in Defining Your Dream Work, Useful Tools and Techniques | Tagged , | 1 Comment
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Give Yourself An “A”

By Sarah Cooper | Published December 12, 2008

 Benjamin Zander is the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and a teacher at the New England Conservatory.   Zander was concerned that the conservatory’s practise of grading students at the end of their course was causing them to play conservatively – holding them back from expressing their individuality and reaching their true potential.
 
He therefore came [...]

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How To Present Yourself As An Expert When You Feel Like A Fraud

By Sarah Cooper | Published November 28, 2008

 
5 “F-words” to help you quickly believe in and market your expert status! 
 
Facts, Focus, Fees, Follow up, Feedback
 
The 5 Fs are most relevant for those of you who are thinking of starting a consultancy or service business, but I hope everyone will be able to glean something useful.
 
Tip 1 – FACTS
 
When you’re [...]

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Seize Your Wild Want

By Sarah Cooper | Published October 31, 2008

I was re-reading This Time I Dance by Tama Kieves this week when I came across a passage that really rang true for me. I think it makes a great follow-on to my recent leap of faith post.
 
Tama is an ex-corporate lawyer turned creative writer and coach. She has this to say about following [...]

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Why We Sometimes Need To Make A Leap Of Faith

By Sarah Cooper | Published October 24, 2008

  
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a prettily preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways in a shower of gravel and party shards, thoroughly used, utterly exhausted, and loudly proclaiming: “WOW…what a ride!”
 
I love this quote.  I’m not too sure who said it – I’ve [...]

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How To Harness The Power Of Support Groups

By Sarah Cooper | Published August 5, 2008

Change is really hard. Unfortunately, we often struggle on alone, not thinking to enlist the support of others in our journey. 
I’d like to introduce you to a concept that has made a radical difference to both my business and the amount of fun I’ve had with it along the way - the support group.
What Exactly IS [...]

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Just Say Yes And The Fine Art of Faking It

By Sarah Cooper | Published July 5, 2008

 

A few years back my mother and I were hooked on a hugely popular TV show in the UK called “Faking It.”  Each episode featured someone in hot pursuit of a crazy dream. An example that sticks in my mind is the person who wanted to compete in a high level show jumping event, when they’d [...]

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How To Let Go Of The Need To Achieve

By Sarah Cooper | Published March 1, 2008

 
As someone who places importance in their personal or professional development, I wouldn’t mind betting you set pretty high standards for yourself.
 Of course it’s great to have goals and even better when we reach them. But sometimes this endless striving comes at a price: our simple enjoyment of where we are at the moment. [...]

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