The Best You March 2015

www.thebestyoumagazine.co

THE BEST YOU TRANSFORM • INSPIRE • MOTIVATE • ENRICH • EMPOWER • ENJOY MARCH 2015 / Price £3.99

AL PACINO

FROM THE BRONX TO HOLLYWOOD BOX OFFICE, WE MAP HIS LIFE JOURNEY

BARBARA DE ANGELIS

YOU REALLY CAN RELAX, ENJOY AND LOVE YOUR LIFE

” I’M THE BEST”

FLOYD MAYWEATHER’S FIGHT TO REACH THE TOP

GET LESS AMANDA HAMILTON STRESSED WHY FULL FAT IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

PSST... THE SECRET IS TO LISTEN TO YOUR GUT

PLUS: HOW TO MAKE YOUR TALKS MORE ‘TED-LIKE’

£29.99

Contents March 2015

REGULARS 5

EDITOR’S LETTER

Bernardo Moya welcomes you to this month’s issue of The Best You

18

WE SUPPORT...

the Epilepsy Society’s Purple Day to raise awareness of epilepsy

33

BOOK REVIEWS

A few of our favourite recently published books – fantastic reads to change your life

72

THE BEST YOU DIRECTORY

Where to find the best coaches, trainers and practitioners

FEATURES 22

AL PACINO

From humble beginnings in the Bronx, to a Hollywood career that is defined by his distinctive acting style

26

SOUL WOMAN

16 TOP 6 PLACES TO WORK

The best companies that look after their employees

An interview with Dr Barbara De Angelis who talks about her new book, Soul Shifts

30

BEST IN CLASS

A look at the career of boxing legend Floyd Mayweather who overcame adversity to rise to the top of his game

INNER YOU 10

MAKING A SPLASH

Author Andrew Fusek Peters writes about the power of outdoor swimming in overcoming his depression

12

THE WORDS DOCTOR

Writer Rachel Kelly shares one of her favourite poems, and explores the power of words in tackling mental health

ENJOY LIFE 16

19

THE GOOD NEWS

With so much of what we read in the papers being negative, The Best You brings you some good news

20

TOP 6 PLACES TO WORK

Here are the best places to earn a living

HOW TO BE STRESS-FREE

Charlotte Watts explains why gut instinct really is the best thing to follow

22 AL PACINO Find out how Al Pacino changed his path from the Bronx to Hollywood

EDITOR / PUBLISHER Bernardo Moya · DEPUTY EDITOR Daska Davis · ASSOCIATE EDITORS Cynthia Phillips and Gail Kingsbury COMMERCIAL CONSULTANT Peter Moore · MEDIA DIRECTOR Allan Banford · TECHNICAL CONSULTANT Martin Carter · ADVERTISING advertising@thebestyou.co w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

03

LIVE LOVE LEGACY 40

42

45

46

THEIR INSPIRATIONAL STORIES

Meet a young woman who lives with epilepsy, but doesn’t let it get in the way of life

AN UNSTOPPABLE WOMAN

Cynthia Kersey of the Unstoppable Foundation was inspired to change her life and make a global difference

DREAM BETTER

Jim Aitkins explains why dreams are meant to change

WHAT DOES IT TAKE…

…to be a good parent? We chat with Andy Cope, co-author of The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager

FEEL & LOOK GOOD 50

52

55

FIT FOR LESS

Zen Martinoli believes that being on the road doesn’t mean having to miss a workout – he explains how to stay in shape

46

KEEPING IT REAL

Nutritionist and presenter Amanda Hamilton says that healthy eating starts with a sustainable plan

WHAT DOES IT TAKE… …to be a great parent?

HOW TO SAVE AN HOUR

Five easy ways to save time and get back on track as the clocks spring forward

WEALTH & RICHES 58

61

62

WHAT ARE YOU WORTH?

The Wealth Chef Ann Wilson says that putting ourselves first and knowing our value is the key to financial success

HOW TO BE MORE TED-LIKE

Carmine Gallo has studied the best TED talks – and he shares what makes a powerful presentation with The Best You

RICH ENOUGH?

Jill McCulloch says that what’s in the bank isn’t the only indicator of success

64

THE ROCKY ROAD TO SUCCESS

The Best You looks at people, past and present, who worked hard for their moment in the spotlight

21ST CENTURY LIVING 70

72

04

HOW SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE USE TECHNOLOGY

Adam Banks considers how the only barrier to using technology successfully is you!

HOME TECH

Bryan Szabo explores technological gifts for your pad

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co

70 TECH TALK Tech-savvy or technophobe?

Rethink your strategy

THE BEST YOU

EDITORIAL

ARE YOU TOO COMFORTABLE? We all prefer to live within our comfort zones, in every aspect of our lives. You will find that behind every comfort zone there are a strong limiting beliefs that are restrictions about your abilities, which you are convinced are true.

These limiting beliefs tend to keep you ‘safe’ with what your unconscious feels is appropriate or not. They can be thoughts like, ‘I’m scared of spiders’, ‘I refuse to fly in an aeroplane’ or ‘I can’t get in a lift’. It could also be beliefs about ourselves such as, ‘I will never lose weight’ or ‘I can’t find a partner’.

Staying emotionally safe is the real reason we live within these comfort zones. To move on, expand your life and overcome these limiting beliefs, you must: 1. Understand that you are not your belief, as we identify with our beliefs.

2. Accept that you might be wrong!

3. Push the boundaries of what you think you are capable of.

Nowadays, with amazing techniques, such as NLP, TFT, CBT and EFT, many of these fears, in the hands of a professional and reputable practitioner, can become a thing of the past in minutes. In my work as a seminar promoter, I have witnessed this frequently. Change that has affected the quality of life for many people and their families, for years.

But the most amazing thing is not that people overcome their limiting beliefs, it is that, once they do, they ask themselves, ‘What else am I capable of doing? What else is holding me back? To find some help visit www.thebestyoudirectory.co I hope you enjoy this month’s magazine, and if you are an avid reader of The Best You, please complete our online survey.

This month we are delighted to interview leading personal development expert Dr Barbara De Angelis, along with nutritionists Amanda Hamilton and Charlotte Watts, fitness guru Zen Martinoli, and communications specialist Carmine Gallo. We also talk with the Cynthia Kersey ahead of the Unstoppable Foundation’s event to raise funds for schools in Africa. There is plenty of advice this issue, so tell us how you are expanding your life.

BERNARDO MOYA, Editor-in-chief Follow me: @Bernardo_Moya

ENJOY MORE OF THE BEST YOU For exclusive digital content, video and online galleries, download The Best You app at

thebestyoumagazine.co VIDEO CONTENT

DIGITAL GALLERY

DIGITAL CONTENT

DRAG DOWN

w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

05

THE BEST YOU CONTRIBUTORS

DASKA DAVIS

is deputy editor at The Best You. This issue, she interviews Charlotte Watts, Cynthia Kersey, Zen Martinoli, Amanda Hamilton and Carmine Gallo.

“I enjoy speaking with people to understand what makes them tick, and how they have achieved success in their lives. Life can throw up what seems like a challenge, often with the best outcome.”

ANDREW FUSEK PETERS

is a poet, anthologist, and playwright who has written and edited more than 70 children’s books. His recent memoir Dip, a year of Wild Swims and Stories from the Borderlands, has featured on Radio 4, the BBC’s One Show and the BBC’s World Service Outlook programme, in the Independent and the Scotsman.

@2peters

@TheBestYou_

DR STEPHEN SIMPSON

JIM AITKINS

is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, and elite performance and confidence expert.

He regularly appears on TV and radio, and his clients include leading names from the diverse worlds of sport, business and entertainment.

He is a best-selling author and presenter – find out more at drstephensimpson. com.

is an American author. He speaks and trains for corporations and organisations on the topics that he also writes about.

He believes that personal growth is not only easier than most people think, but can be fun as well. Visit Jim’s blog, Obstacle Blaster at obstacleblaster. com

BRYAN SZABO

is a Canadian-born freelance editor and writer who specialises in helping authors realise their full potential as writers. He believes that everybody has a story that should be told. His appearance on the acknowledgement page of dozens of titles proves that the voice he is helping budding authors to find is a precious thing indeed.

@eidolonink

ANN WILSON

is an author, speaker and trainer who turned herself into a self-made millionaire.

She teaches people to keep, invest and grow their money using her extensive business skills, which she gained through her international civil engineering career and her experiences as a NLP master practitioner and trainer.

@TheWealthChef

RACHEL KELLY

is a former Times columnist and Sane ambassador.

Having suffered two breakdowns and battled depression, her strategies for tackling the ‘black dog’ come from the heart. Her memoir, Black Rainbow: How Words Healed Me – My Journey Through Depression is published by Hodder & Stoughton, with all authorial proceeds donated to Sane and United Response.

@rache_Kelly

JILL MCCULLOCH

is a member of the Coaches Training Institute. She combines a down-toearth approach with business acumen and intuition which enables her to get to the heart of a situation, and set about supporting a client’s learning to motivate them into action. She is an Ambassador for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

@jillcoachyou

MATT WINGETT

is a Portsmouthbased author who is also a master of neuro linguistic programming (NLP) – the study of the mind. He uses the skills learned from likes of hypnotist Paul McKenna and NLP co-creator Richard Bandler in his work. For The Best You, he writes about Al Pacino’s journey from a kid in the Bronx to Hollywood box office star.

@MattWingett

ADAM BANKS

writes about technology and society. Formerly editor in chief and creative director at MacUser, he contributes to numerous newsstand magazines and websites. When he’s not writing, he enjoys sand-sledging with his kids on Northumberland beaches, close to his home.

@adam banksdotcom

The Best You is published by The Best You Corporation Ltd, 5 Percy Street, W1T 1DG. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect The Best You Corporation Ltd, policy.

The Best You Corporation Ltd accepts no responsibility for views expressed by its contributors.

Advertisements and reader offers are not endorsed by The Best You or The Best You Corporation Ltd.

w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

07

T WOF ANT AST I CDA YSI NL ONDON, WI T HT WOMAST E RSOFPE RSONALCHANGE

£27 5, 00 CALLNOW! +44( 0) 8452607930

3r d-4r dOCT201 5

INNER YOU

THE BEST

YOU

Connect with the wonderful, special and powerful inside. Learn ways to get your mind and body in balance, bringing out the rich core of your being.

Discover the secrets that will enable you to take charge of your inner life and become the best you.

Life Without Limits

TM

DIVE IN

How outdoor swimming helped Andrew Fusek Peters’ recovery from depression

MOVING WORDS

Rachel Kelly shares a favourite poem and the healing power of words

Put your company in this space! To sponsor this page and be part of The Best You, email us at advertising@thebestyou.co

INNER YOU

MAKING A SPLASH Outdoor swimming has grown from an underground movement to a mainstream activity.

Writer ANDREW FUSEK PETERS says it also provided part of his recovery from depression

A

s I child, I swam across the Thames at Wargrave. The water-weeds waving underneath my feet gave me a pleasurable shiver, even though I was told about the man who dived in straight after lunch, got cramp, tangled up in the weeds and drowned. But for me, such excursions were more than mere frisson. Who knew what country lay beyond

the far river bank? And how delightful in Suffolk to swim the crazy fast currents of the river Ore, let the flow sweep me and my brother down towards the sea. Even better, was Zelena Voda, the green lake in Slovakia, where august stole the water’s chill and play was a day-long affair. We did not call it wild swimming then.

I married a Shropshire lass and moved to this county of mynd and bach, of waterfalls, lakes and high rivers full of clean trout-tickling flow. In the waterfall at Berriew, you could jump from the edge of a neighbour’s garden into deep, black peaty water, a proper mad dive-bomb. And there were days dawdling high on the ancient drover’s paths, lolloping about in the equivalent of an infinity pool that looked down to the vales of Montgomeryshire and the far Breiddon hills. Strange that such a crater was formed by leftover German bombs, dropped after the Liverpool raids in WWII. Water will always have its way in the end.

I made a life here, wrote books, raised children. Until 2010 when the pressure of work grew intense. There was also, still, the unresolved grief for my father who killed himself when I was a toddler. I fought valiantly on, continued with the fantasy series I had been commissioned to write by the editor who signed J.K.Rowling. So many words, so little sleep. I remember the last swim before depression fixed me to dry land. It was late September and the village apple-pressing had produced a good twenty bottles of golden summer. Though the air was crisp and apple-sharp, the light was russet, inviting my son and a good friend to go to the river at Clunbury.

At that very spot, on a bend in the Clun where the tree-swing still stands, I had earlier in the year seen something large jump out of the water as I gingerly stepped in. It was an otter, the great roving fish-hunter, who can map out 25 miles in a single night. We swam that day, a cold deliciousness, though my heart was filled with beating anxiety. I was not to know that two weeks later I would be in a psychiatric unit. Nor could I anticipate how all love of outdoors, of dipping, of shock, of seizing the moment would be stolen from me. The changeling left behind could only shiver on the sofa, refuse to answer emails, the phone, the door, life. I wanted to go where my father did, despite the evidence of all good and healthy things – wife, kids, love, support, friends.

Six months, two psychiatric units, the crisis team who came to take me for walks, my weeping wife, my puzzled children. All of it, a fearful fog. What happened? A mix really – time, counselling, right medication, love, support, waking up and of course, water.

