ADVENTURE + ALIVENESS Page 2 of 13

Exciting times!

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dwylhq

Exciting times, exciting times, exciting times…

This is what I constantly seem to be saying to Beth at the moment, in fact I have been saying it for the last few months. There is an energy and a level of optimism in what we are doing at the moment that I don’t think we have experienced for a couple of years in the business. Not to say that it hasn’t been enjoyable, far from it, but we seem to be in a position where the foundations of our plans have been laid and all those hours, days, months and years of hard work are paying dividends.

Why the level of excitement? Well, there are a few reasons. Firstly, Beth is realising her dream of writing a book and is working with her dream publisher to bring ‘Freedom Seeker’ to life and out into the world. Stay tuned for more on that very soon! To watch someone so close to you achieve a lifelong dream is a reminder that life is what we make it. (Beth is looking over my shoulder right now and telling me that ‘Life is what you make it’ was her motto in her school yearbook over two decades ago!)

Secondly, the actual writing of the book has provided a fresh focus for us here at DWYL. The world of publishing is new to us but finding out about it, working with new people and learning new skills has been a very enjoyable learning curve.

Thirdly, it became very apparent that to achieve all our new goals we needed some additional help. So it is with great pleasure that I can introduce our newest team member… Fiona Duffy.

DSC_5819-2Welcome Fiona Duffy – the latest addition to the DWYL family!

We are absolutely over the moon to welcome Fiona into the DWYL family. She brings with her invaluable experience working with The Happy Startup School, an infectious enthusiasm, a huge smile and a refreshing honesty and openness. And she gets it! She really does. She gets what we are trying to do, where we want to be and has so many ideas to help us get there.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the guys at The Happy Startup School for supporting Fiona’s decision to go to part time so she can spend the rest of the week with us, and embarks on the phase of her career and life. You are going to love her like we do!

Recruiting for your own business is often challenging, because when you have a small team you really have to fit together. But sometimes someone comes along who makes it very easy for you. In this case it was a complete no-brainer. Fiona oozes charm, a zest for life and is a huge force of positive energy. Welcome Fiona – we hope you enjoy your role with us!

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Thought of the moment

We are all works in progress. Beth spotted this written on a window in New York on her travels last week, and tells me she suddenly felt like the pressure was off. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we are works-in-progress, that we don’t have to be perfect, and that every day offers an opportunity to learn and grow. So here’s to you being a work-in-progress too!

Until next time,

Mr.K

On speaking your truth and plans for turning 40

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On speaking your truth and plans for turning 40 dwylhq1

How was your weekend? Mine was spent in a yurt in the English countryside, with 150 entrepreneurs talking and dancing long into the night! I was invited to The Happy Startup Summercamp to talk about what it really means to do what you love in business, but feel like I came away with so much more than I gave. It was one of those very special meetings of very lovely humans, which included a lot of laughter, deep thinking, new friends, early morning secret adventures in the woods, late night disco dancing and much more besides. If this is the life of a speaker I am keen for more!

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Public speaking is one of those things that so many of us are afraid of, but I know is in my future a lot next year with the launch of my book Freedom Seeker. Rather than getting scared about it, I decided to embrace it with the largest hug that I could. And so I did the only thing there is to do – I flew to Santa Fe, New Mexico a few weeks ago, and took a class in transformational speaking from the one and only Gail Larsen. Gail has trained most of the most inspiring speakers I know – from Gabby Bernstein and Danielle LaPorte, to Kris Carr and Rebecca Campbell – so I knew it was going to be an important experience, but I had no idea just how transformational it would be.

When we arrived Gail asked us what would be a breakthrough for us. I have a good memory and like to be prepared, so although public speaking itself isn’t such a scary thing for me, speaking without a script was HUGE. As in, I-can’t-imagine-ever-speaking-unscripted-HUGE. So that would be my breakthrough. To stand up on the last day and give a 15 minute talk unscripted. And somehow, with Gail’s masterful coaching and brilliant approach, I did it. Not only did I do it, but I LOVED it. Now that’s what I call a breakthrough.I will be forever grateful to Gail and the angels who shared the experience. (I could tell you so much about the precious women who went through the breakthrough process with me, but I’m going to save that for another day, because I have so much to say… not least that we are going to be speaking together in New York in October. Stay tuned!)

But doing something in a workshop and doing it for real are two different things, right? So this weekend I tried it out for the first time at a proper event. In front of 150 people. On a stage made of hay bales, in a beautiful barn draped with fairy lights and bunting. To be honest, it couldn’t really have been more of a perfect place to learn to fly as an unscripted speaker. But I did it, and thanks to the soul-nourishing energy of the lovely people gathered there, I loved it again. It wasn’t easy. I still got nervous. I might do some things differently next time. But I got up on that stage and danced around in my cowboy boots and told some stories and had a bunch of people come up afterwards and look into my eyes and say thank you. So it was absolutely worth it.

