I so love what I do! Just a quick post to share with you a message I received this morning which has made the day for AmazingVA (that’s Amie [my brilliant daughter] and me). We were helping a lovely client with an event in Cambridge last night (high profile event with high profile attendees). Our client did a fantastic job of pulling the whole thing together, and we played our part in helping her to do that. We were also asked to be there on the evening to look after the attendees and do what ever was needed….which we were more than happy to do. Any chance to be ‘actual’ rather than ‘virtual’ is always a welcome change!
We were delighted to be introduced by our client to her Directors as “these are my virtual angels” (and a bit embarrassed actually, but a great name for a VA business, eh?), but were even more delighted to receive this in an email from her this morning:
“I need to say a huge thank you to you and Amie for your all your help not just last night but over the last two months. What I have noticed with yourself and Amie is that you spot that something needs to be done and instead of assuming its someone’s else’s job, you just get on and do it yourself. I saw many instances of this last night (e.g. taking the wheelchair users down to the auditorium) when (others) didn’t even see that I needed someone to do that. They wait until I give them a job to do…but don’t use their initiative in the same way as you both do. So THANK YOU both!”
THIS is why we do what we do! It gives us a real sense of purpose and a real sense of making a difference to the lives of the people we are supporting. I feel like it is me that should be thanking her for giving us the opportunity to do just this.
![[Post to Twitter]](http://helencrowe.net/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt.png "Another happy client!"){kind=icon}
Happy Monday & Happy March!
What a way to start a new week and a new month with such glorious bright spring sunshine? Don’t know about you but it makes me feel blessed to be alive on a day like this!
I was up bright and early this morning to start the 1st day of my new ‘Trek Training Schedule’ as devised last week with Duncan, my training expert. A wonderful run across the Cambridgeshire countryside near my home, trying to remember Duncan’s top running tips! I felt so amazing I decided to skip part of it - don’t think anyone was about, and even if they were, I didn’t really care!
To be honest I was feeling a bit lacking in confidence over the last couple of weeks, as I had some ridiculous thought in my head that I wasn’t that fit, wasn’t making enough effort to get fit and prepared for the trek challenge in May. Of course that thought was making me feel lacking in confidence, which in turn made me feel I didn’t really want to go out running, to the gym, walking or anything much. But had such a great fitness assessment session with Duncan last week, that limiting thought has changed completely. The truth is I am much fitter than I thought I was. I have more stamina than I thought I had. My lungs are as healthy as someone half my age. So now I feel great, I feel I can achieve anything and am so motivated its not true! So I realised (actually I had it demonstrated by my own body) that I’d been holding a limiting belief in mind, and that was holding me back. What an interesting thought, eh? So if I’d been holding onto that thought of limitation, then what else am I still holding on to? What else could be holding me back?
Am just over £3k in the fundraising, but have my sights set on £5k, so if you’ve not already done so, your contribution would be appreciated. You never know when I might need your support in that tricky part of the trek! Check out this amazing film done by my talented husband, Mike. (In case you didn’t know he runs Webmovies4you.com & specialises in promotional videos for websites, Youtube & social networks & so much more!).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sbqOXdE524
For more info on why I’m doing this trek, please look at previous posts, or go straight to http://www.justgiving.com/helencrowe1
Have a great month!
Just received a lovely email from a client who is so happy that we were able to deliver her project to her ahead of schedule - exceeding her expectations! She was particularly delighted as she realised that the rest of the working world, it seemed last week (if we believed the news stories), was struggling with getting to work, and apparently the UK economy is down by £1.2bn!
Our lovely client had no worries of course because, as we work virtually for her, there were no snow or bad weather challenges, and we were able to meet her deadline. We continued to deliver the same, second-to-none service to our clients whilst the snow fell, roads were blocked and rest of the country ground to a standstill! Sorry if this sounds more than a bit smug, but this is a good news story folks!