A day in early April, back up at that very same bomb-bashed in lake. I am out with daughter and son, which is a miracle in itself. I find I can talk again, make jokes, feel feelings. Even stranger, despite the gnashing bite of breeze, the delayed spring, I feel a sudden urge to strip and check out the gleaming surface of Pant Glas. Why not? That was always the core of wild swimming for me. No season, nor time of day or night, nor temperature can answer the very simple question. Why not, indeed. There are no rules in this moment, where I go with an old instinct. My feet as they sink into freezing mud warn me that this is out-there bonkers. But having been bonkers, this is nowhere near. I dive, come up screaming, swearing for sheer joy. My kids have heard it all before and are unimpressed as only teenagers can be. I don’t care. I feel that glow of glad, that infusion as I hare back to shore filled with new breath, the aliveness of this afternoon. The view to the valley is sharper, the air cleaner, the day begun again as it is each time I swim outside. This is not cure, but it is heal balm and I highly recommend it.

Andrew Fusek Peters (andrewfusekpeters.com) is an author and photographer. His books include the wild swimming memoir, Dip. His next title, In Wilderness Is Paradise Now, Shropshire Words and Wildlife, will be published in 2016.

THREE TO READ

Inspired to take the plunge?

Read these books to discover the power of outdoor swimming.

DIP by Andrew Fusek Peters WILD SWIM by Kate Rew, founder of the Outdoor Swimming Society WILD SWIMMING by Daniel Start

DIGITAL CONTENT www.t he be st youma g a zi ne .c o 11

INNER YOU

THE WORDS DOCTOR In the first of a new series, Rachel Kelly, aka the words doctor, shares a poem or piece of prose to help those finding life difficult. Passionate about the healing power of words, especially poetry, Rachel runs #thewordsdoctor workshops to help those suffering from anxiety and depression, with further support at thewordsdoctor.com

B

efore I share one of my favourite poems that I often prescribe to anyone feeling depressed, I feel I should explain why I’m such a believer in the power of poetry to help all manner of ills. After all, it may not be immediately obvious to many readers.

For me, a great poem can instill hope when all else fails. The best verse can tell you a different, more positive story. Poetry can make you feel less alone, and fix you in the moment, relieving you of worry about the future and regret about the past.

This was my experience through two major breakdowns and a long-standing battle with the Black Dog. Unlikely as it might sound, the healing power of consoling poems and prose was at the heart of my recovery from the breakdowns, or ‘depressive episodes’, as psychiatrists call them.

Poetry provided me with mantras to hold onto during the most acute stage of my illness. One of my favourite lines was from Corinthians in the Bible. ‘My strength is made perfect in weakness’.

I took it to mean that something positive would come out of my suffering: I would emerge stronger.

Poems continue to act as consoling friends in the dark hours of the night, and provide me with the inspiration and fortitude to keep going on difficult days, especially when my other strategies fail. What I’ve found is that exercise, mindfulness, breathing, diet and drugs on occasion all can help.

But literature is free and has no side-effects.

I’m not the first to derive comfort from poetry.

Apollo was the god of poetry as well of medicine.

In 1751, Benjamin Franklin founded the first American hospital, the Pennsylvania Hospital, where reading and creative writing were among the treatments prescribed for mental illness.

Freud, Adler, Jung and others recognised the healing power of words, and this led to the 1969 founding of the Association of Poetry Therapy.

Nowadays, therapists are increasingly sensitive to the healing potential of words.

There’s even some scientific evidence that poetry changes the way that we think. The arrangement of poetry, even the clearest, has different conventions to continuous prose. This presents enough of a challenge to get our brains

12

www. t heb e s t y o u m ag az i n e . c o

working differently. Research by Philip Davis and the neuroscience department of Liverpool University discovered that readers of Shakespeare, when they came across an unusual but totally comprehensible grammatical construction, would show a spike in neural activity. Even though readers understood what was being said, their brains were shocked into activity. The requirement to concentrate in the moment helped me stop regretting the past and fearing the future in the negative mental spiral characteristic of depression.

In this way, poetry can work in a similar way to mindfulness, forcing us into the present. Robert Frost, demonstrating my point perfectly, put it far better when he said a poem can be a ‘momentary stay against confusion’.

I hope W.E. Henley’s classic, Invictus, will be just that. The title means ‘unconquerable’ in Latin. It is a poem that breathes defiance and courage in the face of setbacks, represented by the personified figures of ‘chance’ and ‘circumstance’. It has been one of many texts that have helped me to make sense of my depression.

The son of a Gloucester bookseller, W. E. Henley was supposedly inspired to write this poem after his foot was amputated, having suffered tubercular arthritis from early childhood. In 1837, he spent a year in hospital in Edinburgh, where he met Robert Louis Stevenson: the novelist claimed that Henley was the model for Long John Silver in Treasure Island.

Invictus has proved to be famously inspirational, having been read by Nelson Mandela while he was a prisoner on Robben Island. Henley felt the writing of the poem was part of ‘seeing off my illness’.

No matter what difficulties the speaker comes up against, the poem is full of a sense of determination and unstoppable progress – achieved through the short vowel sounds and the conclusion of each line on a strong, stressed syllable. In this way, misfortune is not dwelt upon and control is asserted. The final lines can be used as a mantra to remind us that we have the power to shape our own lives. I hope this – my first poetry prescription – helps you in your darkest hour just as it has helped me.

Rachel Kelly’s memoir, Black Rainbow: how words healed me – my journey through depression, is published in paperback by Hodder & Stoughton

Watch Rachel Kelly’s video about the healing power of words

VIDEO CONTENT www.t he be st youma g a zi ne .c o 13

ENJOY LIFE THE BEST

YOU

Laughter, humour, travel, love – these are the things that add the sparkle that makes life worth living. Climb a mountain, give to others, start a family, embrace life. What are the things you wish you had done but haven’t yet? Life is no rehearsal – enjoy life every day.

Life Without Limits

TM

TOP 6 PLACES TO WORK

We look at the best places to earn a living

IT’S THE GOOD NEWS

The Best You brings you positive stories

BE SELFISH!

Why looking after yourself is good for you

Put your company in this space! To sponsor this page and be part of The Best You, email us at advertising@thebestyou.co

ENJOY LIFE

TOP SIX

6

TOP

places to work

1. GOOGLE Scheduled to open in 2016 following an investment of £1bn, Google’s new London HQ will be based in King’s Cross and feature a climbing wall, rooftop pool and indoor football pitch, purely for its 4,500 employees’ use. Based on the firm’s Californian model, the idea is to create a hybrid blend of working space, youth club and holiday camp to foster workforce collaboration. Google already tops the employee satisfaction chart, with workers praising the company’s work-life balance and free onsite food provision.

2. JOHN LEWIS A percentage share of the company’s profits; a stay at one of its holiday centres; sailing, photographic and gliding clubs for downtime; half price theatre and concert tickets, and a pension scheme – these are just some of the many benefits afforded to John Lewis’s ‘partners’, thanks to its founder, John Spedan Lewis’ radical early 20th century beliefs in creating co-ownership rather than exploitative employment. Today, its employees still rate John Lewis for a fun yet professional working environment.

3. MICROSOFT Last year, Microsoft ran a Living Well 365 events programme at its Reading Campus for its 3,000 employees, with a meditation programme, fitness classes and sleep clinics, social singing classes and mental health first aid sessions.

This is just one of Microsoft’s initiatives to ensure its employees’ physical, emotional, financial and social wellbeing.

16

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co

TOP SIX

ENJOY LIFE

They’re cool, they’re employee-focused and, at the end of last year, jobs website Glassdoor announced these as some of the best places to work in the UK

4. ACCENTURE A Fortune Global 500 company, Accenture offers its employees flexible working, career breaks, parental support, health and fitness programmes and whole life counselling. If you plan to take a year out to write a novel, this could be your dream employer…

5. JAGUAR LAND ROVER (JLR) One of the fastest-growing UK sectors, automotive is a great place to be right now, and JLR with its portfolio of premium brands is a major global player. With a superb training programme, generous holiday and pension provision, plus a discounted car purchase scheme, there’s a lot to be said for being in the driving seat here.

6. JP MORGAN Bankers may have had a tough press in recent years, but this investment bank still gets a thumbs up from its employees. As you might anticipate, the firm offers a raft of financial benefits including insurance and stock purchase options. With numerous global opportunities, there’s many an employee that has made an entire career within its corridors of power. w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

17

ENJOY LIFE WE SUPPORT

WE SUPPORT On 26 March, the Epilepsy Society is urging us to raid our wardrobes for Purple Day and raise awareness of epliepsy

T

he Epilepsy Society is the UK’s leading provider of epilepsy services.Through research, awareness campaigns, information resources and expert care, it works for everyone affected by epilepsy in the UK. It is estimated that 50m people have epilepsy worldwide– that’s 1 in 100 people – and in 50 per cent of cases Purple Day is an international grassroots effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy worldwide. On 26 March annually, people in countries around the world are invited to wear purple and host events in support of epilepsy awareness. Last year, people in dozens of countries on all continents including Antarctica participated in Purple Day. Founded by Cassidy Megan in 2008, motivated by her own struggles with epilepsy, Cassidy’s goal is to get people talking about epilepsy in an effort to dispel myths and inform those with seizures that they are not alone.

She says, “I wanted people around the world to come together and teach others about epilepsy.”

GET INVOLVED IN PURPLE DAY ON 26 MARCH:

• Show your support, create awareness and share the day through social media using the hashtag #mypurpleday • Wear purple and encourage friends, family and colleagues to do the same for a donation.

• Buy and wear a specially designed purple ribbon from the Epilepsy Society at epilepsysociety.org.uk • Text PDay26 £1 to 70070 to donate a purple pound!

OTHER WORTHY CAUSES THE BEST YOU SUPPORTS Teenage Cancer Trust www.teenagecancertrust.org

SMA Trust

18

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co

Katie Piper Foundation

Children Of The Night

War Child

The Children’s Trust

www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk

www.warchild.org.uk

www.childrenofthenight.org

www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk

ENJOY LIFE WE SUPPORT

THE

GOOD NEWS MILES OF SMILES Over the past academic year, more than 1.3m miles of car journeys to school – the equivalent of two return trips to the moon – have been avoided in schools that have dedicated walking, cycling and scooting projects, according to the charity Sustrans. A further 66m miles could be saved if schools across the UK adopted similar strategies.

I DON’T! Almost one in four women have turned down a marriage proposal in their lifetime, with 23 per cent of those who declined living to regret their decision. The top three reasons? ‘I wasn’t certain they were the one; ‘It just didn’t feel right’; ‘I didn’t want to get married’. Listening to gut instinct could be the way to avoid a lifetime of misery.

RAISE A GLASS Hard-up Italians are being given the opportunity to pay off their water bills by doing good deeds. Water supplier Padania Acque Gestione is allowing customers who have defaulted on payments to settle their account with a range of community services such as tending public gardens or helping the elderly.

THE NEW HOUSE WORK With growing numbers of people working for themselves and from home, a Swedish initiative, Hoffice is using Facebook to connect home workers to create a more sociable workspace. Combatting loneliness, Hoffice events start with meditation or relaxation exercises and suggest 15-minute breaks each hour for exercise, conversation or downtime to boost energy and productivity levels.

w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

19

ENJOY LIFE

HOW TO BE

STRESS FREE Insurmountable workload, family pressures, addictive social media, health concerns – feeling exhausted? You’re not alone, but Charlotte Watts believes there is a way to ditch our stress, and it starts within ourselves

20

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co

ENJOY LIFE

M

any of us, particularly women, are our own worst critics. In a world where perfection is dangled before us in every sphere of life – from celebrities who ping back into shape after childbirth, seemingly overnight, to blog and vlogstars whose every airbrushed moment seems to diminish our own. Against this backdrop, we create elevated self-goals in our heads and push ourselves to overachieve in every area. The result is an inability to relax, fatigue, burnout, insomnia and, often, depression.

Lecturer, author and nutritionist Charlotte Watts could hardly be said to be lacking in her own achievements, but her latest book, The De-Stress Effect, challenges us to create more downtime in our lives.“We are applauded in our culture to always be ‘doing’,” she says. “We’re constantly pushing ourselves in every aspect of life – more and more of us are running marathons and competing in events, even yoga classes have become a workout.

“But the one area we don’t work on is going deeper inwards, learning how to feel and deal with the tough stuff that comes up. I aim to help people to be able to say, ‘stop’, to learn how to be vulnerable and deal with what’s going on in their mind. We are filling up our lives with stuff, and we need to empty out. We feel we should know everything, but that’s not realistic or a healthy mindset.”

In Watts’ book, she tackles nutrition, mindfulness, exercise and yoga as ways to return to a vibrant state of health. “The first step is to plug into how you feel,” says Watts. “There is lots of research that shows that our gut instinct is often right, so we need to allow ourselves to come down from a heightened state and focus on what our body is telling us.

“Nutrition is important too, and eliminating sugar from our diets is a key step. Sugar keeps us in habit mode – we get up, stay up and are led by food when we really need freedom from it. We’ve become accustomed to grazing and have a constant oral need, but if we let our blood sugar relax we feel a greater sense of balance.

“Breakfast is an important time to sit down, have some space and decompress before the day starts. Try to eat a savoury, protein-based meal as this can often save us from the afternoon dip, which is reflective of how we have set ourselves up for the day. We also need to let ourselves go into a bit of a lull around 4pm – if we rest we feel a bit panicky and try to ramp it back up, but our body is behaving naturally and we shouldn’t fight it.

“Movement is key to reducing stress levels. We are very sedentary which is not a natural state. Going to the gym for an hour isn’t going to fix it, but try to move throughout the day. Set a buzzer to move every hour.”

Alongside these practical areas, Watts says that focusing on our mental state is imperative to a more relaxed lifestyle.

“We need to allow ourselves to be vulnerable, permit ourselves to do less and be a bit more selfish. Unless we have self-compassion, we can’t give it to others. It’s easier to be kind to other than it is to look after ourselves, but unless we do so we can’t truly be happy.”

