Warrior Weekly: Fear Bubbles and Overwhelm

In so many ways, I've been building up to this week all year.

Monday – woke up to 50% reduced screen time on the previous week. No idea how I managed to pull this off but it was much needed. This was one of the ways I had been overdoing it for several weeks. Super tired again (still in winter week of menstrual cycle). Intentionally restful morning; reading, meditation and journaling.

7pm Hart Leap power hour: end of year review. The first of these monthly classes I’ve managed to make. We started with 3 heart leap moments of the year and talked about our values, hope, quotes and being brave. Something I took away from it that I’m going to do differently for the new year ahead is to think of 24 things that I want to do in 2024. What are your 3 heart leap moments of 2023? What would you like to do differently in 2024?

---

Tuesday – 9am writing class. Back on it with book writing. Discovered that the 3^rd part of the book outline (Finding Freedom) needs redrafting. A big part of writing the book this year has enabled me to process the enormity of what I’ve lived through as well as determine how I will write and structure each chapter. It’s only as I’ve gone through this process that I’ve been able to put together the bigger pieces of the jigsaw. I now have the fuller picture of what it’s taken me to get from where I once was to where I am now. It all started from a place of feeling my way forward and intuiting the next steps as opposed to having it all figured out before I even got going. Whilst this process has taken me further than what is deemed possible, it’s been difficult to articulate what I’ve done and how I’ve done it so that (please God) we can all learn from it.

Regular bodywork client – she’s happy for me to write up a case study so that we can share (and learn from) the transformative journey her health has been on this year. So I took a few questions to fill in the gaps of something I’ve pre-written.

End of year ceremony with

Creatively Conscious

. The 3^rd time I’ve sat down to reflect on this year. As you might be able to tell I can’t get enough of it – a practice I started (almost entirely by accident) at the end of 2018. In being prompted by facebook to jump on the bandwagon and share some pictures of the year gone by (all at the end of what could have easily been described as the worst year of my life), helped me connect with so many special memories made amidst losing my Dad, my health, my job, my career and my income. We started with the same practice of looking through this years photos and then jotting down the memories that stood out alongside. In circling words after, I came across the following:

• Dream

• Alignment

• Family

• Deep connections

• Love and

• Retreat

When you look back on the photos of this year what words do the magical memories conjure up for you?

Took an intentional walk at sunset to Clearwater lake, the one closest to where I live. Every year at this time there is what I’ve (just this week) discovered is called “a starling murmuration”. Every autumn the birds put on a spectacle of a show over the lake which is covered in gulls at the same time. It’s a sight to behold and with the pinks of the sky it was truly magical.

What’s one thing you have learnt or seen this week as if for the first time?  

I discovered starlings put on a show for us at dusk this time last year but had no idea it was considered one of the greatest spectacles in wildlife.

---

Wednesday – online yoga/weekly check in. Big chat about where I’m at with my foundations in health, life and business (5.5 years in they’re super solid and strong) and the rise that I see coming (next year is going to be a big one).  Health first has long since been my priority (and will always continue to be so). Sustainability is key and a big focus I now have that I didn’t have before (possibly a new value of mine?). As always, a timely and much needed session that started in centring through standing meditation and opened me up to more insight and how I was feeling.  Feelings that I have come to know as root cause of attack (when left unregulated).

Took a walk into town before meeting up with writing accountability group, Dream Warriors. We all met earlier this year in the Write That Book Masterclass and have stayed in contact. It was so well timed and much needed to meet up again tonight. We’ve all come so far, with one of us being published (if you’re looking to create a life you love, I can highly recommend Jan’s recent creation The Alchemist Within – ideal stocking filler/present to yourself!) – 2 of us are about to move towards publishing, I’m nearly first draft in and the other 2 were left motivated to get back on it after taking an extended writing break. We all shared what we had learned with my biggest win being the importance of celebrating your successes and the journey of how far you’ve come. Something I have been practicing recently instead of rushing on ahead regardless. This was followed by others saying they wished they’d given themselves a little more time, slowed down, put less pressure on themselves and set boundaries. Though it may be in other areas of your life (and not necessarily with writing), in what ways can you ease the pressure on yourself, slow down a little and celebrate your successes this month? What would you choose to celebrate?

---

Thursday – 9am writing class. Felt so overwhelmed this morning. Chose to start my writing class with my favourite overwhelm practice. I have a journal someone I know created (Positivity and Planning) and it really helps in moments like this. (If overwhelm is a state of feeling for you and you’d like to explore journaling through guided prompts that will inspire you in many ways, consider ordering a copy here.)

Moved on to the re-writing of the 3^rd part of my book outline. Got some way there with some way to go. Feeling my next step forward (thanks to the input of others in this group) is to now type up the draft I have and start turning it into its second version.

Virtual coffee online with

Louise Hallam

who I met on here recently.  We got to know one another on a deeper level and talked about a collaboration.  We’ve both had this calling to bring together a solid support network online (and I have a vision of us retreating at mine in person too) but had no idea who for or how to go about it. We discovered at the end of the call that we want to bring together a group of visionaries who are here to uplift humanity. Something for us to set our sights on and bring in in the next year ahead!

