I have been resisting writing a blog, as like many of you I have been overwhelmed at times, plus I had to find a way to leave my family in Australia and get home to the UK in the middle of lockdown. I am now thankfully 12 days home and feeling well and thinking towards the future

I have some of my family staying with me at the moment including my 2-year-old grandson, who is a little monkey and an absolute joy in equal parts. The other night he wouldn’t go to sleep and rather than continuing the battle my son brought him down and we played for an hour before he finally gave in and went to bed. I can honestly say it was one of the most joyous hours of my life as we played belly bump SUMO (sumo has to be shouted loud and in a deep voice)

I was thinking back over 2019 as I was driving home (that’s where all my best ideas come to mind!) and wondered if I had one word that would sum up the most important value for me for the year, what it would be? and the word ‘connection’ sprang to mind.

Sometimes it feels like everything is mixed up and swirling around and inside, so many thoughts and often overwhelming, like being in the midst of a snow globe. If you can find a way to sit with those thoughts, recognise that they are just that…. Thoughts, not real things, but constructs of our imagination, based on our past and projecting out into the future and not always in a good way! Then sometimes its possible to let them settle and see them for what they are…. to be able to allow calm in, to allow the nervous system to settle.

Currently I am torn between loving the idea of saying Yes to things, challenging, pushing myself out of my comfort zone and embracing all life has to offer and also having the confidence to say NO, because there are things I just don’t want to do for whatever reason

I was listening to a podcast last week, where Russell Brand interviewed Jay Shetty and it was full of great insights, there were two words that have stuck with me since listening to it and that is that when you wake in the morning (or at any time when you have a moment to reflect) Be aware of your thoughts about the day and as you acknowledge each one, ask yourself ‘Are they seeds or weeds?’

So the only promise you’ll get from me is that I will ask lots of questions to help you to find your own answers to the questions you bring to me.