GRATITUDE + CONSCIOUS LIVING Page 2 of 26

What do you want to be grateful for, years from now?

 

Greetings from a cosy rainy England – such a difference from just a week ago. Right now my mum is building a theatre with our two little ones, and Mr K and I are in a café reviewing our numbers. We do this regularly, checking in on where we are, what’s going well, what has fallen behind, what we want to change, what we want to celebrate. And we each get to do this with one of our favourite people in the world. I am so grateful for the many varied opportunities entrepreneurship has brought to my door, but mostly I am grateful that we get to dream, plan and bring it to life together.

I’ll let you into a little secret. Back in the beginning, when I first started my business, every time Mr K came home from work (he was an civil engineer back then), we would do a high five for every course that had been sold that day. One day, soon after launching our first e-course there were a couple of high fives, a few more the next day, one the next, a couple the next and so on. It became a small but important reminder that it was working – this idea to do something different, and support others wanting to do something different, was working. I’ll never forget the first time we sold over 100 courses in a day, and our hands hurt from all the high fives, and our faces hurt from the grinning. It wasn’t about the money, it was about the freedom. I had created something from nothing, and it was helping people. That still blows my mind today, eight years on.

A couple of years after that day, the business was flourishing well enough for Mr K to quit his job completely and come on board. He started the first Monday after our honeymoon. It took a while for us to find our working rhythm, figuring out how best to use his skills, for me to let go of the need to do everything myself, and for him to get used to a very different way of working. But here we are, more than five years on, and he is absolutely crucial to the success of our business. He also gets paid a lot more than before, to work a lot fewer hours and spend large amounts of precious time with our daughters. We are building a life and future for our family, not just growing a business.

I am thinking about all this because tomorrow sees the start of our brand new online course, co-taught with my Make Art That Sells (MATS) co-founder Lilla Rogers. For the first time ever we are sharing all we have learned about money – in the context of business and life – in an intense and fun three week crash course, MATS MBA (Money BadAss). I love the title of the course because it is so Lilla – she has a brilliant attitude to business, while being both nurturing and fun, and a total badass. We combine strategy, practical guidance, advice on dealing with money stories and of course some woo, to bring you what I think will soon become one of our favourite courses. With daily video lessons, weekly live teaching and an amazing Playbook that provides a Game Plan for your business over the next twelve months. Class has just started but you can still squeeze in here.

Even if you don’t have a business, this week I want to challenge you to answer this question: What do you want to be grateful for having done NOW, in a few years’ time? I’d love to know your answer – come and share over on Instagram @bethkempton.

Have a great week

Beth Xx

Some thoughts on building a thriving creative career

Some thoughts on building a thriving creative career Kempton Shaw Shoot 01 DSC 0475 Filter

I am writing this to you from a private room above one of my favourite coffee shops, which is a regular hot desk space for me. Next to me is Mr K, making notes ahead of a full day of interviewing for a new team member. We just had a conversation about how it never ceases to amaze us how doing what we love enables other people to do what they love, as well as pay their mortgages, be there to collect their children from school, explore their own creativity or whatever matters to them. Being able to employ others in your own business is a huge responsibility, but also a huge privilege that you become part of that person’s career story.

This got me thinking about the ripple effect of any of us following our hearts and doing what we love. Other people sense it, get inspired by it, start asking themselves why they also can’t do it, and we become beacons for others feeling stuck or unfulfilled. The reward of that is almost as precious as the doing it ourselves.

Of course it isn’t always easy, and confidence can be a massive barrier to creative success. That’s why I invited Lilla Rogers – top art agent and my co-Founder of MakeArtThatSells.com – onto the podcast this week to share her thoughts and advice on thriving in a creative career. Listen in here and give yourself a huge motivational boost.

This month it feels like we have opened the faucet and so many new things we (and our amazing teams) have created are spilling forth into the world. Let me give you a taster, so you can see how much variety there can be in a creative career (and see if any of these new things can help YOU in yours!)

–       Today sees the launch of The Colour Gang, the new members’ club from Make It In Design which I co-founded with Rachael Taylor. We have created this in response to huge demand from our alumni for an accessibly-priced, year-round place to go for creative challenges, colour-based teaching, trend reports, and a buzzing community. And now the doors are open – come and join us here!

