Thinking about what it is to be alive. I started wondering. Perhaps, our souls are passed down from past lives to keep us warm. Gifted to us like pre-loved, hand-knitted jumpers. For us to wear. Care for. Fold. And unfold. As we need. A beautifully patterned jumper with a design unique to us. For us to add to, with the stitches of this life. And with holes for us to darn. Our job. To love this hand-knitted piece and to pass it on in the best shape possible, into the next life.

Meditation is my little octopus. My teacher. Alongside showing me the power of the pause and the importance of being there for whoever shows up, meditation has taught me to be brave. To take a leap of faith. To trust. To listen to my calling. And this has led me, and those around me, into a beautiful underwater forest of possibilities. For that, I will be forever grateful.

You know someone has spoken the truth when your cheeks go hot. Perhaps you blush because it is a compliment and you haven’t yet learnt to take one of those gracefully. Or maybe, you feel a bit of heat in your cheeks because what is said rings true. So true, it has reached down deep inside you. Grabbed your soul. Given it a squeeze. And perhaps shaken it a little.

This happened to me recently.

And then I asked myself. What is it to be nothing? What would it feel like to be nothing. And so I tried it. This was where the magic started to happen. It felt good from the start. Light and open. Being nothing, I became the sound of the wind in the trees. The warm sun. The call of the birds. Being nothing is to be everything. To be anything. By being nothing, there are endless possibilities. I am nothing. And it is beautiful.

A mantra is a truism. You know a truism has found you by the way it makes you and others feel. How you react to it. How others react to it. And so it is for this one. ‘It’s OK to grow while people are watching’. Whenever I share this mantra with people I get the same reaction, I see them have a moment as it lands. As the realisation hits them.

The intermediate space between being awake and asleep is a beautiful suspended state. Reaching and then hanging out at this threshold for a while during your meditation practice can be profoundly soul shifting.

As I enter my third week of eating only whole-food and plant-based foods, I thought I’d capture how I am feeling and what I have learnt about myself, my health and the environment. A story about the unlimited generosity of plants.

Confidence is a skill. A slow burning, long lasting skill. One you develop over time with practice, patience and persistence. In the lead up to the Women in Leadership Summit 2019, I thought I would share my thoughts on the quality and the dance of confidence.

Unexpectedly coming face to face with the broken child within me. A piece about body image, shame, acceptance and walking proud.

I had no idea I was such a FOMO! That I had such a fear of missing out! But it is true. I hate missing out on a gathering, party, drink, film or conversation. Musing about the fear of missing out, in order to come to terms with this fear and let it go.

So, this is an invitation to anyone inspired to join me to try one plant-based meal a day, or do a week of meat-free dinners, if you don’t already. You don’t have to become fanatical about things or make sweeping changes to your life. But we can all make a difference even through some of the small changes we make in our lives. Let’s make a difference to our health and the health of the planet.

What is there not to like about the word ‘grace’ and what it is reminding us? To walk through life, gently holding grace in the palm of your hand. To reach out with grace. For grace to be what greets people first. In every interaction. In every situation. To live with grace. To die with grace. To be remembered with grace.

Most of us are living a fast food version of life. Maybe it is time to take some time. To savour life. To be with life. For a while. Taking time to write about slow cooking our lives.

As we age, the rough edges of our youth soften. Smoothed by life experiences, knowledge gathered, life and loss. Writing about wisdom and growing up. Being at peace with getting older.

We all have something to forgive, or someone. And often the person to forgive is ourselves. The journey to forgiveness can be a long winding road with obstacles born from our unwillingness to release the person from the offending act. Learning the art of forgiveness takes practice.

I have been thinking a lot about the heart lately. What it does. What it symbolises. What moves mine. With an unusual flutter now and then, mine tends to draw attention when I get too wrapped up in the world. Intrigued by what makes our heart swell with emotion, alongside our tears, is the inspiration for this piece.

I have written this blog post in the hope that it will encourage people to listen to the stories of others in order to find their own truth. For people to have the same experience I had - to be slapped with the reality of the importance to ‘unapologetically embrace ourselves.’

Dostoevsky wrote: ‘The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.’ I realise there is no point in arguing with the great philosophers and psychologists of our time, research studies, medical experts and survivors. To have purpose is to have life.

Nothing in this post should be a surprise, but nonetheless, it is an important reminder of how kindness and joy make the world go round. Enjoy and don’t forget to light those eyes up!