Nutritionist Charlotte Watts’ book, The De-Stress Effect, is published by Hay House. w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . 21

KEEPING IT

REAL

The unmistakeable face of Al Pacino is the calling card of one of the most respected theatre and cinema actors of his generation. In his lifetime he has built a reputation as a dedicated actor who doesn’t compromise ‘the method’ – and amassed a reputation and numerous awards to prove it. So how did this famously private and modest man come to be a world famous movie icon?

22

www.the be s tyou . co

DIGITAL GALLERY

THE BEST YOU

Alfredo James Pacino was born in East Harlem on 25 April 1940. The only child of Salvatore and Rosa Pacino, he was two when he moved with his divorced mother to his grandparents’ apartment near the Bronx Zoo in 1942.

“I come from the South Bronx – a true descendent of the melting pot,” says Pacino. “I grew up in a really mixed neighbourhood; it was a very integrated life.”

At some periods in his childhood, he shared three rooms in the apartment with nine family members – uncles and aunts who came and went. With so many people in a small space, relationships could be volatile. School too was rough.

“Being an only child, I had difficulty with competition,” says Pacino “I wasn’t allowed out until I went to school at about six; that’s when I started to integrate with other kids. I was very shy. It wasn’t very pleasant going to school and having the feeling you might get beat up every day.”

Life could be wild, especially with friends who were always getting into trouble. He started smoking at nine and drinking alcohol at thirteen. His best friend at school, Cliffy, did wild things like stealing a bus with its passengers on board or breaking a shop window in the street so he could give Pacino a pair of shoes. Though Pacino loved him, they became distant when Cliffy started to take heroin. Cliffy was dead by the age of 30, another close friend dying from drugs at 19.

For the young Pacino, Rosa provided his security. “My mother kept a curfew when I had to be upstairs. I needed that; it gave me a sense of right and wrong, a sense of security,” he recalls. His mother also introduced him to film.

“She used to take me to the movies at a very young age; that’s how I started acting.”

His grandfather too, was a powerful influence. “I guess he knew I was an actor, because I used to love to hear him tell me stories about what it was like in New York in East Harlem in the early 1900s,” he says.

Sometimes he would spend nights on the roof of the apartment with him, “almost like a grandfather and grandson on a fishing boat, except instead we were in the South Bronx, up on a roof.”

Pacino was not strong academically. High-spirited and disruptive in class, he played tricks on teachers and knocked books off shelves. He really wanted to be a baseball player, but acknowledges he just wasn’t good enough.

Then, one day, when he was 14, his teacher saw him acting in a play and wrote to his mother encouraging her to support him. Her view was that, “acting was for rich people”, and he should get a job. Interestingly, even at the beginning, people were comparing his style to that of Marlon Brando.

He left high school after two years to support himself, but one thing he remembered was how ‘natural’ one teacher had said he acted. “I went around all the time trying to be natural.

I didn’t know the difference between being natural and being real. What do I know from Stanislavsky? He’s Russian, I’m from the Bronx.”

In interviews, Pacino is straightforward about his work.

He doesn’t overcomplicate with theory. He is modest and diffident about his acting ability and his importance.

Famously shy of giving interviews, he once explained to writer Lawrence Grobel that the reason he didn’t give interviews was that, “I just didn’t think I would be able to do it”.

He is equally diffident about his work, saying: “I don’t like to go on about myself – I feel sometimes that it’s not me that has something to offer, but, hopefully, my talent.”

Pacino moved into his own apartment when he was 17, working in part-time jobs while he continued to attend performing arts school – the only school that would take him because he wasn’t academically gifted.

He tells of being a young man working as an usher and getting sacked because he couldn’t help looking at his own profile in a three-sided mirror. “I was about 24 at the time.

I couldn’t believe it. Who was this strange-looking person?

Al Pacino at The Humbling premiere during the 71st Venice Film Festival

COVER STORY

I had never seen the back of my clothes or the back of my head. So I couldn’t stop staring at myself.”

At another job, again as a cinema usher, he was fired for lining cinema-goers up on the far side of the street for a bet.

He’d worked out that because he had a uniform on, people would just do what they were told.

Considering his stories and modesty, you get a feeling that the secret of Pacino’s acting skill comes partially from his lack of self-consciousness. Famously, he tries to clear the set before he acts to remove people who shouldn’t be there.

He thinks it’s not fair to watch a film actor on set, saying he learns from watching them on screen, not on set.

His has a strongly instinctive style of acting, and is highly kinaesthetic – talking about getting the stance right first before the words will come to him.

Pacino is also someone who recognises the efforts of others, and is generous in acknowledging their influences.

A common trait for many successful people, he works well in a team, recognising and rewarding the role of others.

As a young man, his teacher at the Herbert Berghof Studio, an acting school in New York, Charlie Laughton, was one such positive figure. Variously describing him as a father figure, brother and best friend, he says of Charlie, who was 11 years his senior: “I thought there was something about him. I just felt connected to him. Charlie introduced me to other worlds, to certain aspects of life I wouldn’t have come in contact with. He introduced me to writers, to the stuff that surrounds acting.”

Laughton also advised him to be careful with drinking alcohol. Pacino sought his advice throughout his acting career. It was with his guidance he performed in The Panic In Needle Park – a movie that brought him to the attention of another major influence in his life, Francis Ford Coppola.

DIGITAL GALLERY

COVER STORY THE BEST YOU

tested to the limit by his change of personality.

He had committed himself to the role of Michael so much that he ended up in hospital in the Dominican Republic while filming.

As for why he takes a part, he is clear that there are three considerations: Director, text and character. “If I relate greatly to the director, the text is pretty good, and I think I can do something with the character, I might take it. Or if I can relate greatly to the character, and the text and director are okay, I’ll take it too. As long as there’s one really strong positive in it. That’s how I pick things now. Before, all three had to be great.”

This often means he won’t accept necessarily commercial roles. He famously passed up the lead in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest because he saw the role as a “trap” that was too strongly built, and therefore didn’t leave room for interpretation and expression.

So, what has guided him through his career?

Essentially, not over thinking things. A feeling. As he puts it: “You just get a sense of things sometimes. You just know it. It’s kind of simple to assess something if you allow it to happen. It’s when the ego and greed get in the way that it’s harder to assess what the situation is. But if you step back and you take a look at it, you can sense what’s going to happen.”

It’s quite a skill to have and has stood him in good stead. And with a new comedy movie, Danny Collins released this month, Pacino is still riding high, more than 50 years since that phone call to his mother asking her to encourage him to act.

Coppola was a young director just starting out when he saw Pacino, and he fought for him to be in The Godfather.

The screen test, however, didn’t go well, which led to Coppola saying he thought Pacino was “self destructive”.

Pacino’s take on the affair is very different, claiming the scene he was asked to do was “the dullest” and “an exposition scene”. Once again, Pacino’s desire to avoid over-theorising was clear. He wanted action. Something to get his teeth into.

But this is only part of the story. When he played the role of Michael in The Godfather, he brought his analytical instincts into play, saying he wanted to “create some kind of enigma, an enigmatic-type person. So you felt that we were looking at that person and didn’t quite know him. When you see Michael in some of those scene looking wrapped up in a kind of trance, as if his mind was completely filled with thoughts, that’s what I was doing. I was actually listening to Stravinsky on the set, so I’d have that look. I felt that that was the drama in the character, that that was the only thing that was going to make him dramatic. Otherwise it could be dull. I never worked on a role quite like that. It was the most difficult part I’ve ever played.”

And yet, he is also famous for ‘the method’. When he gets into a role, he really lives it. That’s why, he recalls, he tried to arrest someone in real life while he was playing cop Frank Serpico: “It was a hot summer day, and I was in the back of a cab. There was this truck farting all that stuff in my face. I yelled out, ‘Why are you putting that crap in the street?’ He said, ‘Who are you?’ I yelled, ‘I’m a cop, and you are under arrest, pull over!’ I pulled out my Serpico badge. It was a fantasy for a moment. I was going to put him under citizen’s arrest, but then I realised what I was doing.”

That commitment, that authenticity is what has marked his performances. It can also affect his friendships, which it certainly did after The Godfather II, in which his friendships were

24

www.the be s tyou . co

Al Pacino at Winter Garden Theatre Centre on Yonge Street, Toronto for a screening of The Humbling

DRAG DOWN

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Al Pacino is one of the most famous movie names, but at the start of his career, Pacino considered changing his name to Sonny Scott. He says: “In the old days, in America, when you had an ethnic name, you changed it. Whether it was Jewish, Italian, Spanish, Asian, you changed your name. Because American Italians didn’t work, growing up this era. I was acting when I was very young, and they said, ‘Well you’re going into acting, you’ve got to change your name.’ So I thought Sonny Scott.

“I was in Washington DC at a big convention for Italian Americans and I was being honoured along with a couple of interesting people there. And I thought, this is a good place to say it when we we’re changing our names, it’s a kind of metaphor for what was going on. It was unthinkable to have a name that ended in a vowel, who knows why, I don’t know, perhaps World War II or something or perhaps the migration to the States was young, we were getting there in the 1900s and we were the ones to be avoided. My grandfather told me many stories about what that was like.

“And Sonny Scott is a kind of metaphor for that, and then finally I changed it because of Kazan and Group Theatre and people were now being called by, like, Edward G Robinson – that wasn’t his name. John Garfield or Tony Curtis – that was Bernie Schwartz, and he came from my neighbourhood.

“I think getting to the Actors’ Studio at age 25 and having Lee Strasberg read my name, they were reading the names of the actors who were accepted, and he said, ‘And here we have Al Pacino’ and for the first time someone read the silent ‘ch’. It was always Al Pacani, Pacouni, Pacano. And he said Pacino and I said, ‘I like this guy!’”.

AL PACINO AT A GLANCE • 1940 – Born East Harlem • Grew up in the South Bronx • 1942 – Father and mother divorced • Acting talent identified at 14 • Worked in various jobs from 17 while attending Herbert Berghof Studio acting school • Befriended Charlie Laughton, his long-term friend and adviser • Met contemporary Dustin Hoffman when he enrolled in the Actors’ Studio in early 1960s • Often slept rough during this period, with no money • Developed a reputation as a strong method actor • 1967 – First ‘proper’ acting work at the Charles Playhouse, Boston, in Clifford --Odets’ Awake and Sing! He is paid $125 a week. Further stage plays followed • Discovered by Martin Bregman, who became his agent • 1969 – Broadway debut in Don Petersen’s Does A Tiger Wear A Neck-tie?

• 1971 – Appeared in The Panic In Needle Park • 1972 – Stars in The Godfather and is nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Role • Pacino went on to a glittering film career, including The Godfather II, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Bobby Deerfield, ...And Justice For All, Author! Author!, Scarface, Dick Tracy, Frankie And Johnny, Glengarry Glen Ross, Scent Of A Woman, Carlito’s Way, Donnie Brasco, The Devil’s Advocate, Insomnia, Oceans’ Thirteen – and many more • One Academy Award winner and seven further nominations • Four Golden Globe wins from 15 nominations • Two BAFTA wins and two further nominations • Two Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on television • Two Tony Awards for his theatre work • American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award • Channel 4 viewers voted Pacino the greatest film star of all time

w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

25

FEATURE THE BEST YOU

SOUL WOMAN On the eve of the launch of her latest book, Soul Shifts, Dr Barbara De Angelis talks with Bernardo Moya about love, life and how she became a leading personal development author without ever meaning to...

26

www.the be sty o u . co

THE BEST YOU

For 30 years, Dr Barbara De Angelis has dedicated herself to helping others on their spiritual journeys. From the age of 18, she spent years in residence with renowned spiritual masters. From here she developed a unique approach to personal transformation that led her to appear regularly on CNN, guest on Oprah and write chart-topping New York Times best-sellers time and time again.

As we settle down to our interview, there’s one question I can’t help asking. De Angelis. Is it her real name?

“My entire family, going all the way back, as far as I know, is pure Russian-Jewish. So, I wasn’t born with that name. I was given it when I was a one-year-old. The name is Italian. After her first husband died, my grandmother married an Italian.

My birth-father then took his name to honour him and that’s when my name was changed. As I grew up, and started doing this work, I was very happy that the universe created these interesting circumstances to give me a name that means ‘of the angels’.”

So, did she feel destined to do spiritual work? “Even as a child, I felt really like a stranger in a strange land, and kept feeling I was here to do something. I didn’t know what. Of course, this was before the personal growth movement existed. If anyone wanted to improve themselves in those days – in the 50s and 60s – you’d go to a psychiatrist. There was no idea of self-help. So, I didn’t have any references to explain what I now call in my work and books the Divine Discomfort.”

She explains, “That’s the thing that’s calling to you, saying, You need to shift, you need to grow, you need to see.”

When she was 18, De Angelis saw a poster in her first week at college that read, ‘Learn to meditate’. It was the start of her spiritual path. “There was a picture of an Indian Guru. It said something about, ‘Heal the world, heal yourself’. The minute I saw it, I recognised it and said, ‘This is articulating what I’ve been feeling.’ So, I went and learned to meditate. My first spiritual teacher was the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. My entire life changed and I realised what my purpose was. I call this the, ‘cosmic alarm clock going off’.”

The concept is explained in her new book, Soul Shifts: “There is a cosmic alarm clock,” she says. “A mechanism inside of us where we suddenly start asking what I call the sacred questions. You know, the sacred questions are signs that we’re already feeling our awakening. What am I here for?

How can I make the biggest difference?

“When we ask those questions, it means the cosmic alarm clock has gone off. An awakening has happened mysteriously, mystically, that sets us on a path. Something starts to pull us in a direction.”

De Angelis tells me how so many people recognise that feeling. “They have a wake-up call, and begin to see.

Sometimes there’s a trauma. Sometimes it happens spontaneously. But, for everybody who has that sense of saying, there’s something more, they really are consciously on their path of growth at that point.