–       Next Monday is the first day of the first live class I have taught in over a year – it is a brand new co-taught class with Lilla Rogers, called MATS MBA (Money BadAss), a three-week intensive and super-fun course to help you deal with your money stories, take control of your money situation and figure out how to make a lot more in your creative business. It is completely video based (with daily videos and a downloadable Playbook), and includes a weekly live teachings with Lilla and me. If this is for you, come and join us. Starts next Monday!

–       We are on the countdown for the release of my new book ‘Wabi Sabi: Japanese wisdom for a perfectly imperfect life. With just over three weeks to go, I am looking forward to a photoshoot, videoshoots and a lot of podcast interviews over the coming days. If you would love to discover what life lessons lie hidden in ancient Japanese culture and aesthetics, I think you will drink in every page of this book. If you pre-order before August 30 it you can also get a place at my live group coaching sessions which will run online from late October-early November, diving deep into the main themes of the book and reflecting on what they could mean in your life. To secure your spot just pre-order from Amazon or any bookshop and pop your details on the form here.

Phew! So much goodness in such a short space of time! Thank you for being part of it, and for believing in your own potential to do what you love. It’s an ongoing journey for all of us, and I am so grateful to share it with you.

Beth Xx

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Why Every Parent Needs More Headspace

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by guest writer Alison Qualter-Berna

The mother of a 6-month-old baby rushes to the kitchen as soon as her daughter falls asleep so she can mash organic avocado into the BPA free glass bowl she just bought. You know the kind; the one promising to seal in nutrients. As her breastmilk seems to be dwindling with each passing day, making her feel insecure and insufficient, she feels she has to provide supplemental nutrition where she can. She stops briefly to read 4 lines of an article about what she’s “supposed” to do when, alas, naptime is over and it’s back to parenthood. As she picks up her bundle of magic, she realizes she’s yet to brush her teeth.

The father of a 6-year-old child rushes home from the office to do “homework” with his first grader wondering if all little boys swing from the headboard while they are reading. The human brain can absorb vocabulary while upside down, can’t it? Is he the only one who doesn’t read chapter books yet? Is the dad the only father trying to squeeze the love of an entire afternoon into a few precious, tired hours before bed?

The mother of a 16-year-old teenager watches her daughter walk out of the house to go to a birthday party wearing a half shirt. Is it okay or if she suggests something with more coverage or does it means she’s sexualizing what is simply a fashion trend?  She swallows her inner disapproval with a smile that says ‘I love you no matter what,’ only to receive a comment about how much homework is on deck for the next day…that of course after the ride to soccer and then the drive to lacrosse in another state. Her overscheduled brain will still figure out how her daughter will fit piano and cello practice in before the big recital. “Oh, and I forgot…Mom, can you set your alarm for 6am? I need you to quiz me in science”

Every phase of parenthood is both blissfully fulfilling and (if you’re all in) utterly exhausting. You love and you love, and you give and you give, but some days you wonder where did I go?  Is there a pause button I can press in the struggle to find myself?

Enter meditation.

Meditation carries the answers to so many issues facing parents and yet many of us are too busy to slow down, let alone sit in silence for 10 or 15 minutes. There are lots of ways to get started and workshops to explore but the simplest way is right in your back pocket on your smartphone. My absolutely favorite app is called Headspace. Headspace is ideal for new meditators or for busy parents because it’s an app that makes it all accessible. You don’t have to sit cross-legged. You don’t have to practice yoga. You don’t have to be versed in Buddhist philosophy.  You just have to commit to taking 10 minutes for yourself, every single day.

Headspace’s incredibly varied theme packs range from managing anxiety or stress, to finding productivity or happiness. Whether you are looking to be more productive in your days or heal childhood wounds, meditation has a (different) answer for each one of us. I have many friends who seem to crave meditation but ask me how I can possibly fit it into my hour-to-hour, frenetic work days. I invite them to simply try Andy’s soothing and knowledgeable voice on Headspace for just 10 minutes a day for 10 days and then check back with me. Every single time I hear about the positive change it makes…and in such a short window of time.

Meditation offers a safe space for each of us to start a conversation with ourselves, however afraid we might be to have it.  What parent doesn’t long for the time to explore the musings in the mind and simply observe them, without judgement? Meditation can be exactly that “pause button” we crave as busy parents.

In that pause, we can learn many lessons that support not only our parenting journey but all of our relationships.