That’s what happens when we do the hard things. And that’s why we do the hard things. Because it makes a difference to someone. Even if that person is just you.

This week I challenge you to do a hard thing, and notice what happens. And if you want to try public speaking in a soulful, story-based, self-inspiring way, talk to Gail, go visit her in Santa Fe or take the online version of her class, because she is the master.

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And finally… Turning 40 this year? Know any awesome women who are?

I am working on a very cool (currently top secret) thing to celebrate turning 40 myself in 2017, and would love suggestions for people to get involved. Only requirements are: (1) To be female (2) To be turning 40 anytime between now and the end of 2017 (3) To be a lovely human being who wants to connect with other lovely human beings.

Please email me suggestions (name/email/one sentence about them) to [email protected]. It’s totally fine to suggest yourself too, if you fit the bill!

I THANK YOU AND THEY WILL THANK YOU!

PS: Please share with a friend if they might know some awesome 40s!

Have a great week.

Beth

What I learnt at barista training (and it wasn’t just about the hearts and tulips)

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What I learnt at barista training (and it wasn’t just about the hearts and tulips) dwylhq1

Does it feel like the end of summer where you are? I am sitting in a coffee shop with a steaming cup of tea, looking out at the rain splashing on the pavement. It feels like October, not August today, but inside this cosy café I don’t really mind.

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I can’t help looking at the café menu differently today. I can’t help noticing how the sofas are arranged, or how whether the staff ‘bless and press’ as they are making the next cappuccino. Why? Because Mr K and I spent two fun days training to be baristas last week, and learnt all sorts of things about the business of coffee and coffee shops.

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We wanted to take a couple of days to do something fun together after many weeks juggling work and family while I was trying to finish my book manuscript. We left the girls with their grandmas (all parties were delighted!) and headed to Limini Coffee in Yorkshire. Over the next two days we laughed a lot, learnt a lot, and drank so much coffee we felt slightly drunk. By the end of the workshop Mr K had proved himself to be a dab hand at latte art, and I had just about managed a thistle-topped mocha and a tulip-topped latte.

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Besides learning that the coffee industry is booming (apparently the Recession was the best thing that happened to cafes in years, because ‘a coffee and a cake treat’ is considered by most of us to be an ‘affordable luxury’), we learnt that taking time off together works miracles—besides having fun together, we have both been coming up with idea after idea following our short break away. I also got reminded how at home I feel in nature, having stayed at the lovely old Shibden Mill, surrounded by rolling hills.

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This week I challenge you to give yourself a short break, whether it be a whole day or just a couple of hours, with someone you love, to just have fun. If you can learn something new when you are at it, even better. Stretch that brain in new ways this week! As summer is edging away, soak it all up this week (even if that means jumping in muddy puddles!)

I’ll be back next week to share some of the great adventures I’ve been having over the past few months in the writing of my book…

Have fun

Beth

PS Thank you to everyone who has already signed up for the Do What You Love e-course, which we are running in October for the last time this year. I can already tell from the energy of those of you who have signed up that this next class is going to be completely transformational. If you missed it, and feel ready to discover your true passion and do what you love, registration is now open here!

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On my 39th

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Costa Rica - poolI want to take a moment to be grateful today, for this day, my 39th birthday which I am spending in a beautiful yoga spa in the Costa Rican jungle and on a white sand beach at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

I have spent most this week working on my book, which will be on the shelves this time next year. I came here eleven days ago with a rough structure and an inch-high stack of notes. I now have nearly 30,000 words of a first draft to send to my editor. It’s still a long way off the final version, but it’s in a completely different place to the day I landed, and I am so grateful for this time.

I couldn’t have done it without the incredible care of the staff here at the Costa Rica Yoga Spa. They couldn’t have done more to make me feel at home, and give me space to write and write.

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An Update From Do What You Love HQ – April ’16

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dwylhq

I sat down to write this month’s update and whilst considering what to tell you about – I’ll get to that soon – I glanced at my calendar. It read April 16. Three years ago to the day since I started with Do What You Love.

I had just returned from my honeymoon and the magic and romance of Tuscany was fast being replaced by one very real and overriding thought:

“Was it really a good idea to give up 12 years of a good career… especially now?”

Not only was the world trying to come to terms with the worst global recession in recent history, we were about to start our new life as a family. Is there a bigger adventure? And the main security we had, I had discarded without remorse. The reality now was that our immediate future was a complete unknown and our family’s wellbeing was in the hands of a fairly whimsical concept – Do What You Love.

Had I been completely selfish, foolish and irresponsible?

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Huge news! On becoming a Hay House author (somebody pinch me!)

