1. ABOUT CLARE EDWARDS: Clare spent 16 years working at senior management level with International organizations before deciding to follow her vocational path into people development where she worked with the UK’s leading team building companies, challenging clients to take their teams to the next level of performance. Clare is a highly motivated organizational development professional with extensive experience in the hospitality industry and corporate business. Her particular passions lie in helping people to develop their levels of emotional resilience and happiness through her Bounce back ability programs and to develop self awareness and understanding of others through the personality profiling systems of TMS – Team Management Systems®, and Aus Identities® In 2005, Clare relocated to Australia (Queensland’s Sunshine Coast), where she set up her business Changeworks; consulting, coaching and facilitating various programmes for her corporate and public sector clients. She is an accomplished speaker who specialises in emotional resilience, personality type, and communication. Clare’s mission is simply one of inspiring potential. When you work with Clare you embark on a journey that challenges your capabilities and assumptions beyond their limiting horizons, often leaving you with amazing results. Clare holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies from the University of West London and is a certified Master Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). She is a Member of the National Speakers Association of Australia (NSAA). www.changeworks.com.au © Clare Edwards – all rights reserved www.asprinklingofmagic.com

1. "It is not your aptitude but your attitude that determines your altitude." – Zig Ziglar

2. "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." Viktor Frankl

3. "Instead of crying over spilt milk, go milk another cow." Unknown

4. "There can be hope only for a society which acts as one big family, not as many separate ones". Anwar Sadat

5. "Character is the result of hundreds and hundreds of choices you make that gradually turn who you are, at any given moment, into who you want to be." Jim Rohn

6. "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew." Abraham Lincoln

7. "The grass might be greener on the other side but you still have to mow it!" Unknown

8. "Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is simply passing the time. Action with Vision is making a positive difference." Joel Barker

9. "We cannot tell what may happen to us in the strange medley of life, but we can decide what happens in us, how we can take it, what we do with it and that is what really counts in the end." Joseph Fort Newton

10. "There are two primary choices in life; to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them". Denis Waitley

A Parable of Parables – the Bull’s Eye: A great rabbi fell ill and was too weak to study so he asked a famous storyteller, who was known as the Maggid of Dubno, to visit him and read him stories and parables. He asked the Maggid how come he always had a story or parable to hand with every moral lesson he wanted to teach. The Maggid smiled and responded. "Let me tell you a story". There was once a famous archer who entered a village and saw several targets drawn on the wall. In the perfect centre of each target was an arrow. The archer was amazed and asked the villagers who the accomplished archer could be? The villagers laughed and said, "It’s the village fool who accomplishes these great feats!" The archer asked to meet the ‘fool’. "Bring him to me for he is truly gifted". The village fool was brought before the archer, who respectfully bowed and said, "Tell me, how is it that you are able to shoot a bull’s eye every time you fire your arrow?" The fool replied with a cheeky grin, "It’s easy! First I shoot the arrow and then I draw the target!" The Maggid then explained, "It is the same with my stories. First I introduce the topic for which I have the perfect story, and then the story helps me to make my point every time". And so the moral of the story is – the more stories you know, the more targets you’ll hit! This story is based on the Jewish Hasidic stories and first came to my attention when learning about metaphors in NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). Horses for Courses Just as the Bull’s Eye parable suggests, when I have a theme or message I want to share, I look up which is the most appropriate story to tell. Relevance is not just in the meaning, it also applies to understanding my audience and making sure that the majority at least can resonate with the content and style of the story. A fairytale type anecdote may be a little harder to swallow with a group of highly analytical, rational and practical scientists or financial analysts (though don’t rule it out one day!) so I have aimed to cater to a varying audience..

10. Carrots, Eggs & Coffee Adapting to Change, Obstacles as Opportunities, Optimism A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She didn’t know how she was going to carry on and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one turned up. Her mother took her to the kitchen and filled three pots with water, placing each on a high flame. Soon the pots started to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see." "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?" Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. "Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?" The carrot seems strong, but with pain and adversity it wilts and becomes soft losing any strength. The egg starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat. The shell may shell look the same, but on the inside it is bitter and tough? The coffee bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? Author unknown, ack. email received Clare’s notes – I have used this story a couple of times with youth groups. I take with me a carrot, an egg and a handful of coffee beans as props (make sure to boil the egg!) and facilitate the discussion about "which one are you and why" and what it would take to become more like the bean.