  • Meditation teaches us about letting go. Meditation helps us internalize letting go which may be the most difficult task of a loving parent: letting your infant sleep on their own, letting your toddler explore their boundaries, letting your young child lose or fail, letting your teenager individuate, letting your young adult enter the great big world. Meditation is a practice that supports our efforts to relinquish control and simply celebrate the various roads our children will travel.
  • Meditation teaches us to be comfortable in uncertainty. After 12 years of working with families I have not met a parent who isn’t racked with uncertainty.  How do I potty train my strong-willed child?  How come my kid won’t eat anything that’s green? Can I get my child into the best preschool? What should I do if my child doesn’t make the soccer team? What should I say when my teenager admits she’s been drinking? What do I do if my child is moving in a direction I didn’t expect? We long for answers but the truth is that life simply unfolds. Meditation teaches us to sit with the uncertainty until we get to the moment when we need to act. And when we do, we respond in a calmer and more centered way.
  • Meditation teaches us to be fully present. In these incredible tech-heavy times, I see too many parents on their phones while their child is talking to them, and too many kids with their face in their devices when they should be having face to face conversations. Meditation encourages us to step out of what we are doing and get into the present moment. There is no guilt in being swallowed by your inbox (I am) or working all day only to miss your child’s dinner and bath. But in those 30 rushed minutes before bed, meditation teaches us how to make those fleeting minutes the most present time you can spend with your child. I always tell parents it’s the quality of time you spend with your child, not the quantity. Meditation supports that line of thinking and the benefits are endless.
  • Meditation teaches us to be more empathetic and really see through the lens of our child. My babies are now teenagers and I have a deep well of empathy for their experiences.  But when I’m stretched thin or overly exhausted, I can easily forget that my way isn’t the only way. Meditation teaches us to be more sensitive to their needs, even if they aren’t meeting ours. The best part of this gift is its translation into every other relationship in life.
  • Meditation actually makes us less tired and more patient. If I could capture the number one thing parents have told me over the last decade at apple seeds, it very often comes back to, “I need more sleep.” Babies keep us up all night because they need us and teenagers keep us up all night because they don’t need us. It seems counterintuitive but taking just 10 or 20 minutes out of your day to meditate actually adds to how much you get done in that day. Your level of patience goes up and you complete more tasks in a less frenetic way. Meditation can improve your sleep which makes us less agitated. I used to pop a pill to fall back to sleep and now I just reach for Headspace. Headspace is the healthiest (and cheapest) cure for insomnia on the market.
  • Meditation is one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children. We spend so much time and money on our kids and I often wonder if they greatest gift we could ever give to them is actually free. In this crazy world, as more and more screens dominate our children’s minds, teaching them to meditate and be present or mindful is a gift they will carry throughout their lives. Not many other things we give our kids can compare. Meditation can teach a child to step out of their mind and observe their thoughts, helping them manage natural anxieties, increase their level of empathy, and help them navigate the throes of life.

Someone once told me that I should take note of how I feel immediately after doing something. If it doesn’t feel positive, then I should stop. If it does, then I should seek more. I keep seeking meditation because it always shows up. It’s like a daily morning date with my mind, and a safe space to explore questions where I’m still longing for answers. It’s a way for me to find separation from issues that can overtake me and allow new ideas to flow in. It’s a way to for me to start my day more centered and grounded, ready to parent with calmer energy, and ready to walk into my office and face anything that comes.

Perhaps most importantly, meditation is way for me to let go of things I hold on to and internalize the deep appreciation for every single ounce of what I’ve got.  What busy parent doesn’t need that reminder?

Editor’s note: We also love Insight Timer (especially Yoga Nidra for Sleep with Jennifer Piercy) and Buddhify, created by our friend Rohan Gunatillake.

About Alison Qualter-Berna: Alison lives in NYC with her husband and three children. She spent five years in production at NBC News and six years at UNICEF where she created and managed a global program in Sports for Development. After her twin girls were born, she created apple seeds, an all-in-one play space for children 0-5 years, with three NYC locations and 20 songs for seeds music franchises. Alison is obsessed with yoga and endurance challenges. With her friends, she formed the nonprofit Team See Possibilities, making history three times.

Feeling rushed and exhausted? Try our on-demand course ‘How to be Happy (and Calm, Organized + Focused)

Read more about finding headspace and heartspace in ‘Freedom Seeker: Live more. Worry less. Do what you love.” by DWYL Founder Beth Kempton:

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What if you could get insight into what your soul really needs?