Thank you Star Radio’s Mark Peters for interviewing me this morning on his Breakfast Show, and for giving me the chance to raise awareness (& hopefully some cash too!) for bowel cancer. You can read more about my cancer story in a previous posting, but this morning Mark asked me about why I was trekking to Macchu Pichu in Peru & a little more about what happened to me since I was diagnosed in July 2005. I told him about me nagging my 2 younger brothers to get checked, and because I did, I saved their lives.
By the way - I’m still a bit short of the £5k I’d like to raise for Beating Bowel Cancer, the charity I’m supporting, so to help me on my way, please scroll down here or go to www.justgiving.com/helencrowe1 to make your donation - thank you for your support! Because we only had 3 minutes this morning, and there is so much more of my amazing story to share, we’ll be doing a podcast which you’ll be able to download later in the week - I’ll keep you posted about that.
He was also very interested to discover what I do in my business as a Virtual Assistant (AmazingVA) and how it works - which of course I was happy to do! As we only had 3 minutes I summarised that by saying that I look after my clients’ businesses from my office, not theirs, they get first-class service and they save time and money - all you need to know really! I also added that I absolutely love what I do - my job is helping people, simple as that.
Thank you again Mark for not only a great start to my working week, but also for helping to be part of my mission to save people dying from this easily curable disease - you really do live up to your name StarRadioMark! Looking forward very much to recording the podcast!
To find out more about Mark Peters @ Star Radio go to http://www.star107.co.uk/
For more info on Beating Bowel Cancer go to http://www.beatingbowelcancer.org/
Visit my AmazingVA website http://www.amazingva.co.uk/
Have an amazing week everyone - I’ve already set my intentions for the week - have you?
Just a quick post to say I’ve had the most amazing walk in the Cambridgeshire/Hertfordshire countryside as part of my ‘train2trek’ preparations. With two friends & their gorgeous little Westie, I walked around the still and snowy countryside around the Wimpole Hall estate for a couple of hours. It was very white, very beautiful and magical - especially the lake with parts covered in thick ice providing a chilly resting place for the Canada geese, ducks and mute swans. Everything seemed to be held in suspended snowiness, even the movements of the few people who had ventured out was slowed down by the thickness of the snow as they walked. And the animals in the field seemed motionless as if waiting for the chill to pass and spring to appear.
It really made me think about how we are always rushing around, and moving quickly throughout our days, and our lives. Perhaps it’s worth pausing sometimes and reflecting - why are we rushing around? Sometimes it is good to slow down, stand still and notice the beauty that is around us.
I was interviewed on my local BBC radio station in January, as as part of Beating Bowel Cancer’s ’Be Loud, Be Clear’ campaign, to talk about the signs and symptoms, and by doing this be aware and ’Be Clear’ of the disease. I talked about my own experience of dealing with a diagnosis nearly 5 years ago, how it changed my life for the better, and about what I’m doing now to help raise awareness and money for Beating Bowel Cancer. I’d love you to listen to my interview, and you’ll hear how I genuinely believe this was one of the best things that’s happened to me, as I helped save my the lives of my 2 brothers (following my own diagnosis I nagged them to get checked and they were found to have the same disease at different changes….they are both fine now), and have been able to support my father since his was diagnosed with bowel cancer last year. I feel inspired to be part of breaking down the stigma of this type of cancer, so that the statistic of bowel cancer being the second biggest cancer killer in the UK is obliterated! Don’t die of embarrassment!
Helen Crowe BBC Radio Cambridge Interview January 2009
Please help me to help others by raising awareness - You can make a donation here:
http://justgiving.com/helencrowe1
Just a quick post this evening, as its already 9pm & I’ve been at my desk since early this morning & about due for some down time. I’ve been telling everyone about my Blog since getting going with it last week. I’m quite proud of my little corner of the world, as I like to think of it, and am keen to share my thoughts and views of my world, as well as some of the lessons I learn along the way. I really want to say what an amazing week last week was in the world of the AmazingVA as well as the world of me, Amazing Helen. Not necessarily just because of the things I ‘did’ and achieved, but mostly because I was able to just ‘be’, and things sort of happening…effortlessly.
