Friday 30 April 2010

Giving thanks

It's Friday night and my OH has already checked in to see whether I will be joining him and the others downstairs so I cannot stay long. It is a fantastic day for many reasons.

1) It is my OH's b'day today and effectively he stopped work early so we could celebrate. My Mum also made us a cake which was a lovely surprise.

2) It is my birthday tomorrow and I have managed as part of Andy's b'day present to arrange for us to spend a night in a hotel with great food tomorrow night. Bring it on - a night as a couple ;-)

3) I went to the inaugural meeting of a new networking group for Mums and managed to find more people interested in my social media courses including businesses so work is really looking up.

I say us because tomorrow is a celebration and I will truly be middle aged, there's no hiding from it now. I don't mind as I have a great deal to be thankful for such as an amazing place to live (I can definitely recommend barn conversions); my daughter has received a place at the local school which is 500 yds from the front door; my work to have a street party for the Close I live in is coming together which will hopefully create more of a sense of community (yay!); my relatively new business idea definitely has wings and is attracting in customers which is fantastic; and I get to spend my birthday with people who really care about me; and many of my twitter and FB buddies have been out in force sending me wonderful, supportive and fun messages showing that I am part of wider community too.

So my wish for you my readers is that you too have a truly munificent weekend ;-)

Thursday 29 April 2010

A picture says a 1000 words


I love this picture of my youngest and it is not because she is wearing my favourite colour - orange - which incidently she claims is her favourite colour. It is partly the fact that the hat works even though it is several sizes too big for her because it is mine. Most of all it is her expression, so full of fun with a hint of her cheekiness coming through. She spends so much time laughing and I find that approach to life such a tonic.
In fact there are times when I am beginning to get frayed round the edges and the stern parent makes an appearance, when she turns to me and says But Mum we are only playing. It brings me up sharply because often she is right. When I reflect, I realise that play is not something I find easy and yet it is a great way to learn. My daughters are great teachers with regard to life and inform my work with clients too. Being a Mum has enriched my life in ways I could never have imagined.
This post has been written for the Gallery and the prompt this week was portraits.

Wednesday 28 April 2010

State of mind: discombobulated


As I sit here, I know that I am tired. In fact I am wishing fervently that instead of tweaking the monthly profile for Minerva's Mind and sending an article on social responsibility to Karen Birch for the 3rdimagazine, I had just had a nap. Afternoon naps can be so refreshing and revitalising and often absolutely necessary with two small children. Net result is a state of discombobulation because I hate to admit to any form of inadequacy.


Why am I so shattered you may well ask. Well it is all due to the fact that I had a great time last night with lots of girlfriend energy and got carried away, matching two of my friends drink for drink. As one of them commented this morning when we texted each other I think I am still drunk! It was midnight when I kicked them out. So yes it is all self-inflicted.
The danger is that when you get tired, it is far more difficult to see things in perspective. In other words, your shadow side makes an appearance. How does it manifest itself? Usually as a voice in your head that starts making comments which are derogatory at best. If you get sucked into whatever it is saying and start to believe it, your confidence and self-belief takes a knock. If it gets really bad, paranoia can set in and you start questioning everything you are doing. Sound familiar?
Note so self: I really must start practising what I share with my clients and that is SELF-CARE. Too late for now, the two year old is awake and her voice is rising into a crescendo because quite rightly she expects Mummy to appear and bring on the entertainment. Thankfully the eldest has been taken to ballet and will be back later. My prayer: oh Universe give me the strength to get through the rest of this afternoon until bedtime.
This was written as part of the Writing Workshop over at Sleep is for the Weak and is a response to the prompt Pick an emotion that best represents your state of mind right now and write on it creatively. Mission accomplished but I am not at all sure how creative this piece is.

Monday 26 April 2010

What politicians need to do to win my vote

This post has been inspired by the request for pieces on the election for the next British Mummy Bloggers' Carnival and the need to meet a magazine deadline which is looming where the topic suggested is social responsibility. For me both topics are linked and I am going to explain how.

There has been a real concern that due to the level of distrust surrounding politicians, turn out on 6 May will be lower than ever. The good news is that whatever people thought of the first leaders' debate on TV, another half a million people registered to vote after watching that programme. I know it is our social responsibility to vote and yet I look at the choices and I am not inspired. We have recorded both leaders' debates on television and yet I have still to watch them in their entirety. I found the presenter of the first quite wooden and guess I have been more intrigued by what has happened to each party in the opinion polls post the debates than getting into the debates themselves.