“I was very, very blessed. I had a cosmic appointment with that poster, and I believe people have cosmic appointments with me, or with reading this article, or with a lecture they go to. That’s what teachers are for.” Teachers are like tour

FEATURE

guides that are in the right place to hand you the right information, she says. “We hand out the little pamphlet – a map so you don’t get lost, and here’s this exhibit, that exhibit. Then people can enjoy the experience.”

After teaching meditation in the 1970s, she studied psychology to PhD level. Combining this with her spiritual insights she developed her teachings organically out of “the alchemy of my experience, my own life, and everything that was happening to me inside.”

Her sole intention was to serve humanity. “I didn’t have a goal of being a best-selling author or having a TV show. I had a goal of serving. I tell people that if they have the goal of serving, or living their purpose, the details will work out.”

That’s what happened to De Angelis. After teaching in bookshops, she was invited onto the radio to talk about communication and relationships. Before she knew it, she was the Love Doctor. “It wasn’t something I set out to do, it just happened. Then I was put on TV...”

De Angelis wrote and produced a TV infomercial called Making Love Work, which won top honours in the industry, and was viewed across the world.

After that, her first three books became huge best-sellers – all of them about relationships.

Then came her weekly appearances for two years on CNN, her own daily television show for CBS TV and a string of network TV appearances.

Concerned she was pigeonholed as The Love Doctor, she followed her first three New York Times best-sellers with Real Moments – a very different book. “It was about how to live authentically and experience real moments within yourself, with your family and to bring awareness to each moment.”

Another best-seller, Real Moments, broke her into the wider spiritual sphere that was her natural home.

De Angelis explains that the number one biggest misunderstanding people make is thinking there’s something wrong with them that needs fixing. There’s a much simpler answer. All answers are inside, but the soul needs to be woken and reminded of them.

“I call this shift from being a seeker to a seer. We’re not really seeking something, we’re trying to have a remembrance, a return. That shift from feeling there’s something

w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

27

DIGITAL GALLERY

wrong to something exciting, a discovery...”

Another mistake, she tells me, is when people collect information about growth and think that simply doing so is transformation.

“Authentic transformation is not an activity. It’s a state, it’s not behaviour. So, changing, and really shifting, isn’t acting better, it’s being better. Many people on a path to personal growth become an expert on what’s wrong with them. They can tell you everything about their issues, but they haven’t actually shifted. It’s the difference between, rearranging the furniture in your house, or moving into a new house.”

In her latest book, Soul Shifts, De Angelis urges people not to judge their lives in comparison with others.

Those who are seekers have a more complex life than those who aren’t because, “many of us are jamming 20 lifetimes of learning into one lifetime.”

Instead of judgement, we should review our “life experiences with an eye of compassion, understanding and sophistication.” This approach helps people relax, enjoy and accept their lives.

De Angelis teaches in small groups right the way to big seminars. “I love helping people shift,” she beams.

“When I work with 5,000 people for a few hours it’s a vibrational experience. I’m in a relationship with those people in real time. Whether it’s with one person, or 5,000 people – that’s joy for me, because it’s love. In that space there’s a wonderful resonance and transmission

28

www.the be s tyou . co

of energy that powerfully impacts people.”

The profound knowledge in Soul Shift is born of the decades of De Angelis’s personal journey teaching tens and tens of thousands of people. The book is “a very polished gem of personal growth,” she tells me.

The book is also deeply practical. “There are things you can do immediately; it’s not esoteric, and it’s not theoretical. It’s one thing to say, I know that I’m part of everything. That sounds nice, but if you’re walking around, and you’re frustrated with your boss, what good is that? What can you do in that moment to feel more expanded?

“So, it’s very grounded. I’m not sitting somewhere in a lotus posture talking to you and saying, We’re all one, and we should all just remember the light. That’s nice, and it’s true. But, it doesn’t help you when you think, My partner’s frustrating me, what do I do right now?”

And although she teaches, she is still learning. “I’m a student every day, you know. I learn from my own students, I learn from people on my radio show. I always say, I’m just a delivery person for a cosmic corporation.

I drive a truck, that’s all I do. It comes through me, but it’s not mine. So, I have to keep my truck in order, and the truck is me, so I can make deliveries to people.”

She gives a smile. “The book is a big delivery, this interview’s a delivery, every conversation’s a delivery.

I feel very humbled and grateful to have been chosen to do that.”

THE BEST YOU

Read more of Bernardo Moya’s interview with Barbara De Angelis

FEATURE

VIDEO CONTENT

w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

29

BEST IN CLASS From an impoverished childhood to sporting and financial success, Floyd Mayweather determined a course to success, writes Dr Stephen Simpson

30

www.the be s tyou . co

A

ccording to some experts, professional boxing is a sport in terminal decline.

Others question whether it should even be called a sport. Possibly you have little interest in boxing. So why does this article appear in The Best You? The answer is quite simple. It is because this article is about the richest athlete in history. His name is Floyd Joy Mayweather. It is no accident that he has achieved so much success. So what is his secret? More importantly, how can you use his secret to give yourself the best chance of being the best you?

Mayweather’s story is superficially unremarkable. He was a kid from the ghetto with a dysfunctional family history, little money, little education, and no qualifications. However, what happened later is one of the most remarkable stories ever recorded.

Floyd Joy Mayweather is an American professional boxer. He has won ten world titles, and unusually these were at five different divisions, or weights. This fact, and his undefeated record, underlines his claim to be amongst the best fighters of all time, and perhaps even the best. What is not in doubt is that he is certainly the richest, and according to Forbes World’s 100 Highest-Paid Athletes list he earned more during 2012, 2013, and 2014 than any other athlete.

Despite Mayweather’s background of severe social deprivation one lucky break was his family history which was rooted in boxing. This made his future career to escape the ghetto an obvious choice, and not a difficult one either. As a traditional German proverb states, ‘Whoever has choice has torment’.

When the odds are so heavily stacked against success what just might be the secret that has brought Mayweather such material success? It is that he has consistently set himself powerful goals. They may not be perfect goals, but they do not need to be, and they have worked for him.

‘A goal properly set is halfway reached,’ said Abraham Lincoln. Mayweather’s goal from the age of nine was simple. It was to be the richest man in the world. It was a simple goal, and boxing was the only realistic way to achieve it. All of Mayweather’s subsequent successes are a result of this one overarching goal. Mayweather’s nickname is ‘Money’ and, as is so often the case with nicknames, it is uncannily perceptive.

His boxing feats have stolen all the headlines, but it is as a businessman that he should be most respected, and even feared. Despite earning an estimated $105m in 2014, surprisingly Mayweather is the only athlete in Forbes’ list that does not earn any money from the endorsements that athletes from the more glamorous sports enjoy.

His money comes only from fighting other boxers, and exceptionally in any sport, from promoting his own fights. He has tenaciously protected his rights, and so his earnings from TV, film and ticket sales are huge.

Equally important in a sport where the more you get hit, the more long-term damage you may suffer, Mayweather does not expose himself to as many fights as many of his predecessors, nor does he need to. As he has pointed out on many occasions to his critics, the boxing world has changed. Its fans are prepared to embrace the exclusivity of their sport through the lucrative pay-per-view channels, and so there is much less pressure to stage numerous fights to generate earnings.

Mayweather has amassed a fortune, and arguably his biggest fights were outside the ring, protecting his rights from the armies of promoters, agents and managers. They are extremely intelligent men and women, and for Mayweather to take them on at their own game and win is not much short of a modern day miracle. So Mayweather has already achieved his childhood dream to be rich beyond measure. So what else drives him?

Mayweather wants to be compared with giants such as Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson, and even to be considered better than either of them. “I am the best,” is one of his favourite expressions, and as a powerful affirmation it works at many different levels of thought. It does wonders for his self-belief too.

To be the best is about as simple as a goal can be, and is more powerful as a result. It can drive every thought and provide motivation for yet another gruelling training session.

Mayweather demonstrated this driving passion during a Reuter’s interview in 2010.

“I don’t care what fighter you’re going to name, I’m the best,” he said. “Throw a name at me and I’ll break his stats down. Whatever they’ve done I’ve done it quicker, with no losses. The ultimate goal in boxing right now is to find a fighter that can beat Floyd Mayweather. And it’s not going to happen.”

However, goals have to be skilfully selected. A goal that caused Mayweather much frustration and hence pressure, especially in his early years, was his quest for perfection.

The pursuit of perfection has ruined many careers. Most successful people are perfectionist, and they move much easier to their flow state when they accept that they do not need to be perfect to win a fight or a boardroom tussle.

All that is required is to trust their thousands of hours of practice, coaching, and their innate ability. Athletes often talk about the importance of letting go, or getting out of their own way. It is as if they have another side of their personality, or alter ego, that performs much better when empowered to do so.

Mayweather has mastered this flow state. It is his autopilot during a fight that reacts faster than conscious thought, and so its source can only be unconscious or reflex. The hallmark of a great boxer is not how hard he can hit his opponent, although this helps.

w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

31

DIGITAL GALLERY

More important is how hard it is for his opponent to hit him.

Mayweather and Ali at their peak were like dancers, light on their feet, hands held low, swaying from side to side like a snake about to strike, hypnotising and mesmerising their opponent, daring them to unleash their punch, knowing that this might be the last thing that they remember as they go down and their head hits the canvas.

Another benefit of locking into your autopilot is that it does not have emotions.

Emotions are great for sharing with friends, but have no place in the ring. Mayweather is a superb controller of his emotions, and demolishes his unwary opponents with the clinical precision of a surgeon.

So Mayweather is a genius, as his achievements both inside and outside the boxing ring have proven. The elegance of Mayweather’s goals is that they are not only goals, they are

also powerful affirmations. If you tell yourself the same thing enough times you will start to believe it, and then you are more likely to achieve it.

Mayweather’s goals are simple. With his lack of options they had to be. They were to be the best, and to be rich, seriously rich. He has achieved both, and so is a worthy champion.

Boxing fans always want more from their idols. So they still have one burning question left for Mayweather. When will he fight Manny Pacquiao? They may not have long to wait. The latest rumour is May 2015. Watch this space.

Dr Stephen Simpson is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, an elite performance and confidence expert. A best-selling author and presenter, find out more at drstephensimpson.com

THE BEST

YOU

BOOK REVIEWS With the power to entertain, enrich and empower your life, books are as important today as they have been for millennia. Here’s what’s catching our eye at The Best You this month…

COLOUR VISION It started in France, but according to surging book sales in the UK, it appears that a trend for adult colouring books has crossed the Channel. Waterstones has reported a 300 per cent rise in year-on-year sales with increasing shelf space being dedicated to the new genre. Believed to be therapeutic after a hard day in the office, ‘colouring in’ is being billed as the perfect way to unwind and reconnect with our inner child. Pass the crayons…

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up” - Pablo Picasso

Life Without Limits

TM

BOOK REVIEWS

THE BEST YOU

SOUL SHIFTS

BY BARBARA DE ANGELIS

There are moments in our lives when we know that we’re poised on the threshold of greatness, of purpose, of true fulfillment and real happiness, but we don’t seem to be moving forward as rapidly as we want to – and staying where we are is no longer acceptable or comfortable.

How we have been living, working, and loving just isn’t enough anymore. We are being called to something more significant, something more authentic, something more expanded and exalted.

In these pivotal moments, what is needed is not simply change, but profound transformation – not simply an adjustment in our outer life, but a repositioning from the inside out.

We are ready for Soul Shifts.

“Every page brims with highly specific suggestions for shifting to a more enlightened way of being. I love this book” – Dr Wayne W. Dyer

34

www.theb e s tyo um ag az i ne .c o

THE BEST YOU

BOOK REVIEWS

THE DE-STRESS EFFECT

BY CHARLOTTE WATTS

The fast pace of modern life and the constant pressure we put on ourselves to keep doing and achieving can keep us locked in patterns of giving in to food cravings, negative habits and self-criticism - keeping our minds and bodies on constant alert. This disruption to the natural rhythms of our body can lead to all kinds of complications that are hard to resolve Presenting the latest research on how we can finally heal this damaging cycle, The De-Stress Effect will give you the space to truly feel what is right for your health and your life.

With a low-stress preparation, six-week eating plan for optimum nutrition, mindfulness practices, yoga sequences and exercise routines, this book will soothe you back to a happier, healthier you, whatever your life’s demands.

”I defy anyone to read this book and not relate it to their own life, see where there is room for improvement and, more importantly, use it to help get rid of that dreaded ’stress’” – Emma Forbes, presenter

w w w . t h e b e s t y o u m a g a zi n e . c o

35

BOOK REVIEWS

THE BEST YOU

RAPID FITNESS

BY ZEN MARTINOLI

Following the success of his first book, 5 Minute Fitness, boxing and fitness trainer Zen Martinoli has produced a new exciting book for those already accustomed to exercise.

Rapid Fitness provides short, highly effective, bodyweight only, compactworkouts designed for recreational exercisers and sports people alike.

These routines can be employed anywhere, anytime without the use of equipment, perfect for someone with a busy lifestyle.

“Zen combines HIT and sound knowledge to create a solution for busy people who like to maintain their fitness levels on the go. A sound investment” – Jane Smith

36

www.theb e s tyo um ag az i ne .c o

THE BEST YOU

BOOK REVIEWS

EFFORTLESS HEALING

BY DR JOSEPH MERCOLA

Do you have to tell your leg to heal from a scrape? Your lungs to take in air? Your body that it’s hungry?

No. Your body does all of these things automatically, effortlessly. Vibrant health is your birthright and within your grasp; you just have to step out of the way.

In Effortless Healing, online health pioneer, natural medicine advocate and best-selling author Dr. Joseph Mercola reveals the nine simple secrets to a healthier, thinner you.