) Cracked Pot Acceptance, Finding the Gift in the Challenge A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots was perfectly made and never leaked. The other pot had a crack in it and by the time the water bearer reached his master's house it had leaked much of its water and was only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you." "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said. The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the pot apologised to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house." Based on an Indian parable. Clare’s notes – a well known story that still packs a punch and one which I have used often in one to one coaching.

35) Great as if Courage, Leadership, Wisdom This is the story of a young prince who was destined to be the king of his country. Now, this young prince had some concerns about being king, for he was worried about his ability to be a leader. One day, he got out of bed waddling and quacking like a duck and refused to eat anything but duck food. The king was greatly upset so he called in the wisest man in the kingdom. When told of the situation, the wise man said, "Give me three days with the prince and he will be cured." The wise man went to the door of the prince's room, knocked, and was invited in. He waddled into the room quacking like a duck. The prince and the wise man soon became good friends. That night the wise man slipped out of the prince's room and told the king to have clothes placed on the chairs for the next morning. When morning came, the wise man got out of bed, waddled across the room quacking like a duck, and put on his clothes. The prince said to him, "You can't be a duck...ducks can't wear clothes." The wise man replied, "Where is it written that a duck can't wear clothes?" The prince said, "Well, I guess you are right." And he, too, put on his clothes. That night, the wise man again slipped out of the prince's room and told the king to put duck food on a plate and put the plate on the table. The next morning, the wise man got out of bed, waddled across the room quacking like a duck, put on his clothes, sat down at the table and began to eat from the plate. The prince said, "You can't be a duck...ducks don't eat from a plate." The wise man replied, "Where is it written that a duck can't eat from a plate?" The young prince said, "I guess you are right." And he began to eat from the plate. That night, the wise man told the king to put human food on the plate, and place a fork by the plate. The next morning, the wise man got out of bed waddled across the room quacking like a duck, put on his clothes, sat down at the table, picked up the fork and began to eat. The young prince said, "You can't be a duck...ducks don't use forks." The wise man responded, "Where is it written that a duck can't use a fork?" The prince said, "I guess you are right." And he, too, picked up a fork and began to eat. Later that day, the wise man said to the prince, "I must return to my own barnyard today, but I would like to leave you with this advice: Remember that our national holiday is coming up next week and as you know our nation's favorite food for the holiday is duck. If you don't want to end up as someone's main course for the holiday meal, continue to act as if you were a prince." The prince did such a good job of acting as if he were a prince that he eventually became the greatest king his country ever had. Reprinted with permission of Chaplain Paul Durbin www.durbinhypnosis.com Clare’s notes – great leaders find a way to help people through their fears and be who they were meant to be – even if the route is a little unusual! If you’re audience doesn’t like ‘shaggy dog’ stories though – choose a shorter one!

EXCERPTS FROM A SPRINKLING OF MAGIC: CLARE EDWARDS: CHANGEWORKS www.asprinklingofmagic.com

Introduction: Stories have captured our minds, hearts and imaginations since before we could talk and they still hold that magic ability to transfer, transmit and transform our message so that it is uniquely understood by every listener. The aim of this book is to take you on a journey of practicality balanced with imagination and provide you with a selection of valuable tools, advice, ideas and tips to enhance your confidence levels in being a master storyteller whether in business or life. Storytelling today is as important as it ever was, if not more so. In this world of information overload, it is the stories that we remember. Stories bring to life the messages and lessons we want to convey. It is through our stories that people will have their "aha" moments, gain insights into themselves and their values and find ways to contribute to the world that make the greatest use of their talents and gifts. A Sprinkling of Magic is a special hybrid of a book and a course or guide. I have deliberately sequenced the content so you can follow the steps to creating your own metaphors and stories and, along the way, be able to capture your thoughts and ideas on paper. This book is specifically designed to help teachers, speakers, business leaders, facilitators, trainers and communicators deliver their message in a way that the meaning is understood and assimilated. It’s a culmination of my years as a manager in corporate business, as a passionate public speaker and team development facilitator. I have included everything I have learned along the way, from my love of English at school to my years of learning, using and sharing Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), and what has worked (or not) during my years as a people manager on a mission to motivate! When I talk about stories I don’t just mean fairytales and folklore, fables and parables; I also encapsulate how you share your experiences with others for effect, and how you elaborate on facts and figures to give them meaning and people remember the stories far more than the dry data. I am passionate about helping you to not just engage your audience but captivate them. You don’t have to be eloquent, you don’t have to be polished, you just have to go out and start telling stories with a Sprinkling of Magic! Enjoy, digest, experiment, practice and enjoy the journey.