So what would get me more motivated to join in and really take part in the run up to the election? There would need to be some radical proposals for tackling the issue that is dear to my heart and that is the Environment. Climate change is very real - you only have to look at the changes in weather in the UK over the last few years and the major flood damage that has been caused to see that. And yet it goes beyond climate change and the fact that many natural resources such as fossil fuels are going to run out. It is about questioning the old economic paradigm that continual growth is good because that is what got us into the current mess. We need a creative approach to this reality.

When I raised this issue much more succinctly to a panel of politicians as part of a six month TV programme that I have been involved in(thanks to Sam Pearce from Mum's the Boss), the responses for the most part were pure flannel. The representatives of each party bar Labour agreed with me but did not have any concrete proposals on how to tackle these issues. Even Labour only had a partial response. As a Mum I am concerned that we create a sustainable future for all our children. That means encouraging the creation of "heart-based" businesses which place an emphasis on building and developing whole people and community as part of their mission. The challenge is to encourage collectivist approaches to key issues as happened with the development of the Lewes pound, whilst allowing room for individual creativity. This could be seen as a paradox but I believe it is only when we hold both sides of an issue and wrestle with that level of complexity that we can find a path through.

I live in hope that as we come into the last week of the election, we will start to see a real grappling of these key issues and that I and other voters who remain undecided will become more involved and see how our vote can count. What do you think?

Friday 23 April 2010

The marking of a major milestone

Yesterday my eldest was four. We gave her a bike for her birthday and despite the fact that it was not one of those very tacky, cheapily made Princess bikes that she really desired, she loved it. We had hidden it under a blanket in our bedroom and it was the last present she discovered yesterday morning. She was particularly enamoured by the pink bag on the front which ressembled back pack.

Over the last two days she has asked both the OH and I to take her out on the bike. It was quite a painful exercise for us, bent double over the bike to keep her steady. Despite a few wobbles and falls, she was determined to keep having a go. I even managed to get back from town in time today to wheel the bike to pre-school so she could cycle home. She was so thrilled to be able to show it off to her teachers, both of whom showed just the right amount of excitement about it.

She was able to do a few seconds unaided before she lost her balance and I was a little disappointed that she was unable to do more, as she's brilliant on the balance bike. She even asked later on today if she could have stabilisers put on it and reminded us that Peppa Pig had had stabilisers on her bike initially as well.

OH took them to the shops after supper to buy her a helmet and knee pads and at her request a bell. Back she came with the Disney princess helmet and the Barbie accessories bag of kit! Our 2 y/o daughter came back with a helmet too. Hers is orange and features Bob the Builder, ever the tom boy!

It was quite late but the OH had promised them a last ride in the close so off they went whilst I finished a blog for Minerva's Mind. I was just about to start the dinner when OH came running in and suggested I came out to take a look. I was amazed. It was like the transformation from the ugly duckling to the swan - our 4 y/o could ride up the hill and then having turned the bike round with the help of her feet, ride all the way down.

It happened just like that! I was so proud of her and she was pretty pleased too. There were grins and hugs all round. On reflection, I was thinking about why it had happened. Had the investment in the balance bike paid off? It's fantastic to think we do not have to go through the pain of stabilisers. Was it self-belief and determination? Did the patient, calm manner of my OH, who would make an amazing teacher have something to do with it? Whatever the reasons, it represents a major milestone, and in some ways was more rewarding than the success of my social media course on Monday. Perhaps because the sense of joy in her achievement was so tangible to us all that the overall impact was greater.

The Cream always rises to the top

Recently I have been telling you about a new book called Awakened Wisdom: A Guide to reclaiming your brilliance by my friend and colleague Patrick Ryan. Well the book had its official Amazon launch this week, and within a few hours the book became a best seller in Canada and the US.

Most impressively, Awakened Wisdom took the number 1 slot in Canadian spirituality sales (click to see a screen shot) and the #3 slot in self-help, sharing the very same page on Amazon with top-selling spirituality titles such as Don Miguel Ruiz's Four Agreements, Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth and Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love. At one point, Patrick and Eckhart were dancing back and forth in the top five slots on the Canadian list, which is interesting because so many people have compared these two writers even before the book was released. In the US, it soared to the top of the Kindle spiritual self-help titles, reaching as high as number 2. We are waiting to see the paperback join it in these ranks.

