Struck, NOT Starstruck

Today I was struck by Ashton Kutcher. In this video he not only reveals that his name is actually Chris (Ashton is his middle name), he also reveals three beautiful truths about life.

1. Opportunity looks like hard work 

2. The sexiest thing in the world is intelligent, thoughtfulness and generosity - the rest is a bunch of crap

3.  Don't live your life - build your life

He claims he learned these things before he changed his name to Ashton at the age of nineteen, which I find interesting. It appears that he had learned the most important truths about life as Chris.

What we learn as children, as teenagers and as young adults stays with us for the rest of our lives...which makes it our duty to spread beautiful messages to those in the thick of it.

Today I was struck by Ashton Kutcher, not starstruck.

Power of Time

It has been over one year since I last wrote a blog entry. ONE YEAR. That is a long time...right? or is it?

I was recently at a Tony Robbins event in San Jose when he said that people often OVER ESTIMATE what they can achieve in one year, and UNDER ESTIMATE what they can achieve in a decade.

Although in theory, 1 year seems like a very long time (and in practice too), I still find myself thinking I can change the world tomorrow. As you may have guessed, I haven't. Or have I?

Key highlights from May 2011 - August 2012:

I ran Akosia's first project in Mexico for a month.

I sent volunteers to run our third project in Ghana.

I was in New York City, Paris, San Miguel, Leon, Mexico City, Madrid, Toronto, San Jose, Siena, Tuscany, Bristol, Edinburgh, St. Andrews, London and probably a few more I have forgotten. 

I became the Managing Director of Prove My Concept. 

I spoke at the Social Good Summit in NYC last September as one of the eight startups changing the world. 

I watched one of my best friends, Chase, get married in Paris. 

I met with Lord Young at 10 Downing street. 

I left Prove My Concept one year later pursue other dreams and started a company called Graydin. 

I delivered a coaching training programme to a school in the UK and they LOVED IT. 

People died...a lot of people died. 


My friends had babies. A lot of babies. 

We often say that "time flies by"...but it really doesn't AT ALL. So much happens to us and it's whether we take a step back to acknowledge that, that makes all the difference.

So try it... Get Some Headspace and enjoy being YOU.

Just for a moment...cause remember time "flies".

Power of Love

"All you need is love" is a phrase we seem to hear over and over again. One reason may be because it is the title of a famous Beatles song but maybe also because, well, it's true?

No matter what anyone says, I think this video is adorable. It shows the pureness and sweetness of love, being a child and 'firsts'.

At the end of the day, nothing else really matters.

Power of Strategy

I love what Tom Butler Bowden says in this video.

Strategies are what help us move towards the goals we set.

Click HERE to watch it unfold.

Power of Baloooooooo and Bare Necessities

When was the last time you watched Jungle Book?

I just spent the last five minutes watching this video below and by golly, I feel excited about life!

Yesterday I spent the day with Israeli and Palestinian women talking about values, needs and dreams.

What is life really about?

THE BARE NECESSITIES!

Have a watch!



The Bare Necessities
By Phil Harris, Bruce Reitherman


Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
Old Mother Nature's recipes
That brings the bare necessities of life

Wherever I wander, wherever I roam
I couldn't be fonder of my big home
The bees are buzzin' in the tree
To make some honey just for me
When you look under the rocks and plants
And take a glance at the fancy ants
Then maybe try a few

The bare necessities of life will come to you
They'll come to you!

Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
That's why a bear can rest at ease
With just the bare necessities of life

Now when you pick a pawpaw
Or a prickly pear
And you prick a raw paw
Next time beware
Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw
When you pick a pear
Try to use the claw
But you don't need to use the claw
When you pick a pear of the big pawpaw
Have I given you a clue ?

The bare necessities of life will come to you
They'll come to you!

So just try and relax, yeah cool it
Fall apart in my backyard
'Cause let me tell you something little britches
If you act like that bee acts, uh uh
You're working too hard

And don't spend your time lookin' around
For something you want that can't be found
When you find out you can live without it
And go along not thinkin' about it
I'll tell you something true

The bare necessities of life will come to you

Power of Fascination and a Hogshead

Recently I have been reading an incredible book by Sally Hogshead - yes, her last name is HOGS - HEAD. Amazing.

She has written a book called Fascinate which reveals the 7 triggers that are used in branding.

She also goes into detail about how people not only wanted to be FASCINATED....we also want to BE fascinatING. Amazing revelation and so very true.

You can take her F Score (which tells you what your primary, secondary and dormant triggers are) by clicking here

My primary trigger is Lust - check this video out and see what you think the triggers are?

What makes Activia so FASCINATING?!

Power of Commercials

This just blew my mind.

Let it do the same for you.

Best commercial I have seen in a long time. Over 3 minutes - give it time to reveal it's awesomeness.

Power of Starbucks

This is just a really quick post to say how much I love Starbucks - free wifi, atmosphere, jazz tunes and my ability to sit and get work done when I am in them.

They are all over London and I truly call them "my office". They do not just provide coffee and space - they provide a business resource.

Thank you Starbucks.

Power of Whistling

One word - wow.

This reminders of Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers which says that if you do something for 10,000 hours or more, you will become a master.

This guy is proof of that. Enjoy!

Power of the Unexpected

I saw this quote today and it made me think about the importance of not only taking risks but of the UNEXPECTED.

"You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen."

- Paulo Coelho, best-selling mystical author.

If we always know what is coming next, life gets boring. We become complacent and feel stuck.

Through uncertainty and freshness, we feel alive.

DO something TODAY that makes you feel alive. Give yourself a gift!

Power of Being Vulnerable

Yet another....incredible TED talk.

Are you willing to be vulnerable?

Imperfect?