Last year at a conference I met an unassuming but extraordinary woman named Mary-Anne Wagner.  As soon as I met her I knew I wanted to be friends with her, and she later said the same to me. Funny how that happens sometimes. Mary-Anne has a unique gift which I had never even heard of, never mind experienced, but when I dug deeper to understand what she does for a living, I had my mind blown.

Mary-Anne does what is called ‘soul counselling’, communicating with the souls of loved ones and/or animals past and present to share messages you need to hear to find peace in your life. Something Mary-Anne told me about what the soul of one of my loved ones wanted me to know, that she had no way of normally knowing, actually changed the way I see a significant part of my life.

She can even invite your own soul to connect with her, to show her what it most wants you to know. And when she passes on what she has been shown, it feels like something you knew deep down, but perhaps ignored, or turned away from, or allowed to be shouted down by noisier things in your life. Many people have found what she tells them brings them great comfort after experiencing trauma or loss. I think she is magical.

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Mary-Anne’s personal story is compelling and the wisdom she has gained from this unusual ‘career’ is incredibly important. I simply had to invite Mary-Anne onto my podcast to find out more about how she discovered this gift, how she has helped others heal, and what we can all learn from the recurring themes that she has been witness to. The result is a conversation like no podcast you have ever heard. Don’t miss this!

LISTEN HERE

I would love to hear what you make of this extraordinary story. Please do come and share over on Instagram @bethkempton.

Have a great week

Beth

New book ‘WABI SABI’ teaches life lessons inspired by ancient Japanese wisdom

New book 'WABI SABI' teaches life lessons inspired by ancient Japanese wisdom WABI SABI WIDE

‘Wabi Sabi: Japanese wisdom for a perfectly imperfect life‘ will be published by Piatkus on August 30. This is the second book from Do What You Love founder Beth Kempton, and offers a whole new way of looking at the world – and your life – inspired by centuries-old Japanese wisdom.

Wabi sabi (“wah-bi sah-bi”) is a captivating concept from Japanese aesthetics, which helps us to see beauty in imperfection, appreciate simplicity and accept the transient nature of all things. With roots in Zen and the Way of Tea, the timeless wisdom of wabi sabi is more relevant than ever for modern life, as we search for new ways to approach life’s challenges and seek meaning beyond materialism.

Wabi sabi is a refreshing antidote to our fast-paced, consumption-driven world, which will encourage you to slow down, reconnect with nature, and be gentler on yourself. It will help you simplify everything, and concentrate on what really matters.

From honouring the rhythm of the seasons to creating a welcoming home, from reframing failure to ageing with grace, wabi sabi will teach you find more joy and inspiration throughout your perfectly imperfect life.

This book is the definitive guide to applying the principles of wabi sabi to transform every area of your life, and finding happiness right where you are.

BONUS WHEN YOU PRE-ORDER

Pre-order your copy today to get access to a series of group coaching calls with Beth, where you will dive deep into the main themes of the book. Find all the details and book your spot here.

American/Canadian friends – you can get a copy from TheBookDepository.com with 10% off and free shipping, or wait for the North American version to come out next year!

 

On revealing your secrets and living your truth {New podcast with Kathe Crawford)

On revealing your secrets and living your truth {New podcast with Kathe Crawford) FS PODCAST FB S2 014 LR

And now for this week’s new Freedom Seeker Chronicles Podcast episode… a very special conversation with a woman with an extraordinary story. Kathe Crawford lived a secret life for three decades before finally discovering how different life can be when you open up to your truth. Kathe’s story is a deeply moving and a huge lesson to every one of us.

Kathe was barely 31-years-old and the mother of two young children when she and her husband received devastating news—information that they agreed to keep secret from everyone in their lives, including their families. As the years passed, this secret weighed heavily on her, even more so as she continued to respect her husband’s wishes for more than 20 years after his death.

Raising two sons as a single parent, Kathe was determined to build a successful career and a stable home. But this proved increasingly difficult as her secret became an exhausting facade. For so many years, survival had meant hiding the one thing that she thought would harm herself and her family the most. But when she could no longer maintain the protective wall around her heart, she discovered a deeper legacy of keeping secrets that she had inherited from her parents. The only way to heal would be to open herself to her heart and then to allow others to see her as she was, without secrets and without pretense. The shares all of this in her debut memoir, ‘Unlocking Secrets’, and in this podcast interview here. Kathe shares her spiritual journey from hiding in the shadows of her secrets to embracing the light of absolute authenticity, learning that self-love is perhaps the most important love story of all.