Pretty impressive for a first day don't you think?

The Awakened Wisdom launch continues until close of play today and, in celebration of its official release, Patrick Ryan and a group of his colleagues, including authors, coaches, entrepreneurs, spiritual teachers, are giving away over 40 exceptional personal development and spiritual growth gifts when you buy a copy of the book during the launch.

One of these gifts is an unprecedented two session "Awakened Wisdom Virtual Experience" in which author Patrick Ryan will take participants on a journey through the "8 states of Awakened Life" via webcast in early May. This is a rare opportunity to learn from a world-reknown spiritual teacher and now best selling spiritual author. I, too, will be taking the opportunity to listen in.

I, myself, will be offering a 10 step guide to authentic leadership. In essence it shows you to be a leader and create real meaning in your life.

To pick up your copy of Awakened Wisdom, get all these free gifts and sign up for this truly amazing event, which is only open to those who purchase the book by close of play today, go to:

http://www.awakenedwisdom.com/Public/Amazon/BookLaunch/index.cfm

Thanks for your support in helping this rising new star in the spiritual author universe shine so brightly. I wish ALL of you reading this a future where YOU are shining more brightly

Wednesday 21 April 2010

A vision in pink

I have been a bit of a lurker reading some of the posts for Tara Cain's weekly Gallery which are all based around a photo that fits that week's theme. This week I was inspired by the theme and one of the posts by Laura that I read that I just had to submit an entry so here it is.
In February this year, my 3 y/o daughter started ballet. She had been asking me for over a term if she could do it. Initially I resisted because it just seemed so predictable that a 3 y/o girl would want to do ballet especially one like mine who was only interested in wearing skirts or dresses and pink. My husband, who is generally much more observant than me about the children, commented on what good rhythm she had for her age. Must take after him because he can dance whereas I have two left feet! So at that point I gave and said why not. She had a couple of taster lessons and absolutely loved it. After each one she was so excited. All she wanted to do was to ring everyone up from her good friends to her grandparents and tell them that she was doing ballet. It was obviously a hit so I went and invested in all the gear. Fifty quid later we came out of the local dance shop with leotard, voile skirt, tights, hairband and cardigan. Fortunately she already had a pair of shoes kindly donated by my cousin! Even better was the fact that Granmags had agreed to foot the bill. Let's here it for Granmags. The photo below is of Sienna all dressed for ballet on her third lesson, the first time she had the full outfit. She is so proud of what she looks like that she was less self-conscious than usual when I got the camera out to take a photo as she loved being a vision in pink. It is my interpretation of pride and I hope you enjoy this post.

Friday 16 April 2010

Thankfulness


Don't know about you but I have always had many positive connotations about the old Timotei ad where a beautiful, innocent young woman with long blonde hair is prancing around nymph-like in a waterfall. It's as if anything is possible when you are in touch with your whole self. I saw this photo and chose it because it reminded me of that original advert.

This is a short post in which I am giving thanks. I feel so much genuine gratitude for many of the people in my life at the moment that I thought this was the best way to express it.

Thanks goes to my cousin who gave me a real break earlier this week. We were down in Bosham staying with her and her family and as ever nothing was too much trouble. She was not even fazed when 2 y/o did a poo in the pool which leaked in part. Best of all for me was having lots of adult company, eating good food and drinking wine, and being encouraged to help minimally in the preparation. It was just what I needed.

Yesterday went well. I met up with two wonderful co-active coaches in London to finalise some of the venue stuff around our conference on 14 May. It could not have been easier. We now do not have to pay a charge for the pub where we have reserved drinks for post-conference drinks and it is so beautiful, covered in window boxes currently filled with daffodils. Lunch will be available for all overlooking St Katherine's Dock and if it is sunny like yesterday there will be nothing that can be beat it. What is wonderful is that we have a record number of people coming to the event including some big names in the coaching field all of which is wonderfu

Next and probably most importantly, it looks like I have solved my limited company headache. My business is not at the stage where it makes sense to go for limited company status and yet I was being press ganged into it by a client. Fortunately the lovely Will Farnell also an ex-PwC colleague, has offered to act as an umbrella company so that I can do the work they are offering me in May. Woo hoo!! In the journey to this point I received advice and support from many other twitter buddies- too many to mention but you know who you are and I am grateful to you.

