Last night on Close Up I learnt about Robert Loretz, Massey High School’s Head of Music, who has been voted New Zealand’s Most Inspiring Teacher.

Deeply committed to his students, he uses drama, humour and unorthodox methods to engage his pupils and instils in them not only a love of learning, but a desire to achieve excellence and as a result, a greater belief in themselves and their abilities. Excellence is a word we often shy away from, but excellence is not perfection – it is aiming to be your very best self, and then some. It is within the grasp of all of us and the motivation to be our best self often flows from the inspirational example of others.

When listening to Loretz talk of his teaching, it is obvious he loves both his music and his job with great passion. He also speaks from the heart and uses other words that we sometimes feel a bit uncomfortable about, such as soul and spirit, and imbues them with a very modern relevance so that they seem very natural, which is, I think, as it should be. These are words with profound meaning that express the deepest parts of us that are capable of being inspired. They respond with powerful emotions that motivate us and propel us towards taking actions that express that inspiration.

Talking of music, Loretz says that it has the type of beauty that can touch the soul. And leading on from this, he says he sees inspiration as getting the spirit into someone – and says that acknowledging and believing in people is what gives them the sense of their ability to be great.

• What inspires you?
• Who do you find inspirational?
• How does that inspiration motivate you to be and do the best that you can?

Today I have some important thoughts for you to ponder:

• dig deep: remind yourself of who you are
• decide how you want to live
• discover what it will take to do that
• determine to do what it takes to make it happen
• delight in the possibilities

What feelings do these thoughts bring up for you?

What beliefs might be behind the thoughts?

How can you turn these thoughts into positive actions?

Life Coaching can help you as you ponder the path ahead

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There aren’t many flowers in the garden at the moment so I tend to focus my attention on the few there are and concentrate on challenging myself to get a good photo in the unpredictable winter weather. A few days ago I decided to photograph the same two azaleas from a range of different angles to see which one worked best in the dim light of a murky afternoon. Contrary to my assumptions, the diffused light actually worked in my favour as there were no washed out areas and no unwanted shadows intruding. However, it also meant there was no ‘natural’ direction to take the shot from as there was no distinct source of light.

Instead I persevered and photographed them from above, below, straight on, at an angle and from every side. Sometimes I made the larger of the two the focal point, with the smaller one at the side setting it in context, and at others I gave the smaller flower greater prominence, with the larger one providing a lovely frame for it. To do this well I set aside all of my preconceptions about what a good photo should look like and simply explored the possibilities. I enjoyed the process immensely as I removed any expectations from the results and tried out different views of the same two delicate flowers with an open mind as to what the outcome would be. Surprisingly, I didn’t come up with just one good photo. There were several that really stood out and each of them was distinctly different to the others. By approaching my task lightly and leaving aside my expectations I generated a far greater range of usable options.

It made me think that this same approach is one that can be applied to looking at any situation in our life, solving a problem, or making a decision. Eliminating our assumptions, removing rigid expectations of the outcomes, and looking at the difficulty from a range of different viewpoints helps us to generate a much broader range of possibilities and solutions. Why not try it: the results may be surprising.

What unexpected results have you had from looking at a situation from differnt angles?

Share your ideas by emailing me on the Contact Marian page

This year in New Zealand, a couple of public holidays have been concertinaed into one mid-autumn long, long weekend. Easter has fallen later than usual and Anzac Day has overlapped with Easter Monday. Both these commemorations have different levels of significance to diverse groups of people. For some it is a chance to have a couple of days off work, attend special events such as music festivals or car rallies, or catch up on some gardening or neglected jobs around the house before winter sets in. For others it has been a welcome opportunity to spend time with family, friends or comrades-in-arms. Many people have come together to observe quite distinct days that have deep meaning and significance to them. There have been small and large religious services and varied ceremonies of remembrance all around the country; both joyous celebration and solemn ritual drawing together young and old for a common purpose.

Ordinary life has slowed down for a few days and there has been the opportunity, if we chose to take it, to contemplate some of the symbolism and the various concepts involved. Words such as courage, sacrifice, love, hope and renewal spring most readily to mind. Identifying with a cause or being part of something that has deeper and higher meaning beyond the individual and the everyday are notions I have pondered.

There are a mix of images from the varied celebrations – young children excitedly hunting for chocolate eggs in the damp grass and dignified elderly men and women holding their heads high, marching in step in the cold dawn mist; traditional hymns performed on a cathedral organ or the sombre, haunting notes of The Last Post  played by a lone bugler; families gathered together around the meal table and colleagues meeting and reminiscing about times gone by.

What has been most meaningful to you over this holiday time?

Please post your comments on the email form on the Contact Marian page