”Effortless Healing will cause a simple revolution in your health. I have been a fan of Dr Mercola’s work for many years and this book is the synthesis of his wisdom” – Daniel G. Amen MD, author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Life

w w w . t h e b e s t y o u m a g a zi n e . c o

37

BOOK REVIEWS

THE BEST YOU

THE WEALTH CHEF

BY ANN WILSON

International finance coach Ann Wilson is known as The Wealth Chef because of her ability to help people cook up monetary success.

Ann has laid out a step-by-step guide to creating financial freedom. In its pages, readers will find five recipes for wealth that helped Ann go from having nothing to becoming a multimillionaire.

These recipes reveal the secrets to: • Becoming debt-free while simultaneously generating wealth • Getting your ‘wealth accelerators’ working • Increasing your quality of life while reducing your expenses • Focusing on personal goals and tracking successes for rapid results

“A sure-fire recipe for living your life the way you want, free from concerns about money.

In my book, that’s rich” – Lois P. Frankel PhD, author of Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office

38

www.theb e s tyo um ag az i ne .c o

THE BEST

LIVE LOVE LEGACY

YOU

What do you want to be remembered for? What are your relationships like with those around you? How does life treat you… and how does you treat your life? There is so much good in you.

Enrich your life with the passion you feel and the connections you make.

Life Without Limits

TM

GLASS ACT

Juliet Stephens shares her experience of living with epilepsy

AN UNSTOPPABLE PLAN

Cynthia Kersey’s inspiring story

WHAT DOES IT TAKE… to be a great parent

Put your company in this space! To sponsor this page and be part of The Best You, email us at advertising@thebestyou.co

LIVE LOVE LEGACY

GLASS HALF FULL JULIET STEPHENS is a stand-up comedian and journalist who also happens to have epilepsy. Here she shares her experience of living with the condition

40

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co m

LIVE LOVE LEGACY My name is Juliet and I have epilepsy – waits for supportive round of applause from others in the help group... No? Oh, ok. In one of my guises as a stand-up comic, I explain to audiences that I have tonic clonic epilepsy, and that I affectionately refer to my seizures as ‘gin and tonic colonics’ because of how they make me feel afterwards... (there’s some artistic license here – actually I feel incredibly serene after a seizure).

Now I’m certainly no expert on neurology or science, but I have lived with my epilepsy for more than half my life. I say ‘my’ epilepsy as what strikes me is how very personal epilepsy is. Not just in the nature, frequency and severity of seizures, nor even the experience of different medications.

For me, the most personal aspect is the relationship with epilepsy itself. I have the most common form of generalised epilepsy – idiopathic generalised tonic clonic seizures. The ‘idiopathic’, or ‘of unknown cause’ part has, for me, been the most frustrating thing to deal with.

I had kidney failure as a child, is it connected to my adolescent-onset epilepsy? We don’t know. Is there any physiological cause? We don’t know. Might I grow out of having seizures? We don’t know. If I change my medication might I experience awful side effects? We don’t know. Hmmmm. Frustrating.

My journey to understand my epilepsy has taken me through, in no particular order, denial, frustration, vulnerability, sadness, anger and sometimes even joy.

Yes, joy. Without epilepsy I would not have the insight that I do into the kindness of strangers that I have so often depended on, the fine work of the ambulance service and hospital staff, the support and love from friends and family, the miracle and complexity of the human brain, the hard work of researchers to understand the brain, the mutual support from other people with epilepsy at meetings and in online chatrooms, and the dedication of individuals who run marathons, bake cakes, shave their heads and do parachute jumps to raise money for various epilepsy charities.

It is often said that the worst thing is not knowing and I would agree – it makes you powerless. Like many people, I have no prior warning if I am about to have a seizure, so only find out after the event

(sometimes a long while after, depending on how many seizures I have had and if I was alone at the time). This can be really terrifying.

The best solution I have come up with is to try and understand my epilepsy and resign myself that if I have to live with not knowing, I would rather live in a general state of positivity which may be interrupted by seizures, than a perpetual state of fearful paranoia. I choose to be as ok as possible with not knowing.

I have learned a respect for my body, which has healed itself so admirably after I have been injured during a seizure, and actually I have come to enjoy my cuts, scars, burns and grazes as they present a living testimony to my epilepsy. ‘The scar on my nose is from a seizure in the office... the piece of tarmac in my chin was accidentally left there after I was stitched up following a seizure in Tasmania... the burn on the back of my leg is from a hot water bottle I was unconsciously lying on after a seizure...’ etc.

I now work as a journalist, writer and stand-up comic and yes, I do talk about epilepsy on stage. The relationship between comedy and epilepsy is a complex and often contentious one. People’s individual relationship with their epilepsy affects how appropriate they feel it is to make jokes about it.

I can only speak from my own experience and for me comedy is a crucial coping mechanism. Quite often I will be approached after a gig by a fellow act or audience member who tell me about their own experience of epilepsy. I find it a great opportunity to engage with people and de-bunk some long held myths. Sometimes it can be surprising how much ignorance is still out there, but thankfully I’ve not yet had a crowd of angry villagers cry out for the ducking stool.

It’s been some nine months since my last seizure (in a comedy club – definitely not part of my act!). I keep taking medication, ensuring I rest if I need to and making certain people in my life know what to do should I have a seizure. If I do have another seizure, well, I’ll just have to recover, reassess my meds with my neurologist and carry on. Life is precious and short – too precious and too short not to enjoy!

To find out more about the Epilepsy Society, visit epilepsysociety.org.uk

w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o m

41

LIVE LOVE LEGACY THE BEST YOU

AN UNSTOPPABLE

WOMAN After a life-changing event, Cynthia Kersey refocused her energy into making positive change in the world

42

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co m

THE BEST YOU

F

or most people, corporate success is enough, but thankfully Cynthia Kersey isn’t

most people. Starting at Sprint, Kersey’s career progressed to the top of her field, selling and managing a $30m account and achieving a sixfigure income, but she wasn’t fulfilled or passionate about her life. Bravely, she stepped aside from these trappings to achieve her first goal of writing a book, Unstoppable, a series of profiles of people who have overcome obstacles to achieve personal triumph.

“I’ve always loved stories of unstoppable individuals,” explains Kersey. “I read about and studied people who have a purpose, stay focused and refuse to quit. I was inspired and decided to cash in my life savings to write that first book.”

However, just 18 months later, Kersey’s 20-year marriage fell apart leaving her devastated and feeling out of control. “It was my dear friend, Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity, who told me that when you have a great pain in your life, you need a greater purpose, and suggested that I build a house for a family in need.”

Now a single woman, living on the proceeds of her book, Kersey threw herself into the project to raise funds for construction in Nepal. Instead of feeling satisfied at achieving funds for just one house, she continued with her effort, raising $200,000 in 12 months, until 100 families had roofs over their heads.

Leading a group of 18 people to Nepal, they worked on the build of the first three properties in early 2001. “At 100 houses, the sense of achievement felt bigger than my pain,” she says, “and I was, once again, inspired. That was my first experience of the power of giving, and it truly transformed my life, catapulting me into a deeper level of service and contribution.

“While I was in Nepal I met a single woman who was to live in one of the homes we helped fund.

We connected deeply and I remember her saying, ‘Thank you. Please don’t forget me’. That was a pivotal moment and I was inspired to integrate giving into my business and make a big difference.

“I wrote my second book, Unstoppable Women, in 2005, and was invited to a rural African women conference in Kenya. Women at the event had spent days walking across the continent to share their stories, and I was both shocked and inspired by those I met. It brought home to me that just by virtue of

LIVE LOVE LEGACY

where you’re born can determine whether you’re living a life with hopes and dreams or trying to merely survive.”

Kersey’s second major opportunity came about in 2008, as she turned 50. A friend’s son had asked people to donate towards the funding of a school in Uganda, for his bar mitzvah. “I was inspired again,” says Kersey.

“I organised a fundraiser and invited 100 people, asking each of them to donate $100 to attend the party, and then asked them to contribute more that evening towards a Ugandan school we could make a difference.

In actual fact, we raised enough to fund two schools.

“Collectively we gave and did something significant, it was so moving and I was inspired to start the Unstoppable Foundation and asked others to use their birthdays as fundraisers to help educate children in Africa.

“Three years later, I was still working my business, but I wanted to work with my foundation full-time, so I talked with two of my closest friends about it. And this became the master strategy: call three people a day and ask them to contribute money or resources to my project. People were so generous and responded so fantastically. One person donated $50k and ran one of our campaigns. It was just amazing, I felt that the universe had my back and that this was the right thing to do.

“Since then, the Unstoppable Foundation has really grown, and we’re now educating more than 7,000 children a day. There are five pillars to our work, to provide education, sanitation, food and nutrition, healthcare and to create self-sufficiency.”

Later this month, Kersey’s Unstoppable Foundation will host a gala dinner to celebrate the work it has accomplished with its supporters and to raise additional funds towards its next goal, which is to educate the next 5,000 children. The World Bank estimates that to achieve primary education for every child would cost $11-15bn a year; half the amount spent on ice cream in the US, and a third of the amount spent there on pet food.

“Both personally and for businesses, the power of giving is immense and I am still inspired,” says Kersey.

“Most unstoppable people don’t see themselves as anything special, and anyone can do these things, it just takes a leap of faith and courage to stay the course.

When I was writing my first book, I worried whether anyone would read it, but my faith led to the creation of the Unstoppable Foundation and the work it does today.”

VIDEO CONTENT CYNTHIA KERSEY is an author and founder of the Unstoppable Foundation, whose mission is to ensure that every child on the planet receives access to education.

Find out more about the Unstoppable Foundation at:

unstoppablefoundation.org/why-education

DIGITAL CONTENT w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o m

43

18 - 19 MARCH 2015 T HE OL D TRUM A N BRE WERY SHOREDIT CH, L ONDON

DISCOVER THE TOOLS TO HELP GROW YOUR BUSINESS

REGISTER TODAY FOR YOUR FREE 2 DAY EXHIBITION PASS ✓ 50 seminars - speak to and be inspired by the UK’s industry leaders ✓ Over 50 workshops - bursting with expert advice and service solutions ✓ 100s of exhibitors - offering services to help your business grow ✓ Dedicated drop-in clinics - one-on-one advice ✓ Network with 1000s of other delegates

FOR MORE INFORMATION

CALL 0203 638 5138

OR GO TO ELITEBUSINESSEVENT.CO.UK

@ELITEBIZEVENTS

#ELITEBIZEVENT15

JIM AITKINS

LIVE LOVE LEGACY

DREAM BETTER Jim Aitkins is an American writer and speaker whose observations about everyday life provide powerful lessons for personal growth. This month he urges us to allow ourselves to dream a little

I

n the delightful movie Tangled, Disney’s animated retelling of the classic tale of Rapunzel, there’s a

scene where she shares a quandary with her new friend, Eugene. First, the lead-up… Every year, on the night of Rapunzel’s birthday, she has observed mesmerising floating lights in the sky. She doesn’t know where the lights come from and has never known why they appear each year on the same night.

Rapunzel has never been able to know these things because she has lived as a captive of a woman claiming to be her mother. Never allowed to leave the confines of the tower in which she has lived all of her life, she constantly wonders about the outside world and wishes she could solve the mystery of the lights.

Of course, Rapunzel is not aware that she had been kidnapped from the nearby kingdom’s royal palace as a baby. She has no idea that she is really the long-lost sole princess, daughter of the kindly king and queen.

So, she also doesn’t know that the idea of the thousands of glowing lanterns about to rise into the night sky was created in the wake of her abduction; as an annual beacon to show the lost girl the way home… and as a symbol of hope, letting her know that the kingdom has not forgotten its absent princess.

Rapunzel has thus far lived her entire life hidden and secluded, never able to leave the tower. Over the years, her ‘mother’ repeatedly explained to Rapunzel that the world beyond their concealed sunny sliver of land, deep in the forest, is a harsh place; too dangerous for Rapunzel. The girl is always assured that as long as she remains in the tower, she will be safe and protected.

Longing for answers and for adventure, Rapunzel has long dreamt of being able see the mysterious lights close-up and in-person, and to know why they rise in the night sky every year on her birthday.

One day, the day before Rapunzel’s eighteenth birthday, a wayward stranger, a thief named Eugene, happens upon Rapunzel’s tower, climbs the high stone column into her dwelling, and discovers the girl. After learning that she has never left the tower, Eugene offers to take her to where they can see the lights.

After successfully evading pursuing soldiers, greedy cutthroats and Rapunzel’s ‘mother’, Eugene makes good on his promise. The big night arrives. Eugene and Rapunzel are sitting in a small boat, a short distance off the shore within full view of the small kingdom, its homes and businesses, and the magnificent palace crowning the top of the hill.

Unaware of the actual purpose of the lights, Rapunzel anxiously waits for the first of thousands of sparkling yellow lamps to be lit and gradually make their graceful upward light into the starry night. This is where Rapunzel voices the cause of her angst…

Eugene: Are you okay?

Rapunzel: I’m terrified.

Eugene: Why? Rapunzel: I’ve been looking out the window for 18 years dreaming about what I’d feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it’s not everything that I dreamed it would be?

Eugene: It will be.

Rapunzel: And what if it is? What do I do then?

Eugene: Well, that’s the good part I guess. You get to go find a new dream.

Dreams are not unlike the countless skyward floating lanterns depicted in the scene above. We were all created to be heirs of another, infinitely better kingdom and there is often an aspect of many of our best dreams that were planted inside of us in order to remind us of a better home and a hoped-for better time.

Dream. And when one comes true, or if it becomes necessary to let it go, don’t mourn the loss. It’s not a loss. You get to find a new dream.

It’s so important to believe that you are an heir of better things and that no matter how much you may have lost your way, it’s possible to dream your way back. Know that the kingdom of your dreams has not forgotten its lost prince or princess.

w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o m

45

LIVE LOVE LEGACY

WHAT DOES IT TAKE… TO BE A GREAT Do you have a life ambition?