If that were not enough riches, I am also blessed by some of the friends that I have. It is my eldest's 4th b'day next weekend and I was dreading it because neither sets of parents can come and we have around 16 kids coming!!! Anyway one of my friends who is coming with her two offered to help out in any way that we needed. She happens to be very creative so is making the Princess for pin the tiara on the Princess, and her lovely husband who adores kids is coming to help out with the mad house.

In other words life is good, I feel incredibly blessed and thankful to all those who have helped me achieved this state and I hope that I in turn can do the same for others through my work and presence. Have a great weekend and if you want to share any thoughts on the topic please do so as I love to hear from you.

Tuesday 13 April 2010

What really happens behind the camera

On Sunday I was called a media tart by the producer of the Politics Show Eastern region. It was fair game really because not only was I asked to do a question on the regional show; I was then asked to grill Vince Cable live on the national show about the Lib Dems economic policies; and did a short slot for the region on my views at this stage of the election campaign with the camera rolling in the beautiful sunshine. Three bites at the cherry in one day!

So why I am mentioning all this. Not to give myself any further plugs - I have yet to watch how I came across on the show and my cousin has threatened to play it this evening on iplayer whilst we have our dinner - but because the experience itself was so different to what I had expected. I say that having already recorded 4 sessions for the regional People's panel. I thought you would be interested to hear my thoughts.

What was really wierd was being called by MiL on Sunday night when I was shattered because I had come down off the adrenalin rush which had kept me going between 7am and lunchtime at that stage. Her view was that I came across as very serene not a word that I or others that know me would probably ever have associated with me in the past. So that certainly gave me plenty to think about.

What really struck me was the amount of time the professionals actually spend practising before it goes live. The presenter for the region went over her opening sequence four time putting more and more feeling and emotion into each time before they recorded it for the show. It all had a much more artificial air because unlike previous occasions where the panel has sat around a table in a hotel room having a lively debate about issues. This time we were in a cavernous barn which was freezing despite the sunshine outside, sat in two rows facing the three politicians, a couple of whom had come up beforehand to schmooz there way into our affections! There was also a piece of white tape on the floor to indicate where the presenter needed to stand when introducing us to the viewers.

It all continued in a similar vein so when the presenter picked on me to comment on the responses to the second question about how voters could trust politicians, which I had also had as one of my questions, I was thrown. The politicians' ability to spin had been so convincing it was hard to come up with my objections. I managed it after an initial fumbling over my words. Then the frustrating point was that although they squeezed my question in about climate change and the need to come up with creative ways of addressing the fact that we are running out of fossil fuels and water, there was no time to come back to the Panel once the politicians had responded. Two of them just agreed with my concerns but did not actually answer the question. It was pure flannel and none of us had the chance to comment.

What surprised me even more was how good I thought the Labour candidate (Dr Starkey) was because she actually answered every question and said what Labour's policies were on each issues. Even one of my facebook friends made the same point after she watched it on TV. What I also liked about her was her conviction that we need to move to a proportional representation system and the reasons why we had not in this current parliament. My concern is that many of Gordon Brown's responses to the Economic Crisis have been either too little too late or completely the wrong thing to do so overall the country needs a new direction. It is all so difficult. Do you vote for the credible individual whom you know would be a good constituency MP or the Party.

In reflection it makes me realise that it is all about how a person makes you feel. I sensed Dr Starkey's commitment and passion for what she does whereas I felt in different ways the other two were playing a game, saying whatever they needed to say in order to get elected. As for the broader issue, it made me realise how much the professionals practise so that when the camera is rolling they are in role, whereas us members of the Public who have agreed to step forward or just thrust into the limelight and expected to deliver anyway. Is it any wonder therefore that Politics today is so full of spin. Instinctively we decide whether someone is trustworthy within a blink of an eye which means that first impressions do matter and so in this media-savvy world those who have to go in front of the camera are polished because they have spent hours getting just the right tone! So what do you think? Do leave me a comment.