We Remember Stories When we listen to stories we engage our whole brain, i.e. both the left and right hemispheres. When we listen with our left brain we are engaging the logical sequence of the story, the literal language, the facts, the chronological development and the rationale. Our right brain however is responsible for painting the pictures, making patterns and connections, seeking meaning and finding the emotion in the story. We also store these memories in different parts of our brain. It is believed that memory is distributed according to the information so, for example, a visual memory will be stored in the visual cortex, while emotions are stored in the amygdala. When recalled, these memories are brought back into another part of the brain and "enhanced". Okay, this is not exactly the biological explanation but it is one that you and I can understand! Can you ever remember arguing with a sibling because you have both recalled the same event and are describing it completely differently? In a way you are both right, as each person has a unique interpretation of the event and, having taken "the long road to recall" from different parts of the brain, it’s no wonder. So, if this happens, just agree to disagree and laugh the next time it occurs!

Stories can Bypass the Conscious Mind When we are in storylistening mode we actually fall into a state of altered consciousness; a light trance so to speak. When were you most read stories to as a child? At bedtime of course! And why did our guardians read to us at bedtime? To get us to go to sleep. The brain makes a connection from all the times we have listened to stories and creates a relationship to relaxation (or escapism or fantasy and so on). Our memory is like a string of pearls, where experiences are linked together and strengthen every time they are repeated. This "wiring" is particularly strong in the first five years of our life when our brains make more neural connections than they ever will. Think back to a time when you read your favourite book did it get more boring with every reading? No, in fact it was the opposite, with excitement building so much so that if the reader dared to skip a chapter or miss even one word, regardless of how sleepy you were, you catapulted them back to the present moment and corrected them! When we are in this mild trance state, our subconscious mind is more open to receiving, and our conscious mind, together with our (potentially limiting) beliefs, attitudes, opinions and values, takes a break. We get out of our own way, so to speak, and become more receptive. Don’t underestimate this fact when it comes to wanting to help people see a particular situation from a different perspective. Noone will ever do what they don’t want to do, however they will be more open to considering new perspectives when in this receptive mode. In business, think about when you are bringing a disparate group of people together for a new project, or you are embarking on a major change initiative. How useful, effective and important is it to have everyone more open to alignment of the strategy, objectives, values and behaviors that will maximize the success of the project?

Stories Go Deep When we listen to a story we are listening on multiple levels, both consciously and subconsciously. As creatures of meaning, our brains start to sort for similarities with the story that is being told and starts to make connections. These connections might bring up memories that are stored deep somewhere in our brain (it has yet to be proven exactly where in the brain memory is stored 2 but it is believed to be distributed, with short term and long term memory being stored in different places). Because stories infiltrate at the deep structure level or subconscious level, they can make a strong impact on us and inspire us to change behaviour where other methods of imparting information have failed. (Also see the section on Preparing Your Audience in the Secret Magic Ingredients chapter.) We Connect With Stories Why do many people love soap operas? (I’m an exception here folks!) It’s because they can relate to the characters and see themselves in the plot. Soap operas reflect the trials, tribulations and triumphs of our own lives. This is no different from the stories we tell. Because we are creatures seeking meaning, as we listen, we start to identify with the characters, the situation or the message. This is a fundamental success criterion for why stories work. Once we’ve identified with the story we can then link it back to reality and we may be more open to discussing the meaning in the message and opening up our levels of understanding. Stories give us permission to be human, to have our quirks and foibles and to relate to the heroes bouncing back to survive and thrive. Stories let us know that it’s okay to be us. 2 From 1929 1950 the behavioural psychologist Karl Lashley conducted a series of experiments on rats to identify the part of the brain where memories are stored. He trained the rats to find their way through a maze then removed different parts of the cerebral cortex to identify and locate the "memory trace". He was unsuccessful as the rats that had parts of their brains cut or removed were still able to find their way through the maze. He concluded that memories are not stored in any single area of the brain; rather they are distributed throughout it.

