Moving on and on and on.

So it's been a while since I created a blog on Tumblr. What's been happening since one of my last posts when the house went up for sale!

Quick version: House got sold. I have moved about 6 times since. Jake the eldest dog has passed away. I got divorced. Am in a long term relationship. Covid came and went. The Menopause came and stayed. And continues to come and go! Impact on the body and mind another story. My relationship with my daughter has took time to repair and recover. I always said my daughter was my biggest challenger in life. I have a lot of respect for her and love her more than words will ever be able to communicate. She has launched and established her own event management company, using her wealth of experience in the industry over the last 10 years. I got my PCC accreditation for my Coaching experience through International Coach Federation (ICF). www.coachingfederation.org 

I managed to successfully continue to run my business KnowLimits through the various life changes. To be honest I would say it was a big part of my motivation when things may have felt difficult. For me failure was not an option. I also gained a qualification with MHFA England as one of their Instructors. Oh yes and was a finalist for Teacher of the Year in the TES Awards!

And I just took note of the 4th line with this blog. The 'Quick version'! 

I have a line I notice I say a lot, which I am sure many people will be familiar with. 'To cut a long story short'. When I am in the role of Therapist, Coach or Supervisor I have a great ability to help people 'cut to the chase'. I can bottom line or ask one key question to help people focus. Or connect 2 or 3 different threads someone has shared that appears fragmented. 

However when it comes to sharing my own story I can feel quite overwhelmed at times. Like I lose my voice in trying to make sense of what I am saying. I also struggled for many years to show my vulnerability as I felt a message I had internalised was 'Showing upset and emotion meant you were weak'. 'Crying tears in front of others is weak'. Being the eldest I was needed to 'set an example', so this meant appearing strong. I was also quite sensitive and emotional as a child. But I felt at times there was not space to allow this part of myself. So I learnt to 'swallow' the emotion at times and not always say what I was really feeling. 

The irony of this is these are the qualities that have enabled me to truly connect with my clients. To show empathy and care. To be 'real' and ask the powerful questions. I have learnt over time that my vulnerability is my strength. I found doing a Leadership course with CTI helped me begin to really connect with this learning. www.coactive.com

I also found in Covid and the Lockdown sharing my 'Sunday Live Videos' really helped. I began to let go of things 'needing to be perfect'. Just giving things a go. And laughing at the imperfections. I stretched out of my comfort zone and realised I could do courses online using platforms such as Zoom and Teams. Like anything it just meant practising. And yes again laughing at the imperfections. But my digital skills have progressed off the chart to where they were before the lockdowns!!!

I began to share my poetry I had created for many years. I had shared a few poems in my previous blogs where I was inspired by my voluntary work at the local hospice. And subsequently with my work and personal life. But to actually verbally share my poetry and begin to say I am a poet felt like a big step. I felt sharing my poetry was very 'exposing'. Worrying about 'what people might think'. Will someone actually say 'Its not really poetry' and the classic sense of the word. I remember poetry at school and thinking for it to be true poetry the end lines have to rhyme! The reality was that people had very encouraging things to say about sharing my poems in my Sunday Lives. People appreciated me having a go. And if anyone connected in a significant way with the poetry they would say. 

I also discovered the poet Donna Ashworth during lockdown. www.donnaashworth.com She has some really great poetry which supported and inspired a lot of people. I have also enjoyed David Whyte's poetry and can recommend his book Consolations. www.davidwhyte.com John Roedel is another great writer of poetry. He was more known as a comic but his heartfelt Facebook conversations went viral and has provided a platform for his poetry to emerge. www.johnroedel.com

I am going to finish this blog with one of my poems.

Embrace

Familiar and yet different,

Breathing space to be present,

To not be overcome and consumed,

To resist the rising pace and business. 

To breathe in at the core,

To be with the power of the quiet and stillness,

To hear the early morning bird call,

The soothing sounds reminding us of nature’s call. 

Our call to take over place and position seriously,

Seriously and yet lightly,

To explore the flow and connection,

The infinite way we all connect to each other.

The bringing together of the dot to dots,

Joining up with awareness,

Awareness of the push and pull we hold,

The strength and yet fragility of the power we hold.

To do nothing, to do something,

Both states have an impact,

To be mindful and conscious,

To be aware and awake.

Awake to the giant within,

To the consciousness of all life,

To embrace the quiet and stillness,

To listen to the voice,

To be still and know.

Warmth and sparkle, Mandy x

This blog post has sparked me to develop a dedicated page on my website for sharing my poems. Please do head over to Poetry Corner and take a look at my work and be inspired to express yourself in your own way.

If you yourself are looking for support or if you know of any Individual, Organisation, Team or Couple who would benefit from my support please pass share my contact details with them: mandy@knowlimitscoach.com

Created June 1st 2024