Saturday 10 April 2010

The Myth of being self-employed


Patrick Ryan of Awakened Wisdom: A Guide to Reclaiming your Brilliance is sharing his insights with us today! This is the sixth stop on Patrick's 14 day blog tour to promote the launch of his new book. After reading today's article be sure to sign up for the book launch reminder here: http://ow.ly/1kB3m and then follow Patrick to his next stop at Charly Leetham's blog at: http://askcharlyleetham.com/blog/


Yes just imagine the freedom, the independence of being your own boss, get the credit, the reward and the fun of it all as well. I call all of that the myth of being self-employed. I have been self-employed practically my entire working life. I have created a variety of small businesses some of which went on to do very well, others not so.


I love being self-employed and I love myths. Myths are created from a mixture of dreams, reality, illusion and hope. Sometimes they teach us lessons and sometimes they inspire us. I hope that the myth of being self-employed inspires you and at the same time myths are created around the same version of the ordinary human facing great odds, passing through a series of tests, and in some myths coming out the other side of it with a great treasure of some kind.
The challenges that we self-employed meet present opportunities to develop our Selves, to meet our Selves. We do not really meet our Selves in the easy times. Don't misunderstand me, I like easy times. It is just that it has been in the challenges that I have had to really show up and discover what I have got. It is through the challenges that we become wise and strong and develop more of the amazing resourcefulness that we are. In Awakened wisdom I describe the Eight states of an Awakened Life. One of them is a good state of Being.
One of the big lessons I have learnt over the years is that it is wise for us to look into the nature of our relationships. When you are self-employed, your business becomes an externalisation of your state of Being.
In a good state of Being, we are asked to examine the nature and the quality of all our relationships in life. That starts with the relationship to our Self, our partners, our business and also our relationship with prosperity. Self-employed people have created a very direct opportunity to affect their prosperity.
As a coach, I have worked with many women who are self-employed. I must say that I hate to make generalised statements based on gender and yet at the same time there is some wisdom available to us if we are willing to look into it and of course we have to take it all with a pinch of salt. There are always exceptions. Here is one thing that I have noticed about many women who are self-employed.
Women by your very nature are givers and tend to give to relationships. Often giving more than receiving and often giving too much or not valuing what you are giving in a fair way.
Many women I have coached over the years really struggle with putting a fair value on their services. I would like to propose that if you are a woman who is self-employed that you revisit what you are charging for what you provide. Are you really satisfied with the rates that you are getting? Do they reflect your true value? Are you honouring yourself through them?
As self-employed people, it is important that we work towards yes' on all those questions. Of course you have to consider the market and what your clients can afford and at the same time remember to consider your Self.
I have known many women that have created amazing businesses and lives for themselves and their families. The myth of being self-employed is worth going for and I wrote Awakened Wisdom as a Guide that I know will support you on your journey of turning that myth into your reality.
Journey happily,
Patrick Ryan
How can you create a life well lived? Get Patrick's new book on 20 April and find out. To receive updates in regard to the official Amazon book launch, please visit http://ow.ly/1kB3m
Follow Patrick to his next stop at Charly Leetham's blog:

Wednesday 7 April 2010

Mums' Manifesto: does it exist?



Toli means a juicy piece of news/ the talk of the town and this cloud comes to you courtesy of Koranteng Ofosu-Amaah. He is Ghanaian so some of the references given are not particularly English but they give a richness of their own and they are one person's take on what politics is all about.
I am gripped by the election fever in more ways than one. As a founder member of Judith's room, all of which happened by chance, I now have made connections with many cybermums and the odd dad online via twitter. How I love social media. As some of you also know I write for a couple of magazines from the Mum perspective; and when I started planning out my series of articles, I asked Mums via Judith's room what they would like to hear about. One of the topics which featured was the media portrayal of Mums in relation to politics as many were incensed by how they had been portrayed by our media. If we believe the pundits, one of the groups of voters to focus on are cybermums and there has been endless discussions about how Mums' views on the the Mumsnet discussion with esteemed politicians, were trivialised by the media. Add to this Libby Purves recent comments in the Sunday Times which suggested that cybermums represent at most 1 million of the 8 million Mums and therefore in her view do not count, there is quite a range of opinions flying around. The last point to make before I comment is that I have been the Mum representative on the Politics Show as part of the People's Panel since November, which has involved commenting on policies, parties and so on as we get closer to the election.
Let's start by saying that as an older Mum, apparently I do not come into the relevant age category (25-34) so does that mean my views do not count? If I think about this logically they probably do not. Why? Well they could put up Emu as the Tory candidate in our constituency, and the Conservatives would still win. It is an incredibly safe seat because we are in a rural area with lots of arable land. If we put the election in perspective then there are only a few areas where it is worth getting into a lather about it all and that is the marginal seats. It is in these places that the election will be fought and won. Finally sitting here, there is all to play for because neither of the two main parties has come out with a decent set of policies yet, rather most of the air time has been spent on slagging each other off. What we all need to do whether we are Mums or not is to pay less attention to our egos and get out there and start asking difficult questions and demand answers because it is our democratic right. If we do that then we may end up with a government which is more accountable to its people.
I have to come up with two questions to put to MPs on Sunday so if you have any burning issues you want me to ask then leave a comment below or tweet me on @wholeself. Thanks.

