Inspiration can come from the most unlikeliest of sources

This story starts several months ago when I was sitting round a room with other members of our Hitchin book club and volunteered to put together a list of books to decide by vote what we would read next when we met in a month's time.  I have read quite widely and have often been the member of the group that had read a particular suggestion in the past.  So it is fair to say that the other members expected some interesting, possibly stretching choices.  At a loss as to what to put forward I asked my followers on twitter who came back with a whole host of suggestions, one of which was The Necklace by Cheryl Jarvis.  When I read the synopsis of the book, it sounded intriguing so I put it forward.  On the night of the vote, I had the casting vote and plumped for The Necklace.  As it turns out, the book is not very well written and it became clear at the book club's Christmas party that it had not been a popular choice.  I could not attend the January meeting where it was discussed because I was at a family funeral but I get the feeling that it was panned unanimously.  I share that partly to give you a laugh because it is funny how things turns out sometimes and also to give you some context to what follows.

I want to spend the rest of this post exploring with you what resonated for me in the book, not as a defense of my choice, more because I found it inspirational.  All that in spite of the execrable writing style.  In essence it is about 12 to 13 women who led by the vision of one decide to buy a $20,000 necklace between them and share it, which in itself is an amazing example of collaboration.  They each have the necklace for a month before passing it on to the next person.

What was so powerful was the symbolism of the necklace and the different values each woman placed on it,  which sometimes led to situations that they had to confront and resolve in order to move on.  For example one woman realised that there was very little joy in her life and over time she found a way to open up within the group and participate.  There is a lovely scene towards the end where many of the group come together to support her in hosting her daughter's wedding by offering up their many talents to ensure the day runs smoothly.  In the end the Necklace took on something more than had ever been intended.  It became a vehicle for fundraising in the area of the US in which they lived and in different ways brought light, love and laughter to many women's lives outside the original baker's dozen.

What it revealed to me was our ever present need to find community and meaning in our lives and how the power of an idea can go much further than was intended at the outset.  For these reasons alone the book is worth a read. Now you have heard from me, I would love to read comments about what has inspired you recently.

Photograph courtesy of Federico Stevanin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Mumpreneurs' Monday: is it worth it?

I was drawn to this picture because climbing mountains can be a tough, sweaty making business. Before having children one of my favourite leisure activities was mountain walking and at times climbing with my hubbie. The most memorable time was the three weeks that we spent in Patagonia after the OH returned home safely from Iraq but that's a story for another post. Also through a twitter buddy, I discovered a new blog today called MountainsMovingMindset and all these factors led to this post.

Running your own business can be difficult, lonely, frustrating and exhausting. There can be periods where nothing seems to be moving forward where you feel like throwing in the towel. At these times, being a Mumpreneur ressembles the middle phases of a climb in that it requires all your reserves just to keep going. The key is having a clear vision of where you are going in other words a business plan and a strategy of how to get there.

Here the analogy with mountain walking also fits. People climb for many reasons: some want to bag munroes; and for many it is the view from the top that makes it all worth it. So next time you feel stuck, recall all your achievements until that point and remember Celeste Holm's quotation We live by encouragement and die without it - slowly, sadly, angrily. It is important to surround ourselves by those that believe in our vision and can give us the support we need at the low points.

I leave you with the picture below as inspiration. The view from the top, a source of inspiration when we face challenges. I would love to hear from you about what you do when the going gets tough.

Mum's Monday: have your say

I have been commissioned to write a series of articles for a new magazine that recently launched. I will be producing twelve pieces over the next year. Here's the interesting part, my brief is to represent the voice of Mums and to provide them with inspiration. I am very interested in hearing from my readers who are Mums, and that includes grandmothers, with ideas about what they would like to read. I will be finalising my next six articles by the end of the week so don't delay, leave comments on what you would get you going. If the piece is likely to involve a case study or two then feel free to suggest people who I might contact who fit the bill. Thanks and I look forward to reading your ideas.