Learning from those who have achieved their goals can help your path to success. This month, we talk with Shanghai-based textile designer and environmental activist, Monique Maissan

PARENT?

To discover the answer, The Best You talked to ANDY COPE, co-author of The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager

WHAT DEFINES THE PERFECT FAMILY?

If you’re of a certain age you might remember Little House on the Prairie? If you’re not old enough, Google it. It’s right up there with The Waltons as the classic clean-cut wholesome family unit. Now I don’t know about you but our house doesn’t resonate with a cheery ‘Night Jim-Bob’ at lights’ out. And try as we might, we hardly ever manage to sit down around a huge table, slicing into and handing round generous helpings of hearty home-made pumpkin pie.

This isn’t 1930s Walton Mountain. It’s the next millennium along.

46

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co m

WHAT DEFINES THE PERFECT FAMILY?

If you’re of a certain age you might remember Little House on the Prairie? If you’re not old enough, Google it. It’s right up there with The Waltons as the classic clean-cut wholesome family unit. Now I don’t know about you but our house doesn’t resonate with a cheery ‘Night Jim-Bob’ at lights’ out. And try as we might, we hardly ever manage to sit down around a huge table, slicing into and handing round generous helpings of hearty home-made pumpkin pie. This isn’t 1930s Walton Mountain. It’s the next millennium along.

LIVE LOVE LEGACY

HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT EVERYONE’S HAPPY?

First the bad news. Life is exhausting. Life that contains children, quadrupally so! Emotions are contagious, so I think it’s fair to say, ‘You’re only as happy as your least happy child.’ That principle also applies to the classroom. But, good news, you can implement strategies that will enable your family and classroom to function brilliantly, most of the time.

If you’ve got small children, here’s a parenting belter from Gretchen Rubin. You know how last thing at night can be a mad rush, dashing around getting school bags sorted, packed lunches packed and school uniforms ironed. Instead of rushing around headless-chicken style, why not indulge in a spot of what Gretchen calls ‘gazing lovingly’.

Gretchen and her husband say, ‘Come on, let’s go and gaze lovingly at the kids as they sleep.’ That is such a fabulous idea. Simple, free and a perfect example of being in the moment.

HOW CAN WE ENCOURAGE OUR KIDS?

Carol Dweck’s book is crammed with good advice.

One of her experiments involved setting a group of children a really stern exam after which one group was praised for intelligence (‘You are sooo clever!’) and the other for effort (‘You’ve worked reaaally hard!’). Next, she set a test that was impossible for them to complete.

For a 13-year-old, that’s a real bummer. And here’s the rub folks, the first group (praised for being clever) soon capitulated, figuring that they weren’t clever enough. But the second group (praised for effort) stuck at it and out-performed the others by 30 per cent.

So what? Dweck’s advice is that if your child accomplishes something, don’t say, ‘Well done, you are such a little genius!’ But rather, ‘Awesome, you put the effort in and got the reward.’ Always praise effort rather than talent.

If your son scores a goal at football, don’t high-five him and say, ‘Holy cow, total genius dude. You were born to play football.’ You’d be better off saying, ‘Amazing goal, son. That’s what practise and hard work gets ya!’ And ruffle his hair chummily.

Or when your daughter wins an award for art?

‘Crikey young lady, you are destined to be the next Picasso.’ Nope. ‘That’s what you get for all those hours of hard work.’

WHAT ABOUT TREATS AND REWARDS?

Dan Pink says you shouldn’t pay your kids to do chores and on no account should you bribe them with cash for exam results. According to Dan, it’s a slippery slope that kills their work ethic and love of learning.

Let’s examine the sub-text of your well-meaning SATs ‘payment by results’ system, carefully devised in consultation with your Year 6 child. What you are effectively saying is, ‘I understand that studying is a horrible thing to do. And I appreciate that you will only do it for money.’ Bang goes their love of learning. You are teaching them (subconsciously) that learning is a chore.

SO WHAT’S THE BEST APPROACH?

Putting it all together, the truth is that as a parent and/ or teacher, you are having an extraordinary effect on the young people in your life. This doesn’t mean that they will necessarily do what you say. But, we’re wired to copy behaviours so, I promise you, they will do what you do.

Look at Ma and Pa Walton; positive, supportive, close-knit, loving behaviours. Same with Charles Ingells from The Little House on the Prairie. And 1970s American TV shows never lie, so I rest my case.

The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager is published

by Capstone.

w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o m

47

FEEL AND LOOK GOOD

THE BEST

YOU

Feeling good about yourself has a hugely positive impact on your appearance, persona and the response you ignite in others. Explore new ways to enhance the impression you make and enjoy the benefits of a positive self-image.

Life Without Limits

TM

IN GOOD SHAPE

How to maintain your fitness when time is short

WHY FULL FAT ISN’T SO BAD...

Amanda Hamilton on eating the right stuff

TIME SAVERS

5 ways to reclaim an hour as the clocks spring forward

Put your company in this space! To sponsor this page and be part of The Best You, email us at advertising@thebestyou.co

w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

49

FEEL & LOOK GOOD

FIT FOR

LESS What if you could get in shape without endless hours at the gym, on the road or in classes? Fitness coach Zen Martinoli believes his approach can achieve results when time is stretched. Daska Davis reports

50

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co

I

f you’ve ever been torn between pulling on your gym gear for a lengthy session on the treadmill, putting in extra hours at work or the need to run around after your family, chances are your trainers get left until last. It’s easy to find excuses, but the reality is that achieving it all is sometimes impossible.

“It’s tough fitting it all in,” remarked a friend recently. Feeling the same way, I was intrigued to talk with Zen Martinoli, author of Rapid Fitness, whose previous book, 5 Minute Fitness, aims to support those who struggle to hit the gym but want to stay in shape.

Martinoli is a qualified boxing and fitness trainer who works closely at his north London studio with professional sports stars, actors and models who need to maintain strength and physique for their professional lives. “I’ve always competed in sports, at school and county level, and later I did a bit of acting and modelling, so I’ve worked to stay in good shape.

“Staying fit has got to be part of your lifestyle, and my first book was aimed at people who are committed to regular activity but are maybe on the road, travelling, and can’t necessarily get to a gym. I had a eureka moment and thought I could create a programme of short, intense exercises which could be used on several levels.

“This second book is more advanced and offers further benefits of high intensity training (HIT) combining plyometric, isometric and complex training which is used to maintain and improve sporting performance. There is a solid science behind this approach. Take an explosive movement, for example, the aim is to execute it within the shortest possible time, so the key is in mental preparation.”

Having worked with professional sports men and women, what is it that Martinoli believes makes the difference to athletic success?

“They are exercising for personal achievement, but also because it’s necessary for their work. They break through different barriers.

Elite athletes are already finely tuned but there are always weaker areas, be it strength, speed or power to be worked on. The mindset is easier for someone who is doing it for a living.”

So, what tips does Martinoli have for us lesser mortals? “Embrace exercise and make it part of your life. As humans we are designed to move, not to sit for prolonged periods of time, so build in as much physical activity as you can to your day. Body type is predetermined by our genes, for example, and some of us are more suited to endurance activities, others to more explosive pursuits, but there is a definite symbiosis between mindset and physical activity. When you start exercising regularly, the first four to six weeks is a novelty, but you then get down to the nitty gritty and your mindset is the most important thing – it can turn things around in terms of results.”

Martinoli’s approach utilises our own body weight and HIT in mini workouts of 5-15 minutes, that can be slotted into busy lifestyles once or twice a day. “I’ve not broken the mould, says Martinoli, “I’ve just repackaged it in a new way. I would be the first to say that this isn’t everything but it’s a great way to maintain your fitness level when time is short. By all means go for a long cycle ride or enjoy a long class, but this can fit in between times or provide something interesting or different.

Rapid Fitness by Zen Martinoli is published by John Blake Publishing.

Find Zen Martinoli at thefitnessfighter.com

w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

51

FEEL & LOOK GOOD

KEEP IT REAL Her last book, Eat, Fast, Slim, was published in 20 countries, she advises the nation on television and radio, but nutritionist Amanda Hamilton’s dietary approach is everyday simple

52

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co

FEEL & LOOK GOOD

W

ith her Scottish burr, healthy looks and sensible approach, Amanda Hamilton’s outlook on nutrition offers a voice of reason in a world where sugar has become the new enemy, and 5:2 provides a numerical solution to our eating plans.

Not that Hamilton is dismissive of such approaches, but her view is that a sustainable approach is better than the perennial falling off the diet scenario. Currently supporting TOTAL Greek Yoghurt’s full fat campaign because, as she says, she works with “brands I believe in nutritionally and use myself”, her logic is that a dollop of the creamy stuff – which contains twice the amount of protein of other yoghurts – is far better for us than counting calories. “My starting point, nutritionally, is always a real approach – real evidence about real food,” explains Hamilton. “When I’m satisfied that food is not laden with chemicals, but instead leaves you satisfied naturally, I’m comfortable to recommend it.”

The daughter of two P.E. teachers, Hamilton was health-conscious from an early age, and represented Scotland in badminton internationally. During her degree she spent time in the US, and says that it was a year that shaped her passion for healthy nutrition.

“I was 18 and arrived in mid-America but what I experienced was a life jolt,” she explains.

“On campus I saw people who were too obese to walk even short distances, and the highly processed foods that were on offer were unrecognisable to me – so much was deep fried, and it was vastly different to the Scottish upbringing I’d grown up with, where mum grew and cooked her own vegetables. I found it disturbing and asked the Dean for a budget, and cooked and fed myself instead.”

After university, Hamilton moved into journalism and presenting before going on to train as a registered nutritionist, adding studies in Ayurvedic medicine, yoga and a post-graduate degree in obesity science to her portfolio. Over the next few years, she specialised in health-related broadcasting and her shows included The Spa of Embarrassing Illnesses, Should I Worry About?, The Last Resort, and she became GMTV, BBC radio and Sky’s go-to nutrition expert.

In 2013, Hamilton acted as the guinea pig in a documentary for ITV’s Tonight programme, where she substituted her usual diet for one eaten by a typical British female – she gained five pounds as a result. “My diet is higher in fat than the average British person’s,’ says Hamilton, “but it’s a particular type of fat that I eat. We should be eating essential fats, such as Omega-3, typically found in oily fish. Trans fats are a no no.

“Calories are often seen as the enemy, but actually the impact is where they come from. Sugar and refined carbs are far more damaging. The processed foods that we eat today are a speck on history’s timeline, and we need to go back to eating foods in a more natural state.

“There is utter confusion around nutrition at the moment, and we are programmed to think that low fat is good but those foods don’t satisfy us. High protein foods fill us up for longer and fat content helps with mouth feel to make us feel good. Nobody binges on salmon, and our body naturally has a switch-off, so it’s about choosing wisely not taking a blanket approach to ingredients. In fact, look at ingredients lists on packets – if you can’t pronounce it, generally speaking it’s probably not good for you!”

What is Hamilton’s view of those passing food fads then? “Cutting out all added sugar or fasting for short periods of time are great, but the problem is that often these can’’t be sustained for long periods so people feel like they’ve failed and revert back to previous behaviours,” says Hamilton. “We’ve lost a bit of common sense along the way, and we need to get back to a more moderate approach where healthy eating underpins it all. In my work I focus as much on longterm change as short-term results.”

With a company that offers health retreats, three books under her belt, and upcoming TV projects, Hamilton is taking her nutritional approach into schools, to educate the next generation. “There’s lots of snobbery around nutrition, right now,” says Hamilton. “My aim is to simplify the advice on offer and create consistent messaging.”

TOTAL Greek Yoghurt has teamed up with chef Sophie Michell to create The TOTAL Greek Yoghurt Cookbook, by Kyle Books.

FEEL & LOOK GOOD

HOW TO SAVE AN HOUR (IN LESS THAN A MINUTE) The clocks spring forward on 29 March (hurrah! Light evenings and summer are just ahead), but FF and you can recapture that lost hour – we guarantee it only takes you 60 seconds to read how to do it…

1. GET AHEAD

It’s not just kids that need organising. Banish morning chaos and get a jump start on the day by prepping your outfit and work bag with purse, travel card and charged phone packed, the night before. You can effortlessly dress and be ready to go quicker than it takes to make a morning cuppa.

TIME SAVED: 5 MINUTES

2. BLITZ BREAKFAST

No, we don’t mean skip the most important meal of the day. Simply throw some soft fruit, a handful of oats, milk or yoghurt and a squeeze of honey into a blender and press the button – you’re good to go!

TIME SAVED: 10 MINUTES

3. PLAN AHEAD

OK, this takes a little bit of prep, but use the family calendar (paper or digital) to create a masterplan – that’s everything from birthday parties (gifts and card) to dinners for the week and even when your credit card needs paying.

That means everything you need for the day is easily spotted at a glance.

TIME SAVED: 20 MINUTES

4. JOIN THE CLUB

Make lunch a sociable affair, all week long. If you and your colleagues bring or buy lunch, take turns to cook for the crowd – prepare your specialty and treat your workmates to your legendary pasta bake, then enjoy their stir-fry by return. You could find you tend to eat more healthily when you’re ‘sharing’ too.

TIME SAVED: 15 MINUTES

5. PASS IT ON

‘What’s for dinner?’ Instead of falling back on convenience meals or well-worn recipes, ask friends and family to share their favourite recipes. Create a Pinterest page and ask each to post their favourite dish so you have an instant ‘go to’ recipe finder, without having to pore through recipe books or websites – it’s your very own ‘tried and tested’ kitchen.