I’ve started the year with my goals, which I’ll maybe share in later blogs, but I also start my week and indeed each day, with a mini set of goals, or aspirations. That sort of sets my programming for that particular time slot, and I leave it to my unconscious mind to sort out the ‘how’ part of reaching those goals. So far it seems to be working & when I checked back on Sunday evening on the list I’d made at the beginning of last week - ALL of the things have happened, and I’m not really sure how! Here’s an extract from my list:
- I allow myself to have one new amazing client
- I allow myself to enjoy my new exercise programme easily
- I allow myself to feel happy and relaxed each day
- I allow myself to increase my earnings by £100 each day……..you get the picture!
So all the above are happening, and I was really getting myself worked up about the second one, as I have a lot of work to do to get me fit for the Macchu Picchu trek in May & was noticing a lot of resistance to doing all the work necessary. Same goes for no. 3 - I mean how can you just feel happier and relaxed just by making the intention to be that way? Well, its possible, because I do….feel lighter and very relaxed, even though it was a crazily busy week, with 3 potential new clients coming in, and existing clients getting back up to speed after the Christmas/New Year break & needing lots of help.
My most powerful lesson of last week (taken from the long list of gains I write in my Gains Book at the end of each day) is that the happiness you give makes you more happy than the happiness you receive. For me that means I gain from the gains of others, especially if I’ve done something to help the other person to grow or change their thinking or see something in a different way. That is ‘being the change in the world’ and living a life on purpose rather than by accident.
Think I’ll have another amazing week - why not? How about you? Could you allow yourself to be amazing, just because you are, whether you know it or not?!
Helen
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Well, actually its my second, but it still feels a bit scary!
I’ve been resisting getting going with blogging for a while. Mostly its because with setting up and running my business, and the other commitments I have in my life time is at a premium (i.e. I never seem to have enough of it!). Second problem is coming up with something interesting to blog about and wondering whether anyone out there would be really interested in reading about me and my life.
It was my wise and wonderful husband who reminded me that blogging was really about helping other people and sharing useful stuff with them - otherwise the whole thing becomes a useless exercise & a real waste of time. So, of course, as I love helping people, I realised straight away that I had a story to share that is pretty interesting and probably life changing…well it changed my life, that’s for sure. And maybe someone somewhere would benefit from my blogging to the world!
I was also prompted to start sharing when I received an email from a potential client the other day who I’d contacted originally to ask for sponsorship for my Macchu Picchu trek, but who ended up asking about my VA services.
Dear Helen,
It was great meeting you and hearing about the wonderful journey you are enjoying since your cancer diagnosis. I wish you well on your trek to Macchu Picchu in May and hope you will accept a cheque I have posted in aid of your sponsorship.
I thought I knew everything there was to know about business until you mentioned those magical letters-VA! The whole concept of a virtual office and virtual PA had never crossed my mind and I am still getting to grips with the opportunities that lay before us-as well as the potentially huge savings our business is going to make. I have discussed your ideas with my business partner and Emma my secretary, who, by the way is excited about the possibility of working for me virtually, and I would very much like to discuss essential hardware and possible training for Emma. I know too that you’ll be able to help us out with some specific projects are are coming up in the next few months.
Thank you, thank you, and thank you again! I know this is the best way forward for our business and am convinced it will enable us grow sooner than we would have otherwise anticipated.
I’ll keep his name to myself for the time being, but this has really inspired me to think that just by doing what I do in my business, I’ve helped him to think in a different way about how he can build his business success. What a brilliant way to make a difference in the world - even if it is only a little difference!
Hi Everyone - warm wishes for a wonderful 2009!
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You can find out more information here: Trek Peru for Beating Bowel Cancer
About my charity : Beating Bowel Cancer
Beating Bowel Cancer is a national charity working to highlight awareness of symptoms and promote early diagnosis of bowel cancer. It encourages open access to treatment choice for those affected and aims to save lives from this common cancer.
Charity Registration No 1063614