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability | Video on TED.com

Power of Giving Gifts of Coaching

Dear friends, family and esteemed colleagues,

I would like wish you all a happy holiday season and soon to be New Year! This is one of my favourite times of year – the air is crisp, the ground is (almost) white and a new year is about to begin!

Three years ago I wrote an email to you all about ‘Giving the gift of Coaching’ and this year I write in a similar vein. This email is about giving a different kind of gift this year! Over the last few years I have coached over 80 different clients (over 750 hours) and truly believe in its power. I have seen changes in my clients’ lives and in their perspectives of the world.

A coach does not give advice; coaching opens the door and unlocks the vision we all carry within us. It is a unique partnership that concentrates on both the present and future through conversation and in-depth questioning. The agenda is always informed by the client and their situation; the coach acts as a source of inspiration, motivation and security.

Coaching is the key to revealing one’s full potential on a personal and professional level. Using a holistic approach, a coaching partnership focuses on and nurtures all facets of one’s life to help them attain complete fulfillment, balance and happiness.

Here are a few testimonials from my past and present clients:

"Quinn has restored my confidence not only in myself but in my abilities…”– Gavin, London, 25

“Quinn's coaching is powerful; she is insightful, dynamic, inspiring and wise. I grow and gain new perspectives and tools each time we talk.” – Marney, New York, 41

"What I love in particular about Quinn’s style of coaching is that she is very honest and straight to the point...” – Sophia, London, 23

“When Quinn was my coach she had this innate ability to play her role just right. She would let me have my time to feel lost, and then via observations, questions, encouragement she helped me find the strength and answers within myself to take action and to take a chance.” – Vanessa, London, 34

As both a Youth and Business coach, I work predominantly with clients ages 14-35. If you know of anyone who would be interested in a coaching session with me, or who you would like to give this special gift to, please get in touch.

I wish you all the very best in 2011 and look forward to hearing updates from you!

Quinn Simpson
Youth and Business Coach

Power of Crows

I swear the world would be a better place if we all were as dedicated as Joshua Klein.

Crows - who would have thought!?

Power of a "Quote"

A good friend sent this to me the other day.

I loved it.

"I would rather be ashes than dust!
I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot.
I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.
The function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time."

-Jack London

Power of Alice

Alice is 106 and still living out her passion, her element....her flow.

She glows and it is incredibly inspiring.

For her, "Music is G-d....in difficult times you feel it especially - when you are suffering."

Needing a bit of inspiration? Take the time to watch this video by clicking HERE

Power of a "Gift"

This just brought tears to my eyes.

What a gift it is.

Power of Security

We live in a society that depends on "security". Our “permanent" jobs and contracts give us the feeling of security and stability...but I argue that what we feel isn't real. They are figures of our imagination. Our sense of security is false, at best.

On the train back from Newcastle this week, I ended up sitting across from a lovely man. In his presumably late 40's, he told me all about his job working with insurance. He spoke of a lot of success and prosperity - many years of loving his work and achieving his ambitions. However, later in our journey, he dove into how he was impacted by the recession.

He lost his job.

After years of laying off others, being in control and "secure", he was made redundant. Shocked, horrified and unstable...he was forced to start over and look for work.

Six months later - he is back on it - meeting me on the train home from a day working in York.

Even on that very train, I watched people sit in other peoples seats even when they were CLEARLY marked RESERVED. You see, that’s just it, nothing is reserved.

Nothing is unchangeable and completely stable – that’s the beauty of the world.

This also means it’s all in our heads…and THAT, my friend, we do have control over.

Power of Taxi Drivers and the “good’ thing

How much do you love taxi drivers? On a scale of 1-10…I would probably have given them a 6 (or even lower in Toronto).....

However, my view of taxi drivers changed last year when I was moving back to Toronto and stressed about leaving London. I was sad, confused and tired. Then I met Nadin. I told him about how I was feeling and he said, “After two minutes of being in my taxi, I promise, you will feel better”. Reluctant, I got in. Minutes later I felt like myself again.

We had a great conversation about life, happiness, sadness and all the trials and tribulations, but one thing he said will always stay with me.

He said, “The good about the good thing is that its good and you can enjoy it. The good thing about the bad thing is that sooner or later, it will end and it will turn into a good thing.”

Power of Human Detour

Recently I was asked by an old friend, Jamie Slavin, to be apart of the Human Detour website! What a great initiative. If you go to the Health and Wellness section and click "heal" you can check out some great videos by several doctors, coaches and myself.

Also, Jamie is featured in the "nourish" area as she is a nutritionist!

Either way, this site has the potential to be incredibly powerful. ENJOY!

Power of Unmasking

Everyone is weird.

I suppose ‘uniquely different’ would be a better way of describing it, but the reality is, no matter how different they are, they all hide their weirdness.

Often people wear 'masks' and pretend to be something very different from what they actually are.

I clearly remember as a child people coming up to me saying, “you’re weird” and at that time, I wasn’t quite sure whether I was being praised or ridiculed.

Either way, I shrugged it off and stayed the same.

Later I began to understand the word - defined as "of a strikingly odd or unusual character; strange".

So people thought I was crazy and wacky… so what? Yet I couldn't figure out why their faces were always shocked as they told me.

At the age of 8 I put on my first (and last) mask. I thought I had to be just as cool as the cool kids…so no matter what they said, I agreed. No matter what they did, I followed.

I was a complete ‘loser’ until the day I realized it was exhausting to wear a mask, so I took it off and suddenly my “I don’t care” attitude granted me the status of being “cool”.

I have been wearing the 'cool' mask – also known as the “I don’t give a sh#$” attitude - for as long as I can remember. I present myself as confident, and am therefore treated in the same way.

So, why don’t you try taking off your mask?

You may like your new one a whole lot more.