TIME SAVED: 10 MINUTES

w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

55

I na ddi t i on

WEALTH & RICHES

THE BEST

YOU

Building your career or business can bring both financial reward and personal growth in every aspect of your life. Seek out advice and support to ensure your success today and for the future.

Life Without Limits

TM

KNOW YOUR VALUE

Ann Wilson is The Wealth Chef, and she wants you to rethink your worth

PRESENT AND CORRECT

Carmine Gallo explains why TED talks have redefined the perfect presentation

ARE YOU SUCCESSFUL?

Jill McCulloch shares the recipe for a rich life

Put your company in this space! To sponsor this page and be part of The Best You, email us at advertising@thebestyou.co

WHAT ARE YOU

WORTH? For Ann Wilson, self value should be your first consideration if you are to achieve your maximum financial potential Ann Wilson turned her life around, from broke divorcee to self-made millionaire in eight years.

Author of The Wealth Chef, her online course, Financial Freedom University,provides the tools to make money work for you

DO YOU EVER SAY ANY OF THE FOLLOWING? I’ll start saving and investing when I’ve got some spare money.

I’ll go dance/paint/ride my motorbike (apply whichever excites you) when I’ve got some free time.

I’ll play with the kids/dog/goldfish when I’ve finished all this other stuff.

I’ll visit that wonderful friend/my parents/kids when things aren’t so busy with work.

I’ll take that much needed break/ bubble bath/holiday once I’ve sorted everything else out.

Perhaps you’ve also heard the phrase, ‘pay yourself first?’

This is possibly the most important and fundamental concept in all wealth creation and I’m not just talking about money – it’s about living a rich feast of a life.

During the launch of Financial Freedom University, I was asked many times about my belief that you must pay yourself first, before all other bills, even if you aren’t sure how you will pay those other bills.

Often people responded by saying, ‘Doesn’t that mean I’ll get into more debt?’ or, ‘I can’t see how to do this as there never is anything leftover?’

First and foremost this requires a massive mind shift.

The very decision to make yourself, your financial wellbeing and your dreams the most important bill you pay first every month triggers a whole chain of possibility and potentiality opens.

Once you have done this, you then use the greatest asset you have, your creativity and personal potential to get all the rest done.

You put this into action by learning how to ask yourself great quality questions about the rest of the outgoings in your life and you keep stretching yourself to make it so.

Questions provide the key to unlocking your unlimited potential, and there are a series of steps to go through.

58

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co

WEALTH & RICHES

ASK YOURSELF...

DIGITAL CONTENT

How else can I pay these bills?

How else can I experience this thing without this cost?

How else can I bring money in?

Which of these other expenses can I get rid of because I don’t get value from them?

Which of these expenses can I negotiate to a lower rate?

What other things can I do to bring in extra income?

Are there skills and assets I have which I’m not using or can expand on?

Are there things I can sell to cover these other expenses?

Where can I add value to massive numbers of people and get rewarded significantly financially?

It is from this place we expand who we are and all aspects of our life. When we believe in ourselves enough to pay ourselves first.

Consumer debt is always the last resort and believing that it is the only other way to pay for something is a belief that needs to be scrubbed out. It not only robs you of your money but also of the incredible wealth of resources within you that you never get to strengthen and expand because you never gave them a chance.

This pattern goes way further than money. It is a pattern that impacts all the resources we have available to us to get the most out of our lives. The most precious being is our time, our energy and our focus. Direct these resources with respect and leadership and you will be amazed at what unfolds.

When you invest your time, your money, your energy and your focus in yourself first, you are telling your unconscious you believe in you, your dreams and your ability to create what you want in this life.

Paying yourself last or not at all because you’re waiting for there to be some leftover after everything else is covered is giving yourself the scraps of your life. You deserve more than that.

w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

59

WEALTH & RICHES

HOW TO BE MORE TED-LIKE TED talks have rewritten the rules of public speaking.

Carmine Gallo, author of Talk Like TED explains what makes a powerful presentation today “Like it or not, you’re being compared to a TED talk,” says Carmine Gallo when asked what makes a good speech. After 30 years and a global network of conferences run by the non-profit Sapling Foundation under the slogan, ‘Ideas worth spreading’, TED talks have become the new benchmark of public speaking.

Gallo knows a thing or two about the format, having studied the best presentations – which have included Bill Clinton, Stephen Hawking, Arianna Huffington and Tony Robbins – for his self-help book, Talk Like TED. “Over the past few years, when people contact me for help in developing their communication skills, the say, ‘I want to be more TED-like.’ It’s become a thing, a style that people want to be able to achieve to deliver an engaging presentation.”

What is it that defines a TED talk? “It’s a more concise way of presenting,” says Gallo. “It’s no more than 18-20 minutes, and typically no more than 10- 15 slides that utilise a very visual style with few words on screen. But the unifying factor in many outstanding TED talks is the ability of speakers to tell stories which creates a personal and entertaining presentation.”

So, with TED leading the way, has PowerPoint had its day? “In my opinion, there’s nothing wrong with PowerPoint as a tool,” says Gallo. “but you need to think about how to use it to tell a story. Old school PowerPoint doesn’t work any more. It’s too easy to open up a slide and fill it with words. Nobody likes that style of presenting, but we have all done it, falling back to the familiar approach.

60

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co

“Instead, make it more visual, think less text and no bullet points. Science tells us that a visual style is the best way to connect and communicate, and all the great presenters use this approach.

“In particular, millennials are a visually-led generation, and within the next decade, they will form the majority of the workforce. They are a group that has grown up with Instagram and YouTube, so they want infotainment, and that will influence business in the future.

“People don’t associate storytelling with business, but it can be done to great effect and things are starting to change. I was surprised to be invited to give a talk to a group of orthodox Jews, and one of the senior rabbis pulled me aside to say that one of his congregation had suggested he needed to up his game in delivering sermons, as his audience were watching TED talks during the week. Things are changing as a result of TED!” With the TED approach in mind, can anyone achieve success in public speaking? “Absolutely,” says Gallo. “It’s a skill that can definitely be learned. There are very few natural communicators. I studied Steve Jobs’ speeches for one of my books, and he definitely evolved as a speaker. His style was very visual, and his presentations had few words, but his TED-like approach made his product launches extremely impactful and effective.

Anyone can achieve this, it just takes thought, creativity and practice.”

Carmine Gallo is a communications specialist and author who works with executives on public speaking skills.

WEALTH & RICHES

4 GREAT TED TALKS Having studied the most-viewed TED talks, Carmine Gallo believes great storytelling is the unifying attribute of these presentations

DIGITAL CONTENT

RICH ENOUGH? By what measures do you evaluate your wealth? Jill McCulloch believes it takes more than financial success to become truly rich Wealth is not just about money, it’s about having an abundance of the things that we value.

Discovering our values, the things that uniquely bring us fulfilment, is an extensive exercise.

Underpinning these are some basic desires, which give us a sense of living a ‘rich’ life. These hold true for everyone I have worked with as a co-active coach. I suggest they are true for us all.

1. WORK THAT IS FULFILLING

It might be a day job, a business or career. Our desire to accomplish something of worth is fundamental. Yet sometimes in our careers we are so divorced from the outcomes of our endeavours that it fails to satisfy. It is often the work done outside of the 9 to 5 which allows us to express our gift and gain more immediate feedback or results. For some it’s volunteering, coaching the local sports team or gardening.

2. ESTEEM

This includes respect from others and self-esteem. To have self-belief and self-esteem enables a person to live comfortably in their own skin; comfortable with the decisions they’ve made and what they stand for in the world.

3. ASPIRATION

Several of my clients are financially affluent, have reached the top of the ladder and find themselves not liking the view. ‘What now? What’s next?,’ they ask. Success and financial rewards cease to be enough and they seek fulfilment in a new arena. Having something to strive for gives our lives purpose and meaning. (Coaching gives far greater long-term rewards than a fast car or a mistress!)

4. LOVE

‘Money can’t buy me love!’ Romantic love is sought by many, yet it is actually sharing that is most desired. Sharing life’s ups and downs with another person, or even a pet, gives one an enormous sense of wellbeing.

It is sharing the mundane, the everyday and having a witness to one’s life that creates a ‘wealth of memories’. It is often those shared memories that are most sorely missed when the witness is lost or leaves.

5. TRUST

Trust of friends or confidants is an invaluable commodity.

Without trust, no amount of financial wellbeing will give us peace. The intimacy of deep sharing with a trusted person supports our self-knowledge and gives our lives a greater depth and richness. Being trusted by another is a privilege and boosts our self-esteem.

6. HEALTH

A sense of wellbeing and energy supports our ability to do the things we choose. It underpins every aspect of our lives. People such as Stephen Hawking don’t allow physical ailments to get in the way of fulfilling their aspirations and experiencing everything they can of life.

Challenges occur for us all and overcoming them leads us to a rich life, pursuing our dreams, accomplishing our goals; fulfilled and abundant with memories. So you may not be a millionaire but if you can claim all of the elements above then you are wealthy indeed.

62

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co

Jill McCulloch is a co-active coach working with passionate people with a mission – sometimes to reignite their passion, sometimes to help them discover a new mission.

Connect at coachyou.co.uk

WEALTH & RICHES

THE ROCKY ROAD TO SUCCESS

MADONNA

QUEEN OF ENTERTAINMENT Born into the care of a Michigan-based autoworker father in 1958, the singer Madonna experienced tragedy early in life, losing her mother to breast cancer when she was five years old. Greatly affected by her mother’s death, Madonna has said that the difference between her and other disoriented youths was that she cared more about focusing her energy into reaching a goal, rather than being self-destructive.

Throughout high school, she was a model student in the classroom. However she was a bit more adventurous outside of school, behaving wildly to gain attention. After a stint in college on a dance scholarship, Madonna left, having more specific designs for her career in mind.

A string of dangerous, yet productive years in New York City as a backup dancer and band member led to marketing herself as a solo artist. Impressing music industry executives early on, she released her self-titled album which produced three hit singles and laid the foundation for her polished pop sound.

Over time she began to introduce more and more of her rebellious style into the music, which turned Madonna into a worldwide style and music icon. With more than 300m albums sold and counting, Madonna is still creating ultra-successful music. She defied tragedy and hardship to work her way to being one of the most successful musicians of all time, and has managed to maintain that worldwide acclaim and appeal for decades.

64

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co

AARON SWARTZ

IN PURSUIT OF TRANSPARENCY Much like the early days of the internet, Aaron Swartz walked his own path to destiny. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Swartz was the son of a computer software entrepreneur and designer. From his earliest teenage years, Swartz was drawn to the internet and the ability to imprint his own software designs on it.

He created the Info Network, a web-based knowledge-sharing forum that predated Wikipedia. After briefly attending Stanford University, Swartz left school to further his work on developing a rich news-based content management system for the internet. It would go on to become the worldwide standard ‘RSS 1.0’ content management system.

Having inherited his father’s entrepreneurial spirit and thirst for knowledge, Swartz was years ahead of his peers, attending college more than two years early. Swartz later became involved in political activism, calling on his intimate knowledge of the internet to rally the masses to causes such as watchdog. net and the publishing of his Guerrilla Open Access Manifesto. He was involved with other movements such as SOPA, the initiative to halt online piracy.

However it was his desire to use the internet as a platform for transparency in government that led to his status as a sought-after subject by police and federal prosecutors for computer crimes. Swartz committed suicide in 2013, the pressure of being a government target becoming too much to handle. His work in bringing an open political dialogue to an internet that was still in its infancy will be remembered for generations.

THE ROCKY ROAD TO SUCCESS

MARISSA MAYER A GRACEFUL LEADER

Hailing from the American heartland, Marissa Mayer was born in Wisconsin in 1975. Her family occupied rather bucolic careers; her mother an art instructor and her father an environmental engineer specialising in water.

Though she suffered from intense shyness throughout her childhood, Mayer recognised this in herself and attempted to counteract it by participating in numerous sports, activities and academics. She credits ballet with helping to develop her fundamental social skills.

It was after attending Stanford University that Mayer changed her course of study from pre-med to symbolic systems, knowledge she would later compound with a masters degree in computer science.

Earning her stripes at Google as the company’s first female engineer, Mayer was integral to the development of the backend of Google’s search function, as well as its now-famous clean look. After rising through the Google ranks, Mayer accepted the role of Yahoo’s CEO in 2012. She had to weather a rocky beginning, implementing swift changes that were unpopular inside and outside the company. Though many have speculated that she faced unfair criticism as a woman, Mayer didn’t allow it to affect her performance or overall vision.

A mere 14 months after her hiring, Yahoo’s stock price doubled. Throughout her life, Mayer has consistently grown into the world around her, creating positive change through volunteerism, persistence, intellectualism and grace.

WEALTH & RICHES

JOHN D ROCKEFELLER A PRUDENT INVESTOR

It could be argued that John D. Rockefeller was so successful both because of, and in spite of his father. Born in southern New York state in the mid-19th century, Rockefeller’s father was a traveling elixir salesman, known for his slick business acumen and infidelity.

His mother taught Rockefeller to be conservative by nature, always saving where he could and working odd jobs to supplement the household income. Strangely, it was the influences of both of his parents that made up Rockefeller’s polished work ethic.

Despite his rocky family life, Rockefeller began his career a studious young bookkeeper. It was at this trade that he honed his systematic mind that was built for crunching numbers.

Not long into his career, Rockefeller sensed a sea change in the oil industry. Partnering with a chemist and a consortium of investors, he built a Cleveland-based refinery that more cost-effectively generated oil.

