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Walking At My Side Making Sure I’m Never Alone

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walking alongsideSometimes I have a topic I want to write my blog about. I know what it is early in the day. But I always wait to see who is walking by my side before I use that topic. Often I write about a completely different thing. Because whoever is with me helps me to notice something else more important.

I’ve said before that I enjoy writing my blog for me. It’s a great way to clear my mind and get me paying attention to what happens in my day. I’m also aware that my Guides and Inspirers use my blog as a way to put words out to others. To send messages to people the loved ones are struggling to reach directly. So sometimes I have Spirit people at my side with me as I draft my blog. They also walk with me when I’m giving messages. I feel their presence and enjoy finding out about them. Today my topic has changed because of one very determined lady in Spirit who started walking along with me an hour before her loved one rang me to ask for a reading.

I love this contact from those in the afterlife. The way they get us to make the connection and make it work. The loved one had been prompted to ring me. Pointed in my direction so to speak. And my day had casually been rearranged so that I had time to fit in a reading. I don’t stress when something gets cancelled or rearranged. I know it is for the right reasons. And I also know that my blog turns into different things because it’s also for the right reasons. That’s the power of the love our departed family and friends feel. The power of our Guides to get us to pay attention. Because knowing someone is walking through something with you gives you hope.

It’s also true that when I know someone is walking along with me in the tough times I feel less alone. There is a strength I can draw on when I need it. And a listening ear to tell my troubles to. Even more special, I can feel the waves of love and encouragement they bring me. The reminder that everything will turn out for the best. That I can do what’s in front of me. And that I am safe. Thank you for being there today.

Day 853 of my bogging challenge

A New Opportunity to Write

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At the End of November I wrote about my Inspired 2 Write challenge. I took an opportunity in 2015 to leap into a writing challenge. My daily blog is the outcome of that step off the cliff.

One of the things I’ve learned doing a challenge is how I use my opportunities when I’m doing something out of my comfort zone. Usually I take ages to decide to do something. I like to think it through from all angles. Opening up to my intuition has shifted me from planning to spontaneity. So I’m a bit more likely to take a leap of faith. Setting out on a writing challenge at short notice meant I had to take my chance without much thought. But I’m so glad I did. Something about not over-thinking has helped me to grab the opportunity with both hands and make it work.

As I approached the end of my first year of doing a blog every day I realised that somehow I had written thousands of words. How amazing that I had so many words inside me. That the consistency of blogging has become a normal part of my day. I felt so inspired to continue writing that I decided to set up a challenge to, hopefully, inspire others to join me in finding their writing voices. So there is now a Facebook group called Inspired 2 Write and on 1st January I invite you to join with us and start writing. The challenge is to write each day for 28 days and at the end have 4 blog pieces that can be used to get going with.

So how does this opportunity actually work?

First, let me know by sending me a message on my Facebook that you want to be part of the group. I can add you to the group so you can post your writing and get feedback or support. The group is open to complete beginners, those who have already started to write and those who want to get consistent in their writing. Each of the four weeks will have a theme to help you focus on what you are writing about. You don’t have to have a web site or blog to join in as I will ask you to put your pieces to the daily post using the comments option. Each day there will be a minimum number of words to complete but you are free to write as much more as you feel inspired to do.

Also, if you miss a day there is no need to double up. You can move on to the next day’s post. I am not looking at spelling, language or grammar. What I would like to find is your authentic voice. Each of us has a different style, subject matter and experiences to share. So I want to stress that there is no ‘right or wrong’ about the group. Your voice is equally as valuable and interesting as mine. So is your story. I want to listen to what you have to say. Not what people judge to be ‘good’ writing.

Here is the opportunity. What makes it worth doing?

I’m a great believer in making every chance count. I hope that anyone who joins in the challenge will enjoy discovering their voice. That the act of writing something every day becomes habit forming. Then that people are inspired to continue writing. Hopefully people will feel confident enough to start sharing their writing further than the group. Through a blog. Or in a writing group. Or by taking the next challenge. I host several websites so I am offering anyone who completes the challenge the opportunity to be a guest blogger. After all, I know you will already have blog pieces to share.

I also feel that inside all of us are many stories. Our experiences can help others who find themselves in similar situations. I think about many of the books I’ve read in my life. If those authors hadn’t shared their stories, if they had never started writing at all, I would have been left without a great source of comfort and support. Books turn lonely nights or difficult times into bearable times. They are an escape. Or a confirmation of connectedness. When you begin to write you begin to offer support, comfort and an escape to others. That’s a great result for this challenge.