Monday 5 April 2010

Reflections on Easter


On Easter Sunday, the sun was shining down in Bath and it really felt as if Spring had sprung. The Easter bunny had been and the girls enjoyed an Easter egg hunt around my parents' garden finding a range of little goodies, most of which were not chocolate, for which I was grateful. In fact the two treasures that caught my eye were the Cath Kidson flannels - I have come a long way, as not that long ago I would not have known who CK was - and these cute furry chicks that utter tweep tweep if you hold them in your hand in a certain way. All this activity and the weather led me to thinking what Easter was really about.


From my eldest's perspective - she is almost four - it was all a good excuse to gorge oneself on chocolate for four days solid. It reminded me that Karen and I had just had a conversation the previous day about how one explains Easter to children. When S was proclaiming her view of chocolate and how she was planning to start in on her eggs on Friday, I explained that we did not eat chocolate on Friday because it was the day Jesus died but that people then saw him on Sunday and were so happy that they eat chocolate and other treats. The response was why did Jesus die and I am afraid I did not feel I could go into all that. On Good Friday my eldest then went around the house explaining to anyone who would listen that baby Jesus had died today.
So what is it about. I am delighted that Easter celebrations pre-date Christianity. In fact they are linked to the timing of the Spring Equinox which is why Easter is a moveable feast. The festival is named after Ostara (also known as Eostre), the Teutonic Goddess of Fertility and Springtime. She was seen as the bearer of increased sunlight and responsible for ensuring a good harvest. The giving of Easter eggs is linked to the rituals relating to Ostara to whom gifts of eggs were given.
What is also fascinating is that eggs are the pagan symbol of rebirth. Why because this symbolism fits in so neatly with my own rhythms at this time. On my reflections over the past few days, where I have enjoyed many lovely family meals prepared by different sets of grandparents, I realise this time to relax and switch off was just what I needed. I feel refreshed and invigorated and ready for the challenges and opportunities that await me and those close to me over the next few months. I really hope that Easter has provided you with time to reflect and recharge your batteries and would love to hear about any perspectives that you have had and wish to share this holiday.

Thursday 1 April 2010

Beware the ides of March



I recall when I announced to some colleagues that I was setting up my own business that one of them said how hard it was to go solo. Back then the comment barely registered. Now some time into it, I really do understand what they were trying to say.

Reflecting back on March, it was a very tough month. In many ways it should not have been. I was busier than I had ever been since starting my own business and yet....

There was a moment when I felt that what I had set out to do with Whole Self Leadership had failed. I became paralysed by fear which made the feeling of stuckness even more real. I was incapable of making even basic decisions or running the house well. All this was because two initiatives that I had put together with others did not get off the ground. Insufficient people wanted what we were offering. That's rejection and it's painful however many times it happens.

What I now realise thanks to a very helpful chat with Qdosology is that the act of destruction or death is all part of the process on the journey of transition. In other words for me to find my true path for now, I need to let go of that which is not serving me. I particularly liked his way of explaining it using the caterpillar's life cycle. I am currently in the chrysalis stage and trying to punch my way out so that I can be a beautiful butterfly. I have never been very good at waiting.

It also helps me to accept that whilst I am a Mum that is not the whole of my identity. In other words whilst I would have liked to have had a blog that was nominated for the MADs, I was not surprised or disappointed when it was not.

So what's next? Karen and I had a very useful discussion on where to take Minerva's Mind so watch this space and I have made a decision to find 5 minutes each day to meditate probably using incense or an oil burner to help focus the mind. Putting this out here means there is now some accountability to doing it so I can report back on what I learnt.

This post has been written as part of the writing workshop over at Sleep is for the Weak and is on sharing how I am dealing with a deep felt sense of rejection.