We talked about sending out a powerful invitation, being clear with our intention and trusting that it will reach those meant to receive it. Imagine if we approached more new projects and offerings this way?

1pm writing class The Artist’s Way. We talked about self-protection and the awful truth about how we block ourselves. I do it in small ways; I spend too much time on my phone, I procrastinate on occasions, I’ve had my fair share of challenges like anybody else. But when it comes to creative ideas I can never stop them flooding in. I always have ideas on what to write about (so much so I have 2 A4 notepads with as many blogs to type and share as I have issued this year). I feel there’s a few reasons for this with the main one being that I set an intention that felt pretty powerful at the time. I started fearing that I wouldn’t have enough to talk about to write to you weekly. But I realised that if I felt that way, believed that to be true then it would become my reality. So I counteracted it with a reminder that creative ideas would flow, they are infinite and would keep coming to me. After the class I also realised that I’ve created an environment around me to facilitate this. I live in a static caravan on a country park immersed in nature. Writing is a priority as well as a passion in my life. I love creating content and try to stay in a joyful state with it (over feeling like I have to or like I should be sharing a post on Linked In right now for example).

As well as overwhelm this morning, I noticed I got caught up in a few fear bubbles today. Money worries mainly, fear of overdoing it and taking too much on (got a big weekend coming up) and fear over things I’ve said and done – mainly around how I might be perceived. Did my best to voice how I felt, connect to my breath, lie down and meditate as well as stay aligned to messages, confirmations and what I knew to be true and have learnt (all over and above what I was thinking to the best of my ability). It all helped and I went to sleep feeling free from worry.

---

Friday – trying my best to take my time this week, avoid overdoing it and not rushing or pushing myself. Ok, I’m not doing as well as I would like on the phone screen front (its back up to being excessive), but I took a leisurely walk into town and tried my luck at the hairdressers. My hair isn’t in great condition on account of not being to the hairdressers since spring (whoops) yet it turns out, today is my lucky day! After traipsing round a few for on-the-spot availability, I found a new hairdresser who’s brother lives in a static caravan and also happens to co-own the hairdressers with her. I loved the energy of the place and the conversations we had too so I’ll get better organised at booking in next time and return to this one.

I do feel like our luck is turning for many of us, do you feel it too? That said, I do believe we create our own luck - what are your beliefs on this?

Overcome some fears I have with sharing case studies and issued the first one in the newly launched “Warrior Unleashed” series. I’ve had this idea since summer but been so worried about how clients will feel reading about themselves and what I’ve written that it’s taken until now to launch. It never occurred to me that they would love to read my take on their journey (even though this is something that’s been said to me when permission has been granted to write such accounts). How long does worry stop you in your tracks for before you overcome it? What impact does worry have on your life?

Gel toes, a walk and a catch up with a friend later in the day before R’s friend came over for the evening to cook us dinner. The 3 of us did a facemask after before I went to bed and left them drinking whiskey.

---

Saturday – tried to take the day as easy as possible before a big night out tonight. Cold and frosty walk first thing made me feel alive, fresh and ready for the day. Fuelled up with a big breakfast and another walk exploring a new place, Eastrington Nature Reserve. Friends were due to arrive at 2pm which turned to 3:30 and was 4:45 by the time they made it! The taxi was booked for 5:15pm so we parked the chilli we’d made, home made guacamole and salsa, rice and nachos until we got home after midnight. What a win that turned out to be. We went to 90’s and noughties club night and danced the night away for my friend’s birthday. Something I have wanted to do all year finally came together right at the very end of it. The energy and the vibe of the place was amazing (it wasn’t last time I went out 2 years ago), the timings were great (finished at midnight) and the midnight feast was a resounding success. I danced all night and felt like The Cheshire Cat with the biggest grin on my face.

Dancing is my favourite all time past time, the sense of freedom I feel in my body and life is unrivalled. What one thing gifts you the sense of freedom in your life?

---

Sunday – breakfast with the posse and lots of chat before they went home at lunchtime. Chill day having a bath and binge-watching tv before bed. Finished off the rest of the chilli with tacos.

---

Space for reflection

My greatest passion is to help others who live with chronic illness find their voice. Part of the work I do around this is to ask thought-provoking questions. Choose one or two below and let’s chat about what’s come up for you in the comments section?

1. What are your 3 heart leap moments of 2023? What would you like to do differently in 2024?

2. When you look back on the photos of this year what words do the magical memories conjure up for you?

3. What’s one thing you have learnt or seen this week as if for the first time?  

4. In what ways can you ease the pressure on yourself, slow down a little and celebrate your successes this month? What would you choose to celebrate?

5. I do feel like our luck is turning for many of us, do you feel it too? That said, I do believe we create our own luck - what are your beliefs on this?

6. How long does fear stop you in your tracks for before you overcome it? What impact does worry have on your life?

7. Dancing is my all time favourite past time, the sense of freedom I feel in my body and life is unrivalled. What one thing gifts you the sense of freedom in your life?