Stories Stick Graphic representation of neurons and synapses in the brain When we re presented with a story, a metaphor, or any learning which is new to us, the brain kicks into gear and literally lights up! Our brain contains around 100 billion neurons, each with around 10000 synaptic connections that s about a quadrillion, give or take a few. (Quadrillion = 1,000,000,000,000,000). These synaptic connections fire off and we create new neural pathways when we learn something new. The first time we learn something new it’s like a human leaping a huge chasm the first leap is the hardest. Once we repeat the learning (or something very similar to it) it gets easier each time, as does our ability to recall the information or make use of it. This is why we always encourage people to teach what they have just learnt so they can cement those learnings in their neurology. Particularly when listening to stories, and because of all the other elements mentioned previously in terms of meaning and connection, we enhance our learning capacity and the story, in all its glory, will stick better than delivery of pure information and facts. The more captivating the story, the more our neurology will fire up, the deeper our learning is embedded, and the more thoroughly the message is understood and the lesson is learned. When it comes to lighting up our brains, there’s a memorable saying: "What Fires Together, Wires Together". We can actively work to enhance learning and recall further with our use of sensory language, see The Language of Stories. In Summary Stories are as old as the human race and are hard wired into our neurology as an engaging and effective way to communicate our message. If, at this stage, you are more comfortable listening to stories than telling them, follow the progress through each of the chapters, practice, practice, practice and your confidence will grow.

Metaphors While I was blessed to have a passionate English teacher at school, I don’t want to become hung up (oops, that’s a metaphor!) on definitions of metaphor in the strictest sense. What I share with you in this book is my perception and interpretation of metaphor. The word metaphor has its origin in Latin and Greek, with metaphora meaning to carry over or transfer. Our aim in the use of metaphors is to transfer the meaning to a different concept where the message can be uniquely and universally understood. Simple metaphors are using language that isn t literal to illustrate or describe a situation in a way that the listener can depict it and interpret it. Examples of simple metaphors: "The decision was difficult to swallow. (We can’t swallow decisions!)" She was a great catch. (Okay, if she was fired from a cannon and hopefully weighed under 40kg/90lb!) "The prosecution grilled the witness. (Ouch!) Each of these simple examples brings an added dimension to the sentence. If instead we heard "the decision was difficult to accept", "she was very attractive" or "the prosecution asked challenging questions", it’s a little dry and boring!

A common definition of a metaphor is "A comparison that shows how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar in another important way" (Wikipedia). If you use the words "like" or "as" then, strictly speaking, this is a simile, however a simile is a type of metaphor anyway. Extended metaphors are what we will concentrate on in this book. Extended metaphors or allegory are short stories or comparisons that we use to describe situations in which everyone can pick out their own interpretation or meaning. Often used metaphors that you might be familiar with include: Love is a battlefield. Maybe if you’ve been hurt in love you might say that you fought, lost and are now scarred. Military analogies are often used as metaphors for survival and winning through in the end, for leadership or for suffering. Life’s a Dream" It may be that you use this metaphor at a time when things are going exceptionally well for you. Or you might compare life to a dream when you are contemplating what happens after we leave this world (there are accounts of people passing over and saying that they woke up, on the other side). Business is a game of chess. You need an overall game plan yet have to be flexible. You need to think strategically, anticipating your competitors, moves and being ready to make an unpredictable move and take a risk. You need to understand the value of the role of every piece on the board. For the remainder of the book go to www.asprinklingofmagic.com