Listen in to hear the remarkable journey of a woman who set herself free by following her truth, and the difficult but necessary journey that followed as she revealed her secret. It will inspire you to release any secrets that have been weighing you down, and embrace the most authentic version of yourself. Listen here now or catch it on iTunes!

 

On living intuitively [+ new podcast episode with tarot reader Theresa Reed]

On living intuitively [+ new podcast episode with tarot reader Theresa Reed] Kempton Shaw Shoot 03 DSC 0083

When you hear the words ‘living intuitively’, how do you feel? Is it something really familiar to you, or does it sound like something that mystics do? As someone brought up being encouraged to think critically and use data to make decisions, it’s only in recent years that I have come to fully appreciate the power and potency of my own intuition. (And that’s why I was so excited to interview tarot reader Theresa Reed in this week’s new podcast episode).

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As I dived deeper into the topic of intuition in researching my book Freedom Seeker, I discovered something fascinating about birds, which taught me something about how we humans can better navigate the world.

It turns out most birds use a combination of three tools to understand where they are and how to get where they want to go: landmarks, the sun and stars, and the Earth’s magnetic field.

Natural landmarks such as mountains and rivers, and man-made landmarks such as tall buildings, can be helpful pointers for birds, but only if they have flown a particular route before. So this first navigational tool is all about knowledge and experience.

The sun and the stars are reliable indicators of position and orientation, particularly when the weather is clear. This second tool is therefore all about information and guidance.

Then last but not least, birds are thought to use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate. We aren’t exactly sure how they do this, although scientists believe birds have a sense called magnetoreception – a kind of inner compass, which allows them to detect the magnetic field and perceive location, altitude and direction. So this third tool is all about using their sixth sense.

And so it is with humans, as we try to understand where we are and how to navigate to where we want to go.

First we have to look to our knowledge and experience – what we have learned from the road we have taken so far, our background, our education, the books we have read, the conversations we have had, the things said by the people who inspire us, the jobs we have done, the places we have been, all of it.

Then we need to fill in the gaps with information and guidance. This is about research, asking questions, talking to people who have done it before, finding role models and mentors, taking classes, gathering information and being prepared to ask for help.

And then there’s the third and final tool of navigating life. It’s our sixth sense – our intuition. It’s that inner knowing, the answers we already have inside if we just ask and then listen.

If you ignore the first tool you risk repeating past mistakes. If you don’t employ the second, you dive blindly into the unknown. But ignoring the third tool is the most dangerous of all, because it is the voice of your free self calling.

I encourage you to notice which of these three tools you are using as you make decisions – big and small – this coming week. Which could serve you better? Play around with them and see!

Beth

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THE NEW PODCAST: THERESA REED ON LIVING INTUITIVELY

How often do you use your intuition to make a decision? Are you missing a trick by not trusting your gut enough? That’s the topic we got talking around in this episode – why leading with your intuition is the key to happy, balanced, free life for you and those around you.

I am thrilled to welcome Theresa Reed, aka “The Tarot Lady” to the show. She is the perfect fit for this episode having worked with entrepreneurs the world over to help them channel their inner guide and find their own sense of direction. Theresa has been a full-time Tarot card reader for close to 30 years. She reads tarot via email, over the phone and on Skype for clients and has become well known for her tarot business forecasting reading which she regularly offers for entrepreneurs seeking direction.

Grab a cuppa and join us for this one off, special chat where Theresa also shares some rich, parenting advice that she’s developed thanks to her career reading tarot. Be sure to stay tuned to the end, Theresa picks out a tarot card especially for you…

Key Moments:

[4m 0s] The importance of having a simple, peaceful life when you’re a tarot reader

[5m 10s] How Theresa retains detachment and separation from her tarot readings

[6m 30s] How Theresa discovered tarot reading and why tarot is a tool for conscious living

[11m 55s] Theresa tells us the goal of any good tarot reader

[13m 50s] The potential having a tarot reading can bring to you, the choices you make and predictions for your life

[16m 30s] How Theresa uses her experience and intuition to help her be a great parent

[23m 10s] Using Astrology and Tarot readings to map out your business trajectory

[29m 39s] The correlation between tarot and the law of attraction

[31m 45s] The readings Theresa gives for herself, how they work and why she does it

[32m 24s] Theresa tells us what it really feels like to read for someone else

[35m os] Why Theresa always starts he calls with a completely clean, present state only knowing the client’s first name

[39m 10s] Theresa pulls a card for all of us and asks “What can I do to feel more free?”