So why grab the opportunity right now? After all it’s a holiday time when I want to relax.

I know there is a big energy shift starting from 1st January 2017. There is an opportunity to live our dreams. All it needs is that leap of faith. Or a New Year Resolution. Because I know that is what you will need. Resolution. And faith in yourself. I also know that anyone who joins in is capable of completing the challenge. That’s because if I can do it I’m sure anyone else can. I always wanted to write but lacked confidence. Yet when I went for it look how it’s turned out. I have finished a book now as well as writing every day. So for whatever reason you might be inspired to write please take that step off the cliff and join me at Inspired 2 Write ?

Day 411 of my blogging challenge.

Comments Widen the Debate

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img_2354One of the things I really enjoy is debating. People who know me know I will discuss on and on and on. I want to understand how someone else sees the world. So I love the comments and questions of a good conversation.

When I opened my website to do tonight’s blog I found some comments waiting for me. It’s funny how sometimes the comments form a thread of their own. So I have decided to share a couple of the comments – from Emma and Paul – because my reply was inspired by thinking about what both of them said.

Dear Annie,
It was great chatting with you. I hope we can talk next week some more about what you do and what I do, and how we can mesh that together perhaps in a new blogging challenge.
I find it extremely difficult to write on daily basis under my own pressure to complete whatever I set out to do.
The group challenges help with the support and a lot more. I met so many friends from different walks of life on Bradley’s 30 Day Content Challenge.
Today, as we approach Thanksgiving in the USA, I am grateful for the challenge and the people that I have met; like you Annie. You have enriched my life and you have fueled my inspiration.
You are my moral support when I struggle to write and that is not even having a writer’s block.
It feels like a huge commitment putting your thoughts out, but it is important to keep on doing that.
I keep telling my husband that 100 years from now we will be known as a generation of bloggers and posters and texters…and on and on.
Maybe there is a benefit to all of this that I fail to see immediately as I am bombarded by materialism from all sides.
More later. Thank you, Annie for writing.
Emma

Hi Emma, thank you for commenting so honestly about writers block and the purpose of blogs. I believe that the internet has opened us up to the opportunity to listen to new voices and be exposed to new ideas. Learning about each other through our blogs removes the idea of us and them. It shows us that people the world over have the same issues and concerns. The skill is in putting out your authentic voice. And in being able to screen the endless chatter by locking in on those voices that feel authentic. I skip blogs where the subject matter is false, selling me something or shouting out ‘look at me’. Because there are some fab bloggers who tell it how it is for them. They make me think. They make me feel. I open my mind and discover interesting stories. That’s why a blogging challenge is such a good idea. Those who might not have a voice get a voice. Those who are struggling might feel inspired. And those who find their true voice can help us change minds, which changes hearts and eventually the world.

Another comment on Peacefully Painting Angels , from Paul, is “it’s very sad to my way of thinking, that creative activities we do naturally as children, are seen as a luxury rather than essential for our Wellbeing.” I agree with Paul. Writing is also such a powerfully creative activity. As children we use our imagination to explore or view the world in a very different way from the way adults see the world. As we fit into the social framework we stop looking at the world as a magical place full of possibilities. We end up in a world of rules and fear. Yet if we can return to writing we are once again allowing ourselves to be creative beings. Journals, blogs, diaries, stories, poems, songs. So many ways to explore both our inner and outer world. To share things with others and help all of us to see that we are inside the Matrix trying to free ourselves and get out. I hope that in a hundred years people see blogging as the beginning of a creative shift. A way of bringing writing back to ordinary people so that they can play, create, inspire. Writing is not about a classic story. It’s about your story. It has value to those who read it and can identify with it or be challenged by it. Who knows what marvellous voices there will be in a hundred years time. But perhaps our efforts to create meaningful communication between each other will be the start of a whole better way of talking to one another.

As always Emma, your comments have given me food for thought ❤️

I enjoy reading your comments. They are our debate. When you find a blog you enjoy, here or on another site, please take the time to comment. If you do you may find that you are taking your first steps into creativity. Into finding your own voice. Who knows – you might even want to join the next blogging challenge ❤️️

Day 373 of my blogging challenge.

Write, Write and Write Some More

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img_2219One of the things on my ‘to do’ list today was to write an article for a local magazine, Valley Life. I’ve been writing short pieces for over a year now in the monthly magazine. I enjoy the challenge of finding a new topic to speak about.