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Huge news! On becoming a Hay House author (somebody pinch me!) dwylhq1

Some days are really big days, and I just had one of them. It was the day I signed a deal with Hay House, for them to publish my first book! It is a book about freedom, written for anyone who feels trapped, stuck, hemmed in—not in control of their own time, money, or destiny. It is for people who are afraid that life is passing them by, but feel powerless to do anything about it. It is a timely self-empowerment manifesto: an inspiring and practical manual that will enable people to recognise that freedom is a choice. I am busy writing it now and cannot wait for it to be released worldwide in Spring 2017!

Hang on a minute. Let’s just rewind. Did someone just say I’m going to be a Hay House author? Am I dreaming? It certainly feels that way right now, because this is not just something on my ‘Do Before I’m 40 Bucket List’, but something I have been dreaming of for many years.

In case you’re curious about how it came about, I’ll share the story here. I warn you, this is going to be a long post, because I want to share all the pieces of how this particular dream has unfolded. So get yourself a nice cup of tea and we’ll begin… (Note: I would love for you to help me bring this book to life. Right at the end of this post there’s some info on how to get involved!)

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Last chance to join our life-changing e-course Do What You Love (Starts today!)

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One of the best parts of my job is guiding people through the Do What You Love e-course journey, because I see them cracking open, unfolding and growing in front of my eyes.

I see people grow in confidence, make bold moves, discover new things about themselves.

They get a ton of ideas for getting paid to do what they love, and put together real plans for moving forward.

Crucially they reorganise their lives around what really matters to them, so they can do more of what they love every single day.

This is the ninth time we have run this course and the results continue to astound us. Just recently one of our course graduates said,

“I can’t believe it’s nearly a year that’s flown by since we took the course and how far I’ve come; physically, emotionally, personally and professionally.”

This is why we do what we do, and I why I started Do What You Love in the first place.

Class begins today, and this will be the last time we run it until the end of 2016 (because I’ll be working on a very exciting project which I will share shortly…)

CLICK HERE to register and begin your journey of self-discovery to find out how to do what you love, every day.

Hope to see you in class for a transformational experience to remember!

Beth

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Happy L.E.A.P. year! Free mini e-course to kick start your year!

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Happy new year! In case you hadn’t noticed, 2016 isn’t just any year, it’s a Leap Year, so it’s extra special.

These days we all complain about not having enough time to do the things we want, but as this is a leap year we all have a whole extra day to play with, and we can use the concept of ‘leaping’ to inspire us all year long. What will you do with your 2016?

Now the new year is here and things already feel different. Calmer, more relaxed, full of promise. Personally I have a major change to make this year, from business owner to writer (more on that soon I promise, it’s very exciting!) Given the time of year, I am sure you have also been thinking about changes you can make in your life. Well I have some good news for you my friend…

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To help you make the most of it, and commit to at least one important change, we have designed a 10-part mini e-course called L.E.A.P. to help you find the courage, dedication and focus to make a major leap this year. It is FREE – our gift to you as we begin this new year. I hope it will help you get your closer to doing what you love, for life. Sign up here and begin today!

What’s it all about?

In this very simple FREE ten-part mini course, we offer you a fun new way to make any kind of important change in your life. This could be something small but important, like a new way of nourishing yourself, or something major like quitting your job and changing career. Sometimes we can get so caught up with thinking about the thing we want to change, and so hung up on what might happen if we make the change, that we go round and round in circles and never actually get anywhere. (Sound familiar? We’ve all been there!) This mini series offers you a whole new perspective—or set of lenses—through which to view your opportunity and make decisions to help you make that change, whatever it may be. Try it, it might just work for you!

How it works

Once you have registered here, each day for ten days we will send you a short email introducing the next step in the process. Each day will focus on a different ‘career’ to use as your lens through which to view the opportunity and challenges. So for example, day one is all about seeing your challenge through the eyes of a doctor (not suggesting you consider becoming a doctor, but rather considering the qualities and characteristics of a doctor, and how they might approach a given problem).

Each day you will be given details of the step you are on, a new lens through which to view your challenge or the change you want to make, and a simple exercise to do, or question to answer, to help you move forward. By the end of the ten days you should have made a major psychological shift towards making a specific change in your life, and hopefully will have taken action in the right direction.

Sound good? Sign up now and begin today. It’s free, so what are you waiting for?

I am using this very course to make my own big change—from happy blogger to professional writer—and I cannot wait to see what change you decide to commit to with L.E.A.P. Be sure to let me know on Facebook or Twitter!

Happy leaping, and a very happy 2016,

Beth and the DWYL team

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PS Still not spent any time looking back over the past year and designing your ideal 2016? Our free toolkit New Year’s Revolution is fully updated for 2016 and waiting for you to download now. Mr K and I spent several happy hours in a coffee shop working through it together, and it has become the basis for all we plan to focus on in 2016.

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PPS If you feel like you need a real helping hand with making major shifts this year, finding your passion and strategising how to do what you love every day, join us for the next Do What You Love e-course. The course begins on January 18, and won’t run again until the end of the year, so if you want a structured five week programme to help you make major changes this year, don’t miss it. Register here.