Our guest blogger is Jenny Eaton who recently spoke to The BWN in Colchester and will be speaking the Chelmsford Business ShowCase on 14 Nov 2012 (we recommended Jenny to the organisers)

The artist Henri Matisse once said that ‘there are always flowers for those who wish to see them.’ I love this quote, it sums up what we do on the Eos Programme.   Did you ever wonder why some people ‘see the flowers’ and others don’t?  This fascinates me.  There’s a sheltered housing complex near me, and an elderly brother and sister regularly potter up and down the street on their mobility scooters.  Brother and sister – so the same background, similar upbringing and ages – and yet they are dramatically different people.  The man is always smiling, whistling, singing and cracking jokes; he greets me with a hearty ‘how ya doin booty!’ whenever he sees me (we’re in Norfolk).    His sister is the polar opposite.  A face like a wet weekend, she seems to have a permanent black cloud hanging over her like a cartoon.  The best example of this was one beautiful spring morning: the sun was shining, the sky a vivid blue and the trees laden with pink and white blossom – as she trundled past me she barked ‘that b****y blossom, all it do is get stuck in my wheels!’

What makes 2 people from the same environment approach life so differently?   And how does attitude shape the life you’re living – after all these 2 are both in need of mobility scooters and sheltered housing, and yet the man sees life as joyous.  The result is that I (and others) always take the time to talk with him; he’s fun, upbeat and makes me laugh.  The sister I frequently cross the street to avoid.  

Can you savour the moment in a perfect spring morning? Or are you fretting about the petals getting stuck in your wheels?   Do people duck behind the cornflakes in the supermarket to avoid you, or cross the street to say ‘hi’.    Do you think most people realise that they can choose their mood?  Or do they look at the weather / news/ gas bill /football scores and let external factors decide for them?

How about spending a day ‘seeing the flowers’?  Try it and see what happens  – how do others respond to you?  How do you feel?  Are you more relaxed?  Do you get more done?   Get out there and enjoy the flowers!

Jenny Eaton is the director of the Eos Programme for women

jenny@eosprogramme.com / www.eosprogramme.com / 0843 5235373