Subscribe on itunes or see here for other ways to listen!

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50 Ways You Can Practice Self Care

50 Ways You Can Practice Self Care DWYL BLOG TUNEINCHILLOUT 650X250PX LR

A round up of ways to practice self care, as curated by the team at Do What You Love. 

“Nourishing yourself in a way that helps you blossom in the direction you want to go is attainable, and you are worth the effort. ” – Deborah Day

Do you often find yourself working long days? Do you put your children’s, friend’s and/or family’s needs before your own? Do you rarely tune in and listen to your body when it’s craving rest? Self care is a real work-in-progress but when practiced, it can make our whole lives better. From easing anxiety to living each moment more mindfully, mastering self care rituals is as necessary to our daily lives as putting food on the table, and shouldn’t be ignored.

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30 reasons to do a digital detox

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This is a guest post by one of the UK’s leading experts in digital distraction and digital detox, Frances Booth, author of The Distraction Trap: How to Focus in a Digital World, A Writer For All Seasons, and more productivity tips. Find out more about her here.

Here are 30 reasons to do a digital detox; ideas to make you think, to challenge you, and to give you motivation if and when you do decide to switch off. If you’re curious about the benefits a digital detox can bring you at work and for work-life balance, these tips are for you.

If you are sick of pinging demands, an overflowing inbox, and feeling overloaded, a digital detox can be a great strategy to use to achieve balance in the digital world. It might just give you the productivity boost you need.

My related piece on How To Do A Digital Detox gives more advice on practicalities such as how long your digital detox should be and how to prepare for switching off.

Image credit Alejandro Pinto - www.alejandroescamilla.comImage credit Alejandro Pinto via Flickr

These are some reasons why a digital detox makes sense.

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Sometimes we need a shining light. Sometimes we are that light.

Sometimes we need a shining light. Sometimes we are that light. IMG 3519 e1499517524821Sometimes we need a shining light. Sometimes we are that light. IMG 3518 e1499517542772

How are you doing? I woke up at 5am this morning, feeling compelled to write to you even though my body clock is all over the place, having recently travelled 26 hours to Boise, Idaho, for an event, and sleeping at very strange times each day.

As soon as I awoke I wanted to go outside and sit with my laptop in the dark listening to the birds, watching the world wake up, and write to you, so that is what I am doing. The reason for this is that yesterday I spent a truly wonderful day here at Melody Ross’s beautiful Brave Girl Symposium, first telling a story of freedom to 500+ women, then having a Q&A with my soul sister Kelly Rae Roberts answering questions about life, love and business, and then signing copies of Freedom Seeker for over three hours. It was a love fest.

I felt bad for the people queueing up for so long, but treasured the opportunity to speak to each and every woman who so generously shared their story with me – where they are in their life right now, what they are looking for, and what resonated in my talk about finding freedom in our lives, whatever is going on.

Even though I’m still fairly new to the world of book signings, I’ve realised that it is one of my favourite things to do. There’s something about sharing your story in words, that seems to give other people permission to do the same back. I watch the women from the corner of my eye as they are waiting. Some chat among themselves, some are laughing, some are deep in thought. Some seem to be preparing what they want to say, others clearly have no idea what they want to say, but are trusting something will come when they get to the front of the queue.

I never know what someone is going to say when they get to me. I often ask them a question, and see what tumbles out. The truth is, often I go to events and people have no idea who I am until I tell my story and it resonates with them on a soul level, and they feel compelled to come and chat. Those are some of my very favourite conversations.

Anyway, what I woke up wanting to say to you is this. In every conversation I had yesterday, in every question I answered, in every pair of eyes I looked into while I was talking from that stage, I saw you. I saw you in the stories and hearts of those women, because in so many ways we are all the same. We are just doing our best. We are showing up for life in the best way we can, and sometimes we need support in doing that, and sometimes we can be the one to offer support. Sometimes we need a shining light, sometimes we are that light. And we are stronger and happier together.

If you were sat with me in a room right now, I’d ask if I could read you this paragraph from Chapter 17 of Freedom Seeker, as a gift to you today:

“Life is wild and glorious and hard and beautiful. We Freedom Seekers must keep choosing freedom with every decision, every detail, every dollar, every day. Because it’s the experience of it all that adds 
up to a beautiful life. Go now and live it with all you’ve got. Fly free, my friend, fly free.”

Much love

Beth

PS A quick round up of news from over here: