encouragement – Aspirational Adventures

I’m on version three of this post. One I shared on my Barefoot At The Kitchen Table website because that was who I went as over the weekend, one I shared on my Substack because I’d got some lovely encouraging comments there, and also that is my “being a writer” space, and now I want to share here because I shared that I was going on Holding That Space and I want you to know what happened when I held that space and waited.

The weekend at Ten or Less was awesome. It reawakened in me why I love encouraging others to write. I met loads of amazing people, many of whom have signed up for my newsletter, spoke to people about collaborating and have a buzz of ideas not just of what to do with workshops but what to do with my writing. Read more about it here – Encouragement and Inspiration

The weekend also reminded me of why I write and how I love to write. People talking about their desire to write their memoirs reminded me of my desire to do. Do the workshop I did reminded me of how much fun I get from putting words together. I have people to chase up [one who’s already got in touch with me] about collaborating together. The joy of meeting with other creatives and how that inspires us all. I’ve written more about that on here – Encouragement, Support and Inspiration

And of course I had to add these posts to here because this, even though it is not my first blogging space it is my longest running. The first post I posted on here was on 1st January 2015, [Read it here – Good Morning 2015! ] with lots of things about my life up in the air and that was all before we knew we were moving to North Wales and before I believed enough in myself to start writing group – which again only came about through encouragement and support.

I know there have been people who have been dismissive about the “likes” etc on Facebook, blogs, etc but I don’t know about you but I like them. I love it when I see the same person put a “like” on my post regularly, when I get new followers. It isn’t an ego but it is an encouragement thing. Yes at times I have to be careful not to post with who I think is reading it in mind but just share where my heart it. Sometimes when I’ve shared with trepidation and then get a “like” it gives me more confidence to go and do it again.

So let us all remember to “like” each others posts, to comment on each others post, and to share our hearts gently and kindly whether in written word, spoken word or deed.

And always feel free to Buy Me a Coffee or similar

Face of a lady so excited by my workshop on Saturday

Gifts of …

part two of thoughts from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe Musical

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/narnia-peters-susans-lucys-father-137608235

Father Christmas gives the Pevensie children gifts which he says are gifts of “joy and truth” – which is interesting as they are weapons but I’m not going down that one. Though after reading Richard Rohr’s latest about how direct non-violent action is about

redistribut[ing] the tension that is already there and puts it back where it belongs—at the source.

https://cac.org/daily-meditations/peacemaking-is-not-niceness/

maybe swords and arrows are a good representation of joy and truth but also of hope, peace and freedom?

But these gifts need to be used. Peter couldn’t kill the wolf if he kept his sword in his scabbard. Lucy couldn’t heal unless she used drops of her potion. In Prince Capsian the children couldn’t have come back if the horn had not been blown.

I believe all of us have been given gifts to make this world a freer, more peaceful, more joyful, safer place and yet too often there is the cry of “why don’t they do something” when it could be us.

Ok so I’m not going to be Prime Minister or anything major in business, in technology, on leadership worldwide, but I can via using my gifts of encouragement, of writing, of being able to chat to people, change one person at a time, who would then go on to change someone else and so on and so forth.

It is said there are only six degrees of separation between one person and the next – ie that each of us are only six people away from connecting with each other. And some of us are even closer. My next-door neighbour was telling me how when she was visiting a new friend she looked at her wedding photo and saw one of her close friends on that photo. Turns out my neighbour’s friend had been close to her new friend when her new friend got married.

So think this through – this means that each of us are six people or less, away from someone of influence. So if we are kind and helpful to the person in the park, they can take that kindness and encouragement to the next person in their sphere and so on. Very much the change the world one starfish at a time [this is an interesting read because it talks of the origins of this story too!]

So today I pledge to go out and use my gifts of chat, of encouragement and of words to help those in my sphere to know freedom from fear, know hope, know peace, know joy and trust. And from there to be able to fully live their lives as they are called to do so they can use their gifts for joy, trust, hope, peace and freedom.