It is a great opportunity to write about different topics that could prompt people to consider alternative methods of support. It’s also been really good for my confidence in my writing. Having a deadline, considering different ideas and putting my spin on things has made me think a lot about what I write. I want to offer something helpful and interesting. Also something that reads easily. Busy people might not have time to sink into a long article. So I also have to think about making every word count. It’s great for getting me to say what I mean in as few words as possible.

When I decided to write my blog I felt I could manage a daily blog for at least 30 days. After all, I could do 500 words for the magazine. I just had to do 500 different (& meaningful) words each day. Although I had written my workshop manuals as well as other training material the blog would have a different focus. It’s not all about me in a sense. That’s the point about being able to write something that other people will read. So I began with a desire to see if I could do 30 days talking about things that other people might find interesting. Finding myself on the 330th day I’m rather awed at what I’ve achieved. And there is plenty more blogging to be done.

Somewhere along the line my blog has also become a book. I’ve gained the confidence to expand my writing into a much longer piece.

The best thing about completing my book has been the step I took out of my comfort zone when I decided to write more. Because my ideas have expanded. My voice has grown. The subjects I write about have become opportunities for me to reflect on my day. Equally they have been prompts that I hope have inspired others to think about their day. I’ve become able to describe myself as a writer. And feel comfortable about doing that. A skill that might never have been given space has emerged and I love it. So my writing continues.

To write came up a couple of times today in another way. Having had two bouts of clinical depression in my past I value that my counsellor suggested that I write a journal. I was uncertain if it would help but when I tried it I was surprised. Capturing my feelings and thoughts, even in brief notes, seemed to release them. I could identify a pattern to my moods. The words helped me to find solutions. Eventually I stopped writing in my journal. I guess I was fed up, “cured” or ran out of steam. I’m not sure which. Except that I was conscious I didn’t want to share those words with anyone else. For a little while I wrote letters instead that I burned or threw in the river. How interesting that I didn’t continue at that time with something I love doing now.

That’s the best part of today. Realising that I love writing so much that I don’t want to stop.

I’ve been learning to live an intuitive life over the last dozen years. Part of that has been letting myself move out of the limitations I have placed on myself. Doing all those things I believed I couldn’t do. Trying all sorts of new (or forgotten) skills. Flowing with the activities that make me feel passionate about life. Twice in my earlier life I’ve been to the point where my life had lost all meaning. Swapping into an intuitive life has made me recognise that it’s up to me. I can do what I love and have a full life. Or I can stay safe inside my self imposed restrictions and miss out. So I expect the writing to continue for a long time. Who wouldn’t want to do what they love?

Day 330 of my blogging challenge.

Going Off Grid

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520004dd69c9a-42-02We have arrived in Scotland for a break. I’ve brought my blogs to help me with my book, my pastels, pencils, some research reading and a couple of fiction books. Plenty to do alongside a promise to relax, lol. However I also expected to continue my daily blogging so my iPad & phone are with me too. Just one little issue though. There is no wifi or phone service. We are completely off the grid!

After a walk on the beach I drove to the nearest little village to check if I could get a phone signal and work out where there might be wifi. It felt really strange that we are out of connection with the rest of the electronic world. My brain was whizzing around planning how I might be able to get a post on Facebook or my blog uploaded to my website. How quickly we adapt to technology without even knowing it. Then when it’s gone there is a gap. I had a slight feeling of panic that somehow I would be failing in my challenge to blog every day. It took me a moment or two to remind myself that being off the grid and unable to post would not stop me writing a blog at all. Also that the grid of connections, social media and website included, was still in place so I would be able to publish the blogs to the Internet at some point. The key thing was to write.

In the peace of a warm, sunny evening I am sitting writing about being off the grid. The phone connection is very slow in the local village so no posting until we visit somewhere that has free wifi. The one grid that is still in place is the connection to the energy world. My Guides, the Angels and other Energy Beings are around. In the flow of the water, the breeze in the trees, the song of the birds and the blossom of the flowers. The wonder what Nature is all around. Our planet is amazing. When we step away from the modern, material world we enter a space where perhaps we can be open to the presence of the unseen. As the light fades I’m grateful for this space, the peace and the opportunity to step off the grid (even unplanned) for a time.

Day 189 of my blogging challenge. Written 23rd May 2016.