After the Civil War, Cleveland became a major centre for oil production in the U.S. Rockefeller then formed the Standard Oil company, a time during which he came under fire for attempting to drive independent producers out of the industry. He justified his right to centralise oil production based on his pursuit of the American dream. Though he was criticised for his corporate tactics, John D. Rockefeller was a generous philanthropist. As his fortune grew he gave to causes such as public health, education and the establishment of a lifeimproving path for freed slaves.

w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

65

21ST CENTURY LIVING

THE BEST

YOU

We live in a technological age and the opportunities that new ideas and developments bring to both our personal and professional lives are amazing. Discover fresh thinking and technologies that can enhance daily life.

Life Without Limits

TM

TECHNOBUFF OR TECHNOPHOBE?

Change your thinking and conquer technology

NESTING INSTINCT

Enhance your home with the latest gadgets

Put your company in this space! To sponsor this page and be part of The Best You, email us at advertising@thebestyou.co

21ST CENTURY LIVING

HOW SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE USE

TECHNOLOGY Technology has created a level playing field – or has it delivered a digital divide? Adam Banks explains why the only obstacle to either view is you

70

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co

21ST CENTURY LIVING

M

anti-social geek. Knowledge is constantly shared through blogs, forums, online chat, conferences and co-working.

This combination of experimentation and imitation reflects the way we learn during the most mentally productive time of our lives: childhood. If we allowed the scale of the world to daunt our little minds in the way we worry as adults about understanding spreadsheets, or writing HTML, or deciphering the etiquette of Twitter, we’d never get anywhere. Instead, we start playing and, as if by magic, competence emerges.

This is how my boss used technology. When he wanted to When a child bangs a pot with a stick, she isn’t thinkwrite a letter, he dictated it. When he needed to Google ing about the stick or the pot. She’s just pleased with the something, he would shout it to his PA, and she would noise. Later, she may spend years learning the violin; but run in with the answer. He communicated, of course, in concert, she isn’t playing the violin, she’s playing the muvia email and social networking. He just never wrote or sic. And the same is true of the artist painting a portrait on read any of the messages himself. I don’t think I ever saw an iPad, or the filmmaker editing footage in Final Cut Pro X. him touch a keyboard or mouse.

Why didn’t my boss get this? Well, in Of course, his business wouldn’t his own way, he did. Truth be told, have got far without people who he wasn’t really a technophobe at Adam Banks did. But when someone’s net worth all. While his £5,000 20th anniversary is measured in nine figures, it’s hard Macintosh remained sadly unused, (@adambanksdotcom) not to associate their habits with he spent his life building a machine writes about technology and just as complex and effective: a comthose of success. And my boss was not alone in his attitude. The pace pany. And he operated it like a master. society. He was formerly of change can be so overwhelm‘Technology’ can be an off-putting word editor in chief and creative ing that it starts to seem wiser to because we associate it with machines, avoid it. Things move too quickly. and increasingly machines that are inert director at MacUser These skills won’t last. I don’t have and untouchable, hidden behind glass time for it. I can hire people for that. screens. It all seems very cold and abIn fact, our society has a deeply amstract – not like the blacksmith with his bivalent view of technology. Those forge, or the sculptor with her chisel. Yet who most fully embrace it are nerds, dorks, socially inept, for people whose creativity is enabled by apps and MacBooks, emotionally incompetent. On the other hand, they’re whizzthe relationship is just as real; just as deep; just as emotional. kids, innovators, and dazzlingly capable problem-solvers.

Although we may write ‘computer literate’ on our CVs, Are we afraid to be like them? Or afraid that we can’t? many of us have trouble thinking of ourselves as techReporting on the creative industries for the last 20 years, nologists. We find computers boring, menus confusing I’ve seen the highest achievers find a middle way. The key and error messages infuriating. I’ll let you into a secret: to it is something shared by everyone who’s ever made a so do technologists. Follow a hundred app developers, difference in the world: curiosity. Presented with a new 3D animators and Photoshop gurus on social media, and tool you don’t yet understand, the positive response is you’ll hear a hundred howls of technophobic rage – daily. not to fear it, but to pick it up and mess around with it.

It doesn’t mean they don’t love what they do. And that’s This is how people who are ‘good with technolreally what technology is about. The Greek root ‘tekhne’ is ogy’ gain their skills. You’ll rarely find them reading a usually translated as ‘craft’. It refers to a mindset that makes manual. Perhaps surprisingly, they’re often not very it possible to apply knowledge to a practical goal so as to good at processing abstract information. They preaccomplish it more perfectly. In other words, technology isn’t fer to learn by doing. And forget that stereotype of the what you use: it’s you.

y late boss wasn’t just successful; he was one of the most powerful figures in his field.

He presided over a publishing empire that was rooted in the digital age. Our offices were filled with the latest computers connected to the fastest networks. We were pioneers of new methods and new media. Technology, he probably said in one speech or another, was in our DNA.

w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

71

21ST CENTURY LIVING

HOME TECH Many of us are still hibernating this month, so while we’re waiting for the season to change, what better way to enjoy the great indoors than with some shiny new gadgets for the home? Bryan Szabo reports

SAMSUNG GEAR VR

The much-touted immersive VR experience offers the user a 96° viewing experience thanks to its mega-sized screen.

This extends the experience to outside of your peripheral vision, making it easier to feel as though you are completely submerged in the virtual world that the device helps to create. The product is still in its beta stage, which probably means its bulkiness won’t last long. Though we haven’t yet broken through the barrier that allows users to wear these devices in public without a chorus of snickers following them around, manufacturers are assuring us that a slicker device is just around the corner, and, if anybody can figure out how to make strapping a tablet to your face look cool, it’s the people at Samsung.

Suggested retail price: £169

APPLE AIRPORT EXTREME

Apple’s sixth-generation router is an improvement on a design that doesn’t leave much room for improvement. Long the ‘go to’ router for those who wanted a high-functioning router, but also wanted something that was simple and elegant, the Airport is standard gear, and not just for Apple devotees.

It’s one of the top (if not the top) performing routers on the market. The Airport’s latest iteration, a 170mm-high column of glistening white, is once again leading the pack. At a 10m distance from the station, the Airport was still delivering around 160 Mb/sec – at least 20 Mb/sec faster than its competitors. If you’re not already using an Airport to boost your wireless signal, now might be the time to start.

Suggested retail price: £169

72

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co

21ST CENTURY LIVING

AMAZON ECHO

Voice-controlled tech is finally starting to work the bugs out, and Amazon’s Echo, if it delivers what it promises, will be making an appearance in a lot of homes in 2015. It looks a lot like a wireless speaker, and, as you might expect, it allows you to stream music, make playlists, and connect to your iTunes in the cloud. But it does much more than this: it is something of a virtual butler, answering all of your questions (so long as they aren’t philosophical), making to-do and shopping lists, and setting timers and alarms. Best of all, the far-field technology means that it’s a careful listener. There’s no need to shout at the device for it to be understood, and the more you use it, the more it becomes accustomed to your speech patterns.

Suggested retail price: £140

PROJECT ARA

Google’s modular phone brainchild has moved one step closer to hitting the market. The phone, which will allow users to build the phone that they need, is about to go into market testing in Puerto Rico.

Google is suggesting that the bare-bones models could cost as little as £35. Add-ons will include memory, application processors, sensors, and cameras (just to name a few). As an idea, modular phones have been with us for a while now, but there’s been lingering uncertainty as to when the market would get its hands on anything tangible. That time is nearly upon us, and those who’ve held off on updating their smartphones might be in for a treat when Project ARA hits the larger market later in 2015.

Suggested retail price: TBC

POWERBEATS2

For anybody who’s ever shelled out the dough for a pair of Beats headphones, it’ll come as no surprise that its contribution to the wireless headphone market is a touch on the pricey side, but the headphones are, as you’d expect, solid performers. The sound is crisp and the bass performance is top notch. For most gym rats or even casual exercisers, music is a must, to set the tone for toning up. The problem has always been that the wires snag on equipment, which leads to awkward mid-workout moments, painful yanking, or even broken headphones. Wireless headphones are the obvious answer to all of these problems, and, while there aren’t a lot of viable competitors on the market, the Powerbeats2 are dominating the field.

Suggested retail price: £169.95

w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

73

THE BEST YOU DIRECTORY The best professionals in personal development

UNITED KINGDOM

SPORTS THERAPISTS AND NUTRITIONISTS

Dr Stephen Simpson NLP, hypnotherapy and havening Email: doc@drstephensimpson.com Website: www.drstephensimpson.com Clients include leading names from the world of sport, business and the entertainment industries

Shayna Schulman Attitude adjuster and flexibility enhancer Email: Shayna.s@virgin.net Phone: +44 (0) 208 960 7715 Licensed trainer, coaching, consulting, yoga, nutrition

NLP TRAINERS Tina Taylor: Licensed master trainer and practitioner Email: kay@the-me-group.com Phone: +44 (0) 7946 351640 Website: tina@tina-taylor.com Tina’s experience allows her to create and provide some unique coaching services, from stopping addictions to pregnancy and pain control

Ulrika Shaw: Thrive consultant and hypnotherapist Email: enquiry@shawmind.co.uk Phone: +44 (0)7810 556029 Website: www.shawmind.co.uk Are you suffering from anxieties or depression? Maybe you’re struggling with bad habits such as overeating or smoking?

I help people overcome anything that holds them back!

Geoff Rolls: Corporate coach and kinesiologist Email: geoff@geoffrolls.co.uk Phone: +44 (0)7905 056 513 Website: www.geoffrolls.co.uk Learning and development, NLP trainer, TFH kinesiology instructor

June O’Driscoll: Exec coach, business coach, trainer Email: june@thoughtitude.co.uk Phone: +44 (0)7876 657 8055 Website: www.thoughtitude.co.uk NLP, coaching and hypnotherapy training school and consultancy

LIFE COACHES Dr Andrew A Parsons Mindfulness, resilience and finding clear purpose Email: aaparsons@reciprocalminds.com Phone: +44 (0)7854 029 268 Support people, build awareness and make changes for success

Dustin Vice Personal and business development coaching Email: dustin@alliancecoachingsystem.com Website: www.alliancecoachingsystem.com Professional coaching, coaching business system for professional coaches

Gail Cherry: Torchlight coaching

Email: gail@torchlightcoaching.co.uk Phone: +44 (0)1143 489 161 Website: www.torchlightcoaching.co.uk Helping people with their personal and professional development. We work together to be the best you

Ruth Hepworth: Life coach Email: ruth.hepworth@ntlworld.com Phone: +44 (0)1252 655 849

Those Life Consultant Guys: Coaching, seminars, business, goal setting and more Website: www.thoselifeconsultantguys.com A coaching company which prides itself on helping you to live your best life; every day, through one-on-one sessions and seminar programmes

Nick Nanton Career and life coaching, consultancy and public speaking Website: www.nicknanton.com Phone: (407) 215-7737 Recognised as one of the top thought-leaders in the business world

Edson Williams: Life coaching Email: edson@leadbyexample.com Phone: +44(0)7867517777 Website: www.leadbyexample.com Specialising in leadership development and sport coaching

David Owen: Life coach & NLP trainer Email: bestyou@excel-yourself.com Phone: 07900 243494 Website: www.excel-yourself.com Stop smoking, slimming, phobias, relationships, stress, confidence, self-esteem

THE BEST YOU DIRECTORY The best professionals in personal development

PHOBIA SPECIALISTS John Vincent Public speaking without fear Email: John@JohnVincent.tv Phone: +44 (0)7808 545 421 Website: www.johnvincent.tv

Paul Wright Phobias, anxieties, panic attacks Email: paul@phobiagone.com Phone: +44 (0)203 086 8444 Website: www.phobiagone.com

NLP THERAPISTS / HYPNOTHERAPISTS Linda Cameron and Gail Walshe Inspire for impact Email: say-hello@inspireforimpact.com Phone: +44 (0)845 601 7567 Website: www.inspireforimpact.com NLP trainers, NLP master practitioners, NLP life coaches, hypnotherapists

Debbie Williams Birmingham NLP Practice Group Website: www.debbiewilliams.co.uk Phone: +44 (0)121 241 0728 Life coaching, public speaking, sports coaching, all eating disorders, emotional mastery, OCD, stopping blushing, cocaine addiction, binge drinking

Edson Williams Coaching, NLP, personal development Email: say-hello@inspireforimpact.com Phone: +44 (0) 7867517777 Website: www.leadbyexample.com With an holistic approach, Edson specialises in performance coaching

Laura Spicer: Public speaking skills and confidence Email: laura.spicer@gmail.com Phone: 01752 361 576 Website: www.laura-spicer.com The only accredited sound practice trainer for the Society of NLP

EATING DISORDERS John Arroyo Coaching, personal development Email: john@johnarroyo.co.uk I have been a therapist and personal development trainer for 20 years, specialising in eating disorders for the last 10 years

EUROPE

NLP TRAINERS

Pasquale Acampora (Italy) Master trainer and mental coach, NLP, team building Website: www.blackship.it Phone: +39 (0)335 70 99 000 Pasquale’s key areas are sport and business; he has worked with top athletes and multinational companies

Alessandro Mora (Italy) Sport coaching Email: a.mora@ekis.it Phone: +39 (0)522 337 611 Website: www.pnlekis.com NLP, coaching and team building applied to sport and business all over Italy

Xavier Pirla (Spain): NLP master trainer and NLP coach Email: kay@the-me-group.com Phone: 91 002 84 44 (Madrid) 93 193 6449 (Barcelona) Website: www.the-me-group.com NLP, NLP business applications, coaching workshops and consultancy

Aleksander Sinigoj (Slovenia) Mastermind academy Email: info@itnlp.com Website: www.aleksandersinigoj.com Leadership, motivation, sales, business NLP

To include your details in The Best You directory, call 0203 011 0866 or email advertising@thebestyou.co Visit www.thebestyoudirectory.co for more personal development professionals

ÂŁ47.64

FOR A 12-Month Print SUBSCRIPTION

Leading personal development MAGAZINE

www.thebestyoumagazine.co