Ever put your head in your hands and come to the horrible conclusion that you're just having one of those days? You may think that that's OK, everybody has days like that. But that is not the case... everybody who is normal has days like that. Everyone who is extraordinary or, most importantly, working towards becoming extraordinary, has moments, minutes or hours like that... but never days!

Why? Because, at some point during the trauma of everyday living, they will have realized that they've wandered, tripped, fallen or gone up a blind alley. And, having realized it, they'll come back to reality.

So, if you're currently having a trying day, stop, take a couple of deep breaths and start over.

Two short stories today! First one comes from an adventure to the garden centre on Saturday morning - late Saturday morning to be precise... 11.45am. We were greeted at the shop entrance by a fully kitted out staff member: "What do you want?" he demanded (and I've chosen the word 'demanded' carefully). When I looked at him a little puzzled, he asked "Why are you here?" I knew what he was at - the garden centre closes for lunch at midday and they employ people to turn paying customers away! "We're here to the board the spaceship!" I replied "because obviously we've entered a parallel universe!"

Sunday morning was even more intriguing. As established customers, we were invited by Renault to their open day. They had spent a fortune on printing, postage and keys (that could potentially open the car of your dreams) and had paid their staff double-time to fawn over potential purchasers. Four of us (customers) were in the showroom. There were also four sales people - all with their nose firmly buried in their PCs. All of us hung around, sat in cars, kicked tyres... none of the four sales people batted an eyelid - even after we all walked out! I think their employer needs to know!

We all slip up very often - and every time we slip up we need to pull ourselves together and start over. Many years ago, a client asked me "Are you saying that I'm likely to fall on my face, say, twenty times, tomorrow and that I have to pick myself up twenty times?" The answer is yes! Until we have established a new way of thinking, a new way of using our brain, until we have effectively rewired our brain to the point where extraordinary thinking becomes our new ordinary, we have to pick ourselves up every time we fall. The alternative doesn't bear thinking about!

Persistence, perseverance, commitment and self-discipline - that's what it takes. In my experience, these are words that most people don't like. They don't like the thought of having to constantly pester themselves and, in fact, they have a fair idea that they're actually not going to succeed in breaking away from the normal way of life - aka the mindless way of 'living' (for want of a more depressingly descriptive word). The fact is, however, - and in using the word 'fact', I mean scientific fact - if you stick with your deliberately chosen mindful course of action, no matter how many times you have to make that choice every day, one day you will wake up a new man... or woman, obviously! One day you will reach that neural tipping point. One day your mental traffic will start cruising down the highway of mindfulness. One day your life will be utterly different.

That day starts today - it may not be today but if you don't discipline yourself, you'll never see that day. And, when you lie on your death-bed, bitter and twisted, bemoaning the fact that you never had the guts to wake up enough to live life to the full, it will have been the result of your own stupidity.

Apologies - but I've done with mincing my words. Every moment of every day we have a choice to make. If we don't consciously decide to be conscious, our unconscious will decide, by default, that we should be unconscious. If, in your life, you find that you are reaping the 'rewards' of unconsciousness, it's your own fault.

So, next time you slip, next time you fall on your face, next time you waste a day, an hour or minute, next time you behave like an idiot, next time you realize that you've been mentally somewhere else for the last God knows how long, forget it, get over it, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start over. It will make all the difference - for you and for those whose lives you touch.